December 14, 1863
---Battle of Bean’s Station, Tennessee: Longstreet’s
men, having slept all night in the rain, are on the road, and arrive in front
of Bean’s Station by early afternoon.
Gen. Shackelford, with 5,000 cavalry, faces 12,000 Confederates. Longstreet has sent one column of cavalry
around south of the Federal flank, and another to go around the northern
flank. Longstreet sends in Gracie’s
brigade, which hits Shackelford’s lead brigade.
The Federal cavalry pour rapid fire into the Confederate ranks with
their repeating Spencer carbines. But
Gracie’s attack splinters the foreward blue line, and while another brigade
joins him, they dash across nearly a mile of open ground to the town. Longstreet orders in Bushrod Johnson’s
brigade, and the Federals begin giving way.
The Federals anchor their line in the center of town, and McLaw’s
division is added to the Rebel attack.
Kershaw’s Brigade turns the Federal left, and the Union forces finally
retreat. But the two cavalry columns
that are supposed to surround the Federals fail to do so, and the Rebel victory
is tainted by the escape of Shackelford’s Federal cavalry. Confederate
Victory.
---In
Richmond, Mary Boykin Chestnut writes in her journal of her social activities
on a winter Sunday:
Preston Hampton went with me to see Conny Cary.
The talk was frantically literary, which Preston thought hard on him. I had
just brought the St. Denis number of Les Miserables.
Sunday, Christopher Hampton walked to church
with me. Coming out, General Lee was seen slowly making his way down the aisle,
bowing royally to right and left. I pointed him out to Christopher Hampton when
General Lee happened to look our way. He bowed low, giving me a charming smile
of recognition. I was ashamed of being so pleased. I blushed like a schoolgirl.
We went to the White House. They gave us tea.
The President said he had been on the way to our house, coming with all the Davis
family, to see me, but the children became so troublesome they turned back. . .
.
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