Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-22
Special Correspondence Ofthe Chicago Times
From Washington.

]
POBe's Campaign in Virginia-Tae Object Of
the Campaign lcas not 10 make a Diversion in
fauor Of MeClellGR-S Subsequent Movements Of
the Conference.-The Rationale Of The Mary
land InUaslOR-fhe Design Of The COnfederates
is simply to Capture Washington.
WASHINGTON, Sept IL.
| Pope's campaign in Virginia having come to
such disastrous and ignOminious termination,
his friends here are making desperate efforts 10
/ gloss over his shameful incOmpelency by throw
ing the blame of his retreat upon other officers
\ The most impudent attempt of all is that which
tries to make out the sole design ct POpe's cam
paign toward Richmond was to make such d.
version on the Rappahannock would enable
/ General Mcclellan to evacuate the Peninsula in
safety Such is the ground which is now grayey
assumed and seriously maintained here by the
friends Of Pope and Stanton and the foes of
Mcclellan. 1t is necessary, therefore, to relute
this piece of unblushing audacity.
The real facts of the case are these:
Disguised at last with the INSTRUMENTATION and
imbecty of Fremont, the President, early in
July, relieved him of his command, and placed
under Pope's command the combined armies of
Banks. Fremont, and Mcdowell. including
Sigel's division, Schurz's brigade. and the troops
that had been serving under General Shields.
I .
McDOwel's corps, 80 1909; Fren.ont's corps Al.
900; Sise's division $1,000; Schurz's division
10 000-tOtal 100000. Included in these were
10000 cavalry, and over 100 pieces of artillery.
On the 18th OF July, Pope assumed command of
this magnificent army, and issued to his soldiers
that bOmbastic address in which he said, among
other foolish things:
Meantime desire to dismiss from your minds
certain phrases which am sorry to find much in
I
Al hear constantly of taking strong positions
and holding them-of lines of retreat, and of
bases of supplies Let us discard such ideas.
Let Us study the probable lines OF retreat of
our opponents and leave our own to take care
of themselves.
"Let us look before and not behind.
] Success and glory are i'm the advance.
Disaster aud shame luTk in the rear"
These were the principles upon which his cam
/ paign was conducted; and behold the result.
Disaster and shame lurked in his rear,' sure
enough. BY "not looking behind" him, by dis
carding his base Of supplies" the enemy slipped
in his rear, possessed themselves of his supplies.
enough to feed their army for many weeks, aud
captured even his baggage and Official papers.
but | anticipate.
On taking the field, Gen Pope was ordered by
Gen Halleck to advance on Richmond by way of
/ Culpepper. IL was understood that Gen. Haleek
was convinced of the impracticability % taking
Richmond by way OF the Peninsula, but that he
and Pope thought il might be done from the
North. Hence Pope's expedition TO the Kappa
hammock. Its diSgacelul results are so fresh in
the minds of your readers that l need not alude
to them
The idea that Gen Mcclellan needed any "di
version" to be made in order that he might get
his army away from the Peninsula in safety is
perfectly absurd From the time he arrived AZ
HarrisOn's Landing, on the 81 of July, until he
left it, on the 18th of August, the enemy made
no attempt to dislodge or even to annoy him. 1t
would have been madness for them 10 have done
so; and they knew it. This thing is to be no.
ticed about the military movements of the Con
tederates: they never undertake impOSsibiliueS
and they never fail to seize an opportunity OF
doing anything which they are sure they can do
As soon rs Gen. Mcclellan had established his
position at HarrisOn's Landing, they saw that he
had saved his army. Their tear was, that he
would be reinforced there and would renew from
there the attack on Richmond. Hence it was
that. until the 18th of August, they kept such an
immense force at Richmond. They knew that
Pope was cunning down on them from the North
with 10000 troops. But they rated Pope at his
true worth. They knew that they had far more
TO fear from McClellan's 10 900 veterans than
from Pope's whole army. Therefore it was that
while they sent Gen jackson with $4,000 mer
to fight Pope, they still kept 2O00 troops AT
Richmond and on the Peninsula watching Nc
Clellan.
The battle of Cedar Mountain was fought Au-
gust 9. Jackson, with his "A ,OOO troops, de
feated Pope, and forced him to retreat to Culpep
per. But this did not divert" the 800 900 rebel
troops away from Mcclellan. They hung around
him in every direction. They were at Richmond
They were at Fort Darling They were at Pc
tershurg. They were at City Point. They were
at DIncing PoinG They were at Malvern Hills
They were at Turkey Bend. They were at his
right hand and on his left and before him
From the day the evacuation began. on the Stt
OF August until the day it completed. the
18Th, the Confederate force around Mcclellan
outnumbered him two to one.
Then, however, they began to pour toward the
North. Then they saw that the movement oil
Pope toward Richmond was not feint; that to
him had been committed the task of taking Rich
mOnd; and that McCellan's army was to become
POpe's reserve force. The bartle OF Cedar Noun
tim. fought on the 9th, had merely che ked
PUpes advance. In order To save Richmond, ht
must now be driven back
This task was performed by the Confederate
army between the 18th and 3lst of August AbC
so completely the work done that Pope,
whole army would have been annihiated ii il
had not been for the gallant conduct Of those
very officers and soldiers of McCielans army
Heintzelman. Kearney, Hooker, Porter and Sum
ner-whom Pope now seeks to cry down. ana
against most Of whom he has had the impudence
to prefer chargesl
IL Is a relief TO know that the President is II
full possession of the facts of this case H,
knows that Pope was sent South to take Rich
mOnd; and that il was Halleck's intention to re
inforce him with McClellan's army; and that il !.
POpe's wretched mismanagement that has once
more placed Washington in the attitude of be
sieged city. Knowing this, he has dismissed
Pipe from the command of the Army OF Vir
ginia." and believe he thinks he has found
some field of usefulness for him at the West
Hunliating the fact is, il is nevertheless
fact, that the COnfederates occupy at this mo
ment the same position at Centerville that thel
at this time last year, and there they viii
rObaby remain all winter. But they are no
content to repose upon the aurels they have won
Leaving strong force at Centerville, the Con
iederates marched their main body up to Lees
burg, crossed the Potomac near Point OF Rocks
and on Saturday, September b. advanced to Fred
erick City. the capital of the State Of Maryland
of Nh ch they are still IN quiet possession. Be
lore this took place, the Administration newspa
per assured the public. on the authority Of th
War Depar ment, that such thing the inva
sion OF MARYLAND by the COniederates was al
utter imp0ssiblity, because the Union troop
guarding the fords were posted in such a way tina
il would DE impossible for the rebels TO S,
about the 23d and Oath ult, the War Departmen
authorized the telegraph to assert positively th,
the rebel troops could not cross the RapDahan
mock: that Pope was holding all the fOrds, &c
BY this time the public know how much conf
dence TO repOse in such assurances. Ii is know
now that the rebels do not cross rivers at gudrde.
fouls They know of plenty of fOrds which ar