Copyright © 1998-2009, Scott McKay
I certify that the following ordnance & armament stores were picked up
by Lieut Rice in the camp of Granbury's Texas Brigade, after said Brigade
had left for Montgomery Ala. on the night of 20th Feby. 1864, which the
said Rice turned over to the Ord. Dept. without exchange receipts
28 Bayonets
Near Dalton Ga
30 March 1864 R Q Mills
Col Comdg
[10th Texas Compiled Service Records]
Notes
This document is interesting for several reasons. First, it sets up the scenerio for the reason the brigade left for Alabama. Gen. Sherman, on his Meridian Campaign, was burning and pillaging his way from Meridian, Mississippi, in the direction of Montgomery, Alabama (a practice run for his March to the Sea expedition). So, on the February 20th, Cleburne's Division was ordered from Tunnel Hill to Alabama to aid Polk, who was outnumbered 3 to 1 against the advancing Sherman. The command marched 9 miles to Dalton, boarded the rail cars, but, apparently there were spies around, for no sooner than than the division reached Alabama, the Federal commander Thomas, overran Tunnel Hill and Dug Gap. Cleburne's men were spread out on cars from Atlanta to Montgomery, due to the limited capacity of the trains. As soon as word got to them, the division hurried back to Dalton, and drove the enemy from Dug Gap; although Tunnel Hill was retaken, the Texans would never return to their comfortable log huts; instead, they were in the rain to set up new quarters 3 miles east of Dalton.
The above document, although seeminly insignifcant, indicates that at least 28 men were not too fond of the bayonet. The above document alone is not conclusive, but combined with the regimental muster records of several men of the regiment (before and after the above incident), they were having their pay garnished for "Stoppage: Loss of Bayonet ($6.00) - Scabbard ($2.52)" It was a common belief that some Civil War soldiers felt the bayonet an incumberance, and apparently, the owners of those above felt so too. If only a couple of bayonets were left behind, one might assume that the bayonets were accidentally left behind in the haste of going to battle, but leaving 28 of them behind (along with those men being fined for lost bayonets) is most suspicious indeed.
Although the above document lists the men belonging to
"Granbury's Texas Brigade," Col. Granbury (Commanding the 7th Texas
Infantry) had been in temporary command at the time, and would not be placed in
permanent command and promoted to Brig. Gen. until March 4th; but the document
was written nearly a month later, to accomodate the military command's need to
account for equipment loss.
Copyright © 1998-2009, Scott McKay