Part Six: Action on all Fronts
Maneuvering at Carter's Crossing
With an order from Rosecrans to attack, Thomas sent his men forward towards Carter’s Crossing at 2:20 PM. Moving into line with two brigades he unlimbered his guns a quarter-mile from the Confederate-held high ground opposite the crossing. The Confederates now had 30 artillery pieces commanding the approach to the crossing. But breastworks and trenches were only sporadically completed as Hardee had been distracted throughout the day with corralling Zahm’s troopers to the west. But the position was still a formidable one held by some of Cleburne’s crack troops. Almost instantly a Confederate shell disabled a Federal gun and Union soldiers began to be wounded and killed by medium-range artillery fire.
Hardee, returning to his corps after the conference with Bragg, commented to Cleburne that, “I am watching the build-up of Yankee forces with something approaching disbelief. I just can't believe they're really going to attack us here, but if not, what's the point of getting all those boys out in the open, and getting shelled, if not in preparation for an attack?” Bragg, viewing the Union maneuvering from afar, commented to Polk that, “I hope the Yanks go for it! I would love to see them take the punishment of attacking such a position head-on!”
On the Columbia Pike
Rosecrans's orders to McCook were to attack "to the east of the pike" in an effort to "relieve pressure on Crittenden and get the Rebs off the high ground in front of you." These orders are confusing for a couple of reasons. To begin with, the main Confederate defenses sat anywhere from 100 to 200 feet below the elevation of the Union lines on Winstead Hill. Second, the orders did not specify how many men or which units the attack was to be composed of. McCook, still tasked with holding Winstead Hill in case of an enemy counterattack, would then have to use his best judgment in determining which of his available forces should be sent over to the offensive.
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With Gorman's Wing now attached to his force, McCook opted to send forward Brig. Gen. Frederick Steele's division into the East Woods to attack the Confederates to the south. Soon Rosecrans made an appeal for an expanded attack by McCook to lessen the pressure forming against Crittenden in the east. McCook responded by sending Brig. Gen. Alvin Hovey's division, also of Gorman's Wing, into the West Woods to advance southward. It was hoped that this double-pronged attack might force back the Confederates in the center and allow McCook's Wing to move southward without the necessity of a frontal attack against the Confederate center along Columbia Pike.
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Bragg wrote to his generals at 2:20 PM that, “We have been spotting Union forces moving into the East Woods and Polk’s skirmishers have reported contact with the enemy there. We don't know if this an attempt by the Federals to flank Polk's right, but we have to believe that may be the case. I think the Lewisburg Pike has been blocked to the Yanks by Price's command, and I would love for Withers’ s Division to continue trekking south to engage Crittenden's boys, but we need to ensure that the relatively rested yanks around the Winstead area can't get a good start on rolling Polk back by going through the woods. So, just in case, and as insurance, I'm sending Withers back towards Polk's line, and if the Yanks do forge ahead, we can use Withers to hit him from the east and in his flank.” Withers immediately reversed his line of march from southeast to northwest.
Rosecrans, watching all the action from Winstead Hill, urged his commanders forward. “You are attracting a LOT of attention, Crittenden! Hang tough and keep sucking them in! McCook, Gorman, and Thomas, press forward!” McCook responded that, “I am working Gorman's men through the woods on both flanks of the Columbia Pike I will hold with my wing unless a charge across the open ground in front of the Rebel guns is deemed necessary.” It was expected that this double-envelopment of the Confederate lines would force them to fall back and open a path for McCook to move ahead in the center along the pike.
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The two-pronged attack being formed by McCook and Gorman.
Melee on the Lewisburg Pike
Crittenden had recovered from the initial shock of Price’s counterattack and had begun to reform his units and send them forward once more. The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry, ahead of the Confederate infantry, were the first to be struck as Cruft’s brigade attacked south. The cavalry unit was quickly surrounded and captured as the Federals surged south. Just to the west, the 18th, 19th, and 20th Arkansas Infantry were isolated by other Federal units but managed to counterattack and escape their predicament. The swirling combat continued in the woods and Grose's Federal 23rd Kentucky was itself isolated. Cut off from the rest of the Union forces they were captured at 2:20 near the Cotton Port Plantation. Bragg, like Rosecrans, urged his commander to keep up the pressure, “Continue the attack! Move boldly to put pressure on the enemy along the pike.”
With Withers’s Division being recalled to Columbia Pike, Preston’s Division was the only reinforcements now joining the battle against Crittenden's Wing. But this would give the Confederates parity in the numbers against the Federals and allow them to spread out and confront Crittenden's whole line. Preston was ordered to, “deploy the Orphan Brigade in support of General Price's left flank. Bring up Palmer’s and Adams’s brigades as quickly as possible in support of the Kentuckians.” Breckinridge assured him that, “Preston is concentrating his division around the Davis farmstead. The Orphan Brigade & the artillery are ready to make life difficult for those Unionists.” Crittenden's right soon ran up against the fresh Confederate division and was halted from any further progress south.
With the battle against Price to the south, and Preston to the southwest, becoming stalemated, Crittenden knew he would be unable to make any more progress without reinforcements or a change in the situation. Crittenden unlimbered his artillery in the open fields north of the Cotton Port woods and began to concentrate his men to defend this position along the pike. He sent word to Rosecrans that, “I’m in a good defensive position here but can't continue the attack. It’s up to Thomas and McCook to take it to the Rebs big time.”
Reverses:
Commentary
With the general advance of the Union forces came a number of unsettling developments. In the west, Thomas's was realizing the truly impregnable position he was being asked to attack at Carter's Crossing. Thomas was now caught between trying to rush an attack forward before more enemy defenses could be built; or delay his attack and bring up his artillery to try and soften up the enemy defenses first. All the while the sun was dipping further in the sky as the short winter day came closer to an end. Time was running out.
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Along the Columbia Pike the planned advance along either flank of the road was moving forward. With the Confederates defending the open fields south of the high ground it was believed that a movement through the woods would shield the attackers from enemy artillery fire and cause the Rebels to retreat. In theory, this was a good idea. The Confederates were less prepared for the Union advances in the woods and had to rapidly recall Withers's division back to the center.
The fighting along Lewisburg Pike had intensified further. Crittenden and Price attacked back and forth through the woods north of Cotton Port with neither side gaining an advantage. Crittenden's right flank had been driving back the Confederates until the timely arrival of Preston's Division which quickly solidified the Confederates line. Crittenden could only fall back on his right and form a defensive line to hold what he had gained along the pike during the day.
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By 3 PM the battlefield was alive with cannon fire and musketry. Along each of the three main north-south pikes the fighting was becoming general and large units were being committed by each army. With only two hours left until dusk at 5 PM, there wasn’t a lot of time left for any sustained fighting. Any success now would have to be quick and decisive. Could either side cripple the other before the sun went down?