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Stone's River, by Gilbert C. Kniffin

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Title: Army of the Cumberland and the Battle of Stone's River

Author: Gilbert C. Kniffin

Release Date: April 18, 2010 [EBook #32043]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Military Order of the Loyal Legion
of the
United States.

COMMANDERY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WAR PAPERS.
68

Army of the Cumberland and the Battle of Stone's River.

PREPARED BY COMPANION
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL
GILBERT C. KNIFFIN,
U. S. VOLUNTEERS,

AND
READ AT THE STATED MEETING OF APRIL 3, 1907.

Army of the Cumberland and the Battle of Stone River.

The Army of the Ohio, after crowding into the space of six weeks more hard
marching and fighting than fell to the lot of any other army in the United
States during the summer of 1862, was, on the last of October, encamped in
the vicinity of Bowling Green, Kentucky. General Bragg and Kirby Smith,
turning Buell's left flank, had invaded Kentucky, gained the rear of
Buell, threatened his base at Louisville, and but for the _vis inertia_
which always seemed to seize upon the Confederates when in sight of
complete victory, would have captured Louisville. The battle of Perryville
resulting in the hasty exit of the combined armies of Bragg and Smith
through Cumberland Gap into East Tennessee, the deliberate sweep of
Buell's columns in their rear, the halt at Crab Orchard, and the return
march towards Nashville are part of the events of an earlier chapter in
the history of the rebellion. The occupation of East Tennessee by the
Union Army had from the commencement of hostilities been an object dear to
the great heart of President Lincoln. He had hoped for its accomplishment
under General Sherman. It had been included in the instructions to General
Buell, but eighteen months had passed and the Confederate f