Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-13
Di.gracesuI Affair near Nashville.

The Both brigade. General Dumont's division
of General Rosecrans army, encamped n; Harris
vile, Tennessee, was surprised on the 9TH inst
by John Morgan; and, after short fight,
Observation-Disclosures capturing the camp equipage,
supply trains and two guns aud destroying what
he could not carry away.
The brigade consisted of the l04th Illinois,
Tooth and l0sth Ohio infantry. Nicklin's battery
and II small detachment of the I'd Indiana cav
airy. The loss was about sixty killed and
wounded A special dispatch states that part of
the force fought well. but portion broke and
ran We expressed our utter disbelief of all
this i'm the Journal, of yesterday; but it is true
mserably true
II was a most wretched business. II is enough
to make an honest patriot sick at heart. We
suppose the prisoners will be paroled, and we
trust there will be an immediate and searching in
vestigation of the conduct of all concerned. The
base towards and miscreants who, with their
country's honored livery upon their recreant
backs ..broke and ram or surrendered unneces
sarly to the rebels, should be made the scorn
and dersion and adherence of the world.
As the nighlcap punishment inflicted the other
day by Gen Rosecrans i'm the streets OF Nash
vile, doesn't seem to have accomplished all that
was expected of it, il should be tried again and
more thoroughly. The miserable potroons in
the Hartsville affair should be first marched in
old womens nightcaps through all the Nashville
streets the music of fife and drum, then marched
in their nightcaDs all the way on foot to Camp
Chase and compelled to stay there with no other
head gear than their nightcaps during the war,
and then released only upon bond and security TO
wear THEN nightcaps the rest Of their lives. No
disgrace can be too severe for the soldiers who
disgrace the uniforms they wear.
We are not sure that anything better to be
expected from the regiments that brought shame
upon themselves AT Hartsville. and TO some ex
| tent upon the Federal arms They
regiments. and they had nOr behaved well pre-
viously We ere informed that they the same
regiments that Gen. Dumont had at Frankfort
and elsewhere in this State.
The conduct of these regiments i'm Kentucky
was scandal0us. Wherever they marched or So
iourned. they insuled quiet citizens and stole and
robbed continually. They stole slaves upon all
occasions. No doubt there were good men anorg
| them but many, if not most, respected no law OF
man or God. At the Capital Of our State they
outraged not only all honesty, but all decency
They would 20 habitually into gentlemen's yards
and use them for the vugarest purpose in nature
right before the ewes of the whole families, and.
when persons made complaint of such doings to
Gen Dumont. as very many did, the only answer
they could get was. The sooner YOU get used to
these things the better. Surely il is not sur
prising, that such troops led by such n com
mander, roved basely recreant in the face OF the
enemy No doubt the portion of them that
scorned TO participate in the ouirages perpetrated
in Kentucky the portion that made whatever
resistance was made at Huntsville As for the
rest let the nightcaps be thrown their heads.
/ We have not learned whether General Dumont
was in actual command at Hartsvile or not. lie
T. most likely 10 have been he is one of our
Governments numerous political Generals When
the little band OF sixty at Shcpherdsvile
three months ago was attacked by three hundred
cuerril!as. armed with hying artillery and small
arms, he was At the head Of 10000 men only
nine miles off, where he heard the firing. but IN
stead OF Fastening the relief of the beleaguered
handful OF men, be drew up his whole force in
line oil battle and calamity awailed--the attack
of the three hundred. III he AZ Hirtsville.
let the nightcap be TO him in the place OF laurel
crown.
We do not believe that any blame should be
laid upon the military authorities ri Nashville.
Huntsville Is said be a strong position, and no
doubt there was force enough there 10 have de
I Tended il. II good look out had been kept and
a good fight been made. the rebel attack would
have been repulsed triumphantly / Louisville
I Iournal