Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1862-09-18
General Sigel in Fridays and
Saturdays Battles.


Sigel's generalship is not a flower Of
sudden bloom. At the beginning of our
struggle he was already veteran, fully
experienced in the arts of active warfare.
We are not surprised, therefore, at the
prominent position which he assumed in
the critical battles of Friday and Satur-
day. 1t was no slight token of conf
dence in his leadership that at such a
time he should have been entrusted with
such responsibilities. In the entire con-
duct Of the actions of those two days
General Sigel appears to have been the
master mindy originating the plans and
controlling the movements towhich what
ever success we had is to be attributed.
General Sigels tactics on this occa-
sion were so admirable, they make the
battles in which he engaged intensely
interesting, even apart from those other
conditions which gave them such mo-
mentous significance. twill be remem-
bered by our readers that he had just
come up from the Rappahannock, whore
he had for four days held the advance
under heavy fire, and where, too, he
had displayed marked traits of gener-
alship, such as have rarely been shown
in this war. For two days he had been
upon the march; and then, after rest
Of only four hours, he again took the
advance in the most momentous strug-
Gle which our arms have waged with re
bellion.
No precaution was overlooked by him
which might guard against defeat or IN
sure success. The General was not
miles in the rear, ready to come up only
after the engagement was over, to con
graduate his troops on their success, and
to pen a brilliant dispatch; he was on
the field, acquainting himself with every
important position and long before the
light could reveal his operations to a
willy foe, every battcry/was stationed
under his own eye, and by his own di-
rcction. The enemy received no warn
ing save that given by the roar Of Sigcl $
artillery The advance was not made
at random; scouts were sent out III every
direction, and all day long they went
forth and returned to their General who
found time for caution even IN the ut
most furg( Of the contest. His march
was rapid, but at every step his troops
pssgs< under cover Of their s.tiisoly. -
When the enemy was engaged, his bat
tdllions were brought up in perfect order,
and precisely at the time and place they
were most needed. Under such leader
ship there was no faltering. By skill
full management one brigade relieved
another, and nothing was lost by delay.
Atnight, although tie enemy had fought
under cover of the woods, we had gained
upon his position and held the adVan-
tagc.
Nor was Sigcl's management on Sat
urday any less creditablc than on the
previous day, although the enemy had
been heavily reinforced. Unfortunately,
through mistaken or willful disregard
of General Sigel's instructinns, General
Mcdowell advanced improperly upon
the enemy and was compelled to suffer
a terrible repulsc Sigel's orders were
that our forces should maintain their
position and await the attack; but Nc
Dowell, it is said, did not heed these in
structions, and thus the repulse of u
whole division, the slaughter of Slocum's
brigade, the necessary reinforcement Of
Mcdowell from Porter's division, tended
to weaken and disarrange our admirable
position at the beginning. Yet the re-
suit of the days battle was far more
satisfactory than was at first believed; ;
and only slight advantage over US was
gained by the enemy.
Our German adopted citizens may
we'll be proud of their representative
nor will the fact that he is foreigner
by birth either lessen or chill the ma
tive admiration of his qualities and ser
vices Even if Sigel were at the head
of our armies, the dn,o"r proprie of
Americans would not be much disturbed.
The military hero Of France was a Cor
sican. The man who meets most ade-
quately the crisis of our country III
such an hour as this will have need Of
no special baptism to be forever recog-
nized as our own.-AeW l. rk Post.