The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-12-04
Gen. Patterson on the Three Months Cam
paisn.

! airy dined together on Saturday at the Con-
,inenta Hotel,t TO commemorate their founda-
tion in l774 Capt James presided and
/ Dr. Goddard, as Surgeon of the troops, act
! ed as vice President Among the guests
were Major Generals Patterson and Cadwal-
ader. The dinner was altogether delight
| ful one
! When the cloth was removed, the health
( OF Mai Gen. Patterson was proposed, and
in response 10 an enthusiastic call he made
/ speech He returped thanks for the COM
! pliment paid him, and for the manner in
( which it had been received. He said be
was not in the habit of giving reasons for
anything he did or did not do, but in the
presence of men OF so much intelligence as
the members of the first City Troop par;
! of his command in the short campaign in
the valley of Virginia, he considered it due
to them as veil as TO myself 10 give a short
statement of facts.
! Dnring the latter part of July, all August,
and part of September, there was no SLAM
der against him so gross that it could not be
asserted and reiterated with impuriiy and
swallowed with avidi.y The gentlemen
of the Troop knew how false these ISLANDERS
were. He bad submitied to them in quiet,
although he had the documents in his pos
session TO prove that he did all that he was
ordered to do, and more than any one had
a right TO expect under the circumstances
in which he and his command were placed
and he defed any man, high or low, TO put
his fingers on an oroer disobeyed.
The gentlemen of the Troops were wit
nesses OF what was done, and he asserted
what they knew TO be true shat the column
was well conducted there was not a false
step made, nor a blunder committed. The
skirmishes were always in front, aud The
Aanks well protected. They were caught
in no trap, and fell into no ambuscade -
They repeatedly offered the enemy battle,
and when they accepted it they beat them.
There was no defeat and no retreat with his
column
Ii might be asked, "why have you not
made this statement sooner o. Because the
I publication of the docu ments sooner would
have been most detrimental to the public
interests. He preferred bearing the odiun
so literally bestowed on him, rather than
clear himself at the expense Of the canse in
which We were al! engaged The time had
arrived when the matter could without
inquiry to his service, be Inquired into !;
and he was determined that it should be
done, ard that before long all the docu-
ments referred 10 should be published, and
spread before the American people, unless
hose whose duty it was TO do so should in
the meantime DO him justice.
He would state a few facts On the Sd of
June he took command at Cham bersburg.-
On the 4th he was informed by he General.
in-Chef that he considered the addition to
his force of a battery of artillery and some
regular infantry Indispensable. On the 9Th
OF June letter OF instructions was sent him
in which he was told that there must be no
reverse: a check or a drawn battle would
be victory 10 the enemy, filing his heart
with Joy, his ranks with men and his maga-
zires with voluntary contribulions and,
therefore 10 take hIs measures circumspect-
ly and attempt nothing without clear pros
peci of success This was good instruction
and most sensible advice. Good or bad, he
was to obey and he did.
4 On Friday, the 18th, he was informed
that, on the supposi;Ion that he would cross
the river on the next Monday or Tuesday,
Gen. Mcdowell would be instructed "a
make a demonstration or Manassas juno
ton. He was surprised at The order but
promptly obeyed. On the 18th he reac he'd
Hagers,own, and, on the 10Th lwo.thirds o
his forces had crossed the Potomac. The
promised demonstration by Gen Mcdowell
in the direction OF Manassas Junction, was
not made on the l6th, just three days aiter
ne had been told he was expected TO cross,
he was ielegraphed by the Genera-in- Chief
10 send him sat once all the regular troops,
horse and foot, and the Rhode Island Regi
uent and Battery and told that he was
srong enough without the regulars, and 10
keep within limits until he could satisfy
him that he ought 10 90 beyond them. Or
the I7th he was again ielegrsphed awe
are pressed here. Send the troops I have
twice called for without delay" This was
imperative, and the troops were SEN, leav-
ing him without single piece of artillery
and, FOR the time, single troop OF cavalry.
II was a gloomy night, bat they were ali
brought over the river without loss
On tile Goth of June he was asked by the
General in Chief to propose without delay
a plan OF operations. On the 2lst he sub
mit:ed TO the General alin>Chief his plan
which was TO abandon the present line Of
operations, move all supplies 10 Frederick,
occupy Maryland Heights with Major
Doubleday's heavy guns, and brigade OF
infantry TO support them, and with every