Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-19

Byour dispatches Il will be seen that the ONO
siof the Let Regiment had rather an unfor-
tunate affair at Vienna, virginiai in which sev'
sral have been killed and wounded. 1t appears
thew had no chance for their lives, being cooped
IN ia Railroad cars when they were attacked
from masked battery Of three guns, supported
by 1900 South Carolina troops. They were
commanded by Gen. SoHENcK, though the COL
ALEX. Med. McCooK was in the cars with the
General.
We do not presume to criticise the movement
of our troops, under experienced commanders
but we cannot avoid saying, that we trembl'
for the fate Of our gallant soldiers, when we se'
the policy being pursued of sending then
through Virginia, among the hills and noun
tains, in squads Of from two to Eve hundred
men, when 1t is sensible to presume, the hills
more especially about their towns, are supplied
with masked batteries, for their defense. II
will prove disastrous, SO long as our officers
pursue this course, and the lives Of our gallant
men will pay for their mistake
Gen. ScaENcK says they were "turning
curve piihin quarter Of mile Of VIENNA
and that too slowed away in Railroad cars
What could he have thought Going into an
enemy's town in Railroad cars to take II! DID
he think they could ride into the town. and
formally unload, form his men into line, and 60
to work, without being disturbed
We fear that Gen. soHxNcK, like Gen PIERCE
at Bethel, lost his "presence Of mind" and
thought he was going out to some quiet town,
to make stump speech; and expected to be
met at the depot, and escorted into the place
We may be mistaken, bat think, with the
lights before US, that the General, being "with'
in a quarter of a mile" of an enemy's town,
should have disembarked his men, and put them
in order of attack-and if there was nothing to
attack, or to attack him, there would be nothing
lost. An ounce Of preventive isworth pound
of cure.
We regret exceedingly these mishaps; they
tend to encourage the Confederate troops, and
discourage ours.
We think if our officers expect to march our
men, in such bodies, through Virginia, and not
meet with these disasters from masked bat
teries, they are mistaken, and will find ii so to
our sorrow.
Have we not had enough to satisfy us that
this mode of warfare must be guarded against7
We think we have. Our people mourn at hear.
ing Of the loss OF our gallant men, by anything
that looks like bad generalship or insufficient
care. A subsequent dispatch says: "No blame
is attached to Gen ScHEScK, the commander Of
the Federal troops" as he "acted under the
positive orders of Gen. MCDOWELL
It may be possible that Gen. MCDOWELL or
dered this movement as it was executed. But
no matter,-we wish to ask, what was Brig.
adler General, who commando four Regiments,
doing with the Colonel and Major at the head of
a recOnnoitering party of 275 or 250 men2 1t
appears to US that he had no business there.
The fact is, our officers are too anxious to
encircle their broWs with laurels That was
Col. ELLswoRTH's fatal mistake.
II Is not our purpose to blame any one, but to
throw out the above suggestions for considers.
tion.