Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-12-03
The Army Correspondent
BY a RETURNED CORRESPONDENT.
GETTING THE NEWS.

good reason, source of surprise and cur
iosity to the reading public. The tele.
graph tells of fighting, and before twenty
Tour hours roll round we have full partic.
uIarS oil the action-who opened the com
bat, who displayed good generalship, and
who did not when the battle waxed hot.
test, and where was the turungpoint
what was gained and what was lost, ,togeth.
sr With list of the killed, wounded, aud
prisoners.
The descriptions of the Crimean war,
furnished to the London Times by Mr.
Russel, excited universal admiration; and
when he came to this country at the open.
J ing OF The rebellion in the capacity of
correspondent, all were on the g,ti UiUe to
see the person who could write up bat.
tie" so graphically and in 80 short time.
! The achievement. Of this able writer haze
been rlvalled by the home talent which
has been developed during the progress Of
the war.
With the exception of few journals
in some of the other cities, the New York
dalies are the only ones in this country
that maintain a wide and varied army
correspondence, When we say the New
ork dailics, we refer to the Times, Y/ij-
uae uyoIl, anil IVorM Each one OF
| these establishments has branch Office
connected with it at Wa hngton, to which
all Intelligence from the Army Of the Po.
tomac is SEPT and thence forwarded.
The army corresp spondent, as the first
| step i'll his vocation, procurcs a pass from
tue provos! s!'marshal of the army; armed
with this lie comes and goes at will riding
| to the front, rcconu offering the enemy 5
position, visiting head quarters, circula-
ting among the camps, couversiDg with
officers, often iudluug communications
lrom Ihc pouAci Of his saddle or the
stump Of tree. Bound by no military
regulations, tied down 10 nJ cncampmeut
welcomed by all he moves from point to
point, ready " chronicle anything Of Ii o.
ment which may occur. He is attracted
III one dncctou by the report of cannon,
in another By ircing on the picket line
uow he halts to listen to the story Of a
sertcr or contraband, now reins up Iii.
! horse to witness a review or partici pate
in barbecue. Constantly on the alert
he not uuirequently knows more Of the
dispositions and designs of the enemy
than the commanding general learns from
his spies. 1t was an appreciation of this
fact which led Gen. when he was
in command of the Army Of the Potomac
to ctfer correspondent five thouslut
dollars if he would penetrate the mystery
Surrounding Gon. Loe's position and
forces.
r Moving thu, about from place to place
with rowing commission, ,he learns every
thing Of interest, aud soon becomes {
CO mplele army encyclopedia. If a new
general comes or goes he knows it. If .
regiment is transferred from one commant
to another it is dul y chronjced in his not
book. II new piece OF ordnance arrive
be Is aware for what battery it is designed
If sentinel is shot down at his past,
greyback winged, doserler caught, a
, coward drummed out Of the ranks, til
} army correspondent has noted the fact
and all these incidents linked together g
> to make up a letter. These letters are sen
to the Washington Office by couriers o
private hand, and then forwarded ito Me-
York,
Captain Noyes in his recent admirabl
work. Tile BavOuac anathe Batiie Fell
says Of him. "The army correspondent
is decidedly an institution. Thorough.
% ted as to the latest news at home and t
army head quartors,on familiar relation
with general and staff officers OF the higt
est grades, the experienced corresponen
G can scent out an intend move with almo'
d unerrng certainty" This statement
- remarkably true, Tor we do not believ
e that move has yet taken place in OF
armies which has not been known of hour
or days before by the correspondent, hoV
ever careful the commanding general ma
J. have been 20 insure secrecy. For SON
J. time before the the " dcnouucmen"
l. Yorktown, Mr., Raymond, who was the
o in the field, and other representatives
~ the press,knew of the projected movemel
- " and programme to be pursued by Ge
,e Mcclellan. The same was true oi II
Seven Days Rerest aud the sanguinal
engag, ments at South Mountain, Anti
~ - tum, Fredericksburg,a and Chanoellorsvll
70 When it becomes evident that NOV
ment is to be made, tho correspondent