I'll post this here since it was written in camp at Nashville, and gives insight into the rumors and grumblings in the ranks between Perryville and Stone's River...
November 2nd, my relative is replying to a letter from his sister, who we can assume has read of the Buell controversy in the newspapers:
"....your opinion of old Buell is the same as all of us hold. As we have seen him and his long train of cavalry pass us, we always thought him an old bogy fogy as well as an old granny and thought it strange if not a traitor at least! The story goes among the boys that at the hospital where the wounded rebels were left at Perryville one of our men asked a rebel what kind of general Buell was, he wanted to know "What Buell?" for General Buell commanded THEIR army! Some of the men say it is their belief that the Battle of Perryville was an agreement between the two gents Buell and Bragg at least a sham fight but many brave men and a few brave commanders fought with terrible earnestness and found a patriot's grave. How eagerly could the 88th have followed the rebels up that very night for twenty miles and how easily could we have done our part in entrapping the entire army of Bragg! There is shame in the tardiness of Buell in ordering the firing to cease and holding us back, eager to follow up the track of the retreating foe. Shame forever and infamy on his name! We hail Rosencrans as our leader and the weary hours seemed shorter when we heard of the happy change...."
November 2nd, my relative is replying to a letter from his sister, who we can assume has read of the Buell controversy in the newspapers:
"....your opinion of old Buell is the same as all of us hold. As we have seen him and his long train of cavalry pass us, we always thought him an old bogy fogy as well as an old granny and thought it strange if not a traitor at least! The story goes among the boys that at the hospital where the wounded rebels were left at Perryville one of our men asked a rebel what kind of general Buell was, he wanted to know "What Buell?" for General Buell commanded THEIR army! Some of the men say it is their belief that the Battle of Perryville was an agreement between the two gents Buell and Bragg at least a sham fight but many brave men and a few brave commanders fought with terrible earnestness and found a patriot's grave. How eagerly could the 88th have followed the rebels up that very night for twenty miles and how easily could we have done our part in entrapping the entire army of Bragg! There is shame in the tardiness of Buell in ordering the firing to cease and holding us back, eager to follow up the track of the retreating foe. Shame forever and infamy on his name! We hail Rosencrans as our leader and the weary hours seemed shorter when we heard of the happy change...."