personal memoirs-1-第29章

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expressed　surprise　at　seeing　me　in　Corinth；　and　said　he　had　not

expected　me　to　go；　he　also　plainly　showed　that　he　was　much　hurt　at

the　inconsiderate　way　in　which　his　command　was　being　depleted。　　Since

I　was　of　the　opinion　that　the　chief　field　of　usefulness　and

opportunity　was　opening　up　in　Kentucky；　I　did　not　wish　him　to　retain

me；　which　he　might　have　done；　and　I　impressed　him　with　my　conviction；

somewhat　emphatically；　I　fear。　　Our　conversation　ended　with　my　wish

gratified。　　I　afterward　learned　that　General　Granger；　whom　General

Grant　did　not　fancy；　had　suggested　that　I　should　take　to　Cincinnati

the　main　portion　of　Granger's　commandthe　Pea　Ridge　Brigadeas　well

as　the　Second　Michigan　Cavalry；　of　which　I　was　still　colonel。

We　started　that　night；　going　by　rail　over　the　Mobile　and　Ohio　road　to

Columbus；　Ky。；　where　we　embarked　on　steamboats　awaiting　us。　　These

boats　were　five　in　number；　and　making　one　of　them　my　flag…ship；

expecting　that　we　might　come　upon　certain　batteries　reported　to　be

located　upon　the　Kentucky　shore　of　the　Ohio；　I　directed　the　rest　to

follow　my　lead。　　Just　before　reaching　Caseyville；　the　captain　of　a

tin…clad　gunboat　that　was　patrolling　the　river　brought　me　the

information　that　the　enemy　was　in　strong　force　at　Caseyville；　and

expressed　a　fear　that　my　fleet　could　not　pass　his　batteries。

Accepting　the　information　as　correct；　I　concluded　to　capture　the

place　before　trying　to　pass　up　the　river。　　Pushing　in　to　the　bank　as

we　neared　the　town；　I　got　the　troops　ashore　and　moved　on　Caseyville；

in　the　expectation　of　a　bloody　fight；　but　was　agreeably　surprised

upon　reaching　the　outskirts　of　the　village　by　an　outpouring　of　its

inhabitantsmen；　women；　and　childrencarrying　the　Stars　and

Stripes；　and　making　the　most　loyal　professions。　　Similar

demonstrations　of　loyalty　had　been　made　to　the　panic…stricken　captain

of　the　gunboat　when　he　passed　down　the　river；　but　he　did　not　stay　to

ascertain　their　character；　neither　by　landing　nor　by　inquiry；　for　he

assumed　that　on　the　Kentucky　bank　of　the　river　there　could　be　no

loyalty。　　The　result　mortified　the　captain　intensely；　and　deeming　his

convoy　of　little　further　use；　he　steamed　toward　Cairo　in　quest　of

other　imaginary　batteries；　while　I　re…embarked　at　Caseyville；　and

continued　up　the　Ohio　undisturbed。　　About　three　miles　below

Cincinnati　I　received　instructions　to　halt；　and　next　day　I　was

ordered　by　Major…General　H。　G。　Wright　to　take　my　troops　back　to

Louisville；　and　there　assume　command　of　the　Pea　Ridge　Brigade；

composed　of　the　Second　and　Fifteenth　Missouri；　Thirty…sixth　and

Forty…fourth　Illinois　infantry；　and　of　such　other　regiments　as　might

be　sent　me　in　advance　of　the　arrival　of　General　Buell's　army。

When　I　reached　Louisville　I　reported　to　Major…General　William　Nelson；

who　was　sick；　and　who　received　me　as　he　lay　in　bed。　　He　asked　me　why

I　did　not　wear　the　shoulder…straps　of　my　rank。　　I　answered　that　I　was

the　colonel　of　the　Second　Michigan　cavalry；　and　had　on　my　appropriate

shoulder…straps。　　He　replied　that　I　was　a　brigadier…general　for　the

Booneville　fight；　July　1；　and　that　I　should　wear　the　shoulder…straps

of　that　grade。　　I　returned　to　my　command　and　put　it　in　camp；　and　as　I

had　no　reluctance　to　wearing　the　shoulder…straps　of　a　brigadier…

general；　I　was　not　long　in　procuring　a　pair；　particularly　as　I　was

fortified　next　day　by　receiving　from　Washington　official　information

of　my　appointment　as　a　brigadier…general；　to　date　from　July　1；　1862；

the　day　of　the　battle　of　Booneville









CHAPTER　XI。



GOOD　ADVICE　FROM　GENERAL　NELSONHIS　TRAGIC　DEATHPUTTING　LOUISVILLE

IN　A　STATE　OF　DEFENSEASSIGNED　TO　THE　COMMAND　OF　THE　ELEVENTH

DIVISIONCAPTURE　OF　CHAPLIN　HEIGHTSBATTLE　OF　PERRYVILLEREPORTED

AMONG　THE　KILLEDA　THRILLING　INCIDENTGENERAL　BUELL　RELIEVED　BY

GENERAL　ROSECRANS。



I　reported　to　Major…General　Nelson　at　the　Galt　House　in　Louisville；

September　14；　1862；　who　greeted　me　in　the　bluff　and　hearty　fashion　of

a　sailorfor　he　had　been　in　the　navy　till　the　breaking　out　of　the

war。　　The　new　responsibilities　that　were　now　to　fall　upon　me　by

virtue　of　increased　rank　caused　in　my　mind　an　uneasiness　which；　I

think；　Nelson　observed　at　the　interview；　and　he　allayed　it　by　giving

me　much　good　advice；　and　most　valuable　information　in　regard　to

affairs　in　Kentucky；　telling　me　also　that　he　intended　I　should　retain

in　my　command　the　Pea　Ridge　Brigade　and　Hescock's　battery。　　This

latter　assurance　relieved　me　greatly；　for　I　feared　the　loss　of　these

troops　in　the　general　redistribution　which　I　knew　must　soon　take

place；　and　being　familiar　with　their　valuable　service　in　Missouri；

and　having　brought　them　up　from　Mississippi；　I　hoped　they　would

continue　with　me。　　He　directed　me　to　take　position　just　below　the

city　with　the　Pea　Ridge　Brigade；　Hescock's　battery；　and　the　Second

Michigan　Cavalry；　informing　me；　at　the　same　time；　that　some　of　the

new　regiments；　then　arriving　under　a　recent　call　of　the　President　for

volunteers；　would　also　be　assigned　to　my　command。　　Shortly　after　the

interview　eight　new　regiments　and　an　additional　battery　joined　me；

thus　making　good　his　promise　of　more　troops。



A　few　days　later　came　Nelson's　tragic　end；　shocking　the　whole

country。　　Those　of　us　in　camp　outside　of　the　city　were　startled　on

the　morning　of　September　29　by　the　news　that　General　Jefferson　C。

Davis；　of　the　Union　Army；　had　shot　General　Nelson　at　the　Galt　House；

and　the　wildest　rumors　in　regard　to　the　occurrence　came　thick　and

fast；　one　to　the　effect　that　Nelson　was　dead；　another　having　it　that

he　was　living　and　had　killed　Davis；　and　still　others　reflecting　on

the　loyalty　of　both；　it　being　supposed　by　the　general　public　at　first

that　the　difficulty　between　the　two　men　had　grown　out　of　some

political　rather　than　official　or　personal　differences。　　When　the

news　came；　I　rode　into　the　city　to　the　Galt　House　to　learn　the

particulars；　reaching　there　about　10　o'clock　in　the　forenoon。　　Here　I

learned　that　Nelson　had　been　shot　by　Davis　about　two　hours　before；　at

the　foot　of　the　main　stairway　leading　from　the　corridor　just　beyond

the　office　to　the　second　floor；　and　that　Nelson　was　already　dead。　　It

was　almost　as　difficult　to　get　reliable　particulars　of　the　matter　at

the　hotel　as　it　had　been　in　my　camp；　but　I　gathered　that　the　two　men

had　met　first　at　an　early　hour　near　the　counter　of　the　hotel　office；

and　that　an　altercation　which　had　begun　several　days　before　in

relation　to　something　official　was　renewed　by　Davis；　who；　attempting

to　speak　to　Nelson　in　regard　to　the　subject…matter　of　their　previous

dispute；　was　met　by　an　insulting　refusal　to　listen。　　It　now　appears

that　when　Nelson　made　this　offensive　remark；　Davis　threw　a　small

paper　ball　that　he　was　nervously　rolling　between　his　fingers　into

Nelson's　face；　and　that　this　insult　was　returned　by　Nelson　slapping

Davis　（Killed　by　a　Brother　Soldier。Gen。　J。　B。　Fry。）　in　the　face。

But　at　the　time；　exactly　what　had　taken　place　just　before　the

shooting　was　shrouded　in　mystery　by　a　hundred　conflicting　stories；

the　principal　and　most　credited　of　which　was　that　Davis　had　demanded

from　Nelson　an　apology　for　language　used　in　the　original　altercation；

and　that　Nelson's　refusal　was　accompanied　by　a　slap　in　the　face；　at

the　same　moment　denouncing　Davis　as　a　coward。　　However　this　may　be；

Nelson；　after　slapping　Davis；　moved　toward　the　corridor；　from　which　a

stairway　led　to　the　second　floor；　and　just　as　he　was　about　to　ascend；

Davis　fired　with　a　pistol　that　he　had　obtained　from　some　one　near　by

after　the　blow　had　been　struck。　　The　ball　entered　Nelson's　breast

just　above　the　heart；　but　his　great　strength　enabled　him　to　ascend

the　stairway　notwithstanding　the　mortal　character　of　the　wound；　and

he　did　not　fall　till　he　reached　the　corridor　on　the　second　floor。　　He

died　about　half　an　hour　later。　　The　tragedy　cast　a　deep　gloom　over

all　who　knew　the　men；　for　they　both　had　many　warm　personal　friends；

and　affairs　at　Louisville　had　hardly　recovered　as　ye