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Posted by: Dr. James Jones on Jul 01, 2003 - 06:00 AM
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1, The guerrilla dilemma in Middle Tennessee
Hd. Qrs. Manchester, Tenn, August 1st, 1862
Gen. Andrew Johnson
Mil Gov. of Tennessee
Sir [sic]
By a recent order from the Hd. Qrs. of the Army of the Ohio, I have been placed in command of all the forces guarding the lines of R. Rds from Nashville to Decatur, Decatur to Stevenson and Stevenson to Nashville.
The troops under my command are necessarily scattered in small detachments and stationed at the vital points mentioned. They are thus exposed to destruction or capture by the guerrilla and marauding bands which infest the whole State of Tennessee. They are surrounded by enemies who in the garb of peaceable quiet citizens run off intelligence of our strength and positions, so much in detail and so accurate as to enable the rebels to kill or capture their pickets and to hurl overwhelming forces upon them--to carry them away as prisoners and destroy our railroads and thus threaten our whole army with starvation.. This must so derange our plans at to prevent any successful warfare on our part and throwing us upon the country for support cause[s] us to deprive the people of that which is absolutely necessary of their sustenance. Ten again the presence of those hostile to our government throughout this State serves to keep those cowed and subdued who would otherwise declare in our favor and undertake the quieting of all local difficulties. The guerrillas threaten them and do actually drag them away from their homes or drive them into our camps for refuge. I have many of these refugees now in my camps and amongst them a poor old man by the name of Williams eighty years of age and almost blind. Now Sir, how long shall this condition of things continue in the State of Tennessee? I but expressed the common feeling of the officers of our army when I wrote the Secry. of War a few days ago claiming a release from this service within one month unless a more decisive policy is adopted in the treatment of these mixed communities[.]
With enemies in our rear and in our very midst such success as we should achieve is utterly and entirely out of the question, and I am unwilling for one to put forth aimless, objectless effort.
1st. Let all disloyal person be driven at once across the lines to the rebels where they belong.
2nd. Let the loyal patriotic citizens of the land be organized, armed and equipped for their own home defence [sic] and the protection of our lines of communication.
This much Your State [sic] owes to us who are here to aid you in the preservation of Your [sic] liberties. If the rebels will permit a portion of our army to remain behind their lines unmolested, we can do our country a hundred fold service. And it will take five hundred thousand men to guard our lines of communication alone in the territory occupied by us, unless forays and guerrilla warefare [sic] can be suppressed and prevented by some such stringent measures. There are many true men ready; to take up arms and put down the infamous scoundrels who have inaugurated a wholesale system of rapine and murder throughout nearly this while [sic] region of the Country. Guerrilla bands are constantly organizing and stealing all the horses and provisions they can lay their hands on, and escaping with them to the enemy to swell his ranks and increase his resources.
In the name of our country humanity and God [sic] let us tolerate this condition of things no longer. Let home guards be organized everywhere and men drafted into service if necessary rather than endure anarchy any longer[.]
Very Respectfully Yr Most Obdt Svt.
Wm Sooy Smith Brig Gen
Papers of Andrew Johnson, Vol. 5, pp. 583-585.
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