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Re: Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862

No published accounts, merely some newspaper odds and ends concerning your interest:

The condition of Buell's army.
Chattanooga, Aug. 7.
--Three deserters from Buell's army, who came in to-day, says that Buell has McCook's, Crittenden's, Wood's and Rossean's divisions — about 35,000--at Stevenson and Bridgeport. They have plenty of provisions at Stevenson, but only half rations at Bridgeport. They are fortifying Stevenson and tearing houses down.

The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 08 Aug 1862
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From Buell's army.
--In view of the dispatches published this morning from the West, the following extract from a letter dated Chattanooga, July 24th, about Buell's army, is of interest:

Buell's army is now nearly all concentrated near that point. McCook's division is said to be in the advance, with the brigades of Generals Tom Crittenden and Johnston, the latter said to be a brother of the late Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. My informant states the whole force to be about 35,000. He says that the road from Stevenson to Nashville had not yet been repaired, (it having been torn up from the tunnel, twenty miles from Stevenson, and several bridges burned,) and consequently that Buell's supplies were still cut off. Their army was living on half rations, and the greatest insubordination existed among the Yankee troops. It was thought it would take some ten days to reorganize the army, in order to put it in fighting condition to advance on Chattanooga, which It would now seem has become a dernier resort, in order for Buell to save himself, if it be true that his supplies and retreat to Nashville be cut off. It was believed that if it were practicable for Buell to reach Nashville with his troops, he would gladly have given up Andy Johnson's mad project of taking East Tennessee, and even abandoned Middle Tennessee, so as to reach his old stand point at Bowling Green, for the defence of Kentucky. His army is principally composed of Indians and Illinois troops, with the 77th Pennsylvania, three from Missouri, and some Kentucky and Ohio regiments.

Another letter states Buell's army at 40,000 men, and says a ‘"dash"’ would capture the whole command. It adds:

All that is left of the Grand Yankee army of the Southwest is on its last legs. Halleck has resigned. Grant is trying to guard the lines around Memphis. Pope having so well succeeded in the manufacture of his lies while in the West has been transferred to the army of Virginia, to cope, if possible with McClellan, who has earned the reputation of being the greatest falsifier of the age.

The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 09 Aug 1862
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Movements of the Yankees in Tennessee.
Knoxville, August 13.
--A prisoner from Nashville via Huntsville and Stephenson, reports that the roads are lined with Federal troops and all the bridges strongly fortified. Everything outside of Huntsville is a scene of desolation — houses destroyed and sacked and fields laid waste.

Generals Buell and Rossean have 20,000 men in the vicinity of Huntsville.

Five hundred negroes are entrenching the north side of Huntsville. Four hundred negroes and a large force of soldiers are fortifying Stephenson.

The Yankees have rebuilt the bridges and restored the broken track on the railroad from Nashville to Huntsville and Bridgeport.

The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 15 Aug 1862.
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From General Buell's army — How the Federal and Confederate pickets Amuse themselves.
Camp Near Battle Creek,
Five miles East of Bridgeport, August 6, 1862.
The camp of the Kentucky 11th and 26th is opposite that of the Confederate Helm's cavalry, many of the men upon each side being intimately acquainted. Every conceivable kind of conversation occurs between the two parties, the Confederates generally being more saucy and defiant than are our men. The enemy seem to be very well aware of the fact that our army have been short of subsistence, and often shout, ‘"Boys, you're only on half rations; we have plenty to spare."’ Both parties exchange newspapers, and we frequently read the Atlanta and Knoxville journals. The modue operandi of the exchange is novel, each party swimming to the middle of the river with a newspaper in his mouth. An exchange of coffee and tobacco is often made in somewhat the same manner, the parties always shaking hands before separating.

Witnessing such friendly exhibitions and honorable meetings, it is sometimes questionable in one's mind if war really exists. But if you walk along the shore a short distance you will see some fellows amusing themselves by merely pointing their guns at Secesh objects, making use of some such expressions as the following: "But couldn't I pop that butter-nut off that stump;" "Lord, how quick I could send that gray back below;" "But an ilegant shot for a feller like meself;" "How quick I could jerk that follow's head off of its hinges;" and divers other expressions which urge me to believe that all exhibitions of friendship are transitory in fact.

And equally ludicrous transactions occur upon the opposite side, the following being their stereotyped expression: "How is all our Yankee friends to-day?" "How much did you find at Corinth?" "What did you do with those twenty thousand prisoners that Halleck took there?" "How do you ever expect to cross this river?" "How long do you expect to keep the railroads open?" "Next time we get after you we'll drive you to--!" "How about Richmond?" "Where's Fremont?" "Have you heard from Beauregard?" while "Bull Run"’ is the general salute.

The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 22 Aug 1862

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Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862
Re: Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862
Re: Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862
Re: Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862
Re: Buell's Army on Half Rations - Summer 1862