, 1862-03-01

Correspondence CT the New York Timcs.1
WASHINGTON. Tuesday. Feb. q, 1852.
l., In the general joy that difIu5es itself through
the nation over the brilliant triumph Of tile
Union army, no jealousies have, SO far, been
permitted to utr.lde: but the full measure Of
honor and Fraise is given to every one Of our
skiIIfii1 and heroic Generals who has led his
cahmDs 10 victory.
When Gen. Buell. was assigned to tho COM
mand of the Department of the Ohio, last fall,
he possessed, as he now possesses, the fullest
confidence OF Gen. Mcclellan in his military
geniEs and calm bravery. Gen Buell. was Or
ders to 20 to Kentucky then invaded bY the
rebels and fortified for their battle line
in the West-mase himself acquainted with
bis field Of operations, devise such plans Of
find necessary, and report to Gen. Mcclellan,
who promised to support him to the full ex-
lent Of his demands. Up to this time, the
public mind had been directing the caal.:ign
in Kentucky solely to an advance through
Cumberland Gap into East Tennessec, to seize
tarY Cameron, when he visited Gen Sherman
y: :Louisri!le, the 10th Of October, gave Gen.
Sherman, then commanding iu Kentucky, The
following directions, as set forth in Aljutqnt
Gen. TEomas'5 rather celebrated report: He
[the Secretary Of Nar1 was tired Of defensive
and Gap should be seized, ard the East Tenu-
tsscc and Virginia Railroad taken possession
of'' Gen. Mitchell Of Cincinnati WIS eager
to take the head Of the column in Kentucky
ard move In that direotion; and because he
IVES not permitted by Gen. Sherman to do SO,
he came to Washington and rendered his re-
siguation to the President Of the command OF
the Ohio Department. a few days subsa-
quentIy, the Western Military Departments
were reconstructed, and General Bncl! placed
Two evenings before he started to l,fs post,
he requested the presence of yo1r Washing
ton correspondent at his house, with map or
tue States Of Tennessee aud Kentucky, Of
which States the latter had extensive topo-
graphical knowledge Gen Buell. then pro
bic routes If invading Tennessee, and how
the encmy's forces were then distributed
which facts, rom social Feasons, had kept
better than he. Gen. Rueli's first and most
careful inquiries were directed to the Eumber-
land Gap topography, and the feasibility Of
the scheme recommended 5y Secretary Cam
eron, and urged vehencntly By the press eFerY-
where, through the lively sympathy then felt
for East Tennessee patriots. The mountainous
character OF f:hc country through which the GAP
had to be reached, the roughness Of the roads
to that place and beyond, rendering the con-
sNhjcctiDg IN army, at every mile, to teTn1ida-
bic resistance, were dWelt upon, aud that di-
rcction Of advance discouraged. On the other
band, the movement Of troops from Cairo up
Lse CuHoerl11Q river, oy transports and gun
boats, against Nashville, SO as to get in the
rear Of Buckner's army, was urged Us the only
mode of successfully breaking the rebel
line and compelling their evacuation Of Ken
tueky- The success of this movement might,
moreover, insure tho loss Of their army
ut Bowling Green. 4 gentleman Of tienerl1
McCleII:n's staff Col 7. T. Gantt) was present
at this Interview, and gave ! ready indorsc-
ment to the merit of the suggestions. The
cnlF Doubt raised at the time vas whether the
gn,.h,ats then building to descend the a1issis-
sIi'pi would not be Of too heavy draft to be
uscd on the Cumberland, and whether or not
Gen. Hallccl, 4 Major General, would he viii
ling to detail SO 1argea part Of his army 900
w.s the number indicated as necessary to help
execute a leading part in the casnpaign OF Gen
EIell, who was only B=igadicr.
There !. the interview closed, and Gen.
Bnell in two days left for the West, tahins
with him TIE mop OH zckicA the movements had
teea t7usxd- Net long afterwards your cosrrs-
poEGent wrote to Gen. Buell., Te7i7ing this
snhj,ct, and suggeeting 10 hinl-:o sa:e :..y
otitnsc to Gen. Halleck-to refer the proposed
plan to headquarters, and let the o73cr be is
sued from Washington for tire cooperation Of
the two departments in issuing it. Gen Buell.
replied to this letter {thc date should be noted)
Us follows:
r n