The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-09-09

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the train. The cavalry went immediate
~ IN pursuit Of the murderers, but with
out everlasting them. Two or three
straggIers were shot at and wounded
Poor retribution The heroes were
doubtless nearly all innocently at work
on their farms two hours after the occur
renee. Can the most stringent policy
be too severe upon such people ? The
soldiers say, "arrest and punish the
villains; take and use their property for
the prosecution of the war;" but our pro-
slavery, weak kneed commanders are
either afraid or unwilling to stir hand or
foot, for prechance they may harm the
institution " they will not even Top
off the branches Of the rebellion for fear
they may disturb its roots. There are
glorious exceptions as witness, Mitchell,
Rosseau and Turchin, but they have
hitherto been discouraged by their supe-
riors, Notwithstanding it was owing
also to their stringent policy that they
succeeded so gloriously. | was The &C
iivity of Mitchell that enabled him to
conquer this very position Of Alabama
The rebels feared him, and no comman.
der who cannot inspire this feeling 10 the
hearts of his enemies deserves his posi-
ton. There will yet be mighty lop
ping off somewhere.
The diatrbes against Mitchell, circu-
lated so freely at the north through the
semi. secession press, excite in the army
generally only disgust and Indignation
The army believes in Mitchell, as wei
as in Turchin and Rosseau. They al
succeeded too well and made their worl
too thorough, to please the secessionist:
either at the north or south. What real
" successful m has no enemies, anC
what more unscrupulous and vitupera
tive enemies than the rebellion sympa
thisers of the north. They have no con
demnation for such mild leaders as Buell.
whose passage through this country ii
the wake Of Mitchell, completely neutral
lied the wholesome feeling inspired by
that energetic and uncompromising
general. While the latter was here the
rebels had mortal fear of the Yankees
since the passage Of the former they be
lieve us harmless and insult us openly
And for that matter, we are harmless a
present We eat, answer roll calls, and
sleep, occasionally rubbing our eyes for
a squint towards the enemy. This i'm
proved system Of warfare will never pro-
woke criticism on the part of our enc
mics it is only when we strike hard that
the child shrieks.
The large force in The mountains at
my last writing has moved eastward to-
wards Chattanooga, and We are left with
nothing upon our hands but citizen
guerillas, whose mode Of operations
have already described. We are doing
nothing to oppose them and | suppose
they will have their own way under our
benignant sway-or want of sway.
They gave ue another taste Of their quail
ry yesterday. Three Of the 18th Ill.,,
Cavalry were several miles distant from
camp, when they were unexpectedly at.
lacked by a large party Of citizens.
They fought well, but were overpowered
and two Of them killed, Tie other escap
ing with slight wound.
This war upon the borders is full Of
little tragic scenes like the above, whose
history will never become general-only
tradilionary in the localities where they
occur. Could all The scenes OF this un-
godly warfare be brought as a vision be
fore the eyes Of the people of Iowa, they
would need no squirting to escape the
ignominy OF draft.
j L. LOOMS.