While the result of the campaign was attained the army had nevertheless been very severely handled, and for a time was on the verge of utter ruin. Rosecrans’ plan was not at all carried out. The reason for this was the faulty posting and handling of McCook’s wing and the fact that Bragg started in earlier in the execution of his attack. Rosecrans knew on the night before the battle that McCook’s wing was not correctly placed and ordered changes in it. These were not carried out and Rosecrans made no apparent effort to see that they were.
There has been a great deal of controversy about this matter. One of McCook’s division commanders, Johnson, stated in his report that McCook told him that his left was opposite the rebel center, and he expected to be attacked in great force next day. This was, in fact, true, yet McCook certainly did not make such dispositions as to resist any such attack even for a short time, and was compelled to call for such assistance as to wreck the whole plan of battle. If he had placed his corps in a strong defensive position and entrenched it he might have resisted for such a length of time that the main attack could make such progress as to compel Bragg to give up his plan and conform to Rosecrans’ movements; just as, in fact, Rosecrans was forced to comply with those of Bragg. The battle is singular in that the opposing plans were identical. It has been called Stone’s River by the Union forces and Murfreesboro’ by the Confederates.
For the next six months little was done—the Union Army occupying Murfreesboro’ and the Rebel army a position near Tullahoma.
Then followed the campaign which terminated in the battle of Chickamauga.