The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 17, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports. Page: 416
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416
WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS.
[CHAP. XXIX.
nights of October 3 and 4, at Corinth, Miss., without his knowledge, when he, the
aforesaid General Van Dorn, was present inside of their works with a victorious army
and in hearing of the noise made by their wagons and artillery carriages, and did
further neglect to ascertain the strength and location of the enemy and their intrench-
ments, which he ordered to be taken by assault in the morning.
CHARGE SECOND.-Cruel and improper treatment of officers and soldiers under his
command.
Specification 1.-In this, that Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn, commanding the aforesaid
army in the expedition against Corinth and on his retreat from the same, did cause
long, tedious, and circuitous marches to be made, and either through ignorance of
the route or neglect repeatedly march and countermarch over the same road, and did
have a large command moving to and fro without any apparent reason while the men
were foot-sore, wearied, and starving. This on the retreat between Corinth and Holly
Springs, Miss., on or about October 6, 7, and 8, 1862.
Specification 2.-In this, that Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn, commanding as aforesaid,
did allow one or more trains of cars, freighted with wounded soldiers from the battle-
field at and near Corinth, Miss., to be detained without any necessity at Water Valley,
Miss., during one or more entire nights, said wounded soldiers having been herded in
said cars at Holly Springs without blankets or nourishment and many with undressed
wounds, no surgeon, officer, nurse, or attendant with them, thus causing an incredi-
ble amount of useless suffering and creating disaffection among the troops.
Respectfully submitted.
JNO. S. BOWEN,
Brigadier-General, Confederate States Provisional Army.
Witnesses : Maj. Gen. Sterling Price; Brig. Gens. John B. Villepigue, Rust, John S.
Bowen, D. H. Maury, and M. E. Green; Colonels Robertson, Thirty-fifth Alabama,
and Lowry, Sixth Mississippi; Lieut. Col. H. Clay Taylor, Price's staff; Capt. L. H.
Kennerly, First Missouri; Lieut. L. B. Hutchinson, First Missouri, and citizens of
Water Valley, names unknown.
General Bowen was requested to indicate the special points upon
which he desired to examine each witness, and declined for the follow-
ing reasons:
I respectfully ask the court will excuse me from being present or assisting in con-
ducting the examination, as I deem it clearly the duty of the recorder or judge-advo-
cate to have entire charge of the prosecution. If I can aid him in curtailing the pro-
ceedings by stating what the several witnesses are supposed to be able to testify to
and the court desire it, I can either impart the information while under examination
or in conference with the recorder; but to act as an assistant to him during the pro-
ceedings would be exceedingly unpleasant, and I trust they will consider it unneces-
sary.
JNO. S. BOWEN.
Brig. Gen. ALBERT RUST Was duly sworn.
By RECORDER:
Question. State all that you know bearing on the first specification of
the first charge.
Answer. I do not know whether General Van Dorn was or was not provided with
a map or chart. None was exhibited to me. I do not know that General Van Dorn
marched without availing himself of the services of an engineer and without making
proper reconnaissance. General Van Dorn told me subsequent to the repulse that he
had sent a person inside of the works of the enemy, but that the information received
from that source was insufficient or unsatisfactory ; that the person had not performed
his duty satisfactorily and had not given the requisite and correct information. My
impression, received from the conversation with General Van Dorn, was that he found
this information to be incorrect after making the attack. I started with a sufficient
supply of commissary stores in case the attack had been successful-all that prudence
required. I had provisions when I returned to Holly Springs remaining of those sup-
plied for the expedition. I turned over 4 000 rations of breadstuffs by order of Gen-
eral Lovell to General Price at the Hatchie on the way to Corinth. On account of
the impossibility of cooking three days' rations, as ordered-in consequence of being
detained until midnight by troops in advance of me, which I was ordered to follow-
ny troops would have suffered on the night of the 2d had I not been able to supply
myself on the spot from a man living in the neighborhood. This was 8 miles this side
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United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 17, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., book, 1886; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154626/m1/427/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.