, 1861-07-27

Camp and city arc in mourning over the
news tEat orr forces, under Gen. Mcdowell,
attacked The enemy Mt Manassas, and after
Given hou:s' ha1d fighting we're beaten by
tho ,tse,vc Of The rebels arriving, under the
cc1t mand Of Gen. Johnston. The report Is
Il total rout, and the less Of four Of our batter
lis. and eo,0c0 q of our troops killed and
vcuGdtd. The rs1s here Is generally credit
&C, but few, among whom Is your cores
ro1 t:c1.t, esi:l believe TINT it's not more than
hal, true at all events. But before this secs
t:,c light We shall know more about It and all
heEc to say is, that if It be all true, it will
produce two good results: first, the cessation
Of this misplaced lenity with which rebels and
traitors have been treated along The whole
line Of our operations and second, the direct
irg Of our attack upon the weak point Of the
enemy, or rather, taking advantage Of their
weakness, by proclaim'ng III all seeded States,
slayes, and then armlng tho slaves to enable
them 10 maintain theiT freedom. They fight
FOR slavery directly and unequigocally, and if
we fight ih6nl We should accept the proper
position and fight against It rs directly and as
urtqui1ccs1ty. We will then have the adyaK-
!ese Of fighting to eyterminetc the cause Of
sympathy Of The majority of the so-calicd
Ur!on men Of the South, yet will VIC only lose
that which has been a clog and liudra zee
thus tar, and NC will gain the hearty sytnpa-
thy Of the goGe1umsats and people Of fhe
whole civilized world.
Sooner or later re must come to this, and if
disaster like the reported one will BRING the
Government md the loyal States to this poli-
~, it Will be the moel profitable clustering
tLat any people EVER received. Al all events,
trust re Will hear no mo1c Of the return of
tugitsvss to their masters, and no more orders
issued such as Gen. Mcdowell il reported to
have given, not to allow fugitiyea to come
within the lines on any account. >
Things look much better here for the re en-
Istment Of the brigade. I learned 10. .day that
i've companies Of Col Cooks regiment will
Feenlist, and that the other five will be easily
falstd. One man got recruits enough to form
tWo companies. Col. Paine, Of the 9Th, de
sires to retain his old officers, but will not re-
tain any company that does not save flffy-:9o
0. its members. that being bare majority OF
the number required nnGcF the new orgaujza-
titn, viz, 10L Under this rule he expects to
retain six companies, aud he has bad enough
mere chsred to make two full regiments, if
not more. In all tie regiments the prospects
grow brighter every day Cor the retention Of
the majority Of the mGn who noW compo5e
them. Within the last two weeks there has
been very great improvement in the tone OF
feeling among the men; among the c:uscs Of
which, not the lc ct is the near prospect Of
beIng raid cit We would respectfully sug-
gco: to the officers that they use the utmost
Of their influence with The men to induce them
10 take or send their money to their families,
or otherwise to lay it up. ! sec It stated that
i'll Mlly Of the regiments, many OF The men
gamble their money Oft directly. prc-
slime the sEarpers will be after them lerc.
They hare some secessionist8 in dusauce
Vile WHO were in our hands once before and
were released on taking the oath to support
the Government, aEd suppose that this time
they'll be required TO take teo oaths and thea
be 1cleased, unless the authorities conclude 20
make this ciui{ war little less civil. Three
car leads Of recruits came in this morning
jo4 IoMc Of tke regiments, and we may LOOK
out for more every day. Some Of the troops
who go hcmc On len ds9's furlough, are glad
to hurry back at the end Of five days, so much
more dull is everything at home than they
find it here. On last night We had
heayy rain, which continued SO long that IT
med: quite river between the camp md city.
The streams generally, however, will not profit
much by it, as the earth W:s SO Thirsty that it
drunk it a]l up Us it fell. Tho farmers and
gardeners are, or ought 10 be-, happy over it,
rs i is The first good rain for i've weeks p1s;.
il Will tc Of very great advantage to the cora
crep, and also 10 late potatoes, putting the
ground in fine condition for thein.
Tbs health Of the troops is improving and
there is much less to do IN The hospitals now
tlan i w7eh CT two ayo. The Paymaster5 ara
here with the money - pay eft tue troops, and
1ne officers are quite busy making out the pay.
1alis. Il will bc q time Of ,gladneas to the
ctlzens for money hes got to be q strange sight
t. n'cIy Gl them, and the day that en.b:es
them to realize golu aud silver fo- suffers
1icktls and orders on the Paymaster, will be
glad day fer them.
/ Ecc il the Tribune Of the 18Th criticism
1rf$k To-
intended to be severe and witty. He says that
ny statements are VIGOROUSLY fal:e, pro
uoEnces one ct them ela1der ca the boys,
ond sayh they excited q good deal of "just in
d'enatlon." I said tt;t "snfleif,t attention
had rot been paid to tbs personal comfort of
the men." He replies tut no other troops
arc more comfortable, which would be suili-
Gent if he had first shown that those to whom
he thus compared them had sufficient Intention
paid to their comforts. sustain my charge
By referring to the fact that in one
regiment there was almost q mutiny
&C Secsuss use Of 2, sour bread, aud that ano.i:
one night rcar midnight, cla1noring for water,
aud that for month after the arrival Of the
troops here, a walk upon the Mississippi laYse
Just back # the ca1np and through the camp
itself was almost nne1.durably because Of the
iE1olc.able stencil, If these undeniable facts
are compatible with sufficient attention to this
comfort Of the men, then have failed to ap:
preEeEd the meaning Of teT1nB. Again, said
that .he men were not Impressed, that there
was as much care for their welfare among
The po:st6sors OF "brief authority as there
Was for the continuance Of that authority
Let any one walk for an hour Or two hours or
days if he chooses, through the camp aud Talk
with lie men, end 1t will settle that point,
Again, I affirmed that the discipline Of the
csmp wa5 not what it ought to have been and
L. c. replies by referring to the proficien;
cy Ct their drill and affirming that drill
and discipline arc s3nonymo,ta. To this
I reply, that it's great pity that L. c.
Ead'nt becn sent to West Point or some
other place, where be might hayc learned tlat
discipline includes drill, and in.lades ala,
g1ta. deal mere; and 10 cay that troops elicit
compliments from Afajor-Geaera:s on dress
I,aiade, OF q brigade review. does not prove
tnat they hare been subjected to Us strict aud
thorough discipline as they might or orsh: to
EaFe been. affirmed that i'll the whisky
Shops ought to have been shu: up and the H.
quor cmptied into the river, aud l.. G. says
that s}ahGer the troops. r do not deny wha5
be says i'll regard 10 the general sobrety of the
troops, Oh the cout1a'y1 clce1ful1y corro53.
late it; but point to the soldier now lying
in prison, awaiting his tr.al for a most unpro-
yoked murder committed by him while in
drunken flt, us lne Of @ number OF facts which
justify What said. Surely the destruction Of
every drop off, distilled dap,nationn in Cairo
would have been email matter compared to
the !CsE Of IN ino1lcneiye Citizen and the loss