Sunday, December 1, 2013

12/1/2013 Tennessee Civil War Notes

        1, "Must the Odium Endure."

To a people so free, so high toned, so intelligent, so liberal and so patriotic as the citizens of Tennessee,-to a people so thoroughly and entirely devoted to the promised escape from the Lincoln despotism, and so freely yielding their blood and treasure to the great cause of resistance to the black Republican tyranny sought to be imposed upon the states of the South,-to a people so sensible of their rights as freemen, and so confident of their ability to sustain their late action in revolutionising [sic] against the old Federal government, and entering upon a new state of political existence,-nothing could be more mortifying, nothing more humiliating than an attempt upon the part of their authorities to fix upon them the eternal odium of drafting their citizens into the military service. No wonder, then, that our people are next to dumb with astonishment at the high handed outrage upon their constitutional rights, at the broad innovation upon a former usage, and at the direct question of their courage and patriotism, perpetrated and implied in late orders of the Governor of Tennessee. No wonder that in all quarters and among all classes of people, irrespective of politics and conditions, there is but one opinion-and that deeply and severely condemnatory-of this threatened compulsion and disgrace of those who, once had occasion to pride themselves upon being citizens of the "Volunteer State." Let this threat be executed and Tennessee falls forever from her high estate, and her citizens and soldiers are doomed to the eternal and damning disgrace of having a forced soldiery in the field. Let it be carried out as threatened, and the name of Tennessean will no longer be desirable, but rather a thing to be avoided and desecrated. Draft the people of Tennessee, and the name of the present Executive of the State, Isham G. Harris, [sic] becomes forever infamous, and justly a by-word and a reproach. Draft the people of and henceforth no citizen or soldier of hers can with pride lift up his head in the proud consciousness that the hails from the "Volunteer State." Draft the people of Tennessee, and all her patriotism and liberality have been expended in vain to give her respectability of position in the new sisterhood of States Draft the people of Tennessee, and her soldiers become forever the subjects of ridicule and derision. Is there no escape from this high handed attempt to engulph [sic] a free and brave people of the State in a sea of unfathomable ruin?

Nashville Daily Gazette, December 1, 1861.

 

 

1, Confederate guerrilla attack on Moscow[1]

No circumstantial reports filed.

LAGRANGE, [December] 2, 1862.

T. H. HARRIS, Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Jackson:

A guerrilla force of about 200 were near Moscow yesterday afternoon. A small force entered Moscow and captured 6 convalescents sick of the 109 and paroled them. A force of 6 came within a half mile and captured four teams loaded with cotton and one cotton-speculator. I recovered all of the wagons, cotton, and 2 mules; they escaped with the other animals. The pickets, 3 miles below Lamar, were attacked yesterday about 5 p. m. by small guerrilla force. The guerrillas were repulsed. No one hurt.

A. S. NORTON, Col., Comdg.

OR, Ser. I, Vol. 17, pt. II, pp. 376-377.

 

        1, "….we skirmished right on a bed of sweet potatoes and cabbage…." Sergeant George G. Sinclair's first combat

On picket duty seven miles from Nashville on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad.

December 3, 1862

* * * *

We had our maiden battle three days ago [December 1]. We were sent out on a foraging expedition and were assailed by some of Breckenridge's cavalry but we laid six or seven of them, they not doing us any damage in return. We are gaining quite a reputation as a crack regiment and I tell you, we earn it too, for finer never turned into the field. Well on that day we were thrown out as skirmishers and we skirmished right on a bed of sweet potatoes and cabbage which were buried for winter use. We appropriated all that the whole company could carry. Our mess secured nearly a bushel and four hogsheads of cabbage. You may bet that we lived high while those lasted, they are out today. As we are out on picket, we shall try to replenish out stock of vegetable before tomarrow [sic] night

* * * *

George G. Sinclair

Sinclair Correspondence

 

 

        1, Major-General U. S. Grant and U. S. Treasury Department agree upon new enumerated list for sales of cotton goods, inspection of steam ships and responsibility for guerrilla outrages

HDQRS. SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Memphis, Tennessee, December 1, 1863.

Brig. Gen. N. B. BUFORD, Cmdg. at Helena:

GEN.: Your communication of the 28th, with your report of proceedings in cases of certain steamers, is received. The Treasury Department, with the approval of Gen. Grant, have adopted a new system, the principal features of which will be formally communicated to you. So strong is the pressure on the Government to allow cotton brought forward, that it is useless to do any more that exercise a general supervision. The Treasury Department are the judges as to who shall or shall not go below to obtain cotton, and the clearances issued here and approved by me is evidence that they have given bonds. Rope, bagging, and twine may go without restrictions.[2] Every other article of supply will be examined closely here, and permitted or rejected. It is of no use to attempt to close up the counties named in your former order so that no supplies can go. Unless all trade on the river is stopped we cannot stop it in partial limits where we have no force. But we can, and I am now preparing an order making each county responsible for guerrilla outrages. You will, therefore, not hereafter stop any boat regularly cleared and permitted; but if you have information that any owner of a lot of goods is disloyal, take that parcel of goods until he clears himself from that suspicion.

Persons are permitted by the Treasury officers to go below with money to buy cotton, or to pay for cotton already bought. This, also, is approved by Gen. Grant; the Treasury agents being held responsible for the men whom they permit. Of course, articles contraband of war are never permitted, except whisky and occasionally a little medicine.

You will, by the adoption of this course, be relieved from much responsibility and labor, and have much more time to give to your military duties.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT, Maj.-Gen.

OR, Ser. I, Vol. 31, pt. III, p. 304.

 

 

        1, Skirmish at Clinch Mountain

LEXINGTON, KY., December 2, 1864.

(Received 5 p. m.)

Maj. THOMAS T. ECKERT, Washington, D. C.:

We have news from Burbridge this morning. Our forces at Clinch Mountain. Slight skirmish with enemy yesterday. Scout reports Breckinridge at Morristown with 3,000 infantry; his cavalry at Bristol. Our forces expected to be at Bean's Station to-day. Shall I report daily?

CAREY, Cipher Operator.

OR, Ser. I, Vol. 45, pt. II, p. 28.



[1] This attack is listed neither in the OR General Index nor in the index to OR, Ser. I, Vol. 17, pt. II, nor in Dyer's Battle Index for Tennessee.

[2] This appears to mean that the United States Treasury Department could purchase cotton goods from anyone, even those whose loyalty to the Union was at best suspect. 


James B. Jones, Jr.

Public Historian

Tennessee Historical Commission

2941 Lebanon Road

Nashville, TN  37214

(615)-532-1550  x115

(615)-532-1549  FAX

 

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