Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade
General Crittenden has reached Scottsville, KY by the 6th and is ordered forward to Gallatin, TN. On the 7th, Wood sends an advance brigade toward Gallatin; after marching 20 miles, they are ordered to continue all the way to Gallatin in hopes of capturing Confederate forces there. Unfortunately on their arrival, these forces were already gone.
On the night of the 7th, Crittenden is given further orders to cross the Cumberland, occupy Lebanon, TN (while also keeping forces at Gallatin) and deploy the rest of his troops between Lebanon and Rural Hill, TN. He is also to open communications with Nashville and monitor the road from Nashville to Lebanon. This is probably the route of Interstate 40 today.
Wood's division is near the Cumberland with Crittenden. Below is Crittenden's dispatch on the 9th:
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HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS
Near Gallatin, November 9, 1862 -- 5 p.m.
Lieut, Col. ARTHUR C. DUCAT [Acting] Chief of Staff:
COLONEL: Colonel Kennett reported to me in persion this morning. I at once ordered him to send a battalion to General Smith, at Scottsville; to occupy Hartsville with 2,000 men, to scout the country thoroughly; use every effort to prevent any obstruction of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and send the remainder of his command to me for instructions. He has supplies for six days. I promptly sent the detachment, under Col. R.H.G. Minty, with instructions to cross the river, occupy the road from Nashville to Lebanon, open communications with Nashville, and send a company with a note to General McCook, make no advance toward Lebanon, but remain in position upon the road until further orders, to obtain information. To General McCook I communicated the substance of these instructions, and that I should to-morrow occupy with my command Silver Springs, Rural Hill, or some intermediate point, and also send a brigade to Lebanon. I yesterday sent a note to McCook by a negro hackman that I was at Gallatin, and have this moment received an answer to it. I shall try and communicate with him fully tomorrow, possibly personally. I have sent 100 wagons to Mitchellsville for supplies; having marched all day yesterday, having to go to camp and unload, they did not get off until the morning. I have here a good ford for my wagons, but very steep banks, and am constructing a footway for the soldiers to pass over. I shall cross my command to-morrow and occupy the points you have indicated. I shall cross at all events, but the position I shall occupy will depend upon the time my supply train returns.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
T. L. CRITTENDEN,
Major-General. Commanding.
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More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume XX, Chapter XXXII, Part II, Correspondence, pp. 12-32.
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 87.
- Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 741-768.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol 3. The Tide Shifts, pp, 600-603.
- Peter Cozzens, No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River, pp. 1-19.
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