the army of the cumberland-第37章

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Sheridan's　division　of　McCook's　corps　reached　Manchester　on　the　29th。　　The　commandtroops　and　animalssuffered　severely　on　their　march　over　the　heavy　roads。　　Crittenden's　command；　which　had　been　on　the　road　since　the　26th；　reached　Manchester　also　on　the　29th；　after　marching　with　all　speed；　badly　worn；　by　reason　of　the　terrible　rains　and　fearful　roads。　　The　condition　of　the　latter　may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　it　required　four　days　of　incessant　labor　for　Crittenden　to　advance　the　distance　of　twenty…one　miles。　　The　concentration　of　the　entire　army　being　effected；　orders　were　given　for　the　final　movement　on　the　30th；　as　follows：


〃The　Fourteenth　Corps　to　occupy　the　centre　at　Concord　Church　and　Bobo　Cross　Roads；　with　a　division　in　reserve。

〃The　Twentieth　Corps　to　take　the　right　on　Crumpton's　Creek；　two　divisions　in　echelon　retired；　one　in　reserve。

〃The　Twenty…first　Corps　to　come　up　on　the　left　near　Hall's　Chapel；　one　division　in　front　and　one　in　reserve。〃


The　rain　had　rendered　the　roads　over　which　this　movement　was　to　be　made　as　soft　and　spongy　as　a　swamp；　into　which　the　wagons　cut　to　the　hubs；　and　even　horses　could　only　pass　over　with　the　greatest　exertion。　　The　troops　on　the　30th　were　compelled　to　drag　along　the　artillery　through　the　mud　into　position。　　While　the　orders　for　the　movements　of　the　troops　were　being　executed　on　the　30th；　Thomas　sent　Steedman's　brigade　of　Brannan's　division；　and　two　regiments　of　Negley's　division　on　separate　roads　to　reconnoitre　the　enemy's　position；　and　Sheridan　sent　Bradley's　brigade　of　his　own　division　on　another　road；　for　the　same　purpose。　　These　reconnoissances　all　returned；　and　reported　having　found　the　enemy　in　force　within　a　mile　or　two　of　Tullahoma；　on　all　roads　except　the　one　leading　to　Estill　Springs。　　Scouts　coming　in　confirmed　this；　adding　that　it　was　the　general　belief　that　Bragg　would　not　leave　his　intrenchments　at　Tullahoma　without　a　fight。

On　the　same　day　Rosecrans　ordered　his　topographical　engineers　to　ascertain　the　nature　of　the　ground；　in　order　to　determine　the　practicability　of　moving　by　columns　in　mass　in　line　of　battle　from　the　position　in　front；　to　gain　the　rear　of　the　rebel　position。　Their　report　being　favorable；　all　arrangements　were　completed；　and　the　second　division　of　Crittenden's　corps　was　moved　into　position。

On　July　1st；　Thomas；　hearing　from　a　citizen　that　the　enemy　were　evacuating　Tullahoma；　ordered　Steedman　with　his　brigade；　supported　by　two　regiments　of　Reynolds's　division　on　the　left；　to　advance　cautiously　and　ascertain　if　the　report　was　true。　　Pushing　forward　his　advance；　Steedman；　meeting　with　no　opposition；　entered　the　place　at　noon；　capturing　a　few　prisoners。　　Rosecrans　being　at　once　notified　of　this；　immediately　ordered　Rousseau's　and　Negley's　divisions　in　pursuit。　　Pressing　forward　with　all　possible　haste　by　Spring　Creek；　these　divisions　overtook　the　rear　guard　of　the　enemy　late　in　the　afternoon　at　Bethpage　Bridge；　two　miles　above　the　railroad　crossing；　where；　after　a　sharp　skirmish；　in　which　a　good　many　of　our　men　were　wounded；　the　rebels　were　driven　steadily　back；　until　darkness　prevented　further　pursuit。　　The　enemy；　occupying　the　heights　south　of　the　river；　commanded　the　bridge　with　their　artillery；　which　they　had　placed　behind　epaulements。

On　the　2d；　the　ammunition　was　brought　forward；　and　McCook；　with　Sheridan's　and　Davis's　divisions；　was　ordered　in　pursuit　on　the　roads　west　of　the　railroad。　　Sheridan；　on　arriving　at　Rock　Creek　Ford；　found　Elk　River　so　swollen　with　the　heavy　rains　of　the　past　week　as　to　be　barely　fordable　for　cavalry。　　On　the　south　bank　of　the　river　the　enemy　had　posted　a　force　of　cavalry　to　resist　the　crossing。　　Sheridan　opened　fire　at　once　on　them；　drove　them　away；　and　occupied　the　ford。　　During　the　night　the　enemy　burned　the　bridge　on　the　line　of　advance　of　Thomas；　who　found　equal　difficulty　in　crossing。　　Here　the　river　was　very　deep；　and　he　ordered　Rousseau's；　Brannan's；　and　Reynolds's　divisions　up　the　river　to　Jones's　Ford。　Hambright's　brigade　was　thrown　across　the　river；　and　the　other　troops　went　into　camp　on　the　north　bank。　　Hambright　captured　several　rebel　prisoners；　who　told　him　that　Bragg's　army　was　in　full　retreat　by　way　of　Pelham　and　Cowan；　across　the　Cumberland　Mountains。　　Turchin；　with　a　small　brigade　of　cavalry；　moved　forward　from　Hillsboro　on　the　Dechard　road。　　On　reaching　the　fords　of　Elk　River　at　Morris　Ferry　he　found　the　rebel　cavalry　strongly　posted。　　He　attacked　them　at　once；　re…enforced　by　Mitchell's　command；　and　forced　a　passage　of　the　river　after　a　sharp　fight。　　Night　closed　the　pursuit。

On　the　3d；　Sheridan　succeeded　in　crossing　Elk　River；　supported　by　Davis's　division；　and　pursued　the　enemy　to　Cowan；　where　he　learned　that　Bragg　had　crossed　the　mountains　with　part　of　his　artillery　and　infantry　by　the　University　and　Sweden's　Cove；　sending　Hardee's　corps　into　Sequatchie　Valley；　and　covering　his　retreat　with　his　cavalry。　　Thomas　crossed　Rousseau's　and　Brannan's　divisions　at　Jones's　Ford　and　ordered　them　to　take　position　on　the　Winchester　and　Hillsboro　road。　　He　directed　Negley　and　Reynolds　to　cross　their　divisions　at　the　ford　on　the　Winchester　and　Manchester　pike。　　On　the　4th；　Rousseau　was　ordered　to　march　to　the　Dechard　and　Pelham　roads；　and　to　take　up　position　at　Brackenfield's　Point　toward　the　University。　　Reynolds　encamped　at　Penningtown；　and　Brannan's　division　at　Taite's。　　The　cavalry　sent　from　Sheridan's　position；　and　by　Stanley　from　the　main　column；　developed　the　fact　that　the　enemy　was　entirely　across　the　mountains；　and　the　troops　were　now　ordered　into　camp　to　await　supplies　from　the　depot　at　Murfreesboro。

Bragg's　army　reached　Chattanooga　the　first　week　in　July。　　Here　he　established　his　headquarters　with　Polk's　corps　retained　in　and　around　town　for　the　purposes　of　observation；　with　the　exception　of　Anderson's　brigade　of　Withers's　division；　which　was　ordered　to　Bridgeport；　at　the　crossing　of　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga　Railroad　over　the　Tennessee　River。　　Hardee's　corps　was　distributed　along　the　line　of　the　Knoxville　Railroad；　with　Tyner's　Station　as　the　centre。　　At　Chattanooga　Bragg　at　once　commenced　fortifying　his　position；　which　work　he　steadily　prosecuted　for　some　weeks；　awaiting　the　development　of　Rosecrans's　plans。　　He　also　threw　up　defensive　works　at　each　of　the　crossings　of　the　Tennessee　as　far　north　as　Blyth's　Ferry。　　Forrest　was　sent　to　Kingston；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Tennessee　River；　with　orders　to　picket　the　approaches　to　the　river　from　Sequatchie　Valley；　as　well　as　the　various　crossings　of　the　river；　and　to　maintain　a　watchful　observation　of　Burnside's　movements　in　East　Tennessee。

The　Tullahoma　campaign；　with　the　exception　of　the　one　immediately　following；　which　placed　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　across　the　Tennessee　and　terminated　in　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　was　the　most　brilliant　of　the　great　strategic　campaigns　carried　to　a　successful　issue　by　General　Rosecrans。　　The　movements　of　the　army　occupied　nine　days；　during　which　time　the　enemy　was　driven　from　two　strongly　fortified　positions；　with　a　loss　in　prisoners　captured　of　1；634；　eleven　pieces　of　artillery；　and　a　large　amount　of　stores　and　supplies。　The　result　of　this　campaign　gave　to　Rosecrans　possession　of　Middle　Tennessee；　and　placed　the　armies　back　in　the　relative　positions　occupied　by　them　prior　to　Bragg's　advance　into　Kentucky；　a　little　less　than　one　year　previous。　　The　campaign　was　conducted　throughout；　in　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　series　of　rain…storms　ever　known　in　Tennessee　at　that　season　of　the　year。　　This；　with　the　resistance　interposed　by　Bragg　at　our　advance　at　Hoover's　Gap；　retarded　operations　thirty…six　hours；　and　in　front　of　Manchester　a　detention　of　sixty　hours　occurred。　　These　delays　and　the　storms　prevented　us　getting　possession　of　Bragg's　communication　and　forcing　him　to　a　very　disastrous　battle。　　General　Rosecrans　in　his　official　report　of　this　campaign　says：　　〃These　results　were　far　more　successful　than　were　anticipated；　and　could　only　have　been　obtained　by　a　surprise　as　to　the　direction　and　force　of　our　movements。〃

Bragg　made　no　official　report　of　the　Tullahoma　campaign；　but　in　a　statement　to　General　J。　E。　Johnston　of　his　operations　at　that　time；　he　says　that　he　offered　battle　behi