Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-05-30
THE, RETREAT OF BANKS.

The immediate necessity for the retreat Of
Gen. Banks is plainly stated by Maj. Cope
land Of the staff Of Gen. Banks, in his al
dress to the men Of Massachusetts,, May %
Three weeks ago to-day be was, with l6,oOl
men, at Harrisonburg, 100 miles from his present
position, holding twenty thousand If the enemy
at bay, ready in one day more 10 move suddenly
on their flank and crush them. Fremont vas
ready to occupy Stanton. whence fifty thousand
men would have rushed victorious upon Richmond.
The day for the movement 10 commence, our
death-knell was sounded; 10000 men were crjer-
ed from him for Gen. Mcdowell to protect Wash
ington, and Banks with 5000 sent back fifty miles
10 Strasburg-a little handful Of men TO face
10000. Slowly we fell back sni most reluctant
ly, disputing the road with tina enemy, conscious
OF the great emergency, but ready to die 10 pro-
tect the people who had learned TO trust in US
with the enormous duty Of protecting q railroad
seventy miles long between Strasburg aud Manas-
sas and the great Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Cumbered with the sick AMI baggage Of tie
10000 ordered away, with n train Of wagons sew
en- miles long, which had been necessary Tor us,
who were on no lines Of railroad, or no n~ayisabie
rivers TO furnish cur supplies, We have slowly
yielded to the force Of Circumstances was sent
to Washington and Baltimore 10 ask for AID, mtl-
-re!y ard tardiiy granted, because cur troops are
nearly all Ii the fed, and this morning we have
the sad kn.wledge that this three mouths Of ia
Dor, Of TIE extent OF which you cannot conceive.
IS uudoue. That Inundated, toITowiu! bat c0ur-
ageous and earnest still, We have been compelled
TO return TO Maryland, to leave trait5ro-z men
and stoay hearted women cxIItlut over the sad
sight. They have seen, as they hoped, tle backs
Of the Yankees.
Do you wonder that ucder all these di.l3yln-
tsees, Major General BanS-, with his LIlI.ul OF
HIHn -- .. m-- . L -
tie enemy -
All other statements agree substantially
win this. Under the belief of d great mil
tary necessity, ty orders from his saqerio's,
two-thirds Of Gen. Banks effective force was
taken from him, aud despatched TO join
Gen. Mcdowell, on the R~app4hannock
Whether it was a wise or unwise operation
clnno, be decided till the facts on which
it was determined upon are brought together
and weighed. In the want Of this iuiyrm4-
ton, the first impression, Of c1ur-e is that
il was d blunder and, a. usual, the first
thing to re done by those who feel themselves
important in the SAN Gegres that they
blame otheIs. IS to break cut in furious con-
demnati0n Of Secretary Stanton, OF President
Lincoln, OF Gen. Mcclellan, or the Military
Committees Of Congress, or whoever has any
responsibility whatever in the conduct Of the
war. Yet, when the whole Is known IL may
prove that nobody %blundered, aud only, that
those who ordered did not know all they
thought they did, OF the forces and plans Of
the enemy. It Is the business in war for
the one side to conceal its plans and It's forces
from the other. 1t is a game that both sides
play at-aDd one in which the most saga
cious are sometimes i5ilcd. 1t Outlines hap
pens, also, that two perils are in sight, and
one must be encountered. Probably it was
50 here. That all was meant for the best, no
one can doubt.
All cgncede the highest credit to General.
Barks for his conduct Of the retrelt. \ &C
of an army encountered with sick AID
wounded ard with 4 large supply train,
through 4 hostile country, with an oyarp5w-
eriDg force Of enemies at its back force
under able leaders, and stimulated by sue
cess,-is one Of the seyerest tests Of general
ship and discipline which can lie aTIIied.
In this clsr. the General and the army stood
the test nohly. 1t was bad to have TO IT,
treat from the Shenandoah valley il was
bad to furnish the rebels there and through
out rebeldom the encouragement which thsy
will gather from il it was hard 30 leave
what Of q Union population there may have
been there, to the malignant prosecutions Of
the rebel population around them it is hard
er yet to lose tie gallant soldiers whose loss
friends and their country must mourn
Jvlsaie neideutt7 he dread rsaiii $
Of war. The preservation aud liberty q our
is worth all that-aud many times
repeated, if It must bend this reverse does
sir lie fire Of loyalty anu patriotism to
1 feroer heat than ever, in the h1slms Of our
Not only are $4,000, or 100, 600
men, but ten tnmss as aiqny, if they are need
ID, ready to sprIug 10 arms, to insure d VIC
.oTy to the cause OF lawful Government, Of
and liberty.