BLUE VALLEY BLADE: TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: $1.00 a Year, Strictlysin Advance. NO PAY NO PAPER. -OFFICE IN BUTLER'S BASEMENT. CA JAMES H. BETZER, Editor and Proprietor.
RATES OF ADVERTISING. The following are the rates charged for all business advertising in the BLUE VALLEY BLADE, the actual bonafide circulation of which is 1,152. The rates are by the inch up to a quarter column: SP'CE: w. 2 w. 3 W.
1 M. 2 M. 3 M. 6 M. YR.
in, 50 001 1 25 2 00 2 75 4 00 12 6 01 1 50 1 75 3 00 4 50 7 00 00 3 00. 2 00 2 50 4.00 7 00 10 00 16 00 ::000 1 6 3 2 25 50 00 00 4 2 8 50 00 10 01 00 5 00 50 50 12 3 4 6.50 50 00 00 20 10 7.00 5 00 00 00 00 30 12 8 9 00 00 00 00 55 24 16 12 00 00 00 00 100 50 30.00 20 00 00 00 Legal advertisements of all kinds charged according to the rates fixed by law. Reading notices in the regular local news columns charged for at the rate of 10 Cents a line for each insertion. In the local business column 5 Cents a line each insertion. No local notices of any kind will be set in Black Faced Letter.
Display advertisements over two columns In width will be charged 25 per cent. additional. This rule will be inflexibly adhered to. Advertisements from a distance must be paid for quarterly in advance unless payment guaranteed here. Fo Positively no cuts of any kind inserted uness on a solid base.
Professional and Business Cards. THIS PAPER found on at Geo. Advertising Bureau (10 Spruce for it IN where NEW advertising contracts may be made or others, who wish to examine ADVERTISERS this paper, or obtain estimates advertising space when in Chicago, will find it on file at on 45 the to 49 Advertising Randolph Agency of LORD THOMAS. R. P.
ANDERSON, TTORNEY AT LAW AND NOTARY Office PUBA lic. Will practice In all the courts. Sewin rear rooms over First National Bank, ard, Nebraska. GEO. W.
LOWLEY. AT LAW and Notary. Public. A Collections promptly made. Deeds, drawn.
Mortgages and all Legal papers carefully Office in Tishue's Block. NORVAL BROTHERS, TTORNEYS AT LAW, Loan and real estate A Agents, Collections promptly made. Deeds, Mortgages, short and other papers carefully negotia drawn. ted. Long and Office in Union Block.
Seward. Nebraska Time Loans promptly NOTARY PUBLIC. COLLECTIONS A SPECIALTY. ED. P.
SMITH, ATTORNEY. OFFICE IN ZIMMERER'S BLOCK, SEWARD, NEBRASKA. Business of non-residents carefully attended to. F. L.
BREED, M. Physician and Surgeon. OFFICE OVER ADLER'S STORE. Room at Holbrook's Residence, one block east and 3 doors south of office. Office Telephone No.
34. Residence Telephone No. 60. WALTER A. LEESE, Attorney at Law, And Notary Public.
SEWARD, NEB. H. WOODWARD, M. Physician and Electrician. H.
B. CUMMINS, Physician and Oculi Drs. Woodward Cummins, Treat air deute and chroniodiseates a Ing to the latest improved attention plans to of Compound medical science. Special Office, four doors of north of Diers' Oxygen treatment. store, Seward, Neb.
BANK OF SEWARD COUNTY. D. K. Cashier. J.
N. EDWARDS, President. Does a General Banking Business. Interest Paid on Deposits. REFERENCES: Omaha National Bank, Omaha, Nebraska.
American Exchange National Bank, New York. N. Y. JOHN CATTLE, JOHN CATTLE, President. Vice-President.
C. BARKLEY, Cashier STATE BANK OF NEBRASKA. SEWARD. First and Oldest Established Bank. Individual Responsibility over $200,000.
A general tanking business transacted. Prompt and energetic attention given to collections. INTEREST PAID ON TIME DEPOSITS. Correspondents. Capital National Bank, Lincoln.
Metropolitan National Bank, Chicago. United States Nat'l Bank, New York City. FIRST National Bank OF SEWARD. (Successors to Seward County Bank.) Capital, $50,000. SURPLUS, $10,000.00.
S. C. LANGWORTHY, JOHN ZIMMERER. President. Viee-President.
W. E. LANGWORTHY, Cashier. CORRESPONDENTS. First National Bank, New York.
First National Bank, Chicago. First National Bank, Omaha. First National Bank, Lincoln. Do a general banking business. Interest paid on time deposits.
The Jones National Bank, SEWARD, NEBRASKA. Authorized Capital, $200,000. Interest allowed on time deposits. OLAUDIUS JONES, JOEL TISHUE, President. Vice-Pres't.
I. T. JONES, Cashier. Does a general banking business, and refers by permission to any bank in Lincoln, Omaha, Chicago, St. Louis, New York and San Francisco.
DUNBAUGH BROS. ANDERSON, Successors to W. R. DAVIS SON, dealers in Staple and Fancy Groceries West side square SEWARD, NEBRASKA. Apples a Specialty.
BLUE BLUE VOL. X. SEWARD, "Did n't Know 't was Loaded" May do for a stupid boy's excuse: bnt wliat can be said for the parent who sees his child languishing daily and fails to recognize the want of a tonic and Formerly, a course of bitters, or sulphur and molasses, was the rule in well-regulated but now all intelligent households keep Ayer's Sarsaparilla, which is at once pleasant to the taste, and the most searching and effective blood medicine ever discovered. Nathan S. Cleveland, 27 E.
Canton Boston, writes: My daughter, now 21 years old, was in perfect health until a year ago when she began to complain of fatigue, headache, debility, dizziness, indigestion, and loss of appetite. I concluded that all her complaints originated in impure blood, and induced her to take Ayer's Sarsaparilla. This medicine soon restored her blood-making organs to healthy action, and in due time her former health. I find Ayer's Sarsaparilla a most valuable remedy for the lassitude and debility incident to spring time." J. Castright, Brooklyn Power Brooklyn, N.
says "As.a Spring Medicine, I find a splendid substitute for the old-time compounds in Ayer's Sarsaparilla, with a few doses of Ayer's Pills. After their use, I feel fresher and stronger to go through the summer." Ayer's Sarsaparilla, PREPARED BY Dr. J. C. Ayer Lowell, Mass.
Price six bottles, $5. Worth $5 a bottle. G. JOHNS, HEADQUARTERS --FORDRY GOODS AND NOTIONS! AND and Misses' Fine Shoes. First Door West of Postoffice.
Everybody Wants This. All Farmers Dairymen Gardeners Poultrymen House Keepers Wool In Country, Village or City, The Prairie Farmer TERMS, reduced to 81.50 Year. Every Week, well Highly Useful to all. Issued? trated, finely printed; 16 large pages full of reliable, practical, useful information. Every reader will get MANY Hints and Suggestions, Each worth a whole year's cost.
-Edited by ORANGE JUDD whose Name is a cherished "Household Word" in Millions of American Homes. N. -ORANGE JUDD edited for 25 years, and himself WHOLLY built up the old American Agriculturist, from a diminutive sheet with only 812 subscribers, to be the foremost Journal of 118 class, in its old palmy days. This was entirely the work of Mr. JUDD, with some Assistants acting enurely under his inspiration and direction.
Mr. J. is now at his best, with long experience and much information, gained by a personal study cf the whole country. He is also ably a8- sisted by his two (only) SONS. YOU want The Prairie Farmer; Your WIFE wants it; Your CHILDREN went it.
Each Subscriber who desires it can have $100.00 FREE INSURANO 30 Ty TO BLADE. 4, 1888. Al Stone Liver ho sustained a serious defeat. A brigade commander in Bishop Polk's second division at Stone river was Gen. James Ronald Chalmers, afterward famous as the representative in the United States congress from the famous "'Shoestring district" of Mississippi.
James Ronald Chalmers was born in Halifax county, in 1831. When 8 years old he was taken to Mississippi. He was educated in South Carolina, but returned to practice law in Mississippi. Chalmers was a member of the convention that passed the Mississippi ordinance of secession. After that he entered the Confederate army as 0.
captain, and be- GEN. CHALMERS. came a brigadier general. After the war he entered law and politics. He was elected to the legislature of Mississippi in 1876, and After the war he returned to his home in Lexington, and died there in 1875.
their places at the moment. BATTLE OF DEC. 31. thence to the United States congress two terms. As the two armies faced each other Dec.
30, 1862, Bragg meant to make the strongest fight on his own left with Cleburne's and McCown's divisions under Hardee against the Federal right under McCook. He meant to force the Federal right steadily back upon its own left at Stone river like a revolving wheel. That done, he would seize Nashville. cut off Rosecrans' supplies, and the whole Federal army of the west would be at his mercy. Each general gave orders to attack the other on Dec.
31, in the morning. "Breakfast at daylight and attack at 7 o'clock," were Rosecrans' orders. "Breakfast in the dark and attack at daylight," was Bragg's command to the Confederate army. As a consequence, perhaps, Bragg obtained the advantage on the Federal right from the Johnson's division was surprised at breakfast, with neither soldiers nor officers in The fight of Dec. 31 was the severest of the series of four days' battles.
Gen. A. Willich's second brigade of Johnson's division was the most completely surprised when the Confederates under McCown advanced toattack them at 6:30 o'clock. Gen. Willich himself was absent from his brigade, and at Johnson's headquarters.
Some of his artillery horses were away from their guns, getting water in the rear. Owing to a failure to execute Bragg's orders precisely, the Confederates did not advance in two lines, as had been planned, but in a long single line, McCown on the left, Cleburne on the right. Kirk's brigade was the portion of the Federal army first attacked. Kirk called on Willich's brigade, on the extreme right, for aid. Willich's brigade had no commander, and no attempt was made to respond to the call.
There was sharp but short fighting, and then Johnson's division went to pieces. Kirk himself fell, mortally wounded, and Willich was captured as he was hurrying back to his brigade. Kirk's and Willich's brigades were nearly half of them killed, wounded or captured. Only Col. Baldwin's brigade of Johnson's division remained unshattered.
It was in reserve near division headquarters. The remains of the two beaten brigades went streaming back to the rear past Baldwin, only pausing in their flight to give information of the disaster. At that Col. Baldwin quickly formed his brigade in line to meet the pursuing Confederates. They appeared in great numbers -moving clouds of men.
On the front Baldwin's brigade held them gallantly back for a time, but they came on in overwhelming force and flanked him on the right, enfilading his brigade. Then he time to miss having his whole brigade captured. What was left of the other brigades of Johnson's division was being reformed in the rear, and these Bald win joined. On the victorious divisions of Hardee swept, so far swinging around the circle just as Bragg had planned for them. Gen.
Jeff C. Davis next received the force of the advancing wave. Davis threw Post's brigade quickly to the right to meet them with changed front. On they came, an irresistible avalanche of men. They charged with the "rebel yell." Fresh troops from Gen.
Withers' division of the Confederate center had by this time joined them. These came in a torrent against Carlin's and Woodruff's brigades Davis' division and Sill's brigade of the right of Sheridan's division. Together the three brigades of Carlin, Woodruff and Sill made gallant resistance, and at length drove back the advancing Confederate columns. The Confederates reformed their lines almost immediately, being re-enforced by reserves from Cheatham's division. Again they charged, and again were driven back by the three stubborn brigades.
Gen. Sill charged in turn and drove back the force opposite him to their trenchments. But in this gallant charge Sill himself was killed. Post's brigade of Day's division had meanwhile also repulsed the tack of Cleburne's men. After changing front Post's brigade fought nearly at right angles to their former position.
This made an angle of the left Davis' division and the right of Sheridan's. Against this angle the Confederates threw all their force for the purpose of entilading Union ranks. Twice they had been repulsed, yet a third time they assaulted the Federal position. At that third attack the long enduring brigades of Davis' division gave way and fell back into the cedar thickets behind them. Then Sheridan, next on Davis' left, was turn obliged to protect his own right flank.
Col. George W. Roberts commanded Sheridan's left brigade. Sheridan quickly withdrew Sill's brigade, whose commander had been killed, from his right and ordered Col. Roberts to take its place and charge on Confederates, who pursued Davis' division into the cedar grove.
Roberts did so and checked their advance long enough for Sheridan to reform Sill's brigade and another a new line. Roberts joined the new line with his brigade. Sheridan then attempted to form Davis' division, but failed. Still the Confederates swept on in ever increasing waves. They at length turned Sheridan's own right.
The right of the center corps, Thomas', was held by Negley. Imof mediately Sheridan joined his front to Negley's, and formed Roberts on the right, facing south. The successive positions on the right wing of the Federal force that morning may described as two sides of a square, one facing south, the other east, forming an angle with each other. One after another the south sides of the square melted away, again to followed by other brigades swung round of. the right in the same position.
The main faced east. Sheridan at length formed his brigades three sides of of hollow square, placing two brigades face westward, right angles Roberts and in r'ear of Negley. Upon all three sides of this square the Confederates poured shot at sheil at once. Three times the whole force of Hardee's and Polk's corps, GEN. WOOD.
four divisions, dashed in mass against it. The artillery the two opposing forces was in some cases C. not more than 600 feet apart. Each time the Confederates were repulsed, but at great cost. The gallant Col.
Roberts, who had defied Confederate bullets Christmas night six days before, was a dead. Nearly all the horses belonging Shafer's brigade artillery were killed. Sheridan's men had exhausted their ammunition. of the this They terrific been battle fighting for four hours. continuously Sheridan had almost BLUE VALLEY BLADE.
JOBPRINTING. All kinds of Job Work Neatly and Promptly Executed Satisfaction Guaranteed, ADVERTISING RATES Furnished on application. All bills for Job Work and Advertising collected on the first ofevery month. SEWARD COUNTY, Rosecrans immediately began to put in or der the railroad from Louisville to It was completed Nov. 26, and thereafter trains running regularly over it kept the Federal army in reach of supplies.
To guard it from Confederate attack Gen. Thomas was stationed with his division at Gallatin. So in December, 1862, Bragg's and Rosecrans' armies lay watching each other, Bragg at Murfreesboro, Rosecrans at Nashville. Gen. John M.
Palmer was a brave and popular officer, commanding GEN. PALMER. the Second division in Rosecrans' left under Crittenden at Stone River. He was born in Kentucky in 1817, but when a youth migrated to Illinois, like Abraham Lincoln, and, like him, became a lawyer. In April, 1861, Palmer became colonel of the Fourteenth Illinois regiment, which went to Missouri under Gen.
Fremont; became a brigadier general in December, 1861, and assisted at the capture of New Madrid and Island No. 10. He commanded a division under both Grant and Rosecrans, and bore such gallant part in the battle of Stone River that he was promoted to major general. He was at the battle of Chickamauga and commanded the Fourteenth corps during the Atlanta campaign. Of the two armies lying at Murfreesboro and Nashville Bragg had 60,000 men, onethird of it cavalry; Rosecrans 43,000, very little cavalry.
While they thus waited an affair occurred Dec. 7 which conferred no luster on the Federal At Hartsville, a few miles east of Nashville, Col. A. B. Moore had been posted to guard a ford over the Cumberland river.
Early on the morning of Dec.7 John Morgan and his men appeared before the town without warning and attacked it. His 1 approach was a surprise to the Federal camp. There was sharp fighting for an hour, when Moore and his whole command were captured, with the loss of 150 men: For this exploit John Morgan was made a brigadier general. Dec. 22, Morgan and all his men, 4,000 strong, were off again for Kentucky.
He had orders from Bragg to destroy the Louisville and Nashville railroad in Rosecrans' rear and break his communications north. At the same time Bragg sent Forrest on a raid elsewhere. And this was exactly the time chosen by Rosecrans, with full knowledge of the situation, to attack Bragg himself at Murfreesboro. Bragg's cavalry absent, their two armies, his own and Bragg's, would be more nearly equalized. NASHVILLE TO MURFREESBORO.
Dec. 22, Gen. Thomas headquarters at Gallatin army at Nashville. He divisions, Rousseau's and brigade, Gen. Speed S.
James S. Negley was in 1826. He was not a Point. A considerable GEN. NEGLEY.
United States arsenal at moved from his and joined the main took with him two Negley's, and one Fry's. born in Pennsylvania graduate of West proportion of western army officers were not graduates of the United States Military academy. Negley, however, served in the Mexican war. In 1861 he recruited a brigade of volunteers in three days, and became their commander. He called public attention to the fact that arms were being removed from the Allegheny, for.
joined the western He defended Nash- ville in connection with Palmer in the summer of 1862, and along with that general was promoted to be a major general for gallantry served Georgia and Alabama. On Christmas might, 1862, Rosecrans sent around among his commanders the word to march southward. Singularly enough, at that very time, Bragg was planning an attack against Rosecrans at Nashville. Dec. 26, 1862, Rosecrans began his march against Bragg and Murfreesboro.
The fight, which began there Dec. 31, is indiscriminately called the battle of Stone River and Murfreesboro. It is also spoken of as Stone's River. Bragg's army consisted of three corps. Hardee's corps was west of Murfreesboro: Polk's and Kirby Smith's corps were at Murfreesboro.
When Rosecrans' army moved forward, McCook's corps, the right wing, advanced on the Nolinsville pike toward Triune against Hardee's corps. A glance at the map will reveal Rosecrans' plan of campaign. Imagine three lines stretching southward and slightly to the east from Nashville. They were the respective corps of McCook, Thomas and T. L.
Crittenden, the right wing, center and left wing of Rosecrans' army. McCook was on the west, Crittenden on the east, Thomas in the center. They did not leave Nashville in that order, but as they converged toward Murfreesboro they fell into position for the fight. Stone river is a stream which flows in a northwesterly direction into the Cumberland, a few miles above Nashville. Its west fork passes Murfreesboro, and flows in the same general direction as the main stream.
Near the "West Fork," as it is called, the battle was fought. Hardee's Confederate corps was almost due west of Murfreesboro at the time McCook started southward. Cleburne's division of Hardee's corps was at Eagleville. CUMS GALLATINE ESSORO PULASKI TENNESSEE. Bragg learned the same day, Dec.
26, of Rosecrans' advance, and prepared for fight. He selected Stone river as his line of battle. Then he directed such cavalry as he had left -Pegram's, Wheeler's and Wharton's -to annoy and delay the head of the advancing Union columns until he should be ready. The railroad from Nashville to Chattanooga passes through Murfreesboro, and the town is thirty miles from Nashville. Dense, almost impenetrable cedar groves rendered cavalry and artillery operations exceedingly difficult.
Bragg's plan of battle was very similar to that of Rosecrans. His left wing, under Hardee, was on the west, opposite McCook's approaching corps. His center, under Polk, he kept at Murfreesboro. His right wing, under Gen. McCown, he stationed at Readysville, east of Murfreesboro.
In disposing his troops for battle, McCown's division was posted in the rear of the others as a reserve. Meantime the Confederate cavalry of Wheeler and Wharton had amply fulfilled instructions and greatly annoyed Rosecrans' advance. He said it was impeded by "clouds of horsemen." McCook was skirmishing with these clouds of horsemen all day Dec. 26. He reached Nolinsville that night, however.
Wheeler's cavalry was such a thorn in the flesh to Buell's and Rosecrans' armies in the west as J. E. B. Stuart's was to the Army of the Potomac. He was Bragg's chief of cavalry, and he effectually covered that general's retreat from Kentucky.
He was successful in destroying and capturing Union supply GEN. JOSEPH WHEELER. trains. On some of these raids he cap- NEI ASKA, JANUARY He was graduated at West Point in 1838 and entered the diagoons. January, 1861, he resigned from the United States army for the purpose of joining the Confederacy.
In that service he became a brigadier general in 1861. He took brave part in the battle of Shiloh, and for it was promoted to be a major general. In GEN. HARDEE. October, 1862, he became a lieutenant general.
He took active part in the fighting in the west until the summer of 1864. He was the commanding general Savannah and Charleston when they were taken possession of by the Federal forces in 1865. He was with Johnston's army at its final surrender, April 27, 1865. By the night of Dec. 26, while McCook's men bivouacked at Nolinsville, Gen.
Crittenden's corps had reached Lavirgne, a village northeast of Nashville and Murfreesboro. Lavirgne was an important strategic point. Thomas' corps was well on the way. A fog so thick that no man could tell whom be was firing at prevented a fight between McCook and Hardee on the morning of Dec. 27.
Under its friendly cover, Hardee burned the bridge over Wilson's creek and retreated towards Murfreesboro. McCook's advance under Johnson and Sheridan repaired the bridge, crossed the creek, and encamped that night at Triune. The morning of Dec. 29 came, counting off the hours that brought the approach of the great battle. During that day McCook, leaving part of his command still at Triune, took the rest eastward over a road leading directly into Murfreesburo.
Another night passed. Dec. 30 McCook brought his whole command up, those from Triune with the rest, till he met the Confederate pickets at Murfreesboro. The first division of the First Confederate corps (Polk's) at Murfreesboro was com- rel millions' worth of property. in Georgia in 1836, graduated at West Point In 1850, and became lieutenant of cavalry.
Two years later, 1861, he resigned his commission in the United States army, and cast his fortunes with the Confederacy. He was rapidly promoted, and commanded an infantry brigade at Shiloh. Following that he was made a major general, achough very young, and the command of the cavalry corps of the Confederate Army of the West was given to him. The Confederate congress and the Confederate legislature of South Carolina gave him a vote of thanks for his services. After the death of J.
E. B. Stuart, in 1864, Gen. Wheeler, at the age of 28, became the senior cavalry commander of all the Confederate forces east and west. At the close of the war he settled in Alabama and studied -law and became a cotton planter.
Gen. Wheeler is now a member of the United States house of representatives from Alabaina. Gen. William J. Hardees was the first to meet Rosecrans' advance under McCook.
He formed in line of battle the night of Dec. 26 and on the morning of the 27th awaited the Federal onset. Gen. Hardee was born in Georgia, in 1818. He was graduated GEN.
HARDEE. orderly. "What cavalry is that?" be asked them. "Illinois cavalry," was the answer. "Oh, all right," quickly answered Cheatham.
"Illinois cavalry, remain where you are." They stopped, and then with much outward dignity but inward scrambling, Gen. Cheatham and his orderly rode back within the Confederate lines unrecognized. By the morning of Dec. 30, McCook and the Federal right wing had advanced to within seven miles of Murfreesboro. The left wing under Crittenden was still nearer.
being only three miles away from the town, on the bank of the west fork of Stone river. Thomas was in place in the center, with Negley's division of his corps next to MeCook and Rousseau's division next to Crittenden. Dec. 30 Gen. Jeff.
C. Davis' division of McCook's corps advanced quite to the west fork of Stone river, fighting its way at every step. Sheridan's division was also engaged in forcing this advance, and the two together F. Cheatham, of Tennessee. He was a man of great courage and address.
At the battle of Belmont, he escaped by a Federal regiment in a unique way. He cavalrymen number comof ing down the road toward him. He rode forward to meet them, attended only by an lost 275 men. BATTLE OF STONE RIVER. manded by Maj.
Gen. B. GEN. CHEATHAM. The battle of Stone River proper began Weduesday, Dec.
31, 1862. There had been preliminary skirmishing for days before, but. that day the general engagement opened. There were various fights, extending over Dec. 81, Jan.
1, Jan. 2 and Jan. 3. Thus the battle of Stone River was really several battles. As Bragg had formed his line of battle his center was directly opposite the Federal right, under McCook.
The night of the 30th Rosecrans ordered great campfires to be made, extending a mile to the right of McCook, to give the impression that the line was longer than it was. At the same time he ordered two of his best brigades, those of Willich and Kirk, to cover the right flank, in a line nearly at right angles to his main line. McCook's battle line has been criticised. It was said to be too long and thin, and to be much broken, the divisions ent directions. Tuesday, Dec.
30, Bragg battle somewhat. He vision, McCown's, to the Hardee in command of division formed the burne WAS in his rear Cleburne's division was ridge and placed in the rear vision on Breckinridge's was formed in two lines, 8. mile behind the first. were intrenchments. Meantime Thomas in the tenden on the left, had, every foot of their advance on the 28th and 29th of They converged to within tance of each other Dec.
Rousseau's division of at Stewartsboro, while the same corps advanced of Murfreesboro. Dec. ion came up. That day under a sharp fire, came Murfreesboro. Harker's crossed Stone river to the that evening, in the face force, but was ordered to Bragg had weakened his inridge to strengthen his lieved the heaviest fighting Maj.
Gen. John C. BRECKINRIDGE. at Princeton college, New law and became a the bar. He likewise Mexican war.
NO. 49. AT STONE RIVER. Twenty-fifth Anniversary of a Great Battle. PHIL.
SHERIDAN'S DIVISION His Brave Brigade Commanders Were All Killed. The Story of Seven Days' Fighting--Instructive Military Strategy--On Both Sides They Fought Like Brave Men, Long and Well- The "Round Forest. Portraits of Distinguished Officers. "Old Rosy's" Victory--It Lost. Kentucky to the Confederates Bragg's Battle Wheel.
by the American Press Christmas night, 1862, Col. G. W. Roberts, of the Forty second Illinois regiment, one. of the unsung heroes of the Army of the Cumberland, gave a dinner to a few brother officers.
He commanded the Third brigade in Gen. Sheridan's division. He had been doing garrison duty at Nashville, but had asked to be sent where fighting was to be. His request was granted, and he was ordered to join the brigades moving to meet Bragg at Murfreesboro. It was a time of hurrying and preparation.
The only Christmas soldiers of either army had was that which they passed in thoughts linked with the loved ones at home. However, Col. Roberts and his friends made the best of it. They "played," as the children do, that it was a merry occasion; that their soldier's fare was a feast, and that all around them was light and warmth and joy. Among those present were Col.
Harrington and Lieut. Col. Talliaferro. Col. Roberts was a man of commanding presence, a giant in strength and stature.
He had distinguished himself already for his dashing bravery and skill, and the future was as bright before him as that of any man in the United States service that night. At the close of the frugal feast 3 tall Col. and Roberts splendid rose, in his strength, and proposed a a toast to the sucCOL. ROBERTS. cess of the Union arms.
All knew a battle could not be long delayed. Col. Roberts made a little speech that thrilled his few hearers. He spoke of the fight which he waited for like Job's war horse. As he raised his glass he closed his speech with these words: for one, will take all chances of rebel bullets!" "So will "And cried Harrington and Talliaferro, as they too brought their glasses to their lips.
The toast to victory was drunk with cheers and enthusiasm. A week afterward, Jan. 1, 1863, all threeRoberts, Harrington and Talliaferro-lav dead upon the battlefield of Stone river. GEN. ROSECRANS.
Oct. 4, 1862, Gen. William S. Rosecrans had won the battle of Corinth, Miss, The Federal army under Buell had, meantime, been tramping up and down Kentucky, fruitlessly pursuing Bragg and letting him escape at last. After the battle of Perryville, Ky.
Oct. 9, 1009, Dacia Folio mand and Gen. Rosecrans was summoned to take his place at the head of the Union army in Kentucky. The day that he was thus summoned (Oct. 25) he had just issued to his troops a dispatch congratulating them on their bravery and endurance at the fight of Corinth.
The two leading generals at this time in the west were Grant and Rosecrans. Grant commanded the Thirteenth army corps, known as the Army of the Tennessee. To Rosecrans was given the leadership of the Army of the Cumberland. His district comprised northern Georgia and Alabama and Tennessee east of the Tennessee river. Rosecrans was nothing if not energetic.
Oct. 30 he was at Louisville. The Federal army had been ordered to Bowling Green, Ky, after Perryville. By Nov. 1 its advance had reached there.
Nov. 2 Gen. Rosecrans arrived in person to take command of it. William Starke Rosecrans was an Ohio man, born in 1819. West Point in 1842, and entered the engineers corps, to which the most proficient students are assigned.
He was assistant professor at West Point after his graduation. In 1854 he resigned from the army because of ill health. At the beginning of the civil war, however, he en- He was graduated at tered the service. GEN. ROSECRANS.
again, was made a brigadier general of the regular army in May, 1861, and sent to West Virginia. There be made an enviable record for himself. In 1862 he went south, and in October won the battles of Iuka and Corinth. That year he became major general of volunteers. In December he fought and won the battle of Stone River.
His career was almost an uninterrupted suecess up to September, 1863, when he lost the battle of Chickamauga. He was thereupon relieved of the command of the Army of the Cumberland. In 1864 he commanded the department of Missouri, and rendered efficient service in defeating Price. In 1867 he resigned from the army. Afterwards he was minister to Mexico for a short time.
On assuming his new command Gen. Rosecrans reorganized his army. He divided it into a right wing, center and left wing, commanded respectively by Gens, A. McD. McCook, George H.
Thomas and T. L. Crittenden. Buell had left Negley and Palmer at Nashville with two divisions. Bragg, on marching into Kentucky in the summer of 162, left in Tennessee a force of 10,000 men under Gen.
John C. Breckinridge to "blockade Nashville." He did so, and for six weeks and Palmer's men in Nashville had no communication with the north. After leaving Kentucky in October Bragg began concentrating his forces at Murfreesboro, rightly judging that a Federal attempt would be made to relieve Nashville. A third of Breckinridge's force was cavalry, commanded by N. B.
Forrest and Joseph Wheeler, and these had harassed the garrison at Nashville not a little during the six weeks' siege, preventing them from gathering supplies from the surrounding country except by raiding parties. It was just in this element of cavalry that Bragg's army was superior to Buell's, and the Union force bad suffered accordingly. As soon as Rosecrans was put in command he at once demanded that this defect should be remedied. During the siege a body of Confederate troops, infantry and cavalry, 8,000 strong, under Gens. Roger Hanson and N.
B. Forrest, from Breckinridge's command, appeared before Nashville with the intention of making a general battle. But just as they were about to attack an order came from Bragg for them to desist at once. Thoroughly angered, Forrest obeyed. This was Nov.
6. Nov. 17 the advance of Rosecrans' army, with the commander-in-chief himself, reached Nashville, and immediate prospects of capturing it from the Union forces ceased, Rosecrans established his headquarters in Nashville. back through the cedars to. the Murfreesboro pike.
Negley's division, too, was broken. While the fight was going thus disastrously to McCook on the right, Rosecrans was with the left. His headquarters were in the rear of Crittenden's corps. Rosecrans' plan was for his left to. cross Stone river and sweep into Murfreesboro while his right engaged Hardee's main force west of the river and town.
Gen. Van Cleve crossed early in the morning with two brigades, meeting no opposition. Gen. T. Wood's division was following Van Cleve.
A thunderous roaring on the right showed that McCook was engaged. An hour passed. The left wing was still crossing quietly to the east bank of Stone river. Suddenly one of McCook's staff rode hurriedly to the commander-in-chief and told him the right wing was hard pressed and needed assistance. But he was not told how badly it was going; that Johnson's division had been surprised and routed, and that Davis' brigades had been doubled up, one after the other.
Rosecrans merely sent back word to McCook to hold on to the last, and then went on crossing his left. -It was true the firing sounded more and more to the west, but McCook had been directed by Rosecrans to bear gradually to the west and north in the fight, in military parlance to refuse more and more to the right, and this seemed in accordance with instructions. Rosecrans' plan of battle also comprised somewhat the idea of revolving wheel. At length another messenger arrived, telling the commander that the whole right wing was in It was a time for swift action. Van Cleve's brigades were recalled and sent quickly to the center.
Rousseau was sent into the cedar thickets to aid Sheridan and Negley. Van Cleve and Wood were ordered to cease crossing the river and come up on the double quick. Gen. Palmer's division was the only one of the left wing that. had not moved to cross the river.
It was chiefly on the west side of the Murfreesboro pike. Gen. W. B. Hazen's brigade lay partly across the pike.
Gen. Hazen died while chief of the United States signal service. Rosecrans at once began to form a new line in place of that which had been broken. As the victorious Confederates rushed on, still turning the circle of the wheel, they encountered Hazen's and Cruft's brigades of Palmer's division. They met gallantly the outset of the enemy while Rosecrans was forming his new line.
Rousseau's division, meaptime, cut its way through the Confederates to the rear of the cedar thicket, and with Negley's division formed in line, with their batteries upon a slight hill to the rear. Palmer's division was on Neglet's left, and here, with Rousseau's and Negley's divisions, and Hazen's and Cruft's brigades of Palmer's division, was some of the most desperate fighting of that bloody day. From the little bill Guenther's and Loomis' batteries poured double shotted canister upon the Confederate masses. Four determined assaults were made to break the Union seau, but each was repulsed. In a charge against Cruft's brigade Chalmers was severely wounded.
Palmer had one more brigade left in his divisionGrose's. It formed his reserve at first, but was at length drawn into actien on Hazen's left, and lost half its number at a point called "Round Forest," against which line in front of Rousy 6 GEN. W. B. HAZEN.
the Confederates especi- that condition the general had sat upon his horse and given orders all day. FORD OF TURNPIKE STONES W. MURFREES MURFREESBORO SCALE STONE RIVER BATTLE GROUND. Some of the officers wished to give up the fight and retire to Nashville. Rosecrans refused.
That night he completed his new line and prepared for the fight of ally directed their force. Still further to the left Gen. Wood's division became engaged hotly by Breckinridge, but the attempt to drive Wood from his position was unsuccessKUL. orions to this allot been engaged but Breckinridge, and now every one of his divisions was in the battle. There was fighting all along the line, desperate fighting, too.
One unsuccessful assault was made on Wood at 2 o'clock, another at 4. A terrific, but also ineffectual, assault was made on the Federal right and center late in the afternoon. Then darkness fell and the firing ceased. Detachments came out from each side to bury the dead. Both armies slept upon the field.
Rosecrans showed himself that day a gallant leader of men. Riding hither and thither on the front line ho was constantly exposed to danger. At the time of the assault of Breckinridge's men against "Round Forest," Rosecrans was there with his staff, being anxious for his left. A shell from the enemy burst near them. A piece grazed Rosecrans, just missing him, and took off the head of his chief of staff, Col.
Garesche. Col. Julius P. Garesche was a Cuban and a gallant officer, greatly beloved, and his death was profoundly lamented by his comrades. On that day of fighting Gen.
Thomas, 011 the center, first had opportunity to manifest on a large scale those staying qualities which afterward made him famous. Through all COL. GARESCHE. the fiery ordeal of Stone River he stood cool and unmoved, giving orders, and to him Rosecrans turned as to a rock of dependence. It was the formation of his new line of battle that saved the day for Rosecrans Dec.
81. The battle of Stone River was fought on the west and north of Murfreesboro. Rosecrans' line faced to the east and south Dec. 31 in the morning. The new line was northwest of the old one and faced more toward the west.
The successive positions of the Federal and Confederate lines at Stone River is an interesting and instructive study in military science. In the evening of the 31st Rosecrans and his generals met and considered the situation. Gen. Wood had been wounded in the foot early in the day, but had never left the saddle till 7 at night. Then he.
took from the wounded foot his boot and held it upside Blood poured from it like water. In JAN. 1, 1863. The first day of the new year was Thursday. Early in the morning the Confederates tried without success to force Thomas' line in the center.
The attempt was several times renewed equally in vain. There was also some cavalry skirmishing. In the afternoon Bragg massed his troops heavily toward the Federal right, but no attack was made by either general. On the Federal side during the Van Cleve's division again crossed the river to the Murfreesboro side, and here was continued skirmishing between his men and Poll's corps. Some other slight changes in the Union troops were BATTLE OF JAN.
2. At daylight on Friday -Gen. Bragg opened fire on the Federal center. He also opened fire on McCook on the right. He was endeavoring, as he had been the day before, to find whether Rosecrans was retreating.
A heavy artillery fire speedily convinced him to the contrary. At the same time he made the discovery that Van Cleve's division had obtained a position to enfilade Polk's whole line. Breckinridge's division was ordered to dislodge him. It advanced in two lines, Pillow's and Gen. Roger M.
Hanson's brigades in the first line, Preston's and Adams' in the second. They were protected by cavalry on the right, Van Cleve's division was commanded by Col. Samuel Beatty. Negley's division was placed in position on the west bank of the river as a reserve, to support Beatty in case of need. At tife same time Gen.
Crittenden massed his artillery 011 the west bank opposite Breckinridge's division, and prepared to rake the Confederates as they came on to attack. They moved up gallantly, in spite of the cannonading, and opened a heavy fire. Van Cleve's division retired across the river. They slipped between the men of Negley's line and went to the rear to reform. The Federal fortunes were here saved by the strategy of Col.
John F. Miller, commanding Negley's right brigade. Negley himself was absent in the rear. Col. Miller ordered the division to lie down behind the bluff of the river till Van Cleve's men had passed over and behind them.
Then, as Breckinridge's. men came on in pursuit, the recumbent soldiers were to rise suddenly and pour 8 deadly fire in their faces. The order was carried out to the letter. Breckinridge recoiled and fell back. "Charge across the river!" was Miller's next order.
It was done and the Confederates were driven to their intrenchments. While at the river Col. Miller received an order not to cross. Sure of victory, however, he took the liberty of ignoring the order, knowing the situation better than his commander. The Confederates were broken and the colors of the Twenty-sixth Tennessee were numbered among the captured Confederate battle flags.
"If we don't charge the rebels, they'll charge us," Col. Miller had said before crossing the river. After it was done, and Hazen's brigade and division were following on after his men, then Miller obeyed his orders, went back to the west side of the river and took position on his old line. Bragg sent Anderson's brigade across to the east side of the river to join Breckinridge. But Rosecrans presently crossed Crittenden's whole corps, who took, position on the bluffs of the east bank.
The morning of Jan. 3 Bragg began heavy picket firing again, to ascertain how large a force was in his front. Once more the answer was not satisfactory. The night Polk and his division commanders had sent Bragg a letter advising him to retreat. He decided to do so.
By 11 at night, Jan. 3, his forces were in motion southward, and Rosecrans had won a famous victory. Monday, Jan. 5, Gen. Thomas entered Murfreesboro.
The Confederate generals, Rains and Hanson, were killed at Stone River, So, also, were every one of Sheridan's brigade commanders- Shafer and Roberts. Of the forces engaged, Rosecrans had 400: Bragg, 46.600. Each lost about 25 per cent. of his whole army in killed, wounded and captured. For.
the Federal cause this seven days' fighting between Nashville. and Murfreesboro had great results. It lost Kentucky to the Confederacy beyond hope, also Nashville. The Stone River fight was one of the great battles of the war, if not of the world. A Wonderful Cure.
Mr. Richard Spencer, 2502 Garrison Avenue, St. Louis, states: I have been seriously affected with a dry, hacking cough for two years and have sought reliof from many sources with no success. My wife urged me totry Ballard's Horehound Syrup and I did so with most gratifying results. My cough disappeared with the third bottle, and Iny lungs are as strong as eyer.
-I would not be without it in the house. Call for bottle at A. If, Totten's. -James Longham is a prominent cattle dealer of Belleville, Ontario. Mr.
Longham recently receiyed a cable dispatch from Lord Dufferin, Viceroy of India, offering him the management of the estate of Prince Nizam, of Hyderabad, at a salary of $15,000 a year. Mr. Longham has accepted the offer. Prince Nizam intends to run his estate on American principles and with the latest improved agricultural machinery. Never more popular and prosperous than to-day, the Magazine of American History opens its nineteenth volume with facing in differ- changed his line of moved his reserve difront, and put it.
Breckinridge's Confederate right. Cleas a opport. taken from Breckinof McCown's dileft. Bragg's force the second a sixth In front of the first center, and Critlike McCook, found to Murfreesboro December contested. supporting dis29.
That night Thomas' corps camped Negley's division to within three miles 30 Rousseau's divisCrittenden's force, within full sight brigade, indeed, Murfreesboro side of Breckinridge's return. right under Breckleft, where he bewould be. Breckinridge, who commanded the Confederate right Stone river, belonged to the famous old Kentucky family of that name. They were a handsome, finely developed race physically. John was born at Lexington in 1821, was educated in his native state, except few months spent Jersey.
He studied distinguished member was a major in a January ber. "Thurlow Weed's Home in New York City," where the great resided during the last seventeen years politician. of his life, is richly illustrated with exterior and interior views, and an admirable portrait of Mr. Weed in his later years is the frontispiece to the number. The graphic and informing description of the house and its distinguished occupant, is from the ready pen of the editor of the magazine, who introduces an account of Mr.
Weed's marvelous experience in France at a critical period in our ciyil war, in his own exact language. A fac-simile of one of President Lincoln's letters to Mr. Weed accompanies this valnable paper. The second contribution to the number, "Canada; Reciprocity. or Commercial Union," by Dr.
Prosper Bender, is calculated to attract wide popular attention. "Samuel Carpenter, the elder, by Wharton Dickinson, touches upon an early period of Pennsylvania history of unique importance. "General Andrew Jackson's Account of the Battle of Horseshoe, in 1814," never before published, is a most welcome contribution from Gen. Marcus J. Wright.
"The Discovery of Yucatan" is a charmingly written sketch, by Alice D. Le Plongeon. Historical Sketch of Christ Church, New York' City," is an able and authoritative paper, is by William J. Davies. Then follows "The Fundamental Principles of our Government," by Franklin A.
Beecher "March 25, New Year's Day," a novelty for some of our readers, by William S. Bogart; Prof. Rivers Reply to the criticisms of Prof. Hubbard; "The Northwestern Country in 1797 curious data about High Hats" in 1831; and a brief but appreciative tribute to the late Hon. J.
Carson Brevoort, and one also to the late Mrs. John Jacob Astor, in "Historic and Social Jottings." The number also contains its usual amount of interesting miscellany, with book reviews, some of which are illustrated. This magazine is an imperative necessity to all readers of intelligence. With its stores of varied information, and its careful editing, its value for preservation becomes more and more distinctly apparent with each succeding issue. Price $5.00 a year.
743 Broadway, New York A as.
