Today in History:

189 Series I Volume XVI-I Serial 22 - Morgan's First Kentucky Raid, Perryville Campaign Part I

Page 189 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.

Question. Were you second in command of the Army of the Ohio?

I was the second officer in rank.

Question. During the term of the campaign was General Buell as communicative to you as regards his plans as was proper for a commander to be and as was necessary to be in the event of an accident befalling him?

Whenever we met General Buell was always communicative, and after our arrival at Louisville I think that he explained to me his plan of the campaign as fully as was necessary. Previous to that we were not a great deal together, and although I did not know what his intentions were on all occasions, I believe he would have communicated with me freely if we could have been together so that we could converse with safety. He did not like to risk his plans to the hands of a courier or any other means.

Question. Do you know whether a failure to relieve the garrison at Munfordville is in any way to be attributed to the commander of the Army of the Ohio?

I do not know.

By General ORD:

Question. When you suggested to the commander of the army, General Buell, the propriety of concentrating a sufficient force at Sparta to meet the enemy, had you any reliable information of the enemy's position? If os, what was it?

I had information from the citizens of the Sequatchie Valley, the neighborhood of Kingston and Crossville, also from scouts sent out by myself, that the enemy was crossing that porion of the country, and said it was their intention to pass through Sparta, and some said attack McMinnville; others said Murfreesborough, others said Nashville, and again others said the army was marching by that road as the most direct to Kentucky.

Question. Did the position of the enemy, as located by this information, afford General Buell ample time, considering the roads and the condition of his men, to concentrate a sufficient force at Sparta to have met them?

I think it did.

Question. After arriving at Sparta, in case the enemy had delayed in the valley or taken another route, was the condition of our supplies such that we could have remained some time at Sparta as the best position for an army of observation?

We could not have remained for any length of time at Sparta with the amount of supplies we had at that time.

Question. Were there at that time other practicable roads leading toward Kentucky which would have enabled the enemy's army to have avoided the army at Sparta?

There is a road from Kingston to Montgomery and Livingston which they could have used. There was also a road from Knoxville, Clinton, Jacksborough, and Monticello which they could have used, and there are intermediate country roads, of which I have been told, on which troops could have moved, but they are very difficult.

Cross-examination by General BUELL:

Question. At what date would you have concentrated your army at sparta to have resisted Bragg?

I would have concentrated at Sparta about the time that the army concentrated at Murfreesborough. Instead of moving the troops to Murfreesborough I would have placed them in such a position as to concentrate at Sparta the day it became necessary to fight; that I think was about the 2nd or 3rd of September.


Page 189 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.