, 1862-05-20

0ALhSDUtGs MAY IL, 1Sb2-
Editors Chicago Tribune:
am Il friend ut tho T.1nuSE. think and
long hare thought it the best paper in the
West, but yon have not done the 18th Rcgi-
I1ent Of Illinois infantry volunteers justice.
It is one of the old regiulents, having
been organized over year, and it has been
awoIklpg regiment to- IS its long marches
Thompson, whom they overlook at Fredcricks-
town, might testify III giving the re9:simenta
engaged at Donelson, you did not mention
the 18th, although We lost nearly one hundred
men there, and were On duty during the entire
siege. Also in incntio ioRipg the Jghtt9y regiments
not mention us, although We lost Upwards Of
one hundred and fifty men, which is more
than some Of your lighting regiments lost.
We can do our duty without any patting on
the back. We do not want praise, but would
like our dues. It is rather dlscouraging, after
having our homes for the prlrations, hard
ships and dangers Of soldiers life, to be
taken no notice of, while others that have
done no more than We arc landed
to the shiee. is an evidence that
we are fighting and working regiment,
is the fact that We went into the service with
barely three hundred 1ncu fit for duty. We
want our righ:s-in short, to be served as
othc1s arc. 1fyou will insert this in your pa
per, with reply, you will oblige
Yours truly. THE 17TH-
We hope our complaining friend docs
not think that we would Intentionally
do Injustice 10 his gallant regi-
mcnt- 1t must occur to him that to keep
track Of the sercntv-two regiments and
dozen detached companies Of Illinois
troops in the war, is no easy task We
have tried to treat them fairly, and where
they have not had the mention which
their merits and acts deserve, the blame
must not be laid 10 us.
This letter is sample Of scores which
We gct-not from friends Of Illinois resi-
nlents alone, hut from Iowa, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Indiana, and other Western
States. We hare received several sco1d-
ing letters from 1ndiana, charging US with
neglccting to give proper praise to the
| splendid fighting regiments in the field
from that State. We have been badl,
"blown up" by Iowa people, who blame the
TRIBUNE for bestowing more praise on Iii
nois than Iowa soldiers, when the latte,
have proven equally brave and victorious
in battle.
We can give q simple explanation thai
accounts for most Of the apparent par
tia1ity shown to Illinois soldier
which Is, that we receive mort
letters from persons connected viii
home regiments than from those from
other States. We have halfa dozen specia
correspondents with different divisions O
the Western army, but we have scores @
"occasiona1' and voluntary correspondent
who write to us respecting the doings c
the particular regiment or battalion
with which they are attached.
These volunteer correspondents wit
Iowa, Indiana and Western regiment
naturally send their letters to papers pull
lished in the vicinity where the regimen
was raised, and not TO Chicago pape
: though it may circulate largely among III
friends Of the regiment. Hence, If "
do not publish SO large proportion I
, amy letters from the regiments Of oth'
Western States as We do from Illinois, Il
, fault is not ours.
a Our regular correspondents are instrue
! cd to deal equally, SO far as practicable, wi
all the regiments raised within the ran.
r Of the TH1BukE's circulation, which c
), tends over large territory. This eener
explanation is intended as an answer
scores Of letters on the subject,