, 1861-12-07
Correspondence Of tho Chicago Tribune

FORT HoLr (sEAR CAmo,> Dec 8, 1861.
The TRIBUNE but expresses the universal
sentiment Of those who have left home and
everything to fight for their country in this the
hour Of ler utmost need, when it boldly and
eogently insists that it is the duty Of the Gov
crnment TO strike at the yita1s of this accursed
rebellion, Here, III Kentucky, nc have en-
dured the lcat Of the summers sun, and now
feel The winters cold-wc have brcathed for
months tho malaria Of these God d-forsaken, &C.
cession, cursed swamps. We expect and are
willing to bear all these, to lay down our lives
when necessary, to sustain our common coun-
try. But we do feel to complain Of, and even
dare to be dlsgustcd with, the powers that be,
because VIC see, day By day, the results Of the
nli1k-lnd-Water, Ehi11y-shallJing policy pur-
sued toward rebels who are raising nnho}y
hands against the most beneGcent institutions
the world has ever seen.
Here, in Ballard county, Kentucky, where
at the election, when tho question was pre-
scntcd, were cast but tno votes for the Onion
where the people are rampant for secession.
and 1lavc given and arc now giving freely their
lnmbus-thc Government is protecting and
feeding the rebels, and eTenlOldlng and catch
ing their ayeling chattels; permitting those
who pretend to lc Union men {but who arc
7raNy friends Of the rebel owncr) to mouse
through our camp after some poor negro, who
only left the day before he was to he taken to
Columbus to labor on the entertainments and,
if need be, to fight for the rebel cause Aye,
doing more. Issuing orders tons in obedience
to the commands Of the great military }u1n1-
nary at st. Louis, to drive outside our lines
the chatte{s Of rebels when they come to us
| rs they always do when they come at all
| with valuable Information. and only because
they do not wish to be shipped South.
| Let nle submit 4 few facts. Since the battle
| Of Belmont, the rebels have been fir more ac-
| tiTc than usual at Columbus. They arc max
| ing superhuman excrtions to make that place
impregnable. Slaves are being sent there in
large numbers, to dig their bitches and build
their embankments. 4 few days since, two
slaves came into camp, because they had
found out that they were to be sent to Colum-
ARMS in their hnnds: The supplemented erea
lures say, in substance: We don't want tt
fight at all; NC don't want to leave our ole
wives; but We must fight, VIC would rathel
| turn these men out ofca1np. Ofeoursc thei
masters hounds are prowliDg near By, and tn
negroes are seized and taken to Columbus K
plant batteries that shall cut down our bray,
men by hundreds, perhaps. " But Jugitipe
sometimes glar sa24aJ2e Jor7nation to the enengo
! All most wise Commander of the De
partnlcnt Of the Missouri.
| Fora month there has been in this fort
fugitive owned by q captain in the rebel army
J This fugitive has given us information proye'
| to have been reliable and most Invaluable. Il
knows our entire force, the number and situa
ton OF our guns, our arms, defenees, every
| thing. He is at work for the Government 70
| bis food and clothes. Shall lie be sent t
/ ! Columbus with ali this information to dis
close 1t, and to work and fight against US? I
he goes beyond our lines he goes to the arm
of the rebels; for the slave, as our armies :t
: vance, has no middle position. # We do nc
| make use Of him for ourselves he is made us
4 Of against us.
Gases like the above are happening aud al
: to happen daily, until the Government awake
| and asserts the first law Of nature-se1
r defence. Shall not use all the means natul
has given me to oyerpower the villain who
using all his poaeers to throttle me. I trust th
free, untramme1cd press will continue to urg
upon the Government its duty in this beha1
Our rulers must ultimately listen to tt
united voices Of the press and the people.
Captain Delano's Quincy In. Cavalry mao
C t a Reconnaissance towards Columbus to-da,
,, enemy at E1licott's Mills, about half way
d start, they escaped.
5 The rebel gunboats that paycd us visit {
T. Sunday afternoon do not amount to muc
One {the Calhoun)is quite small and light, al
: has no large su11s One Of the others is not
E. ing but the hull Of IN old steamboat, with
}. | fcW guns mounted upon deck. They eyiden
II preferred to keep their distance. # th
come again, as doubtless they will, it will pr
e.' badly be when the telegraph operator is aw;
= and our gunboats are up tile river, as in I'll
# case. SOLDIER.