The National tribune., 1898-08-18
The Beginning or tho Tu1iahoma Campaign
"Only rs Miles to ShelbyviIle."


Day was just breaking when Shorty came
galloping back.
"Turn ont, boys ~ he shouted. "Pack
up, and start back for camp as quick as you
kin. The whole army's on the move"
Whats happened, Shortly" inquired
81, as they all reused themselves and gathered
around.
Well" answered Shorty, rather swelling
with the importance of that which he had to
communicate, ''all l know is that we got
into camp little after midnight, and went
direct to Gen. Rosecrans's Headquarters. Of
course, the old man was up; don't believe
that old hook -nosed duffer ever sleeps. He
was awful glad to see Rosenbaum, and gave
us both great big horns OF whisky, which
Rosenbaum certainly needed, il didn't, for
he was dead tired, and almost Topped down
after he handed his papers to the General.
But the General wanted him to stay awake,
and kept plying him with whisky, whenever
he would begin to sink and, my goodness,
the questions he did put at that poor Jew.
Il thought we knowed something of the
country out here around us, but, Jerusalem,
all that we know wouldn't make primer to
Rosecrans's Fifth Reader How were the
bridges on this road? Where did that road
lead to? How deep was the water in this
crick? How many rebels were out there
Where was Bragg's cavalry? Where's his
reserve artillery? And so ON. until thought
he'd run a seine through every water hole in
that jews mind and dragged out the last
minner in it. / never heard the sharpest
lawyer put man through such cross ex-
animation.
Rosenbaum was equal to everything
asked him, but it seemed to me that Gen.
Rosecrans knOwed a great deaf more about
what was inside the rebel lines than Rosen-
baum did All this time they was going
over the papers that Rosenbaum brung, and
Old Rosey seemed tickled to death to git
them. He told Rosenbaum he'd done the
greatest days work OF his life and made his
fortune.
Gin the meantime the whole staff had
walked mp and gathered in the tents and
while the General wuz pumpin' Rosenbaum
he wuz sending orders to this General and
| that General, and stirrin' things up from
Dan to Beersheba Lord, you Ought've seen
that army wake up. / wouldn't We missed
| it for farm Everything is on the move
right on the jump We're goin' for old
Bragg for every cent we're worth, and we
want to git back to the regiment as quick as
our legs'll carry US. Hustle around, now"
sBut what re we goin' to do with our
prisoners?" asked ST.
BLAST the prisoners" answered Shorty,
| with profane emphasis. Let 'em go to
blue blazes, for all that we care We're after
bigger game than handful of measly penny
royal sang-diggers. We hain't no time to
fool with polecats when we're hunting bear.
Go off and leave 'em here"
'That's all right" said ST, 10 whom an
idea occurred. Hustle around, boys, but
don't make any noise. Well march off so
quietly that they won't know that we're
| gone, and it'll be lots of fun thinking what
they'll do when they wake up and begin
clapper-clawin' one another, and wonderin'
what their fate'll be-"
June 90, 1863, ended the Army of the
Cumberland's six months of wearisOme mac
ton around Murfreesboro--its half-year of
tiresome fort-building, drilling, picketing,
and scouting.
Then its 60, 900 eager, impatient men swept
| forward in combinations Of masterful STRAIT
egy, and in brief, wonderfully brilliant
| campaign of nine days of drenching rain
drove Bragg out of his strong Notifications in
the rugged hills of Duck River, and COM
| PEELED him to seek refuge in the Businesses of
the Cumberland Mountains, beyond the Ten
nessee River Whatever faults and deficien-
cies Gen. Rosecrans had, he was as brilliant a
strategist rs the world ever saw, and his nine
days campaign for the possession of Tulla-
homa and the country north Of the Tennes-
see River is a lustrOus chapter IN the annals
of scientific warfare.