New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-09
REBEL MEANS OF DEFENSE
Detailed Description Of their Army,
Equipments, aad Works.
TIE IMPENDING H0STILITlES,



Of Price in Missouri purely defensive. The Southern
LEADERS know that the superiority of the North n men
end other sources of mitiry strength is 30 great as
20 render any aggressive policy extremely hazard
ops and their action upon this conviction has thus far
proved the means of their relative success. No one
consn6s in the South that toe North has fewer and
xorse eonioped men in tie field than the Seeded
States. There lie staggering sef-confdeuce, that
Southern bravery fully makes mp the Shortcomings
IN these two respects, and upon this their belief III
dual triumph mainly rests. But although your cor
respondent has been for months ali attentive and
comprehensive reader OF Southern papers, he has as
vet failed to find Southern estimate of the numer-
esl strength OF the Southern armies that came up 10
Northern statements upon the same subject. Some
nix weeks ago daily Of this city repubshed com
pilstion OF figures from The ". Y. Herdld, the ag-
gyeeate of which represented the rebel forces IN the
field ut that time 70 be very near five hundred thou'
sand men. Having preserved the Official returns oil
he number of troops raised in all the Rebel States
but two embodied in the gubernatoria messages de-
kyered to the several legislatures during the last two
months bcoud easily disprove the whole OF this nu-
uerical guess-work. But for tie present viii con-
6ne myself to the refutaton OF that portion oil "
that refers to the Secession armies IN what 1he
Herald stats,itian chooses TO denomnate tue De
psrtment of Kentucky and Tennessee. Ihey are
computed TO be no less than one hundred and seven
teen thousand strong. This WIS moDstious exag'
eeratiou when it was given publicity-lhst Is t"o
months ago--and is now although the rebels have
strained every nerve since to raise their forces 10 the
greatest possible number. In September they had
ast man orer forty:fre hOusaad in his State and
Southern Keatucky and noe hey hare not over
seventyfre thousand aHtoid, and Of nis number lard
h to0.tl.rds are soorth anything. / DO not put
forth this positive statement as mere assertion.
,ropoee 10 prove it in Dc tail in the following:
When the standard of Secession first openly
saieed in Southern Kentucky on the 18th Of Septem-
bz, Gen. Polk sWooped upon Columbus with about
l6,C00, and Buekner upon Bowling Green with about
5000 men. The formers forces consisted OF fourteen
Tennessee, four Louisiana, and two Arkansas regi-
nnents of infantry averaging 800 EACH together with
regiment Of cavalry and four batteries of field ar
N6ery. Buckner bad four regiments Of rebel Ken.
tsckians, that bad gathered during the Summer at
Camp Boone, short distance south Of the Kentucky
State liDe and six regiments of TeunesseeaDs from
Camp Trousdale, together with few companies of
cavalry and three batteries Of artillery. As soon az
he had established himself at Bowling Green, gym
pahzers from various parts of the State to the num-
ber Of about l500 joined him. 20 that be bad nearly
II, 900 men under bis command.
In addition 10 the above, there were in Eastern
Tennessee eight egiments Of infantry, consisting OF
Tonne seeans, Georgans, Alabamians, and Misss-
sppians together with eight pieces of artillery and
few companies of cavalry, tue whole numbering
about 5000, and commanded by Gen. Zoicoier.
There was, further, brigade Of three regiments
organizing, under Gen. Carroll, in the vicinity of
Memphis. Fort Donelson, Oh the Cumberland was
manned by battalion of infantry and company Of
light artillery. Fort Henry, on the Tennessee, was
sarrsoped by the 10th Tennessee regiment composed
of Irish railroad hands, and commanded, strange to
say, by Col. Hermann, renegade German There
were, beside about 5000 recruits in encampmens at
various points Of The State.
Such was ,he strength Of the rebel forces In Ken
tncky and Tennessee at the time Gen. s. A. Johnston
assumed supreme command in the early party Of Oc-
sober. His first official act Was arequisiton upon the
Governors of Tennessee, Alabama Mississippi, end
Arkansas, for 80 600 additional men. The quota of
the aforementioned State under this requsition was
$4,000. Gov. Harris forthwith issued call for this
number Of volunteers. But, as already stated in my
last letter. up 10 the middle Of Novembe-, scarceey
Eve thousand of such enlisted III the aggregate, in
response TO it at the different points Of rendezvous.
One Of Gen. Johnsten's next orders was 70 direct
Gen. Hardee, who occupied position the Ar
Kansas line in the southeastern part Of Missouri 10
transfer his command Of seven regiments, comprising
about goo Arkansas Alabama and Louisiana troops,
% Southern Kentucky, and form junction with the
forces under Buckner, swelling thereby the rebel
army in ind about Bowling Green 70 some sixteen
ahousand men.
The Richmond War Department further ordered
eli bodies mustered into the service Of the Confed-
crate States 10 Alabama Mississippi, Louisiana snd
Texas, and at all available in tue field 10 report at
che earliest possible moment for duty TO Gen. John
ston. In obedience to tAir, there passed through
Nashville and Memphis their way respectively 10
Bowling Green and Columbus, about eight thousand
Infantry, cavalry and artillery from the States below
OF these, q brigade of tbree Alabama regipents,
shout 200 strspg, under command Of Gen.
Aleorn two regiments of Texan Rangers
mistaken here and elsewhere for Indians, owing
70 their sunburnt ppearance-nunberng GOO; and
various unattached companies of cavalry, rihemen
end artillery, PRINCIPALLY FROM LouiEona aud Mssis
Gppi, and together not over one tbovsand strong,
were aided 10 the division under Ma. Gen. Hardee
R3uckDsr had lost the command Ia CHIEF at Bowling
Green for that of two brigades while the l.nzinng
twenty-five hundred, consisting Of irregular bodies Of
oil arms, were attached 10 Gen. Folks army.
The i've thousand volunteers raised under Gov |
Hariss ~ 600 call were organized into ak re.i.
mepts, and armed with whatever shooting nea,s
IN the way of fraelock muskets shot.guns and ,iee
- e.,