. A popular history of the United States of America, from the aboriginal times to the present day. e his headquarters at Nash-ville, and there collected a powerfularmy. Meanwhile, General Bragg,on his retirement from Kentucky,had thrown his forces into Murfreesborough. Thus the two generalsfound themselves face to face, and but thirty miles apart. Late inDecember Rosecrans moved forward to attack his antagonist, and on theevening of the 30th came upon the Confederates strongly posted onStones River, a short distance north-west of Murfreesborough. Duringthe night preparations were made on both


. A popular history of the United States of America, from the aboriginal times to the present day. e his headquarters at Nash-ville, and there collected a powerfularmy. Meanwhile, General Bragg,on his retirement from Kentucky,had thrown his forces into Murfreesborough. Thus the two generalsfound themselves face to face, and but thirty miles apart. Late inDecember Rosecrans moved forward to attack his antagonist, and on theevening of the 30th came upon the Confederates strongly posted onStones River, a short distance north-west of Murfreesborough. Duringthe night preparations were made on both sides for the impendingbattle. The plan of attack adopted by the Federal commander contem-plated the massing of his forces on the left in such numbers as to crushthe Confederate right wing under Breckinridge before assistance couldbe brought from the west side of the river. Braggs plan of battle wasthe exact counterpart of that adopted by Rosecrans. Before daylightthe Confederates were heavily massed under Hardee on the left; andin the early morning the battle began by a furious and unexpected. BATTLE OF MURFREESBOROUGH, DEC. 31ST, 1862. CAMPAIGN OF 62. 501 charge on McCook who commanded the right wing of the outcry for help was at first unheeded by Rosecrans, who didnot realize the real nature of the Confederate onset. After a terriblestruggle which lasted until noonday the Union right was shattered tofragments and driven from the field. The brunt of the battle now fellupon General Thomas, who commanded theFederal right center; and he, too, after des-perate fighting, was obliged to fall back toa new position. Here, however, he ralliedhis forces and held his ground until Gen-eral Rosecrans readjusted his whole line ofbattle. While this work was going on, theConfederates were barely prevented from acomplete and overwhelming triumph by thealmost unparalleled heroism of the divisionof General William B. Hazen. With onlythirteen hundred men he stayed the oncom-ing


Size: 1182px × 2114px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishersanfr, bookyear1881