The Portland daily press., 1863-06-01
~Dunn Browne,

For original and striking criticism nothing
Is so essential as what the Germans cali a
standpoint The conduct Of the war has been
criticised by newspaper editors and cores
pondents, by Congressman and clergymen, by
pamphleteees and speechmakers without end,
till it seemed that no new standpoint, near or
far, could be found. But il has been. Browne
found it, Dunn Browne, The army correspond
ent of the SprngiGa Republican. He has
conceived the newell idea Of criticising great
battle, extending over miles Of heavily wood
ed country from the standpoint Of q prisoner
Of wat.
1t was happy thought. Boethius wrote
his "Consolations of Philosophy" in prison;
Bunyan wrote the Pilgrim's Progress" and
Sir Walter Raleigh the History OF the
World" behind the gratings. The humber
sort of jaibiras cover the wells of their cells
with sententious autobiography. Hyou want
your enemy to write book, by all means lock
him up. The itch of writing iniects al who
come within prison walls, and why should not
Browne review the battle of Chancellorville
from the convenient post Of observation az
4orded by his Richmond prison?
OF course in order TO become prisoner of
war it rs necessary frs to get captured.
Whether Browne planned his own capture, or
whether his good angel, figura,ivcly speaking,
arranged 1t for him, is not quiteciear. We in
cline to the latter sHpposition, believing that
his literary labor was an after-thought of the
utmost brilhancy. Sunday morning, Sd May,
Browne was acting on tire staff Of certain
brigadier general in the Army of the Potomac.
sour boys as Browne says In the most APP
proved penny-a-line dicton, Charged in SPLEEN
did style, driving the enemy before them like
"chafi. Indeed they charged with too much
impetuosity" leaving their general, it APP
pears, hull down in the rear. With great pres
ence Of mind that officer Immediately sent for
ward one of his aids, "a fine young fffend,"
as Browne impressiyely calls him, and Browne
in person, to halt his too impetuous troops and
reform the line little further to the rear.
Awaiting the execution OF this delicate man
euver, the general seems to have halted him
self-or retreated in good order. AT any rate
Browne saw nothing more of him.
Browne left his horse, regarding him as tut
terly inpructicable, in that thicket of I'M
~dcrsrowtb,r to use his own words again.
After assisting in the execution of the gener-
ais order he ~hastened to report progress
that ds, the progress Of the line rearward-not
emitting however to pick up some twenty pris-
oners, whoshad been fairly ran over by the i'm
petuous brigade. Eighteen of these twenty
had he disarmed ana placed IN charge Of d.
vers slightly wounded men. Two more was
he marching to the rear, when pushing through
a clump of bushes he found himself in the
presence of a whole regiment of rebel infan-
try. "Cap'n, reckon things is different from
:" the way they was" observed one Of the late
prisoners, and with the grace of Falstafr
Dunn Browne Submitted to his fate. "Discre-
"tion-is the better part of valor."
The grayback, who conducted Dunn to the
rear, did not lose his head and walk into the
enemy's lines So in good time Dunn came to
Libby prison in Richmond. For seven days
he withheld the pen. On the 9th instant he
wrote The battle Of Charlottesville, he says,
was lost by the disgraceful failure of the
3lth and 18th army corps TO maintain their
"intrcnched position, although attacked by
"greatiy inferior force OF the enemy" 1t has
been commonly reported that jackson with an
overwhelming force fell upon the 18th corps
alone; that the 18th corps did not meet the
brunt of Saturdays battle; and that Jack
sons advance in that quarter was complete
SURPRISE under cover of woods and could on
ly have been foreknown by the help OF cav
airy, which was wanting. But what can be
said, in answer to testimony so direct--from
Libby prison, so convincing - from clear
headed observer, whose only error OF judg-
ment during the battle was the mistake, quite
pardonable in the flush of martial excitement,
of walking into tie enamys lines under the
impression that he was prudently going to the
rear! 81 tell YOU says Browne, when men
get up and run out Of their rifle pits like
flock of sheep, they get hit and killed about
fourfold what would be hurt if they did their
soldierly duty like men" So they do
Browne, and good enough for them. can
"not learn that there was in any part of the
field very much real fighting" What. not
with your opportunities! Pshaw! Browse,
you are too modest You can learn. Have
you forgotten that too impetuous charge OF
your brigade, and the gallant manner in which
you left your ~impractieable horse" and hur-
ried forward to recall the men? Why, you
said yourself, they drove the enemy before
them ike--wihat was it?-ehaff. There was
real fighting, at least
Dunn Browne is severe, but not without
tenderness for the reputation of his cempan-
ions IN arms who ingloriously shunnedcaptiv-
ity. 'ln spite of all have sad," he contin-
ues, sit is BY no taeans the truth, that our
"men are parcel of towards and poltroons."
Right again, brave Browne; not only in spite
of all you have said, but in spite of all you
can say, it is by no means the truth. "If
@had charge of regiment or brigade" Mr..
Browne goes on--but that's of no consequence
at present. "Am i saying things that oughtnt
"to be spoken of out of school?" he asks.
Nobody minds your saying anything you like,
you are growing tedious. Good bye, Browne.