, 1862-03-31

1npresnab1lity OF Manassas.

=.
An officer belonging to the Grand Army Of
the Potomac writing to friend In. this city
says:
CESTREFnLE, March q, 1882.
oheerye that the Philadelphia In
qusrer denies TINT there were any wooden guns
IN any Of the rebel works about Manassas, on
tue authority Of Colonels Ell Wright, and
J. J. Astor. There were none On tbs farther
knowledge, there weEeat least t.aszty dummy
cannon IN the works around Centferlle, and
every officer in this regiment can testify to
the same, for we all examined them, handled
them, laughed ut them, aud sWore at those
who permitted this huge army to 10 kept half
mortified and disg1aced-I can speak positive
u tor Gen. Summers division. Strategy and
mastery inactivity are good in their places,
but We have had too much Of them on the
banks Of the Potomac.
4 number Of officers obtained permission
to visit the Bull Run battlefield and inspect
the wonderful natura1 and artificial strength
Of the position, so long held By the rebels
We'll, I declare to you that never was 80
much astonished and disappointed in my life.
From theStoneB ridge toAanassas Is four to five
miles. and in that whole distance there is not
ditch, embankment7 or military work that I
could not ride my horse over without trouble.
Why, sir, I have been in Missouri, Kentucky
and Western Virsinia since the war broke out,
and have not seen piece Of country better
calculated for fair, open, stand up fight than
this same Manassas, where our troops, Last
of the terrible rifle pits, forts, bastions, re-
doubts, redans, bitches, traps, dead falls, hid
den recesses, masked batteries, and earth filed
with powder to be exploded and blow thou
sands into eternity, told Of by the towards
who fed from the battle field like a flock Of
frightened sheep, we found an nndu1atiug,
open country, with some clumps Of trees, and
fringe Of woods along Bull Run and Cub
Run.
The strongest protection the rebels ever
had was the banks Of Bull Run-a little
stream almost dry in summer, which could be
crossed ut any point by infantry In two min.
ntes. If Mcclellan had led Us against the
rebels last November or December, or this
spring, We would have 1anked them on either
wing; there were no natural or artificial oh
struct:ons that could hare prevented It; OF
We could have broken their centre with ea5e,
and chased them like antelopes over the plain
Of Manassas.
It is elander on this grand army Of q quar-:
ter Of million of soldiers, to say that fifty OF
seventy thousand butternut secesh could hayt
whipped uE-could have stood one charge
properly made Place no confidence in what
Of Manassas.' Such fa1sehoods are the prict
they pay for permission to ride round with tht
body-g and near the Generals staff. Il il
The firm conviction Of the officers and soldiers
| for the latter have their eyes about them Il
| well as the formcr-that Manassas could hayt
been taken any time during the last si1
| months, had the leaders been as capable AMI
| willing to lead as the regiments were to follow
Manassas is the biggest humbug on the fact
Of the globe. Future travellers will point i
ont as the place that 227 regiments Of Uniol
troops dare not assault for seven months
though defended by less than one-third of thei
number. Will historians ascribe the torpor Q
the grand army for this long dreary period, t
treachery or imbeci]ity Of leaders, OF to som
other cause? OH! that we had q Grant to OF
der us to "moye on the euemy's works.