The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-04
MCLELLANS ARMY.
IMPORTANT OPERATIONS ON THE PENINSULA.
The Enemy's Northern Railroad
Communication Destroyed.
Another Account Of the Battle Near
Hanover Court House.
Splendid Conduct of the Union
Soldiers.
SIGNAL DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY.
Nearly Seven Hundred Rebel Prisoners
and One Cannon Captured.
How the Bridges and Railroads
were Destroyed.
TRH LAST GREAT BATTLE.
SUCCESS OF GEN. HCLELLAN,S OPERATIONS.
.~~~~~~O~>~~~~~~~~~
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
OUR SPECIAL DISPATCHES
&e, &C., Do.
OUR SPECIAL DISPATCHES,
&c, &C.. ia
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY or THE PoroMAc,
Six Mills FROM RICHMOND, May 29, 1859.

SIX MILES FROM RICHMOND, May ~, lS5x. }
The bloodshed IN the action Of Tuesday the 9th inst
particulars Of which you have received already
incident the execution OF certain most important
preliminary operations Of the Army Of the Potomac
the peninsula Those preliminary operations have been
successfully and splsndidy completed to-day. 1t gives
pleasure observe that the object which the General
commanding had in Wow in this particular has been
achieved without further eusion OF blood on either
SIDE The movement having been completed. will now
proceed give concise but comprehensive statement
OF the object intended to be attained and the particulars
OF It's accomplishment. Z
oRJgcr MOVEMENT
has been apparent that tho enemy has been
gaining considerable advantage from the OF the
railroads in Virginia north OF Richmond. These the
Virginia Central Railroad, which leads to Gordonsville
where Il connects with the Orange and Alexandria road
to Washington, and the Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railroad which, before the beginning OF the rebelon,
was the popular route Of travel between the national
seat Of government and the called Confederate capt.
tai BY Of these railroads the enemy could not
only conveniently transport supplies to his troops diff
fersnt sections of Virginia. but could convoy troops
themselves from Richmond TO points whore they could
operate against General Mcdowell Fredericksburg;
General Banks the Upper Potomac; General Fremont
among the mountains or from those points to whore
they could operate against General Mcclellan the
peninsula in front Of Richmond. It deemed
sdesideratum devouty 10 DO wished for" to destroy
this railroad communication, vol for the reasons
just enumerated for the feer movements Of the
right wing Of the Union army independent OF other con-
siderations
COMMENCEMENT or THE WORK.
General stonoman Chief of Cavalry in the Army Of the
Potomac who has In the advance with his
all along the march up the peninsula has for
several days past been operating on the right OF our
position On Sunday he sent a squadron Of the Eighth
Illinois cavalry and piece Of Captain Tdbas flying
horse artillery in all about hundred and forty
under command Of Major Webb, experienced rilery
officer destroy part OF the railroad communication
have mentioned. In accordance with instructions ro-
ccved from General stoneman tho party proceeded from
Mechancsville by the Ashland road 20 point the
Virginia Central Railroad about dozen miles from Rich
mond. When scarcely Eve miles from camp
advance dragons encountered tho cnomy's cavalry
pkets drove them distance of between two and three
miles from the road northward, and passed AL ng
behind them between the main body Of the enemy in
that vicinity and his concentrated forces at Richmond
The advance Of tho party went to the railroad
near Mr. Leechs residence about seven miles from the
Chckahominy tore up portion Of the track and burned
the ties render those miles Of the road
practically useless to the rebels The enemys vide.os
had dashed in shouting "the Yankees coming the
Yankets comngn And during the half hour which
at work the railroad the long roll OF the
rebel General Branchs command heard in the rebel
camps summonng his North Carolina regiments
The tkod people who geng TO the country church
opened their eyes to Union soldiers in
that immediate locality. il proper 10 presume that
tho rebesswsrs astonshsd ana chagrined when they
| eound that little party had been among them,
damaged the railroad and retired safely and hand
somcly. terreconnoterns the country in that neigh
borhood the party returned TO camp Monday evening
THE EXPEDITION AND DREARY MARCH.
When General Mcclellan had boon informed OF the
GEES Of this movement, he resolved 70 Immediately i'm
prove the opportunity offered TO cut of all the cnemys
northern railroad communication. Accordingly that
night was arranged that General Fitz John Porter
should proceed in the morning, with General Morells
dvisonths which under General Porter before
he was appointed the command Of provisional corps
to execute the Whom the troops roused from
thor ISLANDERS before mornDg dAwned the rain was
falling fast. Provisions prepared for the march
amid tho darkness and the rain. In few instances
however sufficient commssary stores net In camp
and the men compelled to start with a small sup
ply The column subsequently joined and preceded by
large cavalry command under General Emory commenced
its lengthy and fatiguing march. For time after
leaving the rain continued to descend In torrents This
made the mud quite ankle deep in some places and deep.
or still in Others II was equally difficult FOR infantry
vsry and artillery proceed speedily under these dis.
advantageous
would have appeared picturesque and the march been
pleasant enough but amid rain storm the most beau
tru scenery does not seem particularly attractive, such
was the case with that along tho line Of march, while the
march itself only call tedious tramp. Between
twevs and O'Clock in the afternoon, the column
proceeding the Hanover road the cavalry 0lsd of
and tho Twenty NTH New York infantry regiment, Col
johnson, took the lead. Marching in column until IL
reached the rising ground about mile from tho suhsc
quent scene Of action skrmishsrs were thrown out in
fronttwo companies the right and four on the lsf
where the snomy was supposed to be nearest.
From information which We had received il was SUP.
posed tina, the enemy had six or seven thousand man
near the place the party vent sunday with larger
force sncampsd the forks Of the road running from
Lsschs bouso towards Ashland II was subssauent,v
certainsd that the enemy was somewhat on the alert
and that larger force than first believed 20 ho i,
tbs vicinity close at hand their precise po,,,on
hsiua near the clearngs cahcd winstou'a 6elds