Colonel Beatty. The movement failed after severe fighting. During the
night Bragg massed his force on his former right and Rosecrans greatly
strengthened his left.

On the 3d Bragg caused a constant picket firing to be kept up to determine
if Rosecrans was still holding on. Finding that such was the case he
concluded, after consultation with his generals, to retreat. He retreated
in good order, his cavalry holding Murfreesboro' until the 5th. On the 5th
Thomas's entire command, preceded by Stanley's cavalry, marched into
Murfreesboro'. The object of the campaign had been accomplished. Up to the
31st everything had gone favorably for the Union Army; the fighting of the
morning of the 31st had been all in Bragg's favor, and had almost resulted
in the total defeat of Rosecrans; but from that time on, everything had
again been in Rosecrans' favor. His losses were on the whole greater than
those of Bragg, but the latter's retreat gave the victory to Rosecrans.

Rosecrans' force on the battlefield was 43,400; his losses were 13,249,
more than thirty per cent. Bragg's total force on the field was 44,750,
and his loss 12,334, about 28 per cent. Rosecrans lost 28 pieces of
artillery and a large portion of his wagon train, but Bragg lost only
three pieces of artillery.

While the result of the campaign was attained the army had nevertheless
been very severely handled, and for a time was on the verge of utter ruin.
Rosecrans' plan was not at all carried out. The reason for this was the
faulty posting and handling of McCook's wing and the fact that Bragg
started in earlier in the execution of his attack. Rosecrans knew on the
night before the battle that McCook's wing was not correctly placed and
ordered changes in it. These were not carried out and Rosecrans made no
apparent effort to see that they were.

There has been a great deal of controversy about this matter. One of
McCook's division commanders, Johnson, stated in his report that McCook
told him that his left was opposite the rebel center, and he expected to
be attacked in great force next day. This was, in fact, true, yet McCook
certainly did not make such dispositions as to resist any such attack even
for a short time, and was compelled to call for such assistance as to
wreck the whole plan of battle. If he had placed his corps in a strong
defensive position and entrenched it he might have resisted for such a
length of time that the main attack could make such progress