Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-23
W. d. WALLACH.
GENERAL LANES EXPEDITION.

UAsHING1ON, Jan. Is.
None Of the various expeditions southwark
have received less public attention than that
about 10 start nnder the leadership Of 6eneral
Lane, OF Kansas, and yet it may be safely said
that not one combines so many elements of
interest or promises such important results
Whether we have regard to the leader, or to
the men, or to the method, or to the object, it
b alike notable. A long personal interview
with the General last evening enables me to
write of il without liability to error, and at
the same time without any abuse Of conf
dence.
First As to the leader. He is "Jim Lane -
as thorough daredevil as can be found be
tween the two oceans. I need not describe him
to ysu. Everybody has heard of him. Indi-
ana born, he is a complete type Of western
nhood-perhaps might say northwestern
manhood, forShere is a southwestern species
Of the half-horse, half-alligator Arkansas
breed, with which he has little in common
There Is no rampant eOarseness or yulgarity
about him-he is quiet, self-poised, pleasant
IN manner, and yet every lineament and every
movement attests the man of iron nerve. Gen.
Lane, L judge, must have turned fifty; his
hair Is thin and tinged with gray; but his
bright, deep set eye, his compressed lip, as
well as his prompt step and his quick word,
show that his natural force Is not yet at all
abated. He has meyer injured himself by dis
sipation, and his wiry frame yields to no hard
OcoOcoOu u
a courage which nothing can daunt in the
choice Of means, a resolution equally indomit-
able IN their application, genius, in short,
original and daring, which bounds over the
petty obstacles raised by ordinary men-their
squeamishness and their precedents, their
forms and their regularities-he is a natural
leader-one Of those to whom men instructive
ly intrust desperate enterprise.
Two facts will sufficiently illustrate this Az
be passed, for the first time, into Kansas, over
the Iowa line-the Missouri river being then
closed-he met old John Brown coming out of
the Territory In a wagon containing two or
three OF his wounded sons. They met as stran-
gers To Lanes inquiry for the reason of his
taking that direction, old John replied that all
was lOst-the Territory gone forever. Lane
protested against it, made Brown turn upon
his track, fastened him to Lawrence rallied
the desponding free-state men, inaugurated
war to the knife with the border ruff ans, and
quickly put a new face upon the situation
When he returned last summer from the East
he had no sooner reached home than he was
surrounded with armed men demanding of
him that he should lead them against Price,
who at that time had command of all Western
Missouri, and WAS threatening Kansas Within
one hour from his crossing his threshold, he
was in his saddle at the head of his column.
on one OF the most dashing and effective cam
palgns the history Of the war has vet seen Of
such stuff is the chief of the present movement
His officers are men Of similar spirit Among
them are Montgomery, the terror of the South
west tMissouri-Jennison,t the leader of the Jay
haTkers-Col. John Champion Vaughan,
South Carolinian, formerly the associate of
Cass1us M Clay in the publication of the
years Injured to every form Of danger In from
tier hfe-Col. Mitchell, leader Of the First
Kansas in the battle Of Springfield, which lost
mere OF its men in proportion than were lost at
the famous charge Of BslakIava-Col Merritt,
who, as leader Of the First Iowa on the same
occasion, displayed similar gallantry-Lieut.
Col Fitzpatrick, who distinguished himself at
Great Bethel, a graduate of West Point-and
Q large number Of captains and lieutenants
whose peculiar intrepidity has been practically
tested. King, French-Shawnee half breed
OF great influence among the Indians, and
Brandt, young Cherokee Of great intelli.
gence, are already attached to Gen. Lanes
suite here in Washington.
The rank and file will consist largely Of
troops who have already been under fire-the
flower Of them coming from Kansas itself
Gen Lane Is firm believer that there are nc
such soldiers in the world. To my question
whether he found the Kansas men from New
England to fight as well as the others, he re-
piled U should like to omit the emphasis, were
1t possible, but the General is not addicted to
profanity, "a New England man with a ives.
tern education, is the d-dest fellow alive. u
There is, in fact, no doubt that the men ot
Kansas do engage in this war with q hatred
and ferceness found nowhere else. The iron
OF terrible personal wrong has entered theiI
souls, and they feel that the day Of retributioI
has come. They will know no alternative but
complete submission or complete exterrnina.
ton; and will show such fighting as American
history has never yet recorded.
As to the method Of Gen. Lanes operations
he proposes to march with 30 600, or, il he car
procure them, with $4,000 men, straight dswr
into Texas to the Gulf Of Mexico. The dis
tance Is about 800 miles; the route is one o.
natures best, extending through an open leye
country, with dry, firm soil presenting few Il
any thickets or deiles whence surprises NAV
be made. Whatever fighting Is done must bt
done in the open field, which the rebels thu
far have systematically avoided. Gen. Lane
will have as many Of his men mounted as Dos
sible, and will probably have large force as
signed him from the superfuous regiments oi
cavalry now in the service. He presents pecu
liar inducements for this; as the horses, wher
once in Texas, will no longer be an expense &c
the Government, foraging easily giving them
the best support. He viii take with him eight
or nine splendid batteries, and two of the most
Efficient nortars. But he does not propose to
rely alone upon regular means Of warfare. He
will use all means. sTs. sTTE
He will not scruple 10 turn the friendly
Indians to account, and will unhesitatingly
use the fifty TO seventy thousand negroe,
who are now in half-starved condition in
Northern Texas, whittier they have been hur.
ried Of by their owners in Missouri, to prevent
their escape. General Lane does not propose
to maintain communication with any base Of
operations, bat will put his columns straight
on, subsisting them as be goes from the regions
through which be passes, and directing their
movements without restriction or instruction
in any shape, from hesdquarters.- He will
probably get the active cooperation Of thou
sands Of Union men in Texas; but whether be
does or not, be feels sure that Texas can bring
no force strong enough TO oppose him success
fully. He expects to start from Kansas before
the middle Of February, and to see Galveston
before March closes. go
The especial object Of this expedition is to
crush rebellion, not slavery; and yet its ineyi-
table effect must be to make Texas free State
The means employed will necessitate that. as
an indirect consequence. Gen. Lane purposes
to issue no proclsmations. He will simply
march through the country, receiving and