Today in History:

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

Page 608 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.

mit the following dispatch from Captain R. Macfeely, commissary of subsistence in the United States Army, and in charge of supplies at Nashville, addressed to Captain F. Darr, commissary of subsistence, Huntsville:

"NASHVILLE, July 14, 1862.

"No stores sent to Elk River Bridge. I informed you on the 12th instant there were no provisions in this depot; if there had been they could not have been sent to Elk River Bridge (on the Decatur and Nashville road), as the trains have been unable to run through. No provisions received from Louisville in the past week, I presume on account of the troubles on the road.

"R. MACFEELY,

"Commissary of SubsistenceJanuary

I submit another dispatch:

"NASHVILLE, July 12, 1862.

(This was the day before the rebels cut the railroad.)

"To Captain F. DARR:

"I forwarded to Murfreesborough 100,000 rations. None to forward until received from Louisville. Nothing received since 6th instant. Will send stores required at Elk River as soon as received. Who is commissary of subsistence at Elk River? The transportation department at Louisville is responsible for delay in receipt of stores. They are sent forward from here as fast as received. Symonds [he means Captain H. C. Symonds] has plenty, but cannot get cars.

"R. MACFEELY,

"Commissary of SubsistenceJanuary

The indorsements on the back of this dispatch, made by me at the time, state that Captain Nigh, the chief quartermaster of General Buell at the time, reported to J. B. Anderson, military railroad superintendent, the lack of transportation at Louisville. It was to remedy any delay or neglect at Louisville that General Buell at once decided on sending Captain W. F. Harris, assistant quartermaster, to Louisville.

On July 17 the guerrillas were so bad between Nashville and Huntsville that the sending of the mails was suspended. On July 21, eight days after the capture of Murfreesborough, the rebels destroyed an important railroad bridge at Antioch, 12 miles south of Nashville, on the Chattanooga road, also several small bridges on the Decatur and Nashville road between Reynolds' Station and Columbia, besides attacking and driving in our forage trains. About the same time, July 21 or 22, there were heavy rains; a flood on the Duck River washed away part of the bridge across Duck river at Columbia. These impediments to obtaining supplies from Nashville and the non-arrival of them at Nashville induced General Buell to send me to Tuscumbia to attempt to bring supplies for our army from that direction. On the 23rd of July I left Huntsville and reached Tuscumbia the same evening. On the same night I telegraphed to colonel Hawkins, the commissary of General Halleck at Corinth, the object of the mission I was on, and received from him the same night the following dispatch:

"CORINTH, July 23, 1862.

"To Captain FRANCIS DARR, Tuscumbia:

"On account of the small means of transportation we are living from hand to mouth. It will be impossible for me to send you any supplies.

"JOHN P. HAWKINS,

"Captain, Commissary of SubsistenceJanuary

In my testimony I have called him colonel; this is his present rank.

I left Tuscumbia on the 24th on my return to Huntsville. On the 25th the rebels destroyed communication between Tuscumbia and Decatur by a successful raid upon Courtland and neighboring stations. On the 24th of July the wants of the troops at and near Murfreesborough were so pressing, railroad communication to Nashville being destroyed, that we were obliged to wagon supplies from Nashville to them. In a letter dated July 26, at Louisville, Captain Symonds, commissary of subsistence, writes that he sends 75,000 rations per diem, and complains of the want of transportation; but he says that he will do his best to throw into Nashville 2,000,000 rations. Applying to him for a statement of the supplies shipped from Louisville to Nashville during the months of June and July I received the following statement: List of provisions shipped to Captain Macfeely at Nashville, Tenn., in the months of June and July, 1862, both by railroad and river, by Captain H. C. Symonds, commis-


Page 608 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.