Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-07-25
TIVE ARMY BEFORE RICHMOND.

THE ARMY BEFORE RICHMOND.
Especial Correspondence ofthe Chicago Times J
GEN. MoCLELLAN's HEADoUARrERs. \
Savage Station, Nine Miles East Of
Richmond, Saturday, June 2S
20 y @itha neavy heart thatI sit down
to write these lines | write on board
on the ground, amid scenes that never
expected to witness. The yard in which
am sitting is crowded with the wounded
the dying, and the dead, who have been
brought here for the benefit of what little
shade is afforded by few stunted trees.
The air is like heated furnace. The
sun, although it IS Eve p NJ, is still
pouring down its glazing scorcbing heat.
There is not breath Of wind stirring.
The surgeons are plying their horrible
work in shed close by. A heap of mu-
tilated arms and legs, which has been
steadily increasing since morning, bears
testimony to the fearful extent of their
labors. A young captain, fine hand
some fellow, who dined with me yoster-
day, and who was then full of life and
spirits, has just been carried out of this
shed dead, having expired from exhaus-
ton, after suffering the amputation of
both legs above the knees On all sides
the groans of the wounded fill the air.
The Army of the Potomac has met the
enemy and been defeated. There is no
use III attempting to evade or gloss over
this sad and humiliating fact. We are
cut off from all communication with the
rest of the world, but | will venture to
assert that the newspapers of Friday
morning, June 81, Saturday, Sunday and
Monday, June 20, 20 and 30, have, and
will contain official bulletins from the
War Department at Washington, stating
that Mcclellan has gained a brilliant
victory over the Confederates, has ami
hilated their army, and is now engaged
in profound strategic movement to-
ward the James river. l am tired of
these official Washington lies. / know
how aud why they are manufactured
Stanton sacrificed McCIellaa and his gal
liant army on the altar of his selfish ambi-
ton. | tell you we are defeated-de-
feated with terrible loss; and, if we sue
coed in cutting our way through, and
getting away from Richmond, it will be
an achievement equal to Xenophon's re-
treat of the ten thousand Greeks.
Immediately after writing to you my
last letter from Washington, on the 23d
inst, | think | started for this point, re-
lying fully upon Mr. Lincoln's promises
to Mcclellan of ample reinforcements,
and fully expecting to hear the booming
Of Burnsidcs's cannon'on the James river
long before now. | arrived here on
Tuesday night, June a General Nc
Calls Pennsylvania Reserves have joined
McClellan's army, But besides these,
and with the exception Of few other
beggarly regiments, fifteen thousand men
in all, not a single soldier has arrived
And, 50 far as Burnside is concerned, he
might as well be back in North Carolina
for any good be is doing Mcclellan. /
know very well that this is not Burnside's
fault; and knowing what | DO Of intrigues
at Washington, tits not difficult to decide
where the fault lies.
+ X X
1t is impossible as yet to give any con-
nected or ineligible account Of the bat
ties of the 25th, Goth aud 9th instant,
which resulted in thedefeat of this army.
/ have been myself in a wbirl Of excite
ment ever since the date first named. ]
have been in the saddle most Of tho time,
have not had two hours sleep at time,
and have not thought Of eating, for which,
indeed, there has not been either oppor.
tunity or material.
You may judge to what extent every
thing is deranged, when | tell you that
have seen McClellan's staff officers, com
pletely worn out, sleeping in their sad
dies, and on the wet ground in the mud;
and that, as regards our camps and tents,
we never expect, when VIC leave them 10
the morning, to see them at night. !
have lost all my personal baggage, except
what happened to have with me on
horseback, in consequence. Of sudden
removals" Of our camp A correspon-
dent Of the New York Herald is in u still
worse predicament, having lost his horse,
saddle, equipments, pistols, and all bis
baggage a great quantity ofour stores,
gunpowdcr, ammunition, commissary
stores, provisions, pontoons, wagons, &c.
has been burned at this point to prevent
them from falling into the hands Of the
enemy.
Let j be distinctly understood that
Gen Mcclellan has done all that any
living General could have done with the
force at bis disposal. 10 my former let.
ters ! hayo faithfully spoken oftLe abso-
lute necessity Of sending him reinforce
ments. They have not come, and he has
been forced to retreat. The enemy have
greatly superior numbers, and the Army
Of The Potomac 10 retreating from Rich
mond.