, 1864-02-06
Qbtca9o Trtbmne,
RESUME OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Justice to Western Troops Suffer-
lngs Of Our Soldiers-The Sit
uation at Knoxville,

A60 " O43 CQ401EI&~ uE 0kk@
uatlon at Knoxville.
ENoxyuLA. TENN, Jan. e, 1864.
Editor Chicago Tribune
I had desired to keep you and your read.
ers posted as to the whereabouts and what
abouts Of the Army Of East TENNESSEE, but
for tue past two months there has been such
an apparent confusion of counsel, SO much
objcct1ess, or at least, fraitless, marchinga
and countermarchIngs, such chronic aftec-
ton for ttfeeling'' Of the enemy and falling
back Immediately afterwards, that I could
mot write anything consistent, satisfactory, or
that could rely On as being the truth.
The 'spursuit' Of Longstreet, after the
siege, which come Wag Of a correspondent
hoaxed the press Of the North into calling
"vicorous," was, on the contrary, q very
leisurcly a1iair-quitc rs much so as Long
streets retreat, and We find ourselves at last
just where ne started. he seemed In Nd par-
ticular haste, and, as lie was In condition to
enforce respect, we did not attempt to hurry
him; though we did succeed In keeping his
men from struggling, for which courtesy he
was no doubt thankful; in fact, be has shown
Lis appreciation Of our kindness by return
He was reinforced shortly after leaving here,
and it Is absurd to suppose that under the
circumstances VIC could drive him out Of tho
State. Had he chosen to 70, we might have
followed him This is Ill we attempted.
Whtn he stopped, VIC stopped; when be fell
back, We advanced; and rine tersa.
On the 9Th Of December, 1868, nearly all
OF the infantry were moved out on tho road
the enemy lnd takcn-tle cavalry having
been skrmishingg for couple OF days with
ILLS rear. The main body Of the enemy halt
ed beyond ~ Bean statlon-one column cross
which point they soon had the railroad re-
paired, putting them in communication with
Richmond. Our infantry halted at and near
Rutledge, thirty miles from Knoxville, while
the cavalry, under Gen Shacke!ford, pushed
on to Eean station, eight miles farther On
the 18th ofDecenber our cavalry at the latter
point Was attacked IN heavy force and driven
back couple Of miles with considerable
loss, and in great disorder. Early news or
the disaster reached Rutlcige, and the Third
Division, TWenty-third Army Corps, COM
mauded by Gen. Hascall, moved up that
night the darkest imaginable, and through
rain and mud-to the support Of the cavalry.
BY daylight our destination was reached, and
In an hour afterwards VIC had taken up aud
fortified line two miles in length across the
entire valley, in trout Of the enemy. Here
We skir1nished all day. Our defences were
tonnu TO DC . 100 Strongly ana skiiituily built
.',o,,+ ..oa c4tons,t'.5 um nauh ulotc'
nnerer HIVE wv" -anara1 a.. new alsposlons
,';'stoai, aa .Snaeisu su's nususeess1al- AT
Farker, at Ruledge, to fall buck. This was
doEe SO quietly that the enemy, though in
htu tttSe 9n onT 'ueoste ifont, ana
ny nusy gst1ng na1tenes INTO position on our
~ n.,.,.. u nv ouf o1saPpeafance 9h-
t.tis -! w nSus ~ IT, h m9Inlns n1 4ae encmYs IN
~ Hae 4v.n' t.vs oealng our caSatIy,
ftot.t ~ 4,a.r Nv 1 MI, columaS upon our
.s,: alonI ana IT, nank, anu ah1s crush tls entire
r,o ihs r. tsasleleacs ~ y however, with Which
w 4slo LIZ AoAs ~ cAechs aeia}co MS move
.,p. uicnt uatn '5 lntenuon WIS developed, and
NY n1an5 sase4; ;;.x,
~ ~ 'T otts p grhn' ins IL tne parenlars
~ =, ~ ~ u aat utcn ~ oser month ago,
s,t hut on acsoune ~ lis lnts1aslc importance,
tnne+ uus oa15 ;.ans5o,.t ~ Soaheeaon WIN II
nnosI 1npuuent ana on"affanted rs.
esla1ou = Hla4e N Tue correspondence OF
t tnc ot, Nem orh Hesats, aae extensively copied
" oaner papels as PART OF the history OF this
ea11nialSn, sa11as. Wnlch does great Injustice to
gal1ant y, western ofiieer and his command, b.
gIlnF ~ lne cIeot due 10 him to another,
VINO baa Atue, an{ more. share in the mat
~ ~ lnsn yourself II IS there claimed that
Gen; Ieite.o, "no commands division in
me N1ntn army corps. BY hls action in the
PIe1iscs, saved lie army w hlch is siln-
ply false, and the correspondent must have
known 1t to DC 50. The truth is, while Gen.
feffefo and his command lay In their quart
e!e az hutte1ge, tnot dreary night, our digi-
s1 ston naalcneo rom TWO miles IN their rear.
PasI t1em, e'ght miles to the front, endured
~ ~ l,c ~ iaigue, old ~ inc VOTE, ~ tue light
any cteoli u t1e movement, 1t was IN its exc
cuuoa; .t, a1ter 17l1guing nights march,
Win hhe shattered dfo77s OF thoroughly de-
morailzea ,' &c eaEalry corps on his hands, IN an
hours lime Zen Hascau reduced the chaos
to something like order, and, In the very face
flushed with their Lutte victory, made such
dispositions and engiDeered such dcfences as
completely batl1ed attack. His skill, cool
uees, promptncss, aud decision sayed bis own
and propably Gen Ferrero's also. Even this
the first time that credit due to our Western
CORDS and It's officers has been arro0ntnd
through their correspondents or in ti,eir
orders. BY this detachment from the Army Of
the Potomac, 1t might be pardoned through
charity to poverty Of merir, but they forage
as nnblushing1y and perslstenly upon our
stock Of desert as they do upon the kitchens
end smoke-houses Of East Tennessee The
Twcnty-third Corps stood behind them and !
tue enemy In nearly all the operations |
between here aud London before the siege;
the TWenty-third did the most Of the liz ght- !
lng ~ at Lenolre, Hongh's Ferry, and Camp
dents and in their field orders, the Ninth
Corps arroGate so much Of the credit that
here is none LETT Tor Us. Our Division has
been every where In East Tennessee where
there has been work or lighting to do-in the
ADVANCE on Knoxville, in the siege OF Cum
Lerland Gap, at Cattcrss Station, at Lime
stone Greek, at Blue Springs. Mt Bean Sta
lion, ut cambridge; they built fully half Of
re fortiticatione IN and about Knoxville, md
lneE lougnt tue nardcst nghtH, and won them
loo, IN their defence. Our commander has |
9een N11h Us e!efyWhere- 3hnrlng the labors,
oangcS ana pt1Eations OF LIS men, In the
long nalcn oset the monnLalns ne made him. |
~ go "a1na1eet i.t1t ~ eeue1n ol cur lhmense
.Ian nalne. mun5 ~ sne cleuli OF nus cautions
o.se,s - h;s ~ eI,s oas ley VINO LOOK u
,1,es,, CO.. 1T Pn,..e;Io aln19l*nGe. Y 40 not
49,, - e-,r Fna+;G1.n.xt aau III lue eonstrnc-
cf;n;ent sn-;naar Ae'e' LIZ "as ou1 e1-
Vii We ~ fan h,,,- - D,.,., o
Roads wont inio ras;t;a ~ ntalns Gr1ss
anaTa1 1Ia ~ oapp;na. pa.u, ~, auu Ma:ea tne
,or,,. ~ 1a44S ~ eultu au9
rut ~! 20 ltHe tatter having just arrived
.s. iun. fns..ugsaJ s!!a eJ moved across 10 stray
!atno' MnE. 1a, 1g 1a!lIoaa at crosses tne
ne1, y TT . ~ ny W 9ntn Iae 55ta INST, when
as !" E:s anu W 70 Danoliase- Al
nero, We 1eil back between two days."
tuusi la i, .nI "oss ussoutasing ellen.mls1ances
!luo, eoi9' etas sAuoh, senl-nuultS, staAeo
la1pe, anu IN enemy hanging on OUT rear
lnu Aahhs. 81lGr burning tue spiendld new
9f1aee across Inc Holston at strawberry
Plains, NC started Tor Knoxville. We skir-
nlshed WITH the enemy 1T ail the torti5 along
he r1rer and our rear was occasionally en-