The masterly movement of
General Johnston in falling back from the
Manassas line has disconcerted the enemy as profoundly as his movement last summer from
Harper's Ferry to
Winchester, which everybody denounced at the time, and which, with characteristic composure, the veteran warrior left them to denounce till explained by results at
Manassas which silenced every tongue and converted the croaking of the fault unders into shouts of applause.
The
New York Evening Past considers that the late retreat is the meat masterly military movement of the war. But profound is the disappointment which it has brought upon the enemy.
McClellan has been outwitted just as
Scott was before him. He had prepared a grand plan for taking the position of
Johnston at
Manassas in the rear, but an eagle eye was watching and anticipating his movements, and when his advance guard was actually crossing a gap in the
Blue Ridge at
Snickersville, for the purpose of executing the projected movement,
Johnston, who had been preparing for it for weeks, had successfully removed the whole of his immense armament and stores, and was bringing his last man out of the trap which
McClellan had laid for his destruction.
The Army of the Potomac is, by this masterly movement, in a more secure and stronger position than ever before, and has new reason for confidence in this great General, who, as a strategist, has successively baffled the best plans of
Scott and
McClellan, and as a soldier is one of the best and bravest of modern times.
We know that he cares as little for popular applause as for popular censure, and is one of those fire men who perform their duty with all the powers God has given them, and are supremely indifferent to the
pox populi whether it' shan't hallelujahs or deal in courses.
For this we honor and confide in him all the more.
He has given repeated proof since the war commenced of signal military abilities, and he has never said nor done one foolish thing to his great reputation.
