Year: 1862

For nearly six months, counting from
the day of the battle at Bull Run discern
future, heavy load rested upon the hear,
of the Nation. That defeat was so need
less, so unexpected, so utter-it evinced
such incompeiency or insincerity on the
part of our military leaders, such incon-
stancy and mutual distrust among our sol
diers, and evoked such exhibitions of cow
ardice and baseness among the people that
its incidents and fruits might well have
driven hero to despair. The sudden disap-
pearance of the National flag from nine
tenths of the dwellings which had till
then proudly displayed it, the downcast
gaze and hated breath of the great major
ity OF loyal citizens, the unconcealed or
thinly disguised exultation of those who
in the loyal States at heart sympathised
with the traitors, the gloatiDg zest where
with every shameful detail of the panic
and flight was blazoned in the leading
European journals, the eager and confident
deduction of aris;ccrats and reactionists
that the Union was irrevocably broken up,
and that We were far more likely to dis
solve into five or six nations than to be
reunited into one, the slowness (for a
time) of recruiting, the meagerness Of our
pecuniary resources, and the narrow limits
of our Public Credit, all pointed 10 our
National dissolution as inevitable and all
but accomplished. The check at Wilson's
Creek, the abandonment of Western Mis-
souri,, the surrender of Lexington the re-
pulse at Belmont, the stupid sacrifice at
Balls Bluff, formed succession of dis
heartening incidents which well-nigh broke
the National heart. Impartial observations
were led to esteem the slaveholding Con-
federacy fixed fact-an ugly one, indeed,
but none the less certain or staple on that
account. To European authorities and
journalists of despotic Or monarchial ten
dencies, it seemed as absurd to talk of re-
storing the Union as of resubjugating
South America to Spain.


True, the clouds were not altogether
without a silver lining. The capture of
Hatteras, the defeat of 1000 rebels at
Springfield by the Heroic charge of Ere
mont's body-guard of barely 800, the
reduction of Port Royal, the brilliant af-
fair at Dranesville, and some minor sue
cess, contributed to save the dropping spir-
its of the People from sinking into utter
despair. Yet, to superficial glance, the
rebellion seemed as strong, as compact, as
defiant, on the 1st of the current month as
it had done the day after Bull Run, or at
any former period. And the popular dis
satisfaction with the torpor and ineffect-
iveness Of our vast armies was impelled
quite as much by despair of success and
desire speedily to know the worst, as by
confident and joyous hope that active and
earnest welfare would soon terminate the
rebellion. -r H


The victory of Mill Springs, near Som
erset Kentucky, first broke the spell which
was fast paralyzing the National energies.
For this victory we are primarily indebted
TO the rebel chief, who, finding his supplies
running short in barren, destitute, thin
ly-nhabited region, and missled by spy's
assurance that we had but two or three
regiments in front of Somerset, resolved to
advance and suddenly attack rather than
brave the certain evils of either standing
| still Or retreating. He made his dash and