The National tribune., 1903-06-04

The forenoon of Wednesday, the 18th,
was passed in parolng Wilder's men.
Putting four days rations in their haver-
sacks, and leaving their guns stacked.
The Union troops with flags flying and
drums beating marched away on the pike
northward.
DESTRUCTION OF TIE BRIDGE.
Relieved of the presence of Wider's gal
liant defenders. the Confederates proceeded
to destroy the bridge. Beginning with the
south piers, they succeeded in destroying
three spans, or half the length of the
bridge. Their main army was marching
toward Louisville, and the detachment left
TO demolsh the bridge never completed the
job. Having destroyed the three spans
they departed, Bue,l's scouts admonishins
them to cease operations.
BUELL. ARRIVES.
On the same day that Bragg himself left
Munfordsvillc. Gen. Buell. arrived, and be-
fore night had established his headquar-
tiers in the same house that Bragg had
vacated in the morning. Bragg's main
army left Munfordsville three days ahead
of Buell..
At Eiizabethtown the Confederates
turned northeast toward Bardstown, but
Buell. turned from the pike and marched
West Point then moving up the river to
Louisville. where he arrived Sept %, amid
the rejoicing of many and the lamentation
of some, how many l have no means of
knowing.
Gen. Buell. remained Mt Louisville four
days. resting, refitting, recruiting and re-
organizing generally. On Oct. !, his army
moved out southwark and east in five di-
visions. 1t would seem that the move
&c c1n urin0
to reach the vicinity of Perryville, 55
miles.
THE BATTLE OF PERRYvILLE.
OF the Pcrryville battle have little to
say. 1t is singulaS that the fighting was
done by one-third of the Union troops that
were within easy reach. One history says
that Buell. did not know battle was be-
ing fought until he arrived on the field at
dark. Another says he had given orders
that there should be no battle, and that
he was in camp FIVE miles away, quietly
sleeping. 1t is said, also, that he scolded
McCook for not telling him battle was
being fought.
On that day my regiment was in camp
three miles south of Louisville, and we
could distinctly hear the booming of can
non to the southwark. Certainly Gen.
Buell. must have been deaf or a sound
sleeper not to know his men We're en-
gagged in battle.
After the battle there was no active
pursuit. Buell. followed slowly, perhaps
cautiously.
DoINGs OF THE coNFEDERATEs.
Bragg's army had been given ample
time to ''clean up" the country between
Salt River and the Kentucky. Kirby
Smiths lively boys were allowed six weeks
to have a good time in Central and South
western Kentucky. Bragg and Smith had
met at Frankfort and organized Confed-
crate Government for the State. They
had captured neither Cincinnati nor Louis
vile, but the results and products, espe-
cially the latter, of their campaign must
Examiner: 'The wagon train of supplies
brought out Of Kentucky by Gen. Kirby
Smith was 40 miles long, loaded with Il
large amount Of clothing, boots and shoes,
one invoice being million yards Of jean.
There were 200 wagons loaded with ba-
con. Another train was loaded with 6,00O
barrels of pork. Among the spoils were
1,50O mules and horses. 5000 beeyes and
herds of SWINE" The Confederatcs
surplus wagon train at their leisure.
That Kentucky campaign has always
been a mystery to me and others. The
two armies, nearly equal in numbers and
equipment, spent about two months with
in two days march of each other. They
fought two battles. in neither of which
both commanders were present. The Fed
erals lost the most prisoners, but the losses
in killed and wounded were about equal.
The Confederates gained some recruits
and immense supplies. The Union army
received many recruits and needed sup
plies from beyond the Ohio. While both
armies could do some growing, they also
had reason to mourn.
During the following Winter and Sum
mer l was at Munfordsville and mingled
with many officers and men who had par
ticipated in the campaign; also with num-
erous citizens-sympathizers on both sides.
The principal theme was the Bragg-Buell
campaign.
Some of the stories I heard must be
taken cum grano sails. For instance,
was gravely told that Buell. and Bragg
were brothers-in-law, having married Sis
ters; that the two Generals frequently,
during the campaign, passed q night to-
gether; that Bragg would travel in
the rear of his army and Buell. in ad-
vance of his, making it convenient for
them to seek the same house for enter
tainment at night. Such stories, and otll-
ers of similar tenor, were soberly and ear
nestly related and discussed. Notwith-
standing the seriousness with which they
were told, l regarded them as mere pleas
antry, and doubtless the reader will smile
with me.
AS soon as Bragg's army was well clear
of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, 4
large number Of mechanics was sent down
to repair damages. In the light of the
stories that l had heard, it occurred to me
that Bragg and Buell. may have agreed to
divide the long railroad bridge between
them. Bragg, at least, did as he pleased
with the south half-a little more than
500 feet-leaving the north half for Buell.
Instead Of an iron truss bridge, which
could not then be restored, timber strUc-
ture was erected, so substantial that Rose
Grams used it when lie moved into Tennes-
see. as early as November.
My regiment, 25th Mich, arrived Mt
Munfordsvile Dec. 1G, going into camp
on Woods Hill. By that time the noted
drouth had been broken and Green River
was rising rapidly. Men worked all night
laying plank between the tracks the length
of that long railroad bridge, and thereafter
that was the crossing place for infantry
and cavalry until the next April, when a
pontoon bridge was thrown across the
river. In crossing the cavalrymen would
dismount and lead their horses in single
file along the narrow walk, distance of
], ,O29 feet and from 20 TO 120 feet up in
the air, there being no side railing what
ever. On one occasion horse SHE'D and