, 1862-04-18


We hare been often defeated by the Yankees,
but never whipped in fair fight. The truth
l., our defeats hare proved the superiority Of
our fighting qualities, as our victories never
did or could have done The Southerner Is
more courageous than the Yankee, and moth
truth so much Us their late triumphs. Take
tue list Of our disasters, from Drainesville to
KernstoWn. and We find in every one Of them
ample evidence of Southern pluck; Stuart
saved his wagons at DrainesVile. The Yam
KEGS were on the eve Of withdraw wing, Just as
be did, and few more rounds would have
driven them off in confusion. Stuart ought
never to have permitted himself to be caught
in such trap. We paid dearly for it. No
one doubts that the day would have been won
Even after that our troops might have rallied
if Crittenden had possessed any claim to their
confidence.
Though the odds at Roanoke Island were
enormous We cannot boast over that affair:
The batteries were fought splendidly, and
some Of the troops acted gallantly; but Gen.
Wise told the whole story when he said to
some OF his soldiers who had retreatcd, ss'fhere
| Is no blood on your bayonets.' At Ncwbern
| things were managed very badly; Jet the
pluck displayed by Latham and Brem, aud the
| obstinate resistance Of Fance's regiment and
| others, came near retrieving our fortunes in
| spite Of the vastly superior numbers Of the at-
| tacking party. What glorious history is the
fall Of Donelson-what heroism, what e..Ia= ee.ss.Ia
=1ce, wnat indolnitable courage. the Missis-
sippiaEs, Virginians, Kentucklans and Ten
| nesseans displayed In and around that i'll
starred fort. The charge Of Scott's Louisiana
Cavalry vas never surpassed Indeed, Louis
ianians, Missisaippians hIissourians and Tex
ans hare distinguished themselves in every
field. We would not disparage the fighting
qualities of the soldiers from any State Of the
Confederacy, but the history Of the WAT seems
to prove TINT the men just named have more
e'an, more dash, more daring and desperation
than any Others. The art Of "giving up "
had not been learned by the Missiasippians
who tore down and kept tearing down the
ity asserts that the oaly actual hand-to-haue
| fights which have occurred during the VIZ
happened in Missouri and Arkansas, the part.
to them on our side being always Louisiana
ans and Misgourians, and always successful
We might s 5sfs5 tS The ylant na tsfef Day
| fell, II further proof Of the superiority o
J Southern over Yankee fighting. But the cas-
il too plain. We always believed we couls
whip the Yankees, and nothing has done 81
I | much to strengthen and confirm that belief 9
our disasters. Other things being equal
: courage is matter of habit. cempera
ment and training have much to do with u
) | but habit has more. The men Of the Soutl
: | are accustomed to the use of arms, and to tn
. contemplation Of death by the bullet and th
. kn11e+ mere Is no as49eE LIE 4huhee w
: not face for the sake of the almighty dollal
D It is the force Of drill and hope Of getting
c Southern farm Of 100 acres that enable him t
t fight now. But the justice Of the Sou her
t cause, the great natural courage Of the soutt
!: ern man, and the lofty motives which insplt
Il him, will surely tell In the long run: Wit
s equal equipments We can lick the Yankee
o two to one With competent direction Soutl
= crn fighting would extort the admiration I
II | THE world.
I, The Richmond Whg says: I'VE have
Il from good authority that, since the cor
q mcncement Of this var, the Commonweal1
It of Virginia has furnished arms and arname'
& sufficient to equip 10000 men. This is excl
siyc Of arms captured at Norfolk or Harper
t. Ferry. Virginia has done her part well, AT
a. it is time that her rcrilers should cese the
c. slanderous slang."