Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-09-12
THE WAR VIRGINIA.

Our accounts from the war in Virginia arc
not satisfactory, and very contradictory. Our
troops have fallen back into the Notifications
of Washington, and at the time we write we
have report that Jackson has crossed the
Potomac with an army Of 45, 900 men, and is
marching upon Frederick, in Maryland, with
the intention Of striking at Baltimore. The
War Department keeps perfectly mum az re,
CARDS army movements, and all the informa-
ton we get comes through newspaper cor.
respondents and runners, and consequently
is, for the greater part unreliable, unintellig-
iblc and contradictory in its nature. Wedo
not understand why it is that the people are
kept so in the dark as regards events already
transpirea. The people feel keen interest
in THESE matters, fer they are freely giving
their blood and their treasure for the bencfi
Of the cause Of the Union, and they want to
know whether Or net they are of&ny avail
Men we have given lavishly, and if they are
~-sated have more to offer,-only keep us
posted, and remove the horrid suspense
which rests like an incubus upon the people
Some journals state that our army fell back
to Washington in pursuance of settled plan
where it il to remain until the new lcvics
have been somewhat disciplined, and that
Generals Halleck and Mcclellan agree on this
point. The same journals state thst the sto-
riss that our troops were compelled to fall
back were untrue that eur troops could have
held Ccntervills had it been thought advis.
able, etc. Other papers say that our army
has been driven back in consequence Of bad
generalship. That the soldiers have no faith
in Gen. Pope's capacity to command a great
army; that his whole campaign has been
without plan or strategy, and that he has
walked into every trap the rebels have set
for him. Gen. Mcdowell is denounced in
terms still more serious in their nature The
same authority says the army Of Virginia has
been out. generated, out thanked and disheart.
encd by the superior gencralship of the rcb.
els, and that our forces have been ordered in.
to the Notifications around Washington there
to be recognized, and that when they GO
forth again it will be under the command oil
Gen. Mcclellan. 1t il stated by some that
JEALOUSY between generals was the cause OF
our defeat that certain officers are traitors
refused to obey orders, &C., That there has
been bad management is certain. Where
the fault rests VIC cannot say, and our read
ers must draw their own conclusions. There
must be in Virginia at least 175, 200 disci
plined and we'll equipped soldiers, yet We
have no accounts of more than $4,000 men
having been engaged in any of the recen,
battles. Where are all these men, and what
are they doing ? is . question that is daily
asked, and one we have not heard sstsfactor,
lily answered. We are not amsng those who
are disposed to find fault with the admins.
tration, and the,pfficisl management of this
war, still We do think that the time has come
for more thorough work. If our disasters
are the result of bad generalship, remove the
incompetent leaders, whoever they be, inme-
dlately.r We cannot say who is competent,
and who is incompetent to command our ar
mics. The administration is in better DO.
sition to determine these facts than the pso-
pie, and we are willing to abide by its decis-
ions. The country must be saved, if saved
at all by the present administration, and
having unbounded faith in its patriotism and
honesty, we call upon every lover of his
country to stand firmly by it in this trial hour.
Receiving instructions by the bitter expert
ence Of the last few weeks let us hope that
matters will be 30 arranged and perfected,
that when the Unien army army again takes
the defensive, it will march to victory.
LATER.-Slnce the above was written we
have important news from Washington. The
rebels have entered Maryland with an army
estimated at from 40, 200 to $4,000 men
Union troops have been sent forward to meet
them, and it is thought that the stay of Sc
cesh in Maryland will be short. Gen. Pope
has been relieved of his command, and been
assigned to the command of the Northwest
with headquarters at st. Paul. He is proba.
bly, to take the field against the Indians -
This transfer looks very much like scath
ing rcbuke Of his generalship in Virginia.
Mcdowell has been arrested on charge Of
treason. Major General Geo. B. Mcclellan
has been given the supreme command of al
the troops in Virginia. The President, Gen
Hallsck, Secretary Seward and the officers
and soldiers Of the army were all united ii
the belief that Mcclellan was the most com
petcnt man for the position in the country
His appointment is proof conclusive to us
that the bitter opposition which has traducet
and pursued him with almost malignant fe
10 .ity was without just cause; and tha
wherein he has failed to accomplish what was
expected Of him, was not SO mach on &c