Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-18

To the Eaifsrs Of The Louisville Journal:
GAIIsrtN Dec. u le6l

CESrIFMES:-In your daily issue OF the 10Th
inst you speak in term Of severity Of the rerent
surrender of troops Il Hsrtsv lie. sud mike il the
OCCASION OF an assault upon ne. Unconscious OF
ever having injured you me-ited such treat
nent. cannot. in justice to myself and truth.
suffer such charges to 20 unnoteed: but ia re
peIling them will endeavor To be as brief a the
nature OF ~hat YOU have said and the f,ets viii
allow. After noticing the surrender. YOU say:
I'VE are not sure that anything better TO
be expected from the regiments that brought
shame upon themselves at Hartsvile and % some
extent upon the Federal arms. They were raw
regiments. and they had not behaved well pre-
vIoGsly. We are informed that they the same
regiments that Gen. Damont hid at Frankfort aud
elsewhere ia this State Their conduct Ia Ken
tueky was scaudalous Wherever they marched
-cjonrned they insulled quiet citizens aud stole
and rubbed continually. They stole slaves upon
all occasions. No doubt there were good men
among them, but MANY. II not most, respected no
law OF man or God. At the capital of our State
they outraged only all honesty but all decency
They wonid go habitualIy into gentlemeI's Yards
aud use them for the vulgarest purposes in ma
ture right before the eyes of the whole family.
and when persons made complaints OF such doings
10 Gen Dumrt. 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
surprising that such troops, led by such a com
mander. proved basely recreant III the face of the
enemy. No doubt the portion of them that
scorned 10 participate in the outrsges perpetrated
in Kentucky the portion that made what
ever resistance mus made ut Hartsvie As
for the rest. let the nightcaps be drawn their
heads
I'VE have not learned whether Gen. Dumont
in actual comm M At Hartsville not. lie
is most likely to have been. He is ore OF our
Governments numerous political Geserals-
When the little band OF sixty men at Shepherds
vile three IN nths ago was attacked by 30D guer
rillas armed with lying artillery and small aims
he at the head of IL 900 men only nine miles
off, where he heard the firing, but instead of
Fastening To the relief of the beeigured handful
OF men. he drew up his whole force in line of
battle aud gallanily awaled-the attack of the
three hundred ~ 1t he YVES at Huntsville let
the night cap be TO him in the place OF laurel
crown"
Statements more cruelty unjust toward my
self could hardly he condensed into smaller
compass.
You presume ia the first place that was in
command at Hartsvie, because / am and have
been guilty OF certain other disreputAble and dis
graceful things, which sou proceed To enumerate
NJ reply is that | was not at Hsrtsvile that |
did not participate in the fight OF surrender, and
have not been with seen those troops. had
any opportunity OF being with or seeing them
for month before that disaster; that said troops
did not move with my main command AT the
time moved forward from Bowling Green; that
with nv mann command was ordered about the
9Th OF last month, to move 10 ScotSviile. ami
subsequently. from that place 10 this; whereas
the 18th brigade WAS separated from my main
comm nd aud ordered To- Glasgow, thence 10
TomDkinsville, thence TO Hartsyllie; that | was
at the time of the disaster. at Gallatin. where
had been ordered to he with my main conmInd
and in addition, was PROSTATE with sickness
whereof | had been coLhned to my bed ter up
wards OF two weeks
When | Ieit Shebyvile had with me four
brigades. AT Frankfort one OF these brigadeS
WAS ordered To L,wienceburg, thence have un
derstood 10 Harrodsburg, thence To Ddnville. and
thence know not where but presume where
military necessity required. Had this brigade
met with misfortune. 1t would he but little more
Il gravity unjust 10 mike ue accountable Tor il
than to speak OF me Ijurously in connection
with the II ,rtsvle SURRENDER The officer to he
held responsible must have control; deprive him
of immediate control. and common Justice re
lieves him of responsibility. What does it sig
Nifty that these brgades are in my division upon
paper il we separated so by space that the
immediate command must fall upon othersy |
pretend not that the brigade was wrOngiuly sent
away, it WAS doubtless ordered To 60 where il
was seeded, and where il ought to have gone.
make not these STATE inents chime i'm with
camOr against the unfortunate: would condemn
no without hearing. | decide not what
measure of blame. il any. is due to those con
cerned. What know l.. that, whatever blame,
censure or praise is due in the matter, il belongs
not TO me. 1t IL but just to let every tub stand
on it, own bottom; that is all TASK. | come not
forward as the champion of any one, nor will
condemn without knowing fully the facts
without hearing. | am told that seventy of
our men were killed on the spot, or have since
died. that one hundred and forty were wounded
number of which will vet de Two hundred
and ten OF our men bled and died. Who can say
there were no gallant spirits on that fatal feldi
The loss of the enemy, as published by himself,
Is not great, bit it il not small, and shows that
there bloody work. terrible conflict Ii
may turn out, for aught know, that our troops
were overwhelmed with numbers. Many OF the
escaped assert such to be the truth. IL is said
too that while some OF our troops acted badly
and did not fight, others fought with exceeding
bravery stand not here To defend the guilt,
or to shield the coward but it is due alike to the
dead and the living, to those who bled 10 tho>e
who died and to those who vet live. that they
should not be cons signed to niamy uDtil the facts
are known. Then let the guilty suffer.
Ia regard to the alleged bad conduct of troops
ut Frank fort. have simply n say that here are
bud men with all troops: that such did behave
badly and commit excuses ut that place, though
most OF the troops behaved well that these things
were regretted by no one more deeply than NV
sell: that exerted ali my energies TO prevent it,
and, when the offender could tie identified. in
h'cted the Severest and most summary punish,
ment. and that did succeed after | had "a little
time in REFRESHING these things and removing just
cause of complaint | appointed Provost Mar
shall. gave him "a mounted and infantry force
instructed him to patrol the CITY and neIghhor.
hood day and night, protect the people permit no
soldier trespass upon private rights, ami bring
all offenders to punishment Such has been NV
course ever since have been in the service
have tired TO protect the non cOmbatants see that
private rights not invaded that private prop
erty not taken without just compensation,
and that the war should be conducted. 50 far "a
was concerned on humane and honorable princi
pies. M,raadiDg and plumber abhonent TO
nv nature, ami ut war with every impulse of INV |
soul With all your cOmmendable solieitude upon |
this subject YOU have more than have |
ever cherished, and think can say without ego
tiSm that have been successful most com |
manders IN preserving good order and discipline |
with my troops. ! have sometimes faied. and |
who has uOtr The best troops I'm the world have !
bad men among them. The best commanders |
have now and then failed to be able TO prevent
such from committing GepredatiOns.
The indecent. scandalous and disgusting con
duet of which you especially make mention. |
/ believe Nas never committed. II i, in my 1
opinion. fabrication, and tlItt you have been m /
posed upon | never heard of it before. and would