50 The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War

case, and seeing nothing but the fact of an advancein the morning followed by retreat in the after-noon, hastened to the conclusion that this wasanother fiasco like Big Bethel and Ball’s Bluff.Whenever an engagement occurred at that earlyperiod of the war, the northern people looked foroverwhelming victory followed by a long stridesouthward; they cared little for demonstrationsand diversions, and having met with a long seriesof slight reverses, the importance of which wasmuch exaggerated, they were naturally in a cap-tious and fault-finding mood. The affair at Bel-mont was accordingly made the theme of angrysarcasm, and although this mood was soon dis-pelled by the great victory at Fort Donelson, thesarcasm was revived in later years with far lessexcuse, when Grant became a candidate for thepresidency. Democratic newspapers in 1868 mademuch of Belmont, while indulging in criticismsthat were as ill-considered as ill-natured. Grant’smilitary object in the movement was sound, and,as we have seen, was accomplished. His conductof the movement was excellent; but for his cool-ness and steadiness it would not have escaped thedisaster so nearly incurred through the insubor-dination of the troops. Had they obeyed ordersinstead of stopping to riot in the enemy’s camp,they would have been withdrawn as promptly as