, 1861-12-06
OUR PADUCAH LETTER.


1tors a. to Gen. Smiths Pogicy-A Retrospect-
Isit Stupidity Or Distoyalty 9-Hss R1ss system
THE ezeuaptioas to as6a ssanpathisers-N
oath required paased zoithout ssareA-
Tie case Of Cdnnor-Whaz The Var hos Rssrz-
oped- SSynapathizers NTH Slavery are rot good
Cam,naaders-1hep product Of The tcar "44o6, 900
educated Abosnionsssa."
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Ttibnne.1 I
PADucAH, Ky., Noy. 50, 1a&1.
Things are in bad way here in respect 10 /
the policy pursued by the commander Of the
post, and also III regard to the prospect Of the |
maintenance Of discipline among the troops. |
The only thing that saves Us from downright |
mutiny, is tile unlimited confidence reposed |
in Generals Paine and Wallace by their respec- |
tive brigades, both in respect to their loyalty |
and their capacities for command. In letter /
written from here few days since and pub- |
lisled in the TRIBUNE, several facts in the his
tory Of the occupation Of Paducah are stated,
which point unerring1y to the causes which
have produced the state Of feeling TINT exists
here towards the commander Of the post
among both the troops and loyal citizens.
When Gen. Smith arrived and superseded
Gen. Paine by order Of Gen. Fremont, TIC
rebels had just taken possession Of Columbus
with small force, and had as get no fortifc4-
tions, and Gen. Paine had everything ready for
secret expedition, the design Of which was
to burn the bridge and trcstlc work over the
obion riyer in Tennessee, and thus cut of the
rebel forces in Hickman and Columbus from
their railroad connection With Memphis and
West Tennessee; and then, while they were
thus isolated and without fortifcations, attack
and driFe them from Southwestern Kentucky.
When Gen. Paine Was relieved Of the COM
mand, he stated the plan to Gen. Smith and
asked permission to carry it out, not doubling
for moment that it would be giycn, when
Gen. Smith proposed to communicate tic
matter to Gen. Fremont before acting.
Gen. Paine was thunderstricken, and
said to Gen. Smith, siBrt let ne
burn tic bridge first, aud then write to Gen.
Fremont 'No," said Gen Smith, "I'n
write to Gen. Fremont and get his approval
firet.n He wrote to Gen. Fremont. who re-
Piled, s4by a1l means destroy the bridge;'' but
| then four or i've days had elapscd the rebels
| had strongly reinforced and we're fortifying
| Columbus, and lad their troops 80 situated
| that the thing was 1mpracticable, The result
| Of this excessive devotion to red tape is seen
| in the present strength Of that place, and the
| great extent to which the rebels oyerlwc the
Union sentiment, and derive tllrir subsistence
| from the counties adjoining that place.
When the rebels made that attack upon our
| pickcts which resulted in wou1ding two OF
| our men, one Of them nortal1y, and tho cap
tnre OF another, Gen. Smith seemed to be
reused up and commenced arrestinG all the
nciyhborhood, aud declared he'd hang any
man whom he could convict Of compliclty in
that matter. He established Il system ofpasscs
the pickets to exhibit a pass signed BY himself,
and had the oath OF allegiance printed on the
back Of the cards on which the blank passes
were printed, and required every one to sigI
the oath as d condition Of procuring pass.
This was hailed BY all the loyal men Is a goo6
omen, and they began to rejoice III what they
supposed to he the sigus Of energy and etll
cheney in Furnishing treason, and protecting
loyalty.
The secessionists in town began to 1ooh
blue. They wanted to go out and in, but the.
didn't want to take tic oath. Some Of then
but some Of the more wealthy and proud le1t
ont, and VIC were rejoicing in their contine
ment to the sslimitE, - wien 10 and behold
after short duress they arc seen passing il
out Of the lines! What's up, thought VIC
Has Judge Campbell or Mr.. Woolfork bccom
loyal and taken the oath !: But On looking
little closer into the matter, it WIS ascertaines
that Gen. Smith lad changed, and not til
: leading secese1onists, and tlat on tier passe
, there vas nond1ne signed to tho oath!
Gen. Paine, on lcarniug thc facts, went Il
: Gen Smith and brought the matter to his 1T
tention, and he at first said that it couldn't b
: SO, but when it was pinned on to him, Il
ready to take it teheaerrit should bs 5,ccessar?
E Under existing regulations, all the baygggag 8
passing in and ont has to be searched, AM
This is done in the case Of tAe wives Of officer
? ! who come to visit their husbands, but tn
0 other day Judge Campbell had ! trunk passe
4 with Il special order from Gen Smith, that
+ should not be searched, aud 4 piano forte
r which had been bought and paid for by tw
men who are now in tic rebel army, came t
Paducah, and instead of confscating it thei
friends were permitted to slip it elsewhere.
The former proprietor Of the st. Franc
l. Hotel, man named Shields, who raised th
first secession dag that was raised IN Paducal
!, and whom Gen Paine came very near hayin
. shot, for threatening to prevent the Stars an
l. Stripes from tloatiug over his house, havin
+ rented his house to another party, roans {
d large, and passes in and out when he please
# having pass with no na1ne to the oath, and
believed to pass his time in gathering up an
communicating to the enemy full iufornlatic
| of our strength, and Of all our projeetc
I movements.
When Gen. Paine went to Love1aceyille
5 contiscate the property Of the rebel mili-own
there, not one man among his troops and NJ
Le q Union man III Paducah knew where he III
IT | going OF what for, but the rebels in Mayt1el
% IS miles of, knew al about it by the time tt
!. expedition arrived ut it's destinations; and g
I, though two weeks have elapsed since that c
~ pedlt1on and since Gen. Paine reported to &c
H. Smith the amount and kind Of property b
ID longing to the same rebel, md asked to lea
Is to bring it in, Gen. Smith constantly put hi
re off with saying that They'll come from G
a. =, lumbns and take it; it's not worth while
cs cs take it.'' 49,.
rf nf For some time pasta great number Of hora
~ hare been getting sick for want Of shelter fro
OF had been trying for some time to get &c
Smith to sign acquisitions for lumber to
re used for tho benefit Of tie horses and oth
o. o. purposes; but notwithstanding there is
lie were vain, until Gen. Paine took the matter
Of his own hands, and went to Mr, Burchard
Ia. who is loyal man, but is business agent 70
'ea firm who reside in Mississippi, rank sec
20 6ionists, owning saw and planning mill he
n. which, together with the lumber they have
IN dollars ($100, 900, }-and ordered him to &C:
ny selling the lumber, to shut up the mill, and
III given time to bring him an invoice Of I'LL
e.; r. property!
no found that, in defiance Of the law of July, IL
in had been trading in their line with the re
, States up to the very day our troops came
lad the place. When it came to Gen. suait
I've cars he sent for Gen. Paine, and wanted
hnr ,ar know By What authority he had shut up Il
ta uld Gen Paine told him by the authority Of
Ell law Of Congress, enacted in July, and that
be intended to furnish him {Gcn. Smith) VI
asst the invoice and the evidence Of the treas
ny of the owners and keep copy hin1ss!f, and t
as sei he Intended to hare enough of it to keep
em e1u horses Of his command from dying because
Vie exposure.
md This broad intimation that he would be
cry ported to the commander Of the Departme
rit- brought the commander Of the post to
senses, and lie Immediately signed rcquisiti.
/. for all the lumber that WAS wanted. Aud t
is the only way that he can be prevailed III
We to take any step which looks to the puni
citizens who live outside the picket lines.
hia The case Of poor Conn0r, related in ;,
paper Of the 9Th, has called down upon G
ing Smiths head anathcnas f1om oil humane
leE loyal men, and his refusal to grant the requ
to Of Col. Kirkham and send force Of few h
ave the hogs and cattle which have since b
ca driven of by the rebels, ought Of itself to
10 cure the removal Of any man from the resp
hen sibilities Of command, who would be guilty
IN such fragrant neglect Of duty. The rea
de- he assigned for refusing to send Gen. Il
)nc rebels property would disgrace 4 corporal
~, the guard, and ought to court martial any 7
bis acting out such absurd folly. Another ma
lrst Of complaint Ii te4t you never can tell whet
lin Gen Smith will :isn requisition or reft
II Ill seems to depend Oh the mood he is
ept "approyed,' ~ and the next day, perhaps, {
OF r'tling disapp@Qred, and yet all Of them
'or, both days involving the same principles
:ses resting on the same reasons
hile The Union men here are sick at heart
:eht discouraged, while the sccessionists arc
| r11rn mt