Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-03-13


that be decided unwisely, but that he was
missled by false information. Zollicoffer
fall, Crittenden fled, their force lost its
tents. magazines, and guns, and was all
but destroyed; so Crittenden is stoutly ac-
cused of treason and reproached as an in
capable commander beside being an incu-
lable sot Had be retreated without fight.
ing, be would probably have been accused
still more roundly of betraying the rebel
couse by imbecility and cowardice. Hard
is the lot otthe unlucky, but especially of
the unlucky in war.
The victory at Mill Spring was the vir-
tual destruction of the routed army, num-
bering nearly Ten Thousand men. lis
cannon, tents, wagons, horses, ammunition
and provisions, (such as they were,) were
left in its entrenched camp or lost at
the crossing of the river. The men, With
their small arms and knapsacks, Tso
many as had knapsacks and did not dis
card them to accelerate their flight, hard.
ly stopped running at Knoxville, fully Is
miles, from the scene of their defeat
Probobly less than Three Thousand of the
whole number are this day in the rebel
camps; for volunteers whose first expert
ence in campaigning has been so rugged
as theirs are apt 10 make for their homes
when forced and precipitate retreat In
that direction dissolves their cohesion and
compels each TO seek safety and sustenaDce
wherever he may hope 10 find Them. He
whose first experience as a rebel soldier is
summed up in three months of exposure,
priyation, and hardship, ending in crush
ing defeat, is very likely to improve the
opportunity afforded by disorderly flight
to get out of the way of repetition of
that discipline. The battle of Mill Springs
resulted in no mere defeat of the rebel ar
my of East Tennessee, but in its partial
annihilation. ...,.
Not less conclusive were tie initial sue
cessess of the Burnside Expedition. That
expedition was so long in preparation that
the rebel leaders understood its destina.
tion before it startled quite as well as did
its projectors, and made their preparations
accordingly; and their exclusive control of
the spstem of Southers Railroads enabled
them to concentrate troops and munitions
10 any desired extent But when, after
displaying its strength at Annape lis and
again in hampton roads, in full view of
many rebels, amorg them were doubtless
some spies, that expedition steamed slowly
10 Hatteras, and there encountered temp
est by which several of its most important
vessels were wrecked, being compelled to
remain there not days merely but weeks,
patiently working craft that drew nine
feet through tertuous channels over bar
whose highest water was but eight, and
seeing stores sacrificed and precious lives
in the process, it may be fairly concluded
that its strength was fully known TO the
rebels, and their preparations for defence
made accordingly. They might have a.
bandoned Roanoke Island; they might
have placed $4,000 men within its de-
fences; they chose not to exceed 5000,
because they deemed that number suffi-
cient. In fact, it did not serve TO test the
strength and prowess of its loyal conquer
ors, who swept its chief stronghold at the
first charge as though it had been brush
fence, and captured all who did not prompt
ly flee from the island as if they had been
so many sheep. When it is seen that our
total loss on that island was less than two
hundred, European soldiers will hardly be-
ieve it was fortified at all, or, if fortified,
that it was seriously defended.
The capture of Elizabeth City, with the
destruction of the rebel flotilla which had |
there taken refuge when its stockade across
Croaten Sound was forced by our fleet, af-
fords single example of the systematic
falsehood whereby the South was goaded |
into and has been made to persist in rebel
lion. The Unionists have no more wish |
to burn Southern city than to rob a
church. Hampton Va, was the first vii
lage committed to the flames, and howl
was Immediately sent up by the rebel
press over the Vandalism of the Yankee
miscreants who thus charged upon the
homes of the innocent and lowly; vet
few days established incontroveriibly the
truth that it was fired exclusively by rebels
under the express order of Gen. Magruder!
So Elizabeth City was wontonly, madly,
diabolically fired by the routed and fleeing
traitors, with no more excuse or chance Of
advantage than can be derived from the
hope of making the ignorant and simple,
believe the detested Yankees the authors of
that shameful ruin. How long can a
people be thus deceived and misled to their
own destruction.
Our recent and overwhelming triuinphs
in the capture of Fort Henry on the Ten
nessee and Fort Donelson on the Cumber-
land-forts by which the rebel leaders
vainly sought to bar the entrance of the
armies of the Union into their fighting
State-I leave to be narrated and discuss
ed in other columns than this; but one
significant fact stands broadly out on the
face of the record which cannot be gain |
sayed and is in substance admitted by the
rebels. After the capture of Fort Henry |
three or four small wooden gunboats
steamed up the Tennessee River through |
the entire extent of the State to which it |
gives its name, and to the head of steam
boat navigation at Florence Alabama
the whole distance through cotton grow
ing region, and one which, unlike East
Tennessee, had been utterly submissive to
the traitor authorities ever since the pre-
tended Secession of their State. In that
voyage of 250 miles up an important riv-
er, and back again to its mouth through