The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-30

4 >,
| made forcinIe speech, explaining his rea-
| sons for not interceptiug Gen. J ohnston, pre-
| vious 10 the hatlle OF Manassas Junction:
Tia gentlemen OF the Troop were Witnesses
| Of what was dJns, ana he asserted what they
| Knew 10 De true. that he column was well
condu, Ted. lhara was not u IA ist steep made
nor II binnGer committed The skirmishers
| were always in front, aud the TANKS wei pro
| tected. Iney We're caught ia no trap ana
| II into 10 aInbuscade, Taey repeatedly Of
| ief=d tAe enemy battle, and when they C.
| copied II they beat Them. There was defeat
| aAd no retreat with his column.
| FILL INyEsTiGATTos DEMANDED.
II might he ASKED, "Why have you not
| made this statement EOOnert' Because the
pu biication OF the documents sooner would
dave been most ietr, mental TO the public in :
| terests. He preferred bearing the caium so
| literally DestO wed on HIM, rather than claar
| himself RI the expense OF the cause III which
| We are All eng ged The line has arrived W h- %
| ina matter couid, without iuJury 10 the
| vice. be inquired into, and he WIS determ II sd
| that II should be done, and that before .Cn 2
al The documents r. fsrred 10 should be pun
| lisned, and spread before the American peo-
pie, unless those whose duty it was to do go
should, Ill the meantime, 90 him justice.
he would state 4 few of the ficis, On the
Ghlrd OF jane ba took command at Cham.
Garsburg. Ga the fourth ne was informed hy
the 81 enerai in-thiet that he considered the
addition to his furcs Of ii battery of artillery
,ud sor1e regular Infantry ladspensa ble Gn
The Ell nth oI June, letter OF instructions
was sent 10 him, III which he was told that
here must os 40 TAyeIse: a check or a drawn
battle would ba "a victory TO tbs enemy. fill
Tag III. heart with JOY, his ranks with men
trd his magazines with voluntary contrIbu-
| tons; and, therefore, TO take has measures
-ircuinspectiy, aud attempt nothing without
| clear prospect of sucCt IS. ms was good
| nstruclion and most sensible Savice. GOOD
OF bad. ne was 70 obey; and ne did.
On Friday, the 18Th, he was informed that,
on the supposiiion that he would cross the
d.
raj Mcdowell would ba instructed to make
demonstration on Manassas Junction He
xas surprised at the order. but promptly
ohey"d. "a the 18th. he reached Hasers-
town, and, ti.e 18th, two thirds OF his
forces had crossed the Potomac. The pro
missed demonstration by General Mcdowell
"a the direction OF Manassas Junction was
not made; and on lie 18Th, just three davs
after he had bean told hs was expected TO
cross, he was photographed By the 9eneral-in.
Chief 10 send him lat once all the regular
troops, horse and foot, and tbs Rhode Ists nd
regimen aud battery and said that he was
stropg enough without the T gulars and TO
Keep within limits until he could satisfy him
that he ought to 60 beyond them. On the
18th, he agalu teiegraphed, We are
pressed here. Send the troops / have twice
called for without delay This was i.npe.
rative, and the troops were sent, leaving him
without single pies.e OF artillery, and, for
the time, single troop q: cavalry. II was
a gloomy night, bat they were all brought
over the river again without loss.
On the 10th OF June he was asked by the
0sneral-in-thief to propose, without deiay
| plan OF Operations. On the 2lst he sub
| mitted 10 The General Chief his plan
which was TO abandon the present line OF
| operations. move all supplies to Frederick,
| occupy Maryland Heights with Major Dou-
p!eday's heavy guns, and a brigade of infan-
| try TO support them, and everything else
horse, foot, and arti tery-to cross the Poto-
| mae at Point OF Rocks, and unite with Col
| Stones forces ut Leesburg. from which poin I
~ IN % ri
mand and the Generals orders should re-
| quiie. No reply was received but on the
| Z.th the General tsiegraphed to him that he
| supposed he WAS that day crossing the river
| in pursuit of the enemy.
On that day the enemy WAS In condition TO
| cross the river in mis- pursuit. He had over
1900 men, and from twenty to twenty. four
Guns. Gen. Patterson had 10 600 men and
six guns, the latter immoyable for want Of
harness. On the Is h he informed the Gen
era, OF the strength OF the enemy, and Of his
own force; that he would not, on his own
resp VI sibiiity, attack without artillery but
wonld do so cheeIfully and promptly. IL b 3
would CIV him an explicit order to that st-
feet. No order WAS giyea. On the 10Th he
received the harness for his single battery OF
six smooth bore guns, and on the 30th gave
the orcer TO cross. On the I'd of July he
crossed, met the enemy, aud whipped them.
On July council was held, st which all
the commanders Of divisions and brigades and
chiefs OF stan, Wsre present. Col. Stone, tho
junior line officer, spoke twice and decidedly
against an All vance, advocating direct move.
ment 70 Shepherdstown and Oh .rlestowp.--
all who spoke opposed an advance, and Ill
voted against one. On the same day he in
formed the 0eneral-in. Chief of the condition
OF affairs In the valley, and proposed that hs
should 60 to Chari.stown and occupy Har-
per's Ferry, and asked 10 be informed when
ne would attack Manassas. On the l.th he
wasdirected 10 60 where he had proposed, and
vas informed that Manassas would be at.
tackled On Tuesday, the leth. Ga the Is h he
~,i, nod q
oeat the enemy early next week, make demon.
-tra,iops so as to detain him In the valley OF
Winchester" He made the demonstration,
and ON tho 10th, the day General Scott said he
~my's ptckets into his entertainments at
Winchester, and on the l7th marched TO
OhArlestown.
On the Is Ii no telegraphed the General in.
Cnief that Johnston WAS In position to have
mis- streng doubled just ~ he could reach
him. ana that he would rather lose the chance
Of accomplishing something brilliant than,
by hazarding his column, to destroy the fruits
OF The campaign by defeat, closing his tele-
gram thus; eli wrong. let me- be instructed.
Bat no instructions came. On the 18th, Gen.
scott autographed: "McDowell's first days
avsn 'ns aarta1
probably be carried" With this information
ne was happy. Jonnstoa had been de aimed
me appointed time. and the WORK Of General
fLttersons column mad been done.
Ga The 18th, at hal past ons In the morn.
ING, he tslegraphed Gen. Scott the condition
% me snemy's force and his own, referring 10
eIo. astsr o. the 10 for fall Information, aud
..osea me dtspatsh by asking. "Shall at
| 90 Ints was pl lin Engltsh, and could
| ~. u IN sandsrstood, but he received no re-
Wy. ne sApsctsd to BE- attacked where he
On tnat day, ~ stated In Hen. SCOTS die
patches OF the day previous, he ought 10 haye
been ordered down forthwith to joia in the
Hs cOuld have been there on tbs d ' IN Mt he
battle wss fought, End his assistance raiehs
have produced different rescit.
On the 3osh he heard that Johnston had
ms1ched with ef0oU Confederate tSoope. ard
!; = S!I$