Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-21

Special Correspondence Of the clnsinaat Commercial.
N -. a.. ~ -.

SPECIAL SoFtepoE2eace Cilctnlad OoInueFcial.
WAsHRaToS, Oct %, 1861.
There is general murmur Of dissatsfactou here
mot loud, but Deep account Of the course of the
Athorities in suppressing all dispatches Concerning
Eae battle Of Edwards Ferry. The State Bepart.
nse1s it is said out Of motives Of " policy CON
neeted with the New York stock market and our
foreign diplomacy, sent to the telegraph Office in
Washington positive orders to withhold all dis
patches respecting that engagement save one ure-
| pared or supervised by the Government So the
public were left for days in doubt whether the
troops of the Union had met defeat or a victory
while the NEST exaggerated rumOrs Of the carnage
sustained, and Of the killed, wounded and missing
were spread from mouth to mouth, in the absence
of any authentic details whatever This policy of
SURPRISING the private dispatches relating to
events that have actually occurred, is as mischiev-
Gus as il Is inexeusable. Manifesty il is itself
confession of disaster to the arms of the Govern
ment Moreover, it gives occasion to all parties to
question the accounts Of the intelligence furnished
by the Government ITSELF
It now turns out that the blunder committed by
our officers IN that foohardy enterprise of crossing
the Potomac with wretchey inadequate force,
without artillery, and with only two mud scovs
and canal boat as means OF transport was far
more disastrous in its consequeces than the Gov
eminent dispatches have ever admitted Thus the
Contrary effect is produced to that intended. In
stead Of the authentic details diminishing the loss
reported by the first dispatches it is found to be
far greater. The plain, unvarnished truth is, that
the entire force which crossed the river on that
disastrous day, narrowly escaped being cut TO |
unaecountable bunder on the part Of the rebels.
allow many more brave and costly lives must be |
thrown away by sheer incapacity and lack of sense
How many more Great Bethel affairs and Manassas |
defeats and Balls Bluff disasters must be suffered |
before military men will learn to observe the laws
of intelligent warfare, Of ordinary success The
hundreds of unhappy victims to this blind and i'll
fated movement who now lie drowned ct the bot /
ton of the Potomac, or in bloody shrouds in the |
newly made graves of Maryland, or languish as
captives in the hands of the enemy, or smartinR |
with wounds received in the fight or the escape, |
may charge their fate directly upon the senseless
orders which preeipitated them straight into the /
Jaws of destruction.
/ observe that attempts are cow being made to /
shift the blame Of the disaster upon the shoul-
ders of the dead. Col. Baker, it is said, when or.
dered to advance received from Gen. Stone posi- !
tive instructions not to engage the enemy if he 1
found superior force opposing him. But who |
orderedsuch an advance at all? Who sent 1901
men to combat an enemy of unknown force and on
ly one smoothbOre cannon, and deep river in
their rear? What means Of retreat were left to
Col. Baker, when every transport was occupied BY
troops crossing to his support What was brave
man to do, when he found the enemy IN oyerwhelm-
ing force before him, and an impossible river be-
hind him? Must he not either fight or surrender?
Col baker chose the former, and what brave man
will blams him, if after being placed, by orders
from his military superiers in position from which
he could not extricase himself, he determined to
sacrifice his life?
The evidences are multiplying that tbs large /
forces gathering here are hereafter to be used for
defence merely, but for military operations else-
where. Washington will remain the chief head
quarters of the army and the principal depot of
supplies, while the SCAT of the war may be trans
ferred to any point which the fortunes Of the com
paign, or the determination of the Commander-ln-
Chief and his aids may Indicate. The movement
of the fstills, which now hangs about the vicinity
of Hampton Roads, bound upon some mysterious
this moment afoat. Oaly last night ten thousand
with large supply of artillery, moved
down the river by land, on the Virginia side, to"
wsrds Aqua Greek. This is supposed to mean the
suppression of the rebel batteries, which have al
most succeeded in retorting the blockade ofthe Gov
eminent upon itself At least, they have compelled
it to order its transports Of army supplies from
New YorkIand elsewhere to beasntby railway from
Annapolis and Baltimore, instead of coming up the
Potomac in the original bottoms.
The additioal expense, ito say nothing Of the hu-
is not Of course very great. All Wash
ington feels the loss of the river communication
most sensibly. Hardly merchant but has heavy
supplies of goods soat on which he Is daily losing
while the long delay in their receipt will bring them
out of the season." when they do arrive at last
At the same time the railway troubles are indeh-
ntey increased BY the failures Of the river route of
and merchants finding it impossible
70 put tuEDuBH ny GEoAnSs
which are almost monophzed by the Government,
are shipping hundreds Of tons Of heavy goods by
the Adams Express at q cost which in ordinary
times. would be thought intOleFable, aHd which is
new cheerfuIly paid since goods must be had, cost
what they may. 1t seems evident that the govern
ment will soon be compelled to resume the control
of the railway to Baltimore, in sheer selfdefence,
unless its armies can contrive to clean out the
rebels who enforcing the blockade on the Po-
tomac
Already coal and hay are brought in prodgious
quantities by rail, for government use and Indiana
Avenue, near the railroad depot, (aloDg which a
railway track has been newly laid,l is converted
into an immense foraging depot, whence thousands
Of bales of pressed hay distributed TO the camps
and "corro!s'' of army horses
The new regiments continue to arrive continually.
Yesterday the 9th Vermont regiment, Col. Nathan
Lord, Jr., marched up Pennsy lvania Avenue, and
1ut to camp at LewinsVile, Virginia They are as
ins a looking set of men as ever stepped, and
Iplendidy and warmly equipped. Their Colonel Is
he well known brother OF President Henry e.
Lord of Cincinnati and was lately resident in Law
'enceburg, Indiana. He is every inch soldier.
SIGMA ,
James PheIaH.