Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-16
from washington.
PRoGREss or THE WAR-ALsRNING PREVALENCE
OF DEsERTIoS-TEsr OATHs IL THE SESArE-
THE CoSFEDERArEs WITHIs TEs MILES OF
WASHINGTON. &C.


Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WASHINGTON. March Z.
The accounts that have been received here to-
day give a much more deplorable account of the
affair ut Spring Hill, in Tennessee, than those
that came yesterday and were telegraphed to you
last night. The force engaged on our side, in
stead OF being only three regiments, was at least
1000 strong, and embraced ten or twelve regi
ments, under Acting Brigadier General Coburn
The enemy were commanded by Gen. V All Dorm,
and had about 10000 men engaged. Their re-
serves, amounting to 5000 men more, were not
brought into action at all. There another
detachment of our troops, II 900 strong. few
miles distant, and an express was sent 10 Gen.
ROsecrans in the early part of the engagement,
begging him to send them to Gen. Coburn's as
sstance. If this mad been done, our troops would
not have been defeated. But Gen. Rosecrans
sent no such orders. His orders to Gen. Gilbert
were positive, to remain at Franklin, and the
latter officer cannot be blamed, therefore, for not
marching to Gea. Coburn's assistance. The re
suit was, however that Gen. Coburn's detach
ment, after fighting like heroes, and maintaining
an unequal combat for several hours, WAS de-
feated at last and not only defeated, but virtually
annihilated. A single battery of artillery and "a
company or two of cavalry succeeded in cutting
their way through and escaped. All the rest OF
our artillery, some 80 or 40 guns in splendid or
der, with caissons and ammunition wagons com
plete; all the rest of our cavalry. and all our in
fantry, fell into the hands of the enemy. Our
loss in killed of course was very great, for the
troops fought with desperation. The regiments
captured were the 10Th Michigan, 22d Wisconsin,
sd and S5th Indiana, and parts OF four other
regiments. More than hundred commissioned
officers either killed or taken prisoners, and
four thousand muskets with their accoutrements
also fell into the hands of the enemy.
We can never suppress the rebellion by battles
like this; and we can never gain victories with
miSmanagement like that which prevails in our
armies. from the War Department here to the
Generals commanding DEPART ents. When
look around the military horizon. and see how
the wretched imbecility and fanaticism which
prevail here have distributed our armies and our
Generals, nv heart sinks, and cannot hope for
any good results from the spring campaign. IT
we are not defeated, indeed all points. it will
be owing entirely to good luck, and no, to good
management. Look at the siege of Charleston,
for instance. General Foster, General who has
made war, and fought battles, and won decisive
victories. man in every way competent TO
conduct the siege to successful. issue, Is sent
away, and the whole matter leTt in charge of
General Hunter The latter, although brave
man and good officer, is entirely inexperienced
in all such matters. With General Foster ia
command, the siege might have been successful.
With Gen. Hunter in command, il will certainly
fail. Why, then, does the Administration prefer
the inexperieuce and want of skill of General
Hunter To the experience and skill OF General
FOster2 Because the men that rule Mr.. Lincoln
have determined that negroes shall be employed
in the siege in order that the city, when captured.
and the whole State of South Carolina, shall be
given MP To the pllage of negroes: because Gen.
Foster and all his officers have refused to be made
-. fhaa
women of the South gangs ot inturated black
savages: and because General Hunter has not
expressed any dissent from his orders. which are
to employ negroes in the siege.
The fact that HOUker's army has become de
pleted 10 III alarming extent has been known Tor
some time, but the eau that have led to that
depletion have been kept involved in mystery.
One Of them, however, has now come to light.
Gen. Haleck states that the evil of deserIion pre-
walls in all our armies to an alarming extent, and
that there have been $4,000 deSertions from
Rockers army alone during the last month.
Some of these deserters are caught. but most OF
them, of course, escape; $50 of them were
brought To this city yesterday. their way to
Fortress Monroe, where they are to be kept at
hard labor till the end OF the war
The proceedings in the Senate yesterday, on
the subject of compelling Senators TO take a vex-
atious test oath, were very suggestive. The law
which was pissed by Congress some months ago,
requiring members of Congress to take this new
OATH is clearly unconstitutional act. and there
fore null and void. This fact was eloquently set
forth yesterday by Mr. Blyard. Mr.. Davis, OF
Kentucky. aud Mr. Salisbury. The discussion OF
the matter very sprite'i, aud it shows that the
time has come when the unconstitutional acts OF
the last Congress are to he nrraigDed before an
outraged country The time for those acts to be
repealed y not Yet come, but it will come.
Bolder and builder grow the Conireierates, and
nearer and nearer are they appru ,chhs this city.
day two ag, they made Swoop upon par
ty Oi cOntrdb,ni wOOd choppers at Falls Church.
only ten miles west of Washington, and captured
300 OF them Z nus the poor negroes are de
ceived, who come into our lines ~ search OF lib
erty. The only liberty they get is the liberty TO
work hIruer and fare worse than they did on
their comfortable plantations. Aud their new
masters are entirely unable Ia protect them, as
witness the 500 captured ut Harper's Ferry, and
the 300 who have now fallen into the hands oil
their old masters
The news nf the Detroit negro riot of yester
day creates intense excitement here The radi-
Cal masters of the President 20 about making
threats OF determination against all the white
men engaged la il. Conservative statesmen
however, look grave, and regard it ~ the first OF
a series of bloody riots which will inevitably take
place in all the cities OF the North. AID which
will spring from attempts the part of Adolf
tiOnistS force negroes to an equality with white
people No doubt the whole land will he GOV
cred with blood-the South from negro insurrec
tions and the North from riots like this one only
more extensive Scale-betOre the whole PEG
pie will rise in the majesty of their power, put
stop 10 this for the negro, and restore al
things as they were before the war.