1862
After Braxton Bragg retreated from Kentucky, in September 1862, he pulled back through central Tennessee, stopping at Murfreesboro. Abraham Lincoln, concerned with the way Don Carlos Buell was commanding the Army of
Union cannon near Sheridan's position.
Ohio, replaced Buell with the hero of Iuka, and Corinth – William S. Rosecrans. The army would now be designated as the Army of the Cumberland.
Roscrans, characteristically slow, settled his army in the Nashville area. By mid December, Abraham Lincoln, and the War Department were pushing Rosecrans, to put his huge army in motion. Meanwhile, Braxton Bragg had set up a defensive position, north of his supply depot, at Murfreesboro, straddling a small meandering stream – Stone’s River. Not expecting any quick movements from Rosecrans, Bragg failed to have his Army of Tennessee fortify its position.
Finally, late in December, US Major General William Rosecrans put his army in motion. It arrived, north of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, on December 30. Unfortunately, due to his lethargic pace, Rosecrans tipped off Braxton Bragg, to his intentions. Bragg would send CS Brigadier General Joseph Wheeler to raid the Federal supply line, which turned out to be very successful.
William Hazen monument at the Round Forest.
On the evening of December 30, both commanding generals were making their plans, and writing orders for an offensive on New Year’s Eve – December 31. Incredibly, both commanders planned to attack the right flank, of the other’s army. Early in the morning, Bragg attacked first, punishing the Union right flank, commanded by Alexander McD. McCook’s army corps. McCook, not expecting early action in his sector, was unprepared. He would be pushed back, suffering terrible losses. The morning would be saved by the heroic actions of US Brigadier General Phil Sheridan. His troops were able to hold their position, near the center of the Federal line, as CS Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk’s corps pushed into him. The Federal position held, at an area later called “Hell’s Half Acre” – or the Round Forest. By noon, the fighting slowly subsided – with the Federal army holding there position.
On January 1, the combatants enjoyed a pause in the fighting, essentially celebrating New Year’s Day. However Rosecrans deployed forces north of Stone’s River, where they prepared to meet any Confederate advances in that sector.
On January 2, the battle again started, with Braxton Bragg sending a division of CS Major General Thomas Crittenden’s Corps on the offensive, north of Stone’s River, where they ran into the troops deployed by Rosecrans on January 1. With US Major General George Thomas’s corps being hammered by Polk’s Confederate Corps, Crittenden started north, on the other side of Stone’s River. His division was not only under heavy artillery fire, from the north, it was also enfiladed with fire from the other side of the river. With casualties mounting, the fighting ended with Braxton Bragg retreating south.
With a combined strength of 78,000, the two armies would suffer 23,000 casualties along the meandering stream – Stone’s River.
