the army of the cumberland-第15节

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rse　appointment　as　a　corps　commander　was　not　made　during　the　war。　　Fortunately；　the　battle　of　Perryville　was　his　first　and　only　appearance　in　that　position。　　Buell；　after　expressing　his　thanks　for　McCook's　services　on　that　field　and　in　the　campaign；　in　his　official　report　says：　　〃It　is　true　that　only　one　serious　battle　has　been　fought；　and　that　was　incomplete；　and　less　decisive　than　it　might　have　been。　　That　this　was　so　is　due　partly　to　unavoidable　difficulties　which　prevented　the　troops；　marching　on　different　roads；　from　getting　on　the　ground　simultaneously；　but　more　to　the　fact　that　I　was　not　apprised　early　enough　of　the　condition　of　affairs　on　my　left。　　I　can　find　no　fault　with　the　former；　nor　am　I　disposed　at　this　time　to　censure　the　latter；　though　it　must　be　admitted　to　have　been　a　grave　error。　　I　ascribe　it　to　the　too　great　confidence　of　the　general　commanding　the　left　corps　（Major…General　McCook）；　which　made　him　believe　that　he　could　manage　the　difficulty　without　the　aid　or　control　of　his　commander。〃　　Buell　was　not　notified　of　any　attack　by　the　enemy　on　his　left　until　over　two　hours　after　the　engagement　was　begun。　　He　then　hurried　to　the　field；　and　sent　the　necessary　supports　forward；　at　once　checking　the　enemy；　and　made　disposition　of　his　troops　for　battle。

With　a　willingness　to　lay　down　command　that　characterized　all　the　commanders　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　when　the　authorities　in　Washington　regarded　the　good　of　the　service　as　requiring　it；　Buell　placed　the　new　commander　in　full　possession　of　all　plans　and　information　that　he　possessed；　and　without　a　word　left　the　troops　that　were　to　win　undying　fame　on　other　battle…fields；　largely　by　reason　of　the　training　he　had　given　them　during　the　period　of　his　command；　half　a　month　less　than　one　year。

The　Comte　de　Paris；　in　his　〃History　of　the　Civil　War　in　America；〃　in　writing　on　the　battle　of　Shiloh；　where　he　refers　to　the　massing　of　the　artillery　by　Grant's　Chief　of　Staff；　Colonel　Webster；　says：　〃The　fate　of　the　day　depends　upon　the　preservation　of　these　heights；　whence　the　enemy　could　have　commanded　Pittsburg　Landing；〃　and　on　the　following　page　adds；　〃Nevertheless；　at　the　sight　of　the　enemy's　battalions　advancing　in　good　order；　the　soldiers　that　have　been　grouped　together　in　haste；　to　give　an　air　of　support　to　Webster's　battery；　became　frightened　and　scattered。　　It　is　about　to　be　carried；　when　a　new　body　of　troops　deploying　in　the　rear　of　the　guns；　with　as　much　regularity　as　if　they　were　on　the　parade…ground；　receives　the　Confederates　with　a　fire　that　drives　them　back　in　disorder　into　the　ravine。　　This　was　the　brigade　of　Ammen；　belonging　to　Nelson's　division；　that　rushed　forward　so　opportunely。〃　　In　speaking　of　the　second　day's　fight　he　says：　　〃At　a　signal　given　by　Buell；　his　three　divisions；　under　Nelson；　Crittenden；　and　McCook；　put　themselves　in　motion　at　the　same　time。　　The　soldiers　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　constantly　drilled　for　the　year　past　by　a　rigid　disciplinarian；　and　trained　by　their　long　marches　across　three　States；　are　distinguished　by　their　discipline　and　fine　bearing。　　The　readiness　with　which　they　march　against　the　enemy　wins　the　admiration　of　the　generals；　who；　like　Sherman；　have　had　to　fight　a　whole　day　at　the　head　of　raw　and　inexperienced　troops。〃

The　greatest　service　that　General　Buell　rendered　to　his　country　was　as　the　organizer　and　disciplinarian　of　the　mass　of　the　raw；　undrilled　troops　that　were　hurried　to　the　front　under　the　need　of　the　hour；　and　who；　unaccustomed　to　military　or　other　restraint；　had　all　the　freedom　that　characterizes　the　American　sovereign　both　in　speech　and　action。　　To　take　these　troops　by　the　thousands　and　make　an　army　of　fifty　to　seventy…five　thousand　trained　skilled　soldiers；　who；　in　later　days；　were　to　do　as　splendid　fighting　as　the　world　ever　saw；　was　a　stupendous　undertaking。　　General　Buell　not　only　did　this；　but　accomplished　the　task　in　time　to　bring　some　of　these　soldiers　that　he　was　justly　proud　of　to　the　field　of　Shiloh；　where；　under　his　eye；　they　met　the　enemy　like　veterans。　　Buell's　military　training　and　habits　of　life　led　him；　however；　to　one　error。　　He　was　so　good　a　soldier　himself；　that　he　failed　to　recognize　the　distinction　between　the　regular　soldier　in　garrison　during　times　of　peace　and　the　thinking　volunteer　during　the　active　campaigns　of　the　rebellion。　　The　latter　could　not　and　would　not　be　made　the　mere　machine　the　former　becomes；　and　Buell's　failure　to　appreciate　this　caused　great　ill…feeling　against　him　at　the　time　in　his　army。　Then；　again；　Buell's　earlier　military　training　in　the　bureau　office　he　held　so　many　years　unfitted　him　for　the　handling；　on　the　battle…field；　of　the　large　number　of　troops　which　composed　his　command。　　But　very　few　generals　during　the　rebellion　were　able　to　successfully　handle　on　the　battle…field　as　large　an　army　as　was　under　Buell。　　In　fact；　the　general　who　has　sufficient　talent　as　a　good　organizer　and　drill…master　to　enter　into　the　details　necessary　to　bring　an　army　out　of　raw　troops；　has　not　the　military　genius　required　to　handle　a　large　army　in　fighting　and　winning　great　battles。　　But　Buell　rendered　many　valuable　services；　in　the　camp　and　on　the　field；　to　his　country。　　It　was　Buell　who　planned　the　Fort　Henry；　Fort　Donelson；　and　Nashville　campaign；　which　Halleck　put　under　his　hat；　and　proceeded　to　carry　out　as　HIS　original　idea；　being　careful　to　say　nothing　in　regard　to　his　plans　until　they　were　so　far　executed　as　to　render　any　action　on　the　part　of　Buell　and　his　command　simply　that　of　a　supporting　column。　　Then　to　Buell　is　due　the　credit　of　the　second　day's　fight　at　Shiloh。　　That　day's　battle　was　the　fight　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　with　Lewis　Wallace's　division；　General　Grant　giving　Buell　largely　his　discretion　in　the　movements　of　the　troops。　　Whitelaw　Reid　says　of　him；　in　〃Ohio　in　the　War；〃　〃He　came　into　that　action　when；　without　him；　all　was　lost。　　He　redeemed　the　fortunes　of　the　field；　and　justly　won　the　title　of　the　'Hero　of　Pittsburg　Landing。'〃

The　order　placing　Rosecrans　in　commandGeneral　Order　No。　168；　War　Department；　of　date　October　24；　1862created　the　Department　of　the　Cumberland；　embracing　that　portion　of　the　State　of　Tennessee　lying　east　of　the　Tennessee　River；　and　such　portion　of　Georgia　and　Alabama　as　should　be　occupied　by　the　Federal　troops。　　The　troops　in　the　field　were　designated　in　the　same　order　as　the　〃Fourteenth　Army　Corps。〃

General　Rosecrans　assumed　command　on　October　30th　at　Louisville。　On　November　2d　he　arrived　at　Bowling　Green；　and　on　the　7th　he　announced；　in　General　Orders；　the　division　of　his　army　organization　into　〃the　Right　Wing；〃　〃the　Centre；〃　and　〃the　Left　Wing；〃　under　the　command　respectively　of　McCook；　Thomas；　and　Crittenden；　with　five　divisions　in　the　centre　and　three　in　each　wing。　　He　instructed　Thomas　to　advance　Fry　and　Dumont's　divisions　to　Gallatin；　and　to　push　rapidly　forward　the　repairs　of　the　railroad　to　Nashville。

Up　to　this　time　the　movements　of　Bragg's　army　remained　undeveloped；　and　no　disposition　of　the　Federal　forces　could　be　safely　made　without　the　knowledge　of　what　Bragg's　plan　of　operation　would　be。　That　he　would　ultimately　attempt　the　capture　of　Nashville　or　force　a　battle　for　it　there　could　be　but　little　doubt。　　Not　to　fight　for　Nashville　was　the　abandonment　of　Tennessee。　　Kentucky　surrendered　without　a　blow　produced　such　demoralization　in　Bragg's　command　that　to　have　given　up　Tennessee　without　a　struggle　would　have　either　compelled　a　change　in　the　commanding　officer　of　that　army　or　a　disbandment　of　it；　so　far　as　the　Kentucky　and　Tennessee　troops　were　concerned。

General　Halleck's　brilliant　paper　campaign　into　East　Tennessee　again　was　produced　and　aired　with　a　show　of　the　most　profound　wisdom；　based　on　the　extreme　ignorance　of　the　situation　and　surroundings。　Buell's　forethought　in　concentrating　the　army　within　supporting　distance　of　Nashville　became　apparent　on　the　appearance　of　the　advance　of　Bragg's　army　at　Murfreesboro；　reinforcing　Breckinridge's　command；　which　had　been　left　in　Tennessee　to　enforce　the　〃blockade　of　Nashville。〃　　This　was　another　grievance　the　Kentucky　troops　had　against　Bragg。　　All　the　Kentucky　infantry　troops　under　Bragg　were　in　Breckenridge's　command；　and　they　were　exceedingly　anxious　to　return　to　the　State　with　Bragg's　army　to　visit　their　friends　and　relatives　and　aid　in　recruiting　that　army。　　Bragg's　distrust　of　these　troops　was　such　that　he　refused　to　allow　them　this　privilege；　and　his　action　in　holding　them　in　Tennessee；　just　out　of　Kentucky；　did　not　materially　increase　his　popularity　with　them。　　Breckinridge　had　established　his　headquarters　at　Murfreesboro　and　assumed　chief　command；　with　about　ten　thousand　troops　under　him；　over　one…third　of　which　were　cavalry　under　Wheeler　and　Forrest。　　With　this　force　Breckinridge　endeavored　to　enforce　the　siege　of　Nashville；　using　his　cavalry　to　prevent　the　gathering　of　forage　and　supplies　by　our　troops　from　the　surrounding　country。　　These　foraging　parties　were　constantly　sent　out；　going　as　far　at　times　as　ten　miles　on　these　expeditions。　　The　main　deprivation　the　garrison　suffered　during　the　six　weeks　of　the　siege　was　in　having　nearly　all　communication　cut　off　from　their　friends　in　the　North；　and　while　they　received　nothing；　they　embraced　every　opportunity　of　sendin