critics。　　These　admirers　held　him　blameless　throughout　for　the
  blunders　of　the　campaign；　but　the　greater　number　laid　every　error　at
  his　door；　and　even　went　to　the　absurdity　of　challenging　his　loyalty
  in　a　mild　way；　but　they　particularly　charged　incompetency　at
  Perryville；　where　McCook's　corps　was　so　badly　crippled　while　nearly
  30；000　Union　troops　were　idle　on　the　field；　or　within　striking
  distance。　　With　these　it　was　no　use　to　argue　that　Buell's　accident
  stood　in　the　way　of　his　activity；　nor　that　he　did　not　know　that　the
  action　had　assumed　the　proportions　of　a　battle。　　The　physical
  disability　was　denied　or　contested；　but　even　granting　this；　his
  detractors　claimed　that　it　did　not　excuse　his　ignorance　of　the　true
  condition　of　the　fight；　and　finally　worsted　his　champions　by　pointing
  out　that　Bragg's　retreat　by　way　of　Harrodsburg　beyond　Dick's　River　so
  jeopardized　the　Confederate　army；　that　had　a　skillful　and　energetic
  advance　of　the　Union　troops　been　made；　instead　of　wasting　precious
  time　in　slow　and　unnecessary　tactical　manoeuvres；　the　enemy　could
  have　been　destroyed　before　he　could　quit　the　State　of　Kentucky。
  CHAPTER　XII。
  MOVING　TO　BOWLING　GREENJAMES　CARD；　THE　SCOUT　AND　GUIDEGENERAL
  SILLCOLONEL　SCHAEFERCOLONEL　G。　W。　ROBERTSMOVEMENT　ON
  MURFREESBORO'OPENING　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　STONE　RIVER。
  My　division　had　moved　from　Crab　Orchard　to　Bowling　Green　by　easy
  marches；　reaching　this　place　November　1。　General　Rosecrans　assumed
  command　of　the　department　October　30；　at　Louisville；　and　joined　the
  army　November　2。　　There　had　been　much　pressure　brought　to　bear　on
  General　Buell　to　induce　him　to　take　measures　looking　to　the　occupancy
  of　East　Tennessee；　and　the　clamor　to　this　end　from　Washington　still
  continued；　but　now　that　Bragg　was　south　of　the　Cumberland　River；　in　a
  position　threatening　Nashville；　which　was　garrisoned　by　but　a　small
  force；　it　was　apparent　to　every　one　at　all　conversant　with　the
  situation　that　a　battle　would　have　to　be　fought　somewhere　in　Middle
  Tennessee。　　So；　notwithstanding　the　pressure　from　Washington；　the
  army　was　soon　put　in　motion　for　Nashville；　and　when　we　arrived　there
  my　division　went　into　camp　north　of　the　river；　on　a　plateau　just
  outside　the　little　town　of　Edgefield；　until　the　movements　of　the
  enemy　should　be　further　developed。
  While　in　this　camp；　on　the　plantation　of　Mr。　Hobson；　there　came　to　my
  headquarters　one　morning　an　East　Tennessean　named　James　Card；　who
  offered　to　the　Union　cause　his　services　in　any　capacity　in　which　they
  might　be　made　useful。　　This　offer；　and　the　relation　of　his　personal
  history；　were　given　with　such　sincerity　of　speech　and　manner　that　in
  a　short　time　I　became　convinced　of　his　honesty　of　purpose。　　He　was　a
  small；　active；　busy　man；　with　a　determined　way　about　him；　and　his
  countenance　indicated　great　intelligence。　　He　gave　minute　information
  that　was　of　inestimable　value　to　me　regarding　East　and　Middle
  Tennessee　and　northern　Georgia；　for；　with　a　view　to　the　army's　future
  movements；　I　was　then　making　a　study　of　the　topography　of　this
  region；　and　posting　myself　as　to　Middle　Tennessee；　for　all　knew　this
  would　be　the　scene　of　active　operations　whenever　the　campaign　was
  resumed。　　This　man；　like　most　of　the　East　Tennesseans　whom　I　had　met；
  was　intensely　loyal　and　patriotic；　and　the　interview　led　in　a　few
  days　to　his　employment　as　a　scout　and　guide；　and　subsequently　to　the
  engaging　in　the　same　capacity　of　two　of　his　brothers；　who　were　good
  men；　but　not　quite　as　active　nor　so　intelligent　as　he　was。　　Card　had
  been　a　colporter；　having　pedled　books；　especially　religious　tracts；
  over　all　Middle　and　East　Tennessee　and　Georgia；　assisted　by　his
  brothers　at　times；　and　was　therefore　thoroughly　familiar　with　these
  regions；　their　roads　and　inhabitants。　　He　also　preached　to　country
  congregations　occasionally；　when　ministers　were　scarce；　and　I　have　no
  doubt　often　performed　the　functions　of　family　physician　in　the
  mountain　district。　　Thus　his　opportunities　were　great；　and　the　loyal
  people　in　every　section　of　the　country　being　well　known　to　him　and
  his　brothers；　the　three　began；　at　this　time；　a　system　of　scouting　and
  investigation　which　bore　its　first…fruits　in　specifically　locating
  the　different　divisions　of　Bragg's　army；　with　statements　of　their
  strength　and　condition；　and　all　with　so　much　accuracy　that　I
  thereafter　felt　reasonably　sure　that　I　could　at　all　times　procure
  such　knowledge　of　the　enemy's　operations　as　would　well　equip　me　for
  any　contingency　that　might　arise。
  By　the　middle　of　November　the　enemy；　having　assembled　his　forces　in
  Middle　Tennessee；　showed　considerable　boldness；　and　it　became
  necessary　to　rearrange　the　Union　lines；　so　my　troops　were　moved　to
  the　south　side　of　the　river；　out　on　the　Murfreesboro'　pike；　to　Mill
  Creek；　distant　from　Nashville　about　seven　miles。　　While　we　were　in
  camp　on　Mill　Creek　the　army　was　reorganized；　and　General　Joshua　W。
  Sill；　at　his　own　request；　was　assigned　to　my　division；　and　took
  command　of　Colonel　Nicholas　Greusel's　brigade。　　My　division　became　at
  the　same　time　the　Third　Division；　Right　Wing；　Fourteenth　Army　Corps；
  its　three　brigades　of　four　regiments　each　being　respectively
  commanded　by　General　Sill；　Colonel　Frederick　Schaefer　and　Colonel　Dan
  McCook；　but　a　few　days　later　Colonel　George　W。　Roberts's　brigade；
  from　the　garrison　at　Nashville；　was　substituted　for　McCook's。
  General　Sill　was　a　classmate　of　mine　at　the　Military　Academy；　having
  graduated　in　1853。　　On　graduating　he　was　appointed　to　the　Ordnance
  Corps；　and　served　in　that　department　at　various　arsenals　and　ordnance
  depots　throughout　the　country　till　early　in　1861；　when　he　resigned　to
  accept　a　professorship　of　mathematics　and　civil　engineering　at　the
  Brooklyn　Collegiate　and　Polytechnic　Institute。　　At　the　breaking　out
  of　the　war　he　immediately　tendered　his　services　to　the　Government；
  and　soon　rose　to　the　colonelcy　of　the　Thirty…Third　Ohio　Volunteers；
  and　afterward　to　the　rank　of　brigadier…general。　　I　knew　him　well；　and
  was　glad　that　he　came　to　my　division；　though　I　was　very　loth　to
  relieve　Colonel　Greusel；　of　the　Thirty…Sixth　Illinois；　who　had
  already　indicated　much　military　skill　and　bravery；　and　at　the　battle
  of　Perryville　had　handled　his　men　with　the　experience　of　a　veteran。
  Sill's　modesty　and　courage　were　exceeded　only　by　a　capacity　that　had
  already　been　demonstrated　in　many　practical　ways；　and　his　untimely
  death；　almost　within　a　month　of　his　joining　me；　abruptly　closed　a
  career　which；　had　it　been　prolonged　a　little　more；　not　only　would
  have　shed　additional　lustre　on　his　name；　but　would　have　been　of
  marked　benefit　to　his　country。
  Colonel　Schaefer；　of　the　Second　Missouri　Infantry；　had　been　absent　on
  sick…leave　during　the　Kentucky　campaign；　but　about　this　date　he
  returned　to　duty；　and　by　seniority　fell　in　command　of　the　second
  brigade。　　He　was　of　German　birth；　having　come　from　Baden；　where；
  prior　to　1848；　he　had　been　a　non…commissioned　officer　in　the　service
  of　his　State。　　He　took　part　as　an　insurgent　in　the　so…called
  revolution　which　occurred　at　Baden　in　that　year；　and；　compelled　to
  emigrate　on　the　suppression　of　the　insurrection；　made　his　way　to　this
  country　and　settled　in　St。　Louis。　　Here　the　breaking　out　of　the　war
  found　him；　and　through　the　personal　interest　which　General　Sigel　took
  in　him　he　was　commissioned　a　colonel　of　volunteers。　　He　had　had　a
  pretty　fair　education；　a　taste　for　the　military　profession；　and　was
  of　tall　and　slender　build；　all　of　which　gave　him　a　student…like
  appearance。　　He　was　extremely　excitable　and　nervous　when　anticipating
  a　crisis；　but　always　calmed　down　to　cool　deliberation　when　the
  critical　moment　came。　　With　such　a　man　I　could　not　be　less　than　well
  satisfied；　although　the　officer　whom　he　replacedColonel　Laiboldt
  had　performed　efficient　service　and　shown　much　capacity　in　the　recent
  campaign。
  Colonel　G。　W。　Roberts；　of　the　Forty…Second　Illinois　Infantry；　also
  came　to　me　in　the　reorganization。　　He　was　an　ideal　soldier　both　in
  mind　and　body。　　He　was　young；　tall；　handsome；　brave；　and　dashing；　and
  possessed　a　balance…wheel　of　such　good　judgment　that　in　his　sphere　of
  action　no　occasion　could　arise　from　which　he　would　not　reap　the　best
  results。　　But　he　too　was　destined　to　lay；　down　his　life　within　a　few
  days；　and　on　the　same　fatal　field。　　His　brigade　had　been　performing
  garrison　duty　in　Nashville　during　the　siege　of　that　city　while
  Buell's　army　was　in　Kentucky；　but　disliking　the　prospect　of
  inactivity　pending　the　operations　opening　before　us；　Roberts　had
  requested　and　obtained　a　transfer　to　the　army　in　the　field。　　His
  brigade　relieved　Colonel　Dan　McCook's；　the　latter　reluctantly　joining
  the　garrison　at　Nashville；　every　one　in　it　disappointed　and　disgusted
  that　the　circumstances　existing　at　this　time　should　necessitate　their
  relegation　to　the　harassing　and　tantalizing　duty　of　protecting　our
  depots　and　line　of　supply。
  I　was　fortunate　in　having　such　brigad