The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-03-23
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from Florida.


Much has been written of the battle Of
Oulestee, fraught on the 10th of last month.
But one version can be had of that sad
slaughter. Writers may write" up or write"
down officers, or write" of the gallantry of
regiments, or the disgrace of them, and yet
the true version of our defeat may not be
known. The truth is the army was advan-
cling at forced march in the enemy's coun-
try, with all their blankets, knapsacks, and
eighty rounds OF ammunition and four days
rations, and had marched seventeen miles that
day and had nothing to eat since early dawn
except, now and then, mouthful of hard
tack. These forced marches were made so
that we should get as near Lake City as posi-
ble that the troops might rest over night and
attack the enemy and take Lake City on Sun
day Our arms were not loaded, We had no
skirmishers thrown out, and our pickets were
but little distance in advance. We were
advancing in thicket of pine trees. and
nearly parallel with the railroad and but a
short distance from it; Col Henries with the
10th Mass. mounted infantry in advance, COW
eriDg Hamilton's battery supported on the
right by the 47th n. y, and on the left by
the Sth U. s. coored regiment, commanded
by Col. Friebley. All at once they received
the fire of the rebels artillery from behind
the Railroad embankment and the rifle corps
from their pits behind trees and from tree
tops. Our forces were caught in a trap. They
at once deployed into battle order, or as nearly
SO as the circumstances would permit, loaded
and opened fire, but yet with all the bravery
ofa jackson and the GOODNESS of veterans, they
were more er less confused and thrown into
disorder, yet they unfinchingly stood and
fought for three hours and drew off in good
order and so crippled the enemy that they
did not follow. | have no particular officers
TO laud, none TO pull down. Aside from the
great and objectionable blunder in moving
forward as they did and being trapped, no
fault can be found with men or officers. Gen.
Lyman was everywhere duty called amidst a
perfect storm of leaden hail. and all award
him the bravery of lion. Col. Henries was
most gallant and brave. Col. Borden who
commanded brigade, fought like tiger and
had two horses shot from under him. Col.
Montgomery who commanded a colored
brigade and who has probably been under fire
more times than any officer in the Union,
brought in his reserve at the right time and
in the right place, and saved a break on our
left center and showed his accustomed skill
and bravery. Perhaps there never was
more determined fight. Both armies were
handled with skill; both fought gallantly and
with tiger-like ferocity. Now when it is GER
tainly known that the rebels had at least
fifteen thousand while we had less than five
thousand, thot we were caught in a trap with
our pieces unloaded and bayonets in their
sheaths, with our soldiers tired, hungry and
in heavy marching order
Ali must concede that we were brave and
fought with skill to hold our ground for three
hours, until our powder faied and then to
have drawn off in good order Our soldiers,
hungry and tired, marched seventeen miles
back that night, making fight OF three hours,
the most desperate on record, and march of
thirty-four miles in little more than thirty
hours.
Much has been said of the colored and
white troops, but all this is jealousy. The white
troops fought brayely and perhaps did better
execution than some of the colored troops,
yet the colored troops were as brave as the
brayest, and when they have as much prac-
tice with the rifle as they have with the shovel
they will do their whole duty. Our loss in
killed was about two hundred; wounded
about thirteen hundred, and the rebels took
about two hundred prisoners. But it is not
strange that our troops are caught in traps,
for excepting Col. Montgomery we have no
officers who have any experience as COM
manders in the field. They are all good Of
flcers and good men, but they are not veter
ans. This department wants a Burnside to
lead them. They have had two slaughters,
one at Wagner and one at Oulistee. Officers
of this department have attempted to recon-
cile and conciliate the Floridians by allowing
them the monopoly of all the business and
prohibiting all Northern or Western men,
however true or loyal to their country they
may have been, and comforting all privileges
upon the Floridians If they only take the oath
OF allegiance; a mere empty sound, which he,
who has dared to revolt against his country
often considers as mere play upon words.
Jacksonville was the capital of Davall coun-
ty and was very pretty place; was regular
ly laid out upon the banks OF the St. Johns
river about 25 miles from its mouth. At
the time Florida seeded from the Union the
numbering interest Of the State was rapidly
being developed, and upon the banks of this
river above and below were ten splendid saw
mills. They were large and costly steam
mills. and manufactured annually many mil
lions of lumber which found market 10 the
seaboard cities of the Union, South America
and the West India Islands; the transporta-
tion of which gave employment to large
fleet OF Northern vessels.
All the mills but one have been destroyed
and that nearly so, and all the desks for pill
ing lumber were burned by the rebels last
year. A large interest in mills and lumber
business, was held by men Of Maine, and as
soon as this State is in the Union and guar
antee ofprotection is afforded these mills will
be rebuilt by northern capital and northern
enterprise, unless the policy of the present
military power is permanently adopted, pro-
hibiting Northern men from engaging in any
enterpriseor or business in the State. This is a
more unjust sale than Southerners formally
made. They would allow pro-slavery men to
dwell among them, but would not an anti
slavery man or abolitionist. The rule now
excluded both. One thing is ceatain; all
"conciEation" ought to be and practically, is,
''played out" This has been tried often enough
and has in all cases failed, 1t has been tried
here for the purporse of bringing into the
Union this State or part of it, with all its
old inhuman and diabolical rights in slavery
and to place certain aspirants in political po-
sition. Heaven has ever-ruled their designs
and brought defeat upon their efforts.
'Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first
make mad" No reconciliation is possible
Hold out the "olice branch" and kill the STAT
ted calf" for the returned "prodigal," but be
also Just to those who gent not astray.