Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-06-18
LETTER FROM THE esth REa'T.

"Sf"i Peuioti anu UTdNt
boy. ~ ni4" a3ihlt UNIoNIsr.
LETTER FROM THE eSth REG'T
Editorial Correspondence Of the Belnaon, Chronicle.
70 g,A TRIUNE, TENN, june 6, 1868,
We are on the move. Appearances 10
dicate a termination Of the long season Of
inactivity that has hung 30 heavily upon
the restless spirit of the Army of the Cum.
berland. oii H3svi,d ia.aIa- VAa0t - ...
Grants star is in the ascendant. His
vigorous, active movements of the past four
weeks have been the topics of conversation
everywhere, and the success that has at.
tended them has crowned with new honors
the hero of Donelson and Shiloh, and de
monstrated that though he may not be a
very good engineer, he is an excellent fight
or, success, present success, is necessary to
keep up the reputation of Generals. Vic
tories won months ago are forgotten, and
the army and the people are apt to con-
strue q long season of inactivity in any de.
partment as reflection either upon the
capacity, or desire for an early termination
of the war, Of the commanding General
Grants successes and the reputation he
has acquired by them, may excite spirit
of jealousy or emulation in some of tho
Generals whose long season Of inactivity
after partial success has considerably weak
ened public confidence and we may have
an active, though late spring campaign
yet. tl~"' "S' co..
4 We left Franklin on the Cd day Of June,
leaving but a small force in possession of the
fertifostions. n On the Sd tha. rebels made
their appearance in front of the place, and
on the 4th they occupied the town, and dc.
stroyed and carried off considerable proper
ty belonging to the citizens Our forces
occupied the fort and small work on
Roper's Mob. They opened on the rebels
with the guns Of the fort about 10 o'clock,
A. NJ, and kept up firing all day. A large
cavalry force, under Col. Campbell, lett
here about 2! O'Clock p. NJ, and brigade
Of infantry-Gen. Steadman's--le here
about s o'clock. The cavalry arrived near
Franklin in time to drive the enemy from
the North side of the river before dark, and
the infantry arrived during the night. To
day there has been some little firing in that
direction, but there will not likely be much
fighting done, as the, rebels will hardly un-
dertake the capture Of the fort with the
forces there ut present. oil d g.llls ~ RS
There are a large number Of regiments
here, but they are nearly all small ones, and
the effective force is much smaller than ap-
pearances would Indicate Gen. Gilbert 8
command is composed of six regiments, di.
vided into two brigades-in order 70 make
division Of it-for no General likes to
command less than division, if he is only
entitled to the rank and Tay of a Captain
and has less than t,oo thousand effective en-
tsted men for duty. One Brigadier with
six staff officers, two Colonels commanding
brigades, and six regimental organisations,
for two thousand men. Is thcre ,sany won.
der thst this war iscosting SO much money
Congress wisely provided that no new of.
ficers- should be appointed in regiments,
where there was above an equitable pro
portion to the number Of enlisted mon. 1t
should not stop there but should provide
for the mastering out of all such surplus Of
ficers. Who will say that regiment with
250 enlisted men for duty should have three
field oticers2 And yet this frequently 90
ours; and companies reduced to from 20 to
40 men for duty, still retain full board OF
officers. This is not only great injustice
to the people who will have the bills to pay,
but is really an, injury to the service, for nc
officer, commanding regiment or company,
does or will take the same interest in look
ing after small command that he will in
looking after a larger one. Muster out tho
surplus officers, or transfer them, to- new
commands, and consolidate the regiments
making maximum organizations, Of season
ed, drilled troops, and the officers placed in
command Of them will take an interest in
their care and management that they never
will take with their present commands and
besides this, You will have a much more
efficient army, for present use, than by 6ll-
ng up the old regiments with conscripts or
recruits. The new recruits would, tits true,
learn the duties of soldier much quicker,
but the greater portion Of them would be
killed OF broken doyn Id the ssasoniaS, fol-
> with majority Of old troops in . regiment,