The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-07-11
The New Call For Troops.

The country is encouraged by the new call
for volunteers. 1t has been for some time
evident that they were needed, and if they
could have been had two months earlier the
war would have been substantially ended by
this time. If Gen Mcclellan could have had
fifty thousand more men when he needed
them and asked for them he could have out
Aanked the enemy, taken the forts on the
James river, and with the aid of the gun
boat fleet would have taken Richmond some
weeks ago. But advancing against supe-
rior force, sheltered by entertainments, with
his base Of operations and his supplies far
in the rear, and inevitably exposed, the ut
most caution has been necessary, and every
forward step taken has had to be carefully
protected. When the rebels had been fur
ther reinforced by Stonewall Jackson's army
of thirty thousand and an unknown number
of Beauregard's army from the Southwest,
it became necessary for Gen Mcclellan to
charge his base of operations. Thanks to
good generalship and good fighting, this
hazardous change of front in the face of an
assailing enemy has been made without seri-
Gus loss, and our army is now in secure
position, where it cannot lie outhanked and
its connections are not exposed. But fifty
thousand more men would have enabled Gen
Mcclellan to march straight upon Richmond,
either before or after Stonewall Jackson's ap-
pearance on the scene. But it is better to
have learn7d the lesson late than not at all,
and the government now sees the lmpor-
tance of giving Gen Mcclellan prompt REIN
forcement. The repulse before Charleston
also shows the necesessity of increasing our
armies at once.
Our forces have been so reduced by sick
ness and the casualties of war that there are
probably less than 100000 now in the actual
service. When we consider how many Of
these are stationed at the cities we have TAX
en-, and how many are necessary to protect
our long lines Of communication, We can
easily see that the number left for active ser
vice in the field is much below what il
should be- There can be no doubt thai
there is need at this moment of all the mer
the president calls for, and it is to be hoped
that there will be prompt response to thu
call from every state. The new volunteer:
will be placed on garrison duty at the point
held by the enemy, and thus large veteran
force will be released for active duty else
where. The new recruits will have an op
portunity to see something Of the country,
they have 10 fighting to do, and will hav
the satisfaction of knowing that they contrib
ute as essentially to the progress of the cam
!, paign as if they themselves were in the field
The inducements for volunteering are bette
e now than ever before, and the prospect
e that the term of service of the new volur
, teers will be short. The government is ev
: dently determined upon finishing up the re
f naming work of the campaign in the quick
t est possible time-which is the right wa
k and the most economical way in the end.
We believe the response to the new ca
It for troops will be full and prompt. III
Y public mind was never in better state ft
r the most hearty cooperation with the go
O ernment All side issues have been swe]
fl away, and the people have settled down {
p the conviction that there is no way to Ell
the rebellion but to wipe it out by hal
fighting. The thing has got to be foug
through. The poor negroes Of the Sou
h, cannot help US If they would; all dreams
r instructions on the plantations to distra
lie the attention of the rebel masters on the tie
&c have proved to be mere dreams. The stru
.. gle is between the government and 10y
e. people of the Union on one side and t
n southern rebels on the other, and they are
OF fight it through. If the rebellion cannot
eU er put down by legitimate fighting it ought
: succeed. The government is fixed, as it
ne been from the start, in the determination