The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-09-28

' erdtlOGS III WulCu n0lo cHSdScu, IL oaOCCoo
/ ful, will have more important bearing up
on the issue of the war than any that hav,
been yet undertaken. If Gen. Bragg shoult
destroy the army of Rosecrans-shoulc
either disperse it by a great battle, or hen
/ it in and surround it-he will at once liber
ate Tennessee and Kentucky, and thereby
add one hundred thousand fresh troops t
the banners of the Confederacy. 1t is true
that he made a bad start, but then it mus
be recollected that the habit Of retreat,ns
has become so natural to our Generals an ald
part Of the Contederaey that they seem tc
think it to be the greatest accomplishment
of an officer to be able to make skillful
retreat. Gen. Bragg gmust be conscious that
he has already sufficiently proved his skill
in making retreats. Let US hope that the
fame he has earned in that line of business
is sufficient to satisfy him, and that he now
desires to achieve renown of another de-
scription. If he is determined to fight, we
see not what is to prevent him from beat
ing his adversary, if, as he says, he has been
largely reinforced.
The defeat of Rosecrans would not only
secure Kentucky and Tennessee, and pre-
vent the enemy from invading Virginia and
cutting off the supply of salt, but it would
be the death blow to Grants future opera,
tons. 1t would give us possession OF the
Ohio and certain portion OF the MISSISSIPPI
below the junction Of the two rivers, there
by enabling US to cut off his supplies. and
compel an abandonment of the operations
be has now in contemplation. The proba-
bility is that he would never reach the
Yankee States again except as captive.
From the Richmond Dispatch, Sept q.
Thus far Gen. Bragg seems to be COM
pletely victorious. The results are greater
than those of any battle fought by the
Duke of Wellington in Spain, so far as the
loss of men inflicted upon the enemy is
concerned, with the single exception of Sal
amanca. and 50 far as artillery is concern
ed with the single exception Of Vittoria. =
In no one battle in the Peninsula, except
Salamanca, did Wellington ever capture
4 1000 prisoners, and in no one battle, save
Vittoria, did he ever capture as many as 30
pieces of cannon. What the loss of the
enemy in killed and wounded amounted to,
we have no means Of ascertaining; but when
we consider that Rosecrans had GO,000
men, it is not to be supposed that he would
have yielded, after two days lighting, and
left 1000 men, 80 pieces of artillery, and
all his dead and wounded in our hands un-
less he had sustained loss in the latter OF
at least $4,000 men. His entire loss, there
fore, can fall very little short of20, 600 men,
killed, wounded, and prisoners, and these
are Western men; the very flower of the
whole Yankee army. There can be no
doubt, therefore, that thus far Gen. Bragg's
success has been brilliant; and that it goes
far to redeem all the errors imputed to him
on former occasions.
Nevertheless, there,is still feeling ofun-
certeinty in this community, 'cho but too
lueU remember MurfjeesJoro, and how heglo
rious promise Of one day aCas turned 10 SOy
Iop by the dispatch Of the next. They see
in all its strength, directly in
front Of Bragg, and they wait to see it re-
taken before they give way to Joy. For
the relief of such doubters, we are happy |
to announce that Chattanooga is deiensible |
only against all enemy on he opposite side
Dl Tue IlNtI hSdIllSl thNbl vi VIC
same side with itself, especially if he come
from the east, as Bragg does, tits altogether
ndefensible. The mountains terminate
ust there; AMI present numerous elevated
positions, which command the place. The
therefore, is that Rosecrans
will not attempt to make stand there. but
will continue his retreat to Nashville 1t
will all depend, however on the yigor with
which he is pushed by Bragg. That Cen
erQI wiU shortly receioe, or possibly has re-
ceired, heary infocrementS, and he has bit
ter experience of the evils resulting from
delay in this war, in which procrastination
has always been the object OF the enemy.
We trust and believe, therefore, that the
enemy will be allowed no time to rest
Every consideration points to continued OPP
eratons The enemy evidently does not
mean to advance from Tennessee into Ala
bama and Georgia during the present sea-
SOD.
Rosecrans' plan is to get possession of the
whole of Tenne ,see, and render it impreg
nable in the first place Thence, having
the best possible base, he will advance next
summer upon Georgia and Alabama. 1t is
to be hoped that he will be disappointed in
these views. Gen. Bragg has at least made
good start in the attempt to disappoiat
him. Unless, however he be driven back
across the river our late victory will have
been Of no value.
The Yankees never have beaten and nev.
er will beat our armies in the field. In
every instance in which they have claimed
the victory, their only show OF right to do
so has been the retreat Of our troops at the
very moment vixen they were preparing to
retreat themselves. Mcclellan had already
commenced retreating from Sharpsburg,
and Meade was already retreating from Get
tysburg, when our General began to fall
back, and this was the signal for them to
sneak back and claim a victory. AT Muir
freesboro every officer in Rosecrans' army,
except Rosecrans himself, was in favor Of a
retreat. "Wait little while," said Rose.
Grams, "and you will SEC the enemy himself
retreating.r And so il turned out. In all
fbrae of these battles we fairly beat the