The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-05
VIII the Yankees Fight.

10 tue Inquiry WneluST tue IduheeS WILL
fight, the Rebels are in the way of getting, of
late, very decisive if not very satisfactory an
swers. Ifthere ever had been any real ground
to doubt the courage of our Northern and East
ern troops, their recent behavior in the two
most difficult and disadvantageous conflicts of
| the war-those of Pea Ridge and Newbern-
| must set such doubts at rest forever.
In the former of those battles the most un-
friendly criticism must admit that We fought
under heavy embarrassment. Our army was
in the enemy's country, and far from its base
of operations. 1t had, moreover, certainly
not more than half the numbers ofits opponents
probably less; and IL tcas absolutely cut off
from its only line of retreat and hopeless of any
reinforcement. 1t was not superior even in
discipline to its opponents, since most of the
earlier and better disciplined regiments Of the
West had been transferred to the army of the
Potomac, or to that in Kentucky. The only
| advantage which the Rebels attribute to the
Union troops was their possession of later and
more improved arms. This may possibly have
| been to some extent real one; though, when
we consider that their oppnents were to great
extent the wild hunters of Arkansas and Mis-
souri,, and were armed, in great part with
their chosen and most effective weapon-that
| which did such wonders at New Orleans under
| Jackson, the Kentucky rife-our superiority
might be questioned, and could not have been
great
Under all these disadvantages, our soldiers
fought upon ground which was familiar to their
enemies and not so to themselves-sustaiued
and repelled the continued and repeated as
saults of greatly superior forces, and drove an
nexultant and confident army, which had actually
got into their rear, with loss of stores, arms
and munitions of war, in decisive and shameful
retreat. The troops whicE achieved this glor-
ious result were chiefly from the West. Iowa,
Illinois and Missouri are forever covered with
honor by the conduct of their heroes; and the
brave Germans of St Louis shared the proud
| glory of this signal victory.
ssVery true" it is said, 'those Western men
| fight well; their daring is unquestionable."
See, then, how it is with the men Of the East.
At Newbern, Burnside was obliged to abandon
the protection of his gunboats; and made his
attack upon the batteries of the enemy not on
ly without the aid of their heavy artillery, but
almost without field guns. Long lines Of bat
teries had been thrown up, and weeks of anx-
ious toll had prepared every means of defense
The attack was made by men landed in boats
On one side the river--on the other a swamp
in front narrow ridge across which these
frowning batteries extend. For the capture Of
these, only brave men of Massachusetts,, Con-
necticut, Rhode Island and New York, with
arms in their hands, bnt without any advan-
tage save such as their own resoute heroism
might supply. They advance--they engage
they fight till their ammunition is expended,
and then--hurrah! they charge, like heroes as
they are, upon two or three miles Of batteries.
Many brave man attests with his blood the
courage that in every conflict on the Continent
for two hundred years has made the name Of
New England honorable; but though many fall
they drive the Rebels from their intrenchment.
and win the day. The descendants of the mer
who captured Louisburg, and s.or,eed Quebec
who fought at Lexington, Bunker Hill, ans
bore the brunt of the Revolution in every in
FAINT State, are not degenerate. The old FIR,
: still glows, the old heroism survives. An az,
of industry and of peace has passed over them
! but they show that only give them something
, worth fighting for, and New England men ar
: true to their stern and noble ancestry. II vii
: be long before the Rebels of Carolina question
t whether the Yankees viii fight or mott Tri
t bune.