Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-07-13

States by the destruction of its roads and
bridges, north, and the battery blockade
of the south Potomac, not TO speak OF the
actual attack on our troops first marching
10 Its defence, through a city which al
forwards most gloriously atoned for It's
shame.
Who does not remember the frenzy oil
olicitude-ludricou to think of now
with which at the early discussions OF a
move, the denizens of the capital flew to
remonstrauces and prayer, lest thereby
we should cease to cover Washington, and
the ruthless rebels would run riot among
their precious things and make whistles
of their bones. And the only way to
cover it seemed in the eyes of those STRAIT
egists for us to be drawn up in line IN
front of it, and at all hazards kept well
in sight between it and the enemy. Eve
rybody knows that at the very climax Of
critical campaign whole corps, whose
cooperation was relied upon Tor success
were suddenly and without the previous
knowledge Of the commanding general
withdrawn to dispel some phantom that
threatened Washington through the gaps
| I ~.
Of the Blue Ridge; and nothing was lett
for us, when our advancing guns had al
ready sounded the knell Of Richmond, boz
change of base which, although series
of well-fought fields, became u by-word
and a reproach.
And, indeed after any great battle, no
victory could be pushed up for fear that
somehow Stoncwal jackson or Stuart
would get around our TANKS and strike
upon the capital. This precaution may
have been necessary, for in the great game
we were playing we could not afford tc
change queens.
| refer to this to remind the critics thai
cur friends behind US had quite as muci
to do in Aleterming our campaigns as eIiC
the enemy before us. 1t may have beer
highly complimentary TO be chosen ostanC
between the cnemys mightiest onset anc
the nations capital but this proximity
+, was by no means calculated to add to ouI
ease or eclat. Especially was this thu
case when for long time no master mnC
shaped and controlled our campaigns bu
plans were discussed till they were know
to the enemy, and the chosen one wa
then eutored on with that half-assept tba
begets half intent. Then followed all thu
evils Of lack Of energy, of concentration
and of vigorous, wbole.hearted endcayor
1t is the duty of commander doubles
20 overcome these evils or win in spite o
them; but how great task this is, gene
rails of no less stamp than Wellington
Eugene and Marlborough know. Let thos
who are prone to think that our proximit.
to Washington gave us an undue share O
the public regard, and that the defender
rdc same, be comforted by the reelection
that to no army were favors more spar
ingy granted, and none was held NOR
strictly to the letter of the regulations.
Another reason which lay against GU
mnch moving was the fact that we had t,
fight when we moved, which is not Away
the case with armies. Moving is pleas
ant thing when you are not crowded witt
it, but it was quite different bushes
to move when every foot Of our advanc,
wps measured with our dead. Even tn,
Northumberland found it not quite s,
easy to keep up the prestige of his onward
victories when he came to confront lie,
and the Army of Northern Virginia. WA
it because the Army Of the Po,oma,
would not move? lie will not say SO
Sheridan will not till you that, when HI
remembers the Valy. Five Forks and Ap
pomattox Yes, the Army of the Poto
mac did not move at Malvern Hill, An
tietam and Gettysburg, except in ambul
ances and on stretchers. Move Let tn,
intrenchments that reach continuous from
Pennsylvania to Carolina tell. Let tn,
graves answer that bridge with glory tina
gulf of gloom.
! have spoken Of some Of the failure
and short cohngs with which our army
has been charged,
Let us turn briefly to considerit more
nearly-to discover what, if anything
distinguished it an army, and gave 1t q
character peculiarly its own.
Organized from the Debris of defeat
and in presence Of a defagt enemy, the
Army Of the Potomac acquired an earn.
estncss of scholarship, a habitude, diesel.
pine and confidence which made it an
army 81 veterans before it had struck n
blow, and gave it a unity and identity, a
tcnacity of lie, and constancy of fratcrnal
regard, which all its long and strange ox.
Iperience, its great vicissitudcs of good
and i'll, have never for moment shaken,
For this esprit de corps, this spirit of or.