Summary:
H. E. Peyton, Inspector General for the Army of Northern Virginia, reports to
Adjutant General Samuel Cooper in September, 1864, on the state of the army.
Peyton discusses the Army of Northern Virginia's condition in detail including
strength, health, morale, discipline, and supply situation. He mentions
information lost when General Jubal Early left Staunton.
Gen. S. COOPER,
Adjutant and Inspector Gen.:
September 23, 1864.
GEN.:
I have the honor to transmit the inclosed inspection reports for the month of August, and in doing so would respectfully submit a statement of facts explaining the delay as well as the incompleteness of the reports:
After the commencement of active operations, Col. Murray, then chief inspector of the army, wrote to the Department in Richmond that it was impracticable to make inspections as prescribed by Gen. Orders, No. 42, Adjutant and Inspector Gen.'s Office, during the constant movements of a campaign, and that he would discontinue them unless otherwise directed. No answer being made to his letter the silence was accepted as an acquiescence in his suggestion and no inspections were made. On the 3d of August an order was addressed to Col. Murray, requiring a resumption of the inspections and a transmittal of the reports as heretofore required. Col. M. being absent sick, I issued the inclosed circular to the corps inspectors in accordance with instructions contained in the order. Many causes have operated to prevent a prompt and satisfactory execution of this order. From Gen. Early's command the reports are necessarily meager, owing to the fact that that corps has been constantly on the march or in line of battle. Col. Smead, the inspector of that army, whose position and opportunities enable him to present a general view of the condition of the corps, makes no report and conveys no information of any sort. He neither indorses nor comments upon the brigade and division reports. The reports for the last of the month have not been forwarded. I have delayed the transmittal of my own report, hoping to receive these. It will be seen that there is general complaint throughout this command of the indifferent clothing of the troops, including shoes. There are no indorsements of the quartermasters except in one or two cases, showing the cause of this deficiency, nor does Col. Smead throw any light on the subject. His attention has been called to this omission.
It is a matter of congratulation that the health of this command is universally good. There is an abundance of medicines and ordnance stores, secured in great part from battle-fields. The inspectors have made no return of captured property, as required by circular of instructions from Adjutant and Inspector Gen.'s Office, Richmond. The discipline is represented as a general thing lax; not more so, perhaps, than could be expected under the circumstances. Attention is called to the remarks of Maj. Moore, inspector of Gornod's division, from which it will appear that that command had performed "from the 13th of June to the 20th of August 800 miles of route marching, independent of movements in the presence of the enemy, and been engaged in seventeen battles and skirmishes, some of which have lasted through two and three days." It will be seen that none of the reports are made according to the instructions at the bottom of the third page of the form. Desks containing the records having been left behind when Gen. Early moved from Staunton, it was not practicable to obtain the data necessary to fill up all the columns and thereby perfect the reports. Attention is called to my indorsements on brigade reports of this corps.
First Corps, Lieut.-Gen. Anderson (Maj. John W. Fairfax, assistant adjutant and inspector general).
No reports has been made by Maj. Fairfax. He and Maj. Latrobe accompanied Gen. Anderson to the Valley with Kershaw's division. Pickett's and Field's divisions report directly to these headquarters. Inclosed will please find reports of inspectors of these divisions.
Pickett's division (Maj. W. Harrison, inspector), is situated between the James and Appomattox Rivers, and has suffered considerably from ague and fever, a disease peculiar to that locality. Corse's brigade, resting on James River, has suffered most. Attention is called to Maj. Harrison's report and remarks of Surgeon Guild, medical director of the army. I made a general informal inspection of the whole of this division and a more special inspection of Hunton's brigade.
I found the general condition of trenches, sinks, arms, accouterments, and clothing of Gen. H.'s brigade good. This brigade deserves special mention. It was in all respects most creditable. Gen. H. bivouacs in the trenches with his men, and is active and vigilant in all that is promotive of the comfort and efficiency of his command. Attention is called to report of brigade inspector for the strength of the brigade and the number of officers absent, by what authority, &c. There is a large proportion of absent disabled officers in this brigade. I would respectfully suggest that they be made to appear before an examining board for discharge or retirement. The same thing should be required of absent officers in all the brigades. Hundreds, if not thousands, of meritorious young officers are denied all hopes of promotion, because wounded officers long disabled, some for more than two years (see the accompanying lists), still keep their names upon the rolls. It is an injury to the service and a special wrong inflicted upon those brave men who have so long borne the perils and responsibilities of command without the corresponding rank. The prompt remedy of this evil will remove a feeling of discontent that now prevails to a greater or less extent in every brigade of the army. Attention is called to Maj. Harrison's remarks on the subject of increased desertion in this division. It will be seen that the reports of this division, according to instructions, page 3, are also incomplete. Hereafter the form shall be strictly complied with.
Field's division (Maj. Masters, inspector): Not having been able to make a personal inspection of this division, attention is called to report of Maj. Masters. He reports health good; the sick and wounded to have had most excellent attention. Clothing and shoes are reported needed, but are being rapidly supplied; discipline is relaxed and the command in need of drilling and other military instruction. Damages committed are said to have been duly assessed (I fear that the facts now being investigated will prove Maj. Masters to have been mistaken in this last assertion). Complaints have been made by different parties against this division, the truthfulness of which will be determined and reported in my next monthly report. The long absence of this division from the Army of Northern Virginia prevents my speaking from personal knowledge of its general condition.
Third Corps, Lieut. Gen. A. P. Hill (Maj. R. J. Wingate, inspector).
This corps is stationed in the trenches in front of Petersburg, composing the right of our infantry line. During the month of August Maj. Wingate, assistant inspector-general of the corps, was absent on sick leave; Capt. Adams, signal officer on Gen. Hill's staff, acted in his place. Capt. A. has made no report, but has sent the accompanying note, stating his inability to make any personal inspections. I do not consider his reasons for not inspecting are sufficient; with proper energy and diligence two if not three of the divisions could have been inspected. Capt. A. is inexperienced in the duties of the office, and has rendered me but little assistance. There has been great delay in transmitting reports, all of which had to be returned on account of the errors they contained. (They were returned to-day, 23d of September.) Maj. Wingate having returned to duty, I hope there will be no occasion for complaint in future.
Between the 9th and 13th of August I inspected in the trenches under arms Heth's division. Gen. Heth had but recently occupied the line, which he found in bad condition, having been badly policed, and full of individual bomb-proofs and covered ways that rendered it difficult to keep in good order. I first inspected Brig.-Gen. Davis' brigade, consisting of Twenty-sixth, Eleventh, Second, and Forty-second Mississippi, Fifty-fifth North Carolina, and Confederate Battalion. The brigade was commanded by Col. A. E. Reynolds, Gen. Davis having left a day or two before on sick leave. I found the arms and accouterments in very bad condition in all the regiments except the Second, Col. J. M. Stone, and Eleventh, Maj. R. O. Reynolds. In the Second they were good; in the Eleventh very good, clean inside and bright outside; the accouterments attached to the guns, which were secured between pegs driven in the breast-works. The trenches were clean, and the general appearance was neat and military. At other parts of the line of the brigade, guns and bayonets were lying loosely about the trenches and under the shelter-tents of the men, peelings of fruit and rinds of melons were dropped promiscuously about the trenches, which, together with the accumulated dirt, indicated a neglect in the most necessary feature of cleanliness. The Twenty-sixth Mississippi, commanded by Capt. A. E. Earley, was in the most discreditable condition. Company I, Lieut. Jackson, was the worst company of the regiment. I called the attention of the officers to the number of guns of sick men that had not been turned in to ordnance officers, as required by the orders. There was much in the appearance of the command to reflect upon the brigade inspector, Capt. Cameron, whom I regretted to find absent, as I wished to call his attention to the irregularities which he allowed to go unreported. If the could not correct them it was his duty to have reported them, which he did not do.
Cooke's brigade I found in excellent order, as it always is. I inspected this brigade the day Gen. Cooke took command of it at Fredericksburg. I then was compelled to make an adverse report. I have inspected it three times since, and each time have found it equal to any in the army in all respects. Whether in camp, in the trenches, or on the march, it is distinguished for its high discipline and good conduct. I consider the high state of perfection which it has reached attributable more to the energy and devotion of its commander than any other cause. Other brigades have as good material, but few brigades have so watchful and skillful a commander. The arms and accouterments were so generally good that there is no occasion for fault finding with any. The inspection was creditable in all respects as if it had been made in winter quarters. Notes containing the strength of this brigade, the number of absent officers, and by what authority absent, and other points of information, were made by me in conjunction with Capt. Grinnell, the acting division inspector. Capt. G. was wounded a few days after the inspection was made and the notes misplaced. Gen. Cooke declines to send in a report of his brigade on the ground that he is not allowed an inspector. For these reasons I cannot furnish the facts. I took a memorandum of the inspection.
Fry's brigade, commanded by Col. Mayo, is composed of Archer's and Field's old brigades, with following regiments: First, Seventh, and Fourteenth Tennessee; Thirteenth Alabama; Second Maryland Battalion; Twenty-second, Fortieth, Forty-seventh, and Fifty-fifth Virginia Regiments. After the Pennsylvania campaign, Field's old brigade, commanded for some time by Col. Brockenbrough, and what was left of Archer's after his capture at Gettysburg, were consolidated and placed under command of Gen. H. H. Walker, who was wounded at Spotsylvania Court-House. Subsequently Gen. Fry took command by Col. Mayo. It presented, as it had done at preceding inspections, but few evidences of discipline. In the Fourteenth and Seventh Tennessee guns and accouterments in fair condition. Thirteenth Alabama, Col. Aiken, was in discreditable order; guns very rusty. Lieut. G. W. Callaway, Companies A and G, showed great neglect in the general appearance of this command. Lieut. Lipscomb was specially neglectful of police. In the Virginia regiments the guns for the most part were in serviceable order. Fortieth Virginia, Capt. H. E. Coles, specially bad police. This brigade is now commanded by Brig.-Gen. Archer, who will doubtless improve the discipline and general condition of this command. The Tennesseeans have never been entirely satisfied since the consolidation. Gen. Archer is almost idolized by them, and will, no doubt, harmonize the antagonisms that may have heretofore existed. Improvement is already apparent in this command since the date of my inspection, 13th of August (now 23d of September).
MacRae's brigade, formerly commanded by Gen. Kirkland, consisting of Forty-seventh North Carolina, Maj. W. C. Lankford; Forty-fourth, Maj. C. M. Stedman; Twenty-sixth, Col. John R. Lane; Eleventh, in discipline, arms, accouterments, and clothing; police was fair. Gen. MacRae had recently been assigned to its command from Gen. Cook's brigade, and was devoting himself with great energy to the comfort and efficiency of his command and the improvement and strengthening of his line. Gen. MacRae is a strict disciplinarian, but has secured in an eminent degree the confidence of his men, as was shown in his successful charge at Reams's Station on 25th of August. Attention is called to the report of brigade inspector for strength of this brigade, the number of officers absent, and by what authority, &c. I have considered it unnecessary to attach a duplicate copy of these statistical facts to this report, as the brigade inspector accompanied me and noted these facts at my instance in his report which accompanies this.
Heth's division hospital, Doctor Hubbard in charge, was inspected by me about the 5th of September, in company with Doctor Breckinridge, medical inspector of the army, Doctor Powell, medical director of the corps, and Maj. Wingate, assistant inspector-general. We found the hospital well located in a very beautiful grove near Petersburg, with the ground sloping favorably for policing. With the exception of being too much crowded, the situation was a good one. The police was very bad. In fact, no attention seemed to be paid to cleaning up the grounds immediately in and about the hospital, nor was proper attention bestowed upon the sinks. The ground between the hospital and the sinks had been used for uncleanly purposes by the patients, making it offensive to the sight as well as the smell. In this important feature of cleanliness there was evident and inexcusable neglect in the management of this hospital. I found the sickness of this division was on the decrease and the diseases reported of a mild form. There was and had been a sufficient supply of medicines, except in Davis' brigade. Strength of division, 5,535; total number sick in hospital, 376; disabled, 32. The attention of Surgeon Guild, medical director, and Gen. Heth, and Gen. Lee, was called to the want of proper police in this hospital.
Transportation of this division I did not inspect, being disappointed two or three times by the weather and since by the presence of office and other duties. The general appearance of the animals, as seen on the roads, at the depot, &c., is good. Their general condition on inspections heretofore has compared well with the best in the army. My daily observation in riding through the army confirms the report of Maj. R. H. Carter, chief inspector of transportation, that the general condition of transportation of the army is good; considering all the circumstances of the campaign, very good.
RECAPITULATION.
Two brigades of Heth's division, Cooke's and MacRae's, it will be seen are in specially good order and commanded by two most excellent officers, who are strict disciplinarians, but who have great influence over their men in camp and on the field. Their spirits are specially good since the brilliant victory which they, under Gen. Heth, achieved at Reams' on 25th of August. Archer's brigade, which heretofore has suffered form relaxation of discipline form causes referred to, will soon present a marked improvement under the commander of their choice. Davis' brigade, which has been less distinguished for discipline than any portion of the division, is giving evidence of improvement, as will be seen by second inspection report, made on the 5th of September, and to which attention is called in appendix to this report. This division has done hard and distinguished service during the campaign, and has sustained very heavy losses. Gen. Heth is active and energetic in the discharge of his duties, and is devoting himself with zeal to the improved efficiency of his command.
Mahone' s and Wilcox's divisions have not been inspected by me, except with the view of observing their general police, which I have found to be fair. Attention is respectfully called to the inspectors' reports of brigades in these divisions and my indorsements thereon.
Beauregard's command was inspected by me in company with one of his inspectors, Maj. Bryan. Col. Roman, chief inspector, received a circular form the Adjutant and Inspector-Gen.'s Office, containing instructions, which he thought required him to send his reports direct to Richmond. He has not, therefore, transmitted them through me, although he has, since the army reached Petersburg, been reporting to and receiving orders from this office. Under this construction I do not consider it incumbent upon me to make an official report of my inspection of Hoke's and Johnson's division.
Artillery: Attention respectfully called to reports of Capt. Dandridge, adjutant and inspector general, as to the wants, condition, &c., of artillery Third and First Corps. Capt. D. reports large deficiencies in horses. Please see indorsement of Col. Corley, quartermaster army, on the subject. It will be seen that Huger's and Haskell's battalions, situated between James and Appomattox, have suffered very much from sickness, principally ague and fever; clothing and equipments represented good. The artillery horses have been grazed and fed some miles in rear of the army. The horses of only one battery to each battalion are kept with the guns. There has been scarcity of grass, and rations have been reduced. In addition, the flies have been unprecedentedly annoying, rendering it impossible for horses to fatten. Owing to these reasons, as well as in some cases positive neglect, the artillery horses of the army are generally thin. No reports have been forwarded from artillery of Early's command.
Cavalry: No reports have come in from the cavalry, notwithstanding the circular of 3d of August, issued from this office, requiring them to be made. Having waited until this date, 23d of September, without hearing from them, I have called upon the inspectors for an explanation of their silence. Since the reorganization of the cavalry into a corps, which has recently occurred, Maj. Venable, assistant adjutant and inspector general, has been assigned as chief inspector of the corps. Maj. V. was formerly in that position under Gen. Stuart, and rendered efficient service. He is zealous and energetic in the discharge of this duties, and will no doubt give increased efficiency to the inspecting department of the cavalry. Having been unable to make any personal inspections of the cavalry, and receiving no reports for the month of August, I will defer for my next report the views suggested by the present condition and necessities of that arm of the service.
GENERAL REMARKS.
General orders and instructions from the department require me, as army inspector, to call attention to the irregularities and deficiencies existing in the army and the causes of the same. In compliance with these instructions, I cannot close this report without expressing the conviction, that has strengthened with my experience as inspector, that the source of almost every evil existing in the army is due to the difficulty of having orders properly and promptly executed. There is not that spirit of respect for and obedience to general orders which should pervade a military organization of such size and upon whose perfection of discipline such great issues of life and liberty depend. In my opinion, officers of all grades and departments are more or less to blame, but the brigade commander, more than any one else, is at fault and possesses in a greater degree the power to control and correct the evils resulting from this tendency to neglect of duty. Upon him rests the greatest responsibility, for the brigade is really the unit organization of the army, and reflects the character and qualifications of its commander. Indeed, the brigadier makes the brigade. If he does his duty, the evidences are at once apparent in the superior discipline and efficiency of his command. If he holds his colonels to a strict accountability, the colonels will look to their captains, the captains to their lieutenants, the commissioned to the non-commissioned officers and thus then is that distinct division of responsibility defined and contemplated by the regulations. The proof of this view is in the fact that in the same division will be found one brigade with its complement of bayonets and its guns always bright, whilst another just by, with originally the same number, has no bayonets and its guns invariably in bad order; one will not allow the burning of rails or other depredations of property, whilst the adjoining brigadier of the same command says the evil cannot be stopped; one holds his colonels responsible for Government property, whilst the other says it is impossible to bring volunteers to such a high state of discipline. The illustration might be extended to show that an army with good brigadiers will have good discipline, and that without them the best troops deteriorate. The greatest evil that flows from this laxity in the execution of orders is straggling. It is the parent of almost every other irregularity that affects the army, and contributes more than all others to injure its good name. If the orders governing this subject were rigorously enforced by general officers, thousands of muskets would be heard in every fight that are now never fired, and the disgraceful depredations committed upon private property would be unknown. General Orders, No. 110, Army Headquarters, 1862, requires the inspection of arms and roll-call at the beginning and close of every march, and that all absentees be reported. A more important order was never issued, yet it is very generally neglected throughout the army. The order requiring general officers to ride frequently along their columns, personally inspecting the order of march, is also too generally neglected. They remain for the most part at the head of their troops, rarely seeing to the straggling of their men. Attention is called to circular issued from this office, of the 5th of September, requiring inspectors to report hereafter to this office the manner in which different marches have been conducted and the measures adopted by their respective generals to correct the irregularities reported. If the inspectors fail to make the report, they will be brought before a court-martial for trial for disobedience of orders. The necessity for reform in the marching of troops requires that stringent measures be adopted.
I have had the honor to report a number of officers to the general commanding for violating the orders requiring all property captured on battle-fields to be turned over to the chiefs of the respective departments. Horses captured from the enemy are in most cases appropriated by the officers of the command capturing them. The chief quartermaster of the army is responsible for the transportation of the army, and should, under instructions of the general commanding, have the sole distribution of Government animals. Attention is respectfully called to instructions to inspectors on this subject of the 28th of July. Orders regulating the settlement of damages done private property are frequently neglected. To insure a compliance hereafter and to ascertain the guilty party when there is neglect, inspectors are required (see circular September 5) to forward tri-monthly certificates with their reports, stating on whose property their commands have encamped the ten days preceding, the condition of the property when first occupied and at the time of breaking up camp, and whether damages inflicted have been settled according to the provisions of General Orders, No. 26. The inspectors of the army have not contributed as much to the repression of the evils and irregularities referred to above as the orders defining their duties contemplated. The chief reason for this delinquency is that inspectors have been too generally considered and used by their generals as members of their personal staff. They have not been encouraged in the discharge of their legitimate and prescribed duties, but have been in many cases ordered to do work of adjutants and aides-de-camp. The functions of the two offices are directly conflicting; indeed, their duties are in many important particulars incompatible. The duties of adjutant are at the desk and by the side, or bearing the orders of this general; those of inspector are supervisory in their nature, and keep him moving constantly along and through his command, seeing to the general execution, and reporting all violations of orders and regulations. He is thus taken from the presence of his commander, when as adjutant he is required at his side. To correct this evil I called the attention of inspectors, in circular from this office of the 6th of July, to the fact that they did not belong to the personal staff, but would be required to discharge the duties prescribed in orders from army headquarters of January, 1863. Notwithstanding these orders generals still use inspectors as adjutants-general. I would respectfully call the attention of the Department to the embarrassments resulting from this course. By this system inspectors are taken from the control of the chief inspector of the army and become subject to the orders alone of their generals. It practically relieves them from the functions as well as the responsibilities of their position. It furnishes an excuse for the neglect of the duties for the faithful discharge of which they were commissioned, and offers every assurance of protection against its penalties. The tendency of such a policy is to impair the efficiency of the department and the usefulness of its officers. I would suggest that aides-de-camp be required to act in place of adjutants-general when the latter are absent from wounds or other causes. This could be done without injury to the service or interference with the officers of another department.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
H. E. PEYTON,
Lieut.-Col., Assistant Adjutant and Inspector Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 42, Serial No. 88, Pages 1270-1278, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
