the army of the cumberland-第14节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


9　missing。　　Nearly　all　the　losses　were　from　McCook's　command；　which　bore　the　brunt　of　the　heavy　fighting。　　Bragg　referring　to　his　loss　in　his　official　report　says：　〃In　such　a　conflict　our　own　loss　was　necessarily　severe；　probably　not　less　than　2；500　killed；　wounded；　and　missing。〃　　During　the　campaign　General　Buell　captured　nearly　five　thousand　prisoners。

The　enemy's　troops　engaged　in　the　battle　were　under　the　immediate　command　of　General　Polk。　　Bragg　had　been　with　Kirby　Smith　at　Frankfort；　where　these　active　operations　found　him　engaged　in　superintending　〃the　ceremony　of　installing　the　Provisional　Governor　into　office。〃

In　his　official　report　of　the　battle　of　Perryville；　made　from　Bryantsville；　October　12；　1862；　Bragg　says：　　〃After　consulting　with　the　General　（Polk）　and　reconnoitering　the　ground　and　examining　his　dispositions；　I　declined　to　assume　the　command；　but　suggested　some　changes　and　modifications　of　his　arrangements；　which　he　promptly　made。〃　　In　a　subsequent　report　of　Perryville；　made　while　he　was　at　Shelbyville；　of　date　May　20；　1863；　he　reflects　very　severely　upon　Polk's　movements　at　Perryville。　　He　says　that　he　ordered　the　attack　to　be　made　by　Polk　on　Gilbert　early　in　the　morning　of　the　8th；　that　he　waited　until　10　A。M。；　and　hearing　no　firing　started　to　see　Polk　and　have　an　explanation　of　the　delay。　　Here　he　was　〃informed　that　it　was　determined　not　to　attack；　but　to　assume　the　'defensive　offensive。'〃　　Bragg　gave　orders　for　some　changes　in　the　line　of　battle；　restoring　certain　portions　of　the　command　that　had　been　withdrawn；　and　again　ordering　Polk　to　bring　on　the　engagement。　　The　execution　of　this　order　was　delayed　by　Polk；　and　Bragg；　becoming　〃impatient　at　the　delay　after　this　order；〃　〃despatched　a　staff　officer　to　repeat　it　to　the　General；　and　soon　thereafter　followed　in　person　and　put　the　troops　in　motion。〃

Bragg's　intention　was　not　to　fight　a　general　engagement　at　Perryville；　but　merely　to　check　the　advance　of　Buell's　army；　thereby　gaining　time　to　gather　his　supplies　and　men　together　and　leave　the　State。　Bragg　had　been　urged；　by　leading　Kentuckians　in　his　command　and　others；　to　undertake　the　campaign　in　Kentucky　with　the　promise　of　immense　numbers　of　recruits　and　large　quantities　of　supplies。　　He　anticipated　that　his　coming　would　be　hailed　as　that　of　a　deliverer；　and　that　the　young　men　of　the　State　would　flock　to　his　banners　and　fill　up　his　army；　so　that　he　could　attack　Buell　at　any　point。　Bragg's　entire　command　in　Kentucky　was　estimated　at　thirty…five　to　forty　thousand。　　He　anticipated　enlisting　twenty　thousand　recruits；　and　took　arms　to　Kentucky　for　that　number　of　new　troops。　　Buell's　command；　with　his　losses　and　the　garrison　at　Nashville　was　less　than　this；　but　at　Louisville　he　received　some　twenty…two　thousand　new　troops。　　The　number　of　infantry　recruits　for　Bragg's　army　was　very　small；　for　he　says　in　his　first　official　report　of　the　battle　of　Perryvillewhen　he　at　that　time　was　preparing　to　leave　the　State〃with　ample　means　to　arm　twenty　thousand　men　and　a　force　with　that　to　fully　redeem　the　State；　we　have　not　yet　issued　half　the　arms　left　us　by　casualties　incident　to　the　campaign。〃

General　Buell　waited　for　Sill　to　join　him　with　his　division；　leaving　Dumont　at　Frankfort。　　On　the　march　Sill's　advance　was　attacked　by　a　portion　of　Kirby　Smith's　command；　which　he　repulsed　and　arrived　at　Perryville　on　the　11th。　　Buell　then　moved　forward；　expecting　Bragg　to　give　battle　at　Harrodsburg；　and　throwing　out　a　strong　force　to　reconnoitre；　discovered　the　enemy　in　force　some　three　miles　south　of　that　place。　　During　the　day　Bragg　continued　his　march　south；　his　rear　guard　being　driven　out　of　the　place　with　the　loss　of　considerable　stores　and　about　twelve　hundred　prisoners；　in　the　main　sick　and　wounded。　　On　the　next　day　Buell　made　a　strong　reconnoissance　to　the　crossing　of　Dick's　River；　and　there　ascertained　that　Bragg　had　crossed　his　entire　army。

Learning　on　the　13th　that　the　enemy　was　retreating　south；　Buell　ordered　pursuit　to　be　made　immediately；　for　the　purpose　of　overtaking　Bragg；　or　of　intercepting　him　if　he　should　attempt　to　pass　toward　Somerset。　　Wood's　division　marched　at　midnight；　and　engaged　the　enemy　at　Stanford　at　daylight　the　next　morning。　　The　rest　of　Crittenden's　and　McCook's　corps　followed　on　the　same　road；　Gilbert　marching　on　the　Lancaster　road。　　The　enemy　was　steadily　pressed　on　the　road　to　Cumberland　Gap；　but　could　not　be　brought　to　an　engagement。　　McCook's　and　Gilbert's　corps　were　halted　at　Crab　Orchard；　while　Crittenden；　with　W。　S。　Smith's　division；　was　sent　in　pursuit　as　far　as　London　on　the　direct　road　to　the　Gap。　　It　now　appearing　that　Bragg　did　not　intend　to　fight　in　the　State；　and　the　country　beyond　Crab　Orchard　being　extremely　barren　and　roughno　supplies　existing　in　itthe　pursuit　was　discontinued；　and　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　was　turned　toward　Bowling　Green　and　Glasgow；　preparatory　to　the　advance　to　Nashville。　McCook's　and　Gilbert's　corps　were　concentrated　at　the　former　place；　and　Crittenden's　at　the　latter。　　This　movement　of　the　troops　was　made　by　Buell；　who　was　confident　that　Bragg　would　concentrate　in　the　vicinity　of　Nashville；　and　seek　to　recover　that　place；　and　to　fight　his　great　battle　for　the　possession　of　Kentucky。

The　military　affairs　of　the　nation　at　this　time　were　unfortunately　in　charge　of　General　Halleck；　who　had　been　called　to　Washington　as　Commander…in…Chief。　　On　the　retreat　of　Bragg　from　Kentucky；　Halleck　insisted　that　Buell　should　make　a　campaign　into　East　Tennessee；　a　distance　of　two　hundred　and　forty　miles；　over　mountain　and　river；　without　any　communication　to　the　rear；　except　by　wagon　train；　over　almost　impassable　roads；　the　advance　to　be　made　in　the　face　of　the　enemy；　who；　operating　on　his　line　of　communications　could　move　his　entire　command　to　defeat　our　advance　in　detail。　　Buell　reported　to　the　War　Department　that　it　was　impossible　to　make　the　campaign　as　ordered；　and　knowing　the　necessity　of　protecting　Nashville；　he　directed　the　concentration　of　his　troops　on　the　line　of　the　railroad　to　that　place。　　That　road　had　been　repaired　up　to　Bowling　Green；　after　the　destruction　of　two　months　before；　and　here　the　troops　received　their　needed　supplies。　　On　the　30th　of　October；　Buell　was　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　Department　of　the　Ohio；　and　Major…General　William　S。　Rosecrans　was；　by　the　direction　of　the　General…in…Chief；　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　troops。　　The　designation　of　the　command　being　changed　to　that　of　the　Department　of　the　Cumberland。

It　is　a　somewhat　singular　fact；　that　the　campaign　in　Kentucky　should　have　caused　the　most　intense　feeling　in　the　opposing　armies　against　their　respective　commanders。　　In　the　Federal　army；　after　Buell　allowed　Bragg　to　move　north　from　Munfordville　without　an　engagement；　the　expressions　of　the　troops　against　their　commanding　general　were　open；　bitter；　and　almost　universal；　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest。　　However；　there　was　one　who　never　for　a　moment　lost　faith；　soldierly　trust；　and　esteem　for　his　commander；　and　he　was　of　all　persons　in　the　command　most　competent　to　judge。　　This　was　General　Thomas。　　He　knew　the　great　difficulties　of　Buell's　position；　how　his　place　had　been　interfered　with　by　Halleck；　under　whose　command　it　was　his　misfortune　early　in　the　year　to　be；　and　later；　how　he　was　made　to　feel　the　power　of　this　same　man　as　a　personal　matter。　　Halleck；　invested　by　the　Administration　with　supreme　powers；　planned　a　campaign　into　East　Tennessee；　on　paper　in　Washington；　and　ordered　Buell　to　execute　it。　　This；　the　latter；　with　full　knowledge　of　the　situation；　refused　to　do；　and　quietly　ordering　his　troops　to　the　line　of　the　railroad　from　whence　they　could　be　moved　with　the　least　delay；　as　needed；　waited　for　the　order　he　knew　was　pending　for　his　removal。

General　Buell　was　right　in　refusing　to　attack　Bragg　at　Munfordville；　or　in　fact　at　any　time　until　he　had　placed　his　army　north　of　the　enemy；　and　received　his　own　reinforcements　from　Louisville。　　Then　this　point　was　safe；　and　Nashville　could　not　be　imperiled　by　the　defeat　of　our　army。　　Buell　made　three　dispositions　for　an　engagement　during　the　Kentucky　campaign；　but　each　time　Bragg　drew　off　except　at　Perryville；　and　here　there　was　no　design　of　the　latter　to　fight；　beyond　checking　Buell's　advance；　and　gaining　time　for　his　troops　to　make　their　retreat　from　the　State　with　all　stores　and　material。　Bragg；　from　his　closing　remarks　in　his　first　report　of　the　battle　of　Perryville；　certainly　did　not　considerso　far　as　the　Confederacy　was　concernedthat　the　State　was　worth　fighting　for。　　Had　he　received　the　20；000　new　troops　he　was　promised；　instead　of　General　Buell　having　his　army　increased　by　that　number；　then　he　would　have　struck　quick　and　sharp。　　He　left　the　State　deeply　disgusted　with　Kentucky；　and　took　every　occasion　after　that　to　show　it。　　The　account　was　even；　however；　as　Bragg　was　not　a　favorite　in　that　State。

At　Perryville　Buell　labored　under　the　same　disadvantage　in　the　organization　of　his　command　that　made　itself　felt　on　the　first　two　great　battlefields　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland。　　That　was　the　inefficiency　of　his　corps　commanders。　　Of　Gilbert　it　is　only　necessary　to　say；　that　a　worse　appointment　as　a　corps　commander　was　not　made　during　the　war。　　Fortunately；　the　battle　of　Perryv