The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-05-06

The Cincinnati Gazette, guided by the Con
gressional Report on the Conduct of the War
thus sums up the first bull Run campaign:
THE march was to begin on the 9Th Of July
1t began 4 week later on the 9th. Col. Scott,
a nephew of the General, holding confidential
relations with him, communicated. ar was af-
forwards asceTtained, all the plans 10 the enc
nv. This was subsequently discovered, and
Col. Scott resigned and went to Europe. Such
was the easy morality OF the times, and the
succeeding regime did nothing to mend it.
Gen. Mcdowell made the plan OF the bat
tie, and it is universally believed at this time
that it was a good plan, and would have been
victory if defeat had not been secured by
previous conditions. AS it was. our troops
were successful until Johnston reinforced the
enemy Gen. Patterson, who was ordered to
detain Johnston in the valley, or to follow him
up, and who had discretionary Instructions to
attack him if he was strong enough, not only
did not detain Johnston nor follow bin up,
but at the nick of time, he marched in d.
rectiOn to relieve Johnston from all threatens
| ing demonstrations while BE- was starting his
troops for Manassas
"On the 18th. Gen. Scott telegraphed Pat
tersOn that Mcdowell had advanced beyond
Fairfax Court House, and that the junction
would probably be carried the next day, and
cautioning Patterson not to let the enemy
amuse and delay him with a small force. while
they REINFORCED the Junction with their main
body. On the 18Th Gen. Scout Ielegrapbvd
patterson again stating his expectations that
Patterson had beaten tho Annany. - - .Vs, hau
felt him strongly, or at least had occupied him
with demonstrations, and enquiring: has be
not stolen a march, and sent requirements
toward Manassas Junction. To this Patter-
son replied the same day The enemy has
stolen no march upon me. | have kept him
actively employed, and, by threats aud recon-
noissance in force caused him to be reinforced
" This was enough to have reasonably assur-
ed Gen. Scott But in fact. on the 18th. the
day that Mcdowell advanced to Fairfax Court
House. Patterson marched from the neigbbor-
hood of Winchester, where the enemy were,
toward Charlestown whereby he relieved the
enemy of all obstacles or threatening demon
STATIONS TO prevent their joining Beauregard.
Johnston started OFT part of his force for Ma
nassas the afternoon of that day; and not till
the 10th did Patterson telegraph from Charles
town to Gen. Scott, that reeuforcements had
gone from Johnston. All this was accomplish
ed by Patterson with force greatly superior
to JOhnst0n's.
What but treachery could account for Pat
terssn S telegrsphing on the 18th that all was
right, when he was then making a retrOgrade
movement. and Johnstons whole army was
then on the march for Manassas. In his testi
mOny, Pattersons plea was the pitiful one, that
he was not positively ordered to attack. There
was abundant evidence of his determination
to defeat the purpose expected of him 1t is
melancholy picture OF the loOseness of the
ideas of military duty and of fidelity which
then governed the conduct of the war, that
this General was bonorsbly discharged. Sub
sequently his son, who, so far as heard of. had
no other recommendation, was, by special rs.l
quest of Gen. Mcclellan, made Brigadier Gen.
eral.
According to all probable conclusions, our
three months troops, if managed with an ear
nest purpose, good sense and ordinary military
ability, could have destroyed the armies the
rebels then had in the field 1t is not probable
that the rebellion would have survived this
blow. But that sacrifice by impotence and fol-
~ on our side, gave the rebellion the prestige
of military success at home and abroad 1t at
once expanded it into great war 1t gave the
Southern people confidence in ultimate success
swept the loyal into the overwhelming current,
gave the rebellion recognition abroad as a be-
ligerent, inflicted an indellible stain upon our
arms. and all the slaughter and destruction OF
a great war upon the country. The manage
ment which resulted in all this disaster was
purely military. 1t was further dishonored by
military pusilanimity in attempting to charge
the responsibility upon the people and the Gov
eminent"