Read Online The Smoke at Dawn: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeff Shaara
Ads: Link
west. What do we do now? How do we feed the men? I will order three-quarter rations in the morning. That will help. Or perhaps half rations. I must speak to General Meigs. He might know of some means of securing another train. Surely there will be more supplies.”
Dana said softly, “And more rebel cavalry.”
Dana moved to the door, looked back at Thomas. “I will do as you ask, sir. I will send nothing of this on the wire yet. By morning we will know our situation with more clarity.”
Thomas nodded, waved him away, the pains in his back pulling Thomas down into the soft chair. He looked at Rosecrans, the man’s face in his hands again, heard words, soft, pleading. It was a prayer. Thomas looked toward the fire, thought, Yes, pray all you must, Rosy. I’m quite sure that somewhere out there, Bragg is saying a prayer of his own.
Bragg’s dislike and distrust of his subordinates had begun to boil over. No one disputed that Chickamauga had been a resounding Confederate victory, but Bragg was hearing a growling sentiment throughout his command that another victory had been squandered, the enemy allowed to turn the tide, or escape from what might have become complete destruction. Bragg had known of that criticism as far back as the vicious fight at Murfreesboro the first of the year, noisy rebukes drifting toward him from several of his generals, Leonidas Polk in particular. Polk had been outspoken in the extreme against Bragg, a lack of respect that Bragg took as outright defiance. As the voices flowed back to Bragg’s headquarters, Polk’s voice seemed most grating of all. But Bragg finally found a way of striking back. On September 20, the climactic day’s fight at Chickamauga, Polk had failed to push forward the attack as Bragg had ordered. On September 29, after Polk had failed to adequately respond to Bragg’s criticisms, Bragg ordered him suspended from command. Polk was ordered to remove himself from the army and retire to Atlanta.
Leonidas Polk was an Episcopal bishop from Louisiana, held therespect of nearly every commander in the army, and had been a special favorite of Albert Sidney Johnston. Worse for Bragg, Polk was extremely close to Jefferson Davis. Davis responded to Bragg’s order by pointing out to Bragg that suspending Polk meant that Polk would have to be tried for the alleged crimes Bragg had accused him of, a process that the president made clear he was not likely to pursue. Bragg had to be satisfied merely to have Polk elsewhere. But there had to be a replacement, someone of equivalent rank and experience, and the most logical choice was General William Hardee, who had served alongside Bragg at Shiloh. Hardee was highly respected as a battlefield commander, even more so than Polk. Bragg could not dispute the logic of Hardee’s selection, despite the fact that Bragg despised Hardee almost as much as he did Polk. To Bragg, President Davis’s “solution” was a poor compromise, but one he had to accept.
Polk had no choice but to obey Bragg’s order, and he immediately relocated his headquarters to Atlanta, but his own campaign against Bragg continued. There were vitriolic letters to his friend Davis, to others in Richmond, and an ongoing communication between Polk and several of the other senior officers now entrenched around Chattanooga, including Longstreet. Though Bragg had purged his army of one significant enemy, a tempest continued to build around him.
“NAIL HOUSE”—BRAGG’S HEADQUARTERS—
MISSIONARY RIDGE—OCTOBER 4, 1863
“I do not have a copy of the petition, sir. It would have been unwise for me to attempt to procure one, not having affixed my own signature. But its meaning requires no special interpretation. Please understand, sir, that I come here knowing that it is inappropriate for an officer of my subordinate rank to bypass my own commanding officer.”
Bragg waited for more, had heard only fragments of gossip about the document General Liddell was now revealing
Dana said softly, “And more rebel cavalry.”
Dana moved to the door, looked back at Thomas. “I will do as you ask, sir. I will send nothing of this on the wire yet. By morning we will know our situation with more clarity.”
Thomas nodded, waved him away, the pains in his back pulling Thomas down into the soft chair. He looked at Rosecrans, the man’s face in his hands again, heard words, soft, pleading. It was a prayer. Thomas looked toward the fire, thought, Yes, pray all you must, Rosy. I’m quite sure that somewhere out there, Bragg is saying a prayer of his own.
Bragg’s dislike and distrust of his subordinates had begun to boil over. No one disputed that Chickamauga had been a resounding Confederate victory, but Bragg was hearing a growling sentiment throughout his command that another victory had been squandered, the enemy allowed to turn the tide, or escape from what might have become complete destruction. Bragg had known of that criticism as far back as the vicious fight at Murfreesboro the first of the year, noisy rebukes drifting toward him from several of his generals, Leonidas Polk in particular. Polk had been outspoken in the extreme against Bragg, a lack of respect that Bragg took as outright defiance. As the voices flowed back to Bragg’s headquarters, Polk’s voice seemed most grating of all. But Bragg finally found a way of striking back. On September 20, the climactic day’s fight at Chickamauga, Polk had failed to push forward the attack as Bragg had ordered. On September 29, after Polk had failed to adequately respond to Bragg’s criticisms, Bragg ordered him suspended from command. Polk was ordered to remove himself from the army and retire to Atlanta.
Leonidas Polk was an Episcopal bishop from Louisiana, held therespect of nearly every commander in the army, and had been a special favorite of Albert Sidney Johnston. Worse for Bragg, Polk was extremely close to Jefferson Davis. Davis responded to Bragg’s order by pointing out to Bragg that suspending Polk meant that Polk would have to be tried for the alleged crimes Bragg had accused him of, a process that the president made clear he was not likely to pursue. Bragg had to be satisfied merely to have Polk elsewhere. But there had to be a replacement, someone of equivalent rank and experience, and the most logical choice was General William Hardee, who had served alongside Bragg at Shiloh. Hardee was highly respected as a battlefield commander, even more so than Polk. Bragg could not dispute the logic of Hardee’s selection, despite the fact that Bragg despised Hardee almost as much as he did Polk. To Bragg, President Davis’s “solution” was a poor compromise, but one he had to accept.
Polk had no choice but to obey Bragg’s order, and he immediately relocated his headquarters to Atlanta, but his own campaign against Bragg continued. There were vitriolic letters to his friend Davis, to others in Richmond, and an ongoing communication between Polk and several of the other senior officers now entrenched around Chattanooga, including Longstreet. Though Bragg had purged his army of one significant enemy, a tempest continued to build around him.
“NAIL HOUSE”—BRAGG’S HEADQUARTERS—
MISSIONARY RIDGE—OCTOBER 4, 1863
“I do not have a copy of the petition, sir. It would have been unwise for me to attempt to procure one, not having affixed my own signature. But its meaning requires no special interpretation. Please understand, sir, that I come here knowing that it is inappropriate for an officer of my subordinate rank to bypass my own commanding officer.”
Bragg waited for more, had heard only fragments of gossip about the document General Liddell was now revealing
Similar Books
