Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-11-08

ED BY FLOYD.
The Cincinnati Times, strong Repub-
lican paper, publishes the following letter
from the Federal camp in Western Vir-
ginia, with the following expressive head /:
FROM THE KANAWHA VALLEY.
Bad Condition of the Army--The Late Retrograde
Movement Awful Condition of the Sick--A
Sckening Picture Indeed.
CAMP BESHA&, Oct. 8, 1861.
In my last you were informed of an ex-
pected battle between our forces, under
command of Gen. Rosencrans, and those
of the rebels, under Gen. Lee. Rosen-
Grams marched with his forces, some 1000
strong, toward Camp Lookout, where his
advance guard drove in the enefny's pick
cts. He afterwards followed up as fer as
Sewell's Mountain, few miles from where
Gen. Lee and his entire force-18, 900
men--strongly entrenched and fortified
But the armies could see each other plain
ly from their camping grounds. They
both stood menacing each other for sever
al days, when, finally, Gen. Rosencrans
came to the serious conclusion that he
must fall back on Camp Lookout or Gau-
ley. Therefore, the first Brigade, Gen.
Bonham's, which consisted only Of the
tenth regiment, Major Burke command
ing, were ordered back the twelfth being
at Camp Lookout and the thirteenth at
Gauley. The boys Of the tenth were ter
fibly mortified when ordered back I ne.
yer in my life saw men more eager or anx-
ious for a fight than they were.
This flight will not be easily forgotten
by them indeed, it was one Of the most
foolish movements Gen. Rosencrans ever
made since his advent into Western Vir-
ginia, and, If I mistake not, it was all
caused by the inactivity and blundering
of Gen. Cox and few others of the same
ilk. They represented things in a man
her which led Gen, Rosencrans to believe
that victory would be easily achieved
When our army came within ten miles of
Camp Sewell, the road was almost impass-
ible, so much so that some of the wagons
and ambulances were broken to atoms
To cosmopolital journalist, the menac-
ing attitude of both armies would, indeed,
be glorous sight. There stood the Sou
thern troops on Little Sewell, giaht-like
in form, while our troops stood looking on
with amazemert, full of chagrin and dis.
appointment.
1t was, indeed one of the most foolish,
as well as ohe of the most hattened out.
expeditions that could possibly happen an
army, and it is no wonder that the men
felt miserable. And I am surprised that
Gen. Rosencrans did not see into it before
he started. Had he looked matters
straight in the face, as a General should,
he would have saved the Government an
enormous expense, the hospital from hun
dreds of soldiers, and soldiers from i'll
hunior. The fact of the matter is, Carni-
fax Ferry, about which SO much has been
said and written, turns out, more to our
cost, a great blunder and sad mistake !;
ahdj instead of heaping opprobious epi-
thets on Floyd, calling him coward, he has
in the end turned out to be Rosencrans'
superior as an officer and General. He
out-maheuvered him in every way and in
every sense of the word. We now find
him one Of the most formidable opponents
at bittle Sewell whereas, if Gen. Bon
hams plans were followed out at Carnifax
Ferry, he would be strongly confined in
our penitentiary at Columbus, together
with his whole brigade, Thousands Of
men and millions Of dollars have yet to
be expended before the Government gains
the advantage Gen Rosencrahs gained, but
lost at Carhifax Ferry.
Captain Hudson, of Company G, 10th
Regiment, and forty men, were detailed by
MAJOR Burke to reconnoitre the position
? and strength Of the enemy at Sehell Noun
tain on the 4th They took a detour OF
twelve miles, and came i n the rear of Gen.
Wise's position, where he found series
of formidable earthworks and line OF
caplps extending a distance Of about five
miles. He crept through the underbrush
to within the distance of about fifty yards
of their camp ground. He stayed there
until dusk, when, according to orders, he
made the best of his way back to head.
quarters, where he reported what turned
out Afterwards to be of the greatest conse.
quence to our army. Too much credit
cannot be given to Captain Hudson for his
discretion and valor in this instance, as
we'll as on many former occasions.
The condition Of thesodiers of this di
vision. is appalling. There must be al
. least 1900 men in the different hospitals
and in some of the hospitals they arr
shamefully neglected. At Cross Lanes
there were 211 men in the hospital, anG
for two days prior to my arrival there, tn,
men had not one particle Of sugar, ahC
had to lay, during that terrific food, in
3 miserable sop of straw, with nothing bu
. a miserable canvas tent to screen them from
the rains, and, in many instances, founC
as many as ten and fifteen sick men in on
r of these miserable excuses. This new
will surprise many, yet it is true. Wher,
= does the blame lie? At whose door will /
be laid, or how will it be remedied2
The surgeons say it is not their fault
then who is to blame2 While al Gaule,