Saturday, April 20, 2013

April 21, 1863 (Wednesday): Civil Authority In Tennessee

Andrew Johnson

MURFREESBOROUGH, TENN.,
April 21, 1863-11 p.m.
His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
President of the United States:
    Thrice has notice directly come to me that some complaint has been lodged in the minds of persons high in authority, or in records in the War Office, against the working of my army police, or that there was a conflict of authority between civil and military. Each time I have stated that I know of none, and asked for he specifications, that I might remedy the evil. No reply has been given, no information of what this all means. If there be anything wrong I want to know it, and appeal to you to please order the complaints to be communicated to me fully. If the fox is unearthed, I will promise to skin him or pay for his hide.


     W. S. ROSECRANS,
     Major-General.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 23, Part 2, Pages 262-263.

There were complaints against Rosecrans' police forces were lodged by Tennessee's military governor (later Vice-President) Andrew Johnson.  Johnson was resentful of Rosecrans' power in civilian matters, arguing it usurped constitutional authority.  Lincoln agreed, Rosecrans knew it, but here he engages in trying to elicit the sources of the information known by the President. 

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