The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-01-10
Our Army Correspondence 6
LETrER rRou cAYr osBE
CAm Kfya. RoMSry, Va
January LIST, 1868


turbcd by rebel bushwhackers. II apprs
us though this whole region Of couuiris
infested with these rude wrciches, 10
arc cracking a, our pickets at every D.
siblc choucr, both day and night, pichg
them OF their posts. IL there IS a,ht
on earth that Is to be dcspisrd, il is is
kind Of warfare.
ny some of their cunning they Nc
succeeded in capturing two Licutents
of this brigade, Of the let Virginia n T.
mcnt, who had gone one halfmile b"Nd
our lincsto g't some Refreshments, VIE
a squad Of rebel cavalry picked n mp.
This bushw hacking appears to have lln
a favoritc scheme of operation nmongc
seccssiouists---a sort Of sprig of the NJ
ican guerilla warfare, until they hav4c-
fcctually tested It's virtue aud found BIT
they have an enemy that is more cuutg
than they could be. Their boulti
scarcely ever now veri,re lar from tkr
camp. Our YaTkco boyS have SGT ~,
wits to work 10 resisting this kind oflh
enemy. and, for ,hc last month, our Ills
have not boon disturbed.
Itis now NOR than two months site
VIC have been at Romucy, enjoying be
daily routine of camp life. II il realI a
drag, being cooped up as though we wtc
prisoners, viii lst there IL an enemy o
very near us. We hear il repeated ~
Try day, and from authority that oughNo
I be reliable, that "ncxt week" we udvatc
on Winchester, and that next weoh H.
come and gono, ! might say, almost a
thousand timcs, and we are still here ct
Rn"'""y However, there Is now sohc
real signs ve encouragement.
We were, a few duys since, reinforced
by four regiments Of infantry ana orc
battery Of artillery, and the oG.rcpcattd
phrase is still in the mouths Of all, "ndx,
week we advance on Winchester |
only hope il may be true, yet 1t is certain
TINT more men are needed than the pres
ent mruv ~e now have TO accomplish
what the War Department has designed
lIcuurcg,rd has thrown out very str~~s
wing Of his army tow ard Winchc un'
Lcesburg, cstimatcd TO be about 10000
men. Itwould be unwisc for US to nt
tempt 10 drive back so largo an army will
but 10000 incn. As to Gen. Banks eros
sing the river aud, nt the same time fight
ing such a battle ns would necessarily
have to be fought, in gaining these point
has been, aud fear will still remain,
problem. lIldwc 10000 more men, thai
we have nj this point, it would be prci
" fair fight in conjunction with Bank
aud Stone, to drive them out of bot
Winchester and I.ecsburg.
There are so many roads leading I
AehFbarGs gam SAHsau SIas IH e SH iSHs Slsss!'
that success wodld be most certain.
There are many reasons why Winchcs
ter and Lcssburg should bc in our posses
sion. The principal ones ars;
Firstly, these places bear upon at lc1s
ninety miles ofthr Baltimore AMI OH
Railroad aud the Chesapeake ond OH
Canal, the only means of transportatio
between Washington and Green Spring
Secondly, were We in possession 9
Winchester, straight liuc from thi
point through the centre Of the encm
would mcot our forces on tho OccHquar
which would give US three sidcs Of til
enemy.
/ II is easily to be seen why Gen. Bank
has not long since crosscd that hazardou
river, for assure you ,hc rebels will nu
give up these strougholds, that have bee
in their possession for the last eigt
months, without bitter contest. Shoul,
there be any fears OF the enemy hinse
crossing the river aud making demon
strOtion upon Washington, by way !
Lcesburg, II occurs to me that such
movement could he easily checkmutc
by one half the present number Gcnet
Banks now has, whilst the remand,
could be thrown through this route nj
with our forces, so closely engage the q
emy as to enable his remaining forces
got across the river, when the work wou
then bo the nero feature of the momer
, Aud, should aLy attempt be made at 4
junction 10 reinforce the rebels, Mech
, Ian would then close in upon them ai
thus tic great fight that is hanging ov
MS might bo provoked.
| see by Secretary Comcron's rcpo
that all the States have furnished th,
quota of men and, ere long, the mu,
expected moment OF advance will hs
hand, aud that great question will so
he settled. whether We have a Cover
ment. know that our friends at hon
are not more anxious for that coming no
than the men.
, II is oow six menths, durirg viii
: which time We have been merely skir
ishing with the rebels, until the two gr,
& armies have at last concentrated th
/, forces 10 front, and there rcmains n,
. nothing to do but rIGnr. Aud that.
q. my opinion, will be very soou done.
h see ,hat the arrest OF Mason ard \
}. dell, rebel gentlemen (D has chus
= great commotiol in England, aud sol
i iuklings frem cur press indicate that II
d will be gwen up TO Her Majesty $ auth
c itics. Should this, in any went, be do
l. ! cannot conceive Of anything that wei
more eilectually demoral.zs the Fede