At the time of the advance of the Army of the Cumberland, Polk's corps of Bragg's army occupied the main position at Shelbyville, strongly intrenched behind heavy works thrown up during the six months of waiting. These added to the natural strength of the position, and extended from Horse Mountain on the east, to Duck River on the west, and were covered by a line of abattis. The town was noted for the strong Union sentiment of its inhabitants, of which fact the rebels took full advantage to the loss and distress of the people. It is situated about twenty-five miles south of Murfreesboro, and some twenty miles North of Tullahoma, on a branch railrfrom the main Nashville line, starting west from Wartrace. Bragg's right was posted at Wartrace, with Hardee's corps occupying the passes at Liberty, Hoover, and Bellbuckle Gaps. These gaps were all held by strong forces of the enemy, supported by the main command. Polk had an advance in Guy's Gap with his entire command in supporting distance. Bragg's extreme right was protected by cavalry with headquarters at McMinnville, while his cavalry on the left, under Forrest, had headquarters at Columbia, threatening Franklin.
At this time the main base of supplies of the enemy was at Chattanooga, to which the entire country south of Duck River had been made tributary. From Duck River, south, the country is rough, with rocky ranges of hills, which divide the "barrens" from the fertile parts of Middle Tennessee. These "barrens" constitute a high rolling plateau of ground between the ranges of hills at Duck River and the Cumberland Mountains. It is here that the soil during a rainy season offers the greatest obstacle to active campaigning. Situated on the "barrens," at the junction of the McMinnville branch with the Nashville and Chattanooga Railr was Tullahoma, a small straggling village, where Bragg had established his main depot and made a large intrenched camp. The defiles of Duck River, a deep, narrow stream with but few fords or bridges, covered its front, with a rough rocky range of hills immediately south of the river. The principal r as they passed through these hills bore southwardly toward the line of the enemy's communications and Tullahoma. The Manchester pike passed through Hoover's Gap and reached the "barrens" by ascending a long, difficult canon called Matt's Hollow. The Wartrace rpassed through Liberty Gap, and from there it ran into the ralong the railrthrough Bellbuckle Gap. The direct rto Shelbyville goes through Guy's Gap.
Rosecrans was satisfied from the information he had received that Bragg intended to fight in his intrenchments at Shelbyville, in the event of the army advancing in that direction. The "effective total present," as reported by Bragg as the strength of his army on June 20, 1863, at Shelbyville, was 43,089, of all arms. If he were attacked at Shelbyville and beaten, he would then be in good position to retreat to his strong intrenchments at Tullahoma, and on his retreat could so retard Rosecrans's advance through the narrow winding r leading up to the "barrens," as to fully protect his own line of retreat and inflict severe loss on the advancing force without exposing his own troops. Rosecrans's plan of campaign was to render useless Bragg's intrenchments by turning his right, and then if possible secure his line of retreat by moving on the railrbridge at Elk River. Bragg by this means would either be forced to accept battle on ground chose by Rosecrans, or be compelled to beat a retreat on a disadvantageous line, neither as direct nor by as good r as he would have from Shelbyville and Tullahoma due south. To carry out this plan it was necessary to impress Bragg with the idea that our advance would be in force on Shelbyville, and, if possible, to keep up this impression until the main body of our army reached Manchester. The success of this would keep Bragg's attention on the movement on his front at Shelbyville, and enable our army to pass through the dangerous defile of Hoover's Gap, a narrow passage-way three miles long, between two hills, and so on through Matt's Hollow, an equally dangerous defile, being a gorge two miles long with hardly room anywhere for wagons to pass each other. These passes were only eight miles from Hardee's headquarters and sixteen from Shelbyville.
The plan then of Rosecrans in the advance on Tullahoma, was to make a feint with Granger's corps and the main portion of the cavalry, on Polk's command in his strong position at Shelbyville, and to mass the three main corps on Bragg's right at Wartrace. The army being all ready for the opening campaign, on the 23d of June General R. B. Mitchell with his command--the First Cavalry Division--commenced the advance from Triune on the Eaglesville and Shelbyville pike, in the feint on Polk's command, made a furious attack on Bragg's cavalry and drove in his infantry guards on their main force, pressing the whole line on that front. Granger with the three divisions of his corps and Brannan's division of Thomas's corps, on that day moved with three days' rations from Triune to Salem.
On the same day, Palmer's division and a brigade of cavalry marched to the vicinity of Bradyville, for the purpose of seizing with his advance the head of the defile leading over an obscure rby Lumley's Station to Manchester, and so up to the "barrens." All the other troops were supplied with twelve days' rations of bread, coffee, sugar, and salt, with six days' pork and bacon, and six days' meat on hoof, and were held in readiness to move southward. These movements being made, the next day the entire army pressed forward on the advance.
In the evening of the 23d, the corps commanders met at army headquarters. The plan of the campaign was fully explained to them, and each one received in writing his orders as to his part in the movement.
"Major-General McCook's corps to advance on the Shelbyville r turn to the left, move two divisions by Millersburg, and advancing on the Wartrace rseize and hold Liberty Gap. The third division to advance on Fosterville and cover the crossing of General Granger's command from the Middleton r and then move by Christiana to join the rest of the corps.
"General Granger to advance on the Middleton r threatening that place, and cover the passing of General Brannan's division of the Fourteenth Corps, which was to pass by Christiana and bivouac with the rear division of the Twentieth Corps.
"The Fourteenth Corps, Major-General Thomas, to advance on the Manchester pike, seize and hold with its advance, if practicable, Hoover's Gap, and bivouac so as to command and cover that and the Millersburg r so that McCook and himself could be within supporting distances of each other.
"Major-General Crittenden to leave Van Cleve's division of the Twenty-first Army Corps at Murfreesboro, concentrate at Bradyville with the other two, and await orders."
One brigade of cavalry under Turchin was sent with Crittenden to establish a lookout toward McMinnville. All the remaining cavalry under Stanley was to meet Mitchell as he came in from Versailles and at once attack the rebel cavalry at Middleton.
These movements were all promptly executed in the midst of heavy drenching rains, as it only could rain in the mountains and hills of Tennessee, whenever the Army of the Cumberland made a forward movement. The ground was so softened on all the dirt r as to render them next to impassable.
The Twentieth Corps, consisting of Johnson's, Davis's, and Sheridan's divisions, started on the Shelbyville pike, and by different cross r moved to the left to Millersburg, where Davis's and Sheridan's divisions encamped for the night. Johnson's division was advanced up to Liberty Gap, with the Thirty-ninth Indiana, under Colonel Harrison, thrown forward to skirmish. Harrison developed the enemy in front of the Gap. Willich's brigade was moved forward, and drove the skirmishers in the rebel front back upon their main line, placed on the crest of the hills, on each side of the entrance to the gap. Here the enemy was too strongly posted to attack his front. Another brigade under Colonel John F. Miller, who had been transferred from Negley's division to Johnson's, was then brought forward. These two brigades were at once deployed in line, making a front of such length as to envelop both flanks of the enemy's line, and advancing, these brigades gallantly drove the rebels through the defile, a distance of two miles. After clearing the gap, the troops returned to the north end of it and there bivouacked. On the following day, late in the afternoon, an attack was made on Willich's and Miller's brigades, to drive them out of the north end of the gap. Johnson's failure to hold the southern entrance enabled the enemy again to enter it, and to secure it entirely they made this attack. The engagement opened with a heavy fire on the centre of the command, the enemy attacking in force. They were handsomely repulsed. Renewing the attack, Hardee then endeavored to secure positions on the hills to the right and left, so as to command Johnson's flanks with his fire, but each movement was met by Johnson's troops, supported by Carlin's brigade of Davis's division, and every attack was repulsed. Beaten at every point, late in the evening the enemy withdrew entirely, taking position at Bellbuckle. The fighting at Liberty Gap was the most severe of the campaign, and in this attack Johnson's command, including Carlin's brigade, lost two hundred and thirty-one killed and wounded. The enemy's loss was still greater. It was in repelling one of the attacks on the left that Colonel Miller fell severely wounded with a minie ball through his left eye while leading his brigade.
On the 24th, General Thomas moved direct on the Manchester pike from Murfreesboro, Reynold's division in advance, starting at 4 o'clock in the morning, under orders, if possible, to seize and hold Hoover's Gap. At 7 A.M., Rousseau's division followed in support of Reynold's division, which encountered the mounted videttes of the enemy a few miles beyond our picket station, forced them upon their reserve, and then resolutely pressing on drove the entire force on the run, through Hoover's Gap and beyond McBride's Creek. Wilder, finding the enemy about to attack him with two brigades from the division of Fairfield, occupied a strong position on the hills at the southern entrance of the gap. Reynolds at once moved his two infantry brigades forward and occupied the gap in the rear of Wilder's command, prepared to resist the enemy on the front. Wilder's brigade was immediately attacked by the enemy's force. Reynolds supported him at once with his other brigades, which were posted on the ridge of woods on the extreme right to prevent the enemy turning our right flank, then heavily engaged by a superior force. With these reinforcements the enemy was driven back out of the woods, and three regiments were posted on the right, making that position secure. Major Coolidge, commanding the brigade of regulars of Rousseau's division, was ordered to reinforce Reynolds, and every preparation was made for an attack on the following morning. The other brigades of Rousseau's command, with Negley's division, occupied the gap in the rear of Reynolds during the night. Early on the morning of the 25th, Scribner was ordered with his brigade to the front, in support of the batteries and to form a picket line on the extreme left.
On the 24th, Crittenden, with Wood's and Palmer's divisions, marched to Bradyville, leaving Van Cleve's division to garrison Murfreesboro. Granger, with his three divisions and Brannan's, advanced from Salem to Christiana. Turchin's division of cavalry under Stanley moved on the Woodbury pike to Cripple Creek, and thence through Salem. During the day Mitchell advanced from Rover through Versailles to Middleton, where he had a sharp engagement with the enemy's cavalry.
The plans of the enemy not being yet fully developed, and in view of the uncertainty that existed whether he would fall on McCook's front, or mass on Thomas near Fairfield, Rosecrans issued the following orders for the 25th:
"Major-General Crittenden to advance to Lannon's Stand, six miles east of Beech Grove, and open communications with General Thomas.
"General Thomas to attack the rebels on the flank of his advance position at the forks of the r and drive the rebels toward Fairfield.
"General McCook to feign and advance, as if in force, on the Wartrace rby the Liberty Gap passes.
"General Stanley, with his cavalry, to occupy their attention at Forsterville, and General Granger to support him with his infantry at Christiana."
In the event that Thomas succeeded in his attack and drove the enemy toward Wartrace, he was then to cover that rwith a division, and taking the remainder of his troops was to move rapidly on Manchester. McCook was then to move in and take Thomas's place at Beech Grove, holding Liberty Gap with a division, and was finally to withdraw that and follow Thomas with his entire command to Manchester.
The same day that Crittenden's command marched to Holly Springs, Brannan's division reached the main command of Thomas, and went into camp with Rousseau at Hoover's Mills. Reynolds had a slight skirmish with the enemy on his front. On the night of the 25th, Rousseau was ordered up with his division to take position immediately in the rear of Reynolds, preparatory to an attack on the enemy's position at Beech Grove the next morning. Minty's brigade of cavalry pressed forward at all points and drove the enemy to Guy's Gap. Long took position at Lumley's Station. The remainder of Turchin's division moved in the advance with General Crittenden.
The incessant rains that had fallen since the opening of the campaign delayed the advance, by preventing Brannan joining the Fourteenth Corps as soon as was expected. During the night of the 25th it rained so continuously that it was almost impossible for the troops to move, but by extraordinary exertions the divisions were all in position by 10.30 A. M. At 4 o'clock in the morning Brannan's division moved up to take part in the attack. At 8 A. M. Negley's division took position to support the attack of the other divisions. If the enemy's position at Beech Grove was carried, then Rousseau and Brannon were to push on to Manchester that night if possible. At 10.30 A.M. the advance was ordered. Moving forward on the rebels in force on the heights north of Garrison Creek, our army drove them steadily and rapidly toward Fairfield, Rousseau and Brannan operating on their left flank from the hills north of the Fairfield r while Reynolds advanced against their front and right. The enemy had prepared for an obstinate resistance, and attempted to enfilade Thomas's troops from the high ground on his right. This was effectually prevented by a gallant charge of Walker's brigade and the regulars under Major Coolidge, who drove the enemy from this position. Thomas pushed forward his troops, driving the rebels in the direction of Fairfield, who covered their retreat with two batteries of artillery, occupying positions behind strong lines of skirmishers flanked by heavy cavalry force. The rebels thus retired to Fairfield, near to which place our pickets were advanced. Reynold's division and the baggage moved forward during the night toward Manchester. Late in the afternoon Wilander's brigade seized Matt's Hollow, and thus secured that passage. Thomas placed his divisions in line of battle extending from the Fairfield rto within five miles of Manchester. McCook remained in camp at Liberty Gap during the day, while Granger rested at Christiana. Crittenden's command pressed forward as rapidly as possible on toward Manchester, struggling over almost impassable r.
Rosecrans's headquarters, on the 27th, reached Manchester. The advanced position secured by Thomas's command rendered the concentration of the whole army on the enemy's left, through Hoover's Gap, at this time an easy matter. With this done, Bragg would either be forced to fight in resisting the further advance of the army under Rosecrans, or abandon Middle Tennessee altogether. Early on the morning of the 27th, Reynolds's advance brigade--Wilder's mounted infantry--took possession of Manchester, capturing forty prisoners, a guard at the railrdepot, and taking the town completely by surprise. Reynolds's entire division reached Manchester during the morning. General Thomas then moved Rousseau's and Brannan's divisions in pursuit of the enemy, driving him as far as Fairfield, and ascertained at that place that the rebels had retreated entirely. These two divisions then turned into the Fairfield and Manchester r Brannan's reaching the latter place at 10 P.M. and Rousseau's at midnight. Negley's division had, during the day, been moving in support of these two divisions toward the Fairfield r by way of Noale Fork, and arrived at Manchester at 8 P.M. Thomas's corps being now together, it was manifest that the enemy must leave his intrenchment at Shelbyville, and that our army must be prepared to meet him at Tullahoma, only twelve miles distant. Rosecrans gave the necessary orders at once to the other corps commanders to close up their columns on Manchester, and be prepared for the contest.
On the extreme right our cavalry, on the 27th, did brilliant work. Supported by the reserve corps under Granger, Stanley advanced from Christiana to Guy's Gap, where the advance of the rebel army under Wheeler, with Martin's and a portion of Wharton's divisions, was encountered. Charging down on them with Minty's brigade, closely followed by Mitchell's division, Stanley routed and drove them out of the gap into their intrenchments just north of Shelbyville. Here they again made a stand. Dashing ahead, Minty encountered them in their works, and drove them in disorder from their intrenchments into Shelbyville. While Minty was pushing them on the front, Mitchell came up, turned their right, cutting off their direct line of retreat, and both forces united in driving them beyond the town, completely defeated. Wheeler lost all his artillery and some five hundred prisoners. A large number of the rebels were driven into Duck River and drowned while attempting to cross. The flight was so hurried that Wheeler himself only escaped by swimming the river. This successful movement established the fact that Bragg had abandoned his strong line of defence at Shelbyville, and the question now to be answered was whether he would accept battle at Tullahoma, or retire with his entire command across the Cumberland Mountains and the Tennessee River, fighting as he fell back.
While the concentration of his command at Manchester was being effected, Rosecrans determined to break the line of railrin the rear of Bragg's army, if possible. On the morning of the 28th Wilder, with his brigade of mounted infantry, started at reveille by way of Hillsboro, to burn Elk River bridge, and to destroy the railrbetween Dechard and Cowan. John Beatty, with his brigade of infantry marched to Hillsboro for the purpose of covering and supporting Wilder's movement. The latter reached Elk River and crossed his command, floating his mountain howitzers on a raft made of an old saw-mill. He then moved on to Dechard, where, after a slight skirmish with a detachment of the enemy, he destroyed the depot full of commissary goods, the water tanks, the railrbridge over the Winchester r and tore up some three hundred yards of the railr Earlier in the day Wilder sent part of his command, under Colonel Munroe, to destroy the railrbridge over Elk River. Withers's division of Bragg's army reached this point only a few moments ahead of Munroe, and prevented the burning of the bridge. Finding that the enemy was in pursuit of him at all points, Wilder next moved to Tantalon and Anderson with detachments of his command, but was compelled to retire, as these points were strongly guarded by heavy forces of the enemy's infantry. Crossing the mountains that night on his return over the Tracy City r and so on to Pelham, the troops slept at the foot of the mountains, and started the next morning just in time to escape Forrest, who was in pursuit with ten regiments of cavalry. Wilder reached Manchester at 1 P.M. of the 30th.
Sheridan's division of McCook's corps reached Manchester on the 29th. The command--troops and animals--suffered severely on their march over the heavy r. Crittenden's command, which had been on the rsince the 26th, reached Manchester also on the 29th, after marching with all speed, badly worn, by reason of the terrible rains and fearful r. The condition of the latter may be inferred from the fact that it required four days of incessant labor for Crittenden to advance the distance of twenty-one miles. The concentration of the entire army being effected, orders were given for the final movement on the 30th, as follows:
"The Fourteenth Corps to occupy the centre at Concord Church and Bobo Cross R, with a division in reserve.
"The Twentieth Corps to take the right on Crumpton's Creek, two divisions in echelon retired, one in reserve.
"The Twenty-first Corps to come up on the left near Hall's Chapel, one division in front and one in reserve."
The rain had rendered the r over which this movement was to be made as soft and spongy as a swamp, into which the wagons cut to the hubs, and even horses could only pass over with the greatest exertion. The troops on the 30th were compelled to drag along the artillery through the mud into position. While the orders for the movements of the troops were being executed on the 30th, Thomas sent Steedman's brigade of Brannan's division, and two regiments of Negley's division on separate r to reconnoitre the enemy's position, and Sheridan sent Bradley's brigade of his own division on another r for the same purpose. These reconnoissances all returned, and reported having found the enemy in force within a mile or two of Tullahoma, on all r except the one leading to Estill Springs. Scouts coming in confirmed this, adding that it was the general belief that Bragg would not leave his intrenchments at Tullahoma without a fight.
On the same day Rosecrans ordered his topographical engineers to ascertain the nature of the ground, in order to determine the practicability of moving by columns in mass in line of battle from the position in front, to gain the rear of the rebel position. Their report being favorable, all arrangements were completed, and the second division of Crittenden's corps was moved into position.
On July 1st, Thomas, hearing from a citizen that the enemy were evacuating Tullahoma, ordered Steedman with his brigade, supported by two regiments of Reynolds's division on the left, to advance cautiously and ascertain if the report was true. Pushing forward his advance, Steedman, meeting with no opposition, entered the place at noon, capturing a few prisoners. Rosecrans being at once notified of this, immediately ordered Rousseau's and Negley's divisions in pursuit. Pressing forward with all possible haste by Spring Creek, these divisions overtook the rear guard of the enemy late in the afternoon at Bethpage Bridge, two miles above the railrcrossing, where, after a sharp skirmish, in which a good many of our men were wounded, the rebels were driven steadily back, until darkness prevented further pursuit. The enemy, occupying the heights south of the river, commanded the bridge with their artillery, which they had placed behind epaulements.
On the 2d, the ammunition was brought forward, and McCook, with Sheridan's and Davis's divisions, was ordered in pursuit on the r west of the railr Sheridan, on arriving at Rock Creek Ford, found Elk River so swollen with the heavy rains of the past week as to be barely fordable for cavalry. On the south bank of the river the enemy had posted a force of cavalry to resist the crossing. Sheridan opened fire at once on them, drove them away, and occupied the ford. During the night the enemy burned the bridge on the line of advance of Thomas, who found equal difficulty in crossing. Here the river was very deep, and he ordered Rousseau's, Brannan's, and Reynolds's divisions up the river to Jones's Ford. Hambright's brigade was thrown across the river, and the other troops went into camp on the north bank. Hambright captured several rebel prisoners, who told him that Bragg's army was in full retreat by way of Pelham and Cowan, across the Cumberland Mountains. Turchin, with a small brigade of cavalry, moved forward from Hillsboro on the Dechard r On reaching the fords of Elk River at Morris Ferry he found the rebel cavalry strongly posted. He attacked them at once, re-enforced by Mitchell's command, and forced a passage of the river after a sharp fight. Night closed the pursuit.
On the 3d, Sheridan succeeded in crossing Elk River, supported by Davis's division, and pursued the enemy to Cowan, where he learned that Bragg had crossed the mountains with part of his artillery and infantry by the University and Sweden's Cove, sending Hardee's corps into Sequatchie Valley, and covering his retreat with his cavalry. Thomas crossed Rousseau's and Brannan's divisions at Jones's Ford and ordered them to take position on the Winchester and Hillsboro r He directed Negley and Reynolds to cross their divisions at the ford on the Winchester and Manchester pike. On the 4th, Rousseau was ordered to march to the Dechard and Pelham r, and to take up position at Brackenfield's Point toward the University. Reynolds encamped at Penningtown, and Brannan's division at Taite's. The cavalry sent from Sheridan's position, and by Stanley from the main column, developed the fact that the enemy was entirely across the mountains, and the troops were now ordered into camp to await supplies from the depot at Murfreesboro.
Bragg's army reached Chattanooga the first week in July. Here he established his headquarters with Polk's corps retained in and around town for the purposes of observation, with the exception of Anderson's brigade of Withers's division, which was ordered to Bridgeport, at the crossing of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railrover the Tennessee River. Hardee's corps was distributed along the line of the Knoxville Railr with Tyner's Station as the centre. At Chattanooga Bragg at once commenced fortifying his position, which work he steadily prosecuted for some weeks, awaiting the development of Rosecrans's plans. He also threw up defensive works at each of the crossings of the Tennessee as far north as Blyth's Ferry. Forrest was sent to Kingston, on the north bank of the Tennessee River, with orders to picket the approaches to the river from Sequatchie Valley, as well as the various crossings of the river, and to maintain a watchful observation of Burnside's movements in East Tennessee.
The Tullahoma campaign, with the exception of the one immediately following, which placed the Army of the Cumberland across the Tennessee and terminated in the battle of Chickamauga, was the most brilliant of the great strategic campaigns carried to a successful issue by General Rosecrans. The movements of the army occupied nine days, during which time the enemy was driven from two strongly fortified positions, with a loss in prisoners captured of 1,634, eleven pieces of artillery, and a large amount of stores and supplies. The result of this campaign gave to Rosecrans possession of Middle Tennessee, and placed the armies back in the relative positions occupied by them prior to Bragg's advance into Kentucky, a little less than one year previous. The campaign was conducted throughout, in one of the most extraordinary series of rain-storms ever known in Tennessee at that season of the year. This, with the resistance interposed by Bragg at our advance at Hoover's Gap, retarded operations thirty-six hours, and in front of Manchester a detention of sixty hours occurred. These delays and the storms prevented us getting possession of Bragg's communication and forcing him to a very disastrous battle. General Rosecrans in his official report of this campaign says: "These results were far more successful than were anticipated, and could only have been obtained by a surprise as to the direction and force of our movements."
Bragg made no official report of the Tullahoma campaign, but in a statement to General J. E. Johnston of his operations at that time, he says that he offered battle behind his works at Shelbyville to Rosecrans, which was refused; that the latter passed to his, Bragg's, right on two occasions, threatening his rear. He being not able to cope with the Federal army retreated to the Tennessee. Bragg adds: "The Tennessee will be taken as our line."
During these nine days of active campaigning the Army of the Cumberland, numbering less than sixty thousand effective men, with a loss of 560 killed, wounded, and missing, compelled the army under Bragg, numbering something less than forty-five thousand effective men, to retreat a greater distance and out of far stronger positions than the united armies under Sherman were able to compel the same army with but slight additional strength under General Joe Johnston, to fall back, in four months of active field campaigning, with a very much larger relative loss. The proportion of the forces of the opposing armies during the Tullahoma campaign was far nearer equal than that on to Atlanta, while the natural and military obstacles to be overcome were largely the greater in the Tullahoma campaign. To Bragg the forward movement of the Federal army in full strength was a surprise, but to find that army so far in his rear and so near to cutting his line of communications was a much greater surprise. These might not have been guarded against, but nothing displayed the marked superiority of Rosecrans over his opponent, as a great strategist, so much as the grand success of the final movement of the campaign, from Manchester south. The general who--as even the rebels, in their worship of their leader General Lee, admitted--was able in Western Virginia to completely outgeneral Lee, on the Tullahoma campaign again demonstrated his ability as the greatest strategic general of the war.
Brilliant campaigns, however, without battles, do not accomplish the destruction of an army. A campaign like that of Tullahoma always means a battle at some other point. This was true after the Atlanta campaign, where Sherman got the glory and Thomas did the fighting. This was equally true as to the Tullahoma, and the fact that these two armies were yet somewhere to meet and engage in deadly strife, was apparent to the commanders of both armies. Where and when that meeting was to be was the problem that engaged the minds of both these commanders. In the Tullahoma campaign the elements were on the side of Bragg's army, both in preventing the rapid movements of the Federal army, and in furnishing a perfect barrier to a successful pursuit when the retreat was under way, by the high water in the swollen streams, the bridges over which Bragg destroyed as he fell back.
The concluding line of Bragg's letter to Johnston, that "The Tennessee will be taken as our line," demonstrated that, to his mind at least, his Kentucky movement of the year before did not meet with the success he anticipated. Here now he was waiting his opportunity to contest his last foothold on the State of Tennessee at the far corner in Chattanooga. With Rosecrans, his army required after these days of hard campaigning a rest to repair the wear and tear of the heavy marching, and the resupplying of his entire command. The railr in his rear required his attention first. These were placed in order up to his army, and the repairs on the rto the front were then to be pushed to the Tennessee River. In three weeks time these were completed, and on the 25th, the first supply train was pushed through to the Tennessee River. Then Rosecrans established his new depot of supplies at Stevenson, Alabama, and hastened, as rapidly as he could, the accumulation of supplies at that point.
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