an army as General McClellan led against Rich- of three Federal field-batteries, while from across mond, will carry conviction to the European the river two other heavy batteries joined in public.

the strife, and made Major Pelham and his gun their target. For hours, not less than thirty Federal cannon strove to silence Major Pelham's popgun, and strove in vain. The unyielding and undemonstrative courage of Major Pelham, his composure under the deadliest fire, have long made him conspicuous, but never were his noble qualities the subject of more glowing eulogy than upon this occasion. General Lee exclaimed: "It is inspiriting to see such glorious courage in one so young.' (Major Pelham is not more than twenty-two.) Gen. Jackson remarked: "With a Pelham upon either flank, I could vanquish the world."

It is impossible for me to describe the positions of each of the numerous confederate batteries which stretched along the length of their six-mile line of battle. It will suffice, if I indicate the batteries which were most hotly engaged, and bore the brunt of the action. By far the most important position was occupied by the Washington artillery, commanded by Col. Walton, of New-Orleans, and posted on the heights in the immediate neighborhood of Fredericksburgh, not more than four hundred yards from the town. These heights, which are precisely of that altitude which is most favorable for the play of artillery, are surmounted by a brick house-now At half-past eight A.M. Gen. Lee, accompanied riddled by round-shot-belonging to Mr. Marye, by his full staff, rode slowly along the front of and are commonly called Marye's Heights. At the confederate lines from left to right, and took their base a road winds, protected on one side by up his station for a time beyond Hamilton's the hills, and on the other by a solid stone wall, crossing, and in rear of the batteries on the exabout four feet in height, over which a brigade treme confederate right. It would be presumpof confederates, themselves perfectly sheltered, tuous in me to say one word in commendation of poured the deadliest and most effective of fires. the serenity, or, if I may so express it, the unA little further back, to the south-east of Marye's conscious dignity of Gen. Lee's courage, when he Heights, stands another and higher hill, from is under fire. No one who sees and knows his which the most commanding view of the entire demeanor in ordinary life would expect any thing field is obtainable, and which, as it is the usual else from one so calm, so undemonstrative and station of the commander-in-chief, is now known unassuming. But the description applied after as General Lee's hill. From this hill, during a the battle of Alma to Lord Raglan, by Marshal large portion of Saturday, a thirty-pounder Par- St. Arnaud, and in which, noticing Lord Raglan's rott gun, cast at the Tredegar Works in Rich- unconsciousness under fire, he speaks of his mond, poured a destructive fire into the Fede-"antique heroism," seems to me so applicable to rals. Suddenly, about three o'clock in the after- Gen. Lee, that I cannot forbear recalling it here. noon, on its thirty-seventh discharge, this gun At a subsequent period of the day Gen. Lee asburst with a dreadful exploslon, but happily did no injury to any of the bystanders. At the moment of its explosion, Captain Phillips, of the Grenadier Guard, (favorably remarked this day for his behavior under fire,) Major Venables, of General Lee's staff, and Major Haskell, were con versing within a few feet of the gun. Their escape without injury was little less than miraculous. As the confederate line trends away to the right, the batteries of Gen. Hood's division were actively engaged against the advancing columns of Pennsylvanians; but next to the batteries on Marye's Heights and General Lee's hill, I should The battle opened when the sun had let in say that the artillery commanded by Col. Walker enough light through the mist to disclose the took the most effective part in the action, as it near proximity of the Federal lines and field-batpoured a flanking fire into the enemy's left. One teries. The first shot was fired shortly before other battery deserves favorable mention, which ten A.M. from the batteries in the Federal centre, it obtained in the short and modest report of the and was directed against Gen. Hood's division. battle which emanates from the pen of Gen. Lee. The Pennsylvania reserves advanced boldly under On the extreme right of the confederates, in front a heavy fire against the confederates who occuof the position occupied by Gen. Stuart's cavalry, pied one of the copsewood spurs, and were for a a few batteries of Stuart's horse-artillery were time permitted to hold it; but presently the conthrown forward to flank the Federals, between federate batteries opened on them, and a deterWalker's artillery and the river. General Stuart mined charge of the Texans drove the Yankees ordered Major John Pelham, his chief of artillery, out of the wood in a confusion from which nothing to advance one gun considerably toward the en- could subsequently rally them. Simultaneously emy, and to open upon him. Major Pelham a heavy fire issued from the batteries of General obeyed, and opened the fire of a twelve-pounder A. P. Hill's and General Early's divisions, which Napoleon gun with great precision and deadly was vigorously replied to by the Federal field-bateffect into the teral flank. The galling dis- teries. The only advantage momentarily gained charges of quickly drew upon it the fire by the Federals in this quarter, and which is

sumed his station on the hill which takes its name from him, and thence, in company with Gen. Longstreet, calmly watched the repulse of the repeated Federal efforts against the heights on which he stood. Occasionally Gen. Jackson rode up to the spot and mingled in conversation with the other two leading generals. Once General Longstreet exclaimed to him, "Are you not scared by that file of Yankees you have before you down there?" to which Gen. Jackson replied: "Wait till they come a little nearer, and they shall either scare me or I'll scare them."

noticed in Gen. Lee's report, was on the occasion of the collapse of a regiment of North-Carolina conscripts, who broke and ran, but whose place was rapidly taken by more intrepid successors. The cannonading now became general along the entire line. Such a scene, at once terrific and sublime, mortal eye never rested on before, unless the bombardment of Sebastopol by the combined batteries of France and England revealed a more fearful manifestation of the hate and fury of man. The thundering, bellowing roar of hundreds of pieces of artillery, the bright jets of issuing flame, the screaming, hissing, whistling, shrieking projectiles, the wreaths of smoke as shell after shell burst into the still air, the savage crash of roundshot among the trees of the shattered forest, formed a scene likely to sink forever into the memory of all who witnessed it, but utterly defying verbal delineation. A direct and enfilading fire swept each battery upon either side as it was unmasked; volley replied to volley, crash succeeded crash, until the eye lost all power of distinguishing the lines of combatants, and the plain seemed a lake of fire, a seething lake of molten lava, coursed over by incarnate fiends drunk with fury and revenge.

pally cominitted the desperate task of bursting out of the town of Fredericksburgh, and forming, under the withering fire of the confederate batteries, to attack Marye's Heights, towering immediately in their front. Never at Fontenoy, Albuera, or at Waterloo was more undoubted courage displayed by the sons of Erin than during those six frantic dashes which they directed against the almost impregnable position of their foe. There are stories that General Meagher harangued his troops in impassioned language on the morning of the thirteenth, and plied them extensively with the whisky found in the cellars of Fredericksburgh. After witnessing the gallantry and devotion exhibited by his troops, and viewing the hill-sides for acres strewn with their corpses thick as autumnal leaves, the spectator can remember nothing but their desperate courage, and regret that it was not exhibited in a holier cause. That any mortal men could have carried the position before which they were wantonly sacrificed, defended as it was, it seems to me idle for a moment to believe. But the bodies which lie in dense masses within forty yards of the muzzles of Col. Walton's guns are the best evidence what manner of men they were who pressed on to death with the dauntlessness of a race which has gained glory on a thousand battlefields, and never more richly deserved it than at the foot of Marye's Heights on the thirteenth day of December, 1862.

Twice the Federals, gallantly led and handled by their officers, dashed against the forces of Gen. A. P. Hill and Gen. Early, and twice they recoiled, broken and discomfited, and incapable of being again rallied to the fray. The confederates drove them with horrid carnage across the An opportunity of sending this letter, with an plain, and only desisted from their work when encouraging prospect of its reaching England, they came under the fire of the Federal batteries compels me to defer a further account of the galacross the river. Upon the extreme confederate lant defence on the confederate left of the town right General Stuart's horse-artillery drove hotly of Fredericksburgh and of the battle-field until a upon the fugitives, and kept up the pursuit, sub- subsequent letter. But it is important to add sequently understood to have been effective, until that, even at this early date, there are abundant after dark. Upon the confederate right, where evidences that the confederates, themselves susthe antagonists fought upon more equal terms, taining a loss of about one thousand eight hunthe loss sustained by the confederates was great-dred killed and wounded, have inflicted upon er than on the confederate left; the Federal loss their enemy a defeat from which it will take him in officers and men far outbalanced that of their months and months to recover. Such was the opponents. General Bayard, the best cavalry demoralization this evening of the Federal troops officer in the Federal service, and almost on the as they ran through the streets and cowered in eve of the day which would have witnessed his the cellars of Fredericksburgh, that hundreds of nuptials, was killed, and Gen. Jackson, of Penn- soldiers exclaimed, "You may shoot us down, sylvania, shared his fate. Many other general may hang us, or do what you like, but back officers were carried to the Federal rear, griev- there," pointing at Marye's Heights, we will ously wounded; whereas of the confederates only never go again." I forbear to state the estimates one officer of rank (General Gregg) fell upon the of the Federal loss, which place it at an appalling right, and only one (General Cobb) upon the left. figure, and yet are believed not to be far from Meanwhile the battle, which had dashed furi- the truth. It is not likely that the full details of ously against the lines of Gens. Hood, A. P. Hill, this battle will be generally known in the North and Early, was little more than child's play, as for weeks and weeks; but if, after the failure of compared with the onslaught directed by the this last and feeblest of all the Federal attempts Federals in the immediate neighborhood of Fred- to reach Richmond, with the Northern army unericksburgh. The impression that the confeder- nerved, demoralized, and starting asunder like a ate batteries would not fire heavily upon the broken bow, the Irish and Germans are again Federals advancing in this quarter, for fear of tempted to embark in so hopeless a venture, then injuring the town of Fredericksburgh, is believed is the conclusion irresistible that, in addition to to have prevailed among the Northern generals. all the shackles of despotism which they are alHow bitterly they deceived themselves subse-leged to have left behind them in Europe, they quent events served to show. To the Irish divi- have left also that most valuable attribute of husion, commanded by Gen. Meagher, was princi- manity, which is called common-sense.

Doc. 26.

BATTLE OF STONE RIVER, TENN.*

REPORT OF GENERAL ROSECRANS.
HEADQUARTERS Department of THE CUMBERLAND,
MURFREESBORO, TENN, Feb. 12, 1863.

GENERAL: As the sub-reports are now nearly all in, I have the honor to submit, for the information of the General-in-Chief, the subjoined report, with accompanying sub-reports, maps and statistical table of the battle of Stone River. To a proper understanding of this battle, it will be necessary to state the preliminary movements and preparations.

my to all these inconveniences, beside increasing for him, and diminishing for us, the dangerous consequences of a defeat.

The means taken to obtain this end were eminently successful; the enemy, expecting us to go into winter quarters at Nashville, had prepared his own winter quarters at Murfreesboro, with the hope of possibly making them at Nashville; and had sent a large cavalry force into West-Tennessee to annoy Grant, and another large force into Kentucky to break up the railroad. In the absence of these forces, and with adequate sup plies in Nashville, the moment was judged opportune for an advance on the rebels. Polk's and Kirby Smith's forces were at Murfreesboro, and Hardee's corps on the Shelbyville and Nolinsville pike, between Triune and Eaglesville, with an. advance-guard at Nolinsville, while no troops lay in front at Nashville, on the Franklin, Nolinsville and Murfreesboro turnpike. The plan of the movements was as follows:

Assuming command of the army at Louisville on the twenty-seventh day of October, it was found concentrated at Bowling Green and Glasgow, distant about one hundred and thirteen miles from Louisville, whence, after replenishing with ammunition, supplies and clothing, they moved on to Nashville, the advance corps reach- McCook, with three divisions, to advance by ing that place on the morning of the seventh of Nolinsville pike to Triune. Thomas, with two November, a distance of one hundred and eighty-divisions, (Negley's and Rousseau's,) to advance three miles from Louisville.

At this distance from my base of supplies, the first thing to be done was to provide for the subsistence of the troops, and open the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The cars commenced running through on the twenty-sixth of November, previous to which time our supplies had been brought by rail to Mitchelville, thirty-five miles north of Nashville, and thence, by constant labor, we had been able to haul enough to replenish the exhausted stores for the garrison at Nashville, and subsist the troops of the moving army.

From the twenty-sixth of November to the twenty-sixth of December every effort was bent to complete the clothing of the army, to provide it with ammunition, and replenish the dépôt at Nashville with needful supplies to insure us against want from the largest possible detention likely to occur by the breaking of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad; and to insure this work the road was guarded by a heavy force posted at Gallatin.

on his right by the Franklin and Wilson pikes, threatening Hardee's right, and then to fall in by the cross-roads to Nolinsville.

Crittenden, with Wood's, Palmer's, and Van Cleve's divisions, to advance by the Murfreesboro pike to La Vergne.

With Thomas's two divisions at Nolinsville, McCook was to attack Hardee at Triune, and if the enemy reënforced Hardee, Thomas was to support McCook.

If McCook beat Hardee, or Hardee retreated, and the enemy met us at Stewart's Creek, five miles south of La Vergne, Crittenden was to attack him. Thomas was to come in on his left flank, and McCook, after detaching a division to pursue or observe Hardee, if retreating south, was to move with the remainder of his force on their rear.

The movement began on the morning of December twenty-sixth.

McCook advanced on Nolinsville pike, skir mishing his way all day, meeting with stiff resistance from cavalry and artillery, and closing the day by a brisk fight, which gave him possession of Nolinsville and the hills one and a half miles It was in front, capturing one gun by the One Hundred and First Ohio and Fifteenth Wisconsin regiments, his loss this day being about seventy-five killed and wounded.

The enormous superiority in numbers of the rebel cavalry kept our little cavalry force almost within the infantry lines, and gave the enemy control of the entire country around us. obvious from the beginning that we should be confronted by Bragg's army, recruited by an inexorable conscription, and aided by clouds of mounted men, formed into a guerrilla-like cavalry, to avoid the hardships of conscription and infantry service. The evident difficulties and labors of an advance into this country, and against such a force, and at such distance from our base of operations, with which we connected by a single precarious thread, made it manifest that our policy was to induce the enemy to travel over as much as possible of the space that separated us thus avoiding for us the wear and tear and diminution of our forces, and subjecting the ene

This battle is also known as the battle of Murfreesboro.

Thomas followed, on the right, and closed Negley's division on Nolinsville, leaving the other (Rousseau's) division on the right flank.

Crittenden advanced to La Vergne, skirmishing heavily on his front over a rough country, intersected by forests and cedar-brakes, with but slight loss.

On the twenty-sixth, Gen. McCook advanced on Triune, but his movement was retarded by a dense fog.

Crittenden had orders to delay his movement until McCook had reached Triune and developed the intentions of the enemy at that point, so that

it could be determined which Thomas was to sup-approved of his action, of course, the order to port. occupy Murfreesboro having been based on the information received from Gen. Crittenden's advance division, that the enemy were retreating from Murfreesboro.