The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1862-11-21
What Mcclellan was Doing when
he was Removed.
Correspondence of the New York Times
LETTER FROM THE EXTREME FRON

Correspondence of the New York Times
LETTER FROM THE EXTREME FRONT.
FoRrY-FIvE MILES FROM THE PoToMAc. AND)
FIVE BEYOND MARKHAM, Wednesday Eve-E
ming, November 5, 1862
The Grand Army moves with lightning speed.
Such rapid marching as we have performed
during the past four days is truly wonderful,
and indicates zeal and vigor on the part of our
generals hitherto unknown. 81
No one appears to, and probably no one does
know, save the commanding Generals, if it be
true that the Confederate forces are retiring.
Gen. Mcclellan undoubtedly intends to pursue
and attack them before they have time to fall
back and occupy some chosen position The
rapid hurrying forward of the infantry can mean
nothing else unless it be that the bulk of the
rebel army is still in the Shenandoah Valley,
and flank movement is determined upon.
Should this be the case it has already been
accomplished, for we have got in the rear of
Winchester, Berryville and Bunker Hill, and
Ashbys and Smokers Gap are occupied, there
by preventing their crossing the mountain and
getting between us and our base of supplies,
The ease with which they gave up these import
ant Gaps inclnes me to the former belief, viz:
that they have retreated. If this be SO, the
forces which they left in the Shenandoah to de-
ceive us by threatening Harper's Ferry, will
certainly find it difficult to escape. All goes
Clellan's headquarters tonight are at Rector
town. about ten miles from Upperville. About
all of our force save those left to hold the Gap,
are on this side of the latter named place, en-
camped for the night in the vicinity of Mark
ham, Piedmont, Rectortown, and adjoining
places. The men are in the best of spirits, and
think they can see their way clearly to Rich
mOnd this time.
We reprint the above as a part of the
history of the current Virginia campaign.
1t is written by the regular army cores
pondent of the New York Times, paper
which has at the least equalled any other
in its malignant traduction of Gen Nc
CLELLAN. 1t will be seen that it was writ
ten ''from the extreme 'front.'" near Rec
tOrtOwn, on the 9th instant-the same day
on which the President signed the order Of
disgrace against MCCLELLAN, and two days
before such order was served upon him at
his headquarters, which was then at War
renton, fifteen miles further in the ad-
vance.
This Times correspondent, then, writ
ing ''from the extreme 'front.'" on the 5th
November, states that ''the grand army
moves with lightning speed" and charac-
terizes as ''truly wonderful" the ''rapid
marching performed during the past four
days" And then, after mentioning va
rious speculations concerning the positions
and intentions of the rebel generals, and
the counter plans Of MCCLELLAN, the cor
respondent remarks, call goes well, which
ever hypothesis is true;' and closes his
letter with the gratifying announcement
that ''the men are in the best spirits, and
think they can see their way clearly to
Richmond, this time
We do not republish this evidently
truthful account, from an unwilling wit
ness, for any purpose of melting hostility
against the administration, but merely to
exhibit the singular coincidence, that while
MCCLELLAN, according to the testimony Of
his enemies, was moving his ''grand army
with lightning speed;" performing ''truly
wonderful rapid marches;" while call was
going well," and "the men were in the
best spirits, and thought ''they saw their
way clearly to Richmond;" the guillotine
of the Administration struck off the head
Of their General, who was achieving these
results, and whose presence infused such
enthusiastic energy among his troops.
With the patriotic of the whole country,
we hope that under the new organization,
call will go well"-that the men will re-
main Gin the best of spirits" and that
they may not only ''think they see," but
actually see ''their way into Richmond,
this time.'' ..3 - r.t l''