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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1963)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1963 Macmillan Under Heavy Fire; Political Survival Openly Questioned 'sr,& .THE CIVIL WAR WASTES Bloody Battles in Two States By MERTON T. AKERS UPI coKetponoeni The night before the battle of Stones River (Murfrees boro) the Union and Confed erate armies lay within ear shot of each other. Before bedtime the bands warmed up on both sides of ih hattle line. The strains of "Yankee-Doodle" and "Hail Columbia" resounded irom the Federal side across the broken country and in the ce dar glades. Confederate bands answered with "Dixie" and "The Bonny Blue Flag." The bands alternated for a time. Then one struck up "Home Sweet Home." As if some unseen band master was directing, the sim ple melody, so familiar to all Northerners and Southerners, was taken up, first by one band and then another untill all bands Blue and Gray alike Joined in the tune. Then the soldiers caught up the melody, and nearly drown ed out the brass as they sang the song so close to all their hearts. Many a battle - hardened soldier wiped away a tear as the music ended on the line -"There's no place like home" -before rolling into his blan ket for a few hours sleep be fore the bloody business of the morrow. Two-Day Affair The battle of Stones River was a twoKlay affair strad dling New Year's day of 1863. The armies clashed at dawn on Dec. 31. The Union army about 46,000 men was commanded by Maj. Gen. Wil liam S. Rosecrans. Gen. Brax ton Bragg led the Confederate army of about 37,000. The scene was along Stones River, a few miles northwest of Mur freesboro, Tenn., which is about 35 miles southeast of Nashville. Each commander planned to strike the other's right wing. Rosecrans ordered his attack for 7 a.m. to give his men a chance to eat break fast. But Bragg beat him to the punch, attacking as soon as it was light enough to see. The Confederate attack was spirited and dashing. One Federal brigade on the right was surprised while eating breakfast and retired quickly. Another fought back for a time hut was forced to retire. That deflected the force of the Rebel attack against di visions commanded by Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis and Brig. Gen. Philip H. Sheri dan. Davis' division was forc ed to retreat but Sheridan's stood fast and even counter attacked until its ammunl tion was exhausted. Lin Comuleled by Noon Sheridan's stand enabled Rosecrans, his battle plan abandoned in the face of Brass's earlier attack, to form a line along the Nashville Pike at right angles to the previous one. By noon this line was completed, resting its left in a four-score wood' land called the Round Forest in battle reports but dubbed "Hells Half Acre" by the soldiers. To attack the position, the Rebels had to cross open ground against Federals post ed among cedar copses and behind boulders. From noon until night the Confederates threw brigade after brigade against "Hell Half Acre" and each time they were repulsed with fantastic loses. One Confederate regi ment, the Eighth Tennessee, lost 306 of 423 engaged. At nightfall Rosecrans still held his new line and deter mined to remain on the field and take the offensive the next day if Bragg did not re attack. Neither attacked the next morning and New Year's day was auiet except for some skirmishing and cavalry raid ing. . Starttd Again But on Jan. 2 fighting start ed again on the other side, of Stones river where Rosecrans had seized some high ground. Bragg ordered the position taken and at 4 p.m. the Con federates tried, although Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, commander of Bragg's right wins and vice president un der President Buchanan, said the task was impossible. His men charged to the crest of the ridge and started down the other side but 58 massed Federal cannon slaugh tered them. Breckinridge lost 1,700 of 4,000 men. On the night of Jan. 3-4, Bragg withdrew his army to wards Tullahoma, Tenn., leav ing Rosecrans with an inde cisive but timely victory. Casualties were heavy. Rosecrans lost 1.677 killed; 7, 543 wounded; 3,686 missing total 12,906. Bragg's losses: 1,294 killed; 7,495 wounded; 2,500 missing total 11,289. Sheridan, whose division lost almost 40 per cent of Its numbers, said: In the remaining years of the war-. . . I never experi enced ... so high a rate of casualties." Not in Condition Rosecrans did not follow Bragg. "We were not in con dition to pursue," Sheridan wrote. The North was in desper ate need of victory after the disaster at Fredericksburg, Va., and Lincoln telegraphed his congratulations to Rose crans, ending "God bless you and all with you." Two days before Stones riv er, Maj. Gen. William T. Sher man made a stab as Vicks burg, Miss., from the north via the Yazoo river, a stream which runs into the Mississip pi above Vicksburg. The Con federates had fortified Chick asaw Bluffs north of the city and Sherman proposed to car ry the works by assault across land which Horace ureeiey, editor of the New York Trib une, called "a profound mire, restine on quicksand." Greeley wrote the story of the battle: "On the 26th and 27th of Dec. 1862, our men formed in four columns, gradually pushed forward and drove back the enemy pickets to ward the frowning bluffs . . . Chickasaw Bayou was con clusively ascertained to be passable but at two points, one a narrow levee, the other a sandbar, each commanded by the enemy's sharpshooters . . . Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele . . . found his progress barred by an impassable swamp . . . This venture he properly declined . . . "Brig. Gen. George W. Morgan's division charged on the 29th, but what could val or avail against rifle pits fill ed with sharpshooters whose every bullet drew blood? Against gunners who poured grape and canister into our dauntless heroes, who could not advance and were stung by the consciousness that they were dying in vain? . . . Fought Way To Bluffs The Sixth Missouri (Union) regiment succeeded in fight ing its way to the bluffs but could not climb the steep bank. "Some men of the Sixth . . . actually scooped out with their hands caves in the bank, which sheltered them against the fire of the enemy, who, right over their heads, held their muskets outside the par apet vertically and fired down," Sherman wrote later. The Sixth withdrew after dark. Sherman tried again the next night but it was so fog gy that the Union gunboats were unable to move. The fol lowing night was brightly moonlit, too light for any surprise. Sherman's men were encamped in a swamp that was liable to overflow in a moderate rain. On Jan. 2 he decided to withdraw, his attempt against Vicksburg a failure. Sherman's army sufferecM, 776 casualties in the opera tion, the Confederates, 187. The same day Sherman gave up the fight, Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand arrived and took over the command. He had been recruiting an army for an expedition against Vicksburg and under stood that he was to com mand it although Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was in charge of the department. No sooner had McClernand taken over than he began to plan moves against several minor Confederate points. A showdown was nearing between McClernand and Grant over who would com mand against Vicksburg. STAB AT VICKSBURG Just two days before the Battle of Stones River, near Murfreesboro, Tenn., Union Maj. Gen William T. Sherman made a stab at Vicksburg from the north. Moving over what hat been called a "profound mire, resting on quicksand, Sherman proposed Confederate fori tifications north of the city. He struck, but failed. The Union suffered 1776 casualties, the Confederates 187. The indications, however, were now clear. The fall of Vicks burg was imminent. This map shows the route by which sncrman sirucK ai ine cuy. iui-ij Total Farm Debt Estimated To Be $29.3 Billion Washington - (IIPD - The Ag ricultural depa-tment e s t i males that total farm debt on Jan. 1 was about $29.3 bil lion, an increase of about fj per cent of $1.6 billion from Jan. 1, 1962. In a year-end agricultural finance review, the depart ment's E c o nomic Research Service said farmers' use of credit continued to rise strong ly in 1962. This reflected con tinued consolidation and en largement of farms, further increases in capital invest ments, and higher prices paid for farm real estate and some purchased production goods. Loan funds were generally ample, and interest rates edged slightly lower during the year, ERS said. Payments on loans were well maintain ed, because farm incomes London lUPD Prime Minis ter Harold Macmillan has en tered 1963 under heavy fire for policies at home and abroad, with political circles here openly questioning whe ther he will survive the year in office. Few persons in political quarters doubt that Macmil lan is entering the most de cisive phase in his House of Commons career stretching over 40 turbulent years. During 1963 he must choose the date for the next general elections, and decide whether he is the man to lead the Con servative party at the polls. Deep-Rooted Uneasiness He must find the answer to these questions knowing that his government appears to have lost popularity among voters, and aware that there is some deep-rooted uneasiness within his own party over the Polaris for - Skybolt compro mise he worked out with President Kennedy in the Ba hamas. Macmillan also knows that Conservative M.P.S are not all happy over the way Britain's negotiations to enter the Eu ropean Common Market have been handled. He also knows there is a hard core of 40 to 50 parliamentarians who want this country to stay out. Another group has been critical of the decision to al low Nyasaland to pull out of the Central African Federa tion. Many conservative M P.s also are apprehensive about the government's handling of the country's economic situa- tion. Jobless Favor Labor Party There is growing unemploy ment, which has already hit the half-million mark. Tradi tionally in British politics. areas with large numbers of jobless vote for the Labor par ty. At present the Conserva tives have 363 M.P.s against 259 for Labor and 7 for the Liberals, with 1 Independent. The trend in by-elections has indicated that if Conserv atives continue to lose popu larity, the Labor party could win a general election. The Liberal party hopes to in crease its representation. Macmillan's government does not have to call general elections until October, 1964. But it has frequently been speculated that if the prime minister can obtain satisfac tory terms for Common Mar ket entry quickly, he might go to the polls this fall. In any event he must choose during 1963 when the elec tion will be held, Tim Needed 1 Conservative campaign managers need time to get their organization into gear for a battle which is certain to be tough. In political circles it is gen erally assumed that if Mac millan feels he docs not want to lead the party at the next general elections, or that the ' party does not want him to do so, then he will step down well in advance to give his successor time to make h i s mark. The big question is w h o would succeed him. Not even the most confident tipsters claim to know for certain the answer to that one. TAX WORK MADE EASY Rent or Ltate Adding Machine Typewriter Calculator VOIGHT'S 8th & Gripe Eny Perking 772-4100 Green Stemps PLANS U. S. VISIT Manila -IUPII- The newspa per Philippine Herald report ed today that President Dios dado Macapagal may pay a state visit to the United States sometime this year. It said the president told newsmen dur ing an informal dinner Sun day that he had "accepted in principle" a standing invita tion from President Kennedy to make the trip. We still have a ; 1963 Christian Art Calendars If you would like one of these beautiful calendars please stop in or call 772-6675 SIRVICE I MIAU UD tflcoio I BUI PT 1 TU li e prornpily re pond lo ell colli, Jay or num. PERL FUNERAL HOME CORNER SIXTH AND OAKDALE Spacious Parking Lot MEMBER BY INVITATION 'Critic' Possibly Biased in Review New 'Sork OJPIt- A "critic" reviewed the new musical "Oliver!" which opened Sun day night in New York dur ing a newspaper blackout. The review, read on a local radio station, was filled with descriptives like "breathtak ing, the greatest musical of all lime, marvelous, stagger ing, transcendent, unique, in comparable, s t u n n ing daz- zler." The "critic" was David Merrick, the producer of the musical. were about steady and off- farm earnings of farmers re mained large. These condi tions contributed to a confi dent outlook of both lenders and borrowers. ERS said the ratio of total farm debt to total farm assets by the end of 1962 rose to about 13.7 per cent because debts increased a little more rapidly than the value of farm assets. Since not all operators or landlords were in debt, this ratio is higher for indebted farms than for all farms. ERS said the census sample survey of agriculture in 1960 showed that about 60 per cent of all farms had debts - owned by the operator, . landlord, or both. 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