The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-07
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
How Will the Advance on the Rebel
Capital be Made.

Oap1Cal De Ma0e.
The correspondent of the New York
Times, at the headquarters of the Army of
the Potomac, writes on the 22d instant.
as follows:
General Mcclellan awaits the order of
the General Chief, and no orders have
yet come.
When they do come, what will be their
nature, what the line of advance taken up?
The general impression probably is that it
will be movement up the valley on the
rebels, and on Richmond at once Don't
be sure that it will be of any such nature
| looked yesterday through the great
telescope glass mounted at the signal sta
ton on Maryland Heights. Through this
powerful instrument one sees Winchester,
thirty miles off; and not only Winchester,
but far below, where Staunton and Stras-
burgh lie. A moments glance and these
tar-Otf points are pictured on the retina.
But what the eye takes in, in an instant,
would require a long and peritous march
of days and days to reach. There are in
structed and experienced military men
here who say that an advance on Rich
mond by this Uncover country eaten
up, railroads and bridges destroyed, in
vOlving the enormous transportation these
circumstances would necessitate, and with
the constant liability of being cut up in
flank and rear-is impracticable and i'm
possible. | know nothing of the matter,
and have always regarded the "impos-
sible" as an elastic entity, expressing "a
thar q ind, of tho in1i,,;I,,ol 4bo,
concrete reality, and varying according to
the mental power brought against it. But
| just give the say Of those who have
right to speak.
Every one knows what the two lines OF
advance on Richmond are-the line Of the
Rappahannock and the Peninsula The
latter is the tavorite one with the military
chiefs here. 1t is no secret that Gen. Nc
Clellan abandoned the Peninsula with the
utmost reluctance, and that even after his
troops were embarked on transports at
Harrison's Landing, his last telegram to
Washington was prayer to be allowed to
remain. 1t is an article of faith among
the army which nothing can disturb that
had not his plans been interfered with
when he first went to the Peninsula, Rich
mond would in a fortnight have been in
our possession and that after the seven
days fight, had he received the reinforce
ments he called for, he would still have led
the Union army triumphant into the rebel
capital. Put it down, therefore, among
the possibilities that the army of the Poto-
mac may yet be on the Peninsula again,
and once more approach Richmond over
the ground rendered historic by the splen-
did valor OF our troops, and sacred by ten
thousand graves of persisted heroes.
To one who is wholly unblessed, there's
nothing more difficult to speak justly of
than the relations Of the army to General
Mcclellan. The vague congratulations as
to the ''codtidence" and enthusiasm" with
which the troops regarded him, amounts
to nothing until one penetrates to the ORR
gin of these feelings 1t is easy to see
that with many, their attachment is rather
opposition to his critics. than spontaneous
belief in himself. With the main body of
the men, it is equally easy to see that their
attachment is rather horror of the Pope
and Mcdowell style Of things, than any
very profound devotion to Mcclellan. |
have sought to find the soundest Judgment
among those officers and others, not West
Pointers, but men in the volunteer service
of instruction and much experience in bat
tie, who view, perhaps, as dispassionately
as it is possible, the conduct and character
of the COmmanding-Ge General. These men
make no absolute or extreme Judgment
They see the strong points of Gen. Nc
Clellan's mind; but they see also the weak
ones. As an able officer said to me the
other day, ''Gen. Mcclellan is splendid up
to certain point, but at that point lis
mind seems to lose its mOnae,dun." Mag
niicent in selling strong position, they
are fain to confess that he does not know
how to reap the fruits of victory: and
they lament with the people, that excess
of lymph or lethargy which keeps the
army at dead stand, while the great ma
ton vainly pours out its rich and valiant
life. And yet all feel-it is useless to
deny it-that no man better than he has
yet shown himself; no man even as good
as he. 1t is pathetic state, this we are
in-with a leader so near to greatness and
yet seeming to miss it. | await here day
by day, with Eyes or No contending in
my mind" as Dante phrases it-awaiting
with pain some turn of affairs that will
take us out of this perilous plight. W. S.