Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-11-26
E Wall out Of Dixie.
From the Richmond Enquirer, Nov. !

y
federate States have been so much com
plimented upon the proves and gal
lantry Of their arms, so much fattered
upon what has been accomplished, that
they have lost sight of the fact that
more surrenders haze been made IN their
armies than by the armies Of aug other
nation. What nation, in three years of
war, cver zoaoered its flag ezeven times IN
surrender? There has been eleven Con
federate surrenders since the war began ::
Near Rich Mountain, at Hatteras, at
Island No. 10, Fort Henry, Fort Don
elson, Roanoke Island, Ft. Phillips, Jack
son, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, Port
Hudson, and Cumberland Gap, and then
there has not been an instance Of pun
ishment in this long list Of disasters, but,
on the contrary, promotion has in some
instances followed swift upon the com
mander IF the history Of the war will
show as much gallantry in the fight as
that Of any other war, it will also ex-
hibit more surrenders than ever befell
the arms of any other nation during the
same period Of time, and we cannot
point to any Saragossa, Gilona, london
derry or Genoa to Offset this long cata-
logue Of unsuccessful sieges. IF our
people cannot understand why Euro
pean nations hesitate to recognize our
nationality, perhaps they may find the
cause in the fact that the flag we seek
to register among the nations Of the
earth, though often crowned with glori-
GUS victory, has unfortunately been zoao-
cred cery often IN unmitiyated disgrace,
and as long as foreign nations see sur
renders SO complacently made and pro
motions often following them, they are
uncertain whether some steamer may not
bring the news of our unconditional
surrender to the terms Of the enemy
We do not mean to intimate that all CT
these surrenders were equally disgrace
full, but we do say that no one Of them
conferred any honor upon the arms Of
the Confederate States. At many Of
them gallant fighting was done. At
Vicksburg, and Port Hudson, and Don
elson, and Roanoke Island, there was
not wanting instances Of great gallantry !;
but to none Of them can we point with
the pride Of the Spaniard, French and
English; at places made glorious by the
obstinacy and endurance Of the defense.
The surprise of Kelleysvillc, Brandy
Station, Williamsport, Bristow Station,
and now the late disaster en- the Kappa
hammock, show how leniency to the first
dcrilcction Of duty may entrail contin-
ucd-and repeated disasters and careless
ness infict lasting disgrace upon the
army. Notwithstanding the gallantry
Of the army Of Northern Virginia, some.
thing is wanting to correct and prevent
these frequent affairs. It has not yet
transpired where the brigades Of Hoke
and Hays we're when the enemy pounced
upon them. It is not yet stated how
they came to be SO completely isolated
from the main body Of the army that
they could not be reinforced, though
the fight is said to have lasted from two
o'clock in the afternoon until dark. No
explanation has been made why rein
forcements were not sent to their rescue,
nor are we informed how these two
small brigades came to be thus exposed,
inviting their capture or humiliation.
We hope there are good and sufficient
reasons for these circumstances, and
that Gen. Lee will, upon Investigation,
be satisfied, that his two brigades were
lost in one Of the ordinary eventuahties
of war, which no vigilance can prevent,
and no activity remedy.
Surprises are more injurious to mill
tary prestige, more destructive to men
and material, than defeat in regular bat
tie, and as they are easily prevented,
the officer who suffers himself to be sur
prised, and bounced upon SO suddenly,
deserves the seyerest punishment Of the
army.
Gen. Bragg has lately suffered great
ly from surprise by which an import
ant position was gained by the enemy,
and one, which it is feared may neutra-
lie much of the advantage gained by
the battle of Chickamauga."
STRENGTH Of THE REBEL Army
1t is believed, in well informed GUAR
tiers, that the entire strength of the reb-
ell army on this side OF the Mississippi,
is in round numbers as follows: Bragg S
Army $4,000 Lees Army, 10000,
Gin the rear ofVicksburg and Memphis
$4,000 at Wilmington, 10000 at No
bile, 5000 scattering 1000 at savan-
nah, small forces at Lynchburg, Cor
louisville, and at different arsenals and
other points in the interior, in all not
over 10000. Practically, then. We
are confronted to-day By not over one
hundred and ninety thousand men. We
can meet them with an effective mobile
force of, at the very least, three hun
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