The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-09
ashriIle atuiuu.
TEAMS
TUrspAr MoRNINa So Z. laea.
- D.. \. :. -. $50 l.l.

FROM thsN, = limos, September ist.
a EsaE from KKis own History, Tor
fisa 81 dsacuatsss 81 . ubza EEnis-
John Bull Processes to be very greatly
amazed that we do not abandon a war
which we have failed TO end in n year.
! He thinks we ought 20 be satisfied, BY
this time, thst We never can conquer the
| South, inasmuch as we have not done it
already. There is undoubtedly 4 good
deal that is discouraging in the expert
ence oil the past year Our armies have
not accomplished what they ought to
have done, nor 1.-THE Of what they
would have done il they had been led by
competent commanders We have lost
q great many men by disease, and good
many in battle; we have neglected many
opportunities 20 cripple the encmy-we
have wasted great deal Of money-we
have made q good many mistakes, both
military and political--wc have FILTERED
away the most splendid resources ever
| put into the hands Of Government for
war purposes-and, on the whole, we
cannot pretend that our past years ex-
/ perience has been a very brilliant sue
cess. We are free 20 confess that il has
been rather dismal failure; and, TO any
community less courageous, less plucky,
less liked in its purpose, aud less conf
dent in itself than our own, it would
|. probably be very discouIaging.
But we beg leave TO remind John Bull
that we are not the first nation which has
waged war year without achieving any
great success. The only European war
in which England has ventured TO engage
for the last half century, was attended
by incidents quite as discouraging and
failures far more dismal than ours. John
Bull early in 1854, after receiving in adj
vance the help of Louis Napoleon, de-
clared war against Russia; yet it took
more than year to reduce the only
Russian fortress to which she laid siege,
and even that, in the final assault, was
achieved by her French ally, her own
troops being sharply and not very credi-
tably repulsed in their attack. Perhaps
it may be well enough to rehearse some
of the leading incidents of this Crimean
campaign. 1t will show John Bull how
little reason he has for his Grabbed and
surly exultatiOn over our shortcomings,
and perhaps reconcile our own people
somewhat 10 misfortunes and mistakes
which are by no means peculiar TO them.
The English troops left England for
the Crimea in February, 1854, and on the
l4th OF September landed about $1,000
men,--every man of them being COM
PEELED, through the entire lack of pre-
paration, to spend the first night in the
mud, in . cold rAin-storm, without tents,
blankets, fires, or any other means of
comfort. They fought the battle Of the
Alma, in which the French took the lead,
on the Goth Of September, and advanced
to Balaklava on The 25th, where they sat
themselves down 20 The siege Of Sebas-
topol, oas-baD Of which town the French
carried by assault just one year from
that time--Whsn, az subsequent deYsl-
opments proved, they could have marched
into it without half aa much resistance
as they encountered in crossing the Alma,
ten days after that feat was accomplished
They had Just one year Of fighting, shf-
fering, starving, and dying, for which
there was not the slightest necessity.
Instead Of marching straight into Ssbas-
topol, 40 every Russian officer, after the
war was over, said they could have done
with the utmost ease, they began on tho
9th of October 10 dig trenches, to plum
der the neighbOring peasants, and to die
of fever and cholera. Sixteen days had
elapsed after they had planted themselves
on the heights above the town and they
had not fired q gan. The Russians,
having nothing else 20 do, began 70 throw
upearthwCrks and gradually, butwith-
out sny previous intention or expectation
Of doing 80, made their place 80 strong
as 20 defy the utmost efforts Of the Eng
lish TO take t.
The English, meantime, consumed
their hearts aud strength in gigantic
struggles with cholera, cold, mud, and
red-tape, On the 23th Of October, they
were attacked in their position 40 Bala-
klaya by the Russians, whom, with the
aid Of the French, they succeeded in re-
pelling--making themselves, probably
the most absurd display Of military quix
otisra known IN the history Of the war, in
the utterly useless charge Of 600 horse
men upon thirty Russian guns well sup
ported--a piece Of murdeFous strategy,
for which no other excuse has been offer
ed, except that "a0me one had blundered.'
After this affair WAS over, the English
again settled down TO digging and dying
OF fever. Winter began 10 come on, and
they had made no preparation for it,
The blankets aud great coats Of dead
soldiers soon sold at very high fguTes.--
All sorts Of mishaps, blunders aud over
sights began 10 vex the official mind
One day a Russian spy, in the dress Of Z
French officer, walked deliberately
through the English lines, inspected ev-
cry camp, took the measure Of every bat
terry, talked with all the officers, obtained
their opinions in particular, noted all the
weak points Of their position, distributed
some most excellent cigars among has
friends, and just as they began to sus-
peot him, walked across to the Russian
I lines, aquiclkoning his pace gradually "a
run, leaving his late comrades gazing
open -mouthed after him." There is a
great lack Of medical stores. They car
get no forage They dug q great many
trenches-losing constantly a great many
: men and making very little Roadway. On
the 9Th Of November the Russians again
, attacked them, In great force, on theil
. right hank a Inkermann, which bad hoer
"unaocouniably" left undefended, Whsfl