The New York herald., 1862-08-22

most rema rkable feature OF all tho battles which at.
tended the general line OF movement have described
that at no time were more than twenty thousand con-
iederatss actually engaged with the enemy After the
first demonstration in force on tho eaemys extreme
right he retired from Msehanicsville and pursued
Whom by this retiring movement, he had concent rated
he supposed sufficient troops to contest q decisive
field with u.s. We fell upon him with one division at time
The consequence imperfect attaeas that the enemy
crushed, though he was always defeated II Is
no, unreasonable 70 suppose in view OF what was accom-
pished by pecemea tht IT, at any critical tns, several
divisions had been thrown upon the enemy, he would
have routed, Generalization would have ensued and
the result of our victory been fully and summary ac-
conplished.
BY the desperate vaor of troops and the consnicu
exertions Of General Ambrose p H whose division
the extreme advance and engaged successive
ly Elyson's Mills, Cold Har5or. and FraZier's iarIn,
each OF the fields signazed by the success of
But, with the remarkable and hard fought field at
Frazlers farm our congratulations must stop The brig
liant chain Of victories Is broken here After all that
had been achieved and all that had been expended in the
toll and blood OF three days dghting we had failed to
the enemys retreat tho river and TO accomplish
the most important condition for the completion Of our
victory. The whole army Of Mcclellan had passed along
right wing and had been permitted were, slip
through fingers There nothing in the subsequent
Operations of our forces to repair the effects OF this fatal
blunder At Malvern Hill the result TO was deporabe
the amount Of loss, and negative to any advan
tages gained over tho enemy.
city upon which have diminished the fruits OF
victory upon such staring aud enormous blundsrs
as gave 20 defeated enemy open sgTes 10 Inc
congratulate ourselves that the result Of the battle Of
Richmond as whole, is success 10 the conedsracy,
and most grateful relief to the long pent up anxictes
OF the people Of the South We have raised ut least for
time, the siege Of Richmond; have the moral effect
Of as least three distinct victories and we have taken
from the defeated enemy rich and splendid prize In
stores artillery and prisoners far the result Of the
battle Of Richmond y pleasing and grateful to the coun
try Tho mixture of disappointment is in the undenabls
fact that Mcclellan and his army still exist, when we
might easily have destroyed both.
The Northern newspapers claim that the Of
Mcclellan from the Chickah0miny river purely
strategic Up the first decisive st1ge in the Of
engagemcnts-Cod Harbor-thero were certainly plain
strategic designs ia his backward movement. His retire
mcnt from Mechancsvile probably voluntary, and
intended TO concentrate his troops lower down where he
might fight with advantages OF numbers and his own
selection OF siti)n. At Elysons Mills he had strong
position, which contested with desperate obstinacy
and taken by desperate yalor Continuing his retreat,
however, he fixed the decisive feld at Cold Harbor,
where he had massed his troops and brought up to
ton his trusted regiments of OLD United States regulars
He was attacked by General Ips division in advance,
and at this critical uncture is TO be found the most
doubtful predcament in which the fortunes Of the long
aud elaborate contest around Richmond Stood Had
Mcclellan the day here his right wing would have
been in advance upon Richmond, and his strategy would
have been brilliantly successful. The turning point of
the battle whom Ewels division appeared among the
back Of the fork OF the roads and the hDuse which
constitute the locality OF Cold Harbor The rest Of jack
sons army, and part, we believe Of General Long
streets divsion appeared on tho feld some time after
this and the battle was gained.
Having pushed from his strongholds north OF the
Chokahominy the enemy made strong attempt to re-
treve his disasters by renewing concentration Of his
troops at Fraziers farm Here however, the result
less doubtful than at Cold Harbor for here 1t that
and that of Longstreet achieved the most be
victory the enemy that had yet b,en won-capur
ing ali tho artillery he had engaged and breaking
the last hone of change OF fortune which had attended
him on his retreat In The g at Trazisrs farm we de-
fortunes IN everv Of me contsst and ~ have a.
tracted from ali the results gained bv usto wiz the nj N
Of attacking the enemy in imperfect forco and putting
him Off by defeating him with two divisions when
he might have boon crushed by fear es and decisive
concetr aton or many divisions Al Frazers farm two
divisions were thrown aganst the whole Yankee army.
and indeed the error might have hcen ftaI had tHa
cnmmander On the soot bean less tho sroons
in mis- am Il, command less devoted or h the DARKNESS
of nigh, not obscured the r numbers
From the tina Of Tho two nrincinal battlcu-,ba. of
Cold Harbor and that at Fraziers farm- prstensons
OF the enemy resort 70 strategy must cease His re-.
treat was now unmstakaahle n yaa no onoor faII,rg
hack 10 copcentrate troops for action 4 il in fact i'm,
possible 70 disguise that was the retreat or an enemy
who was discomltsd and whipped atbo oh NOT routed
Hs had Abandoned The ra;,roads ba had usn n" tho
,ronphods which he had provied 10 secrc MIN n case
OF check he had DESTROYED from eight 10 ton million
dollars worth of stores he had deserted his bosntss
his scs and wounded and he had left in our thon
sands of prisoners and innumerable straevIers
lies the dsnavs of the vsio and devot;on or
the expenditure OF blood and the helpless and fugitive
condition 70 which the enemy had At last been reduced
history will record II as burnnr shame that An cnemv
In thl condition was permitted 10 secure his
The result Of the Hght at Malvern Hill was TO sscure
to tho enemy full protection for a retreat which
should have been made A rout long before ha aver
reached there. The enemy had made no effort for .
L " uQ.
been lot alone he would have gone away the mart dav of
his own accord The two wings o. our army were IN q
position TO cut or his retreat 10 the river and vet nothing
was done but TO mako an attack in which ge Sustained
a great loss in which the enemy was not driven and by
which in fact he effected exactly what he desireds
cover for his retreat
All that has boon said OF the "massrly retreat of
Mcclellan and his displays OF generalshio sound very
we'll; but the compliments we believe are but little
deserved and can scarcely serve as excusea 10 he
made to public disappointment the result OF
the battle Of Richmond when we come 70 examine the
circumstances In which they have been displayed His
'maseTly retreat consists In own blunders. He
permitted to get through our fingers when everybody
thought had only to close the hand to crush hm He
has secured strong position James river where he
hopes to establish new base Of operations. But the
position he now holds was notorious in the military his
tory Of the country. IL was twice occupied by the
British when they invaded Virginia. and pointed
as commanding position for power that strong
on the water long anterior to the date Of McCeans
gcneralship.
We repeat that are inclined to diminish the
tuai results because they have fallen below expectaton
and 1t has been unwilingly that have referred to
Of ho Of wh hich