Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-03-03
Unity aress aad 1akotaiaa
STONE RIVER.
r he Battle and the Events
Immediately Preced-
ing 1t.

~ - AA1Es &Os z
Rcsencrars' Sanguinary confiotw with
ersgg in the Fall Of 1862
As SEEN BY AN ARTILLERY MAN OF THE eth
WISCONSIN BATTERY AND WRITTEN FOR
TIE PRESS AND DAKogAIAN.
concluded from lass saturaay.)
AS we advanced our line OF battle by
throwing futwas4 our right wing
through the narrow wood in our front,
q rebel battery .'out iooae" on ns FROM
their opposing lines across the interven.
ing meadow, and sent shot; and shell
through the trees and all around us,
cutting off great limbs which fell to the
ground with a thud or crashed through
the body Of q tree, and plewed up the
ground adjacent, or glanced this way or
that in their wayward course through
the timber. We were ordered not TO
reply but t~o1advance in the face of this
storm OF iron hail. Every solid shot
that the enemy hurled at us that night
seemed aimed exactly ct me and APP
peared as big as q prize pumpkin, and
as | could hear the scream and crash Of
their coming. it was with the utmost
difficulty that it could prevent my legs
from bearing me to a place OF safety In
the rear. Every old soldier knows that
the greatest trial of their courage was
the time they advanced under fire on
the enemy without the privilege OF re-
plyingI
The position OF the entire. army wss
now about az follows:
The left under Orittenden was ad.
vanced at about the same time and
manner as the right. 1t now occupied q
position facing the enemy and fronting
south about two miles from Murfrees-
boro, with its left wing resting upon and
protected by Stone river. IL was we'll
massed, with Van Qleve's division in re-
serve. The center was composed OF
Rousseau's and Nealey'a division,
Negley's division in line with the left
wing, end Rousseau's in reserve.
The right wing under McOook was
connected with the. right OF the center
and once IN u single line, 1.-TWO files ex-
tended south-westerly about q mile and
q half along the enemy's front, as deve.
loped by she fighting OF this day with
only the brigades of Shafer OF Saeridan't
division and Baldwin of Johnson's il
reserve.
This, We must all admit, was q long
weak and vulnerable line, bat McOook
when questioned by the commandments
chief In regard to 1T, said IL was the besi
lhe could do and that it was ell right.
Rosecrans remarked that he lMcOook,
knew the ground and must be the Judge
IF the line is not safe change it anG
Il make il go But the line wes no
changed or improved.
The night was cloudy. dark and cold
The soldiers on the front line being for
hidden TO use fires. pitched their shelter
tents, spread their blankets on the cold
ground and sought as mHeh rest sn6
sleep % was possible under such ad.
verse circumstances. Meanwhile, in the
rear of each amy the reserve bull
great wood fires, aud assembling
around them cooked their evening
meal and talked over the prob
able events OF the morrow. The cloud!
we're purple tinted by the reflection O
the cArap Ores OF the two great opposing
armies that with the morning light viii
be in deadly combat.
AT four O'Clock on the morning of the
3lst of December, the last day of the ole
year, the troops in DayIs,s division were
aroused and got ready for action. a man
was detailed from each detachment to
go the rear and make coffee in our large
sheet iron psils and bring il to us to
drink before daylight. This vas o CRATE.
fal addition TO our cold bite OF hard tack
and pork. Az the earliest dawn, from
our position in the open oak woods, we
saw q long, dark line of rebel troops
marching around to the right OF our di-
vision and maasing in front OF Johnson
division. / think they were first dis
severed from u line of battle by oul
battery. A corporal, who was standing
on . caisaon peering through the gloon
~eudenvoring to see what trr akirmisherl
were so busily popping n@ay at, though
he saw troops marching ~ our battl,
front tos ard our right. He called tb,
lieutenant Who was on duty, who mount
ed d oaissop, and with a glass discesnes
heavy col1mns OF infantry, with batter.
! les and columns in sections beyond then
marching BY and our skirmishers firing
into them and their Aankere did no
even reply. The lieutenant calIet
Captain Pinney's attention to it, ani
he immediately notified the brigade com
mander.
Our batteries had orders not to fire
WltuOub PGA ul1ns1OA huu QUIZ DFlE&Qt
commander did not seem inclined
Ito open the battle without orders, as i
seems, he also, had orders not TO beRsr
the battle, but to not on the defensive
L~,sutensnt Gardner, who wa batter.
offcer at this time, can testify that oul
whole battery was cognizant of the fac
that the enemy were moving in YES
bodies to onr right. and that our captair
was anxious to open his guns, but wal
commanded to wait orders to do so.
A writer oil the seventy fifth Illinoi.
says: Captain Pinney stood By his gun
in q perfect frenzy OF ;mpatience to opei
on the enemy, as they passed in front o
DAvis's pickets, but as objects In til,
dim light could not be clearly discerned
. he was not permlttedt to fire. 1t was {
sad mistake, FOE as the enemy moved bJ
the flank within rifle shot, Pinney coull
have dealt death in his ranks, aided b,
Posts brigade all Of whom were anxioul
for the fray. The tide of battle Nigh
have been turned, and the dreadful dis
aster which occurred to the right wins
prevented, or at least, stayed until BAT
ter prepared for the attack"
However latter it was too late,we hear.
discharges of artillery and the roar o
musketry on u right. Whom our boy
heard IL the boys said, ttJohuson il
giving thsm h--l'; bat IL turned out Il
be just tho reverse.
This commander failed too awaken hi
trsbpa and prepare them for battle, al
DAVIS had done. In fact, at broad daJ
Hight many OF his soldiers were asleeD