The National tribune., 1901-05-16
BATTLE OF BLUE SPRINGS.
Capt. Aliens Estimate of Number Engaged
Attacked by Historian Sanford

in the interest of true history. instead of
IN the selnsh interest of individuals or
special commands. Such n writer friend
Mosgrove, in ''Bugle Notes. seems to be.
In his chapter in the Feb. 81 issue, speak
Ing of the battle of Blue Springs, East
Tennessee, he says: Prisoners said that
Gen. Burnside himself arrived on the field
some time after the battle began, and
that fully 5000 troops were in our front
with heavy reserves at hand. As the bat
tie progressed Burnsides forces seemed to
augment, and we began to suspect that
the greater part of the Ninth Corps was
in our front. In fact, Capt. Theodore +.
Allen, 9TH Ohio Cav, whom we afterward
captured, said he thought Burnside had
fully 10000 men on the field before
night"
Now, Mosgrove gives this in candid
spirit, and the over-estimate of prisoners
is no unusual thing, nor it is so very
strange that Capt. Allen should have been
misled in the estimate that Mosgrove
says the Captain gave to him; the only
strange thing is found In Capt. Aliens
last article in the April % issue, in which
the Captain. referring to this estimate,
says: I'm the chapter of Geo. Dallas
Mosgrove's 'Bugle Notes from Dixie re-
lating to the battle of Blue Springs. Tenn.
Oct. 10, 1863. he gives me as his author
ity for supposinS Burnside had about TO-,
600 on this field" The Captain in this
statement appears to dodge the fact that
he (the CaptainJ was the cause Of Mosgroye
being misled, as MOsgrove gives the facts.
Then the Captain proceeds at once to ac-
cuse someone of denying that Mosgrove's
estimate was correct. He says: Some
of the Union veterans lin this he alludes
to my article in later issue-ApriD who
are reading Mosgrove's 'Bugle Notes from
Dixie have gone down in their boot-legs
and produced regimental histories, trying
thp=phy m larnnn that NnSernyp'S
statement (which he obtained from Capt.
Allen regarding Gen. Rurnside's forces is
incorrect" Then he adds: 1T is hardly
to be expected that the regimental his
torian can, with any degree of accuracy,
go beyond the limits of their own regi
ments."
But why, Captain, if the regimental his
torian is as intellectual as yourself. and
has precisely the same facilit;es-why can
he not go beyond the limits of his own
regiment, if he does as | have done, care
fully backs up his statements regarding
general history by quoting the most re-
liable sources of his information, the Gov
ernment official records, for instance, as
the Captain has done in quoting Burn |
sides report? But in doing this it is more |
truthful to give merely the facts of such |
report, without assuming what we wish |
to prove. The Captain quotes from Burn |
sides general report first, the statement |
lhdL On sept. oo tsee page ool, serial NO. |
>, War Records the whole of the Ninth |
Corps arrived. numbering about 5000 |
men," This was Sept. so. Now. the |
really intelligent soldier would not figure |
out or cipher either by slate or mentally |
(this is the Captains language) that this |
Ninth Corps, whose whole number was
5000, was all (crippled, sick and ALI
side had so reported, and the Captain can
not show that Burnside did so report
Burnside says he sent the Ninth Corps,
which any soldier will understand to be
only its effective men. But the Captain
quotes: "They were joined by division of
Gen. Wilcox at Bulls Gap, on the Sth;"
also, Col. Harkins's Brigade, which was
at Morristown, was ordered to report to
Gen. Wilcox
Now, here is labored effort to assume
what is not stated in Burnsides report,
viz, that Gen. Wilcox's Division was
present at Blue Springs. Bulls Gap is
not Blue Springs, nor was Oct. Oct. 10.
present, and as he did state his forces
without mentioning Wilcox as present, an
intelligent soldier would hardly cipher our
that they were present.
Burnside does say: believing that
sufficient time had been given Foster to
reach the desired point, | ordered Cen
Potter to move up his command and en-
deavor to break through the center of the
enemy's line" By > p. m. he had formed
Gen. Ferrero's Division for the attack.
When the order to advance was given
this division moved forward in the most
dashing manner, driving the enemy from
his first line" This cOmprehends the
whole of what Burnside says of the forces
present and of the division of the Ninth
Corps that was actually engaged. Does
this justify this language of Capt. Allenf
"Burnside's report on the battle of Blue
Springs wherein he specifies the troops
engaged, and from which any intelligent
soldier can figure up or cipher out. either
mentally or with slate and pencil. that
there were more than 1OOOO Union troops
on this battlefield
TIE Captain would have us believe that
the entire 5000 of the Ninth Corps were
present, when probably nearly one-halt
were disabled and on detached duty. Then,
again, the Captain desires to have that
division of Wilcox included that was at
Bulls Gap; but Burnside does not refer
TO the command as present. Again, the
Captain desires to figure in the whole OF
the Ninth Corps as actually engaged,
whereas Burnside only includes the First
Division of the Ninth Corps as engaged.
Let us see if We cannot find something
more definite to figure on. On page 5l6
Of same volume IS the itinerary OF lne
Ninth Corps, which ought to give this
matter definitely. The record for Oct. 10
is, 1.-The First Division. with part of the
Twenty-thrd Corps, engaged the enemy
at Blue Springs, East Tennessee" Now
we have ciphered it down pretty fine. and
turning to page $50, of same volume, We
find return of the casualties of the Union
forces engaged at Blue Springs, Tenn,
Oct 10, 1863. These returns show that
the brigades of the First Division of the
Ninth Corps were engaged, just as Burn
sides report gives it.. As TO the troops
of the Twenty third Corps that were en-
gagged, this same return shows that it
was Gen. S. T. Carter, Cavalry. Bri-
gade-the Third. of the Fourth Division
of the Twenty-third Corps, four regiments.
On page 594 of same volume is Gen.
Shackelford's report of this cavalry en-
gagement. Fosters Brigade belonged to
Shackelford's Division, but only Carriers
Brigade was with him at Blue Springs.
This is what | said in my former ar
ticle: Gen Burnside had sent bri-
gade of cavalry (Gen. Carriers Union Cav
alry) to attack"
i hope that Capt. Allen will become
satisfied that there are some fegimental
historians who can gather correct infor-
nation outside of the lines of their own
regiment and can weave the fact of gen
eral history in their regimental histories
so as to make them of general interest as
well as regimental histories. This | be-
lieve / have done in my history, though
| do not claim that there are no mistakes
in 1t. where l might have been misled, as
Geo. ID. Mosgrove was, by relying upon |
uncertain evidence. l cannot claim ex-
emption from some errors. But 1 would |