Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-01-24
CEN LANES EXPEDITION.

A correspondent Of the World gives the
following statements about Gen. Lane ana
his proposed movements on the South west
frontier, where he is to put it through
None Of the various expeditions southwark have
received less public attention than that ABOUT 70
start under the leadership of Gen. Lane, oil nan
sas, and yet it may be safely said that no. on'
combines 50 macy elements of interest, or PROM
Uses such important results ,,,..t
long personal interview with the denerai ,ase
evening enables me to write Of it without IiAoiiy
10 error. and at the same time without any abuse
First as to the leader. lie is "Jim Lane, as
thorough a daredevil as can be found between tho
two oceans. l need not describe him to you
erv body has heard of him. Indiana born, he i |
a compiete typs Of western mAnhood-perhaps / /
might better say northwestern manhood, for there
is southwestern species, Of the half horse, hali
alligator. Arkansas breed, with which he has NJ
tie ia common. There is no rampant eoaF'ehess
about him-he is quiet, sef-poised, pleasant IA
manner. and yet every movement sttests the man
of iron nerve.
Possessed of mind fertile in resources, courage
which nothing can dAunt in the choice OF mesn.'
a resolution equally indomitable in their appii-
cation, a genius. in short, original and daTiIs'
which bounds over the petty obstacles Iaiseu "
ordinary men-ther squelmishness and theiT pre-
csdents their forms and their regularities-he Is
natural leader-O-e of those to whom men instinct
lively intrust a desperate enterprise.
Ills officers are men Of similar spirit. among
them are Montgomery, the terror Of soutn"vs'
Missouri-JennisOn, the leader Of the JayhaN
kers-Colonsl John Champion Vaughan, SCUM
CaroIinian. formerly the associate Of Cassius VI.
CLAY in the publication Of the emancipation pa
ner in Lexington, and Of late years Injured 10
every form Of danger in frontier lfe-ColoneI
Mitchell, leader of the First Kansas in the battle
| Of Springfield, which lost more Of its men IN
nronortion than were lost at the famous charge Of
| Balsklaya-Colonel Merritt, who, leader OF
| tho First Iowa on the same occasio q, displayed
| similar gallantry-Lieut Colonel EiupatrieEi
Who distinguished himself at q rat Bethel, a
| graduate II West Point-and large uunbeT Of
| eartains and lieutenants whose. peculilr inJIcpi
| dity has been practically tested. KIM
| Freuch-Shawnee half-breed, q great influence
| anon, the Indians, and Brs nit, yuurs Chcro
| kee Of great intelligence, arc slTeady attlchc.
! 10 gGsneral Lanes suite here in Nashiuet0u
| Ths rank and file will sousis; largely Of troop
who have already been gricr fre-tlo flower O
them coming from ka nsas itself. GcneraI lag
i,a firm believer th-s there arc no such soldier
in the world To my question whether he ioun
the Kansas men from New England te fsht a
we'll as tho 9th ers, be replied, (l should like &
! omit the emphasis, were it possible, bat Ia
| general is MT addicted to protanity,) "a Me-
| England ran, with a western education, is ID
/
| doubt that the mex of Kansas do engage in thi
war with a hatred and ferceness iouad nowhor
else. The iron Of terrible personal wrong ha
entered their souls, and they feel that the day
retribution has come. They Will know no alter
native but complete submission or complete eX
term inatieR; and will show such fighting q
American history has never yet recorded.
As to the method Of Gen. Lanes operations, b
proposes to march with thirty thousand, or, II b
can procure them, with fifty thousand me
straight down into Texas to the Gulf Of Me1icl
The distance IS about six hundred miles; th
route is one Of natures best, attending through
omen level country, with dry, firm soil, present
ing few if any thickets or defles whence surprise
/ NAV be made. Whatever lighting is done mus
| be done IN the open field which tie rebels thu
far have systematically avoided Gen. Lane wi
| have as many OF his men mounted as possible, an
| will probably have large force assigned hi
| from the superhuous regiments Of cavalry now i
, | the service. lie presents peculiar indueemeni
| for this; the horses, when once IN Iexasi vi
no longer be an expense 20 the government, foi
aging easily giving them the best support II
will take witn him eight or nine splendid butter
les, and two OF the most Efficient uerfsrs- Bu
he does not propose TO rely alone Upoa -egula
means He will not scruple TO tur the friend
Indians TO account, and vii uuEesltafinsly US
, ! the 6ftv or seventy Thousand usgroS
who are now in a half starved condition IN Norit
ern Texas, whittier they have been hurried OF 2
their owners in Missouri, 20 prevent their escape
: Gen. Lane does not propose . maintain c.umu
nication with any base operations Out VIII Tu
his columns straight on, -uoslstiu< them as o.
goes from the regions through which be passs
and directing their movements without Tes-riC
ton or instruction in any shape, from head guar
ters. lie will probably set the active co-uTeTa
tion OF thousands Of UUiJn mCu in Texas tu
whether he does or docs not, be feels sure tia
, ! Texas can bring fIes strong enough 20 oVpos
him successfully. lie expects 60 start from hal
sas before the middle ct February, and O. Sc
Galveston before March closes.
The especial object Of this expedition is tn erus
rebellion, not slavery, and yet ITS inevitable a
feet must be 70 make Texas frss state. IN
means employed will uecessi'ate that, az 81 md
rec; consequ tnce. Gen. Lane purposes CO issu
no pr0clamati0rs. lie viii simply march throug
the country receiving and turning = the mos
available q c,0unt AL who flock 10 his stsadar
whether white, red, or black, 41d hurting Oh
mass as thuuierbolt ar-iust the rebellion
wherever fouud. Texas viii be wrestCd from Oh
Conledc rate grasp. and Gth 10 will fall all hop,
! Of cXt'nding the are. Of slavery, which was Oh
grand ebject Of the new empire. Slavery, ias;ea
. Of stretching itself indefinitely toward Ccutu
America, VIII find itself closely hemmci In @
. n very side where it mos; looked for expansiot
Is darling aspiration will BE baiiei. is gran
, aim foied. From the moment Texas Is thus sui
duel. and made sure 70 the Union, the coufcdcl
: acy must realize that there is nothins Lett wort
struggling for. The girilcd tree will soon pei
ish,