The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-07-12

Repniring. Rentting aad Forttfyaug-
Works Of Immense Strength Thrown
yp-Need Of More Cavalry-Wheeler
Beaten on at Fort observation-disclosures
tiers East Tennessee Raid-Morgan
Receives . Severe Beating.
Roseerans In Murfreesbor0.
After establishing himself In Muir
freesboro and making q preliminary
survey of the country. Gen. Rosecrans
sions on the Woodbury.. Bradyville.
Manchester and ShelbyviIle turnpikes.
Gen. McCook was to place his three
divisions from the Shelbyville road
across the Salem turnpike to Stone
River. upon which he was to rest his
right. Gen. Crittenden was to take po-
sitioH on Gen. Thomas's left. so as to
cover the Liberty and Lebanon turn
pixies. and rest his left on Stone River
below MurfreesbOro.
Naturally the first duty Of the Com
manding General was to repair, as far
as was possible. the losses of the terrible
battle. The hundreds OF wagons which
had been burned by the rebel cavalry
were serious blow, every part Of the
army's equipments had been damaged.
lessened, or otherwise impaired, and
the railroad back to Nashville had to be
put In running order. a serious task in
the severe wintry weather which fol-
lowed the battle. Until that could be
done the army had to depend for food.
ammunition and clothing upon what the
greatly diminished wagon trains could
haul from Nashville.
The railroad from Nashville to Louis
willie had been only very imperfectly
repaired from the terrible wrecking
which Wheeler and Bragg had given
II, 80 that the trains could only run
slowly and with many accidents which
greatly Interrupted traffic. Thus 1t was
for several weeks after the battle ra-
lions were very scarce with the Army
OF the Cumberland, never at any time
fun. most frequently half or quarter.
The country round about was ran
within reach only went a short dis
tance In supplying the necessity.
Braggs army had been In the country
too long to leave any great amount Of
provender for man or beast.
Gen. Rosecrans had transferred to
his Department Forts Henry and Don
elson, which controlled the navigation
Of the Cumberland and Tennessee. and
he began using the Cumberland River
as q secondary line Of supply. though II
was q very roundabout course from
Louisville to Nashville by way Of that
stream.
Another ReerEani.ation.
General Order No. 8. War Depart
ment. Jan. 8. 1853. changed somewhat
the organization Of the Army Of the
Cumberland by dividing 1t into three
corps, the Right to be the Twentieth
Corps, the Left the Twenty-first, and
the designation Fourteenth Corps to
be limited to the Center under Gen.
Thomas. The commanders Of these di-
visions remained the same. Gen. Fry
was succeeded In the command Of one
of the divisions Of Thomas's Corps by
Gen. Steedman. and the division
Church and Lavergne. There being
felt less need for strongly guarding the
railroad from Louisville to Nashville,
Gen. REYNOLDS Division was relieved
of that duty and brought forward to
Join Gen. Thomas at Murfreesboro.
As finally constituted the Fourteenth
Corps comprised four divisions with
the first commanded by Mai. Ger Low
ell III. Rousseau. the Second by Maj
Gen. Jas s. Negley. the Third by Brig
Gen. j. NJ. Brannan. and the Fourth by
Maj.-Gen. ]. ]. Reynolds.
Need of Cavalry.
More than any of his predecessors,
Gen. Rosecrans felt the need OF addition
al cavalry. At the beginning Of the war
cavalry was held in little esteem by
the reigning coterie at the War De-
partment. and all attempts to raise
mounted regiments were strongly dis
couTaged- The cavalry regiments which
were accepted were, as a rule those
which had been pressed upon the Gov
ernmcnt by the urgency Of Governors
Of States, and when i'm the service re-
ceiyed but little attention or recog16-
tion from the powers in Washington
The arms and equipments supplied
were scanty and antiquated. On the
other hand, the Confederates had paid
much attention To the mounted service
which was popular in the South. and
attracted to II the best quality OF the
young men. They were all natural
horsemen. fine shots and strongly i'm
bued with the chivalric idea. The bold
and successful operations OF Morgan
Wheeler and Forrest had painfully
aroused the Union commanders in the
field to the value Of cavalry. but the,
had long. hard time In impressine
this upon Washington Buelrs infan-
try had worn out the Lords patience
and an infinite amount OF Uncle Sam,
shoeleather in fruitless and mortifyins
chases OF the fieet-hOofed cavalry Of the
enemy. The country rang with the ex.
ploits OF the Southern cavaliers. and
this prestige was very useful In attract
ing the chiyairous youth Of the South
to the standards OF Morgan. Wheeler
and Forrest. consequently that arm o
the Confederate service was now at IL.
very best in numbers and that aggres
sive self-confidence which Is SO power
ful a factor in the success OF cavalry.
Rosecrans had timed his advanc,
from Nashville with Forests ahsenc.
IN West Tennessee. whittier he had beer
sent by Bragg to assist In destroying
Grants communications. As it was
the cavalry force under Wheeler an<
Wharton still with Bragg was more thar
match I'm numbers for the Union cav
airy. which had to be helped all tn,
time by infantry to keep tho bolt
Southern riders of our TANKS and com
munications. Rosecrans began impor
tuning Halleck for more cavalry. bu
this the Commander-in-Chief Of tn,
Armies treated as a complaint by Rose
Grams. and then and there began tn.
acrimonious correspondence between
the Comms nder nj the Army of IN,
Cumberland and his superior at Nas..
ington which forms an unpleaSan
chapter I'm our military annals Al tha
tire Bragg had az his disposition praa
aoH 10000 or $4,000 unexccliej hur.e
mee, while Rosecrans could not Oppose