Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-28
" Why don't our army move forward ?" The
editor says:
Weolaim to be the superiors of the Mortimer

why don't our army move forward 2" The
editor says:
Weclaim to be the superiors of the Northmen
In every respect, and We are; but we have got
to prove IL to their satisfaction before we can
expect peace. \ 1t is the policy and
fixed determination of our government to ad.
vance, and, if possible, to bring the war to an
the enemy, and his preparation of sufficient
transportation shall enable him to make an in.
vasion of the Carolina and Georgia coasts.
1t is well known now that Gen .Beauregard' g
forces ut Manassas, previous to Johnston's ar
rival, were comparatively small, and even after
Johnston came, the combined army could not
have exceeded 4O, 900 effective men. Since the
battle, We have good reason to believe that
Beauregard and Johnston have under their
command much more than hundred thousand
men, enough for all practical purposes. 1t is
not the want Of men that has prevented an ad
vance, but the lack of means Of transportation
and the lack of food, coupled with sickness
Beauregard has been almost wholly without
means of transportation for his vast army, and
proper food in sufficient quantity, as We have
reason to believe. And men who fought the
great fight of the 2lst, and came out of It with
out 50 much as q scratch, were in no condition
to do military duty for many days With little
food of suitable quality, fatigued, worn down,
they were in no condition to advance In fact
very many OF tnem nave been sick since the
light, and it is but truth to say that they, as
we'll as the wounded, have not had proper
attention from the medical department, which,
30 far as We can learn, was organized in the
very worst manner, if indeed it can be said to
have had any organization at all.
Months ago we called attention to the impro-
priety of fsvoritism and politics in the organ
ization Of the army, and especially directed
attention to the absolute necessity of having
the best available ability in the quartermas.
ter's and commissary department 1t requires
the best administrative talent we can furnish
to fulfill the duties properly. And it is now
seen to be important to do away with old fogy-
ism, red tape, and all that fummery in the
medical and surgical department. The sick
ness from wounds and otherwise in our Vir-
ginia army is absolutely frightful and the in
sufhciency and ineficiency Of the medical de-
partment more frightful still. Only think of
our noble boys suffering "a hours after battle
without being seen, and then attended perhaps
by men unfit for their office, and four DAYS
elapsing before the department at Richmond
sent any lint or bandages to Manassas, when
an abundance ought to have been there q
month before the battle.
These are causes, friends, why our great
Generals, Beauregard and johnson, have not
now possession of Washington. They have
done all they could, but they have wanted
food, transportation and medicinal supplies
and properly regulated medical staff. 1t is
q shame that our men have been compelled to
suffer so much by the ineficiency and incapa-
city Of others. The killed at Manassas are far
better of than the wounded, and even than
many who were not wounded.