Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-12-17
REIREAr or GEN. BUKNS.DL'S
Amy hGRO,S TIE RAJ
PAu NSOIh.

ternoon at tle announcement, by tcle.
graph, that the Federal army at froder-
ichsburg had rctraced its steps from the
encmy's front and and rctrcAcd aor $
the Rappahannocll taking up the bridges
which, but few days previous, had bccn
put down totakc tie grand army ever.
sad and hu,niatus intelligence. Our
forces had been most terribly whipped On
Saturday, losing, as we are informed, SIX
thousand men the attack was not re-
ncwed on our side, and the enemy, being
in his intrenchmen,s, had no occasion 10
re 9. il the Rappahannork under the
raising RAPIDLY aud threatening to sweep
away tie pontoons It was fast becoming
evident that no chance for retreat could
maca lonsor exist, let the necessity let 4
retreat b as great as it might the
enemy WAS bclo our troops in m over
powelia1 number t. attack wps 10 plead
tor destruction, To- remain VA, t" D. cap
turcd 81 utasse tie Q J choice let
was to retreat While there was chance,
and consequently the entire army. mum
belins nearly two hundred thousand
strong. pulled up its stakes and lelt the
field IN the hands of the enemy, nothing
e incl bat bitter aud bloody experience;
nothing lost nothing but mere triae
OF fifteen thousand Or twenty tAousa ID
men ami very poor chance ot -citln5
T. Richmond under the present style Of
management.
And who is accountable George
i. Mcclellan. No; that cry can't be
raised tli, tim. The Il iAtiaiStfaito"
has clear and indcfcasiblc title to all
this new bur,hen oil shame and disgrace.
Nearly two weeks ago he informed ''rn.
Mcclellan that everything was ready
that be must march forward to Richmond
lis superior knowledge taught him tc
know better; be re used To march hi>
unpaid, unrlad, unted and unpfepared
men to the rebel shambles. and he was
released--thc only truly competent leader
OF our Grand Army wa, displaced. An
other took his position AID accepted tht
Cabinet announcement that all WAS ready
he went 10 tie kappahannotk, he haltce
his grand army there two weeks there
il stood waiting to tie put IN rea iluees--
h. crossed the river at last partly by rebel
consen', as it now seem,, and comincnc
ell the attack. From his strongly en-
trenchel position the enemy cut dowl
our brave legious as grass; our officer
and men were wiped out trom the face g
the earth As bv the bc-om Of destruction
q that our men had been repoy for victo
~ then. They were unable TO stand he
fore the aw III fire, and they have talci
the wisest course retre0ted.
The Cabinet Coloncls have won The
pont-Iost Richmond for the present, a
lcas:, lost enough men to make n spendl
armv--let Us hope that they are at lcas
partially satisfied.
What fearful, what bloody yiulca
ton Of Gen. Nc lclan is all this. lIo,
these reycrscs cause him to loom up j
the estimation OF the people; how the
bury in the rubbish OF unutterablc cor
tempt the trcking, trucking, yaeocli
ting, weak -iointcd, Jealous and dshonc,
policy OF the Admlnistration-aye, til
Administration ifscH. The lesson is
dear-bonght and bloody one, but ever
line Of ii is warning to the people to pi
not their trust in the Alministrati,
power at Washington.
What next