Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-18

y,biz E,,1<s1l in his letter nj fha 10Th

The Richmond correspondent of the Mem.
phis Appeal, in bis letter OF the 10th says
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 General Henry A WISE
That he should have fallen back as far as the
White Sulphur Springs creates surprise and
dissatisfaction. Clearly the mission of this
officer to the disaffected portion of Virginia
has been failure. say this with no dispo.
elton to undervaIue the services or the tai
ents 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 bis personal qualities.
His friends claimed for him popularity with
all classes OF the people of Virginia beyond
that OF any man in the commonwealth. IL
was predicted and believed that he would
carry every thing before him, from the Alle-
ghany mountains to the Ohio river, and that
he would take no step backward until the
last supporter of the Lincoln government
bad been driven from the borders of the Old
Dominion. OF the ex-Governor's lofty cour-
age, enthusiasm for Independence and whole
soled devotion to the cause of his native
State, no doubt could be entertained. But
mark the result of his expedition. Instead
of the thousands that should flock to his
standard, be with great difficulty collected
men enough to organize into a brigade, and
many of these have now deserted him. With
out the ability to hold Charleston, Gu the
Kanawha, he fell back to Gauly Bridge,
which in turn he abandoned. after burning
the structure; and from this point to Lewis
burg bis retreat is said to have been attended
by as much confusion almost as If the enemy
under Cox had been close upon his rear
The truth has been made apparent that Hen
~ A Wise has not the military capacity for
a general, and, indeed, when we consider
that his acquaintance with military affairs
has hitherto been confined to the military
musters of Accomac, and the little episode of
the execution of John Brown. we may not
Sonder that he should have small knowledge
of what is demanded of general of division
in times of active hostilities. The Confeder-
ate government, it is to be feared, is likely to
fall into the same blunder, which has already
cost the LincoInites SO dear-that of APP
pointing civilians to high places OF COM
mand. 1t would be just as reasonable to ex-
pect that man who had never acquainted
himself with finance should manage the con-
Germs of large banking establishment with
success, that politician should be quail
fed to direc. the movements of an army.
This same false system of appointment to
office it was which gave TO England SO many
'.judges without law aud diplomatists with
out French" and VIII oh led to numberiess
disasters of the earle: portion of the war
between the Allies and Russia in the Crimea.
Ii Gen. Wise, or Mr.. Toombs, or the Hon.
Howell Cobb, like your own patriotic bishop
of the Episcopal church, had received tho
rough military education, their cases might
be different, but as it is, recognizing fully
their craftsmanship, and the value OF their
counsels in the Cabinet, we cannot hope that
they will do much better than Banks, or
Patterson, or Butler, nor forbear the regret
that they should have been transferred to po-
sitions of such great Importance to the safe
ty of the new republic.