Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-03

HOW GEN. DAVIS, THE MODOC CONQUER
Err, SLEW GEN. NELsON-THE ANTECE-
DENTS OF THE HoMICIDE-THE STING
ING INSULTS OF NEISON-HE STRIKES
GEN. DAyIs-THE FATAL ENCOUNTER
NELSON'S DEATH BED.
Our warrant for obtruding this state
ment is found in this, that no connect
ed and detailed account of the unfOrtu-
nate affair has ever been given to the
public, and further, that the writer of
this was one of the actors in the finale
of the tragedy. There are only three
persons living who knew all that trans
PRED between Davis and Nelson. One
is Col Gibson of Louisville. one is Gen.
Davis, and one is the writer of this pa
per.
In order to complete understanding
of the whole case, it is necessary to go a
little back of the exact date of the trag-
edy, and relate in detail some facts in
the history of military movements in
Gen. Buell's department, with which
both of the chief actors were at that
time connected.
CONDITION OF LOUISVILLE.
Gen. Bragg had succeeded in getting
on the flank of Gen. Buell., and the mem
orable race between the two armies,
marching on parallel lines, began. The
objective point of Bragg was supposed
10 be Louisville; and the question as to
which army should first reach it was de-
pendent in a great measure on the rela-
tive endurance of the hostile columns.
Louisville was almost entirely unprOtect-
ed by drilled troops. At this time Gen.
Nelson was in command at Louisville,
and Gen. Davis was on leave of absence
on account of i'll health, superinduced
by exposure and exhaustion in the pre-
viOus campaign. In this emergency Gen.
Nelson declared the city under martial
law. ordered the enrolment of every
able-bOdied man in the city, and assign
ed experienced army officers to the COM
mand of these raw cOnscripts. PontOOns
were thrown across the Ohio river, and
the women and children had been ad-
vised or ordered to leave the city. Thou
sand of old men, women and children
had crossed the river, and its banks on
the Indiana side were lined with beds,
bedding, and the yaluahles of many OF
the alarmed homes of the city. The
hostile armies were straining every nerve
each to reach a point beyond the other,
which would command the city and at
the same time the approach OF the other
toward it. Nelson hastily encircled the
CITY with ditch and earthworks, run
ming his line Immediately through Cave
Hill cemetery, and desecrating unneces-
sarily the resting place of the dead.
GEN. DAVIS REPORTS TO GEN. NELSON.
At this iuncture General Buell. by tele-
graph. ordered Gen. DAVIS to report to
Gen. Nelson for duty al LOUISVILLE.
Davis old division was part of the
column under Gen. Buell., and with it
was making forced marches for the falls
of the Ohio. On the arrival of General
Davis at Louisville he reported to Gen.
Nelson, and by him was assigned to the
command of all of the citizen soldiery
raised as before mentioned by general
consaription. Gen. Davis found his new
troops entirely without arms. Hitherto
their duties had been performed with
the pick, spade and shovel in the trench
es. These being completed, Davis at
tempted to get his men somewhat in
hand by drilling them. The next thing
TO be done was to arm them. The raw
levy was imperfect in everything. The
muster rolls were naccurate-desertion
being as frequent as opportunities for 1t,
and chances necessarily offering them
selves constantly, while new recruits
were seized in their places of conceal
ment and frequently men who had de-
serted from one company would be
pressed again into service and placed in
another company, and their names would
thus be borne on the muster rolls OF two
companies at the same time. Companies
which were full to-day would be depict
ed to a squad tomorrow and compa-.
MES (which were skeletons one day,
would be full the next. Thus 1t became
almost impossible for the general in
command to know at any given time the
exact number of men actually under his
command. -
In addition to these reasons why pa-
Wis could not give the exact number OF
his men, it is to be observed that the
last campaign had been exceedingly Sc
we're on the army in the West. Louis
vile was the entering point for the re-
turning soldiers belonging to the army
of Buell. from all the States. In con-
sequence of the facts above stated the
number of men arriving at Louisville
was very considerable; and these cons
ing either from hospitalsgor from homes,
were without arms. AS they reached
Louisville they were detained there, and
mustered to swell the Hastily organized
force for the defence of the city, con-
tinually changing the footing up OF the
general muster roll of General Davis
command. There were cayalrymen, in