personal memoirs-1-第36节

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fallen　into　Stone　River　and　been　nearly　drowned。　　After　they　had　been

fished　from；　the　water；　in　the　process　of　resuscitation　their　sex　was

disclosed；　though　up　to　this　time　it　appeared　to　be　known　only　to

each　other。　　The　story　was　straight　and　the　circumstance　clear；　so；

convinced　of　Conrad's　continued　sanity；　I　directed　the　provost…

marshal　to　bring　in　arrest　to　my　headquarters　the　two　disturbers　of

Conrad's　peace　of　mind；　After　some　little　search　the　East　Tennessee

woman　was　found　in　camp；　somewhat　the　worse　for　the　experiences　of

the　day　before；　but　awaiting　her　fate　content　idly　smoking　a　cob…

pipe。　　She　was　brought　to　me；　and　put　in　duress　under　charge　of　the

division　surgeon　until　her　companion　could　be　secured。　　To　the　doctor

she　related　that　the　year　before　she　had　〃refugeed〃　from　East

Tennessee；　and　on　arriving　in　Louisville　assumed　men's　apparel　and

sought　and　obtained　employment　as　a　teamster　in　the　quartermaster's

department。　　Her　features　were　very　large；　and　so　coarse　and

masculine　was　her　general　appearance　that　she　would　readily　have

passed　as　a　man；　and　in　her　case　the　deception　was　no　doubt　easily

practiced。　　Next　day　the　〃she　dragoon〃　was　caught；　and　proved　to　be　a

rather　prepossessing　young　woman；　and　though　necessarily　bronzed　and

hardened　by　exposure；　I　doubt　if；　even　with　these　marks　of

campaigning；　she　could　have　deceived　as　readily　as　did　her　companion。

How　the　two　got　acquainted；　I　never　learned；　and　though　they　had

joined　the　army　independently　of　each　other；　yet　an　intimacy　had

sprung　up　between　them　long　before　the　mishaps　of　the　foraging

expedition。　　They　both　were　forwarded　to　army　headquarters；　and；　when

provided　with　clothing　suited　to　their　sex；　sent　back　to　Nashville；

and　thence　beyond　our　lines　to　Louisville。



On　January　9；　by　an　order　from　the　War　Department；　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland　had　been　divided　into　three　corps；　designated　the

Fourteenth；　Twentieth；　and　Twenty…first。　　This　order　did　not　alter

the　composition　of　the　former　grand　divisions；　nor　change　the

commanders；　but　the　new　nomenclature　was　a　decided　improvement　over

the　clumsy　designations　Right　Wing；　Centre；　and　Left　Wing；　which　were

well　calculated　to　lead　to　confusion　sometimes。　　McCook's　wing　became

the　Twentieth　Corps；　and　my　division　continued　of　the　same

organization；　and　held　the　same　number　as　formerly…the　Third

Division；　Twentieth　Corps。　　My　first　brigade　was　now　commanded　by

Brigadier…General　William　H。　Lytle；　the　second　by　Colonel　Bernard

Laiboldt；　and　the　third　by　Colonel　Luther　P。　Bradley。



On　the　4th　of　March　I　was　directed　to　move　in　light　marching　order

toward　Franklin　and　join　General　Gordon　Granger；　to　take　part　in　some

operations　which　he　was　projecting　against　General　Earl　Van　Dorn；

then　at　Spring　Hill。　　Knowing　that　my　line　of　march　would　carry　me

through　a　region　where　forage　was　plentiful；　I　took　along　a　large

train　of　empty　wagons；　which　I　determined　to　fill　with　corn　and　send

back　to　Murfreesboro'；　believing　that　I　could　successfully　cover　the

train　by　Minty's　brigade　of　cavalry；　which　had　joined　me　for　the

purpose　of　aiding　in　a　reconnoissance　toward　Shelbyville。　　In

marching　the　column　I　placed　a　regiment　of　infantry　at　its　head；　then

the　wagon…train；　then　a　brigade　of　infantrymasking　the　cavalry

behind　this　brigade。　　The　enemy；　discovering　that　the　train　was　with

us；　and　thinking　he　could　capture　it；　came　boldly　out　with　his；

cavalry　to　attack。　　The　head　of　his　column　came　up　to　the　crossroads

at　Versailles；　but　holding　him　there；　I　passed　the　train　and　infantry

brigade　beyond　toward　Eagleville；　and　when　my　cavalry　had　been　thus

unmasked；　Minty；　followed　by　the　balance　of　my　division；　which　vas

still　behind；　charged　him　with　the　sabre。　　Success　was　immediate　and

complete；　and　pursuit　of　the　routed　forces　continued　through

Unionville；　until　we　fell　upon　and　drove　in　the　Confederate　outposts

at　Shelbyville。　　Here　the　enemy　was　taken　by　surprise　evidently；

which　was　most　fortunate　for　us；　otherwise　the　consequences　might

have　been　disastrous。　　Minty　captured　in　the　charge　about　fifty

prisoners　and　a　few　wagons　and　mules；　and　thus　enabled　me　to　load　my

train　with　corn；　and　send　it　back　to　Murfreesboro'　unmolested。　　In

this　little　fight　the　sabre　was　freely　used　by　both　sides；　and　I　do

not　believe　that　during　the　whole　war　I　again　knew　of　so　large　a

percentage　of　wounds　by　that　arm　in　proportion　to　the　numbers

engaged。



That　night　I　encamped　at　Eagleville；　and　next　day　reported　to　Granger

at　Franklin；　arriving　in　the　midst　of　much　excitement　prevailing　on

account　of　the　loss　of　Coburn's　brigade；　which　had　been　captured　the

day　before　a　little　distance　south　of　that　point；　while　marching　to

form　a　junction　with　a　column　that　had　been　directed　on　Columbia　from

Murfreesboro'。　　Shortly　after　Coburn's　capture　General　Granger　had

come　upon　the　scene；　and　the　next　day　he　advanced　my　division　and

Minty's　troops　directly　on　Spring　Hill；　with　a　view　to　making　some

reprisal；　but　Van　Dorn　had　no　intention　of　accommodating　us；　and

retired　from　Spring　Hill；　offering　but　little　resistance。　　He

continued　to　fall　back；　till　finally　he　got　behind　Duck　River；　where

operations　against　him　ceased；　for；　in　consequence　of　the　incessant

rains　of　the　season；　the　streams　had　become　almost　impassable。

Later；　I　returned　by　way　of　Franklin　to　my　old　camp　at　Murfreesboro'；

passing　over　on　this　march　the　ground　on　which　the　Confederate

General　Hood　met　with　such　disaster　the　following　year　in　his　attack

on　Stanley's　corps。



My　command　had　all　returned　from　the　Franklin　expedition　to

Murfreesboro'　and　gone　into　camp　on　the　Salem　pike　by　the　latter　part

of　March；　from　which　time　till　June　it　took　part　in　only　the　little

affairs　of　outposts　occurring　every　now　and　then　on　my　own　front。　　In

the　meanwhile　General　Rosecrans　had　been　materially　reinforced　by　the

return　of　sick　and　wounded　men；　his　army　had　become　well　disciplined；

and　was　tolerably　supplied；　and　he　was　repeatedly　pressed　by　the

authorities　at　Washington　to　undertake　offensive　operations。



During　the　spring　and　early　summer　Rosecrans　resisted；　with　a　great

deal　of　spirit　and　on　various　grounds；　these　frequent　urgings；　and

out　of　this　grew　up　an　acrimonious　correspondence　and　strained

feeling　between　him　and　General　Halleck。　　Early　in　June；　however；

stores　had　been　accumulated　and　other　preparations　made　for　a　move

forward；　Resecrans　seeming　to　have　decided　that　he　could　safely　risk

an　advance；　with　the　prospect　of　good　results。　　Before　finally

deciding；　he　called　upon　most　of　his　corps　and　division　commanders

for　their　opinions　on　certain　propositions　which　he　presented；　and

most　of　them　still　opposed　the　projected　movement；　I　among　the

number；　reasoning　that　while　General　Grant　was　operating　against

Vicksburg；　it　was　better　to　hold　Bragg　in　Middle　Tennessee　than　to

push　him　so　far　back　into　Georgia　that　interior　means　of

communication　would　give　the　Confederate　Government　the　opportunity

of　quickly　joining　a　part　of　his　force　to　that　of　General　Johnson　in

Mississippi。



At　this　stage；　and　in　fact　prior　to　it；　Rosecrans　seemed　to　manifest

special　confidence　in　me；　often　discussing　his　plans　with　me

independent　of　the　occasions　on　which　he　formally　referred　them　for

my　views。　　I　recollect　that　on　two　different　occasions　about　this

time　he　unfolded　his　designs　to　me　in　this　informal　way；　outlining

generally　how　he　expected　ultimately　to　force　Bragg　south　of　the

Tennessee　River；　and　going　into　the　details　of　the　contemplated　move

on　Tullahoma。　　His　schemes；　to　my　mind；　were　not　only　comprehensive；

but　exact；　and　showed　conclusively；　what　no　one　doubted　then；　that

they　were　original　with　him。　　I　found　in　them　very　little　to

criticise　unfavorably；　if　we　were　to　move　at　all；　and　Rosecrans

certainly　impressed　me　that　he　favored　an　advance　at　an　early　day；

though　many　of　his　generals　were　against　it　until　the　operations　on

the　Mississippi　River　should　culminate　in　something　definite。　　There

was　much；　fully　apparent　in　the　circumstances　about　his　headquarters；

leading　to　the　conviction　that　Rosecrans　originated　the　Tullahoma

campaign；　and　the　record　of　his　prior　performances　collaterally

sustains　the　visible　evidence　then　existing。　　In　my　opinion；　then；

based　on　a　clear　recollection　of　various　occurrences　growing　out　of

our　intimacy；　he　conceived　the　plan　of　the　Tullahoma　campaign　and　the

one　succeeding　it；　and　is　therefore　entitled　to　every　credit　that

attended　their　execution；　no　matter　what　may　be　claimed　for　others。



On　the　23d　of　June　Bragg　was　covering　his　position　north　of　Duck

River　with　a　front　extending　from　McMinnville；　where　his　cavalry

rested；　through　Wartrace　and　Shelbyville　to　Columbia；　his　depot　being

at　Tullahoma。　　Rosecrans；　thinking　that　Bragg　would　offer　strong

resistance　at　Shelbyvillewhich　was　somewhat　protected　by　a　spur　of

low　mountains　or　hills；　off