Post-Perryville Predicament

Lubliner

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After the battle, both Armies were busily re-positioning themselves. Early to mid-November has some interesting reports from both command structures.
First I shall provide a link to a Nashville Public Television upload I deem is permitted by copyright laws. If I am misled, and it is prohibited, please notify me and block it.

. Rivers and Rails: Daggers of the Civil War.

The first 10 minutes have caught my attention for my study of the gradual fragmentation of the Confederate forces, and a pronounced theme currently among our threads. For kicking off, I have one comment from General Rosecrans on his second day of command, November 2nd, 1862. While at Bowling Green he telegraphed these concerns to General Halleck in Washington.

"As the rebel infantry gets in winter quarters, they will scatter, steal horses, and commence roving the country for living and plunder."

Meanwhile in the South after a conscript act was passed, camps of instruction were set up having Commandants. Located at Notasulga, Ala. under Major Swanson; Brookhaven Miss. under M. R. Clark; Camp Moore La. under F. Dumonteil, and Calhoun Ga. under Lt. Col. Weems. General Orders No. 145 and No. 2.

Kentucky did not feel liable to the act, and the confederates planned on making a hog and cattle raid close to Big Sandy Creek, and bring away as many Kentuckians willing to come. Any conscripted anywhere, it had been advised to remove the men as far from their homes as possible, to hinder desertion.

Good to General Rosecrans own determinations of what to expect, the following outrages were reported against the confederates. In Tullahoma to the headquarters of the Right Wing of the Army of Mississippi, on Nov. 8;

"Due to numerous complaints made to headquarters that depredations are being committed by soldiers of this command on private property by entering of houses of private citizens. Private property must and shall be protected, and in every instance where the violation occurs the offending party will be severely punished."

A similar outrage is reported to General Humphrey Marshall on Nov. 10 at Abingdon, Va., complaining men "encamped in that vicinity were turning out cattle and horses to graze upon the pastures of the local farmers without asking permission; taking grain and forage to themselves, and fixing prices without measure and weight. In spite of the country being covered in timber, the men were burning the fence rails that enclosed the farms." (loosely quoted). General Marshall replied to Richmond coldly, blaming the citizens themselves and moved his command further afield.

Reports were being sent in to Murfreesborough (Breckenridge) that bands of partisan rangers, claiming authority from from the war department were impressing horses and committing depredations in that area. That was November 16.

General E. Kirby Smith reported to Richmond that the citizens about Knoxville were disloyal to the confederacy, and could not be conscripted unless forced to do so by the troops of his command.

The only real report so far on Federal atrocity to date came from General Marshall on November 18th, claiming that at Whitesburg Kentucky, 40 of the Home Guards they had been skirmishing with, entered in and murdered several of the citizens, burning the houses of Captain Candrill and of his father and brothers, and carried his wife off as a prisoner.

Series 1, Volume 20, Part 2, Union referral within the first 5 pages. All confederate details from page 396 to 410.

I highly recommend the first 15 minutes of the Public video, for reenactment's sake, for detail of events, and for enjoyment. I have one more remark on railroads by the President of The Tennessee and Georgia Rairoad Co., C. Wallace, who had extended as best he could his ability for purchasing at exorbitant prices, and asked for help;

"Lieut. Gen. E. Kirby Smith:
Dear Sir: The condition of the engines and cars of this company is such that it will be impossible for us to do the work of the Confederate States more than sixty days longer....There are engines and cars enough to sustain the main lines for the next three or four years...[from branch lines]...My stock is now so far gone it will be useless before winter is half over...."


Lubliner
 
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