Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-10-21

tlOn or the cavalry under Gay, who's
line was mile in our rear, stretchin,
from the Springfield road to the Mack
vile, were spectators of the conflict, anC
knew from personal observation how fu
rious and terrible it was, but this infant
ry and cavalry we're unfortunately in tn,
I hands that day of linutenants or cap
tains of the regular army, who helt
their impatient and eager soldiers il
: check, while Polk, with Cheatham's di
vision and Wharton's cavalry assailed
andafter avigorOus contest scattered The
raw recruits of Terrell's brigade. anG
then holding one brigade (Many's) anc
? the cavalry to keep up the fight witt
Starkweather, sent Donelson and Stew
art to reinforce Buckner and Anderson
who with one division and three bri'
gades were pounding away on Lytle and
Harris.
While these two brigades of Rousseau
were being assaulted and hammered tc
exhaustion by over two divisions of Con
federate' troops, and while $500 Union
soldiers were falling either dead OIL
wounded, on the crest of this ridge, and
while the enemy were swarming on ouI
front and around our right, Sheridan
now the general of the United States
army, with strong division lay near
by to the south of US, menaced and held
by single brigade of Confederate troops
(Powell's), which subsequently was driv-
en- by one brigade (Carlin's) of Mitchell's
division pell-mell through the streets of
Perryville. But Sheridan, alas, could
not move to the assistance of McCook
without an order from Gilbert, and the
latter could not permit him to move
without an order from Gen. Buell., and
although Gen. Buell. was not far away
ready to receive information from his
various corps and, if need were, help
them, he was not advised of
the situation by his lieutenants, and did
not know until o'clock that the battle
was oni
Where were the signal corps, the fleet
couriers and the dashing staff, whose
function it was to transmit intelligence
from every division of the long line to
the commander. that he by word
might quicken the army into life and
compel unity of action? They were
there, of course, but lieutenants in charge
of divisions and army corps forgot to
use them And Gay, the chief of caval-
midway between the lighting column
and Gen. Buells headquarters, neither
moved forward to help the one nor back
ward to advise the other. McCook ap-
pealed to the center corps for help, but
before any assistance could be rendered
the appeal must be referred to Gilbert,
and when Gilbert was found the request
must be sent to Buell., and when Buell.
was reached it was nearly night, and in
the meantime the roll of musketry on
McCook's front was continuous, and the
thunder of the artillery was heard at
Danville, at Harrodsburg, and even at
Lancaster, 20 miles away.
Why was there not some one on this
field. like Gordon Granger at Cbicka-
mauga, who could recognize the boom of
the cannon and the volleys of musketry
as an imperative order from God AL
mighty to march to the front and parti-
cipate in the battle?
| 1t would not be true, however, to say
that with 10000 idle men at hand DO
help at all was extended to US, for Good
ing's brigade of Mitchell's division was
| finally sent over to our assistance. 1t was
brigade of veteran soldiers and bravely
led. 1t did good service and lost heavi
| ly, but it should have come two or three
hours before, accompanied by full d.
vision of Gilbert's corps. The Confed-
crate army was within the grasp of
the national forces. If the hand of the
latter had been put vigorously forth the
one saw this more clearly than Bragg
and Polk, and so, having struck their
blow and ascertained the national
strength and their own weakness they
hurriedly left US to weep over the loss
of friends and curse the martinets who
permitted victory to be snatched away
when by the exercise of little common
sense it might have been secured with
even fewer casualties than we sustained.
But these captains and lieutenants on
the roster of the regular army should
l'perhaps not be too severely censured.
They probably did the best they knew
how to do. The only thing they at that
time had in common with great military
leaders was their uDiform-the gold
lace, buttons and stars. They appeared
we'll on dress parade and subsequently
attained some practical knowledge of
the art of war and rendered valuable
service to their country, but it cost the
lives of thousands of brave men to quail.
lty them Tor the high positions to which
they were prematurely assigned They
were in fact at first no better fitted to
command corps and divisions than the
youngest graduate of law school to sit
on the bench of the Supreme court of the
United States.
The difference in respect of education,
intellectual vigor and exdererience be-
tween the private soldier in the rear
rank and commanders of brigades, di-
visions and army corps was often so
slight that if their positions had been
reversed during the first years of the
war, it is not at all probable that the e.
nal result would have been materially
affected The consequences of incapaci-
tV and inpYnnrinnoa yuara od in