August 5, 1862 - Tuesday - 160 years ago today

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

 On August 2nd, Wood receives orders to prepare to support Nelson's division as it moves to McMinnville, TN.  Here is a dispatch from Wood explaining his current situation:

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Decherd,  August 2, 1862.

Col. J. B. Fry:

   Your dispatch explaining that Nelson is moving on McMinnville and that I may have to support him with a brigade is just received.  That the commanding general may understand fully the disposition of the forces of my division it is well to suggest that I have but one brigade, one battery, and two companies of cavalry here.  The Twentieth Brigade was left at Mooresville and a battery.  Two regiments were sent to Wartrace and two companies of cavalry to Shelbyville.  I sent a regiment to Manchester at the earnest request of General Smith, who considered his position dangerous, and a regiment to Duck River Bridge by order of the commanding general.  The orders will be promptly obeyed.

TH. J. WOOD.

  

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 Wagner's is the brigade that Wood has available, but it has been scattered to various points by previous orders as noted above.  Wagner is ordered on the 2nd to march for Tullahoma and to arrive early on the 3rd.

On the 3rd, we are able to locate the 40th Indiana regiment.  It was the regiment that Wood mentions as being sent to Manchester, TN to support the position of General Smith. Orders from August 3rd:

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HEADQUARTERS,

Huntsville,  August 3, 1862

General SMITH, Manchester:

   Send the Fortieth Indiana to join its brigade and division forthwith.  Don't call up any troops to replace those ordered away.  In fact I shall probably take away all but a few companies.  Make a stockade for one or two companies to guard the bridge when repaired, and in addition make temporary entrenchments for one regiment.  Don't lose an hour.

D. C. BUELL.

  

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Nelson's division now being further east, the front has moved there and units are being sent to support that position.  The 40th Indiana is moving to rejoin Wagner's brigade at Tullahoma.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XVI, Chapter XXVIII, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 247-265.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 77.
  
• Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 561-564. 
• Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol 3. The Tide Shifts, pp,4-7.
• Kenneth Noe, Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle, pp. 32-33, 42-46.

 

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