The National tribune., 1895-12-12

that the corps were brought over Bui-
Run in the manner proposed and put
into action as before arranged, and thai
up to late in the afternoon every move
mSnt ordered was carrying us success
fully to the object we had proposed be
fore starting, that of getting to the rail
road leading from Manassas to the Val
ley of Virginia, and going on it fan
enough to break up and destroy the com.
munications and interpose between the
forces under Beauregard and those under
Johnston, and could we have fought q
day-yes, a few hours-sooner, there is
everything to show that we should have
been successful, even against the odds
with which We contended.'
We are frank to confess that in this
initial fight in some ways our Southern
brother was the stronger. For the
most part he lived in rural and
sparsely-settled country;
EVERYONE OWNED GUN,
most Of them horse, and most of them
were expert in the use and management
Of firearms and horses. From the time
of the Colonies they had been in the
habit of assembling at the County Court
houses for military muster, and were
formed in companies, and learned some
thing of organization, and this was a
basis for larger aggregations, and when
war came on the South was like vast
military camp, without a break in their
daily routine
On the contrary, in the North, especi-
ally in the East, every man had regular
work and occupation. A large portion
lived in large towns and cities. The
rural man needs to protect himself with
arms and grows familiar with them;
the town man is protected by the police
and requires no arms. And, so, when the
war broke out the Southern man was
armed, the Northern man was not.
The steady Northern man made,
finally, a better soldier than the South
ern idler, but it took longer to do it.
Then, the Union had to carry the war
into the Confederacy; had to fight on
the offensive; had to contend against
what was an unanimous sentiment of
the supremacy of the State.
The Northern man was an American;
the Southern man was not so much an
American as he was Virginian, or
Mississippian, or Georgian; he went
with his State.
The whole force of the South was
available to their leaders the North, at
first, did not show so much unanimity;
but before many months we were of one
sentiment, and that was to save the
Union, and when in the end we did con-
quer, some vcxatious political questions
were settled for all time. :
OF Bull Run one writer says: "Per
haps it was the best thing that could
happen for the final success Of the Fed
eral cause that the Union army was de-
feated. The North thereafter had a
truer sense of the magnitude of its un-
dertaking, and while it hurled its men into
the field, it was content to allow little
time at least for the officers and men to
learn little Of the rudiments of the art
Of war"
We are apt to say that the mishaps
of the first Bull Run could not happen
again yet, on this same field, in August,
1862, with the Union troops under
Pope, and the Confederates under Jack
son, with the positions of the armies re-
versed as to what they we're in 1861
that is, the Confederates we're north of
the Warrenton pike and the Union on
the south side of the pike was fought
the second battle Of Bull Run, and we
were even worse punished than In 1861. |
While there was not the panic of 1861, |
The rout was worse, if anything, and
thousands of Union troops were capt
Ired.
The Union loss in the second Manas-
;as were 1900; the Coniederates' were
300. If the reader would visit the
Henry House, on the battlefield, as the
writer did last year, he could hardly
imagine from the quiet and peaceful |
surroundings that prevail there now that
20 many thousand of men had fought
md died within sight Of this house.
Probably during the war there were 90
300 men killed, wounded, and captured
II this vicinity in the affairs Of the first
md second Bull Run, Groveton, Gaines
vile, Chantilly, and other engagements.
There. to-day, is the Stone House, now oc-
,upied by an ex-Conlederate soldier;
he Henry House, with the grave and
in the yard, of old Mrs.
Henry, who died in the house during
he first fight; there is the Warrenton
ike going to decay from want of use,
md the Stone Bridge, with its broken
lrches, and nothin- but the finding of
ome bullets or old bayonets or brasses
o suggest the mighty struggle Of 30
ears ago.
The Lord Chief Justice OF England has writ
en- an article Of unique interest for the next
yolume of The Youths Companion The Bar
IS Profession" ,f
This will be followed in the same periodical
" supplementary article showing how far
1otd Russell's views apply to the American