| Abingdon Va. |
| August 18/64 |
| |
| Office Chf Qr Mr |
| Gen J H Morgans Comd |
| |
| The following is a statement of
what occurred at Glade Springs on the night of 22d of June 1864. I am
Brig Gen Jno H. Morgans Chf Qr Mr of Division and accompanied him with
other staff officers on the trip which was intended to have gone beyond
Wytheville and ascertain the condition of affairs in that region of
country on reaching Glade Springs Mr J S Goforth Supt of the ET&Va RR
refused positively to allow the train to proceed any further and left
the Depot and hid himself. I was directed by Gen Morgan to find him and
tell him to come down that he (the Gen) wanted to see him I am certain
that Mr. Goforth was aware that I was looking for him & he also knew
that Genl wanted to see him. After a search of nearly an hour I found
him he then refused to see Genl Morgan & I informed Gen M. of the above
facts. He then ordered me to place Mr Goforth in arrest which order was
obeyed during this time Mr G. was nearly a mile from the Depot when Gen
M was standing, by this time a train had been procured by Maj
Crutchfield Chf Qr Mr of the Dept & was about ready to start, when Mr
Goforth ordered the conductor not to obey any order of Gen Morgan the
engine driver also received the same instruction & noticed that he would
be discharged if Gen M. orders were obeyed. the conductor then refused
to take the train & was put in arrest. the engine driver went & was
discharged from the road after Goforth was placed in arrest he used
every means to thwart Gen M. orders. he was not placed under an armed
guard. a guard was on the train but not over him he road to Abingdon on
the engine at his own instance. I invited him in the car with the rest
of the staff he refused to come, on reaching Abingdon he did not report
to the Pro Marshal I went to the Prp Marshal and informed him of the
state of affairs. Goforth was not confined one minute, but told to come
& go when he pleased only to report at Pro Marshals office the next
morning for a settlement of the difficulty. I did not hear Gen M c??
him, Goforth, the Gen used very strong language as Goforth persistently
interfered with every thing the Gen undertook. after the train reached
Glade Springs and Goforth had refused to allow the train to go any
further he then said the train should not return to Abingdon, which
would have left Gen M at that point 15 miles from his Hd Qrs 36 hours &
no horses could be procured to return on. at this time the train was not
running on schedule time & not intended to do so for two days so RR men
said. as to RR Co loosing trains had Goforth allowed the train to have
gone on or returned when it arrived at Glade Springs not an hour would
have been lost Gen M. did not let the train go on towards Wytheville
until he had ascertained there was no train coming towards Glade
Springs. Had the cars been running on schedule time there would have
been one. as it was the track was clear Mr Goforth never sent a dispatch
making inquiry in regard to the track & refused to do so when requested.
Glade Springs was a Depot for commissary stores the troops at front near
Bristol were without food & for that reason. Gen Morgan ordered the
train to return & carry rations to them (a car load) Mr Goforth was not
defamed either before or after his arrest. more than being told that he
was in arrest & must not interfere, that the responsibility of RR did
not rest with him at that time. He was treated cordially & politely. I
was with him all the time & never heard him complain of any injustice or
unkind treatment. |
| G W Gassett |
| Maj & Cf QM |
| Morgan Div |
|