Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-02-07
Our War Policy,

OSAA w eSK - SAASys
There is no use to disguise the fact
that there are painful suspicious in the
public mind, that there is something
wrong in our war policy. We have, by
far, the largest army that has been mus
tered in modern times BY any liatou ON
earth. We have spent more money in
equipping this army than any other ma
tiou ever dreamed Of spending for a like
purpose. We are sustaining this Amy
at an expense of two millions Of dollars
per day. The nations of Europe look
on aud plainly intimate that their in
terest, as we'll as the interests of human
ity at large, will require them to ae-
knowledge the Southern Government if
we cannot, or will not suppress the rebel
lion. Our soldiers volunteered with
the patriotic impulse to save their
country, and are dying in their camps
in the face of an enemy which they are
chatting to subdue, and yet nothing is
done. Atleast there is nothingthat looks
like determined purpose to bring the war
to close. This mighty force is under
the control of single head at Washing
ton. That head may be master of the
situation, but the unbounded confidence
of the loyalty of the country which was
SO generously given to him on assuming
the command, isshaken, and that waver-.
ipg--that painful suspicion-the off
spring of the purest patriotism, is find
ing expression through the press aud in
Congress. So much is history, that
every one to whom the people have
looked with hope aud instructive trust,
has been showed out of the, way to make
place for others. Every one who has
struck a telling blow, has done it with
out orders, and has been, either super
ceded or rebuked as his reward. .,,
The Hon. John A. Gurley, Of Ohio,
in his place in Congress the other day,
said. ft;-y- ,aA......,--.... ..s.o.t,g....-y
t"tHe revealed no secret when he stated
that the great plan was to strike at all
points. 1t was simple impossibility
that every arrangement on the Potomac
in Missiouri-Kentucky ky and Virginia,
and everywhere else should move like
clock. work, SO that all would rush upon
the enemy at once, and crush the rebel
lion at Single blow. Whatever our
army accomplished must be as our
troops in Kentucky had gloriously done!
not by signal from Washington, but
by striking boldly at the enemy where
they might Be found. = = He
had it from authority; and it could not
be questioned, that some three weeks
ago, from ten to fifteen. thousand Con-
federatcs, in the neighborhood of Rom,
ney, were virtually in the power of a
division Of our army numbering about
$4,000. Gen. Lander sent messenger
to Gen. Kelly, saying in substance,
"Join me- and Gen. Kelly, without the
knowledge of such a messenger, sent one
of his own bearing a similar message
Meanwhile one Of these Generals tele-
graphed to Gen. Banks to advance on
one side while he advanced upon the
other; but, unfortunately, they tele-
graphed at the same time to headquar-j
ters in reference to what was going on.
when an answer came in the form of an
order motto advance, accompanied by
a reprimand for even any suggestion of
the kind. That battle would have
sadly broken in upon some great plan
was quite probable. 1t might have
finished the great anaconda" as the
newspapers have expressed it. But it
must not be forgotten that the mammoth
reptile that was to draw within his folds
and crush the rebellion at single sweep
of his tail, had already swallowed up all
our contemplated victories, and gorged
himself with the substance Of the peo-
pie to no purpose. Less than thirty
days ago q tried General sent forward
80 900 cavalry against Gen. Price, and
was about to follow it up with 10000
infantry, with every prospect of success,
when an order came from "superior
officer to halt! Was not this charac-
teristic of the whole war? The battle
of Fredericktown, Missouri, and the re-
cent battle in Kentucky, were both
fought without orders from Washington
Give our Western Generals power to
march against the enemy at will, and
the war, so far as the south west is con-
cerned, would close in ninety days with
the possession Of the Mississippi River
to the Gulf" ~s4a 'ar5ar' .,,7'7f ~. ri
A Patriarch" Done For.
A letter from the camp of Gen. Smith,
in Ky, describing the march from Pa
ducah, gives an incident which oc-
cured at Mayfeld, which resulted in
the death Of one of the "patriarchs." -
The writer says: '...'
Here an Incident occurred worth re-
lating. There lives in Mayfeld noted
Ga, 81, IL, l.. r, l.,