Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-10-03
From the n. Y. Tunes Of Sept 2sd
Condition Of the Rebel Army.

From the n. Y. Times Of Sept esd.
| Condition Of the Rebel Army
Not one man in thausAnd can report cor
rectly facts observed by him. Any one famil-
lar with the giving of testimony in courts, or
with the reports of scientific phenomena by
| inexperienced persons, will readily agree tc
! this statement. Very few men, indeed, when
they observe facts, see the important ones or
remember them when they do see them. We
presume the whole public, like ourselves, has
felt this difficulty in the reports with regard
to the condition and numbers of the rebel ar
! my. The accounts seemed so often purely
sensation descriptions" and 10 be made by
people of so little haoit of observation, or uH-
der such excitement of feeling, that we have
come to put very little confidence in them.
We have just had an opportunity OF conver-
sing with one of our surgeons who was cap
tured at Harper's Ferry-a gentleman of sci
entiic habit of mind and close observation
He had the opportunity which till then, bad
scarcely been enjoyed by any loyalist, Of seeing
nearly the whole rebel army-march by, as they
were crossing the Potomac. There were two
corps d'Grmee-those of T.ongstreet and Stone
wall Jackson. They marched in two solid
columns over The bridges. and were about l 5
hours in passing. This gentleman counted the
numbers in given time. and then made a
rough estimBte of the whole force-his reckon
ing alone would show those corps alone num-
bering close upon 10000.
He had heard the usual accounts of the cos
tune, appearance and condition of the rebel
army, and like most of US, supposed them ex-
aggerations. But he now says that no de-
scriptions he has seen approach the truth
There never was beheld such a gang Of ragged
rowdy looking men. There was no uniform
or attempt at uniform. The hats were com
monty old "Wide-A wakes - stained by long
campaign, often with the tops gone, and the
hair streaming out. The trowsers were of oil
colors, and generally in tatters up to the knees
The coats, if they had any, were dirty and
ragged, and often well CREASED by the piece of
bacon which each man carried on his bayonet
The shirts were black with long use. One Of
ficer told our informant that he had not been
able to change his shirt for six weeks. Near
ly one-half of the men were barefooted. They
carried their crackers and bullets and caps all
together in their pockets. Both officers and
men were excessively lonsy, and the stencil
from the passing columns was almost unbear-
able
As they marched by, our men were surPris-
ed at first at the great number of field off
GERS, riding in the lines, and that these were
sections Of regiments, each with sepeFate
flag. But they soon discovered that they were
bona tide regiments, numbering from $50 to
ith 4bt,ir hap nd
ed officers. Many of these regiments, they
were informed, had numbered ] 900 and LOO
men. Their method of treating their sick and
wounded would account for much of this dimi-
mutton. After each regiment, followed some
half dozen men with stretchers, and whenever
a man fell out of the ranks from sickness, he
was taken at once to the nearest house, and
left to the mercies of the country people. So
with those wounded or operated on in battle.
The men were by no means in good spirits.-
They reproached jackson with working them
too hard. There was no enthusiasm shown by
any of them and the North Carolinians and
Iris were particularly lu1ewarm. The Vir-
ginians alone expressed some bitterness, on
account Of the ravages which their State had
suffered. They evidently felt the deepest dis
appointment at rheir reception in Maryland.
With regard to the future prospects Of the
war, their great hope and sustaining assur-
auce was that the two new levies, by volun-
teering and drafting, could not possibly be
raised at the North. We had come, they be-
ieved, to the end of our power.
The whole rebel army had, to the eyes Of
this medical gentleman and his associates a
worn-out exhausted look. The Phisi9ve was in
ierior from want Of food and overwork. Even
the horses looked wretchedly.
With such testimony as this. from persons
accustomed especially to judge of the physical
conditions of men, what may not be believed
of the present condition of the rebel army?
Men can fight Oh empty stomachs and endure
loog and harassiug marches where victory
and plumber rewards them. But now to retrace
the weary steps over desoiated country, under
the consciousness of defeat aud disaster, and
an active enemy behind them, must have a
most discouraging effect upon them. They
want rest and food. This is precisely what
we should not allow them. An incessant, Wig
orous attack from our forces might go far to
break up and utterly demoraIize the rebel ar
my. Hesitation now, slow movements. any
Corinth or Richmond operations with spade
and pick axe, will surely give the enemy time TO
recuperate, and destroy all the advantages of
this successful campaign.