Sunday, May 14, 2023

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Thursday, January 16, 1862

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.

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1 4,000.

2 Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 764.

3 Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 771.

4 Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 825.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 108-10

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