The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-28
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
History of the Thirty-Third Indiana
Regiment.


The History of the Thirty-third Indi-
ana Volunteers has just been published.
and while it covers the part it took in
the civil war also gives an account of the
greater forces and their movements with
which 1t was connected, that is interesting
and in some respects novel. Going into
the field in the fall of 1861 in Kentucky
and reporting to Gen. George III. Thomas
at Camp Dick Robinson. which had been
but few days before organized. it became
an active factor in the Army of the Ohio
the Army of the Cumberland, and then
the army that went with Sherman down
TO the sea. The story Of the regiment Ia
well told and relates many interesting Incl
dents not found in general history or the
reports of commanding officers. This part
of the army. which General Thomas COM
manded in 1861, was stationed In east GEN.
trail Kentucky to intercept the inroad OF
Zollicoffers rebel army, and did so at
Camp Wild Cat. the Thirty-third taking an
active part in that fight and bearing tho
brunt of the attack. An incident soon
after that is related illustrating the situa-
ton of affairs in Kentucky. Ii occurred In
the camp at Crab Orchard after the with
drawal Of the forces which had advanced
TO London, not distant from Cumberland
Gap. Senator Andrew Johnson. of Ten
nessee, spent his time in the camps on this
line and anxiously urged the advance at
once into East Tennessee, and SO the re-
treat TO Crab Orchard aroused his wrath
and he denounced General Schloepf who
had command of the forces which had been
halted in the mountains and then fallen
back TO Crab Orchard. He did so to a
crowd of citizens and soldiers in front of
the main hotel there. He denounced General
Schloepf, who was present for gross mis-
management in the retreat. Schloepf an
swered with great warmth, and defended
himself and General Sherman, who had or
dered 1t. The senator replied in vehement
style and to this Schloepf retorted, which
brought an angry dissent from the crowd,
many being men of East Tennessee, upon
which Schloepf threatened Johnson with
expulsion from the camp. Johnson replied
that he was an American senator, and he
intended to stay as long he desired
Ar this moment General Thomas came OUT
OF the hotel, took Schlepf by the arm, ami
both, in silence, went into the hotel. Neither
sroke a syllable. No mention was made
OF ii in the newspapers, and Johnson re-
NAMED some days. The advance to Cum
berland gap was impossible then on ac-
count or the mud, and the mountains and
unbridged streams. Next spring the army
moved into East Tennessee and Cumber-
was captured on the 18th of June 1862, by
& flank movement; and in turn it was re-
captured by flank movements in Sep
and Kirby Smith. The story is
told of the retreat of Morgan's army from
the gap to the Ohio river, in a march of
eighteen days through the mountains of
eastern Kentucky, in the presence of the
enemy, in graphic style. After this the
Thirty-third was transferred to the main
Army of the Cumberland south of Nash
will 10 he
Thompsons Station in March, 1862 is we'll
described. The rebel forces were found
to be in overwhelming numbers when it
was too late to retreat, and a large part
OF the Union forces having exhausted their
, ammunition, surrendered. Being exchanged
In the early summer the regiment re-
turned to the front in central Tennessee,
and from there advanced into Georgia,
doing gallant work in the Atlanta cam
paign, and from there marched under Sher-
man to the sea and to Washington. This
regiment took more soldiers into the vet
eran service than any other regiment in
that army, about 450 men and officers No
other regiment in the field from Indiana
counted so many veterans as this one. In
this history is published the entire contro-
versy between General George III. Thomas
on one side and Major Miller, command
| ing the regiment, and Colonel John CO.
burn, commanding the brigade, on the
| other, in which General Thomas undertook
to dshonorably discharge several officers,
because they insisted on being mustered out
| at the end of three years, they having
| publicly promised the men to do so, to get
| them to volunteer in the veteran service,
and select their own officers. Colonel CO.
| burn insisted upon the conduct of these
officers being praiseworthy. and General
Thomas ordered their dismissal. Coburn
appealed to the War Department, his po-
sition was sustained, and the officers were
honorably discharged He denounced the
order Of General Thomas as cruel and
despotic. This regiment had peculiar his
= he
author was the adjutant of the regiment
and on duty all the time as a soldier and
officer. He is now on duty in a department
in Washington.