Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-30

thc 33th INDIANA Regiments (Ffrst
Hrish)-Letter from Capt Dunn.
~ ISDIASAPoLIs, June 10Th, 1868.
EDiroR SESrISEL-SIR Having been IN the
SCI vice of the United States for about twenty
months, and never correspondent with newspa-
pers, | am this day prompted to address a few
lines thFoogh6e aF paper for the benefit OF tie
citizens OF Indiana, under the hypothesis that
there are very many who are directly concerned
in the welfare 0 fsons, brothers, fathers, &c, who
are now acting with credit to themselves and TO
p%osterity, and to do justice to them, and to call
attention 20 the ~iajustices done in this command,
to persons in il, to tine State Executive, and to
the cause for which franks" are doing manly
fighting With manly sacrifices.
First, sir, allow me to state here what l deem
due to the 35th regiment, and also TO the young
men Of the State of Indiana, who are not yet en-
gagged 10 the field; that to do justice would de
mand that the latter be vigilant. to become men,
berso of the 35th, and bid defiance to the conscript
law. and get into the braoesf little regiment now
in the army of the Cumberland In the language
of our much esteemed General Rosecrars. the
gallant little regiment" Yea, not only Gen.
Rosecrans pays high compliment to the 35th. but
also other Generals pass il by with a smile of glad
approval and remarks commenolble, THE brave
little 35th Indiana" "What due attention to
military appearance" &c. e3
Young men of Perry county. Dearbon county,
audflOu COuuiys Dt drcuICu Tic ocbi DOlS Will wei
come you to their ranks, and permit due approba-
ton to be paid TO you as soldiers of fine soldiery
bearing and gallant acts. Fly then to the aid of
the Government while You have the chance to
get into the little gallant 35th, and avoid all
further censure from the loyal citizens of the
United States. Particularly the young men Of
Perry cosnty, give heed to this, and avail your
selves of the best opportunity you can get. to be
known and loved as brave men, and do that for
which Won will never feel n reoref
A word for Colonel b.. 4. Mullen, who came to
the regiment while we were at Mt Pleasant,
Tennessee and represented to Col. j. G. Walker,
then in command, that he had 300 men in the
then 6lst regiment Indiana volunteers, and pro
posed a consolidation of the 6lst and the 35th, to
which Col. Walker acceded. Col. Mullen re
turned to his 6lst regiment, and the 35th made a
long and tedious march to Alabama, and round
TO the Cumberland mountains, and to Shelby
vile, Tennessee, mt which place Colonel Mullen
came up with his 6lst Indiana. represented to be
300 strong, but he had only &c men with III com
missioned officers.
Col. Walker accepted Of the sixty six men,
fully differed. and also the Surgeons Assistant.
as Assistant Surgeon of the 35th; and declined to
accept of the residue of the officers of the 6lst,
by a called consultation and vote of the officers
OF the 35th. lasa
The regiment was ordered from there to Fay
e~tteville, Tenn by Gen. Negley, and remained
there till June, when they were ordered 10 90 to
Elk River Bridge. by Gen Buell.. Col. Walker
was then sick at Shelbyville. and on hearing of
the raid of Forrest Oh Murfreesboro, on The 18th
of June, go, Col. Walker sent a dispatch to the
commanding officer, TO report the regiment i'm
mediateIy at Shelby Vile. Tenn, which order was
promptly Obeyed. On arriving at that place,
orders were left there with Captains Hipwell and
Dunn, by Col. Walker, to remain there till fur
thef orders The following day we took up march
for Tullahoma, Tenn, at which place an attack
was expected. We remained there several days.
all of which time Col. Mullen hung around the
regiment, as Also did the rest of the officers of the
former 6lst regiment.
Through chagrin aud with disgust at these con-
%tinuous h~anginss around. Col. Walker stopped to
assign Col. Mullen TO the Lieutenant Colonelcy
of the 35th. The command was then ordered to
report at Murtreesboro, TO Gen. Nelson. After
reporting to Gen. Nelson, Col. Mullen stated that
the regiment was no more than an Organized
pack of thieves, and he was now in command,
and he would see IL that state of things wOnld ex-
list any longer. The next morning Gen. Nelson
came out to inspect the regiment. and found them
laying around over the rocks and hills, &c, desti
tute of camp e~quipage. The regiment was drawn
up in line of battle for inspection. After the
General had gone through with his inspection
Col. Mullen remarked TO the General that he
wanted him to hold the officers responsible for
the conduct of the men of the regiment. The
General replied. IL will hold YoU responsible.
Cd d-n you" IL is true that the regiment lay
there forty eight hours without r%ations. on nc
count of the report OF Col. Mullen that they were
thieves. The men becoming near to starvation.
fan~d a s-~oLs ho-se "~Ii niod With bacon.
They took a few hundred pounds, and cooked
and ate il; and | understand the boys paid for
what meat each one got, at the time of getting it.
At a subsequent order for review, the General
told Col Mullen. "D-n you, go and read your
book before you appear before me again on re
view. The General was so much enraged at
Col. Mullen's stupidity, while passing in review,
that he drew his sword and jumped his horse into
the martial band. and agsin said, "Reld your
BOOK before you come before me again
On another occasion, while on n march to Nc
Minnville, Tenn the General ordered Col. Null
len to mtrch his regiment in column by sections
Colonel being entirely destitute of a knowledge
of military tactics to execute the order. or to
comprehend the position, beca me confused; he
did not give the mman The General said
cd d-n you, 60 to the reir. and consider
yourself under arrest" l.s
The General then halted the column, and sent
for Major Copklin wfo was in command of the
advance guard. to whom he gave the command
OF the regiment. he told Col. Mullen that he
should never swing a sword in his command
again. "God d-n you" &
Col. Mullen was kept under arrest until Gen.
Nelson LETT for Kentucky, about two weeks after
this occurrence. He was restored 10 bis CON
mand by Gen. Manson, in the absence of Gen
Nelson. so aI en-l
Col. Mullen is better fitted to make political
speeches and for ~humbug. than to. drill n squad
Of men. He has not only deceived men and off
GERS. but he has deceived Gov. Morton. He as
signed an officer of the 6lst to command in the
35th, in lieu of Capt Hughes who was on detached
service Mt Louisville. XIV. Capt Prosser was
made the victim aud his family the sufferers.
Capt. Prosser fell in battle at Stone river and had
drawn no pa-y-Paymasters refusing to pay more
than one Captain for a company. and recognizing
Capt Hughes as the proper officer in command,
by order Of the Secretary OF VA and Gen. Rose.
Grams. And here was Injustice done.
Even this did not suffice Col Mullen. He
again got on the blind side of Gov Morton, aud
recommended another man for Captain Of Co.
E. of which Prosser had nominal command, but
OF which Capt. Hughes was the only legitimate
commander. ~
Obi how cruel thus to deceive. Capt. Prosser
was a good man and a brave officer. His family
and friends have my warmest sympathy.
Lieut.. Gavisk the present dupe il a steady
young man. aud a good officer. He is to be
pitied, if he be entrapped, as was Capt Prosser.
Also Capt. Hughes Is a most magnificent miIit;-
ny officer, and has attracted the attention of the
superior officers in the army. on numberless oc
casions. for his soldierly bearing, military eff
cheney, &c-pro6ciency as a beau ideal comman.
der. Could the people OF Indiana keep at home
all such old dilapidated, worn down, used up
politicians at Col B. r. Mullen, and send To the