New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-24
PRECEDENT UuNcOLN's sTHArKGx.


PREs1DRNT EINCOLN'S STRATEGY.
The Journal of Commtro, tries to involve us
in this dilemma: You soy that the President
some time since resumed the actual Command
of the Armies of the United States: then why
not blame him. il any one, for the easy escape
of the Rebels from Manassas Let us look at
the facts. But We will first give The Journals
precise words
"TmB RKrRKAr paos MASAssA..-Ths radical pTess de-
csres retreat Manassas result OF error and
part Of the commander Of the Union advance
The press has for pas, assured US that Psdeni
Lincoln has been in person III command OF the Army OF 'hs
Potomac, and directing tho advance. how lot u. fno"
whether they to charge the buBder him. OF do they
mean TO take back their statements ard inform their reader
that the story about tho Presesnts military position was 81
egaardi Speak up gentlemen, and let Us know "hethe'
you have deceiving readers Is would De Curious
to hear the truth from Abolition sheet on this subject"
And now listen to plain statement in re-
ply:
Nearly two months ego. the President OF the
United States, acting q, Commander-in-Chiet
of our armies saw ft to issue and comInuni'
cate TO his subordinate commanders the follow
ing:
"E1norrIyy MASsos. wAsrISoros. Jan 81 iis6l
"PREsiDsSr's GnshK,L WAE ORDEx No. l.
Ordered that the ia d,y Of February 1862, be the d
,g g7croI Of the lsni SID naval forces Of the
United States a.,n, the jn'ent forcss that especially the
army At add about Yortrs,, Monroe s amy Of he Pofomoe
the army Of Western yirgnlA tho army Mani0rd'ys
Ky the army aid aou. Cairo aud nsvsl force In the
IA H. a on
al other foo- both i.nd and naval with their respective
comm ahers obey emitting orders ior lie tine and be road
to OBEY .dtioas when duly given trial h- heads -
depsnen, ard specially the Becfears. Of War nnd Of tie
Navy with ali their subordnutcs and hs Gearrai'ia ca
with ali other commanders and .ubordbaes Of land and Bsssl
forces ~ ,cysray b. bed to her src, aid full rsPon''
Dill -. To- the grprI elecs'ion OF this order.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
The Army Of tho Potomac consists, accord
ing to tho latest information. Of about $50, 600
men, of whom at leas. I5O. 900 were dispcsable on
the 22d Of February last, aud all within three
days march Of the Rebel main body at Centre
vile aud Manassas. If you choose TO say there
we're less, 80 be it; but We believe the above
tho true numbers. That there were az least
100, 900 men dispossble aud in hand in our
Potomac Amy on the I'D OF February, We
think 10 one will deny. What was the Rebel
force BY which they were confronted We
will quote from authority most hostile to The
TRIDUNE, 80 that none shall say We underrate
them TO make out case.
Tie Herald OF the 18th inst. has a Waning
ton dispatch of the preceding night, agowedly
based on " information received FROM gentle
" man direct from Manassas, who left there at
." ten O'Clock this morning." which says;
at" supposed from what could be gathered mailing f'ii
or tho number the forts could contain that the Rsbo
troops 1t Msn.asss did not asy time exceed 'Ety thou
sand men, aud that than thirty thousand have oeeu
pi.a thai section within the last two mooths"
We quote in confirmation the statement Of
John Kehoe, who spent the Winter at Ma
nassas in the Rebel army, but deserted on the
retreat, and is now in Providence, X. l., Of
whom The Journal Of that city says:
From him W. learn that the Rebel army Al it' greater;
strength las. October reaching siace thon 1t
h,s beea diminishing and the time Of the evacuation had
dlciadeG DOZEN eonnSably fs'f sdn Oooo There b.
been much sickness during the Wnter-msny regiments hsv
int more thar so the sci list At time. The mortality has
been awful The souheners chiefly tie snaerers,hs
foreigner. AID Norhener being but slightly affected by
po.ure and tho climate The army has been drilled since
October. Wheat and bread have been abundant also rcs
TIL within two months there full supply OF coffee and
sus, Bot Tor thai period they only been Issued In half
rstor There rood supply ofb,niets but tho clothing
rather .csayuuch Of it being cotton Light uoolen,"
We might quote more TO the same purpose
but il cannot be necessary. We do not know
that there is any doubt that the Rebel army at
Manassas and Centreyllle had been reduced, at
the time when, according to President Lin.
coins order, it should have been attacked. to
less than $4,000.
Had the attack been thus made, would not
the Rebels have been found at Mana,sas and
compelled TO fight more than double their force
or fly, leaving their cannon, provisions, and
munitions to the victor
A letter found in q Rebel camp by tho adj.
vance OF our Army, and dated Camp Pick
{" ent, Manassas, Va, March 6" reads:
zee Of the Richmond papers have published tho
facts herein communicated and therefore think they are pro
bbsed doing and TO- this would guard you .gsn.t
making them public. The eyasus,ion Of Mans.u l. Al this
moment IN process Of accomplishment The proe. Aos bean
eay,s fer he pat veek and al last Il seems that tho to.s
Government provisions and ordnance has been touched
The adiei ordered to RETRO beyond Cspeper
House week ago then the sick soldiers were sent back and
since aud all the hay, been employed in Transporting
Government property eIcaP, the PAIienssr Cars"
That is TO say (for the above is amply
corrobOrated); The evacuation commenced on
or about the LIST day of March. and was prose-
cuted through the following week, having been
concluded just before our troops arrived there
GA the 10th.
Had the order Of the President above quoted
been simply and promptly obeyed, the Rebels