The National tribune., 1906-08-23

|
Then they had to rest and feed their
men. Rosecrans issued orders for n
general advance the next day directly
against Tullahoma. with the Fourteenth
Corps in the center and the other two
on its ffanks.
June 81 Bragg had all his force in
| lTulfahoma, and was making ready TO
receive battle there behind his strong
works The next day he heard OF Will
der's attack on Decherd, but dismissed d
this as mere cavalry raid. Then news
began to reach him of the concentration
| of the infantry, and Forrest, who was
sent out on reconnaissance. comes back
with the report that he has found the
| Union lines everywhere too strong to
| force. and the situation looked ominouS.
Bragg reluctantly saw that he had been
| outmaneuvered. that it would be sui
cidal to fight IN Tulla:loma and run the
great risk of being shut up and cap
tured. and he gives the order to retreat
and abandon Middle Tennessee.
Evncuntins TulIahomn.
His first step was to get his army
across the Elk River. and interpose that
deep. rocky gorge between him and
Rosecrans. Hardee moved north of the
railroad. crossing the Elk at Bethpage
Bridge. while Polk moved along the
railroad.
June 80 the Union army formed line
of battle. In the midst of pouring rain,
for the advance upon Taliahoma. Brad
ley's and Steedman's Brigades moved in
advance first in reconnaissance. and
speedily ran up against Forrest. whom
they drove back. killing one of his bri-
gade commanders. The army reached
the plateau in front of Tullahoma that
night and bivouacked there.
,,a1 IN
regular line Of battle in columns of divi-
sions. and moved forward for the direct
assault. 1t was met by people of Tulla-
homa coming out to report that the
enemy had gone
Sheridan's. Brannans, Davis's and
Reynolds's Divisions moved forward in
to the place. while Crittenden. with two
divisions, started at once for HillSboro
to head off the enemy from the Sc
quatchie Valley. and Thomas, with Neg
ley's and Rousseau's Divisions. started in
direct pursuit. Bragg had Il hours
start to make the six miles to Elk River
and unfortunately Rosecrans had not his
cavalry in hand to dispose of Wheeler
and Forrest, who covered the retreat
and disputed the pass of every gap and
bridge with our infantry. They did this
SO successfully that Hardee and Polk
got everything across the Elk River.
duu INtH DuIileu lHc
army pushed forward in pursuit, but
was unable to cut off Bragg from the
gateway formed by the Tennessee River
and by July 4. when Vicksburg was be-
ing surrendered. he was gathering his
army together in Chattanooga.
The Union army, worn out by its
enormous labors and struggles settled
down for rest and recuperation for fur
ther effort.
Brilliant Campaign.
The 10-days campaign was one of the
most brilliant in the annals of war. The
strategic genius of RosecranS shone out
resplendently. as did the spirit of his
magnificent army. In 10 days. by a
series of faultless moves. faultlessly exc
cuted. a powerful army intrenched in
what seemed an impregnable position
had been forced out of it, and out of the
fertile country from which it drew
abundant supplies, with loss of 1894
prisoners, eight cannon and vast
amount of valuable war material, with
a loss to the Army of the Cumberland
of only $50 men. killed. wounded and
missing. Bragg's killed and wounded
must have been many hundreds more.
Rosecrans had outmaneuyered Gen.
Bragg in Tennessee even more brilliant
ly than he had Gen. r. F. Lee in West
Virginia in the beginning of the war.
tic be continued)