Nashville as a major union supply base for the rest of the war. I always like to get up and say our next speaker needs no introduction. Thats because ive introduced him about 9,000 times, i think, which is why he needs no introduction. My great friend and polish brother chris kowlikowski is the director of the macarthur memorial which is a fantastic resource and a mustsee place to visit. But once upon a time he was a civil war guy before he found himself embroiled in world war ii. He started as an internal at Fredericksburg SpotsylvaniaNational Military park, from there hes gone to perriville where he was the site manager, hes done work with the civil war trust, he went to the George Patton museum which is what first got him involved with world war ii and while hes busy doing that hes written a couple fantastic books, one on perry ville and one on stones river. Im very fascinating with theullahoma but it was equally monumental in its strategic success. Hes here to talk about stones river, the first portion of that that sets up to. Its going to bring us into 1863 with this battle in one of the great defenses of the civil war. Ladies and gentlemen, chris kowlikowski. Thank you very much. I have a tough job and i should take it as an offhanded compliment that i get this slot because not only do i have to follow those two im also all that stands between all of us and launch. [ laughter ] so im going to move with ala alacri alacrity. Im going to talk about the battle of stones river. I refer to it as stones river because i had relatives who fought there and well talk about the great defense of the war and why it matters. So hopefully well be able to spend some the next 40 to 45 minutes unpacking why this battle matters. Before i do that, how many folks have been to stones river battlefield . Before. Thats a lot more than i thought. Wonderful so you got a sense of the ground. The battle of stones river occurred the last day of 1862 and the first two days of 1863 just outside of the town of myrrh frid of murfreesboro tennessee which is smack dab in the center of tennessee. Theres a monument in front of the Rutherford County courthouse in downtown murfreesboro. Its fought between the federal army of the cumberland, which was informally known as that. It will be formally designated that after the battle. The army of the cumberland under William Stark rosecrans, 46,000 men against 36,000 men, the army of tennessee, the Confederate Army of tennessee under the command of braxton bragg. Well talk more about the armies as we go. Its a battle that was summed up by president Abraham Lincoln in the late summer of 1863 when he wrote to rosecrans, he says i cannot forget will i remember anything that at the end of the last year and the beginning of this you gave us a hardearned victory that had it been a defeat instead the nation could have scarcely lived over it. Thats a huge statement and that makes the experience and the defense that rosecranss army puts up at stones river to my mind one of the great defenses not just of the civil war but one of the great defenses in American History because one what are the two things that make a great defense . The first is context. The stakes, are the stakes high. The other aspect if theres a drama or sublime aspect to the defense. If you put the two factors together as i submit they are in stones river then off great defense not just of a conflict but in some ways one for the ages so the escape from the near death experience, as a matter of fact as a matter of fact, the army of the cumberland endures a great near death experience of a large army that point in the war and i would submit only july 2, 1863 at gettysburg is equal in terms of the near death experience. The army of the cumberland weathers and survives a near death experience on new years eve, 1862. And how they do that and how the leadership makes a difference is a compelling incredible compelling story so if youve been to the battlefield. Youll know the power of the place im talking about. So far the next time i have that today im going to spend time developing those themes of why this is a compelling defense, why the odds are so high and why its such a great story and a truly great defense not just in the civil war but the history of the United States army writ large. So before we get to december 31, 1862, i want to rewind the clock a little bit and in some ways the talks that have gone earlier have teed up a little bit of what i want to talk about because really the true story to understand the context of which stones river is fought you have to rewind the clock to really Early September of 1862. We look back through hindsight and we miss the deep, deep trough of union fortunes in the fall and early winter of 1862. September 1, 1862, what is going on . The confederates after being on the ropes, in fact, the union Army Believed as late as in may of 1862 that they had stopped recruiting because they believed the war was almost over. The confederates have turned around and launched massive counteroffensive both in virginia where robert e. Lee wins his greatest victory at manass manassas, we just heard from kevin about the battle of antietam in the maryland campaign. You have confederates in kentucky on the offensivoffensi armies have invaded the bluegrass state, Abraham Lincolns birth state, he believed to lose kentucky was nearly the same as to lose the whole game and it sure looks like that is going to happen. You have confederates on the offensive on the atlantic sea board against charleston. You have confederates on the offensive in mississippi and west tennessee and you have confederates on the offensive in baton rouge, louisiana. So suddenly this army, this country, this confederacy has roared back to life and is putting a flurry of blows against the union. Theres also a great debate going on in the summer of 1862. Its been a political one in the north about the nature of this conflict. In other words how hard is this war going to be against the south . Are we fighting the southern armies . Are we also fighting the southern economy and Southern Society . That includes everything from do you burn fence rails if youre troops and you need to build tires . Do you live off the land when youre in the south to bigger political questions including the question of emancipation of slaves. Abraham lincoln decided to emancipate the slaves but hes been persuaded to wait for a victory before issuing his preliminary emancipation proclamation. Of course, the plot is fairly well known. The battle of antietam, september 17, 1862 gives lincoln the victory he seeks and on september 22, 1862 he issues the preliminary emancipation proclamation. And thats an important distinction. Its the preliminary one. He still has to issue the final one. He still has to sign the final proclamation january 1, 1863. Theres no guarantee that hes going to do that and he is going to face incredible political pressure in the north not to do that because it recasts the war not just as no longer just a war to preserve the union, it now becomes a war of abolition and liberation which, quite frankly, in certain sectors of the north, is not what they signed up for to put it mildly. The Kentucky Campaign terminates in a Union Victory in october of 1862 with a victory at perriville and the other confederate offensives are turned back. But lincoln faces a political battle because you have the midterm elections for congress and you have quite a few statehouses both governorships but state laegislatures up for reelection. Why does that matter . Who musters these guy in . Who equippeds them, who gives them their training before they join the federal service . Its the states. Lincoln has been driving a coordinated team of horses but if the elections go wrong that team is going to get a lot bulkier and, well, to be quite frank with you in that atmosphere theres a good chance some of the elections are going to go against lincoln and his allies and thats exactly what happens because early november the republicans lose 34 seats in congress, they barely hang on to the control of the United States senate, but more importantly they lose the governorships of new york and new jersey. As a matter of fact, the governor of new york that is elected in the summer of 1863 will greet the new york draft rioters who are resisting the conscription act. Hell greet them in union square in new york my friends. So how do you think hes going to view how supportive do you think hes going to be of the Lincoln Administration and their war efforts and war aims when he takes office in january of 1863. And, oh, by the way, lets not forget that new york is the not only is it the economic hub of the north, new york city, but it also provides it provides the largest number of troops to either side in the war. So that is a very, very big issue that new yorks governorship has gone is going to go democratic in janua january. They also lose the legislatures in the following states indiana, illinois, and new jersey. Now with apologies to some of my friends from new jersey, the two that really matter because of the quantity of the troops that they provide and the quantity of munitions they provide are illinois and indiana because the governor can call volunteers, the president can call volunteers but ultimately who in the constitution, both in the federal constitution but also in the representative state constitutions provides for the armies . The funds, the equipment . Its the legislatures. So divided government mean this is team of horses lincoln is driving, divided government in the states, this team of horses lincoln has been driving since 1861 is about to get a lot bulkier. Lincoln also knows that with the emancipation proclamation issue not too far away, hes used something of a tie. Antietam was victory enough. He realizes to give the emancipation proclamation teeth, he needs to have another victory. And so he pushes his commanders and with some replacements now, mcclellan had been fired right after the election and theres some evidence lincoln waited to after the election to fire mcclellan because of the political impact it would have on the north, to mitigate that, now he is Ambrose Burnside with the army of the potomac in virginia, he has rosecrans and on the Mississippi River is ulysses s. Grant and he urges them to engage in hard, tough fighting that will hurt somebody. So all three men undertake campaigns in december of 1862 which is unusual by the standards of 19th century warfare to have december campaigns but this is the political imperative of lincoln pushing his commanders in the field to go forward. Well, what happens, this december of 1862, lets take it chronologically. First, december 13, 1862, burnside has crossed the river two days before, the army of the potomac hurls itself against the heights of fredericksburg, its been called robert e. Lees easiest victory. I certainly agree with that. In one portion of the field they break the line but for all intents and purposes its a onesided fight and burnsides is sent scurrying back across the river from whence he has come. A complete disaster for the north. Outwest grant starts moving over land. It goes pretty well until on december 20 of 1862 Earl Van Dorn raids the depot at Holly Springs and cuts grants supply line and forces grant to turn around and go back to tennessee. Even though the army, grants army is saved for another day, they will eventually move by ship down the river toward vicksburg, its an overland retreat and for all intents and purposes in the north its viewed as a significant defeat. Then on december 27, william t. Sherman leads an expedition against vicksburg northwest of town, northnorthwest of town and has smaller western bayoubased version of the battle of fredericksburg. So the news from the battle front is not good. On top of everything, lincoln is facing incredible political pressure not to issue the emancipation proclamation. Hes also got voices on the other side telling him go ahead and issue it anyway no matter what happens. This news, however, all of these news, precipitate a cabinet crisis in the week before christmas, 1862 and only through deft political maneuvering is lincoln able to prevent the radical republicans from basically taking control of his administration. Even as it is with all of this lincoln confesses to a friend they want me to resign and i am half willing to gratify them. Thes thinking about resignation and he tells another friend at the same time just before christmas, 1862 if this is hell, i am in it. The pressure on the Lincoln Administration is enormous as the days of 1862 tip down. Its a political nadir for the Lincoln Administration. Theres one hope left, one card left that the United States army had not played and that is rosecranss 46,000 men. And on the day after christmas, the federals, the stakes could not be higher because if the largest army in the union army, the army of the potomac has failed, the Third Largest army, grants army is retreating ignominio ignominiously. If they fail, too, im not sure lincolns going to be able to withstand a political storm. So thats the stakes of stones river. Thats the latest of 1862. Theres five days of maneuvering through cold weather, Rainy Weather at one point the men as they wake up their pants are soez so frozen they have to crack them. Theyre three miles west of myrrh free murfreesboro. That night bragg and rosecrans consult with their commanders. He has three core commanders, each corps 10,000 to 15,000 men. Alexander mccook is holding the right side of his line, George Henry Thomas and on the left is thomas. Will crittendon. Braggs commanders who will be on the confederate left opposite mccook and opposite the other two union core ps is going to b the confederate corps. And both bragg and rosecrans come up with the same plan, which is this. Hold on the right and left hook the enemy. Rosecrans idea is were going to get behind bragg, threaten murfreesboro and force him to retreat. Braggs idea is more succinct. Hell start with hardy on the left. If you imagine Rosecrans Army deployed like this hes going to move the hardys wing and close the jackknife and close the army, close the federal army in on itself. His objective, which is about three miles away from hardys initial position is the nashville pike which runs right here so if you push that jackknife closed you cut the nashville pike, cut the army of the cumberland off, it will be destroyed. Thats braggs plan. Heres the essential different between the two men. Rosecrans decides hes going to start his preliminary movements at 7 00, attack at 8 00, bragg says well start our preliminary movements now and be in position and attack at 6 00. Thats the difference. Rosecrans liked to sleep in. He liked to stay up late and sleep in, thats the difference. Next morning, new years eve 1862, its the last dawn of 1862, 10,000 confederates who have spent a wet night in tennessee in the 30s, no fires, in the case of one of the divisions pat clay burn they marched clear from one end of the line to the other and forded stones river in the process. And theyd had about four hours of sleep. Something to keep in mind, that will be a factor. At 6 00 in the morning they start to move forward and at 6 20 the first federals here on the end of the line see the confederates coming. The federals are not expecting to have to be in position until 7 00. As one of the indianaens said later, bull run. We all know what that means but we had a second and moreimproved version. As a matter of fact, the confederates, several confederates take advantage of the federal breakfast which are just about cooked and as they go through the federal camps and as the jackknife closes and they push on the blade they enjoy a nice hot coffee and breakfast. [ laughter ]. Courtesy of the United States army. The two divisions on the end of the line are jefferson c. Davis and Richard Johnson fairly quickly collapse and the jackknife begins to close. Phil sheridans division on the hinge begins to hes been up since 4 30 and his men stand and make a stand. Over on the other end of the line, rosecrans hears the firing. Hes superintending the Movement Across stones river which has begun at about 7 00 in the morning. A staff officer arrives saying general mccook on the right is heavily pressed and needs reinforcements. Hes fine, rosecrans says. Its working right he says to a staff officer. 7 00, turns to 7 15 which turns to 7 30 and suddenly things are not sounding so good, literally because the sound of battle if im rosecrans the sound of battle has moved from here, its now moving back into here which means its getting north of me. The other thing is i can now look over and im seeing stragglers and people who have fled from mccooks line and theyre reaching where i am overlooking the nashville pike and another cuourier arrives saying mccooks has been defeated. This is a moment where leaders are measured because rosecrans has a choice. He goes pale, he has a choice. Things are not breaking favorably on the right but he has just enough time to bring back troops on the left and send them over to the right to help out. What does that mean . It means you abandon your entire plan ayouve basically committed yourself to do nothing more than just survive the day. Its a moment that requires moral courage. Its also a moment where an Army Commander earns his pay because rosecrans is the only one that can make that decision and he makes what i consider to be one of the great command decisions of the war. To abandon the move across stones river, bring back the troops and send them marching in the direction of mccook to stabilize the line and try and hold the army and rosecrans will immediately tell his staff were going to the front. And for the rest of the day and this is something thats important rosecrans has a cli clamped cigar in his mouth the whole day, he has a gray hat and the rest of the day everybody will be see him. He will be everywhere, he will be at