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Emerging Civil War
Force of a Cyclone: The Battle of Stones River: December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863
All of Middle Tennessee held its breath when the new year dawned in 1863.
One day earlier on December 31, Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee faced off against William Rosecrans’s Federal Army of the Cumberland just outside Murfreesboro along Stones River. The commanders, who led armies nearly equal in size, had prepared identical attack plans, but Bragg struck first. His morning attack bent the Federal line back upon itself.
The desperate fighting seesawed throughout the day amid rocky outcroppings and cedar groves. The Federals managed to avoid a crushing defeat and hold on until dark as the last hours of the old year slipped away. The cold and exhausted soldiers rang in the New Year surrounded by the pitiful cries of the wounded punctuated by cracks of skirmish fire while the opposing generals contemplated their next moves.
With the fate of Middle Tennessee yet to be determined, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863. The president had signed the proclamation back in September of 1862, but he needed battlefield victories to bolster its authority. The stakes being gambled outside Murfreesboro were enormous. Determined to win the battle outright, Bragg launched another large-scale assault on January 2. The fate of the Army of the Cumberland and the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation hung in the balance.
In Force of a The Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863 , authors Caroline Davis and Bert Dunkerly explore a significant turning point of the Civil War, and one that had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides of any Civil War battle. Lincoln himself would often look back on that fragile New Year’s Day and ponder all that was at stake. “I can never forget whilst I remember anything,” he told Federal commander Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, “that about the end of last year and the beginning of this, you gave us a hard-earned victory, which, had there been a defeat instead the nation could scarcely have lived over.”
One day earlier on December 31, Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee faced off against William Rosecrans’s Federal Army of the Cumberland just outside Murfreesboro along Stones River. The commanders, who led armies nearly equal in size, had prepared identical attack plans, but Bragg struck first. His morning attack bent the Federal line back upon itself.
The desperate fighting seesawed throughout the day amid rocky outcroppings and cedar groves. The Federals managed to avoid a crushing defeat and hold on until dark as the last hours of the old year slipped away. The cold and exhausted soldiers rang in the New Year surrounded by the pitiful cries of the wounded punctuated by cracks of skirmish fire while the opposing generals contemplated their next moves.
With the fate of Middle Tennessee yet to be determined, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863. The president had signed the proclamation back in September of 1862, but he needed battlefield victories to bolster its authority. The stakes being gambled outside Murfreesboro were enormous. Determined to win the battle outright, Bragg launched another large-scale assault on January 2. The fate of the Army of the Cumberland and the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation hung in the balance.
In Force of a The Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863 , authors Caroline Davis and Bert Dunkerly explore a significant turning point of the Civil War, and one that had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides of any Civil War battle. Lincoln himself would often look back on that fragile New Year’s Day and ponder all that was at stake. “I can never forget whilst I remember anything,” he told Federal commander Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, “that about the end of last year and the beginning of this, you gave us a hard-earned victory, which, had there been a defeat instead the nation could scarcely have lived over.”
192 pages, Paperback
Published July 13, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 16, 2023
I read this book during and after visiting the Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, TN. The book is a great companion to the park. We must never forget our nations history, especially that which took place in our own back yard.
November 21, 2023
As with all the Emerging Civil War series books, this is an excellent introduction to the Battle of Stone’s River. The authors take the reader through the campaign and battle with enough detail to hold your attention without getting bogged down in detail the casual reader would not need. The book also contains the tour guide and a reading list for those interested in learning more about the battle.
December 30, 2024
The Battle of Stones River In The Emerging Civil War Series
The crucial but relatively little-known Battle of Stones River pitted the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg. The battle took place between December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863, near Murfreesboro, between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Confederacy came close to sweeping the field on December 31. The Union line stabilized, however, and the Army of Tennessee retreated, unmolested, on January 3. The result was a narrow Union military victory with great political repercussions for both sides.
This new book, "Force of a Cyclone" offers an eloquent, short history of the Battle of Stones River. The authors, Caroline Anne Davis and Robeert M. Dunkerly, worked at the Stones River National Battlefield. The book is Davis's first while Dunkerly has written extensively on American military history.
The book takes the reader through the background leading to the Battle of Stones River and explains the political stakes, with Lincoln anxious to secure a military victory before issuing the final Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. The authors describe the topography of the battlefield, followed by a description of the furious attack on the Union right early on December 31. The Army of Tennessee came close to carrying the day and possibly destroying the Army of the Cumberland several times, but strong defense ultimately saved the Union position. Places on the battlefield bear names such as the "Slaughter Pen" (also a site at Gettysburg) and "Hell's Half Acre". General Phillip Sheridan was among the Union heroes. The Confederates also launched an attack on the Union's extensive supply trains in the back of the line that came perilously close to success. Bragg declared victory but did not press. After a day of maneuver on January 1, Bragg launched an assault on a Union elevation at McFadden Ford at the cost of great loss of life to his Army. On January 3, the Army of Tennessee retreated to great loss of morale and criticism of Bragg. The military victory was narrow but Lincoln and the Union had won a needed political victory.
The authors tell their story well, aided by many maps and images. The book describes the human costs of the battle even more than the movements of troops. The book considers fairly the respective generalships of Rosecrans and Bragg and explores the reasons for the Confederate defeat in the face of the apparent victory on December 31. The authors observe:
"There are few examples of one army completely routing another in the Civil War. That ultimate goal of every commander rarely happened because armies were simply too large to rout in their entirety, and successful attacks often broke down over time due to fatigue and disorganization among the attackers. Attacks,though initially successful, eventually reached their culminating point -- a concept taught by the modern U.S. military. Still, the Confederates came very close on the last day of 1862 to completely routing the Federals."
The book includes an Order of Battle together with a short bibliography and five Appendices which offer a driving tour of the Battlefield, describe Andrew Johnson's in the Union occupation of Nashville, the construction of Fortress Rosecrans following the battle which became a launching pad for the Union's subsequent efforts, the history of preservation efforts for the battlefield, and the history of Cemetery, an African American town on the battlefield site.
This book gives readers with an interest in the Civil War the opportunity to learn about the Battle of Stones River. The volume is part of the Emerging Civil War Series which has the goal of offering "compelling easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War's most important battles and stories." Savas Beatie published the book and kindly sent me a review copy.
Robin Friedman
The crucial but relatively little-known Battle of Stones River pitted the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg. The battle took place between December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863, near Murfreesboro, between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Confederacy came close to sweeping the field on December 31. The Union line stabilized, however, and the Army of Tennessee retreated, unmolested, on January 3. The result was a narrow Union military victory with great political repercussions for both sides.
This new book, "Force of a Cyclone" offers an eloquent, short history of the Battle of Stones River. The authors, Caroline Anne Davis and Robeert M. Dunkerly, worked at the Stones River National Battlefield. The book is Davis's first while Dunkerly has written extensively on American military history.
The book takes the reader through the background leading to the Battle of Stones River and explains the political stakes, with Lincoln anxious to secure a military victory before issuing the final Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. The authors describe the topography of the battlefield, followed by a description of the furious attack on the Union right early on December 31. The Army of Tennessee came close to carrying the day and possibly destroying the Army of the Cumberland several times, but strong defense ultimately saved the Union position. Places on the battlefield bear names such as the "Slaughter Pen" (also a site at Gettysburg) and "Hell's Half Acre". General Phillip Sheridan was among the Union heroes. The Confederates also launched an attack on the Union's extensive supply trains in the back of the line that came perilously close to success. Bragg declared victory but did not press. After a day of maneuver on January 1, Bragg launched an assault on a Union elevation at McFadden Ford at the cost of great loss of life to his Army. On January 3, the Army of Tennessee retreated to great loss of morale and criticism of Bragg. The military victory was narrow but Lincoln and the Union had won a needed political victory.
The authors tell their story well, aided by many maps and images. The book describes the human costs of the battle even more than the movements of troops. The book considers fairly the respective generalships of Rosecrans and Bragg and explores the reasons for the Confederate defeat in the face of the apparent victory on December 31. The authors observe:
"There are few examples of one army completely routing another in the Civil War. That ultimate goal of every commander rarely happened because armies were simply too large to rout in their entirety, and successful attacks often broke down over time due to fatigue and disorganization among the attackers. Attacks,though initially successful, eventually reached their culminating point -- a concept taught by the modern U.S. military. Still, the Confederates came very close on the last day of 1862 to completely routing the Federals."
The book includes an Order of Battle together with a short bibliography and five Appendices which offer a driving tour of the Battlefield, describe Andrew Johnson's in the Union occupation of Nashville, the construction of Fortress Rosecrans following the battle which became a launching pad for the Union's subsequent efforts, the history of preservation efforts for the battlefield, and the history of Cemetery, an African American town on the battlefield site.
This book gives readers with an interest in the Civil War the opportunity to learn about the Battle of Stones River. The volume is part of the Emerging Civil War Series which has the goal of offering "compelling easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War's most important battles and stories." Savas Beatie published the book and kindly sent me a review copy.
Robin Friedman
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews