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Union Orders, Reports and Letters -- Tennessee 1 |
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OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 2, vol 5, Part 1 (Prisoners of War) PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE, ETC. Page 182
ON BOARD STEAM-BOAT HASTINGS, January 16, 1863.
Major-General ROSECRANS,
Commanding Department of the Cumberland.
SIR: Agreeably to instructions received from Major Sidell by telegraph dated Nashville, January 13, 1863, a copy of which is hereto attached, I beg to state that I was one of the passengers aboard the steamer Hastings (in Government employ transporting wounded men from Nashville to Louisville) on the 13th instant, the day she was fired into by a party of rebel guerrillas of General Wheeler's cavalry brigade, under command of Colonel Wade. The Hastings had on board 212 wounded soldiers under charge of Surgeon Waterman, with instructions to report the same at Louisville. The Hastings left Nashville without any convoy. On nearing Harpeth Shoals we saw the burning hull of the steamer Charter, opposite a group of some half dozen or more small houses that had also been burned. A short distance below a fleet of six steamers were engaged in loading and unloading Government stores under the protection of the gun-boat Sidell, commanding by Lieutenant Van Dorn. Suspicions of some danger below I hailed Van Dorn and inquired as to who burned the boat and houses. He replied that the guerrillas had burned the steamer and that he had retaliated by burning the house. ---------
Respectfully, submitted from your most obedient servant,
M. P. GADDIS,
Chaplain Second Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 17, Part 1 (Corinth) Chapter XXIX. VICKSBURG. Page 629
Numbers 6.
Report of Brigadier General Stephen G. Burbridge, U. S. Army, commanding
First Brigade, First Division, of expedition from Milliken's Bend to Dallas Station and Delhi, La.*
HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIRST DIV., ARMY OF THE TENN.,
December 27, 1862.
SIR: I have the honor to report that in obedience to Special Orders, Numbers 28, my command disembarked son the morning of December 25 and took up its line of march at 10 o'clock. ------
During the morning Major Montgomery, with a detachment of the Sixth Missouri Cavalry, captured, besides a number of horses and prisoners, 196 head of beef cattle, all of which were sent back to our transports under guard of one company of the Ninety -sixth regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. --------
We found a body of 400 cavalry and four pieces of artillery fluttering on our left flank, which was promptly dispersed by a section of Captain Blount's Seventeenth ohio Battery; at which point we burned a very large quantity of cotton, corn, and forage, and also destroyed a large section of trestle-work, a bridge, and the depot. At Bear Lake we found a large quantity of catton marked C. S. A., which was said by the inhabitants to have been taken by the rebel Government in lieu of taxes. Being unable to procure transportation we burned it. ---------
When the cavalry reached Delhi they found teams in the act of removing a large quantity of brown cottons of a manufacture recently commenced, and said by the inhabitant to be the first brought from a factory somewhere on the line of railroad. A large quantity of these was burned, together with the depot and its contents. The also found a full supply of medicines, drugs, instruments, and the appliances of a medical staff, all of which were burned. About 1 mile from Delhi (beyond) a bridge was found extending across the Tallulah, which with a quantity of trestle-work was completely destroyed. The mail was captured here; also about a quarter of a million of yards of this new manufacture of muslim were burned.
Respectfully,
S. G. BURBRIDGE,
Brigadier-General.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 32, Part 2 (Forrest's Expedition) Pages 267- 270
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NASHVILLE, Nashville, Tenn., January 30, 1864.
Brigadier General W. D. WHIPPLE,
Asst. Adjt. General, Dept. of the Cumberland:
GENERAL: I think it proper I should report to you touching affairs in this district generally, and I do so. -------------------
Page 268-- The negro population is giving much trouble to the military, as well as to the people. Slavery is virtually dead in Tennessee, although the State is excepted from the emancipation proclamation.
Page 269 -- Officers in command of colored troops are in constant habit of pressing all able-bodied slaves into the military service of the United States.
This State being excepted from the emancipation proclamation, I supposed all [these] things are against good faith and the policy of the Government. Forced enlistments I have endeavored to stop, but find it difficult it not impracticable to do so. In fact, as district commander, I am satisfied I am unable to correct the evils complained of connected with the black population,and, besides, I am not without orders or advice from department headquarters.
I desire to call attention to another matter. From impressments, legal and illegal, and from thefts, there are very few horses, mules, or oxen left on the farms, and the few that are left are almost worthless. At present there are many large farms without one serviceable work beast on the place. The farmers are afraid to purchase because of repeated impressments. Every mounted regiment that goes through the country takes what it pleases of stock, &c., and pays what price, or none at all, it likes. Between the loyal and disloyal no discrimination is made. Unless an order be made preventing future impressments and protecting the farmers, little or no crops will be produced.
The policy of seizing houses in Nashville in which to place commissary and quartermaster stores is bad for the Government and unjust to the people; it is done at an enormous expense, as rents average high here and the Government cannot afford to take a loyal man's store-house without paying him a fair compensation. A very small portion of the rents thus paid would be sufficient to erect temporary buildings, which would furnish ample rom for all such stores.
Respectfully submitted.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,
Major-General.
Title: The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 39 (Part II) Page 132
HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE Mississippi, In the Field, Big Shanty, June 21, 1864. General Lorenzo THOMAS, Chattanooga:
It has repeatedly come to my knowledge, on the Mississippi, and recently Colonel Beckwith, my chief commissary, reported officially that his negro cattle drivers and gangs for unloading cars were stampeded and broken up by recruiting officers who actually used their authority to carry them off by a species of force. I had to stop it at once. I am receiving no negroes now, because their owners have driven them to Southwest Georgia. I believe that Negroes better serve the Army as teamsters, pioneers, and servants, and have no objection to the surplus, if any, being enlisted as soldiers, but I must have labor and a large quantity of it. I confess I would prefer 300 Negroes armed with spades and axes than 1,000 as soldiers. Still I repeat I have no objection to the enlistment of Negroes if my working parties are not interfered with, and if they are interfered with I must put a summary stop to it. For God’s sake let the Negro question develop itself slowly and naturally, and not by premature cultivation make it a weak element in our policy. I think I understand the Negro as well as anybody, and profess as much conviction in the fact of his certain freedom as you or any one, but he, like all other of the genus homo, must pass through a probationary state before he is qualified for utter and complete freedom. As soldiers it is still an open question, which I am perfectly willing should be fairly and honestly tested. Negroes are as scarce in North Georgia as in Ohio. All are at and below Macon and Columbus, Ga.
W. T. SHERMAN,
Major- General, Commanding.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 17, Part 1 (Corinth) Chapter Chapter XXIX. Pages 145 - 148
SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 5, 1862.-Expedition from Columbus, Ky., to Covington, Durhamville, and Fort Randolph, Tenn.
Report of Colonel Frederick A. Starring, Seventy-second Illinois Infantry, commanding expedition.
HDQRS. SEVENTY-SECOND ILLINOIS INFANTRY Regiment,
Columbus, Ky., October 6, 1862.
Page 147 -- Captain Frank Moore's company (D), Second Illinois Cavalry, also rendered good service in scouting and as advance and rear guard; but some of the men, I am sorry to say, behaved more like brigands than soldiers. They robbed an old negro man, who kept Gaines' Ferry, when we crossed on return from Covington, of some $19; that, too, after he had assisted in ferrying them over, charging them nothing. He could not identify the men. I was informed that some eight of them robbed an old widow woman, about 10 miles from Fort Pillow, of $13 in silver-all she had. Some of them stole a coat and bridle from and old man near Gayoso Landing, after he had furnished them dinner, charging them nothing, and claimed to be loyal.
Page 148 -- I have also to mention an unfortunate occurrence where the man Rose was arrested, as reported to me by Captain De Golyer. A Captain Hill, of Jackson's rebel cavalry; finding it impossible, he surrendered himself to Captain De Golyer, and while talking with him one of Captain Moore's men, Private Gottleib Lippold, came up in an excited manner, said to Captain Hill, "Point your pistol at me, d-n you," and fired at him, the ball entering the thigh, making a serious flesh wound. Captain Moore, when he came up, said his man had done right; "He ought to have shot him through the head." I reprimanded Captain Moore. He seemed to think his man was right.
Respectfully submitting the foregoing, I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,
F. A. STARRING,
Colonel Seventy-second Illinois Infantry,
Commanding Detachment U. S. Troops.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 47, Part 3 (Columbia) Chapter LIX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION. Pages 665 - 667
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Augusta, Ga., June 26, 1865.
Major W. L. M. BURGER,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the South:
The colored citizens wander around all hours of the night, and many in consequence have been robbed and abused by scoundrels dressed as U. S. soldiers.
Page 667-- I regret that the conduct of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry in passing through this district was such as reflects disgrace on both offifcers and men; discharging their firearms, &c. While passing the camp of the Thirty-third U. S. Colored Troops they fired on the officers and men; and on another occasion firing so as to cause a colored woman to lose her arm; likewise committing robberies, &c. I did not succeed in arresting the guilty parties.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
EDWARD L. MOLINEUX,
Brevet Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 32, Part 3 (Forrest's Expedition) KY., SW., VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N. GA. Chapter XLIV. Page 286
FORT PICKERING, TENN.,
April 7, 1864.
Captain C. W. DUSTAN,
Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Memphis
----------- While writing this it is reported to me that the cavalry broke en masse in the camps of the colored women and are committing all sorts of outrage. The black is made a man by being trusted with arms, and it is very hard for a man to see his family abused and not to use the arm. I am afraid it will loosen discipline if not render it impossible.
I respectfully request your careful consideration of the above, and remain, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
I. G. KAPPNER,
Colonel Second U. S. Heavy Artillery (Colored), Commanding Fort.
NASHVILLE, February 26, 1864.
Major General JOHN A. LOGAN,
Huntsville, Ala.:
Have recruiting officers discontinue impressing negroes who are employed in any way by the Government or by persons known to be loyal to the Government. We want to encourage the cultivation of the soil, and all persons living in States declared free by the President can employ their negroes under Treasury regulations, and the fact of such employment is protection against impressment.
U. S. GRANT,
(This was after the Emancipation Proclamation. All negroes are supposed to be free at this time!!!!! GP)
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