Today in History:

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

Page 212 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA. AND SW. VA.

Question. Was the information brought by the scout Miller that you need except no aid from Bowling Green founded on his own opinion or on information he received from General Buell?

He received none from General Buell whatever, he told me. He said General Buell asked him especially about the crossing of Green River, and about the road leading from Bowling Green to Elizabethtown leaving Munfordville to the right, but he sent no word to me whatever; that while he was present word was brought to General Buell that I had surrendered. The impression Mr. Miller had was that General Buell would try to reach Elizabethtown and get ahead of Bragg's forces by that short route to Elizabethtown. I was astonished that we got no information; no word sent by anybody. I had directed Mr. Miller to see General Wood and General Hascall, my brigade and division commanders, as soon as he could get there; that if General Buell was not there they would undoubtedly tell him what I might expect, as General Wood knew Mr. Miller personally and knew him to be reliable.

Question. At what time and in what manner were you placed under command of General Gilbert?

I had been in Indiana obtaining recruits for my regiment and came to Louisville; waited there a week for transportation, trying to join my regiment in Buell's army. The railroad was destroyed, communication cut off, and I was sent with my recruits 214, to Munfordville; was then ordered back to Louisville by a telegraphic dispatch from General Boyle in person. I went to Louisville there met General Wright, General Boyle, and Governor Morton. They were talking about the position of things in Munfordville. General Boyle was going to bring me to Louisville to take command of a brigade of new troops there; he wanted some one to drill them. General Wright opposed this; said I must go back to Munfordville and take command. I said I could not, as General Ward was the general in command of Munfordville at the time, and Colonel Dunham was also there; both of those officers ranked me, so I could not take command, but both of these officers were ordered away, and I was sent there to take command; having the Sixty-seventh and Eighty-ninth Indiana, both new regiments, the recruits of my own regiment, and two companies of the Seventy-fourth Indiana, and some scattered fragments of men, and about 400 convalescents without arms. The whole force was 2,600. I had 2,122 with arms. The principal parts of the works I built. Part of those built by General McCook I destroyed. His works were built for infantry; I wanted works for artillery. I tried to arrange the works to employ a small force, from 200 up to 1,000. There was a stockade built at the end of the bridge, which 1,200 men could have held against almost any infantry force. I was ordered to direct all my efforts to maintain Green River Bridge. About the 11th of September I was ordered by telegraph to send my reports and dispatches to General Gilbert. I was notified that he was in command of that part of Kentucky. Up to that time I had reported to General Boyle.

Question. Was it possible for these unarmed men to have procured arms at Louisville on their way down?

Three hundred of them belonged to the Thirty-third Kentucky, then organizing at Munfordville, and had not yet got arms; I had made efforts to have them drawn; and over a hundred were convalescents, joining their regiments without arms, who came there on Saturday, the 13th, in charge of Lieutenant Nichols, of a Wisconsin regiment.

Question. When you sent Miller and other scouts to General Buell at Bowling Green did you give distinct information as to the length of time you would be enabled to hold your position if not relieve?

I told him to say what force I had and that I had provisions for ten days. I did not say how long, I could hold my position, not knowing what force was coming against me. I left that for them to infer. I simply sent a statement of my condition, the position I held, and the forces at my command, &c.

Question. Did you send information to General Buell that you were in a strait-that you must have relief; and did you inform General Buell that you had no reasonable expectation of relief from your rear?

I did not know General Buell was at Bowling Green when I sent my scouts. I sent to the officer commanding at Bowling Green that the rebels were in force between Munfordville and Bowling Green. I sent more to know what I might expect from there after giving a statement of my own condition than anything else.


Page 212 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA. AND SW. VA.