post September 28, 1861

While such facts were only Conjectured at
that time, since it has been ascertained from
Rosencranz himself that had this plan
been executed his army sd. have succumbed
almost without a blow. Five thousand
in front & 5000 in rear, an upper &
nether Mill-stone w could not have failed
of bagging the entire Yankee crew & inflicting
a staggering blow upon the great Yankee
nation. In that Country scarcely for miles
deprived of the mighty forests which have
been flourishing for Centuries, it is near to
impossible to bring into action at any
one time or place more than one or two
thousand men. Our forces thus divided
would have proved amply sufficient to
cope with twice the force opposed to us for
the moral effect of such a movement
we. have been equivalent to defeat to them,
especially since they thought we had at
least twice our actual force. the failure
to take advantage of this opportunity; I con-
sider the greatest blunder in our Western
Campaign, but with a man in com-
mand who apparently is incapable of
seeing more than 200 yes. in front of
his fortifications; such things to say the
least are not unexpected. Having taken
up our position on Sewell we remained
actually praying that the Yankees would
see fit in their infinite wisdom to pay us
a visit; as that a reciprocal compliment was
prohbiited us by our General exemplar
of Caution. In our retreat, Mrs. Tyree
a heroic woman who lives at the Western-
base of Sewell refused to desert her home -
she learning that the Yankeeds intended
making an attack on a certain day dis-
patched a messenger to us with the glad
tidings of great joy. On the following
day the attack was expected & all the
men of the Second stood in readiness to
give our visitors a handsome reception.