allow him to escape
was then inexplicable to the people; and, as far as I have learned, it
is so still.

There is no critic so censorious as the self-appointed one; no god so
inexorable as the people's voice. General Bragg's last hold upon the
southern masses--military and civil--was lost now.

The fight at Munfordville occurred on the 17th of September, but it was
not until the 4th of the next month that the junction with Smith was
effected at Frankfort. Then followed a Federal advance upon that town,
which proved a mere diversion; but it produced the effect of deceiving
General Bragg and of causing him to divide his forces. Hardee's and
Buckner's divisions were sent to Perryville; and they with
Cheatham's--who joined them by a forced march--bore the brunt of the
battle of Perryville on the 8th of October. Notwithstanding the great
disparity of numbers, the vim of the "barefooted boys" prevailed
against the veterans of Buell's army, under General G. W. Thomas. They
gained a decided advantage over three times their number, but once
again what was a mere success might have been a crushing defeat, had
Bragg's whole army been massed at Perryville.

It is neither within the scope nor the purpose of this chapter to give
more than a bare skeleton of events, or to discuss the delicate points
of strategy; but it was a great dash to the hopes of the entire people
that what might have been a crushing blow to Buell--freeing three
states from Federal occupation--resulted only in the retreat of the
Confederates from Kentucky.

For, whatever may have been the cause, or the necessity for the
movement, the army was hastily withdrawn. Supplies were burned;
disabled carriages and abandoned arms marked the retreat; and the
terror-stricken people who had, a few weeks before, dismissed the
southern banners with vivas and blessings to certain victory, now saw
that same army, to their dismay and sorrow, filing sadly and wearily
toward the border.

Almost equally as astonished as their retreating enemy, the Federals
pressed on in pursuit, hot and close; and it was only the ability and
dash with which General Wheeler covered the retreat of the army--laden
as it was with captured arms and munitions, and encumbered with crowds
of women and children, who dared not stay behind--that saved it from
destruction on that disastrous road from Perryville to Cumberland Gap.

Loud, deep and bitter were the comments of the people when the full
news