The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-08-23
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
Letter from Gen. Morgan ON
/ 30 Gen. Halleck.

IL. Ihorsds, Ajstdnt General U. y, A.:
dGENERAL~-On the 9th Of December,
1862, I wrote to you from Memphis (soe
EXHIBIT Az, that tho journalsf Of that date
announced that General Halleck, in his
report Of December 2, 1862, stated that
'ihe alleged cause Of the retreat from |
Cumberland Gap, was the want OF sup
plies" but that the commanding officer
had Just before reported that he had "sev-
eral weeks provisions" and ,"that he
would not abandon that important post !"
and that Can investigation had "been
ordered" fa.ao
As ,wo months has elapsed since Gen.
eral Halleck had been informed OF the
evacuation, and as / had not been mott
fed that an Investigation had been or
dered,. SO that 1 might have an op-
portnnity Of producing evidence Of the
iaets upon which ! acted and as no init
nation had been given Of any dissatisfac-
ton at Washington, rs to my conduct,
save an synonymous telegram, which was
dlscreditea by the country, by the army,
and by myself in the exercise Of the
right guaranteed to every officer, | de-
uandtd prompt hearing before Court
Of Inquiry or Court Martial. To that
demand on the Goth Of December, 1862,
General Halleck through Assistant Ad-
jutant Ger cral Kelton, replied Exhibit
b that Maj"r General Wright was direc-
ted, some time stree, to investigate and
report the % facts concerning that af
fair and that "If that report should be
saiisiact, ry no farther proceedings would
be required, ara that would be held
free Gom all blame"
You will obst rye, sir, that this 'assur-
ance Of General Ilalleck was made on
the Goth of December, 1862, and that
bis report Of geaedt censure upon tho
operations of all our armies was made on
the I'd # tha, month. Ny astonishment,
therefore, was great, when, in reply TO my
letter of January 9Th, 1868, General
Wright, on the 9th Of that month (Ex.
hibit o., informed me that on the 18th
Of October, 1862, six weeks before Gen.
eral llalleck wrote his report, he Gener-
al Wright made his invcstie alton, and
had written to General Halleck commend
ing r'y policy in evacuating Cumberland
G,p, and had stated that he "jid not see
how, with starvation staring him Nor
GAM in the face. and with IN certainty
Of relief being afforded. he could have
conc to any other conclusion than the
ono arrived at"
G,n. Wright further informed Gen.
Ha'lcck that "the evacuation was In pur
lnauce Of the unanimaa. opinion Of the
general officers Of the command Exhibit
ID, record Of council Of war;; ras mat.
ter Ofmecessity, arising from their pro.
visions being c1hdusted, their communicd-
lions cut of, and NO intormaiioa Of any
proPect of relief being receiised."
/ Aud yet, with this report Of the inves-
tigation, made in accordance with his di.
reotions, and by the officer selected by
himself, with this report lying before him,
Ger, Halleck published 10 The world that
he had ordered an investigation; Ja.
suppressed hs fact hatthc inpesi;gat,on
had been mnde sir ,eeeks before he pub.
l;eation of his report, and that my action
had been faliy sustained. y
Although have suffered public wrong
I feel too deepan interest in the great
issue for national existence now being
tried on the battlefield, to add new dis.
turbing element by making public vim.
dication. But I would be unworthy oi
the cause in defense Of which I drew my
sword, were l to allow any personal con
sideration to prevent me from placing OF
record q statement of facts, rs set forth
In this paper.
Hasing waited in vain for further re
1 ply from Gen. Halleck, on the 18th ot
January, 1858 Exhibit 81, / wrote Il
you that az had patiently remained IN
; der the public censure Of Gen. Halleci
for the period Of four months, believing
that time and investigation were onl,
necessary to secure the approval Of ny
course y and / requested to be informed
, "whether my conduct in the evacuation
: Of Cumberland Gap met with tho approx
II LbP thcS Gepersl.in Ghief.e'' TO Cha
communication 7 Gen. II Halleck, has no
foun9it convenient to reply; bpt in hi
letter Of Feb. [lsthr 1863 Exhibit Fl
in respo6Se toGen. Wright's letter Of Feb
: 4th, 1873 Exhibit g., GGs HallecI
: says "The facfs,Tas .nop presebted
justified General Morgau,s retreat"-
\ What facts b. Gen. iHAlleck possesset
!, lpq facts on tho 3th oof February, 7 1868
hedid not know. on thel2d ofDe
sembere 1881, when he published hi
= censure report. n ot+ Eaa .t1
IL 6is letter Of February ,4th,, 1883
General Wright simply re:sfitmed thu
| facts and opinion already stated BY him
in his official report ofthe investigation
made rOstober A5thI 1896 9Abd in re
! ply TO Geperal Wright's letter Of Feb
f4th,l 1853, Gen. HalIeCE saysI inI Ra let
ter Of FEB, .Sth, 1868 (. 'tIn this letter 70
Feb. 4th) and your former letter (Oci
H6,q 1859, you fully exonerated Gen
Morgan from all blame in abandoniDI
Cumberland Gap, No further inyestlgs
ton, win therefore, be made" In sui
- stance, Cen. Wtights letter Of Feb. .
r 1858, and his report Of October ,T5, 1867
AL = sA.utslsI ~ A.. lvTsitI.L ..x,,,;k,