The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-19
Reb View Of TTcClellans Position.
ITS IMPREeEABILITY ADMIT
TED.
g.
The Rebel Press Growing for News

l-itfNtNcf OF inc tAN mas nten fcctlAeu ]
here. Discussing upon General McClel- I
lan's present position, it says: ave be- I
lieyc all that was known in this city I
yesterday, outside OF the Bureaucracy, 1
was that the enemy had taken a strong .
position, with one Of his tanks resting !
on the river about Berkeley completely !
under cover of his gunboats, and his ex- /
treme right reaching to Herring creek, I
where his position is defended by an al /
most impassable mOrass. II was sup
posed that the enemy would have been |
attacked yesterday, but there had been |
no fighting up to the last accounts we
/ have from the lines II is not 10 be sup
posed that the enemy has selected these |
| plantations as the scene Of his last great
/ stand without good reasons. The hrst
and most apparent Of these is that the
western landing is perhaps the very best
on the James river, and the stream for
miles up and down being broad and
deep, affords both excellent sea room and
anchorage for his gunboats and trans
ports. But this is by no means the only
advantage of the position. On tho west
OF Berkeley are innumerable impossible
ravines, nnning from near the Charles
City road, on the north Of James river,
making a successful attack from that
quarter next 90 impossible. Within a
quarter of mile Of where these ravines
begin, Herring Run creek crosses the
Charles City road, and, running in
soulheasterly direction, skirts on the
north and east of the plantations Of
Berkeley and WestOver, and empiies into
James river at the extreme eastern boun-
Diary of the latter. The whole course of
this creek is one impossible morass,
while along its northern and eastern
banks extend the heights Of wellington,
a long range Of hills that overlook the
Westoves and Berkeley estates, and
which offer an eligible position FOR hca-
Wy guns.
at will be seen that, protected on the
south by the river and his gunboats, ON
the west by impcnetrable ravines, and on
the north and east by Herring creek and
the heights of Eveington, the enemy's
position presents but one pregnable point.
the piece of level country northwest of
Westover, from quarter 20 hall mile
in width, lying between the head of the
ravines and the point where Herring
creek crosses the Charles City road. But
IL is certain that the enemy, with his inn
mense resources Of men and machinery
will, in very brief period, obstruct by
art this only natural entrance 10 his
: stronghold. Already il is within range
| Of his gunboats, and of his siege guns
planted on the Ellington hills. Another
r day may see il strewn with felled tim
Der and bristling with field batteries. In
, enumerating the advantages secured 20
the enemy in his present position, his SUI
I perior facilities Of transportation must not
D be omitted. Whilst our ammunition and
5 stores must be wagoned distance of
nearly thirty miles, his steamers aud
5 transports are rnnning up TO the very
doors of his tent. For the benefit OF dis q.
2 tant readers, we may here properly say
s something ofthe character of the country
: 10 which, suddenly and unexpectedly Y,
d the scene of war has been shifted. Ten
8 days ago, when Mcclellan beleaguered
l Richmond, with the exception of about
G five miles of the Chckahominy low
{ ground, he occupied the most barren, and
Y at the same time, the worst watered
n and most unhealthy region Of Eastern
d Virginia. Agues hoop-poles, and whor-
d tleberries have been always The only sure
y 70
v ten miles about the Seven Pines, taking
q that point as a ccntre, and but two living
o streams cross the Nine-mile, or Williams
IS burg roads, between Richmond and Bot.
,e tom Bridge. On these two roads, Will
n the Seven Pines as their headquarters, th,
Is very pick and flower Of the Northern
n army was concentrated, aud here, fol
II weeks, their yigor and numbers melted
il away, under the influence Of miasma
II bad water, and Southern sun, but by
q this hasty trip through White Oal
10 Swamp, Mcclellan has emerged will
J. thinned ranks into a more genial land
A broad, fresh river flows before him
Is while his tired and hungry hordes will
Is find boundless supplies in as fair an,
ii rich a valley as the sun shines on. Thu
e country Of the lower James river is Ia,
49, garden-spot Of Virginia. Nowhere doet
20 soil better repay the toll and the hus
III bandman.'
rs The Examiner says 70 It's own Govern
ia ment. There has already been enougl
rs tritling and abuse Of the public mind BIZ
Of the suppression or reserve Of facts on th
- pant of the Government If toe Com
it manding General could write dozeI
ID lines, giving the result Of the Eight a
r Gaines Mills, why on each succeedin
TO day might we not have had a bulletin Q
ut equal length simply stating the result.
be Il would have cost but a trine Of tim,
ie and would have conferred an incalculabl
IN benefit upon the whole country in com
IN posing the public anxiety. II the frs
r official display Of our success has ma
er been fully sustained by subsequent EVENT.
ia and if the public expectations which wer
Or then raised TO such a height are % b
rs reduced, we believe that our people ca
IN bear the disappointment, without wait
le ing TO hear the facts drop out through IA
'n slow and forced confessions Of those !
Is, authority II Mcclellan has effected
be communication with the river why wa
e. not this fact boldly aud sincerely on
w. nounced instead of triilingw with thepuI
D. lie mind by reports Of surrounding Don
OF tions Of his army In triangular swamp
%, and in the neighb0rhood OF mill-pond
a,f and other false and vague stories, intcudc
'h 70 break the fan Of public expectations
f- The public Is left under TIE imprcssi0
n- Of general facts. We know That the val,
20 Of our troops has 90 far prevailed an
OF that the enemy has been pushed from h
or lines OF investment oi this city, but Win
may be the strength Of the coherent rem