Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-26

COnfederacy This unquestionably set
ties the loyalty, Of the Pennsylvania De-
mocracy9 They are playing into the
hands of the rebels, and the rebels re-
ciprocate when they have the opportu
nifty.
wILDER's SArxrs-A HEAVY VETERAN
RHGIMExr.-There was much excitement
produced in our city yesterday morning
by the report that flew from mouth to-
ear all through the streets that the cele--
brated 18th Indiana Regiment with their
famous Col Wilder, was at the landing,
and heavy tide of humanity set at
once toward the -levse. e = A. = - y E
The steamer Havana, bearing these
heroes of half hundred fights, was
lying off the city, having arrived early
yesterday morning from Nashville,
which place che left on Saturday.
We soon. had the pleasure of taking
by the hand the heroic leader of these
veteran saints, and were delighted to
find himi in most excellent 1health and
spirits and as proudNof his brave boys as
ever and wen he may be-. No regiment
in the Federal service has done more
arduous and more valuable service than
the 18th and their history forms enc of
the brightest pages in the history Of In
diana. seass so ssois
They entered the service in 1851, and
spent the winter of that year upon the
bleak tops of Cheat Mountain be.s..e.
They were, after the brilliant affair of
Green Briar, in which the Chief of the
rebel army of the Potomacs was hands
somely whipped, transferred to the army
of the Cumberland, where they were re-
organized az mounted infantry, and have
been for the last two years, the great ter
ror of the rebels e-ar,re4
They with the balance of the Wilder
Brigade, heve penetrated the rebel coun-
try in all directions, carrying terror and
dismay in their tracks
They have mounted themselves from
horses captured from the enemy, and, at,
their own expense hayearmed half the
regiment with the Spencer rife, the best
arm in the service, and the'only one the
rebels have not been able to initiate.
The balance of the regiment is armed
with the Henry Rife, making this regi-
ment the most formidable in the service.
They have, in addition, two small guns
mode by Col. Wilder himself who was
a machinist before the war, and enc
company are drilled as artillerists
For more than year past this regi-
ment, and indeed the whole brigade,
have had no tents and no wagon train,
or nominally none, and have not drawn,
on an average, more than four days ra-
tons in month from the United
States, living almost entirely on the
enemy ~
They have al had themselves credited
to Marion County, because she had filed
her quota, many of the boys losing one
to two hundred dollars bounty offered
by their respective counties to ,volun-.
teers. They do not desire to encourage
those counties which have failed to fill
their quotas
1
Their coiors are much faded and torn
into ribbons with balls and the effects of
time, but they have never bs.n in the
hands Of the enemy or hishonored by
retreat .ssI- .-o.ssr5, 49, -
They have marched more than 1900
miles have had FIVE of their number
captured, in addition to one company
captured with Col. Wilder at Munfords-
vile and Immediately paroled, and have
turned over to the Provost Marshal of
the army more than 5000 prisoners,
and to the Quartermaster over 5000
head Of horses, intending those to mount
themselves. li'.i 20 -
Iii needless to say that the 18th has
re-enlisted. s527 strong, and are now en-
roHtsto Indianapolis to. fe-organize and
after furlough Of 30 days, thsy will re
turn to the field. r-sraRE
Col Wilder was in command at Nun.
louisville, KY and was there attacked,
and defeated vastly overwhelming
number, which was at the, time consid
cred by military men as one of tho most
brilliant achievements of the war. His 7
command was afterwards overpowersd !
by greatly superior numbers and forced
to surrender, but were immediately pa i.
rolled and speedily exchanged. Wilder's
Brigade has been for long time out
lswed by the rebels. and Bragg and John
Morgan have ofreqlently Gent word to
Wilder that they would hang him on
sight if he ever fell into their hands.
But the only time Wilder ever caught
sight of Morgan was oat McMinnville,
where he surprised Rebels and John did /
not take time to draw on his breaches,
but fed ANONYMOUSLY in his shirt and a
linen coat sse.....- ~
Five men of the 18th Indiana we're
captured BY the rebels and tied to trees