The Nevada Democrat., 1861-10-24
The Immense Armies Of the Potomnc'


rhe,s is little doubt, says the Cincinnati En-,
.,,iror' ,bot the armies now in Washington and
;ts v;ciritv amount to the immense aggregate
~ ON mn men on each side, or 4OO OVO IN al:
Whenever n general battle shall occur u VIII
not only have no parallel on the Western Con-
tiucnt in the forces engaged, but naroy one !! ~
the history of modern Europe will We Win IT,
The great battles of Napoleon were generaiiy
fono6t with numbers far inferior to those no"
under the walls of Washington. For instance
at Austerltz. where Napoleon defeated 'hg
combined armies of Russia and Austria, ne hau
but 80 ,O0O0 troops; the allies had iVO,OVV' ~ s
Jena and Auerstadt, where he broke the power PO VI
Prussia bis forces were not over ldO,OOV s.Ioi,e'
At the great battle of Wagram, fought WIN .ne
Austrians on the banks of the Danube, III w.,
he had but 10000 men. at Borodino, uhuei
the walls of Moscow he had but l20,OOO TO OPP
noso rho Russians. At Waterloo he did not
have TO exceed $4,000 troops. Not one
of the battles in Italy or Spain even equaleo
iris last number. The only battle we no" re-
collect where the cOmba'ants were as numer-
ous as those around Washington. was belpsic,
in 1918. where Napoleon had l75,00O, and the
ollies-Russaus, Austrians, Prussians, Swedes
and Germans numbered 2JOOUU. Weary
half million men took part in this tremehuu-
ous hattie. which was known as the combat OF
tho Giants 1t lasted three days, and ended IN
the complete overthrow of Napoleon, VINO was
driven into France, where series o! disasters
commenced, that did not end until Napoleon
abdcated his crown and was exled to the IS
land of Elba, in 1914. No battle was ever
fought on the soil of the United states where
60 900 combatants took part in 1t on both sldes'
From these figures we can Judge OF wha'
battle we have reason to expect when the hosts
+ NJ III NM than twice
the number of those Of Napoleon and Wellng-
ton at Waterloo, come in collision on the
banks of the Potomac 1t will be an event that
will be the great military feature, probably Tor
ages to come, of martial prowess III America
Washington never had $4,000 menin one army
under his commands; Jackson never had l0,uO0,
and Scott never before the present year had
seen 90 900 men under his orders. Great IS
the ability required to man9uvre and handle
such large body of men, and bring them all
into action at the proper time and place. The
late battle at Bull Run extended over seven
miles from oneend of our line to another. AT
Washington, probably, the battle may be rag
] ing over field double this size.
| TO know what is going on in such an amphi-
theatre, and TO be prepared to order upTeserVes
and strengthen every exposed point, requires
the highest degree Of intellect. At the battle OF
Bull hun nail OF oOtn armies never hIeu siio''
Beauregard had 10000 men at Manassas juno
ton. only three miles distant, whom he never
used, and vet he would have been defeated had
it not been for the opportune arrival of por-
ton of Gen. Johnston's army from the Upper
Potomac. Mcdowell had powerful reserve,
that took no part whatever in the action, and
yet it was strong enough to have beaten back
Johnston's division fit had been on hand at
the proper moment. We have confidence that
Mcclellan has not only plenty Of men, but we
believe he knows how to use them.