personal memoirs-1-第37节

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resistance　at　Shelbyvillewhich　was　somewhat　protected　by　a　spur　of

low　mountains　or　hills；　offshoots　of　the　Cumberland　Mountains

decided　to　turn　that　place；　consequently；　he　directed　the　mass　of　the

Union　army　on　the　enemy's　right　flank；　about　Manchester。



On　the　26th　of　June　McCook's　corps　advanced　toward　Liberty　Gap；　my

divisions　marching　on　the　Shelbyville　pike。　　I　had　proceeded　but　a

few　miles　when　I　encountered　the　enemy's　pickets；　who　fell　back　to

Christiana；　about　nine　miles　from　Murfreesboro'。　　Here　I　was　assailed

pretty　wickedly　by　the　enemy's　sharpshooters　and　a　section　of

artillery；　but　as　I　was　instructed　to　do　nothing　more　than　cover　the

road　from　Eagleville；　over　which　Brannan's　division　was　to　approach

Christiana；　I　made　little　reply　to　this　severe　annoyance；　wishing　to

conceal　the　strength　of　my　force。　　As　soon　as　the　head　of　Brannan's

column　arrived　I　marched　across…country　to　the　left；　and　encamped

that　night　at　the　little　town　of　Millersburg；　in　the　vicinity　of

Liberty　Gap。　　I　was　directed　to　move　from　Millersburg；　on　Hoover's

Gapa　pass　in　the　range　of　hills　already　referred　to；　through　which

ran　the　turnpike　from　Murfreesboro'　to　Manchesterbut　heavy　rains

had　made　the　country　roads　almost　impassable；　and　the　last　of　my

division　did　not　reach　Hoover's　Gap　till　the　morning　of　June　27；

after　its　abandonment　by　the　enemy。　　Continuing　on　to　Fairfield；　the

head　of　my　column　met；　south　of　that　place；　a　small　force　of

Confederate　infantry　and　cavalry；　which　after　a　slight　skirmish

Laiboldt's　brigade　drove　back　toward　Wartrace。　　The　next　morning　I

arrived　at　Manchester；　where　I　remained　quiet　for　the　day。　　Early　on

the　29th　I　marched　by　the　Lynchburg　road　for　Tullahoma；　where　the

enemy　was　believed　to　be　in　force；　and　came　into　position　about　six

miles　from　the　town。



By　the　31st　the　whole　army　had　been　concentrated；　in　spite　of　many

difficulties；　and　though；　on　account　of　the　heavy　rains　that　had

fallen　almost　incessantly　since　we　left　Murfreesboro'；　its　movements

had　been　slow　and　somewhat　inaccurate；　yet　the　precision　with　which

it　took　up　a　line　of　battle　for　an　attack　on　Tullahoma　showed　that

forethought　and　study　had　been　given　to　every　detail。　　The　enemy　had

determined　to　fall　back　from　Tullahoma　at　the　beginning　of　the

campaign；　however；　and　as　we　advanced；　his　evacuation　had　so　far

progressed　that　when；　on　July　1。　　We　reached　the　earthworks　thrown。

up　early　in　the　year　for　the　defense　of　the　place；　he　had　almost

wholly　disappeared；　carrying　off　all　his　stores　and　munitions　of　war

except　some　little　subsistence　and　eleven　pieces　of　artillery。　　A

strong　rearguard　remained　to　cover　the　retreat；　and　on　my　front　the

usual　encounters　between　advancing　and　retreating　forces　took　place。

Just　before　reaching　the　intrenchments　on　the　Lynchburg　road；　I　came

upon　an　open　space　that　was　covered　by　a　network　of　fallen　trees　and

underbrush；　which　had　been　slashed　all　along　in　front　of　the　enemy's

earthworks。　　This　made　our　progress　very　difficult；　but　I　shortly

became　satisfied　that　there　were　only　a　few　of　the　enemy　within　the

works；　so　moving　a　battalion　of　cavalry　that　had　joined　me　the　day

before　down　the　road　as　rapidly　as　the　obstructions　would　permit；　the

Confederate　pickets　quickly　departed；　and　we　gained　possession　of　the

town。　　Three　siege　guns；　four　caissons；　a　few　stores；　and　a　small

number　of　prisoners　fell　into　my　hands。



That　same　evening　orders　were　issued　to　the　army　to　push　on　from

Tullahoma　in　pursuit；　for；　as　it　was　thought　that　we　might　not　be

able　to　cross　Elk　River　on　account　of　its　swollen　condition；　we　could

do　the　enemy　some　damage　by　keeping　close　as　possible　at　his　heels。

I　marched　on　the　Winchester　road　at　3　o'clock　on　the　2d　of　July　and

about　8　o'clock　reached　Elk　River　ford。　　The　stream　was　for　the　time

truly　an　impassable　torrent；　and　all　hope　of　crossing　by　the

Winchester　ford　had　to　be　abandoned。　　Deeming　that　further　effort

should　be　made；　however；　under　guidance　of　Card；　I　turned　the　head　of

my　column　in　the　direction　of　Alisona；　marching　up　the　river　and

nearly　parallel　with　it　till　I　came　to　Rock　Creek。　　With　a　little

delay　we　got　across　Rock　Creek；　which　was　also　much　swollen；　and

finding　a　short　distance　above　its　mouth　a　ford　on　Elk　River　that

Card　said　was　practicable；　I　determined　to　attempt　it：　Some　of　the

enemy's　cavalry　were　guarding　this　ford；　but　after　a　sharp　little

skirmish　my　battalion　of　cavalry　crossed　and　took　up　a　strong

position　on　the　other　bank。　　The　stream　was　very　high　and　the　current

very　swift；　the　water　；　tumbling　along　over　its　rocky　bed　in　an

immense　volume；　but　still　it　was　fordable　for　infantry　if　means　could

be　devised　by　which　the　men　could　keep　their　feet。　　A　cable　was

stretched　across　just　below　the　ford　as　a　lifeline　for　the　weaker

ones；　and　then　the　men　of　the　entire　division　having　secured　their

ammunition　by　placing　the　cartridge…boxes　on　their　shoulders；　the

column　pushed　cheerfully　into　the　rushing　current。　　The　men　as　they

entered　the　water　joined　each　other　in　sets　of　four　in　a　close

embrace；　which　enabled　them　to　retain　a　foothold　and　successfully

resist　the　force　of　the　flood。　　When　they　were　across　I　turned　the

column　down　the　left　bank　of　Elk　River；　and　driving　the　enemy　from

some　slight　works　near　Estelle　Springs；　regained　the　Winchester　road。



By　this　time　it　was　clear　that　Bragg　intended　to　fall　back　behind　the

Tennessee　River；　and　our　only　chance　of　accomplishing　anything　of

importance　was　to　smash　up　his　rear…guard　before　it　crossed　the

Cumberland　Mountains；　and　in　pursuance　of　this　idea　I　was　directed　to

attack　such　of　his　force　as　was　holding　on　to　Winchester。　　At　4

o'clock　on　the　morning　of　July　2　I　moved　on　that　town；　and　when　we

got　close　to　it　directed　my　mounted　troops　to　charge　a　small　force　of

Confederate　cavalry　that　was　picketing　their　front。　　The　Confederates

resisted　but　little；　and　our　men　went　with　them　in　a　disorderly　chase

through　the　village　to　Boiling　Fork；　a　small　stream　about　half　a　mile

beyond。　　Here　the　fleeing　pickets；　rallying　behind　a　stronger　force；

made　a　stand；　and　I　was　directed　by　McCook　to　delay　till　I

ascertained　if　Davis's　division；　which　was　to　support　me；　had　made

the　crossing　of　Elk　River；　and　until　I　could　open　up　communication

with　Brannan's　division；　which　was　to　come　in　on　my　left　at　Decherd。

As　soon　as　I　learned　that　Davis　was　across　I　pushed　on；　but　the　delay

had　permitted　the　enemy　to　pull　his　rear…guard　up　on　the　mountain；

and　rendered　nugatory　all　further　efforts　to　hurt　him　materially；　our

only　returns　consisting　in　forcing　him　to　relinquish　a　small　amount

of　transportation　and　forage　at　the　mouth　of　the　pass　just　beyond

Cowan；　a　station　on　the　line　of　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga

railroad。



At　Cowan；　Colonel　Watkins；　of　the　Sixth　Kentucky　Cavalry；　reported　to

me　with　twelve　hundred　mounted　men。　　Having　heard　during　the　night

that　the　enemy　had　halted　on　the　mountain　near　the　Universityan

educational　establishment　on　the　summitI　directed　Watkins　to　make　a

reconnoissance　and　find　out　the　value　of　the　information。　　He　learned

that　Wharton's　brigade　of　cavalry　was　halted　at　the　University　to

cover　a　moderately　large　force　of　the　enemy's　infantry　which　had　not

yet　got　down　the　mountain　on　the　other　side；　so　I　pushed　Watkins　out

again　on　the　5th；　supporting　him　by　a　brigade　of　infantry；　which　I

accompanied　myself。　　We　were　too　late；　however；　for　when　we　arrived

at　the　top　of　the　mountain　Wharton　had　disappeared；　and　though

Watkins　pursued　to　Bridgeport；　he　was　able　to　do　nothing　more；　and　on

his　return　reported　that　the　last　of　the　enemy　had　crossed　the

Tennessee　River　and　burned　the　railroad　bridge。



Nothing　further　could　now　be　done；　so　I　instructed　Watkins　to　rejoin

the　division　at　Cowan；　and　being　greatly　fatigued　by　the　hard

campaigning　of　the　previous　ten　days；　I　concluded　to　go　back　to　my

camp　in　a　more　comfortable　way　than　on　the　back　of　my　tired　horse。

In　his　retreat　the　enemy　had　not　disturbed　the　railway　track　at　all；

and　as　we　had　captured　a　hand…car　at　Cowan；　I　thought　I　would　have　it

brought　up　to　the　station　near　the　University　to　carry　me　down　the

mountain　to　my　camp；　and；　desiring　company；　I　persuasively　invited

Colonel　Frank　T。　Sherman　to　ride　with　me。　　I　sent　for　the　car　by　a

courier；　and　for　a　long　time　patiently　awaited　its　arrival；　in　fact；

until　all　the　returning　troops　had　passed　us；　but　still　it　did　not

come。　　Thinking　it　somewhat　risky　to　remain　at　the　station　without

protection；　Sherman　and　myself　started　our　horses　to　Cowan　by　our

orderlies；　and　set　out　on　foot　to　meet　the　car；　trudging　along　down

the　track　in　momentary　expectation　of　falling　in　with　our　private

conveyance。　　We　had　not　gone　very　far　before　night　overtook　us；　and

we　then　began　to　realize　the　dangers　surrounding　us；　for　there　we

were　alone　and　helpless；　tramping　on　in　the　darkness　over　an　unknown