The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-12
0uR ARMY BEEORE sR1GaM0HD-,
! CAUsEs or THE KHACENT RE4
VERSE.

ouR ARmH{ pEFORE sRlCHaoH0-.
/ Causes or THE KRCEMT Re-
VERSE. or
From the New York Times. July 7th.l
The ART nssasaisy Il ssssy c6maaaiGg attsr
disaster il scapegoat. 1t Is an immense re.
lief to find some one upon whom can be fast
ened all the sins Of whole people, and who
can then be sent into the wilderness, to be
heard of no more forever. Of course, We have
yery active search for such . seapegoat nov.
The reverse in front of Richmond is q serioca
affair, and until somebody has been made 60
suffer for it the country will not feel sale,
When somebody's head. is Of, II matters not
much whose, We shall all breathe freer, Inc
Post insists that Gen. EcCleIlan shall be the
victim. The World eensnres the President.
The Herald falls foul of Sec. Stanton; and the
Tribune tired for once Of its own denuncia-
tons or having long since exhausted the lst.
contents itself with calling for help on Gen.
Hunter and his negro brigades .
We see little good likely to come Of all this.
What the country needs is courage and q new
army-not examinations or criticisms OF any
kind. Indeed, if we had had less Of these
hitherto, we might have less proyocatioD for
them now. The great cause of our weakness
has been discussions in Congress, IN the Cabi.
net, and in the press concerning the merits OF
different generals and the wisdom Of different
IN carving u on. q war, the enc thing needfal
is.conhdence in the Government andits agents.
Whatever strengthens this aids the common
cause; whatever and whoever weake1a it. IL
aicts upon that cause 9 blow which may be
fatal 49, 81
STt is Very easy, nov, That the aAair i ever,
to perceive the cause of McClellans recent re-
verse. At the last memsnt whep least ak
44-ys har M
doubt of President Lincoln, Secretary Stanton
and Gen. Mcclellan himself Sonewsll Jackson
rushed from the Valley Of the ShenaRdoah,
attacked with $4,000 men our right wing
of 20 900 forced il back and got in the rear of
our whole army, without weakening the rebel
forcs massed ID front of j. BY . single man.
No general on earth could make head against
such coasD dc saserre. IL Gen. Mcclellan had
stood his ground and fought in such position
nothing IN the world could have prevented the
utter annihilation of the army Of the Potomac.
That he saved the army against such odds and
under such circnmsEa fees, and that he has been
able to place it upon new base OF operations
from whish he may renew his attack upon the
rebel Capital with increased chances of success
affords such proof OF censurnmate generalship
as few living soldiers can show.
Gen. Mcclellan was not taken by surprise in
an attack on hisright wing; He foresaw it.
and had prepared for it. He knew that it was
the weakest part of his line, and that as it was
the only cover for his communications it offered
very strong temptations for an attack. His
army was not large enough to cover the whole
Of his long line. Hecalied over and over again
for reinforcements to enable him to do so, bat
he could not get them. The Government bad
none to spare. ) asaaas hasssAaatss sgsa ~
While the rebels can concentrate their forces
upon single point we are under the. fatal
necessity of covering dozen. jackson was
I-ravaging the valley aof the Shenandoah, and
| menacing Maryland and the. Capital. EweIl
had Joined him with all his force. The gov
| ernnent naturally hesitated abou. mourning
| danger which came close home TO it, by
| sending away its troops to guard against one
which seemed remote and doabtfal. The
strength Of the rebels at Richmond, moreover,
was studiously underrated. Predictions were
| freely uttered that it would vanish when ap-
| proached-that their numbers would prove 10
| be less than those at McClellan's army, and
1 thsk he could very well take care Of himself.
All tksxe things had their effect. They begat
LIN the public mind an undue conf denee in orr
force. and corresponding impatienoe Of de-
mands for troops The bloody battles Of Sew
| en- Pines and Fair Oaks shook this a little, but
only for 9. time, and il was then too late to
create new army for that campalgnsa
MGA1G4fH4 was AeG64F kA&f 49, LIS " -
helpless. Ee knew that the rebelsa ontnnm-
bered him; and in every war, other things
being equal, or nearly SO, the chances Of vic
tory rest with the army which has the highesi
inumbers. BE was compelled. therefore, q
rely on skill; on preparation, and in the las
resort. on strategy. He knew that his RICH
wing was likely to- beattacked and beaten.
Boz he sbaliavsd thai this could sNly b
done BY a superior force, and that THIS fore
must be drawa from the, rebels right. f IL
enszny strenst hened hisownleft he would IN tn
same ratio weaken his right wing-and owe
his right wing lay the road to Richmond
Mcclellan, therefore, prepared his own righ
wing for a.pFompt and safe retreat to the ethe
i side ofthA Chickaheminy, prepared the Whit
4 House for . prompt and cheap surrender
and prepared his LEFT wing fora apromp
and overwhelming Advance. He had masse
| there the main body of his army and neal
:. III all his artillery, had caused roads to-
! opened, -,causeways to be constructed, an
every preparation inside foF advancing car
non, and stood ready to avail himself, at q
hours netice, of the expected transfer of th
febsl stiength from enc sidesto seeother /
his lines. BE expected to change the Whit
House for RiehmoHd,s aud sthe bargain was
good ona.
Upon this Basis McClellsn's plans we1
faultless Bat they took it for granted that !
would have to meet only tue army which bel
Richmond Mcdowell, Banks and Fremoa
Q were expeeesd 10 desAinJ Jackson in the Valls
4 ofslhe Shenandoah Scarcely q week befo
the crisis came President Iincoln himself i
formed Mcclellan that Ii, 900 men had bes
sent from Richmond TO reinforce jackson, al
n thas thiswasequisslent to adding just &c mar
to McClellan's army.
:, No one thought for moment that jacks
: 4 was % leave the Valley.sssH His whole anissit
was supposed TO be TO prevent reinforcement
d from being sent to Mcclellan. Hs did Il
is and q coed deal more. For when the alta
= upon our right wing came, it proved TO ha
!. II been made bg Jscksou himself he lad swe
down with $4,000 men past Hanover Cor
II. House, -forced outright across the Chickah