Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-04-09
Letter from the 98th Regiment
Editorial respondence Of the Belmont Chronicle.
I'm .nKIIn Trnn Mnrnh 2n 1879

LeCCeP from tne SoCn heglnent
Editorial Correspondence Of the Belmont Chronicle.
FRANKLIN, TENN, March 80, 1868.
Since my last letter we have been cut off
from civilization for nearly a week by the
operations of Van Dorn's guerrillas. On
Tue, " last the 9Sth Regiment was on
picket duty on the other side Of the river
(Harpeth) and during the day and night,
the rebel scouts we're making deu,onstra
tions on our front. Several regiments of
cavalry were sent out on scout, and at
about five miles from franklin found the
rebels in force. Both parties were drawn
up in line within sight of each other, the
rebels evidently in much stronger force than
we were, and there they remained all the
afternoon and until about clock, p. NJ,
when our cavalry built line of large fires,
aud retired to their camp. Our command.
ing officers during the fore part of the
night received information that large
cavalry force had crossed the river about
four miles above Franklin, and were moving
towards the Railroad. Our cavalry forces
, were Immediately started towards Brent.
wood, on the Nashville Railroad, about
eight miles distant from this place, and
5 about the same distance from Nashville. -
' Our cavalry arrived at Brentwood after
! daylight on Wednesday morning, but the
9 rebels had been there three or four hours
earlier, and captured about three hundred
prisoners, burned the railroad bridge-a
!, small one-captured part Of wagon train,
q and "gone on their way rejoicing" The
O prisoners captured were what was left OF
!, Col. Coburn's brigade, captured before the
+ writing of my last letter. Within the past
y. five weeks we have had full brigade
le captured, our communication cut off, and
: our front fully occupied by the rebels, who
i are constantly making threatening demon
% strations within view of our o, I, osts,
o whilst we are constantly employed building
Notifications, and reading general and
It special orders, which so fully occupies our
time that we have but little to spare to look
: after the rebels, or anything else. Our Of
9 6cers when they get stars on their shoulders
y appear to be seized with terrible penchant
% for writing orders and theorizing upon the
= = science Of war, whilst they sadly neglect the
n application to practice of our already highly
u developed theories upon this science. We
Is want less theorizing and more practice. We
a want less pom and more bayonet. We wan,
n less writing aud more fighting. We want
m in short, Generals who will look more tc
I, the success Of our cause, and less to theil
- own comfort, their own aggrandisementa ant
,e their own reputation for scientific attain
t, ments. The Government has paid entirely
b. too much attention to the military theorists
!, of. the country. 1t has taken il for granted
10 that the man who knows great deal abou
" what the books say on the subject of war
t, must be qualified for General, and thu
70 graduate of West Point, without an hour
J experience, is appointed in preference tt
to tie practical common sense men of tn,
country, whose capacity has been developed
in tho school of experience, and who's
"A rough contact with the world has given then
n knowledge, practicabiity that no theory
8, no book learning could ever have givel
them.
" Wo have had some experience with on
ne of these West Point Generals, scientific
y, precise, learned in the lore of tactics. Gen
ly Gilbert is eminently qualified for teacher a
~ ~ a military school, or would be, rather, il h,
il had any capacity TO impart to Others tn
b. inforwation he possesses himself, but as
d, General in the field, his operations on tn
y, II retreat from Lexington to Louisville, hi
n. actions on the field at Perryville, his move
ly ments for the protection Of Kentucky an
u, the capture of Morgan last winter, hi
20 beautiful operation here by which Colone
in Coburn's brigade was captured by the rebels
ed alter fighting for hours within hearing Q
~ camp, without any effort to reinforce him
n, are evidence clear enough to satisfy any bu
NV a very credulous Government, he is CON
Iso plete failure.
", By yesterdays mail we received the pre-
~ :ss ccedings Of the Democratic meeting held a
'his hs the johnson House on the 4th of Marci
ali and II the beautiful specimens Of patrio
RS, ism whose names appear in tho publishe
%. proceedings could fully know and undo
y, %e stand the feeling that exists in the arm,
OF and hear the expression Of that feeling
We all, without regard to party, they wou
e Ier conclude that il was well for their nscl
,u' ,o' they were in Belmont county aud not
t6e Tennessee, at least in this part Of It,
"The fool hath said In his heart there is
God" and thsse men. who in the reokle,
ness Of their party ambition, forget the
rha allegiance TO their country aud devote theI