Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Although Bragg's newly combined force was up to 38,000 veteran troops, he made no effort to regain the initiative. Battle of Stones River, also called Battle of Murfreesboro, (December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863), bloody but indecisive American Civil War clash in Tennessee that was a psychological victory for Union forces. The Confederate attack stalled, having suffered over 1,800 casualties in less than an hour. Breckinridge was devastated by the disaster. The battle was tactically inconclusive. Polk launched two probes of the Union line, one against Thomas, the other against Sheridan, to little effect. McCook, anticipating the next day would begin with a major attack by Crittenden, planted numerous campfires in his area, hoping to deceive the Confederates as to his strength on that flank, and to disguise the fact that his flank was not anchored on an obstacle (the nearby Overall Creek). 303–304. 213, 223. When he was informed that the 3rd's regimental commander was dead, he decided to take personal command of the defensive position. Rosecrans canceled Crittenden's attack on the Confederate right, which had begun with Brig. According to Daniel, Union defeats in late 1862—both at Chickasaw Bayou in Mississippi and at Fredericksburg, Virginia—transformed the clash in Tennessee into a much-needed morale booster for the North. [20], Two Confederate blunders aided Rosecrans. 210–15; Kennedy, p. 153; Foote, pp. Bragg received almost universal scorn from his Confederate military colleagues; only the support of Joseph E. Johnston and President Jefferson Davis's inability to find a suitable replacement saved his command. James S. Negley, Speed S. Fry, and Robert B. Mitchell) moved south along the Wilson Turnpike and the Franklin Turnpike, parallel to the Nashville and Decatur Railroad, then eastward through Nolensville and along the same route used by Crittenden south of the Nashville and Chattanooga. But the Confederates would inevitably unwind like a ball of string as they advanced. 199–207; McWhiney, pp. Somewhere I made a horrific miscalculation that ended up costing me half of my armies strength. Gens. Beginning at 10 p.m. on January 3, he withdrew through Murfreesboro and began a retreat to Tullahoma, Tennessee, 36 miles (58 km) to the south. He lost nearly one third of his Kentucky troops (Hanson's Brigade, also known as the Orphan Brigade because it could not return to Union-occupied Kentucky). 325–30; Cozzens, pp. 317–18; Daniel, pp. What saved the Union from total destruction that morning was the foresight of Brig. The only troops available for such an assault were Breckinridge's, and Bragg ordered him to cross the river, but Breckinridge moved slowly. Major General William Rosecrans and … Jefferson C. Davis, Richard W. Johnson, and Philip H. Sheridan) marched south along the Nolensville Turnpike to Nolensville, south to Triune, and then eastward to Murfreesboro. (Part of Rosecrans's reluctance to move from Nashville was the inexperience of his cavalry forces in comparison to their Confederate counterparts.) Westholme Publishing, 2011. Street, pp. Has anyone come out of the battle of Stones River as the CSA without taking enormous casualties? The following morning, the last one of 1862, would certainly be the last for many of them. Street, James Jr., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. This was the beginning of the Stones River Campaign. 295–96; Cozzens, pp. Eicher, pp 419–20; McDonough, p. 291; Welcher, pp. Gen. John A. Wharton deep into the Union rear. A massive assault by the corps of Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee, followed by that of Leonidas Polk, overran the wing commanded by Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook. Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee fielded approximately 35,000 men and included two infantry army corps: The First Corps, under LTG Leonidas Polk, consisted of the divisions: The Second Corps, under LTG William J. Hardee, consisted of the divisions: The Cavalry Corps, (BG Joseph Wheeler), consisted of brigades under Wheeler, BG Abraham Buford, BG John Pegram and BG John A. Wharton. [14], Bragg's forces were situated with Leonidas Polk's corps on the west side of the river, and William J. Hardee's men on the east. 143–44. Thomas has been quoted by different sources in the council meeting as saying either "This army does not retreat" or "There's no better place to die." On December 29, Wheeler and 2,500 of his men rode completely around the Union army, destroying supply wagons and capturing reserve ammunition in Rosecrans's trains. Buy Battle of Stones River: The Forgotten Conflict between the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of the Cumberland by Larry J. Daniel (2012-11-05) by (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store. [22], Bragg planned to attack the Union left, a portion of the oval line facing southeast, manned by Hazen's brigade. This bloody fight near Murfreesboro saw more casualties than any other Tennessee battle, though there was no clear winner. It contains the Hazen Brigade Monument, the nation's oldest intact Civil War monument, erected in May 1863 by William Hazen's brigade at Hell's Half Acre. Watch Queue Queue In, McDonough, James Lee. The Battle of Stones River (Confederate: Battle of Murfreesboro or 2nd Murfreesboro) was fought during the American Civil War between December 31, 1862 and January 3, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.The battle pitted the Army of the Cumberland under Major General William S. Rosecrans against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lieutenant General Braxton Bragg. Although victorious, Major General Don Carlos Buell lacked the initiative to follow up on his victory and was soon relieved of command by Abraham Lincoln . 114–17; McDonough, pp. Updates? [35] Also among the wounded was union soldier Frances Elizabeth Quinn, one of many women who disguised themselves as men to fight in the civil war. This was one of the deadliest battles of the war. The battle was very important to Union morale, as evidenced by Abraham Lincoln's letter to General Rosecrans: "You gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over." [5], Frustrated with his prospects in Kentucky and low on supplies, Bragg withdrew fully from Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap, passed through Knoxville and Chattanooga, turned northwest, and eventually stopped in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Welcher, pp. The Union line was stabilized by the strong leadership of Rosecrans and by the rallying of the divisions under Johnson and Davis. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis, was able to hold only briefly. By 4:30 p.m., the battle was finished.[23]. [16], The armies bivouacked only 700 yards (640 m) from each other, and their bands started a musical battle that became a non-lethal preview of the next day's events. By 10 a.m., many of the Confederate objectives had been achieved. The Battle of Stones River (also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro) was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Street, pp. This battle was the culmination of the campaign in Middle Tennessee. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. Battle of Stones River, also called Battle of Murfreesboro, (December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863), bloody but indecisive American Civil War clash in Tennessee that was a psychological victory for Union forces. Thomas immovable in the center, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. 235–37; Foote, p. 194. At dawn on December 31, about 6 a.m., Confederate William J. Hardee struck first, attacking the Union's right flank with the division of Maj. Gen. John P. McCown, before many in Union Brig. Although Bragg's newly combined force was up to 38,000 veteran troops, he made no effort to regain the initiative. For the earlier conflict, see, Articles relating to the Battle of Stones River. Some of his generals felt that the Union army had been defeated and recommended a retreat before they were entirely cut off. However, Rosecrans took ample time to reorganize and train his forces (particularly his cavalry) and resupply his army. This page was last edited on 15 November 2020, at 04:18. My troops were well equipped, fully reinforced, and somehow I ended up having almost an entire corp wiped. Rosecrans moved his XIV Corps (which was soon after designated the Army of the Cumberland) to Nashville, Tennessee, and was warned by Washington that he too would be replaced if he did not move aggressively against Bragg and occupy eastern Tennessee. Although Bragg's newly combined force was up to 38,000 veteran troops, he made no effort to regain the initiative. I essentially lost 50% of my army in a single battle. He did not begin his march in pursuit of Bragg until December 26. Bragg had the advantage of the detached, but cooperating, cavalry commands under Forrest and Morgan, who raided deeply behind Union lines while Wheeler's cavalry slowed the Union forces with hit-and-run skirmishes. Cozzens, pp. I essentially lost 50% of my army in a single battle. On December 31, each army commander planned to attack his opponent's right flank, but Bragg struck first. 45–46; Hess, p. 194; Horn, p. 196; McWhiney, p. 348. 79–80, 109–23, 221; Eicher, pp. 197–203. 93–94. Street, pp. Bragg's plan had had a fundamental flaw: although his objective was to cut Rosecrans's line of communication (the Nashville Pike), his attack drove the Union defenders to concentrate at that point. McDonough, pp. 374–92; McDonough, pp. Although Rosecrans had reported his army to have 81,729 effectives in Nashville, his force on the march was barely more than half of that since he needed to protect his base and supply lines from the harassment of the Confederate cavalry. Gen. Milo S. Hascall sent the 3rd Kentucky to the Round Forest as reinforcements. Bragg's biographer, Grady McWhiney, observed: Unless the Union army collapsed at the first onslaught, it would be pushed back into a tighter and stronger defensive position as the battle continued, while the Confederate forces would gradually lose momentum, become disorganized, and grow weaker. All through the war it was a center for strong Confederate sentiment, and Bragg and his men were warmly welcomed and entertained during the month of December. [24], That night Rosecrans held a council of war to decide what to do. McCook graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1852, served against the Apaches and Utes in New Mexico in 1853–57, and was assistant instructor of infantry tactics at the military academy in 1858–61. 130–33; McDonough, p. 305; Cozzens, pp. 305–307; Cozzens, p. A72-73; Lamers, pp. McCook, consisted of the divisions: The Center, under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, consisted of the divisions: The Left Wing, under Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden, consisted of the divisions: The Cavalry Corps, under BG David S. Stanley, included 1 cavalry division (Col John Kennett): brigades of Col Robert H. G. Minty and Col Lewis Zahm. [21], By 11 a.m., Sheridan's ammunition ran low, and his division pulled back, which opened a gap that Hardee exploited. Street, p. 159; Esposito, text for map 83; Welcher, p. 818; Connelly, p. 67. General Braxton Bragg ’s 34,700-man Confederate army was confronted on Stones River near Murfreesboro by 41,400 Union troops under General William S. Rosecrans, who had orders to … Bragg's left flank was weak at the start, and Rosecrans could have attacked there when he arrived and wheeled left, around the flank and directly into the town of Murfreesboro, but he did not know the full disposition of Bragg's forces because of the skillful screening of the Confederate cavalry during the Union march. Somewhere I made a horrific miscalculation that ended up costing me half of my armies strength. 145–55; Cozzens, pp. The Union troops regrouped and held the Nashville Pike, supported by reinforcements and massed artillery. Thomas, in the center, was ordered to make a limited attack and act as the pivot for Crittenden's wheel. Assuming a position near Murfreesboro, he fought Major General William S. Rosecrans 's Army of the Cumberland on December 31, 1862-January 3, 1863. Tidball, John C. The Artillery Service in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. My troops were well equipped, fully reinforced, and somehow I ended up having almost an entire corp wiped. Repeated Confederate attacks were repulsed from this concentrated line, most notably in the cedar "Round Forest" salient against the brigade of Col. William B. Hazen. Union cavalry under Brig. This left Breckinridge's division in reserve on the east side of the river on the high ground. Johnson's division, on the right, suffered over 50% casualties. When Bragg ordered him to attack to his front—so that some use could be made of his corps—Breckinridge moved forward and was embarrassed to find out that there were no Union troops opposing him. Rosecrans’s tenacity thus averted a potentially serious Union defeat. John Mendenhall. [12], By the time Rosecrans had arrived in Murfreesboro on the evening of December 29, the Army of Tennessee had been encamped in the area for a month. Gen. Samuel P. Carter raided the upper Tennessee Valley from Manchester, Kentucky. [13], On December 30, the Union force moved into line two miles (three km) northwest of Murfreesboro. 422–23; Foote, p. 88. [25], On the Confederate side, Bragg was certain that he had won a victory. The battle of Stones River was devastating for both sides and, of all the major Civil War battles, this had the highest percentage of casualties suffered. Livermore, p. 97, lists present for duty 44,800 Union, 37,712 Confederate, and estimates effectives as 41,400 Union, 34,732 Confederate. The Confederate threat to Kentucky and Middle Tennessee had been nullified, and Nashville was secure as a major Union supply base for the rest of the war. After two days of heavy fighting near Stones River, which saw Union troops repel two major Confederate attacks, Bragg disengaged and fell back to Tullahoma, TN. Just as at Perryville, Bragg seemed to change under stress from a bold and aggressive attacker to a hesitant and cautious retreater. This caused Bragg to lose the confidence of the Army of Tennessee. The Battle of Hartsville, at a crossing point on the Cumberland River about 40 miles (64 km) upstream from Nashville (north of Murfreesboro) was an incident in Morgan's raid to the north, before Rosecrans had the bulk of his infantry forces on the move. Like a snowball, the Union would pick up strength from the debris of battle if they retreated in good order. McCook's deceptive campfires and the relative inexperience of McCown caused his division to drift away to the left, which left a gap in the front, but the gap was filled seamlessly by the division coming up from his rear, under Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne. 118–20; Welcher, p. 813. Faced with overwhelming artillery, the Confederates were repulsed with heavy losses. [28], At 4 p.m. on January 2, Bragg directed Breckinridge's troops to attack Beatty's division, which was occupying the hill on the east side of the river. Despite this, Bragg was reluctant to move farther south, say to the arguably more defensible Duck River Valley, or farther north, to Stewart's Creek, where Rosecrans thought Bragg would defend. On December 26, the day Rosecrans marched from Nashville, a small force under Brig. The Right Wing, under Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. He began moving the bulk of Hardee's corps across the river to his left flank to prepare for the next morning's attack. Jones M. Withers and Benjamin F. Cheatham. and the others on both sides joined in. [8], On the Union side, President Abraham Lincoln had become frustrated with Buell's passivity and replaced him with Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, victor of the recent battles of Iuka and Corinth. [37], Part of the site of the Battle of Stones River and Fort Rosecrans is now Stones River National Battlefield. 10, 11, 29. General Braxton Bragg’s 34,700-man Confederate army was confronted on Stones River near Murfreesboro by 41,400 Union troops under General William S. Rosecrans, who had orders to drive Bragg out of eastern Tennessee. Major General William S. Rosecrans assumed command of the Army of the Ohio and reconstituted it as the Army of the … Ultimate General: Civil War's newest update has added the Battle of Chancellorsville and Stones River. Joshua Woodrow Sill (December 6, 1831 – December 31, 1862), was a career officer in the United States Army and brigadier general during the American Civil War. Hardee's Corps was initially placed in Triune, about 20 miles (32 km) to the west, Polk's on the west bank of the river, and a detached division from Hardee's Corps under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge on the low hills east of the river. 417–19. They captured four wagon trains and 1,000 Union prisoners. Hess, p. 198, states that of the 37,712 Confederate effectives, 3,873 were cavalrymen. Repeated attacks on the left flank of the Union line were repulsed by Col. William B. Hazen's brigade in a rocky, 4-acre (16,000 m2) wooded area named "Round Forest" by the locals; it became known as "Hell's Half-Acre". The Union also engaged in a strategic cavalry raid. Eicher, p. 421; Cozzens, pp. Corrections? Breckinridge, on the east side of the river, did not realize that Crittenden's early morning attack had been withdrawn. 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