Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-03-12

desirable
You wore therefore ordered, on III. 9th
of May, to proCeed Ut once TO Mis-. Ssippi,
and talio chicI command Of the forces, Civ
ing TO those in the lcld, rs far as pructica-
blc, the encouragement and benefit Of your
personal direction"
Some details were added about reinforce
mcnts, but not a word affecting, in the re-
motest degree, your authority to command
your geographical district
On the ith Of June you tclcgraphcd to
the Secretary Of War, IN Response +. his
inquiry saying my only plan Is to relieve
, Nicksburg. Ny force is far too small Tor
the purpose Tel me if you cGn increase
it, and how much?' To which ho answer
ed, on the 9th, 81 regret inability to prom
iso more troops. as We have drained re
sources cysn to the danger Of several points.
/ You know best concerning General Braggs
army, but fear to withdraw moro, We
ara too far oumumberud in Virginia to
I spare any &c,
On the sth Of June tho Secretary was
more explicit, if possible, lie said Do
you advise more reintorccmcnts from Gen.
Bragg? You, rs comDaudant OF the de-
partmcnt have power 50 to order, il You,
IN view of tho whole case, 30 determine,
On the 10th OF June You answered that
it WAS for the Government 70 determine
what department could furnish the rein
l0rCuucuts that yOu could not know how
Gen. Braggs wants compared with yours
and tho, the Government could make the
comparison. Your statements that the
Government in Richmond WAS better able
to iudpe OF the relative necessities of the
armies under your command than YOU
were, and the further statement that YOU
could not know how Gen. Brarg's want,
compared with yours. were considered ox-
traordinary but, rs they were acconua.
nicd by the remark that the Secretary
dispatch had been impcriectlv deciphcryd.
no observation WAS made on Them Till the
recent Of your telegram TO the Secretary.
of the l2th inst. stating. 81 have NOT con
sidcrcd myself COMMANDING in Tennessee
since assignment here. and Should not have
felt authorized to take troops from that de-
nurtmcpt. after having hocp informed hy
The Executive that no moro could BE-
spared"
Nv surnrise at these two statements
was extreme You had never been "as.
stoned TO the Mississippi command You
wont tbrrc under tho circumstances and
order already ouofed and mo- ustiiicution
WhatcNc, i~' ra.cciycd for your abandon
ment ct your duties as co.a'"ending Gen
'ia' o' Vae E''|rapHlcal -alstlct TO which
you were assigned
Orders as explicit as those undor which you
were sent to the West and under which
you continued to act up to the 9th OF May.
when You were directed to repair in person
to Mississippi, can only be impaired or set
aside by subsequent orders equally as OK
plcit and your announcement that You
had ceased to consider yourself charged
with the control Of affairs in Tennessee,
because ordered to repair in person to Mis-
sssjpp both places being within tho com
mdnd to which you were assigned was too
grave to be overlooked and when to this
was added the assertion that You should
not have felt authorized to draw troops
from that department lTcuuc,sce) "altcr
being informed by the Executive that no
more could be spared" ] was unable to nc
count tor your language, being entirely
confident tllat had meyer given YOU such
information.
shall now proceed TO acp.ra,e your two
statements, and begin with that which re
'"''9 " H'" NY N'"N'''i',lE EV". NC"
commanding IN Tennessee since assign
mcnt here -. 9, in Mississippi
When you received my telegram Of the
18th of June. informing vou that tho or
dcrs to 20 to Mississippi did not diminish
your authority in Tennessee, both being in
the country placed under tour command in
original assignment" accompanied bv an
inquiry about the information, said to have
lcdn derived from me. restricting your an
thoritv TO transfer troops, your answer on
the ltth June WIS: II meant to tell the
Secretary Of War that consider the order
directing me to command here as limiting
my authority to this department especially
when that order was accompanied 6y War
Dopartmcnt orders TRANSFERRING troops from