The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-12
The Richmond Examiner on AcCleiian
Position.

w,su,scroy. july II. The Richmond "a
,,,,,,e, ot the eth has been received mere :"
d,scnursjnp on Gen. Mcclellan present posl''o"
II s,vs. I'VE believe all that was emo" L ~
the CITY Yesterday outside OF the several
ot III. bureaucracy was that the enemy "i'
bon strong position with one OF MS """ho
resting on the James river about BerKiey' com
nIetalV under cover of his gunboais, ana MS e4-
frame right reaching TO Herring creek "here
Lis nositIou IS defended BY an almost l!hpaS'a-
bile raylne. 1t was supposed that the enemy
would have been attacked yesterday buI thefe
had been no fighting up to the last accounts We
have had from the lines. 1t is not 10 De sup
nosed that the enemy had selected these piahta-
mons ny the scene of his last great stand VIII
ont good reasons. The first and most apparent
Of these is that the Westover landing ls perhaps
the very best on James river, and the stream up
and down being broad and deep, &hords Doeh
excellent sea room and anchorage Tor ms gun
boats and trans ports; but this is by no means
the only advantage of the position. Oh the
West OF Berkeley are deep ravlnes running rom
near the Charles City road on the Nerth 10 tho
James river, making u succe ssiul attack from
tina. quarter next to Impossible "thin
quarter of mile from where these ravlhes oe-
ON Herring creek crosses the Charles City road.
and runnjnp IN a south easterly direction, skirts
North and East the plantations OF BerKley ana
Westoyrr. and emptes into the James river.
At the extreme Eastern boundary OF the latter
the whole course Of the creek Is one lnpassaDIc
marsh which also on the Northern and Eastern
bank. extends 70 the nei ghts Of elevation long
range Of lis that overlook W esoyer and Berk-
lev. which offer an excellent position tor Their
heavy guns Ii will be seen that, protected on
the South by the river and his gnnboats, on the
" est by impossible raylnes, AID on the North
and East by Herring creek and the heights 81
elevation, the enemys position presents but one
impregnable point, the piece of level country
Norih-west Of Wes.oyer, from IA quarter to hall
a mil. in width lying between the head OF the
ravlnes aud the point where Herring creek cross
es the Charles City road. But it IS tain that
the enemy, with his immense resources OF men
and machinery, will in very brief period OBJ
struct by art this only natural entrances to his
stronghold. Already it Is within range OF his
gunboats and Of his siege guns planted on the
elevated hills. Another day may see it stlewn
with ieed timber and bristIing with fed bate
ries. In enumer.tng the advantages secured
to the enemy by his present position. his supe-
rior facilities tor transportation must be admit
ted. For distance Of nearly t.irty miles lie
steamers and transports are running up to the
very doors VI his tents. For the benefit of the
distant reader we may properly say something
of the character Of the country to which. sud
denly and Unexpectedly, tho sea. of war has
been shifted.
Ten days ago, when Gen. Mcclellan belea-
gucr-d Richmond, with the exception OF about
tive miles OF the Chickahominy low ground, he
occupied the must barren, and ut the came time
the worst watered and most unhealthy region Of
Eastern Virginia. " h0rtleberrles have been
always tho only sure crop OF the country With
IN a radius OF 10 miles about Seven Pines takisg
that point as u centre, but two living streams
cross the nlne-mlle, or Williamsburg road, be-
tween Richmond and Bottom Bridge.
On thes; TWO roads, with the Seven Pines as
their headquarters, th' very pick and flower of
the Northern army WAS concentrated, and here
Tor weeks their vigor and numbers melted away
under the influence Of the miasma and bad wa
ter, and the Southern sun, but by his hasty trip
through White Oak swamp. Gen. Mcclellan
has merged With thinnsd ranks into more
genial land. and a broad, fresh river flows before
HIM, while his tired and hungry hordes will
mud boundlees supplies. in as fair and rich a
valley as the sun shines on
There has already been enough of trlfng and
abuse of the public mind by the suppression
and reserve OF the facts on the part of the gov
ernment. If the commanding Generals would
write dozen lines giving the result Of the fgh,
at Gaines Mills, why on earth on each succeed
ing day might We not have had u bulletin of
equal length, simply Stating the results I,
would have cost but trihe of time and would
have conferred an invaluable benefit upon tn,
people of the whole country"
The Examiner finds fault with the rebel gen.
erals TOR not reporting thu results OF the recen
battles.
| VERMONT NEuc