Buell Military Commission

According to historian Peter Maslowski, "The Lincoln administration made a serious error when it failed to provide Johnson and Buell with explicit instructions on their respective responsibilities.

"[2] Buell was ultimately absolved of charges that he failed to conduct an effective offensive campaign in the upper South–lower Midwest region because he was negligent or held secret Confederate allegiances.

[1] Scholar Mark Peine describes the commission as a "form of mock trial, used by the Government against an unpopular military commander for political intent.

)[6] For his part, Buell firmly (and fairly convincingly) refuted the charges against himself,[7] although contemporary scholars argue that he was almost impossibly sluggish in his troop movements and note that he was unaware of the Battle of Perryville until combat had been ongoing for hours.

[8] The House Committee on Military Affairs' Buell Court of Inquiry also investigated if General Sherman might have had an interest in removing the documents.