e
movement, and drew up his men in readiness. He had barely 1,500 with which
he might hope to check 10,000, flushed with victory. In a few moments the
crisis was at hand, and Miller was still awaiting orders. His brigade
opened ranks to let through the fugitives, and then Miller, placing
himself at the head of his men, spurred his horse into the water. He was
in mid-stream, when the orderly returned with the news that General
Palmer, the only general officer to be found, had forbidden the movement.

"It is too late now," replied Miller, and drawing his sword, he gave the
order to charge.

The very audacity of this step was its success. It is probable that the
Confederates believed Miller to be leading an overwhelming force, for they
stopped, fired a few shots, and then began to retreat. With fixed
bayonets, Miller's men pursued, and now, with quick perception of the
opportunity, other Union commands joined in the charge. Perhaps a half
mile had been traversed when the Confederates showed signs of rallying.
But as their lines were halted and rearranged, the missiles of death from
half a hundred cannon,--drawn hastily together by Major Mendenhall,
Crittenden's chief of artillery, and posted on a hill which commanded the
whole field,--suddenly fell among them. They fled again, leaving on the
ground 2,000 dead and wounded,--the fruit of an action of less than an
hour.

This ended the battle of Stone's River. For another twenty-four hours the
two armies confronted each other with no fight of importance. During the
night of January 3, Bragg retreated unmolested. He reported having
received information that Rosecrans was being reenforced, but in this
again he may be suspected of a euphemism. As a matter of fact, the retreat
had been advised at a council of his principal generals, two of
whom,--Withers and Cheatham,--united in the blunt statement over their own
signatures that he had only three reliable divisions left and that these
were, to a certain extent, demoralized. Most of his officers also assured
him, with equal frankness, that he ought to give up the command of the
army,--advice that he did not heed; and Polk, for writing to this effect
to the Confederate President, was placed under arrest; but he was
afterward released.

CHAPTER VII

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN,--AND WHAT WAS

The Battle of Stone's River produced profound disappointment both in the
North and in the South. Claimed as a victory by both sides, t