Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-16
[rrom the Philadelphia Press, ]
General Banks.

The Herald speaks of Gen. A. J. Smith saving
the army of Gen. Banks from Z" the threatened
ruin of disastrous defeat" We do not OBJ
lect to any praise being given to Gen. Smith,
but why, at the same time, be unjust to Gen.
Banks The battle of Pleasant Hill, to which
the Herald refers, was planned by Gen. Banks,
and fought by him in person. Gen. Smith
merely commanded portion of the army en-
gagged, and his line was formed and fought by
Gen. Banks and HIS chief of stafi, Gen. Charles
p. Stone, to whose valor and genius on the
second day many of the good results are at
tributed by the Army Of the Gulf.
Just now, when II 10 fashionable to abuse
G en-. Banks, and when copperhead Journals
ar filled with atroclous calumnes upon man
VIII 0se misfOrtunes, added TO his Republican
ism. make him fair game, loyal journals should
be c areful how they lend themselves TO this
base business. We give an Illustration. The
missouri RcpuJ'iedn permits correspondent,
VIZ ting FROM Cairo, to Publish bitter assault
on Gen. Banks, 20 bitter that the World copies
II prominently, and alludes TO 1t edttorlai!y.
Her, is an example OF lt5 stories Rbou! the
hurniu,' OF Alexandria:
g Wh, n the gunbOats were all over the falls,
and the o -der for evacuation was promulgated,
and the nrluy nearly all on the march, souIc Of
our soldiers, both white and black, Gs II by
general understanding, set lire to the city in
nearly every part, almost simultaneously
GAN was burned. Thousands Of people
| men. women and Children-wcre In l"w short
hours driven from comfortable homes into the
treets. Their shelter, their provisions, their
"a wer, all consumed. In their extremity,
u uJ' y our own culpabilIty had brought about,
W. %n' ~. ,y,alndu,y GcnerG! turned his back upon
,b,,, q Ne General, perhaps, did not laugh al
% %,hoir caiam Ny. nor mock when their fear came
Nv, ao',,ti,s. regarded It as the dawn Of po
V,iooI Uus miicnIm. The march Of The GrmyJro
sy1'a,Jri,, n E,ri De RWSSey lcas Itghted up WiH
~. g,ms, of b,p,.iug dre!lings."
y" S"," occ0rJInp TO this eXtrayagant story
con Rarks acted like brute, and his army
ILL., Grnds, By referring to our own CORES
moDdent;s account, printed few days since
p,n ses the truth of the whole affair, aud how
oosy II NAV be out of the truth 10 create al
! atrOciOus slAnder; ,,,, ma, I,
motion. There wGrO apprchehbIous Wv ',,I
| Alexandria might be set on fire by some raScal
Ge,t Ba,rkS gaze strict order' "SIsh "F' ''S'"i'
in the best of style by Gen. Grover. DoHot
guards wrrc kept at all ne "F'rE crOSS"l| I G't" u
| IvIdings closed at The setting IL u HiDt' Every
thing was well until about O'Clock a. m, u
tLe 18th. when a fire broke out In small two
story building on tho leYce. All EoHP' aOO"
| to,r,, ,gcrc SC, 10 vyrk 10 criiHgaih me Ga"'
| There were no lrG engines that eouIl Do usCu
and no water except in the river E"sTy.hm
apds done to prtUeh nc tnihsr progress W 20
| flames Gen. BdlkS, with his WhOse sl"D' W'
at tOork. About 10 O'Clock the wlnd goi sIloI -
mud set Ia the direction OF the town. IN
flames bee ulc master, and In about hTe hour
two-thlrds of Alexandria was LAID III Ashes' 81