Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 2.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[530] gather the fruits of victory. But he waited in vain. When the sun of the first day of the year 1863 shone upon the two armies, the Confederates found that Rosecrans had abandoned Round Forest; they at once took possession of it, thus connecting the right wing formed by two of Breckenridge's brigades which had recrossed Stone River with their left, the line of which had been strengthened by some abatis thrown across the cedar wood. They remained under arms, ready to harass the enemy in case he should fall back; but when they saw that his front, compacted since the last evening, was resting on one side upon the hill crowned by Rousseau's artillery, and followed the margin of the wood on the other side under the protection of breastworks hastily constructed, they did not dare to resume the offensive.

On the morning of the 1st of January, Rosecrans had just enough cartridges left to repel an attack. His first care was to procure provisions, and several strong detachments which had been sent to Overall's Creek escorted wagon-trains of provisions and ammunition, which restored vigor and confidence to the soldier. Presently, finding that the day was advancing without any demonstration being made against him on the part of the enemy, the persistent Rosecrans resumed the plan of battle he had so reluctantly given up the day before. Almost all the enemy's forces having been massed in front of his right, he was now able to cross Stone River in rear of his own centre without running any risk. Colonel Beatty, who commanded Van Cleve's division, took position on the bare hills commanding the right bank, at the point where Stone River bears away from the Nashville causeway. Lower down, as we have before said, this river draws near the road; on a line with the angle it describes in effecting this turn there is a height separated from the first hills by a ravine. Grose's brigade of Palmer's division occupied this elevated position. Negley deployed his two brigades, under Stanley and Miller, upon the slopes adjoining the left bank, from which he could easily support the troops stationed on the opposite side, Stone River not being very deep at this point.

This movement was the more menacing to Bragg's right flank and his communications with Murfreesborough, because the conversion of his whole army had drawn away the left from his