Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-10-17
From the Methodist.
Management of Large Armies.

The New York Stats Zeitung which is
now loyalty deyoting its unquestionable abi-
ity to the services of the Union, compares in
a recent number, the size of our army of the
Potomac with the largest armies heretofore
aggregated ia Europe. The article contains
SO many striking facts that we have transla :
ted it for our readers. As to the specula-
tions of the Staats Zsitung we have on y to
say that we have every coRfdencs in the ca
pacity of Gen. Mcclellan "to handle" his
thousands of men. But to the article =
:" II is not generally known. that there is
now concentrated on the shores Of the Poto-
mac larger BODY. of troops, than has ever
been congregated in modern times, except iu
the battle of Leipsic. Neither Gustayus
Adolphus, nor Frederick the Great, nor
Washington Wellington, nor Scott, had ever
under his immediate command anything like
the number, which is now under the COM
mand Of General Mcclellan. Frederick the
Great never led into the field more than S0,-
600 men at time, but all his great bat
ties were fought and won with bodies of
troops, ranging between 10000 and 60,000.
Napoleon, at Austerlitz, vanquished with 80.
900 men, the united Russian and Austrian
armies counting about 100 600. At Jena and
Auerstadt, there were l30, 900 men under the
Command IF the Emperor of the French
The bloody battle of Wsgram was fought
with 100000 men against the Austrians, and
in the equally celebrated battle at Borodino
about l20 900 Frcnchmen were opposed to
the Russians. The decisive battle at Water
loo was fought with only $4,000 Frenchmen
against Blucher and Wellington. But the
battle of Leipsic set in motion a gigantic
army of about 500 1000 men, Napoleon
having under his command about 200, 900,
and the united forces of Russia, Austria and
Prussia, about 1870, 600. 1t will appear from
thie comparison that the armies which are
confronting each other on the Potomac, were
exceeded in number only by those vast ar
-mies, which, on the plains of LeIpsic, deci>
ded the fate Of Europe.
On the continent of America no battle
has ever been fought before that of Bull
Run, in which as many as 10000 men were
arrayed against each other Washington
never had more than 10000 men at time
under his command jackson never more
than Is 900 men, and Scott never more than
10000 The issue of the great battle between
the forces of Mcclellan and Beauregard has
therefore greater Importance than has at
tached to any previous battle fought on the
soil of America.
1t requires, doubtless, military talent
of the very highest order, to set in motion an
army of $50, 600 or more men. to watch and
direct with unremitting presence of mind the
movements of every division, to throw rein
forcements, at the right moment upon every
threatened point, to espy every weak point of
the enemy and I'd reach it without delay and
TO obtain the minutest acquaintance with all
the details of the territory, over which the
movements of 50 large an army exteLd.-
Bishop Lynch, of Charleston, in his corre-
spondence with Archbishop Hughes, ascribes
to the first Napoleon the opinion that none
of his Marshals was able to lead into battle
a corps of sc. 900 Whether this be true or
not, the history of the battle at Bull Run uD-
doubtedly proves, tnat the chief generals of
the two opposing armies were unequal to the
great task devolveo upon them. Beauregsrd
bad an entire army stationed only a few
miles from the battle field, of which no use
was made, neither during nor after the bat
tie, and the seasonable arrival Of part of
the troops of Johnston was needed, to save
him from signal defeat Gen. Mcdowell
had strong reserve, which if employed at
the right time, would have been able to re-
pulse the troops of johnson, and thus to
bring on different decision of that fatal day
Itls generally agreed, that neither of the
two generals on that occasion proved his
ability to direct an army Of 80, 900 according
to the rules of strategy.
The country now looks confdingly to a
young general of only thirty-two years, for
exploits, which, if he sccceeds, will at once
place his name by the side of the most re-
nowned military chieftains Of modern times.
The above Statements viii leave no doubt,
that the work which be has been called upon
to perform is much greater and mnch more
difficult, than appears at the first glance
May kind Providence give him strength
for the proper discharge of his duties, and
lead him to glorious and decisive victory"
nF The muscles of the human jaw pro-
duce power equal to four hundred and
thirty-fcur pounds. This is only what sci-
ence tells US; but we know the jaw of some
of our lawyers is eqnal to good many thou.
| sand dnllars a vAar to them