According to Rosecrans' plan of battle, Mc Cook was to hold fast on the right and keep back Bragg's left in his front, while Thomas and the right division of Crittenden were to open the battle on the morning of the 31st with skirmishing, and to engage Bragg's centre and left as far as the river, and Van Cleve's and Wood's divisions of Crittenden's wing were to cross Stone River and attack Bragg's right, to drive it back through Murfreesboro, and into the open country toward Salem. Thomas was to take up the movement on Crittenden's right. The attack was to commence at 7 a.m.; Van Cleve's and Wood's divisions had been massed on the left; Van Cleve's skirmishers had crossed the stream, and one of his brigades had fol lowed and formed line and the rest were in motion, when the roar of battle came up from the right, the movement on Bragg's right was abandoned, Van Cleve was recalled, and Rose crans was obliged to yield his plan of battle to one laid down by Bragg.
Bragg had determined to attack and turn Rosecrans' right at daybreak, and for that pur pose, leaving Breckinridge's division to hold the right against Rosecrans' left, Hardee was or dered to march Cleburne's division from the right to the left, take command of that and of McCown's division, and open the fight at day break by an attack upon McCook's right. Hardee's attack was to be followed up by Polk's divisions in succession to the right, the move to be made by a constant wheel to the right on Polk's flank on the river, as a pivot, the object being to force Rosecrans back on Stone River, gain the roads in his rear, and cut him off from his base of operations and supplies by the Nashville pike. On the night of the 30th Hardee led Cleburne's division to the left and placed it in rear of McCown. At day break McCown advanced and fell upon the right of R. W. Johnson's division while the men were preparing breakfast. The skirmishers had seen the advance and had resolutely opposed it, while the main line was preparing to meet the shock. The skirmish-line was driven in by the impetuous Confederate advance, and McCown, swinging to the right, overlapped Johnson's right, soon overcame the two brigades holding the first line, captured most of their artillery, and swept them from the field. McCown's first movement had diverged somewhat to the left, leaving an opening between his right and the left of Withers' division, into which Cleburne's division sprang, and then advanced on Davis' division, and it was severely engaged with Davis when Johnson gave way, upon which McCown turned one of his brigades upon Davis' flank. Davis changed front on his right, to meet Mc Cown, made counter attacks upon Cleburne in his front, and repulsed some of Cleburne's fierce assaults, but was finally forced back with great loss, with a part of Sheridan's division on his left. Sheridan also changed front to meet at tacks upon his flank; but after desperate fight ing, making three successive stands and re pulsing some furious assaults, he was obliged to fall back upon the divisions of Negley and Rousseau of Thomas' command, on the left of the Wilkinson pike; and upon those and Sheri dan, Polk's two divisions of Withers and Cheatham fell with great force, attacking them in front, left flank, and rear, causing them to fall back in rear of Crittenden's line. The en
tire right and centre of the Union line had now been driven back beyond the Wilkinson pike, and Rosecrans made heroic efforts to stem the tide setting against him and hold the Nashville pike, his only remaining connection with Nashville, and on which were 01 his trains. Everything was rallied on a new line covering this road, and Van Cleve's division of Critten den's wing was brought up. There was another fierce struggle, but the Confederate attack was repulsed, with Rosecrans' right and centre thrown back at a right angle to its position of the morning, and with Bragg's line also at a right angle to his original line, the left of Rosecrans and the right of Bragg resting on Stone River. It was nowpast noon; Bragg held a large part of the field, with many pris oners, guns, wagons and ammunition, and the dead and wounded of both armies; but Rose crans still held the road to Nashville. Bragg had made persistent efforts to crush the left of the Union line, where it rested near Stone River, and Polk's corps had been bloodily re pulsed in several assaults on that part of the Union line. Another effort was now made. At 10 A.M. Bragg had ordered Breckinridge to send one brigade and, soon after, a second to reinforce Hardee; but when Bragg was in formed that Rosecrans' left was crossing the river to attack Breckinridge the order was countermanded. It was ascertained that the in formation of an attack upon Breckinridge was incorrect; upon which Bragg ordered Breck inridge to send two brigades to report to Hardee, and soon after gave him a second or der — to leave one brigade east of Stone River and march with the rest of his command to Hardee's support. When the brigades of Adams and Jackson crossed Stone River Hardee had been checked and thrown back, and the two brigades were sent to Polk, who was still as sailing Rosecrans' left. The two brigades, the right of their line resting on Stone River, went forward, relieved part of Cheatham's. and be came hotly engaged, but were driven back with great slaughter, some regiments losing more than half their men. As they were falling back Breckinridge came up with the brigades of Preston and Palmer, which were sent forward and speedily repulsed. Cannonading continued until nightfall, when, exhausted by a conflict of full 10 hours' duration, rarely surpassed for its continued intensity and the heavy losses sustained, both armies sank to rest.