Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-07-12
LATEST NEWS.
McCLELLANs PRESENT POSITION.
BY TELEGRAP
TO THE WORCESTER DAILY SPY

sition, it says 1--WE believe all that was
'Mown in this city yesterday, outside of the
several circles of Bureaucracy, was that the
enemy had taken a strong position, with one
of his TANKS resting on the river, about Berk-
ley, completely under cover of his gunboatS,
and his extreme right reaching to Herring
Creek, where his position is defended by an
almost impossible swamp. Ii was supposed
the enemy would have been attacked yester-
day, but there had been no fighting up TO last
accounts we have had from the lines.
sit is not to be supposed that the enemy
has selected these plantations as the scene OF
his last great stand, without good reasons.
The first and most apparent OF these Is that
the Westover Landing is perhaps the very
best on James river, and the stream for miles
up and down, being broad and deep, affords
both excellent sea room and anchorage 1or his
gunboats and transports. But this is by no
means the only advantage Of the position.
On the west of Berkeley, are innumerable i'm
passable ravines from near the Charles City
Road on the north, to James river, making a
successful attack from that quarter next to
impossible. Within quarter of mile from
where these ravines begin, Herring Run creek
crosses the Charles City Road, and running in
a south easterly direction skirts on the north
and east the plantations of Berkeley and w est
over, and emptieS into James river at the eX-
IRENE eastern boundary of the latter. The
whole course of this creek is one impossible
morass, while along its northern and eastern
banks extend the heights of Evelinton, long
RANCE of hills that overlook the Westoyer and
Rerxlev estates. and which offer an eligible
position for heavy guns.
sit will be seen that protected on the south
NV the river and his gunboats. on the west by
impassable ravines. and ON the north and east
by Herring creek and the Heights of Evelin-
ton. the enemy's position presents but one
prepnable point. the piece of level country
northwest of Westover, from a quarter to a
half a mile in width, having between the head
of the ravines and the point where Herring
creek crosses the Charles City road. But it
is certain that the enemy with his immense
resources of men and machinery, will in a
very brief period obstruct by art this only
natural entrance to his stronghold Already
it is within range of his gunboats and of his
siege guns planted on the Evelinton hills
Another day NAV see it strewn with felled
timber and bristling with field batteries.
SIN enumerating the advantages secured to
the enemy by his present position, his super
ior facilities for Transportation must not be
omitted. Whilst our ammunition and stores
must be wagoned distance of nearly thirty
miles. his steamers and transports are rum
ming up to the very doors of his tent. For
the benefit of the distant reader we NAV here
properly say something of the character of the
country to which suddenly and unexpectedly
the seat of war has been shifted.
E"Pen DAYS ago when Mcclellan beleaguer-
ed Richmond, with the exception of about
five miles of the Chickahominy low ground,
he occupied the most barren, and at the same
time the worst watered and unhealthy, region
of eastern Virginia Agues. hoop poles, and
whortleberries have been the only sure crops
of the country within radius of ten miles
about the Seven Pines, taking that point as
center and but two living streams cross the
Nine Mile or Williamsburg roads between
Richmond and Bottom Bridge. On these two
lactads, with the Seven Pines as their head
Quarters, the very pick and flower of the
northern army was concentrated, and here for
weeks their yigor and numbers melted away
under the influence of the miasma, bad water
and a southern sun
.sBnt nv his bastv trim through White Oak
Swami. Mcclellan has emerged with thinned
ranks into more genial land. A broad fresh
river flows before him. while his tired and
hunorv hordes will find boundless supplies in
as fair and rich valley as the sun shines on.
The country ON the lower James River is the
very garden SPOT of Virginia. Nowhere does
the soil better repay the toll and skill of the
husbandman."
The Examiner saws of its own jeff Davis
government =
ssThere has already been enough of trifiing
and abuse of the public mind by the suppress
sion or reserve of facts on the part of the
Government. If the commanding general
could write dozen lines giving the result of
the fight at Gaines Mills. wby on each sue
ceedino dav. might we not have had bulletin
SimnIv stat;ng results II would have cost
brt a trfn If Time md wonld have conferred
an, incolculabln honefit ,non tho whole conn
trv in comnosing nnhlc ANXIETY IF the first
ofiiciaI disnIav Of our success had NOT been
fully sustained NV subsequent evants and if
tho nnbI;c avnectations which ,vere then raised
70 sncb a beight are RI ba rodnced we beieva
onr neonle can hear the disannointment with
ont waiting to hear the facts drin ont throuob
the slow and forced confessions of those in
authority.
"If Mcclellan has effected communica-
tion with the river. why was not this fact bold
Iy and sincerely announced, instead of trhing
with the public mind? By reports of sur
rounding portions of his army in triangular
swamps and in the .neighborhood of mill
ponds, and other false and vague stories, in
tended to break the fall of public expectation,
the public is left under the impression of gen
eral facts. We know that the valor of our
troops has so far prevailed, and that the enc
nv has been pushed from his lines of invest
ment of this city, but what may be the
strength of the coherent remnant yet in