Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-10-29
TRt Stanbarb,
THE CAMPAYsN IN THE WEST.

1t can no longer be concealed that the campaign
10 the West has proved failure. The subsidence
of the waters of the Western rve:s, and the UMPIRE
cedented drought which prevailed 20: many months
in that quarter left the enemy high and dry in the
INTERIOR deprived of his gunboats remote from his
base Of supplies and liable to destruction at any
moment from vigiant and active adversary. The
Southern people saw this condition of things with
perfect clearness and expectation was on tptoe all
the summer for brilliant and successful campaign
Of our armies The season has passed, winter is
coming on, and the enemy, without losing any
ground, is already acting on the aggressive, driving
Our armies before him.
That this disappointment of Southern expecta-
tons is due to the want Of generalship in the West
il perfectly clear, and is the universal conviction.
The public were disposed to be charitable to Gen
erals Bragg and Van Dorm. No criticism was Mt
tered upon their movements no complaint was made
ut their want of decisive energy and the most chart
table feeling towards them indulgei in all cir
cles They have been allowed a carte blanche by
the government and people, and the result is
grievous disappointment on the part of both. Ten
nessee, instead Of being cleared Of the enemy, is
still overrun and under his heel Kentucky. instead
of being relieved, is abandoned to his mercy; the
Mississippi is in his possession; and in fact every
thing is in somewhat worse condition than 1t was
oral in command has had large army at his dispo-
SAL as we'll conditioned as any that this continent
ever before saw. -
The cause of General Bragg's failure is now sui
fcienty obvious. Instead of fighting Buell. in
pitched battle, when he had him at disadvantage,
rear Chattanooga, inferior in numbers, and remote
from supplies, where defeat would have been utter
ruin General Bragg adopted the plan CT taking pos
session of the country in his rear by detachmens,
and avoiding general engagements. The expedl'
tions of Morgan and Smith into Kentucky, and the
achievements of Forrest Nashville, were bril-
liant in themselves and highly creditable to the o-
GERS in command, but in their effect upon the gene
raj campaign, they served but little other purpose
than to give warning to the enemy of the danger of
Buell. and to hasten the preparations for his relh-
forcement. After full time had been given to allow
ample renforcements to be sent to Louisville. and
forwarded on the line to Buell. then General Bragg
began to move The grand object Of his strategy
being to get to Louisville and penetrate the base Of
Bue's operations, he found it necessary the re-
suit Of his combinations, to make at last rapid
march upon that city, to interpose himself between
that General and the new troops pouring IN from
north of the Ohio; but Buell. beat him in the race
and the whole object of the campaign was TINS
thwarted and defeated. Bragg then had no other al
Tentative confronted as he found himself by supe-
rier numbers than tie fall back. This he has tone
and it is greatly to be feared that he has taken
route of retreat which will afford very little local
subsistence for his army. The very fact that he has
taken the route leading to Cumberland Gap would
seem to argue that he was forced into it and was
hard pressed by the enemy.
There is this encouraging feature, however, in our
affairs in the West that whatever may be the deli
ciences of our Generals in that quarter our armies
are in good condition for efficient service This is
not only the case with the army in Southern Ken
lucky under the immediate command of Bragg,
which has not yet fought general engagement, but
is also the with the army of General Van Dorm,
now transferred to- General Pemberton at Holly
Springs, which has lately sustained severe reverse.
With every disposition to indulge the arges.
charity toward General Bragg public sentiment Is
now in favor of placing some General of larger brain
and more active talents in command of that impor-
tsIt portion of the Confederacy. General Bragg s
capacity for organizing and training an army may
be granted but something more than the qualities
of q drill officer and distributing is needed in the
West 1t is asserted in favor OF this General that
his army is in better discipline than any on the
continent; but all the advantages of the most per-
feet discipline may be lost by inactivity or by re-
treat they must be lost In great measure by
whole season Of inactivity followed by precptate
retreat
rous affair to the Confederacy. 1t may protract the
war for years, by encouraging the Northwest to
hope that it may succeed in the business of subu-
CATION, and by thus proionglng its alliance with the
fanatics Of New England. We are to have peace
with the North only through the counsels and in
strumentality of the Northwestern and Middle
States; and every reverse or failure we meet with
in the West tends to identify the Northwestern
States more closely with New England The cam.
paign may yet be retrieved BY General of large
brain and active talents. 1t cannot be expected
that General Bragg achieve in the remaining
month of the season, what he has failed to achieve
in the six months that have been lost.
The Enquirer thus notices the matter:
We publish to-day the official report of General
Bragg of the battle of PerryviIle. 1t confirms the
report of the victory to arms in that sanguinary
conflict, and pays handsome tribute to the yal.
lantry of our troops. They drove the enemy for
two miles, and piled the ground with their saln.-
Night only terminated the slaughter and the pur
suit.
Notwithstanding the victory, Gen. Bragg deemed
it necessary to continue his retrograde march, be-
cause Of the greatly superior force of the enemy
Beyond the chastlsement ITSELF and its relief to ou
retreat the victory, therefore, bears US but ETH
present fruit. The great mistake of General Brac,
IN his kentucky campaign, seems to have been il
not striking sooner, and before Buell., who was il
his rear, got around in his front, and received rein
forcements.
The Dispatch makes the following remarks upo1
the same subject:
The army of Ger. Bragg is said to be one Of tn
most highly disciplined in the service of the Cor
tederate States. 70 such perfection has discipl1n
been brought that Struggling is said to be Amos
unknown: Gen. Bragg is unquestionably an ez
cellent disciplinaran, and a very brave man !; br
ne seems to have been greatly deficient in some
the other qualities which. constitute great con
mander. No doubt serving under soma man
great military genius, he would have made an e.
cellent subordinate. The talent of separate con
mand, however, is very rare, and he, at least, do
not seem to possess it.
When Gen. Bragg arrived at Chattanooga abo,
the 25th Of July, 1t was confidently affirmed tn
he would move in ten days. The greatest anxie
was felt with regard to this movement, becaus
from the character Of the army he commanded
was expected that great blow would be struck
Every body supposed he would attack Gen. Buell.
Nashville, because the water was SO low that
could not be reinforced, and that special terror
all our commanders, could not be employed.
Buell. were beaten at Nashville, the Eastern porti
of Tennessee would be redeemed Bragg would
placed between Louisville and Rosencrans.
could either drop down into Mississippi, and, re
forcing Van Dorm, fall with united forces on Ros
T IL, xyh