The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-29
Reliable J! News.

; The unreliabiity of the news received from
the army, and about anything pertaining to
army movements, is getting to be notorious.
Let us illustrate: At the time Jackson fell
upon McClellan's right wing on the Chicka-
hominy river, the last of June, the extended
line of the latter's army, the failure of Nc
Dowell to reinforce him, and other misfor-
tunes that are needless to enumerate, made
it evident to the general commanding that
his army must be moved under the cover of
the gunboats or be taken prisoners by the
overwhelming army that was brought against
him. His plans were at once laid, and re-
treat to the James river was the order.
Mr. Raymond, the leading editor of the \.
Y. Times, was with this army at the time,
and had been for several months, as were al
so many other prominent men, the represent
atves of New York and Philadelphia papers.
Mr. K. comprehended at once the situation,
and realizing the stigma that the name of a
retreat Of the grand army of the Potomac
would bring upon the cause both at home
and abroad, he conceived and at once tele-
graphed to his paper that ambiguous but nigh
sounding expression, change Of base-mas-
terly strategy Of Gen .NcC2elom! And i'm
mediately thereafter the new position Of Nc
Clellan was greatly praised-it being conf
IDENTITY asserted that now he could not only
sustain himself in safety, but could success
fully 60 forward, and after reducing fort Oar
ling, el.ter the rebel capital unannounced.
. Well, how was this program carried out
The position on the James river has been a.
bandoned-McClellan's army has left the pc
n:nsula altogether, and the telegraph an
nounces that he has gone TO reinforce BW7l-
side! But what says the y. Y. Times about
this last movement, the very paper that inau-
gurated the "change of base," and extolled
the position upon the James river? Read
what it says:
1--WE are satisfed-we are more than salts
fled, we are heartily rejoiced-to know that
the splendid army Of the Potomac, tried in
trenches, in swamps, in torrid heats, and sew
Ell times baptized in the blood of well-fough.
battles before Richmond, IS deiirered Tram
the. jaa-yud Of tie JameS riirer Jonk. and is
once mare IN tie feid, free to strike tie enenv
~here II mW. Ten Mousahd ManLs giringS
for this !"
We give the above illustration, which we
consider fair and honest, as simply one in
stance in which the entire North has been
hoodwinked and bamboozled into believing a
lie. How many like instances have occurred
we can never know.
How was it about the battle of Cedar
Mountain, fought only the other days The
Geographic reports to the newspapers made
our forces fight great odds, as usual, hut had
them victorious, Of Course, III proof Of which
they said TIE rebels sent Il flag of truce with
a request to Jury their dead. Now what are
the facts ? Rev A. III. Quint, chaplain 0: the
hdSSdCIIuStttS IL, WHICH, WIS III tIlc Dattlc OF
Cedar Mountain, writes to the Congregation
alist as follows:
"At night, late. a wounded man who had
crept off the battlefield said that the rebels
had left most of our wounded there. 1t was
a statement hard to be believed-it was bar
barOus-but it was true. A party was imme-
diately and cordially detailed by our colonel
to go thither. We went three miles, but, half
a mile from the field, Gen Sigel refused to al
low the risk of losing the party. TWAS mid
night, and we step, by our outer pickets-
Earl y in the morning We went. kilograms
say that the rebels "asked leave to bury their
dead" Asked leave? They had held the
ground for thirty-six hours, and saw not
one rebel corpse. 1t CHANGED to me to be in
advance, and had the indescribable happi-
ness of being the first to tell to the wounded
men still there that help was at hand. As we
came to each they cried for JOY. They put
their arms around our nccks. Our strong
men, vino had fought well an. now came back
for their comrades, cried with JOY, too"