Today in History:

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

Page 211 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. Had you received assurances from your scout of relief would you have made an effort to hold out and how much longer?

I do not know how much longer, but I should have held out till I was overpowered.

Question. Reference is made in one of those dispatches to conscripting. Do you know how much they added to their force by that process?

I do not know.

Question. Do you know whether they received any additions in the way of volunteers?

They did some; there was quite a number left the vicinity of Munfordville and joined them, their friends giving as the reason that they preferred fighting on that side to being drafted to go into the Federal Army. This was about the time they were preparing to force a draft for troops in Kentucky.

Questions. What actions, if any, have you been in; what service have you seen?

I was in the campaign in Western Virginia under General Rosecrans; under General Reynolds in the Cheat Mountain Division; I was in probably half a dozen small fights about Cheat Mountain and in one considerable fight at Greenbrier River under General Reynolds; I was in General Buell's army when that marched from Louisville to Corinth, and was in a number of skirmishes about Corinth.

By General ORD:

Question. Were you aware at the time of the surrender that in a position not easily taken by assault shelling out is a very slow business?

I have never been subjected to a very severe fire of shells. The rebels had positions within 600 yards around us; that on the north side especially commanded us. The ground in the main work sloped toward the north, exposing the men in the works to a fire from the north side.

Question. Were your guns under cover?

They were behind breastworks.

Question. Were the enemy's guns under cover?

They were not (except one battery), excepting the cover afforded by the woods and behind ridges.

Question. What small-arms had your men?

Mostly rifles. The men were chiefly raw recruits. Those engaged in the fight on Sunday had none of them been in service over three weeks. None of them had ever seen a battle before. A good many of them had not a complete outfit; some of them had no cartridge-boxes; quite a number of these men had no arms; a detachment of 102 had not a single gun; they were convalescents.

Question. After you made the statement you did to the council about not surrendering except to an overwhelming force, did the officers all concur that the force was too overwhelming and that it was time to surrender?

They all agreed about that, but I consulted none of them after having seen the fortifications of the enemy.

By General DANA:

Question. How many months have you been in service?

I have been in service over a year and a half. I enlisted April 21, 1861; have been in active service in the field since July, 1861. I have not always been in the capacity of a commander of a regiment. I started a private, and was at length elected captain of artillery. The battery was afterward put in the infantry service, and I was made lieutenant-colonel of the regiment, afterward made colonel. I have been in command of the regiment most of the time since July 1, 1861.


Page 211 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.