Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-03-27
Bayard Taylor at Manassas.

Bayard Taylor, having visited all the
deserted positions at Centerville, Fairfax,
and Manasres, writes his conclusion 10 the
". 7. Tribune as follows:
1t was nearly sunset when | reached
Centervile, hungry, thirsty, and sore from
ten hours in saddle. There was no
cheerful excitement to sustain me, under
the weight of fatigue. Utterly dispirited
ashamed and humiiating, return from
the rebel stronghold, feeling that their re-
treat was our defeat. Fer seven months
we waited, organizing apowerful army, uu-
til its drill and equipment should be SO
complete that we might safely advance on
the "Gibralter" of rebellion; we have for
borne to make single step forward, until
perfecly sure that we should not have to
step book again: we have allowed the riv-
er communication to our Capital to be
blockaded, our prestige as nation to be
endangered, and patience of our noble peo-
pie to be stretched 10 the utmost, and the
wings of our vast line of ofoperations TO be
weakened, that we might not fail when
the long delayed hour for action came.
And now, since we have moved, We see
that our enemies, like the Chinese, have
been frightening by the gongs and the
wearing. .of devils masks. We have invent
ed Il huge, expensive steam engine, in Or
der to ATTRACT the fangs from flea, but
when we put on steam'-the flea makes an
other jump.
am not military man you know.
could be easily puzzled by dexterous use
of tie technology of statf-oficer. l hear
on good authority, that several officers OF
high rank lave declared to day "The for
tifcations at Centerville were perfectly
impregnable." Good God! What con-
tempilible IDEAS they must entertain of our
gallant soldiery have seen Cerro Cor
do: the position at Centerville is no SO
strong-yet we took Cerro Gordo.
have seen Chapultapec: it is five times as
formadable-yel we took it. | have seen
Narva: the bill istwice as steep, and twice,
as high; yet 5000 Swedes rushed up it,
drove $4,000 Russians, under Peter the
Great, from their entertainments. This is
supposing, of course, that we should be so
obliged as TO attack the rebels where they
could most easily defend, omiting the op-
portunities of turning their position. But
it is useless to talk; am civilian. We
have escaped great and "bloodless yicto-
tory"
do not wish to be understood as blam-
ing any individual. l was favorably i'm
pressed, last fall, with the bearing of Gen.
Me Clellan, and with his evident success in
resolving order out Of chaos. l have dep
recated the popular impatience with the
inactien of the army of the Potomac dur
ing the Winter, and instead of the organi-
zed power which bad nodded demorafiz-
ed military mob in an obedient capacity for
action should be allowed 10 develop its
plan in its own geod time, without inter
ference. 1t is for those in authority to
Judge where the blame lies. But using
my eyes and my ears-employiug (mod-
esty speaking) average power of reduction
Il cannot escape the following conclu
sions:
First-That the typographical character
of the position at Manassas has been who'll
ly misunderstood. Instead of high plain
with ascending terraces, furnishing concen.
trio lines of defense, it is low plain, of
which the only natural advantage is the
stream of Bull Run, with low bluff bank.
iSecond-That the position at Center
vile, though naturally formidable to an
advance from Fairfax, no flank or rear de-
fenses, is imperfectly fortified, and, from
indications, never had any siege guns.
TH;rd-That the three or four small
forts near Manassas junction, on an open
plane do not constitute strategic position
of any Importance.
Fourth-The strongest of the rebel
works was inferior, both in constructio n
and armament, 10 the weakest of our forts
on the Virginia side of Washington.
FItth-That the rebels never had at
any time, in all the camps between Gen.
tervils and Manassas, more than $4,000
men.
Sirth-Tnat an advance of our whole
army, made at any time since the first of
November last, would very likely have
reached Manassas with as much expedition
and as little loss as the advance at this
time. 1t is scarcely likely that the rebels
who have been. all along, so well informed
as to our strength and contemplated move
mepts, would have hazarded an engage
ment which must have resulted disastrous
ly to them.