The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-08
..,.,,.... ..Sm.,,.r.,l Movement"

n.-.,r IN. Presidential canvass between Harr'- |
-, .na Van Buren,, a speaker WAS dila'ing with
-, s.rvor upon the exploits Of the former at a
$50 h.raocue somewhere in Indiana especially
IT. .rr.., victory at Tiprecauoe. when Longing
-, .-,,,,v boarded chap Of the Van'Buren stripe
,,..,-u,,ed hin in one Of his most sublime t'ights
nv crying out. Harrison made inc '"'''''""
,,,oysmsn,' ON that occasion" Here was poser.
.rs. 80 .or,d no, imagine what the man In the
crowd was at lie had never heard Of the small
Ia. ,,,,-.wsu, No description of IT was 10 be
,ound in INV book of tactics he had ever read Al
~, .sr. lime i, would never do to confess isno'
r.ncs He therefore did the best he could under
IN. circumstance He denied, vehemently and
peremp,orily, tina, Harrison had ever made the
"small.ar' movement, and called upon his Willie,
TO prove the charge Thus that indiV dua
ran his hand into his pocket, and produced book
which proved to be a Life Of General William Hen
rv Harrison lie turned to the very page on which
an account Of the battle was printed. He had
turned down the leaf beforehand, that he might be
ready for accidents. He read the dispatch OF Cen
u. to the Secretary Of War wherein he stated that
a. q certain period of the engagement he made a
novel movement" Now said the interrupter,
..~ha, do you say to that r. Nothing" answered
the orator That proves nothing" ut don't,
don't Il. What 10 the meaning of novel, should
Ike ,o knowa If yoa cam, tell, will do 1t I
vou." So, running his hand into his pocket sec
.,nd time. he produced a small pocket Walker one
81 the weapons he had brought for the expected COM
bat Now" continued he 'wha. is the meaning
Of 'novelf Why. it means. according to this die
tionary, "a small tale"
s;.fi, 1ty
The laugh was turned against the speaker. and lie
retired, COMPOUNDED and discounted.
Now like the speaker this OCCASION we lave
no conception of the true meaning of the small
tail movement" From the sound, however, We
presume i, must indicate some very ignominious
description of tactics. We hold it. therefore to be
certain that il was made by Mcclellan ia his late
change Of base" For victory, that certainly
was "a novel," and therefore, according to the
Hoosier philolosist "a small tan movement
What else could it BET General, after nine
months of preparation arrives within sheliing dis
lance Of a city, throws up enormous fortncatiohs'
loads them with heavy artillery, and is suddenly
attack ed b. his enemy, forced TO leave his en-
irenchments loses - vast quantity OF bis artillery,
leaves nearly half his army dead or prisoners, and
only stops when he Il n,is himself under the pro
lection Of his gunboats, thirty five miles distant
from the point at which be was TO make his at
tack Surely, if he ''smaltaii movement have
any meaning this must be it. Hereafter, let the
words defeat. retreat" fight" and the pLrazes
Changes of base and strategic movement be
stricken out OF The military vocabulary, and lei us
substitute the "small-tail movement" As expressive
Of all that a General can do in the way of showing
his back 10 his foe