The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-22
NO los

Mr. w. f. G. Shanks, the correspond.
ent Of the Now York Herald travelling
with the Army Of the Cumberland, writes
as follows
eES. THOMAS rDEA OF THE CAMPAIGN.
While crossing the mountains on the
way here conversation turned uuOn the
prospective campaign. General ThcmAs.
usually retioont and quiet, made the re-
mark that She prosecution of the war In
THIS district was not q campaign, in the
military sense oi the word. at is." said
he, "a slow process Of colonization.
These people," meaning the citzena
will have 10 be sent ahead of us and
their places filed with loyal men" The
opinion which 10 thus briefly expresaed
by General Thomas lie one not new in
this army; but the opinion which at
times becomes warmed into feeling on
the subject has not been agitated out
side of it. do not know that the pub
lie have ever been Informed Of the exist.
ence of this opinion and feeling Ia the
army, except through some published
correspondence between Generals Thorn.
as and Reynolds on the one part, and
Gen. Halleck on the other The opinion
above expressed 10 held by such repre-
sentative men as Generals Thomas, Rev
nolds, Rousseau, Nealey, Sheridan and
others. While at MurfreesbOro', some
months since, Gen. Negloy, in a long
conversation on this subject, urged on me
to give publicity TO the feeling on the
subject; but at that time the public werS
agitated over the great monstrosity OF
arming negroes, and this proposition then
appeared ss if likely TO create as great
sensation as the oontraband question
Rousseau, like Hegley, is in favor of
taking from the rebels everything they
have-negroes aud Landslide hesitates
at nothing, and declares that any means
are justiiiable in the prosecution of the
war against such perfidious people. /
do not know what Gen. Rosecrans' opin-
ion is upon this subject. The rebels
have given him a character, however,
which practically keeps the very bad
rebel citizens out of his lines. The reb.
els have published that Rosecrans de
stroys every thing he does not need
burns houses, barns and farming utensils.
The rebel citizens have been 80 fright
ened by this reported character Of Rose
Grams that many involuntarily fed on
hearing of his approach. During the
conversation some one remarked that an
other year of unsuccessful war would in
duce the government TO advertise all cap
tured land as bounty, with inducements
to squatter sOvereigns TO emigrate south
ward.
NEGRO TROOPS IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
General Rosecrans has issued an o rider
J arming all the negroes in this depart-
ment. l have not seen the order, but
understand IL is 20 the effect that all me-
groes employed as servants by officers
and otherwise in the army are to be inn
medistely organized into regiments and
armed A second clause constitutes q
board Of examination, whose duty It is
TO examine officers of the army applying
for commissions as officers OF these regi.
ments. Among others named as consti-
tuting this board ! remember only the
name Of Colonel PMkhurst, Eleventh
Michigan. He tells me that officers thus
applying are to be examined as 20 their
peculiar fitness 10 control negroes 80 well
as 10 their ability 70 drill aud discipline
them as soldiers. There are now about
seven thousand negroes Ia the depart
ment who will thus be armed, and the
number is increasing daily. | should
not DO astonished to report In two months
hence ten thousand negro soldiers NJ
forming part of this army.