The National tribune., 1906-06-14

entity. to contest every inch of ground.
IL he holds them We will swing into
with our left. and cut
them Off Then to his STAFF: 1t is
right Alas. it was not work
ing right. Every inch of ground was
not contested. He did not yet know Of
the rout of Willich's and Kinks Bri-
gades. nor of the rapid withdrawal of
Davis's Division.
1.-The reported death of Sill was con-
firmed. We cannot help 1t: brave
men must be killed in battle said the |
General impatien.ly. Col. Kirk is |
wounded and disabled; willich killed |
or captured Never mind persisted /,
the inflexibie leader, I'VE must win this
battle"
Battle was flowing along the line.
first with the Center
was entirely dissipated. The enemy
was pressing McCook swiftly and in
disorder back upon the Center. Neg-l
ley was already engaged. An Aid
from McCook advises that Rousseau be
held in hand. What! Reserves sol
soon? Tell Gen. McCook 1 will help
him. was the instant reply. and Rous-
seau marched at double-quick into the
cedar brakes on Negley's right, toI
brace up Sheridan and stand as a.
breakwater before the torrent that was
engulfing the army. 1t was full time.
THE plan of battle is crippled. The
Right Wing fails to hold Hardee three
hours nay. even an hour. on its right.
Therefore the Left Wing cannot swing
into Murfreesboro and cut them off
A third of the Left Wing is absolutely
necessary to save the Right from an
Inhalation. Van Cleve is already cross
ing the river to swing the Left into
Murfreesboro. Harker is moving in the
same direction; Hascall and Wagner are
H. E.lN
to halt. Said Hascall: The most ter
rible state of suspense pervaded the
entire Left as it became more and more
evident that the Right Wing was being
driven rapidly back upon u.s. Wagner
is on the extreme left of the army.
Harker finds cover on a little crest be-
hind some shocks of corn in the open
field. Hascall awaits developments.
Wood directs Wagner to hold his po-
sition to the last Everything depends
upon it. Wagner is reliable. No dan
ger there. An order goes to Van Cleve
to double quick a brigade to the right
Rich Mountain Beatty thunders across
the field and forms west of the turn
pike. Fyffe follows rapidly to form on
his right. 1t is not yet o'clock. The
battle is all against u.s."
When the battle Was Two Hours Old.
1t was o'clock when Anderson be-
gan the renewed attack upon Sheridan.
One of his brigades had led off in an
attack on Negley, on Sheridan's left,
but was received with such a terrific
fire of artillery and infantry from the
men who had been waiting so long for
the tide of battle to reach them that it
recofled in utter confusion. In a few
minutes one of its regiments-the 18th
Miss.-lost So killed and 1872 wounded
out of the 400 it carried into action.
hi fc MI 0f ttA -
the fighting all along the line.
Again Sheridan handled his division
in the most mastery manner. His
well-placed batteries enfiladed Nc
Gown, and for half an hour he battered
Hardee's heavy columns so mercilessly
that Hardee recoiled, and sent word to
Bragg that he must help by attacking
along the whole front, and Bragg also
began bringing more men from the 9TH
er side of the river. Hardee concen-
trated the men who had gone off to-
ward the left, and pushed them beyond
Sheridan's flank, when the latter, find
ing both Cleburne and Cheatham mass
ing upon his flank, fell back with Il de-
fiant front to new and strong position
in the cedars. with his left connecting
with Negley and his right bent bach:
toward the Nashville Pike. This made
two of his brigades face west, with
their backs toward Negley, while Rob-
erts's Brigade faced south. and had in
front all of Sheridan's artillery.
Hardee Immediately attacked with
the greatest impetuosity, for the whole
Confederate plan of battle was now at
its most critical moment. If Hardee
could break through Sheridan's sadly
thinned division he would take both
the Center and Lsft of the Union army
in the rear and it's defeat would be i'm
mediate and overwhelming.
For an hour the fighting was fierce
and bloody beyond anything earlier in
The day. Sheridan repulsed every at
tack and the hours delay saved the
army, for Rosecrans was now rushing
everybody in reach up to a new line
along the Nashville Road behind Sheri-
dams blazing front.
Sheridan lost the gallant Roberts and
Schaeffer, who had been such towers OF
strength to him, and fully 1900 killed
and wounded. His artillery had been
wrecked by the concentrated fire OF
| the Confederate guns. but he and his
men were still undismayed. They
were now suffering from an exhaustion
of ammunition. Wharton's cavalry had
captured McCook's ammunition train,
and there were no more cartridges to
be had for either musketS or cannon
The last charges upon the line had been
met by Sheridan's undaunted heroes
with countercharges with the bayonet
Rosecrans had been galloping back
and forth along the Nashville Road and
through the fields, forming his new line
Thomas had pushed forward Rousseau
into the cedars behind Sheridan, and
Rosecrans formed Van Cleve's Division
on Rousseau's right, between the woods
and the railroad. Harker's Brigade. OF
Woods Division, was placed on Van
Cleve's right, and Wood, with his other
two brigades, stationed in reserve. In
the emergency the Engineer Brigade
was brought into line upon a high
knoll on the right. to support the ar
tillery, where it did excellent service.
About 1890 Sheridan led the rem
nant of his gallant fighters out of the
cedars, with empty guns, and took UP
his position on the right near the rail-
road. Negley was forced back and Polk
was beating f1ercely upon Palmers Di-
vision of Crittenden's Corps. which had
been pushed In on the left of Negley
near the intersection of the pike and
railroad.
The Pivotal Point of the Battle.
This position became the pivotal
point of the battle. Rousseau sent in
| the Regular Brigade, commanded by
Col. o. L. Shepherd. to establish the
| right of his line in the cedars, and il
ran directly into an overwhelming
swarm of rebels pushing forward furi-
| ously in pursuit of Sheridan. A brief
savage fight ensued, and Rousseau with
| drew his men, with the Regulars coy
| ering the movement. So critical was
| the movement that both Rosecrans and
| Thomas hurried over to Rousseau to