the army of the cumberland-第33章

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e　entire　command。　　This　was　at　first　refused；　but　on　consultation　with　his　officers；　and　considering　the　damaged　condition　of　his　ammunition　and　the　complete　exhaustion　of　his　command；　Streight；　after　making　a　personal　inspection　of　Forrest's　artillery；　finally　yielded；　and　the　entire　force　of　1；466　officers　and　men　was　surrendered。

On　April　20th；　Thomas　sent　J。　J。　Reynolds　with　three　brigades　of　infantry　and　Minty's　brigades　of　cavalry；　together　with　Wilder's　brigade　of　mounted　infantry；　to　proceed　to　McMinnville；　capture　what　force　was　there；　destroy　the　railroad　from　Manchester　to　McMinnville；　and　co…operate　with　a　force　to　move　from　Carthage　against　Morgan。　Reynolds　made　a　successful　raid　on　the　railroad　and　nearly　destroyed　it；　burned　all　the　bridges；　trestle…work；　cars；　and　locomotives　on　the　road；　also　the　depot　in　McMinnville；　and　several　cotton　mills。　A　large　amount　of　supplies　was　captured；　some　one　hundred　animals　picked　up。　　The　command　from　Carthage　failed　to　aid　in　the　expedition；　and　Morgan's　command　in　the　main　effected　their　escape。

Colonel　Lewis　D。　Watkins　on　the　27th　made　a　gallant　charge　on　the　Texas　Legion；　encamped　close　to　Van　Dorn's　main　command　near　Spring　Hill。　　Dashing　in　upon　the　enemy　early　in　the　morning；　he　was　among　them　before　they　could　rally　for　defence；　capturing　one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　prisoners；　over　three　hundred　animals；　and　their　camp　equipage　without　the　loss　of　a　man。

It　was　during　the　six　months　waiting　at　Murfreesboro　that　the　unfortunate　controversy　arose　between　Rosecrans　and　the　authorities　at　Washington；　represented　by　General　Halleck；　as　Commander…in…Chief；　and　Mr。　Secretary　Stanton　of　the　War　Department。　　The　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　during　the　period　of　the　active　movements　of　that　command；　congratulated　itself　that　the　field　of　operations　was　so　far　removed　from　Washington　City；　that　it　did　not　come　under　the　influence　of　the　authority　that　seemed　to　paralyze　every　effort　of　the　commands　immediately　around　the　seat　of　war　at　the　East。　　But　in　this　they　were　mistaken。　　The　future　student　of　the　history　of　the　war；　in　the　light　of　the　full　official　records；　will　wonder　most　at　the　fact　that；　under　the　orders　from　Washington；　the　commanders　in　the　field　were　at　all　able　to　finally　crush　the　rebellion。　　It　was　only　when　the　armies　at　the　East　were　placed　under　a　general　who　was　practically　untrammeled　in　the　exercise　of　his　power；　and　who　conducted　his　campaigns　upon　military　principles；　and　not　as　the　result　of　orders　from　Washington　that　the　beginning　of　the　end　of　the　rebellion　in　the　East　began　to　dawn。　　In　Tennessee　we　have　seen　how　Halleck　gave　Buell　orders　and　then　attached　such　conditions　to　them　as　to　render　their　proper　execution　absolutely　impossible。　There　was　nothing　to　prevent　Buell　from　occupying　Chattanooga　in　June；　1862；　as　he　was　directed；　while　Bragg　with　his　command　was　in　Northern　Mississippi；　except　the　utterly　useless　condition　attached　to　his　orders；　that　he　should　repair　the　Memphis　and　Charleston　Railroad　as　he　moved　east。　　Buell　urged；　in　forcible　terms；　the　foolishness　and　even　impropriety　of　this　delay；　but　Halleck；　who　knew　much　of　the　theory　of　war　as　learned　from　books；　and　in　a　general　way　wished　to　apply　these　principles　to　the　practical　movements　of　troops；　overruled　Buell。　　The　latter　knew　that　the　enemy　in　his　front　always　resolutely　refused　to　be　bound　in　his　operations　by　such　rules　in　conducting　campaigns。　　The　result　of　Halleck's　wisdom　soon　became　manifest　when　Bragg　started　for　Kentucky；　after　the　waste　of　Buell's　time　in　repairing　this　railroad；　which；　when　completed；　was　at　once　turned　over　to　the　enemy　in　good　condition　for　immediate　use　against　our　own　forces。　　On　Buell　fell　the　force　of　the　blow　that　some　one　had　to　bear　for　this　failure　to　take　advantage　of　a　patent　opportunity。　　Buell's　obedience　to　Halleck's　orders　rendered　Bragg's　advance　into　Kentucky　possible；　while　Buell's　failure　to　bring　Bragg　to　a　decisive　action　in　Kentucky；　and　his　refusal　to　follow　Bragg　into　the　mountains　of　Eastern　Kentucky　and　Tennessee；　was　deemed　sufficient　cause　by　Halleck　to　issue　the　order　removing　him　from　his　command。　　If　Halleck's　order　to　Buell　to　repair　this　railroad　had　never　been　issued；　Bragg's　campaign　in　Kentucky　would　never　have　been　made。　　Halleck's　removal　of　Buell　was　the　direct　result　of　the　latter's　obedience　to　orders　received　from　the　former。　　On　Rosecrans　assuming　command；　almost　the　first　order　he　received　from　Halleck　was　one　directing　him　to　advance　into　East　Tennessee　after　Bragg。　　With　a　full　knowledge　of　the　military　situation　obtained　from　Buell；　Rosecrans　proceeded　at　once　to　protect　the　line　established　by　Buell；　and　await　the　advance　of　Bragg　in　the　vicinity　of　Nashville。　　The　battle　of　Stone's　River　was　for　the　time　sufficient　to　prove；　even　to　Halleck；　that　Buell　and　Rosecrans　were　correct；　and　Rosecrans　was　allowed　for　the　time　to　attend　to　his　command　without　being　interfered　with。　　During　the　encampment　at　Murfreesboro；　the　first　object　of　Rosecrans　was　to　properly　mount　and　equip　his　cavalry。　　In　this　he　received　at　first　faint　encouragement；　which　soon　ceased　altogether。

On　March　1st　Halleck；　as　Commander…in…Chief　of　the　Armies　of　the　United　States；　wrote　a　letter；　sending　a　copy　to　Rosecrans　and　Grant；　offering　the　position　of　the　then　vacant　major…generalship　in　the　regular　army；　to　the　general　in　the　field　who　should　first　achieve　an　important　and　decisive　victory。　　Grant　very　quietly　folded　up　the　letter；　put　it　by　for　future　reference；　and　proceeded　with　the　plans　of　his　campaign；　saying　nothing。　　To　Rosecrans's　open；　impulsive；　and　honorable　nature；　engaged　with　all　his　powers　in　furthering　the　interests　of　the　Government　and　the　general　welfare　of　his　command；　this　letter　was　an　insult；　and　he　treated　it　accordingly。　　On　March　6th　he　prepared　his　reply；　and　forwarded　it　to　Washington。　　In　this　letter　he　informs　the　General…in…Chief　that；　〃as　an　officer　and　as　a　citizen；〃　he　felt　〃degraded　at　such　an　auctioneering　of　honors；〃　and　then　adds：　　〃Have　we　a　general　who　would　fight　for　his　own　personal　benefit　when　he　would　not　for　honor　and　for　his　country？　　He　would　come　by　his　commission　basely　in　that　case；　and　deserve　to　be　despised　by　men　of　honor。　　But　are　all　the　brave　and　honorable　generals　on　an　equality　as　to　chances？　If　not；　it　is　unjust　to　those　who　probably　deserve　most。〃

The　effect　of　this　letter　was　to　widen　the　breach　between　the　authorities　at　Washington　and　Rosecrans。　　Halleck's　letter　and　Rosecrans's　reply　were　both　characteristic　of　the　men。　　Halleck；　fresh　from　the　results　of　a　large　law　practice　in　Californiaprincipally　devoted　to　the　establishment　of　the　validity　of　land　grants　in　favor　of　his　clients；　in　the　success　of　which　large　contingent　fees　were　gainedsaw　nothing　improper　in　such　an　offer　to　an　officer　of　sufficient　ability　and　standing　to　be　in　command　of　one　of　the　armies　of　the　United　States。　　With　Rosecrans；　all　the　honest；　generous　impulses　of　a　high…principled；　honorable　gentleman；　who　had　imperiled　his　life　on　many　a　battlefield；　fighting　solely　from　a　sense　of　duty　to　his　country；　led　to　the　expression　of　his　contempt　for　the　author　of　such　an　offer。　　The　mistake　that　Halleck　made　was　in　thinking　that　what　would　prove　a　tempting　offer　to　a　man　like　himself；　would　be　so　to　Rosecrans。　　No　one　will　attempt　to　maintain　the　wisdom　of　Rosecrans's　course　as　a　matter　of　policy；　however　much　they　may　sympathize　with　and　admire　the　spirit　of　his　letter。　It　was　an　impolitic　letter；　and　one　that　aided　in　drawing　the　ill…will　and　resentment　of　Halleck　and　Stanton　upon　him　in　full　force　later。

From　this　time　forward；　all　the　requests　of　Rosecrans　for　the　improvement　of　the　efficiency　of　his　army　were　treated　with　great　coolness；　and　in　many　instances　it　was　only　after　the　greatest　importunity　that　he　was　able　to　secure　the　least　attention　to　his　recommendations　for　the　increased　usefulness　of　his　command。　　His　repeated　applications　for　more　cavalry；　and　that　they　be　armed　with　revolving　rifles；　were　treated　with　little　attention。　　In　the　meantime　nearly　every　communication　from　Washington　intimated　that　he　was　unnecessarily　delaying　his　advance　upon　Bragg　in　his　works　at