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Buell, Don Carlos (1818-1898) to George H. Thomas

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03628 Author/Creator: Buell, Don Carlos (1818-1898) Place Written: Louisville, Kentucky Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 17 January 1862 Pagination: 3 p. ; 25.5 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Orders Thomas to pursue and defeat General Felix Zollicoffer's forces, located on the north side of the Cumberland River in Kentucky. Also discusses road improvements, communication, and rations. The note at bottom, written and initialed by Buell, dates on or after January 19, 1862 (the Battle of Mill Springs), indicating that this was a retained copy or that the entire document is a later copy.

Don Carlos Buell had succeeded William T. Sherman as commander of the Army of the Ohio in Kentucky. He would be promoted to major general in March of 1862 and help prevent a Union rout joining Grant before the second day's combat at Shiloh in April. His subsequent handling of operations in Kentucky and Tennessee, however, and his failure to pursue Bragg after the Battle of Perryville, led to his removal from command. He was replaced by William S. Rosecrans.
George H. Thomas was a Union brigadier general under Buell at the time; he later became major general.

Head Quarters Dept. of the Ohio,
Louisville, Jan. 17. 1862.
Brig. Genl. Geo H Thomas
Commanding 1st Division, &c.

General:
I have received your letter of the 13th from Webb's Crossroads. You will before this have received my letter of the same date, sent with your messenger. I hope that letter will have determined your action. It is not sufficient to hold Zollicoffer in check. He must be captured or dispersed. I think the situation offers the opportunity of effecting the former. If you consider your force insufficient, telegraph me from Somerset; the lines have been extended to that place. It will not be desirable to march your command to Somerset, but rather take a position in front of the enemy, so as to draw your supplies from Somerset, and be in a convenient position to move down upon him. I am assured that you can get an abundance of forage from the country [2] in the direction of Liberty. If you can buy meal don't haul flour. It is neccessary to subsist your command, but it is not necessary that the established ration should be exactly followed.
I am aware that the roads are in horrible condition. They must be improved. The only way to do that effectually when trains are to pass over them several times, is corduroy, or [illegible] the 16 feet wide. I have given order for this to be done in the Daniels and Somerset road. Genl. Schoepf sends a regiment on that Duty from Somerset and Genl. Wood with three regiments is to do the same from Danville. See that it is pushed forward energetically from Somerset. It ought to be completed in a few days.
Take some means of informing yourself constantly of the movements of the enemy, and apprise me daily by telegraph.
You could not march to Burkesville, and it is not desirable that you should be there.
Very respectfully, Your obt. servt.
D.C. Buell
Brig. Genl. Comdg.
Note. The above belongs to a series of instructions for the operations against Zollicoffer resulting [3] in the battle of Mill Springs, and for ulterior operations in that direction.
D.C.B.

Buell, Don Carlos, 1818-1898
Thomas, George Henry, 1816-1870
Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk, 1812-1862

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