Year: 1863

Special Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.


BArTru-FuaLD on SroNE RIVER, Tenn.


Saturday, January ), 1868.


4 week Of horrors, a week Of carnage,
week Of tremendous conflict, In the
rage Of conflict the human heart expresses
little sympathy with human suffering.
Your best friend is lifted from the saddle
by the fatal shaft, and plunges wildly to
the earth--a corpse One convulsive leap
OF your heart, you dash onward in the
stormy field, and the dead is forgotten until
the furious frenzy Of battle is spent.
Never mind" said our great hearted
General. when the death of the noble Sill
was announced; brave men must die in
battle, We must seek results" When
Garesche's headless trunk fell at his feet, Il
shock thrilled him, and he dashed again
into the fray. He was told that McCool,
was killed "We cannot help it; men
who fight must be killed. Never mind :;
let us fight this battle''


On the 3Oth, Gen. McCook advanced on
the Wilkinson pike, through heavy thickets,
stubbOrnly resisted by the enemy, Gen.
Sherdan's division being in advance, Gen.
Sill's brigade constituting his right. The
enemy developed such strength that Gen.
McCook directed Sheridan to form in line
OF battle, and the division of Gen. JEFF. c.
Davis was thrown out upon his right. 1t
was now discovered that Hardee's corps
was in front, on the west side of the river,
in line of battle, his front crossing our right
Obiiquely, in position, if extended, to
flank us


On the morning of the 3Oth the General
commanding and his staff were in saddle
at daylight, directing movements. The
position of the enemy was being gradually
developed. They were strongly posted,
their center covered by a cedar forest in a
bend Of Stone River, west side, their fanks
on the MurtreesbOrO side, giving them the
advantage of concentrating on either flank
with small risk While the General was
accommodating tie field, the enemy opened
battery upon his escort and solid shot
carried away the head of Orderly McDon-
aid, of the 4th Regular Cavalry.


After Il reconnaissance of the field, head
quarters were established upon the slope
of a meadow rolling off gently toward Muir
treesbOro Pike. \ shelter of rails was
thrown up against a fence under cluster
OF trees, several gutta percha blankets be-
ing cast over in order to afford some dry
facilities for writing. 1t was not a very
picturesque headquarters, yet scene
worth perpetuation. The central figure
was intensely absorbed in the great events
eliminating within his active, restless
mind He had said this was to be ssthe
great decisive battle of the war;" The
fact that the enemy had made stand i'm
y,racc,nI hin, fhnt fhnv


rate or in force capable to resist the shock
OF battle. Their position was so skillfully
chosen that it required all the resources of
a powerful! mind to force it. His mo-
bile features betrayed his intensity
Of thought, but the readiness and
clearness of his directions upon any sug-
gestion or subject of inquiry confirmed the
confidence in him of those by whom he
was surrounded His able Chief of Staff,
the lamented Garesche, sat by him upon a
rail, faithfully and constantly in the driv-
ing storm, responding with alacrity and
relieving him of the labor of details. Eve
ry member Of his staff stood within call.
Now and then somebody ventured a sug
geston that somebody would "be killed
tomorrow" but found none who desired
to apply the consoling fancy to himself
men are SO prone, you know, to saddle
their fortunes upon their fellows. had
an impression, however, and cannot tell
upon what it was based, that Garesche had
a presentiment of his fate. Always a de-
vout man, and iuclined to asceticism, there
was something more than ordinarily i'm
pressive and attractive in his department.
that day He was most pleasant, even
affectionate, to all who approached him,
and once or twice / discovered him eau
tiously, but intensely perusing his prayer
book. He was one of that class of men