Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-04-25


According to them, the great work Of repress-
ing the insurrection must be made on the coast
and on the Mississippi. The Richmond cam
paign, if undertaken in the spring by the army
of the Potomac, hardened by winter passed
under tents and recovered from tho sad i'm
pressions of Bull Run, would be- the finai blow
to secession. The latter course was adopted.
either as the result of real deberation. or from
necessity, on accoun. of not having decided
in time to act during the fine weather OF the
autumn Of 1861.
And here will call attention, in passing,
to characteristic trait of tho Americans,
whether considered as a people or as an ag-
glomeration of individuals: This is delay.
This delay in deciding and acting. so different
from the promptitude, the decision, the audac-
ity, to which Americans considered as indi-
viduals, had accustomed us, is an inexplicable
phenomenon, which always causes me the
greatest astonishment, Is it the abuse Of in
diyidual initiative which kills collective ener-
gy! Is it the habit of reckoning only ones
self, and of acting only for ones self, that
makes tl,em hesitating and distrustful when
acting with the aid of others Is it the ncv
er having learned to obey which makes it so
difficult to command Doubtless something
of all this, and other causes which escape us,
must unite to form this result, which is as
strange as it is unquestionable but this de-
Law, Which, moreover, seems to belong to tho
Anglo Saxon race, is redeemed by tenacity
and perseyer.,nce which failure does not dis.
courage.
Let us, then, leave the Federal fleets occu-
pied in blockadiug the rebel coast, in retaking
New Orleans, in helping General llalleck to
reconqucr the Mississippi river. and let lis fol-
low the career of tho army OF the Potomac, de-
signed to encounter the great confederate
army, and to wrcst from it, if possible, the
possession of the Virgii,ian capital.
The Northern soldiers had passed the win
ter in organizing. drilling, and provisioning.
Besides. they had thrown up around Wash
incton a series of works, or, to use we'll
known expression, Of detached forts, which,
armed with powerful artillery, would protect
tho capital against sudden attack, even
though the army Of the Potomac might be ab-
sent The construction Of these works was
suggestive to those who sought to divine the
purposes of the general; but everything had
so long been quiet at Washington that the
idea of beginning campaign only casually
presented itself. The enemy still occupied in
large force his position at Manassas and Cen
treville, and for six months there had only
been unimportant skirmishcs between the two
armies.
Things were in this situation when, on the
evening of the 9th of March, friend of mine,
tapping me on the shoulder. said to me : g You
don't know the ncwsl The enemy has evac-
uated Manassas, and the army leaves to-mor-
row" The next day, indeed, all Washing
ton was in commotion. A mass of artillery,
cavalry. ana wagons blocked up the streets,
moving toward tho bridges over the Potomac
| On tho sidewalks officers were seen tenderly
bidding farewell to ladies' in tears. The civil
ians looked coolly on this departure. There
was not the least trace of enthusiasm. Per-
haps this was owing to the rain, which fell in
torrents. In the midst of a number of batter
les slowly deiling across tho Long Bridge
which is always in ruins-I met General Nc
Clellan riding alone on horseback, with an
anxious air, without aids-de-camp, escorted
only bv few horsemen. Whoever could
have read the soul of the general that day,
would have seen the bitterness which was af
terward to accumulate there so cruelty. Be-
yond the bridges we found the whole army
moving towards Fairfax Courthouse, where
a large portion Of it encamped that evening
The cavalry pushed on to Centreville and
Manassas, which it found to be abandoned.
1t came up with tho enemy nowhere he had
had too great start. Headquarters were es.
tablished rs well as possible at Fairfax, a pretty
village with largo franc houses standing apart
in the midst of gardens. The people, with
but few exceptions, had fled at our approach.
The next day accompanied reconnaissance
of cavalry to Centerville-where saw the
immense barracks which the confederates had
occupied during the winter-and to Manassas,
the smoking ruins Of which left on the mind
deep impression of sadness. General Mellow.
I'll was with us; he could not restrain his tears
at the sight Of those whitened bones that
brought back to him so wildly the cruel rec
ollection of his defeat.
While we were thus riding about. grave
events were taking plack in the high places Of
the army. In the American as in the English
army, there is commander-in-chiefw who ex-
ercses supreme authority over all the generals.
regulates the distribution of troops, and directs
military operations. These functions, greatly
lessened in the British army since the Crimean
war. were still exercised in all their plenitude
in America. Prom the aged General Scott,
who had long pc rformed them with honor.
thew had passed to General Mcclellan. We
learned ON our arrival at Fairfax that they
had been withdrawn from him. 1t is easy to
understand tho Inconvenience and loss of force
calculated to result to the General in. Chief
from such blow from behind, given him at
the very beginning of his campaign. This,
However. was but a part Of the evil. He was
under the necessity Of beginning the campaign
inopportunely. He lad long known. and bet
ter than any one else. the real strength Of the