Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-10-27
THE LONDON TIMES On M'CLELLAN,S
VICTORIES.


THE LONDON TIMES On M'CLELLAN,S
VICTORIES.
From the London Times, Oct 81
The victory. such as it was, OF Mcclellan
and his colleagues, is exceeding remarkable
An arlnySdemofaliznd by a succession OF fail
urrs and a long retreat has suddenly proved at
least equal, and. We may say, superior TO
army elated with triumph and bent npon a
continuation OF It's conquests. The forces of
The Confederafes have suffered their first i'm
pOrtant check exactly 81 the period when they
might have been thought most assured of vic
tory. 1t was generally expected that the grand
army of the Federals, when il did advance into
Virginia. would require an aseendancy in the
neld, II only by force ofnumbers and superior
ity OF equipment. Nobody would have been
surprised 10 hear some months ago that battles
have been won in Virginia, and that Richmond
had been taken. Similarly we imagined, after
the capture of Fort Donelson. that Gen.
Halleck, with his powerful and well-supplied
force, would beat the Confederates Oh the Mis-
sippi, and, though nobody believed in the con-
quest of the South, everybody was prepared for
the military success of the North.
These calculations, however We're not veri-
fled by events. Up to the beginning Of last
month every pitched battle had been more OF
less m favor of the Confederates, and their
final advance from Richmond to the Potomac
represented one continuous victory. They then
cross the Potomac. and carry the war into the
e-nemy's country: here fortune turns against
them, and they rrtracc their steps. after no in.
glorious fighting, with heavy loss On both sides
1t is not that they found the country hostile or
that they moved too far from their supplies:
for they penetrated but short distance into
The Maryland territory: they were not unfa-
vorably received. and their retreat, as the
event shows, was assured. Neither was il
that they caught their enemy at bay, and so
found themselves confronted with the strength
of despair for Mcclellan was the pursupr.
and IL was he who of his own choice brought
on The first engagement. We cannot describe
the actions reported as anything but fair fight
Ing on fair Geld, and yet the victory, or such
semblanee of 1t as was achieved at all, re-
manned with the troops who had been repre-
sented, and we doubt not, with perfect truth,
exhausted diSpiritpd, and altogether infe-
rior 10 their opponents.
II is worth while, therefore, 10 inquire in
what circumstances this sudden turn of for
tunes could have originated. and We are much
inclined 10 believe that il is traceabie 10 the lib
Grafton of Mcclellan from those professional
restrictions and disabilities which official or
personal lealousles had previously imposed
upon nm. Al no other point can discover
anything 10 account for the turn of the tide.
hat here there was something notable even be-
fore the fighting began. Mcclellan, for The first
time, perhaps, in the whole war, received full
power from The President 10 act as he Thought
proper IN the chief command. No sooner was
hr Invested with this authority than he did ex-
actly the opposite of wha. his previous tactics
had led US toeXpccJ. Instead OF sheltering and
reforming his broken bartalions behind the de-
fences OF W ashInSIOn, he instantly. and with
ont an hour delay marched in pursuit of the
very army winch mad luSt driven the Federal
forces headlonG across the Potomac As soon
As he finds his enemy he fights, and is not beat
en-. He renews the fight day after day, and
presently he suStainS an attack himself with 4
continuation OF this unusual fortune JTIti-
mateiy, If he does not actually drive the Con-
federateS across the river in their turn. he sees
them deliberately retire after the handling he
has given them, and thus gains IN a weeks
campaign over strong and triumphant army
an advantage which he failed to achieve under
far more favorable conditions i'm the coursa of
- whole year.
IL is q mystery where he got the troops for
such work. The description given of the Fed
rral army as IL fled from the armies of Lee and
Jackson was too natural 10 be doubted and
though McClellan's own corps had had not
beeen engaged, Vet that very force had suffered
still worse treatment on the banks OF the James
rIVeT. II was surely not in the despairing and
fever-stricken army which stole away from
Masruder that the materials for new cam.
palgn could b. sopromptly found. Washington
was fuil OF troops, no doubt, but they must
nave been either raw leyies or veterans who
were none the better for their services, whereas
our own correspondent reported The condition
OF tn Southern army. before the fight COM
menCed, as efficient in the extreme All the
best Southern Generals Were on the ground
too, SID We can trace. indeed, in their move.
ments the military genius which has ALWAYS
dlstlignishrd the south. Probably the best
arnlyi in the hest condition which the Confed-
eratss have ever arrayed on a field of battle
stood last month on the soil of Maryland, and
yeti was worsted by an army Of which we can
give 40 account, commanded by n general who
had never won battle before.
VIZ assume without hesitation that the inya-
sion of Maryland has been a failure. Whether
n WaS raid Tor the sake of stores and proyi-
sions, or an attempt to raise the State against
the Union. or simply a strategic movement
against the army Of Washington, the conclusion
must he the same. Whatever the Coufpde rates
desired to do they must have left undone.
because the Federal army forced them to retire
They met, II not with q superior force, at any
rate with a force which they could not conquer,
and 20 they retreated. We do not place the
least faith in the stories of their "demoraIiza.
ton" or rout. Ii appears plain that they with
drew from Maryland in excellent order and
with all their material-perhaps with more
than hey took in. We have no doubt they will
soon oe heard OF again, nor do we consider that
HE cause OF the North has been advanced a
smgio STRIP by these unexpected victories. But,
Tor All this, II Is perfectly clear that the Confed.
crates, who had marched triumphantly nm to
The very waters of the Potomac then Suffered
a reverse, and that their plans or strategy, in so
complely failed.
AT that point some cause or other, and, As
suspect, tne dennlte ascendency Of McClel-
ian- gave the Northerners an advantage. They
paid dearly for IL, but still they got il, and it
VIII sse interesting in the extreme 10 see
%hcTnsr they can retain ii, or whether il
VIII pass away from them again. For the
nTSt tine In the war a Federal general has
challenged the Confederates 10 fight a pitched
battle, and has won il. For the first time
Mcclellan has discarded the spade and ap-
pealed 10 the sword. Instead of entren hjn q
himself behind field works, or making his an
proach's according 10 the rules of engineering
science, hr has boldly marched against his
opponents and fought them. BY these tactics
ne has. IL ne himself expresses the fact
-.saved' the STATE OF Maryland 10 the North
ami perhaps the State of Penns ylyania roo
RuL he has done more han this. He has shown
that he has rally qualifications for command
and that Northern soldiers can come of win.
Hers m q fair stand up light.
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"Nurder trials are abundant now III New