The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-08-01
AUGUST [, 1862.
of the Buffalo Express,

oh NaSSNsoSt - 80
brave but beaten army, which, al vast
sacrifice Of life and properly, by hard
marches and heroic resistance, managed
10 make an orderly retreat 10 defensible
point, where il is throwing up fortiiica-
lions, and has sat down cross and sore
headed, and with terrible feeling Of dis
appointment as 10 the grand results of
strategy. 1t still feels insecure as to
communications. Don't brag about this
ekedaddle. II won't bear investigation.
Imay be detained here several days,
and perhaps may be nipped or "gobbled."
Hope not, but nobody feels secure here.
wish could write more cheerfully, and
perhaps, ere you receive this, good news
may prove all nv representations un-
founded. But don't see it. In the
meantime, however, have somehow
gained the opinion that the timely visit Of
the President may be followed by some
radical changes here.
There is some uneasiness here about
our communications below. /! is said !
that the Kennebeck is the Only transport
that has passed without being fred at, for
a week. The mail steamers and other
important vessels 60 under convoy, while
the gunboats are constantly busy, shelling
the shores.
Harrison's Landing is sleepy and dull
its monotony only relieved by visiting
backward aud forward, and talking over
questions of duty and discipline, or hear.
ing the experience Of some fellow who
was in the grand skedaddle, and has wor-
ried through like tortoise, carrying all he
has in The world on his back. Moot OF
the officers lost al! their personal baggage,
and the men, of course, are no better sff.
The feeling among them, which has been
described as enthusiastic, is rather dog
ged and resolute. All have had fighting
enough. for the present, but are willing TO
go at it again when the proper time comes.
Ii is emphatically brave army, perfectly
reliable TO do all that it has strength to do.
The style of conversation among those
met is that Of veterans. No Dragging.
very little personal narrative, no exagger-
ated statements; but all agree that the
loss Of the enemy is frightfuly large, and
necessarily much larger than ours. The
reason is this In all Cur charges and
stands for resistance, the men were drawn
up in line Of battle, with the usual sup.
ports, and a ball delivered into them
killed only one man at most. The rebels,
in several cases, as at Malvern Hill,
charged "in column by DIVISION" throw
ing a great, solid mass OF men upon oul
lines, in the effort to break through, merely |
by pressure from behind. Into these
solid columns Of humanity our artillery
vonraI THAR Gro nd ll,a 6
was like that OF scythe among tall grass.
A single shell from the Galena--so the
the rebels themselves say-kiled and dis
abled one hundred men. In another in.
stance, a solid shot from heavy gun hap
pened to get the alignment of a divis-
ion front, and tore along the whole line,
throwing heads, muskets, shoulders and
knapsacks into the air above and around
the destructive path.
History, and the final summing up Of
these events, will show that the battles on
this Peninsula are remarkable for de.
Btruc!iveness. The Austrian retreat from
Magenta upon Solferino is ou,rankcd in
magnitude Of fatality by that OF McCIel-
Ian, while the losses Of the pursuing army
of two allies bear no comparison TO those
of the rebels. For ak days, it was one
continuous. desperate fight, all day, and
rushing retreat all night. The rear guard
selected points Of defense, and stubbornly
held them while the wagons and stores
were shifted 10 the left behind the their
protection. AT the same time, or rather
later in this week of battles, a desperate
rush was made to break through our left,
and cut our army off from the river. To
have done this would have bagged the
whole institution. AS il Is, the front is
changed, and looks eastward instead OF
northwest. -''
Our position has some decided ad-
vantages as base Of operations. Com
munication is ample and uninterrupted ex-
cept by the annoying rebel batteries on
the shore below us. which the gunboats
are constantly shelling and preventing
from making any pei manent works. The
troops are therefore well fed, and abund-
antly supplied, for in no case is there any
need Of more than three miles OF wagon
transportation. The rebels, on the other
hand, have at least twenty or twenty five
miles OF wagoning, so that a good COM
missiariat is almost or quite impossible.
They must fall back near to their old po-
sitions, il they have not already done so,
and. though our front lines are nightly un-
der arms, fancy that the army might
march ten miles back on its route OF re.
treat without any serious fighting.
lie has poorly studied the Southern
character who has not learned by this
time that only severe measures will con-
ciliate it. 1t is part of the Southern ma
ture to look upon soft words as serviily-
the apologies Of an inferior. In all their
home quarrels it is the fashion to settle
them by the arbitramen: Of combat. Ar.
gument goes for nothing as compared
with the bowie.knile and pistol, And un.
Ill the rebels learn that rebellion will bring
with il every calamity TO life. property,
and social position, they will never cease
their mGtiny. In thus Furnishing crime
and treason, the easiest, most natural. and
most righteous point OF attack is the in .
stitution of slavery. That great national
sin and shame has barred its neck TO the
headsman. Let the axe fall. just such
Con6seation bill! as that which has