Today in History:

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

Page 300 KY.,M. AND E. TENN.,N. ALA.,AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.

Question. At what period did the Cumberland cease to be navigable at that season?

I do not know.

Question. Can you state the quantity of stores taken up the Cumberland previous to its closing that season?

I cannot. I know that a number of boats were in the trade, but what business they did I do not know.

Question. What force had you engaged in repairing the road from Bowling Green to Nashville?

I do not know without reference to the pay roll. I presume about 30 or 40 workmen.

Question. Was that your entire force?

My force at the time we left Nashville was, I think, about 90 men, carpenters and laborers. The main portion of the force came on to the Louisville and Nashville road, some on the Nashville and Decatur road, and some on the Northwest road. At this period I was at Decherd most of the time, or at some other point on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, and I am not positive as to the dates or the numbers employed on these various works.

Question. What time would it have taken your entire force to repair the roads between Bowling Green and Nashville?

On the road between Bowling Green and Nashville, 12 miles south of the State line, a tunnel through the Cumberland Ridge had been destroyed, on which work could not be done at that period, for it did not become sufficiently cool for parties to pass through it for several weeks, at least so I was informed by parties residing there. It required ultimately a night and day force some fifteen or sixteen days to clear the tunnel. The bridges were all repaired between Bowling Green and Nashville in about twenty days.

Question. Leaving out the tunnel, do I understand you to say that it took twenty days with a force of 90 men to repair these bridges?

Leaving out the tunnel, the entire amount of damage done on that road could not have been repaired by 90 men in twenty days.

Question. What was the measure in linear feet of all the bridges destroyed previous to General Buell's falling back from Nashville, and were they replaced by trestle work or by bridges?

I do not know that all these bridges were destroyed previous to General Buell's army falling back, but the whole amount of repairs was equal to nearly 1,500 linear feet, varying in height from 10 to 40 feet, and were all trestles.

Question. State as nearly as you can what bridges were destroyed previous to General Buell's falling back from Nashville.

The bridge over Manscoe Creek destroyed, and rebuilt by the Michigan Engineers and Mechanics; Saundersville trestle rebuilt by my force; the bridge over Station Camp Creek at Pilot Knob rebuilt by the Michigan Engineers and Mechanics; the bridge over Station Camp Creek Numbers 2, south of Gallatin, rebuilt in part by my force; and the bridge over Station Camp Creek, north of Gallatin (not rebuilt until after the army returned). There was a trestle on the grade south of the tunnel and five bridges over North Drake's Creek, but I do not know whether they were destroyed before or after the army fell back.

Question. What number of these bridges were destroyed between Richland and Gallatin?

Five bridges over North Drake's Creek, and the first crossing of the Station Camp Creek, and the trestle on the grade between the tunnel and Gallatin.

Question. Do you know anything of the turnpike road from Richland to Gallatin?

I do not know, sir. There is, I think, no turnpike road from Richland. The railroad and turnpike roads separate north of Mitchellsville, between Mitchellsville and Franklin.


Page 300 KY.,M. AND E. TENN.,N. ALA.,AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.