Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-08-30
WISE AND OTHERWISE.
BY Az INDIGNANT REBEL.

- ~ ANbihNANl REBEL.
The Richmond correspondent Of the Mem
phis appeal, under date of the 9th inst,
says
81 begin to despair Of getting at the truth
OF anything. II turns out that Viewpoints
News has not been evacuated. The Yankees
are still there, and manifest no purpose Of
retiring. More than this, all my indignation
against the vandalism of the enemy in burn
ing Hampton Could seem to have been gra,uit-
Gus, for u Is non positively stated that he torch
i0ds applied and the totUn laid in ashes by the
IWgiHians Themselves. Some of the more
loyal OF the citizens who had remained there
alter the first exodus, under the authority
and with the sanction Of Gen Magrudcr. de-
termined to make Of it a Moscow, and the
place was fired that it might no longer afford
shelter to the minons of Butler against the
burning sun Of Virginia August, or serve as
rendezvous for negroes induced by tho enc
my to run away from their masters | shall
next expect to hear that Hampton has not
been burned at all, and that what was taken
by the people Of Norfolk for a general contia-
grafton, was nothing moro than the burning
Of few whisky barrels.
There has been good deal Of discussion
here in military circles and other circles about
the operations in the western part of the
state under Gen. Henry A. Wise. That he
should have fallen back as far as the White
sulphur Springs creates surprise and dissaiis.
faction. Clearly the mission Of this officer TO
the dlsaficcted portion Of Virginia has been
a failure. ] say this with no disposition
to undervnlue the services OF the talents of
the Ex-Governor. Great expectations were
aroused by his departure. His legion was to
be called into being as he advanced by the
magical potency Of his name and the electric
Inspiration Of his personal qualities. His
friends claimed for him popularity with ell
classes of the people Of Virginia beyond that
Of any man in the Commonwealth. Ii was
predicted and believed that he would carry
everything before him, from the Allephany
Mountains to the Ohio River. and that he
would take no step backward until the last
supporter of the Lincoln Government had
been driven from the borders of the Old Do
minion.
But mark the result Of his expedition. In
stead Of the thousands that should flock to his
standard. he t7'h great difficulty collected men
enough 10 organ ze into a briqqde. and mann Of
these haze non deserted him. Without the
ability to hold Charleston on the Kanawha.
he fell back to Gauloy Bridge. which In turn
he abandoned, after burning the structure !;
and from this point to Lewisburg his retreat
is said to have been attended with AZ much
confusion almost as if the enemy under Cox
had been close upon his rear The truth has
been made apparent that Henry a. Wise has
not the military capacity for a General.
The Confederate Government, il is to be
feared, is likely TO fall into the same blunder
which has already costs the Lincolnites so
dear-that Of appointing civilians to high
places Of command. Il would be Just as rea-
sonnble to suppose that a man who had never
acquainted himself with finance should man
age the concerns Of large banking establish
ment with success. as that politician should
be qualified to direct the movements of an
army.