Official Reports — Fort Duffield Collection
The Official Reports Collection preserves military documents, engineering notes, and War Department
correspondence connected to Fort Duffield, West Point, and the 9th Michigan Infantry. Because many original
documents do not survive in full, this page uses Extracted Notes from Charles W. Bennett’s
Historical Sketches of the Ninth Michigan Infantry (1913), a public‑domain source based on diaries, letters,
and official records.
Report Index
- Col. Duffield — Murfreesboro Official Report
- Fox — Salt River & Bridge Engineering Notes
- Buell & Buckner — Official References
- 9th Michigan Regimental Reports
- Miscellaneous War Department Documents
- Command Structure Documents
Col. William W. Duffield — Murfreesboro Official Report
Extracted Notes (Bennett, pp. 4, 8–10)
“The Ninth losing forty per cent of its number engaged…” (p. 4)
Bennett describes Duffield’s leadership, capture, and pursuit of Morgan where “200 prisoners were taken”.
Readable Summary
Duffield’s OR report details the regiment’s defensive position, sudden attack, confusion, and his capture.
Fox — Salt River & Bridge Engineering Notes
Extracted Notes (Bennett, pp. 5–7)
Fox supervised fort construction, grading the first path up Muldraugh’s Hill.
Engineers estimated “70,000 days work was expended” fortifying the hill.
Readable Summary
Fox’s extracts show his central role in engineering oversight and defensive planning.
Buell & Buckner — Official References
Extracted Notes (Bennett, p. 8)
Buell commanded the Army of the Ohio; Buckner threatened Louisville from Bowling Green.
Readable Summary
These extracts explain why Fort Duffield was constructed and how the Ninth Michigan fit into Buell’s strategy.
9th Michigan Regimental Reports
Extracted Notes (Bennett, pp. 5–10)
The regiment was mustered with “913 men” and buried “sixty‑one men on the hill”.
Readable Summary
These extracts document sickness, fatigue duty, engineering work, and movement orders.
Miscellaneous War Department Documents
Extracted Notes (Bennett, pp. 7–9)
Provost actions included arrests after an assassination attempt on Parkhurst.
Quartermaster issued toy padlocks less than an inch wide.
Readable Summary
These extracts illustrate enforcement, supply issues, and provost actions.
Command Structure Documents
Extracted Notes (Bennett, pp. 3, 7–10)
Brigade consisted of the 9th Michigan, 3rd Minnesota, 8th Kentucky, 23rd Kentucky.
Readable Summary
These extracts show brigade organization, officer duties, and command disputes.