The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-05
Erom ChaIfannnrn.

ChGudhOogGI lem Dec. 70, hoOS.
EDITORS UNION: In the armies of the
Union there are q class of men of ave-
rage intellig nee who, to crafty an ire
pressible passion to see their ideas in
print, set 10 writing letters to the public
press, in which attempts at description
of the movements and actions of bodies
of troops, from a regiment to 8 grand di-
vision of thr3e or four armies combined,
are made during maneuvers and engage
ments that occupy a week Of time and
miles of territory.
Occupying positions in the ranks, in
many instances, their observation and
sources of information must necessarily
be very limited; they give credence and
publicity 10 flying rumOrs with = reek-
less disregard for accuracy that is quite
fearful to behold, as these statements are
published previous to the reports of the
military commanders wiCh are the au-
thoritive sources of exact information in
regard TO these mAt.ers-thereby fore.
staIlipg public opinion and doing mani
fest Injustice to many organizations in
the military service whose meritorious
performance of the duties assigned them
are thus overslaughed and rendered OBJ
scure by the extravsgant claims set up
for other commands, to which these iT-
regular newspaper correspondents happen
to be attached, creating erroneous inn
pressions and false deductions by the
poverty of their language and their
cramped style of expressing what they
appear to desire to communicate in their
published articles.
An occasional contributor TO Che coll
umns of the UNION who has written over
the nom de plume of "YOung Soldier"
(but who, being recently smoked OUT
by Department orders against anOny-
nous correspondents, proves to be Mr..
W. s. Gsffuey, Co. E, 9th Indiana Vel.
Infantry, in camp near Fort Wood, Chat
tsnoogs, Tenn.,) is : fair representative
of the class of gushing" litersti which
Ihave described.
In my article of the 18th instant, to
which young Soldier" makes reply in
your issue of the 24th, design to cor
rect some Of his glazing mis-statements
and administer q wholesome rebuke,
bstmight have the effect to check this
impulsive creature in bis mad caree:, and |
cause him to correct some things at lei
sure that were evidently written in haste.
His late explanations are, in the main,
satisfactory, but instead of coming out
"front face, man fashion, and acknow-
Lodging himself greatly in error, be craw
fishes around, slnrrs over and furnishes
up his terrible blunders amid PERSONAL
ties most uHbecOming tbs dignity of
80 year old school-marm, executor and |
"pOick"
If be is to be allO wed to infict upon
the public his literary productions, in
which references to his humble" self
occupy so much space, may do the
estate some service" by explaining that |
his use Of the personal prOnOun "we,"
Alludes to himself his company (E, 9Th |
Ind }, the regiment, brigade, division, and |
army corps to which he belongs, and to
all the armies of the Tennessee, Camber-
land, Potomsc and Ohio, indiscriminste-
", which renders his descriptions Of the /
movements of troops in battle IS clear As |
mud.
To his charge of asnvy aud Jealousy" |
of the fair fame Of the regiment 70 which /
he belongs, l have to ask him if be
thinks Jonah felt Teuvious" or Jealous
of the whale that swallowed him? II
80, then be has accurately deseribsd--fOr
.once-the emotions experienced by the
Sd division (BIird's), 14sh corps, to-
wards the individual who plays the
LeyiAthan with our. share Of the
honors 10 the csptare Of Mission Ridge, /
in thus "gObbling up" the whole
Of the victory WOn-and rifing he smooth
b0res t0lieh zoe captured. Yes sir we were
taken in" the worst sort when we al
lowed the forces under General Wood TO
drsg the guns and esisions of to their
own lines under the preiense Of obtaining |
them TO place them into position TO de-
feld csrtsin point, after the troops Of
our (Yan Dsveer's 2nd) brigade bad bay |
Onetted the srtillerists that were work
ing them. This can prove from e5icial
Tgcords.