, 1862-06-07

This was the strength Of the brigade some |
weeks ago. It is much less at the present /
wIiiipg. Now here is an evil to be remedied, |
aud to be rcmedied it should be made known |
as you may justly remark, it is but an extra |
expense for nothing, to recruit more men for |
the army, when there are thousands of well |
drilled soldiers At home, who have 10 way by |
which tncy can report their ability to return !
to duty to some government physician. The |
nominal strength Of the above brigade should !
be ,GUU men. There are regiments In the
field now which do not number over 22220 efec-
tive men. and which could in action at most
but .U0; hut this would include men who arc
really sick and unit for duty. Then there is
the expense Of field, stall, and line officers for
regiments which do not muster the strength
OF more than couple Of companies. Hercis
q leakage Of most gigantic proportions which
should at once be stepped.
Unless Gen. Halleck has rolling stock for
the railroads between Corinth and points west,
river Oh the Memphis and Charleston railroad
and Corinth, he cannot follow up the retreat
Of the enemy effectively. And, doubtless, the
rebels will damage the roads as much possible,
BY destroying: the bridges. eulverts, etc As
stated in 4 former letter, it would take 900
additional wagons, with SIX mules to each,
to provide transportation for this army to
| Grand junction. At fair estimate this would
| involve an additional expense Of neazly
! $4,000, ,000 not estimating Tor tea amsters. their
| - tts
| Slight idea Of the expense Of moving an army.
I The general must now take military posses
| sion Of all the railroads in the States Of Ken
| tucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama,
| repair them tit for service and use them
against the enemy, as he has heretofore against
rs. They have hitherto been his great means
| Of attack, dcfenseand retEeat; they should nov
| be made our great means for all future Often
si|e operations. The possession the Colum-
| bus and Ohio railroad between Columbus aud
Ft,f1v1
to us all that tract Of country between the
Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers, and give US
much more rapid communications with the
North. In the meantime, Beauregard will gradu-
ally 3ull back upon the line Of the flck5ourg
and Montgomery, Alahaua, railroad, with his
base of operations resting upon Mobile, Ala
bama. Here is the rebels last ditch, in which
they arc Ill to dit, that is unless Hal1eck again
| allows them to skedaddle and dispeTse them
selves into guerrilla bands all over the cotton
States.
The result Of Col. Elliott's expedition to
!, Brunswick shows what might hare been done
in that quarter if an overwhelming force o1
cavalry had been sent ont Instead OF u fcm
equadrons in command OF colonel. soms
time since referred 10 movement Of this
kind; but then had reason to suppose it woult
| ! be upon scale Of some magnitude, or at lcas
in correspondence with tue results to be oh
tained. Gen. Andrew jackson Smith, com
: | nlaudcr Of the cavalry, brave and dlshins
officer, was long since desirous Of taking somi
7,GGo cavalry upon similar expedition. In
: deed he pressed it, learn, repeatedly upol
: Gen. Halleck. For some reason or othe
+. the latter would not agroe to It
J., | agree to it, and the matter dropped. Ths
: success Of the expedition OF Col Elliott
+ shows TINT no: only the Mobile aud Ohio bu
j. probably the Mississippi Central RaiIroa
g could have been cut of, and the movement
It but followed up with energy by an advance G
i large force Of infantry and artillery, the en-
i tire army Of Beaure@ard would have been bag
T. ged, or at least go frightened as to cause 1t
be broken into with small guerrilla parties
whereas now they have effected = most adm
rable rttrt at in the face Of one of the 1arges
j. | aud best appointed armies Of modern time
=, and here / might say that many rumors an
. reports of captures Of large bodies Of the e1
y Guy must be received cam gTanio sails, an
y fer the reason that something must be dor
p to break Gen. Ha1leck's fall in not doiu
= weeks since that which he did on Frid4
u u morning last. The era Of mock bulletins
u not die with Napoleon. Indeed, from all
- Rave seen and heard since I have been vii
= =. the army, generals orders and proclaim 1tio1
7, are about as much to be relied On as the han
: bill, announcing the aauaes OF speakers at
=, | political meeting.
Il It is geuerallf supposed here that no mo
~ supp]ies will be- landed at this point, at Bucl
le Landing, or at Hamburg, for the army, b
rs rs tb1r the boats will remove further up Il
~ river Such move would necesei.ate a light
Il lraueht class Of steamers. Already the gu
.is as boats have left the river for Cairo, aud t
~ water is rapidly FILLING. To-day it Il two fl
M ae lower than it was yesterday.
pe Adams & Co., have an express Office be
:, for The transportation of articles aud mon
ts to and from the army. Il is 3 great conve
- itnco to the officers and men, and is large
- pa1ronized.
T. In ny next I will give yon a few randc
Id sketches Of the country, it's Inhabitants, fax
and reflections concerning the peculiar ms
tuition, etc. +.