battle. His army organization was then complete. In numbers his force was not equal to that of the rebels. He had a long line of communication through a hostile and treacherous country to guard, and was compelled to leave a considerable force at Nashville for the protection of the city. The force with which he advanced from Nashville was a little short of forty-seven thousand men. General Bragg's force is estimated at over sixty-five thousand. In artillery, General Rosecrans was probably superior to his foe. But in cavalry, General Bragg still far outnumbered him. General Rosecrans's army was divided into three corps, under the command respectively of Generals McDowell McCook, George H. Thomas, and Thomas L. Crittenden. General McCook's Corps consisted of three divisions, under Generals Johnson, Davis, and Sheridan. The corps of General Thomas consisted of two divisions, under Generals Rousseau and Negley. General Crittenden's Corps was composed of three divisions, under Generals Van Cleve, Wood, and Palmer. General Thomas might almost have been said to be second in command. He enjoyed the confidence and esteem of General Rosecrans in an eniment degree, and was throughout the coming campaign his most confidential adviser.*

General D. S. Stanley, as has been stated, was chief of cavalry. He had already organized the nucleus of a very efficient cavalry force. Upon his staff General Rosecrans had for the most part young men, who quickly caught his enthusiasm and reverently looked up to him as their leader.

Young men, without experience," said General Rosecrans, are better than experienced old men. Young men will learn. Old men, fixed in their habits and opinions, will not learn. Young men think rapidly and execute quickly. They will do what I require of them."

Colonel J. P. Garesché † was General Rosecrans's chief of staff.

* Major-General George H Thomas was born in Virginia, July 31, 1816. He graduated at West Point in 1840, and served with distinction in the war with Mexico. He was subsequently stationed in Texas and in the Indian Territories. When the rebellion broke out he was major in the regular cavalry. A sincere patriot, he remained true to the flag which he had so long and so honorably served, and he soon rose to the rank of colonel. In August, 1861, he was made brigadier-general of volunteers in the Department of the Cumberland. After much active service, and after thoroughly beating the rebels at Mill Spring, he, with his division, joined General Buell at Nashville. In April, 1862, he was constituted major-general of volunteers. When General Rosecrans assumed command of the Army of the Cumberland, he was assigned to the command of the centre.

In personal appearance General Thomas is dignified and manly; in habit temperate, and distinguished alike for wisdom in council and courage in battle. "George H. Thomas," said General Rosecrans, "is a man of extraordinary character. Years ago, at the Military Academy, I conceived that there were points of strong resemblance between his character and that of Washington. I was in the habit of calling him General Washington."

General Thomas is singularly modest and unobtrusive in his demeanor. He was a brigadiergeneral for some months before he put on the uniform of that office. He did not assume the double star till after the battle of Stone River, though made a major-general more than six months before.

+ Colonel Julius P. Garesché was born in Cuba, of American parents. He graduated at West Point in 1841, and served for eight years prior to the war, in Washington, as assistant adjutantgeneral in the regular army. At the commencement of the rebellion, while eager to serve his country, he, with noble modesty, declined the position of brigadier-general until he should have earned it. He was appointed by General Rosecrans chief of staff, a position which he filled

Brigadier-General J. St. Clair Morton,* commanding the Pioneer Brigade, was chief of engineers; and Colonel James Barrett was his chief of artillery. General Rosecrans has been accused of allowing his religious peculiarities to influence his army appointments. It is certainly true that he is an earnest Roinan Catholic. His chaplain and confessor, Rev. Father Trecy, was his constant companion. But the simple fact that only one of his staff was of the Roman Catholic denomination, and he, the noble Garesché, a man of whom any religious communion might be proud, sufficiently refutes the unjust charge of religious favoritism.

General Bragg's forces were also divided into three corps, commanded by Generals Hardee, Polk, and E. Kirby Smith. In addition, he had two brigades of cavalry, commanded by Generals Morgan and Forrest, of about five thousand men. This force he had sent north upon a raid, misled by the information that General Rosecrans had gone into winterquarters at Nashville. "In the absence of these forces," says General Rosecrans, "and with adequate supplies at Nashville, the moment was judged opportune for an advance." A corresponding order was accordingly issued on Friday, the 26th of December.

The rebel General Hardee occupied a point on the Nolensville pike, a little south of the village of that name. The remainder of the rebel force was at Murfreesboro'. General McCook was ordered to advance upon the Nolensville pike towards Hardee. General Thomas was to proceed down the Franklin pike, threatening Hardee's flank, and then by cross-roads to form a junction with General McCook at Nolensville. General Crittenden was to advance on the Murfreesboro' pike directly to Lavergne. All these movements were carried out as projected. Hardee retreated towards Murfreesboro'. General Crittenden, driving the rebel skirmishers before him, on Saturday night had gained a position five miles south of Lavergne. General McCook, upon the retreat of Hardee, crossed over towards the Murfreesboro' pike. The rebel left, being thus drawn back and their entire

with satisfaction to the entire army. In the battle of Stone River, his head was carried away by a cannon-ball. Colonel Garesché, a member of the Catholic Church, was one of the purest spirits and one of the most devout Christians in the American army. The evidence of his piety, of his love for God and man, was manifest in his daily life. It is said that during the heat of battle, a moment before his death, he took advantage of a lull in the storm to retire to a private place to read a few verses from the Bible, which he always carried with him, and to offer a short prayer.

* General James St. Clair Morton was born in 1829, in Philadelphia, and graduated at West Point in 1851, second in his class. He was employed until the rebellion chiefly as an engineer. Among the public works upon which he has been engaged are Forts Sumter and Delaware, the Potomac Water-Works, the Washington Aqueduct, and the fortifications of the Dry Tortugas. These last-named fortifications are deemed the strongest on the American continent. He made an exploration in 1860 of the Chirique country, in Central America, to test the practicability of a railroad route across the Isthmus, at a point midway between the Nicaragua and the Panama routes. In 1860 he was appointed chief engineer of the Army of the Ohio, under General Buell. In that capacity he constructed the fortifications at Nashville. General Rosecrans, upon

assuming the command, formed a pioneer brigade, by detailing two picked men from each company for that purpose. They constituted a force of about three thousand men, and were placed under the command of General Morton. The Pioneer Brigade, as this force was called, built or repaired roads, railroads, bridges, railways, fortifications, warehouses, &c. During one night they threw a temporary bridge some eighty feet long across Stone River.

force concentrated at Murfreesboro', General Thomas moved also over from the Franklin to the Murfreesboro' road. These movements were not accomplished without considerable opposition from the enemy. The National force was compelled to feel its way over a country broken, wooded, and unknown. The cross-roads were exceedingly bad, indeed almost impassable for artillery and wagons. It was not until Tuesday night, the 30th of December, that General Rosecrans had his line of battle fully formed.

The rebel intrenchments, for the most part concealed in thick woods, were a mile or two in front of Murfreesboro', and extended across Stone River, occupying both sides of the stream. General Polk commanded the right, General E. Kirby Smith the centre, and General Hardee the left. General Breckinridge, commanding one of Polk's divisions, held the extreme right.

Opposite these intrenchments the National line was arrayed, the right held by General McCook, the centre by General Thomas, and the left, resting on Stone River, by General Crittenden. The pike and the railroad here run parallel to each other, and quite near together, passing over a slight rise of ground north of the river. West of this pike is a thick cedar forest, and still farther west open ground. East of Stone River, at the point where General Crittenden's right rested, is high ground. At this point the stream is easily fordable. For a fuller understanding of the nature of the ground, and the events which ensued, the reader is referred to the annexed diagram.

On Tuesday night, the 30th of December, the corps commanders met at the head-quarters of General Rosecrans, who explained to them his plan of battle. It was briefly this: General McCook was to hold his position firmly, if attacked; if not, he was to threaten the rebel left sufficiently to hold all the rebel forces in his front. General Thomas was to open the battle in his centre with skirmishing, pushing forward his forces towards the river. General Crittenden was to cross at the ford, gain possession of the hill, and, followed up by General Thomas with the centre, push back the rebel right, gain their flank, and then advance on Murfreesboro'. Thus, General McCook's extreme right constituting a pivot, the whole army was to swing around upon it, driving the enemy to the west, gaining their flank and ear, and cut off, if possible, their retreat; thus not only defeating, but, as far as practicable, destroying the enemy.

It will be at once perceived that every thing depended on General McCook's holding the pivot of the movement firmly. "This combination," said General Rosecrans," after explaining it to his corps commanders, "requires that General McCook should hold his position unfalteringly for at least three hours, and, if compelled to recede at all, should do so slowly and steadily, as he advanced the day before." Then, turning to General McCook, he said, "You know the ground, you have fought over its difficulties; can you hold your present position for three hours?" "Yes, I think I can," was General McCook's response. General Rosecrans added, "I do not like your facing so much to the east, but must confide that to you, who know the ground. If you do not think your present position the best, change it."

Meanwhile, General Bragg had decided not to await an attack, but to make one. His forces largely outnumbered those of the National army;

his cavalry were far superior in numbers, and perhaps in efficiency; his troops were well disciplined. It was his impression that a considerable part of the National forces were raw recruits, who could not be depended on to offer his veterans a successful resistance. Perhaps the events which followed corrected that misapprehension; but it determined him to assail the Union army. His plan of attack was similar to that of General Rosecrans. He left General Breckinridge with a single division to hold in check any Federal advance upon the right; he then massed his forces under General Hardee at the left, opposite McCook's position. In his desire to concentrate his troops for a sudden and irresistible onset at this point, he left himself no reserve. It was his purpose to attack the National right, under General McCook, drive it back, outflank the army by a detour of his cavalry, cut off the Federal communications with Nash

ville, and if possible gain in force the possession of the Nashville pike in the rear of the Union position.

Look for a moment at the diagram; observe the National right; it is drawn up in a long single line; the divisions have little opportunity to support one another. Had the line been shorter and heavier the result of the first day's battle might have been different.

At three o'clock in the morning patrols reported that there were no indications of rebel movements in front of the National right. At five o'clock the whole of McCook's Division was under arms. For over an hour they awaited an attack; none came. Captain Egerton permitted some of his battery horses to go to water; General Willich left his brigade, to go to head-quarters for consultation. The soldiers began to build fires and prepare for breakfast. Suddenly and silently the enemy issued from the woods, in which they had been concealed. In majestic but terrible array they moved across the field which separated them from the National line. They advanced in four columns, regimental front, line after line.

Steadily, in good order, without music or noise of any kind, they swept across the field. The National forces, inferior in numbers, weakly disposed, "thin and light, without support," and at the moment unprepared, were in no position to resist the rebel onset. A portion of the infantry broke and ran without firing a shot. The Thirty-fourth Illinois Regiment, sent forward to check the rebel advance, fought with magnificent but hopeless bravery, and were almost instantly swept away by resistless numbers. On, on, silently but terribly, pressed the rebel hosts. Silently the National troops, quickly placed in position, await their coming. So have we seen the dark masses of black clouds issue from the western horizon, and press towards the eastern skies; so have we seen the forest oaks silently await the approaching storm. The silence was not less terrible than the tempest which ensued. A moment more, and from the opposing armies there flashed the deadly lightning, while the before silent woods echoed the reverberating thunder of the battle-field. The combat was brief; there was some brave fighting, but it was fruitless. As the oaks bend and break before the violence of the irresistible tempest, so the National line, with almost the first shock of battle, was broken, thrown into disorder, and routed.

One of those singular fatalities of war which sometimes determine the issues of a battle, of an empire even, made the rout more complete. Both the brigades first attacked lost their commanders at the outset. General Kirk was disabled by the first fire. General Willich, summoned back to the field by the first firing, had his horse shot under him, and was taken prisoner before he had given a single order. Captain Egerton's Battery fired but three rounds. His men stood and fought with their swabs till they were bayoneted or captured. Captain Egerton himself was wounded and taken prisoner. Disheartened by the loss of their com mander, panic-stricken at the overwhelming advance of the impetuous foe, and unsupported by any reserve or second line, first Johnson's and then Davis's Division was driven back in irretrievable disorder.