Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-15
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ScrsTREvrfIR, Dec. 4@Almost every body one
meets with insists that there yFl be grand battle
rhere soon. Is is commended that the pSlIgIcal ne
~ less than TIE military nsessai1ss Of me Etaerai
S5oYernEnsnt. will fores Mcclellan to assume the
offensive and come out upon The cpen Held ~ %
laca win the greatest difficulty thar ne can procure
supplies fer his men And fof sse Tor his teams
Vss The bAocksdaof The Potomac has olosed tie chRr
mel by which the city OF Washington end The army
have heretofore received the chief part OF Their
2 proyieionas fuel, foysge and munitions % var. Inc
= - surrounding eeanlry has been stripped OF every
pouud of meat aud meal, and every blade Of grass
that could be bought impressed The single line
of railway leading out OF Wsshihgton 10 insum
cient to accommodate the enormous demands upon
for transportation. Winter will soon be here
nay, It Is already upon u.s. and transportation By
wagon trains will in short time be impossible.
What them. can Mcclellan do but fight? How
else will he be aoe to raise the blockade of the
Petemac2 1T is not mater of choice with him
and his Government but of necessity The press
is clamorous for for ward movement The bang
ers and capitalists are clamarous; the politicians
are clamorous and the Congress, it ia bsheTed,
viii be equally camoeoHs for another movement
81 the direction of Bull RUR that dark and bloody
RHn more frIghtful than the ancient Styx over
which The Yankee army have not fOHud CharOn
skillfuf enough to transport EN- With q faDatical
mob outing at bis heels snd his men insnf1eieDtly
provided. what can he DO bat fght. The Potomac
81 must be unlocked or the army must suffer SOME Of
the cavalry horses captured week by the North
Carolin ans were 90 poor that our men turned them
- oose as too worthless TO keep. p.
ZTr Such is the reasoning of those who insist that
there must be fight In addition to this, refugees
from Washington are unanimoassis the opieioD that
forward movement will be made at an early dsy.
large number OF transportation wagons have
been accumulated in AlexGndris. and Gen Sumner,
with twelve regiments, is reported to De caatieus-
ly feeling his way down the river on the Virginia
side towards cur batteries below so decisive was
this movement considered of the intentions of the
ea enemy, that Gen Toombs notified of it BY te~
~ egrsph and advised to return il be desired 70 be
present at the battle. He reached Centreyie to
day, with but lirtle hope, however, of meeting the
enemy. He ia of the few who are slow to be-
lieve that General Mcclellan will fight at all ex
cept upon bis own Judgment If ready to move
he will come out and give US battle Il not ready
be viii not hazard his reputation and the safe
ty of his army, merely to crafty the clamoring
multitude, even though that multitude be COM
poeed part of bankers and Congressman.
have seen no resson TO change the opinion here
totore frequently expressed upon this point =
That the enemy would be glad TO destroy our block
aiding batteries, there can be doubt Ii is even
probable that be may attempt their destruction
Should be do SOL would not be surprised if he
were TO make fent upon CenteTviile, by way ef
occupying attention here while he sought to
carry out his designs below. a movement of this
Lee sort may eventHate in general engagement, con-
trary to his plans and expectstions; but other
way do Isee much chance for another great battle
on thisIine at Ibis time. The prime difficulty with
Mcclellan is want of confidence in his troops
He has men enough, and arms and artillery enough;
but unfortunately for him, his troops have mo
OIL stomach for fight" The prisoners We have taken
admit mach They evince the greatest curiosity
TO see Bull Run and Beauregard and | am inclined
to think they would 60 far either they
would any stream OF inaividua on the continent
Not only the people OF the United States but for
eiguers beyond the Atlantic seem to regard Beau
regard as the leader Of the Army of the Potomac
They seldom speak OF any other ofi3er 10 connee
ton with this division Of the army. BE seems to
have taken fast hold upon the public mind of the
world Such Is emphatcslly true of the army IL
SELF by whom he is regarded with confidence aud
admiration. His unaf seted l6S atty to the cause,
his unselhshness, his generous nature and unosten-
tstOus manners together with his brilliant career,
have rendered him the idol of the It is but
Justice to say no wEver that Gen. Johnston is the
commander i1-chief of the Army of the Potomac,
and as such is res ponsible for Its management He
directs, and BeauregSrd and all others obey. Shouid
great battle be won, to him will belong the chief
praise and credit Should it be Lost, upon his
shoulders win rest the heavy responsibility. As
strategist, the army feel great confidence in bis
judgment and sagsCity.
Accustomed SIS We are in camp to death IL all its
forms there are accidents that sometimes occur,
resulting in the loss CT 2. which startle by their
very strangeness An accident Of this character
occurred few days ago IN the banks County
Guards ID GeOTgia Regiment while out on picket
duty. rausket wss left leaning against & tree.
the butt resting upon the corner of blanket that
had been thrown down ct The roo4 Of the tree The
owner Of the blanket went for it. and taking II up
suddenly. the musket was thrown to the ground,
and went of, the bali eta liking man sitting some
twenty PAGES OF, just below the eye and killing
him instantly!
still more startling accident occurred q few
weeks since. A man was found dead in his tent
large Minnie bali. No one, not the friend at
his side, had heard the report of gun during the
night and there firearms in the tent. How
then had he been killed. A bullet hole was found
in the side of the tent, through which it was sup
pOsed the bau had entered. Some one, probably at
the dis ance Of several issndred yards, had during
the night fired eli his Minnie rifle the air. and the
ball found Judgment in the heart of the uncon-
scIous sleeper Was it Chance that dir cted the
fatal ball. 1t guided by an Unseen Hand he
had escaped the eaden han that Talned upon
him on the Plains of Manassas, {; fall by q single
ball. fred at the dead hour of night and dis
lance great that the report of the piece not
heard. And yet who stood upon those Plains
that bloody day doubt that the Hand which
Iaa saved HIN in the hour of battle, had borne him
hence in the mid watches of the night.
DEsEEBER 5-IDtellgence has just been received
from SOURCES which have been II ysTIably correct
heretofore the tf ct that Mcclellan will certain
ly put his army in motion in q very few dsys-if
this direction, then towards the river bate
Ties below / hope 1t ia so; though it is too late
tor TO reap much benefit from Victory.
Ii may be that be will come. 1t may be also that
he desires to hold Us here while longer until be
can mature his pans and concentrate his forces in
the Valley Of the Mississippi WhsteVer may be his
designs elsewhere, l can only say Of the Army of
the Potomac II Is ready
tAAnE d,