June 6, 1862 - Friday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Wood's Division

Wood's Division had barely begun the ordered movement from June 1st, when new orders were received.  These would cause Wood to stretch his command over several dozen miles in an attempt to both repair the railroad and provide protection for work parties.

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HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO,

In Camp,  June 3, 1862

 

Brigadier-General Wood.

Commanding Sixth Division:

General Nelson's division is ordered to follow you to-morrow morning.  As soon as he approaches Bear Creek, probably day after tomorrow (the 5th), you will move forward toward Decatur, leaving a brigade to work at the Bear Creek Bridge until relieved by the arrival of General Nelson, if he is not in position to detail working parties when you move.  In your advance beyond Bear Creek you will repair the wagon road and railroad, and will post a brigade at Tuscumbia, pushing the remainder of your force forward to Decatur.  Any of your command left at Bear Creek will of course be called forward by you as soon as General Nelson reaches that point.  

The Engineer Regiment will be divided for work along the railroad, and you are at all times expected to furnish details on application from General Smith.  Another battalion of cavalry will be ordered to join you.  Boats, with rations and forage, will be sent to Eastport and Tuscumbia as soon as practicable and before the 10th, to which time you are rationed.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES B. FRY

Colonel and Chief of Staff

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Wood has already left a brigade between Corinth and Bear Creek, and now will leave another at Tuscumbia, and might have only one left to push to Decatur.  Most divisions have only 3-4 brigades; not clear how many brigades are in Wood's division at this time.

On the 6th there are some notes in dispatches from General Halleck:

• ".... Locomotives and cars en route to Florence; have directed General Wood to send force to protect their landing" - Florence is near Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals, so Wood must be at or near this area by the 6th.
• ".... I am informed that Wood's division has done little or nothing toward the repairing of Bear Creek Bridge, the Engineer Regiment being kept on picket duty.  This is all wrong; ...." - On the 7th, Wood writes in his own defense that this is not the case except on his arrival, where his troops were not yet up, and the Engineers were being shot at.
  

Below is a map of the area with Eastport (near Waterloo) at the left, and Decatur near the lower right.  The Tuscumbia-Muscle Shoals-Florence area is near the center.  It appears that Wood will soon have brigades spread out over most of this area.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter XXII, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 248-267.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 72.
  
• Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 386-391.
  

 

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