Today in History:

369 Series I Volume XX-II Serial 30 - Murfreesborough Part II

Page 369 Chapter XXXII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

Camp Alabama, Carlisle, Pa., that notwithstanding the increase of numbers, we were still to be General Buell's body guard. This order for a time quieted our fears; and at about this time the rebels invaded Maryland and threatened to make a raid into Pennsylvania. The Governor, becoming alarmed for the safety of the State, called for 50,000 militiamen, to defend the borders against the threatened invasion. In response to this call of our patriotic Governor, we rallied and went immediately in defense of our glorious old Commonwealth. The doings of the Anderson Troop while acting as scouts in the Cumberland Valley are well known to the public, and need not be enlarged on by us any further than to observe that we were not regarded as cowards in that short, but glorious, campaign. Soon after our regiment returned to Camp Alabama, news of the removal of General Buell from his command reached us; and thinking that, inasmuch as we were enlisted as his body guard, and could not act in that capacity to him when he was without a command, that, in justice to us, we should be immediately disbanded; but our fears were again quieted and concerted action frustrated by Major F. B. Ward causing an order to be read to the different companies composing the troop, to the effect that we were still to act as a body guard and to be permanently attached to headquarters as special escort to General Buell's successor in command, Major-General Rosecrans, as an independent organization.

Relying on the good faith and integrity of our officers, we were induced to forego any decisive action to attain our just rights at this time, and, placing confidence in their assertions, we were induced to leave the old Keystone State for Louisville, Ky., at which place we expected to find, according to the promises made, commissioned officers awaiting our arrival, the regiment not having yet been more than one-third officered. Imagine our surprise, on reaching Louisville, to find the whole theory concerning officers to be a farce, there being but one commissioned officer for our regiment, viz, Major A. G. Rosengarten.

Feeling that we were grossly deceived, and learning, through what we deemed to be good authority, that General Rosecrans refused to accept us as his escort, and that on arriving at Nashville we would be brigaded, we thought it our duty to make a stand here and demand our rights. Accordingly, petitions signed by nearly every member of the regiment we sent to Governor Curtin and to the War Department, respectfully asking that our regiment be disbanded (it having been enlisted under false representations). In addition to this, when marching orders were received, a large percentage of the regiment refused to move, and consequently stacked their arms in front of their tents, and were induced to take them up only when solemnly assured that everything should be made right on arriving at Nashville.

Acting on these promises, the march to Nashville was cheerfully performed, in anticipation of at least having our organization completed, and do service as originally intended, but in this, also, were we doomed to be disappointed. In lieu of commissioned officers joining the regiment, those of the old troop, acting as such in this organization, were imperatively ordered back to their old company, and, instead of being attached to General Rosecrans' headquarters, as we were led to believe, we were ordered to report to General Stanley, chief of cavalry in this department.

Having thus far been deceived by the misrepresentations of our officers, a committee, representing every company in the regiment, waited upon Lieutenant-Colonel Spencer, December 25, 1862, to ascertain from him authoritatively what disposition was to be made of the regiment, and

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Page 369 Chapter XXXII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.