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: 788
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WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS.
command desired that the affair of Arkansas Post should be thoroughly
investigated by a court of inquiry, as there was much crimination and
recrimination in reference to the affair, and at that time all the facts in
the case could have been elicited with but little trouble, but the brig-
adier-general commanding said a " court of inquiry was not necessary;
that the whole matter would or should be investigated by a court-mar-
tial." These troops were soon after ordered to join the Army of Ten-
nessee, under their original organization. On arriving at Tullahoma
General Churchill received orders from General Bragg, commanding
Army of the Tennessee, to reorganize these troops, consolidating bri-
gades and regiments, so as to form one brigade. In compliance with
this order my regiment (Sixth Texas) and the Tenth and Fifteenth Texas
Regiments were consolidated into a regiment, and an officer, my junior,
assigned to command it; Brigadier-General Churchill selecting the offi-
cer to command the consolidated regiments. By what precedent or
rule he was governed in making these selections I am unable to con-
jecture, but agreeable to all regulations, precedence, and usage I, as
the senior officer, had the right lo command the troops thus consoli-
dated with my regiment. I immediately protested against this unpre-
cedented and summary manner of being deprived of what I conceived
to be my legitimate command to General Bragg as well as to the Ad-
jutant-General of the Confederate States Army, but no action has ever
been taken in the matter that I am aware of.
It was about the time of this consolidation that I first saw Brigadier-
General Churchill's report of the Arkansas Post affair of which the fol-
lowing is an extract, viz:
The fort had now been silenced about an hour, most of the field pieces disabled,
still the fire raged furiously along the entire line, and that gallant band of Texans
and Arkansians having nothing to rely upon now save their muskets and bayonets,
still disdained to yield to the overpowering foe of 50,000 men, who were pressing upon
them from almost every direction. Just at this time, to my great surprise, several
white flags were displayed in the Twenty-fourth Regiment Texas Dismounted Cavalry,
First Brigade, and before it could be arrested the enemy took advantage of it, crowded
upon my lines, and not being prevented by the brigade commander from crossing, as
was his duty, I was forced to the humiliating necessity of surrendering the balance of
the command.
Immediately upon reading this report I demanded a court of inquiry,
and have repeatedly urged this demand, but have been unable up to
this time to obtain a hearing; and notwithstanding most of the witnesses
in the case are now scattered to the four winds, and some of the most
important are now numbered among the heroic dead, I am still con-
fident of being able to prove the injustice and incorrectness of this par-
ticular portion of his report whenever a hearing can be had. I doubt
if there is a parallel case on record of an officer thus being ruthlessly
superseded, his standing as a soldier impaired, and thus debarred hon-
orable promotion on the simple ipse dixit of another officer.
Had I been guilty of neglect of duty at so critical a crisis as reported
it is apparent that the brigadier-general commanding could not consis
tently avoid preferring charges against me; and, in justice to a brother
officer whose reputation was impeached, could not do otherwise than
insist upon having them investigated.
Hoping that some steps may be taken immediately to redress these
wrongs, I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant,
R. R. GARLAND,
Colonel Sixth Texas Infantry.788
[CHAP. XrX-.
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The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Additions and Corrections to Series 1, Volume 17. (Pamphlet)
Errata sheets for the Records of the War of the Rebellion include additions and corrections to the text and the index for Series 1, Volume 17.
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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/m1/799/?q=%221862%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.