Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-08-07
THEN AND NOW.

when the calamities Of the fall Of our
South Western strong-holds have be-
fallen us, and want of entire success
in Maryland and Pennsylvania has
the withdrawal OF our ar
my from those states, and a resump-
ton Of the old lines on the Kappa
hammock, when what was intended to
be the most daring raid of the war,
entirely tlro' the State of Kentucky,
and into Indiana and Ohio, and on,
has resulted in q failure and the cap
turc of nearly the entire command of
John Morgan, when the enemy threat
en- to invade us with armies strength
encd by CONSUMPTION to number new
er reached before, re see not despon-
,lency and gloom among the civil
ii,ns Of the So,ith, but rather a
more fixed determination to render all
the aid they can to the successful is
sue Of our struggle for Liberty, be-
lieving our success inevitable.
What a contrast between the feel
inys aroused in the public mind after
the fall of Donelson and now. Then
with Donelson fell, for the time being,
the hope Of the people in the success
Of the Confederacy and we'll was it
calculated to induce a want Of hope.
In front Of Gen. Albert Sidney john
ston's army of Bowling Green were
encamped the hosts Of Buell., several
times outnumbering our 5000 men,
and only restrained from precipitating
themselves upon this small band by
the belief Of immense numbers created
il. their minds by the ability Of Gen.
Johnston. Donelson after a severe
struggle forced to yield, nccessitating
a retreat on the part Of Gen Johnston
to Nashville Nashville in turn given
up and the army retreating to Steven
son Alabama and thence to Corinth
Miss, which place few believed oul
army would reach, and Gen. Johnston
least of all, counting on ability on the
part of the enemy and knowing that
they had the shorter route to 60 and
if attempted part Of his small army
would certainly be cut off, and when
reached with all the roads but one in
possession of the enemy starvation fol
that army was not an improbable fea-
ture in the case. Then indeed was il
a gloomy day, for our armies were in
no condition to meet the foe, but the
nation bore up under these Respondent
circumstances and our armies were
strengthened sufficiently to snatch sue
cess from the hands Of our implacable
foe. Now Our armies, though having
lost severely, are in excellent spirits
seeming, in the Language Of friend
who accompanied that army to Penn
sylvania, made mad by their want Of
success on the last day at Gettysburg
are anxious to meet the enemy again
These true and brave men, who have
stood the shock of the most severely
contested battle ever fought On this
continent, or perhaps IN the world, are
DESTROYS Injecting sheir old enemies or
new fields and feel able to win thei1
independence from them, and our PEG
pie do not despond. Gen. Lees arm,
IS now in position to deal destruc
t;e,a 70 an attacking enemy whethe
thew a,,,,roach directly in front or b.
way Of the bloody line of Fredericks
burg. Its Gcnt.s'al cai.'s upon all t
return to their co,nmaI,d ana gu
President offers genera, pare on an'
amnesty to all who shall rei;lrn IN
mediately. Let those men who have
been led away by anxiety for the wei
fare Of their families and who have
remained away from fear Of being
dealt with as deserters, return and let
our armies be strengthened as much
as may be and all will go well, not
withstanding the immense numbers Of
our enemies.