NA, W&A 2/8/1865

Richmond Feb 8th 1865
 
   The record of the proceedings of a Court of Enquiry "investigating losses at Atlanta" in which Lt Col Sevies presided is endorses as follows, the said record being at this time of file in the Judge Advocates office viz "The record shows, that orders were given at 4 o'clock on the evening of 30th of August 1864 for the removal of all stores except ordnance & subsistence for one corps & the militia & all the rolling stock of the Rail Road except one train, to Jonesboro or some point south of it, by day light the next morning, that there was nothing to prevent this order being promptly executed, that it was conveyed to all the officers interested, including Lt Col McMicken the Ch Q. M., that the Road from Atlanta to Jonesboro was open until after one o'clock the next day, and yet that heavy losses occurred. The court report 1 The loss of 13 heavy guns, 81 cars, 5 engines, 28 car loads ammunition & Quarter Master, Medical & Subsistence stores in amount specially stated in the appended schedule. 2 that the 13 heavy guns were unavoidably lost. 3 That the other losses were unnecessarily avoidable. 4 That Brig Genl Shoup discharged his duty as chief of staff fully so as giving the proper orders & seeing them executed until 12 1/2 o'clock on the night of 30th August, but that subsequently to that time he failed to do so, and did not display sufficient energy or use all the means in his power to enforce the execution of his orders. 5 That Lt Col McMicken is highly culpable for not promptly complying with the orders given him by the Chief of Staff, and that the loss of the ammunition, the engines, and the cars was the result of this failure. He had at his disposal ample means to execute the orders but failed to do so"
x x x x 
By order
Chas M Blackford
A. A. A. G.
   From the testimony of Brig Genl Shoup taken under oath & certified in said record the following extract is taken. "Late at night report of the action at Jonesboro was received. Further reports were received at daylight. Genl Hood about that time informed me that he should be compelled to evacuate Atlanta and directed me to take every measure to get off such ordnance and subsistence stores as possible. Unfortunately many of our wagons were absent after forage. Every wagon that could be raised was loaded & started off. As much subsistence stores as the men could carry were distributed. There was little loss except meal, much of that was issued to animals and the remainder was taken by the citizens. Some of the ordnance stores that we found impossible to move were thrown into water. Locomotives were destroyed as far as possible, the cars including the ordnance train, were fired about half past one AM. I remained myself until about that time."
Official
W. S. Barton
Majr & A. A. G.

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