the army of the cumberland-第21节

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t　line　between　McCown　and　Polk。　　This　gave　Hardee　double　the　length　of　front　originally　contemplated；　and　made　it　a　single　line　instead　of　a　double　with　division　front。　　These　two　divisions　thus　formed　then　struck　McCook's　right　flankJohnson's　division。　　McCook's　line　was　very　weak　and　poorly　posted。　　It　was　thin　and　light；　without　reserves；　with　neither　the　troops　nor　commanding　officers　in　their　places；　as　they　should　have　been；　under　Rosecrans's　orders　of　the　evening　before。

Every　soldier　on　that　field　knew　when　the　sun　went　down　on　the　30th　that　on　the　following　day　he　would　be　engaged　in　a　struggle　unto　death；　and　the　air　was　full　of　tokens　that　one　of　the　most　desperate　of　battles　was　to　be　fought。　　In　the　face　of　all　this；　Johnson；　the　commander　of　the　First　Division　on　the　right；　was　not　on　the　line　nor　near　enough　to　his　troops　to　give　orders　to　them；　his　headquarters　being　a　mile　and　a　half　in　the　rear。　　General　Willich　the　commander　of　the　Second　Brigade；　which　had　been　posted　for　the　express　purpose　of　protecting　the　extreme　right　of　our　army；　was　absent　from　his　command　at　division　headquarters。　　His　brigade　was　not　even　in　line；　as　they　had　been　ordered　to　get　their　breakfast。　　The　batteries　of　the　division　were　not　properly　posted；　and　in　some　cases　the　horses　were　away　from　the　guns　to　the　rear　for　water。　　All　this　was　criminal　negligencea　failure　in　the　performance　of　dutyfor　which　some　one　should　have　suffered。　　To　the　faulty　position　of　the　line　and　to　the　unprepared　condition　of　the　troops　is　to　be　attributed　the　almost　overwhelming　disaster　that　overtook　our　army　on　that　day。　As　the　two　divisions　of　the　enemy　advanced；　Kirk　threw　forward　the　Forty…fourth　Illinois　to　support　the　skirmish　line；　and　called　on　Willich's　brigade　for　help。　　This　brigade　being　without　an　immediate　commander；　no　effort　was　made　to　support　Kirk。　　The　contest　was　too　unequal　to　be　maintained　for　any　great　length　of　time；　and　Johnson's　division；　after　a　sharp　and　spirited　but　fruitless　contest；　crumbling　to　pieces；　was　driven　back　with　a　loss　of　eleven　guns。　Kirk　was　mortally　wounded　and　Willich　was　captured；　returning　to　his　command　as　it　was　driven　back。　　Kirk's　brigade　lost　473　killed　and　wounded；　and　had　342　captured。　　Willich's　brigade　had　a　few　less　killed　and　wounded；　but　more　than　twice　that　number　captured。

Baldwin　in　reserve　near　headquarters　was　too　far　from　the　front　to　aid　in　supporting　either　of　the　other　brigades　of　Johnson's　division。　　Stragglers　from　Kirk's　and　Willich's　brigades　gave　the　first　information　to　Baldwin　of　the　disaster　on　the　right。　　Hastily　forming　his　troops；　he　had　barely　time　to　post　them　in　line　of　battle　before　the　enemy　in　immense　masses　appeared　on　his　front　at　short　range；　their　left　extending　far　beyond　the　extreme　right　of　his　line。　　Opening　at　once　a　destructive　fire　upon　their　dense　masses　with　his　infantry　and　artillery；　Baldwin　succeeded　in　checking　their　advance　in　his　front；　but　their　left　continued　to　swing　around　on　his　right。　　Here　four　pieces　of　Simonson's　battery　posted　near　the　woods　in　the　rear　of　the　first　position　opened　with　terrible　effect。　　The　enemy　came　on　in　such　overwhelming　numbers；　that　after　half　an　hour's　stubborn　resistance　Baldwin　was　compelled　to　retire；　not　however　until　the　enemy　had　flanked　his　right　and　were　pouring　in　an　enfilading　fire。　　As　it　was　he　barely　made　his　escape；　since　in　a　moment　longer　his　entire　command　would　have　been　surrounded　and　captured。　　At　the　edge　of　the　woods　Baldwin　endeavored　to　make　another　stand；　but　before　he　could　form　his　line　he　was　again　forced　back。　　Retiring　slowly；　with　several　halts　in　the　cedars；　Baldwin　with　his　brigade　reached　the　railroad　where　the　rest　of　the　division　was　being　reformed。

The　right　flank　being　driven　from　its　position　by　the　left　of　the　enemy；　Davis's　division　then　felt　the　full　force　of　the　victorious　sweep　of　the　rebel　troops；　flushed　with　success　and　aided　by　the　forces　immediately　in　his　front。　　Davis；　as　soon　as　the　disaster　on　his　right　had　fully　developed；　at　once　changed　front　and　formed　a　new　line；　with　his　right　brigade　under　Post　nearly　at　right　angles　to　its　former　position；　and　made　all　necessary　disposition　of　his　troops　to　receive　the　attack。　　Baldwin's　brigade　had　hastily　taken　position　and　had　already　felt　the　force　of　the　enemy's　concentrated　attack。　　Still　the　advancing　lines　of　the　enemy　greatly　overlapped　the　extreme　right　of　Baldwin。　　Hardly　had　the　troops　been　placed　in　this　position　before　the　enemy　swept　down　in　heavy　masses　upon　both　the　flank　and　front；　charging　with　the　rebel　yell。　　The　two　divisions　of　McCown's　and　Cleburne's　troops　which　had　driven　Johnson；　hurled　themselves　upon　Baldwin's　and　Post's　brigades；　while　the　fresh　troops　of　Withers's　division；　composed　of　Manigualt's　and　Loomis's　brigades；　rushed　upon　those　of　Davis；　under　Carlin　and　Woodruff；　and　upon　that　on　the　right　of　Sheridan's　line　under　Sill。　The　change　of　position　of　Post's　brigade　gave　to　the　two　remaining　brigades　of　Davis's　division；　and　Sill's　brigade　of　Sheridan's　command；　the　length　of　division　front；　and　on　this　the　enemy　made　a　united　attack。　　After　Baldwin　had　been　compelled　to　retire；　Post　repulsed　the　attack　on　his　brigade；　and　Carlin；　Woodruff；　and　Sill　in　the　front　drove　back　the　assaulting　column　of　the　rebels　with　heavy　loss。　　The　enemy　then　reformed　his　lines；　strengthened　them　with　his　reserves　under　Vaughan　and　Maney　of　Cheatham's　division　and　once　more　pressed　forward。　　Again　these　heavy　lines　struck　Carlin；　Woodruff；　and　Sill；　and　were　again　handsomely　repulsed；　Sill　gallantly　charging　the　rebels　and　driving　them　into　their　line　of　intrenchments。　　In　this　charge；　General　Sill　was　killed。　　His　brigade　then　slowly　retired　and　formed　anew　in　line　of　battle。　Cleburne　at　the　same　time　charged　down　on　Post's　brigade；　and　he　too　was　a　second　time　repulsed。

The　formation　of　the　battle…front　of　Davis's　two　left　brigades　under　Carlin　and　Woodruff　was　almost　perpendicular　to　that　of　Sheridan's　division；　and　the　left　of　Woodruff's　with　the　right　of　Sill's　brigade　formed　the　apex　of　a　right　triangle。　　This　position　was　at　once　observed　by　the　enemy；　who　saw　that　if　he　could　take　this　extreme　point　of　the　angle　he　would　be　in　position　to　enfilade　both　lines　at　once。　　For　the　possession　of　this　point　every　effort　was　made；　and　a　third　attack　was　ordered　upon　it　with　four　brigades；　under　the　immediate　command　of　Cheatham；　in　double　lines。　　Hardee　had　gathered　his　command　together　again　for　another　attack　on　Post's　position。　　Pressing　forward　with　the　victorious　troops　of　McCown's　and　Cleburne's　divisionsthe　troops　that　had　swept　Johnson　from　the　fieldhe　enveloped　both　flanks　of　Post's　brigade；　and　compelled　him　to　fall　back；　with　the　loss　of　one　gun；　to　the　Nashville　pike；　where　he　also　reformed　his　command。

On　the　withdrawal　of　Post's　brigade；　Carlin's　right　was　left　exposed　to　the　enemy；　who　with　renewed　vigor　pressed　forward　in　overwhelming　numbers　on　converging　lines；　massing　as　they　advanced。　　Circling　around　on　their　right　the　rebels　swept　down　on　the　remaining　brigades　of　Davis's　division　in　dense　columns。　　In　the　previous　charge　the　attack　had　been　so　heavy　upon　the　angle　formed　by　Woodruff's　left　and　Sill's　right；　that　in　the　new　formationafter　the　second　repulsethe　line　at　this　point　was　somewhat　broken；　and　after　Sill's　death　the　right　of　the　brigade　was　reformed　somewhat　to　the　rear　of　the　former　line；　the　better　to　support　the　battery　attached　to　it。　　In　the　heavy　fighting　of　the　morning　the　position　of　all　the　brigades　had　been　more　or　less　changed；　and　in　several　instances　the　commanding　officer　of　each　brigade　considered　his　command　as　being　without　support　on　either　flank。　　On　the　third　assault　both　Carlin　and　Woodruff　thought　this　to　be　the　case　with　their　commands；　and　in　the　attack　then　made　upon　their　brigades　they　became　almost　surrounded。　　Carlin　stubbornly　resisted　every　effort　to　drive　him　from　his　position　until　by　his　remaining　longer　the　loss　of　his　entire　brigade　became　imminent。　　His　regiment　on　the　left　gave　way　and　he　then　retreated　across　open　fields　in　the　rear　to　the　edge　of　the　woods；　where　Davis　was　attempting　to　reform　his　line；　having　placed　Hotchkiss's　battery　just　within　the　timber。　　Woodruff　then　fell　back；　but　being　closely　pressed；　turned　and　with　a　determined　charge　sent　the　enemy　beyond　his　original　position。　　Being　unsupported　he　was　compelled　to　retire　into　the　cedars。　　Before　Woodruff　reached　the　new　lines　that　Davis　was　trying　to　form；　Carlin's　troops　opened　fire　on　the　advancing　enemy；　when　he　was　informed　that　Davis　had　ordered　a　farther　withdrawal。　　He　then　fell　back　across　the　Wilkinson　pike；　where　he　rallied　his　men；　who　however；　on　the　advance　of　the　enemy；　fired　one　volley　and　broke　to　the　rear　without　orders。　Carlin　then　went　with　them　through　the　lines　of　reserves；　halting　at　the　railroad；　where　he　reformed　his　command。　　After　reaching　the　cedars　Woodruff　charged　a　second　time；　and　compelled　the　enemy　to　fall　back；　but　his　ammunition　giving　out；　his　troops　passed　to　the　rear；　resisting　every　effort　to　rally　them　until　they　reached　the　Murfreesboro　pike。

Davis's　division　had　up　to　this　time　protected　Sheridan's　right；　and　these　divisi