The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-09-12
Army Correspondenoe..
Cave SpRINGs, Ala, Aug. 90, 1863.

7ohe Free Trader The l4th army corps
is still encamped in. this vicinity awaiting
orders; McCooks corps is scattered from
Decatur, Ala, to Bridgeport, along tne
Memphis and Charleston railroad Crit.
tenden's corps is sencamped along the
Tennessee river from Sulphur Springs
down to Decatur: Tenn, and Wilder's
mounted forces are securing the country
from one end of our lines to the other
Burnside's advance has safely reached the
Sequatchie valley and has driven Forrest 8
forces from Kingston, and has united with
Crittenden's corps on the left. Sherman s
corps has arrived at Florence, Ala, and is
ready TO reinforce. HcCook in case of an
emergency. .l& ~ sEss ~!
There is no doubt that it was the in
tention of Gen. Rosecrans to throw this,
(Thomas) across the river south of
Stevenson and thence through the Smoky
Mountains to Dalton, GA. But as il is
quite evident now that Bragg has shifted
his entire force TO Atlanta, this movement
will be delayed until we are fully estab-
lished at Chattanooga and Cleveland, and
have our commu nication with Nashville
and Memphis fully and safely established
The rebel position at Chattanooga is said
to be almost impregnabie; and, if they
had supplies to sustain themselves, the
capture of that place would involve a
struggle equal to that required to reduce
Vicksburg. But they are too destitute to
stand siege, and hence they are forced to
abandon this stronghold without scarcely
a struggle, ~ -
/ 'Wehsve already several ponteon bridges
here. and one was put across the river yes
terday afternoon by jeff c. Davis Division
with hut little resistance, and a strong
force is now guarding it at both ends. On
sending brigade across the bridge, last
evening, the rebel pickets fell back about
a quarter of a mile and there halted -
| When our forces came up TO them, and
were about 10 fire on them the whole pick
ct threw down their arms and surrendered
without any show of resistance. They ap-
peared to be glad to have so favorable an
opportunity presented to get out of the
rebel army. There were 6U Of them, in
Guiding 3 captain aud lieutenant.
| This bridge IS a goo send 10 hundreds Of
| rebel deserters who have heretofore been
| unable to make their escape across the
river. All who have recently deserted
have been obliged to swim the river to
reach our lines. Many Of these d@serters
, come into our camps daily at al! points =
| They represent the rebel army as much
| discouraged and de,soraiized. Gen Bragg
! has prohibited the circulation of all kinds
| OF newspapers within his camps, but never
theiess sthe news of their reverses gets
among the men, and for the want OF more
! reliable information than that Of rumor
| il is magritied teuto.d, producing more
| injurious effect than if the real facts were
! promptly and officially made known
/ Owing to this fact We have had the fail OF
/ Charleston, the bumbardment OF Mobile
and the taking .! Richmond reported here
! by rebel deserters daily Tor the past
/ month
| The feeling in favor Of returning to the
| old Union Is becoming very strong all
! through Middle Tennessee. The people
are holding mass meetings IN nearly every
county, and their best speakers are brou gL;
! out to haraneue the people in favor OF a
restoration Of the Federal auth ority and
I OF secession from secession. Union csndi
dates for the State and National Legisla-
I tue, are announcing themselves in every
! district New Post Offices are daily being
1 established in the various shiretowns apd
/ everything Is gradually G iding back into
| the old way. There Is no doubt, il the
/ Administration at Washington would take
/ the right course now, that tennessee would
De As 10y al as kentucky.
/ notice IN some of the papers Of the
Union victory in Kentucky vas semi
abolition triumph. Nothing can be fur
ther from the fact. Kentucky has no
more affection Cor abolit!onism now than
| she ever had-nether does she hold the
! Administration In any higher esteem than
she did two years ago But Kentucky i,
and always was, opposed to disruption
! of the Union, and her noble people are
willing to make sacrifices for the sake OF
maintaining the Union which would set
New England bowling and blazing with
blue lights. She is willing,if need be, to
source Of her wealth-and her best ItEtih,ea. Eiho,eeaa..
to perpetuate this government, although
she differs in toto with the policy pursued
by the President and his cabinet This
fact Will become iuliyapparent at the next
session Of Congress. When those men,
who have Just been elected to Congress in
that State take their seats the Republicans
will find them poor associates in their ne
gro worshipplng schemes
|, In this respect tennessee is much like
! Kentucky But Tennessee seeded, and
Is. therefore regarded by the Administra.
ton as out of III, Uni9n, and obliged to re
main there until the President sees fit to
prescribe terms upon which she may re-
turn OF course, these terms will not be
announced until after it has been ascer-
tanned what course tie members from
Kentucky will take in Congress. II they
do not suit the Administrators is is feared
Tennessee will not be allowed voice in
our national councils until all the other
seeded States have been subjugated, which
from present appearances will not be re-
garied as accomplished until after the
next Presidential campaign is oyer
| NJ <,f l.r
and the enormous bountIes offered to
troops who have served not less than q
year to re-enlist, proves evidently that il
is the design of the Admins, ,ration to
keep up large force in the revolted States
for several years after the rebellion is pu,
down. That the peace of the country
and the safety Of life and property. may
require such force have no doubt: but
yet it IS obvious, that, should the Presi.
dent wish to use it for political purposes
it might be made, Q powerful instrument
in his hands. Thus every Southern Stat.
might be garrIsoned and pronounced un.
prepared to enter the Union, while at the
same time, if proper inducements wer.
: held out to the people to return the,
would be glad to embrace them. One con
dition of returning may be required u
which the South cannot accede, and thu
apparently necessary delays oecasionec
which really might be avoided. s-v
That the rebellion will soon be put dowr
must be apparent to the most stupid OBJ
server In fact, Its back has been broken
Fits heart cut out, and its soul has departed
long ago. Its present struggles are the
mere convulsions of Its physical vitality
. which grow weaker and weaker at every
{ kick. That lofty pride and bragysdocie
, Of the southern chivalry, of which there
4 was so much said at the commencemeHt
! of the war. has all been hushed up, anC
: these highminded cotton lords are a