personal memoirs-1-第32节

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us　a　breathing…spell；　during　which　I　was　able　to　take　up　a　new

position　with　Schaefer's　and　Sill's　brigades　on　the　commanding　ground

to　the　rear；　where　Hescock's　and　Houghtaling's　batteries　had　been

posted　all　the　morning。



The　general　course　of　this　new　position　was　at　right　angles　with　my

original　line；　and　it　took　the　shape　of　an　obtuse　angle；　with　my

three　batteries　at　the　apex。　　Davis；　and　Carlin　of　his　division；

endeavored　to　rally　their　men　here　on　my　right；　but　their　efforts

were　practically　unavailing；though　the　calm　and　cool　appearance　of

Carlin；　who　at　the　time　was　smoking　a　stumpy　pipe；　had　some　effect；

and　was　in　strong　contrast　to　the　excited　manner　of　Davis；　who　seemed

overpowered　by　the　disaster　that　had　befallen　his　command。　　But　few

could　be　rallied；　however；　as　the　men　were　badly　demoralized；　and

most　of　them　fell　back　beyond　the　Wilkinson　pike；　where　they

reorganized　behind　the　troops　of　General　Thomas。



At　this　juncture　the　enemy's　turning…column　began　advancing　again　in

concert　with　Cheatham's　division；　and　as　the　extreme　left　of　the

Confederates　was　directed　on　Griscom's　house；　and　their　right　on　the

Blanton　house；　my　new　position　was　in　danger　of　envelopment。　　No　hope

of　stemming　the　tide　at　this　point　seemed　probable；　but　to　gain　time

I　retained　my　ground　as　long　as　possible；　and　until；　under　directions

from　General　McCook；　I　moved　to　the　front　from　my　left　flank　and

attached　myself　to　the　right　of　Negley's　division；　which　up　to　this

hour　had　been　left　almost　undisturbed　by　the　enemy　in　the　line　it　had

taken　up　the　night　before。　　Under　a　heavy　fire　we　succeeded　in　this

manoeuvre；　Schaefer's　brigade　marching　first；　then　the　batteries；　and

Roberts's　and　Sill's　brigades　following。　　When　my　division　arrived　on

this　new　ground；　I　posted　Roberts　on　Negley's　right；　with　Hescock's

and　Bush's　guns；　the　brigade　and　guns　occupying　a　low　rocky　ridge　of

limestone；　which　faced　them　toward　Murfreesboro'；　nearly　south。　　The

rest　of　my　division　was　aligned　facing　west；　along　the　edge　of　a

cedar　thicket；　the　rear　rank　backed　up　on　the　right　flank　of　Roberts；

with　Houghtaling's　battery　in　the　angle。　　This　presented　Sill's　and

Schaefer's　brigades　in　an　almost　opposite　direction　to　the　line　we

had　so　confidently　taken　up　the　night　before；　and　covered　Negley's

rear。　　The　enemy；　in　the　meantime；　had　continued　his　wheeling

movement　till　he　occupied　the　ground　that　my　batteries　and　reserve

brigade　had　held　in　the　morning；　and　I　had　now　so　changed　my　position

that　the　left　brigade　of　my　division　approached　his　intrenchments　in

front　of　Stone　River；　while　Sill's　and　Schaeffer's　brigades；　by

facing　nearly　west；　confronted　the　successful　troops　that　had　smashed

in　our　extreme　right。



I　had　hardly　got　straightened　out　in　this　last　place　when　I　was

attacked　by　Cheatham's'division；　which；　notwithstanding　the

staggering　blows　it　had　previously　received　from　Sill　and　Roberts；

now　again　moved　forward　in　conjunction　with　the　wheeling　movement

under　the　immediate　command　of　Hardee。　　One　of　the　most　sanguinary

contests　of　the　day　now　took　place。　　In　fulfillment　of　Bragg's

original　design　no　doubt；　Cheatham's　division　attacked　on　my　left；

while　heavy　masses　under　Hardee；　covered　by　batteries　posted　on　the

high　ground　formerly　occupied　by　my　guns；　assaulted　my　right；　the

whole　force　advancing　simultaneously。　　At　the　same　time　the　enemy

opened　an　artillery　fire　from　his　intrenchments　in　front　of

Murfreesboro'；　and　it　seemed　that　he　was　present　on　every　side。　　My

position　was　strong；　however；　located　in　the　edge　of　a　dense　cedar

thicket　and　commanding　a　slight　depression　of　open　ground　that　lay　in

my　front。　　My　men　were　in　good　spirits　too；　notwithstanding　they　had

been　a　good　deal　hustled　around　since　daylight；　with　losses　that　had

told　considerably　on　their　numbers。　　Only　a　short　distance　now

separated　the　contending　lines；　and　as　the　batteries　on　each　side

were　not　much　more　than　two　hundred　yards　apart　when　the　enemy　made

his　assault；　the　artillery　fire　was　fearful　in　its　effect　on　the

ranks　of　both　contestants；　the　enemy's　heavy　masses　staggering　under

the　torrent　of　shell　and　canister　from　our　batteries；　while　our　lines

were　thinned　by　his　ricochetting　projectiles；　that　rebounded　again

and　again　over　the　thinly　covered　limestone　formation　and　sped　on　to

the　rear　of　Negley。　　But　all　his　efforts　to　dislodge　or　destroy　us

were　futile；　and　for　the　first　time　since　daylight　General　Hardee　was

seriously　checked　in　the　turning　movement　he　had　begun　for　the

purpose　of　getting　possession　of　the　Nashville　pike；　and　though

reinforced　until　two…fifths　of　Bragg's　army　was　now　at　his　command；

yet　he　met　with　repulse　after　repulse；　which　created　great　gaps　in

his　lines　and　taught　him　that　to　overwhelm　us　was　hopeless。



As　the　enemy　was　recoiling　from　his　first　attack；　I　received　a

message　from　Rosecrans　telling　me　that　he　was　making　new

dispositions；　and　directing　me　to　hold　on　where　I　was　until　they　were

completed。　　From　this　I　judged　that　the　existing　conditions　of　the

battle　would　probably　require　a　sacrifice　of　my　command；　so　I

informed　Roberts　and　Schaefer　that　we　must　be　prepared　to　meet　the

demand　on　us　by　withstanding　the　assault　of　the　enemy；　no　matter　what

the　outcome。　　Every　energy　was　therefore　bent　to　the　simple　holding

of　our　ground；　and　as　ammunition　was　getting　scarce；　instructions

were　given　throughout　the　command　to　have　it　reserve　its　fire　till

the　most　effective　moment。　　In　a　little　while　came　a　second　and　a

third　assault；　and　although　they　were　as　daring　and　furious　as　the

first；　yet　in　each　case　the　Confederates　were　repulsed；　driven　back

in　confusion；　but　not　without　deadly　loss　to　us；　for　the　noble

Roberts　was　killed；　and　Colonel　Harrington；　of　the　Twenty…Seventh

Illinois；　who　succeeded　to　his　brigade；　was　mortally　wounded　a　few

minutes　later。　　I　had　now　on　the　death…roll　three　brigade　commanders；

and　the　loss　of　subordinate　officers　and　men　was　appalling；　but　their

sacrifice　had　accomplished　the　desired　result；　they　had　not　fallen　in

vain。　　Indeed；　the　bravery　and　tenacity　of　my　division　gave　to

Rosecrans　the　time　required　to　make　new　dispositions；　and　exacted

from　our　foes　the　highest　commendations。



A　lull　followed　the　third　fierce　assault；　and　an　investigation　showed

that；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　rounds　in　my　brigade；　our

ammunition　was　entirely　exhausted；　and　while　it　was　apparent　that　the

enemy　was　reluctant　to　renew　the　conflict　in　my　front；　yet　I　was

satisfied　I　could　not　hold　on　much　longer　without　the　danger　of

ultimate　capture；　so　I　prepared　to　withdraw　as　soon　as　the　troops　of

Rousseau's　division；　which　had　been　ordered　to　take　up　a　line　on　my

right；　came　into　position。　　Schaefer's　and　Sill's　brigades　being

without　a　cartridge；　I　directed　them　to　fix　bayonets　for　a　charge；

and　await　any　attempt　of　the　enemy　to　embarrass　my　retreat；　while

Roberts's　brigade；　offering　such　resistance　as　its　small　quantity　of

ammunition　would　permit；　was　pulled　slowly　in　toward　the　Nashville

pike。　　Eighty　of　the　horses　of　Houghtaling's　battery　having　been

killed；　an　attempt　was　made　to　bring　his　guns　back　by　hand　over　the

rocky　ground；　but　it　could　not　be　done；　and　we　had　to　abandon　them。

Hescock　also　had　lost　most　of　his　horses；　but　all　his　guns　were

saved。　　Bush's　battery　lost　two　pieces；　the　tangled　underbrush　in　the

dense　cedars　proving　an　obstacle　to　getting　them　away　which　his

almost　superhuman　exertions　could　not　surmount。　　Thus　far　the　bloody

duel　had　cost　me　heavily；　one…third　of　my　division　being　killed　or

wounded。　　I　had　already　three　brigade　commanders　killed；　a　little

later　I　lost　my　fourthColonel　Schaefer。



The　difficulties　of　withdrawing　were　very　great；　as　the　ground　was

exceptionally　rocky；　and　the　growth　of　cedars　almost　impenetrable　for

wheeled　carriages。　　Retiring　sullenly　under　a　heavy　fire；　while　the

general　line　was　reformed　to　my　right　and　rear；　my　division　was　at

length　drawn　through　the　cedars　and　debouched　into　an　open　space　near

the　Murfreesboro'　pike；　behind　the　right　of　Palmer's　division。　　Two

regiments　of　Sill's　brigade；　however；　on　account　of　the　conformation

of　the　ground；　were　obliged　to　fall　back　from　the　point　where

Woodruff's　brigade　of　Davis's　division　had　rallied　after　the　disaster

of　the　early　morning。　　The　division　came　out　of　the　cedars　with

unbroken　ranks；　thinned　by　only　its　killed　and　woundedbut　few

missing。　　When　we　came　into　the　open　ground；　McCook　directed

Roberts's　brigadenow　commanded　by　Colonel　Luther　P。　Bradleyto

proceed　a　short　distance　to　the　rear　on　the　Nashville　pike；　to　repel

the　enemy's　threatening　attempt　at　our　communications。　　Willingly　and

cheerfully　the　brigade　again　entered　the　fight　under　these　new

conditions；　and　although　it　was　supplied　with　but　three　or　four

cartridges　to　the　man　now；　it　charged　gallantly　and　recaptured　two

pieces　of　artillery　which　the　Union　tr