These divisions were in line of battle,--Wood on the left and Palmer on the right,--with the rebels in sight in such heavy force that it was evident that they intended to dispute the passage of the river, and to fight a battle at or near Murfreesboro.On receipt of the order, Crittenden gave the command to advance.Wood was ordered to occupy the place, and Palmer to advance in line of battle until the passage of the river had been forced.Wood on receiving the order objected greatly to carrying it out, saying that it was hazarding a great deal for very little, to move over unknown ground in the night, instead of waiting for daylight, and that Crittenden ought to take the responsibility of disobeying the order.This the latter refused to do.After Wood and Palmer had issued their orders to advance, they both insisted that the order should not be carried out.The order was then suspended an hour, so that Rosecrans could be heard from.During this interval the general himself came to this portion of the front, and approved of the action of Crittenden, as the order had been issued on the report that the enemy had evacuated Murfreesboro.Under the order, before it was suspended, Harker with his brigade had crossed the river at a ford on his left, where he surprised a regiment of Breckinridge's division, and drove it back on its main lines, not more than five hundred yards distant, in considerable confusion.He held this position until it was dark, with Breckinridge in force on his front, when Crittenden ordered his return.Hascall's command was fording the river, advancing when the order was suspended.Harker succeeded in recrossing the river in the face of this strong force of the enemy without any serious loss.Crittenden placed Van Cleve's division, which had reported marching from the Jefferson turnpike to the Murfreesboro road, in reserve behind Wood.During the 30th there was but little change in the position of the Left Wing, while the other troops were moving into position on the line of battle.
Palmer's division was advanced a short distance, the enemy contesting stubbornly.
The pioneer brigade had prepared the banks at three places for the fording of the river.Wood's division covered two, and the pioneer brigade, under Captain St.Clair Morton, covered the lower one.
At night Crittenden's corps with Negley's division bivouacked in order of battle, being on seven hundred yards from the enemy's entrenchments.The left of Crittenden's command extended down the river some five hundred yards.
The first movement of Rosecrans's advance was made known to Bragg as soon as it had reached a point two miles beyond the Federal picket-line, where the heads of the several columns encountered the rebel cavalry pickets.For all Bragg had placed his army in winter quarters, and presumed that Rosecrans had done the same, his experience with the matter of surprise to an army led him to be well prepared to know and take advantage of the slightest change in his immediate front.By the night of the 26th Bragg knew that Rosecrans's entire army was moving out to force him to fight or compel his retreat.He at once selected his line of battle at Stone's River, and directed his three cavalry brigades, under Wheeler, Wharton, and Pegram, supported by three brigades of infantry with artillery, to check the advance of the several columns until he could unite this army.He then gave the necessary orders for the concentration of his command and the formation of his line of battle.
Murfreesboro is situated on the railroad to Chattanooga, thirty miles southeast of Nashville, in the midst of the great plain stretching from the base of the Cumberland Mountains toward the Cumberland River, and is surrounded by a gently undulating country, exceedingly fertile and highly cultivated.Leading in every direction from the town are numerous excellent turnpikes.Stone's River--named after an early settler--is formed here by the middle and south branches of the stream uniting, and flows in a northerly direction between low banks of limestone, generally steep and difficult to cross, emptying into the Cumberland.At the time of the battle the stream was so low that it could be crossed by infantry everywhere.
The Nashville Railroad crosses the river about two hundred yards above the turnpike bridge.At some five hundred yards beyond, it intersects the Nashville turnpike at a sharp angle, then runs some eight hundred yards between the pike and the river, when the stream turns abruptly to the east and passes to the north.Open fields surrounded the town, fringed with dense cedar-brakes.These afforded excellent cover for approaching infantry, but were almost impervious to artillery.
The centre of Bragg's army was at Murfreesboro, under Polk.The right was at Readyville, under McCown, and the left at Triune and Eaglesville, under Hardee.Polk's command consisted of Cheatham's and Wither's divisions.These divisions and three brigades of Breckenridge's division of Hardee's corps were at Murfreesboro.
Cleburne's division and Adams's brigade of Breckinridge's division were under the immediate command of Hardee, near Eaglesville, about twenty miles west of Murfreesboro.McCown's division of Kirby Smith's corps was at Readyville, twelve miles east of Murfreesboro.
Each of the two divisions of Hardee's corps consisted of four brigades of infantry.To this corps Wheeler's brigade of cavalry was attached.The brigade of T.R.Jackson--which was in the rear, guarding the railroad from Bridgeport to the mountains--Bragg also ordered up.On Sunday, the 28th, Bragg formed his line of battle, placing Breckinridge's division on his extreme right, across Stone's River, to protect that flank and cover the town.Adams's brigade rested on the Lebanon road, about a mile and a half from town.
