Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[166] in various places. A large amount of stores has been destroyed, many arms captured, and one thousand two hundred prisoners paroled. Gen. Morgan has done his work, but the full effect is not known. The enemy in Tennessee and Mississippi are without railroad and telegraphic communication with their rear.

The enemy has yielded his strong point and is falling back. We occupy the whole field and shall follow. General Wheeler, with his cavalry, made a complete circuit of their army on the thirtieth and thirty-first. He captured and destroyed three hundred wagons loaded with baggage and commissary stores, and paroled seven hundred prisoners. He is again behind them, and has captured an ordnance train. To-day he secured several thousand stand of small arms. The body of Brigadier-Gen. Sill was left on the field, and three others are reported to have been killed. God has granted us a happy New Year.

The enemy retired last night but a short distance in rear of his former position. We had a short and sharp contest this evening. We drove his left flank from its position, but an attacking party again returned, with considerable loss to both sides.

Gens. Wheeler and Wharton were again in their rear yesterday, and captured two hundred prisoners, one piece of artillery, and destroyed two hundred loaded wagons.

Unable to dislodge the enemy from his intrenchments, and hearing of reenforcements to him, I withdrew from his front night before last. He has not followed. My cavalry are close on his front.

sir: We have retired from Murfreesboro in perfect order. All the stores are saved. About four thousand Federal prisoners, five thousand stand of small arms, and twenty-four pieces of cannon, brass and steel, have already been received here.

The following instructions were issued by Gen. Bragg to his army before the battle:

1. The “line of battle” will be in front of Murfreesboro — half of the army, left wing in front of Stone River; right wing in rear of the river.

2. Polk's corps will form left wing; Hardee's corps right wing.

3. Withers's division will form first line on Polk's corps; Cheatham's the second; Breckinridge's division forms first line in Hardee's corps; Cleburne's division the second line.

4. McCown's division to form reserve opposite centre, on high ground, in rear of Cheatham's present quarters.

5. Jackson's brigade in reserve to the right flank to report to Lieut.-Gen. Hardee.

6. The two lines to be from eight hundred to one thousand yards apart, according to the ground.

7. Chiefs of artillery to pay special attention to the positing of batteries, seeing that they do not carelessly waste ammunition.

8. Cavalry to fall back gradually before the enemy, reporting by courier every hour. When near our line, Wheeler will move to the right and Wharton to the left, to cover and protect our flanks and report movements of enemy. Pe gram to fall in the rear and report to Commanding General as a reserve.

9. To-night, if the enemy has gained his position in front ready for action, Wheeler and Wharton, with their whole commands, will make a night march to the right and left, turn the enemy's flank, gain his rear, and vigorously assail his trains and rear-guard, blocking the road and impeding his movements in every way, holding themselves ready to assail his retreating forces.

10. All quartermasters, commissaries, and ordnance-officers will remain at their proper posts, discharging their appropriate duties. Supplies and baggage should be ready packed for a move forward or backward, as the results of the day may require, and the trains should be in position out of danger, teamsters all present, and quarter masters in charge.

11. Should we be compelled to retire, Polk's corps will move on Shelbyville, and Hardee's on the Manchester pike — trains in front, cavalry in rear.

sir: On the twenty-sixth of December last, the enemy advanced in force from Nashville to attack us at Murfreesboro. It had been well ascertained that his strength was over sixty thousand effective men. Before night on that day the object of the movement was developed by our dispositions in front, and orders were given for the necessary concentration of our forces there distributed as follows:

Polk's corps and three brigades of Breckinridge's division, Hardee's corps at Murfreesboro. The balance of Hardee's corps were at Eagleville, about twenty miles west from Murfreesboro; McCown's division, (which with Stevenson's division, removed, constituted Smith's corps,) at Readville, twelve miles east of Murfreesboro.

The three cavalry brigades of Wheeler, Wharton, and Pegram, occupying the entire front of our infantry and covering all approaches within ten miles of Nashville. Buford's small cavalry brigade of about six hundred at McMinnville. The brigades of Forrest and Wagoner, about five thousand effective cavalry, were absent on special service in West-Tennessee and Northern Kentucky,