Notice of Promotion: Colonel Neal Carney

[J. Sheffield]

Gentlemen of the Army of the Tennessee,

With the kind permission of Major General Peterjohn, C.O.S. / AotT. I issue the following
communication;

This dispatch is to serve notice that Lt. Col. Neal Carney 1/2/XVI has been deemed qualified
and worthy by the Congress of the United States to be promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Gentlemen please join with me, raise a glass and offer your congratulations to Colonel Carney.
WELL DONE Neal.

Respectfully,Col. John Sheffield

[cameronm]

About time Neal - and you still owe me a game, and now you owe me a beer or 3. Well done Colonel <salute>

Cam

Lt Gen Cam McOmish
1/1/1
AoA
CSA

[Joe Meyer]

Colonel Carney,

I must apologize for my tardiness in congratulating you on your ascension to a full colonelcy! Such was not my intent. I believe it was at about that time that my mount began acting very skittish and I was forced to proceed on foot! Nevertheless, I must beg your indulgence in having not previously offered my heartfelt congratulations on your most recent promotion. You are a very valued and accomplished field officer of this army, one who has also stepped forward for the good of the club as the Deputy Superintendent of the Union Military Academy!

So I lift my glass to you, Colonel, in acknowledgement of both your service, commitment and the effort that has resulted in your very, well-earned promotion!

Now I must tell you of the time that I was forced to chose between the lives of a valiant squad of veteran troopers and a Confederate general's wife! Oh, it was not any situation of my making...far from it! But it became an unavoidable issue the moment I crested the low ridge outside of Sharpsburg and viewed the ground to my front. At that early time in the war there were ruffians, deserters mostly from both sides, that banded together in large groups posing as "irregulars," but who were nothing more than vicious predators of the countryside. Some of these groups operated in sizes of full companies and larger. They all had the same dark purpose; to pillage, rape, plunder and murder in any areas not within the immediate control of the regular forces of either side. And they were about to perpetrate their ugly doings upon the tiny cavalcade of a buggy and wagon desparately coming our way! My escort consisted of my Chief Signal Officer, two ADC's and twelve troopers from Cumming's Co. B, 2nd Maryland Cavalry, under the command of 2nd Lt. Morton Pease. The division was only a scant mile behind us and proceeding at a steady pace towards the ridge, but it was immediately obvious that they could not possibly arrive in time to prevent the capture of the lady in the buggy and her two house slaves. The mounted raiders numbered close to forty or fifty riders, and I'll never forget the look of understanding in Pease's eyes as he looked over at me and I nodded my unspoken assent. Drawing his sabre and standing tall in his stirrups, he ferociously glanced back at his command and roared out his commands. It was to be the penultimate moment in his short-lived life, for within an instant all twelve of his men were tearing down off of that ridge...