Battle of Stones River

Every time I read about one battle, I find that battle REALLY, REALLY interesting. Then I move on to the next battle and that one is even more interesting. I'm now reading up on Stones' River (A.K.A. Murfreesboro) and I'm hooked. Here is an overview of what happened:

Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation which was to go into effect on January 1, 1863. On Dec. 26, 1862, The Union army (which was located at Nashville, Tennessee) was told that they needed to go find the Confederate army (located at Murfreesboro), bring on an engagement, and WIN it. Lincoln needed a victory in order to help bolster support for the Emancipation Proclamation.

As of December 30, 1982, the two armies faced each other. They spent the day coming up with a plan on how to attack. And plan they did. They both decided that they were going to attack the others' right flank. It was during this night that the "battle of the bands" took place.

On Dec. 31, 1862, General J. P. McCown and General Patrick Cleburne's men launched an attack at dawn. Their plan was relatively simple: Drive the Union army back to Stones River and cut off their supply lines at the Nashville Turnpike and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

The attack was so powerful that the Union army couldn't hold their lines. They would move back to the next line of rocks or trees and still couldn't hold on. Fortunately for the Union army, the rocky ground and the cedar forests lessened the attack.

The Confederate infantry then attacked from the front. They weren't trying to gain any ground, but to keep the Union army in their places while the remainder of the Confederate army moved around the right flank. The Union salient was then attacked from three sides. They moved to the north and west towards the Nashville Pike but the slaughter that took place in these woods became known as the "Slaughter Pen".

In the meantime, General Rosecrans pulled his reserves and had them line up in a horseshoe shaped line. With the Confederates running through the cedar trees, their organization fell apart. When they reached the Union reserves, they had all but fallen completely apart.

General James Chalmers' Mississippians crossed the fields in front of Colonel William B. Hazen's Brigade. But artillery poured volley after volley into Chalmers men. The Confederates broke. Hazen's men held their line after FOUR Confederate attacks. The Confederates started calling this part of the battlefield "Hell's Half Acre".

At the end of the day, the Union army still held the Nashville Pike and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

January 1, 1863 found the men on both sides caring for the dead and wounded. AND the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

On January 2, 1863, Breckenridge was ordered to attack Van Cleve's Union division. However, 57 cannons were posted on the western side of Stones River and when the Confederates approached, the cannons let loose. Volley after volley attacked the Confederates. After 45 minutes, there were 1,800 Confederate dead and wounded lying in those fields.

On January 3, the Confederates retreated and then on January 5, the Union army triumphantly entered Murfreesboro as the victors in this battle. President Lincoln was very happy about the Union victory...bolstering support for his Emancipation Proclamation.