Official Reports of the Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, November 14, 1864-January 23, 1865: No. 3. — Abstract from returns of the District of Tennessee, commanded by Maj. Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, U.S. Army, for November 20, November 30, and December 10, 1864

[Page 56.]

No. 3.

Abstract from returns of the District of Tennessee, commanded by Maj. Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, U.S. Army, for November 20, November 30, and December 10, 1864.

NOVEMBER 20.

Commands.	Present for duty.		Aggregate present.	Aggregate present and absent.	Serviceable horses.	Pieces of artillery.
	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rousseau).*	172	3,916	5,925	7,536	36	6
Post of Nashville, Tenn. (Miller) .	178	4,698	5,502	6,217	298	37
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	6	380	477	987	....	....
Post of Fort Donelson. Tenn. (Brett).	2	108	123	149	60	6
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	3	60	144	163	98	6
Post of Gallatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	39	907	1,081	1,155	3	6
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson). †	96	2,617	3,379	3,654	194	12
District of Northern Alabama (Granger). ‡	3	....	3	3	....	....
Post of Decatur, Ala. (Given).	106	2,285	3,041	3,906	60	6
Post of Larkinsville, Ala. (Hall).	24	493	630	839	....	....
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson).§	1	....	1	1	....	....
Post of Columbia, Tenn. (McCoy).	35	810	923	1,123	3	12
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (Milroy). ||	52	1,028	1,320	1,902	2	8
Post of Stevenson, Ala.	3	128	133	147	....	6
Post of Decherd, Tenn. (Warner).	32	703	833	884	....	....
Post of Murfreesborough, Tenn. (Van Cleve).	40	1,008	1,224	1,395	20	57
Total .	792	19,141	24,739	30,061	774	162

 

Command.	Present for duty—equipped.
	Infantry.		Cavalry.		Artillery.		Total.
	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rousseau).*	163	3,759	....	....	4	132	167	3,891
Post of Nashville, Tenn. (Miller).	158	3,988	....	....	16	753	174	4,741
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	8	369	....	....	....	....	8	369
Post of Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Brott).	....	....	....	....	2	108	2	108
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	....	....	....	....	3	60	3	60
Post of Gallatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	35	790	....	....	4	139	39	929
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson). †	84	2,360	....	....	5	226	89	2,586
District of Northern Alabama (Granger). †	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
Post of Decatur, Ala. (Given).	102	2,165	....	....	4	124	106	2,289
Post of Larkinsville, Ala. (Hall).	26	525	....	....	....	....	26	525
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson). §	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
Post of Columbia, Tenn. (McCoy).	32	676	....	....	3	134	35	810
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (Milroy). ||	46	945	....	....	3	88	49	1,033
Post of Stevenson, Ala.	....	....	....	....	3	128	3	128
Post of Decherd, Tenn. (Warner).	32	703	....	....	....	....	32	703
Post of Murfreesborough, Tenn. (Van Cleve).	30	738	....	....	9	374	39	1,112
Total.	716	17,018	....	....	56	2,266	772	19,284

* At Nashville, Tenn.

† At Johnsonville, Tenn.

‡ At Decatur, Ala.

§ At Pulaski, Tenn.

‖  At Tullahoma, Tenn.

[Page 57.]

Abstract from returns of the District of Tennessee, &c.—Continued.

NOVEMBER 30.

Commands.	Present for duty.		Aggregate present.	Aggregate present and absent.	Serviceable horses.	Pieces of artillery.
	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rousseau). *	474	10,390	13,560	16,307	....	....
Post of Nashville, Tenn. (Miller).	60	2,000	2,296	2,556	367	41
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	8	376	456	954	....	....
Post of Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Brett).	3	106	122	151	59	6
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	3	109	140	164	98	6
Post of Gatlatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	4	144	153	157	4	6
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson). †	63	1,964	2,360	2,649	87	6
District of Northern Alabama (Granger).	3	....	3	3	....	....
1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery F, (Pease). ‡	4	120	140	151	60	6
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson).*	1	....	1	1	....	....
Indiana Light Artillery, 21st Battery (Andrew).*	4	134	142	158	2	9
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (Milroy). §	5	83	95	116	....	8
Post of Stevenson, Ala. (Krzyzanowski).	2	124	132	148	9	10
Post of Murfreesborough,  Tenn.  (Van Cleve).	70	1,361	1,716	2,095	....	57
Total	704	16,911	21,316	25,610	686	155

 

Command.	Present for duty—equipped.
	Infantry.		Cavalry.		Artillery.		Total.
	Officers	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rosseau).*	471	10,410	....	....	....	....	471	10,410
Post of Nashville. Tenn. (Miller).	38	1,179	....	....	19	837	57	2,016
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	8	376	....	....	....	....	8	376
Post of Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Brott).	....	....	....	....	3	106	3	106
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	....	....	....	....	3	109	3	109
Post of Gallatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	....	....	....	....	4	144	4	144
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson). †	59	1,841	....	....	3	107	62	1,948
District of Northern Alabama (Granger). ‡	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery F, (Pease). ‡	....	....	....	....	4	124	4	124
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson).*	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
Indiana Light Artillery, 21st Battery (Andrew).*	....	....	....	....	4	134	4	134
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (Milroy). §	....	....	....	....	2	83	2	83
Post of Stevenson, Ala. (Krzyzanowski).	....	....	....	....	2	124	2	124
Post of Murfreesborough, Tenn. (Van Cleve).	59	978	....	....	9	383	68	1,361
Total.	635	14,784	....	....	53	2,151	688	16,935

* At Nashville, Tenn.

† At Johnsonville, Tenn.

‡ At Stevenson, Ala.

§ At Tullahoma, Tenn

[Page 58.]

Abstract from returns of the District of Tennessee, &c.--Continued.

DECEMBER 10.

Commands.	Present for duty.		Aggregate present.	Aggregate present and absent.	Serviceable horses.	Pieces of artillery.
	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rousseau).*	424	9,210	12,465	15,956	....	....
Post of Nashville, Tenn. (Miller).	61	1,969	2,264	2,471	278	42
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	12	539	693	950	....	....
Post of Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Brott).	2	109	121	151	59	6
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	3	111	139	163	98	6
Post of Gallatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	4	145	153	157	4	6
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson).*	63	1,964	2,360	2,649	87	6
District of Northern Alabama (Granger). †	3	....	3	3	....	....
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson).*	1	....	1	1	....	....
1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery F (Pease).	5	117	138	151	30	6
Indiana Light Artillery, 21st Battery (Andrew). *	4	136	145	157	3	8
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (Milroy). ‡	4	80	92	115	36	8
Post of Stevenson, Ala .	2	122	130	147	9	10
Post of Murfreesborough, Tenn. (Van Cleve).	65	1,348	1,720	2,101	39	57
Total.	653	15,850	20,424	25,172	643	155

 

Command.	Present for duty—equipped.
	Infantry.		Cavalry.		Artillery.		Total
	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.
Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps (Rousseau).*	420	9,238	....	....	....	....	420	9,238
Post of Nashville, Tenn. (Miller).	39	1,219	....	....	19	750	58	1,969
Post of Springfield, Tenn. (Downey).	12	554	....	....	....	....	12	554
Post of Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Brett).	....	....	....	....	2	109	2	109
Post of Clarksville, Tenn. (Smith).	....	....	....	....	3	111	3	111
Post of Gallatin, Tenn. (Gilfillan).	....	....	....	....	4	145	4	145
Troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (Thompson).*	59	1,841	....	....	3	107	62	1,948
District of Northern Alabama (Granger). †	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
Troops on Tennessee and Alabama Railroad (Johnson).*	....	....	....	....	....	....	....	....
1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery F (Pease).	....	....	....	....	5	117	5	117
Indiana Light Artillery, 21st Battery (Andrew).*	....	....	....	....	4	136	4	136
Defenses of Nashville and Chattanooga  Railroad (Milroy).	....	....	....	....	2	88	2	88
Post of Stevenson, Ala.	....	....	....	....	2	122	2	122
Post of Murfreesborough, Tenn. (Van Cleve).	55	945	....	....	8	403	63	1,348
Total	585	13,797	....	....	52	2,088	637	15,885

* At Nashville, Tenn.

† At Stevenson, Ala.

‡ At Tullahoma, Tenn.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 45, Part 1 (Serial No. 9 3), p. 56-8

John J. Crittenden to Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, April 21, 1851

WASHINGTON, April 21, 1851.

SIR, Your letter of the 12th inst. was received yesterday, and read with painful surprise. It is marked with such a spirit of rebuke and irritation that I hardly know how I ought to understand or reply to it. You have almost made me feel that any explanation under such circumstances would be derogatory. But, sir, suppressing all these feelings, and preferring in this instance to err, if at all, on the side of forbearance, I have concluded to address you a calm reply and explanation of the subject that has so much irritated and excited you.

Know, then, that I did receive the letter you addressed to me last winter requesting my assistance in procuring for your son the appointment of cadet in the Military Academy at West Point.

All such appointments, except ten, are so regulated by law that they must be made, one from each congressional district, on the nomination and recommendation of the representative of that district.

There was no vacancy in your district, and, of course, the only hope for your son was to obtain for him one of the ten extraordinary appointments at the disposal of the President. The power of conferring these is understood to have been given to the President for the benefit of the sons of officers of the army and navy, and especially of those whose fathers had perished in the service of their country; and although these appointments have not, in practice, been always confined to this description of persons, their claims have been generally favored and preferred. The number of such applicants has been greatly increased by the Mexican war, and their competitors from civil life are still more numerous.

From this general statement may be inferred the uncertainty and difficulty of procuring one of these appointments.

In the winter of 1849 and '50 I had, at the instance of my old friend, Gabriel Lewis, of Kentucky, very earnestly recommended a grandson of his to General Taylor for one of these appointments. He did not get it, and it was then determined by his family, with my advice and my promise to give what assistance I could, to renew or continue his application for another year, and I had, accordingly, again recommended him for one of the appointments that were to be made this spring.

Such was the condition of things and such my situation and engagement when your first letter was received. Notwithstanding all the difficulties in the way, I was not without the hope of serving you, for the sole reason, perhaps, that I wished to do so, and wished to obtain the appointment for your son. To learn something of the prospect of success, I conversed several times with the Secretary of War on the subject. He could only tell me that no selections would be made, that the subject would not be considered till the time had arrived for making the appointments, and that the number of applicants was very great, amounting to hundreds,—I think he said fifteen hundred.

I ought, perhaps, to have acknowledged the receipt of your letter and have given you all this information; and most certainly I would have done it if I had had the least apprehension of the grave consequences that have followed the omission. It did not occur to me that any punctiliousness would be exacted in our correspondence.

But, besides all this, and to say nothing of the daily duties of my office, and my almost constant attendance upon the Supreme Court, then in session, I had nothing satisfactory or definite to write. I waited, therefore, willing to avail myself of any circumstance or opportunity that time or chance might bring forth to serve you and to procure an appointment for your son as well as for the grandson of Mr. Lewis. I could find no such opportunity—no opportunity even for urging it with the least hope of success.

The appointments have all been recently made, and, with few exceptions, confined to the sons, I believe, of deceased officers, to the exclusion, for the second time, of the grandson of my friend Lewis, who has been on the list of applicants for two years, with all the recommendation I could give him.

I should have taken some opportunity of writing to you on this subject, even if your late letter had not so unpleasantly anticipated that purpose.

This, sir, is the whole tale. It must speak for itself. I have no other propitiation to offer. I am the injured party. When you become conscious of that, you will know well what atonement ought to be made and how it ought to be made. Till then, sir, self-respect compels me to say that I will be content to abide those unfriendly relations which I understand your letter to imply, if not proclaim.

I can truly say that I have written this "more in sorrow than in anger." I have intended nothing beyond my own defense and vindication, and if I have been betrayed into a word that goes beyond those just limits and implies anything like aggression, let it be stricken out.

J. J. CRITTENDEN.

SOURCE: Ann Mary Butler Crittenden Coleman, Editor, The Life of John J. Crittenden: With Selections from His Correspondence and Speeches, Vol. 1, p. 385-7

Robert Jefferson Breckinridge to John J. Crittenden, May 3, 1851

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, May 3, 1851.

Hon. J. J. CRITTENDEN.

DEAR SIR,—I regret very much to perceive by your letter of the 21st ultimo that you considered my letter to you of the 12th April wanting in proper respect to you, and prompted by irritation on my part. I retained no copy of that letter; but, assuredly, I know very little of myself if it contained the evidences of either of those states of mind.

For the first time in my life I had condescended to solicit, from any human authority, anything, either for myself or any member of my immediate family, though many hundreds of times I have done what I could for others. It was particularly distressing to me that I had been seduced into such a position by the extreme kindness of an old personal friend (Mr. Duncan), as I explained in my first letter to you, and, by some ridiculous notion, that the present administration might consider itself any ways connected with that of General Taylor, so as to feel disposed to fulfill any expectations it may have raised.

Unless my memory deceives me, my first letter, making the application, intimated to you that I was not sure it was proper in me to write you such a letter, and asked you to excuse the impropriety, if indeed one existed. Such, I remember well, was the state of my mind, and I think I expressed it. The only notice ever taken of that letter, by you, is the allusion to it in your letter before me. What took place in the mean time may be uttered in a sentence, and need not be repeated here.

Under all the painful, and to me altogether unprecedented, circumstances of a very humiliating position, I thought it due to you to express my regret at having implicated you, in any degree, in such an affair by my letter of application to you; and I thought it due to myself to express to you, under such circumstances, my regret at allowing myself, in a moment of parental weakness, to embark in a matter which, in all its progress and its termination, was especially out of keeping with the whole tenor of my life and feelings. If my letter, to which yours of the 21st April is an answer, expresses more or less than these things, it is expressed unhappily and improperly. If, during the progress of the affair, you had judged it necessary or proper to have treated it differently, or had had it in your power to do so, I should not have been more bound to feel obliged by any other or further service than I am now bound to feel obliged, by such as your letter informs me you were good enough to render me, under circumstances which, it is now obvious, must have been embarrassing to you, and which, if I had known, I would have instantly released you from. But all this, as it appears to me, only the more painfully shows how inconsiderate my first application to you was, and how needless it was for my subsequent expression of regret for having made it to be taken in an offensive sense.

The sole object of this letter is to place the whole affair on the footing which, in my opinion, it really occupies.

Certainly I had no right to ask anything of the sort I did ask at your hands. But assuredly having been weak enough to ask it, and having, in the course of events, had full occasion to perceive that weakness, I had the right without offense to express sincere regret for what I had inconsiderately done,—to the needless annoyance of yourself and others, and to the wounding of my own self-esteem.

Permit me, in conclusion, to say that altogether the most painful part of this affair, to me, is that I should have given offense to a man who, for nearly if not quite thirty years, I have been accustomed to regard with feelings of the greatest esteem, admiration, and confidence, and for whom, at any moment during those thirty years, I would have periled everything but my honor to have served him; such a man will know how to appreciate the workings of a nature perhaps oversensitive and overproud, in the midst of unusual and oppressive circumstances. If not, it is better to forget all than lose our own self-respect.

As to Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Conrad, strange as it may seem to you, I would never, under ordinary circumstances, have asked either of them for any favor whatever. I rather considered myself asking you and Mr. Clay and Judge Underwood and Judge Breck and a few other old friends to whom I brought myself to the point—not without great difficulty—of saying what I did. This may seem very absurd to you; perhaps it is so; it is nevertheless the truth; and most certainly I did not suppose that any administration of which yourself and Mr. Clay and Judge Underwood and Judge Breck were avowed, if not confidential, supporters, would, under the entire circumstances of this case, have it in its power to refuse so paltry a boon; and after seeing the published list of successful applicants, from which alone I learned the fate of my application, I saw still less reason to comprehend such a result. As to yourself, three particulars separated your case from that of the other friends I have named: 1st. I loved you most, and relied most on you. 2d. I the most distrusted the propriety of writing to you, on account of your connection with the cabinet. 3d. From you alone I had no word of notice; and for these two last reasons, the more felt that an explanation was demanded of me as due both to you and myself.

If you have had patience to read this letter, it is needless for me to say more than that I still desire to be considered your friend.

R. J. B.

SOURCE: Ann Mary Butler Crittenden Coleman, Editor, The Life of John J. Crittenden: With Selections from His Correspondence and Speeches, Vol. 1, p. 387-9