, 1861-07-27
Ct)irago Crihutte


GDndao OtlauW
SATURDAY. JULY q. 1861.
..rOft u ARD To R1CHNI0ND.s'
TIE eogcr expectation Of The loyal peo-
pie Of tho Republic is answered by an
unnecessary, disastrous and disgraccful
defeat TIC cry Of "Forward to Rich
1neLt!'' is changed to howl Of rage; ana
at cvc,y lseartbstonc, in every market place
aud slAcp, the tinsling blush Of shame WIN
which each cheek is suffuscd, tells Of the
,,vu.c1less Of the feeling with Which The
news from the battle field is received. It
is ,ca late to undo the disaster. No amount
er rluu,iliation-no courageous resolutions,
IN prcscnt rushing to arms will wipe. out
tie disgrace; but they will sharpen the
scrscs and give quick impetus to the judS-
nncnts Of those who have endured the u1,-
expected blow. Let them inquire why
defeat scilcd our banners; and they Will
fird the potent causes, not in the clan'or
Of the newspapers, the impatience OF Con-
crcssmen Of all parties, nor the cagerncss OF
the people for victory; but in tie mis-
management by which the administration
of:our military affairs is marked. Let them
ask who it is that sent that column ct
scarce forty thousand brayc aud loyal men
into the pit-tall which the enemy had dug
for them. and there suffered them to
endure the bitterness that has cone
rron them and tic country, when large
and gnifcen;ly appointed army Of our
troops lay within three days march Of the
battle, waiting only the word to march, to
conc to their aid? Let it te cx-
rlaine1 why, when the "Forward 10 RICH
mond" was begun, the division led by
Gen. Mcdowell did not halt at Centreyille,
where it had wood, water, good camping
ground, a commanding position, and the
means Of keeping communication in
tie rear, until the thunders OF Patterson's
guns were heard on tho encmy's flank, be-
lore commencing the attack in front2 At
Ccntrcville the army could have maintain
ed itself for any lengta Of time. Posted
Oh that high ground which overlooks Man
as.as Junction, the late battlefield aud all
the country about, away 10 The foot Of tue
Eiue Ridge, it would, If only half as large
as that which marched cut Of Washington,
have been secure against any probable foe.
There the men could hare rested, thcir
w1c;ched Con1missariat could have been
supplied, and the exact position Of the en-
ciny could have been ascertained. Scouts,
picket-euards and parties ofreconnoissance
would have smoked Oh: the position of tue
batteries before which our men have, at
last, been forced to retire The exact
whereabouts Of Johnston, with his force
could have been known, and all the prep
nrations could have been complete. In
stead Of That, what was donc2 4 hasty
council Of war was held, in which, with
protest that it would be folly to go on,
Col. Burnside pressed the points TINT we
have made. But lie was overr1ied, We
know not by whom, and the march was
fist ordered at o'clock that (Saturday)
evening, and then the order was counter.
Marded, and the time fixed at half past
Two Sunday morning. The men, yet worn
by their forced march, were aroused from
tI.eir insufficient sleep Their stores,
though within sound Of cannon shot Of
Washington, where abundance reigned,
finished miserable breakfast, and tins
crprepared, but with spirit and courage
tliat nothing could daunt, were plunged
jnto the deadly field, against what was
known 10 be q greatly superior force, en-
trcched by weeks Of uninterrupted labor,
and abundantiy supplied with all the ap-
11isnccs of war. These arc plain aud
simple facts; and from them any man Of
common judgment and ordinary informa-
tion can make up J. correct estimate Of
the case Who, then, has blun1cred?
Not the newspapers and the impatient
friends Of the loyal cause, because
s1Forward to Richmond r was as the
entire country will agree, tic command
fer the exigencY and the hour.
Not the brave lads whose dead lie on the
field, because their deeds show that they
did their part we'll. Let time aud official
inquiry determine where the gricvous res
possibility shall lc lai.l. The blood of
our troops poured out for their country's
defence, the ghastly wounds inflicted upon
those who remain as prisoners in the ene-
1ny's hands, and the deep disgrace Of the
causclcss and unnecessary defeat at the yc-
" outset Of what should have been trl-
llnphant march, demand that the official
inquiry should be made.
1t remains for us to thank God that the
disaster is no worse. Il might have hap
pcned at Richmond ITSELF and then, at such
distance from its cntrcnch,ncnts, the
whe1c army, panic stricken and broken,
would have been cut off and destroyed.
Now it will serve to awaken deeper feel
ing Of patriotism, to direct inquiry to the
mi1itn.y administration of the Rcnublic
and separate from it, honorab1y aud with
gratitude for services rendered, these
whose great age or other disabilities make
Them unequal to their tasks. Then the
cry will bc, Forward to Richmond not
with comm'ssariat presided over by a
nlan Of eighty-s:x years ofage, whose i'll
iir1,litics have not permitted linn to walk
out for ak years, or his next in rank in the
Department, whc is full seventy y-onc, and a
dull man ut that :; not in Il way prepared
by the Chief Engineer Of the Army, who is
near, ifnot quite eighty; not ty Topographic
Gil maps that come from 1ic bureau Of an
officer o1 scyerty-cig!t not will Sur
geon General, also nearly eighty, to fill Tie
altsIons aud most humane and important
duties Of Ais place; not armed by Il
General Of Ordnance who takes
three whole days 10 deliberate whether
1he screws i'll the butt Of 4 musket should
lave re:.nd heads or fiat, meanwhile writ
ars six letters on the subject and having
his boots BACKED sixteen times mot ,1n-
der leader picked up by favoritisn, and,
without having seen service, put in COM
1nand Of 2 Division; not controlled by a
Secretary Of War whose chief business is
tcprcpare the way for nomination to the
Presidency, and reward the Pennsylvania
politicians by whose aid he las climbed
mp where hc is! No, "Forward TO Rich
i mond, )" under leader endowed with youth