December 13, 1862. McLaws; next to it, that of Gen. Pickett; and vens, and darted blood-red tongues of flame next to it, the division of Gen. Hood. Proceeding swiftly from the meridian down to the horizon, now to Gen. Jackson's corps, the ground between was accepted by the confederates as the cross Gen. Hood's right and the railroad at Hamilton's outlined on the sky was accepted by Constantine crossing was mostly held by the large division com- -an earnest of assured victory. manded by that excellent officer, Gen. A. P. Hill. Behind the line of Gen. A. P. Hill, the division of Gen. D. H. Hill was held in reserve. To the right of Gen. A. P. Hill, the division once commanded by Gen. Ewell, who lost his leg (if I mistake not) at the second battle of Manassas, but now commanded by Gen. Early, held the woods right up to and across the railroad at Hamilton's crossing. In front of Gen. Early the powerful artillery of Col. Walker was thrown forward, to fire, as was expected, into the enemy's flank. Across, or to the east of, the railroad, on the extreme confederate right, General J. E. B. Stuart, with his cavalry and horse-artillery, covered the flank of the confederate line, his rear almost resting upon Massaponax Creek. As regards the disposition of the Federal troops, nothing more is known than that the three great bodies of troops were commanded, that on the Federal right by Gen. Sumner, that on the Federal centre by Gen. Hooker, and that on the Federal left by Gen. Franklin. It is estimated that not less than forty thousand troops were engaged in the attack directed by Gen. Sumner, and that fifty thousand were employed upon the Federal centre and left. Friday, the twelfth of December, was employed by the Federal generals in arranging and massing their troops for the next day's attack. Active skirmishing was kept up by the pickets on both sides for several hours; and in the afternoon, with a view to feeling the confederate position, the heavy Federal guns thundered across the river, and were only feebly replied to by the batteries on the confederate left. The solemnity of the immediately approaching battle cast its shadows over the scene, and that earnestness and tranquillity of demeanor which, on the eve of momentous events, overtake even the most garrulous and thoughtless, reigned unmistakably upon every countenance. At night, as the pickets of the two armies were stationed within a hundred yards of each other, the confederates could hear the earnest and impassioned speeches of Federal orators rousing the spirit of their troops, and making vehement appeals to the sanctity of the "old flag." "The old flag is played out!" shouted the confederates in reply. Somehow," remarked one of the confederates to me, "there must be a want of grit among the Yankees, otherwise they wouldn't want all this talking to." It is impossible not to contrast the spirit of the two armies. the confederates, so calm, so resolute, so satisfied with their generals, so suffering, yet rejoicing to suffer, as long as hardship is the price of liberty; the Federals, lashed into the field by the thong of golden bounties, and in the field lashed against the enemy by the invective and appeals of able spokesmen, so distrustful of their generals and each other, so pampered, and yet so dissatisfied. The aurora borealis, which overspread the hea The morning of the thirteenth of Decembera memorable day to the historian of the Decline and Fall of the American Republic-broke still and warm, while, as on the preceding day, a thick haze enveloped the town of Fredericksburgh and the circumjacent valley, and delayed the opening of fire by the antagonistic batteries until the sun had been up some three or four hours. It was strange to contrast Saturday, the thirteenth of September, with Saturday, the sixth, and to compare the intense cold of the earlier Saturday with the spring-like warmth and calmness of the later. The day which I am describing was one of those outbursts of that Indian summer which lingers long and fondly in beautiful Virginia; the morning haze, which shrouded heath and plain and forest, was the ordinary prelude to the warmth and glow of the sun at noonday. As the fog lifted, about ten in the morning, and the sun burst through the clouds, the long lines of the Federal army, which had passed the whole preceding day in deploying and preparing for the attack, were distinctly visible in the plain, and gave awful indications of the amount of the Federal host which had crossed the river. The confederate army, wholly undaunted by the extravagant stories about the strength of their foe, waited calmly, drawn up.for the most part within the fringe of the woods, confident in their position and in the valor which has never failed them. And here it may be as well finally to dispel those illusions under which it is the custom of the Northern press to veil the disgrace of defeat, when the fact itself admits of no denial. The whole number of confederates in the field this day did not exceed from eighty thousand to ninety thousand men. Of these, some twenty-five thousand men, taking the very highest estimate, took part in the fight. By the urgent entreaty of several of the leading confederate generals, it has long been sought rather to keep down than to swell the numbers of the Southern army. It is well known to the sagacious generals of the Confederacy that such an army as obeyed General Lee's command this day, if well handled, and imbued with a fine spirit, is more than a match for any number that can be led against them. The statements of the Federal Secretary of War, to the effect that he has eight hundred thousand men at this moment in his pay, carry comfort rather than dismay to the hearts of the confederates. So cumbrous and unwieldy a machine as the Federal army cannot but break down by its own weight, and by the vast amount of transport which its pampered soldiery requires; and, in addition to many other testimonies to its immobility, the statement of the Prince de Joinville, that one railroad is not sufficient to supply such an army as General McClellan led against Rich- of three Federal field-batteries, while from across mond, will carry conviction to the European the river two other heavy batteries joined in public. the strife, and made Major Pelham and his gun It is impossible for me to describe the positions their target. For hours, not less than thirty of each of the numerous confederate batteries Federal cannon strove to silence Major Pelham's which stretched along the length of their six-mile popgun, and strove in vain. The unyielding and line of battle. It will suffice, if I indicate the undemonstrative courage of Major Pelham, his batteries which were most hotly engaged, and composure under the deadliest fire, have long bore the brunt of the action. By far the most made him conspicuous, but never were his noble important position was occupied by the Wash- qualities the subject of more glowing eulogy than ington artillery, commanded by Col. Walton, of upon this occasion. General Lee exclaimed: "It New-Orleans, and posted on the heights in the is inspiriting to see such glorious courage in one immediate neighborhood of Fredericksburgh, not so young." (Major Pelham is not more than more than four hundred yards from the town. twenty-two.) Gen. Jackson remarked: "With a These heights, which are precisely of that alti- Pelham upon either flank, I could vanquish the tude which is most favorable for the play of ar- world." tillery, are surmounted by a brick house-now At half-past eight A.M. Gen. Lee, accompanied riddled by round-shot-belonging to Mr. Marye, by his full staff, rode slowly along the front of and are commonly called Marye's Heights. At the confederate lines from left to right, and took their base a road winds, protected on one side by up his station for a time beyond Hamilton's the hills, and on the other by a solid stone wall, crossing, and in rear of the batteries on the exabout four feet in height, over which a brigade treme confederate right. It would be presumpof confederates, themselves perfectly sheltered, tuous in me to say one word in commendation of poured the deadliest and most effective of fires. the serenity, or, if I may so express it, the unA little further back, to the south-east of Marye's conscious dignity of Gen. Lee's courage, when he Heights, stands another and higher hill, from is under fire. No one who sees and knows his which the most commanding view of the entire demeanor in ordinary life would expect any thing field is obtainable, and which, as it is the usual else from one so calm, so undemonstrative and station of the commander-in-chief, is now known unassuming. But the description applied after as General Lee's hill. From this hill, during a the battle of Alma to Lord Raglan, by Marshal large portion of Saturday, a thirty-pounder Par- St. Arnaud, and in which, noticing Lord Raglan's rott gun, cast at the Tredegar Works in Rich- unconsciousness under fire, he speaks of his mond, poured a destructive fire into the Fede-"antique heroism," seems to me so applicable to rals. Suddenly, about three o'clock in the after- Gen. Lee, that I cannot forbear recalling it here. noon, on its thirty-seventh discharge, this gun At a subsequent period of the day Gen. Lee asburst with a dreadful exploslon, but happily did sumed his station on the hill which takes its no injury to any of the bystanders. At the name from him, and thence, in company with moment of its explosion, Captain Phillips, of the Gen. Longstreet, calmly watched the repulse of Grenadier Guard, (favorably remarked this day the repeated Federal efforts against the heights for his behavior under fire,) Major Venables, of on which he stood. Occasionally Gen. Jackson General Lee's staff, and Major Haskell, were con rode up to the spot and mingled in conversation versing within a few feet of the gun. Their es- with the other two leading generals. Once Gencape without injury was little less than mi -eral Longstreet exclaimed to him, "Are you not lous. As the confederate line trends away scared by that file of Yankees you have before right, the batteries of Gen. Hood's division were you down there?" to which Gen. Jackson replied: actively engaged against the advancing columns"Wait till they come a little nearer, and they of Pennsylvanians; but next to the batteries on Marye's Heights and General Lee's hill, I should The battle opened when the sun had let in say that the artillery commanded by Col. Walker enough light through the mist to disclose the took the most effective part in the action, as it near proximity of the Federal lines and field-batpoured a flanking fire into the enemy's left. One teries. The first shot was fired shortly before other battery deserves favorable mention, which ten A.M. from the batteries in the Federal centre, it obtained in the short and modest report of the and was directed against Gen. Hood's division. battle which emanates from the pen of Gen. Lee. The Pennsylvania reserves advanced boldly under On the extreme right of the confederates, in front a heavy fire against the confederates who occuof the position occupied by Gen. Stuart's cavalry,pied one of the copsewood spurs, and were for a a few batteries of Stuart's horse-artillery were time permitted to hold it; but presently the conthrown forward to flank the Federals, between federate batteries opened on them, and a deterWalker's artillery and the river. General Stuart mined charge of the Texans drove the Yankees ordered Major John Pelham, his chief of artillery, out of the wood in a confusion from which nothing to advance one gun considerably toward the en- could subsequently rally them. Simultaneously emy, and to open upon him. Major Pelham a heavy fire issued from the batteries of General obeyed, and opened the fire of a twelve-pounder A. P. Hill's and General Early's divisions, which Napoleon gun with great precision and deadly was vigorously replied to by the Federal field-bateffect into the Federal flank. The galling dis- terics. The only advantage momentarily gained charges of this gun quickly drew upon it the fire by the Federals in this quarter, and which is shall either scare me or I'll scare them.” 0 noticed in Gen. Lee's report, was on the occasion of the collapse of a regiment of North-Carolina conscripts, who broke and ran, but whose place was rapidly taken by more intrepid successors. The cannonading now became general along the entire line. Such a scene, at once terrific and sublime, mortal eye never rested on before, unless the bombardment of Sebastopol by the combined batteries of France and England revealed a more fearful manifestation of the hate and fury of man. The thundering, bellowing roar of hundreds of pieces of artillery, the bright jets of issuing flame, the screaming, hissing, whistling, shrieking projectiles, the wreaths of smoke as shell after shell Durst into the still air, the savage crash of round-lantry and devotion exhibited by his troops, and shot among the trees of the shattered forest, formed a scene likely to sink forever into the memory of all who witnessed it, but utterly defying verbal delineation. A direct and enfilading fire swept each battery upon either side as it was unmasked; volley replied to volley, crash succeeded crash, until the eye lost all power of distinguishing the lines of combatants, and the plain seemed a lake of fire, a seething lake of molten lava, coursed over by incarnate fiends drunk with fury and revenge. pally committed the desperate task of bursting out of the town of Fredericksburgh, and forming, under the withering fire of the confederate batteries, to attack Marye's Heights, towering immediately in their front. Never at Fontenoy, Albuera, or at Waterloo was more undoubted courage displayed by the sons of Erin than during those six frantic dashes which they directed against the almost impregnable position of their foe. There are stories that General Meagher harangued his troops in impassioned language on the morning of the thirteenth, and plied them extensively with the whisky found in the cellars of Fredericksburgh. After witnessing the galviewing the hill-sides for acres strewn with their corpses thick as autumnal leaves, the spectator can remember nothing but their desperate courage, and regret that it was not exhibited in a holier cause. That any mortal men could have carried the position before which they were wantonly sacrificed, defended as it was, it seems to me idle for a moment to believe. But the bodies which lie in dense masses within forty yards of the muzzles of Col. Walton's guns are the best evidence what manner of men they were who pressed on to death with the dauntlessness of a race which has gained glory on a thousand battlefields, and never more richly deserved it than at the foot of Marye's Heights on the thirteenth day of December, 1862. Twice the Federals, gallantly led and handled by their officers, dashed against the forces of Gen. A. P. Hill and Gen. Early, and twice they recoiled, broken and discomfited, and incapable being again rallied to the fray. The confederates drove them with horrid carnage across the An opportunity of sending this letter, with an plain, and only desisted from their work when encouraging prospect of its reaching England, they came under the fire of the Federal batteries compels me to defer a further account of the galacross the river. Upon the extreme confederate lant defence on the confederate left of the town right General Stuart's horse-artillery drove hotly of Fredericksburgh and of the battle-field until a on the fugitives, and kept up the pursuit, sub- subsequent letter. But it is important to add quently understood to have been effective, until that, even at this early date, there are abundant after dark. Upon the confederate right, where evidences that the confederates, themselves susthe antagonists fought upon more equal terms, taining a loss of about one thousand eight hune loss sustained by the confederates was great-dred killed and wounded, have inflicted upon er than on the confederate left; the Federal loss their enemy a defeat from which it will take him officers and men far outbalanced that of thei onths and months to recover. Such was the Donents. General Bayard, the best cavalr oralization this evening of the Federal troops oficer in the Federal service, and almost on th y ran through the streets and cowered in eve of the day which would have witnessed his sof Fredericksburgh, that hundreds of nuptials, was killed, and Gen. Jackson, of Penn- s laimed, "You may shoot us down, sylvania, shared his fate. Many other general may s, or do what you like, but back oficers were carried to the Federal rear, griev- there," ng at Marye's Heights, we will ously wounded; whereas of the confederates only never go I forbear to state the estimates one officer of rank (General Gregg) fell upon the of the Fea loss, which place it at an appalling right, and only one (General Cobb) upon the left. figure, and it are believed not to be far from Meanwhile the battle, which had dashed furi- the truth. It is not likely that the full details of ously against the lines of Gens. Hood, A. P. Hill, this battle will be generally known in the North and Early, was little more than child's play, as for weeks and weeks; but if, after the failure of compared with the onslaught directed by the this last and feeblest of all the Federal attempts Federals in the immediate neighborhood of Fred- to reach Richmond, with the Northern army unericksburgh. The impression that the confeder- nerved, demoralized, and starting asunder like a ate batteries would not fire heavily upon the broken bow, the Irish and Germans are again Federals advancing in this quarter, for fear of tempted to embark in so hopeless a venture, then injuring the town of Fredericksburgh, is believed is the conclusion irresistible that, in addition to to have prevailed among the Northern generals. all the shackles of despotism which they are alHow bitterly they deceived themselves subse-leged to have left behind them in Europe, they quent events served to show. To the Irish divi- have left also that most valuable attribute of husion, commanded by Gen. Meagher, was princi- manity, which is called common-sense. Doc. 26. BATTLE OF STONE RIVER, TENN.* REPORT OF GENERAL ROSECRANS. HEADQUARTERS Department of THE CUMBERLAND, GENERAL: As the sub-reports are now nearly all in, I have the honor to submit, for the information of the General-in-Chief, the subjoined report, with accompanying sub-reports, maps and statistical table of the battle of Stone River. To a proper understanding of this battle, it will be necessary to state the preliminary movements and preparations. Assuming command of the army at Louisville on the twenty-seventh day of October, it was found concentrated at Bowling Green and Glasgow, distant about one hundred and thirteen miles from Louisville, whence, after replenishing with ammunition, supplies and clothing, they moved on to Nashville, the advance corps reaching that place on the morning of the seventh of November, a distance of one hundred and eightythree miles from Louisville. my to all these inconveniences, beside increasin for him, and diminishing for us, the dangerou consequences of a defeat. The means taken to obtain this end were emi nently successful; the enemy, expecting us to g into winter quarters at Nashville, had prepare his own winter quarters at Murfreesboro, with the hope of possibly making them at Nashville, and had sent a large cavalry force into West-Tennessee to annoy Grant, and another large force into Kentucky to break up the railroad. In the absence of these forces, and with adequate supplies in Nashville, the moment was judged opportune for an advance on the rebels. Polk's and Kirby Smith's forces were at Murfreesboro, and Hardee's corps on the Shelbyville and Nolinsville pike, between Triune and Eaglesville, with an advance-guard at Nolinsville, while no troops lay in front at Nashville, on the Franklin, Nolinsville and Murfreesboro turnpike. The plan of the movements was as follows: McCook, with three divisions, to advance by Nolinsville pike to Triune. Thomas, with two divisions, (Negley's and Rousseau's,) to advance on his right by the Franklin and Wilson pikes, threatening Hardee's right, and then to fall in by At this distance from my base of supplies, the first thing to be done was to provide for the sub-the cross-roads to Nolinsville. sistence of the troops, and open the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The cars commenced running through on the twenty-sixth of November, previous to which time our supplies had been brought by rail to Mitchelville, thirty-five miles north of Nashville, and thence, by constant labor, we had been able to haul enough to replenish the exhausted stores for the garrison at Nashville, and subsist the troops of the moving army. Crittenden, with Wood's, Palmer's, and Van Cleve's divisions, to advance by the Murfreesboro pike to La Vergne. From the twenty-sixth of November to the twenty-sixth of December every effort was bent to complete the clothing of the army, to provide it with ammunition, and replenish the dépôt at Nashville with needful supplies to insure us against want from the largest possible detention likely to occur by the breaking of the Louisvill and Nashville Railroad; and to insure this the road was guarded by a heavy force po Gallatin. S. the Almost › enemy The enormous superiority in num rebel cavalry kept our little cavalry within the infantry lines, and ga control of the entire country aroun It was obvious from the beginning that should be confronted by Bragg's army, recruited by an inexorable conscription, and aided by clouds of mounted men, formed into a guerrilla-like cavalry, to avoid the hardships of conscription and infantry service. The evident difficulties and labors of an advance into this country, and against such a force, and at such distance from our base of operations, with which we connected by a single precarious thread, made it manifest that our policy was to induce the enemy to travel over as much as possible of the space that separated us -thus avoiding for us the wear and tear and diminution of our forces, and subjecting the ene This battle is also known as the battle of Murfreesboro. With Thomas's two divisions at Nolinsville, McCook was to attack Hardee at Triune, and if the enemy reënforced Hardee, Thomas was to support McCook. If McCook beat Hardee, or Hardee retreated, and the enemy met us at Stewart's Creek, five miles south of La Vergne, Crittenden was to attack him. Thomas was to come in on his left flank, and McCook, after detaching a division to pursue or observe Hardee, if retreating south, was to move with the remainder of his force on their rear. The movement began on the morning of DeIcember twenty-sixth. McCook advanced on Nolinsville pike, skirmishing his way all day, meeting with stiff resist ance from cavalry and artillery, and closing the day by a brisk fight, which gave him possession of Nolinsville and the hills one and a half miles in front, capturing one gun by the One Hundred and First Ohio and Fifteenth Wisconsin regiments, his loss this day being about seventy-five killed and wounded. Thomas followed, on the right, and closed Negley's division on Nolinsville, leaving the other (Rousseau's) division on the right flank, Crittenden advanced to La Vergne, skirmis heavily on his front over a rough country, i sected by forests and cedar-brakes, with slight loss. On the twenty-sixth, Gen. McCook adva on Triune, but his movement was retarded dense fog. Crittenden had orders to delay his move until McCook had reached Triune and devel the intentions of the enemy at that point, sc it could be determined which Thomas was to sup-approved of his action, of course, the order to part. occupy Murfreesboro having been based on the information received from Gen. Crittenden's advance division, that the enemy were retreating from Murfreesboro. McCook arrived at Triune, and reported that Irdee had retreated, and that he had sent a diVision in pursuit. rittenden began his advance about eleven clock A.M., driving before him a brigade of cavalry, supported by Maury's brigade of rebel infantry, and reached Stewart's Creek, the Third Kentucky gallantly charging the rear-guard of the enemy and saving the bridge, on which had been placed a pile of rails that had been set on fire. This was Saturday night. McCook having settled the fact of Hardee's retreat, Thomas moved Negley's division on to join Crittenden at Stewart's Creek, and moved Rousseau's to Nolinsville. On Sunday the troops rested, except Rousseau's division, which was ordered to move on to Stewardston, and Willich's brigade, which had pursued Hardee as far as Riggs's Cross-Roads, and had determined the fact that Hardee had gone to Murfreesboro, when they returned to Triune. On Monday morning McCook was ordered to move from Triune to Wilkinson's Cross-Roads, six miles from Murfreesboro, leaving a brigade at Triune. Crittenden crossed Stewart's Creek by the Smyrna bridge, on the main Murfreesboro pike, and Negley by the ford two miles above, their whole force to advance on Murfreesboro, distant about eleven miles. Rousseau was to remain at Stewart's Creek until his train came up, and prepare himself to follow. McCook reached Wilkinson's Cross-Roads by evening, with an advance brigade at Overall's Creek, saving and holding the bridge, meeting with but little resistance. Crittenden's corps advanced, Palmer leading, on the Murfreesboro pike, followed by Negley, of Thomas's corps, to within three miles of Murfreesboro, having had several brisk skirmishes, driving the enemy rapidly, saving two bridges on the route, and forcing the enemy back to his intrenchments. About three P.M., a signal message coming from the front, from Gen. Palmer, that he was in sight of Murfreesboro, and the enemy were running, an order was sent to Gen. Crittenden to send a division to occupy Murfreesboro. This led Gen. Crittenden, on reaching the enemy's front, to order Harker's brigade to cross the river at a ford on his left, where he surprised a regiment of Breckinridge's division, and drove it back on its main lines, not more than five hundred yards distant, in considerable confusion; and he held this position until Gen. Crittenden was advised, by prisoners captured by Harker's brigade, that Breckinridge was in force on his front, when, it being dark, he ordered the brigade back across the river, and reported the circumstances to the Commanding General on his arrival, to whom he apologized for not having carried out the order to occupy Murfreesboro. The General VOL. VI.-Doc. 8 Crittenden's corps, with Negley's division, bivouacked in order of battle, distant seven hundred yards from the enemy's intrenchments, our left extending down the river some five hundred yards. The pioneer brigade bivouacking still lower down, prepared three fords, and covered one of them, while Wood's division covered the other two, Van Cleve's division being in reserve. On the morning of the thirtieth, Rousseau, with two brigades, was ordered down early from Stewart's Creek, leaving one brigade there, and sending another to Smyrna to cover our left and rear, and took his place in reserve, in rear of Palmer's right, while Gen. Negley moved on through the cedar brakes, until his right rested on the Wilkinson pike, as shown by the accompanying plan. The pioneer corps cut roads through the cedars for his ambulances and ammunition wagons. The Commanding General remained with the left and centre, examining the ground, while Gen. McCook moved forward from Wilkinson's Cross-Roads slowly and steadily, meeting with heavy resistance, fighting his way from Overall's Creek until he got into position, with a loss of some one hundred and thirty-five killed and wounded. Our small division of cavalry-say three thousand men-had been divided into three parts, of which Gen. Stanley took two, and accompanied Gen. McCook, fighting his way across from the Wilkinson to the Franklin pike and below it, Col. Zahn's brigade leading gallantly, and meeting with such heavy resistance that McCook sent two brigades from Johnson's division, which succeeded in fighting their way into the position shown on the accompanying plan, marked A, while the third brigade which had been left at Triune, moved forward from that place, and arrived at nightfall near Gen. McCook's headquar ters. Thus, on the close of the thirtieth, the troops had all got into the position substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing, the rebels occupying the position marked A. At four o'clock in the afternoon, Gen. McCook had reported his arrival on the Wilkinson pike, joining Thomas; the result of the combat in the afternoon near Greison's home, and the fact that Sheridan was in position there, that his right was advancing to support the cavalry; also that Hardee's corps, with two divisions of Polk's, was on his front, extending down toward the Salem pike. Without any map of the ground, which was to us terra incognita, when Gen. McCook informed the General Commanding that his corps was fac ing strongly toward the east, the General Commanding told him that such a direction to his line did not appear to him a proper one, but that it ought, with the exception of his left, to face |