Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-19

Gen. sr.nt,s Respon.IpIl,1v fer IN.
DisastsT At PiTtsSarE L"Sd iGg 'As
The conviction that Gen. Grant IS gross
" responsible foE the disaster to our troops
on the frss days battle At Pittsburg land
ing is gaining grOuzd eyeryuhere- ItseemS
70 be understood that be will Be held % =
rigid accountability. The following state
ment concerning his gross neglect is from
The correspondent OF the New York
World:
{ twill sound strangely to the military
ear TO learn that no thoroughly organized
: system Of pickets WAS posted beyond the
camp lines when in the very face Of the
enemy. Equally strange is the admission
that no regular Reconnaissance vas made
. for some days previous to the battle. Yet
there is grave reason TO believe such art
the facts
The words Of an intelligent eyewitness
are: "We had no outer line of piekets.-
: 1t had not been the practice during our
stay in camp The ordinary pickets
around the tents Was not always very per-
( feet. There were two or three reeounuis-
ances in as many weeks, bot none of which
Z 1 could bear day or two previous to the
BATTLE IL Furthermore appears, as am
{ well assured, that the Ioosest system of
guard had been adopted. One man, it is
confidently asserted, went in and out of
the lines every day, going With a bag of
grist TO the mill in the morning and as
regularly returned at night! Another
| gentleman informs me that 3 rebel scout
/ log party Tentured up within fun view of
the parade ground while brigade vas be-
+ ing reviewed, and shat no notice was taken
of it,
These facts may be disapprovtd, posi-
bly,, but the testimony meanwhile is too
| strong 10 repudiAte them. 1t cannot be
| pleaded that either officers or men had not
been experienced in camp duty. IL months
of field service had nottaughI them how to
station guard or beware of surprise we
may despair of learning them war or win
ming when they command
! Neither will 1t do to complain of the
smallness OF our force. General Grants
force alone, without reckoning upon the
reinfnrcements OF General Buell., amounted
by all accounts to sixty-fve thousand eff
fcetiEe men. Twenty-Five steamers lay at
the landings, and every facility for rapid
transportation. These could have been
used to ferry over the entire army in day,
If il had been decided TO attack upon a
junction with Buell. None Of these con-
alterations seem to have had any weight.
The Typographical as well as the military
situation, the necessities aud policy of the
rebel leaders, the approach of large rein
foreemeuts, everything. indeed, which
should weigh with great general, pointed
10 this attack. The matter was diseussed
at messes, of all grades the danger fore
seen, and yet no action taken. An easy
going, blind, and fatal confidence seems TO
I'D de-, seH,.
whom the responsibilities rested, which
well-uigh proved fatal to our army, and
which nothing but the most superhuman
heroism could excuse. The common max
inns OF military science were ignored, no
counsel. asked nor given, aud we appear TO
have drifted into most terrible struggle
without plan, purpose, or harmony.
THE SURPRISE.
The surprise appears to have been com.
Plete. gentleman wac was at the point
of first attack describes it as sudden and
thorough as the rush of a, summer tornado.
Gen. Preutiss' division was the point at
which the TWO armies first touched. Our
men were just rising and at breakfast. 1t
was an hOug after sunrise. The rebels had
been Ioiliug along the painful march since
the preceding morning. No warning APP
pears TO have been given except by an adj
vance of rebel cavalry some hours before.
Thinking i, might be party of rebel cav
: airy, Major Powell took two companies Of
infantry out With him with the intention,
probably, Of waiting in ambush for them
In less than ten minutes the enemy's coll
umn was into the camp. The bullets
whistled through the tebts,rthe dishes
! crashed about their ears, and the horses
began regular stampede. On they
came, driving our disordered men like
sheep before them from tue outside
the long roll was called. Half of the men
got into line after u fashion, without
cartridge or cartridge-bOxes, officers with.
out sabres or horses. A line was formed,
to be soon broken. The Peabody brigade
sud some others were soon engaged in a
rapid retreat. Crossing clear space, the
parade ground, the enemy poured in MUIR
derous FIRE, which Increased their speed
aud also that of their pursuers The
scene when they entered our camp is past
ali power Of description. Men half dressed,
sick and wounded, were bayoueted. Here
and there one would make for the hospital
tents, and Was as soon driven into the
woods. Some, indeed, in the hospitals
/ were shot. The artillery opened in a few
minutes, firing fndiscriminately through
the camps, setting fire to them. The reb.
els, pouring along every track through the
woods at douOle quick pace, booted and
hOwled ashley ran like so many iends fresh
from hell, with the smoke, the sulphur,
and the imprecatious still cliuging to
them. 4EfR - III
Gen. ROsserRns VIndIeates HImselG
General Rosecraus having been assailed
f by certain newspaper and Congressional