the army of the cumberland-第42部分

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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　told　him　he　was　afraid　to　give　the　order　for　Thomas；　as　he　was　a　Southerner；　and　from　Virginia。　　Anderson　and　Sherman；　who　were　present；　both　responded　in　the　strongest　terms；　vouching　for　Thomas's　earnest　patriotism　and　deep　devotion　to　the　Union；　and　the　order　was　given。　And　now　it　bore　full　fruit。　　The　quiet；　patient　soldier；　who　from　his　first　day's　service　in　Kentucky　had　never　swerved　a　line　from　the　strict　performance　of　his　duty　to　his　Government；　according　to　his　oath；　without　reference　to　self；　had　now　met　his　reward。　　His　fame　had　steadily　grown　and　rounded　from　the　time　he　gained　the　first　Federal　victory　in　the　West；　at　Mill　Springs；　up　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　where　he　saved　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　to　the　nation。　　He　had　always　been　the　main　stay　of　that　army；　holding　the　command　of　the　centreeither　nominally　or　actually　the　second　in　command。　　Upon　his　judgment　and　military　skill　every　commander　of　that　army　depended；　and　no　movement　was　made　without　his　approbation。　Yet　so　modest　was　he　that　his　face　would　color　with　blushes　when　his　troops　cheered　him；　which　they　did　at　every　opportunity；　and　so　diffident；　that；　prior　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　he　doubted　his　ability　to　handle　large　bodies　of　troops　upon　the　battlefield；　and　for　this　reason　refused　to　accept　the　command　of　that　army；　just　prior　to　Perryville；　when　tendered　him。　　His　kind　consideration　for　the　feelings　of　others　was　one　of　his　marked　characteristics。　With　a　pure　mind　and　large　heart；　his　noble　soul　made　him　one　of　the　greatest　of　Nature's　noblemena　true　gentleman。　　The　experience　of　Chickamauga　ripened　his　powers　and　developed　him　to　his　full　height。　　As　the　General　who　won　the　first　victory　in　the　West；　who　saved　an　army　by　his　skill　and　valor；　and　who　was　the　only　General　of　the　war　on　either　side　able　to　crush　an　army　on　the　battlefield；　George　H。　Thomas；　〃the　true　soldier；　the　prudent　and　undaunted　commander；　the　modest　and　incorruptible　patriot；〃　stands　as　the　model　American　soldier；　the　grandest　figure　of　the　War　of　the　Rebellion。

One　of　Grant's　first　acts　on　taking　command　was　to　telegraph　Thomas　to　hold　Chattanooga　at　all　hazards。　　The　commander　who　had　seen　his　troops　on　less　than　half　rations　for　nearly　a　month；　with　steadily　approaching　signs　of　starvation；　hardly　needed　an　intimation　that　what　had　been　gained　by　the　sacrifice　on　Chickamauga's　field　was　not　to　be　yielded　up　without　a　struggle。　　Thomas　replied　〃We　will　hold　the　town　till　we　starve。〃　　On　the　24th；　Grant；　in　company　with　Thomas　and　W。　F。　Smith；　made　a　personal　inspection　across　the　river　of　the　situation；　with　reference　to　carrying　out　the　plan　of　Rosecrans　for　the　opening　of　the　road　by　Brown's　Ferry；　and　approving　of　it；　Thomas　was　directed　to　proceed　to　execute　it。　This　plan　required　the　greatest　secrecy　of　movement；　otherwise　Longstreet's　entire　command　would　resist　the　landing；　and　contemplated　the　co…operation　of　Hooker's　moving　up　from　Bridgeport；　holding　the　road　to　Kelley's　Ferry。　　The　latter　was　to　meet　a　force　sent　from　the　town　down　the　river　in　pontoons　under　cover　of　night；　which　was　to　seize　the　landing　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　driving　back　the　rebel　pickets　and　fortifying　their　position；　and　then　swinging　the　bridge　across　the　river。　　Thomas　says　in　his　official　report　of　the　battle　of　Wauhatchie；　that　〃preliminary　steps　had　already　been　taken　to　execute　this　vitally　important　movement　before　the　command　of　the　Department　devolved　on　me。〃　　Thomas　on　the　23d　ordered　Hooker　to　concentrate　the　Eleventh　Corps；　and　Geary's　division　of　the　Twelfth　Corps　at　Bridgeport　and　sent　him　instructions　as　to　his　movements；　and　directed　him　to　advance　as　soon　as　possible；　co…operating　with　the　force　from　Chattanooga。　　Hooker　was　also　ordered　to　move　into　Lookout　Valley；　and　to　protect　the　bridge　when　laid　from　any　attack　by　Longstreet　in　that　direction。　　Thomas　also　sent　two　brigades　under　Palmer　to　co…operate　with　Hooker。　　Palmer　moved　across　the　river　to　Brown's　Ferry；　and　then　took　the　road　through　Whitesides　to　Rankin's　Ferry；　establishing　himself　securely　at　these　points；　protecting　the　river　communication　from　attack　from　the　south。　　Thomas　placed　W。　F。　Smith　in　charge　of　the　expedition；　and　detached　Turchin's　and　Hazen's　brigades；　with　three　batteries　under　Major　John　Mendenhall。　　Smith　was　directed　to　organize　a　picked　force；　armed　from　these　brigades；　to　be　divided　into　fifty　squads　of　twenty…four　men　each；　under　the　command　of　an　officer；　who　were　to　float　down　the　river　in　pontoons　that　nighta　distance　by　the　bends　of　the　river　of　some　nine　miles。　　The　boats　were　placed　under　the　charge　of　Colonel　T。　R。　Stanley　of　the　Eighteenth　Ohio；　the　bridge　to　be　placed　in　position　under　direction　of　Captain　P。　V。　Fox；　First　Michigan　Engineers。　　The　troops　under　Hazen　were　to　take　the　gorge　and　hills　to　the　left；　and　Turchin　was　to　extend　from　the　gorge　down　the　river。　　Turchin　in　command　of　the　remainder　of　the　troops　marched　across　Moccasin　Point　to　the　ferry；　where　they　were　to　cross　in　the　same　boats；　supporting　the　troops　already　landed；　when　the　position　was　to　be　strongly　fortified　and　held　by　them　until　the　arrival　of　Hooker。

At　midnight　the　troops　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　expedition　were　marched　to　the　river　and　placed　in　the　boats　manned　by　crews　with　oars；　and　on　two　flat　boats。　　The　force　that　marched　under　Turchin　moved　out　under　cover　of　dense　woods　over　the　point　to　the　ferry；　where　they　remained　in　readiness　to　cover　the　landing　of　the　troops　coming　down　the　river。　　The　artillery　accompanied　this　part　of　the　command　and　remained　under　cover。

At　3　o'clock　A。M。　of　the　27th；　the　boats　moved　out　into　the　stream　under　cover　of　a　slight　fog。　　On　arriving　at　a　point　some　two　miles　below　the　town；　these　troops　reached　the　rebel　picket　line　posted　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river。　　The　boats　passed　on　unobserved　by　keeping　close　to　the　right　hand　shore　until　just　at　the　landing；　when　the　troops　in　the　first　boat　were　greeted　with　a　volley　from　the　rebel　pickets；　a　station　being　at　this　landing。　　In　perfect　order；　as　previously　planned；　the　troops　hastily　disembarked；　moved　forward；　occupying　the　crest　of　the　hill　immediately　in　front　and　commenced　the　work　of　intrenching。　　Before　this　was　completed　the　enemy；　heavily　re…enforced；　just　beyond　the　crest；　moved　forward　to　drive　Hazen　back。　　Here　a　stubborn　little　fight　was　had；　the　rebels　making　a　gallant　charge　with　partial　success　on　the　right　of　Hazen；　when　they　were　met　with　the　remainder　of　the　brigade　under　Colonel　Langdon；　who　charged　at　once　on　their　lines　and　after　a　short　engagement　drove　them　from　the　hill　into　the　valley　beyond。　Turchin's　brigade　having　crossed　the　river　was　placed　in　position　on　Hazen's　right；　when　the　enemy　moved　from　the　front　up　the　valley。　The　rebel　force　here　was　a　thousand　infantry；　three　pieces　of　artillery；　and　a　squadron　of　cavalry。

As　soon　as　the　last　of　the　troops　were　over；　work　on　the　bridge　was　commenced　and　finished　at　a　little　after　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　For　an　hour　or　so　in　the　morning　the　work　progressed　under　an　artillery　fire　from　the　rebel　batteries　on　Lookout　Mountain。　Our　losses　were　six　killed；　twenty…three　wounded；　and　nine　missing。　The　rebels　lost　six　men　captured　and　six　of　their　dead　were　buried　by　our　men。　　Our　forces　captured　twenty　beeves；　six　pontoons　and　some　two　thousand　bushels　of　corn。　　The　bridge　was　completed　and　the　position　held　until　the　28th；　when　Hooker's　command　arrived。　　No　attempt　was　made　by　Bragg　to　dislodge　this　force　or　to　destroy　the　bridge。　　Hooker　moved　on　the　road　by　the　base　of　Raccoon　Mountain　into　Lookout　Valley；　driving　the　rebel　pickets　before　him；　and　occupied　the　roads　to　Kelley's　and　Brown's　Ferries　through　the　valley。　　Later　in　the　afternoon　of　the　28th；　as　Hooker's　troops　pushed　down　the　valley；　Howard's　corps　in　the　advance　was　met　with　a　sharp　volley　of　musketry　from　a　wooded　ridge　near　the　Wills　Valley　Railroad。　　Two　brigades　of　Howard's　command　were　deployed；　and　advancing；　drove　the　rebels　from　their　cover　with　the　loss　of　a　few　of　our　men。　　As　the　enemy　retreated　they　burned　the　railroad　bridge　over　Lookout　Creek。　　Hooker　then　went　into　camp　with　Howard's　corps　at　six　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　about　a　mile　up　the　valley　from　Brown's　Ferry。　　Here　he　learned　of　the　movement　to　this　place　and　of　the　building　of　the　bridge。

With　the　object　of　holding　the　road　to　Kelley's　Ferry；　Geary's　division　was　ordered　to　encamp　near　Wauhatchie；　some　three　miles　up　the　valley　from　Howard's　position。　　This　created　two　campsthe　latter　holding　the　Brown　Ferry　roadeach　camp　separate　and　picketed　by　its　own　command；　as　the　numbers　of　the　troops　would　not　admit　of　communication　being　kept　up　between　them　or　of　their　forming　one　line。

About　midnight　a　regiment　that　had　been　ordered　by　Howard　to　hold　the　Chattanooga　road　across　Lookout　Creek；　had　a　slight　skirmish　with　the　advance　of　the　enemy。　　This　was　a　portion　of　Longstreet's　corps　getting　into　position　for　a　night　attack　on　the　two　encampments。　Dividing　his　command　into　two　detachments；　Longstreet；　about　an　hour　later；　with　his　strong　one　on　his　left；　assaulted　Geary's　camp　with　a　fierce　attack；　driving　in　his　pickets　and　then　charging　on　the　main　command。　　Geary　immediately　formed　his　men　in　line；　and　for　three　hours　with　heavy　fighting　maintained　his　position；　although　enveloped　on　three　sides　by　the　enemy；　repelling　every　attack；　and　finally　charged　on　the　rebels　and　drove　them　from　beyond　his　front。　The　enemy　here　attacked　in　greatly　superior　numbers；　and　were　only　defeated　by　the　skill　and　coolness　of　Geary；　aided　by　the　bravery　of　his　troops。　　As　the　sound　of　the　heavy　fire　which　the　enemy　opened　on　Gary　rolled　down　the　valley；　Hooker　ordered　Howard　to　double…quick　his　nearest　division；　Schurz's；　to　Geary's　assistance。　The　division　was　started　at　once；　but　before　it　had　proceeded　far　it　encountered　the　other　detachments　of　Longstreet's　command；　which　opened　on　our　troops　with　a　volley　of　musketry。　　Hooker　now　determined　that　he　had　two　fights　on　his　hands。　　At　once　detach