246 THE BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE. Hawes, who was sworn into office on October 4. He had begun a long inaugural address when he was interrupted by the booming of distant can non. His audience, composed chiefly of the Confederate soldiers, immediately sprang to their horses and Hawes' administration floated away in the dust of the marching column.* The approaching Federal column proved to be that under Sill. Accordingly, accompanied by the newly inaugurated governor, Smith retreated in haste toward Lexington. Dumont's division then occupied the city, and on the 8th Sill slipped away to join Buell. Smith took position near Versailles to cover Lexington and watch an advance from Frankfort. Polk with two divisions was ordered to join Smith while Hardee with his two infantry divisions and Wheeler's cavalry was left to hold Perryville and cover the depot of supplies at Camp Dick Robinson. Meanwhile Buell's columns were moving toward Perryville. Joseph Wheeler's cavalry were driven back by Gilbert, with the centre, and on the night of the 7th went into camp about four miles from Perryville. Crittenden with the right was to have encamped at Hayesville, but finding no water he marched three miles to the west. McCook with the left, after some resistance, reached Mackville, 10 miles from Perryville, the same * B. F. Stevens, Kentucky Neutrality, p. 20; Official Records, vol. xvi., pt. i., p. 1087; Shaler, Kentucky, p. 303. . distance from Harrodsburg, and 6 miles in the rear and to the left of Gilbert. Late in the afternoon Bragg at Harrodsburg learned that Hardee was being pressed by Gilbert whom the Confederates supposed to be isolated from the rest of Buell's army. Accordingly he ordered Polk to join Hardee with B. F. Cheatham's division and attack Gilbert, but Hardee and Polk urged that Bragg's and Smith's armies be united before this movement were attempted. Early on the morning of the 8th, seeing the Union advance, Polk, knowing that the greater part of Buell's army was in his front, determined to disregard Bragg's order to attack and after consulting Hardee and other officers concluded to adopt the "defensive offensive." The battle was brought on by the advance of Colonel Dan McCook's brigade at 3 A. M. on the morning of the 8th for the purpose of covering certain pools of water of which the troops, thirsty with their long march, were very much in need. McCook's brigade took position in advance of Chaplin's River and at daylight was joined by the remainder of Sheridan's division, followed by Mitchell's and a brigade of Albin Schoepf's. Sheridan moved up the road driving back the Confederate skirmishers, and nearly a mile in advance with Mitchell on his right formed in line of battle on ground overlooking a branch of Doctor's Creek. About 11 o'clock L. H. Rousseau's division, the advance of McCook's corps came up on the left THE BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE. 247 ground and General Terrill in a vain effort to rally his brigade was mortally wounded. The battle then rolled down the line upon the brigades of Lytle and Harris of Rousseau's division, the attack being made by part of Buckner's division. Taking advantage of an interval of 400 yards between Rousseau's right and Sheridan's left, the Confederates pressed of Sheridan. W. H. Lytle's and L. A. Harris' brigades were put on the right, W. R. Terrill's brigade of Jack son's division on the left, George Webster's brigade of Jackson's division in Rousseau's rear and J. C. Starkweather's brigade of Rousseau's division with two batteries to the left and rear of Terrill's brigade. Soon the infantry and artillery on both sides were hotly engaged, the battle being fought mainly on McCook's line. Buell's army numbered about 58,000 men and was confronted by only 16,000. Bragg PERRYVILLE About 10 o'clock General Bragg came upon the field from Harrodsburg and was much angered when informed by Polk that he had assumed the defensive offensive." made some changes in the disposition of the troops, moving Cheatham's division from the left to the right, and then ordered Polk to open the attack, but Polk was dilatory and Bragg led the entire line forward, the left striking Sheridan and the centre and right. falling furiously on McCook. Terrill's brigade on the left received a heavy blow from Cheatham's division and J. A. Wharton's cavalry, and after inflicting severe loss on Maney's brigade was routed, abandoning 7 of the 8 guns in C. C. Parson's battery. Ky. SCALE OF MILES GILBERT The Confederates then struck Starkweather to the rear and left of Terrill, but were repulsed with a loss of half their men by the fire of the Union batteries. Later in the action Starkweather was obliged to yield some BOPMAY & CO., N. Y. their attack at this point. Colonel Webster sprang to Rousseau's support and was killed, while his brigade, together with those of Lytle and Harris, were soon overpowered and forced back nearly a mile. Lytle was seriously wounded and taken a prisoner and the three brigades, terribly cut up, were about to dissolve when Colonel Michael Gooding's brigade of Mitchell's division came up from the 248 BRAGG'S RETREAT; ROSECRANS IN COMMAND. right, turned, and after nearly an hour of severe fighting in which he lost 499 killed and wounded, checked the Confederate advance and threw it back. Then, soon after sunset, J. B. Steedman's brigade arrived, and Lieutenant F. G. Smith's battery, supported by the 18th U. S. infantry, was pushed forward and opened with canister, but darkness put an end to the firing on both sides. On McCook's right Sheridan was attacked by part of Buckner's division and that of Anderson, but Sheridan repelled the attack and, besides, helped McCook by turning his artillery upon the flanks of the troops opposing him. Unfortunately, Gilbert, his corps commander, ordered him and Mitchell to fall back, thus uncovering McCook's right. He soon advanced, however, held his ground, though hard pressed, and as his right was severely threatened, Mitchell sent General W. P. Carlin's brigade to his assistance. Forming on his right Carlin made an impetuous attack, broke the Confederate lines, and drove them back through Perryville, capturing in the town 15 or 20 caissons and wagons loaded with ammunition, and a corps of 140 officers and men. This ended the battle on that part of the field. On the right Crittenden's corps was not engaged and had only 2 men wounded. In the battle the Union loss was 845 killed, 2,851 wounded and 515 missing, an aggregate of 4,211, while the Confederate loss was 510 killed, 2,635 wounded and 251 missing, an aggregate of 3,396. * During the night Bragg, abandoning his dead and many wounded and 13 of the 15 guns he had captured, retreated to Harrodsburg where he was joined by E. Kirby Smith, raising his command to over 60,000 men. Buell awaited Sill's division which arrived on October 11, and the next day advanced and manoeuvered to turn Bragg's left. Crittenden was to advance in front and McCook and Gilbert to approach by different roads so as to cut off Bragg's escape and compel him to fight or surrender. Bragg seeming to have divined Buell's purpose fell back to Bryantsville, and on the 13th began his retreat from Kentucky by way of Cumberland Gap. Buell pursued but did not advance much further than Crab Orchard and Bragg succeeded in passing through Cumberland Gap, October 19 to 24. On the latter date (October 24) an order was issued directing Buell to turn over his command to General W. S. Rosecrans, the army now becoming known as the Army of the Cumberland.t Rosecrans arrived at Louisville on October 27 and immediately entered * See Official Records, vol. xvi., pt. i., pp. 10241031; Wm. Polk, Life of Leonidas Polk, vol. ii.; Cist, The Army of the Cumberland, pp. 61-77; Fry, The Army under Buell; Van Horne, The Army of the Cumberland; Pollard, Second Year of the War; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., pp. 1– 69; Moore, Rebellion Record, vol. v.; Davis, Confederate Government; Shaler, Kentucky, pp. 304309; Confederate Military History, vol. viii., pp. 49-55; vol. ix., pt. i., pp. 132-146. † Official Records, vol. xvi., pt. ii., p. 619. THE ENGAGEMENT AT HARTSVILLE. upon the duties assigned him. He made some changes in the organization of the army which was composed of the 14th army corps. This was divided into three wings-the right wing of three divisions under General A. McD. McCook, the centre of five divisions under General George H. Thomas, and the left of three divisions under General T. L. Crittenden. On November 1 Rosecrans moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and on the 5th three divisions of McCook's corps marched by this route toward Nashville. Rosecrans followed McCook's advance with the remainder of the army, reached Nashville on November 10, and took up his position in front of the city. At the close of the month the railroad communication from Louisville was completed and the next few weeks were occupied in gathering supplies, organizing the troops, etc. General Bragg, after his return from Kentucky, had gone into winter quarters at Murfreesboro, a short distance to the south of Nashville, expecting that Rosecrans would follow his example. Wheeler's cavalry covered his front, its pickets within 10 miles of Nashville. A large cavalry force was sent by Bragg into west Tennessee to cut off Grant's communications and another large force under Morgan into Kentucky to break up the railroad. On December 6, 1862, Hartsville was held by Colonel A. B. Moore, with a Union force of three regiments of 249 infantry, a regiment and a company of cavalry, and a section of artillery, in all about 2,100 men. Morgan had been instructed by General Bragg to operate on General Rosecrans' lines of communication in the rear of Nashville and, learning that Moore was isolated, with no supports near, resolved to capture him. While two infantry brigades of Cheatham's division and Wheeler's cavalry demonstrated on Nashville, Morgan with four regiments and a battalion of cavalry, two regiments of infantry, and a battery, set out from Baird's Mills, 25 miles south of Hartsville, on the morning of December 6, 1862, marched through Lebanon, crossed the Cumberland below Hartsville during the night, disposed his forces so as to cut off Moore's retreat on the roads leading to Gallatin and Castalian, posts occupied by other Union commands, and early in the morning of December 7 closed in on the Union camp, surprised it, attacked the troops who were being hastily drawn up to receive him and, after a stubborn fight of an hour and a half, defeated and captured the entire command. Colonel John M. Harlan, in command of a small Union brigade at Castalian Springs, nine miles away, hearing the noise of the battle, marched to Hartsville and attacked Morgan's rearguard as it was recrossing the river, recapturing some of the wagons taken. The Union loss was 58 killed, 204 wounded, and 1,834 captured and 250 THE ENGAGEMENT AT PARKER'S CROSS ROADS. missing. The Confederate loss was 21 killed, 104 wounded, and 10 missing.' On the morning of December 11, 1862, under Bragg's orders, General N. B. Forrest, with 2,500 cavalry, left Columbia, Tennessee, to operate in the western part of the State and fall upon General Grant's communications with Columbus. On the 13th he reached the Tennessee River at Clifton, about 50 miles east of Jackson, crossed on a flatboat, and on the 16th reached Lexington, where he met 700 of the 11th Illinois cavalry and two guns, under command of Colonel R. G. Ingersoll, and routed Ingersoll, capturing him and nearly one-fourth of his command. Two detachments were then sent to cut the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at points north and south of Jackson, and on the 19th Forrest, with the remainder of his command, not over 600 men, moved on the town, and was met by a force of infantry and cavalry, which disputed his advance, but which was gradually driven back until within reach of the defences of the place, when Forrest withdrew and, uniting his command, turned north on the line of the railroad. He captured Humboldt and Trenton, at the latter place taking and paroling its garrison of 700 men. Several small posts were captured and the railroad destroyed as far as the Kentucky line. On the 25th he retraced his steps toward the southeast, closely followed by General J. C. Sullivan with 4,000 men. On December 31, at Parker's Cross Roads, Tennessee, a few miles north of Lexington, Sullivan's leading brigade of 1,500 men, under Colonel C. L. Dunham, intercepted Forrest's march, but Forrest attacked it and drove it eastward and southward from the cross-roads. The fighting lasted several hours, during which time Sulli van The came up with Colonel J. W. Fuller's brigade, and at 3 P. M. struck Forrest's rear and soon defeated him, taking 400 prisoners, 6 guns, and several caissons and ammunition wagons. The Union loss was 27 killed, 140 wounded, and 70 missing. Confederate loss in killed and wounded is not known. Forrest continued his retreat, brushed away the 6th Tennessee cavalry that had been sent to intercept him at Clifton, and on January 1 and 2, 1863, recrossed the Tennessee River, having destroyed the railroad at many points between Jackson and Columbus, also a large quantity of stores, and claiming that, with a loss of less than 400 men, he had killed, wounded, and captured nearly 2,500.* The absence of Forrest and Morgan afforded the Union army an excellent opportunity for an attack. Accordingly on the morning of December 26 Rosecrans with 56,000 men advanced from Nashville in three columns, the |