OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE. [CHAP.XII.
RICHMOND, November 12, 1861.
JOHN R. BRANNER, President Railroad Company, Knoxville, via Bristol:
Troops have already been sent to protect your road. Be sure you shall be fully and thoroughly protected.
J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War.
RICHMOND, November 12, 1861.
R. C. KENT, Wytheville, Va.:
No change must be made about movement of troops at Wytheville. Other arrangements have been made to send forces to Tennessee.
J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War.
RICHMOND, November 12, 1861.
J. W. LEWIS, Superintendent Railroad, Cleveland, Tenn.:
An armed Alabama regiment will arrive at Chattanooga to-day for the protection of the road. It is no use to stop the Georgia troops, which are not armed. Be assured we will take care of your defense.
J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War.
BOWLING GREEN, November 12, 1861.
Governor HARRIS, Nashville:
From Colonel Wood, commanding at Knoxville, under date of November 11, I have the following dispatch, viz:
Three bridges burned between Bristol and Chattanooga, two on Georgia road; 500 Union men now threatening Strawberry Plains; 1,500 assembling in Hamilton County; a general uprising in all the counties. I have about 1,000 men under my command.
Says Wood, "I cannot detach my troops from this point." I have heard that your excellency has some 500 arms on hand, and I now inform you that I will send to East Tennessee the volunteers now at the rendezvous as fast as they can be armed. This is my only resource.
I hope your excellency will use the entire force of the State to quell this insurrection.
A. S. JOHNSTON, General.
NASHVILLE, November 12, 1861.
His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:
The burning of railroad bridges in East Tennessee shows a deepseated spirit of rebellion in that section. Union men ar organizing. This rebellion must be crushed out instantly, the leaders arrested, and summarily punished. I shall send immediately about 10,000 men to that section; cannot arm larger force at present. If you can possibly send from Western Virginia a number of Tennessee regiments to East Tennessee, we can at once repair the bridges and crush out the rebellion. I hope to be able very soon a large number of sporting
