Col. J. Stoddard Johnston, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 9.1, Kentucky
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[154] independent organizations, ‘One brigade of 2,500 men, Col. John H. Morgan commanding, to act as partisans.’ One of General Bragg's first acts after reaching Tennessee was to recommend the promotion of Colonels Hanson, Hunt and Morgan to the rank of brigadier. In his letter of November 22d to Adjutant-General Cooper, he says: ‘Col. John H. Morgan is peculiarly suited for the special service in which I propose to employ him—partisan war on the enemy's lines in Kentucky. He has raised his command, and nearly armed and equipped it from the enemy's stores.’ Later a brigade of cavalry was organized under Gen. Abram Buford, of Kentucky, which operated about Murfreesboro until after the battle, when General Buford was transferred to the Mississippi department. General Buckner did not continue long in Tennessee, but was assigned to the command of Mobile, where he remained until the following spring, when he relieved Gen. Kirby Smith as commander of the department of East Tennessee, the latter being transferred to the Trans-Mississippi.

The army spent the month of December, 1862, before Murfreesboro, drilling and perfecting itself in organization in contemplation of an early attack by Rosecrans, who was collecting a formidable army at Nashville. General Wheeler's cavalry was in front, while Forrest covered the left flank in front of Columbia, where Van Dorn was in command of a force chiefly of cavalry.

In the early part of the month one of the most brilliant events of the year took place in the capture of Hartsville, Tenn. The expedition was planned and led by General Morgan and was composed entirely of Kentucky troops: 1,400 cavalry under Col. Basil W. Duke; the Second and Ninth Kentucky infantry, commanded by Col. Thomas H. Hunt; Captain Cobb's battery, and two howitzers and two Ellsworth guns of the cavalry. General Morgan had learned that Federal detachments were stationed at Gallatin, Castalian Springs and Hartsville,