necessary medium, and want to get back to the command, for I am certain that the paroles given us by Wheeler will not be regarded as worth anything by our Government. I should never have taken a parole if the rebels had treated us anything like men. They marched us 65 miles on one stretch without giving us a bite to eat, and then made the men they had captured carry out our commissary stores at McMinnville to burn them. For my part I was glad to get away from the damned robbers. When I got to Nashville I was completely worn out, and, in fact, have not as yet got over my trip with the rebels. I walked altogether 185 miles, and not being used to walking it came rather hard on me. My object in writing to you is this: I wish you would be kind enough and see the general, and, if in your power, get an order to get me out of this place. My business wants my attention; papers have got to be made up. Please get an order for me to return to Chattanooga and oblige, Respectfully, your most obedient servant, PHIL. Ú. SCHMITT, Captain, Second Missouri Volunteers. Am at present stopping at the United States Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, to which place send your answer. Give my kind regards to the general, Van Pelt, and the whole staff, and tell Major Mohrhardt that his brother George is in Columbus; all well. My best wishes to you all. [First indorsement.] PHIL. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, October 23, 1863. Within communication is from Capt. P. U. Schmitt, my division quartermaster, who was captured with his train in Sequatchie Valley short time ago. He is a valuable officer. I feel his loss very much. Can he be ordered back to his division? P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General, Commanding. [Second indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS, October 24, 1863. I recommend that Captain Schmitt and all other officers and men captured by Wheeler and his gang be immediately ordered to join their respective commands. The paroles are in violation of the cartel and general orders from War Department. G. GRANGER, Major-General, Commanding. [Third indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Chattanooga, October 26, 1863. Respectfully forwarded to Major-General Grant, commanding Division of the Mississippi, requesting that these men may be ordered to return at once to their command. GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding. [Fourth indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, In Field, Chattanooga, November 2, 1863. Respectfully returned to Major-General Thomas, commanding Department of the Cumberland, who will order Capt. P. U. Schmitt and all others captured and paroled by the rebel Wheeler to report immediately to their respective commands for duty, their paroles being given in violation of the cartel, and therefore not valid. By order of Major-General Grant: ELY S. PARKER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General GRANT: I have sent to Sherman Dodge's division, fourteen regiments, and Fuller's brigade, four regiments, which, with their appropriate artillery, will make over 10,000 effective men in complete order. This leaves me, outside of Memphis, three white regiments and three colored, of infantry, and my cavalry to cover and hold this entire line. I have stripped myself to positive weakness, and cannot carry out the order to open the telegraph from Columbus to Corinth. The force in Mississippi is rapidly increasing. They are repairing the railroad to Holly Springs, and infantry will move up. McPherson found them too strong, and fell back. Unless I receive troops from Arkansas soon, I may be compelled to abandon Corinth and concentrate at La Grange. This I dislike to do, as it is a confession of weakness. Sherman directs Tuttle's division to go by water to Eastport. I think McPherson will not like to spare them. Collierville is not attacked in force. I shall have three regiments of cavalry there in an hour, and if Mizner comes down as ordered, on the other flank, will attend to them. S. A. HURLBUT, HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. Gen. U. S. GRANT, Comdg. Military Division of the Miss., Chattanooga : GENERAL: I send this letter by Lieutenant Dunn; I also telegraph the substance of it. I had expected a strong diversion in favor of this line from McPherson. He evidently thinks the enemy much stronger than we have supposed, and, in fact, as far as I can learn, his retreat was involuntary from the neighborhood of Canton. The repair of road up to Holly Springs, now nearly perfected, may bring their infantry closer than I like it, and as there is a considerable force at work on the road from Meridian to Jackson, it may be expected that they will dissolve before your main force and come round into Mississippi. I am satisfied that they will not have strength enough to meet your center movement, and therefore expect them to divide upon the flanks. They are certainly bolder in this quarter than ever before. It is currently believed that Forrest has superseded Chalmers. If so, there will be more dash in their attacks. It will be a very great advantage if Arkansas can be cut off from Missouri, so that I may have some legitimate control of a country which, by its position, I must intermeddle with. Rest assured that I will do my best with the force I now or hereafter may have. Your obedient servant, S. A. HURLBUT, CORINTH, November 3, 1863. Major-General HURLBUT: Just received following dispatch: COLLIERVILLE, November 3, 1863. A courier from Quinn's Mill just in reports our pickets there flanked, and a rebel force advancing on this place. Scouts from south report Loring, with his command, between Grenada and Canton. JNO. D. STEVENSON, Brigadier-General. Major-General HURLBUT: GERMANTOWN, November 3, 1863. Rebel column has made its appearance at Quinn's Mill, and driven our advance back. Is moving on Collierville. I am moving on Collierville. EDWARD HATCH. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Colonel MIZNER, Hatch has whipped Chalmers handsomely at Collierville and has driven him 5 miles south. Let McCrillis push with his force upon their line of retreat and annoy his rear. Leave light guard at La Grange and follow as your horses are rested, striking for Byhalia or below. Telegraph General Stevenson to send some infantry to hold La Grange. S. A. HURLBUT, HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Colonel HATCH, Thanks to your gallant cavalry. Morgan with the Twenty-fifth [Indiana] is at Germantown. What ammunition do you want? S. A. HURLBUT, HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-General STEVENSON, Corinth, Miss.: Mizner was ordered to La Grange and should be there. Collierville is attacked heavily. Mizner should strike their flank from La Grange; communicate with him if possible. Major-General HURLBUT: S. A. HURLBUT, Major-General. CORINTH, November 3, 1863. Colonel Mizner left here yesterday morning; should have been at La Grange this morning. I cannot learn where he is; has not arrived at La Grange; suppose he is between Saulsbury and La Grange. I have sent him dispatch conveying your orders. JNO. D. STEVENSON, Brigadier-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Col. L. F. MCCRILLIS, La Grange, Tenn.: Mizner should have joined you before this. If you have only 600 men you must wait for him. Collierville is attacked. S. A. HURLBUT, Major-General. LA GRANGE, November 3, 1863. Captain HARRIS, Assistant Adjutant-General: Colonel McCrillis moved out on my arrival. No troops here but my command. Please send me instructions. J. K. MIZNER, Colonel, &c. Major-General HURLBUT, Memphis: EASTPORT, November 3, 1863. I shall commence crossing to-morrow if I get the boats, and will cross much faster than the others have. Shall have all my troops in easy distance of this place to-night. Will fortify well here, leaving one regiment and two pieces of artillery covered by a gun-boat. You can reach me by way of Iuka for a few days yet. No troops on our front except Roddey's and Lee's cavalry. Sherman with advance will be in Athens to-night and his rear here. G. M. DODGE, HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. G. M. DODGE, Comdg. Left Wing, Sixteenth Army Corps : GENERAL: A dispatch from General Stevenson received at 3 o'clock p. m., which was directed to you, but referred to me in consequence of your absence, stated that Collierville had been attacked by a large force of the enemy, and requesting a supply of small-arms ammunition from here. I should have sent the ammunition immediately but there was no train here at the time. I shall send it forward as soon as cars arrive. A dispatch, received since the above, from General Stevenson states that a fight is taking place at both Collierville and Germantown. Colonel Chetlain and Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips have arrived here with the division train. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. W. SWEENY, HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. J. C. VEATCH, Comdg. Fifth Division, Memphis, Tenn.: GENERAL: Send the force, requested to be ready, by train now waiting, to Germantown. Let them occupy the fort and ground there, and report their presence to Colonel Hatch, who has gone forward to Collierville. If the enemy are too strong for our cavalry, it will make a good place for a rally. At all events, it will protect so much of the road. If Colonel Hatch shall call for them at Collierville, it may be necessary to go on, but otherwise only hold Germantown and the road thereabouts. S. A. HURLBUT, COLUMBUS, November 3, 1863. Brigadier-General REID, Commanding, Cairo: A large rebel force is approaching Paducah. Please ask Admiral Porter to send a gun-boat there at once if practicable. A. J. SMITH, KNOXVILLE, TENN., November 3, 1863-9 p. m. (Received 6.30 a. m., 4th.) We have thrown a pontoon bridge at this place. The enemy have retreated over the Little Tennessee, and our cavalry occupy that line. The Ninth Corps, 6,000 strong, and one division Twenty 3 R R-VOL XXXI, PT III |