the army of the cumberland-第12节

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ected　Thomas　to　place　Negley　in　command　of　Nashville；　and　if　he　regarded　it　best　to　do　so；　to　leave　Paine's　division　＇Palmer　in　command＇　with　Negley's　to　hold　that　place。　　If　Paine　could　be　spared；　then　Thomas　was　to　move　forward　by　forced　marches　with　his　division　and　Paine's；　and　unite　his　command　with　the　main　army。　　Thomas；　knowing　that　Bragg　had　left　a　large　force　to　threaten　Nashville；　ordered　Paine's　division　to　remain　there；　and　started　at　once　with　the　first　division　to　report　to　Buell。

Bragg；　to　reach　Munfordville；　had　only　sixty…eight　miles　to　march　from　his　crossing　of　the　Cumberland　River；　while　Buell　had　one　hundred　and　five　miles　to　travel　before　he　could　intercept　him　at　that　place。　　Bragg's　advance　had　reached　and　attacked　Munfordville　before　Buell's　army　had　arrived　at　Bowling　Green。　　On　Bragg's　advance　under　General　Chalmers；　arriving　at　Munfordville；　his　cavalry　engaged　the　attention　of　the　garrison　there　under　Colonel　John　T。　Wilder；　while　the　artillery　and　infantry　were　being　placed　in　position。　　On　the　13th；　demand　was　made　of　Wilder　to　surrender。　This　he　refused　to　do。　　With　the　early　light　of　the　next　day　an　assault　was　made　by　the　enemy；　which　was　repulsed　with　heavy　loss。　Two　detachments　reported　during　the　day；　reinforcing　Wilder's　command。　One　of　them　was　under　Colonel　Dunham　from　Louisville；　who；　being　Wilder's　senior　in　rank；　assumed　command。　　On　the　following　day　a　second　demand　for　surrender　was　made　by　Chalmers；　who　represented　his　command　sufficiently　large　to　capture　the　place。　　Dunham　refused　to　comply　with　this　demand；　and　the　enemy　then　withdrew；　going　north。　　Two　days　later　the　rebels　made　another　attack　on　the　works　and　were　again　repulsed。　　In　the　afternoon　Bragg　appeared　in　person　before　the　town；　and　sent；　under　a　flag　of　truce；　another　demand　for　the　surrender　of　the　command；　as　the　garrison　of　the　place　was　surrounded　by　an　entire　army；　and　to　assault　would　only　be　a　needless　sacrifice　of　human　life。　　This　was　declined；　but　with　the　request　from　Colonel　Dunham　that　Bragg　suspend　hostilities　to　give　time　for　consultation。　　This　Bragg　agreed　to　do　until　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Dunham；　who　had　succeeded　in　opening　communication　with　General　Gilbert　at　Louisville；　telegraphed　him　the　facts；　and　added　that　he　feared　he　would　have　to　surrender。　Gilbert　telegraphed　back　an　order　placing　Dunham　in　arrest；　and　ordering　Wilder　to　assume　command。　　At　the　Council　of　War　that　was　held　by　Wilder　it　was　determined　that　the　place　should　not　be　surrendered　without　personal　inspection　by　the　commanding　officer　that　Bragg's　statements　as　to　his　force　and　situation　were　true。　Wilder；　under　Gilbert's　orders；　assumed　command　at　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　notified　Bragg　of　the　result　of　the　consultation；　proposing；　with　Bragg's　permission；　to　satisfy　himself　as　to　the　truth　of　his　statements。　　Remarkable　as　it　appears；　this　proposition　was　agreed　to　by　Bragg；　and　Wilder；　under　escort；　investigated　the　enemy's　lines　prepared　for　assault；　and　counting　forty…five　cannon　in　position；　supported　by　25；000　men；　he　concluded　it　was　impossible　to　further　successfully　defend　the　place。　　He　reported　the　facts　to　the　Council　of　War；　and　the　demand　for　the　surrender　was　acceded　to　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　17th。　　Under　the　terms　of　the　capitulation　the　troops　marched　out　with　the　honors　of　war　at　daylight；　retained　their　sidearms　and　private　property；　and　were　at　once　paroled。　　This　attack　on　Munfordville　by　Bragg　established　the　fact　that　it　was　not　his　intention　to　press　on　to　Louisville；　and　the　advantage　Buell　derived　from　the　delay　attending　this　attack　was　in　a　measure　some　compensation　for　the　loss　of　the　place。

Bragg　then　took　position　at　Prewitt's　Knob；　where　Buell　moved　with　his　entire　army；　Thomas　having　reported　on　the　20th。　　The　two　armies　confronted　each　other　at　this　point　for　three　days；　and　disposition　was　made　for　battle。　　On　the　21st；　while　the　troops　were　being　placed　in　position　by　Thomas；　under　order　of　Buell；　the　enemy　retreated；　marching　for　a　short　distance　toward　Louisville；　then　turned　to　the　right；　and　took　position　near　Bardstown。　　Bragg　claimed　in　his　official　report　that　after　maneuvring　unsuccessfully　for　four　days　to　draw　General　Buell　into　an　engagement；　he　found　himself　with　only　three　days'　rations　on　hand　for　his　troops　〃and　in　a　hostile　country；〃　that　even　a　successful　engagement　would　materially　cripple　him；　and　as　Buell　had　another　route　to　the　Ohio；　to　the　left；　he　concluded　to　turn　to　the　right；　send　to　Lexington　for　supplies　to　meet　him　in　Bardstown；　and　commenced　the　movement　to　that　place。　This　gave　Buell　an　open　road　to　Louisville；　of　which　he　immediately　availed　himself；　and　on　the　29th；　the　last　division　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　reached　that　city。　　The　place　was　under　the　command　of　Gilbert；　who　had　nothing　but　new　levies　of　inexperienced　troops。　These　Buell　incorporated　with　the　brigades　of　his　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　30th；　after　furnishing　his　command　with　needed　supplies；　moved　his　army　out　of　Louisville　against　the　enemy。　The　movement　was　delayed　by　a　day；　by　Halleck's　order　relieving　Buell　and　placing　Thomas　in　command。　　The　latter　remonstrated　against　this　order；　and　at　his　request　it　was　withdrawn。　　The　next　day　Buell　again　assumed　command；　with　Thomas　announced　in　General　Orders　as　second　in　command；　and　commenced　the　advance　movement　of　his　army　in　five　columns。





Chapter　VI。




Battle　of　Perryville


The　main　portion　of　the　army　had　been　organized　into　three　corps；　designated　the　First；　Second；　and　Third；　under　McCook；　Crittenden；　and　Gilbert；　respectively。　　General　Sill；　in　command　of　two　divisions；　was　ordered　to　move　on　the　left　toward　Frankfort；　to　hold　in　check　the　force　of　the　enemy　under　Kirby　Smith　at　that　place。　　The　other　columns　marched　by　different　routes　upon　roads　converging　upon　Bardstown；　through　Shepardsville；　Mount　Washington；　Fairfield；　and　Bloomfield。　　Each　column　engaged　the　enemy's　cavalry　and　artillery　in　a　series　of　skirmishes　from　within　a　short　distance　of　Louisville。　　As　the　army　approached　Bardstown　the　resistance　constantly　increased；　retarding　Buell's　advance；　and　enabling　Bragg　to　effect　his　withdrawal　from　that　place；　which　was　accomplished　eight　hours　before　the　arrival　of　Buell's　army。　　A　sharp　cavalry　engagement　occurred　at　this　place　between　Buell's　advance　and　Bragg's　rear…guard；　when　the　whole　of　Bragg's　command　retired；　taking　the　road　to　Springfield。　At　Bardstown　Buell　received　information　that　a　junction　of　Bragg's　and　Kirby　Smith's　commands　would　be　made　at　Danville。　　He　ordered　McCook　to　advance　from　Bloomfield　on　the　Harrodsburg　road；　and　directed　Thomas　to　move　with　Crittenden's　corps　on　the　Lebanon　road；　which　passes　four　miles　south　of　Perryville；　with　a　branch　to　the　latter　place；　while　he　accompanied　Gilbert's　corps；　which　moved　on　the　direct　road　to　Perryville。　　After　leaving　Bardstown；　Buell　learned　that　Kirby　Smith's　force　had　crossed　to　the　west　side　of　the　Kentucky　River；　near　Salvisa；　and　that　Bragg　was　concentrating　either　at　Harrodsburg　or　Perryville。　　He　at　once　ordered　McCook　to　change　his　line　of　march　from　the　former　road；　and　to　proceed　direct　to　Perryville。　　On　the　afternoon　of　October　7th；　Buell；　with　Gilbert's　corps；　arrived　in　front　of　the　rebels　in　strong　force　three　miles　from　Perryville；　where　he　immediately　drew　his　troops　up　in　line　of　battle。　　Advancing　the　cavalry　and　artillery；　supported　by　two　regiments　of　infantry；　the　rear　guard　of　the　enemy　was　pressed　to　within　two　miles　of　the　town；　when　it　was　discovered　that　the　rebels　were　concentrating　for　battle。　　Orders　were　sent　by　Buell　to　Crittenden　and　McCook　to　march　at　3　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　8th；　and　for　them　to　take　position　as　early　as　possible　on　the　left　and　right　of　the　centre　corps　respectively；　the　commanders　themselves　to　report　in　person　their　arrival；　for　orders；　the　intention　being　to　make　the　attack　that　day　if　possible。

McCook　did　not　receive　this　order　until　2。30　o'clock；　and　was　on　the　march　at　five。　　Owing　to　the　difficulty　of　finding　water　for　his　command　where　the　troops　were　expected　to　encamp；　Thomas；　on　the　night　of　the　7th；　moved　off　the　direct　line　of　march　some　six　miles　and　was　delayed　several　hours　in　reaching　his　position　on　the　field。　　During　the　night　some　pools　of　water　were　discovered　in　small　creek　about　two　miles　and　a　half　from　Perryville。　　Colonel　Dan　McCook　with　the　Thirty…sixth　Brigade　was　ordered　forward；　and；　after　a　sharp　engagement；　secured　possession　of　the　pools；　and　a　supply　of　bad　water　for　Gilbert's　troops　was　obtained。

On　October　1st；　Bragg；　leaving　Polk　in　command　at　Bardstown；　under　orders　to　slowly　retire　to　Bryantsville；　started　for　Lexington。　Here　he　ordered　Kirby　Smith　with　all　his　forces　to　Frankfort；　to　assist　in　the　installation　services　of　the　rebel　Provisional　Governor　of　Kentucky　at　the　capital　of　the　State。　　At　Lexington；　on　the　2d；　learning　of　Buell's　movements　from　Louisville；　Bragg　ordered　Polk　in　writingsending　two　copies　to　himto　advance　at　once；　〃with　his　whole　available　force；　by　way　of　Bloomfield；　toward　Frankfort；　to　strike　the　enemy　in　the　flank　and　rear。〃　　Polk　was　informed　in　the　order　that　Kirby