The National tribune., 1906-11-22

remained at Bear Creek where his cav
airy could throw itself across Sher-
mans path. This division, however
was exceedingly light weight to en-
counter such veteran infantrymen as
Sherman was now pushing forward
along the banks of the Tennessee. After
several sharp little fights Lee saw the
futllity of wasting his men and with
drew them. Sherman had a narrow
escape from capture by the Confeder-
ate cavalry at Coilierville. but the
srnall squad with him finally beat off
the enemy, and allowed him to pursue
his journey unharmed. So swift was
Sherman's march that, Nov. s, he ar
rived at station on the branch rail-
road from Decherd, where he found a
detachment of the Twelfth Corps, and
what was much more to his liking at
that juncture, 100000 rations. The de-
tachment of the Twelfth Corps at that
point put him in touch with Grant,
and made him part of the force i'm
mediately available for operations.
Longstreet Detached TO Strike Burnside.
For reasons that were never salts
factory to sound military critics. Gen
Bragg or the Confederate War Depart
ment decided 10 detach Longstreet and
send him on swift rush after Burn
side, who was backing and filling in
obedience to orders to reinforce Thorn
as. 1t was hoped at Richmond that a
General who had acquired such fame
under Lee for swift marches and hard
striking would be able to overtake and
demolish Burnside and return to Chat
tanooga before Sherman should arrive
Possibly Longstreet's desire to get away
from Bragg had much to do with this
plan, as did also his eagerness for an
achievement which would give a decid-
ed crown Of success to the operations
m
Bragg's army had been reinforced
after the battle of Chickamauga until
his heavy losses in that sanguinary
struggle had been made good, with
possibly 10000 effectives in his camp.
He therefore felt that he was able to
detach Longstreet with some 10000
men with which to strike Burnside,
who at the same time would be as
sailed from Virginia by Gen. Sam
Jones's Division. Bragg would still
have over $4,000 men left TO hold the
lines in front of Chattanooga, and espe-
cially as these had been shortened by
the elimination of the territory to the
west of Lookout Mountain. What
Bragg's ulterior designs were cannot be
guessed. When he lost control of Rae
coon Mountain his hopes of starving
the Army of the Cumberland into sur
render fell to the earth There was
then no longer any use of maintaining
L,
If he had intended an assault, it should
have been while the Army of the Cum
berland was at its weakest from starva-
tion. Then. from its lack of animals,
it could not manuver its artillery, and
If It's lines had been penetrated at any
point its destruction would have been
certain. Now 1t was taking on more
heart every hour from the arrival of
rations and reinforcements. If Bragg
had intended to make an assault he
should have kept Longstreet with him
and made 1t before Hooker's arrival.
Now Hooker would soon be joined by
Sherman. and their combined forces
would raise the army in Chattanooga
to greater strength than Bragg's be-
leaguering host. Therefore, every day
that Bragg continued the siege was a
military folly. He should have raised
it and retired at once to the Businesses
Of Rocky Face Ridge, where the next