Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-20

truard the District Of Columbia = the
whole District Of Columbia. The two
years and the three-years' men, as they
arrive. and as they shall arrive, should
be placed in large camps OF instruction
AZ strategic points along the frontier
say 5000 men at Fort Washington. on
the Potomac; an equal force at Annapo-
lis Nd: another here in the capital: an
other say at Frederick, Nd; another
at Cumberland, Nd; perhaps another at
Pittsburg, Pa certainly one at Wheel
ing. Va, and one at Marietta, o.; also at
Cincinnati, o.; Louisville, KY; Cairo,
H.. and other points on the frontier
There they should drin and drill and drill
and discipline, guarding always the
frontier. Meantime our gallant little
navy SHOULD do all that it can to keep
up a blockade Of the entire Southern
coast.
first days Of October we can have the
gunboats ready on the Ohio river. BY
the way, Mr.. Secretary" said he, turn
inc quickly to Mr.. Cameron, shave you
ordered for me that naval constructor /
asked you for, to 90 under my orders TO
the Westg'
'.No, General, not yet" said Mr.. Cam
erOn; "but, General, / can furnish you
with as many steamboats, as you want on
the Ohio river within seven days, by con-
tract"
Gen. Scott said, little impatiently:
''Mr. Secretary, / do not want there
even one old, rotten contract steamboat.
/ want gunb0ats, built to draw Just as
many feet OF water as i say, to carry
just as many guns as 1 say, and Of just
such calibre as say. Sir, there is plenty
Of material for such gunbOats on those
Western waters, there is plenty of me-
chanical skill there, and, sir, there is
plenty Of timer'
Mr.. Cameron FASTENED to say to the
Chief:
General, you shall have everything you
want"
Gen. ScOtt-Thanks, Mr.. Secretary.
Everything / want is all that / want
Thanks. Well, then, l want the best
practical naval constructor in the United
States sent Immediately to Louisville,
Ky, To design and see constructed gum
boats. These boats can easily be finished
before the first frost. Our Southern
friends, seeing the government ap-
parently content with guarding the
frontier, may not believe they are to be
attacked, and may relax in their pre-
paratiOns. In any case, our preparations
beng made on sound principles, would
have by the LIST day of October next,
assembled at the junction Of the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers an army of 10000
men-not 10000 armed men-and l
would have here another army Of 10000
men. l would send that Western army,
accompanied by the gunbOats, down to
the Gulf Of Mexico. At the same time /
would send this army of 10000 men
hence to Richmond by the right road.
II you act thus-if you allow the soldiers
20 do what they know they ought TO do
l Will answer for it that the government
Of the United States shall have its flag
and its authority recognized throughout
no 1rtfslr If - Fnrsr
by the 4th day Of next March, or at the
latest by the 4th day of July following
If YOU do not thus act, if you make the
soldiers do what they know they ought
not TO do; if you push these three-mOnths'
men into battle just as they are, all think
ing Of going home; if you push the two
and three-yeaTs' men into battle just be-
fore they shall be organized, you will be
beaten in the first general action of this
war. you will consolidate what is now
an instruction and make of it a rebel
liOus government, which rebelliOus
government you may be able TO put
down in two or three years, but l doubt
it"'
such were the words of Americas
greatest soldier in May, 1861. We all
know the result. For the moment he
succeeded. in delaying rash movement.
But later on the aged chieftain, worn
out by the pressure brought to bear upon
him, yielded to those in authority and
those who assumed to direct the authOri-
ties, and he, in an evil hour, consented
to see sound military principles set aside
and replaced by ignorant assumption.
The thTee-mOnths' men were pushed into
battle ',jUst as they were thinking of
going homes" the two and three-years'
men were pushed into battle, some of
them before they were fairly organized.
We were beaten in the first general
action of the war. The instruction did
become a strongly organized rebelliOus
movement, which the government of the
United States did not succeed in putting
down in two or three years.