Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-02-21

nQIHInH
the ralley Of the Shenandoah. He desired 6rsi
10 transfer 10 Harrers Ferry bis base OF opera.
uohs second, TO open and nsintain free com
muuieauon east and west along the Baltiblore
and Ohio Railroad; and third. 10 hold Hsrns,is
rerJ, Marunsbnrg, aud CharlestowD. a stronv
ioree gradually and securely advancing. as 1beS
we're prepared, towards Winchester and woad.
stoek' and thus cut OFT all Communication he
tN'on Tue rebels and the west. Now. wbateye,
nsy ve eA,u oi the carly strategy Of this war.
one thlhg mas been proved by events and ,h.t
- that II Winchester and Martinsburg hsd -,
occupied and held in the beginning Of The VA
Tue Nahey Of the Shenandoah would M, az
frequently have been the Valley of our no,iou.i
Illumination. Gen. Scott, yielding. "a hsl;svs
10 the temporary clamOr Of nation of mili,.rn
lhsorlsia, who imagieei they vera famii;ar
Win war differed from Gen. Patterson. al,bongh
the Judgment Of that General was sireneIbsnsS
" euoosaihaies who subsequently gained hieh
fsuo"n 20 tnis Far-men like Gen. Newton.
GEORGE H. Thomas, and Gen. Abrrcror0hia
Most Of these officers we're young holdiar, ,han
but they were as competent 10 advise Clan p.1
terscn at that time as they were suhssonan1Iv
TO take command Of large and yloao,ions d-sis
Weentirely agree with the Hon. ,Iobn shsrrasn
now Senator in Congress, and then on Gana..,
fauersons stan, that "the great error az Gan.
eral scott undoubtedly was that he gave wav N
esuse'ess apprehension that Washington was
70 ne at'aeseu before the meeting Of Congress I"
Acting under this apprehension Csnsrse o..
ordered the expedition Of General pa,,sr.oo ~
reoto's the river Potomac into AIarvIsnd "a
took away from that officer all Of bis regnlar
troops and artillery, leaving him without a eun
shl WIN put single troop OF volunteer eayalrv
II vas thought at that time that the Oenersi,s
course was marked with vaoillation. and ,ha,
his failure t0 attack Johnston Was 10 bs o,,r;h,,'
TED to Ihe Wcrst Of causes. All that time no ons
was safe from suspicion, and q nation ipnorant
ol tne at' OF war preferred 10 think that an IN.
ss',s,se'O'y ... general was sEayed by the worst
motives We are surprised that iieharal p.t-
terson should have submitted 10 thess ernsl
imputaiions, but the sndeation OF o-dav L
sWeetened by the patience and forhaarance -
the past. We see, in the irst place. tbaf pa,-
lersen was recalled from his pursuit N John.
ston, when he abandoned Hafper's Ferry no .
peremplory order from Scott and. in ,be seesnd
place. We mud his subsequent plan OF operations
oVerruled. This plan shows, We think that ,be
lhuun aousea esnerAl Patterson Of 1851 had she
clearest conception OF the necessities IN ,hs
Virginia campaign Of any general Mt ,bst lima
10 commsEd- He desired TO abandon tbs ,nnar
me- hoid the Maryland Heights, and thus com
hshu harperH fery, ant with Frederick an
pAse oi supplies, move upon Leesburg, and there
uulle with Col. Stsoe, who vas TO command
cooperating column from Washingt This
advantage Of this would have been thst fl.nsrai
falierson would have been in position 10 CO.
operate with MsDowell. The much-wauted
column OF Paterson-the iOne-looked.for snJ
eagery'sxpeoted column, instead of nestiing
under the works Of Harpers Ferry, on The ma
summer day Of Bull Run, would have made our
rout victory aud summaTily ended the war
On this subject General Patterson Is entitled IN
the opinion Of General lla!leck. Writtsn on ~
Pacific coast before be re-entored ihe armv and
IN lgnoranct Of General Patterson's prop1si,ion
10 Scott: "Had Patterson" says General Halieos
crossed the Potomac at Leesburg, he would
have threatened JOhnston'e commnnIcat;ons
much more efectualy than at Martinsbure. and
at the same time would have been near enonoh
to Mcdowell TO assist him or to receive assis
lance from him, as circumstances might have
required" This is precisely what General Pat
lerson wished to do, aud precisely what WAS re-
fused by Gen. Scott
Another point in General Pattersonis defence
which should be considered, is his EXPLANATION
Of the belief that he was oui-generalled bv
Johnston, who left him At Charlestown and
hssllly lo.ned beauregard on the day If the
battle OF Bull Run. The General shows that ba
was kept against his own Judgment upou wins,
be believed to be false line, atd tnat Gen
johnston had the power to jim Beauregard
whenever 1t suited his purpose 10 do so being
on au interior line with the command OF a raiie
way aud in the country Of friends General
Patterson was on an exterior line, without n
railway or adequate transportation and with an
army whose term Of service had expired, who
were eismolne ior home, and many of them
without clothing. il d he been at LeesburR. he
might have assailed the left ef the rebels AT
Manassas precisely As Johnston attacked Stone
al BANS biuh, few months subsequently. and
drove him into the river Ill might also have
torn up the railroad that ran from Wiuohes,sr h
Manassas As il was, he detained Jobuston by
n's maneoTring until ttpo days after Mt dav
'shen BuA Run rGs 10 Aave been fought and the
results oil bis strategy we're that General IohD.
s'oh arrived on ths field Of Bull Run Epe dav,
eftsr ms day fxed By General Scott in his desna,sh
T. General Patterson for the attack by MeDovell
The evidence in this narrative shows eopclnsivsi.
that the mistakes Of this oampaiRn we're nn,
made by our Pennsylvania commander. and tho,
tue words Of MI Lincoln were yery true wban
be said TO General Paterson; "Your hands
duty" 'Ouf
Lett in ignorance OF the results of Bull RIM
General Patterson telegraphed to General Scott
his opinion of the probable result of an at,aek
upon Winchester, aud asked, "shall attack ~
This was at ! 80 A. N. on the 18Th of JnIv
Twelve hours before the first of General Jnbn
sion's troops left Winchester on the route Ia
Msnassas. No answer was returned. and 0en-
erhl Patterson was left to hear Of the rcault m
AloDoweits movement from the newspspers az
the Following Monday, % the sOth OF Jnlv
General Patterson Informed General Scott hv
telegraph that Johnston had left Winchester on
the afternoon Of the 18th, and the telerranbio
despatch was received 10 season 10 have DELAYED
the battle until feluforoemsnts could have A.
rived The evidence before the COMMITTEES on
the Conduct Of the War shows that twenty-four
thousand men were held 10 reserve At The battla
OF Bull hun, which was more than double The
number Of Patierson's command. These men
we're never handled OF all. II fPatterson's column
was 50 necessary to decide that battle "a bAttla
after all, that was little more than Chinsss
hghtl, Why were these reserves mot employedf !
The question as 10 who mismauased Bull Ran
remains to be- decided. we d, uot propo.e IN
enter upon the discussion, but there is enough
evidence, We think, 10 show that uone OF The !
m',mH a'ema"t be attributed to Major |
GSsviai hVGsIt Patterson.
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Ladies' Furs.
,PatshsseTs nav upon gattns tee bos, Furs a,