The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-01-16

can see 1t In the same light, and whe,
anything seems the plaiaest to the casua
observer Its practical operation Is genearll,
the most intricate and inconprshensible
1t u doubtless the result Of the profound
ness of superior wisdom which shapes on
ends ss..,.- ..- .--''
Everything around here is dull and m O
notonous The troops are employed frou
one to two days in each week on the forti
hcatlons and other works in and aroune
this place, and occasionally have to take ,
turn on picket. Their labors are ius
about enough to keep them healthy. Th,
only drawback to frst rate tmes is thu
scarcity of rations. The hstra.sportatiou or
tAe RIVER does not seem adequate for tn.
supply OF this pest. But we will soor
pave, III addition to the river through rail
esad communication hen the whole arm
can be supplied without any dificu.ty-
IsNe have now, for full tive months been on
ina. rations. Still the men seem to dc
l;wsll, in fact think they ....e healthier
Ethan they would be on full ratIons, as men
fAre more likely to make themselves sick
oy over-eating than by not eating enough.
But men are never contented on an empty
stomach, and nothing has greater tendency
to insueordination than a curtailment Of
! the soldiers rations With q full haysr>
sack he will 60 anywhere, do anything. or
brave any sanger, with an empty haye,-
sacks he will do neither.
As this place is the only practlca bic point
where an army CO u pass through the noun.
tains into Tenne.see for o distance Of over
~ miles and the only psssible place by
w.::'ch any considerable force csn get from
rn~ south into East Tennessee. - i. de-
signed by 1sa. Grant to make it imp .-.g-
nable, and with the rs-ks already COM
Pleted and those in progress Ine task will
soon be accomplished
general court martial has been in .es-
sion here for the past month and the con-
duct OF quite number Of officers aad
privates during Ike various engagement.
the Army of the Cumberland has Been en-
gagged in for he las. six months, has been
pretty generally overhau.ed and some
tsIn,.,..c ,..carted gentlemen have been pretty
handle1 Cen Thomas is
disciplinarian ric expects every
officer under him to do his whole drty.
aud has no compassion for those who fall
short of hi. standard. There will, how
ever, great many cases have TO be passed
over on account OF the abssRce Of the
parties, or important witnesses, but as this
corps will 20 doubt winter here there will
be plenty of time to clear up the docket
before active operations commence in the
spring.
Three hundred conscripts from WiscoH-
ain arrived here few days ago. They are
fne looking set OF men, and were we'll
treated By the old troops. In fact we have
high respect for those poor fellows, We
know that they are mostly If not all poor
men Men who have net had the $500
wherewith TO buy their exemption. Many
of these poor conscripts have been drag
sed from their humble homes into the
army, leaving a destitute and sufferin.
family behind, while others with nothing
10 hinder them from going have gone clear
by paving few dollars 1t is hoped con-
gress will repeal the exemption clause, and
for once place the rich and poor man on
an equal footing
The rebels have entirely left this region
and are said 10 have concentrated about
3O,030 strong near Dalton, under Hardee
Large mum bsfs of dc.er;ers come in daily
and generally represent the army in a
greatly dcmoraiizei condition. The Ten
nesseeans and kentuckians are leaving a.
fast as opportunity o.ers. N.