The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-06-27
Matters Before Richmond.

Ork 1meS, Qateu on the 18Th ana ZUth In
slant -
$50 far as our army is concerned, there
can be no reason for any great delay. We
have all the troops We are likely to get, and
it is believed we have all We shall need,
though if the government had been wise it
would have sent fifty thousand more men
than he has now under his command, to CO.
operate with Mcclellan, from some direction.
But it has not seen fit to do so. 1t ne takes
Richmond with his present force, he will win
all the more honor, for the fight will be
SHARP enough to vindicate his preliminary
prudence If he fails in the attempt, the re-
sponsibility must rest with those who COM
PEELED him to fight, and withheld the means
which he deemed important to an assured
success.
No one In the army now expects to have
short and easy march into Richmond. They
expect to fight their way, and it is bit SIM
pie justice to say that they are ready and ca
ger to do it. The whole army is tired of
inaction, and will welcome most heartily the
order to advance whenever the General may
see fit to give it.
We hear from pretty good sources that
the same feeling pervades the rebel army
Tie troops from the Gulf States have been
North long time, on hard fare, with POOR
clothing, and without having accomplished
anything OF the least Importance. They are
getting tired of it, and are anxious to have
( the contest ended, one way or the other
Very many of them are losing their interest
: -. IN
home than to reap any laurels they are like
" to win in this war. Gen Stoneman say:
that he asked squad of prisoners who fe,
into his hands a few days since, what the.
were fighting for. They replied, TO supper
the gentlemen who got us into it,
On our side everything has been perfectly
quiet. | met three or four of our companie
of Engineers going out with axes and spade
to construct two or three small corduroy pas
sages for artillery, and at one or two point
saw men at work completing breast works.
BIT all our preparations are substantial
done. And if there is any further delay
will be due to some other cause than tia
which has done duty thus far, that We wer
, not quite ready
! The writer expresses the opinion tn;
: fighting will commence in three days ton tn
25d; } but he gives the following reason
/ why it may be postponed beyond that time
81. 1t is quite possible that MeClella
! may he awaiting the corporations of Burr
3 side, Mansfield and the gunboats on Jam,
river. throw this out merely as comic
/ ture. But Burnside came here to headqna
: tiers last week, then went TO Washlngt0
: and then returned to his command. Man
;, field was simultaneously sent to Suffolk vi,
- strong force, q state only what has bee
announced in the Richmond papers, ar
IS certain ugly customers have gone up Il
d James river. If the Instructions, includiI
, Fort Darling, can be so removed as to pit
nit the passage Of our gunboats up the ri
t er. the surrender of Richmond becomes
o question of hours only. Considering NJ
Clellans we'll known inclination to save Ii
his utter abnegation of himself in his d
-. sire to serve the cause-his rather inexpliC
:" bic delays here for the last few days, al
other circumstances to which have reterre
IN am half inclined to suspect that he mea
to postpone direct attack until he he;
ID the echo of the guns at Fort Darling.
pr >. For two or tire days now the reb
have made deuce of row with the drp
o every morning. At very early hour
at can hear tattoo in their camp with the wor
ID of command. &c. If they intended to alta
as US they would not thus give US notice.
n they intended to evacuate. they would clio
of their design with precisely such demonstl
30 tons. Their ostentatious firing to-day
ID minds one very much of the similar perfor1
s. ance the day before they left Yorktown. &
TO Mcclellan on Wednesday said he had la
f. awake all the morning listening TO their t
TO too and wondering whether it did not me
Il. 'skedaddle.'
s. 3. Both armies are intrenching. The re
els have put up some very formidable earl
), works during the last three weeks, and G
en side has at least kept pace with them. Th
St dig to prevent our advance. We dig
m make sure that, if checked, we need Lot
* treat. do not :hink that this proceed
l. warrants the inference, that there VIII be
e fighting for some time. There may not
~ and then again there may. When there
in any it will be severe: and on our part "
be mainly battle of artillery. You "
probably hear of sixty pieces being mass
W. in single field. do not believe the reb
have anything which can Withstand it.