Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-02
THE FALL OF RosEonANs.
Startling and Scandalous Charges
Brought Against Him by the wash
ingtOn Chronicle.
From the washington Chronicle, October "a


are familiar with the events 1t processes to re-
cord.
That portion of the work which will probably
arrest more attention than any other is the police
record of the spies, smugglers, and rebel emissa-
ries-being, in fact. the narrative of the doings
of the "army police" attached to Gen. ROsecrans'
army. This has been published, in separate
and cheaper form, and contains a sketch of the
chief of the army police, Mr.. William Truesdail.
Upon this portion of the annals we propose to
throw some additional light AS the work is
anonymous. the authorship being simply that of
can officer we may canvass i; with all freedom.
1t is possible. and by no means improbable. that,
Mr.. Truesdail, though holding no military
rank, is famlliarly called colonel" in the army,
he is the "0Ificer'' who has written the book
Certainly no ''enemy" of his has "done the
thing" The "chief'' in his connection with the
army, first attracted attention, we believe. while
in the employ of Gen. Pope He was then a
sort of sub mail agent After the evacuation of
Corinth an important command was rendered to
Gen. Rosecrans which included portions of Gen.
Pope's Army of the Mississippi, and Mr.. Trues-
dali thus came under Gen. Rosecrans' orders. He
soon contrved TO persuade that General to au-
thorze him To establish an ''army police" the
ostensiole object of which was to capture desert
ers, arrest rebel citizens and spies. watch the
movements of Federal officers, etc. Experience
showed, however, that the chief object OF the
distinguished chief was individual aggrandze-
ment and gain. Soon after his appointment he
associated with himself one Russell, (who, of
course soon became Major" Russell in police
and army parance,) and the power of the "army
police" soon began to make itself felt, and its
doings talked about; so much so, that complaints
about their proceedings we're formally made to
Gen. Grant, accompanied by representation that
Gen. ROsecrans was countenancing and fostering
a brigade of cotton thieves. An inquiry was in
stituted, and il shown that this class of
hangers on about Gen. Rus ecraDs headquarters
were habtually committing depredations on the
country around, apparently with the consent of
Gen. Rosecrans, aud certainly by the assistance
of his soldiers. The mode of operation was
adroit and cunningly devised Truesdail would
report to Gen Rosecrans that "Major" Russell
had discovered at certain place, generally
twenty or thirty miles distant from our line of
pickets, small band of guerrlas, or depot o:
provisions for the rebel army. Wagons would
thereupon be sent out under 4 strong cavalry
escort, 5nt they generally returned laden with
cotton instead of bacon grain. Very rarely,
indeed, were guerrillas brought in by these expe
dtiOns, though sometimes parties would be cap
tured who could not have been guilty of any
great crime. as they were invariably released on
taking the oath of allegiance. So satisfied was
Gen. Grant that the whole affair gross
out Of the army.
Truesdai would probably have found "his oc-
cupation gone" had not Gen. Rosecrans, about
this time been placed in command OF Buell.
INV. The "Chief'' no sooner heard of this man
than he hied him to Bowling Green. He was
promptly reinstated as "Chef OF the Army PO-
lice When the Army of the Cumberland ar
rived at Nashville "Col." Truesdail took house
at the corner Of Church and High streets, and did
f.f,l h,,,f. g.,
a few weeks. BY that time his force fully
organized, and his ambition rose accordingly.
He removed his Office to a house owned by FOL
licofier's daughter, while for his own headquar-
tiers he took the elegant mansion OF Dr. Jennings,
located at the corner OF High aud Cedar streets,
and thenceforth the Chief of the Army Police
was second only to General ROsecrans. His de-
tectives had found their way into many private
families The bearing of his officers, alike to
loyal and dislOya citizens. was often insulting in
the extreme They would ride through the
streets in a manner perilous To life and limb, and
carried themselves so Extensively that earnest re-
monstrances were addressed to Gov. johnson,
who himself appealed to General ROsecrans to
have the nuisance checked. The General replied
that the Governor must apply directly TO General
| Truesdail for redress; but that gentleman bad
long since ceased to be approachahle by civilians.
| He had taken the ground that neither his acts
nor those of his agents were to be questioned.
Ere long, and without the issuing OF any order,
the Chief demanded ami seized all the Confeder-
ate money in the banks and brokers' offices at
Nashville The right of the Chief Of Police to
do this questioned by Governor johnson,
who addressed Mr.. Truesdail upon the subject,
but received no reply. Elated by his success in
this matter, he next contemplated a seizure of
the banks themselves, and conducting them under
his own supervision, his Judge Advocate" couu-
selling him thereto. Luckily before he took the
step. he mentioned his purpose to the Secretary
of State, Mr. East, who gave him "a piece of his
mind" of such weighty proportions that the dis
comleited Chief abandoned that speculation.
However, he consoed himself soon afterwsrd by
| naugurating a system of confiscation, which he
successfully carried on for months He was also
invested with authority to give passes, which
power was withheld from all legitimate comman
ders. He seized goods; arrested whom he would
on charge of treason; tried them in bis own
court convicted them, sent them to prison, and
! coniscated their property. Indeed the power of
civilian Truesdail Chief of Police OF the Army
OF the Cumberland" was the talk of the whole
army, and a source of regret and modification 10
all the general officers. who feared that both the
Government and the armv would lose confidence
in their commander when it came to be known
that he tolerated such an institution, with such
head, in the army. Soon, however, the Chiefs
power made still more conspicuous and profit
able He assumed the entire charge of the mails,
letters, newspa pers. &c, to and from the army
farming out this profitable monopoly TO his son
and man named Scott, who both rapidly ac-
quired wealth by it. Again Governor johnson
demonstrated with Gen Rosecrans about these
proceedings, but he turned a deaf ear to his APP
peals 1t passed. in fact into by word that
VIM. Truesdail was Commander in Chief of the
Army of the Cumberland. Wearied with bi;
fruitless efforts to obtain from Gen. ROsecrans a
remedy for this evil, and becoming anxious about
the consequences If 1t were permitted to continue
the faithful Governor repaired TO this city and
laid the whole thing before the Government
Circumstances at the time were unfavorable fol
graphing with il. and Governor johnson returned
home disappointed. Truesdal in the
meridian of his power and he exercised il un
bIushingly. He began to boast that he could moi
be removed, and it was the common talk, es
pecially among officers from Grants army, who
visited Louisville, that he had bold upon Gen
Rosecrans which would one day destroy the lat
ter OF course the Generals reputation was Sc
riously damaged by these things, for some off
GERS openly charged Truesdall with dishonesty
and Rosecrans with participating in it, The
"Annals" overlooks all these facts, and it:
anonymous author. speaking of Truesdal. says
GAS may be readily supposed. such an exten
sive army organization ere long attained con
siderable notorety. 1t marshaled its friends anc
its enemies in almost regmen;al numbers. Ever
in the army il has been most violently assailed
not only 10y the victims in the ranks. but by off
GERS, whose evil deeds we're not past finding out
If any direct charge was made, however, to Gen
Rosecrans, il was at once and fully Investigated
and in no one instance has the charge been main
tanned affecting the good character of its chie
or of his principal aids. The breath of calumn,
has been ever waited to the Presidents ear. and
the newspapers of last spring contained the an
nouncement that special commission had been
appointed at Washington TO investigate the ope