Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-04-18
'UssurpL pLsNEHTAeTREPORT' Or {: -. FLrI q
~ AHsTEg TO .LY7Ec2ot:A Trl?[1S.
Erny-u,r ,r..,-,.soa nJ.r.l ~ 12G5


aIssurPL Ls5,EHTAerRE OF 9 81. FLDl-G
iSANsT-Eg TO .GrTEc2oGA TcE[5S
kEo1rIlLE. rsnlcsSee, Alarc'i 20. 1862.
2. ?. E"s:sstsr, Ass:s!sglt A33utaat Gsns"s: ::
Sir: Ycuc communication nf Inc 1Cth inst.
from Decatur, reached ule hara tc dag, ghatc
cane IN compliance With no nrdar ror' Ma;
General Smith, who ret bin paa;t;,n eu,:'>i.-
gei stl from Inc advance Of the Grs:"y.
IN THAI coIn!numc lion Ycn cug
uadcr lat2 of march the / IT,. ''o Ssrra!arY
Of Syar eays: The rnosr;s nj i:eoaraii F"Yr
,rd !,'!nN are unsatisfactory, an ;!i3 r.es:.
a,rt rirrn:s Lhat ho!h thasc l.t:.S-.;S o. -.
!;rTa'l .ira,n command Till flT::s., urdsr=.! .
lis luT:aer direct, that Gen. L"'nr..;!. in nc
lnasntiluc" relucsla them /" g,ii - ,-!: "a
po,:s srcn statements as they mag >;-ca proper
5a the following points:
"ls;. The failure to g;gn timely noticd o.
tn, ns'iRci-ncy ~ ,ho s-iIri5,n OF FrrI Dgn
cls:n &, r-pel attack.
"2. Tie :ailu's oi an st;ernP; q s5ye liz.
~, - w. ;.s'"- tha - ~ - p
( 's,; - .,s-
14 (t,., 80 no:c ~ -: ii.:l&nd 10
thoi, inferior aucer. instead a;eIean:ing :n=n.
sciY+:i T4ls,4veT 'ne.sl,rn Wls ,Ireo,cd i.yno4'
for the sn,tre altnv.
'i,il. VIA. ~ss lba prsc.s: nod, l.; HIiir':
Gacfl eiuctti bis Sscspc i:nm The ilyt, nuA
what dangers we'r encountered in ,iio rc!rea:.
"5.h. Cpou rhat prnr,'!ea selection w.:
mad" d particular trrcps, hU!tg ccr!ain reg,-
iuun!:i o! !hs arnior general t'fgadr, 10 yh11,-
ilse all lbs transportation or h9'.G WAS s:yt"-
prIat3l
"t:h, I: ;'articuiss dcsi3na;i", u tte req
| rrlnts sa|td and tue regiments .!,;nlni,.i
wh;eil i"Tusei part 81 the EeniOr gcnyrl'}
b.eads."
In oi'etencs 10 this order, I'm d;tec!ai by
General Johnston IL request yoar compliance
with ,he wishes Of The Prcai1's,i IN lkcas pa
!!c,iIara With as little delay as rGa5ihlc, and
t0rusrd tho reports IL these headquarters.
CadUr Inc SANS t.TrcllG1, GtaGral Johnston
aas required report from Gu!ouci Forrest,
asLi:lius particularly tho i'r1o ard ;EeGnrc Gi
MS escapn llntn Fort D"nvlson, tho road G':
took, Lha Humber al Gnaluias he a:ss or saw in
la,kIng his escape, aEd tue difficulties which
sYsted t" prUvnnL the remainder o! TN ncrnY
| lrrm io;o~lcg tie rout taken by hia: IL h.;I
escape with his command.
give at once the additional !nfrrmGt;nl
wtIch seems 10 be asked lnr in lis; ct:Da.ua!.
cation o! tue Secretary OF Hnr 10 which y ull
rel5r.
Tho first charge il SIS follows
The Ihllufc ~ give tInsiy notice Gi tbs IN
snttcicnTy OF tha garrison OF Fort Dcaelaon -
lILpel attack"
lprrsa'n=d the general know, before | VAS
ordered Ia Fort D)ue!son, that nc!tb.r ms
works nos The troops ehnt there could IS Ihsiand
HE IoTce which he knew the enemy hal IN
hand, AMI which could hs t,rough, spoeGi!y 10
lGat poiot. knew ps!iecIl: 81! ,fet, u Ihn
Nhoc iorcp under Gerzral Jyansinn's co,n-
lnand al Rowling Green tsl been sutiL 10 fu!i
Dunos0n, IL would prove utterly Insufficient II
repGl The advance Ot the onemY up The Cum
b.:iaud riyuT. General Jot:nst;hs entire
force, including tho troops u. Donelsnn, as
understood il, did not rxcesd thirty THOUSAND.
CSC, ,Ot0) ,uen knew what bslcvc every
body pi4s ,ild for 1t kas made public through
tic news3aptra-thai tie enemy mad IN
Kentucky alone one hundra'i and !inc.
teen Clg) regimenta and tdat be had
Hcariy, II not 4ult,', as many 1t U.i;ro. St.
Louis, and inc luGns ueaT tha mouth ol the
Cumberland IL ~as also known thae tho
un-.ryb bgi :n':;ssLcl a.s-.i.s ., lr.nzpoT;itio;'
iVr concentrating troops. How inen was 1t
possible tnr Gen. JohnStons whole AMY IL
lEeoL That force, which was known 10 be InVv;rs;
towards The luruths Of tho Tennesaee AID jun
baiiaud rige.s! Tho sequel proved lnat tlls
!uJ,n:uJ': vas correct; lor not only We'o
the troais Occupying Kentucky soat Up The
Gun bcrlAud hut large additions vere ma':c to
them irnn Missouri aud tllincis, a5 Stated -
prisoners and BY the nifciai reports OF Their
uGa cv,unaIriar:3. | could not, under Sanse
ui ,liiiy, call iue reinfoTcemenls, because the
lvrlt. under General Johnston was not stfong z
enough 10 afford sufficient number to hold
the p,ace. | considered the place lily choshn, ,cu.
OF position, and entirely indeienslb!e by Any
re!Uiorcemrnts which could be brought there
to it's support. Il had but thirteen guns and
it turned out that but ihreu Of these wcrn e.
fect:ye ago;nst lron-clad steamers. though
the force aresay there sufficient for sacrihcc,
as WILL as enough IL hold lhe place until Bow
INF Green cUulI 3e.eTacuat;d With lts supplies
AMI munitions .: war. ibis supposed 10 DO
thr main object OF the moVsInent " D0IeisGn,
a!ld tho uiIy g5od that could be ctocled oy
dsspcr-tely t,Illng that post with the entirely
;n.dsouatu lae,.ns in hand 10. lho defc:.cc OF
;hc Cumberland anu Tenncssco rivers. Wlla
:. ttss force than EiLy Thousand $50 600 rrn,
te pu,ji,:uA 1t Fort Donelson was, IN my jldG-
In:n., qr.le u5!cnabie, and even with that force
il conc t1.7p laeG teid fer only short tln'e,
ullces lurcs o twenty thousand u.OG0)
nrn Hcra supporting It a! ClarkaViIe. and
.asnty five .uuraand ia, ,O00D more =: LEASE
had bcon atGtlonei Il, NasLgils Wills Theses
wire uiY oGa views and opinions, [ nayerthe-
Jaa. tIaas.sil:sd 10 GJuoral johnston the axsc:
slan oI aiIIlrs Il: the fort B; eTcry st.ss 0! The
co fict.
My views and opinions upon lha defence OF
FCrL Doneis0r and the means .oi ex!Iicating
the army from the trap, in which necessity
had thrown them therh had buun set irrtn III
Is,t-r sldresaed TO :he Grrsrnl from ClRrks'
vile, before l received orders IT, 60 10 Fort
D.nulsou. bearing date l2tb Of Fshrdafg.
aEnex 3 copy ol That leltei;
OLAkEsrILLE, Tennessee,
February 18th, lS63>
III,