Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-23
THE DISASTER.

THE DISASTER.
The great victory won by our army, Sunday
afternoon, was followed by sad panic and
defeat, Sunday night. The rebels had been
routed at all points and driven 10 their en-
trenchments at Manassas junction. Our
troops held the battle field and proceeded &c
take the advantages gained by their victory
Meanwhile the rebels were largely reinforced
Gen. Johnson's command arrived from Win
chester and Strasburg, by way of Manassas
Gap railroad. Troops arrived from Richmond.
The rebel force was sweed to 10000 men,
and at nightiall they attacked our troops and
another fight began. Presently pane arose,
which was communicated to portion OF the
troops, and soon resulted in a retreat. In
presence of hostile force so numerous it
was impossible to rally the meE successfully
apS,F sSS s-s Stand was made until they reached
tbe;r old CAMPS and entertainments on the
Potomac Only a portion OF the troops ieii
into confusion, and by Il large portion of the
army the retreat was made in good order
1t is bad disaster. 1t puts us back.
saddens a great many hearts. 1t delays the
settlement of this controversy with treason,
for if the rebels had been driven from Manass-
as Junction by the army that marched against
them, the back of treason would have been
broken. 1t could not have made another such
stand We have more resources, more endur.
ance, more perseverance, and can not be very
seriously harmed by defeat. 1t will only
stimulate US to higher efforts, and bring a
mightier force of sentiment, purpose, men,
and means, to the work of annihiating
treason. 1t may be that we were beginning
to under-rate the difficulties of this struggle.
If so, we may usefully study some of the les
sons found in this defeat, and henceforth talk
and act with juster views, and with better
confidence in ourselves and in those who are
directly responsible for the management of the
war The result of this movement upon Ma
nassas Junction does not say much in justif-
cation of the insoent violence with which one
or two leading papers have assaied Gen. Scott,
and sometimes President Lincoln's cabinet
because the army of the Potomac did not
plunge forward to Richmond before the 10th
of July" The stupidest of these self eonceit-
ed oracles must now begin to suspect that
Gen. Scott understood the military situation
better than they, and that there may have been
wisdom and excellent strategy i'll his debera-
ton and delay.
1t is quite certain that various influences had
combined to urge very strongly upon the ad.
ADMINISTRATION and Gen. Scott, policy that was
not sound we mean that policy which
would not wait and maneuver to get complete
mastery of the situation, but demanded in
stantly dash forward through Manassas juno.
ton to r chmond. Frank Blair, Jr., having
behaved CALAMITY and successfully in Missouri
urged this policy, courteously, indeed, but
with great ardor; and his views were sup
ported by influential friends One leading
paper at least, urged it with very offensive
violence, and seemed to feel quite superior i'll
most respects to Gen. Scott and all his advi-
sers. 1t is probable that the various infuen-
ces working inahat direction had considerable
influence ,andthat the forward movement began
before, in Gen. SCOTS judgment, all things were
reduy lOF It. ~ may HdNe ueel 50, anu IL is CSI-
tainly reasonable to suppose it would have
resulted differently, if it had been delayed On.
til Mcclellan could have finished his work
west of the mountains and come into eastern
Virginia, or until the force under johnson had
been properly attended to, not by the incom-
prehensbe tactics of Patterson, but by some.
thing different. If Patterson had doue his
duty, johnson could not have escaped from
Winchester.
But this defeat is not so great disaster as it
seemed when first reported and it will be sure
to call forth such an overwhelming power as
the traitors have not yet dreamed of encoun-
tering. The next movement Forward to
Richmond" will be quite ready when it stars,
and will be such movement as will easily
bear down all before it. We are fighting to
uphold the government and save republican
institutions, and have hardly begun to show
what we can do in such cause Very soon
there will be such an army moving southwark
as is seldom seen even in Europe, and its
strength and overwhelming march, will sweep
away all opposition, and that too without such
bloody battles as that which was fought last
Sunday.