The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-01-16
Army Correspondence.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, Dec 25. lS6

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Dec 25, 1863.
Editor Free Trader Il presume the goot
people of Ottawa are generally feasting OF
fat turkeys, geese, ducks, shaughass, &C.
to-day noon, and the lovers of sport viii
have fneltIme this p. M and evening a,
their ratfies, shooting matches and checke er
backs. The more pious, no doubt, atten.
ded church in the morning, while the
worldly were arranging their toilets and
sharpening their wits for the patties and
balls OF the evening. The chivalric are
out with their fast nags and gaiIy capari-
sened equipage and cutters, pressing up
closely to their lady loves, as they 90 skip
ping along over the crisp and pearly snow
with jingling bells md frosty noses; while
here and there may be seen poor fellow
with nsarly frezeu feet, trudglng along in
the snow, throug:: the brIers and hazel
brush, with gun On his shoulder, ia search
OF quail ar a cotton>tail. Well, a happy
Christmas to you all May San3a Claus
| hil not only all your stockings but your
larders and your pockets. May he bring
you prosperity, and to the whole country
a restored and once more happy Union of
aft the States, with a perpetual bond of
peace. As for us, here in the Sunny South,
amid the lofty ridges and towering peaks,
the romantic wales and crystal streams of
the Cumberland In our vast cities Of
canvas an;1a walls of earthworks; towers OF
rock glitterlng with brightly polished ord
nance and lristling with c'vrads of bay
onets, surrcu.,II.d by all the poms ana
circumstance Of glorious war, southern
chivalry, negro slavery and black recruits
we too viii have a Christmas dinner
Hard tack, sow>belly, coffee without sugar
aud ox-tail soup already decorate our festai
board. and, il no nlishap befalls the cook.
cows head or bulIock's heart may be 4.
- to the bill of fare. Would that we
oe,1d invite -"r friends in Illinois to join
the rerast. Particularly those able
bod;aj fancv .-cntlenen between - d %
We could learn them nHre about war III
an hour than they Il find out in "r 1T
home.
For the past few days Shsrman's men
who had been sent to BulnsJes relief
have been passing this place on their way
back o Bridgeport Stevenson, Huntsville,
and Florence While stopping
here for short time to fill up their ioaG
since emptied haversacks, had the plea
sure Of call from our old and esteemed
friend 1t Ihos. LarkIn, OF the 9Nh Regt,
or Father DUNES brigade, also Lleuts.
Rolf Buchanan and Pratt Ht the 10Th
Ill. regiment. They all looked we'll, aud,
with the exception Of 1t. LarkIn, seemed
to enjoy excellent health. 1t Lark. wa.
suffering from rheumatic affection o. the
back and hips, and remained here Tor
few days under medical treatment He
then left on beard steamer for Bridge
port where lie rejoiued MS command DR.
Hinkly, surgeon OF the goth, also called
on me but unfortunately was absent
from my quarters at the time, and did net
have the pleasure Of shaking his hand.
From all accounts the campaign into
East Tennessee was a very severe one,
although they did not have the pleasure
of ciytng Lonrstreet a snuff OF their pow
der. On hearing of Braggs dislocgenent
before Chattanooga, and Sherman All
vance up the Tennessee river, old Long
street found il advisable to perform one
OF those famous strategic movements FOR
which Bragg is SO famous, and shedaddie
acrossa the Smoky Mountains towards
virginia with his trains and artillery plant
ed along the rovds in mud holes, and up
aide down on the mountain slopes, vita
squalls of deserters hanging around them
awaiting the arrival Of Our troops TO be
captured During the early part OF the
week fact Of fiat boats, scows, pontocns
skiffs and dug-outs all loided with broker
down aud barefooted soldiers from point:
up the river come floating down by this
place The weather was quite cold and
the POOR fellows were suffering greatly
from their squlid condition. An abund-
ance OF clothing, however, awaited their
arrival at Bridgeport and ere this thoy are,
no doubt, supplied with the best the gov
ersment has III store.
Simultaneous with Shermans return,
fresh relays OF troops from here ANA other
points have gone 10; ward No effort will
be spared to efec,ually clear cut oil traces
! of rebels from this State before SPRING
! Longstreet nav bother as little while
--t, put he will have to leave, and once
| over The Smoky range OF mountains the
| door will be forever closed against all fu-
! ture invasions of Tennessee or Kentucky
| by anv considerable force from rebeldom
Small guerrilla bands rnsy annoy. the bor-
| ders of these States for short time, but
the popular feeling there is against the re-
! bellion and in favor Of a speedy restora>
ton Of the Union. Guerrilla raids are
therefore, obnoxious to those who former
! ly were themselves enlisted in them and
where those marauders once found friend:
and abettois they now meet with colo
shoulder if not direct opposition. The
Presidents proclamation, though not e1'
actly what the people wanted, is still re
garded with much favor among the inha b
itants of the mountainous portions of thi:
Stale, and the rush to take the required
oath is growing greater every day.
i There has been good deal of tall
among the men of the old regiment
about enlisting in the veteran corps,
and for = while the indications were tina
most of tho eligible would re-enlist at tn,
first opportunity An order from the wa
department had been issued that .wher
three -fourths of regiment had ro-enlistes
as veterans, the men were to be nusteree
into the service, paid and given 80 day
furlouyh l have no doubt many regi
ments in this department would have re
sponded to this order but FOR the bunglini
construction put upon the ordeT ~ th
mastering officers at this place The.
contended that the proportion Of a regi
upon the resinental roll, including those
in hospitals, on detached service ant
otherwise lesitimately absent, and ne
upon the number actually prese mt in tn
field, and effective. There is great diff
ference between a full regimentai roll an'
the list Of etfectlves. The men presen
for duty scarcely ever number over two
thirds of the regiment, and SO, if all pres
ent should re enlist the required stlpula
tions Of the general order could not b
complied with, and consequently no fur
loughs could be granted. Recently, how
ever, this unfortunate Misrepresentation o
the War Departments order has been dis