He was fully aware of the quality of
the Southern soldiers. He remembered how they had turned suddenly at
Perryville and with inferior numbers had fought a draw. Now on the
defensive, and in such a deep and sticky soil, they would have a great
advantage and his generals agreed with him in waiting.
Dick spent much of this day in riding with Colonel Winchester along
their lines. There was some talk about Bragg retreating, but the boy, a
veteran in everything but years, knew the ominous signs. Bragg had no
notion of retreating.
In the night that followed Colonel Winchester himself and some of his
young officers, accompanied by the brave and skillful Sergeant Whitley,
scouted toward Stone River. In the darkness and with great care, in
order to avoid any sound of splashing, they waded a deep creek and came
out upon a plateau, rolling slightly in character, and with a deep clay
soil, very muddy from the heavy rains. A part of the plateau was cleared
of forest, but here and there were groves, chiefly of the red cedar,
and thickets, some of them so dense that a man would have difficulty in
forcing his way through.
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