On
March 19, 1862, five days after the Union Army gained control of much of North
Carolina's coastal plain with its victory in the Battle of New Bern, the
Confederacy dismissed Brigadier General Richard C. Gatlin from command of the Department
of North Carolina. Gatlin, ill with fever in Goldsboro, was unable to lead his
troops in New Bern, leaving Brigadier General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch to suffer
the battlefield loss. The local newspapers excoriated Gatlin for the loss,
claiming he had neglected New Bern's defenses and his Department in general,
and that he was drunk during the battle. The papers soon recanted their stories,
but for some reason Gatlin never was assigned another command in the
Confederate Army. After spending a full year trying to determine why the Confederate
War Department, a War Department that was in desperate need for experienced
military leaders, overlooked him for another command position, he gave up and
resigned his commission on March 23, 1863, effective September 8, 1862. We do
not know why Gatlin became persona non grata. Bad publicity may have kept him
from receiving another command, he may have refused to serve in Virginia, away
from his beloved North Carolina, or there may have been other reasons. We may
never know, but here is Gatlin's resignation. It was accepted and made official by Special Order No. 85 from the Confederate War Department in April 1863.
Gatlin's Resignation from the
Provisional Army of the CSA
The
following is a true and full transcription of a photocopy of a document written
by Richard Caswell Gatlin, such document on file with the National Archives.
The photocopy was sent to James L. Gaddis Jr from the National Archives upon
his request for military records of Richard Caswell Gatlin July 5, 2001.
Transcription by James L. Gaddis Jr, January 31, 2016.
1
On the 19th Mar. 1862, Brig. Gen'l
Gatlin was relieved from duty in the State of N. Carolina in consequence of ill
health. On that day he addressed a note to the War Dep't asking an
investigation into his conduct while in command of the Dep't of N.C. provided
it had not met with the approval of the government, and this request was
further urged in a note dated the 27th of March. The reply of Sect'y Randolph,
though unsatisfactory from its neither exonerating or condemning, or promising
investigation could only lead to one conclusion, viz that Gen'l Gatlin had been
relieved for the reason stated in the order and from no other. Hence when he
reported for duty on the 23rd of May 1862, he confidently expected to be at
once assigned to a Command. This was not done however, and he continued to make
the stated monthly reports until the month of September when he received Asst
Adj't Gen'l Whiting's letter notifying him "that having no assignment, his
appointment of Brigr Genl in the Provisional Army was vacated under the 2 par:
of Genl Orders No 48." Soon after, Genl Gatlin proceeded to Richmond, and in an
interview with Secty Randolph on the 24th of Sept, it was stated that the order
was designed to be an exponent of the law, but if Genl Gatlin did not think
that it applied to his case, he might protest, and the matter would be referred
to the law Officer of the Government for his opinion.
2
The protest was then made, not with the
vision of forcing his services upon the country, but to place himself in a
position to again repeat his request, to have his conduct investigated by a
proper tribunal, which could not be done so long as his appointment of Brigr
Genl was not acknowledged by the Government. The investigation was the more to
be desired, in as much as the Secty had stated that certain reports, rumours
or allegations - not specified - prejudicial to Genl Gatlin had reached the War
Dept. He had expected a speedy reply to his protest, as he did not presume but
that the Secty had referred it according to promises. Up to this time however,
nothing has been heard from the War Dept on the subject.
In as much as so much time has elapsed
since the protest was made, that if an answer favorable to Genl Gatlin was now
returned, he could hardly hope to have his conduct investigated, without which
he would not willingly serve in the Army, he desires that the letter of Asst
Adjt Genl Whiting be withdrawn or cancelled, and his resignation of the
appointment of Brigr. Genl in the Provisional Army - which he believes he still
holds under the law - be accepted to take effect on the 8th Sept. 1862, the
date of Major Whiting's letter.
March 20th 1863.