Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-10-04
IMMENSE ARMIES.

There is little doubt that the armies now
in Washington and its vicinity amount t.
the immeus, aggregate If near POO 900 men
On each side, OF 400, 900 combatants. When
ever q general battle shall occur, it will not
only have NJ parallel on the Western Cont
nent in the forces engaged, but hardly one
IN the history even Of modern Europe, viii
vie with it. The great battles Of Napoleon
were generally fought with numbers far in
feriOr to those now under the walls of Wash
ingtOn.
For instance, at Austerli;z, where Napol-
con defeated the combined armies of Russia
and Austria, he had but $4,000 troops /:
the Allie- had 100 600. At Jena and Au-
erstadt, where be broke the power Of Prussia,
his forces were not over l34 GOO strong. At
the great battle of Wagram, fought with
the Austrians on the banks of the Danube,
in 1909, he had but 100 600 men. At Bor-
odno, under the walls of Moscow, he had
but l20, ,OOO to oppose tie Russians. At
Waterloo he did not have 20 exceed $4,000
troops.
The only battle field we now recollect OF,
where the combatants were as numerous as
those aroundW ashington, ,wasLeipsic, in 1913,
where Napoleon had l7j 600, and the Allies
Russians, Austrians, PrusSians, Swedes
and Germans-numbered 100000 Nearly
half million Of men took part IN this tre-
mcndous battle. which was known IS the
Combat Of the Giants
1t listed three days, and ended in a com
Ilote overthrow Of Napoleon who was driven
into France, where a series of disasters COM
mcnccd that did not end until Napoleon alb
dicatcd his crown and was exlled to the Isl
and of EIba, in 1914. No battle was ever
fought on the soil Of the United States where
60, ,000 combatants took part in it on both
sides
From these figures we can judge what
a battle we have reason to expect when the
hosts of Mcclellan and Beauregard, more
than twice the number of those OF Napoleon
and Wellington at Waterloo, come into col
lision on the banks of the Potomac. It Will
be an event that will be the great military
feature, probably for ages to come, of mar
tial proweSs in America.
Washington never had thirty thousand
men in one army under his command jack
son never had fifteen thousand men and
Scott never before the present year had seen
twenty thousand troops under his orders
Great is the ability required to manmuvre
and handle such large body Of men and
bring them into action at the proper timo
and place. The late battle at Bull Run cx-
tended over seven miles from one end OF our
line to another. To know what is going ON
in such an amphitheatrc, and to be prepared
to order up reserves and strengthen every ex-
POSED point, requires the highest degree of
intellect. At the battle Of Bull Run half of
both armies never fired shot. Beauregard
had forty thousand men at Manassas juno
ton, only three miles distant, whom he
never used, and yet he would have been de-
feated, had it not been for the opportune and
unexpected arrival Of portion of General
Johnston S army from the upper Potomac.
Mcdowell had powerful reserve, that took
no part whatever in the action, and yet 1t
was strong enough to have beaten back
Johnston's division if it had been on hand
at the proper moment. We have confidence
that Mcclellan has not only plenty of men,
but believe he knows how to use them
GRctnndh Inquirer.