News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-04-02
darts battery, which opened fire with

darts battery, which opened fire with
shells.
When troops get warmed up to re-
treat, they are as Jealous at running
as they were before in fighting. The
route to the river was like the roads
between Manassas and Washington
after the first Bull Run. Haversacks,
we'll filed, had been recklessly thrown
away at the start, the poor fellows car
ing little for the future so long as they
could get clear of bullets. One cannon
was left behind and hundreds Of mus
ketC were thrown away.
Thomas halted in front Of the in
trenchmentS on the Cumberland and
deployed his line on the hills command
ing the works. Three batteries got
range upon the ferry behind Critten-
denis men and kept up brisk fire I'M
til dark to prevent the Confederates
from crossing. An assault was order
ed to be sprung at daybreak. Five OF
Thomas regiments which had not been
In the battle reached the ground during
the night. At daylight the guns open
ed on the only steamer in sight, and it
was promptly abandoned and set on
fire. Led by the fresh regiments, the
assaulting column started forward, but
found the intrenchments empty of
troops. All the river craft had been de-
stroyed, and further pursuit was check
ed for the moment. Crittenden had left
behind three batteries of artillery,
10, tpn drove
horses and mules. Not relishing the
prospect of fighting with a river at his
back, he had made a summary retreat
to save his men.
The Confederate loss was nearly dou-
BILE that of Thomas, who buried 1872 of
the men in gray and took 6S wounded
prisoners. The heaviest loss Of the day
on either side fell upon Walthalls Mis-
sissippians, who opened the attack
upon Fry and were in the fight from
start to finish. Crittenden said that
many of his soldiers stole horses and
mules along the route and fled to Knox
vile, Nashville and other cities in Ten
nessee. His army was ruined for the
time and the soldiers of the command
never forgot their first meeting with
the rock of the Federal army in the
west. One of the prisoners accounted
for the panic in the Confederate ranks
Which caused the men to throw away
their haversacks by improvising yarn
which was long preserved in the west
as a tradition of Thomas invincible
personality on the field. Said he: eve
were doing good work till your old
man Thomas rose up in his stirrups
and hollered out: Attention, creation!
BY kingdoms right wheel" Then we
knew the jig was up"
Mill Spring broke the Confederate
hold upon Kentucky. Thomas was
ready to push his army forward into
east Tennessee as soon as he could
gather supplies for the movement, but
was ordered to rejOin the main army
under Buell. at Louisville. The effect
upon the people of Tennessee of the
spectacle of q retreating and democrat
lied Confederate army was even great
er than that of the battle. Two Con-
federate regiments broke up entirely,
and the men went to their homes. 1t
was the first complete Federal success
of the war, and President Lincoln con-
graduated the troops, while the general
commanding the army thanked Thorn
as for the brilliant victory.
| Zollicoffer's tragic end was a great
blow to the southern sympathizers of
east Tennessee, where he was a popu,
| lar political leader. He had served two
| terms in congress and was the editor
of a paper. Without military expert
ence he had been intrusted with the
important work of watching the Cum
berland river to keep the Federals