The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-05-12
p The soldiers OF the Great West


1 There is much truth and justice in the
following article from the Boston Tran
script: sfz..z7-s s.f .f..l ,.rH ! .4az
| The great West may we'll be proud of its
part in the present war. 1t has preserved
the States of Missouri, Kentucky and Ten
nessee from falling into the hands of JEFF.
Davis and his crew of armed conspirators,
and has set an example of intrepidity and
dash which has infamed, with a generous
emulation, the heart of every private in our
great army of the Potomac. AT Fort Dom
elson it inflicted a blow on the rebellion
which Gen. a. S. Johnston admitted to be
" disastrous and almost without remedy
And the victory at Fort Donelson was not
due to any special skill on the part Of Gen.
Grant, who commanded the federal forces,
but the valor, the constaney, the power of
endurance of the hardy private soldiers that
the West has sent out from its cities, 5YiL
lagos and log cabins to defend the cause of
liberty and law, of civilization aad eonsti-
tutional government. fr.9 Lin v1
-o-l At Pittsburg the Western soldiers won, a
still bloodier victory, with every advan-
tage of numbers and skill on the side of
their desperate antagonists. When the
history of that battle-the severest that, has
ever been fought on this continent-comes
to be fairly written, grave charges viii be
made against some general officers of the
Union army. but the great and impFegna-
BILE, wall Of human beings-refusing to
break, though pierced for fifteen. hours by
incessant discharges Of cannon and mus
ketry-outgeneralled but utunintimidated and
refusing to hy will be held in honorable
remembrance. es .-af.f455 etssI.e
Every private, as he stood to his post
hot dou that hia inf
gain him no individual glory-that his
valor would only cover the defects of his
General, and perhaps gain the latter an IN
deserved ovation. Yet he bad spirit
which welcomed death, if by dying he
could give but the fAintest aid to the cause 1
he had enlisted to advance and defend. !
AThese obscure heroes, whose names his
tory will not mention, are the real noble
men of the West They know enough of
the art of war 10 know that the, force which
is strongest in point of numbers Should not
be weakened at the point of attack but
when, through the negligence or unskill-
.fulness of THAR Generals, they were. .assailed /
by superior numbers, they exhibited the
martial resolution by which theoretical de-
feat is converted into practical victory. 2 If
any Generals ever, On military principles.
deserved success, Johnston and gBeauregsrd
deserved il at Pittsburg. That they did
not obtain it was owing to the indOmitable
hearts and sturdy frames of the brave
Western soldiers, on whom they hurled the |
best regiments of the Southern army. g /
Marshal Marmont lays il down as an in
EIliIAla kim thai uintn=S- -is-dAniaad= mot
by the number of men killed, but the num-
Der of men frightened. At Pittsburg, on the |
frst day, every possible element of fright
was in full operation. The Western sol |
diers were surprised, outnumbered, directed 4
by inferior skill, exposed to a fire OF bat
terles superior to their own, left for hours
to fight in isolated brlgades, without any !
commanding mind to guide their eforts-NI
vet at the close of the first day they were
not oYerthrown. Beaursgard made his ad-
vance at four in the morning On all ordi- |
nary calculations of results from causes he |
should have been victorious at noon. The |
he was prolonged. till evening, when |
BueIps division appeared on the opposite
bank OF the river and began 20 cross. -st-
,1'he .reinForcements of the Union army
made the repulse of the enemy on Monday |
a matter of certainty, but that the whole |
of Grants diYisiou was. not overwhelmed
on Sunday before the reinforcements ar
rived, was simply due TO the obstinate
courage of Inc rank and file of Grants di- !
vision. fiyhting against odds which, on mill |
-tary principles, they would, perhaps, have
been justified in yielding to at an early
hour of that memorable day. a |
An honor, then, to the army of the
West l.. From every part of New England
there comes up one universal tribute OF
thanks for their manhood on that " Lords
Day." when their manhood was exposed to
such cruel and unnecessary tests. als.a
Gail for Union, state Convention.