The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-07-04

The correspondent of the Baltimore Amer
lean thinks the object of Mcclellan was to
abandon the White House and draw in the
right wing across the Chickahominy, which
ne accomplished with little loss in comparison
with the punishment he gave the enemy, and
strengthened his position by contracting his
lines and changing his base of operation to
the James river, where he will have the CO.
operation of the gunboats. If the rebels at
tempt to interrupt his supply vessels by
dash on the James river, they will meet
prompt punishment from the gunboats, and
SO weaken their forces in front of the city
that it will fall into his hands with but slight
loss.
Great Battles and Great Strategic Move.
ments.
LAST WEEKS WORK.
If Secretary Stanton had allowed the re-
port given of Gen McClellan's movements in
frontof Richmond by the correspondent of the
Baltimore American to be telegraphed to the
northern press the people would have been
saved much needless anxiety. The confused
accounts of Monday created general i'm
preston that our forces had been defeated
and driven back, and left it uncertain wheth-
er they had even been able to make a safe
retreat. The only facts that seemed to be
certainly known were that our right wing
had been driven down the Chickahominy
some five or six miles, and that a rebel force
had reached White House, in their rear, and
broken their telegraphic and railroad con-
nections. The natural conclusion was that
Gen Mcclellan had been placed in decided
eddy dangerous position, and everybody
dreaded to hear the next news. All this
uncertainty and anxiety might have been re-
lieved if the country had been allowed to
know what was well understood at Washing
ton, that the retreat down the Chickahominy
was strategicsl movement, intended to
throw the right wing of the army completely
around to James river, making it the left
wing, and to draw out at the same time so
large part of the rebel force in Richmond
as to make the advance of the other wing,
which is now the right, close up to the city
more easy. The evacuation of White House
was begun as early as Tuesday, two days be-
tore the battle, in anticipation of the change,
and when Jacksoa's division reached that
point on Saturday, expecting rich harvest
Of plumber, they found everything clean gone,
and their only welcome was shower of
bombs from the gunboats. The change of
position was only fastened by the attack of
the enemy on Thursday on our right wing,
and the retreat was made not because the
presence Of the enemy made it necessary
but because it was ordered by Gen McClel-
Ian in furtherance of his general plan, and il
was made in order and without any loss Of
material worth naming.
THE NEW POSITION.
The change of front, always a hazardous
movement in the presence Of the enemy, was
successfully made. The head of the left
wing reached the James river on Monday, a,
Turkey Island bridge, about eight miles be-
low Fort Darling and fifteen from Richmond
and opened communication with the Hotlla
which is to cooperate in the advance upon
Richmond. The abandonment of White
House Landing and the removal of the gov
eminent stores were admirably done. Under
the direction of Gen Casey the sick ant
wounded were carefully shipped off, the ord
nance and commissary stores placed OF
transports, and the troops and property en-
barked for James river the refuse left behind
which did not exceed $4,000 in value being
given to the flames. The mile and half O
steamboats,, with large number of sloops
briggs, and schooners, met the army on Mon
day at Turkey Island
Our lines previous to Thursday ran nearly
north and south on the east side of Rich
mond, extending from Mechanicsvlle OF
the north across the Chickahominy neal
New bridge, southwark little in advance O
the Fair Oaks battle ground, and theme,
down in front of White Oak swamp
This wing (now the right made an advance
on Friday and Saturday directly towards
Richmond, and is now reported within shell
( ing distance, at what point is not named.-
t The line extends down in a south-easterly di
recton to Turkey bridge, which crosses
small creek of the James river. Our arm,
t is now between the Chickahominy. the brids
e es across which it holds, and the James, AMI
. Fort Darling and whatever rebel forces arr
/ in its neighborhood are pretty effectuall
| shut in. The capture of the fort, and tn
A clearing out of the distractions in the river
! so as to allow the gunboat fleet to assist il
Y the assault on Richmond, are naturally tn
$ next operations in the program
: Another advantage of the new position
a that it enables Gen Mcclellan to throw
n force across the river, and so cut off the re
f treat Of the rebels southwark, and cut Of
: their supplies in that direction. The positio
: is also much more secure, as no flank move
e ment can cut the army off from its base G
Il operations, as on the Pamunkev. Supple
e and reinforce ments now go up the James ri'
e err, under the protection Of the gunboats.
THE FOUR DAYS FIGHT.
n Of the great battles of Thursday and FIR
j. day, which were continued by sharp skirmisf
$. ing on Saturday and Sunday, we have "
e but Indifferent accounts. We CLEAN such pa
e sages as are most ineligible from the letter
" Of various correspondents -
J. During the advance of our pickets in fror
D. Of Hooker's position on Wednesday, the rel
n els showed signs of a lack of inclination {
le ability to oppose any very decided oppositio
,e to our advance, and the new ground W;
v gained with far less effort than could be e.
.e pected. Instead of seeking to drive US fro
d our new position, as so many expected the
le would on Thursday, the rebels turned in al
e other direction, and crossing in large force
e Meadow Bridge, one of the upper bridges {
re the Chickahominy, near Mechanicsyile, #
ce upon our troops in that vicinity in owe
b. whelming force, in an effort to pass arour
st our right wing and sever our line of comm
d, nication with the Pamunkey, little thinkir
that was precisely what We wished them
n undertake, if disposed 20 attack US at all
k The troops remaining on that side of Il
nj Chick ahominv were the corpS of Gen Porte