The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-26
THE CASE OF GEN. MfTCHELL.
Statement of the Charges Against Him.
a DEFENCE OF THE GENERAL
The Sacking OF Athens, Alabama,
By Turchin'S Brigade.
From the Cincinnati Commercial, Jaly n

AheEe - y great ueal Salu all over the cOun-
try about the somewhat vague publication of
charges made against Gen. Mitchell. and there
Is general demand for specifications. AS we
happen te be pretty we'll informed about those
points, we presume it is our duty to make
known definitely what the charges against
Gen. Mitchell are. He is accused Of specula-
tons IN cotton. 1t is alleged that he granted
special facilities to cotton buyer, in the way
OF guards and government wagons, and that
this individual was detected in PASSING eoun-
terfeit and bogus money upon the people and.
beng arrested forit, was summarilY discharged
by the General. We have seen in the hands
of Col. Norton, of the 2lst Ohio, documents on
this point which, if genuine, and he assured
Us they were, would be exceedingly difficult to
explain. 1t is not charged that Gen Mitchell
had anything to do in the way Of showing bo-
gus money upon tie people, but MANY Of his
officers do believe that he was interested in
the cotton business, aud used his official posi-
ton for speculative purposes. While we desire
distinctly to disclaim any personal knowledge
or responsibility as to the justice of these
charges, we feel bound to state that we know
more than one prominent officer who has
served under Gen. Mitchell who is firmly per-
suaded of their truth.
Another charge against he General is that
OF unmilitary conduct in his correspondence
with the government. His victories, saw his
sccusers, were chiefly won by telegraph. His
olspatcnes about little affairs along the railroad
were read and regarded with derison and dis
gust when they Ieturned to his command.
There was no enemy to fight in his depart-
ment, with the exception of few guerrillas.
and they were growing stronger and more
sudacious continually after his departure.
1t is said that Gen. Mitchelrs battle of
Bridgeport" which made good deal of noise
by telegraph, was an insignificant affair. in
which three regiments of infantry and a bat
terry, on our side, were engaged with a SQUAD
OF less than hundred rebel cavalry, over
whom glorious triumph was obtained without
the loss of man. But in this affair General
Mitchell is said to have been crazy with ex-
citement, and to have shown his incapacity to
handle .hree regiments in the field. One of
his colonies refused to obey his orders repeat
ediy, IN consequence of their glaring absurdity,
and has never been reprimanded for his insub-
ordination, and was not permitted to resign
The panic which at one time prevailed in
Gen. Mitchells department about being cut off
by the right wing of the rebel army at Cor.
inth, is charged to the General, and was a
wholly gratuitous and discrediatable affair.
There was no reason to suppose shat Beaure-
gard, with his hands full, as they were. at
Corinth, could reach around, beyond the breaks
In the Charleston road made by Gen. Sherman,
and strike Gen. Mitchell But Just after one
hundred thousand rations were sent by Gen.
Halleck for the subsistence of COL Turchin's
brigade at Tuscumbia, party Of guerrillas
made clatter in that quarter, and Turchin
was ordered to fall back in hot haste, which
he did, destroying three-fourths of the cne
hundred thousand rations sent him bv General
Halleck. The next thing was the destruction
of the great bridge across the Tennessee river,
near Decatur, most unwise proceeding, un-
called for by any exigency, ard which has seri-
ously embarrassed our military operations in
the far South. Since the man who was trim
ming tree sawed off the limb upon which be
was sitting, betwixt himself and the trunk. the
case has not been more thoroughly paralelled
than by General Mitchell in burning the
Decatur bridge, by which he communicated
with the Commanding General Of his depart
msnt.
The panic-like retreat from Athens, Ala
bama, was, likewise, grave mistake. A force
of rebel cavalry, said to have been precisely
one hundred and four in number, crossed the
Tennessee river, and were magnifed into
vast host by an intelligent contraband," !" who
is believed to have been manipulated by the
rebels for the occasion. The result was pre-
cipitate retreat from Athens made By Turchins
brigade, which resulted in considerable de-
struction OF government property. We once
suppressed letter from a correspondent about
that affair, as we thought the account incredi-
bic. We have since been informed that it was
strictly true. The retreat was made by order
of General Mitchell 1t was when Col Tus-
chin returned to Athens that he permitted his
soldiers to pillage the town. The fact that he
had fed from the town in q fight was certainly
no reason why he should allow the people to
1 hcs md onvo1 h5os hn
| sacking of Athens was the most shameful affair
of the war. Soldiers of Turchins brigade
were then and there guilty Of outrages unfit to
be named. Gen. Mitchell, for the sake of the
preservation of discipline in his army, should
have brought them to punishment. He did
nothing of the sort; and this is what some
persons, whose perceptions of facts are not very
acute, style "making war vigorously"
The advance upon Chattanooga was about
as purposeless and imbecile an affair as the re-
treat from Tuscumbia and Athehs, and the
destruction of the Decatur bridge. The force
sent on the Chattanooga expedition was utter
ly inadequate to take or hold the place, and
if it had been competent in other respects was
unable to cross the Tennessee river. Tne re.
treat in this case was about as rapid as the ad
vance, and the result was the premature dis
play of loyalty by few East Tennesseans
who were Immediately set upon by their trai
tor neighbors when our forces retired.
Gen. Mitchelfs measures for the suppress
sion of guerrilla warfare are also complained
of. It is stated that wherever, along the lin,
of the railroad, his trains have been fired into
he has burned houses indiscriminately, and t.
an extent that is astonishing. 1t also appear
that this vigorous policy has not had the effec
. Of decreasing the number of marauders, bu
rather the reverse. However, we imagin
, Gen. Mitchell has little to apprehend frou
public wrath or official displeasure, because b
! has desolated the neighborhoods where guer
. rillas have been harbored, and have carriedol
! their barbarous system of warfare. At tn
: same time, if the representations made to u
{ are true he deserves censure for his want Q
I discrimination, and his hot haste to take ven
! geance in places where the trains had bee
J peppered by the shotguns OF the butternut
l BE was master of the country, and could hav
: had an investigation into aIl acts of Outrage