The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01


 Murfreesboro. the great drawn bat tie. which should not have been at all. came on the last day of 1882. Rosecrans. the next day. used his wag- ons that wheeler had not burned or captured. hahiing his wounded to Nashville hospitals. Bragg spent all that day gathering the arms left on the battle ground and burying his dead, fhe many hundreds. The Alabama regiments under Withers were heavy sufRerefs4
 knew all the army realized he had blundered. He blamed McCown for not stacking Wednesday morning in time but Hardee. who was on the ground. did not blame his subordinate. Me- Gown had overwhelming evidence that his whole line moved rapidlv through the woods upon the enemy's camp and took 1t before there vas any forma- tfon to resist him. He could not have seen the pickets or captured them at an earlier hour, BreckinridEe indig- nantly demanded a court of inquiry. but it was never granted. No attempt has ever been maoe to show the pur- pose of the commanding general In huriing Breckinridge's one depleted division against the c6 tire army of the invader Friday afternoon. Breckin- ridge had a meeting with the com manding general on horseback. in the woods about o'clock that afternoon. where he received orders and the prom ise that Polk would support him on the left and wharton. with cavalry. on his right. The only sign of sup port from Polk was some artillery fir ing from a long distance. Wharton after the day was done, expressed sur prise that any part in the attack was expected from him as he had no or- ders. The general commanding was always more or less confused In ac- tion
 saturday. General Bragg proposed fo renew the battle. Ills suberdinates protested. The enemy had taken po- sfflSn inapregnable to an army so de- pleted by the fight of Wednesday, and BrsckinrfdEe's ill.timed assault Of Friday afternoon. No difference Of opinion was found among corps ana division commanders. All urged im- uaadiata retreat. Wheeler reported, however. that most of the wagons dis- covered on the Nashville Pike were bearing wounded to the city ana not bringing re-enforcements to hosecrahs, Ae was at first supposed. saturday night. January 8, the retreat began. sunday. wheeler reported the enemy gn nnTeuft with cavalry, artillery ana gnsen4rv He protected the rear. he found no trouble in driving on the cay alrv. he said, but in their night they passed under the protection Q, HIs force of infantry and artillery ana tnns bis chase after them was sud ae,iv arrested. If the cavalry or the Invader ever made sueeesstuI night unsupported, against Wheeler, l can not recall 1t.
 Tha Confederate commander stop ned at TuI1ahoma. twenty miles on the [.hattanooxa and Nashville Railroad, a6x nOt w. Rosecrans fortified about Murfreesbore and went into camp. Bragg sent FOLK To ShelbyviIie and Hardee to Wartrece ~o that his front was about forty miles long. Van Dorn, with several thous- and cavalry. including Forrest. guard cd the left at Spring Hill and Coiom- hla; wheeler guarded the right.
 Neither great army made any move nont in January, February or the three spring months. President Lincoln xyaa vary impatient and threatened to repiace General Rosecrans. President payis grew extremely anxious Tor the safety of Vicksburg and could ma no rsinforcenents for General brsss. General Johnston was ordered from Mlssiasippi to TuIlahoma. to remain there in command while General Bragg went to meet the President at Rioh- ynond for conference. When Johnston reached Tullahoma he found General Bragg at the sick bed of his wife, at Winchester. Then the proposed confer snce at Richmond was broken on Meantime, Grant had crossed the Ms aIssippi, below Port Hudson, with his army and was marching to the siege Of vicksburg, Bragg returned to Tul- fahoma and Johnston hastened to Ms slssippi, intending to abandon Vicks- burg and move Pemberton's army Into Tennessee to cooperate with Bragg, ID rF across the Ohio. and thus compel Grant to evacuate Vicksburg.
 Generai Johnston was taken i'll. most dfsastrously to the results cf thA- cam paign, before he reached Mississippi. He started for Pembertoa'S army. then east of Big Black. gone out % vs't Grant, riding in a family carriage, as he was unable to take the saddle. He sent peremptory orders to Qsuaral Pemberton not to go into Vicksburg, a position which could not be defended for natural causes, but to march in northern direction, where he would meet him. The government at Rich niond telegraphed conflicting orders to Pemberton, over Johnston's head. and the seige and surrender of Vicksbure and total loss of an army for many months as great as Bragg's. followed.
 The cavalry operations of the Army of Tennessee. in the winter and spring. while the main body lay inert, with headquarters at Tullahoma, were among the most remarkable in the an naIs of wars. in that arm of the service.
 Just before Murfreesboro. John H. Morgan marched sixty miles in snow and Ice, forded and swam the Cumber- land and captured a post of the enemy on the north side of the river, about 1,B00 men with large quantities of quar- ternaasters and commissary supplies, and hundreds of prisoners. Morgan was sent into Kentucky. I4e affair on Ehe Cumberland was a complete sur prise to the enemy. Within a week af- ter Bragg reached Tullahoma. he order ed Wheeler with a part of his com nnand, to ride around Murfreesboro and break up such posts and destroy the trains of the enemy, as he might in the vicinity of Nashville This part Of the commanding generals orders was executed with vigor. General wheeler ascertained that Roseerans was bringing large supplies for his army up the Cumberland by boats, as