Today in History:

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

Page 546 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA.

[CHAP. XXVIII.

Question. At what time did this visit to General Schoepf's camp take place? Was it in the day or night?

I understood it was at night, but I have no positive knowledge.

Question. On the march from Bowling Green to Louisville do you know of any proposition among any of the officers of the army having for its object the removal of General Buell from command? State anything that you know upon that subject, if you please, and all you know.

I think it was on the march between Bowling Green and Louisville-I am sure it occurred somewhere between Nashville and Louisville-an officer came to me stating that there was great dissatisfaction in his command; the officers and men were unwilling to fight under General Buell. He came to talk with me on the subject because I was an officer of high rank and a Kentuckian, and he thought I ought to take some part in it; he thought something ought to be done. I replied to him that I had entire confidence in General Buell; that there was no dissatisfaction in my command that I knew anything about, and asked him what he proposed to do. I think he said that we ought to arrest General Buell. I told him that I did not want him to talk to me any more upon that subject. I have not named the officer, but can do so if necessary.

Question. I will thank you to name the officer, and state to whose brigade and whose division he belonged.

Colonel John M. Harlan, of Kentucky, was the officer. I think he belonged to General Thomas' division, but I cannot state to what brigade he belonged.

Question. Did Colonel Harlan give you any explanation of the dissatisfaction which he said existed in the part of the army he was serving in or could you from what he said, or from any other fact, trace the cause of that dissatisfaction and of his discontent in particular?

I think I have stated almost entirely the conversation which I had with Colonel Harlan. He did not give me any explanation of the causes for dissatisfaction nor did I believe that there was any dissatisfaction. I thought that I could trace Colonel Harlan's own dissatisfaction with General Buell to an order to an order which General Buell had published censuring to some extend a portion of Colonel Harlan's regiment that had been on detached service somewhere in Alabama or the southern part of Tennessee, I am not sure where now, and I believe that Colonel Harlan had mistaken his own irritation at having any portion of his command censured for the general dissatisfaction in the command. I scarcely thought that Colonel Harlan could be serious in his proposition to me. I know that he felt very sore under the order to which I refer from a conversation he had with me on the subject not long after the occurrence.

Question. Have you any reason to believe that the proposition you allude to for my removal from command ever came to my knowledge while I was in command of the army?

None in the world, nor any reason to believe that the proposition ever came to any one else's ears than my own. I should have deemed it my duty to have apprised the commanding general at once if I had supposed that there was any conspiracy among officers, or if I had not supposed it was a proposition made by a single officer, who was irritated and not in the exercise of his own best judgment at the time, and if I had not believed the conversation with him would be the end of it.

Question. Can you remember whether Colonel Harlan belonged to the brigade which General Fry commanded at that time and do you know anything of the personal relations between those officers?

I am inclined to think that Colonel Harlan did belong to General Fry's brigade. I am quite sure that their personal relations were very friendly.

Cross-examination by the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. At what date did you move your division from Baldwyn, Miss., and when did you arrive at Athens?

I was not at Baldwyn. I think it was from the 12th to the 15th of June, as I now remember, that I marched from near Baldwyn to Iuka and thence to Athens. I cannot be positive as to the day I reached Athens, but it was in the latter part of June.


Page 546 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA.