Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-09-27
STRATEGY AT THE Capital.

/ H.. Ill
natural blackness of heart, should consrue
the advance upon Washington into re-
treat from Richmond
But gained admission TO the scene by
adopting the airy and pleasing uniform of
The Southern Coufeder0cy; and Om there.
by enabled to give you some further account
OF the skilful retrogade advance TO which l
dmly referred in my absorbing last.
! The uniform of the celebrated Confeder.
acy is much respected by many of our
officers, my boy, aud is the only guise in
which fellow being may scrutinize the
national strategic works with entire safety.
Thus attired, Joined the Mnckerel
Brigade in its cheerful work of pushing
Richmond away from its martial front, aud
having penetrated to the rear, where hor-
rible carnage was being wrought n the
frantic ranks of the G Jnfederacy, beheld
the idolized General of the Mackcrel Brig
ade auxiously searching for something upon
the ground. In a moment, be looked up,
and says he to the warriors in his neighbor
hood
My children, have you seen anything of
a small black bottle that | placed upon the
grass, just now, when / turned TO speak to
my aid
A Mackere chap coughcd respectfully,
and says he guess it was tuken by some
equestrian Coniederacics, which has just
made another raid
Thunder ! says the General, that's the
th rd bottle I've lost in the same way with
in al hour. And be proceeded slowly and
thoughtfully to mount his horse, which
stood cycling him with funeral sUemuity aud
many Inequalities of surface.
Turning to another part of the line, my
boy, beheld Captain William Brown and
Captain Bob Shorty in the act of perform
ing great strategic movement with the
indomitable Comic Section, many of whom
were employing the moment to take last
look ut the canteenS presented TO them be-
fore leaving home by their devoted mothers.
A number of reckless Contederaces had
just crossed n bridge spanning a small
stream near by, and the object Of this
daring movement was to suddenly destroy
be bridge, before they could retreat and
then make prisoners of the whole.
1t was sublime conception, by boy
it was a sublime conception, aud rich with
strategy.
Like panthers surrounding their unsus.
pecting prey, the willy Muckerels swept
noiselessly across the bridge, applied their
axes with the quickness Of thought. and in
a moment the doomed structure fell splash
ing into the water. 1t was beautiful to see
VILLAINS honest exultation at This moment
his eyes frightened like small bottles of
brandy with the light shining through them,
and says he
we have circumvented the Confederacv
All says William, proudly the United
States of America is now prepared to cou.
time in the exchange business, and
He paused. He paused, my boy, he
cause he suddenly observed that Captain
Bob Shorty had commenced TO scratch his
head in a dismal manner.
I'm blessed, says Captain Bob Shorty, in
a cbolerca nanner-I'm blessed if | don't
think there's some mistake here, my military
infant.
Ha says William, with dignity do you
discover flaw in the great chain woven
by he United States of America around
the doomed COnfederacy
Captain Bob Shorty again scratched his
head, and says he {:
| don't wish TO make unpleasant iDSinua.
infantry has left itself on the wrong side of
the stream
And so it had, my boy BY one of those
little mistakes. which will sometimes oc.
cur in the most victorious armies, the Co.
nic section had thOughtlessly crossed the
bridge before destroying it, thus leaving
themselves on on side of the river, while
the riotouS Confederacies were on the
other.
How they got across again, at a fordale
place, higher up, just in time to see the Con
federacies cross again, at a fordable place
lower down, / will not pause to tell you, as
such information might retard enliStments.
Once more stationing myself near the
General of the Mackerel Brigade, who sat
astride his funeral charger like the equeSt-
rian statute of the Duke of Wellington, |
was watching his motions attentively, when
a body of horSemen suddenly dashed by
him, and saw, as they disappeared, that
he was left bareheaded.
Thunder, says the general, winking very
violently in the sunlight, and rattling his
sword in fearles manner, where is my cap
gone to
There was respectful Mackeral cap at
hand, and says he
l think it was took by the EQUESTRIAN Con,
federacy, which has jest made another
raid.
Hum says the general, thoughtfuly,
that's very true Thunder says the general
to himself, as it were this is all Greeley's
work.
POndering deeply over this last remark,
| sauntered to another part of the field,
where the Orange County Howiizers were
being prepared 10 repel the charge OF a regi-
ment of Confederacies who had just come
within our lines for the purpose The arr
tillery was well handled, my boy, and not
q piece would have been captured but for
the splendid discipline Of the gunners. They
we're too we'll disciplined to dispute orders,
my boy and as Captain Samyule Sa-mith
had accidentIy forgotten to give the order
TO "load" before be told them to FIRE, the
effect of our metal upon the hostile force
was not as iOaamatory as its might have
haan