and General Reynolds' division had advanced on the heights toward Fairfield, but did not attack the enemy, who appeared to show a disposition to contest our advance by that route. At Liberty Gap the enemy tried to regain possession, but finally retreated, leaving our pickets in position.

"On the 26th, most of the movements ordered for the 25th were completed, amid continuous rains. Generals Rousseau, Reynolds, and Brannan's divisions co-operated in a gallant advance on the enemy, who, after a short resistance, fled toward Fairfield, near to which place our pickets were advanced, while Reynolds' division and the baggage moved forward during the night toward Manchester, Wilder's brigade having seized Matt's Hollow early in the afternoon, and thus secured the passage.

"June 27th, headquarters reached Manchester, where General Reynolds' and part of Negley's division had already arrived. The remainder of Thomas' corps came in during the night. It was now manifest that the enemy must leave his intrenched position at Shelbyville, and that we must expect him at Tullahoma, only twelve miles distant. It was therefore necessary to close up our columns on Manchester, distribute our rations, and prepare for the contest.

"While this was progressing, I determined to cut, if possible, the railroad in Bragg's rear. Wilder's brigade was sent to burn Elk River bridge, and destroy the railroad between Decherd and Cowan, and Brigadier-General John Beatty, with a brigade of infantry, to

Hillsboro', to cover and support his movements.

"General Sheridan's division came in June 28th, and all McCook's arrived before the night of the 29th, troops and animals much jaded.

"The terrible rains and desperate roads so delayed Crittenden, who on the 26th got orders to march to Manchester with all speed, that it was not until the 29th that his last division arrived, badly worn. The column being now closed up, and having divisions of the fourteenth and twentieth corps at Crumpton's Creek, orders were given. for 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 front and one division in reserve.

"It rained almost incessantly during the 30th, but the troops, by dint of labor and perseverance, had dragged their artillery and themselves through the mud into position. It is a singular characteristic of the soil on the 'barrens' that it becomes so soft and spongy that wagons cut into it as if it were a swamp, and even horses cannot pass over it without similar results. The terrible effects of the rains on the passage of our troops may be inferred from the single fact, that General Crittenden required four days of incessant labor to advance the distance of twenty-one miles.

"July 2. Having brought forward the ammunition, McCook, with two divisions, pursued on the roads west of the railroad. Arriving at Rock Creek Ford, General Sheridan found the Elk so swollen as to be barely fordable for cavalry, and the rebel cavalry on the south bank to resist a crossing; but he soon drove them away and occupied the ford. General Thomas found equal difficulties in crossing, for the enemy during the night burned the bridge and retired before morning. General Turchin, with a small brigade of cavalry, had pushed forward from Hillsboro', on the Decherd road, and found the enemy's cavalry at the fords of Elk, near Morris Ferry; engaged them coming up, and reinforced by the arrival of General Mitchell, they forced the passage of the river after a sharp conflict. Night closed the pursuit. July 3. General Sheridan succeeded in crossing Elk River, and supported by General J. C. Davis' division, pursued the enemy to Cowan, where he learned the enemy had crossed the mountains with his artillery and infantry by University and Swedine's Cove, and that the cavalry only would be found covering their rear. General Thomas got over his troops the same day, Negley's division moving on the Brake

66

"Thus ended a nine days' campaign, which drove the enemy from two fortified positions and gave us possession of Middle Tennessee, conducted in one of the most extraordinary rains ever known in Tennessee at that period of the year, over a soil that becomes almost a quicksand. Our operations were retarded thirty-six hours at Hoover's Gap, and sixty hours at and in front of Manchester, which alone prevented us from getting possession of the enemy's communications and forcing him to a very disastrous battle. These results were far more successful than was anticipated, and could only have been obtained by a surprise as to the direction and force of our movement."

General Rosecrans concludes his report with a statement of his gains and losses.

"The reports of the corps commanders show that our total loss during these operations was:

Killed. Wounded. Missing. .14 26

Officers..... Non-commissioned officers and privates.......

Total..

.85

13

"We captured many stand of smallarms, three field pieces, six caissons, three limbers, three rifled siege pieces without carriages, besides arms destroyed by the cavalry; quartermasters' stores, eighty-nine tents, eighty-nine flies, 3,500 sacks corn and corn-meal.

"The total number of officers taken is 59 commissioned officers, and 1,575 noncommissioned officers and privates."

In the mean time, while General Rosecrans was preparing for this successful movement narrated in his report, the enemy's detached parties were actively occupied in efforts to interrupt his communications and perplex his plans of advance. General Van Dorn, now acting more appropriately as a guerrilla chief than as a leader of armies, was especially enterprising. With a force of cavalry and flying artillery he hovered about the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, doing much damage to the Union gun-boats and transports navigating them, and ventured occasionally to attack the Federal posts on Rosecrans' line of communications in his rear. the 10th of April, Van Dorn, emboldened by some minor successes, assaulted Franklin, situated on the railroad south of Nashville.

On

"Van Dorn made his promised attack to-day," reported, on the 10th of April, General Granger, the Union commander at Franklin, "at one o'clock, directly in front and on the town. The infantry regiments on guard in town, with the cavalry pickets, held him at bay until their ammunition was exhausted. The dense smoke and atmosphere favored

their operations, enabling them to approach very near without our being able to observe them. Our siege guns and our light batteries opened upon them with murderous effect, literally strewing the ground with men and horses. I had halted Stanley four miles out on the Murfreesboro' road. He at once crossed his forces over at Height's Mills, vigorously attacking Forrest's divisions, moving down on the Lewisburg pike, capturing six pieces of artillery and some two hundred prisoners; but, owing to the unfavorable nature of the country, was unable to hold them, being attacked by greatly superior numbers, outflanked and nearly surrounded. Our loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners is less than one hundred, while the enemy's cannot be less than three times. that number. They were repulsed on all sides, and driven until darkness prevented the pursuit. Captain McIntyre, of the Fourth Regulars, took the battery and prisoners, bringing off thirty odd of the latter."

General Morgan, too, whose bold raids have been so often recorded in this chronicle, was again pursuing his career of mischief, but not always with his usual good fortune. While marauding in the rear of General Rosecrans, he was overtaken by General Stanley at Snow Hill, near Smithville, about April sixty-one miles east of Nashville, 2. and routed.

"General Stanley," reported General Rosecrans, "has returned from his scout, bringing in some forty or fifty prisoners and 300 serviceable horses and mules.