, 1861-11-09
(; LII ! = = :. = = ~ - ; :
Chicago Grihtitte'
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER .. 1861.
1HK 1hHssoN EAUeaf Al 1s~

The 1sastrous termination Of The Cstfo
,xnedition to Columbus, Is another severe
v:son On The management Of this contest
- III the rebeh. Our troops have suffered
!. had defeat. Hundreds Of men have
;; IN Killed and wounded, and other hun
:ees taken prisoners The loss OF the
.1emy ID far lighter than ours. The oh.
lcct Of the expedition was not attained.
The 1tbels have been elated and eabold- |
ertd while OUT troops have been depressed,
i not discouraged.
TIE section Of country where this battle
vas fought is intensely secession, and
dense]y populated with slaves. Ken:uck 3
:.rd Tennessee, west Of the Tennessee river,
ale the hotbeds Of rebellion in those States,
AID are full q! slaEea. Those slaves arean
loyal at heart, and hate the secessionists.
Every man of!hem fit to bear arms, would
gladly volunteer to shoulder musket,
w;eld an axe, OF handle spade in the ser
vice Of Cncle Sam. From April last until
:tw they have been working for the reb-
IL, raisirg ctcps and doing d1udsery for
-.eir troops. Our officers have steadily
:efu:fd 10 avail themselves Of the help OF
.::.se loyal people. They made their own
nen dig bitches, wheel dirt up en-
bankmcnts, hew down forests and per-
form vast amount Of other Sc
we're 1ahcr, IN an unhealthy climate and
under blazing sun. They have filed
heir hospitals with sick and dying SOL
diers. The diseases and deaths were
mainly caused by hardship and exposure,
which the employment Of "contraba1ds'
would have avoided. Had the policy and
instructions Of Che War Departmental to Gen.
Sherman been adopted, and had our off
GERS ayailed themselves Of the sreElces
Of the thousands Of 1contrabands
who would have offered, affairs would
vea1 very different face Al Cairo, Colua-
:l;us, ard Memphis. The 7:1lole slave Pop
ul;ticn OF 1hst section Of couatry, would
te ina state of INSTRUMENTATION
9gainst thesecesionists. Half Of those from
Inst region, now In the rebel army would
have been obliged to remain ct home to
keep their slaves quiet, CT to work their
plantations themselves, when The slaves
lad escsped. The adult contrabands
would have run of by scores and hun
d1cds c7e1y night, and never stopped IN
Ill safely within our Ines. They would
have cc1veyed minute information con-
cerning the force and position Of the rebel
71ccps, and most Of them would have
brought aleng a horse or q mule. These
fusitlvts would have cheerfully and gladly
Gere whatever work they were set st,
whether it was building fortifcations,
cbopp;ug trees, preparing food, washing
clothes. taking care Of horses and mules,
waiting On cur soldiers, or drilling under
white officers, who might have been pro-
NOTED hon, the ranks for such command
By 1liis time Generals Grant and McCler.
lard could have had 10000 "contra
lands in their service as laborers and
fighters, who would handle spade o.
step bullet as we'll Is white man.
Does il need more than tnimb1cful o1
brains to perceive the advantages tha
would kave followed the adoption Of til:
method Of dealing with the rebels? Doe
any reasonable, candid man, doubt tha
SUCCESS would crown the efforts OF Gu
arms, and series of disasters betal TIT
1cb,1s? Had tlis policy been pursued th<
defeat at Belmont would never hay,
occurred:
How long will our officers play into TIL
henGs Of tho rebels, by allowing them t;
make au1i1iaries Of the colored class? Ho7
1crg will preserving slaverY-the cause q
the rebellion-he made the paramount Oh
ject cf our efforts. and Niger. catching on
OF the chief duties Of our soldiers? Fo
Just that long will the rebels be able t.
hold our armies at bay, aad to infict dc
feat after defeat upon ua. Adversely is ,
hard school, but in no other will ou
rulers learn wisdom