the army of the cumberland-第5章

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ack；　returned　to　Bowling　Green。　　Early　in　February　General　Buell　ordered　Crittenden　to　send　Colonel　Cruft　with　his　brigade　to　report　to　General　Grant。　　Cruft；　however；　reached　Fort　Henry　after　the　surrender；　but　his　brigade　was　incorporated　into　Grant's　army；　and　rendered　effective　service　in　the　reduction　of　Fort　Donelson。　　Later；　the　brigade　was　transferred　to　General　Halleck。　　Crittenden；　soon　after　this；　proceeded　by　boat　with　the　balance　of　his　division；　and　reported　at　Nashville；　arriving　there　at　the　same　time　as　Nelson's　division。

The　Sixth　division；　after　aiding　in　the　repair　of　the　railroad；　arrived　at　Nashville　March　6；　1862。

General　A。　S。　Johnston；　at　no　time　prior　to　his　retreat　had　sufficient　force　to　meet　or　to　resist　the　advance　of　the　Federal　forces。　　His　long　line；　extending　from　Columbus　to　Knoxville；　invited　attack；　and　wherever　the　attack　was　made　his　troops　were　not　able　to　successfully　resist　it。　　Concentrating　his　command　at　Bowling　Green；　after　Mill　Springs　and　the　fall　of　Fort　Henry；　he　found　that；　to　save　Nashville；　it　was　necessary　to　make　a　determined　stand　at　Fort　Donelson；　and　this　he　re…enforced　with　all　his　available　troops。　The　fall　of　Donelson　compelled　the　evacuation　of　Nashville。　　To　the　Southern　people　these　reverses　were　a　bitter　blow　to　their　high　hopes　and　boasting　threats　that　the　war　was　to　be　carried　into　the　North；　and　peace　was　to　follow　the　first　victories　to　their　arms。　Duke；　in　his　〃History　of　Morgan's　Cavalry；〃　says：　　〃No　subsequent　reverse；　although　fraught　with　far　more　real　calamity；　ever　created　the　shame；　sorrow；　and　wild　consternation　that　swept　over　the　South　with　the　news　of　the　surrender　of　Fort　Donelson。　　To　some　in　the　South　these　reverses　were　harbingers　of　the　final　defeat　and　overthrow　of　the　Confederacy。〃

With　the　fall　of　Donelson；　after　detaching　the　troops　at　Columbus；　Johnston's　force　was　reduced　to　a　little　over　one…half　of　his　total　effective　strength　as　reported　by　him　at　Bowling　Green。　　In　a　report　to　Richmond；　he　gave　the　total　of　his　command　as　barely　forty…three　thousand　men。

General　Buell's　army　amounted　to　over　seventy…five　thousand　men；　not　all　of　these　available　for　field　duty；　as　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　command　was　needed　to　maintain　his　line　of　supplies；　and　the　farther　his　advance　the　greater　the　drain　on　his　command　for　railroad　guards。

With　the　fall　of　Donelson；　Johnston　modified　his　plans　of　operations；　and　then　determined　to　relinquish　the　defensive；　and　to　concentrate　all　available　forces　of　the　Confederacy　in　the　southwest　for　offensive　operations。　　He　had；　as　early　as　January；　1862；　contemplated　the　possibility　of　the　disasters　that　had　taken　place；　and　the　retreat　consequent　upon　them；　and　at　that　time　indicated　Corinth；　Miss。；　as　being　the　proper　place　to　concentrate　the　troops。

On　January　3d　General　Buell　wrote　at　length　to　General　Halleck；　proposing　a　joint　campaign　against　the　enemy　in　〃a　combined　attack　on　its　centre　and　flanks；〃　moving　the　troops　by　water　under　protection　of　the　gunboats；　striking　for　the　railroad　communications　of　the　enemy；　and　destroying　his　bridges　over　the　Cumberland　and　Tennessee　Rivers；　both　of　which　were　protected　by　batteries；　the　first　at　DoverFort　Donelsonand　the　other　at　Fort　Henry；　respectively　thirty…one　and　eighteen　miles　below　the　bridges。　　To　this；　on　the　6th；　General　Halleck　replied　that；　situated　as　he　was；　he　could　render　no　assistance　to　Buell's　forward　movement　on　Bowling　Green；　and　advised　the　delay　of　the　movement；　if　such　co…operation　by　troops　sent　to　Cairo　and　Paducah　should　be　deemed　necessary　to　the　plan　of　the　campaign；　of　which　he　knew　nothing；　and　then　adds：　　〃But　it　strikes　me　that　to　operate　from　Louisville　and　Paducah　or　Cairo；　against　an　enemy　at　Bowling　Green；　is　a　plain　case　of　exterior　lines；　like　that　of　McDowell　and　Patterson；　which；　unless　each　of　the　columns　is　superior　to　the　enemy；　leads　to　disaster　ninety…nine　times　in　a　hundred。〃

On　the　30th　of　January；　Buell　received　a　despatch　from　Halleck；　without　particulars；　saying　that　he　had　ordered　an　expedition　against　Fort　Henry。　　On　the　15th　of　February　Halleck　telegraphed　Buell　〃to　move　from　Bowling　Green　to　Nashville　is　not　good　strategy。　Come　and　help　me　take　and　hold　Fort　Donelson　and　Clarksville；　then　move　to　Florence；　cutting　the　railroad　at　Decatur；　and　Nashville　must　be　abandoned　precisely　as　Bowling　Green　has　been。〃　　After　the　fall　of　Fort　Donelson；　and　the　occupation　of　Nashville；　General　Halleck　directed　a　column　of　troops　under　General　C。　F。　Smith　to　proceed　up　the　Tennessee　River　by　steamer；　and　to　operate　as　occasion　presented；　either　on　Corinth；　Jackson；　or　Humboldt；　destroying　the　railroad　communications　at　these　points。　　At　this　time　Halleck　had　no　thought　of　the　subsequent　movement　of　the　command；　that　Johnston　would　concentrate　at　Corinth；　or　that　the　Armies　of　the　Ohio　and　Tennessee　should　unite　at　Pittsburg　Landing。　　On　the　15th　General　Smith　dropped　down　the　river　to　Pittsburg　Landing；　and　there　placed　his　troops　in　camp。　　On　the　11th　of　March；　President　Lincoln；　by　War　Order　No。　3；　created　the　Department　of　the　Mississippi；　consolidating　the　three　departments　under　Generals　Halleck；　Hunter；　and　Buell；　and　placed　General　Halleck　in　command。　　Halleck　at　once　ordered　Buell　to　march　his　army　to　Savannah；　and　to　execute　the　movements　that　had　already　been　agreed　on　by　them。

Buell　immediately　gave　his　attention　to　the　preparation　of　his　command　to　carry　out　these　orders。　　He　directed　O。　M。　Mitchel　to　march　south；　strike；　and　hold　the　Memphis　and　Charleston　Railroad。　Organizing　the　seventh　division　of　his　army；　Buell　assigned　General　George　W。　Morgan　to　this　command。　　This　division　was　formed　of　four　brigades；　out　of　a　number　of　regiments　gathered　up　from　different　points　in　Kentucky。　　General　Morgan　concentrated　his　entire　command　at　Cumberland　Ford；　being　directed　to　take　Cumberland　Gap　if　possible　and　to　occupy　East　Tennessee　if　able　to　enter。　　If　not；　then　to　resist　any　advance　of　the　rebels。

General　E。　Dumont　was　placed　in　command　of　Nashville。　　The　Twenty…third　Brigade　under　Colonel　Duffield；　composed　of　four　regiments；　was　ordered　from　Kentucky　to　garrison　Murfreesboro；　and　protect　the　road　from　Shelbyville　to　Lavergne。

Buell　designated　the　First　Division　under　Thomas；　the　Second　under　McCook；　the　Fourth　under　Nelson；　the　Fifth　under　Crittenden；　and　the　Sixth　under　Wood；　to　constitute　the　army　under　his　personal　command；　which　was　to　join　Halleck　in　the　operations　against　the　enemy's　position　at　Corinth。　　These　divisions；　with　cavalry　and　artillery　attached　made　a　force　of　37；000　effective　troops。　　In　addition　to　these；　Buell　had　under　his　command　36；000　effective　men　to　defend　his　communications；　maintain　his　line　of　supply；　enforce　order　within　his　lines；　and　to　perform　any　special　duty　assigned　to　them。　　The　muster…rolls　of　his　army　showed　that　he　had　at　this　time　92　regiments　of　infantrynot　including　those　sent　to　Halleck　under　Cruft。　　These　regiments　aggregated　79；334　men。　　He　had　11　regiments；　1　battalion；　and　7　detached　companies　of　cavalry；　making　a　total　of　11；496　men；　and　28　field；　and　2　siege　batteries；　with　3；935　men。　　The　grand　total　was　94；765　men。　　His　effective　force；　however；　was　73；487　men；　comprising　60；882　infantry；　9；237　cavalry；　and　3；368　artillery。

Buell's　army；　after　crossing　Duck　River；　pressed　rapidly　forward。　The　day　before　Nelson's　arrival　at　the　Tennessee　River　he　was　informed　by　General　Grant；　to　whom　he　had　reported　his　movements　by　courier；　that　he　need　not　hasten　his　march；　as　he　could　not　cross　the　river　before　the　following　Tuesday；　the　8th。　　Nelson's　entire　division；　with　forced　marches；　reached　Savannah　April　5th；　the　other　division　closely　following。　　Ammen's　brigade　of　Nelson's　division　crossed　the　river　on　the　afternoon　of　the　6th；　and　reported　to　Buell；　and　was　engaged　in　the　battle　of　that　day；　aiding　in　resisting　the　final　attack　of　Chalmers　on　the　left　of　Grant's　command。　　Crittenden's　and　McCook's　divisions　arrived　on　the　field　during　the　night　of　the　6th；　and　took　an　active　part　in　the　fighting　of　the　next　day。　The　rest　of　the　command　arrived　on　the　field　after　the　battle。

The　movements　of　the　troops　of　the　〃Army　of　the　Ohio〃　in　the　battle　of　Shiloh　and　in　the　operations　against　Corinth　are　treated　in　Volume　II。　of　this　series；　and　it　is　not　within　the　purview　of　this　volume　to　enter　further　into　the　narrative　of　their　service　than　to　give　a　few　brief　facts　as　to　the　disposition　of　the　troops；　in　order　to　follow　the　subsequent　events　in　which　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　was　the　main　actor。





Chapter　IV。




Morgan's　and　Forest's　Raids。


On　April　11th；　Halleck　arrived　at　Pittsburg　Landing　and　at　once　reorganized　the　troops　in　his　command；　designating　the　divisions　of　his　army　as　the　right　wing；　centre；　left　wing；　reserves；　and　cavalry　under　Major…Generals　George　H。　Thomas；　D。　C。　Buell；　John　Pope；　and　J。　A。　McClernand　and　Brigadier…General　A。　J。　Smith　respectively。　Thomas's　command　comprised　four　divisions　of　the　〃Army　of　the　Tennessee；〃　and　his　old　division　of　the　〃Army　of　the　Ohio。〃　　The　remainder　of　the　army　was　under　the　command　of　Buell。　　After　the　fall　of　Corinth；　the　enemy　breaking　his　large　force　into　several　smaller　commands　rendered　necessary　a　similar　disposition　of　the　Federal　forces。　　Buell　was　ordered　with　his　command　to　enter　into　a　campaign　looking　to　the　occupation　of　East　Tennessee。　　One　division　of　his　army　under　O。　M。　Mitchel　left　Nashville　about　the　middle　of　March　under　orders　to　proceed　to　Murfreesboro　and　repair　the　railroad　bridges　burned　by　Johnston　on　his　retreat。　　On　Colonel　Duffield's　reporting　with　the　Twenty…third　brigade；　Mitchel　pressed　forward　to　Shelbyville　and　from　there　by　a　rapid　movement　on　the　7th　of　April　he　occupied　Huntsville；　Ala。；　with　Turchin's　brigade；　Kennett's　Ohio　cavalry；　and　Simonson's　battery；　capturing　170　prisoners；　15　locomotives；　and　150　passenger　and　freight　cars；　and　a　large　amount　of　army　stores。　　On　the　8th；　Mitchel　ordered　Sill　with　his　brigade　to　proceed　east　along　the　line　of　the　railroad　to　seize　Stevenson；　the　junction　of　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga；　and　Memphis　and　Charleston　Railroads；　and　directed　Turchin　with　his　command　to　move　west　and　take　possession　of　Decatur　and　Tuscumbia。　This　was　successfully　done；　and　Mitchel　was　in　possession　of　over　one　hundred　miles　of　this　important　link　connecting　Corinth　with　Richmond　in　the　heart　of　the　enemy's　territory。　　He　then　posted　his　troops　at　the　more　prominent　points；　ready　to　move　to　any　place　threatened　by　the　enemy。

On　April　29th；　Mitchel；　hearing　of　the　advance　of　the　force　under　Kirby　Smith　from　Bridgeport　against　the　command　beyond　Stevenson；　moved　as　rapidly　as　possible　by　rail　from　Huntsville　to　resist　him。　He　found　the　enemy　had　attacked　the　detachment　posted　five　miles　west　of　Bridgeport；　and　that　his　troops　had　driven　the　enemy's　advance　back　across　Widow's　Creek。　　The　bridge　over　this　creek　had　been　burned　by　the　enemy　on　their　retreat。　　Mitchel　strengthened　the　detachment　and　engaged　the　attention　of　the　enemy　by　an　apparent　effort　to　cross　this　creek；　while　with　his　main　force　he　advanced　on　Bridgeport　by　a　detour　by　the　left　and　drove　that　portion　of　the　enemy　in　the　town　across　the　Tennessee　Riv