Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-26
For the 1ntellfglclnccr.I

!yOr the Intelligenccr.l
The Terrible Reverse of our Arms at
Bulls Run a Natural Cons squence
OF Series OF Military Blunders--
How II might have been Avoided.
+ Solomon says: "a prudent man foroseeth the evil
and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are
punished"
Editors IHtsihgencsr :-.=.s - So.
Will you permit plain man, who is
neither Il politician nor an oficeholder,uor
an office-seeker, but one who yields to no
man in his devotion to our whole country,
and in his purpose 10 uphold the
government in its determination TO crush
oGt4ihis ungodly rebellion, to offer n few
reflections on the terrible disaster which
has befallen our gallant and brave troops
in Eastern Virginia. ~-
In Al government like ours we certainly
have right ohold the military authorities
who have the control and direction of our
armies to IL rigid accountability for the
manner in which a campaign is both plan
ned and executed. That man Is an enemy
10 his country and its government who
COnCeals or jUstifies either its corruptiOns
or its blunders. TWAS this which enabled
the late Democratic party to become so
beFs of the party rose in their might and
hurled it from the seat of that power it
had SO long abused. Lethim that heareth
understand. -.s-... ..a
have full confidence in tue present Ad-
miuistration, and in the integrity of Gen.
Scott as sCummnndcr-in-chiefO of the armies;
but after all this is admitted contend
that the late disastert TO our arms at Bull
Run is legitimate result Of series of
previous blunders. That our arms will be
finally victorious, and that the rebellion
will be eifectually put down, l have 90
more doubt than that the sun shines, but
in consequence of the blunders that might
have been and ought to have been
avoided, it will be at fearful sacrifice of
life.
Now for the facts to substntiate this
grave charge. / suppose some man, or set
of men, has charge of the military depart
nent at Washington, and gives direction
to all its movements. Now, then, this de-
pnrtment has had Mt its ronmand, in and
around Washington. force varying from
twenty to eighty thousand men, all of
whom we're anxious to be engaged in ac-.
tive service, during the past two MONTHS
while the enemy, during all that time,
were busily engaged in erecting immense
earth works and masked batteries all over
Eastern Virginia, some of them almost in
sight of the Capitol; while the authorities
at Washington quietly looked on, md nev-
er made an effort to prevent il. Now this
is altogether new mode of warfare, to al
low M enemy to entrench himself behind
earth works and masked batteries, and
march up in the open field infront of those
batteries, and fight tlem, Neither Napo-
any other captain of any note, ever gaze
an enemy such advantages a. these. II
was clearly the duty OF the military de-
partment to have kept itself posted up in
regard to every movement of the enemy,
aud whenever lIe eatlempted TO fortify him
self, to havc sent sufficient force, say
column of ten thousand men, supported
by batteries of flying artillery, to have
captured the cnemy's guns befo.e he got
them into position, and killed or captured
the force sent to erect those earth works.
There is neither excuse nor pniiation for
neglecting this plain duty. To say that
our troops were not drilled, will not do,
as they were as well drilled as the enemy,
and have always been more than a match
for them whenever brought together on
equal terms. And in au open field, our
men can and will whip them, though they
should out number us three to one. ~
But this was not the end of the blunder-
ing Ii commencedin calling out large
force to serve for only three months, at an
enormous expense to the country; and in
stead of employing them IN breaking up
these rebel posts in detail and thus sup
press the rebellion, tie work they were
called out TO do before he had time to con-
centratc his forces, they were kept in
Washington marching and countermarch
ing for the amusement of the crowd of
CARING loaiers, while tue enemy was con-
centruting his force, selecting his positions
and entrehching himself undisturbed.-
a Agnin, ever, thing in regard to tho doings
of the enemy was kept Theoretically sealed
from us, while their spies were allowed to
come and go to and from Washington al
pleasure. Take Harpers's Ferry ns an ex-
ample of this miserable Encouragement.
For weeks after the evaeuaIion of that
place by our men employed in the armory
and the few soldiers who were guarding
it, the enemy had but very small force;
say ten or fifteen hundred men, and they
were raw militia Had the military de-
partment during that time planted bat
terry of half dozen guns on the heights
on the Maryland side Ofths river, thatwould
have rendered the town wholly Hntenable,
as ii completely commanded it, But moth
ing yr:lsdUne until the rebels had increas-
ed their force 10 ten or sixteen thousand
men and Ind erected a battery IN the Mary
land heights, on the soil Of loyal State.
nnd actually Pennsylvania. Then
measures were taken to drive them ont,
which would have resulted 'iu a fearful
Slaughter of our men, had not the enemy
retrenIed.
Aud General Patterson, at the head of a
force of some twelve thousand troops, lay
quietly within few miles of Hnrper's
Ferry after they had vacated the Maryland
heights, instead Of advancing battery
and shelling them out. and thus haze pre-
vented the iestrue4ion Of public property