the army of the cumberland-第52章

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General　Rosecrans；　to　his　subordinates；　was　one　of　the　most　genial　of　men。　　Kind　and　good…natured；　he　at　times　failed　to　act　as　decisively　as　occasion　required；　deterred　by　the　fact　that；　should　he　do　so；　some　of　his　subordinates　would　suffer。　　His　restless　activity　led　him　to　give　attention　to　details　that　he　should　have　been　entirely　relieved　of　by　his　subordinates。　　But　no　amount　of　work　daunted　him。　　He　lived　almost　without　rest　and　sleep；　and　would　wear　out　two　sets　of　staff　officers　nightly；　and　then；　if　occasion　required　it；　be　up　and　out　before　daylight。　　To　his　superiors　he　unfortunately　allowed　his　high　spirit　to　get　the　better　of　his　judgment；　and　many　times　when　he　was　in　the　right　he　ruined　his　position　by　his　hasty　temper。　　His　fame；　despite　his　enemiesand　no　general　in　the　field　had　stronger　nor　more　unscrupulous　onesas　the　greatest　strategist　of　the　war；　is　permanently　fixed　in　history。　What　it　might　have　been　had　he　not　been　hampered；　annoyed；　and　insulted　as　no　other　commanding　general　was　at　any　time　by　both　the　Secretary　of　War　and　the　General…in…Chief；　is　merely　problematical。　Personally；　he　regarded　all　this　as　mere　〃incidents　of　the　service；〃　and　strove　to　the　best　of　his　ability　to　do　his　whole　duty　to　his　country。　　His　combination　with　ThomasRosecrans　to　plan　brilliant　campaigns；　with　Thomas's　great　abilities　to　aid　him　in　carrying　them　outmade　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　the　great　aggressive　force　moving　on　the　centre；　gaining　territory　after　each　campaign。　　But　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　and　the　service　that　he　was　relieved　when　he　was；　with　the　combination　of　the　armies　under　Grant。　　He　had　faithfully　performed　his　duty　up　to　this　time；　but　now　the　surroundings　were　so　changed　that　both　for　his　sake　and　the　good　of　the　service　the　change　was　a　fitting　one　to　be　made。　　Rosecrans　could　never　again　serve　as　a　subordinate；　and　as　the　change　was　determined　on；　when　Grant　arrived　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　to　retire。

When　Anderson　in　1861　applied　for　George　H。　Thomas　to　be　one　of　the　brigadier…generals　to　accompany　him　to　Kentucky；　to　help　him　in　the　task　he　was　set　to　accomplish　there；　Mr。　Lincoln　told　him　he　was　afraid　to　give　the　order　for　Thomas；　as　he　was　a　Southerner；　and　from　Virginia。　　Anderson　and　Sherman；　who　were　present；　both　responded　in　the　strongest　terms；　vouching　for　Thomas's　earnest　patriotism　and　deep　devotion　to　the　Union；　and　the　order　was　given。　And　now　it　bore　full　fruit。　　The　quiet；　patient　soldier；　who　from　his　first　day's　service　in　Kentucky　had　never　swerved　a　line　from　the　strict　performance　of　his　duty　to　his　Government；　according　to　his　oath；　without　reference　to　self；　had　now　met　his　reward。　　His　fame　had　steadily　grown　and　rounded　from　the　time　he　gained　the　first　Federal　victory　in　the　West；　at　Mill　Springs；　up　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　where　he　saved　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　to　the　nation。　　He　had　always　been　the　main　stay　of　that　army；　holding　the　command　of　the　centreeither　nominally　or　actually　the　second　in　command。　　Upon　his　judgment　and　military　skill　every　commander　of　that　army　depended；　and　no　movement　was　made　without　his　approbation。　Yet　so　modest　was　he　that　his　face　would　color　with　blushes　when　his　troops　cheered　him；　which　they　did　at　every　opportunity；　and　so　diffident；　that；　prior　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　he　doubted　his　ability　to　handle　large　bodies　of　troops　upon　the　battlefield；　and　for　this　reason　refused　to　accept　the　command　of　that　army；　just　prior　to　Perryville；　when　tendered　him。　　His　kind　consideration　for　the　feelings　of　others　was　one　of　his　marked　characteristics。　With　a　pure　mind　and　large　heart；　his　noble　soul　made　him　one　of　the　greatest　of　Nature's　noblemena　true　gentleman。　　The　experience　of　Chickamauga　ripened　his　powers　and　developed　him　to　his　full　height。　　As　the　General　who　won　the　first　victory　in　the　West；　who　saved　an　army　by　his　skill　and　valor；　and　who　was　the　only　General　of　the　war　on　either　side　able　to　crush　an　army　on　the　battlefield；　George　H。　Thomas；　〃the　true　soldier；　the　prudent　and　undaunted　commander；　the　modest　and　incorruptible　patriot；〃　stands　as　the　model　American　soldier；　the　grandest　figure　of　the　War　of　the　Rebellion。

One　of　Grant's　first　acts　on　taking　command　was　to　telegraph　Thomas　to　hold　Chattanooga　at　all　hazards。　　The　commander　who　had　seen　his　troops　on　less　than　half　rations　for　nearly　a　month；　with　steadily　approaching　signs　of　starvation；　hardly　needed　an　intimation　that　what　had　been　gained　by　the　sacrifice　on　Chickamauga's　field　was　not　to　be　yielded　up　without　a　struggle。　　Thomas　replied　〃We　will　hold　the　town　till　we　starve。〃　　On　the　24th；　Grant；　in　company　with　Thomas　and　W。　F。　Smith；　made　a　personal　inspection　across　the　river　of　the　situation；　with　reference　to　carrying　out　the　plan　of　Rosecrans　for　the　opening　of　the　road　by　Brown's　Ferry；　and　approving　of　it；　Thomas　was　directed　to　proceed　to　execute　it。　This　plan　required　the　greatest　secrecy　of　movement；　otherwise　Longstreet's　entire　command　would　resist　the　landing；　and　contemplated　the　co…operation　of　Hooker's　moving　up　from　Bridgeport；　holding　the　road　to　Kelley's　Ferry。　　The　latter　was　to　meet　a　force　sent　from　the　town　down　the　river　in　pontoons　under　cover　of　night；　which　was　to　seize　the　landing　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　driving　back　the　rebel　pickets　and　fortifying　their　position；　and　then　swinging　the　bridge　across　the　river。　　Thomas　says　in　his　official　report　of　the　battle　of　Wauhatchie；　that　〃preliminary　steps　had　already　been　taken　to　execute　this　vitally　important　movement　before　the　command　of　the　Department　devolved　on　me。〃　　Thomas　on　the　23d　ordered　Hooker　to　concentrate　the　Eleventh　Corps；　and　Geary's　division　of　the　Twelfth　Corps　at　Bridgeport　and　sent　him　instructions　as　to　his　movements；　and　directed　him　to　advance　as　soon　as　possible；　co…operating　with　the　force　from　Chattanooga。　　Hooker　was　also　ordered　to　move　into　Lookout　Valley；　and　to　protect　the　bridge　when　laid　from　any　attack　by　Longstreet　in　that　direction。　　Thomas　also　sent　two　brigades　under　Palmer　to　co…operate　with　Hooker。　　Palmer　moved　across　the　river　to　Brown's　Ferry；　and　then　took　the　road　through　Whitesides　to　Rankin's　Ferry；　establishing　himself　securely　at　these　points；　protecting　the　river　communication　from　attack　from　the　south。　　Thomas　placed　W。　F。　Smith　in　charge　of　the　expedition；　and　detached　Turchin's　and　Hazen's　brigades；　with　three　batteries　under　Major　John　Mendenhall。　　Smith　was　directed　to　organize　a　picked　force；　armed　from　these　brigades；　to　be　divided　into　fifty　squads　of　twenty…four　men　each；　under　the　command　of　an　officer；　who　were　to　float　down　the　river　in　pontoons　that　nighta　distance　by　the　bends　of　the　river　of　some　nine　miles。　　The　boats　were　placed　under　the　charge　of　Colonel　T。　R。　Stanley　of　the　Eighteenth　Ohio；　the　bridge　to　be　placed　in　position　under　direction　of　Captain　P。　V。　Fox；　First　Michigan　Engineers。　　The　troops　under　Hazen　were　to　take　the　gorge　and　hills　to　the　left；　and　Turchin　was　to　extend　from　the　gorge　down　the　river。　　Turchin　in　command　of　the　remainder　of　the　troops　marched　across　Moccasin　Point　to　the　ferry；　where　they　were　to　cross　in　the　same　boats；　supporting　the　troops　already　landed；　when　the　position　was　to　be　strongly　fortified　and　held　by　them　until　the　arrival　of　Hooker。

At　midnight　the　troops　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　expedition　were　marched　to　the　river　and　placed　in　the　boats　manned　by　crews　with　oars；　and　on　two　flat　boats。　　The　force　that　marched　under　Turchin　moved　out　under　cover　of　dense　woods　over　the　point　to　the　ferry；　where　they　remained　in　readiness　to　cover　the　landing　of　the　troops　coming　down　the　river。　　The　artillery　accompanied　this　part　of　the　command　and　remained　under　cover。

At　3　o'clock　A。M。　of　the　27th；　the　boats　moved　out　into　the　stream　under　cover　of　a　slight　fog。　　On　arriving　at　a　point　some　two　miles　below　the　town；　these　troops　reached　the　rebel　picket　line　posted　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river。　　The　boats　passed　on　unobserved　by　keeping　close　to　the　right　hand　shore　until　just　at　the　landing；　when　the　troops　in　the　first　boat　were　greeted　with　a　volley　from　the　rebel　pickets；　a　station　being　at　this　landing。　　In　perfect　order；　as　previo