Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-09-21
Take uarn az fha lEsIIierg.

Col. Frybarger, who has charge of all
the artillery in the State connected with
the Indiana Legion, is now visiting our
city tor the purpose Of inspecting our
artillery companies and placing them on
more efficient footing He has visited
already, most of the towns on the border
and established the artillery branch of
the service, scattered along the river,
upon a war footing, so far, at least, as
the furnishing of cannon and equip
ments can accomplish that end. 1t is
his intention, we learn, to organize two
tour-gun batteries in our city and equip
them throughout One of these bate
ries, we presume, will be assigned to the
Union Artillery Company, and the other
to Capt Rimroth's comaany. The bat
teries will be furnished with everything
to make them complete and effective,
except horses. These, it is supposed,
will be furnished by patriotic citizens
should any sudden change call the bat
teries to the field
But it is folly to scatter cannon and
equipments along the border of the State
unless they are properly taken care Of
To simdly stow them away in some rick
ETY. old shed where the rats and dirt and
rust can prey upon them at will, and
where now and then some hard-pushed
horseman can borrow a saddle or such
pieces of harness as his pressing neces-
sites may demand, never remembering.
ooorse, 70 return the same-is to
throw the money of the State away. If
Governor Morton kindly provides cities
and towns along the border with the
means of defense, it is due to hint is
due 10 their safety-that those means be
properly taken care Of.
The equipments for artillery are very
costly and easily ruined Harness, un-
less properly taken care of, is soon de.
stroyed. In the first place, therefore, a
good house ought to be provided in which
to keep the artillery and equipments
and, in the next place, a good reliable
man should be employed to look after
them and keep them in order Hitherto
in our city, these things have been some
what neglected, and the consequence is
our artillery is not always in that state o
readiness for service, our exposed situa
ton demands. The citizens of Law
renee had little warning for pre- paration
The citizens of our own State were as
saulted by Morgan before they had an,
knowledge that an enemy was near
The vicissitudes of war are sudden, anC
should any misfortune befall the Army
of the Cumberland, we might have the
rebels upon US before we could get thing
in readiness to give them suitable re
ception.
| We urge upon the Council, therefore
as the Representative of the citizens, thu
necessity of providing some good, dr.
place in which to keep the batteries sen
here by the Government We would
Keep 1t IN order, and to prevent its bein,
used for other than its legitimate pun
pose. This, of course, would not take al
OF even one mans time, and should b.
paid for in proportion to the amount O
work done. If this matter is left solel
IN the the hands of the companies, tn
artillery will not be preserved as it OUCH
to be, for the companies are composed
almost entirely Of poor laboring men
who haven't the time to spare, necessar,
to keep everything in proper order. Be
sides, when there is no excitement. anf
but few company drills, men and officers
naturally become careless, and do no
take that interest in the "drudgery" o
artillerymen, absolutely essential to keeI
a battery in good trim.
These are but suggestions of our own
and will go for no more than they arc
worth; but we do think they should be
acted upon. We understand that Other
cities have made arrangements of the
kind suggested, and expect to take care
of the State property sent for their pro
lection. Evansville, we are confident
will not be behind in this particular.