going on, the next moment were shot down. There was only one brick building in town-the Eldridge House. Quantrell was quick to secure it; and the guests-men, women, and children--were told to dress quickly, and were then marched to the Whitney House, where the murderers established their headquarters. Some of the citizens, including Senator James H. Lane, knowing that no mercy would be shown them, escaped into a cornfield. The mayor of the city secreted himself in a well.

Quantrell, after establishing a line of skirmishers around the town to prevent the escape of the inhabitants, issued this order: "Kill every man; burn every house." house." From sunrise till past ten o'clock the massacre went on. The sounds which broke the stillness of the morning were the cracking of the pistol, the pleading of wives that their husbands might be spared-of children that their fathers might not be murdered-of defenceless men that they might not be shot. The pleadings and prayers fell upon hearts of stone. When all the men they could find had been murdered when there was no more opportunity to exercise fiendish hate and malignity—when they had ransacked all the dwellings, and taken whatever pleased their fancy-money, watches, jewellery, clothing—the houses were set on fire.

A set of ruffians, crazy with whiskey and rum, came to the Whitney House, with oaths demanding that the guests of the Eldridge House, strangers in the town, be brought out. "I am going to kill somebody," said one, flourishing his pistol. "Then kill me," said a woman, stepping before him, who had seen her husband shot. The ruffian, abashed by her action, could not fire at her, and departed. Quantrell had eaten a good breakfast, which he had compelled the landlord of the Whitney House to give him. It was past ten o'clock. He knew that the settlers would soon be gathering to cut off his retreat to Missouri.

"I bid you good-morning, ladies. I hope when we meet again it will be under more favorable circumstances," he said, as he leaped into his saddle and rode away, leaving one hundred and eighty-three corpses in the streets-peaceful citizens, massacred from hate and thirst for vengeance. One hundred and eighty-five buildings were in flames.(") None of the murderers were arrested, or made to suffer for their crimes. They were not even declared to be outlaws. On May 11, 1888, sixteen of them assembled at Blue Springs, Missouri, to celebrate the massacre by recounting their deeds of blood. Quantrell died a peaceful death in the Sisters Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky, June 5, 1865; but the mother of the dead chief murderer, Caroline Quantrell, journeyed from Ohio to Missouri to be present at the gathering. This the report published in the newspapers

of the day: "The men spoke of their bloody murders and fiendish crimes without the slightest hesitation."

Kind, lenient, forbearing, great in its benevolence, unparalleled in its charity, that government of a people which could overlook such a crime as the massacre of Lawrence, brought about by the secession of the cottongrowing States and the establishment of the Confederacy.

So, on this far-distant frontier, the spirit which brought about the conspiracy against the Government and inaugurated the war-which attempted to establish a government based on human slavery-massacred in cold. blood peaceful citizens who were taking no part in the war.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XVIII.

(1) Brownlow's Book, p. 279.

(2) John R. Branner, Records of the War Department, Series I., vol. iv., p. 231. (3) R. G. Fain, idem, p. 231.

(1) A. G. Graham, idem, p. 239.

(5) Governor Harris, idem, p. 240. (6) John R. Branner, idem, p. 243.

(7) S. A. M. Wood, idem, 248.

(8) Idem, p. 299.

(9) Brownlow's Book, pp. 305–329.

(10) Benjamin to Wood, Records of the War Department, Series I., vol. vii., p. 701. (1) H. C. Young to D. M. Currin, idem, p. 777.

(12) Memphis Appeal, Advertisement quoted in Brownlow's Book, p. 349.

(13) Annals of Kansas.

T

CHAPTER XIX.

FROM MURFREESBORO TO CHICKAMAUGA.

HE year 1863 opened with the Union army under General Rosecrans victorious on the battle-field of Stone River ("Drum-beat of the Nation," chap. xvii.).

The Confederates under General Bragg had attacked, and after a two days' struggle had been defeated. Had we been in the camps of the Confederate army at midnight, after the second day's engagement, we should have seen Major-generals Cheatham and Withers writing this letter to General Bragg:

"We deem it our duty to say to you frankly that in our judgment this army should be promptly put in retreat. You have but three brigades that are at all reliable, and even some of these that are more or less demoralized. . . . We fear great disaster from the condition of things now existing, and think it should be averted if possible." Lieutenant-general Polk wrote: "I greatly fear the consequences of another engagement at this place on the ensuing day. We could now perhaps get off with some safety and with some credit if the affair was well managed."()

Acting upon the advice of his subordinate officers, General Bragg retreated in the night from Murfreesboro southward to Shelbyville and Tullahoma, both strong, defensive positions.

Through the winter and spring and into the summer the Army of the Cumberland remained at Murfreesboro. There could be no marching in midwinter or spring, for there were frequent rains, the streams were all swollen, and the mud deep on all the roads. General Rosecrans was studying the country, obtaining information, and waiting for the organization of the army which was to move from Kentucky into Eastern Tennessee, under General Burnside (chapter xviii.).

The Confederate army was behind Elk River, a stream which rises in the Cumberland Mountains, flows west to Duck River, and empties into the Tennessee. The railroad from Murfreesboro to Stevenson and Chattanooga crosses it at Wartrace, where General Bragg established his headquarters. Shelbyville is ten miles south-west of Wartrace, where

General Polk's corps was stationed. Tullahoma is on the railroad eighteen miles south of Wartrace. It is the region of the Cumberland Mountains. -a country broken and rugged-hills, valleys, mountains, streams, ravines, gorges a section called the "barrens" by the country people.

There are two turnpikes between Murfreesboro and Shelbyville—the Murfreesboro and the Eaglesville-fifteen miles apart, both excellent roads, surfaced with pounded stone. The other roads were muddy in the rainy season. Through the weeks of June General Rosecrans was accumulating supplies. His cavalry had been increased during the spring, and the regiments were drilling every day. Up to this time the Confederate cavalry had been much more effective than that of the Union army.

General Rosecrans had no intention of advancing to Shelbyville to send his troops against the strong intrenchments constructed by General Bragg. By a well-planned and admirably executed movement he turned the right flank of Bragg's army, and compelled the Confederates to abandon the position which they had fortified and retreat across the Tennessee River to Chattanooga, from which Bragg had advanced eleven months before to invade Kentucky ("Drum-beat of the Nation," chap. xiv.)

By his strategy Rosecrans had forced Bragg to abandon the State of Tennessee, but it carried the Confederates nearer their supplies, while the Union troops, in following, were increasing the distance between themselves. and their base of supplies at Nashville, compelling Rosecrans to detail a large number of troops to guard the railroad. General Halleck in Washington gave peremptory orders for Rosecrans to push on; but the railroad had to be repaired, and food brought from Nashville, before the army could advance. The country was poor and the Confederates had exhausted its resources. Rosecrans moved on to the Tennessee River, and planned a new campaign-the most difficult of all-to cross that stream and compel the Confederate army to abandon Chattanooga.

The Tennessee River, flowing from the east for a long distance, has a general south-western course. The village of Chattanooga, on its southern bank, in 1863 contained about one thousand five hundred inhabitants. It is situated in a mountain gate-way. Lookout Mountain is a long, high ridge lying in part parallel to the river, rising two thousand four hundred feet above the level of the sea, and presents on its northern face an almost perpendicular bluff; but its eastern and western sides are more sloping and partially wooded.

Between Lookout and the Tennessee is a lower ridge, portions of which are, called the Raccoon Mountains, and other portions Sand Mountains. Eastward of Lookout is Missionary Ridge, twenty-five miles long. West