Gid. J. Pillow to George W. Randolph, September 12, 1862

Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War:

The order of the Government restoring me to duty ascribes to me errors of judgment in the military operations at Donelson. The explanations as to what constitutes those errors, in our personal interview, indicated to my order to call off the pursuit of the army after the battle of the 15th February and back into the works as erroneous. In my communication of the 11th instant I gave my understanding of the objects and purposes of that combat, and solemnly asseverated that I never understood that the army was to retreat from the battle-field towards Charlotte, and I assigned reasons to show that that step was then impossible. I beg now to refer the Department to the original and supplemental reports of Colonel Gilmer, of the Engineer Corps, who was on duty with me at that post.

*See Special Orders, No. 289, December 10, 1862.

The supplemental report wil be filed in a few days. From these reports [you] will, I am persuaded, be satisfied that my order was not only a proper one, but that it was the means of saving the army from a conflict with a large fresh force of the enemy, Which would greatly have endangered’ its existence, and that General Buckner was himself in error in supposing that my order had defeated or had any reference to the army retreating from the battle-field. That step was never contemplated or spoken of or even suggested as proper. It is difficult to understand how he could have taken up such impression, and it is singular that if my order had interfered with the previously-understood programme of action, why General Floyd should have so promptly approved my order, as General Buckner himself states in his report, and why neither he nor General Floyd should have said something about it.

I hope to make the point elear by other testimony, when, I trust, the Department will perceive the justice of rescinding the order.

Respectfully,