Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-05
ffErFEAL MAGRUpEE
TIE s.rri.22 itF sAVAGE sfAr.v, 41pMaLTgEI
hill


II ias Ed!ior 6f tie Hh1g:
The iecsll Of Gen. Msgrudel While on hla
WAY &c ths important Command to Hhich ia
bad besn assigned b; the President sxcitea
st lto time, much curiosity and Speculation
in TITO public mind. Nor mas that curiosity
Jet Letr alaycd by ar authoritative state
n.eIli Jf the CIRCUMSTANCES C"rEacted Ttr
this. apparently. ny"teriona affair. ;" promo
are w, indeed, tn searrL i,r rrco1l1ite cauaa2
sod hId.ien rsssnns. tn explain events III
themselves Of simple solution. that rumorl,
prepoat.rou= in their character, snd highly
dsrnyAlory 10 this gallant and Tneritnrioir
officer, Urro freely circulated =nd, Ter s time
obtslned easy 3redence, soIne tf thohr re-
ports Here such that 70 at6"r to meet than
Toiiid haze boel Incompatible with tie posi-
tioI OF gentleman. 1t Is sincerely &c T.:
hoped thst thay have found tie oblivion rhs?
deserve. Othnr reports, H.5ie Spacious III
their nature, asserted that Gen. alag rl',t /
had bsan recalled in consequence Of chaTgta
preisrred against hin with relation TO the
operations Of his corps during r.e recent bat
lies hefore Richmond. The writer af this
hes u, oili4s information Iii the subject, bill
la lninks ho can stats with confidence, that
40 charasa, of .ny kind, have been lreftrr"d
against lrn. MsgrtldsI. Statements HtIc
ln,,,ie CONCERNING him which induced Ika
moini, IN lrSar that be might make :cpO1
Of lila operations during the period shove 70
ielrei to. Thst report bas been made, aui,
whsn snLiuiltEt to the public will, ADJ con-
tident, prove complete .refuation CT the anon
yInous charges which hsvs bssn lnade, Aid :
perfect viadicston OF his proceedings sgain.t
the ssLelsions snd criticisms CT uninlorIH. IL
psrsona.
The writer has, Of course: not s2eL tht ie-
port, but he is conrersant With the iGcts ai
the case, and is persuaded that the Judgment
of tie President, Of Gea. Lee, and 81 an in
telligent public will corrohGrass Ihct he k5a
sid. It was certainly rather remarkable
that G,:n. Magrudor' Il iucompetenoy for coln-
mani fhonld be discovered only sitter more
than q Year'a aerpice ii very important
position, during which period he had won the
frat victory gained oTar the enemy, hat Sc
cured the Conicderats CaPita HSaiu5t atL4tk,
and Southeastern Virginia against INVASION.
although with email forces and comparatively
inadequate G.cans, had with lU,6G0 men IT.
PEELED the assaults OF the l20O00 compor.n.
McClellnn'a grand army Of the Potomac, and
kept them at bay until sufficient force for
the defence CT Richmond could be corcrn-
trated; and had finally been assigned, by the
President, " no knew his services, and ap~
preciated lis merits, to an exceedingly re
sponsible and important connnsnd III din
tsnt portion Of the Confederscy. The truth
OF history will Justify the President's CONT
dsnce, and assign to General 4lagrudtr 1T
eminent position among ouI military leaders.
snd especially among those who Aiied il the
onsratioGs by which Richmand Was relieved
from the proximity If McCi5llan's nrIiy.
Much has been said, both in private snd III
public, in derogation of General Masruder's
operations st Malvern Hill; and in conae-
auence Of unfair and preJndlclhi cflLlt;Eina
hsre, the enemy have been encouraged ~
claim as victory, an action which was to
them, perhaps, the most disastrous OF tha
whole series Many comments have been
n.ds 90 that engagement and yat To de-
scriptton OF it has ever been given 70 the
public, and nothing !. generally known oi IT,
except that it WIS characterized BY desperate
and bloody fighting, and that II terminated
the list of battles ShicE cloGcd McGlellan's
career in SOUTHEASTERN Virginia 1t hes
been freauantly asserted, and is generally be-
liersd thai thia action was accompanied
Tith ia mineHae lcsaeg 10 our array, ana That
n ito =eSilita-It was indecjsirz- lou Will DO
rG learn that, II proportion to the
number oI dur troops eHgsEed-l apeaE oi
tbs divisionz under COMMAND Of Gspsral iIa-
sru aer-our ioau IVES less al AlslTsrh Hill
ttsIi at either of the other BATTLES. The en-
su.Y's loes was 30 heavy; the assaults upon
their positions 20 7igofoun and well sustained,
thst they were compelled, during the night,
10 abandon the ground. retiring in haste snd
confusion, and With every evidence OF psnlc
and defeat, A the part PsrtoFmed By Cen.
Masrudar il the recsnt struggle has lot been
intelHEibly explained, a brisf statement may
perhaps not provs unacceptable to J22a and
:ou Teade1a
TIE sLTTIF " siri5E sTi.:2T.
The effect Of the 1erioas actions CT the
other side of the Chickshominy, commencing
m Mechanicsville. on the afternoon CT June
2Gth, and terminating at Gained -rlill, OF the
night vi June 9Th, Was, IS you are aware,
to rout McClellan's right II ine drive: i frora
sil It's positions and sever lis communication
With the base OF operations on the Pamunky
Nc otheT resource was LETT to AlcOlelsn than
to withdraw TITO shattered remnanta oi his
right to tie South side Of the Chickshoni"5-
and thencs 70 make his gay, with his array:
to sdme eligible point On Jsmss Ti;eT. Eut
tLis movement ~ss necessarily attended Win
extreme danger. it had been idr-Eeer ny
General Lee; and that srsal Commander had
made disposition, which, had they been car
risd into effect, might have assured the totsl
rout ana dispersion of McClellan's army
General Nlagrudor still remained il position
in front Of the ensmJ at Fair Oaka; General
Hugar's column occupied the williamsburg
rosd and threatened hank movement, aud
General Holmea' di7iSion TGs etation'
ed still farther to the right ready to
co-opsrats il tie general plan which hAd
heen adopted. General jackson bad sd
rsnted down the Chickahorniny % far as th'
Grape I'ine Bridge, crossing which he wouI|
menace lank aud rear attack On the IT,
treating columns CT the enemy. Ia rhec'
General Jackson wsA to cross At that pclne
and take road leading to the rsAr OF NJ
CIellan's army, whilt General Msgrudrr %aS
to attack in front, and General Huger 20 CO
operate By nanoruvring along tbs Williams
turg road. These movements We're 70 nave
BEEN made on Sunday morning, At which s'nt
it hs dsso.trsd e, tt.3 that Hig5sa1 aosa
river General MasI Iuder accordingly drew
up his forces in line oi bstae ready 70 max,
the attack as soon a. he should be informed
that General Jackson had crossed tie Chick
ahouiny. He received intelligence 20 ths
etfec. during the morning, and i,nn:edistel5
proceeded 20 assault the enemy's position q
Fair Oaks. Tne Federals wsre soon driver
iror, their works, making only such resist
ance as wsa necessary to impede alagruder
advance. Thus they were driven SUCCESSIVE
lY from fortihcauon after foItilicatloH on
forces vigorously pursuing up TO aid t"g'nf
the we'll known position at Seven Pines
In the meantime, he learned that ''=n. tin
gers troops Gu hia right had heeo or''erel
elsewhere, and received nlea1ase froI: 'e1''
h;,, OF n can 1.ili