Brigadier-General
William H. Carroll arrived at Mill Springs yesterday, but his command—Captain
G. H. Monsarrat's Battery (four guns) and the balance of Colonel White's
Regiment did not arrive until to-day. One regiment and one battery of four guns
were all the troops that General Carroll was able to bring with him from
Knoxville to add to Zollicoffer's command.
He was ordered by the Secretary of War, as early as the 3d of November, to move his brigade to Knoxville and report to General Zollicoffer. He arrived at Knoxville the 23d of November, but did not move on to join Zollicoffer from the fact that his brigade was not armed, notwithstanding he had been making every possible effort for two months previous to procure arms for his men.
On the 12th of
December Carroll received another dispatch from the Secretary ordering him to
proceed immediately, with all the armed men of his brigade, to the aid of
Zollicoffer, leaving the unarmed portion of his command at Knoxville, under the
control of a suitable officer, until arms could be provided. The next day
(13th), in a lengthy communication to the Secretary, he laid before that
officer the nature and extent of the embarrassment under which he had labored
ever since he had assumed command of his brigade, especially in reference to
his inability to procure arms for his men. “Out of my entire force,”1
continued he, “I could not muster more than three hundred men efficiently
armed.”2
On the 17th of
December the Secretary of War replied thus:
Your
troops are enlisted but for twelve months, and to such troops we never furnish
arms. . . . It is impossible for us to carry on a war at such an enormous
expenditure as is involved in receiving twelve-months’ men without arms. . . .
. . .
. . . If your men will now enlist for the war
they will be entitled to receive the bounty of fifty dollars allowed by
Congress, and I will endeavor to aid in arming them; but if not, all that are
unarmed must be disbanded on the 10th of January.3
By January 1st Carroll had procured arms for two regiments (White's and Looney's) of his brigade, and had the promise of arms for the other (Gillespie's) in thirty days.
On the eighth he was
ordered by A. S. Johnston to send forward at once to Bowling Green all the men
who were armed and ready for duty of the regiments of Colonels Looney and
Gillespie.4
I give the above to
show why Carroll was so long coming to the aid of Zollicoffer, and also to show
why he did not bring more troops with him.
Newman's, Murray's
and Powell's Regiments were detached from Zollicoffer's Brigade and attached to
Carroll's. Crittenden's Division was now composed of two brigades. Zollicoffer
commanded the First, and Carroll the Second. The former had five regiments. and
the latter four. I do not know how the eighteen pieces of artillery and the
nineteen companies of cavalry were divided between the brigade commanders.
However, I am of the opinion that McNairy's Battalion still remained attached
to Zollicoffer's Brigade.
1 4,000.
2 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 764.
3 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 771.
4 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 825.
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