, 1862-09-06
tOHsbinQton Statesman.
SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT 6, 1862.
The Condition and the Prospect.

Our latest advices from the east are up
to August 25th, but as usual on the eve of
important movements of the army but little
is known or at least transmitted over the
telegraph. We are unable to state posi-
lively where Mcclellan is, but enough is
known to warrant the belief that he has
withdrawn from the James with all his for
ces,-thus abandoning for the present the
position near Richmond to the undisputed
possession of the rebels and the malaria of
the swamps of the Peninsula That he will
return again to tie rebel capital with sufi-
cient force to crush all opposition the Con-
federates will be able to bring against him,
we have no reason to doubt. 1t is said he
has gone to Aqua creek and formed juno
ton with Burnside and Pope By refer
ence to the map, it will be seen that this
creek is on the west bank of the Potomac,
about fifty miles below Washington City.
A short distance to the west flows the Rap
pahannock, in a south easterly direction, on
which Popes army was encamped at last
advices. Mcclellan was probably able to
bring back 10000 of the 100000 troops
with which he advanced upon Richmond
from the White House on the Pamunkey
in the latter part of June. Burnside and
Pope have unitedly about 1000 more, and
the auxiliaries lately received from other
points, together with the new levies which
are said to be arriving in Washington City
at the rate of 5000 per day, will very soon
swell the amount to a sufficient number to
enable Mcclellan not only to verify the
prediction he made to his army on the 4th
of July on the bank of the James, that ''we
1oiH take their capital" but he will also
walk over entire Secessia and conquer
lasting peace.
We have lost no confidence in Mcclellan
as a general, but on the contrary we look
upon his mastery retreat from Mechanics
Vile to the James as displaying more gen
eralship than the capture of Richmond un-
der favorable circumstances. 1t was sup
posed when he moved on from the White
House that the corps of Fremont, Banks
and Mcdowell would bag Stonewall Jack
son in the valley Of the Shenandoah, and
then move forward and form junction
with Mcclellan on the north of Richmond.
They not only failed in performing the task
allotted to them, but permitted Jackson to
form a junction with Lee and Johnson, and
were also unable to join Mcclellan them
selves Beauregard was permitted to slide
quietly away from Corinth and proceed to
Richmond. Thus reinforced, the rebel
leaders with an army at least twice that of
McClellan's, s, pounced upon him at Mechan-
icsville, five miles north of Richmond, and
after seven days of almost incessant fight
ing, we find our army twenty-seven miles
south and east of Richmond on the James.
After making demonstrations by way of
MAN UEu MN, upon SnS L 5IIIHsuId, anu aroO
on the south side of the James, he quietly
re-embarks all his supplies and his sick and
wounded on board the transports for For
tress Monroe, while with his troops he
marches down the Peninsula to the same
destination. Whether he has actually gone
up the Potomac TO Aqua creek and formed
a junction with Pope and Burnside, or
again assembled the York river and thus got
in the lear of Jackson, are matters of spec
ulation which further developments will
have to determine.
That the Union arms have suffered tenn
porary check is true, but that all ground
lost will speedily be redeemed we have no
doubt. 1t is to be hoped that the Admin
istration has at last been aroused to a true
comprehension of this question, and will
place such forces in the field as will crush
all opposition the Confederates may be en-
abled to bring against them. The 100000
volunteer enlistment together with 3OO,-
900 militia now being drafted, will give us
an effective force of over a million of men,
which ought to be able to do something
towards conquering a peace. Let us wait
and see.