登陆注册
5190400000020

第20章

The troops were rallied on a new line a mile to the rear, but as this was badly posted for defense, the command was withdrawn from this position to the line occupied the day before, and from this--the enemy attacking in heavy force--the Federal troops were again routed and driven back to their camps, where the last stand was made and the heaviest fighting took place.Nelson, arriving on the ground, assumed command and endeavored to stem the tide of defeat.The enemy advanced in such overwhelming numbers upon the position of the Federal forces that they were driven in complete disorder at all points from the field.Nelson was twice wounded, but was able to reach Louisville with several detachments of his routed troops.

Here he assumed command and bent every energy to the organization of new troops, forming the citizens in commands for the defence of that city.Nelson's losses in the engagement at Richmond were two hundred and twenty-five killed, six hundred wounded, and over two thousand captured.He also lost nine guns.His entire command consisted of some seven thousand troops.The enemy's force was twelve thousand men and thirty-six pieces of artillery, and he lost over nine hundred killed and wounded.Kirby Smith then pushed his command north, occupying Lexington, and sent out detachments threatening Louisville and Cincinnati.On the 6th of September, General Heth with some six thousand troops advanced and took position a few miles south of Covington.He was ordered by Kirby Smith not to attack, but to hold his command in readiness to move at a moment's notice to form a junction with Bragg, then marching north through Kentucky.

Smith, while waiting to form a junction with Bragg, was actively employed in gathering supplies for his army in the richest part of the State.He also sought to obtain recruits for his command, but recruiting for the infantry service did not prove a success.

During the entire period the rebel army was in Kentucky not one entire infantry regiment was raised.Individual enlistment was constantly going on, but the leading officers of that army estimated their entire gain was not over five thousand men, including three regiments of cavalry recruited under Buford.Heth's advance alarmed the three cities of Covington, Newport, and Cincinnati, spreading consternation among all classes.Martial law was proclaimed, and all able-bodied citizens were ordered to report for work on the fortifications south of Covington.These works were manned by the population of the surrounding country, coming to Cincinnati to defend that city from pillage.Regiments of "Squirrel Hunters"were formed, and a show of force was kept up until veteran troops could be brought forward to take their place.Heth wished to attack, but Kirby Smith would not permit this, as he anticipated a battle with Buell, and that Bragg would have to fight his entire army, in which event he would need every available man.Heth fell back in a few days and on October 4th Smith reported with his command to Bragg at Frankfort.

Bragg's movements became clearly apparent to Buell while the latter was concentrating at Murfreesboro.On September 7th, Buell started with Ammen's, Crittenden's, McCook's, Wood's, Rousseau's, and Mitchell's divisions in the race between the opposing armies for Louisville.If Bragg moved energetically and with the intent of taking Louisville without fighting a battle in Kentucky before he reached that city, his start in the race and the shorter line he was moving on gave him the decided advantage in the movement.

Buell's object was to overtake Bragg, and, if necessary, force the fighting.This would compel the latter to move his army so closely on the one road open to him that his movements would be necessarily slow.Failing in this, Buell's plans were to press Bragg so hard that if he refused to fight in Kentucky he must leave the State in possession of the Federal forces before he could gain anything by his advance.

Buell, after reaching Nashville, crossed the river there at once and pushed on with all possible speed.He left Thomas's, Palmer's, and Negley's divisions, with Thomas in command, as the garrison at this place.So important did Buell regard the holding of Nashville, that he determined to weaken his immediate command and leave this strong force under his most trusted subordinate, to retain possession of that point.He considered his army in pursuit of Bragg of sufficient strength to make the fight for the possession of Kentucky, and in the event Bragg was driven from that State he would concentrate in the vicinity of Nashville, where the battle for that important position with Middle Tennessee would yet have to be fought.In the happening of the latter event it was an absolute necessity that the Federal army should hold Nashville as a point at which to concentrate and move to the attack.If the result of the movement in Kentucky should be the defeat of Buell, then it was important that the general in command of the forces at Nashville should be an officer of experience, to save the troops left there, in their retreat to rejoin the main army.Buell regarded the holding of Nashville by our forces as second only to the safety of Kentucky, and made the disposition of his command accordingly.

With this view, on the 12th, he ordered R.B.Mitchell's division to return to Nashville and form part of the garrison of that place.

同类推荐
  • 形势解

    形势解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 神异典释教部纪事

    神异典释教部纪事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说力士移山经

    佛说力士移山经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 儿女英雄传

    儿女英雄传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 还山遗稿

    还山遗稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 影后养成记

    影后养成记

    1950年香港,珠宝商庄孝莲大力推进全港娱乐产业,香港影业如火如荼发展迅速。卖烧饼的冯素素无意中卖了庄孝莲几个毒烧饼后,成功引起庄孝莲的注意,成为庄氏影业第一个长约演员……影后,从跑龙套开始!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 逆天毒妃

    逆天毒妃

    她从地狱重生,誓要报全族血仇,不想刚要化身恶魔打渣女灭渣男,却被腹黑缠上身?不仅甩不掉,打不过,还被偷摸占便宜!简直不能忍,某女咆哮体:王爷,你给我自重!王爷欺身:娘子火气这么大,我来给你降降火!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • Birdman

    Birdman

    Now in Grove Press paperback for the first time, Birdman showcases Hayder at her spine-tingling best as beloved series character Jack Caffery tracks down a terrifying serial wkkk.net his first case as lead investigator with London's crack murder squad, Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is called on to investigate the murder of a young woman whose body has been discovered near the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, south-east London. Brutalized, mutilated beyond recognition, the victim is soon joined by four others discovered in the same areaall female and all ritualistically murdered. And when the post-mortem examination reveals a gruesome signature connecting the victims, Caffery realizes exactly what he's dealing witha dangerous serial killer.
  • 神皇天征

    神皇天征

    剪一川磅礴而立的白雪,绝一世万代的山河;他,一个后天修武者,脚踏实地奋战修炼,一腔热血只为成为一代强者,太多少意想不到的奇遇,看他复兴路如何称霸天下?
  • 葫芦村鬼影

    葫芦村鬼影

    葫芦村出大事了,北山坡的坟茔地里闹鬼了!这可急坏了村主任刘长海。前几天,葫芦村刚被评上精神文明村,而且正在招商引资,市里的一家矿泉水厂厂长已经看好了西山腰的一股泉眼,本月中旬就要来人实地考察。如果闹鬼的事被他们知道了,非打退堂鼓不可,刘长海的这顶乌纱帽弄不好也得被镇长撸下来。闹鬼可不是小小不然的事,是直接关系到葫芦村经济发展的大事情。为此,长海的牙床肿了,嗓子也哑了,赶忙跑到治保主任郭全那儿去商量对策。
  • 尖叫的豆芽

    尖叫的豆芽

    铁皮制作的窑院大门,这时候“吱哇”叫了一声,被人从外面推开了。是豆饼儿呢,他用头把门顶开一道缝隙,像个小毛贼一样,溜进院子,溜到了奶亲住着的屋子,偎在了奶亲的身边。慈祥的奶亲,那时抱着她的老母鸡,用手极为温情地认着。好像是,奶亲的眼睛就长在她的手指肚儿上,在母鸡的屁股上认一下,说是这只母鸡有蛋了,过一会儿,这只母鸡就一定能生出一只蛋的。不过呢,这只麻杂色的老母鸡不会下蛋了,奶亲也没说这只母鸡要生蛋。因为奶亲已经认准,这只老母鸡忌蛋了。所谓忌蛋,就是老母鸡停止了生蛋,而要孵鸡崽了。
  • 极品游侠

    极品游侠

    圣禽,魔兽,神器,国宝,仙境,秘园,此类,未被人们揭晓的事物所散发的吸引,让不少人为之向往,而“游侠”,就是探索古文明,保护稀有生物,捉拿重要嫌犯以及解决一些特殊事件的职业,三个不同性格不同背景的少年,在重重险关下通过考验,得到“游侠”职业证书后,开始了他们的冒险……
  • 西藏方舆

    西藏方舆

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大国的崩溃:苏联解体的台前幕后

    大国的崩溃:苏联解体的台前幕后

    老布什图书馆绝密档案新近解密!哈佛大学现代史专家,还原改变苏联命运和世界面貌的五个月。1991年苏联的解体无疑是20世纪发生的最重大的事件之一。作者根据最近解密的老布什总统图书馆的绝密档案,包括总统顾问的备忘录和老布什与世界各国领导人的绝密电话记录,重新解读了那段纷繁复杂的历史。本书挑战了关于冷战结束的传统观念,揭示了布什政府试图结束冷战、保全苏联作为其国际舞台上的重要伙伴的复杂游戏。作者着眼于事件中心的四个人物—乔治·布什、米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫、鲍里斯·叶利钦、列昂尼德·克拉夫丘克—来讲述苏联最后五个月间发生的故事,这五个月改变了苏联的命运和世界的格局。本书作者会多国语言,能够查阅英语、俄语、波兰语、乌克兰语和白俄罗斯语的文献,这让他能够站在一个特殊的立场来呈现一个关于苏联解体的全新的、戏剧性的故事。
  • 谁说不相爱

    谁说不相爱

    当2007年的炎热笼罩着大地,空气里的分子不断波动,连视线也不清晰了起来,杨达夷第一次背着行李和学费坐了四个小时的火车来到了这个海滨城市D市,感受咸腥的海风气,也在海边找到了自己的学校,山明水秀、景色宜人。杨达夷不是一个成绩好的学生,中考的那天赶上大雨,像是个落汤鸡的一样的在考场里头晕脑胀,最后干脆昏睡了过去,所以成绩可想而知的落榜了。与班级里一个较好的女生同时报考了中专学院,凭着一颗……