Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-05-30
aRaibgg uteAige11telf'E3'..:. !
WsSt PoinE again YindIcated-J,
EInAI mud RmhInr
slsel ana ButIer'


universal failure of civilian Commander in
this war, we reserved judgment upon Major
Gen. Sigela9d Major. .GeRr Butler, prefer
ring TO await the issues OF the important
ienterpriseslin Rwhioh they were then en-.
gagsds The reseltss haye 1oI beeu deFel.
l Oped. They are of a character to round
off completely g demopstration that GIIsof
our Commanders, without regular mill.
ktatY sdueatipn, are incapable. - .
II EAHisiorl 9fh sigel had th9 adgahtagei of
some military experience Id Eupdtpe, but of
no thorough scientific education. The skill
eviuced by hin In managing Certain re-
treatsiip the early part of.the war, gave the
country high idea of his military apti-
tude. He was transferred to Virginia, and
served I'd the Pops Champaign; but It was
soon shown that he was not equal to the
fresPohsibility pntupon him. Tbs develop.
meuts in 1.-The, RitE- John Porter trial made
lit clear that atthereaWas q, lack in Sigel of
Fthe concentration of purpose and the-aR-
i tgressiye energy, demanded by the juneture.
This accustomed his being Withdrawn from
active command. sTo crafty his German
4 IcountrymenI We suppose, he was given an /.
4 other trial in the present campaign. He
] Was sent with strong force, 70 effect a
tJunction with Crook, breakup hetVirginia
and East Tennessee Railroad, and, il pos
liable, sfeze and hold Lynch burgh. But in
the early stagesof this movement, he was
lsnddenly seti upon by Breckinridge, bea-.
ten, and compelled to retreat. he SO de,
cidedly failed in his enterprise that Major
Gen. Hunter was at once dispatched to
| lsnpersede him. We baVe now heard the
last of Sigel as high commander. in thiB
war. .Jut-2s ,II,~
3 Maj. Gen, Butler was ,i1trusted with
! Major GeneralshiP IN the earliest period of
the war, and Sustained the frst discouf.
ture at Gleat Bethel, about six weeks be.
fore Bull Run. The battle of Great B ethel,
however, Was hardly a test of his real gen!
eralship, as he was not personally present.
| That! battle was planned by Maj. winthrop,
| as il was proved So private msmora1d dun
! Of theslatter, and was lost Chiefly through
his early fall aud the blu11ers Of certain
i Colonel8. But Maj Gen. Butler, perhaps
justly, had to assume, the responsibility Of
it, and his public service afterward was
mainly confined TO administrative duties,
Iuutil bisIpresent expedition to the South
/ Of Richmond, the special designs of which,
were to destroy the Petersburg Railroad
connection, olpreVent BeauFegardt from re-.
inforciDg Lee, and to threaten Petersburg
and Richmond, The movement took the
enemy somewhat by surprise and in it's
early stage was quite suecessful-so much
tso that Gen. Bntler telegraphed to the War
Department that ''Gen. Grant will not be
troubled with any further reinforcement to
Lee from Beauregard's forces" Blt the
prediction iWss not verified, lBeauregard
with his army passed Butler, and is now in
Richmond. '..., '' .ii ?, 81 ~ 'a % go
Butler advanced his army to the fottif-
cations of Richmond on the South Gen.
Gilmore, with the Tenth Army Corps, by
great skill and Valor, carried the western
part of the works for an extent of three
miles, and secured q very advantageous
position. GEN. Gilmore; whois known to
be one of the most scientific officers in the
army, pressed upon his superior, General
Butler, the necessity of dintrenching.-I
| Gen. Butler thought it unnecessary. The
| consequence was that on, the foggy mprn-
| iug- of the second day after, the rebels
sWooped down upon the eEigthteenthlC Corps
at,the right, and took our troops at such
disadvantage as to gain a great success,
capturing two guns and nearly three thous-
and prisoners, smong whom was General
Hickman, one Of the most splendid fight
4 ers in the army After three hours fRht.
ling retreat was ordered by Gen. Butler
j 10 Bermuda 5Huudred; seyehsmiIes the
rear, where he now is, behind his entrench,
4 ments, closely besieged by the enemy.-
The Rost-a, paper. which has always
lsboWn great pattiahty TOR Gen! Butler--
publisbes sp. account which, it says, came
from an ''authentic source" whereby It is
shown thss iEWASG Gep. Buffers non-com-
plisdse With, the request Of Gen. Gilmore
to intrench which made the attack of the
ienemy SO formidable; aud that it was Gen.
Buffers Eepeated and peremptory order
which caused Gilmore 10 take mp the line
of retreat, sftef the latter had satisfied
fhimself that hs could successfully main
tain ms position. and had expressed an
fearnese wish to be allowed 20 do Co.
i lsAccounts, from other sourcss, public and
private, ecOrroboraee this. There can be.
no doubt that Gen'l Butler first displayed
undue confidence, and afterWards u6due
discouragement-the faults Of all others
most natural to civilian commanders.
The consequenceiisl that ground has been
2 lost which cannot be recovered without Il
great expenditure of blood, several thou
sand men have been put hoTF du combat, the
} enemy are again in full possession of the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad, AID two
j corps of opr army, as brave men as ever
: trod, are eooped up on the banks of the
James river, ,doall appearance almost help-
: Hess and useless. In other words, the
1 movements from the Penihsula, which OBJ
, tanned such an auspictous start, has not
been 6tly sustained Iby Gen. Butler, and
~ has turned out a Veritaole miscarriage.
This fsilnre completes the record Not
I one solitary civilian from the beginning Of
E the war until now has shown himself
: Icompeteut for high command. The folly
. of trusting military impericism has. been
j written ont in letters of blood, with illus.
tration after illustratiouI4 during this war,
: tso that now no observing man in the codn.
7, try car. possibly gainsay it. The truth
toughe to have beeh plain, enough 1t the
oJ outset, that military science demands ID
Isytematic and pgotracted study as that oil
Flaw or medicine; and that it is Just as alb
"A surd TO ipproEise general from a lawyer
i OF a merchant as to improVise q judge from
schoolmastsr, or q physician from . me
= chsnic, The want of profassionaI trairiiur