164 The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War

off the enemy’s retreat. In other words, the Unionarmy, pivoting upon its right, was to be swungaround in a semicircle, enveloping and destroyingthe enemy. It was for this purpose that Rosecransmassed his troops so heavily upon his left. Inspace the Wilkinson turnpike divided his line inthe middle, but nearly two thirds of his weightwas to the left of this. This was well, providedthe right wing were strong enough and so advan-tageously placed as to be able to hold its ground.If the pivot were to be shaken out of place, thewhole turning movement would be spoiled andthe army thrown upon the defensive.

It was all the more essential that the right wingshould be made secure, since the arrangement ofBragg’s plan Bragg’s troops was such as to indicateof attack. that an attack would be made in thatquarter. In fact, Bragg’s plan of battle was almostprecisely the same as that of Rosecrans. With hisleft somewhat heavily massed and thrown forward,he intended to overlap and crush the Federal right.Swinging around his whole force west of the riverwith Polk’s right as its pivot, he would come inupon the Federal rear, fold the army back againstthe river, and, seizing the Nashville turnpike, cutoff their retreat. The two plans being thus sub-stantially identical, each general having a heavyforce opposed to the weaker wing of the other, it