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

they comet Gen. Wool. from Norfolk. Burnside
from North Carolina. might send some men. but
very few, while around Washington, more than
eighty thousand were collected. OF these about
one half we're making head against jackson in
The valley OF the Shenandoah The rest were
collected under Mcdowell at Fredericksburg. six.
ty miles TO the north Of Richmond. They had
rebuilt the railway bridge over the Rappahannock
and in three or four days they might have joined
The army ef Mcclellan. They covered nothing
at Fredericksburg, and were so VIGOROUSLY use
less 70 the Federal cause thaf In the Confederate
journals they were spoken Of as the fifth wheel
OF the coach" Ii was known that Mcdowell
desired ardently 20 give the lie % these ralleries
by bringing at the decisive moment his assist
ance To the cause of the Union Accordingly
General Mcclellan had no sooner arrived be-
fore Richmand than he undertook TO discover
what he had 10 hope for this side No Official
advice, either from Washington or Fredericks-
burg, had informed him of McDoge ell : presence
at that point, only sixty miles distant, but rumor
and probability agreed SO well ID placing him
there, that the General in Chief resolve to make
an attempt TO establish communications with
him. On the night of the Doth he sent forward
General Porter's division with few squadrOus of
cavalry, IN furious storm TO Hanover Court
House, a village about twenty miles north of
Richmond. where the railway 20 Fredericksburg
crosses the Pamunkey. The troops of Porter
moved rapidly. and about midday on the 9th
came upon the hostile division of Branch at Han
over Court House. This they assailed with Wig
or, dispersed It, and took one of its guns. As
sailed in their turn by Confederate troops who
had suffered them To pass by the woods in which
they lay hidden. the Federals turned on their new
enemies and scattered them also. This brilliant
affair cost the Federals 400 men, and left Gene
raj Porter in possession of cannon, of 500 prs-
oners, and ftwo bridges, one the Fredericks-
burg and one on the Virginia Central road The
advanced guard of Mcdowell was then at Bowl
ing Green, fifteen miles from that of General
Porter. Ii needed only an effort of the will. the
two armies united, and the possession OF
Richmond certainl Alasl this effort was not
made. / can not recall those fatal moments
without real sinking of the heart. Seated in
an orchard in the biy0uac of General Porter,
amid the joyous excitement which follows
successful combat, / saw the Fifth Cavalry bring
IN whole companies OF confederate prisoners with
arms and baggage. their officers their head.
But neither the glad confidence of the Federals
nor tue encouragement OF their enemies de
ceived me. and asked myself how many of these
gallant young men who surrounded me, relating
their exploits of the day before, would pay with
their lives for the fatal error which was on the
point of being committed Not only did not the
two armies unite, but the order came from Wash.
ington to burn the bridges which had been seized
This was the clearest way of saying to the army
of the Potomac and To its chief that in no case
could they count on the support of the armies of
UpOer Virginia. The reason of this un-
fortunate measure the successful dash of
jackson. He had driven Banks beyond the Po-
tomac aud created such a confusion that he was
supposed to be Oh the point of entering Washing
ton. With over 40 600 men to defend the city
Z the line Df the Ppfnmap G. 70 hold nd tb.
vast entrenched camp around the capitol, it was
not thought to be sale. Jackson had
gained his point. Henceforth the army of the
Potomac must count upon itself alone.
The title of Fair Oaks. the "Seven DAYS
Battles, and the final retreat to the James river
are graphically described. Of General McCLEL-
LANs skill and GOODNESS through these eventful
scenes the Prince writes in enthusiastic terms
On this subject we find the following:
Throughout this grand and daring movement
nothing disturbed the serenity of the commander
On the terrible 30th of July, when his aids sank
under the heat and excitement of the task they
were accomplishing, Il saw him." writes the
Prince, "stop to rest for moment and sit down
In the verandah OF a country house on the road
The mistress of the house came up and COM
planned that the soldiers were eating her cherries
with smile the General rose himself and went
out to stop the pillagers.
Of the battle of Malvern Hill the Prince
states:
1t was for the Confederate useless butcherv
The Federal success was due to two causes: First
TO the fortunate foresight of the General, who IN
spite of numerous natural obstacles to the passage
of artillery had spared nothing to bring his on,
and next to the firmness of his troops Men do
not make such campaign and 90 through such
experience as they had endured without coming
out more less formed to war. If their prima
tive organization had been better the survivors of
this rude campaign, do not fear to assert, might
be regarded as the equals of the best soldiers in
the world
Notwithstanding all the notifying blunders
and disasters of the campaign, the Prince De
JoISviLLE still expresses his confidence in the
final success of the Union cause and remarks:
am not one of those however who will thence
infer that the Federal cause is lost. Compared to
those OF the South the resources of the North are
far from being exhausted. and who knows all
that in day OF peril can be done by the energy
OF free people, battling for the right and for hu-
mainly.