Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-07
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

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LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial Correspondence of Cincinnati Commercial
The IL-Aduised Suppression Of Intelligence-
No GAIN to the GovernDaent-The Disaster
2 at EdUards FerTy-Who is Responsible
f. The Campaign about to Open Vigorously-
The Necessities Of Washington-CoIonelN a-
than Lord and his Regiment.
AKA WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 1861.
There is q general murmur of dissatisfac-
ton here, not loud but deep, on account of
the course of the authorities in suppressing
all dispatches concerning the battle at Ed
wards Ferry. The State Department, it is
said, out of motives of t'policy," connected
with the New York stock market and our
foreign diplomacy, sent to the telegraph Of
fee in Washington positive orders to with
hold all dispatches respecting that engage
ment, save one prepared or supervised by
the Government So the public were left
for days in doubt whether the troops of the
Union had met defeat or victory, while
the most 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 what
ever. This policy of suppressing the pri-
vate dispatches relating to events that have
actually occurred, is as mischievous as it is
inexcusable. Manifestly it is itself con-
fession of disaster to the arms Of the Gov
eminent. Moreover, it gives occasion to all
parties to question the accounts of the intel
ligence furnished by the Government ITSELF
1t now turns out that the blunder COM
mitted by our officers in that fooleardy en-
terprise of crossing the Potomac with
wretchedly inadequate force, without ar
tillery, and with only two mud scows and a
canal boat as means of transport, was far
more disastrous in its consequences than the
Government dispatches have ever admitted.
Thus the contrary effect is produced to that
intended Instead 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 pieces, which they would have been, but
for an unaccountable blunder on the part of
the rebels. 1t is said that s'fortune favors
the brave" but it cannot be expected that
the blind goddess will continually adhere to
the cause of those who violate all the laws
of success, and disregard the first princi-
Piles of military prudence. Napoleon's max
i'm, that s'the true secret of military success
is to have always twice as many men at
given point as are necessary to carry" ap-
pears to be completely reversed by our GEN
erals in their military undertakings. Hith-
erto, we have uniformly had just about half
as many men everywhere as were opposed
to US. Our generals have divided the Ma
poleonic rule by four, and still appear to
have the hardihood to expect success. Can
it ever come, until we have learned wisdom
by disaster? How 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 de.
feats and Balls Bluff disasters must be suf-
fered, before military men will learn to OBJ
serve the laws Of intelligent warfare, or of
ordinary success? The hundreds of unhap-
py victims to this blind and Inflated move
ment who now lie drowned at the bottom of
the Potomac, or in bloody shrouds in the
newly made graves of Maryland, or Ian
gushing as captives in the hands of the en-
envy, or smarting with wounds received in
the fight or the escape, may charge their fate
directly upon the senseless orders which
precipitated them straight into the jaws of
destruction.
observe that attempts are now being
made to shift off the blame of this new dis
aster upon the shoulders of the dead. Col.
Baker, it is said, when ordered to advance,
received from Gen. Stone positive instruc-
tons no! to engage the enemy if he found q
superior force opposing him. But who or
dered such an advance at all? Who sent
j, 800 men to combat an enemy of unknown
force with only one smooth-bore cannon,
and deep river in their rear ? What means
of retreat were left to Col. Baker, when ev-
cry transport occupied by troops crossing
to his support9 What was brave man to
do; when he found the enemy in overwhelm-
ing force before him, and an impossible
river behind him ? Must he not either fight
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and what brave man will blame him, if, af-
ter being placed, by orders from his mill
tary superiors in position from which he
could not extricate himself, he determined
to sacrifice his life as dearly as possible?
The evidences are multiplying that the
large forces gathering here are hereafter to
be used not for defence merely, but for mil
itary operations elsewhere. Washington
will remain the chief headquarters of the
army and the principal depot of supplies,
while the seat of the war may be transferred
to any point which the fortunes of the cam
paign, or the determination of the Com
mander in-ohief and his aids may indicate.
The movement of tho fotilla, which now
hangs about the vicinity of Hampton Roads,
bound upon some mysterious. mission, is by
no means the only one which is at his mo-
ment afoat. Only last night, ten thou sand
infantry, with large supply of artillery,
moved down the river by land, on the Vir-
ginia side, towards Aoquis Creek. This is
supposed to mean the suppression of the
rebel batteries, which have almost succeed
ed in retorting the blockade of the Govern
ment upon itself. At least, they have COM
PEELED It to order its transports of army
supple from New York and elsewhere to be
sent by railway from Annapolis and Balti-
more, instead Of coming up the Potomac in
the original bottoms. - -.
The additional expense, Ito say nothing
of the humiliation is not of course very
great All Washington feels the loss Of the
river communication most sensibiy. Hard
~ merchant but has heavy supplies of
goods afioat on which he is daily losing sales
while the long delay in their receipt viii
bring them stout of the season." when they
do arrive at last. At the same time, the rail-
way troubles are Indefinitely increased by
the failure of the river route of communities
ton, and merchants finding it impossible to
put anything through by regular freight
trains, which are almost monopolized 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 intolerable. and which is now cheer
fully paid, since goods must be had, cost
what they may. = Il seems evident that the
government viii soon be compelled TO re-
sumo the control of the railway to BATH
more, in sheer self-defense, unless its armies
can ccntrive TO clean out the rebels who are