Overview
Following the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, General Braxton Bragg ended his Confederate Heartland Campaign and withdrew from Kentucky into Tennessee. He combined his forces with General Kirby Smith’s Army of Kentucky to form the Army of Tennessee. In November, Bragg established defenses near Murfreesboro to block a Union advance toward Chattanooga.
President Abraham Lincoln replaced General Don Carlos Buell with General William S. Rosecrans, who took command of the Department of the Cumberland and the Fourteenth Army Corps. Rosecrans spent nearly two months reorganizing his army before leaving Nashville on December 26, 1862, with about 44,000 soldiers. Bragg commanded about 38,000 soldiers near Murfreesboro.
The armies formed parallel lines on December 30. Both commanders planned to attack the opposing right flank, but Bragg struck first at dawn on December 31. Confederate troops initially pushed Union forces backward, but Rosecrans moved reinforcements from his left and formed a stronger line. Neither army launched a major attack on January 1, 1863.
Bragg attacked again on January 2, but Union soldiers used their improved positions and artillery to drive the Confederates back. Rosecrans received reinforcements and ammunition on January 3, convincing Bragg to withdraw to Tullahoma. The Union victory produced heavy casualties but raised Northern morale and secured Murfreesboro as an important Union supply center.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: First Battle of Murfreesboro and the Battle of Murfreesboro.
- Date: December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.
- Location: Rutherford County near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: William S. Rosecrans.
- CSA Commanders: Braxton Bragg.
- Who Won: The United States won the Battle of Stones River.
- Campaign: Stones River Campaign.
- Era:
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: Union forces suffered an estimated 12,906 casualties, including 1,677 killed, 7,543 wounded, and 3,686 captured or missing.
- Forces Engaged: The Fourteenth Army Corps, informally known as the Army of the Cumberland, fought for the Union.
- Troop Strength: Union forces included roughly 44,000 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: Confederate forces suffered an estimated 11,739 casualties, including 1,294 killed, 7,945 wounded, and 2,500 captured or missing.
- Forces Engaged: The Army of Tennessee fought for the Confederacy.
- Troop Strength: Confederate forces included roughly 38,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Battle of Stones River is important to American History because it gave the Union a major victory during a period of serious military setbacks. Late in 1862, Union forces had suffered defeats at Fredericksburg in the East and Chickasaw Bayou in the West. The victory at Stones River raised morale in the North and provided hope to President Abraham Lincoln’s Administration. It also strengthened the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect while the armies fought. After the battle, General William S. Rosecrans established a supply depot at Murfreesboro that supported Union forces for the rest of the Civil War.
History
Following the Battle of Perryville (October 8, 1862), Confederate General Braxton Bragg called off his Heartland Campaign and withdrew his forces from Kentucky to Tennessee. There, Bragg reorganized his command by merging forces with General Kirby Smith‘s Army of Kentucky to form the Army of Tennessee. In November, Bragg established a defensive position along the west fork of Stones River, near Murfreesboro, intent on preventing a Union advance on Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Rosecrans Replaces Buell
Frustrated because Major General Don Carlos Buell did not pursue Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee as it retreated from Kentucky after the Union victory at the Battle of Perryville (October 8, 1862), U.S. President Abraham Lincoln reorganized Union forces in central Tennessee.
On October 24, the U.S. War Department issued General Orders, No. 168, announcing the creation of the Department of the Cumberland, “by direction of the President.” The order also placed Major General William S. Rosecrans in command of the new department and its troops, designated the Fourteenth Army Corps. Rosecrans had captured the attention of Washington authorities following his recent Union victories at the Battle of Iuka (September 19, 1862) and the Second Battle of Corinth (October 3–4, 1862).
On the same day that Rosecrans was promoted, Halleck ordered Buell to relinquish his command and report to Indianapolis, Indiana, to await further orders.
Rosecrans Prepares to Engage Bragg
On October 30, 1862, Rosecrans issued General Orders, No. 1, Department of the Cumberland, announcing that he had taken command of the newly created department. To the dismay of Lincoln and Halleck, Rosecrans spent nearly two months reorganizing his forces and preparing to move against Bragg at Murfreesboro. By December 4, Lincoln and Halleck were losing patience with Rosecrans’ procrastination. In a message dated that day, Halleck cautioned Rosecrans that “The President is very impatient at your long stay in Nashville.” Halleck went on to warn the dilatory general that “As I wrote you when you took the command, the Government demands action, and if you cannot respond to that demand some one else will be tried.”
Despite Halleck’s appeals, Rosecrans did not begin his campaign until three weeks later. On December 26, Rosecrans left Nashville with roughly 44,000 men, prepared to engage Bragg’s army of about 38,000 soldiers encamped at Murfreesboro.
December 29 – 30, 1862: Both Armies Deploy
The Army of the Cumberland approached Murfreesboro along the Nashville Turnpike and Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. Rosecrans found Bragg’s army on December 29, and his men moved into line the next day. On December 30, the two armies were facing each other in parallel lines about four miles long.
December 31: Bragg Attacks First, But Federals Hold
Each general planned to engage the other’s right flank the next day, but Bragg launched his assault first, attacking at dawn. The Confederates drove the Federals back initially, but the Union lines eventually held when Rosecrans sent reinforcements from his left flank. By the end of the day, Bragg was certain he had secured a victory, but the Federals established a new and stronger line.
January 1
On New Year’s Day, neither army engaged.
January 2: Federals Force Bragg Back
The next day, Bragg continued his assault on the Union lines, but the Federals offered stronger resistance from their new positions. Aided by artillery support, the Union soldiers repulsed the assault, forcing the Confederates back to their original position.
January 3: Bragg Withdraws to Tullahoma
On January 3, Rosecrans received reinforcements and new supplies of ammunition, convincing Bragg that further assaults would be fruitless. Thus, he withdrew his men to Tullahoma, Tennessee, thirty-six miles to the south, yielding Murfreesboro to Rosecrans.
Aftermath
The Battle of Stones River was an unusually deadly battle, even by Civil War standards. The Confederates suffered over 10,000 casualties (killed, wounded, missing/captured), and the Federals suffered over 13,000. Total casualties for the battle were comparable to the carnage at the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Antietam. The percentage of casualties at Stones River was higher than any other battle in the Civil War.
The Union victory was a significant morale booster in the North. President Lincoln congratulated Rosecrans, stating, “You gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over.”
Rosecrans chose not to pursue Bragg until June, when the two armies met again at the Battle of Hoover’s Gap, near Tullahoma. Instead, Rosecrans set about reinforcing his position at Murfreesboro, establishing a supply depot that served the Union for the rest of the war.
Timeline
- 1862, September 19 — Union forces won the Battle of Iuka.
- 1862, October 3–4 — Union forces won the Second Battle of Corinth.
- 1862, October 8 — Union forces won the Battle of Perryville.
- 1862, October 24 — The U.S. War Department created the Department of the Cumberland and placed William S. Rosecrans in command.
- 1862, October 24 — Henry Halleck ordered Don Carlos Buell to relinquish his command.
- 1862, October 30 — Rosecrans announced that he had taken command of the Department of the Cumberland.
- 1862, November — Bragg established a defensive position near Murfreesboro to block a Union advance toward Chattanooga.
- 1862, December 4 — Halleck warned Rosecrans that President Lincoln expected him to take action.
- 1862, December 26 — Rosecrans left Nashville with roughly 44,000 soldiers.
- 1862, December 29 — Union forces located Bragg’s army near Murfreesboro.
- 1862, December 30 — The Union and Confederate armies formed parallel battle lines about 4 miles long.
- 1862, December 31 — Bragg attacked at dawn and initially drove Union forces backward, but the Union army formed a stronger defensive line.
- 1863, January 1
- Neither army launched a major attack.
- The Emancipation Proclamation took effect.
- 1863, January 2 — Union soldiers used artillery and stronger positions to repel Bragg’s renewed assault.
- 1863, January 3 — Rosecrans received reinforcements and additional ammunition.
- 1863, January 3 — Bragg withdrew his army to Tullahoma and surrendered control of Murfreesboro.
- 1863, June — Rosecrans moved against Bragg, and the armies met again at the Battle of Hoover’s Gap.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Stones River (1862–1863) — The Battle of Stones River was a major Civil War engagement fought near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, from December 31, 1862, through January 2, 1863. General Braxton Bragg attacked first and initially drove back Union forces. General William S. Rosecrans strengthened his lines with reinforcements, while Union artillery repelled another Confederate assault. After Rosecrans received more soldiers and ammunition, Bragg withdrew to Tullahoma, giving the Union a costly but important victory.
Alignment
The Battle of Stones River is part of the following AP US History sections:
