Saturday, April 8, 2023

Colonel Thomas E. Bramlette to Brigadier-General George H. Thomas, December 27, 1861—9 p.m.

CAMP BOYLE, December 27, 18619 p.m.
General THOMAS:

The enemy is at Jamestown, 18 miles from here, some 3,000 strong. He has ascertained the strength and position of Colonel Wolford's camp, and threatens to destroy that before moving farther. He has 1,700 mounted men, armed mostly as infantry. With such force Wolford would be cut off without remedy; I have ordered him under the circumstances of necessity to move up here with his stores and troops, to cooperate with me in an attack upon the enemy, should he move toward Burkesville or this place. I would not be surprised if the whole of Zollicoffer's forces were to be on us in two or three days. They must be retiring from before Somerset, either intending to attack here or move down the river to Burkesville, and thence to join Buckner. In either case we intend here to meet him. Our situation is, however, somewhat critical—no artillery, and threatened on both flanks by superior numbers, and nobody to help us.

We will, however, strike a blow, even if left to ourselves, that shall terrify the rebel hell-hounds wherever they hear of us. Retreat we will not, and if they come upon us we will fight the fight of desperation to win. We have too much stores here to leave, too many sick to move, and they must and shall be defended with the last life we have to spare; and if we, after the frequent notifications of our position to division and department headquarters, are cut to pieces for the want of the necessary means of defense, the fault will not be ours.

Respectfully,
THO. E. BRAMLETTE,        
Colonel, Commanding Post.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 7 (Serial No. 7), p. 517-8

No comments: