Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/249

 The Federal and Confederate Armies. 243

tyed on either side. This is a matter for the future. But were we allow ourselves to speculate on this question we would be con- trained to ask the American people how it was that General Grant, rho up to this time had never achieved a single success except by

istly superior numbers, should have been accepted as the Moses to

id the Union forces to victory and final triumph.

On December 31 and January 1-3, i862-'3, the Federal army,

>mmanded by General Rosecrans, met the Confederates, commanded General Bragg, at Stone's river, or Murfreesboro. The fight

>ted a part of two days, the Confederates withdrawing from the

?ld, but carrying off their dead and wounded and artillery. The last returns of Rosecrans' army before this battle were as follows: Present for duty Centre corps, 29,682; right wing, 13,779; left wing, 13,061; unattached forces, 9,748; total, 66,270.

Rosecrans, in his official report (Official Records, Vol. XX, p. 196), says: "We moved on the enemy with the following force: 46,940. We fought the enemy with 43,400." Thus it will be seen that 3,540, or seven and one-half per cent, of those who " moved on " the enemy did not participate in the battle.

The Confederates had "present for duty" at this battle, 37,712. Allowing them the seven and one-half per cent, granted the Federals between the number that " moved on " the enemy and those actually engaged in the fight, would give them a credit of 2,828, which would reduce' their number actually engaged to 34,884. It would then stand Federals actually engaged in the fight, 43,400; Confederates, 34,884; difference in favor of Federals, 8,516.

This was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war, and superb gal- lantry was shown on both sides. We ask again: " Did the Federals fight against superior numbers " at Stone's river?

The official losses reported on each side were as follows : Fede- rals Killed, 1,730; wounded, 7,802; captured, 3,717; total, 13,249. Confederates Killed, 1,294; wounded, 7,945; captured, 1,029; total, 10,266. Losses of Federals over Confederates, 2,983.

The two great armies of the West nerved themselves for a trial of their strength on the field of Chickamauga on the igth and 2Oth of September, 1863. The soldiers in both armies had had their bap- tism of blood at Shiloh and Stone's river and .Gettysburg, and were veterans indeed. The Federals were commanded by General Rose- crans, while his divisions were commanded by such distinguished officers as Thomas, McCook, Crittenden, Sheridan, Negley, Granger and Steedman. The Confederates were commanded by General