Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-03-13
Vol. L, No. 36


Seward, Oh the day before NJ l;,col, .
: Inauguration, ia which he scout,,l The
idea 0i subduiug the rebcl States bv mil;
tary power, favored the orels,tzatibn ~ !.
Union party and The abapd0nua,t.,r D.
pubhcanIsm, and recommended a9lcife.-
ton on the godlrs, basis of the C-,,,e,.
den resolves OF January, 1861, or tia. ~,
should say 10 our "wayNarI sisters, 70
IN peace DeRocratic policy made
General Mcclellan commander.in chief
by falsely claiming Tor him the victories
OF our arms IN Western Virginia achieved
by ROseeran>, Morris, and Bsnham. a,s.
by the Endorsement of General Scott, who.
a. the country has since learned, did not
believe in the war which the Government
had inaugurated. Democratic uolicy.
through General Patterson as its repre-
sentative, detained large army in the
valley of Winchester which should have
marched against General Johnston and
his inferior force, instead of allowing him
to join Beauregard at Bull Run. thus
securing the defeat and rout of our armv,
instead of a decisive victory which, else.
would have crowned our arms. Demo
cratic policy, through the authority of
L
/ blockaded during the tall anu winter of
/ le6l and lS62; and when the Navy De
/ partmen! insisted as il did repeatedly. on
putting an end TO the blockade, which il
could have done at any moment, our
Democratic general objected that "it
would bring on = general engagements"
and thus was the honor of the nation
compromised, and millions sacrificed
through its interrupted commerce, with
out cause or excuse. Democratic policy,
personiied bv General Mcclellan and
General Stone, sent Colobel Baker and
his gallant men across the Potomac
against a superior force, with one scow
ami two small boats as the Oaly means of
transportation; and after the crossing had
commenced. twenty-tour thousand men
under General Smith and General Mccall.
who were within striking distance, and
expected by Colonel Baker 10 Join him,
were ordered to retreat by General
Mcclellan; while fifteen hundred of our
men 1T Edward's Ferry, only three and a
half miles from the battlefield, who
could have reinforced Colonel Baker and
turned the fortunes of the day, were com
PEELED to stand idle while the gallant
hero and his men were butchered without
mercy During the autumn and winter
months which follow ed, Democratic pol |
icy made the grand army of the Potomac
squat before the wooden guns of Centre |
vile and Manassas; and although our
forces were many times larger than those I
of the rebels, aud our men in fine health /
and discipline, and eager to fight, while |
during these successive months We were 1
favored with solid roads and clear frosty 1
days and nights, yet neither the per
suasiOns of tie President nor the clamOrs /
OF the people could induce General Nc /
Clellan to move: nor did any member of |
the Cabinet, nor the President himself, I
nor ANY general in his army, know his
plans. or why our forces did not advance.
Democratic policy, refusing to allow our
armies 20 20 into winter quarters or to
march upon the enemy. kept them strictly
on the defensive throughout the Union,
till the President in the latter part OF
January of last year gave the order for
ward, resulting in the victories of Fort
Henry, Fort Donelson, aud Newbern,
which so electrified the country. The
army OF the Potomac was required TO
march on the 22d Of February. but Demo
cratic policy held it inactive till the 10Th
Of March, when General Mcclellan, in
obedience 10 a peremptory order OF the
President, took up the line OF march
toward Centreyille, after having first
learned that the rebels had retired toward
the Rappahannock. This pink and beau
ideal Of Democratic policy, instead Of
pushing AZ once toward Richmond, which
he could have done by railroad bv way of
Aqua Creek and Fredericksburg, or by
tnc Mana,ses and Gorlon>qile road,
his army back 70 Alexandria,
" here hundreds peIishod or received the
cause OF their death, IN the open fields
and woods "a sight OF their tents, during
the cold, drcuchiug rains to which they
were exposed tor many DAYS prior to their
lOr Fortre,- Monroe. Demo-
cratic policy, still ruling the country
through General Mcclellan, planned the
ili-latcd campaign on 1, e Peninsula; and
he had insisted, while himself
near thc capital, that the whole army Of
the Potomac vas Necessary for is de-
fence. YET on leaving under positive
ordcrs that this city should be amply de-
tended, he seems to have considered If.
teen thousand raw and undsciplined
troops, the refuse Of the army, sufficient
for It's protection; all OF the army in and
around Washington, except this meagre
force, having been ordered hy him 10
proceed at once TO the Peninsula Demo.
cratic policy compelled the army of the
Potomac 10 sit down before yorktown
ill a small army had grown to be large
one, and then permitted il 10 eyacuate At
its leisure. General Hooker, with his adj
force. followed; but Democratic
policy, refusing 10 allow him 20 be rein.
forced. held thirty thousand men within
sound OF the battle, by which our forces
were repulsed and the escape of the
enemy secured. When our army At
length reached the Chickahoninv, Demo +
cratic policy founded the kingdom of /
pickaIcs and spades, and sent thousands /
Of our soldiers 20 their graves, because I
the employment of able.bodied negroes in I,
ditching would be offensive 20 Democrat
ic geutility, and might endangtr "the /
Union a. it was" When Gen. McClel t
Ian, bv order Of Gen. Halieck, left tie /
James ria er, aud reached Alexandra IN
time 10 save General "Cpe at The second |
battle Of Bull Run, Democratic policy. /.
sitting is deadly poison into tie mind OF
the President, again placed General /
McCie iellan In command OF the army of the I
Potomac, and reinstated, NJ hi request, I
the generals whose failures had caused .
Pope defeat; and the strategy Inch +
followed lett tie way open Tor the with f
drawal -: General Lee. and delayed the I
march OF our forces tiil Harper's Ferry /