Colonel James R. Ross, General Daniel MacCaulay, Captain Ad Ware, General John A. Strickland, General John M. Thayer, now United States Senator from Nebraska—­all, of my command, on the day in question, present with me, well known to you, and of unimpeachable honor.  I could have obtained many others, of like import, but selected these because their authors had peculiar opportunities for information upon points considered of chief importance.  It is possible that my explanations of the matter would be sufficient for the purpose in view.  However that may be, it is my judgment now, that the charges against me have gone so far, and been put in such grave form, that public opinion may require an exoneration, though it come from your hand, to be based upon the testimony of others.

Permit me to say, further, that as to the order you started to me by Captain Baxter, I do not understand there is any question of veracity between us.  You tell me, that from the battle-field you dispatched a verbal order by the officer named, to be delivered to me, at Crump’s Landing, directing me to march my division to Pittsburg Landing by the road, parallel with the river; and, supposing, as you did, that the order would reach me by 11 o’clock, A.M., you reasonably concluded my command would be on the field by 1 o’clock, P.M.

Now in all candor, if you have been, as I am informed, of opinion that I received that order as it was given, and at the time stated (11 o’clock, A.M.), and that for any reason, such as personal feeling against you, or that I lost my way, or took the wrong road, or lingered on the march, making but five miles in seven hours, it must be admitted that you were justifiable in any, even the most extreme judgment against me; and I must confess that your moderation was greater than mine would likely have been, had our positions been reversed.  I do not flinch from that conclusion, at all; but what I do say in my defence is that the opinion and the conclusion, which is its corollary, are both wrong, because the order admitted to have been dispatched was not delivered to me, in form or substance, as dispatched.  On the contrary, the order I received from your messenger was in writing, unsigned, and contained substantially the following instructions: 

“You will leave a force at Crump’s Landing, sufficient to guard the public property there; then march the rest of your division, and effect a junction with the right of the army; after which you will form your line of battle at right angles with the river, and act as circumstances dictate.”

This order was read by Colonel Ross, under circumstances well calculated to impress it upon his memory.  It was also given to Colonel Knefler, then my Adjutant General, and by him read and unfortunately lost.  Finally, its purport, as stated by me above, is vouched for by Captain Ware as the aide de camp.  To refuse credit