No. 1.
Reports of Maj. Gen.
D.C. Buell, U.S. Army, commanding Army of the Ohio, including General Orders,
No. 32.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA., July 15, 1862.
My information, up to the night of the 13th, from
Murfreesborough was that the Ninth Michigan had been captured, but that Colonel
Lester's regiment and Hewett's battery were doing well, and felt confident of
being able to hold out. Re-enforcements were being started from Nashville. It
appears that before they arrived Colonel Lester surrendered, at 4 p.m. the same
day. I have no particulars, and at present no remarks to make upon what appears
to be a most disgraceful affair. Of course it may embarrass me considerably. I
have been busy to counteract it. The worst is the interception of the
Chattanooga road, which was just completed. I had taken the precaution to place
some twelve regiments on that route until it should be securely established. We
will go to work again.
D. C. BUELL,
Major-General.
General HALLECK.
_______________
HUNTSVILLE, ALA., July 19, 1862.
As nearly as I can ascertain the force captured at
Murfreesborough on the 13th consisted of nine companies of the Third Minnesota,
under Colonel Lester; six companies of the Ninth Michigan, four companies of
the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, three companies of the Seventh Pennsylvania
Cavalry, and two sections of Hewett's Kentucky battery. All except Colonel
Lester's regiment and the artillery, including Colonel Duffield and General T.
T. Crittenden, seem to have been completely surprised in the town and captured
without time or opportunity for resistance. The case of the rest of the command
was but little better. They maintained their position until 4 o'clock and then
surrendered. I had concentrated a larger force at that point to occupy
McMinnville, but a considerable portion of it had been sent away a day or two
before to Kentucky to meet the difficulties there. I regard the whole affair as
most disgraceful and demanding prompt and vigorous treatment. It has also
caused serious delay in the means of supplying the army so that it can move on
the Decatur route. The difficulty has been increased by damages to bridges by
swollen streams. Every effort is being made to remove these difficulties and I
hope to have the Murfreesborough road repaired and in working order in a very
few days. It is not my habit to plead difficulties or represent them even; but
it is important that they should be somewhat understood, lest impossible
expectations should be formed, and the opinion taken up that this army is idle
and has nothing to do but march rapidly along the road. Our lines of supply are
very long and difficult to protect; for, without ascribing hostility to the
mass of the people, there is still enough of hostile and bad element to involve
us in all the difficulties of operating in an enemy's country.
D.C. BUELL,
Major - General,
Commanding.
Major-General HALLECK, or
ADJUTANT-GENERAL
U.S. ARMY.
_______________
GENERAL ORDERS No. 32.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF
THE OHIO,
In Camp, Huntsville,
Ala., July 21, 1862.
On the 13th instant the force at Murfreesborough, under
command of Brig. Gen. T. T. Crittenden, late colonel of the Sixth Indiana
Regiment, and consisting of six companies of the Ninth Michigan, nine companies
of the Third Minnesota, two sections of Hewett's (Kentucky) battery, four
companies of the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, and three companies of the Seventh
Pennsylvania Cavalry, was captured at that place by a force of the enemy's
cavalry variously estimated at from 1,800 to 3,500. It appears from the best
information that can be obtained that Brigadier-General Crittenden, and Colonel
Duffield, of the Ninth Michigan, with the six companies of that regiment and
all of the cavalry, were surprised and captured early in the morning in the
houses and streets of the town or in their camp near by, with but slight
resistance and without any timely warning of the presence of an enemy. The rest
of the force, consisting of the Third Minnesota and the artillery, under
Colonel Lester, left its camp and took another position, which it maintained
with but few casualties against the feeble attacks of the enemy until about 3
o'clock, when it was surrendered and marched into captivity.
Take it in all its features, few more disgraceful examples
of neglect of duty and lack of good conduct can be found in the history of
wars. It fully merits the extreme penalty which the law provides for such
misconduct. The force was more than sufficient to repel the attack effectually.
The mortification which the army will feel at the result is poorly compensated
by the exertion made by some — perhaps many — of the officers to retrieve the
disgrace of the surprise. The action fit to be adopted with reference to those
who are blamable, especially the officers highest in command, cannot be
determined without further investigation.
In contrast to this shameful affair the general commanding
takes pleasure in making honorable mention of the conduct of a detachment of 22
men of Companies I and H, Tenth Wisconsin Regiment, under the command of
Sergts. W. Nelson and A. H. Makinson. The detachment was on duty guarding a
bridge east of Huntsville, when it was attacked on April 28 by a force of some
200 or 300 cavalry, which it fought for two hours and repulsed in the most
signal manner. Such is the conduct that duty and honor demand of every soldier;
and this example is worthy of imitation by higher officers and larger commands.
By command of Major-General Buell:
JAMES B. FRY,
Colonel and Chief of
Staff.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
16, Part 1 (Serial No. 22), p. 792-4
No comments:
Post a Comment