Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-20
The Evacuation of Harrison,s landing


Correspondence OF the New York Tribune.
HARRIsoN's LANDING, Aug. 17.-Harrison'
Landing is evacuated. Without a struggle,
without blow, without even the loss ola sim
gle man, the immense army Of the Potomac
officers and men, bag and baggage, stores,
| tents, horses, ammunition, and contrabands
are now far away from Harrison's Landing,
| leaving it a deserted and desolate plain. For
| several days this important movement has
been going on. The first intmation of it took
place on Monday last, when McCall's divis-
ion received orders to strike their tents, pro-
vide six days rationS, and be ready to move
at IL moments notice. The same night the
whole division arrived at the wharf, and en-
barked quietly on steamers; left the landing
some time during the night for Aqua Creek
as was supposed, via fortress Monroe An
order was next issued that no more vessels
loaded with supplies should proceed further
than fortress Monroe; and ON Wednesday ten
days rations were served to the army, which
was required to be in readiness to move at an
hours notice. All the knapsacks of those
who were ordered to march by land were
placed on board barges and schooners, for the
humane purpose Ofrelieving the men of their
weight and incumbrance during the hot and
weary march.
ating in earnest. All the siege guns were
removed from the front, and safely embarked
on Thursday and yesterday on board barges
and schooners. Porter's corps led the van of
the overland portion of the army on Thursday
night. On Friday morning every tent was
struck and then, for the first time, was it
generally known that the lchOle army was
about evacuating Harrison's Landing. On
Thursday night fifty sail of vessels left the
different wharves, loaded with stores, and
yesterday the remainder of the stores were
placed on boats and steamers by the contra
bands All the cavalry that remained before
the final departure of the land forces acted as
pickets, and strong rear guard Of infantry
and artillery was placed to protect the baggage
trains. The sick and wounded who remained
at tine different hospitals were placed on board
the regular steamboats, belonging to the sani-
tary commission al the Long Wharf, and were
among the first to move out into the stream.
Contrabands were shipped on schooners,
bargcs, and pontoon-boats, and it was an
amusing sight to see the long line of boats
with their ebon freight pass the different
steamers and wharves, to take their places
among the others anchored in the stream, or
hear the questions, answers and jokes which
passed between the two parties, amid the ''ha |!
has" Of the white men and the ''ya! ya's" of
the black.
The Hampton Roads were all day Satur.
day filling up with the immense feet, embrace
ing every conceivable kind of craft, present.
ing, as it turned the point of Newport News,
grand, though melancholy sight Melan-
choly, because it filled the mind with the
recollection Of the great and proftess events
and scenes, since we saw the army of the Po-
| tomac, the grandest the continent ever beheld,
land here last spring, and commence its proud,
confident even defiant march up the peninsu-
la; because it brought to mind the bloody
contest it had seen; the tens of thousands
slain; the tens of thousands more wasted by
disease; the untold human suffering; the
bloodiest page in modern warfare because il
overwhelmed the mind with the contrast OF
what that army was with its promises, its
hopes, and the expectations reposed in it, and
what it now is, what it has done, what it has
failed to do, what it is now DOING returning
with less than half its numbers, along the
route it went by which it advanced, almost
every mile Of which is marked by unenumer-
ated graves Of fallen heroes. So ends the
campaign of the pennsulaso comes back
the army of the Potomac But COM
paratyely small share of the army has
come by transports, and none have been dis
embarked here, save disabled men, who 90
into hospitals or pause to recruit their health.
No public proclamation has yet been made of
the destination of the army or Of any part.
The principal portion of it, which is on the
march will not halt until it reaches Yorktown.
As to what will follow, the general belief is
that the most 0l the men will be embarked in
| transports and follow those now atoat into one