The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-26

his chief of cavalry, Starley, to arrest the work of Wheeler. Ills expiana- tion was that the Confederate cavalry 30 outnumbered his that Starley could not get outside the infantry lines. The official records prove that the Con- federate cavalry numbered a few men less than the Uplon cavalry In the Murfreesboro carhpaign. Wheeler had about 5000, including Wharton; stan. ley had few men more than that number.
 The military problems in the Mur- freesboro campaign will remain of profound interest to the art or war. Wheeler dti not meet Rosecrans ad- vance until six miles out from Nash- . vile. The distance between his point of first contact with the head Of the enemy's column and Bragg's line Of battle on Stone river was only twelve miles at most.
 Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Mon day Wheeler spent skirmishing on the front of the enemy. charging his flank and thus compelling him to halt and form line of battle. No better cavalry work was ever done. Bragg got his line of battle formed Sunday. The weather was bitter cold. sleet. rain the troops. They slept on their arms. All provisions were brought to the men in line. from the rear. Thus they remained until Wednesday. the day of battle.
 Rosecrans advanced on three or four bikes converging near Murfreesboro' Bragg threw up no breastworks He awaited the junction of all the ene- mies columns without any such prep aration for defense. His army was only about three-fifths of the number of If ha latter met de- feat, he had Nashville, fortified and beautifully supplied position to fall back on. On the other hand. if Bragg met disaster, he was in the enemy country. a hundred miles from friendly environment. While Bragg heard several times daily from Wheel CT of the separation of the enemy's army advancing by sections on bikes miles apar. why did he not move his solid army out to meet and crash the Fragments of the foe. one by one Wheeler manifest1y did occupy all the enemy on any one pike and thus reduced Bragg's work. hypothetically left to be done on any other pike. General Bragg neither fortified his h. ferlor force to meet the expected as- sault, nor did he employ any strategy whatever to bring results from his situation.
 With about forty thousand men against one hundred and twenty thou sand of the invader, General Lee at Characteristic, a few months later, divided his force into three parts. Jackson was sent to assail Hooker's g rear and right; Wilcox was sent to Salem Church to meet Sedgewlck in Lees rear. Both movements succeed cd and Hooker left the campaign in ignominlous defeat. General Rose- crans had no right to suppose Bragg would permit him to move his army by widely separated columns to com mon point of attack. Therefore both commanders at Murfreesboro presented to the science of war some abnormal conditions.
 Hardee surprised the enemy and routed him on his front. In the midst of this success, he sent young staff officer, just from West Point, Capt. J. T. Kennard to Polk:
 ''Ten General Polk for Gods sake to move up," was the impassioned mes- sage.
 All day Thursday. January 1. the two armies lay still, except buryins the dead. Bragg collected many arms and guns from the field. The enemy built pens of the heavy cedar rails around the farms and heaped the dead in them. Each side lost more than 10000 men.
 On Friday General Bragg found tht enemy In position on his right Rose erans had collected large part oi hls artillery on an eminence ready foi action. Bragg ordered. Rreckinrldgt with his one division to attack that position at { o'clock. No other part oe the army was to move, but there was to be some firing from artillery of Folks corps in support of Breckin' ridge. ei1
 Breckinridge we'll knew thel desper ate and hopeless nature of the task set for him to do, but he obeyed H. formed his column by brigades, ont | brigade front, and the front was leC by Pillow. Semple'e Alabama battery was placed behind In order of advance Breckinridge sat his horse immediate | ly in front of Pillows men. The sig nal gun off to the left sounded anC 1 quick as flash. the win ole bod! 1 sprang forward. Breckinridge leading | The enemy In full view looked on witt amazement and wonder. The slaugh l ter was brutal.
 General Bragg conferred with hi ranking officers. He proposed to mak' an attack on Rosecrans the next day
 All the other officers present pro tested. On Saturday night, the arm! withdrew, making for Tullahoma | twenty miles distant. Wheeler guard
 ed the rear and the retreat was sue ceEsfully conducted.
 About the time he left Murfrees
 boro, General Bragg addressed a clrcu
 laT letter to Polk, Hardee and Breck
 inrndge. He asked to be informed 1
 the sentiment of the army was favor
 able to him as commander: If tn l troops had confidence In him. Harde
 and Breckinbridge promptly replied
 advising him to retire from command
 Polk, being an intimate persona
 friend of Mir. Davis. answered by
 letter to the President ting him t remove Bragg and place General J. E
 Johnston In command. Nc action wa
 taken by the government.
 General Bragg was brave and true
 Ills whole heart was with the cause
 His sacrifices for It were great. H
 was a recognized disciplinarian, bu