January 2, 1862 (Wednesday): "A Burning Disgrace to the Army"

General Henry Halleck

[Inclosure]

WELLSVILLE, MO, January 2, 1862.

Col. J. C. KELTON,

       Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dept. of the Missouri, Saint Louis, Mo:

    COLONEL: I have the honor to urgently request the immediate action of the commanding general upon a matter which I regard of vital importance.

    Upon my arrival at Warrenton, I found a battalion of Reserve Corps Cavalry, under command of Major Hallan, the only cavalry at my disposal.  These men had preceded me only a few days, but they had already murdered one of the few Union men in that vicinity and committed numerous depredations upon the property of peaceful citizens.  Since that time their conduct has been absolutely barbarous—a burning disgrace to the army and to the Union cause.  In spite of all my efforts to the contrary they have plundered and destroyed the property of citizens (many of them the best Union men in the State) to the amount of many thousands of dollars.  Their officers either connive at it or else have no power to restrain their men.  I cannot trust them out of my sight for a moment and of course they are of no use to me as cavalry so long as this is the case.  I have succeeded in detecting five of the robbers and have them in irons and have arrested the major and one of the captains and placed them in close confinement.

    I have placed Lieutenant Sheldon, of my staff, in command of the two companies in this place, but I cannot long spare him from his proper duties, and there are still three companies at other posts, and it is beyond my power to prevent their acts of robbery if I make any use of them.  No doubt there are some good men in this battalion, but as a class they are well-mounted and well-armed barbarians.

    I am told there is at Benton Barracks a considerable force of good mounted men without arms.  I therefore urgently request that a battalion of them be sent to me without arms or horses, and that I be authorized to dismount and disarm Major Hollan’s battalion and send it to Saint Louis.  If something of the kind is not done soon there will be very few Union men in this part of the State.

     I will as soon as possible forward charges against Major Hollan, Captain Winkel, and the men I have arrested.

     I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

                                                                         J. M. SCHOFIELD,

                                                            Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 8, Part 1, Page 503.

Schofield’s letter was used by Halleck as an illustration to McClellan of the problems he encountered with foreign born troops in Missouri.  The Germans in Sigel’s command gave such a bad account of them they were said to be equally feared by friend and foe alike.  The new secretary of War, Stanton, angrily defended the Administration against charges they were shielding and defending these men against proper discipline, but the German forces formed the backbone of the armies raised by Blair and Fremont in Missouri and the Administration took pains to cultivate good relations with the recent immigrants who were reliably Republican.