Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-05-04

felt assured that such movement would only
result IN great injury to the Regiment and to
It's State. truly regret that such fofbearance
did not suggest itself to those interested
The gallant character of the citizens of Indi-
ana, have good reason and good opportunities
to know and appreciate. In this they are not
surpassed by any State in the Union My CON
fidence the second Regiment, officers and
men, was still main tanned after the reverse of
the 23d, for | remembered that in all armies,
the best and most experienced troops have at
times been most unaccountably subject, and
yielded to temporary panics, by no means com
promising 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 conviction that the officers and men, uni
tedly and individually, would have acquitted
themselves with steadiness and gallantry. This
belief have always maintained.
With these remarks, now refer to the sever
al points dwelt upon IN your letter
On reference TO the records of official papers
in the office Of my Adjutant General. | find no
evidence that the proceedings of the Court of
Inquiry, Instituted at the request of Gen. Lane,
were sent to me. To the best of my recollec-
ton, they certainly acre not In the absence of
Major Bliss, my Adjutant General, | cannot
speak more positively. The order constituting
the Court was issued by Gen. Wool, and as it
originated at his Head Quarters, its proceedings
he probably conceived, not necessary to be sent
to me. His course, however, in ordering the
Court, was opposed by me.
1t was my impression that this Court of In
quiry grew out of private animosities among
some fthe offcers-that it was entirely mex
pediant, and not connected with thegood or in
terest of the service; hence the reason, most
probably, why the result OF its examination
was not forwarded to my Head Quarters, or to
the War Office at Washington.
With the supplemental letter of Gen. Lane,
of May 10, l847 written, as is stated, to cor
rect the disposition to do injustice to Indiana,
have nothing to do. ltwas not. and could
not be termed, Report, either suppleme ntal
or otherwise; hence the reason why you did
not find it on record in the War Office. 1t
first met my eye in the columns a newspaper
After the finding of facts by the Court o.
! Inquiry, had Gen. Lane conceived his own Of
fetal Report demanded correction, be would,
it seems fair to suppose. have rendered sup
Elementary report, as in the cases of the Sd, 9Th
and 24th of March, directly t. Gen. Wool
4 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 state of official facts, which
have not subsequently beea affected, by sup
elemental official reports, it is not to be expect
ed that | should address a corrective report to
the War Department, affecting any portion of
the original. Such report must be based up
on o6ciul data, properly rendered, else it can
be of no avail. In my detailed Report the
word sordered' should be replaced by that of
intended, agreeably to the supplemental Re
port of Gen. Lane, of March 9th. 1t was
thought sufficient rectifcation to forward this
report of Gen. Lane to the War Office, for the
original statementin my own report was found
ed upon bis 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 NY report, ian erasure
that could only be accomplished by subse-
quent report,) it was the farthest from my in
tention to convey any inference whatever,
much less to express, that the Indiana troops,
when III line, showed any indisposition to adj
vance.
The better relation of occurrences at the bat
tie of Buena Vista, so far as the Indiana Brig
ade is concerned, would have been more plain
ly established had Gen. Lane followed. imme-
diately after the battle, the custom of the ser
vice, in calling on his subordinates for reports
of the operations and services of their Regi
ments 1t notorious that Col. Bowles has new
regiment took in the action, while the report
of Col Lane was made more than three
months subsequently to the date of the
battle.
: 1t is possible that report made by Col.
Bowles, even at this late date, might tend
! much to exonerate his Regiment and himself
from unjust imputations and | am ready to re-
, ceive and forward to the War Department, as
official, any report of that character which he
! may address to me.
In regard to the difficulties that occurred in
the second Regiment, it may not be amiss, in
, this connection, to observe that Col. Bowles
called on me, when ON his march out of Next
co with his Regiment, Ill much distress OF
; mind at the attack which had just been made
upon him. He remarked to me, that the want
, of efficient drill and discipline in his Regiment
was due much to his own personal difficulties
with Gen. Lane-that his absence from his
Regiment (made necessary for personal visit
to Indiana, to establish his claim to the com
= mand of it, claim which had been denied to
him by Gen. Lane,) was the cause in a very
great measure, of its imperfect drill and disci-
pline, and his own imperfect knowledge
Of the customs and requirements of the SER
vice.
In my official report, | was as forbearirg in
narrating the conduct of the second Indiana
Regiment as it was possible to be, under the
: solemn duty to render exact justice to all en-
gagged in the battle, and l assure you, sir, can
reproach myself with no act of injustice, writ
ten or implied, committed by my agency, to-
a wards any CORPS or individual Willing as
S am to add anything to my report which, to dc
!. Justice to any, shall come before me in the
: proper form, it viii nevertheless be readily
t believed, that never will make any statement
e at variance with propriety and just and strict
d sense ofduty.
;. l certainly have every inducement to go as
far in the effort TO exonerate the Indiana troops
E from censure as / would in the case of the
V troops of any State which has served with me
n during the war. feel warmly attached to The
y State and her sons, by ties which were woven
/, in my earliest service. Early associations, anC
e friendly regard for her citizens, havt
/ always attached me to her, and in her goec
1t name and prosperity feel deeply interested
). 1t has been my aim, in this reply to your en-
r quiries, to give my candid opinion, so far as
IF have deemed Improper; and it has been my wisl
d and endeavor, to make my reply as sa,sfactor.
Il to Yourself and the State as is consistent wit
ii truth and propriety.
t With sentiments of high regard and esteem