the army of the cumberland-第24章

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nd　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　divisions　unitedly　had　resisted　two　assaults。　　After　the　charge　of　the　enemy　that　broke　Davis's　division　and　sent　it　through　the　cedars；　Sheridan　was　compelled　to　change　his　line　and　to　protect　the　right　flank　of　his　command　from　the　enemy；　now　pressing　that　part　of　his　position；　as　well　as　his　front；　in　increasing　numbers；　as　the　line　became　shortened。　　Hastily　withdrawing　Sill's　brigade；　with　the　reserves　sent　it　as　support；　he　directed　Roberts；　with　the　left　brigade；　which　had　changed　front　and　formed　in　columns　of　regiments；　to　charge　the　enemy　in　the　cedars　from　which　he　had　withdrawn　Sill's　brigade　and　the　reserves。　　This　charge　was　at　once　made　by　Roberts；　and　the　enemy's　advance　checked　sufficiently　to　give　Sheridan　time　to　form　his　troops　on　the　new　line；　which　he　at　once　did　by　placing　Sill's　and　Shafer's　brigades　on　a　line　at　right　angles　to　his　first　one；　and　ordered　Roberts　to　return　and　form　his　command　on　this　same　line。　　Sheridan　now　attempted　to　form　the　broken　troops　of　the　other　division　on　the　right　of　his　new　line；　but　in　this　he　was　not　successful。　　After　making　a　gallant　fight　with　his　division；　finding　the　right　of　his　new　line　turned；　Sheridan　was　directed　by　McCook　to　advance　to　the　front　and　reform　his　troops　to　the　right　of　Negley's　division　of　the　Centre　under　Thomas。　　Throwing　forward　his　left　to　join　Negley's　right；　he　placed　Roberts's　brigade　in　position　at　right　angles　to　Negley's　line；　facing　south；　and　then　placed　his　two　other　brigades　in　the　rear；　and　at　right　angles　to　Roberts；　so　as　to　face　westward　and　to　cover　the　rear　of　Negley's　lines。　　In　the　angle　of　these　lines　on　the　right　of　Negley；　he　placed　his　artillery。　　Here　he　was　again　fiercely　assaulted　by　the　enemy；　and　one　of　the　fiercest　and　most　sanguinary　contests　of　the　day　ensued。　　Massing　the　four　divisions　of　Hardee's　and　Polk's　corpseach　of　four　brigadesBragg　hurled　them　against　the　divisions　of　Sheridan　and　Negley；　and　at　the　same　time　the　enemy　opened　fire　from　the　intrenchments　in　the　direction　of　Murfreesboro。　　Here　the　fighting　was　terrific。　　Five　batteries　were　posted　with　these　two　divisions；　the　artillery　range　of　the　respective　forces　being　not　to　exceed　two　hundred　yards。　　Three　times　in　dense　masses　the　enemy　charged　on　these　divisions；　and　three　times　were　they　repulsed。　　Here　Colonel　Roberts　was　killed。　Sheridan's　troops　having　now　exhausted　their　ammunitionShafer's　brigade　being　entirely　out　and　nearly　all　his　horses　killedthen　gave　way；　after　over　four　hours　of　some　of　the　hottest　fighting　of　the　day。　　Sheridan　lost　in　falling　back　from　this　position　eight　guns。　　Nearly　all　the　remainder　of　his　artillery　was　drawn　by　his　men　through　the　cedars。　　On　arriving　at　the　Murfreesboro　pike；　Sheridan　reformed　his　command　in　an　open　space　near　the　right　of　Palmer。

Before　assisting　in　the　gallant　fight　on　the　right　of　the　center　with　Sheridan　in　his　new　position；　Negley's　division；　after　repelling　all　assaults　made　on　it；　had　been　engaged　in　heavy　fighting　on　its　front　since　the　middle　of　the　morning。　　On　the　withdraw