Worcester daily spy., 1862-07-29
The Fifteenth Regim ent.
CAMP NEAR HARRIsoN's LANDING, VA, !
July 81, 1862.

nd at that time we had only one field officer,
he lieutenant colonel, on duty, the colonel
lot having recovered from his wound and the
major being on his back with fever contracted
lfter the battle of Fair Oaks. The next day
appeared an editorial finding much fault with
our statement, and beginning with this SEN |
tence: eve printed, yesterday morning,
document signed by sund'y line officers,
&c, apparently intended to convey the inn
preston that part only, and not all of the
officers, had signed
Then again in your article a great deal of
stress is laid on the continued efforts of the
different paroled officers and of Captain Bow
man in particular to effect their exchange.
The note sent you does not in word or spirit
convey the idea that we thought they had not
used every effort possible to be set free. On
the contrary we know they had done every
thing in their power, and it was because their
most strenuous efforts had failed that the
communication was sent to the Spy. If to-
day there were any signs of an exchange
more apparent than those which have de-
ceived them for the last four months, no one
of us would have thought of printing the doc
ument. After the repeated assurances OF the
government officials in Washington that an
exchange was to take place each succeeding
week or fortnight, it seemed to us that the Oh
ficers in question would have made up their
minds that the government either had not the
power or else lacked the disposition to effect
an exchange. Perhaps, Mr.. Editor, you have
| some private sources of information regard
| ing this matter, that are not known to us
here; but Judging of the future by the ex-
periences of the past, we can see no clearer
indications that there will be an exchange of
prisoners within the next two months than
those which have continually disappointed us
| during the last half year Nor do we think
there is auv particular reason to infer that the
paroled officers of the 18th will be exchanged
before some of those still remaining in the
confederate prisons.
But if they were exchanged tomorrow
what will the regiment gain? One of them,
| Capt. Bowman, who was so anxious to join
his regiment, is already spoken Of and so far
as our information from Worcester county
gained partly from the columns Of the Spy
goes, is already regarded as the major of the
34th regiment So that probably as soon as
he is set free he will receive his commission
in that regiment Will not his. resignation
then, although it is for a higher position, be
Just as ''diSaStrous" to the 10th as now. We
think that the regiment would suffer less to
have the benefit of an officer on duty than
| merely to have his name borne on the roster
| of the regiment for month or two longer.
Are the others in a different relation? You
also speak of them among the best officers
in the regiment and allude to the officers who
-si4nad- the doeNment-as lieutenants, and
eral of the paroled officers" We grant fnar
Wien they left the regiment they were among
the best officers in it, but the officers here
have with one exception, seen all the service
which they saw during three months prior to
the battle of Balls Ruff, and have had more
real military experience since the first day of
March than the paroled officers can dream of.
We have had campaigne in the field with
all the hardships appertaining thereto, and
have been present in battles compared with
which Balls Bluff was mere skirmish.
| There are four captains instead of two or
three, and it is certainly not the fault of the
ieutenants that they are obliged to command
their companies.
You say, too, Mr.. Editor that we ''too
hastily conclude there is no prospect of this
(their return)." If waiting five months for
their exchange, and doing work from which
we ought at some time to be relieved, is being
too hasty, then we admit we have erred.
You say, too, that their designations would
be disastrous to the regiment, and ''unsatisfac-
tory to their official superiors" The regi-
ment has survived their absence for nine
months, and its efficiency has not yet been
questioned. Whatever may be your means of
Judging, we know that their superiors here
with the regiment heartily concur in the spirit
of the former article and approve this; and
that they would not consider it misfortune
to the regiment in its present reduced condi-
ton to have their places filled by officers who
can perform the duties. As to It's being
necessary to fill their places with "new and
untrled" men, regiment which has been in
service for year, with the varied experience
of ours, has material within itself for all va
cancies that may occur from time to time.
without depending on the outer world. But
there is no way that acting officers can be
appointed unless there are actual vacancies,
and it is t.St proved by experience that the
non-commissioned officers in the volunteer
service, when in command, never receive the
same respect nor enforce the same discipline
as do commissioned officers.
We regret that this paper has reached SO
great length. 1t was not our intention TO
enter into newspaper controversy, but there
were few points in your article that convev-
ed to the casual reader such erroneous ideas
that we cannot forbear asking you to print
this explanation, lest we might be thought to
have misrepresented the state of affairs in the
regiment
II. /. JoRGENsEN, lieut., commanding Co.
Z. ). SIM0NDs, captain, commanding Co n
WALTER GALE, Commanding companv q
j. Nj. STUDLEY, captain, commanding Co. D.
ALBEIT bRissER, "a lieut., commanding Co. f.
LYMAN ii. ELLINGwooD, LIST lieut., comig 90 n
THOMAS j. SPURR, lst lieut., CONG 90 q
AMOS BARTLETT, LIST lieut., commanding Co II
GEORGE Z. JosLIN, capt, commanding Co. l.
LEONARD WOOD, captain, commanding Co.
IT,s. IL u