The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-08-05
LET THE FACTS BE HEARD.
.EH RN $50 - 0Da.Nt =.
.a SF11CH OF N
HON. z. CHANDLER,
OF MICHIGAN.
DELIVERED In THE .. s. SENATE JULY is, 1888
OF MICHIGAN.


Mr.. CHAxDLER. As remarked few min
utes ago, what / have TO say may not be
deemed quiet germane to til" bill; and yet
tbis bill and what have to say are connected
~th the conduct Of the war, aud therefore
ask the indulgence Of the Senate for short
tine.
AT an early day Of the present session OF
Congress, the committee on the conduct OF
the war was rsised by the following resolution,
which was passed by both Houses:
Rssolued by the Senate, (the House Of Representa-
6ves concerning) That joint committee OF three
members Of the Senate and four members OF the
House Of Representatives be appointed to inquire
into the House of Representatives be appointed TO
inquire into the conduct of the war that they have
power 70 send for persons and papers and to sit du
fins the recess Of either House Of Congress.
ia accordance with that resolul ion, the
committee has expended much time and Ia
Dor upon this investigation Although the
committee has made but one report to Con
stess, and that only upon the barbarities prac
iised upon our dead, wounded, and prisoners,
vet, wheh the testimony is printed, it will be
found that II was not for want of material, but
for the reason that in the opinion Of the com
rnittee the public interests would not be sub
served by printing the testimony. The COM
mittee has been in constant, almost daily.
communication with the Administration, and
has, from time to time, submitted such infor
nation as in their opinion should be furnished
TO the Executive. How valuable this infor-
nation may have been to the Administration,
is not for me or the committee to decide, but
in my opinion, when the history Of the war
shall have been written, the country will give
credit where credit is due.
The battle Of Bull Run seems 10 have been
the eliminating point Of the rebellion. Up
10 that time the North hardly seemed to ap
pseciate the fact that we woie in the midst OF
war, that gigantic and wicked rebellion was
shaking the very foundation stones Of our po.
litical Institutions, that the rebels meant a
bloody, frstricidaI war. The firing upon Sum
ter was considered rather the action of fien
sled mob than the fixed, determined intent to
break up and destroy the best Government
the world had ever seen. That battle left the
enemies Of the country maSters OF the held
and virtually besiegers Of the capital. FIom
the 2lst day Of July. 1861, the nations OF i,c
earth considered the experiment Of iepub'ican
u
pertinent. Rebellion had uiumphed, aud
che nations believed the Republic was tote
ing TO its TALL. Our securities became value.
less outside our borders, aud our armies to be
raised were considered men IN Juckr0m,. Not
20 the brave and loyal millions OF the North.
They knew that the resources Of the North
had not been touched, that The battle Of Bull
Run was but an Insignificant skir,nisb, without
results TO either side, and forthwith began to
put forth their mighty energies. Up TO this
time the earneslncss Of this rebellion had not
been appreciated by the North.
1. Upon the cause or causes Of that di as.
ter propose TO dwell very briefly. The ar
my Of the Potomac at that time was compos
ed Of two columns. The one under Patter
ron at Martinsburg consisted Of force Of
about twenty thousand effective men Of all
arms, the other, under Mcdowell, of abo ut
thirty five thousand, and a reserve in Wash.
ington. Lieutenant General Scott i, command
Of alI, conducting 10th columns.
] will read Ger eral Pat,crson's orders:
WASHINGTON, July l3, 1861.
General R. Patterson: fr
autographed you yesterday. If not strong enough
70 beat the enemy early next week, make demon
strations so to detan him in the valley of Win
chester But if he retreats in force towards Manas
sss, and il be hazardous, to follow him, then con-
sider the route via Keyes Ferry, Leesburg, DC.
WINFIELD Scorr.
sr..,. WASHINGTON, July IL, 1861.
General Patterson, de-:
have nothing official from you since Saturday |
last, but am glad to learn through Philadelphia pa
pers that you have advanced. Do not let the enemy
lmuse and delay you with small force in front,
while he reinforces the junction with his main
body. McDowells first days work hts driven the
snemy beyond Fairfax Court House. The Junction
will probably be carried tomorrow.
laf WINFIELD Soorr.
Had theso orders been obeyed, Johnston
could never have joined Beauregard; had
Johnston not Joined Beauregard, the battle Of
Bull Run would have been but skirmish be-
tween fo,oss greatly unequal, aud the army
Of the Sout, would have been destroyed. The
failure, therefore, Of Patterson to bold John.
ston was the primal cause Of that iuglorious
defeat. Why did not Patterson obey ordersi
Before the battle was fought, Gen. Scott
lelegraphed 10 General Patterson:
WASHINGTON. July ls. 1861.
Msjcr General Patterson, Ae.s
1hsve eert,inly been expecting you to beat the
enemy II not, TO hear that you had felt him strong
ly or ~ least mao occupied MN Dy tnreas ana DEM
onstrations. You have been at least his equal, and
I suppose superior, in number. Has he not stolen
. march and sent reinforcements toward Manassas
Junetionf A week is enough to win victory. I"
WINFIELD Soorr.
Patterson ha6 turned off from Bunker Hill, |
where be was threatening Johnston, TO
Cbarlestown, on the 18th Of July. Upon The
receipt of the above telegram, he replied as
folloys; 4tu |
CHARLEsrowN, July 16, 1861.
Col. Z. +. Townsend, A. A. g., &c.:
Telegram of to-day received. The enemy has
stolen no march upon me. have kept him active |
" employed, and by threats aud reconnoisances in
6rcs caused him TO be reinforced. ! have accom- |
plished moro in this respect than the General-in-
Chief asked, or could we'll be expected in face Of
an enemy far superior in numbers, with no line OF
eommunieation to protect. r. PATTERSON.
General Scott say', in relation to this mat
ter:
"0eneral Patterson was never ordered by me, ns
be seems 10 allege. to attack the enemy without
Of success; but on several occasions he
wrote as II he were assured Of victory. For exam.
re- June H. he says he s resolved to conquer, and
via risk nothing; and July 4, expecting supplies
the ssEt day. he adds: 'as soon as they arrive. i
shA}l Advance 10 Winchester 10 drive the enemy |
ftom thst place. Accordingly, he issued orders for