登陆注册
5190400000046

第46章

But if the plan was not at fault, what was? Rosecrans started from Nashville for an offensive campaign, and before his plan of battle had met the test, he was compelled to abandon it, and assume the defensive.Where was the fault and who was to blame? The fault was McCook's defective line, and in part Rosecrans was responsible for it.He ought never to have trusted the formation of a line of battle so important to the safety of his whole army to McCook alone, and he certainly knew this.Rosecrans gave his personal attention to the left, but he should at least have ordered the change his quick eye had detected as necessary in McCook's line, and not trusted to chance and McCook's ability to withstand the attack with his faulty line.No one who saw him at Stone's River the 31st of December will say aught against the personal bravery and courage of McCook under fire.All that he could do to aid in repairing the great disaster of that day he did to the best of his ability.He stayed with Davis's division under fire as long as it held together, and then gave personal directions to Sheridan's troops, in the gallant fight they made against overwhelming odds.

As Rosecrans himself says in his official report of McCook, "a tried, faithful, and loyal soldier, who bravely breasted the battle at Shiloh and Perryville, and as bravely on the bloody field of Stone's River." But there is something more than mere physical bravery required in a general officer in command of as large a body of troops as a corps d'armee.As an instructor at West Point, McCook maintained a high rank.As a brigade and division commander under Buell, there was none his superior in the care and attention he gave his troops on the march, in camp, or on the drill-ground.

His division at Shiloh as it marched to the front on the second day did him full credit, and in his handling of it on that field he did credit to it and to himself.What McCook lacked was the ability to handle large bodies of troops independently of a superior officer to give him commands.This was his experience at Perryville, and it was repeated at Stone's River.With the known results of Perryville, McCook ought never to have been placed in command of the "right wing." Rosecrans at Stone's River, of necessity was on the left, and being there he should have had a general in command of the right with greater military capacity than McCook.Rosecrans's confidence was so slight in his commander of the left that he felt his own presence was needed there in the movement of the troops in that part of the plan of battle.

Rosecrans in his report repeatedly speaks of "the faulty line of McCook's formation on the right." But he knew this on the 30th, and told McCook that it was improperly placed.McCook did not think so.Rosecrans told him that it faced too much to the east and not enough to the south, that it was too weak and long, and was liable to be flanked.Knowing all this and knowing McCook's pride of opinion, for McCook told him he "did not see how he could make a better line," or a "better disposition of my troops," it was the plain duty of Rosecrans to reform the line, to conform to what it should be in his judgment.The order to McCook to build camp fires for a mile beyond his right was another factor that brought about the combination that broke the line on the right.

Rosecrans was correct in his conception of this, in order to mislead Bragg and cause him to strengthen his left at the expense of his right.Had Bragg awaited Rosecrans's attack, this building of fires was correct--if it took troops away from the right to reinforce the left; but this it did not do.Bragg moved McCown and Cleburne's divisions from his right to his left on Tuesday, but after this Bragg brought none of his forces across the river until Wednesday afternoon.The building of the fires caused Bragg to prolong his lines, lengthening them to the extent that before Hardee struck Kirk's and Willich's brigades, he thought our line extended a division front to their right.Finding this not to be the case, he whirled his left with all the force of double numbers on to the right of McCook.The rebels then swinging around found themselves in the rear of Johnson's division before they struck any troops on their front.Of course it is mere guess-work to say just what the outcome might have been of any other formation of the line, but it is safe to say that had the left instead of the centre of Hardee struck the right of McCook, there would have been a better chance for the troops on the extreme right of his line to have shown the spirit that was in them, before they were overpowered by mere superiority of numbers.

同类推荐
  • The Rhythm of Life and Other Essays

    The Rhythm of Life and Other Essays

    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。
  • 红楼复梦

    红楼复梦

    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。
  • 佛说护国尊者所问大乘经

    佛说护国尊者所问大乘经

    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。
  • 集神州三宝感通录

    集神州三宝感通录

    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。
  • 物理小识

    物理小识

    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
  • 大方广如来秘密藏经

    大方广如来秘密藏经

    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。
  • 金刚般若波罗蜜经之二

    金刚般若波罗蜜经之二

    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。
  • 名家名作精选:冰心小说(学生阅读经典)

    名家名作精选:冰心小说(学生阅读经典)

    本书系《名家经典珍藏》系列之一,收录了以“问题小说”而名噪五四文坛的冰心的五十三篇小说,从写于一九一九年九月的《两个家庭》到一九八八年八月最末一篇《干涉》,时间跨度整整七十个年头,“这里面有血,有泪,有凌辱与呻吟,有压迫与呼喊……”
  • 世上尊

    世上尊

    “——湮灭,新生”“轮回逆转,乾坤颠覆,时空回流,沧海劫竭,大世浮沉,弥漫天际的雨雾散尽。”当沉睡苏醒时。“天变了,世变了,大时代更迭,沧海横流,一切都在潜移默化。”“过去、未来、现在”相互重叠碰撞,冥冥中的某种规则已经改变。一切未知、不详,曾经死去的再次显化世间,古老传承再现,从来没有显化在世间的生物出现了,“强者恒强、弱者恒弱”这个充满“未知、神秘、诡异”的世界就此掀开神秘的一角。
  • 双途

    双途

    在武林一张分赛的擂台上一举斩获桂冠的神秘蒙面女子,究竟背负何种身份和过往,去往总擂台的路上究竟会发生什么......深宅之内波诡云谲,江湖上人心难测,儿女情长能否如愿以偿......
  • 夜醒血后

    夜醒血后

    她,冷血残酷无情,却没人晓得她的经历残酷,因父母异族之差,留下她。。。。
  • 美丽传说之花仙情事

    美丽传说之花仙情事

    当年的她是一个有着数不清宠爱的小小的白梅仙子,可是也是一个爱贪玩的仙子,但是,并不是所有的事情都是一帆风顺的,她遇到了某男,同时也直面了真正的厄运来临,她不得不流落凡尘,以为丧失仙根,总该还有一份爱情陪着她,可是,没想到,就连唯一的爱情,也遭遇了背叛的痛苦,她选择了重生与再次归来,这一次,不再是以前的她,她会索取她所有失去的!!!可是面对所谓的真相,她又该如何自处,她还有没有再一次回到仙界的机会,她与男子的纠葛究竟该如何了断?抑或真的是命运之轮的转动?让所有的一切,都开始纠结缠绕起来?花神,人世,皇家,武侠,这本小说,融合了很多的元素,希望亲们可以喜欢~作者道谢:因为最近真的很忙很忙~~所以更新的很缓慢,但是,绝不挖坑,一定要努力努力填满它~~亲们的支持是我最大的动力!希望亲们可以为我加油!!希望亲们有意见啊建议啊什么的,统统砸来~~鞠躬致谢~~~
  • 左手责任右手执行

    左手责任右手执行

    本书是针对企业和公司对其员工职业精神与价值观念建设和实践的需求,深刻地剖析了在企业和公司中责任与执行的行为准则。责任能够让一位员工具有最佳的精神状态,执行能够让一位员工精力旺盛地投入工作,并将自己的潜能发挥到极致。你也是企业的一名员工,你做到了吗?有些事情并不是需要很费时才能完成的,做与不做之间的差距就在于——责任与执行。
  • 中国伦理思想简史

    中国伦理思想简史

    本书系统地阐述了自先秦至近代中国伦理思想的演变,着重对每个人物的经历及其道德思想、实践予以叙述与分析,特别注重对伦理概念的解析。本书体例恰当,观点中道,行文流畅,界定清晰,适合大学生学习参考和伦理学爱好者乃至思想教育工作者阅读。
  • 识小编

    识小编

    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。