Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-08-01
FrOm WashingtOn...T Re.
treat.- -Disgraceful Conduct OF
Some Officers.

| ...-..-st- -. WASHINGTON, July 70, 1901.
! did not write you yesterday as all was pan
ic and confusion. To-day things are assum
ing some shape. though several regiments wer
so broken up that the proper officers have no
been able to make out their reports. Regi
ments that yesterday could not find more thai
| two or three hundred, are to-day nearly full
Still there are many regiments that are badl.
cut 10 pices. send you extracts from our pa
pers, giving more in detail than can by letter
l shall try to see your lst Ohio to-day ant
gather what information / can, though mem
bers of the Grays will give you details befor'
You receive mine.
You have been advised by telegraph that thu
disaster is not so great as feared. This is true
but 1t is bad enough heaven knows-whatevel
newspapers may say TO the contrary. The de.
feat was positive and unqualified. The loss O
life IN having our regiments scattered-to bt
gathered on the same ground occupied month
ago at Arlington House. There is no doubt
but the enemy outnumbered us three to one
neither is there doubt about our having gained
steadily on them and taken their strong points
at four o'clock in the evening. This was accom-.
plished by less than one half our troops. A
greenhorn like you and myself would ask, why
after our men had taken these points-being
eight hours engaged without food and radcr a
broiling sun,-they were not replaced with the
25,O00 fresh troops, aud among the finest regi-
ments-uf the army, giving men already ex-
hausted time to breathe and refresh themselves
but instead Of this being done-these very
men were required to meet twice their number
of the enemy's reserve. The did all that men
could do, but were forced to yield. The men
who ran. to their eternal disgrace. were those
who had been the least exposed. The fault OF
all this was with the officers, and it is a shame
IL, a. IL. chnnId
be permitted to disgrace themselves by being
furnished with inexperienced and inc ffieent Off
GERS. A man may be very clever fellow but
very poor colonel. In the reports you will
see that these regiments with officers of militia
ry experience stood against fearful odds like a
wall of fire, while these with mushroom Off
GERS ran away without even smelling secession
powder. -s-
Many of the officers would not obey orders.
A staff officer told me that he himself gave q
written order to Colonel. requiring him to
take certain position and hold it. The reply
was that he would see Gen. -- damned
before he would go there with his men, and he
didnt-oh the contrary. moving in an opposite
direction.
What can be expected of such men in COM
mand? They did well, however, in the stam-
pede, for most of them were in advance. A
friend there says he saw two militia officers on
one horse going it for life. He stopped them
and inquired the regiment and where they were.
The answer was-New YORK; that they were all
killed and prisoners except one hundred who
were scattered. The report is, this morning,
that the regiment have sixteen men missing and
they or the most of them, will be in before
night. What can be expected of troops with
such officers? know it is easy to find fault,
but it seems cruel to see the lives of men thrown
away, or their good name williully tarnished.
The report is, this morning, that Gen. Nc
Clellan takes command of the army of the Po-
tonne, and Gen. Banks that of the Shenandoah
(Patterson's.) This is hoped to be true, as it
would give the contrary confidence in the army
t,-- ;.
There were great many well informed men
here on Sunday, who favored the result even af-
ter the news of the taking of the Bulls Run
batteries. All things considered. our loss is
not heavy, and can be easily repaired-except
the prestige of success; this must be wiped out
by another battle. -
Advices here show that the whole country
is aroused to take summary punishment upon
those who have murdered good and true men.
Congress did very little yesterday, except in
The way of resolutions. All seemed blue. and
adjourned at an early hour. May and Vallan-
bingham were in close confab in the Members
lobby, and, TO me, looked well satisfied with
the result of their interview.
Yours, W.