New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-15
C.,..a frsv Fifth Page.

rnutiuued fr8W tuts h"e''
mt on the steam.-the flea makes announcer y1"'L
I'm NOT a military man. you know o'''u
IA, r,qzed by dexteroug use OF the teonnV0sy ',
,o,. officer. hear on good authority, ina se'e'"'
g.. If high rank have declared to-day ino
1.,is.s,ons a. CenievilIe were perfectly in'PreS-
nohle ImpregDable Good God "hat con
.o,.;,ls IDEAS they must entertain OF our gallant
.o,a;.rv, have seen Cerro Gordo; the position at
sn,reville is not 20 strongye we took Cerro Gordo.
7 hove soen Chapultepec: it is five times ne forml-
dsbleyet we took it. have seen Narva; the hill If
twice as steep and twice as high; yet oooo n"eues'
rushing MP IT, drove 600 Russians, under Peter the
Great. from their inirenchmenls. This Is supposhs'
nj course. that we should be obgng as TO attack
The Rebels lust where they could most easily Defend
emitting the opportunities Of turning their POSITION
But il il useless 70 talk: / am civilian we nH'o
escaped terrible danger and gained great ana
Lloodless victory
CONCLUSIONS.
do M. wish 10 be understood az blaming any III
diyidual. was most fayorably impressed "e' o.
with the bearing of Gen. McCIelisn' "'o WIN 'is
evident success in resolving order OUT o' on"oe'
have deprecated the popular Impotence WIN w IL.
action Of the army Of the Potomac during the WIN
ter and insisted that the organizing power Vh'u
had nodded demorazed military mot INTO ooe-
dent capacity for action should be allowed 70 de
,,.lor ia plan in its own good time, without inter-
ference. 1t is for those in authority to Judge where
che blame lies But, using my eyes and my care
employipg imodesly speaking) average powers OF
aedpciop-I cannot escape the following conclu-
sioDs
First: That the typographical characterot theposl'
ton at Manassas has been wholly misunderstood
Instead Of q high plain, with ascending terraces,
furnishing concentric lines Of defense, IT ia low
plain, of which the only natural adran,sge is the
stream of Bull Run, with a low bluff bank.
Second That the position at Centrevliie, though
naturally formidable to an advance from Fairfax has
no flank or rear defenses is imperfecty fortified and
from all indications, never had any heavy sege
guns.
Third. That the three or four small forts near Ma
nassas Junction on an open plain, do not constitute
strategic position Of any importance.
Fourth That the strongest of the Rebel WORKS
was inferior, both in construction and armament 70
che weakest Of our forts on the Virginia AIDE OF
Washington.
Fifth: Tha, the Rebels never had, at any time, In
all the camps between Centreville and Manassas,
more than IS, 900 men.
Sirth That an advance Of our whole army, made
any time since the first of November last, would
very likely have reached Manassas with as much e1
ped,on and as little loss the advance at this time
1t lie scarcely likely that the Rebels, who have been
all along, 90 we'll informed as TO our strength an
orr contemplated movements, would have hazarde
an engagement which mast have resulted dsastrousl
TO them.
Il commenced this under the pines OF Camp Di
appointment-I close it at Washington. There Al
many little incidents of this excursion which ] mu
relate, but enough for to-day. One reflection, nov
ever. mus, be added before cose. The intelhgel
coutrsband whom conversed with at Manassas TO
NE distinctly in these words: They said, whe
they was hurryin of, that yOa could be tere Sanda
asgAt." The batteries on the Potomac were vacate
In haste, Immediately after Gen. Hooker was oil
dered to cross che river. The press 10 wisely sub
jeced to censorship, at such crisis, but the tru'
spies are bore in Washington, undecided and I'm
hung. Dc IL