Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-18

The remaining charge IN he noticed Il. "that
When the little band of Sixiy men at shepherds
vile. three months ago. attacked by three
hundred gHeFril.sS. armed with hyIng artillery
and -sa ~ arms. he tDumont) AZ the head of
10 o'O men. only nine mile of. when he heard
the firing, but. instead O fastening 90 tie relief
Of the heiesgurei handful of men. he drew NJ
his whole force in line of battle. and-gal-
lantly awaited the attack OF the three hun
dred III Ii he VS. at Huntsville.
e. the nehtcap be to him in place of the laurel
crown"
l object not 10 your adherence of such con
duct. IL the facts in regard to the matter as
stated BY YOU IL would be abh0rrent in the
last degree, but you have been misnformel-
imposed upon The whole story is a wicked fab
rication, with no particle of truth in il. IL is
now, suppose. as you state, three months since
the transaction 10 which you allude. and until
now have never heard that was blamed for.
or that any one supposed that could have pre-
vented. what happened. / have before
heard my name mentioned in connection with
the matter in the remote>t degree Ii. - stated
in your article IL would be a terrible derelectou.
one that would be known % the off er under
whose command was. calling for exemplary
punishment. AMI Yet the officer then in command
at Louisville has never Unlimited 10 me. nor has
any one else. that was 10 blame in the matter
was "a much 60 blame ~ ii | hal been at the
north pole. no more The captured men did not
belong To me, You do not state they did. You
state that had ten thousand men. ! had but
one fourth that number. but that is mmaerial.
"a the facts stand. aud | doubt not an unnren-
t0nal MEASUREMENT What are thew | had
been stationed 1T Lebanon. fifty miles from
Shepher'is,ile l had not been notified and
aid not know there were any troops at the latter
place
WAS ordered TO proceed by rail from Lebanon
TO Lebanon junction, "A distance OF about 40
miles. and arrived after midnight with my infan
try; my cavalry not coming by rail, but guarding
tram. did not arrive until the afternoon at the
next day alter leaving Lebanon. liz took nv
men pretty well toward morning to unload the
cars. To let them proceed to Louisville These
trains the last that ever crossed that bridge
IL was reduced 10 ashes early that morning. lie
fore the morning train from Louisville arrived:
indeed do not know that that train started out.
After the bridge had been DESTROYED. and The
prisoners captured and paroled. "a messenger lett
the nelghbp rhOod ami came down 10 Lebanon
Junction, and communicated the ftct 10 me- |
never saw AN officer man of the captured after
they arrived Ia Kentucky the word did not come
from them We had heard nu firing not single
Shot-and had not had the slightest intimation
that an enemy was about, until the arrival of the
messenger, and all the mischief had been done.
dead and cold Indeed | am told that not shot
was 6red. or If any. not to exceed one from a
small mountain hOwitzer, that could he heard
at the distance We were uff-lO miles | do not
know. bat have been credllbly informed. and sup
pose such To be the truth that nc one was killed.
no one was wounded ] know thlt was the un-
ier>ianding AT the time. lt was published at the
time that. before the officer commanding the 81
men would surrender. he was taken out and
Ia. IL. -.
enemy had three guns and some 600 mounted
troops, and that he could make no resistance
against such force he surrender ed without
tight If the enemy had orened his artillery. aud
YOU say small arms too. upon hun. that /. at
the distance of 10 miles could have heard il, he
would have had unm>tak able evidence of the
presence of artillery without eoin. cut aud ex-
amining the guns. The enemy, 900 strong, or
even 300, as YOU state it, with small arms and
three pieces of artillery would have been apt to
have hart somebody. II there had been thlt kind
of firing that would have notified "A camp 10
mie- off
Lest what have said NAV be construed as cen
-uring somebody, ! will saw that have never
heard that ANYBODY blamed Captain Tinker, who
commanded the company, or his men. for the
surrender presume il is true that he could not
have fought his ASSISTANTS without the loss of all
his men; but. be this ~ it may. il is mmateria
to puiio>t Inc ITODfDiitf - tndt I'VE tittnlN
arrived near the bfidI &c at Shepherdsyile soon
rs my troops did at Lebanon Junction. aud only
awaited the dawn of day 10 make the assault OF
demand surrender. IL two hours more
after all the mischief had been done that | got
the word. and then / had not mounted man to
give pursuit, nor did my cavalry arrive until the
afternoon. TheN had travelled all nj hit and nearly
Ill day without rest, and were IN "A bad condition
to pursue an enemy with eight or ten hours the
start. Suii, sent out squadron IN pursuit but
the pursuit was unavailing, as the enemy had
preci idtatey fed as soon a. he had accomplished
What he came for The enemy were all mount
Ell; pursuit with infantry after the deed done
would have been unayailing Infantry could not
have reached the place short OF three hours, and
the enemy would have then been fifteen miles off.
The silly aud absurd story that firing was heard
1T NV camp, and that thus notified that the
lItle band was in distress. and failed To go to it,
relief. is known 10 have no shadow OF truth in it,
by Coils. Owen. king. Miller and o. Bren. of the
infantry Captains Ncklin and Lily, of the artil
lery. and by all the officers aud men of my com
mand | appeal to them relieve me of the
lmru;ation. and by their testimony | am willing
To- abide r DUMaNT