Today in History:

160 Series I Volume XXXI-I Serial 54 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part I

Page 160 KY., SW. VA., Tennessee, MISS., N. ALA. AND N. GA.

[CHAP. XLIII.

Question. Did any body of troops pass that hill (Tyndale's Hill) during the absence of General Schurz?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Did you see General Howard after you left with the orders that he gave you in charge?

Answer. Not until about daylight the next morning after returning from General Geary's.

Question. Did you see General Hooker at or near the Tyndale Hill?

Answer. I did not.

Question. Where did you join General Schurz when you delivered the order?

Answer. Near the swampy ground referred to before.

Captain ROBERT H. HALL, acting aide-de-camp on General Hooker's staff, a witness for the accused, was duly sworn.

By General SCHURZ:

Question. Did you carry any orders during the night of the engagement of Wauhatchie?

Answer. I did.

Question. What orders did you carry and to whom?

Answer. First, the order to General Schurz to move his nearest brigade, the brigade nearest to General Geary, to his assistance; a similar order to General Howard, and an order to two different commanders on Moccasin Point; an order to the commanding officer of a brigade immediately in the rear of General Hooker's position to send some prisoners to Chattanooga. In reference to this order, I wish to explain that a number of prisoners came in and were questioned by General Butterfield. I was at some distance from the general. He turned to me and said: "Tell the commanding officer of that brigade to send them to Chattanooga." Believing he referred to the brigade itself, I gave the order to the commanding officer of the brigade to march to Chattanooga. Believing this to be an error, I reported what I had done to General Butterfield, and the mistake was corrected before the brigade had marched perhaps 50 yards. I gave another order on the field that night to the commanding officer of a regiment which had broken; and these are all that I remember now.

Question. What brigade was it to the commander of which you gave the order to march to Chattanooga?

Answer. I did not know who was the commanding officer at that time. I did not know whose brigade it was. I have since heard it was Colonel Krzyzanowski's; indeed, I learned that fact the next day.

Question. From whom did you learn the next day that the brigade commander referred to was Colonel Krzyzanowski?

Answer. From some officer on General Hooker's staff, I have forgotten whom. It may have been General Butterfield; I am not certain.

Question. What order did you carry to the commander of the brigade after the mistake was corrected?

Answer. To bring his brigade back to its original position, and to send the prisoners to Chattanooga.

Question. Did not the commander of the brigade go in person to General Hooker or General Butterfield in order to inquire about the correctness of the order?

Answer. Not that I am aware of.


Page 160 KY., SW. VA., Tennessee, MISS., N. ALA. AND N. GA.