The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-04-21
More Mounted Troops.

may hinge upon the want or supply of
few regiments of well mounted infantry.
The rebels have taught US a lesson in
this particular that we seem extremely |
slow to learn. Morgan, Forest and
- Woodward, with few battalons of men,
armed with shot guns and revolvers, but
mounted on good horses, kept General
Buel's grand army continually on the
move to prevent being separated alto
gether from its rations, and finally forced
a5 it to make an ignominious retreat through
Tennessee and Kentucky. A few good
regiments of mounted troops with the
= Federal army then, might have prevent
81 ed the humiliating campaign of last sum-
=. mer, when the whole North was in a
fever of apprehension for the safety of
Cincinnati and Louisville.
Gen. Rosecrans recognized the great
deficiency of the Army of the Cumber-
land, on first taking command oft, and
4 has done his best to remedy the evil His
d efforts, however, do not seem properly
seconded at the War Department He
has organized few regiments of mount
3. ed rihemen, and the rebels have already
Is felt the effect of his labors in this direc-
ton The 18th Indiana, Col Wilder, with
patriotic zeal, voted to arm themselves
bee at their own expense with the Henry
rife, the most costly but effective weapon
made. Morgan and Woodward have
ceased to be the terrors they were last sum
mer, since the 18th and one or two other
regiments have been put on their track.
Morgan himself has been circumvented
and defeated in every engagement, and
some of his greatest admirers are ungal-
liant enough to charge his poor success
of late upon his marriage-illnaturedly
a. insisting that he hasn't won victory
since that event
But the rebel leaders more clearly
comprehend the causes of Morgans de-
feats, and are preparing to overcome
them. Hence, instead of few battal-
ions of mounted men under Morgan and
Forrest, we now hear of two whole divi-
sions under Van Dorm and Wheeler-one
resting on Gen. Rosecrans' right flank,
endangering his Communications should
he attempt an advance, 4, and d. left left II
performing manifest designs of the
rebels Gen. Rosecrans is comparatively
powerless, because he has nothing like
sufficient force of mounted men to cope
with the forces under Van Dorm and
Wheeler. Hence, he is either compelled
not to move at all, or with such care as
to give the rebels plenty of time to get
outsOf. his way. ~ - FL
1t has long been apparent to all who
have examined into the matter, that the
great strength of the rebels is found in
sithe fact that they operate on interior
lines of railroads, by means of which
they can mass large bodies of their
troops at any threatened point within
short space of time. Thus, their rein
forcements are passing over the lines of
railroads ineessantly. When the Army
of the Potomac is buried in mud, the
rebel army opposing it is at once scat
tered, and sent to reinforce Vicksburg,
Charleston, and Bragg. When there is
danger of Hookers taking the offensive,
back these reinforcements hasten to Vir-
gina Now, can any one tell why these
lines Of rebels railroad are never disturb
ed, while our own are being rendered
useless continually? 1t is not because
we have no officers and men of dash and
pluck The raid of Gen. Carter into East
Tennessee, shows that we have the men
and what they might accomplish, if an
opportunity was afforded them. What cav
airy we have, has been cut up in small
squads and made to dance escort attend
ance upon some witless Brigadier, whom
Congress has made such by wilfuliy
thwarting the dsigns of nature The
First Indiana cavalry, as gallant body
of men as ever mounted horses, are kept
in inglorious confinement at Helena,
without a chance to win honor for them
selves and success for their Government,
when their services are SO badly needed
elsewhere Many of our officers appear
TO have no idea of the use Of cavalry be-
yond that of picket duty, and refuse to
learn, though the lessons given them by
the rebels, have been many and pointed
What we most need now, is the imme-
date organization of more mounted reg
iments, placed under the command of a
leader of approved courage and common
sense, and with rowing commission to
do the rebels all the damage possible.
Rousseau is as good man as We want
and if he President win give him such q
command as we have designated, We will
venture the prediction that for the re-
naiuder of the year. the rebels will have
to devote more time to repairing Their
own railroads, and consequently have