The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-08-03
The BULBS Run Disaster.

ces>ionisn,, not 10y rushing after the rebe
armies and fgh ing rapid series Of grea
battles; but by SLOW, steady, cautious steps
gradually to drive the rebels to some grea
Centre, like Manassas or Richmond, ant
there. by an immense force to overwhe.n
and crush them, perhaps without firing {
gun.
This plan seems to have been steadily
pursued unit. few weeks ago, and with
entire success. The blockading fleet wa.
taking care of the sea and the approache.
to the Southern ports; Butler was keepin:
the eastern shore of Virginia in check ano
taking care Of the approaches to hel
waters; Missouri was in good hands; the
army at Cairo kept the southwest in suth
Gent tremor TO prevent any effective rsLe
movements from that quarter; Mcclellan
had about cleaned secessionism out O
Western Virginia; and although Patter
son had been somewhat lasgard in manag
ing affairs on the Shanan loah, under q
better commander, the ultimate de!ea!
and Decentralization Of Johnsons army
could have been but ~ question OF time-a
week or two al the utmost.
| Mcdowell on the Potomac would now
have had his s., 900 men, ready to move
Forward to Richmond or Manassas, at
one of which points Of course all the avail.
able forces of the enemy must be concen.
trated. This column would take up the
march from Washington: Mcclellan, his
work now fully accomplished in Western
Virginia, would have crossed the noun
tains and been ready TO co operate with
10000 men in q great flank movement
from the West; Banks. at the head of
Patterson 10000, would have been ready
to co operate by like movement from
the northwest; and rs the secessionis,s
were Compelled, as it was, to Withdraw all
their forces but 5000 or 1000 from Nor
folk and the lower Potomac, Butler with
ten or fifteen thousand men, would have
been able to cooperate in like flank
movement from the east Could the
rebels, with all their Notifications and
OoU men, the utmost they could now pos
s:bly muster, have resisted such an on
s .iugLt? But if even such a combination
OH GU: part should be deemed too weak
to cover all possible contingencies what
di hcui,y would there have been, by lew
weeks patience. to swell Gen. Mellow eli 5
CO unln to 900 or 10000, if necessary
such, we are told was Gen Scott plan
WA, Was done? McC.ullan Is stlll at
Beverly, ives, OF the mountains, awaiting
the slow movements OF Gen. Cox in finish
Ing up his work OH the kanawha. Pat
/ terson is balancing back and forth 10,
tween Mariinsburg, Iiarpers Ferry, and
/ Winchester, unprepared or uncecided TO
attack Johnson. B-aure..ard is al Alanas-
sas Junction with $500 men, strongly
cit renched, enough in themselves TO defy
AL attackin. army OF double tLer number
while lie has $1,000 more within a few
houis call at Sirasburg, Cuiperper. &c,
and nothing save the feeble motions OF
Patel son 10 pr,veIt lis being re en.orc. d
a, d days notice by Johnston army of
3-OoU ri.n. With the opposing forces IN
this relative position, Nc lowell, with his
5.UJJ men, re. erye and all, takes up the
lie oil march upon Richmond With ~,
90 men he proposes to walk over or
around 81 masked batteries and 10000
men at Manassas, drop down on an army
still stronger by ten or twenty thousand,
and fifty more masked batteries, and
walk over their dead bodies into Rich
moud. Nothing but the assumption that
! Mcdowell Was second Cortes and the
rebels the weak, untutored aborisines of
Mexico one would :hink, could have Civ. n
origin to such an utterly crazed AID mad
cap project.
Yet this plan was I'd opted insteal Of
that OF the commanding General Aud
| why? Not, we are solemnly assured, that
the judgment Of Gen. Scott approved the
change, but because lie was overruled
Certain portions of the newspaper press,
with the big anu little Tribune in the lead,
had raised the cry of Forward to Rich.
mond,'' and rung the changes upon it so
long and necessarily that not only ma.
jo.ity of the republican members of Con
ess and the President beclme infected
with the insanity and seconded the cry,
but the army itself grew SO FESTIVE under
| it that in week more it would have been
, hopelessly demoralized by insubordina-
ton but for the forward movement
The result of obeying Gen. Greeley and
Gen. Impulse, instead of Gen. Scott is be-
| fore the country. The lesson is a s. We. .
one, but not without its advantages. Tic
people Of the North are now able to see
how wickedly their natural impotence has
been practiced upon, and will be wiser in
future Brave, loyal, and honest, ready to
sacrifice their last dollar and last drop of
blood for the maintenance Of the govern
ment, they will not bate jot of heart or
hope, but bear up and steerright onward"
like true men as they are. And, as a CO..
temporary remarks, let us hope that the
misguId.ng journalists, whose inluenc.
has been SO baietui, will also consent to te
Instructed by events, and that every citi-
Zen OF the loyal States will hereafter be
| found strengthening alike esch other and
the Governments III pursuing that steady,
wise and cautious policy which must in
sure ultimate success.
ILLINOIS WAR IrEMs-The Secretary of
War has signitied to Gov. Yates h &C.
ceptance Of the II additional regiments
rendered from this State. With these,
Illinois will have Al regiments in the 3
years service. AS one of the IL, the
teachers and students of the Illinois Nor.