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But at the time； exactly what had taken place just before the
shooting was shrouded in mystery by a hundred conflicting stories；
the principal and most credited of which was that Davis had demanded
from Nelson an apology for language used in the original altercation；
and that Nelson's refusal was accompanied by a slap in the face； at
the same moment denouncing Davis as a coward。 However this may be；
Nelson； after slapping Davis； moved toward the corridor； from which a
stairway led to the second floor； and just as he was about to ascend；
Davis fired with a pistol that he had obtained from some one near by
after the blow had been struck。 The ball entered Nelson's breast
just above the heart； but his great strength enabled him to ascend
the stairway notwithstanding the mortal character of the wound； and
he did not fall till he reached the corridor on the second floor。 He
died about half an hour later。 The tragedy cast a deep gloom over
all who knew the men； for they both had many warm personal friends；
and affairs at Louisville had hardly recovered as yet from the
confused and discouraging condition which preceded the arrival of
General Buell's army。 General Buell reported the killing of Nelson
to the authorities at Washington； and recommended the trial of Davis
by court…martial； but no proceedings were ever instituted against him
in either a civil or military court； so to this day it has not been
determined judicially who was the aggressor。 Some months later Davis
was assigned to the command of a division in Buell's army after that
officer had been relieved from its command。
Two Confederate armies； under General Kirby Smith and General Braxton
Bragg； had penetrated into Kentucky； the one under Smith by the way
of Cumberland Gap； the other and main army under Bragg by way of the
Sequatche Valley； Glasgow； and Mumfordsville。 Glasgow was captured
by the enemy on the 17th of September； and as the expectation was
that Buell would reach the place in time to save the town； its loss
created considerable alarm in the North； for fears were now
entertained that Bragg would strike Louisville and capture the city
before Buell could arrive on the ground。 It became necessary
therefore to put Louisville in a state of defense； and after the
cordon of principal works had been indicated； my troops threw up in
one night a heavy line of rifle…pits south of the city； from the
Bardstown pike to the river。 The apprehended attack by Bragg never
came； however； for in the race that was then going on between him and
Buell on parallel roads； the Army of the Ohio outmarched the
Confederates； its advance arriving at Louisville September 25。
General Buell immediately set about reorganizing the whole force； and
on September 29 issued an order designating the troops under my
command as the Eleventh Division； Army of the Ohio； and assigning
Brigadier…General J。 T。 Boyle to command the division； and me to
command one of its brigades。 To this I could not object； of course；
for I was a brigadier…general of very recent date； and could hardly
expect more than a brigade。 I had learned； however； that at least
one officer to whom a high command had been givena corpshad not
yet been appointed a general officer by the President； and I
considered it somewhat unfair that I should be relegated to a
brigade； while men who held no commissions at all were being made
chiefs of corps and divisions； so I sought an interview with General
Buell's chief…of…staff； Colonel Fry； and； while not questioning
Buell's good intentions nor his pure motives； insisted that my rights
in the matter should be recognized。 That same evening I was assigned
to the command of the Eleventh Division； and began preparing it at
once for a forward movement； which I knew must soon take place in the
resumption of offensive operations by the Army of the Ohio。
During the interval from September 25 till October 1 there was among
the officers much criticism of General Buell's management of the
recent campaign； which had resulted in his retirement to Louisville；
and he was particularly censured by many for not offering battle to
General Bragg while the two armies were marching parallel to each
other； and so near that an engagement could have been brought on at
any one of several pointsnotably so at Glasgow； Kentucky； if there
had been a desire to join issue。 It was asserted； and by many
conceded； that General Buell had a sufficient force to risk a fight。
He was much blamed for the loss of Mumfordsville also。 The capture
of this point； with its garrison； gave Bragg an advantage in the race
toward the Ohio River； which odds would most likely have ensured the
fall of Louisville had they been used with the same energy and skill
that the Confederate commander displayed from Chattanooga to Glasgow；
but something always diverted General Bragg at the supreme moment；
and he failed to utilize the chances falling to him at this time；
for； deflecting his march to the north toward Bardstown； he left open
to Buell the direct road to Louisville by way of Elizabethtown。
At Bardstown Bragg's army was halted while he endeavored to establish
a Confederate government in Kentucky by arranging for the
installation of a provisional governor at Lexington。 Bragg had been
assured that the presence of a Confederate army in Kentucky would so
encourage the secession element that the whole State could be forced
into the rebellion and his army thereby largely increased； but he had
been considerably misled； for he now found that though much latent
sympathy existed for his cause； yet as far as giving active aid was
concerned； the enthusiasm exhibited by the secessionists of Kentucky
in the first year of the war was now replaced by apathy； or at best
by lukewarmness。 So the time thus spent in political machinations
was wholly lost to Bragg； and so little reinforcement was added to
his army that it may be said that the recruits gained were not enough
to supply the deficiencies resulting from the recent toilsome marches
of the campaign。
In the meanwhile Buell had arrived at Louisville； system had been
substituted for the chaos which had previously obtained there； and
orders were issued for an advance upon the enemy with the purpose of
attacking and the hope of destroying him within the limits of the
〃blue grass〃 region； and； failing in that； to drive him from
Kentucky。 The army moved October 1； 1862； and my division； now a
part of the Third Corps； commanded by General C。 C。 Gilbert； marched
directly on Bardstown； where it was thought the enemy would make a
stand； but Bragg's troops retreated toward Perryville； only resisting
sufficiently to enable the forces of General Kirby Smith to be drawn
in closerthey having begun a concentration at Frankfortso they
could be used in a combined attack on Louisville as soon as the
Confederate commander's political projects were perfected。
Much time was consumed by Buell'