Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-02


pectiye Legislatures.
From the army of the Tennessee-E4e-
trOgrade mOyements-DispOs of
cans of African Descent-MOdificd
vieyvsOf "A Republican i'm regard TO
slavery.
LAGRAFGE, TENN, January II, 1863.
EDITOR SENTINEL A member of the medical
staff, friend OF yours and to whom | am in
debted for many iavors, when | called on him
this morning for prescription for ennui, said,
g" Well employ an idle hour in writing letter for
my old favorite, the Sentinel" Being a good
Republican you will allow me the expires
son-this proposal caused some strange sensa-
ton, but shall hold the Doctor responsible for
the result, and follow his advice.
The "Army of the Tennessee" continues its
march northward. After having reached a point
one hundred and ten miles south OF Memphis, it
is ordered to retrace its steps. In word, Gen.
Grant, by the force of circumstances, has been
compelled to retreat. How far the burning of
army stores at Holly Springs influenced his move
menfs, we only guess at. In regard to the
burning, the facts are simply these: Five hun
dred troops were left TO guard between two aud
three millions worth of stores. Eight thousand
rebel cavalry having easy knowledge of the fact
for Holly Springs contains dozens of auOWed
secessionists-make raid on the five hundred.
parol them, destroy the property, and leave in
ten hours. Helpless ignorance Is always to be
ptied-gross neglect is not a subject for apology.
But, nobody gentleman who has figured very
largely in all disasters during the war-"Nc-
body S to blame"
You will not expect any news from those in
the Army We are dependent on your northern
daies for knowledge of our own movements,
outside of our own special division. During the
period between the 9Th and 3lst of December,
northern papers were not allowed to be circulat-
ed, and our Coonels were ignorant those
in the ranks. Now we have regular daily trains
to and from Memphis and what there is, we get.
But this much is certain in regard to our
present movements. On the 7th and Sth inst,
the six hospitals at Holly Springs were broken
up and their 1000 patients were transferred to
this point As you are aware, Holly Springs had
been Gen Grants headquarters for some time,
but his staff is now here, and he is expected
hourly. What movements are in contemplation,
we have no means of knowing The different
regiments seem to have no other duty at present
but guarding the two railroads. The regiment
to which the writer belongs-the l0Uth Indiana
is at Grand Junction. three miles west of this
point The 9th Indiana is at this place, and is
generally healthy. The same may be said of
the 25th.
In the hospitals at this point are now confined
about 200 sick and wounded / have been
through the different wards OF these hospitals,
and am happy to certify that all is being done
for them that can be under the circumstances In
hospital No. 2, where the writer is canvalescing,
there are but $50 patients, under j. r. Culbert
son. of your city, Surgeon in charge, and his
corps of assistants. The Doctor is very popular
with all whom he meets in social or professional
relations, and exhibits a commendable pride i'm
guarding his own reputation by exacting the per-
formapce of every duty assigned to those under
him.
Since writing the above visited the building
where are confined the Rebels wounded at Da
vIs' Mills, three weeks ago yesterday. They
were of the number who made the raid on Holly
Springs the day before. Seventeen were killed
and thirty were wounded. Five of the latter have
since died. Our loss was nothing. Those here
adpear to enjoy themselves as well as crcum-
stances will permit. They are full of jokes, and
honestly declare that they are better fed and
generally cared for than if in their own hospitals
You will not expect highly cOlOred Republi-
can to write a letter without reference to the
inevitable gentleman of African descent. Well!
the army is splendid field for the study of hu-
MN nature dressed in black About five thou
sand sable sons and daughters are attached to the
Army of the Tennessee. These are of every
shade, from the unadulterated ebony to the fair
quadroOn From motives of curiosity, / have
questioned them closely. and watched them
impartially. | freely admit that exL erience and
observation have materially modified my views
regarding them. | devoutly wish that they
coODized out of the country, and that an mpas-
sable barrier were erected between them and US,
as wide as that which God himself placed between
the African and Anglo Saxon natures. My
sympathies have always been with them. and
have made me heretofore wish them ali free,
even il they must remain in our midst But now
| am far from being certain that my sympathies
are safe guide, epecially in this case Let me
state one or two facts.
They have heard of "Massa Lnkum's Proc
amation," but they seem to make the loosest and
most vague calculations as TO the result, should
the Proclamation be fully carrie out. Liberty
with them means Reconsideration from compul-
sOTy labor means idle vagabondage. They are
almost universally, lazy, shiftless set, and it
will be a severe school in which they are taught
to prize freedom at its full value. One thing is
certain: they loiH not cork, unless constantly
watched and absolutely compelled to do so from
fear OF starvation They care as little for the
future they know of it. To crafty present
wapt, to feed their appetite for display in dress,
nine enths of them would sell our troops to their
! Southern masters, though the inevitable result
| should prove their re enslavement In their
present state they are totally unfit for the enjoy
ment of freedom. If freed from slavery at once,
our legislators would be compelled to enact spe-
cial and most stringent laws for their control or
/ their freedom would soon degenerate into the
most unbrded license, and these pauper hordes
would crowd our poor houses, and fill our peni
tentiaries to overfowing. In social point ef
view. whether they would be happier, rs
happy, in a state of freedom. is question can
not solvc--s in fact the great problem of tine Cay.
Certain it is they lack the mental power to appre-
cate freedom, and the moral force to make it a
blessing But, in the lottery of national life, we
4 have now the elephant and, now, what shall we
do with it? This is very strange talk for Black
Republican, but | have expressed my honest,
earnest convictions, forced upon me in a current
strong and broad enough to sweep away all my
preconceved notions, and leave me amid wreck
of doubts and msgivings.
On reading the above to my friend, d.. Hunt,
of Illinois, he made remark worthy of being
recorded He says "Even those few slaves who
are disposed to be Industrious invariably couple
the idea of labor with the idea of service due to
those for whom that labor is to be performed
When they speak of going North, after the war
is ended, they always refer to some person with
whom they are going, or with whom they would
be pleased to 60 Of absolute individual inde
pendence they have no idea--they must have
some one to whose skirts they can cling" The
doctors remark is truthful. | leave it for your
| readers to reflect upon.
Respectfully, 5. @. G.