The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-11-16
Russell,s Letters.
From Mr.. Russell's letters to tile London
Times, dated Washington, Oct. 4th, We make the
following extracts: atf se

From Mr. Russell's letters to tile London
Times, dated Washington, Oct. 4th, We make The
following extracts: asf ase
ATTITUDE OF THE OPPOSING FORCES IN VIRGINIA.
There is something childish and Chinese in
the "buggaboo" sort Of game played in the face
Of two very large masses of armed men of stit k
ing " painted guns, or 'quakers," in sham
works, of planting pumps before their sham lines,
and Of firing ricks Of hay and barn doors With red
hot pellets. If Gen. Beauregard is ready to at
tack, Gen. Mcclellan is prepared TO receive an
offensive movement rather than to make one.
In fact they are both perfectly aware at this
moment that their armies are quite beyond their
grasp, and that all they could do in such c0un-
try as. lies between them would be to depend on
the officers Of brigades to work their men almost
independently, and TO hold their own behind
their lines and in the position IN which they are
placed. Any attempt to maneuver Or to handle
even third Of the reputed iorces before w ash,
ington il that hilv, wooded region must fail
No comp d'9a can be of service unless the Cen
eral directs operations from balloon BY an
electric telegraph TO each Coloneps pocket A
rsgiment marching along is lost to signt in a
few hundred yards as completely as if IL was 3
rabbit boited into warren hole, or bobbing
through turnip field. The advantages are all
on the side Of the defensive force; but OF the
two the confederates are more familiar with the
ground. Still it is obvious in the present TEN.
per OF the puohc, fretted ~ they have been for
months past hy announcements that "a great
battle will take place immediately" that sone
forward movement must be made, and that all
the money aud men distributed about Washing
ton must do something Not that there - now.
a-days any of the ignorant impertinence and ar
rOgant clalnor which led TO Bull Run, but that
the North, which has given 30 much, want some.
thing in return, now that the fighting season has
arrived. Two large armies cannot stand face to
face continually with raging nations behind
them. but where is BeauregArd's army9 There
are traces Of the enemy along the Federal front,
there are shootings Of sentries aud small skr-
mishes between pickets, but IS far as can learn
there il no positive knowledge that the great
bulk of the army is at any place in particular,
though it is quite certain that whenever Fed.
eral force appears Confederate force is soon in
view of it. If Beauregard expects that Ills op-
ponent will march directly on his position in
front of Manassas, think be will be dissppont,
ed, and he will probably be forced at last to d.
vert portion Of his forces to the West, with
long marches and difficult country before them,
or to make the attempt on which have always
calculated, if ever he could obtain possession Of
the Potomac, to cross into Maryland. There
would be no novelty in illustrating the position
by a reference to the attitude of Sir Richard
Strachan and the Earl Of Chatham, but the posi-.
ton is nevertheless like enough. a.'
THE yEDERAL ARMY.
There is prodigious force rising rapidly to-
wards the number voted by Congress, out OF the
ground as it were, to be Differed rs best it may,
under all the forms of election, and voting, and
canvassiug, fam, liar in Republics, and known
oat Of the military world, in constitutional mon.
arches The original regular army, which did
not exceed 10000 men, was deprived Of many
OF its officers by the seeded States. The gem
tlemen in private life, who had received mill
tary educatlon at West Point, we're divided ac-
cordinp to t. cir States, and furnished an made
nustc contingent 10 the armies on both sides.-
The result was chat all the regular army officers
received promotion enough to turn their heads;
lieutenants and captains became generals OF bri-
gades; no one would take anything less. Then
. brigade and regiments were regarded ss poor
commands by men who could scarcely, in the
natural course OF events, have hoped 70 com.
mand company for years to come. Skeleton
regiments we're constructed, in order that ''col,
nels" might hang their shakos on the horses;
and colonels were made because they said they
had regiments which we're only abstract crea.
tions. The bar, the railroad board. the bench,
the counting house, the surgery, furnished lead.
ers, while the desk, the shopman's counter, and
the indigence Of the 6o"rgeoisie yielded more
than their proportion of officers o inferior rank,
These men are distinguishable At once BY their
air, their mode Of address, their long hair, and
the uncouth way in which they wear their uoi.
e,rms. But, after all, the wonder really 10 tha,
the army is SO well oficered as it is, and the
number Of mcn Of 6ne faces and figures, with
the appearance and manner OF the soldier about
them, which one sees in the streets and in the
camps. shows what large military element
there must have been among the American peo
ple. for the class Of which speak is beyond al
proportion 10 the habits Of the people, and yel
Il has dropped easily and naturally into the dis
charge Of military duties. Il will be long, how
ever. before the whole mass Is thoroughly leay
ened With the spirit Of discipline and obedience