The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-04-24
WHY THE SLAUGHTER OF OUR MEN WAS
so GREAT

7
WHY THE SLAUGHTER OF OUR MEN WAS
SO GREAT.
The battle at Pittsburg presents a
signal instance Of the false security into
which even great men and large bodies
of men are liable to be seduced. Gen.
eral Grant moved forward with VIC
torious army to attack the rebels on the
last and only strong base line they could
fix for operations in the Mississippi
Valley. m fs ataff3
His army was not overfushed with
victory nor glutted with rapine and
plunder. They were not an undisci-
plined mob. But men of principle
duty.doing men, who had left every.
thing dear, and offered themselves as
sacrifices on the altar of their country
which was dearer. They could not, if
they had the occasion, forget their high
obligations to themselves and their
cause and prove recreant to any duty
that might be imposed upon them.
They were not recreant. They were
not disobedient. But true to every
task required of them, they had right
to be commanded, and asked to be
commanded, but were not commanded
in time. They had right to be
watched over in every particular that
concerns the safety and welfare of an
army. But they were not watched
over. They were surprised. They
were surrounded. They were over
powered. The tens of thousands of
men who participated in the action on
Sunday fought almost as so many single
individuals, without any common plan
to be guided by. Hence it happened
that many of them took stands that
they could not hold even had they been
well supported; and many did not sup
port their companions in arms, not
knowing what move was next - be
made. In the want of any general
plan the more experienced thought first
and most of personal safety. The
timid fell back. The dauntless, left
exposed were shot down or taken pris-
Oners.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
You have noticed-have you not {:
that an unexplainable curiosity always
prompts an inquiry to be made of the
boy who stubs his toe and falls in a
mud puddle, or of the luckless man
who is overtaken and robbed by the
way side, as to How ii happened .
So of an army. We all said our boys
will never finch. The heroes of Don
elson-the tried and true sons of the
West know no such thing as fail. We
trusted and believed in them to tho
fullest extent; yet they suffered a terri
bic repulse. 1t is but just to our citi
zens-our own bosom friends-oul
brothers in the feld-the men of tn.
rank and file, OH whom the work o
fighting rested, that the plain truth bt
told.
| have conversed with scores of mel
who took part in last Sundays battle
and the only solution of the rcpuIs,
which they suffered that day lies i'll th'
fact they were taken by surprise.
Common people say of the man wh'
shows supreme want of common
sense that "hc is as silly as a Goose.
And yet dozen geese never gathc
under a tree by the bank of a stream a
night, without detailing one of thei
number as sentinel to watch for com
ing foe. Who will presume to sa,
" Pity our army guardians had no
furnished each division with flock O
geese ?" What did geese once 70
ancient Rome.
l have sought faithfully for the -pri
vatc or officer who would admit tha
We had pickets out to give notice O
the approach Of an enemy, and coul'
not yet find one witness.
One of our men lost his horse Of
Thursday before the battle, and wen
out some two miles to look for him OF
) the main road to the encampment
He stopped at farmers house to in
quire if they had seen the horse. HI
had gone that way and the soldie
passed on-just little further he wa
surrounded by strong rebel pickets am
taken prisoner. The farmer communi
Gated the fact to Onr officers, but n
guard was SET 10 Watcn tnclr move
ments or drive them off.
. A privileged chaacrter stopped tw'
weeks in the tent of Colonel -, G
/. the Missouri - regiment. In tha
f tent it was often talked mp that we ha
/. no pickets out. That We depended o
D occasional scouting parties sent out a
f irregular times to keep us posted of til
} rebels whereabouts. They talked lat
I on Saturday night of war experienc
! in Missouri-where an enemy lurkc
!. in every husband of Burnside's me
' in the South, who are never caugl
D mapping.
/ 81 am surprised at our policy here
D said the Colonel :" l can endure it n
0 longer, / must know whether We are
0 the arms of an enemy that are ready
close in upon us or whether are beyon
0 the reach of danger" rir slse5
Immediately he ordered out at ha
0 past one in the morning detachmei
0 from two companies consisting Of or
J. hundred and thirty men. They ha
t not been gone long when the crack
musketry was heard. Presently me
e sengcr returned with the intelIigene
N that strong party had been dlscovere
n in the woods and more men were nee'
Il en-, rrbroo fnt