Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-15
REBEL ACCOUNTS OF LATE MILITARY
MOVEMENTS
AFFAIRS IN DIXIE.

Richmond, with your private letter from Capt
Wickliffe, three days since; but the pressure
Of affairs and the necessity Of getting my com
mand across the Tennessee, prevented me from
sending you an earlier reply
/ anticipated all that you have told me as 10
the censure which the fall of Fort Donelson
drew upon NE, and the attacks to which Won
might be subjected; but If was impossible for
me to gather the facts for detailed report or
to spare time which was required to extricate
the remainder Of my troops, and save the
large accumulation Of stores and provisions
alter the. .dishesrt ening disaster.
L transmitted the reports of Generals FLOYD
and Pillow without examining or ansIyzing
the facts, and scarcely with time to read them
When about 10 assume command Of this De-
pETtment the Government charged me with
the duty Of deciding the question Of cccupying
Bowling Green, Ky, which involved not only
military but political consideration. At the
time of my arrival az Nashville, the action of
the Legislature CT Kentucky had put an end to
tie latter BY ysanctiOning the formation Of COM
panies menscins Tennessee, by assuming the
cause Of the Government at Washington, and
by abandoning the neutrality il professed and
IN consequence OF their action the occupation of
Bowling Green became necessary as an act Of
self defense, at least in the first step.
About the middle Of September Ge en-. Buck
ner advanced with a small force of ab.ut 600
men, which was increased by the 18th October
TO Il GOO; and though sccessioRs Of force were
received, il continued at about the same
strength until the end of Noyember-measles
and other diseases keeping down the effective
force The enemy's force was then rerOrted to
the War Department $4,000, and an advance
was impossible.
Believing it to be Of the greatest moment to
protract the campaign, as the dearlh of cotton
might bring strength from abroad and dis.
cOursge the North, and to gain Tins 10
strengthen myself by new troops from Tennes-
see and other states | magnifed my forces to
the enemy, but made known my true streng III
to the Department and the Governors Of States
The aid given was small. At length when
General BeauIegaTd came out in February, he
expressed his SuTpriSe at the smailness of my
force, and was impressed with the danger of
my position. L admitted what was so manifest
and laid before him my views for the future
IN which he entIrely cOncurred, and sent me a
memvTendum ci our conference, a COPY of
which send yos. determined to fight for
Nashville at DcnelsOn and have tho best part
Of my army TO do It, retaining only IA 600 men
70 cover my front, and giving l6 600 to defend
D1nelson
The force at d nelson is stated in General
Pillow report at much less, and 1 do not
doubt the correctness Of his statement, for
the fOTce a. Bowling Green, which I sup
posed to be II 0GO effective men (the medical
report showing only little over 500 sick in
the hospital was diminished more than 5 900
by those who were unable TO stand the fstigue
OF march, and made my force, on hing
Nashville, less than TO- 900. / inclose medical
dlre5tOT's report.
Had l wholly uncovered my front to defend
Donelson, 6uell would have known it, and
marched directly on Nashville. There was
only ten small steam srS in the Cumberland in
imperfect cOnditiOn-only three OF which ERE
available at n NashTilie, while the transportation
Of the was great.
The evacuation Of Bowling Green was i'm
peTRiIVeiJ necessary, and was ordered before
and executed while the battle was being fouc ut
al D,nelson. 1 had mado every disposition
for the defense Of the fort my means allowed
and tle troops were among the best of nv
force. The Generals, Floyd. Pillow and Buck
ner, were high in the opinion Of officers and
men Tor skill and coursge, and among the best
Of othceTs Of my command. They were popular
with the volunteers, and sll had seen much SER
vice. No reinfOrccments were asked. Iswaitea
the event opposite Nashville. The result of the
conflict each day was favorable At midnight
on the 18th received ncWs Of glorious VIC
tory-st dawn cf defeat.
Ny column during the day and night was
thrown ever the rivera battery had been
established below the city TO secure the pass.
age). Nashville was incapable of defence from
]ts position, and from the forces advancing
from Bowling Green and up the Cumberland
A rear guard vas left under Gcu. FlOyd to Sc.
cure the stores aud provisions, bat did not COM
pleteiy effect tho object. The people were
terrified, and some Of the troops were disheart.
ered- The encouragement was spreading, and
ordered the command to Murfresboro' where
managed, by assembling Crittenden's Diyi-
sion and the fugitives from Donelson, 10 coIlec.
an army able to offer battle. The Eesther was
inclenent the foods excessive and tho bridge.
were washed away, but most Of the stores and
provisions were saved and conveyed 10 new
depOts. This having been accomplished
though with serious loss, in conformity with
my original design, / marched southwark anC
crossed Tennessee at this point, so as cooperate
CT unite with Gen. Beauregard for the defenc,
Of the Valley Of the Mississippi The pzssag,
IL almost completed, and the head of my col
umn is already with Gen. Bragg at Corinth
The movement was deemed too hazardous by th,
most experienced members Of my staff but the
object warranted the Tisk. The difficulty O
etecting junction is not wholly overcome bu
l;apProaches completion. Day after tomorrow
unless the enemy InteFcepts me, my force will
be with Bragg and my army nearly - thous
and Etrcng. This must be destroyed before the
enemy can attain his object.
L have given this sketch, so that you ma,
appreciate the embarrassment which sur
the disaster Of Fort DoneIsOn, before alludipa
&c the conduct Of the Generals.
When the force was detached was in hone;
that such disposition would have been made
as would have enabled the forces to defend the
fort or withdraw without sacrificing the army.
On the I4th, / ordered Gen. Floyd by teIc.
graph if be lost the fort to get his troops 70
Nashville" 1t is possible this might have
been done, but justice requires TO look at events
as they appeared st the time, and not alone
By the light of subsequent information. All
the facts in relation to tie surrender will be
Transmitted to the Secretary Of War as soon as
they can be collected, in obedience to his or
der. Ii appears from the information re-
eeived that Gen. Buckner, being the junior
ofhcer, took the lead in advising the surren-
der, and that Gen. Floyd scquiesced, and th sy
all concurred in the belief that their force
could not maintain its position-all eoncurred
that il would require great sacrifice Of life to
extricate the command.
Subsequent events show that the Investment
was not so complete as their information from
their scouts led them to believe. The confer
eace resulted in the surrender. The command
was irregularly transferred, and devolYed on
the junior General, but not apparently TO avoid