September 26, 1862 - Friday - 160 years ago today

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

On the 23rd, orders were sent to relieve General Buell and place General Thomas in command, these to be withheld if a battle was being fought, or about to be fought.  These orders had not been delivered by the 26th.  Union divisions were still coming into the Louisville area, and most had arrived on the 26th.

Buell, in addition to commanding his original divisions (including two divisions sent by General Grant), also assumed command of all the new regiments that had been sent from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.  He was attempting to regroup and reorganize, rather than thinking of an attack on the two Confederate armies that were still not united.  Smith remained at Lexington, and Bragg was at Bardstown.

Wood's division was not in Louisville, but remained near Bowling Green, and Wood had been ordered to combine with Thomas and another division at Oakland, KY,

-------------------------------------------    

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE OHIO

Louisville, September 26, 1862

Maj. Gen. GEORGE H. THOMAS,

Commanding First Division:

   GENERAL:  General Buell desires the First, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions to occupy a certain line of battle which will be pointed out to General Thomas by Captain Gilman, of this staff, and with a view of taking up their positions to-night if necessary or to-morrow.  The general wishes Generals Wood and Crittenden to join General Thomas at Oakland this afternoon and examine the ground before dark, and also look at the ground for a mile or so in front.  Major-General Thomas will be in command of this line and will give such directions to the three divisions as may be necessary.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. M. WRIGHT.  

Assistant Adjutant-General

------------------------------------------

The reason for this activity is not clear given that Bragg's army is some distance away to the northeast.  We can speculate that this is based on some kind of  received information from army reports, local informants or captured troops. 

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XVI, Chapter XXVIII, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 536-549.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 85.
  
• Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 711-714. 
• Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol 3. The Tide Shifts, pp,4-14.
• Kenneth Noe, Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle, pp. 73-90.

 

NEXT POST: SEPTEMBER 30TH