USA > Indiana > Operations of the Indiana Legion and Minute Men, 1863-4 : Documents presented to the General Assembly, with the governor's message, January 6, 1865 > Part 8
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'The artillery not having horses, it became necessary to press them for the guns, which was done by myself in Posey County, and by Gen. Hughes in Vanderburg County, Ind. I also detained five -teaters-the Dunleith, Cottage, Gen. Halleck, Jennie Hopkins, and
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was exercised in all the various duties of camp and drill, very much to the satisfaction of all concerned.
Very respectfully, Your ob't servant, DAVID E. SHAW, Maj. Commanding Battalion.
REPORT OF COL. KENNEDY BROWN, COMMANDING 9TH REG'T INDIANA LEGION.
VERNON, Ind., Nov. 30, 1864. Maj. Gen. Mansfield :
SIR :- Yours at hand. The 9th Indiana Legion was after Morgan nine days ; on duty in Madison four days ; making sum total of thir- teen days service rendered.
Yours truly, K. BROWN, Col. 9th Indiana Legion.
REPORT OF MAJOR WILLIAM MANNING, COMMANDING WAYNE BATTALION, INDIANA LEGION.
HEADQUARTERS WAYNE CO, BATTALION, INDIANA LEGION, Abington, Dec. 3, 1864.
Maj. Gen. J. L. Mansfield :
DEAR SIR :- To day I had the honor of receiving yours of the 21st ult., requesting a detailed account of the part taken by my M. R .- 7
INGA .A LEGION,
I. ron other occasion . de. Ibeg leave :17 Morgan. in Lady of 1563. there Pane eno jamies , & Media, under the ofwhich out panies responded Of the past tak aby (e) ti:
T Have to ofi al knowledge. Since that compris organized; and, on the nani wa formed int , a battal . : med to the command of the same.
WILLIAM MANNING. W . W . Co. Battalion, Indiana Legion.
TOR MAJOR WILSON MORROW. LIN BATTALION, INDIANA LEGION.
Bis OL FILLE. December 5. 186 1.
1.1 İn Hent Legion:
gomes of the 221 mlt., requesting_ services rendered by the Indiana the last sesim of the Legislature. en calle l into actual service since . cither by the military or civil Fre been frequent company and bat- ( ) April list, in pursuance to orders, the Book. de fo trill. and while thus engaged. an lille . a . - 'Hes at home on furlough, to demolish in said town, which had abused them and their cause. : y wolne a portion of my command interposed.
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restored order, and protected the property from destruction, to accom- plish which we had to guard the property all night. Over one hun- dred of my command, including myself. volunteered, last May, in the one hundred days service.
Perhaps none of the above items come within the service of which you required a detailed report, but I submit them for your considera- cion.
Very Respectfully, Your Ob't Serv't, WILSON MORROW, Major F. C. B.
REPORT OF COL. THOMAS WEBB. COMMANDING MARION COUNTY REGIMENT, INDIANA LEGION.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Dec. 9, 1864. Maj. Gen. Mansfield :
SIR :- I have the honor to make the following report of my com !- mand, in compliance with request from headquarters. Since the regiment came into my command, it has never been in any engage ments or done more than drill. The regiment was organized in August, 1863, shortly after the Morgan raid. Six out of the nine companies composing the regiment took part in the campaign against Morgan.
I have requested the officers commanding those companies to make a full and accurate report to me, which I will forward as soon as received, if necessary ; or will not those companies be reported in the regiments to which they then belonged ?
I am, Sir,
Your Ob't Serv't, THOS. WEBB, Cal. Commanding Marion Co. Regiment.
REPORT OF COL. HARVEY D. SCOTT, COVERING VE REGIMENT, INDIANA LEGION.
TERRE HAUTE, Dec. 20, 1864.
D. A. S00 :- T :: accordance with your letter of the 22d November, 1.1. 1 sanit the following statement :
The View regiment was organized the 4th day of September, 1868, . which tone the regiment has had three battalion drills. The cuprins weeping the reghavnt have had two drills each month. The carreaders of companies have had one oficers' drill of three The regiment has not performed any active service, but has . popra d and rea ly for any service required since its organiza- :
Respectfully. Your Ob't Serv't. H. D. SCOTT, € 1. Vigo Regiment, Indiana Legion.
REPORT OF CAPT. THOS. M. ADAMS, COMMANDING CENTER GUARDS, INDIANA LEGION.
NASHVILLE. Ind., December 9th, 1804.
T Vaj. Wall T. Jones, A. A. Gent, 2d Brig. 2d Div. Ind. Legion : I. compliance with a communication from your Headquarters, . . ] the 24th ult .. I have the honor to submit the following report . Le operations of the " Center Guards :"
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The command was organized and mustered in on the 4th day of June 1864, and has never been called out for duty.
It has, however, once been called out for inspection, by the Major General Commanding 2d Division, and was by Lieut. Col. Cavins, inspected on the 8th day of September, 1864.
The company has spent eight days drilling since its organization.
I have the honor to be, Major, Your obedient servant, THOMAS M. ADAMS, Capt. Comd'g Center Guards.
REPORT OF BRIG. GEN. HENRY JORDAN, COMMANDING 2D DIVISION INDIANA LEGION.
HEADQUARTERS, IST & 2D BRIGADES INDIANA LEGION, CORYDON, November 25th, 1864.
To W. H. H. Terrell, Adj't Gen. Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind .:
General :- Your attention is respectfully called to the condition of affairs in the counties of this State lying west of New Albany on the Ohio River.
The counties of Kentucky, opposite the District referred to, are, and for months have been, as completely in the possession of the rebel forces as any part of the revolted States. Parties of guerril- las, generally small, but sometimes numbering several hundred each, not only rob and plunder indiscriminately in Kentucky, but some- times extend their operations to the north side of the Ohio River. They have repeatedly fired upon steamboats, passing up and down the river, seriously hindering the navigation of the stream. They have on several occasions fired across the river at our citizens, thus preventing them from pursuing their usual avocations upon their own premises. They effectually prevent our loyal citizens from visiting Kentucky, either upon business or pleasure. They have several
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times crossed the river and robbed. and otherwise injared our viti- zens. They have constantly threatened, and do now threaten, to invade this State. Heavily reinforced, during the past two months, by citizens of Kentucky escaping from the operations of the Fed- eral draft, and by volunteers. they now constitute a very formidable force, and their presence upon the border of the State is Significant of aggressive movements. Bad as this condition of affairs is our pey ple are apprehensive of still greater calamities. The near approach of winter : hnonishes us that by the freezing of the river-which is not improbable, as that has often occurred before-we will lose our greatest protection from the operations of these desperadoes, and that it is now important to resort to more effective measures for self lefence.
Already some of our people living near the river, are making pre- parations to remove their property into the interior of the State, and the officers of the Legion are asking that a sufficient force be put upon active duty in each county, to save the artillery from capture by surprise.
I have already advised you, that in my judgment, all our artillery in the river counties, might easily be captured and carried off by guerrillas before the members of the Legion could be assembled and brought to its support ; and I have to repeat now, that unless some kind of support is afforded it. it should be removed to the interior counties of the State.
Having had some experience with the companies of the Legion on active duty along the river on the Indiana side, I am entirely con- vinced that that policy will not give the protection which is desired. As, in a country like Southern Indiana, it requires from twelve to twenty-four hours to assemble the Legion of a single county, a mere picket of observation would be of but little consequence, for if the river should be frozen over, or the means of crossing the river good, the enemy would arrive at headquarters with the picket, and accom- plish his purpose and escape before a force could be collected to resist. Our artillery might be carried off in this way, and indeed all the members of the Legion might be surprised and disarmed while off duty and at their respective homes. I repeat that a picket of observation would do but little good, and a defensive picket along that portion of our border, which is threatened, is not to be thought of.
From the mouth of Salt River (Ky.,) where the trouble begins, to the month of the Wabash where it ends-that is so far as Indiana is concerned-the distance, by the river is something over three hun-
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dred miles, and an entire army corps would not give us a line of that length capable of resisting the enemy if he should concentrate his forces and attack a section of the line. Nor will the stationing of troops in the towns on the Kentucky side, secure us from the opera- tions of the enemy. Nothing but cavalry, put on the south side of the river, will answer the purpose. What we want is one or two regiments of cavalry, put upon the Kentucky side and kept there, with orders to scout the whole country along our border, and to run the guerrillas out and keep them out. If the United States Gov- ernment can't furnish the troops, the State can. I am satisfied that two regiments of cavalry might be raised under the Legion Laws, in the border counties of this State, with the understanding that they should be called into the United States service, say for six months, and kept on the other side of the river. Such a plan would have these advantages :
1st. Having their homes in Southern Indiana, the men would have a peculiar interest in doing their work well.
2d. The fears of retaliation would prevent them from wanton depredations on property, etc., an influence that would not operate upon troops whose property is beyond the reach of such measures.
3d. Being a part of the Legion organization, and our own neigh- bors, there would be a sympathy between them and us, which would secure a more hearty co-operation in the event of extensive move- ments by the enemy.
4th. When discharged from the government service, it would give to our Home Guard organization one or two regiments of disciplined men, to be used with an untried militia, in future troubles, should any occur. Other advantages might be cited, but are deemed unnec- essary. There is in Southern Indiana, at this time, a large number of discharged officers and soldiers, many of them from the cavalry and mounted infantry service, that would readily engage in this ser- vice, and furnish the best of materials for officers and non-commis- sioned officers, thus giving us an efficient organization from the begin- ning.
Your attention is earnestly called to this proposition, in the confi- dent belief that measures will at once be taken to secure this part of the State from a fate that it has never deserved.
Permit me, in conclusion, to call your attention to the fact, referred to in the communication of Col. Fournier, of the 5th Reg't Indiana Legion, dated Dec. 28, 1864, and forwarded from these headquarters, that while this state of facts exists, to the knowledge and terror of
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all our loyal people in the border counties, the disloyal papers and citizens in our midst are constantly attempting to throw our military authorities off their guard by asserting that the guerrillas have left Kentucky. The warm sympathy and perfect concert of action known to exist between the guerrillas of Kentucky and disloyal Indianians, fully explain this conduct and disarm it of its dangerous influences. Very Respectfully. Your Ob't Serv't, HENRY JORDAN. Brig. Gen. Com'dg.
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