Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-16
Correspondence Of the Statesman
From Kentucky.
BY A MEMBER OF THE iO0rg OHIO.

FaANKEoRT, KY., Jan. 8, 1868.
EDlT0Rs STATEsMAN-Sinoe my last ccmmuni-
cation from Lexington, we have been making
come pretty hard as we'll as some lin my opnion)
very foolish marches
On Sunday night, Dec 90, at about nine, P.
M, orders came to be ready 10 move at day.
light, Next morning we had revillo OF half.
past three, ard tho regiments composing this
brigade formed In line, and moved out of our
entertainments at quarter past seven.
We left two companies OF the l00sh Ohio be-
hind to take care Of such arms and stores as
we could not remove, and as bait for few
hundred secesh cavalry to gobble up and parole.
The first day We marched about twenty miles,
which ia about as far as men should be required
to march On retreat without knapeacke But
our poor fellows were compelled to carry their
knapaacks--the officer In command, Col. s. A.
Gilbert, Of the 44!h Ohio, thinking them not
much better than so many mules. About two
hundred men of the 104th Ohio had put their
knspsacks In their company wagons, thinking
the mules, which were not very heavily lader,
could better haul them than they could carry
them. Col Gilbert. coming by the regiment,
and not fuding their knspsaoks ''strapped upon
their backs" made them march to the rear,
and take them from the wagons and carry them,
after giving the men good round cuisiDg.
After long and fatiguiDg march, we bIvou-
acked for the night, and moved on again the
next morning at four und half O'Clock, We
marched throughto to Danville, about twenty two
milea. During the second dsy's march we had
q terrible rain and hail storm. Many Of the
mems feet we're so bliatered, from their long
marching and carrying their heavy loads, that
they were compelled to march In their stocking
feet. On getting into camp / saw some feet
90 raw that they looked as though they had
been taken from a boiling canldron.
After remaining at Danville until Monday,
the 5tb inst, we repeated the folly of the march
from Richmond to Danville, arriving within
four miles Of this place In two days. During
the march since we left Lexington, our men
have received no other treatment than such as
is usually meted ont to criminals and beasts Of
burden.
The truth 10 there Ia very much in the pres.
ent management of the troops, and our armies,
that needs speedy reformation. Mon will not
fight If they are demoraliged; and nothing will
90 successfully demoraligs volunteer army as
an oppressive abuse Of Tho powers vested In the
officers. Then, like those who make up the
great body Of the last levy, cannot, nor will
they, forget that ct home they had some char
acter and standing. They came out as men
who were ready TO sacrifice their lives for tho
honor and safety of their country; but not to
be- regarded as so many criminals, who have
lost all their manhood and self respect. They
know It is not tho shculder-siSep that makes the
officer. IA. ,g. a, af Il
But the eTile that surround us are not con.
fined to the oppression of the officers. There
seems to be great want OF ability In the man
agement OF some OF tho departments of our
armies We must have somevhere between
twenty. five and forty thousand troops now scat.
tered at different points in Kentucky. Most Of
these detachments are placed at (as think)
unimportant points, and In such amall num-