Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-08-24
THEDUNN LETTER.
GEN. TAYLORsS REPLY.

MS report OIL Tue Oattle OF Buena VISTA; TO
which Gen. Taylor made the following re-
ply;
BATGN ROUGE, La, March "a, 1913.
Ny Dear Sir: Your communication un.
der date of Feb. -, 1913, accompanied by
an introductory communication from the
Hon. Mr.. Crittenden, has been duly receiy-
ed.
The sublect-matter presented by YOU
would have been attended 10 much sooner,
but for visit of some weeks up the river.
which has prevented an earlier consdera-
lion and reply.
Before replying, directly, TO several par
licuar points touched upon in your letter,
permit me 10 say, in general terms, in refer
ence 10 the current impression, that my Of
fetal Report had done great injustice to the
second Regiment of Indiana Volunteers,
that nothing has been developed, since the
date OF thai report, and no statement in an
official shape has been made TO me, which
IN my judgment, affects lis accuracy, saw
ing only III the case OF tho official reports
Complementary OF Gen. Lane, Of the Sd, 5th
aud 21th OF March, 1917, and which, as they
were forwarded 10 the War Department Al,
Washington, were deemed sufficient correc-
ton to my own, without burdening tina, of.
fee with additional reports.
! You are tight i'll tho supposiiion that per.
sonol observation on The field, and reports of
subordinate commanders, are the proper and
only basis upon which q commanding Gen.
eral Gun frame his reports. My official state
ment of The conduct OF the different coips at
tho battle oiBDona Vista, was made strictly
in accordance with this principle. and So lar
as the conduct Of the Second Indiana Reg.
menl was reported TO me, officially, my own
observation, IN most cases, sustains tho truth
and accuracy 0fthose reports.
From the moment that personal crminn
ton aud fecriminaion began pass between
some Of the officers, advised, as olien os
opportunity presented, tho agitation Of moth.
ing IN relation to- the conduct OF the Second
Regiment, or us 10 who was, or who was not
most TO blame. ! fell insured that such a
movement would only result in great injury
TO the Regiment and TO The STATE, | truly
regret that such lorbearnnce did not Suggest
itself TO those Interested.
The gallant character Of The cizons Of In.
diam, have good reason and good oppor.
iunlies TO know and APT eciaie. Ia this
they are not surpassed by any State in the
Union. Ny confidence IN the Second Reg.
iment, officers and men, was still maintain
ed alter HE reverse Of the .23d, for remem.
bered that IN all armies, the best and most
experienced troops have al times been most
unaccouuably subject, and yielded 10 TEN.
porary pancs, by no means compromising
their reputation for bravery. had resolved,
and expressed the determination, to place
that Regiment in action the following day,
had the enemy resumed his attack, in The full
conVcilol that the officers and men, united
ly and individually, would have acquitted
| themselves with sreadiness aud gallaniry -
| This belief have always maintained.
With these remarks, now refer to the Sc
veral points dwelt upon in your letter.
| On reference TO the records OF official
papers in the Office OF my adju.ant General,
find no evidence That the proceedings OF
the Colrt OF Inquiry. instituted at The request
OF Gen, Lane, were sent TO me. To the best
OF my recollection, they certainly ,cere
not Ia the absence of Major Bliss, my Ad-
Jutant General, cannot speak more posi-
| lively. The order constituting the Cour
was issued by Gen Wool and as il originated
al his Head Quarters, It's proceedings, he pro-
badly conceived, not necessary to be sent to
me. His course, however, in ordering the
Court, was approved by me.
1t was my impression that this Court Of
Inquiry grew out private animosities among
some of the oflicers-thal ii was entire
ly inexpedient, and not connected with the
good or interest Of the service; hence the
reason. most probably, why ihe result of its
examination WIS moi forwarded to my Head
Quarters, or to the War Office, at Washing
ton.
With the supplemental letter Of General
Lane, of May 10, lS47, written as is stated
10 correct the disposition to do injustice to
Indiana, have nothing 10 do. 1t was not,
and could moi be termed, Report, either
supplemental or otherwise; hence The reason
why you did not find il on record in The War
Office. Il first met my eye in the columns
Of q newspaper.
After the finding of facts by the Court
Of Inquiry, bad Gen. Lane conceived bis own
official report demanded correction, he would,
il seems fair 10 suppose, have rendered sup
elemental report, as in the cases OF The Sd
/ - wv anu .JtlI VI NdfND, utCN'IJ W OCuOldi
| Wool. No such corrective statement was ),
so far as know, ever made. Without such
statement, either from him or Gen. Wool,
there could be no warrant for change in
my own detailed report.
| Under such a state of official facts which
have not subsequently been affected, by sup
elemental official reports, il is not to be ex
pected that should address corrective re-
port to the War Department, affecting any
portion of The original. Such a report must
be based upon official data, properly render
ed, else ii can be of no avail. In my detail
ed report the word ''ordered" should be re-
placed by that of iatdnded, agreeable 10 the
supplemental report of Gen. Lane, of March
"A. 1t WIS thought sufficient rectifcation
to forward this report of Gen. Lane to the
War Office, for The original statement in my
own report was founded upon his own, and
whatever correction he made TO his report,
must necessarily, in this particular, affect
mine also. BY non-erasure of the original
word in my report, Ian erasure thai could