The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-06-29
WAR EXPERIENCES.
An Expedition.
by WIN. W, WEIGH.

An Expedition.
IL will always remain among the un-
solved problems In our history, what wa
being done effectually by all the grea
armies In the field in 1862, beyond plac
ing them In positions most favorable fol
wholesale slaughter,-into locations bes
calculated for wasting them away by dead
ly disease, and into rebel prison pens, mos
cunningly devised by fiends for inhumar
torture-infinitely the worst of all the tri-
ais portions Of our armies so placed could
have experienced. What worse than gal
ley slave experiences of our friends and
relatives and fellow citizens, while build
ing so many of those heavy Notifications
In that horrible season before Corinth
while in very truth but guarding and pro
tectlng a rebel hospital OF 10000 sick and
wounded rebels; and by an arrangement,
80 continued till sufficiently restored to be
useful to their leaders; then carefully al.
lowed to escape! And this ghastly farce
is satirically called "The Siege of Cor
inth" But all this must neve! be spoken
of In honest terms! II might hurt the
feelings of " our dear Southern brethren! ~
Like all outlaws, they 30 want to I" let by
cones, be bygones' when their plans finally
miscarry an they are defeated and caught.
All safe, though, with them. Our mighty
leaders, some of them were among their tru-
est and most sympathlzing friends In all
that monstrous travestie, II should never be
forgotten. by us nor our children, that zoe
we're the 6eseiged-the betrayed.
Well remembering events In what I be-
lieve was called The Army of the Ten
nessee, and still thus referred to l can see
nothing but a practlce.test Of endurance,
under so-called mighty leader, to this
day undeservedly extalled, next to deiflca-
tion; for what actual personal service be.
yond that akin to drone In hive Of bees,
was never made apparent 10 any reasonable
understanding. II the doctrine of cores.
pondences be- true, and that analogies per.
tain throughout all animated nature, per,
hsps II Is fact that this Is a principal in
human as we'll AS the lower natures. The
drone must be there: what substantial ser
vice he has performed has not appeared.
IL Is to be hoped that the advance of sci.
entific discovery will some time elucidste
the reason. | have thought, often, that If
many Of the mighty names of olden histo'
ny were brought under scrutiny In the
searching light and by the methods of to-
day, they would essentially dwindle. Ba-
con evidently thus speculated "Ye gods!
upon what meat doth this our Caesar eat
that he hath grown 80 great" &c. The
unreasoning multitude, to keep them unit,
ed must always have some Geslars cap TO
bow to; some Nebuchadnezzar's brazen
image to PROSTATE themselves before some
watchword or rallying cry or Fictitious
great name 10 sound abroad as talismanic
word or symbolistlc emblem 10 present, as
significant Of whatever principles on which
they are united, and with which continual
ly to remind each other 10 maintain inter-
est In any cause.
To all seeming, in the days Of which l
am speaking-and those who remember
will agree with met was an idle, pur-
poseless shuttle. Mcclellan had crossed
the Chickahominy. McClellan's army had
worn out Its shoes and must 60 back and
get more. Mcclellan was getting his ar.
my under splendid discipline the finest
army the world ever saw. He was Just
going to re. cross the Chickahominy. Then,
Little Mack" would do this and |" Little
Mac" would do the other; and then he
would not.
All that year, though so little was known
or said about 1t, even more dilatory and
wasteful course was being pursued by the
army Of the Tennessee. If II were differ
ent, with very good opportunity to be-
come cognizsnt of what TRANSFERRED, fail
ed to see il. have said, 1t was good
school for practice in many valuable les.
sons. With full remembrance of the facts
of these times now repeat the impress.
sions then received. Practically, nothing
was done In I" field operations all that
year, except to keep the army and the
country diverted and amused with keep
still: keep still walt and see;" care being
taken 70 watch the limit of forbearance.
For the country and the army became un.
easy. The season advanced, and the wealth,
er being more genial, health and spirits
improved, and as natural the question was /:
What are we doing? What are we here
for.
said last week, our excursion TO Cold
Water was to divert attention, and to excite
the belief that something was 70 be done.
Such q movement Of q regiment 30 con-
spicuous as the SD, was . demonstration.
Nothing resulted; further amusement
must be afforded. So, a day or two after
cur return, the First Brigade under Gen.
Lauman was ordered on an expedition,
somewhere, the first movement which
showed for operations" since the vortex
of Pittsburg Landing and the horrors Of
Corinth. A mighty demonstration! The
entire brigade: composed of the SD and
41st Illinois, SD Indiana and Sd Iowa In.
fantry, battalion of cavalry, and two bat