the army of the cumberland-第41部分

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the　road　over　Lookout　Mountain　were　withdrawn；　and　this　point　was　immediately　occupied　by　the　enemy　and　strengthened　by　extensive　works；　Bragg　sending　Longstreet's　corps　into　Lookout　Valley　to　occupy　the　extreme　left　of　the　besieging　line；　and　to　cut　off　all　communication　with　Bridgeport；　on　the　south　bank　of　the　Tennessee　River。　　The　lines　were　now　fully　occupied　from　the　river　on　the　north　to　the　bank　south　of　the　town；　and　the　rebel　army　in　force　on　our　front。　　To　the　rear　the　only　road　that　was　open　was　over　Walling's　Ridge；　through　Sequatchie　Valley；　down　to　Bridgeport；　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　the　short　road　on　the　north　side　down　to　Bridgeport　being　closed　by　the　rebel　batteries　and　sharp…shooters；　while　their　troops　holding　the　road　to　the　south　of　the　river　compelled　all　supplies　of　every　kind　to　be　hauled　over　these　sixty　miles　of　road。　　To　thus　supply　the　army　during　good　weather　was　a　very　great　undertaking；　even　with　the　teams　of　the　various　commands　in　good　condition；　but　with　the　rainy　season　that　soon　set　in；　and　the　incessant　hauling　wearing　out　the　mules；　the　daily　rations　for　the　army　were　constantly　growing　less　and　less。　On　October　1st；　Wheeler　crossing　the　Tennessee　with　Martin's　and　Wharton's　divisions　of　cavalry　moved　up　the　Sequatchie　Valley　upon　our　line　of　supplies　at　Anderson　cross…roads。　　Here　he　captured　a　large　number　of　trains　loaded　with　rations　for　the　front；　burned　over　three　hundred　wagons；　and　killed　a　large　number　of　animals。　Colonel　E。　M。　McCook　with　his　cavalry　division；　moving　rapidly　from　Bridgeport；　overtook　Wheeler　on　the　2d；　and　drove　him　with　great　loss　in　a　sabre　charge　from　the　trains；　recapturing　some　eight　hundred　mules。　　After　this　Wheeler　was　driven　from　Shelbyville　on　the　6th　by　Mitchell's　cavalry；　and　on　the　8th　from　Farmington　by　Crook；　and　from　here　he　re…crossed　the　Tennessee　with　a　small　portion　of　his　command；　the　rest　having　been　killed　or　captured。　This　loss　in　wagons；　with　the　roads　becoming　almost　impassable　by　reason　of　the　heavy　rains　and　the　growing　weakness　of　the　animals；　lessened　daily　the　amount　of　supplies　brought　into　the　town；　so　that　our　troops　were　suffering　for　food　and　were　in　danger　of　being　starved　out　of　Chattanooga。　　This　was　what　Bragg　was　quietly　waiting　for。　　To　supply　an　army　some　forty　thousand　strong；　by　wagon　transportation　over　rough　mountain　roads　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　Bragg　knew　was　an　impossibility；　and　that　unless　other　lines　were　opened　up；　the　evacuation　of　the　place　was　only　a　question　of　time；　and　he　could　then　walk　in　and　take　undisturbed　possession。　As　the　forage　became　reduced；　the　artillery　horses；　for　which　there　was　no　immediate　need；　had　their　rations　cut　off；　and　they　died　in　large　numbers；　starved　to　death。　　The　supplies　grew　so　small　that　parts　of　crackers　and　corn　dropped　in　handling　packages　were　eagerly　seized　and　eaten　to　stay　the　demands　of　hunger；　and　still　the　pressure　was　growing　daily；　and　no　one　knew　how　it　would　ultimately　end。　However；　not　for　an　instant　was　the　idea　entertained　of　abandoning　the　town；　to　say　nothing　of　the　extreme　hazard　of　attempting　that；　in　the　face　of　the　strong　force　of　the　enemy　on　our　front。　　The　Army　of　the　Cumberland　had　won　Chattanooga　and　there　they　proposed　remaining。

Immediately　after　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　the　authorities　at　Washington　sent　hurried　orders　to　Burnside；　Hurlbut；　and　Sherman　to　move　forward　without　delay　to　Rosecrans's　assistance；　and　on　September　24th　the　latter　was　informed　that　〃Hooker；　with　some　fifteen　thousand　men；〃　was　en　route　from　the　East　as　fast　as　rails　could　take　him；　and　that　he　would　be　in　Nashville　in　about　seven　days。　　While　reinforcements　were　the　thing　needed　before　the　battle；　now　the　pressing　demand　of　the　hour　was　the　opening　of　the　line　of　communication　to　the　rear；　over　which　adequate　supplies　could　be　forwarded　to　the　troops　at　the　front。　　To　add　to　the　number　of　men　there　simply　increased　the　difficulties　of　the　situation。

On　the　arrival　of　Hooker　with　the　Eleventh　and　Twelfth　Army　Corps　at　Nashville；　Rosecrans　directed　him　to　take　position　on　the　line　of　the　Chattanooga　Railroad；　securing　that　road　from　the　attacks　of　the　rebel　cavalry　while　supplies　were　being　accumulated　at　Stevenson　awaiting　the　opening　of　communication　with　the　army　at　Chattanooga。　　Without　driving　back　the　entire　of　Bragg's　army　in　Lookout　and　Chattanooga　Valleys；　it　was　impossible　to　use　the　railroad　from　Bridgeport　east　in　bringing　up　supplies。　　The　wagon…trains　could　no　longer　be　depended　on；　and；　under　the　spur　of　necessity；　Rosecrans　was　preparing　a　plan　to　utilize　the　river　with　boats。　A　new　one　had　been　built　at　Bridgeport　and　another　captured　at　Chattanooga　had　been　repaired。　　By　thus　using　the　river　he　could　secure　his　supplies　over　a　wagon…road　of　only　eight　miles　from　Kelley's　Ferry；　via　Brown's　Ferry。　　The　course　of　the　Tennessee　River　at　Chattanooga　is　due　west；　after　passing　the　town　it　flows　south　to　the　foot　of　Lookout　Mountain；　from　which　point　it　then　sweeps；　after　a　short　curve　to　the　northwest；　due　north；　forming　here　what　is　known　as　〃Moccasin　Point。〃　　Crossing　the　river　at　the　town；　a　road　leads　southwest　across　this　point　on　to　the　other　side；　where　the　river；　as　it　sweeps　north；　is　reached　at　Brown's　Ferry。　　Shortly　after　passing　Brown's　Ferry；　the　river　again　makes　a　sharp　bend　to　the　south；　forming　another　point　of　land　running　northwardly。　　Across　this　point　on　the　east　bank；　as　the　river　passes　south；　is　Kelley's　Ferry。　　At　the　extreme　angle　of　this　bend　the　river　rushes　through　the　mountains；　which　here　crowd　down　closely；　forming　a　narrow　channel　through　which　the　waters　rush　headlong。　This　chasm　is　known　as　the　〃Suck。〃　　The　velocity　of　the　water　is　so　great　that　steamers　in　high　water　cannot　stem　the　current　at　this　point；　which　necessitated　the　landing　of　supplies　at　Kelley's　Ferry；　and　then　hauling　them　over　land　across　the　bridge　at　Brown's　Ferry　to　Chattanooga。

Immediately　after　the　battle；　under　orders　from　the　War　Department；　the　Twentieth　and　Twenty…first　Army　Corps　were　consolidated　and　designated　the　Fourth　Army　Corps　and　Gordon　Granger　was　placed　in　command。　　McCook　and　Crittenden　were　relieved　from　the　command　of　these　corps　and　ordered　North　to　await　a　〃Court　of　Inquiry；〃　〃upon　their　conduct　on　September　19th　and　20th。〃

By　War　Department　order　of　October　16th；　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　the　Cumberland；　and　the　Tennessee　were　constituted　〃The　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；〃　under　the　command　of　Grant。　　By　the　same　order　Rosecrans　was　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　Department　and　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　and　Thomas　was　assigned　to　that　command。　Halleck；　in　his　report　of　operations　for　the　year　1863；　says　this　change　was　made　on　the　recommendation　of　General　Grant。　　These　orders　were　promulgated　on　the　19th。

On　Rosecrans's　return　from　a　visit　to　Brown's　Ferry　and　Williams's　Island　on　the　19th；　where　he　had　been　with　William　F。　Smith；　his　chief　engineer；　making　his　plans　for　bringing　supplies　to　that　point；　he　found　the　order　awaiting　him　relieving　him　of　his　command。　Quietly　making　his　preparations　for　his　departure　that　night　over　the　mountains　to　Stevenson；　he　wrote　out　his　farewell　order；　to　be　printed　and　issued　the　next　day；　and；　without　even　bidding　his　staff　good…bye；　placed　Thomas　in　command　and　started　for　his　home　in　Cincinnati。　　Rosecrans；　in　the　summer　of　1862；　was　under　Grant　at　Iuka　and　Corinth。　　Here　some　hasty　criticism　made　by　him　brought　him　into　collision　with　Grant；　which　now　bore　fruit。

When　it　was　known　that　Rosecrans　had　been　relieved；　and　that　he　had　left　the　army　for　the　north；　there　was　universal　regret　that　the　troops　that　had　loved　and　trusted　him　should　no　longer　follow　his　skillful　leadership。　　Every　soldier　in　his　army　felt　that　he　had　a　personal　friend　in　〃Old　Rosy。〃　　His　troops　never　for　a　moment　faltered　in　their　devotion　to　him　or　confidence　in　him。　　They　felt　that　he　had　been　made　the　victim　of　a　foolish　interpretation　of　an　order　that　brought　ruin　and　disaster　upon　his　army；　for　which　he　was　not　responsible；　but　for　which　he　was　made　to　suffer。

General　Rosecrans；　to　his　subordinates；　was　one　of　the　most　genial　of　men。　　Kind　and　good…natured；　he　at　times　failed　to　act　as　decisively　as　occasion　required；　deterred　by　the　fact　that；　should　he　do　so；　some　of　his　subordinates　would　suffer。　　His　restless　activity　led　him　to　give　attention　to　details　that　he　should　have　been　entirely　relieved　of　by　his　subordinates。　　But　no　amount　of　work　daunted　him。　　He　lived　almost　without　rest　and　sleep；　and　would　wear　out　two　sets　of　staff　officers　nightly；　and　then；　if　occasion　required　it；　be　up　and　out　before　daylight。　　To　his　superiors　he　unfortunately　allowed　his　high　spirit　to　get　the　better　of　his　judgment；　and　many　times　when　he　was　in　the　right　he　ruined　his　position　by　his　hasty　temper。　　His　fame；　despite　his　enemiesand　no　general　in　the　field　had　stronger　nor　more　unscrupulous　onesas　the　greatest　strategist　of　the　war；　is　permanently　fixed　in　history。　What　it　might　have　been　had　he　not　been　hampered；　annoyed；　and　insulted　as　no　other　commanding　general　was　at　any　time　by　both　the　Secretary　of　War　and　the　General…in…Chief；　is　merely　problematical。　Personally；　he　regarded　all　this　as　mere　〃incidents　of　the　service；〃　and　strove　to　the　best　of　his　ability　to　do　his　whole　duty　to　his　country。　　His　combination　with　ThomasRosecrans　to　plan　brilliant　campaigns；　with　Thomas's　great　abilities　to　aid　him　in　carrying　them　outmade　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　the　great　aggressive　force　moving　on　the　centre；　gaining　territory　after　each　campaign。　　But　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　and　the　service　that　he　was　relieved　when　he　was；　with　the　combination　of　the　armies　under　Grant。　　He　had　faithfully　performed　his　duty　up　to　this　time；　but　now　the　surroundings　were　so　changed　that　both　for　his　sake　and　the　good　of　the　service　the　change　was　a　fitting　one　to　be　made。　　Rosecrans　could　never　again　serve　as　a　subordinate；　and　as　the　change　was　determined　on；　when　Grant　arrived　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　to　retire。

When　Anderson　in　1861　applied　for　George　H。　Thomas　to　be　one　of　the　brigadier…generals　to　accompany　him　to　Kentucky；　to　help　him　in　the　task　he　was　set　to　accomplish　there；　Mr。　Lincoln　t