The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-06-28
THE SEAT OF WAR.

The wa: has, so far, been marked. on the side
OF the Federal troops in Virginia, with strange
biunders. The worst one was the dash OF It.
Tompkins into the village of Fairfax Court
House, instead OF making quiet reconnaissance
oil the roads, &c, with a view to enable Gen.
Mcdowell to execute bis purpose of surprising
and capturing the whole force of cavalry and
infantry at and near the Court House the next
night. Another effect this so called stbriliant
dash" had-to disconcert and defeat the plan of
Gen. Scott for taking possession at once of the
Railroads on either side of the Manassas june
ton, and thus breaking up the line of Commu-
nication between Richmond and Harper's Fer
Ty. The Fairfax dash that excited 80 much ad-
miFation aIthe North, drew thousands OF troops
al44 heavy batteries at once TO the. Junction or
to he lines of the Railroads leading to it. Thus
in three or iour days Gen. Scott's plan was ut
terry destroyed. He is now thrown upon The
delehsive, and is endeavoring, instead OF attack
ing the enemy's lines, TO maintain and extend
bis own. He is sending large force up the
every lordab!e place, 10 era5-f 70 prevent ihss
Harper's Ferry or other force from esrxslt.e -
yer to the Maryland side and getting in the
rear of this city, while 1t is also attacked in
front.
IF the capital IS now in more danger than il
has ever been before since the 20th of April, it
is on account of the ssbrllliant dash" into the
village Of Fairfax Court House.
The disaster which has happened to the Fed
eral arms al Bethel is of no account, considered
merely as the result of accident, but IT leads to
the apprehension that we have incompetent or
lnSubordinate militia officers in the field, from
whose conduct no good results may be expected.
It will encourage the enemy IN their belief that
they are invincible. Perhaps they are. II
SIX hundred men with FIVE or six pieces, and
few hastily gathered sand bags, can resist and
defeat an attacking Iorce of four or FIVE thou
sand, pursue them nine miles, and then retreat
unmolssted themselves, and carry off with them
all their guns. in the face, too of an army Of ten
thousand men, they may well presume them
selves InvInC:bie. The whole blame of the dis
aster and disgrace is thrown on Gen. Pierce.
Perhaps it was we'll that he should thus dis
close his incomtetency early in the campaign.
1t appears to be quite certain that there was no
want OF courage or power OF endurance on the
part Of our men. For them, better luck, under
better leadership, may be confidently exPec-
ted
We have not arrived at all the facts of the
Bethel disaster. II is not even certainly
known whether there was creek in front OF
the battery, and between it and our army, or
not. II there was, why should it not have been
known before The expedition was undertaken
In either case, the position could have been
turned, VI necessary.
1t must appear remarkable TO New Workers
that the topography around Fortress Monroe
is not better understood. For more than half a
century the United States has freely spent mil
lions in and about that Fortress. In all that
time. could not the U. S. Government, or the
thousands of skillful and eminent engineers who
have been in its pay al the Fortress, have made
reconnaissance as far as twelve miles around
it, Could not such reconnaissance be found
IN the Fortress or in the War Department =
Perhaps not. In the wars of l776 and 1879
this region was the theatre OF military opera
tion. The foreign enemy never gained much
in their demonstrations hereabouts. You may
recall the attempt in 1913 upon Craney Island,
in which the British were defeated, while they
lost more than they gained at Hampton.
TIM region is remarkable for sand banks, in
Vulnerable inlets and creeks, and Impenetra5le
thicketS and jungles. II IS not easy there to
obtain Typographical information. remember
that when eighteen years ago, spent The
month of July at Old Point, made some ex-
cursions into the region about it. The water
excursions were all easy. But found difficult
ty IN obtaining any knowledge as to the locali-
ties on the land. Istarted from Hampton, once,
on the hottest day ever ielt, to find an old an
te-revoluliooary place of burial. No one could
give me any definite information as 10 the lo-
cality, though it was we'll known in Virginia
tradition. found II at lat, partly by some
hints that received from an old negro whom
met in the public road, and who said in reply
to my inquiry, "I reckon, master, you mean the
burying grounds of the people Of the old eoun-