ORs: (US) Col. James Fry to Col. W. W. Duffield - July 12, 1862

War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
Series 1, Volume 16, Part, 2 Page 130-131

HEADQUARTERS,
Huntsville, July 12, 1862.

Col. W. W. DUFFIELD,
Murfreesborough:

Mr. Anderson, superintendent of railroad repairs, is ordered to go to work on the McMinnville road. Direct one regiment of your brigade from Tullahoma to proceed with Anderson’s working party and assist in the repairs and guard the line. They must erect a stockade for the defense of every bridge as they come to it and have a suitable guard to protect it. The stockade should be octagonal in shape and, say, 25 or 30 feet in diameter. The Eighteenth Ohio is ordered to station four companies at Cowan and six with headquarters at Tullahoma. They should be in position by the 15th instant. As soon as the six companies are in position at Tullahoma you will march the whole of your brigade to McMinnville, moving the part from Tullahoma and Murfreesborough so that they will reach that point as near simultaneously as possible, and try to keep yourself in communication with both parts. The Twenty-fourth Illinois is ordered to guard the bridges on the Chattanooga road not otherwise provided for, but will not guard the McMinnville road. You will therefore stockade and guard every bridge on that road as your troops advance and will keep guards upon it until they are relieved by orders from here. Take with you five days’ rations for the whole command and then draw from Murfreesborough or Nashville. It will be necessary for you to push the repairs of the McMinnville Railroad to early completion. Mr. Bruch, manager of telegraphs, Nashville, has been ordered to run the line to Tullahorna and Cowan and to McMinnville. Expedite this work, particularly to the latter point, and communicate with Mr. Bruch on the subject. Don’t fail to erect a stockade for every bridge, and then small guards will render your bridges comparatively secure. Acknowledge receipt.

JAMES B. FRY,
Chief of Staff.

NOTE BY GENERAL BUELL.—The day after this dispatch was sent Murfreesborough was attacked and captured by Forrest.