Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-27
our Army Ccrrespondcnce---F
Nurfreeshoro.
MUEsREEsBoRo. TENS.. February 4

uurfreesboro.
MUEFREEsBoRo, TENN.. Febr uAry IL
Would you believe that have been arrested
by military authority under suspicion of attempt-
ing TO cross ''tke lines" without proper papersy
II Is even so. While common men and some very
cotnmOn women were active at Nashville in get
ting passes from Gen Mitchell | visited the hos
pitfalls end put in the day promiscuously, under the
impression inst a certain paper. which bore the
great seal OF the nation. and the great names of
Mr.. Lincoln AM Stanton vas sufficient as il had
been everswhere but imagine my Indignation
"A bea, gsasulg cut et- tie cars mile or so from
this town. an upstart Ohio Second Lieutenant,
with a new coat and new shoulder straps on. lust
told me Them names may be good up in Gods
country. but they don't go here Nothing but
Gen. Rosecrans or Gen. Mitchell passes this sen
tinel" Then send me to Gen. Rosecrans's
headquarters, said |, very blandly. mo yer
don't, neither" said he I'm send guard with
you to our picket headquarters" (Which way
is thatl' said |. cover yander about mile"
said shoulder straps. in bad Yankee, pointing
away from town. Whereupon drew myself up.
looked fierce, threatened the Indignation of the
great State of Indiana, OF President Lincoln,
and of Secretary Stanton, but he would not scare
worth a cent: and go | had to- though was
dreadful hungry, having had no breakfast. and
my feet were sore from wearing new boots. and
then it was muddy and oppressively hot From
picket headquarters | was sent to department
headquarters, through the mud and a warm rain
There l was released by the Provost Marshal
General, Captain Niles, of the 22l Indiana.
whose laugh at my predicament and the sentinel
strict construction, neither satisfied nv hunger
nor relieved my sore feet
" Very naturally, after my release | looked
around tor something to eat Meeting citizen,
| inquired for hotel or boarding house. ''Ho-
tel" said he. "this town is a hospital" And
found him nearly correct on further INQUIRY In
my wanderings | came upon a suffers establish
ment, whom for once blessed But his bill of
fare was very limited. | called for a can of oys
tiers, a link OF bologna sausage, slice of cheese.
and a section of gingerbread. out of which made
n comfortable dinner for just one dollar At all
events satisfied the pressing demand of my APP
petite
In the afternoon visited some of the hospitals
to look after some sick and wounded, whose
friends had made special request that should
In one | found poor fellow from the 37th In
'dlana whosenrm had been ampotated week or
more. | sat down on his bed and entered into
conversation with him for some time. The smell
from his arm was very offensive, but | thought
that if he could stand it all the time could
little while. so | staid as long duty TO others
would allow. On starting away, and while stand
ing near another case, became suddenly very
sick, and staggered to an empty bunk near by
The attendants concluded they had another pa
tent without the requisite papers; but / soon re-
covered enough to get to the air and the sickness
passed off. And now whether il was the OYSTERS
or the bologna, or the cheese, or the ginger cake,
or the impure air OF the hospital, | cannot de
termine; only know | have not eaten oysters,
or bologna, cheese, ginger cake SINCE and
pav osaI
visits to hospitals
The most striking feature of this army at pres
ent is the accession it is receiving from refugees
They come in ~ hundreds; some from the army
but mostly to avoid S1e CONSUMPTION. Some
have been serving as c0nscrlpts, others have
been robbed of everythS0g and come to avoid
starvation. They are all set to work or enlisted
in the army They seem quite willing to do
either. Their accounts of the decentralization
and desperation of the Rebel army would be in
terestine and important, if it were not repeat
ing Of the old refugee story on which so much
was counted at an earlier date. Their accounts
true, no doubt, but we have learned that the
Rebels fight terribly notwithstanding. From
them, however, Gen Rosecrans has gathered
important information which he does not wish me
to disclose.
The desperation of Bragg is quite as evident
from his anxiety to receive information from
within our lines as from any thing else. Never
before were the avenues. of information as her
metically sealed, and never was he so anxious to
know what we are about In this extremity he
has resorted to the agency of the feminine portion
of his friends, who until very lately could get
through to see some sick or dying relative. A
few days ago one well dressed lady obtained
pass on the representation of some very trying
family affection, but on being examined at the
picket station it discovered that she had a
bolt of secesh uniform cloth made INTO "A tempo
rary under garment, and two pairs of cavalry
boots tied to her under clothes. and some import
ant letters in her stockings. OF course she was
passed back to the town. One lady had passed
several times missions of mercy, whose gen
eral department and family connection gave
strong grounds of suspicion, but whose stockings
had been searched in vain for the contraband in
formation The Provost Marshal General was
not yet satisfied, and ordered a more thorough
search 10y committee of females, when an i'm
pOrtant dispatch was found where no spy of the
gender could have carried it. That
woman has since been confined, by order of Gel.
Rosecrans, in very close quarters.
| could give you chapter on the animus of
the army, and the sentiments of the soldiers on
political questions, but it would be unsatisfactory
for another man, calling around him another
class of soldiers would obtain probably Just the
opposite expressions. Moreover. am of opinion
that their views now are not of half as much i'm
portance some folks imagine. They are SOL
diers, not citizens, and long before they change
from one To the other, the questions of to-day
will have passed away. | have heard but one
soldier approve of the suggestion of an arms-
tice; Others might in the same length of time
find but one who did not desire it, but have not
with citizen of this place who does
not desire il. but he says the South will never
ask It, and never consent TO a reconstruction. As
it is have concluded that the peace movement
ut nome is two edged sword which cuts both
ways. but more in the right than in the wrong
ltecton; therefore l would encourage them
They will not make peace. but intensity the
struggle and make the overthrow of rebellion the
more complete when it is done. So think |
Others may think they please. 7. A. G.
MuRFREEsBoRo. Feb. 30. 1868
Since | wrote the other day have visited sew
era hospitals, or the natives would say, several