being deceived into the
belief that he was surrounded by a superior force with six pieces
of artillery.(22) The War Department, somewhat hastily, August
22d, by order, without trial, dismissed Colonel Mason from the
service. This order was revoked March 22, 1866.(22) Twelve officers
of the regiment signed a statement to the effect that they had
advised the surrender. For this the War Department mustered them
out August 29, 1862. The President directed the order revoked as
to Captain Sol. J. Houck, because he signed the statement under a
misapprehension of its contents.(23) The order dismissing the
others was revoked after the war, except as to Lieutenant Ira L.
Morris, who enlisted in 1864 as a private soldier, and was thereupon
honorably discharged as a Lieutenant.

The Confederate Army was now in occupancy of Frankfort, Lexington,
Cumberland Gap, and most of middle Kentucky. Buell's army, largely
reinforced by fresh troops and numbering, present for duty,
65,886,(24) was apparently besieged at Louisville. Nelson had
retired there from his disaster at Richmond (August 30th), and had
collected a very considerable army and thrown up some breastworks.

At West Point I obtained permission to proceed with the advance of
the army to Louisville, having previously been notified of my
appointment as Colonel of a newly-organized regiment.

On reaching Louisville I first saw President Lincoln's 22d of
September Proclamation, announcing that on January 1, 1863, he
would proclaim all slaves within States or designated parts of a
State, the people whereof should be in rebellion, "thenceforward
and forever free." The idea of prosecuting the war for the liberation
of slaves in rebellious States had, to say the least, had not been
fostered in Buell's army, hence there was much criticism of this
proclamation by officers, and some foolish threats of resigning
rather than "fight for the freedom of the negro." Even the army,
fighting patriotically to suppress the rebellion, did not then
fully appreciate that it was not in God's divine plan that peace
should ever come to our stricken country until our banner of liberty
waved over none but freemen.

On the 24th of September the President issued an order creating
the Department of the Tennessee and assigned to its command Major-
General George H. Thomas; and the same day Buell was ordered to
turn his command over to him and to retire to Indianapolis.(25)
These orders were forw