rest was sent on an expedition to West Tennessee, and Morgan to Kentucky. Gen. Joseph Wheeler was made Chief of Cavalry, and commanded the outpost at Lavergne. Meanwhile, General Buell had been relieved from the command of the Army of the Cumberland, and his successor, Gen. William S. Rosecrans, concentrated the Federal forces at Nashville. December 26th, General Rosecrans advanced from Nashville to attack Bragg at Murfreesboro. The advanced posts were driven from Lavergne, and the two armies were face to face on the 30th day of December.

392. Battle of Murfreesboro.- On the last day of the year 1862, December 31, the battle began, and was fiercely waged for three days. This battle was remarkable for its vicissitudes, and was one of the most closely contested battles of the war. At the end of the struggle, both sides claimed the victory. The report of General Bragg states his force present for duty on the first day of the battle, 37,712, and his total loss in killed, wounded, and missing, 10,266, a loss of 27 per cent, and three pieces of artillery. He estimates the enemy's force at 70,000 men on the field, with reinforcements approaching. He reports that he had captured 6,273 prisoners, by actual count, with thirty pieces of artillery, 6,000 stands of small arms, and a large amount of property, besides destroying over 800 of the enemy's wagons and much valuable property.1 General Rosecrans reports his effective force as 46,940; number engaged in the battle, 43,400, and estimates the enemy's force at 62,490. In his first report, he estimates his own loss at 11,578. In a subsequent revised statement, he gives his loss as 9,532 killed and wounded, and 3,717 prisoners, making a total of 13,249. If General Bragg's counted list of 6,273 prisoners be correct, it would make the loss of Rosecrans 15,805, a loss of 36 per cent.2

393. Wheeler's Raids.—A remarkable feature of the battle was the cavalry raids of Generals Wheeler and Wharton. Four of these raids were made. In one of them, General Wheeler passed entirely around the Federal army. A number of wagons and a large amount of property were destroyed, horses and mules were captured, many prisoners were taken, and Rosecrans' communications were, for a time, interrupted. General Wheeler hoped to capture the Federal ammunition train. In this, however, he was foiled by the precautions of General Gates P. Thruston (then captain), who was in command of the train,

1

1 Official Records, Series I, Vol. XX, Part I, pp. 663–674.

2 Official Records, Series I, Vol. XX, Part I, pp. 188–217.

and, in disobedience of orders, changed the location or his train from Lavergne to a point six miles nearer Murfreesboro. If this train had been captured, the retreat of the Federal army would have been

necessary.

394. The Line of Duck River.— General Bragg retreated to Shelbyville, and established his line along Duck River, the left extending to Columbia, guarding the. Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Rosecrans remained quietly at Murfreesboro for six months, making extensive preparations for the forward movement which he was planning. His right extended to Franklin, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.

The only activity was on the line of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, where the Confederate left wing, under. Van Dorn and Forrest, confronted the Federal right under Gordon Granger. Forrest had been sent on an expedition to West Tennessee, a short time before the Battle of Murfreesboro.

After brilliant exploits performed at Lexington, Jackson, Trenton, Union City, Parker's Cross Roads, and other places, and accompanying General Wheeler on two expeditions to Cumberland River, he returned to Middle Tennessee and took position at Columbia, on the left flank of the army. Soon afterwards, Gen. Earl Van Dorn arrived with a force of 4,500 men, and assumed command at Columbia.

395. Cavalry Battles.- March 5th, Van Dorn and Forrest met at Thompson's Station a Federal force under Colonel Coburn, numbering about three thousand men. After a spirited engagement, Colonel Coburn surrendered the infantry portion of his command, 2,200 men, including the wounded, while the cavalry escaped. The Confederate loss was thirty-five killed, 140 wounded.3

March 25th, Forrest passed in rear of Franklin, and captured the garrison of Brentwood, taking 759 prisoners.

396. The Streight Raid.-April 23d, Forrest was ordered to North Alabama to assist General Roddy, who was falling back before the superior force of General Dodge. While engaged in this service, he learned that Colonel Streight, with a force of about two thousand men, was moving to the South to capture Rome, Georgia, for the purpose of destroying valuable Confederate works at that place. Moving rapidly, he overtook Streight at Sand Mountain, and immediately

differ.

3

Campaigns of Civil War, Vol. VII, pp. 141-143. Accounts of this battle
This seems the fairest account.

attacked him, capturing his camp. Streight retreated up Sand Mountain Gap, where he repulsed an attack, and continued his march for Rome, followed by Forrest.

After an exciting chase of four days, interspersed with running fights, Colonel Streight surrendered, May 3d, near Rome, his whole force of 1,466 men, which was increased a few hours later by the surrender of another detachment, making the total number of prisoners about 1,700. The entire force present with Forrest at the surrender was only 500 men. This was admitted by all military men to be one of the most brilliant feats of the war.

397. Evacuation of Middle Tennessee. In June, 1863, General Rosecrans moved forward, with a large and well appointed army, to force Bragg from Middle Tennessee. Bragg made a show of resistance, but after some fighting, evacuated Middle Tennessee. July 7th, the Confederate army was concentrated at Chattanooga. General Buckner held Knoxville and East Tennessee until September 2, 1863, when, upon the approach of a strong Federal force, under command of Gen. A. E. Burnside, he withdrew from Upper East Tennessee, and joined Bragg near Chattanooga. General Longstreet was detached from the Army of Virginia, with more than five thousand men of his corps, and was coming by railroad to reinforce Bragg.

In the meantime, General Rosecrans was marching to the attack, with an army of 70,000 men. He had crossed the Tennessee River at Bridgeport, and was moving to the Confederate rear. General Bragg evacuated Chattanooga September 8th, and fell back to Lafayette, Ga., to form a junction with General Longstreet, whose forces were approaching from the South.

398. Chickamauga.— The greatest battle of the West was fought September 19th and 20th, mainly on Georgia soil, near the Tennessee line, and for the possession of Tennessee. General Bragg attacked the Federal army along the line of Chickamauga Creek. The main body of the army was the flower of the Tennessee troops. Inspired by the hope of regaining their homes, they fought with a valor that has never been surpassed on any field.

The total forces of the Federal army, by the morning report of September 20th, was 67,548 men, of which 64,392 were engaged in the battle. Bragg's total effective force in the battle was 47,321. The losses on both sides were very heavy. The Federal loss was 16,170, as officially reported. The Confederate loss has never been officially reported, but, from the best estimates, was not far from equal to the

Federal loss. The Federal army, demoralized and beaten, saved from destruction only by the heroic defense made by General Thomas, fled in confusion to Chattanooga.

General Forrest was sent through Rossville Gap with a small force to assail the flank of the fleeing column. The Eleventh Tennessee Cavalry, under Col. D. W. Holman, leading Forrest's advance, approached within less than a mile of Chattanooga, and held this position for more than five hours. General Forrest urged that the Federal line of retreat should be intercepted at this point. General Bragg, however, prohibited pursuit, and Rosecrans occupied and fortified Chattanooga.* 399. Siege of Chattanooga.- The victory of Chickamauga was barren of results to the Confederates. The soldiers who had fought so hard to open the road to Tennessee complained that General Bragg had failed to follow up his victory, and had permitted the Federal army to fortify Chattanooga. Rosecrans was now besieged, and confined to the city and its defenses, while the effort was made to force the surrender of his army, by destroying his communications.

The authorities at Washington, however, recognized the importance of holding the great gateway of Chattanooga, and relief was sent, in time. October 24th, General Grant arrived at Chattanooga, and assumed command of an army largely reinforced, with restored communications, and ready to resume the offensive.

400. Forrest Transferred, Longstreet Detached.- General Forrest, a few days after the battle of Chickamauga, was sent into East Tennessee to intercept an attempt, which was suspected, on the part of Burnside, to form a junction with Rosecrans. On this expedition, he encountered and defeated Federal forces at Charleston, Athens, Sweetwater, Philadelphia, and Loudon. Soon afterwards, he was transferred to the Mississippi Department, where he arrived November 18th.

Early in November, General Longstreet was ordered to move against Burnside, at Knoxville. He carried with him his own corps, Gen. Bushrod Johnson's division, and other infantry, and a cavalry force under General Wheeler. After some fighting on the way, he reached and invested Knoxville, November 17, 1863.

*Official Records, Vol. XXX, Parts I, II, and III; Campaigns of the Civil War, Vol. VII, Chapters XI and XII; Confederate Military History, Vol. VIII, by James D. Porter, Chapter VII; Rise and Fall of the Confederate States, by Jefferson Davis, Vol. II, pp. 427-434; Military, Annals of Tennessee, by J. Berrien Lindsley, pp. 693-695; Campaigns of Lieut.-General N. B. Forrest, Chapters XI and XII.

401. Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge.General Grant had now accumulated an immense force at Chattanooga, and had fully established his lines of communication. Bragg, with his forces weakened by the detachment of Longstreet, clung tenaciously and fatally to the investment of Chattanooga. In the closing days of November, in a series of detached actions, known as the battles of Chattanooga, Grant broke the Confederate lines at Lookout Mountain, Orchard Knob, and Missionary Ridge. The final disaster at Missionary Ridge, November 25th, drove Bragg to retreat South in confusion. December 27th, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston assumed command of the

FEDERALS CLIMBING LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AFTER THE RETREAT OF THE CONFEDERATES.

Army of Tennessee, at Dalton, Georgia. Early in May, 1864, the Federal forces advanced, and the Atlanta campaign began.

402. Siege of Knoxville Raised.-After the defeat of the Confederate army at Missionary Ridge, General Grant detached a force of 30,000 men, under command of General Sherman, and another force from Decherd under General Elliott, to move towards Knoxville, and to coöperate with a third force, moving from Cumberland Gap, to raise the siege of Knoxville. General Longstreet, being informed of these movements, made an attempt to carry the defenses of Knoxville by storm. November 29, 1863, he was severely repulsed in the attack on Fort Sanders. December 4 he raised the siege and withdrew towards. Virginia.