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army at Nashville and the remainder along the line of the Cumberland
River. Advancing against Bragg, he faced him in front of Murfreesboro',
some forty miles from Nashville. On the 30th of December brisk firing
took place between the armies, and when they encamped for the night
their fires were in plain sight of each other.

BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO' OR STONE RIVER.

The opposing forces were on both sides of Stone River (this battle is
generally referred to in the South by that name), a short distance to
the northwest of Murfreesboro'. By a curious coincidence, each of the
respective commanders formed the same plan of attack, it being to mass
his forces on the left and crush his enemy's right wing. A terrific
engagement lasted all day, and night closed without any decisive
advantage to either side, though the Confederates had succeeded in
driving back the Union right upon the left and occupying a considerable
portion of the field formerly held by the Federals.

The exhaustion of the armies prevented anything more than skirmishing on
New Year's day, 1863, but on the afternoon of January 2d the furious
battle was renewed. Rosecrans ordered an advance of the whole line, and
the Confederate right wing was broken and the flank so endangered that
Bragg was compelled to withdraw his entire army. The only way for him to
retain Tennessee was to abandon Murfreesboro'. Accordingly, he retreated
to a point beyond Duck River, about fifty miles south of Murfreesboro',
which was occupied by the Federals, January 5, 1863.

Other important events took place in the West. General Sterling Price
wintered in Springfield, Missouri, in the southern part of the State,
and gained a good many recruits and a large amount of needed supplies.
He was attacked by Sigel and Curtis on the 12th of February, and
continued his retreat to the Boston Mountains, where he was reinforced
by McCulloch, Van Dorn, and Albert Pike, and felt himself strong enough
to turn about and attack Curtis, who was in the neighborhood of Pea
Ridge.

BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE.

The Union right was commanded by General Sigel, the left by General
Carr, and the centre by General Jefferson C. Davis. Sigel was surprised
and came very near being cut off, but he was master of the art of
retreating rather than of advancing, and he extricated his Germans with
astonishing skill and joined the main army. General Curtis changed his
front, and in the attack his right wing was driven b