The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-13

A GREAT MISTAKE TO BE REMEpIED.-The dis
sster which has befallen our arms at Big
Bethel reveals great mistake which we have
been making in our military matters. Whoever
was responsible, it is obvious that it was fatal
blunder to order men to charge up to ditch
without providing them with ladders or any
other means Of crossing it; fatal blunder to
organize the expedition so that two of our re-
giments fred on each other; fatal blunder to
undertake military operation with whole
brigade without preliminary reconnaissance
by engineers. These blupders show that, some
@bere, there was inexcusable ignorance and
rashness When the detailed account of the
affair reaches US, we shall know where the
blame lies.
In the meantime, we may observe that we
have been, by our foolish policy, counting pre-
cisely such disasters as this one. We have en-
trusted the command Of cur gallant volunteers,
the finest raw material for soldiers in the world,
30 gentlemen without the least practical know
e6ee or experience Of warfare
Now while it is true that occasionally civilian,
toy The force of innate genius, turns out compe
rsnt genei 81 without any previous training it ia
obvious that such cases are very rare excep-
deus. and that the business of soldering, like
hat of making steam engines or performing
surgical operations, requires regular appren-
sicethip. To send soldiers to battle under men
aho have not had any apprenticeship at all, is
as mad as it would be to go to sea in ship
without sailor ON board.
The people, with their sound natural sense,
perceived this when they sprang to arms at the
call of the President Almost in every in
stance the command of our volunteer regi.
ments was rendered to officers of the army.
We know of such offers having been made, in
ONE instances by several regiments, to the
0eroes who defended our flag at Forts Sumter
nd Pickens. Captain Doubleday was offered
me choice of two regiments. Captain Seymour
vas entreated to take the command of enc of
he splendid Vermont regiments which lately
passed through this city. Lieut.. Gilman, of
Fort Pickens, was offered splendid light bat
terry by the people of Maine. Aud so with the
others. The first, true impulse of the people
was to choose men to lead them who had
been trained to arms and who had the requisite
knowledge and experience to make good off,
GERS. 1t was only as second choice after the
first had been denied, that they made election
of civilian colonies.
The War Department refused, in every in.
stance, to permit officers of the army to accept
volunteer commands. We cannot but think
chat this decision is the work of some of the
red.tape clerks in the department, and that it
bag not received the mature sanction of Score.
tary Cameron. A man Of Mr.. Cameron's sound
practical sense must see at glance the danger
of confding large bodies Of men to the general
ship of inexperienced civilians. He must per-
ceive the absurdity of directing gallant officer,
like Captain Doubleday, who has served his
country, and studied his profession practically
for twenty-five years, to report to Pennsylva-
mia grocer or lawyer, who happens to have po-
ltical influence enough to obtain the title of
Brigadier General. Surely the Bethel disaster
will rouse Mr.. Cameron's attention to the sub
ject. If he will only study it carefully, we
have no doubt of his decision.
Every field officer employed in this war