The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-18

! ing the Hate HE at Corums mills. about six
miles further up the river Our loss was fifty
; Kliled,tour hundred and ninety-three wounded
J and sevenIeen missing. Con Hurlbut did not
attempt any pursuit and Gen. Rosencraps did
not leave Corinth till the morning after the 9Th
lhe enemy therefore effected his escape, but
: was followed for distance of sixty miles with
ont being overtaken. ....
! Gen. Grant afterward led his forces south as
far as Aoily Springs, and drove the enemy
across the Tsllahatchie This operation was
} attended with several brisk skirmishes, in ali
of which onr troops were victorious. These op-
erations have restored peace in Western Ten
nessee. The official reports Of the operations
OF Con. Grants army are submitted hera with,
marked exhibit No 6.
Gen Curtis Vithdra,cN Of Troops from AY,
Il kGAsaS. H.0 ID.
Tie unfortunate Withdrawal to Missouri. by
Gen Curtis of a large part of the army OF Arkan-
sas, prevented the execution of the military ops
CREATIONS which had been ordered in the latter
State. In Missouri, the forces under Brig Gen.
SchOheld not onl ~ broke up and DESTROYED nu-
nerous bands of guerillas, but defeated the rebel
army in several engagements near the south>
west corner of the State,a drove across the
Boston Mountains, in Arkansas. l cannot give
| rhe details OF these engagements as no official
reports have beed received. a.
The Indian War, Departments of the Gulf the
/ South, ETC. .......
The Indian tribes in the Northwest. and more
particularly in Minnesota, melted, il is said
! by rebel emissaries. committed numerous murt
| ders aud otEer outrages, on the frontiers, du-
| ring the latter part of the summer. These saw
ages were vigorously attacked by volunteer
force under Brig. Gen. Sibley, and defeated in
| several well~tought battles on the upper waters
of the Minnesota River. These vigorous pro-
ceedings struck terror among the Indians, and
put an end to hostilities in that quarter for the
present season. 1t is quite possible that these
| hOstilities will be renewed in the coming
spring and preparations will be made accordingly.
! In the Department of the Gulf, the withs
dTawal of our fotilla from Vcksburg enabled
the enemy to concentrate a considerable force
on Baton Rouge, which was then held by Brig.
Gen Williams. The attack was made on the
9th of August, with greatly superior forces,
under the rebel Gen. Breckenridge. Gen Will
iams gained a most signal victory, but fell in
the fight. Our loss ninety killed and $50
wounded. We buried 800 of the eDemy's dead,
| left upon the field. On the 18th of August the
| garrison OF Baton Rouge was Withdrawn to
! New Orleans. On the oath of October, Gen.
Butler sent force, under Brig Gen. aWeitzel,
to operate on the west bank of the Mississippi,
in the Lafourche district. He engaged con.
siderable body of the enemy on the 25th, about
mne miles from DonadsoIvllle, and defeated
| them, with the loss Of their cJmmander,a large
| number killed and wounded, and 269 prisoners.
! Our loss mas eighteen killed and sixty eight
| wounded. This victory opened the whole OF
that part Of The country. Gen Buffers reports
| of the military operations in ms department
are submitted herewith, marked EXHIBIT No. z.
| In the department of the South, the only mills
itary operations which have been undertaken
were the reconnaissance Of the POcataligo and
! CoosawAfchie rivers. These expeditions under
! Br g Gen Brannan and Col. Barton, encOun-
| tered a considerable force THE enemy on the
22d Of October, aud engagements ensued III
which he lost SO killed and 1870 wounded The
official reports of these engagements are sub
mitted herewith, marked Exhibit Number, s.
| In the Departenmt of North Carolina our
! force las also been too small 10 attempt any
! important offensive operations On the 9th of
! September party of the enemy surprised the
| garrison of Washington, but were soon driven
out. Our Joss was killed and SO wounded and
that of the enemy 33 killed and about 100 woun-
! died. Several successful reconnoisances have
! been made 10 the interior, The official reports Of
/ the affair at Washington are marked Exhibit
! No. 9.
Concluding Dissertations
II is seen from this brief summary of military
operations during the last three or four months
that while our soldiers have generally fought
with bravery, and gained many important bats
| ties, these victories have not produced the usu-
al results. In many instances the defeated foe
was not followed from the battlefield aud even
where pursuit was attempted il almost invaria-
bly, failed TO effect capture or destruction of
any part OF the reireating army. This is a
matter which requires serious and careful con-
sideration. A victorious army is supposed to
be in q condition to pursue its defeated foe with
! al vantage, and during such pursuit, to do him
serious, il not fatal injury. This result has usu.
ally been attained in other countries Is there
any reason why it should not be expected in
this 1t is easily understood that in a country
| like that between yorktown and Richmond or
the thickly wooded swamps OF Mississippi and
/ Louisiana, that retreating force by the telling
of trees across the roads and destroying bridg
es over deep and marshy streams, can effectual-
ly prevent any rapid pursuit. The one in
few minutes, blocks up or destroys roads. " hch
i the other cannot clear or repair for hours
even days. The pursuer has very little hope
of overtaking his flying foe. But this reason
ing is not applicable to Maryland, and the
greater part of Virginia, Kentucky and Middle
| Tennessee. 1t must be admitted that in these
theatres of war the rebel armies have exhibited
much more mobility and activity than our own.
Not only do they out~march US both in advance
aud retreat, but on two memorable occasions
their cavalry have made with impunity the en-
tire circuit of The army of the Potomac. lift
be true that the success Of any army depeads
upon its "arms and its legs, ours has shown it.
self deficient in the latter of these essential re-
quisites.
This defect has been attributed to our enors
nous baggage and supply trains, and to q want
of training in marches. There is no doubt that
the baggage trains of our armies have been ex>
cessively large. Every possible effort has been
made within the last few weeks to reduce them
But this Is no easy task Once accustomed TO n
certain amount OF transportation, an army is
! unwilling TO do without the Injuries which it
4 supplies in the field By the recent increase Of
the army ration, which was previously larger
than in any other country,a considerable amount
of transportation is employed in moving pro-
visions and supplies which are not necessary
for the subsistence of ths soldiers.
An examination of the returns of the Quar-
tprmasier General, few days since, developed
the fact that the army Of the Potomac, incIu-
ding the troops around Washington most of
f which are without field trains. has 50 900 api-
nals and that 5000 of these were employed in
tran porting ambulaDces and hospital stores.
, In addition to all these the roads, streets and
wharves are incumbered with private vehicles
used for the transportation Of suffers stores.
No matter how large the main body OF an army
| may be. it can never move rapidly win such
mas Of impediments, and yet speculative pros
iecta are almost daily urged on the WA Depart
ment to- increase the immoDiity OF our armies
T. in the field.
Again. our troops, especially those in the
Fasf, have been very little accustomed to march
al least to that kind of marching usually requr-
ed by active operations in rhe field. Absentee
, ism is one of the most sesi gus evis IN all our
/ armies Hundreds of officerssand thousands OF
] men are almost continually away from ther
commands. Many of these are really strag-
} yIerg and deserters. In regard to officers, the
evil il being abated by summary dismissals, and
if the law could be strngently enforced agai LIST
! the men it would soon put an end TO desertions.
But struggling On the march and in battle can
be prevented only by severe and summary pun~
ishnent inflicted on the spot. In this and many
other imp ortant particulars our military laws re-
quire revision and amendment. They were
1 mostly enacted for small army and for times OF
peace, and are unsuited to the governments OF me