The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1862-08-09
Sensible.

bey regiment, mas recently duureSseu
letter to Governor Ogden, in which he
points out the folly Of forming new reg
iments when the old so greatly need
filling up. He says.
with all due respect to the opinions
OF others, am in favor of immediate
drafting from the militia, en- masse, and
the filling up Of our shattered regiments
now in the field, SO much reduced by
the ravages of war, in preference to|
raising new regiments, which cannot be
prepared for the field in less period than
six months.
1T would be most unwise to send
these raw regiments without drill or
discipline, even II they can be recruited
in time to enable the armies now in the
field to assume the offensive, to meet
the rebel regiments of trained and val
liant troops, who may be ranked among
the best soldiers in the world, as all our
army can testify who have met them in
the recent great battles of the PENN
sula.
THE best composition of a regiment,
in the view Of military men, is probably
one-fourth of old soldiers. both by ex-
ample and precept. Thus constituted,
the regiments Of the army Of the Po-
tomac would be irresistible, and its
force and power in war be far superior
to any force the rebels can bring into
the field.
THE officers Of that army have now
been aspee.a'i ~ -'lsS ~ s- 1FsSy ''''r7'''
field of war~and any lack 81 hem can
be easily supplied from the .raliks Of the
volunteers, which contain a plentiful
supply Of active, intelligent and am
bilious young soldiers. Injured to the
hardships Of campaigning, AMI imbued,
in great measure, with the spirit of
military institutions. Besides, we have
the traditions Of the regiments already
to excite the ambition and pride Of the
new recruits, who would muca rather
belong to regiment which Snscribes
williamsburg Fair Oaks, Malvern
etc, to it's colors, than to a new one, en-
tirely unknown to fame.
"The superior advantage already ac-
quired by drill and discipline are too
apparent to be recommended, while the
saving to the government in every way
is something enormous, as one regiment
Of veterans filled up with recruits in
the proportion of one in three OF four CT
old soldiers, represents a military power
Of as one to two, as the least, when
compared with force composed en-
tirely as our new regiments cannot fail
to be, Of raw officers and soldiers, en-
tirely uninured to war, and who have
not received tn baptism of fire
THE saving of the number Of officers
is also to be taken into the account un-
less the country is more pletholic of
wealth than would seem to be the case
at present"
The last is point that does nos seem
to get proper consideration The regi-
ments now in the field have in general a
fair, if not full complement of officers,
who draw pay whether they have men
to command or not 30 fill up their
commands would be to make use of
these experienced and valuable officers;
but instead OF that, it seems to be pre-
ferred to create new army list u in
experienced men, costing the govern
ment double what it ought for half SER
vice The nation has right to demand
that no such waste of means shall be
permitted.
Col. Revere says that to prepare
new army for the field will require six
months. Have we much time to throw
away? To recruit the armies now in
the field is work which could be done
in one month, with proper efforts. The
10000 men already said to be enlisted,
and most OF whom are. we fear waiting
for regiments to be completed. would
be of great and lasting value IL they
could at once be sent down to Pope not
as fresh and distrained regiments, hut
in she shape cf recruits to join his vet