the army of the cumberland-第44节

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nolds's；　division　was　posted　on　the　left　of　Brannan's　division；〃　then　there　was　no　gap；　and　no　place　for　Wood　to　place　his　division　as　ordered；　and　he　knew　it。　　He　could　support　Reynolds；　but　to　do　this　he　was　compelled　to　disobey　the　first　part　of　his　order；　which　IN　ITS　SPIRIT　AND　INTENT　WAS　TO　KEEP　HIM　ON　THE　LINE　OF　BATTLE；　simply　moving　his　division　to　the　left。　　This　space　by　his　own　official　report　he　shows　was　occupied　by　Brannan's　division；　and　with　this　knowledge　he　undertook　to　execute　an　order　that　directed　him　to　make　an　impossible　movement　rather　than　ask　an　explanation　of　it　from　his　commanding　officer。　No　wonder　he　wanted　to　keep　his　order　safe　where　he　could　produce　it　if　occasion　required。　　Wood；　irritated　at　the　reprimand　of　Rosecrans　earlier　in　the　day；　intent　on　maintaining　his　dignity；　chose　rather　to　undertake　to　carry　out　an　order　in　the　execution　of　which　he　felt　safe；　so　long　as　he　had　it　in　writing　and　where　he　could　produce　it　if　occasion　demanded　it；　than　to　suspend　its　execution　long　enough　to　ride　a　short　distance　to　the　rear；　and　find　out　just　what　the　order　meant；　AND　TO　THIS　EXTENT　HE　IS　RESPONSIBLE　for　the　great　disaster　which　swept　the　right　wing　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　from　the　field　of　battle　on　the　20th。　　That　Wood　must　have　known　that　there　was　a　mistake　in　regard　to　the　order　is　plain；　from　the　fact　that　he　himself　says　that　his　troops　had　not　been　seriously　engaged　that　morning。　　It　was　hardly　possible　that　Reynolds's　division；　which　was　only　a　division　front　from　his；　could　be　so　hardly　pressed　as　to　need　supports；　and　that　his　division　should　〃not　be　seriously　engaged。〃　　In　fact；　when　Wood　undertook　to　carry　out　this　order；　he　says　he　met　Thomas　and　was　told　by　him　that　Reynolds　did　not　need　supports；　and　that　he；　Wood；　〃had　better　move　to　the　support　of　General　Baird；　posted　on　the　extreme　left；　who　needed　assistance；〃　showing　that　the　conflict　had　as　yet　not　reached　down　the　line　to　Reynolds。　　The　spirit　in　which　General　Wood　fought　the　battle　of　Chickamauga　is　shown　by　the　following　extract　from　his　official　report；　where；　in　speaking　of　Garfield's　arrival　on　the　battlefield　later　in　the　afternoon　of　the　20th；　he　says；　〃After　the　disastrous　event　of　the　right；　General　Garfield　made　his　way　back　to　the　battlefield；　showing　thereby　that　the　road　was　open　to　all　who　might　choose　to　follow　it　where　duty　called。〃　After　Wood　reported　to　Thomas　there　was　no　more　splendid　fighting　done　on　that　field　of　terrific　conflict　on　the　20th　than　was　done　by　Thomas　J。　Wood　and　his　division。　　To　the　last　he　aided　Thomas　in　holding　Horseshoe　Ridge；　and　was　one　of　the　last　divisions　to　retire。

In　the　tide　that　swept　down　the　Dry　Valley　road；　Rosecrans　was　caught　with　the　members　of　his　staff。　　He　breasted　this　for　a　while；　and　endeavored　to　join　his　left　and　centre　under　Thomas　by　a　direct　route。　　After　riding　along　a　short　distance；　under　the　heavy　fire　of　the　rebels　with　both　artillery　and　musketry；　he　discovered　that　the　road　was　effectually　closed　by　the　enemy　in　strong　force。　　He　then　started　over　the　ridge　to　the　Dry　Valley　road；　and　made　his　way　as　rapidly　as　possible　through　the　swarming　masses　of　broken　troops　from　the　right　of　the　battlefield　to　Rossville；　with　the　intention　of　joining　Thomas　from　that　place　down　the　La　Fayette　road　if　the　left　and　centre　were　not　also　in　rout；　and　on　the　road　to　Chattanooga。　　On　reaching　Rossville；　Rosecrans　and　Garfield　halted　in　the　midst　of　the　driving　masses　of　teamsters；　stragglers；　and　fugitives　from　Thomas's　command；　all　striving　in　hot　haste　to　be　among　the　first　to　reach　Chattanooga。　　Making　inquiry　of　these　men　as　to　the　condition　of　affairs　at　the　front；　they　were　informed　〃that　the　entire　army　was　defeated；　and　in　retreat　to　Chattanooga。〃　〃That　Rosecrans　and　Thomas　were　both　killed；　and　that　McCook　and　Crittenden　were　prisoners。〃　　Asking　a　small　detachment　of　troops　the　command　they　belonged　to；　Rosecrans　was　informed　Negley's　division。　　He　then　asked　as　to　the　whereabouts　of　Negley。　　He　was　informed　that　he　was　a　short　distance　from　Rossville；　though　some　distance　from　the　battlefield；　〃rallying　stragglers；〃　and　that　the　entire　division　〃was　knocked　all　to　pieces。〃　　Knowing　that　one　of　the　last　orders　he　had　given　on　the　battlefield　was　for　Negley's　division　to　report　to　Thomas　to　take　position　on　his　extreme　left；　Rosecrans　was　satisfied　that　if　these　soldiers　reported　truly　the　left　and　centre　were　routed　and　that　the　whole　army　as　a　broken　mass　would　be　back　in　Chattanooga　very　shortly。　　At　this　time　there　was　a　lull　in　the　firing　at　the　front。　　Dismounting　from　their　horses；　Rosecrans　and　Garfield　placing　their　ears　to　the　ground；　endeavored　to　determine　from　the　sound　as　it　reached　them　the　truth　of　the　reported　rout。　　Hearing　no　artillery　firing；　and　detecting　only　what　appeared　to　be　a　scattering　fire　of　musketry；　the　conclusion　was　forced　on　Rosecrans　that　his　army　was　entirely　broken。　　His　information　prior　to　the　battle　led　him　to　believe　that　the　rebels　outnumbered　him　two　to　one；　and　if　this　proved　true；　the　disaster　in　part　could　be　accounted　for。　　Conferring　with　Garfield　as　to　what　was　the　best　thing　to　be　done　under　the　circumstances；　Garfield　told　him　that　if　these　reports　were　true　that　then　his；　Rosecrans's；　place　was　in　Chattanooga；　where　he　could　receive　and　reorganize；　if　possible；　his　army　on　its　reaching　that　place。　　That　he；　of　all　persons；　had　more　influence　with　the　army；　and　if　it　was　broken　that　his　duty　was　to　go　to　that　place　and　make　such　disposition　of　the　troops　as　might　possibly　save　the　army　from　complete　destruction。　That　he；　Garfield；　would　ride　to　the　front；　try　and　find　Thomas；　if　alive；　and　would　report　immediately　to　Rosecrans　at　Chattanooga　as　to　the　condition　of　affairs　at　the　front。　　Unfortunately；　this　plan　was　carried　out。　　The　reverse　of　this　should　have　been　done。　Rosecrans　should　at　once　have　gone　to　the　front；　and　by　his　presence　there　aided；　as　he　did　at　Stone's　River；　more　than　any　other　thing　to　retrieve　the　fortunes　of　the　day；　and　pluck　victory　from　disaster。　　Had　Rosecrans　gone　to　the　front；　and　discovered　from　a　personal　observation　the　true　condition　of　affairs；　and　the　spirit　and　morale　of　the　troops　there；　the　chances　are　that　he　never　would　have　ordered　their　retirement　to　Rossville　the　night　of　the　20th。　　That　was　the　turning…point；　and　his　hour　had　arrived。

On　reaching　Chattanooga；　General　Rosecrans　rode　up　to　Department　Headquarters　there；　and　was　helped　from　his　horse　into　the　house。　He　had　the　appearance　of　one　broken　in　spirit；　and　as　if　he　were　bearing　up　as　best　he　could　under　terrible　blow；　the　full　force　and　effect　of　which　he　himself　did　not　at　that　time　clearly　perceive　and　only　partly　felt。　　This　was　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　He　had　been　in　the　saddle　all　day　from　before　daylight；　with　nothing　to　eat　since　then。　　Rarely　has　mortal　man　been　called　on　to　undergo　the　terrible　mental　strain　that　had　been　on　him　during　the　week　just　past；　of　which　for　two　nights　in　succession　his　anxiety　for　McCook　was　so　great　as　to　prevent　his　sleeping。　　During　the　past　week　the　peril　of　his　army　had　weighed　on　him　to　the　extent　that　his　nervous　system　was　stretched　to　its　utmost　tension。　　When　he　saw　the　rout　of　his　right；　supposing　that　it　extended　to　his　entire　army；　the　blow　was　so　strong　that　it　staggered　him。　　A　short　time　after　Rosecrans　arrived；　McCook　and　Crittenden；　also　caught　in　the　drift　from　the　right；　reached　headquarters。　　While　seated　in　the　adjutant…general's　office　comparing　notes　with　each　other　as　to　the　events　of　the　day；　Rosecrans　received　a　despatch　from　Garfield；　who　had　reached　the　front。　　Hastily　reading　it　over　he　exclaimed；　〃Thank　God！〃　and　read　the　despatch　aloud。　　In　it　Garfield　announced　his　safe　arrival　at　the　front；　that　he　was　then　with　Thomas；　who　had　seven　divisions　intact　with　a　number　of　detachments；　that　Thomas　had　just　repulsed　a　heavy　assault　of　the　rebels；　and　felt　confident　that　he　could　successfully　resist　all　attacks　against　his　position。　Waving　this　over　his　head　Rosecrans　said；　〃This　is　good　enough；　the　day　isn't　lost　yet。〃　　Turning　to　McCook　and　Crittenden　he　said；　〃Gentlemen；　this　is　no　place　for　you。　　Go　at　once　to　your　commands　at　the　front。〃　　He　then　directed　Wagner；　in　command　of　the　post；　to　take　his　entire　brigade；　stop　the　stragglers　and　all　others　from　the　front　on　the　edge　of　the　town；　and　ordered　rations　and　ammunition　for　his　troops　to　be　at　once　sent　out　to　meet　them　at　Rossville。

During　the　heavy　fighting　of　the　20th；　Thomas　was　the　only　general　officer　on　the　field　of　rank　above　a　division　commander。　　Learning　some　time　later　in　the　day　of　the　disaster　on　our　right；　he　gathered　his　troops　together　from　all　parts　of　the　field　to　the　position　selected　by　himself　after　the　break　on　the　right。　　Here　in　a　more　marked　degree　even　then　Stone's　River；　he　displayed　his　great　staying　qualities。　　Posting　his　troops　on　the　lines　he　designated；　he；　so　to　speak；　placed　himself　with　his　back　against　a　rock　and　refused　to　be　driven　from　the　field。　　Here　he　stayed；　despite　the　fierce　and　prolonged　assaults　of　the　enemy；　repulsing　every　attack。　　And　when　the　sun　went　down　he　was　still　there。　　Well　was　he　called　the　〃Rock　of　Chickam