, 1862-01-17


ry, II 600 cavalry, and 5000 artillcrists, with
oyer 100 guns. OF these 114,D00 men, about
75,0o0 have been pronounced 1T for the field
and formed into brigades and divisions, includ.
NJ e. about IS 600 infantry, 5000 cavalry, and
probably 5, 900 will get be added to one or more
Of the divisions, and the balance form reserve,
to be partly kept in a camp Of instruction, and
partly employed in guarding railroad bridges
and crossings, preventing tile rising Of Seces-
sioniEts in diEloyal counties, eonvoying trains,
etc. The reserve viii include about one third
Of the Kentucky contingent, nearly half Of the
cavalry, some raw artillery, and the most re-
Gently recruited regiments from Ohio and In
diana. It appears from the above that tile
cavalry arm IS not proportlonately represented
among the forces that are to take the field.
The truth is, that for want Of arms and prof.
cheney. in drill, one Of the Ohio, the Iudiana,
and the two Pennsylvania regiments, will
prove dead expense to the Government. The
brunt Of the war will be over before they will
be fit for field duty, and the best the War De-
rartment could do would be to transform them
into infantry regiments.
Of the infantry selected for active work,
about one-haf is effective, the other only toll
eTahly so. The best regiments are the 9Th.
10th, 32d and 37th Indiana; the 1st I'd, 9th,
10th, 24th, and DIST Ohio; 1st Wisconsin, 18Th
and 24th Illinois, I'd Minnesota, and 7th Mich
lsan: The cavalry Will prove only moderately
terics are likely to perform their part Of the
campaign cFeditable. The remainder will be
more apt to scare than to kill the rrbels. The
infantry and artillery arc spleudidly armed.
" the cavalry some portions are fully armed,
others have sabres and pistols, and again some
only sabrss. As to clothing, the troops are all
well supplied.
But whatever defciencies;there may be- in
drill and discipline among our forces in this
state, they are compensated for to O great ex-
tent " the excellent natural qualities Of the
material of which they are composed. I feel
warranted By virtue Of my personal acquaint-
ance with most Of the Union armies in ex-
pressing the opinion that the mass of the men
Of the army Of the Ohio is not equal1cd by any
other portion. Of the Union soldiery in intel
noble impulses Nine-tenths consist Of tie
llard-isted, high-spiritcd, selfreliant SONS Of
the NoTthwest-the essence Of it's agricultu-
raj and industrial population real flower
OF the land. They are all wide-awakc, cncr-
getic, pluckJ representatives of true Ameri-
sanism. They know what they propose to
light Tor, and will fight wcll if their leaders
only understand how to handle them. All it
wants is to rouse and sustain their native
spirit, and the General that can do it will not
fail Of victory.
Gen. Buell. has SO FIR organized Eve divi-
Eions, consisting each of infantry, with pro-
Per complement Of cavalry and artillery.
Prudence forbids the revelation Of the details
Of their composition. They are respectively
commanded by Generals McCook, Mitchell.
Nelson, Thomas, and Crittcnden. Brisadicr
General MSCook was captain in the regular
imcnt Of Ohio three months men. His reg(- r
ment was attached to Gen. Schenk's brigade
at the battle Of Bull Run. He is rather
youthful commander, but his friends have
great confidence in him. Brigadier General
Mitchell is the we'll known professor and lee
~ dcfr d..
General Nelson is the lieutenant Of the navy
that made so successful Il campaign in October
and November in Eastern Kentucky. Briga-
adler General Inomas was colonel of regu-
lar cavalry: Baigadier General Thom!s L.
Crittcndcn is the Ron Of ex-senator J, j, Crit
tendcn, and brother Of the rebel Maior Gen
eral in command in Eastern Tennessee. lido
not think that he had any previous military
experience.
Commanders OF brigades under these acting
Major Generals are Generals Wood, johnson,
and Haskell {all three officers Of the regular
army), Neglcy "a well-known citizen of Pitts
buFgh, who saw service in Mexico), Shoeptf
Hungarian, ex-captain Of artillery III tie Aus
TRAN service, and for a long time one Of the
Examiners in the Patent Office, Du,nont
distinguished in Western Virginia and Rous-
seau' Boyle, and Card (pr5minent Kentuck-
Of senior Colonies, among whom are Colonel
Anlmon Of the 9th Ohio, Colonel Turchin of
the 18th Illinois, Colonel Gill of the SD Ohio.
and Colonel Mansen Of the 10th Indiana.
How much Of good generalship We may cx-
pect IRON Gen. Buell. himself and the division
and brigade commanders under him can only
be conjecturcd. None Of all these generals
has record whereupon to base q we'll founded
opinion Us to their probable success in leading
llrge bodies Of men. The battlefield alone
furnishes the true test Of strategic ability.
The opinion is entertained by our Generals
that the fortunes Of war will be decided in this
State in comparatively short time In four
weeks at furthest, after beginning operations,
they expect not only to have swept the last
y,estiEc OF secession out Of Kentucky, cast Of
the Tcnnessec river, but also to be opposite
NashEille: They believe that but one great
battle will be fought. When it will take Place
depends, Of course, upon the moves with
which the rebels will respond to those Of our
forces. But Gen. Buell., after receiving the
signal to move, from Washington, will opernte
his columns with the utmost vigor aud celer-
ity, and soon force decisive encounter upon
the enemy. One thing I deem certain: the
fighting that is to come will be the scyercst
on our side performed since the outbreak Of
the great insurTcction. ThcEe Western sol
aiers will make short but bloody work.