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[504] was in second line behind Withers; still more to the left and in the rear was McCown's division of Smith's corps, which had arrived from Readsville, and was to cover Polk's flank in case McCook should debouch by the Franklin road. Bragg had thus five divisions in hand, which he himself estimated at thirty thousand infantry and artillery. Wheeler's brigade of cavalry, with a portion of Pegram's, had started on the 29th for the purpose of harassing Rosecrans' rear and capturing his wagon-trains; Wharton, with two thousand horse, cleared the front of the army. Bragg had no more reinforcements to expect; if he was to assume the offensive, it was essential for him to do so on the morning of the 30th, when he had but twenty-two thousand men before him. It was the easier for him to avail himself of this advantage, because, being near the point of junction of all the converging roads followed by the Federals, he could concentrate his forces upon any portion of his line with much greater rapidity than the latter. But having overrated their number, he waited the whole of the 30th to be attacked, and thus permitted them to mass all their forces to fight on the next day the battle they had already planned.

The following were the movements of Rosecrans' army during that day. Crittenden remained in the positions he had taken on the evening of the 29th, leaving Palmer on the road facing Withers, Wood on the left, along the river, fronting the fords, which Harker had already twice crossed the day before, and Van Cleve in reserve. The engineer brigade opened roads leading to three of the principal fords of Stone River through the thickets of red cedar. Thomas resumed his regular position in the centre of the army; Negley's division made a flank march across the woods to take post on the right of Palmer, and to extend its line as far as the Wilkinson road; whilst Rousseau, after leaving two brigades behind, one at Smyrna and the other at Stewart's Creek, to protect those important points, proceeded with the other two to take position in rear of the right of Palmer's division. McCook on his side had put his troops in motion, crossed Overall's Creek, and was advancing along the plateau, preceded by two brigades of cavalry. Rosecrans' orders directed him to leave the Wilkinson road and bear to the south-east, so as to place himself

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