The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-09


Was Gen. Mcclellan compelled to retreat
and thus change his base line of operations, or
did he, in making the change, only carry out a
pre-arranged programme, made with view to
strengthen his position, and to place him in a
better situation to accomplish the objects he
had m view--the seizure and occupation of
Richmond? The rebels will labor to impress
the South with the idea that Mcclellan was
driven back, and that his change of position
was an after-thought, forced upon him. But
was it really so?
The testimony is now in to show that for
several days before the rebels made any at
tack upon McClelan's right wing, the latter
was embarking his stores at White House, that
the trains were bringing in the sick and
wounded, that hay and other bulky forage or
dered to White House was not unloaded there,
but sent around into James river, and that all
the operations indicatedsome important move
ment, though the uninitiated could not tell
precisely what that something was to be- The
fact that Mcclellan took away all his subsist-
ence stores, forage and ammunition, except
such articles as would not pay for removing,
which he destroyed, the fact that in his
whole movement, there was neither panic nor
the slightest lack of discipline, with the adj
ditional fact that the Government at Washing
ton is SO perfectly calm and apparently so
well satisfied, go to show that the movement
was made according to well studied plan,
and that now, on the banks ofthe James River,
out Of the swamps of the Chickahominy. our
troops are where it was intended to place
them. The rebels learning what was going on
at White House, as military men they knew
what ii meant, and they took advantage of his
transit to make an attack, thus to prevent
him from strengthening his position; and the
fact that our army has changed its ground in
front of an enemy-always a hazardous move
ment--and while doing it have been attacked
but with severer loss to the attacking party
than to ourselves, goes great way to show to
what perfect state of discipline they have
been brought.
II Gen. Mcclellan, by virtue of superior
force, was compelled to retreat, and to pass
over from the Chickahominy to James River.
then he has suffered reverse-a defeat, If the
facts show, the change was deliberately planned
for purposes Of increased strength, whether
that plan was instigated by Mcclellan, or by
the President, or by the Secretary of War, then
its execution has proved great success, and
is equivalent to victory
Some may ask why Gen. Mcclellan did not
go direct to the banks of the James River, if
1t is SO much better position than that which
he abandoned, instead of going to the swamps
of the Chickahominy. To answer this ques-
ton, il is only needful TO remind the querist
that Mcclellan started from Yorktown The
mouth of James River was then guarded by
the Merrimac besides there were gunboats
and batteries on that river which have since
been taken or destroyed. His supplies were
all sent up the York river. When the rebels
left Yorktown, he foilo,red them, and while
they took the Chickahomny route he didn't
turn off to the left, but he kept on their strack
till they made their stand before Richmond
Meantime the Merrimac has blowed up, the
James River has been opened, and this makes
1t desirable that his army should operate from
its .althy banks, rather than be operated up
on by the malaria of the Chickahominy
swamps. BY doing this, gunboats can act in
concert with his land forces, and his supplies
may be brought to him direct by water, instead
Of being transported over thirty miles of rail-
road, the whole length Of which he was re-
quired to guard. The Boston Advertiser.
while taking somewhat different view from
the foregoing, winds up long article with the
anticipation that the rebel force will fall away,
"and that with the proper aid from other parts
"of the grand field in dverting the attention
"of the rebels,-which he has not had in the
'last few weeks.-General Mcclellan will be-
''fore long enter Richmond in triumph"