S. P. Carter to Special Orders, |, December 6, 1861
Camp Calvert, Ky., December 6, 1861.
(Received December 9, 1861.) Brig. Gen. GEORGE H. THOMAS, Commanding, dec., Lebanon :
GENERAL: The orders received last night from departmental headquarters require me to remain in front of Cumberland Gap, for the purpose, in part, of keeping out marauders and protecting the loyal citizens.
This morning, having learned that Barboursville was threatened by a small force, I ordered the Third Kentucky Regiment to march to its protection. Colonel Garrard was directed to employ some mounted
“CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.âUNION.
men for scouts and pickets to be used in the direction of Cumberland
But for the orders received from Louisville the First East Tennessee Regiment would have moved this morning towards Somerset and the Second Hast Tennessee and Third Kentucky would have followed in the
Schoepf, requiring me to join him as soon as possible.
I received about noon a dispatch from Brigadier-General
If I had no conflicting orders from you I should have gone willingly, but did not think myself at liberty to do so under the circumstances, but wrote him that if he still desired me to join him after knowing what my orders were from headquarters, I should of course go.
I heard to-day, upon what is represented to me as perfectly reliable authority, that three rebel regiments reached Cumberland Gap on the
4th instant. amount of ammunition.
Hampton’s Legion arrived there on the 3d, with a large
At Morristown, Jefferson County, East Tennessee, report says there were five regiments, whose destination is Kentucky, via the Gap. The rebel general Crittenden had been at the Gap, but left to bring
up his brigade.
I fear that we cannot do a great deal towards resisting
the force the enemy is accumulating at and about the Gap.
your obedient servant,
Acting Brigadier- General, Commanding East Tennessee Brigade.
No. 39.
Hpars. First Div., DEPT. OF THE OHIO,
Lebanon, December 6, 1861.
I. In compliance with Special Orders, No. 19, from department headquarters, Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas assumes command of the First
Division, Department of the Ohio, organized as follows: