Confederate Article: Federal Outposts, Scouts Tight Between Dalton and Chattanooga, Feb. 1864

Quick ref., Confederate article in Columbus Daily News, 22 Feb. 1864, page 2

Describes tight security by Federal outposts between Chattanooga and Dalton--a Rebel merchant could not get through to Chattanooga. The paper reported a suspected movement by Union troops. It was published the same day Gen. Thomas started his 'reconnaissance' toward Tunnel Hill.

For the next five days, there were skirmishes in the area, with Federals briefly taking Tunnel Hill before being repulsed by Confederates, who had a stronghold in the mountains.

This article shows that rebels expected a movement--the rebel merchant's attempt to get to Chattanooga occurred about a week before the publication and the surprise attack.

Columbus Daily News, 22 Feb. 1864, page 2, "From East Tennessee and the Front"

Newspaper Clipping

https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82015388/1864-02-22/ed-1/seq-2/print/image_539x817_from_1750,7561_to_2896,9298/

Full link--not sure if persistent:

https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82015388/1864-02-22/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=02%2F22%2F1864&nottext=&date2=03%2F15%2F1864&words=Dalton&searchType=advanced&sequence=0&index=0&city=&proxdistance=5&sort=date_asc&rows=12&ortext=&proxtext=&andtext=dalton&amp=&amp=&amp=&amp=&amp=&amp=&amp=&amp=&page=1

Timeline: Battle of Dalton/Tunnel Hill -- 22 Feb. 1864 through 27 Feb. 1864

Scouts and Spies - Signal Corps - Signal Key Discovered

Federals learned the key in use by Confederate Signal Corps (1864). Confederates are aware of this fact by 19 April 1864: (OR Series 1, Vol.  32, Part 3, Correspondence, etc., page 795:

19 April 1864.
B. R. Johnson, Brig. Gen., Cmdg. Dept., at Bristol, Tenn., to General Johnston at Dalton, Georgia.

"...the Federals have the key to the signal in use in the Confederate signal corps. The key was obtained from a deserter."

Link to Correspondence about Confederate Signal Key
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152650/m1/804/


Such a fact is referenced "somewhere" by the Federals, who admitted that the scout who learned the key had foolishly let it out among the ranks, thus losing an important advantage; however, I can't put my hands on that source right now. I can't remember if it was in O.R. or Hurlburt, or both.

Scouting in Murray County, Georgia: near Waterhouse's Farm and Sumac Creek, March 1864

Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 32, Part 3 (Correspondence, etc.), 101.
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152650/m1/110/

A.P. Campbell, 21 Mar. 1864, Cleveland, Tenn., to Brig.-Gen. William D. Whipple

"One of my scouts left Sumac Creek south of Waterhouse's farm at 12 o'clock last night, and reports having heard drums in a southwest direction from there in the evening."

____________

Citation:

United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 32, In Three Parts. Part 3, Correspondence, etc., book, 1891; Washington D.C.. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152650/m1/110/?q=Sumac%20creek%20south%20of%20Waterhouse%27s%20farm: accessed August 26, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.

The following site has a text extract. The site references the Serial Set instead of the O.R. books, which makes it hard to find elsewhere; but it is searchable over a series of the official records.
https://ehistory.osu.edu/books/official-records/059/0101

James G. Brown Scouting Reports in O.R.

Some scouting reports made by James G. Brown in Nov. 1864 are in Official Records.

Selected James G. Brown scouting reports - one mentions Murray County, Georgia

November 1864
Official Records, Series 1, Volume 45, Part 1 (Reports, Correspondence, etc.), 947
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth142228/m1/979/?q=fort%20hill,%20dalton


January 1865
Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 45, Part 2 (Correspondence, etc.), page 601
A report from Robt. H. Ramsey to Maj.-Gen. Steedman mentions communications from James G. Brown, Dalton.
(Elsewhere indexed as serial 094).

Union Intelligence - East Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia - March 1864

Union Intelligence Regarding Couriers, Communications, Railroads, etc., specific to East Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia. March 1864.

Official Records, Series 1, Volume 32, Part 3 (Correspondence), 89-90.

Intelligence Specific to East Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia
Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, Chattanooga, Tenn., March 18, 1864, General George H. Thomas to General William T. Sherman (Correspondence).
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152650/m1/98/

Link to s1, v32, pt 3, pg. 89

Brief Citation:
Official Records, Series 1, Volume 32, Part 3 (Correspondence), 89-90.

Related to Scouts and Scouting (Couriers, Spying, Scouting, Intelligence Gathering).

Scouts, Scouting: Espionage in the Civil War (link to site)

Scouts and Scouting...

Espionage in the Civil War
(link to web site)

http://www.civilwarsignals.org/pages/spy/spy.html

Phil Sheridan's Scouts (link to article)

General Phil Sheridan's scouts: article on History.net 

http://www.historynet.com/philip-sheridan