Today in History:

21 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 21 NORTH ALABAMA AND EAST TENNESSEE.

February 5.-Under orders from department headquarters the Third Division will not go to Eastport, but will return to Huntsville.

February 6.-Said division starts for Huntsville, via railroad, and reaches there February 7, where it goes into its old camp. During this time, from February 1 to February 7, the rest of the corps remains at Huntsville.

February 7 to March 13.-The corps remains in the vicinity of Huntsville.

March 11.- 4 p. m., received dispatch from Major-General Thomas, of which the following is a copy:

NASHVILLE, March 11, 1865.

Major General D. S. STANLEY:

Prepare one of your divisions and start it for Bull's Gap as soon as you can get railroad transportation, sending the division wagons and ambulances by road, with no loads except forage and rations mules and guards. Your other divisions will follow in the same manner. Perhaps we can send troops to Granger. A depot will be established at Knoxville for accommodation of the shoe in East Tennessee.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General.

There are not cars enough here to take the First Division to Knoxville and Bull's Gap, and will not be until the 13th instant. 7 p. m., issued orders for the corps to move as soon as transportation can be furnished, in the following order: First, the First Division; second, the Third Division; third, The Second Division. Officers' horses, pack mules, the guns of the Artillery Brigade, the hospitals, ammunition, and the heavy part of the pontoon train will be moved via railroad. The rest of the Artillery Brigade and all of the division trains, with forage enough to last to Chattanooga, will go over the dirt via Stevenson.

March 12.-Trains not yet here to move the troops. They will be in to-night.

March 13.-8. a. m., the First Division now being shipped on the train (railroad(for Knoxville, Tenn. 11 a. m., the First Division, all save two regiments, for which there were no trains, has started for Knoxville. There is no forage at the post, and the wagon trains cannot yet start.

March 14-5 p. m., the remaining two regiments of the First Division being shipped for Knoxville. Will leave to-night. No forage yet at the post for the trains that go via the dirt and. There will be cars here to-night to take part of the Third Division in the morning.

March 15.- 7 a. m., two brigades of the Third Division now being shipped for Knoxville. 8 a. m., they start. There will be forage here this evening, and the First Division wagon train will start for Stevenson to-morrow morning if they get the forage in time. 6 p. m., the third brigade of Third Division cannot be shipped before morning. 10. p. m., received telegram from Lieutenant-Colonel Greenwood, assistant inspector-general Fourth Corps, at Knoxville. He says that General Thomas (who is at Knoxville) directs that all of the transportation of the corps be shipped to Knoxville by railroad as fast as cars can be furnished to take it; that it will no go by dirt road as directed; that the Second Division of the corps (General Elliott's) will remain at Huntsville until further orders from General Thomas, but that its transportation be shipped to Knoxville as soon as possible by railroad, and that the First and Third Divisions be pushed forward as soon as can be to Bull's Gap. The railroad is only repaired to about twenty miles beyond Knoxville. Orders were at once sent to the officer having charge of the First Division train no to start for Chattanooga to-morrow, but to remain here, the train to be shipped by railroad.


Page 21 NORTH ALABAMA AND EAST TENNESSEE.