135 Series I Volume XVI-I Serial 22 - Morgan's First Kentucky Raid, Perryville Campaign Part I
Page 135 | Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS. |
Question. Did you ever hear these officers make such charges in the presence or hearing of their inferiors in rank?
I have.
Question. State the names of the officers making these charges and in whose presence they were made.
I decline to do that unless positively required so to do.
Question. You are not required to give any testimony which would implicate yourself.
The reason I decline was under the rule which shields the courts, the jury, and the witness. If I am required to state I will, with the declaration in advance that I have heard a member of the court say so.
The court decided that the question be put.
I have heard General Scheopf, in my presence, declare General Buell's disloyalty; I have heard the colonel of the Fourteenth Ohio George P. Este, in the presence of several officers of his regiment, doubt the loyalty of General Buell: I have heard the lieutenant-colonel commanding (I think) the Eighth Kansas Regiment charge General Buell with disloyalty in the presence of superiors. There were quite a number of officers present, but I think no inferiors. I am unable to recollect all the officers by name. I frequently heard officers express doubts of General Buell's loyalty.
By General DANA:
Question. Did you ever hear these declarations made by officers of any rank in the presence or hearing of enlisted men?
No, sir; I do not think I did. I have no recollection of having so heard.
Question. Who were the superior officers before whom the lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth Kansas Volunteers made allegations against the commanding general as to his loyalty?
(General Steedman declined to answer the question unless so ordered by the Commission.)
The PRESIDENT. Was it at a public meeting?
It was a meeting held in the camp at Rolling Fork, 6 or 7 miles from Lebanon, Ky., at the house of a citizen, and it was generally understood among the officers of the several commands that they were to assemble at that time and place. It was held with closed doors, to exclude its proceedings from the enlisted men of the army.
The PRESIDENT. It is the opinion of the court that, without criminating yourself, you can answer the question.
I do not feel that it would be criminating to state all I know about it. I did not think there was anything criminal in the meeting at the time nor do I now. We were present for the purpose of conferring with each other a to the condition of the army, and interchange of opinions as to the feeling toward the commander-in-chief of the Army of the Ohio; and after it assembled there was a great deal of discussion as to the best manner of expressing our opinions in relation to General Buell. The result was a dispatch to the President was agreed upon, asking him to relieve General Buell from the command of the army, for the reason that, in the opinion of the signers, he had lost its confidence. That dispatch was signed by all the officers who were present. It was during the discussion upon the several propositions made before the meeting that that officer, in the course of his remarks, expressed his doubt as to the loyalty of General Buell. I do not remember his name, but my understanding was that he was the lieutenant-colonel commanding the Eighth Kansas Regiment. I never saw him before and have never seen him since. I think all the colonels commanding regiments in the First Division were present at that meeting. There may have been one or two absent, but my recollection is that they were all there. The brigade commanders of the First Division were all there, and one division commander, General Fry. There were a number of colonels from either General Mitchell's or General Sheridan's division, I am not positive which, but the officers commanding regiments in Colonel Daniel McCook's brigade were present. Colonel Post, commanding
Page 135 | Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS. |