The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-11

me 10 commence crossing the river wOulC
have found the remnant Of your army pris
oners in the camps of the enemy; though
in point of fact, as far as numbers were
concerned, you were in no need Of assist
ance, for you had several thousand more
men than your assailsnt, and the simples
disposition Of your troops for battle ought
TO have secured to you the victory.
Bat the country has not only been made
to shudder at the narrowness Of your es-
cape, but to grieve at the failure Of ripe
plans in consequence Of my non-srrival;
and, therefore, shall not close this letter
until have examined the declaration that,
i'll had arrived earlier at Sayannsh, you
would have been the attacking party.
The dispatches which I have quoted
| show that you were sent ap the Tennessee
| River for minor purpose, namely: TO cut
| the railroad connections at COrinth, Jack
son, and Hum boldt; but as SION as it was
| discovered that the enemy was in posses
| sion CT Corinth in some force, and especial
| ly after my cooperation with General Hal
leck was arranged, and the object and
means were increased in magnitude, your
! discretion as commander TO conduct the
campaign ceased. General Hslleck took
| that position himself, and intended 10 fill
it in person, as ] understood OF presumed
! from the first, and as his dispatches show.
The following dispatch, which l forwarded
10 you, shows that your discretion was linn
tied to a subordinate object; and that OBJ
| jeet you did not undertake:
GEN. EALLECK TO GEN. BUELL..
ST. LOUIS, IL n, March "a, 1862.
General Buell.:
at is reported that Jackson and Hum
| boldt have been evacuated, and that the
enemy has concentrated his forces at Cor
| NTH, with the intention to give battle. A
battle should be avoided at present, until
we can concentrate 8 large army against
him; but if possible, without very serious
engagement, the railroads at Jackson and
Humboldt should be cut. Please send this
to Gen. Grant, as he can be reached sooner
from Columbia than from Fort Henry.
(Signed) II. W. HALLEcK,
"Major General Commanding"
The plain meaning of which is that Gen.
Halleck desired that the railroad at jack
son and Humbolt, which it was reported
the enemy had evacuated, should be cut;
but even that was not to be attempted un-
less it were "p0ssble without very serious
engagement" The time and the size Of the
army, for attacking the concentrated forces
of the enemy, were questions which Gen.
Halleck reserved for his own judgment and
direction; and, in the exercise of that re-
bGIhG aAuCAEtlQug 10 hAaI d late % buG @olAA
of April, moving forward "large reinforce
eats," besides those which was bringing.
The following letter, which | received from
you in the evening after the battle Of the
18th of April, shows that you regarded your
self as restrained by orders from any ex-
tended movement Of the combined armies:
GEN. GRANT TO GES. BUELL..
HEADQ'Rs DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, I
PITTsBURG, April Z, 1862.
Major General D. C. Buell.:
General: When | left the field this even
ing my intention was to occupy the most
advanced position possible for the night,
with the infantry engaged through the day,
and follow up our success with cavalry and
fresh troops expected to arrive, during my
last absence, on the field. The great ia
tigue of our men-they having been engag-
ed in two days fight, or subject to a
march yesterday and fight tO-day-would
preclude the idea Of making any advance
tonight without the arrival Of the expected
reinfOrcements.
My plan, therefore, will be to feel out IN
the morning, with all the troops on the
outer lines, until our cavalry force can be
organized lone regiment of your army will
finish crossing soon), and sufficient arlil-
lery and infantry support to follow them
are ready to move.
Under the instructions which have pre-
viously received, and a dispatch also OF to-
day from Maj. Gen. Halleck, it will not then
do to advance beyond Pea Ridge, or some
point which we can reach and return in a
day. Gen. Halleck will probably be here
himself to morrow.
Instructions have been sent TO the division
commanders, not included in your COM
msnd, TO be ready in the morning either
to find if an enemy was in front or to ad-
vance.
Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,
U. S. GRANT, Maj. Gen. Comd'g.
Pea Ridge was four miles in advance of
the position we occupied on The night of the
7th, and the troops you sent out the next
morning 1.-TWO divisions) did not go more
than about two miles. If you did not feel
yourse'f at liberty to pursue a defeated enc
my, it must be inferred that you could not
have considered yourself authorized to inau-
gurate deliberate campaign against him in
a fortified position before his defeat.
Again, your dispatch Of the 4th Of April
to Gen. Nelson showed that so far from in
tending to be the attacking party at an
earlier day than that on which | arrived,
vyoy, vvara mt ayan rraporad mass NV