Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-28
The Campaign ia Western Virginia
Federal ViIIainfes in Maryland.
: OF the Charleston Courier
RICHMOND, Sept. 81, 1861

RICHMOND, Sept. 81, 1861.
Advices from Western Virginia tisday are
not encouraging. Our Generals have not
pro6tted by tie blunders of Garrett, add af-
ter some eight or ten weeks of preparation,
manCeIvreing aud advance, the entire Con-
federate force under Lee, Floyd and Wise has
fallen back to the positions occupied previous
to the fall campaign. The work must be
done over again, and for the third time. The
C .uses of this failure are two-foid. First. the
inadequacy of our military Strength in that
section; secondly, the superior Grneralship
of Rosecranz. Lee. Floyd and Wise have
at the present time less than 10 900 men.-
The enemy know it, and the fact is talked of
here, so am dIvulging no military secret
RosecraDz, Cox and Reynolds have under
their respective commands not less than So
900 men, Even this disparity of numbers,
however would avail the enemy nothing. If
they had a poor leader. They have in Rose
cranz, probably, the best General in the
Northern armies. What credit Mcclellan
won in Western Virginia was due rather to
the active genius CT his subordinate. Our
army officers admit that the late manGuvres
of Rosecranz, in which he succeeded in sur
prisng Floyd, was the most brilliant Federal
feat of the war Leaving his army in the
mountains intact, Rosecranz proceeded to
tho Kanawha Valley and raised a fresh force
H.
denly and Unexpectedly precipitated himself
upon Floyd. and though our General fought
a splendid battle and gained technical vic
tory. yet the ultimate result was disastrous
to the Confederates. Previous to Rosecranz's
appearance Floyd and Wise had actually
surrounded Cox and he was on the point of
surrendering. The relief afforded to him by
Rosecranz completely changed the aspect
of affairs The two Federal forces effected
l.. l.
ced to retreat. Luckily they managed to
unite their armies, and at the last accounts
they bad reached Meadow Bluff, point ten
miles West of LeYisburg. The last named
place was where Wise retreated after Gar
nett's disaster. 1t is also stated that Gen.
Lee has fallen back to his former position
This leaves our army pretty much where it
was before the commencement of the Cam
paign. Rosecranz was in pursuit of Floyd
and Wise. He had nearly II, 900 men. The
two Confederate Generals can probably mus
ter 1000 effective troops. / think they will
make no farther retreat, but give Rosecranz
| battle at Meadow Bluff. The result is hardly
doubtful. With the choice of position, the
| Confederates ought to whip thrice their mum
Der easily.
The fact is patent that reinforcements
should be sent to Western Virginia. There
are several thousands of soldiers around Rich
mond who can readily be spared, and there
are regiments stationed at Lynchburg and
! Stanton that are now well drilled enough
to take the field. do not apprehend that
| the Federalists can penetrate lar into Cen
| trail Virginia, but unless our Generals are adj
equately supported, it is useless to suppose
| that we can make an advances on Wheeling.
The Virginia Tories are said to be the
most effective soldiers in the Federal armies.
| The moantaineers are excellent shots. and are
| quite as good guerrillas as ours, and in view
| of their perfect acquaintance with the topo-
\ grapy of the country, they may be better.
| Col. John A. Washington, of Mount Vernon
| was killed by one of these expert marksmea.
He was brave, head-strong man, and rash
| ly exposed himself against the remonstran-
4 ces OF his brother officers.
There is no exag CREATION in the account OF
| Federal villanies in Maryland. 1 have seen
aud conversed with a number of refugees
| who have come over the border within the
past six days. With lips quivering. and
| voices trembling with emotion, they tell OF
barbarities i almost shudder to repeat. One
single fact will serve as a specimen. and Ii is
unfortunately true, that it is but specimen
| A party of Sickles' '.dead rabbits who had
| been turned loose upon the unfortunate pop.
uIace in lower Maryland, burned the home
stead of wealthy citizen, turned his family
out into the fields, and worse than all, Car
ried of one of the young ladies to their den,
| where she was outraged by nine of the
devils. This was related in my presence by
a relative of the afflicted girl, himself a
young man of education, and until lately q
| cadet at West Point. OF course you can i'm
/ agine somewhat the feelings that now ami
/ 10 ate the Marylanders The most terrible
vengeance that cau be conceived will be Wis.
tied upon the Gotbs and Vandals when Mary
land is relieved. No quarter viii be given
by the outraged people. The barharians
know it, aud Lincoln, in bis terror, givel
another turn to the screws. 1t seems to be Al
much duly to humanity, as q military ne
cessity, that the Confedertes should marcl
into Marylan