Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-02
WINTER QUARTERS.

The idea that our Government Las
been busy during the past eight months
in collecting an army Of five hundred
thousand men tor the purpose OF sus-
tanning the Government, and now that
i, is to be put into Winter quarters j.
simply preposterous. Though such
speculation is abroad, it cannot re that
there is any truth whatever connected
therevi,h. Now is the very time t.
think of moving upon the enemy IN
stead OF giving him respite by bund-
ling our warriors up IN warm flannel
aud packing them away in comfortable
barracks until the opening OF Spring
The;rapd concentration of regiments at
the various headquarters along the line
has, in our opinion, a widely different
meaning. During the Summer months
the weather was counted too hot TO
march raw recruits into u Southern cll-
mate, but it would be capital joke up
on No them warfare il Winter weather
were 10 be considered too cold for such
movement.
The idea of putting an army with an
enemy before it, into Winter quarters
may have done for some era long since
passed, but modern history, as we have
read il. teaches a different lesson. In
European, and particularly in the Ma
poleonic warfare, We fiud very little
about suspcnding campaigns TOR the
purpose of alternating, yet the climate
Of that country is not more favorable to
Winter marches, diminishing and gene
raj action, to say the least, than that
which predominates south Of Mason d
Dixon's line. The splendid Winter
sun which shone upon Austerltz On the
Cd Of December, 1905, was no bar to
the furious charges of Napoleon's forces.
The ground was deeply tr, zen and the
ice stood thick upon the neighboring
lakes-it was in the heart Of Winter,
yet nothing was thought ofbut meeting
and conqucrlng the foe. So let it be
with us. AS the Winter approaches the
troops are gathering together, and in
spite CT frost or snow they will, we
trust, march forward with a terrible
front 10 meet the enemy. Let it moi. be
forgotten that upon the snow clad field
OF EyIan was fought one OF the bloodlest
and most notablc battles which marks
the page of history. No such idea as
going into barracks for the Winter
months was entertained.
In our own war with Great Britain
some OF tie severcst struggle took place
in the heart of Winter. The victory a,
New Orleans obtained in winter, was OF
high Importance, and it is to be hoped
that Government will achieve few more
OF the same sort down that way, before
the cold breath of winter has been
warmed by advancing spring. Our stur'
dy soldiers are accustomed to cold
weather and biting northern frosts, ano
will suffer no Inconvenience whatcvc,
from march into the land nf "e.te".
Our men arc not in The destitute, ragged
and shocless condition Of the Revolutions
airy amy under Gen. Washington, when
it went into winter quarters at Valley
Forge, therefore that cannot be cited as
precedent. Portions of our army sta
toned to protect important points, will
OF course, be properly housed, but the
main body should spend the winter in
the field. There will be some severe
weather and bad roads and other draw.
backs, but a winter campaign must fol-
low the summers preparations,el else while
we are taking winters rest the enemy
will gain too great an advantage.