The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-10-03
From the New York Times Of til, -.
Condition of the Rebel Army.

Not one man in a thousand can report
correctly facts observed by him. ANY
one familiar with the giving of testimony
in courts, or with the reports Of scientific
phenomena by inexperienced persons,
will readily agree to 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 aud numbers of the rebel army.
The accounts seemed 50 often purely
sensation descriptions" and TO be- made
by people of so little habit OF Ohserva-
ton, or under such excitement of feeling,
that we have come 10 put v,ry little con-
fidence in them,
We have Just had an opportunity Of
conversing with one of our surgeons who
was captured a. Harper's Fcrry--a gem
tleman of scientific habit of miud and
close observation. tie mad the opportu-
nifty which, till then, had 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'armee that Of LOngstreet and
StonewallS Jackson. They marched in
two solid columns over the bridges, and
were about fifteen hours in passing. This
gentleman counted the numbers in n Civ
en- time, aud then made a rough estimate
of the " hole fOrcc--his reckoning would
show those corps alone numbering close
rpon 10000
lie had heard the usual accounts Of
the costume, appearance and condition
of the rebel army, and like most of us,
supposed them exsggeratiOns. But he
now says that no descriptions he has
seen approach the truth. There never
was bcheld such gang dragged rOwdy
looking men. II was like an army of
rag-pickers There was no uniform or
attempt at uniform. Officers and men
were equally dirty and dingy. The hats
were commonly old wide Awakes,"
stained by long campaign, often with
the tops gone, and the hair streaming
out. The trousers were Of all colOrs, and
generally in tatters up to the knees.
The coats, if they had any, were dirty
and ragged, and often we'll creased by
the piece Of bacon which each man car
ried on his bayOnet. The shirts were
black with long use. One officer told
our informant that he had not been able
10 change his shirt for six weeks. Their
blankets were of all colOrs and materials
often bits of carpoting and old bed
comforts. Nearly 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 lousy, and the stencil
from the passing columns was almost I'M
bearable.
A they marched by, our men were
surprised, at first at the great number of
field officers, riding in the lines, and then
at the small numbers gathered around
the hags. Their first theory was that
these were sections Of regiments, each
with a separate flag, But they soon dis
covered that they were bona fte regiments,
numbering from $50 to 800 men, with
their own banners and mounted officers.
Many Of these regiments, they were in
formed, had numbered 1000 10 LOO
men. Their method Of treating their
sick and wounded would account for
much of this dimunition. After each
| regiment followed some half dozen men
/ with stretchers, and whenever a man fell
out of the ranks IRON sickness, he waI
taken at once 10 the nearest house and
| LETT there TO the mercies of the country
people. So with those wounded or oper'
! ated on in battle. They were never car
ried with the army. The men were by
nomeaus in good spirits. They told oul
informant that they had been constantly
walking since tho battles before Rich
] mond, and Nth very littls to eat They