134 The American Civil War
Nashville turnpike several hundred yards
from the Confederate line.
Ironically, both Rosecrans and Bragg had
determined to attack the enemy's left flank,
which meant that whoever attacked first
would be advantaged. Bragg awaited an
attack throughout the day on 30 December,
but none was forthcoming. Bragg then struck
the first blow on the following day by
marching Major-General William Hardee's
corps around the Federal right flank. At
dawn, Hardee's men surprised the Federals
and drove them back toward the
Murfreesboro-Nashville turnpike and pinned
them against Stone's River. The Confederates
threw brigade after brigade at the Federal
line, but failed to break it as both Generals
George H. Thomas and Philip H. Sheridan
resisted stubbornly.
As the early sunset, the last of 1862,closed the day's fighting, Bragg believed he
had won a major victory. Indeed, he had
redeemed his army's fortunes. 'God has
granted us a Happy New Year,' he
telegraphed Richmond. That night Rosecrans
held a council of war and questioned his
corps commanders as to the feasibility of a
retreat. 'Hell,' Thomas replied, 'this army
can't retreat.' Impressed by the resolve of his
subordinates, Rosecrans decided to stay
and fight.
The new year opened quietly and
ominously. It was cold and the soldiers were
tense with anticipation. They had recovered
from the previous day's fight and were
expecting any minute to commence fighting
again. But the fighting never came. Rosecrans
redeployed his troops to strengthen his lines,
while Confederate scouts concluded that this
was a ruse to mask the Federal retreat. OnThis sketch by an artist of Frank Leslie's lllustrated depicts
the Battle of Stone's River. On Friday, 2 January 1863, at
about 4.00 pm, Genera! Rosecrans ordered a final charge
of General James Negley's Union division across Stone's
River. Here the 18th Ohio Infantry, followed close behind
by the 19th Illinois and the 21st Ohio, made their way
across the river. The artist of this sketch reported
that the scene was grand in the extreme. It
was indeed a momentous battle on a miniature scale.
(Ann Ronan Picture Library)