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critics。　　These　admirers　held　him　blameless　throughout　for　the

blunders　of　the　campaign；　but　the　greater　number　laid　every　error　at

his　door；　and　even　went　to　the　absurdity　of　challenging　his　loyalty

in　a　mild　way；　but　they　particularly　charged　incompetency　at

Perryville；　where　McCook's　corps　was　so　badly　crippled　while　nearly

30；000　Union　troops　were　idle　on　the　field；　or　within　striking

distance。　　With　these　it　was　no　use　to　argue　that　Buell's　accident

stood　in　the　way　of　his　activity；　nor　that　he　did　not　know　that　the

action　had　assumed　the　proportions　of　a　battle。　　The　physical

disability　was　denied　or　contested；　but　even　granting　this；　his

detractors　claimed　that　it　did　not　excuse　his　ignorance　of　the　true

condition　of　the　fight；　and　finally　worsted　his　champions　by　pointing

out　that　Bragg's　retreat　by　way　of　Harrodsburg　beyond　Dick's　River　so

jeopardized　the　Confederate　army；　that　had　a　skillful　and　energetic

advance　of　the　Union　troops　been　made；　instead　of　wasting　precious

time　in　slow　and　unnecessary　tactical　manoeuvres；　the　enemy　could

have　been　destroyed　before　he　could　quit　the　State　of　Kentucky。









CHAPTER　XII。



MOVING　TO　BOWLING　GREENJAMES　CARD；　THE　SCOUT　AND　GUIDEGENERAL

SILLCOLONEL　SCHAEFERCOLONEL　G。　W。　ROBERTSMOVEMENT　ON

MURFREESBORO'OPENING　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　STONE　RIVER。



My　division　had　moved　from　Crab　Orchard　to　Bowling　Green　by　easy

marches；　reaching　this　place　November　1。　General　Rosecrans　assumed

command　of　the　department　October　30；　at　Louisville；　and　joined　the

army　November　2。　　There　had　been　much　pressure　brought　to　bear　on

General　Buell　to　induce　him　to　take　measures　looking　to　the　occupancy

of　East　Tennessee；　and　the　clamor　to　this　end　from　Washington　still

continued；　but　now　that　Bragg　was　south　of　the　Cumberland　River；　in　a

position　threatening　Nashville；　which　was　garrisoned　by　but　a　small

force；　it　was　apparent　to　every　one　at　all　conversant　with　the

situation　that　a　battle　would　have　to　be　fought　somewhere　in　Middle

Tennessee。　　So；　notwithstanding　the　pressure　from　Washington；　the

army　was　soon　put　in　motion　for　Nashville；　and　when　we　arrived　there

my　division　went　into　camp　north　of　the　river；　on　a　plateau　just

outside　the　little　town　of　Edgefield；　until　the　movements　of　the

enemy　should　be　further　developed。



While　in　this　camp；　on　the　plantation　of　Mr。　Hobson；　there　came　to　my

headquarters　one　morning　an　East　Tennessean　named　James　Card；　who

offered　to　the　Union　cause　his　services　in　any　capacity　in　which　they

might　be　made　useful。　　This　offer；　and　the　relation　of　his　personal

history；　were　given　with　such　sincerity　of　speech　and　manner　that　in

a　short　time　I　became　convinced　of　his　honesty　of　purpose。　　He　was　a

small；　active；　busy　man；　with　a　determined　way　about　him；　and　his

countenance　indicated　great　intelligence。　　He　gave　minute　information

that　was　of　inestimable　value　to　me　regarding　East　and　Middle

Tennessee　and　northern　Georgia；　for；　with　a　view　to　the　army's　future

movements；　I　was　then　making　a　study　of　the　topography　of　this

region；　and　posting　myself　as　to　Middle　Tennessee；　for　all　knew　this

would　be　the　scene　of　active　operations　whenever　the　campaign　was

resumed。　　This　man；　like　most　of　the　East　Tennesseans　whom　I　had　met；

was　intensely　loyal　and　patriotic；　and　the　interview　led　in　a　few

days　to　his　employment　as　a　scout　and　guide；　and　subsequently　to　the

engaging　in　the　same　capacity　of　two　of　his　brothers；　who　were　good

men；　but　not　quite　as　active　nor　so　intelligent　as　he　was。　　Card　had

been　a　colporter；　having　pedled　books；　especially　religious　tracts；

over　all　Middle　and　East　Tennessee　and　Georgia；　assisted　by　his

brothers　at　times；　and　was　therefore　thoroughly　familiar　with　these

regions；　their　roads　and　inhabitants。　　He　also　preached　to　country

congregations　occasionally；　when　ministers　were　scarce；　and　I　have　no

doubt　often　performed　the　functions　of　family　physician　in　the

mountain　district。　　Thus　his　opportunities　were　great；　and　the　loyal

people　in　every　section　of　the　country　being　well　known　to　him　and

his　brothers；　the　three　began；　at　this　time；　a　system　of　scouting　and

investigation　which　bore　its　first…fruits　in　specifically　locating

the　different　divisions　of　Bragg's　army；　with　statements　of　their

strength　and　condition；　and　all　with　so　much　accuracy　that　I

thereafter　felt　reasonably　sure　that　I　could　at　all　times　procure

such　knowledge　of　the　enemy's　operations　as　would　well　equip　me　for

any　contingency　that　might　arise。



By　the　middle　of　November　the　enemy；　having　assembled　his　forces　in

Middle　Tennessee；　showed　considerable　boldness；　and　it　became

necessary　to　rearrange　the　Union　lines；　so　my　troops　were　moved　to

the　south　side　of　the　river；　out　on　the　Murfreesboro'　pike；　to　Mill

Creek；　distant　from　Nashville　about　seven　miles。　　While　we　were　in

camp　on　Mill　Creek　the　army　was　reorganized；　and　General　Joshua　W。

Sill；　at　his　own　request；　was　assigned　to　my　division；　and　took

command　of　Colonel　Nicholas　Greusel's　brigade。　　My　division　became　at

the　same　time　the　Third　Division；　Right　Wing；　Fourteenth　Army　Corps；

its　three　brigades　of　four　regiments　each　being　respectively

commanded　by　General　Sill；　Colonel　Frederick　Schaefer　and　Colonel　Dan

McCook；　but　a　few　days　later　Colonel　George　W。　Roberts's　brigade；

from　the　garrison　at　Nashville；　was　substituted　for　McCook's。



General　Sill　was　a　classmate　of　mine　at　the　Military　Academy；　having

graduated　in　1853。　　On　graduating　he　was　appointed　to　the　Ordnance

Corps；　and　served　in　that　department　at　various　arsenals　and　ordnance

depots　throughout　the　country　till　early　in　1861；　when　he　resigned　to

accept　a　professorship　of　mathematics　and　civil　engineering　at　the

Brooklyn　Collegiate　and　Polytechnic　Institute。　　At　the　breaking　out

of　the　war　he　immediately　tendered　his　services　to　the　Government；

and　soon　rose　to　the　colonelcy　of　the　Thirty…Third　Ohio　Volunteers；

and　afterward　to　the　rank　of　brigadier…general。　　I　knew　him　well；　and

was　glad　that　he　came　to　my　division；　though　I　was　very　loth　to

relieve　Colonel　Greusel；　of　the　Thirty…Sixth　Illinois；　who　had

already　indicated　much　military　skill　and　bravery；　and　at　the　battle

of　Perryville　had　handled　his　men　with　the　experience　of　a　veteran。

Sill's　modesty　and　courage　were　exceeded　only　by　a　capacity　that　had

already　been　demonstrated　in　many　practical　ways；　and　his　untimely

death；　almost　within　a　month　of　his　joining　me；　abruptly　closed　a

career　which；　had　it　been　prolonged　a　little　more；　not　only　would

have　shed　additional　lustre　on　his　name；　but　would　have　been　of

marked　benefit　to　his　country。



Colonel　Schaefer；　of　the　Second　Missouri　Infantry；　had　been　absent　on

sick…leave　during　the　Kentucky　campaign；　but　about　this　date　he

returned　to　duty；　and　by　seniority　fell　in　command　of　the　second

brigade。　　He　was　of　German　birth；　having　come　from　Baden；　where；

prior　to　1848；　he　had　been　a　non…commissioned　officer　in　the　service

of　his　State。　　He　took　part　as　an　insurgent　in　the　so…called

revolution　which　occurred　at　Baden　in　that　year；　and；　compelled　to

emigrate　on　the　suppression　of　the　insurrection；　made　his　way　to　this

country　and　settled　in　St。　Louis。　　Here　the　breaking　out　of　the　war

found　him；　and　through　the　personal　interest　which　General　Sigel　took

in　him　he　was　commissioned　a　colonel　of　volunteers。　　He　had　had　a

pretty　fair　education；　a　taste　for　the　military　profession；　and　was

of　tall　and　slender　build；　all　of　which　gave　him　a　student…like

appearance。　　He　was　extremely　excitable　and　nervous　when　anticipating

a　crisis；　but　always　calmed　down　to　cool　deliberation　when　the

critical　moment　came。　　With　such　a　man　I　could　not　be　less　than　well

satisfied；　although　the　officer　whom　he　replacedColonel　Laiboldt

had　performed　efficient　service　and　shown　much　capacity　in　the　recent

campaign。



Colonel　G。　W。　Roberts；　of　the　Forty…Second　Illinois　Infantry；　also

came　to　me　in　the　reorganization。　　He　was　an　ideal　soldier　both　in

mind　and　body。　　He　was　young；　tall；　handsome；　brave；　and　dashing；　and

possessed　a　balance…wheel　of　such　good　judgment　that　in　his　sphere　of

action　no　occasion　could　arise　from　which　he　would　not　reap　the　best

results。　　But　he　too　was　destined　to　lay；　down　his　life　within　a　few

days；　and　on　the　same　fatal　field。　　His　brigade　had　been　performing

garrison　duty　in　Nashville　during　the　siege　of　that　city　while

Buell's　army　was　in　Kentucky；　but　disliking　the　prospect　of

inactivity　pending　the　operations　opening　before　us；　Roberts　had

requested　and　obtained　a　transfer　to　the　army　in　the　field。　　His

brigade　relieved　Colonel　Dan　McCook's；　the　latter　reluctantly　joining

the　garrison　at　Nashville；　every　one　in　it　disappointed　and　disgusted

that　the　circumstances　existing　at　this　time　should　necessitate　their

relegation　to　the　harassing　and　tantalizing　duty　of　protecting　our

depots　and　line　of　supply。



I　was　fortunate　in　having　such　brigad