The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-02-24
A ssLoyaT' Paper ON the 'sSitua.
fiOn.o

That very ~"loyal'' paper, The Ohio State
Journal, in its. issue of Saturday morning,
prints the following "disloyal" article. Had it
appeared first in a Democratic paper, the
Journal and its echoes would have labcred to
i~nstigate Western Reserve soldies, to mob the
espestiferiors copperhead concern" Here is
what the journal says
EAST TENNESSEE AGAtN.-The situation
of affairs in East Tennessee is becoming more
threatening to our position in that region
There is no Disgusting the fact that the rebels
have recovered full possession Of the whole
valley eastward and northeastward Of Knox
vile. They occupy the strongest positions,
and are steadily pressing our forces back, and
until the rebel guns are now almost in posi-
tion to shell Knoxville. Tazewell is theirs.
Cumberland Gap is theirs. And the rebel for
ces under Lopgstreet that were flying and starv-
ing and freezing-for so The country was in
formed+are now, not only holding their own
positions, but are actually driving our COM
manders from theirs, and are even now look
ing grimly down upon Knoxville Itself
What does this mean Are We outnumbered
by the rebels in East Tennessee? Such
seems to be the fact ; for sub is the state
ment attending the account of every battle
and skirmish on that line. Why, then, is
not tina; line strengthened There must be
troops in abundance that could now be spared
from Chattanooga ard other points within
reach; and which could render our possession
of East Tennessee valley certain and uniuter-
rupted. And yet the people are constantly
annoyed and mortified by the repeated an
norncements hat Longstreet is daily drawing
nearer and nearer to Knoxville. To be sure
we are treated to diurnal amcllients in the
shape of boastful statements that Knoxville
caJ't be taken, and that it is in good condition
to stand a siege, etc, etc. All this may be
true. We hope it is. But, assuming that
such is the fact, still this does not meet the
requirements of the situation in that quarter.
It is not enough that Knoxville be held, while
the whole valley is overrun by rebel armies.
To- make this matter look more dishcarten-
ing, we hear of no measures of any efficiency
being on foot to resist the rebel advance
While Lon gstreet is moving down the valley
and our forces falling back before his superior
numbers, Gen. Grant Is eating good suppers
at St. Louis, Foster is confined By wounds and
sickness, and Schoield is pondulating between
Knoxville and Washington. We do not ur-
dertake to say that the rebel advance upon
our lines would not have occurred had our
commanders been at their posts. But, it
would seem reasonable to urge that, when the
advance was occurring, DUR commanders should
not have remained absent from their forces
The country we'll knows the. importance, in a
military point of view, of firm hold upon East
Tennessee. The rebel Generals, as we'll as
our own, have repeatedly assured their people
and ours that the possession of that valley by
the Union Forecasts fatal to rebel success. Then
why not have measures been taken to secure
what we had actually won? Must we be al
ways on the defensive? Is it sufficient for
US to be told that our army in East Tennessee
cannot be captured +? Certainly, we are 10th
to find fault with military movements but
we are more slow to accept apologies for vim
dieation of military blunders. And ne sin
cerely hope that Gen. Grant will not permit
the splendid reputation he has won to be jeo-
p~ordised by an overweening confidence in his
s'good luck" and be compelled once more tc
sacrifice life and treasure in winning back an
important position which We once occupied
and might have held.e