The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-04
9(aalrille aanioa,
TUESDAY. ocroBER a ls64
Karly's Defeat-Bad Management Of
Affairs in the Waller,
-From The Richmond Enquirer. sopt. p


General Early has been forced back
from Fishers Hill with the loss of u
pieces of artillery. The ensuya are fozIow-
iHg mp their successes IN TIE vaHeg lc.th
great gigor. Sheridan Is determined not 10
permit his opportunity % sip Ev ielAoat
making The most Of IT,
There seems to have been bad man
agement in these affairs in the valley.
The duty of asceTtaiuing this. and tax
ing steps 10 retrieve our fortunes. ia
with Geg Lee. As it could not be en-
trusted TO abler and better hands, it is
not necessary for the people to be over
anxious or very unhappy. For three
years our fortunes have rested upon his
broad shoulders, and, under Providence
he has brought our cause through. He
has been heavily reinforced by the re-
port for duty of Lieutenant General
Longstreet, that cold war horse who
elected the embrace Of General Lee on
the field of Sharpsburg Longstreet
comes back most opportunely to rectify
affairs in the Valley Want Of co opeaa-
taon, more than the prepondyat;nq na1,Jsrs
Of the encma, has caused tie late disasters
IN tie raieE The presence of two Lieu
tenant-tienerals, the one not subordi-
nate to the other, but intended TO CO.
operate, has prevented, when there
should have been concentration. The
presence of Longstreet in the valley
would restore unity of command and
check the advance Of the enemy. Not
withstanding the losses sustained i'm the
late disasters, if some of the worthless
horsemen that have been routed by the
enemy could be brought 10 the trench
es at Petersburg, and their places sup
piled by real cavalry, all our reverses
may be repaired, and the valley pre-
served, if not reclaimed, to the banks
of the FotCmlc.
From the first year of the war the
Valley of Virginia has been the scene of
just such events as are transpiring there
st present General jackson marched
down the Valley and was driven back,
and again advanced and retreated.-
General Sigcl marched up and was
whipped back. Hunter, after a com
plete victory over Jones, penetrated to
the defences of Lynchburg, and was
hurled back broken, routed and ruined.
Sheridan has now begun the same peril
Gus route, and the same fate will befall
him. Asaher party can permanently hold
tie VdiIe7L Its lower end is so near TO
the enemy's country that reinforce
ments can more readily reach their ar
my than can be sent to ours, while iCs
upper end enables us to concentrate
more rapidly upon them. Thus we are
driven up the Valley to turn and drive
them down. Thus the events of the
Valley are mere episodes in the war
they have their effects upon both par
ties; they elate and depress, but they
do not permanently iDiure or destroy
Our people become elated by success
and they sink down to the deepest de
preston upon the first disaster. Has not
three years Of war taught them the les
son that the Morning cometh, but the
night .cometh also, that victory is not al
ways to be Ead, nor IS defeat unbroken2 2
The forces of the enemy have been great
ly magnitied and exaggerated They 10
not number thirty thousand all told
infantry, cavalry and artillery The
infantry of the enemy is worth very lit
tie but when permitted to be thrown
in overwhelming numbers upon first
one division and then upon a second
and then upon third; when the cav
airy of the enemy, picked and selected,
are opposed by the disorganized and
demoralized horseman who remain be-
hind the stragglers and horse-details,
it is not surprising that disaster should
result 4 through, radical change Of con-
mandcrs, and, 10 a great erterst Of troops, IS
noig reg,Gred En- the GALLEY. A complete
reform of the army is being demon
strated as indispensable, and preparing
the country and army for the proper
measure of reformation. We need a
regular army, with its real and compact
organization, and its firm and unyleld
ing discipline. The provisional organi
zation has lived its allotted time. When
conscription slTg anted volunteering
and made every man soldier, by reas-
on of his age, the regular army rose
upon the debris of the provisional.
Congress should recognize this fact, and
perfect organization.