Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-08-01
From the 4Ist RcEImeut---NIOPo of the
Wnfch- DOG poiiey.
CAMP NEAR THE TUNNEL,
m q IL ID u IL lLl-

ors who have done so much TO foster and
spread the secession heresy in the State Of
Tennessee. He was aid-ds-Oamp of Gen.
Pillow at Fort Donelson, and like his COM
mander, ran away. He has done all that
he could to annoy, retard, and injure our
army, having spared neither negroes,
money or meanness in tearing up railroads,
burning bridges, assassinating pickets,
banishing Union men, sc. Yet we are en-
camped on his premises, guarding his prop
erty with scrupulous care. 1t does seem
that the more virulent and vindictive the
rebels become, the more they accomplish
against us in the way of arson, robbery
and murder, the more prominent they loom
up, the bolder they are, the more they con-
tribute, and the blacker the crime they
commit, the more careful of their property
do we become, the more tenderly do we
treat them, the more toadyism do We mani
fest, the more cringing, whipped-dOg poll
cies do we adopt. l would not be under
stood as rejecting the least on Col. Hazen.
His services are known and duly appreci-
ated by his whole command; but he isun-
der superior officers whose orders he must
obey. 1t is the general war policy to which
l refer. This idea of winning the rebels
back to loyalty by the present spoiled-child
policy is sheer nOnsense-it will never do.
There are some men that will not respect
you till you knock them down and whip
them soundly. 1t is the same with the
South-they must be whipped into respect
The softer and more fawning the policy we
adopt towards them, the more will they
despise us The only thing to end this war
honorably is fght-.Ggh without gloves,
backed by a stern, vigorous war policy
That is what we want. We are tired and
sick of compromising our manhood by
guarding the property of wretches who
have forfeited all right to life itself, and
who are in open arms against us. We
want to make clean record; we want to
say when this great issue between Freedom
and Slavery is settled, that we have done
nothing Of which we are ashamed. Do not
understand me as advocating a general
system of pillage by our soldiery-by no
means. But let the Government declare a
policy in regard to the property of rebels
known to be in arms against us, and re-
lieve us from the shame Of being watchdog
over it. Upon this plantation is large
number of negroes, the property of as base
q traitor as ever lifted a hand against any
Government They were left behind by
their master in his flight from DonelsOn.-
They are anxious to work for us. We need
them greatly.
Their services would be especially valu-
able to US now in taking the place Of our
soldiers weakened by the hardships of Shi-
loh, Donelson and Corinth, in repairing
railroads, driving teams, chOpping and
hewing timber for blsck houses, and other
works of defence which we have in con-
struction.
Shall we allow them to work for us ?
That is the question. Perhaps il might
offend our Southern brethren who are in
arms against us or excite the holy horror
of some fossil fogy, or Vallandigham trail
tor at the North, who has not kept pace
with the tremendous strides of public opin-
ion in the line of universal freedom. Why
not accept the services of the slaves of
known rebels? They would save a detail
of from eighty to hundred men for team
sters, cooks, hospital nurses and pioneers,
in each regiment. In an army of five
hundred regiments, this would save ffty
S--~~1.r .Elhan we stand 30
greatly in need of soldiers as we do now,
that is an item not to be despised. McClel-
Ian probably had $50 regiments before
Richmond. Had he had contrabands en-
ployed in the capacities have noted, he
would have had fifteen thousand more fight
ing men A single man has sometimes
turned the tide of battle The slaves here
make the best Of teqmsters and hospital
nurses better by far, than our own men
detailed for that purpose. They under
stand mules perfectly. One of our gener-
ais, with commendable Independence and
good sense, has employed number of con-
trabands as teamsters. 1t is usually re-
marked in his division, that their teams are
better kept less vicious, and do more work
than the teams Of the white drivers
The nation has been called on for three
hundred thousand more men to aid in put
ting down the rebellion. While the pa
triotie millions of the North are offering
their all in the struggle, they have right
to demand a more decided policy on the
part of the governments policy clear,
definable and pregnant with fight
If Gen. Halleck, instead of waiting day
after day in building parallels before Cor
inth, had rushed on, as Gems. Buell., Pope,
Nelson, Crittenden, and nearly every Off
GER and soldier under his command was
anxious to do, stormed the enemy's works !
and annihilated his army, as it was uni
versally admitted he could have done,
doubtless the results of the late battles be-
fore Richmond would have been different !
At one time, while we were lying before |
COrinth, Gen. Nelson, believing that Beau !
regard was Withdrawing his troops, and |
knowing the qualities of his division, de- |
termined, on receiving seeming discre-
tionary order from Gen. Halleek to rush |
his division forward, storm the enemy's |
works and bring on general engagement. |
Gen. Halleck, on learning this, sent sixteen |
successive messengers after him ordering him |
back. We had opened the ball gloriously |
that day, and would have stormed and tax |
en- the seeesh works in a short timeb for |
the command ordering US from the battle. |
A few days after, we had the intense NOR
tifcation and chagrin of seeing the enemy |
slip from our grasp. People may laud the |
blOOdless victory, but I'll venture we lose |
ti0ice as many men this summer, chasing |
about after the rebels, as we would have |
lost in stOrming their works at Corinth. |
Fight is what we want what the people |
want, what the secesh deserve and fear, |
and the only thing that will end this war |
with honor. .. n +
Yours, "JEEMs."
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