Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-13
He has made the officer as responsible for

He has made the officer as responsible for
the men as the men TO the officer
Without his pass, neither bands or stars
can iunket at midnight. But a night or
two ago a sergeant approached gentleman
| high in military rank, taking his Hook and
soda at the spout Of the little drug store
under Willard's. BE asked him for his
pass and received an indignant answer that
he wasaddressing an officer. "My iustruc-
tions," said the sergeant, "are to see you
to your quarters" 81 give you my word
of honor that viii go there, replied tine
officer. al am obliged, sir" replied the
sergeant, "to give you my word of honor
that will see you there.7 And they
marched away together.
! It is this broad-miudedness-th view
of rank as honorable more for its grave
responsibility than its cloth and metal,
which makes every true soldier, be be
commissioned or in the ranks, idolize
Mcclellan even without having seen him.
As for the loyal people of Washington,
they repose iu him with confidence which
is like the first rest in port after voyage
of weeks through alternating treacherous
calms and dismasting typhoons.
THE FoRTIFIcATIoNs ABOUT WASHINGTON.
The Potomac, as far as can be seen from
the Long Bridge, is dotted with sunken
sloops, which we were Informed bad been
abandoned by rebel proprietors, "having
no further use for them until the end of
th e war" The bridge is strongly guarded
at the Washington end by body of troops
in quarters there, and Gordon of sentr:es
is stationed between that and the tsts-du-
pont on the Virginia side. The latter is
one ofthe best planned and carefully con-
strncted earthworks that we have, and with
its sustaining works still further advanced,
known as Fort Runyon, might hold at bay
force ten times the strength of that con-
tHined in their combined ehcieHts.
Returning a little past Fort Runyon We
ascend by wiading road through thickly
wooded hills of great natural beauty to the
heights of Arlington. Everywhere sentries
standing behind old oaks whose first sap
lings saw George Washington, and whose
age has been rescued by those white tents
which dot the slopes, and those shining
cannon which grin over the fallen under
brush, from tue loathly Office of covering
traitors.
Almost before we know it we come on
the broad house and its tnwny-pillared
porch which crowns the height of Arling-
ton. Men from the Fourteenth Brooklyn
are mounting guard about it, and Captain
lockwood holds his camp behind Variants
battery, which is rs clean and shiny as if
it had not known Bull Run, and been saved
from the traitors only by thar brave ex-
Crimean, who took and served it on the
field after its ignoble abandonment by its
original custodians, the men who insisted
on returning to homemade pie and rooted
beds when the rebels artillery was making
ready to flash in the eyes OF their breth-
rem.
We talk while with the brave Book
wood, who is as modest rs he is brave, and
then ride on to visit the late Colonel, on
the day we visited him made Brigadier-
General, Keyes, of Connecticut. He COM
mands the brigade who have Arlington
Heights in charge, who was mentioned with
Just honor rs one of the most illustrious
leaders, while leading was possible, on the
field which we won and lost three weeks
ago. So likewise was the brave Captain
Whipple, whose maps of the seat of war
around Bull Run gave most of US the only
clear idea we have ever had of the battle.
1t is remarkable how temperate these men
are in their remarks upon the great disas-
ter, which proved such only through the
delinquency of others than themselves,
and which is hereafter to be redeemed by
them aud men like them during the coming
weeks. do not throw blame" said they.
This is not the time for it. We must ou-
ly ask after past mistakes to govern future
movements. After the panic at Bull Run
commenced, there was no officer in the ar
my who could have stopped the retreat
more than he could have driven back the
niagara by stay half way down the falls.
Many of us who tried to rally the men,
with difficulty kept ourselves from being
crushed to death by the retreating mass
No one can be blamed without blaming
all. Our men had fought like lions-and
they are to fight again. We ask you, let
the papers wait to seek aims for ACCUSE
ton till then. Then, if it be necessary,
blame. But wait, now"