Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-11-06
THg RAE TsMAN's JOURNAL.
GEN. STONES REPORT

nature OF the operation which resulted so dis
astrously. 1t also enables US to see some OF
the causes which led to the repulse. 1t does
| not, however, make it clear where the respon-
slbliity belongs IN some cases, nor does it fur
! nlsh any reason TOR the disregard of certain
orders issued by the General commanding.
! 1t appears that the enemy was supposed to
be in force at no point nearer the Potomac
than Leesburg, but that there was a small de-
| tachment within about mile of that place.
The sole purpose of the movement of oul
troops on Sunday night and early on Monday
| morning, seems to have been to make re-
| connoissance in force to dislodge the rebels
from their position just spoken of, and to ex-
anime carefully the ground between the river
and Leesburg, with reference, apparently, to
a subsequent advance of the main force. Col.
| DevenS went forward with some companies OF
| infantry, with orders to examine the hostile
camp reported to be at the point within mile
of Leesburg, and detachment of cavalry was
! directed to join him as scouting party, thus
guarding against surprise, while a battalion OF
| infantry ordered to protect his flank.
! Col. Devens made his advance, but neither did
the cavalry join him nor did the infantry take
| the designated position on his flank; hence he
was surprised and left unprotected. This was
one of the causes of disaster.
| 1t clearly appears from the report that Col
| Baker was expected to cross the river with his
| Brigade, the Tammany Regiment, and detach-
| ments from two of Massachusetts,, even if he
| found it expedient to return without attacking
| the enemy. Gen. Stone states that he detail
ed to Col. Baker the means of transportation ;
| he, therefore, himself well aware of what
| they were. We find that they were three
| scOws, each capable of carrying 30 men to
| these Col. Baker afterwards added fiat boat,
which he RATED from the canal into the river
| Gen. Stone states that Col. Baker was to be
the judge of the sufficiency of his means of
fpap hy1t nnt -hath hnr ore
was any consultation between them on the
| subject.
When Col. Bakers force came to cross, what
few boats they had to use appear not to have
| been properly taken care of. This negligence
| ON the part of some unknown subordinateS-
not only caused great delay in the passage.
| but when our brave troops, reluctantly retir-
! ing before an overwhelming force of the enemy,
reached the shore, they found that the three
scows had Disappeared the remaining ssmeans
of transportation one fiat bottomed boat was
swamped fifteen feet from the shore.
The order in which Col. Bakers force cross
ed the river, is spoken of by Gen. Stone as one
of the causes which led to the repulse. 1t ap-
pears from the report that his artillery were
sent over first, and that the want of a support
| ing body of infantry was severely felt. Gen.
Stone thinks that this inverted order of cross
| ing made difference of 900 men in the line
we presented to the enemy, and that it proba-
Gen. Stone states that he informed Col Ba-
ker that he desired to have no advance made
unless the enemy should be found to be in in
ferior force. But it seems that, having gone
over the river, having been surprised by the
| unexpected approach of large force Of the
| enemy, and having no means OF transportation
at their back, our troops could have done
nothing but fight, even against overwhelming
odds. There was then no room for discretion /;
valor alone was worth anything, and such val
or was shown makes the blood tngle with
pride in the veins of those who read the story.
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REBELS LOOKING FORWARD TO REcoNsrRUC-
| TroN.-At the Southern Commercial Conven-
tion, on the 18th inst, series of resolutions
was offered and laid on the table, the object of
them being as follows
l. To place a discrim mating duty of twenty
per cent on all foreign goods lmportedIinto the
Confederate States through or for account of
Northern parties for a period of ten years.
2. To place direct ssincome taxi upon all
Northern exchange or bills payable there for
similar period.
3. Recommending cur banks and merchants
to make all our cottOn produce bills accepted
payable in Europe, at least to the. extent of
our foreign importations.
These resolutions, writes the Memphis APP
pea's correspondent, who favors them strong
ly, knowl the s'drect trade resou-
tions," and were postponed in the business
committee and passed over from time to time,
until 1t was too late to debate them. They
we're, however, called for by the convention
in the last hour of its session, and would have
passed but for the argument put forward by
Gen. Duff Green, chairman of the COM
mittee.
The position taken by Gcn. Duff Green was
that these resolutions were fatal to North
ern commerce with the South, destructive
of all the hope of New York ever again par
ticpating in the importation of our goods, in
our wealth, through the discount of our cot
ton bills and the control of our exchange, that
to pass them would be to prolong the war.
That the direct trade resolutions, in fact, would
make any adjustment with the n orth impossi-
bic and prevent any construction of the COM
mercial and financial connections between the
North and South, these views, suddenly put
forward, had great weight with the convention.
All debate being cut off by the nature of the
motion with which Gen. Duff Green closed the
argument, the s'drect trade resolutions were
tabled.
SO even Duff Green, the South Carolina fire.
eater desires reconstruction of the Union
The Palmetto people whom he represents are
not SO full of secessioniSm after all Very
well. AS men grow older they are apt to be-
come wiser, and the same is true of commu-
mites.
>-
SECRET TRAroRs.-Much excitement pre-
walls in Marion county, Ohio, in consequence
of the arrest and examination before asUnited
States Commissioner, of several persons be-
longing to secret society called ssKnights of
the Golden Circle.'' This society is compos-
ed exclusively of Breckinridge Democrats |
The existence of the order is admitted, and
the man who introduced it into Marion coun-
ty, (Mr. Holder. the editor of the Democratic