Posted on 07/31/2021 7:18:04 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, July 30.
I am afraid the good people of New-York are doing quite as much to demoralize our troops, as did the battle of Bull Run. Idolising runaways, and making heroes of cowards, is not the way to grow true patriots and real heroes. The ovation to some of the returning troops looks at this distance like a mockery of valor. For instance, Iread in Saturday's TIMES the following, relating to the reception of the Eighth Regiment, New-York State Militia, on their arrival at New-York:
"Capt. VARIAN, with his troop of bronzed and hardy-looking artillerists, were also on the pier, with their two guide colors, torn almost to shreds by the enemy's balls during the late engagement.
And, again, I read of
"Capt. VARIAN's artillery corps, which was in the fight."
Now look at the facts. On the Saturday preceding the battle of Bull Run, Capt. VARIAN and his artillerists demanded their discharge -- their time having expired. Gen. MCDOWELL said all that a commander on the eve of a battle could say, to induce them to remain, but without producing any effect. That day Secretary CAMERON visited the camp and the subject being referred to him, partly by coaxing, and partly by truly representing the inglorious action which they contemplated, the artillerists, were induced to notify Gen. MCDOWELL that "with the exception of seventeen, the company would stay with the division, until the time of the regiment expired, on the 25th." After Secretary CAMERON returned to Washington, however, the company took a sober second thought, and late Saturday evening again demanded their discharge from Gen. MCDOWELL.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.
Posting history, in reverse order
https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles
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Link to previous New York Times thread
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3980560/posts
The Great Rebellion: Important News from Washington – 2-3
Gen. Rosecrans’ Division – 3-4
The Repulse at Manassas: Mr. Thurlow Weed Tells Who is Responsible for the Disaster – 4
The Battle at Bull Run: Official Report of the National Medical Director – 4-5
The War in America: The Letters of the London Times’ Special Correspondent *– 5-7
Editorial: The Movements of the Rebels – 7
The Battle of Bull Run: Stedman’s celebrated Letter reprinted from the World (Adv.) – 4-6
*The print quality is bad in the latter part of this article, so here is a link to the NYT archive=> https://www.nytimes.com/1861/07/31/archives/the-war-in-america-the-letters-of-the-london-times-special.html?searchResultPosition=1
Bkmk
King was apparently a scion of the elite, the son of the president of Columbia, and the grandson of someone who was at the constitutional convention (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_King_(general)). He had some military service in the Corps of Engineers, but before the Civil War had never seen combat, In the war he only saw it once, and not for long because of an epileptic seizure. (One of his sons at some point did win the MOH.)
By my understanding todays military leadership are all career military men, so I was surpassed that they would just pluck this person from civilian life and make him a general.
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