the army of the cumberland-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　moving　by　columns　in　mass　in　line　of　battle　from　the　position　in　front；　to　gain　the　rear　of　the　rebel　position。　Their　report　being　favorable；　all　arrangements　were　completed；　and　the　second　division　of　Crittenden's　corps　was　moved　into　position。

On　July　1st；　Thomas；　hearing　from　a　citizen　that　the　enemy　were　evacuating　Tullahoma；　ordered　Steedman　with　his　brigade；　supported　by　two　regiments　of　Reynolds's　division　on　the　left；　to　advance　cautiously　and　ascertain　if　the　report　was　true。　　Pushing　forward　his　advance；　Steedman；　meeting　with　no　opposition；　entered　the　place　at　noon；　capturing　a　few　prisoners。　　Rosecrans　being　at　once　notified　of　this；　immediately　ordered　Rousseau's　and　Negley's　divisions　in　pursuit。　　Pressing　forward　with　all　possible　haste　by　Spring　Creek；　these　divisions　overtook　the　rear　guard　of　the　enemy　late　in　the　afternoon　at　Bethpage　Bridge；　two　miles　above　the　railroad　crossing；　where；　after　a　sharp　skirmish；　in　which　a　good　many　of　our　men　were　wounded；　the　rebels　were　driven　steadily　back；　until　darkness　prevented　further　pursuit。　　The　enemy；　occupying　the　heights　south　of　the　river；　commanded　the　bridge　with　their　artillery；　which　they　had　placed　behind　epaulements。

On　the　2d；　the　ammunition　was　brought　forward；　and　McCook；　with　Sheridan's　and　Davis's　divisions；　was　ordered　in　pursuit　on　the　roads　west　of　the　railroad。　　Sheridan；　on　arriving　at　Rock　Creek　Ford；　found　Elk　River　so　swollen　with　the　heavy　rains　of　the　past　week　as　to　be　barely　fordable　for　cavalry。　　On　the　south　bank　of　the　river　the　enemy　had　posted　a　force　of　cavalry　to　resist　the　crossing。　　Sheridan　opened　fire　at　once　on　them；　drove　them　away；　and　occupied　the　ford。　　During　the　night　the　enemy　burned　the　bridge　on　the　line　of　advance　of　Thomas；　who　found　equal　difficulty　in　crossing。　　Here　the　river　was　very　deep；　and　he　ordered　Rousseau's；　Brannan's；　and　Reynolds's　divisions　up　the　river　to　Jones's　Ford。　Hambright's　brigade　was　thrown　across　the　river；　and　the　other　troops　went　into　camp　on　the　north　bank。　　Hambright　captured　several　rebel　prisoners；　who　told　him　that　Bragg's　army　was　in　full　retreat　by　way　of　Pelham　and　Cowan；　across　the　Cumberland　Mountains。　　Turchin；　with　a　small　brigade　of　cavalry；　moved　forward　from　Hillsboro　on　the　Dechard　road。　　On　reaching　the　fords　of　Elk　River　at　Morris　Ferry　he　found　the　rebel　cavalry　strongly　posted。　　He　attacked　them　at　once；　re…enforced　by　Mitchell's　command；　and　forced　a　passage　of　the　river　after　a　sharp　fight。　　Night　closed　the　pursuit。

On　the　3d；　Sheridan　succeeded　in　crossing　Elk　River；　supported　by　Davis's　division；　and　pursued　the　enemy　to　Cowan；　where　he　learned　that　Bragg　had　crossed　the　mountains　with　part　of　his　artillery　and　infantry　by　the　University　and　Sweden's　Cove；　sending　Hardee's　corps　into　Sequatchie　Valley；　and　covering　his　retreat　with　his　cavalry。　　Thomas　crossed　Rousseau's　and　Brannan's　divisions　at　Jones's　Ford　and　ordered　them　to　take　position　on　the　Winchester　and　Hillsboro　road。　　He　directed　Negley　and　Reynolds　to　cross　their　divisions　at　the　ford　on　the　Winchester　and　Manchester　pike。　　On　the　4th；　Rousseau　was　ordered　to　march　to　the　Dechard　and　Pelham　roads；　and　to　take　up　position　at　Brackenfield's　Point　toward　the　University。　　Reynolds　encamped　at　Penningtown；　and　Brannan's　division　at　Taite's。　　The　cavalry　sent　from　Sheridan's　position；　and　by　Stanley　from　the　main　column；　developed　the　fact　that　the　enemy　was　entirely　across　the　mountains；　and　the　troops　were　now　ordered　into　camp　to　await　supplies　from　the　depot　at　Murfreesboro。

Bragg's　army　reached　Chattanooga　the　first　week　in　July。　　Here　he　established　his　headquarters　with　Polk's　corps　retained　in　and　around　town　for　the　purposes　of　observation；　with　the　exception　of　Anderson's　brigade　of　Withers's　division；　which　was　ordered　to　Bridgeport；　at　the　crossing　of　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga　Railroad　over　the　Tennessee　River。　　Hardee's　corps　was　distributed　along　the　line　of　the　Knoxville　Railroad；　with　Tyner's　Station　as　the　centre。　　At　Chattanooga　Bragg　at　once　commenced　fortifying　his　position；　which　work　he　steadily　prosecuted　for　some　weeks；　awaiting　the　development　of　Rosecrans's　plans。　　He　also　threw　up　defensive　works　at　each　of　the　crossings　of　the　Tennessee　as　far　north　as　Blyth's　Ferry。　　Forrest　was　sent　to　Kingston；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Tennessee　River；　with　orders　to　picket　the　approaches　to　the　river　from　Sequatchie　Valley；　as　well　as　the　various　crossings　of　the　river；　and　to　maintain　a　watchful　observation　of　Burnside's　movements　in　East　Tennessee。

The　Tullahoma　campaign；　with　the　exception　of　the　one　immediately　following；　which　placed　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　across　the　Tennessee　and　terminated　in　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　was　the　most　brilliant　of　the　great　strategic　campaigns　carried　to　a　successful　issue　by　General　Rosecrans。　　The　movements　of　the　army　occupied　nine　days；　during　which　time　the　enemy　was　driven　from　two　strongly　fortified　positions；　with　a　loss　in　prisoners　captured　of　1；634；　eleven　pieces　of　artillery；　and　a　large　amount　of　stores　and　supplies。　The　result　of　this　campaign　gave　to　Rosecrans　possession　of　Middle　Tennessee；　and　placed　the　armies　back　in　the　relative　positions　occupied　by　them　prior　to　Bragg's　advance　into　Kentucky；　a　little　less　than　one　year　previous。　　The　campaign　was　conducted　throughout；　in　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　series　of　rain…storms　ever　known　in　Tennessee　at　that　season　of　the　year。　　This；　with　the　resistance　interposed　by　Bragg　at　our　advance　at　Hoover's　Gap；　retarded　operations　thirty…six　hours；　and　in　front　of　Manchester　a　detention　of　sixty　hours　occurred。　　These　delays　and　the　storms　prevented　us　getting　possession　of　Bragg's　communication　and　forcing　him　to　a　very　disastrous　battle。　　General　Rosecrans　in　his　official　report　of　this　campaign　says：　　〃These　results　were　far　more　successful　than　were　anticipated；　and　could　only　have　been　obtained　by　a　surprise　as　to　the　direction　and　force　of　our　movements。〃

Bragg　made　no　official　report　of　the　Tullahoma　campaign；　but　in　a　statement　to　General　J。　E。　Johnston　of　his　operations　at　that　time；　he　says　that　he　offered　battle　behind　his　works　at　Shelbyville　to　Rosecrans；　which　was　refused；　that　the　latter　passed　to　his；　Bragg's；　right　on　two　occasions；　threatening　his　rear。　　He　being　not　able　to　cope　with　the　Federal　army　retreated　to　the　Tennessee。　　Bragg　adds：　　〃The　Tennessee　will　be　taken　as　our　line。〃

During　these　nine　days　of　active　campaigning　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　numbering　less　than　sixty　thousand　effective　men；　with　a　loss　of　560　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　compelled　the　army　under　Bragg；　numbering　something　less　than　forty…five　thousand　effective　men；　to　retreat　a　greater　distance　and　out　of　far　stronger　positions　than　the　united　armies　under　Sherman　were　able　to　compel　the　same　army　with　but　slight　additional　strength　under　General　Joe　Johnston；　to　fall　back；　in　four　months　of　active　field　campaigning；　with　a　very　much　larger　relative　loss。　　The　proportion　of　the　forces　of　the　opposing　armies　during　the　Tullahoma　campaign　was　far　nearer　equal　than　that　on　to　Atlanta；　while　the　natural　and　military　obstacles　to　be　overcome　were　largely　the　greater　in　the　Tullahoma　campaign。　　To　Bragg　the　forward　movement　of　the　Federal　army　in　full　strength　was　a　surprise；　but　to　find　that　army　so　far　in　his　rear　and　so　near　to　cutting　his　line　of　communications　was　a　much　greater　surprise。　　These　might　not　have　been　guarded　against；　but　nothing　displayed　the　marked　superiority　of　Rosecrans　over　his　opponent；　as　a　great　strategist；　so　much　as　the　grand　success　of　the　final　movement　of　the　campaign；　from　Manchester　south。　　The　general　whoas　even　the　rebels；　in　their　worship　of　their　leader　General　Lee；　admittedwas　able　in　Western　Virginia　to　completely　outgeneral　Lee；　on　the　Tullahoma　campaign　again　demonstrated　his　ability　as　the　greatest　strategic　general　of　the　war。

Brilliant　campaigns；　however；　without　battles；　do　not　accomplish　the　destruction　of　an　army。　　A　campaign　like　that　of　Tullahoma　always　means　a　battle　at　some　other　point。　　This　was　true　after　the　Atlanta　campaign；　where　Sherman　got　the　glory　and　Thomas　did　the　fighting。　This　was　equally　true　as　to　the　Tullahoma；　and　the　fact　that　these　two　armies　were　yet　somewhere　to　meet　and　engage　in　deadly　strife；　was　apparent　to　the　commanders　of　both　armies。　　Where　and　when　that　meeting　was　to　be　was　the　problem　that　engaged　the　minds　of　both　these　commanders。　　In　the　Tullahoma　campaign　the　elements　were　on　the　side　of　Bragg's　army；　both　in　preventing　the　rapid　movements　of　the　Federal　army；　and　in　furnishing　a　perfect　barrier　to　a　successful　pursuit　when　the　retreat　was　under　way；　by　the　high　water　in　the　swollen　streams；　the　bridges　over　which　Bragg　destroyed　as　he　fell　back。

The　concluding　line　of　Bragg's　letter　to　Johnston；　that　〃The　Tennessee　will　be　taken　as　our　line；〃　demonstrated　that；　to　his　mind　at　least；　his　Kentucky　movement　of　the　year　before　did　not　meet　with　the　success　he　anticipated。　　Here　now　he　was　waiting　his　opportunity　to　contest　his　last　foothold　on　the　State　of　Tennessee　at　the　far　corner　in　Chattanooga。　　With　Rosecrans；　his　army　required　after　these　days　of　hard　campaigning　a　rest　to　repair　the　wear　and　tear　of　the　heavy　marching；　and　the　resupplying　of　his　entire　command。　　The　railroads　in　his　rear　required　his　attention　first。　These　were　placed　in　order　up　to　his　army；　and　the　repairs　on　the　road　to　the　front　were　then　to　be　pushed　to　the　Tennessee　River。　　In　three　weeks　time　these　were　completed；　and　on　the　25th；　the　first　supply　train　was　pushed　through　to　the　Tennessee　River。　　Then　Rosecrans　established　his　new　depot　of　supplies　at　Stevenson；　Alabama；　and　hastened；　as　rapidly　as　he　could；　the　accumulation　of　supplies　at　that　point。





Chapter　XI。




The　Movement　to　Chickamauga。


The　withdrawal　of　the　army　under　Bragg　to　Chattanooga　again　made　that　point　the　objective　of　a　campaign。　　But　several　things　had　to　be　taken　into　consideration　before　this　was　entered　into。　　Burnside　had　been　ordered　from　Cincinnati　to　East　Tennessee　through　Kentucky；　and　it　was　necessary　to　know　the　force　and　position　of　his　command。　If　Knoxville　and　Cumberland　Gap　were　under　his　control；　the