Manchester, 5 May 1862 

Dear Moor, 

There was no end of trouble at the office last week, on top of 
which I didn’t feel very well, hence didn’t manage to write. 
Friedlander’s magnanimous letter returned herewith. Those 
people have peculiar ideas of London! 4 

a Reynolds’s Newspaper - » K. A. Varnhagen von Ense, Tagebiicher. Aus dem Nachlaf 
Varnhagen’s von Ense, Bd. I-II, Leipzig, 1861 (published by Ludmilla Assing). - 
© Sophie von Hatzfeldt - 4 See this volume, p. 353. 

As to the Tribune, I saw in the Manchester Examiner and Times’ 
LITERARY Gossip an item to the effect that Dana is resigning from the 
Tribune ‘on ACCOUNT OF DIFFERENCES OF OPINION WITH Mr Horace Greevey’. So, 
that old jackass with THE FACE ANGELIC Seems to have been behind it all.4° 
But I wouldn’t let the fellows off just like that without at least 
writing to Dana, asking for further elucidation as to what it all 
means and who is now manacinc the Tribune in his place, so that 
you know whom you are to have recourse to. If the chaps want to 
sever the connection, at least get them to say so; I wouldn’t just 
tamely put up with indirect hints. If you were subsequently to go 
to another New York journal, they could always say that you were 
being disloyal to them. Besides, they must surely give a reason. 

Borkheim writes to say that he has paid the balance of the 
money, so I hope you will be saved from arrest.* 

Ad vocem? Ariadne, there’s no doubt I’m right.‘ All the old 
constellations still exist on the modern charts. What Diodorus 
maintains is not authoritative. The fellow wasn’t an astronomer. 
Moreover, it was a question of the wording. I betted on 
constellation. But subsequently it struck me, too, that she figures 
among the recently discovered asteroids; that, however, has 
absolutely nothing to do with the case, of course. 

What I want besides the War Department Estimates (for 1862) is a 
paper laid before Parliament which sets out the new organisation of 
the Indian native army (as it has existed since 1861) (ie., the 
number of regiments with their old and new names and in what 
way these have been retained or renumbered). 

Can you send me The Free Press for April? I shall try and get 
hold of the May issue up here. 

As regards America: 

1. Battle of Corinth.**° May be classed with all well fought major 
modern battles, in which the antagonists have been of approxi- 
mately equal strength. Eylau, Wagram, Lützen, Bautzen (admitted- 
ly the French were much stronger here, but, being without 
cavalry, they were incapable of pursuit), Borodino, Magenta, 
Solferino.*° The battle, to use Clausewitz’s words, smouldered 
away like damp powder, exhausting both sides, and, when it was 
over, the positive advantages gained by the victorious side were of 
a moral rather than a material nature. At all events, the 

4 See this volume, pp. 354, 355-56.-> As regards-* See this volume, 
p. 354. - 4 ‘Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Organisation 
of the Indian Army’, London, 1859. - © C. von Clausewitz, Vom Kriege, Bd. I, Berlin, 
1832, Viertes Buch: ‘Das Gefecht’, S. 283. 

momentary advantage gained by Beauregard on Sunday* was 
more intensive and much greater than that gained by Grant and 
Buell on Monday. The bulk of the trophies went to the 
Confederates, even though they were ultimately beaten, Le., 
compelled to forego their attack and withdraw. That is the tactical 
aspect. But the strategic one is this: 

Beauregard had concentrated all the troops he could get hold of 
so as to pounce on the approaching Federal divisions, one by one 
when possible. This miscarried; the troops under Grant, Buell and 
Wallace were sufficient to repulse him. Had they lost this battle, 
the Federals would have lost Tennessee; now they have kept it. It 
was thanks only to the redoubts at Corinth that Beauregard was 
not at once compelled to move further south. Whether these 
earthworks are capable of protecting him from an attack by 
Halleck (who has now assumed command), there is no way of 
telling. No more can we credit the rumour that he has received 
massive reinforcements from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. 
If this is to some extent the case, they can certainly be nothing but 
raw recruits, who will be more of a hindrance to him than a help. 
On the other hand, the forces at Pittsburg Landing were so close 
to being evenly matched that, without reinforcements, Halleck, too, 
will find it difficult to carry out an assault on a fortified camp or 
undertake some other major offensive operation. We don’t know 
what troops the Federals still have in Tennessee or Kentucky, 
other than those engaged at Pittsburg Landing, so it’s hard to say 
what the odds are. In the meantime, the Unionists have cut the 
railway from Memphis to Chattanooga (i.e., to Richmond, 
Charleston, Savannah), both to the west as well as to the east of 
Corinth. Consequently, Beauregard is restricted to one railway (to 
Mobile and New Orleans), and the question arises whether his 
troops will be able to subsist in Corinth for any appreciable time.*” 

2. Virginia. Hero McClellan is tw 4 pean rix. I think this will mark 
the passing of his spurious glory. He has had another division 
transferred to him from McDowell, but that won’t help him much. 
All that can save him are the tronclads, yet another of which (the 
Galena) has sailed for Monroe. Concerning this topic, see today’s 
Morning Star, American news; of great interest to Austria. You will 
also learn from it why, not long ago, the Monitor lay quietly at 
anchor when the Merrimac, the Yorktown, etc., seized the 3 trans- 
ports. If they cleared the rivers to right and left and engaged 

46 April 

the flanks and rear with their guns, these ships could once again 
save this jackass or traitor,* in the same way as the gunboats at 
Pittsburg Landing saved Sherman (who had nothing but young 
troops, who had never been under fire before). 

3. Mountain Department. Frémont is still at Wheeling, the result 
being that the mountainous portion of south Virginia as well as 
east Tennessee is still in enemy hands. I.e., the very best Union 
regions! Impossible to explain why. At all events, the Confederate 
regiment that was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, as recently as 
the beginning of April, will doubtless go over at the first shot. 

Bonaparte is up to his tricks again in America. He'll take good 
care not to stir up that hornet’s nest. Before the year was out (vide 
‘Morning Star’), his ironclads and likewise all French merchantmen 
would be gone from the ocean, and then farewell to pleasure! 

Apropos. You will have seen in today’s Standard (or Morning 
Herald) that General Hecker has become chief niccer catcher 
(Manhattan”). Be sure to keep the paper. 

What do you make of the Prussian elections? So colossal is the 
government’s defeat that it’s tantamount to a decisive victory for 
the same.*” For it can only drive handsome William to extremes. 
Now they are sending him nothing but democrats! The Hamburger 
Correspondent as well is already saying that, under the present 
electoral law, there is nothing to be done and that it is 
impossible to govern. The worthy Twesten has already completely 
relapsed into parliamentary cretinism and wants to move a vote of 
no confidence in the ministers. At any rate, troubles are mounting, 
and the tide is rising. 

How is little Jenny placed for wine? Tell me which kinds Allen 
usually recommends. I can now send you some port as well, old, 
light, no spirits, which I highly recommend; but only after it has 
been well filtered, for the crust has loosened. 

Warm regards. 

Your 
F. E.