, 1862-08-12

ConEulttr tHe ETuun1 III 1tOHL 01 cAup3, 1n0
Ioslt1ousi and post the advance posts with
their outposts, grand guards and general re-
serves; to get all Information about the enc
my through citizens, spies, deserters. and pri5-
oLers; TO make military surveys and sketches
OF camps. roads and positions !; to conduct
mihlaiy tR1 19pogrspnlcal surveys Of the part:of
the ene1ny'a country already passed by our
troops; to COLLECT all maps OF the enemY,s |
country, and to conduct military Journals. =,
Ine etat major having in thus in their hands |
the strictly military part Of the management
Of the army, constitute in the tactical jand |
pajgn. The head of an army. - -!
1ne ofheers OF efat major being distributed !
through army corps, divisions and :brigades-.l
constitute the rIgor hand Of the commanders !
Of those parts OF The army We have Tie
corps engineers and Typographical engineers,
Of etGt major In our army during the war but !
lhey ere spet oily prepared only a. engineers, |
and not Is ractclans; they are pnE imper-
fectly acquainted win the maneuVering of |
tactical and ;stEateE5eicA ;operatioas on
the battle field, OF on the theatre Of
war. Besides that, their number "a so
email that the army Of Volunteers may
be considered as not having them.
Hence a division, and particularly = brigade
commander of volunteers, having his suAd
flied with A. A. General and id-ds-Camps,
taken from some volunteer regiment entirely
unac4uainted with the duties OF etot major, Is
obliged, II he understands his business, TO do
bn tneWork belonging to etat nsgfo7 himself;
ard that work alone, Pafticnlar'y if hls brig,
ace ia detached and scts Independently, viii
take almost all his time; aud If we add TO it
the Quxrtermsster and commis5aIy depart
1ncnts, be iR entirely oyertasked, aAd is not
able to attend to the small details and irregu-
1arities of his brigade -.
Having had the honor OF being q Colonel Of
Stn1 In 1nrY II fL1urf9S 1f RnaEia.
saw the disadvantages Under which eT6rJ
brigade commander Of volunteers is la6oring,
and tried my nest to do myself the duties. be.
longing to my subordiua1es. I always p1id
about the country and the enemy, and to re-
cornolter1ng the positions and the grounds,
and roads in fronr of them, and to posting the
advanced posts and pickets. Hence, after the
preliminary posting OF the troops. and artil-
cry III Town, left the square to see the camp
location OF the to@u-to devise proper PLAZA
to get shelter for the troops, (as' we had no
camp- equipaEe,) and to have them located IL
euch way that, in case, of an alarm, they
Eculd form line of battle according to my
desire. But befyre 7 left the sqnare, Col.
Stanley informed me that the negroes told
him that great portion Of tic knapsacke aod
camp equipage Ot his regiment were IN. houses
around the square and in toRn, aad be H;e asa
me to give liul Permission to sesrch those
uUuSES. L pCTL43btEA HlUl ~ 6Esiu blu4u3 OIL
men, under commissioned officers, to search
| these houses, and then left the square.
rode probably three. quarters Of an hour,
| or an hour, to the faIr grounds and abon, tue
town, ard, when I returned to rhe square, I
Received message from Col. Keuuets, that
the woods were 6warning With rebel cavalry;
aud, almost immediately afserward, rstesed
| another message from him, that the enemy
had taken position behind slough aad
thick underbrush. near the mouth Of Elk
River, with thelr cannon; that he had attack
ed them, losing some of his men killed and
wounded, but could not dislodge then, aud
| wishing me to send him some infantry and .
| CANNON
I Immediately ordered Lieutenant Co1onel
Given of the 18th Ohio, to put in his regiment
tai wagons about $50 men, and move as fast Us
practicable to the mouth Of the Elk River by
the Florence road; at the eame time ordered
Lieutenant Chandler Of 1oornis' battery, to
send one cannon, Under command OF Lietel-
ant Colonel Given. I ordered for the expa-
dltion the companies of the 18th Ohio agAiu
pn1posely; because knew that the men and
officers were anxious to wash off the suspi-
cion that might be cast upon them Of having
shown the s. white feather" when thsy were
driven out OF town by the enemy. I was sure
they would fight braVeiy il they had chance
to reach the enemy.
| While busy villa fitting aud sending this ex
petition, as quickly IS possible. I ordered
Col. Stanley to De provost marshal; to Of
ganjze provost guard; to arrest all those til \.
committed deprsdation5, and to send strong
patrols around the square and through the
1own, to clear The streets Of soldiers, aud have
them join their command. At the same tius
ordered Lieut. Col. Scott, commanding tn:
l9th Illinois, to take his companies to the back
part Of the town, and permitted him to quar-
ser bis lien in the outhouses Of residences OF
! tie right Of the quarters Of the eth IiltuoI5
ard to use his osn Judgement and discreeior
in locating the meu.
Having been up since three O'Clock in tbt
forenoon. working all the time. m msu ally IN:
ply hysicelly, felt exhausted, aud went to Davi
sons Hotel to rake dinner and short rest
Between one and two o'clock in the aflernoo!
| I etalted 10 rcconnofter the rOads leaiing OH
of town; to examine all the grounds abou
| The town, and see how the regiments were 10
Gated. Whis rising. ordered the compani:
of the 37th Indiana to leave the lawn Of Nc
Donnell, and take quarters in the Methods
! Church and The railroad depot, aud perm!
led Col. Mihalotzy Of the 24ia Illinois, to 10
cate his companies in the outhouses OF resi-
dcness, near Capt EdgartOns battery, leayia:
to his OVID Judgement and discretion the 1oca
have his men bivouac with the battery, oppo
| site Jones' house.
returned from my reconnaissance In tb
evening; saw the wounded men Of the 4th Oa!
cavalry brought in, and learned that some wer
:. killed. So : Col. keanett IN the evening a
: th: hotel, and tie reported TO ms that befor
| | our infantry cauie TO the place Of the fight
lie had fallen back sone three or four miles
| and during the time he WAS awaiting the iu
taptrs and cannon, the euemy crossed Et
/ river on g ferry boat, having some WACO j
thrown into tue river and some m:n drowned
{ The infantry, under Lieut.. Col. Given, return
ed to town next morning.
The neS5 morning, the 80 OF May, issue
| an order, that "fhe regimentat CON n1ni@r:
| and the commander OF the bartery, will So
! hat .7r in a nturna nn1 +
them. Strict guards mast be put over t1
camps: 10 strlgy1.rs allowed, no deor.l.
| / r5ons permitted. Tue commissioned otiic7
: will be held responsible for mems disorders.
: | dtnly that had no time to take brigade off
Ger with me, Issued this order ia my O =
3 hand writing, and sent # to the coansadet
i 20 read and TO sign their names ois, whic
= MAS Gone.
$ To sum u2 the above stated fs:t7, aad IL
!, testimony Of witnesses, it il evident In;
5 from the addresses Of Gan Mitchell to TT
d 1roops in Huntsville, and the statements
b men Of the lSsh OHIO; fr,!u the kuow1ed!
5 that some citizens Of Athens-as George II
j son and Holl;ngs Hort!l-jriued tae rebel ca
airy and fought asainst our troops; that q
: cayal:y sustained heavy loss ia tishtii
It with the rebels; that the kuapsacks ar
d baggage of the 18th OHIO were scattered ut
d concealed all through town aud chat so
d of our men wcro burned By the rebels il
a Flow ufE UU Lis lEdku al IuG LtAEStUuE tfEi
IT Bridge, dying horrible death-ny shase fAt
l. 1he TROOPS we're kept excited dnring tlG'wao
- OF the first day. It eppe1rs that ncith:ss> ii
lc civil authorities Of Athens nor its ia11en.i
citizens came out to ask my Projection al
= to point ous 10 me the stores mud pu1
IS buildings and ins situtions which should
le gulrded; that, On the contrary, the cisiz.:
g gathered in groups On the co7ners, and VII
l. told by ME to 60 home and attend To ta:
II business {sneanins the trades and other ayat
y; tions Of civil lite,} most ct them did not 60
j. did Lot open or stay in their stores on /
arrival OF The trnops; that they did not Ill i
\, to me- any complaints immediately; that t
to guards and patrols could not prevent de;
L. tstion Of citizens coming to me to state {
p Situation OF aIIalcs, and the dapreaations
II eny were comm.ttec; that the Location OF t
he | troops uGter my command was made vi
" ptopriety, In q military polnr>of view; tt
l., The troops were sheltered in different bnl
rs ings, on aeecunt Of not having their Cd,
equip1ge with them; that the proper oeeu
rJ ton of, thoss buildings was lett by me to
, I Judgment and discretion OF su1ordiua:e CO
ID mauders; that over1ssked with my busiae
Is crulc not attend personally to the inter
ID, police Of every part Of mg:commlnd|
IS it, as q matter Of course, to the comm and
I Of those parts; that the same morning I :
raj pointed provost marshal and 4 prov
e, | xuard, and the next morning Issued a str
,r- order 10 the commanders Of the troops; t!
0f nobody reported to me about the tlepre
er tions committed, aud that I could not In
'oi the extent of those depredatioa6, aud Il
'cc the richest stores in town, as the witnes
IS. for prosecution stated themselves. ipciui