Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-01-25
war n Il It's Delays.
by HORACE GsEEf rY.

"The heart-siekness of hope deferred" is
a common experience not of individuals on
ly, but of nations Even in War, whiCh
would seem a straightforward and decisive
business, delay after delay occurs TO para.
yze the energies and stiae the enthnism of
a people. The young patriot grasps his
musket aud hurries to the rendezvous of his
regiment, expecting that Instant marches,
Reconnaissance, skirmishes, assaults, battles
will decide the issue of the contest, aud
leave him, should he survive, free to return
TO his home and family within few months
at futherest. But such is not the actual
experience of war, save in the rare instances
wherein Napoleon directs its operations.
On the contrary, preparation is the never
ending still.beginning trial Of the patriot
soldiers energies and delay the curse Of bis
existence. He has volunteered to fight
for his country; but to fight effectively he
must have arms-not anything that can
be carried over The shoulder, but effective
and expensive weapons These cost heavi-
ly ; but money will not buy them when
wanted ir large quantities they must be
made and that is work of time. Can,
non, knapsacks, blankets, clothing, shoes,
cartridges, provisions, forage, medicines,
and an infinite variety Of conveniences of
the march, the camp, and the battle Geld, are
required and when everything else is pro.
vided, the number Of wagons and horses re-
qnired 10 move the baggage aud artillery
OF great army is absolutely appalling.
Yet the army cannot move without its bag
gage, its guns and SO, even when the
means of purchasing are ample and the
workshops at hand. it is the labor of
months to fit an army of a hundred thousand
men to take the field and move forward in
to hostile country.
But was it always thus a novice will
naturally ask If so, how have hostile coun-
tries been rapidly trayersed and empires
overthrow by military force alone?
No, it has not always been thus. The
impcdimente of an ancient army were moth
ing TO that of its modern successor. The
discovery of gunpowder has enormously in
creased the weight per man that must be
borne along with an army expecting to fight
The Roman soldier, indeed, marched with a
weight on his back which no modern army
could be induced to shoulder but his
weapons were not heavy, and his missiles
were few and of small account Modern
warfare delights in heavy riaed cannon, in
costly and weighty projectiles, in shells,
round shot, and grape, oil costly and tedious
in preparation and enormous in aggregate
weight. The difference tells immensely in
the proper opening aud conduct OF a cam
paign.
The wondrous conquests Of Alexander,
Hannibal. Julius Caesar, and other great
warriors of antiquity were the fruits of years
of previous study and preparation. Each
welded the resources Of powerful military
state, which bad armies trained to eticlen-
cy In former conflicts, and arsehais bursting
with weapons aud stores prepared for the
exiReneies of war The overthrow Of the
Persian empire by Greek yaior had been
the passionate dream Of multltndes since
the days of Xenophon and Of ThemistOeles.
SO the carrying Of war into the heart oi
Italy among the oyerbone allies and myriad
slaves Of the Romans, was the obvious die
tate Of CarthageniaD policy and hate : the
genius Of Hanibal but gave direction and
force TO the National inspiration. The
J Crusades were disastrous failures, becansG
it was mistakenly supposed that numbers
enthusiasm, and valor, could be relied OF
for success in The absence OF vast and
complete provision OF what Is justly termed
the material of war. Without a we'll
organized and wel-provided commis
sariat, great and valiant army mus
speedily be dispersed by famine, proving I
{ terror not so mneh 10 its foes as 10 II
countrymen.