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[533] them. In the course of the day, on the 3d, their columns again took up their line of march for Murfreesborough sadly, but in good order and without discouragement; they carried with them the glorious but barren trophies of their victory of the 31st, consisting of twenty-eight guns, some stands of colors, a large number of wagons and several thousand prisoners. The total number of the latter, according to Bragg's report, amounted to six thousand two hundred and seventy-three; but it is proper that we should deduct about three thousand wounded in order to arrive at a correct estimate of the number of effective prisoners. The losses on the part of the Confederates were enormous; they themselves acknowledged nearly eleven thousand men, more than nine thousand of whom were either killed or wounded, which is equivalent to about one-third of the effective force engaged. The Federals, on their side, counted one thousand five hundred and thirty-three killed, and seven thousand two hundred and forty-five wounded, making a total of eight thousand seven hundred and seventyeight men who fell by the fire of the enemy. By adding to this the approximate number of able-bodied prisoners, the Federal army may be said to have been diminished by twelve thousand men, or two-sevenths of its total effective force.

Thus weakened and deprived of a portion of its materiel, it could not undertake the vigorous pursuit of an enemy whose retreat was protected by swollen streams and the muddy condition of the roads. It was not until the 5th of January that the Confederate cavalry surrendered the town of Murfreesborough to the Federals. Bragg's army halted on the same day behind the line of Duck River,1 which it occupied from Manchester to Shelbyville, the Tullahoma Junction becoming the central depot of its supplies and the headquarters of the general-in-chief.

Rosecrans did not proceed beyond Murfreesborough, and his army, having taken up its quarters in the neighborhood of this town, soon found itself in communication with Nashville by means of the railroad, which was easily repaired. The battle of which the banks of Stone River had just been the theatre was

1 This Duck River in the State of Tennessee must not be confounded with Duck River in the State of Kentucky, to which allusion has been made in another place.

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