Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-17


see the Potomac army undergo other not.iess in
expicable diminutions. But We anticipate.
fortnight was required 70 move the army to
Fortress Monroe. This point was chosen because
the appartion Of the Merrmac, and her lremen-
dous exhibition Of her strength. rad made u I'M
possible TO regard the FEDERAL navy rs absolutely
mistress Of the watersof Virginia
The Prince then shows how the presence of
the AeErimac, By depriying Us Tor a short time
Of the absolute command Of the waters Of yir
ginia, converted a sure and rapid movement into
along and dangerous campaign. OF subsequent
operations he says:
We were here twenty tour miles from York
town, and we could not learn what works the enc
ms bad thrown up, nor what vas his force within
them. This was the more amazing that Fortress
Monroe had always been held by strong garri-
son, which ought to have been able 70 obtain
some information OF 10 make some reconnaissance
in this direction. But by a strange alteration,
tins fortress, now became the base of operations
Ct the army of the Potomac, had been specially
sequesiered from the command OF Gen. McClell
an, together with its garrison. although the Gen
eral "a command Dt u his inferior in rank.
Hence arose military susceptioilities, which were
by means favorable TO the exchange OF conf
dental communications
80 the army of the Potomac moved on in the
dark toward Yorktown We were two days on
the road. The column Of the Generalin Chief
had passed some fortified positions abandoned by
the enemy. A few borsemen were occasionally
seen at rare intervals No sooner had we come
under the walls Of yorktown, than We were ar
rested by the cannon.
The difficulties OF the situation caused by the
flooding of the country by the rebels are graphic
ally described. but with these facts our readers
have been familiar long since. We are then af-
forded insight into Gen. McCLELLAS's plans,
and their arrangements by the laundering of
Washington officials The Prince saws:
In order To gain time and avoid the tedium of
siege. Gen. Mcclellan had thought out the
means of turning the position The enemy held
the James with the Merrmac and his gunboats;
the y rk was closed by the Yorktown and Glou.
cester Point batteries. Nevertheless. by dis
embarkaton on the Severn, beyond Gloucester,
we might carry the latter position and open the
way OF the Federal gunboats into the river York.
a subsequent movement up the left bank, in the
direction OF West Point, would put US so far in
the rear of the army charged with the defense of
the lines of Yorktown, that it would have been
IN perlous position. This accomplished, the
confederates must have abandoned Gloucester,
and fallen back hastily upon Richmond The
eAeChtiOn VI the coup Ge man nau been lett 10 a
corps OF the army commanded by Gen. Mellow
ell This corps was to be the last TO embark at
Washington. and il was calculated that it ought
to reach Yorktown in body on its transports at
the moment when the rest OF the army moving by
land should appear before the post from Fortress
Monroe
Instead of finding it, we received the inexpli-
cable and "a yet unex planned intelligence that this
corps, 35,0OO strong. had been sent to another
Hasfi nff..f IL
with stupefacti0n, although the majority could
not see the deporabe consequences of the step
taken, it must be supposed, with no evil inten-
ton, but certainly with inconceivabe reck
iessness. Fifteen days before, this measure al
though it must always have been injurious would
have been much less so. We might have made
arrangements upon new basis Taken when it
was II deranged whole system of machinery
fairly at work. Among the divisions of Mellow
ellis corps there was one, that of Franklin, which
was more regretted than all the others, as vel.
ON account of the troops themselves as of their
commanders. The General in Chief had be-
slowed special pains on its organization during
the winter and earnestly demanded its restora-
ton Ii sent back To him without a word of
explanation, precisely as it had been detached
from him. This fine division, III 900 strong, ar
rived. and for moment the General thought of
intrusting to il alone the Gloucester expedition
D"e WIS was
regular siege of Yorktown now became
necessary, but we omit the details of this as al
ready familiar to the public. The Prince shows
tina, General MCCLELLAN was always anxious to
bring on decisive battle. as he regarded a vic
tory as necessary means to secure peace
The constant interference to his designs to this
end, induces the belief that there existed a domi-
nant power in Washington which favored pro
longation of the war; and therefore thwa rted the
intentions of the General in this respect by
Gripping his resources and weakening his com
mand
The battle of Williamsburg, and the conduct
of General HooKER, who is eulogised as can ad-
mirable soldier" are then described and full
merit is awarded to General KEARNEY. After
the battle, the siege OF Richmond fairly com
menced, aud of the situation at this time we find
the following:
Cavalry reconnossances pushed in all direc-
tons demonstrated that nearly the whole hostile
army had crossed the Chickahominy, and every
thing indicated that we should meet "A desperate
resistance under the walls of the Confederate
capital. Prisoners had been taken who belonged
TO corps which had up to this time been station
Ell opposite General Burnside in North Carolina
IL was plain that this corps joined the Army of
Virginia. We soon learned of the evacuation of
Norfolk Ii was manifest that Davis could only
have made this sacrifice in order TO bring Huger
with his $4,000 men To Richmond Finally the
Confederate chief had ordered levy ca masse OF
every man able TO bear arms
The result of all this threatened the army of
the Potomac in its only superiority, that of mum
beTs. Unhappily. too. while the enemy was con-
centrating and Strengthening his forces, ours
were fading away. We have already seen al
Alexandria division detached and sent To Ere
mont. Before Yorktown we had lost two other
divisions under Mcdowell We had since left
garrisons in Yorktown, Gloucester and Williams
burg. We had lost men under fire and by dis
ease, as well as by struggling. Nothing came to
MI up the gaps When American regiment
marches 10 the war il goes a whole and leaves
behind IL no depOts OF recruits TO restore its ranks
a they are wasted away.
After the news of the ruin OF the Merrimac.
and the evacuation of Norfolk. the Prince thinks
that Gen. MCCLELLAN might perhaps have ad-
vantageously changed its base to the James
River. but here again the evil Of depriving him
OF the supreme command by precluding any cor
dial cooperation of all the forces became mani
fest, and rendered the success of the movement
more than doubtful Besides il was impossible
Tor Gen. MCCLELLAN 70 foresee the June fresh
ets. or that $4,000 men woulG be detained idle