Today in History:

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

Page 628 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.

By General BUELL:

Question. Will you state your name and position in the service of the United States, if you please?

J. D. Bingham; lieutenant-colonel, and quartermaster of the Seventeenth Army Corps.

Question. State whether you have recently been on duty in Tennessee, at what place, and between what dates; state in what capacity also.

I have been on duty as depot quartermaster in Nashville, Tenn., from March 4, 1862, till March 19, 1863.

Question. Has it been your duty to acquaint yourself and have you acquainted yourself with the resources of the country about Nashville for those supplies which are required for the subsistence of an army?

It had been my duty to obtain that information, and I have obtained it as far as I could from inquiries throughout the country near Nashville.

Question. State what the condition of the country was during the last summer in that respect.

The supplies for an army in the vicinity of Nashville during the summer were very limited, as far I could ascertain. The were only two localities in which I could hear of supplies of any account.

Question. Go into the particulars, if you please, and state what you know in regard to that matter.

About the last of May I advertised for proposals for furnishing forage at the depot at Nashville. I received no bids in answer to the advertisement. I then applied to those who were represented to be acquainted with the country to know if they thought any supplies of forage could be obtained, and was informed that very little could be obtained near the city. Williamson County was represented as having a quantity of forage; the highest estimate that was placed upon it was 50,000 bushels of corn. I was informed that people were afraid to sell to agents of the Government, which probably was the reason I received no bids. I afterward ascertained there was forage and bacon and flour in robertson County. I believe the estimated quantity in Robertson County. I believe the estimated quantity in Robertson County, was about 40 miles distant from Nashville. Franklin, the county town of Williamson County, was about 18 miles from Nashville. I obtained from Williamson County about 28,000 bushels of corn and from the vicinity of Nashville about 8,000 bushels. I was informed by a quartermaster at Columbia, about 60 miles, I think, from Nashville, that hay could be obtained in that vicinity. I told him to purchase all that he could, but I never ascertained the amount purchased. Those were the only localities I heard of in which supplies could be obtained in that part of the State in any quantity.

Question. State whether proper means were used by your department to procure the supplies which could be obtained from the country; state what efforts you did use.

I sent agents throughout Williamson County and the county around Nashville to purchase all the forage that could be obtained. Where the people were afraid of known agents of the Government I sent agents who were not known to be such to purchase and forward to points on the railroad all the forage they could buy. I did not send agents into Robertson County until the guerrillas appeared in the counted south of the Cumberland River, when forage trains were sent into Robertson County to bring in what forage they could find on the north side of the river. I selected as agents of the Government, for the reason that the guerrilla had threatened the destruction of their property if they were detected in furnishing any supplies to the troops of the United States.

Question. By what other means did you obtain supplies of forage for the army?

By requisitions on the depot at Louisville.

Question. And with what success?


Page 628 KY., M. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. Chapter XXVIII.