, 1862-09-16

--Nore,nnts II our 4a'7ny mp The IatoA.a:-
Tic D:tenses Of Washington, Etc.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.l
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Sept. 10, 1862.
Gen. Pope's report, or at least copy Of it,
substantially correct, is published The
charges against Gems Fitz John Porter, GriE-
fin and franklin have now received official
endorsement. The correspondence between
Gene. Pope and Mcclellan, in which the litter
declined to forward supplies to the former
unless he would furnish cavalry escort, is
also alluded to. Tho only point in my letter,
which you at first declined to publish, because
the allegations seemed too incredible to be
true, that Gen. Pope does not coallrm, Is one
cf which he had no official knowledge, aud
therefore lad no call to speak, namely, Gen.
MeCIelian's disobedicnce Of Gen. Halleck's
orders to send the corps Of Franklin to the
relief Of Gen. Pope. Thereport shows clearly
ctcugh, however, that Gen. Pope expected
and thought that he had right to expect
F1anklin's assistance, and that he relied upon
tie Alexandria army to forestau Jackson's
movement.
To pronounce upon the merits Of the case
which Gen. Pope makes out for him: ELF, with
out moro data for Judgment than arc yet at
command, would be premature. I have not
read the report critically, but several things
struck me while g'ancing over it. It is ex-
tremely jejunc in its narrative Of battles, aud
reads as If written by one who may have given
orders, but vas not near enough to .he field
to see to their execution. It apparently doe.
great injustice to Si:el, whom nuE crous Wit
neescs affirm to have been the prominent fig
ure in every contest in which he was engaged.
He is omitted from the list Of generals men
toned with commendation, and is reflected
upon in the remark that though "closc at
hand with his corps, he did not j bin in the ac-
tion''-a circumstance which, one civilian eye.
witness says, whether true or not and whether
blameEoFthy or not, Is attributable to his
strict compliance with the orders of Gen. Nc
Dowe.l, under whom he was acting at the
time. Gen. McDo#ell is the centre of eulogy
in the report.
Gen. Pope fails to show that he took suita.
able and sufficient precautions to pro.
tcct his rear. To the mid upon Cat.
lett Station in which his personal effects
we're captured by the enemy, and which was
the rattle Of the snake, as 1t were, warning
of tie more formidable movement, made two
or three dass afferward, he does not refer.
Gen. Pope certainly shows the evil OF di.
vids d command in the fact that division
which he had ordered TO hold Manassas did
not move from Alexandria, and that two
whole corps were lying idle at that place, at
the critical moment; but he fails toshow that
he himself took measures to prevent the enc
my from getting In his rear Officers, who
we're stationed at the outposts over the river,
when Gen. Pope's headquarters were at Rsp.
nahannock station, have told me that for
three days they watched With wondering eyes
the enemy's heavy column, Infantry, artillery,
cavalry, baggage trains moving up the river,
move, they intended to turn Gen. Pope'a
right flank. While the enemy marched in
ibis direction, our army lay moioulsss, colo
nele and ma3oEs discussed the matter In their
tents. Many Rrumbled; but one Of the most
competent Held officers, q man trained to the
profession Of arms, brushed aside all criticism
with ehe exclamation: s.No general could be
such dolt as to leave Thoroughfare GAP M
guarded, while his army remains here. 4
must be guarded by asuticient force, or We
should have moved long ago."
GtD. Pope puts forward the old excuse OF
overpower1pg numbers and the new excuse
that his Renera1B from the Peninsu1ar army
we're dlsobediept aud represented their sol
eitrs to be greatly demoraltzed. He counec.s
bis campaign with that Of Qeu. McClelIao on
the Peninsula In way which unmfstaknbiY
indicates that IN his opinion the failure OF tue