The National tribune., 1902-12-25
THE INFERNO in THE CEDARS.
An Awful Hour for the Crushed Right at Stone River.


Stone River was one of the great bat
ties of the war for the Union. 1t really
began at Nashville, Dec %, 1862. and
ended at Murfreesboro, Jan. 3, 1863 in
the complete triumph of our arms. But
"Wednesday, Dec. 81, was the pivot upon
which its fortune turned. For i've days
the Army of the Cumberland, 4oOoC
strong, under Gen. w. S. RosecranS, had
been marching, skirmishing and manuver'
ing for a favorable position. Finally, OH
the night of Dec. 80, the weary soldiers
lay down in line of battle, unsheltered. III
the frosty Winter air, and with their
arms in their hands, well knowing that
on the morrow one of the decisive cohhlcts
of the war must be fought.
The situation made this inevitable. The
Confederate army of Gen. Bra Ston Bragg
about equal in strength. lay in a line SUB,
stantially parallel and only few hundred
yards distant, interposing between us ana
Murfreesboro, less than three miles away
virtually saying: Thus far smart thon d.
come and no farther 1t was night OF
apprehension and speculation-to many
brave men the last of earth. the hnallty
of mortal joy and sorrow.
The writer was at the time Sergeant
Major of the I'D ILL.,, attached to Schaef-
fer's Brigade of Gen. Philip III. Sheridan
Division. An hour before daybreak on
the OlSC. our NIStldHI DiNlsioh S'iAA
mander marshaled his force Ill line, fully
prepared for the onset of the enemy. The
rules of strategy had taught Rosecrans to
expect that this would be made early IN
the morning on the extreme right OF the
line. which was located less than half a
mile west and south of Sheridans posi-
ton.
The attack came an hour after day
break. but even then found the extreme
right unprepared to resist it, and. one dl-
vision after the other, johnson and Davis,
were forced back until Sheridan was
reached Our division, aided by its three
batteries of artillery, held the ground as
long as possible, but after much desper-
ate fighting was at length obliged to re
tire, which it did in good order, to assume
q stronger position to the left and rear.
The regiment to which l belonged had
been assigned to the support of the artll-
lery massed at commanding point IN
Sheridan's line, and when the retrograde
movement commenced we were ordered to
follow the guns and resume our duty OF
supporting it in the new position. Obedl-
ence to this order separated us for time
from the remainder of the division as we
started on the detour made necessary by
following the artillery, and we even be
came separated from the latter through
inability to travel as rapidly as the horses
which drew the cannon. We were doing
our best, marching at double-quick and in
good ord. across a cotton field already
swarming with the advance guard of an
exuberant foe, who poured storm OF bull
lets into our ranks.
CHECKING A VICTORIOUS ADVANCE.
As we neared the farther extremity OF
this field we were halted by Gen. Rous-
seau, who had become separated from his
own division, and seeing in our regiment
the only visible organized body of Union
troops, proceeded to overrule the instruc-
lions We were trying to obey. He peremp-
torily ordered the regimental commander
to halt in the dense cedar thicket border
ing the field we had just crossed, and hold
that position until he could bring other
troops to our support.
Not questioning the right of Rousseau to
assume this control, the Major in COM
mand conducted us across low rail fence
and into the border of the cedars few
steps beyond. Here we were halted and
formed in line facing the field we had just
crossed, charged with the duty of imped-
ing the further progress of our energetic
pursuers. We were here sheltered by nu-
merOus stumps and trunks of trees which
had been dragged to the edge of the
standing timber, when the field was clear
ed many. years before. A natural, very
effective and very welcome breastwOrks
was tuuS pToNlueu, anu Wuch VIC AdScu
about the oncOming hosts OF Confederates,
who had followed closely in our rear, were
given a very warm reception.
A few of the more ventureS0me rebels
reached the rail fence, less than 20 yards
from the muzzles of our muskets, but
none ever returned. Others paused at a
distance of 70 or 100 yards, delivered
their fire, and dropped to the ground to
load and fire again. Others. came up in
their rear, but no human endurance could
withstand the murderous fire poured into
them from our well-protected line, rein
forced now on the right and left by other
troops who had rallied to our assistance.
We were armed with heavy, unwieldy
Belgian muskets, loud Of voice, very hald
"kickers," and Of doubtful slaughter
power at long range, but at close quarters
like these they got in their deadly work
with unqualified effectiveness.
The first rebel charge thus failed be
fore this unexpected opposition, and the
enemy fell back behind ridge to form
for another attempt. Three times was
the brave endeavor repeated, but each
time it met with an angry repulse. Our
ewn losses were numerous, But insignif-
cant compared with those inflicted on the
enemy. Here the victorious Confederates
met the first serious opposition they had
encountered, and the time thus gained aid
Cd materially the efforts of Gen. Rose
Grams to reorganize his army and assume
the new position from which he finally
won a splendid victory.
For fully half an hour this bloody angle
at the edge of the cedars was held against
overwhelming odds, four distinct charges
having been, as stated, successfully re
PEELED. So strongly posted were Oui
troops that the position could have been
held indefinitely but for the fact that the
crumbling remnants Of the defeated diyi-
sions On our right, having fallen back into
the cedar forest, the vastly superior force
Of the enemy directly pursuing them al
last hanked us out of our stronghold and
we were likewise compelled to retreat into
the depths of the wood.
A PIVOTAL POINT.
This little patch Of cedars, perhaps 20t
acres in area, contained unique feature.
that give an unimpeachable title to the
prominence it has obtained in history az
enc of the pivotal points Of memorable
conflict. The surface was a confused mas:
Ct rock lying in slabs and powders, in
terspersed with holes assures and cavern!
which would have made progress over i
extremely difficult if there had been n,
timber, but notwithstanding an almost to
tai absence of soil, thick growth of tree.
covered it, which seemed almost impene
trable. The trunks ran straight up int,
the air so close together that the tree
tops intermingled in solid mass. TIL
result was that once fairly within tn
th;cket the sunlight from above was most