Letter from William D. Stuart to General Cooper, 1862

Creator:

Stuart, William D. (William Dabney), 1830-1863

Scope and content:

Written from Richmond, Virginia. Letter regards confusion in orders to 56th Virginia Infantry Regiment.

Language:

English.

Other descriptive data:

Richmond, Va.

Genl. Cooper,

Head Quarters Brigade

Col. Stuart,

I am sir

This order was received late at night and a verbal message by Capt. Taylor that a messenger had been sent to Genl. Crittenden to inform him of my presence in Abingdon and that he should write order me to join him if necessary. Not hearing from Genl. Crittenden in forty-eight hours after, I sent Lieut. Col. Slaughter to Knoxville to find out from him at once whether I should expect orders from him and he replied by Telegraph through Capt. Cunningham his A. A. Genl.ordering me to Nashville & Col. Slaughter returned the following day bringing the following order by which this is an exact copy.

Hd. Qrs. Knoxville Tenn.

Sir,

By Command of

The interval between the reception of these orders was employed by me busily in attempting to procure transportation and finding no Quarter Master at Abingdon, I sent to Wytheville for Capt. Gibboney A. Q. M. at that point to report at Abingdon and assist me. My own QuarterMaster was without funds for that purpose. Capt. Gibboney arrived bringing with him waggons purchased on the road and by the time of the reception of the order from Genl. Crittenden, I had enough transportation on hand, by leaving some articles behind to enable me to reach Prestonsburg. Of course after the order of Genl. Crittenden, I had no use for the waggons and ordered them immediately to be loaded with supplies of ordnance and other belongings to Genl. Marshall and forwarded to him

Immediately upon the receipt of Genl. Crittenden's order, so uncertain was telegraphic communication, I sent my Quarter Master to Lynchburg to arrange for transportation by rail to Nashville and had already procured it and would have been on the way to Nashville but for the bursting of one of the [flues] of the engines, when I received the following order by Telegraph received in Abingdon Dec 10th about dark.

Knoxville Dec 10th

Upon the reception of this order I immediately telegraphed the Department to know whose orders I should obey? In the meantime the waggons I had secured for my Regiment were on the way to Pound Gap and I was thus compelled to commence again to prepare transportation for that trip.

I had been quite unwell with jaundice ad the Surgeon finding that we would be compelled to go to Pound Gap told me that he would not answer for the consequences should I undertake to go and advised my return to Richmond, where I have been confined to my room with a severe attack of Rheumatism until within the last ten days. I left the Regiment under command of Lt. Col. Slaughter and I know that the delay in proceeding to join Genl. Marshall arose from no indisposition on his part to execute the orders, but from an absolute inability to procure the necessary transportation. There can be found in the service no officer more active, intelligent and competent to the discharge of the duties of his position. We are anxious if there is the slightest doubt remaining on the mind of the Honl. Sec. as to the want of proper activity on the part of the officer of the Regiment to move forward, that he will order a Court of Inquiry that the matter may be thoroughly sifted.

I have the honor to be

Subjects:

Confederate States of America. Army—Virginia Infantry Regiment, 56th
United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives—Confederate
Correspondence

Names:

Stuart, William D. (William Dabney), 1830-1863

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