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Part I of IV - Background
The Battle of Stones River or Murfreesborough, Tennessee was one of the largest battles fought in that state, almost as large as its predecessor Shiloh but is far less known, overshadowed by the Union debacle at Fredericksburg which occurred only a short time earlier. The print above by the Chicago firm Kurz & Allison compresses the action into a single tableau with Federal infantry and artillery blasting successive waves of attacking Confederates as they emerge from the cedar brakes while Union commander William S. Rosecrans sits calmly and nobly astride his steed at left. In the middle distance, Stones River flows beside the railroad linking Nashville with Chattanooga, while just across the river more Confederates charge Union guns.
Stones River was an outgrowth of the failed campaign into Kentucky by Confederate General Braxton Bragg, above left; Bragg's "invasion" was timed to accompany that of General Robert E. Lee in the East which came to grief at the battle of Antietam in September, 1862. Following an inconclusive battle at Perryville, Kentucky Bragg also began a retreat back into Tennessee, followed by the Union Army of the Cumberland led by Maj. Gen. William Starke Rosecrans, above right. Rosecrans was new to command, having been moved to replace his predecessor, Don C. Buell who the administration had found too slow, much like his friend George B. McClellan in the East. Because of this and despite the worsening December winter weather, Rosecrans determined to push on from his base in Nashville into Middle Tennessee, threatening Bragg at Chattanooga, just as McClellan's replacement Ambrose Burnside had marched futilely on Lee's army at Fredericksburg.
Rosecrans' army was also called the XIV Corps, so instead of being divided into corps of its own, its component parts were known as wings, commanded by the men pictured above, from left to right: Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook led the Right Wing which marched southeast from Nashville on several mud-choked country roads, finally coming to rest on the far right of Rosecrans' line as seen on the map below. Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas led the Center which marched first south then east, aligning itself with McCook and covering the Nashville Turnpike and the Nashville & Chattanooga RR with its left anchored on Stones River. Maj. Gen. Thomas Crittenden's Left Wing had marched east then south and was positioned slightly to Thomas' left rear. Rosecrans had complained to the War Department about the inadequacy and numerical inferiority of his cavalry force, led by Brig. Gen. David Stanley, but had yet to receive any reinforcement for that arm.
Map by Hal Jespersen cwmaps.com
Rather than sit idle while Rosecrans advanced, Bragg also moved his Army of Tennessee forward to Murfreesboro; it was divided into component parts also known as wings since the Confederate Congress was only then authorizing corps-sized formations. These consisted of two divisions each and were led by the following men, from left to right below: Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee led the Left Wing, consisting of Breckinridge's and Cleburne's Divisions; Lt. Gen. Leonidas K. Polk led the Right Wing, composed of the divisions of Ben Cheatham and Jones Withers; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler commanded all Bragg's cavalry. In addition to these, there was another small division which had been part of the command of Edmund Kirby Smith in Kentucky; for the battle it was attached to Hardee's wing.
The night of December 30 was cold and damp from recent rains, as the two armies settled down facing each other. There was little rest that night, however, because both Rosecrans and Bragg intended to attack the following morning and moved their designated units into position. Waiting, regimental bands from both armies began to play and soon a battle of the bands preceded the actual shooting; finally, things quieted down with a duet of that favorite of soldiers on both sides, Home Sweet Home.
Next, Part II - The Battle Begins
The Battle of Stones River or Murfreesborough, Tennessee was one of the largest battles fought in that state, almost as large as its predecessor Shiloh but is far less known, overshadowed by the Union debacle at Fredericksburg which occurred only a short time earlier. The print above by the Chicago firm Kurz & Allison compresses the action into a single tableau with Federal infantry and artillery blasting successive waves of attacking Confederates as they emerge from the cedar brakes while Union commander William S. Rosecrans sits calmly and nobly astride his steed at left. In the middle distance, Stones River flows beside the railroad linking Nashville with Chattanooga, while just across the river more Confederates charge Union guns.
Stones River was an outgrowth of the failed campaign into Kentucky by Confederate General Braxton Bragg, above left; Bragg's "invasion" was timed to accompany that of General Robert E. Lee in the East which came to grief at the battle of Antietam in September, 1862. Following an inconclusive battle at Perryville, Kentucky Bragg also began a retreat back into Tennessee, followed by the Union Army of the Cumberland led by Maj. Gen. William Starke Rosecrans, above right. Rosecrans was new to command, having been moved to replace his predecessor, Don C. Buell who the administration had found too slow, much like his friend George B. McClellan in the East. Because of this and despite the worsening December winter weather, Rosecrans determined to push on from his base in Nashville into Middle Tennessee, threatening Bragg at Chattanooga, just as McClellan's replacement Ambrose Burnside had marched futilely on Lee's army at Fredericksburg.
Rosecrans' army was also called the XIV Corps, so instead of being divided into corps of its own, its component parts were known as wings, commanded by the men pictured above, from left to right: Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook led the Right Wing which marched southeast from Nashville on several mud-choked country roads, finally coming to rest on the far right of Rosecrans' line as seen on the map below. Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas led the Center which marched first south then east, aligning itself with McCook and covering the Nashville Turnpike and the Nashville & Chattanooga RR with its left anchored on Stones River. Maj. Gen. Thomas Crittenden's Left Wing had marched east then south and was positioned slightly to Thomas' left rear. Rosecrans had complained to the War Department about the inadequacy and numerical inferiority of his cavalry force, led by Brig. Gen. David Stanley, but had yet to receive any reinforcement for that arm.
Map by Hal Jespersen cwmaps.com
Rather than sit idle while Rosecrans advanced, Bragg also moved his Army of Tennessee forward to Murfreesboro; it was divided into component parts also known as wings since the Confederate Congress was only then authorizing corps-sized formations. These consisted of two divisions each and were led by the following men, from left to right below: Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee led the Left Wing, consisting of Breckinridge's and Cleburne's Divisions; Lt. Gen. Leonidas K. Polk led the Right Wing, composed of the divisions of Ben Cheatham and Jones Withers; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler commanded all Bragg's cavalry. In addition to these, there was another small division which had been part of the command of Edmund Kirby Smith in Kentucky; for the battle it was attached to Hardee's wing.
The night of December 30 was cold and damp from recent rains, as the two armies settled down facing each other. There was little rest that night, however, because both Rosecrans and Bragg intended to attack the following morning and moved their designated units into position. Waiting, regimental bands from both armies began to play and soon a battle of the bands preceded the actual shooting; finally, things quieted down with a duet of that favorite of soldiers on both sides, Home Sweet Home.
Next, Part II - The Battle Begins
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