The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-05-24

said. land you bet Wen have an old
time picnic.
When he read that had gone into
the hotel business he instantly wrote
me that III ever in all the world needed
"Pirooter" 1t was now: and Heaven
only knows how nearly right he was
and what a narrow escape my neigh
bors have had.
The last time l heard from Sam d.
rectly was by postal card a few months
ago. He wrote as follows. barring the
spelling:
my dear Colonel. l have just this
minute made q wonderful discovery of
a preparation for cleaning teeth. Make
a paste of emery dust and sweet oil.
rub well with brush, and wash clean
with kerosene. Make no mistake
mean the teeth OF a circular saw"
Only this and nothing more. l cont
know where or how he picked up the
vigorous idea, but his announcement OF
1t to me was peculiarly Sam-ish.
The Buell. Military Commission.
Nov. 4, 1852. Secretary Stanton or
dered Gen. HalIcck TO organize mill
tary commission to inquire into and re
port upon the operations of Gen. Buell..
and particularly as to his suffering Ken
lucky to be invaded. his failure 10 re-
lieve Munfordsvilie, his conduct NJ Per-
ryville, and his allowing the Confeder-
ate forces to escape without loss or CAP
ture. The detail for the commission
were Maj Gems. Lew Wallace and r. Q.
G. Ord. Brig Gems. Albin Schoepf. y. J.
T. Dana and Daniel Tyler. Maj. Dom
Piatt was appointed Judge Advocate
and Recorder.
The commission sat at Cincinnati. be-
ginning its sessions Nov. q. 1862. These
were quite extended. Gen. Buell. was
present and most of the officers who
had taken part in the campaign gave
testimony. The commission found:
!. That Gen. Buell. was not justified
In falling back from Murfreesboro 10
Nashville. and that he should have at
tackled the rebel army before ii crossed
the Cumberland.
2. That he was not responsible for the
capture Of MunfordSville. except from
his failure to attack Bragg before he
crossed the Cumberland.
8. That at Perryville he was to blame
for not being either on the field him
self or having others there to constantly
inform him. and was the more culpable
because he had a well-organiZed signal
corps there. Gen. McCook was equally
to blame in not promptly informing his
commanding officer. Buell. allowed a
great opportunity to slip through his
fingers from his ignorance of the con-
ditions of the battle.
4. Buell. was lamentably slow in fol-
lowing up Bragg after Perryyiile. and
his movements could hardly be called
pursuit. He had the opportunity, after
he discovered the retreat from Perry
vile. to have thrown Bragg'S army into
rout and probably crush 1t between Per
ryville and Dicks River. At Crab Or
chard Bragg had divided his forces. and
given still further opportunity to Buell.
to attack and destroy either that por-
ton retreating to Cumberland Gap or
that going by the way of Somerset.
Buell. left both unframed.
S. That there was no evidence worthy
OF consideration against Buell's loyalty.
6. AS to his policy toward the inhab-
itants of the disaffected country, it de-
served neither blame nor praise, since
at that time that was the policy of the
Government.
Upon this report Gen. Halleck in
dorsed the denial that Buell's march on
Chattanooga was delayed by his having
to repair the Memphis & Chattanooga
Railroad. He was not delayed an hour
beyond what he himself deemed ner-
essary. 1t was his line of supply. and
one which he had selected for himself.
AS the commission reported no charges
against Gen. Buell., nor recommended
any further proceedings, ii was dis
solved. and it's members repaired to
other duty. Buell. thereupon went into
retirement. was mustered out of the
volunteers May %. 1864. and resigned
from the army. June 1. 1864. When
Gen. Grant succeeded to the command
Of the whole armies Of the United States
in 1864 he was very DESTROYS to avail
himself Of Buell's undeniably great
abilities, and offered him command in
the field, but Buell. replied that any
such acceptance would place him under
Sherman and Candy. who were his jul
niOrs, and he therefore declined He
was not so eager to serve his country
as to sacrifice a little of his personal
dignity. He resided at Airdrie, near
Louisville. and President Cleveland ap-
pointed him Pension Agent for Louis
vile. He died Nov. 19, 1898.
Ito be continuedo
He Felt the Sting of Prison.