Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-09-03
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b1rT1Ages, Noteesof minerals asandAnnouneements
Of SERMONS, 50 cents each. novl1-'69
iad HOW sTANDsTHE WARS
a Review OF the Condition of the two
ArmIes--The Dinerenee Between
Apparent and real Strength--The
Dead Point of fDRngerpRssedo on the
24th OF August.
The first noticeable fact in our military
condition, is that since the middle of July,
the rebel armies have on the whole been
most active, and most successful. Nc
Clellan terminated his triumphs in Virgin
ia about that time, and Lyon soon after
had nearly possessed Missouri. Bat since
that the rebels have assumed the offensive
and made extraordinary exertious. On
the Goth Of July, our Commanders miscal-
culatiug both the strength Of the enemys
position and the value Of their own troops,
fought the apparently disastrous battle of
Manassas. We say apparently, for it is
now quite obvious, that in military
point Of view that action was greatly ex-
aggerated by civilians and reporters who
happened unfortunately to be present, and
by none more SO than the notorious Rus
sell, who very prudently hastened from the
field without seeing the battle, and wrote
an account Of tchGt he did not see. In this
he proved himself an able newspaper re-
porter, who, when facts fail, draws upon
his imagination with equal success and fe-
licity But that is over 1t has done its
worst, aud we only allude to it to say that
the battle of Manassas was attended by
none of those consequences which are usu-
ally regarded as the fruits Of victory
Our defeated troops were notpursued, and
have not been attacked from that day to
this. But, as we remarked, on the whole,
the enemy's armies have been most active
and successful since the middle of July
Beginning with the battle of Manassas,
the subsequent reinforcing of BeAure-
CARDS army, the advance Of Pillow and
Mccullough, with several local predatory
expeditions IN Missouri, the enemy have
manifested extraordinary activity and
boldness. We concede this at once, and
more, that this activity and success has
bad! its natural and universal effect in
alarming the timid at home, and encoura-
ginglthe enemies of the American Repdb-
lie abroad. For, let us always remember,
that the GorernBlents of Europe are and all
ways have been the enemies of the Repub-
lie, and it is not the success of our Gov
ernment or the rebels that pleases them
It is the chance OF Dismem5ering The AmeTi-.
can Republic. Over that they would gloat
sud sing paans Of Joy. We say then, the
apparent successes of the rebels have pro-
duced their natural effect. But they are
only apparent, as willat once be seen by.
refiecting minds. Let US trace the causes
of events and the present condition of af-
fairs.
First of all, comes the consequences Of
tFres MontI' s eRlistmegts.l The FIRST call was
made for the defence of Washington¬
knowing whdtH would follow, That
was necessity. Under that call
more than one hundred thousand men
were called ont between the 18th of
April and the 1st of June. They. answer
ed the purpose, and something near $4,000
men assembled at Washington and on the
Potomac. It was quite plain that the
presence Of SO large body, most of whose
enlistments would soon expire, WAS the
moving cause of tue battle of Manassas
Soon after that came the expiration of the
three months enlistments, nearly all OF
which expired between the I'd of July and
the list of September. This was, in fact,
nothing less than the disorg imitation of the
whole army. To know the effect of this,
we have only to look to our own Western
troops. In Western Virginia ten or fifteen
of the best regiments we had called out in
the war were dfsbanded. Thus the whole
army, which had begun to show some dis
cipline and experience, was destroyed, and
is ssuppliedi by raw troops who have TO go
through the same experience. tits plain that
the period IN iekieh td5S change ieds feeted was
the most dangerous one to the government
which has occurred. One Of the highest
and most intelligent officers OF the army at
Washington, wrote that from the 18th to
the oath of August was the most critical
period the government had ever known
If Beauregard passed that week without a
successful attack, bis opportunity was
gone. It Is gone, and the army at WASH
ington, thoroughly re-enfotced and equip
ped, is now not only sufficient for defence,
but only needs discipline to advance.
This same thing occurred IN Missouri
Numerous regiments left Cairo and other
points, and were for the time being dis
banded. They have since been more than
supplied by new regiments. Now, let the.
reader observe, that all this was well
known TO tile rebel leaders, and1calet.latcd.
npon in their military arrangements. The
cause of rebellion is desperate one, aud
from the beginning, Davis, Beauregard and
their colleagues have had their faculties
shArpened by the constant danger OF a
halter. TulseiEe the moment Of gdisoEgan-
izing our army, and advance the whole
power Of the ConfedeFhtes, and defeat
some divisions aud pierce our lines, was, if
possible, theiryery best chance otsuccess.
Beauregartl was reinforced Immediately by
fresh troops from Tennessee and Alabama.
The large bodies of rebels encamped in
West Tennessee and Mississippi, were
thrown forward toward Cairo ana Gull
Tough rapidly assembled 4 large division
from Texas, Arkaasas aud Missouri, while
at the same time great efforts were used to
give Lee and Wise strength enough 70 re-
cover Western Virginia. These operations
are Ia exact accordance with the rebel plan,
traced out by one of our own eorrespon-
dents to put forth their whole, strength in
ed and disorgauized troops, and sudden
IN, impetuously and successfully achieve