| Richmond Feb 8th 1865 |
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| 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" |
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x x x x
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By order
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Chas M Blackford
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A. A. A. G.
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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."
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Official
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W. S. Barton
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Majr & A. A. G.
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