Year: 1861

Movement from Washington.


An occasional correspondent of the Cleve-
land Herald (Republian) does not present a
very iattering view of the prospects of a
forward movement from the Potomac. He
thus presents his own Impressions, from
what he saw and heard at the Federal Cap
itel:


WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.
To the Editors of the Herald:


have been spending a few weeks in the
political metropolis, and have found things
generally so different from what I was
taught daily by the telegraph to expect, be-
fore leaving home, that cannot resist the
inclination to jot down few of my impress
si0ns for your perusaL You know how
long and how anxiously we have looked day
by day for collision between the two Grand
Armies on the other side of the Potomac.
A man can not spend week in Washing
ton without becoming convinced that the
telegraph is the bearer of more lies, and the
cause of more false impressions than any
other vehicle of thought in the nation-the
press not excepted. Not one half the stories
which it daily flashes through the country
are true. 1 do not believe there has ever
been a time since Gen. Mcclellan assumed
command of the Army, that he contempla-
ted an onward movement. 1t is obvious, to
careful observer of the condition of af-
fairs, that such movement would only
prove are-production of the disaster at Bull
Run. The great error was in permitting
the enemy to occupy Manassas. They have
made it q perfect Gibraltar. Every day,
since its first occupancy by them, the diff
hcultles of its capture have increased, until
now it would be the hight of madness for
our army to expect to take it by any direct
attack. a flank movement, by which we
could march behind the present strong for
tlhcatIons, would be our only hope of sue
cess.


The question is asked, why has not such
movement been made? I will tell you:-
In the first place, the armies have been
about equal in numbers, but that of the
enemy have had year the start in prepa-
! ration, and their Notifications are of the
strongest kind. Both armies occupy field
works and each has been waiting for the
| other to make the attack, equally confident
that the one which did so would be de-
| feated. In the mentime, the country oc-
| cupled by them has been completely des-
olated, the crops have been absorbed, homes
have been pillaged and burned, fences des-
| troyed, SO that within one hundred miles.
in every direction, that which before the
war was fine farming district low does
not contain forage sufficient to supply 8
| single division of the great army of the
| Potomac; the roads are in the worst posi-
BILE condition, hardly passable for army
wagons, much less for artillery. The forest:
have been leveled in every direction, anC
very much of the country between this city
and the enemy would present to an army
marching in line miles upon miles of terri
tory, wholly impossible on account of falle1
timber. Surely, these reasons are suffici
ent to account for delay, and if, in the fact
of these obstacles, efforts had been made t.
remove them at all commensurate with thei,
magnitude, l think the people would have
little cause to complain.
But white this has been the case, ouI
toops have been employed in erecting un
necessary field works and attending mag
nifcent reviews. No road has been i'm
proved, no forest removed, nothing done tc
facilitate grand movement. I do not know
where the fault lies. The army has laid
still upon the green hills of the Potomac
feeding upon the substance of the nation
and now tho prospect of its engaging the
enemy is further off than ever. We are tolG
daily that it will not go into winter quar-
ters. Mr.. Chase said so in New York few
days ago, but confess l can not see any
other alternative, for it cannot with any
propriety, in the present state of the eoun
try, make march against the enemy.


| Ihave no doubt-there can be no doubt
if the proper means had been employed
that we might to-day have been in posses
| sion of Richmond as well as Port Royal
There is a screw loose somewhere. / may
be laughed at for attempting to compre
hend this subject; but while do not pre-
tend to point out remedy, am perfectly
satisfied, as is every other observer will
whom have conversed, that there is in
capacity in some of the powers that con.
troll the movements of the army.