, 1862-05-31

zns Rsition-Arrieaz ef q portion Of General
duccd By Slege-The use Of ne Cavalsy-A
Rebel Route1Rebd Deserters-C Correcting Er- |
rora-1he Hospitdl department. Health
Of the Canp-71he C67astitufia.a Consezstion
As7-iral Of General 1s6otNs Brigade -Adpaaes
Of General Pipe.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.l
P1rrsBuRa LANDING. May IS, 1862.
4 trip to the front yesterday revealed moth
ing new in the position Of our army. Our
right wing, General ". T. Sherman being the
advanced division, is within two and half
miles Of Corinth, as I learn from the best au-
thoritles. Some ofthe other divisions should
be a little nearer, If one might credit the re-
ports Of their officers who SO hunnbly attest
that the rebels have thrown their shells to a
distance Ear in the rear Of our fortidcations.
If this be 60 they must have guns Of an i'm
mense range, Still doubt the statement. II
probably arises from the finding Of shells i'm
bedded In trees which had been thrown by
come Of the rebel advanced field pieces, and
which pieces wera Withdrawn as our divisions
took up their advanced positions. War is
AuuiA1l4C Ill u0AV GCA66o kudA QuE. L 4UDh
upon an army as composed Of the most gull
ub1e Of all material, apparently, but find the
cause Of this in the fact that intelligence is
communicated by word OF mouth Instead of by
the press, and that consequently 1t cannot be
relied on. We can easily account for panics in
time Of action, when We hear stories On the
wing in times Of inaction that are enough to
cause ones hair to stand On end, that is, pro-
Yided ne were fool enough to credit them.
Last week three regiments arrived here
from Missouri, VIZ: the 35fh Illinois, Mis-
souri and Minnesota regiment, also d Wiscon-
sin battery. These are portion of General
Steelee division Of Gen Curtis's force, and
will reinforce the left wing Of our army. I
still think that Gen. Ha1leck awaits reinforce
ments, particularly se}ge guns. There are
said to be a few at. Cairo awaiting transport,
and number there from the sunken gunboat
Cincinnati. They should be forwarded i'm
mediately. I again reiterate that If the rebels
are in position at Corinth one-half as strongly
as reported, they must be reduced by heavy
artillery, that is, unless we have force euf6-
ciently great to outfank them Once cut
their line OF communication with their base Of
operations and they are lost And speaking
of this, what is being done with the force Of
0,000 cavalry in this army? Here is an op-
po1tunity for them to distinguish themselves.
Here is their peculiar field. They are com
mandcd by brave, dashing, and energetic Of
fcer. General Andrew jackson Smith
I know that he is like , a hound
chatting in the leash. Be wants to do some
thing, and here is his opportunity. Let the gen
| eral andhis command snd o few IghtdeId pieces
| be sent round into the rebels rear, and war
| rant you there will be raised such hue and
| CRY In Corinth as will be heard oil along our
| lines. But it il not for me to anticipate
My mlsslon1 Is to chronicle events as they tran-
| spire, and probably am inroading the Pc
culiar province Of other and greater men by
pointing out what may be done by-and by.
Certain it is, however, That our cavalry must
do more in this var than they have hereto
fore accomplished, or as IN arm Of the ssr-
vice they will have fallen fur behind the in
them, however, and that is that the nature OF
the country in this vicinity is such that the
principal movements Of cavalry are altogether
impracticable. II. this connection. ho Wever,
it is proper to make exceptions. The cavalry
companies acting as body guards to the gen
had an immense amount Of work to do. And
Captain Osband's company Of your city, act
ing as body guard to Genera1 Grant,
has distinguished itself in this war IN
manner which reflects great credit
they have not received their Just merit q
praise from the public prints.
t On Saturday, Gen. Pope finding his advance
annoyed great deal by rebel regiment, sup
ported BY battery, ordered IN advance npoI
left precipitate1y, leaving their knap and hsv
ersacks behind, and also q aG-pounder gun be
logging to the battery.
| Yesterday. General Buell., accompanied By
Capt. Prime Of: tie engineer, department, wa!
examining the whole point of his lines for tht
purpose Of selecting spot in which to 'ersc
an observatory. An elevation was found, aut
occupied, from which the rebel flags could b.
sten.
: Deterters from the rebels conc in daily
Thy are principally Germans. who say TIA
;. They bring In their kits and blankets, and asl
to TIC inl1ne ediafely enlisted IN cur army The,
i all complain TINT the rebels are on short allow
Vi ance-hog and hominy, and no ae7tisky or lager
They also state, that the Arkansas regiment
all such statements must be received camg,-une
and ftr my part, I put but very little faith i
thenG lmerely give them for what they ar
WORTH
The statement that Gen. Price WIS killed 4
the Harrington battle, L have every reason t
}: believe is apocryphal.
i And While am upon. this subject Of COZ
= rectiDg errors, you will allow me to correct
!, statement which I find in your paper Of tt
22d. It is there stated that there are 100
. boats had been rsmoved Il hom Pittsbnrg Land
) ing, On account Of the stencil from the batt1
field, Whoever your Informant was, he wa
most egregiously imposed upon The me-
'ment I saw the article, was struck with It
= improbahility, and immediately made inqu
t ries at the proper quarter. Dr.. ]. Fl. Dough-;
\ u S. Sanitary Commission. informs me tbs
= there arc but l,500 sick at Hamburg, and tha
y la1ge proportion Of them are convalescent
e also that 6o0 Of these we're removed to Sava1
r nah a day or two since, leaving but l LOCO sic
| ut Hamburg ut this writing. As to the bosp
tai boats, they have not been removed to Han
burg. visited every boat on the Landin
s {Pittsburg) to-day, and found the fo}lo7fu
l. still there: louisiana, D. a. January, City
le Memphis, Empress, Superior. Sunny Sid
70 Ella, Stephen Decatur, and " II. Crawfor
,, Also the receiving boat Polar Star.
ID During my visits to the several boats, vi
l. often stopped by the sentinel, s fixed bayon
being presented to the region OF the epigastl
UNI. An open sesame Of which an DO
st sessed- caused the weapon to be prompt
~ brought to the present (salute) and I passe
y Oh. I found Dr.. Douglas to be most busi
Of engaged on board the Polar Star During n
. inierview with him Of fifteen minutes dur
., lion. We we're jntet1pted at least dog,
.
t, piled to the questions asked him with t!
manner Of o gentleman, as well as officer. g
: McDonghsl,. chief medical director, is al
- most indetatigahle; and let me observe,
r passant, that the positions Of these gentlem'
~ are by no means sinecures. If ever ha
n seen work in the army, it is in the medic
ID department. The Polar Star ia steambo
" used for receiving supplies and sanitary stor
y for the army, and is Doctor McDougha
s" headquarters, DR.. Douglas acting as associa
secretary Of the United States Sanitary Coz
mission. This depot was established at tt
Id Landing on Friday, April II, few days ST
r. cecdipg the battle of Shiloh. Since then NC
49, 49, than 40 commands in the army have been
te sued, besides some twenty three general 3
or division hospitals, aud fifteen hospital boa
an The. supplies issued from this depot !:
week amounted to s., 1000.
No doubt the health of the army herei
fore hss been very bad, but nothing like
oe: the extent which your article would seem
II, I intimate. It is now improving, howeE
in. Still within the past twenty days IL 900 81
=. persons have been skipped home from Il
ne place; but the great majority of these, vi
"a able to walk on bosrd the boats. An ens