New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-03
NEW YORK DAILY rRInrNn WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8, 1862
,o,,, ,n,e,,ed battle was fought on tina, and the

q
ensuing Day, which resulted III tie deieat OF tie
Rebel forces Ga the night If the Eth, our troops
s,eqt on the fel1 which they bad 70 br1vely Woa;
Ga The lS'h neither parry renewed the attack a.o
in the nj LIT of the l,lh lud l3th Gen. Leo WITH
drew his army the south eide oil tue F0t' mac.
On. loss i, the several tGtt'es on South NonnL us
and At Antieram was l,7i2 killed, 300 WON den'
and Oh missing making total OF III ~. Gel.
Mcclellan estimates tie enemy's loss at nearly
80 0O0 mt their own ecconnts tYe their loss a.
about 4,CG0 in Killed and wounded
On the approach of the enemy TO Harpers Very,
the oficsr ~ commend on Maryland Heights 10
sroved his artil cry md abandoned his rcs aud on
lie 18th Col. Miles surrendered Harpers Ferry,
with only slight resistance end WITHIN fearing u
the guus of Gen McClellau's army. As iis whole
matter has been investigated ai'd reporei upon oy
a military commission, II is unn, oesfaTy Tor NE TO
oiscnss the disgraceful surrender Of the pos md
army under Col Miles command. Gen. McClel-
Ian rreliminery report Of his operations IN Mary
laud Including the battles OF South Iouuialn una
Autietam, is submitted here Win, marked ENh1nr
No. f. No reports OF his subordinate otteers have
been submltted.
From tho l7th of September till the o6th Of Oc;o-
Der, McClellaus main army remained on the north
bouk @, the Potomac in the vicinity of ShdTpsburg
and Harpers Ferry. The long innctvry OF 80
large an army in the iace 81 "a defeated Zoe, aod
during the most favorable reason for RAPID move
ments and vigorous campaign, was matter oil
great disappointment and regret. Your letter OF the
9th and nv reply on the Ssh Of October, III gard
10 the alleged causes OF tIls unfortunate deisy,
| submit herewith marked Exhibit No. ., IN reply
10 the eegrspic order of the Gh OF October, quoted
in nv letter OF the 26tb, above referred to, ten.
Mcclellan disapproved of the pl1n Of crossing the
Potomac south OF the Blue Ridge, aud said that he
would cross AZ HIpers Ferry anG advance upon
Winchester. lIe however, did not begin TO
cross ill the Goth OF October. and then al be7hn
This passage occupied several days, aud was coin-
A 81 "A o. hnN. NH
him TO change his views, or what Lis plan OF cam
paien wac | am ignorant, Tor about ths Time ne
/ ceased T. communicate with ne ~ TrS"Iu 70 MS
operations sending his reports directly 10 Tie PrrSi'
dent. On the stu inst, l received tle written
order of the President relieving Gen. Mcclellan aud
placing Gen Burnside in comm nj If tie Army Of
! the Potomac This order was tran s-.ll.ed ~ u
specisl messenger, who delivered II 10 Gen. Nc
Cl5llan al R.c!or!own on The 7!6..
When left the Department Of the Mississippi IN
July last, the main body of the army under MAJOR
ten. Buell. was between Huntsville and Stevenson
, moving toward Chattanooga, for which place they
had left Corinth about the l0th of June. Major
Gen CurtIs's forces were at Helena, Arkansas, anC
those under Brig Gen. Schoield IN Southwestern
I Missouri. The central army, under MAJOR Genera
, Grant, occupying the line Of Wes' Tennessee anC
Northern Mississippi, extended ron Meniphis u
Iuha and protected the railroads from Columbus
south, which were then our only channels OF cup
ply. These several armies spread along "a hne o.
some 600 miles from the western borders OF Arkan
sas 10 Cumberland Gap, and occupying stnp o.
country more than 80 miles in width, from whel
the enemys forces had recently been expelled, wer'
rapidly decreasing in strength from the large mum
bers Of soldiers sent home on account oil real OF pro
tended disability.
: On the other hand, the eneny's armies wer,
greatly increased by an arbitrary and rigldiy en-
forced CONSUMPTION. With their superiority IN mum
bers and discipline they boldly determined 20 reoc
/ cupy Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee aud hontueAy
and If possible 10 invade the States OF ONO, ln1i
ana and Illinois, while our attention was distracted
, b. the invasion of MARY land and Pennsylvania, and
|, nm extended Indian Instruction on the Western
frontiers. This plan had very many chances If sue
cess; bu, the timely order Of the President, OF Aug
f. calling for additional forces, and the patriotic re-
Spouse Of the people of the Norih-Wesi, thwarted
the enemy's well-iorned calculations.
Il Gen. Bragg suddenly transferred a large part Of
his army from Tupelo, Mississipli. through tie
States Of Alabama and Georg0, reached Chattanooga
in advance Of Gen. Bnell turned his left, aud. ai-
idly crossing The State Of Tennessee, entered Ken
lucky by Muufordsyiilc and L,.Gsu.
Gen Buell. fell back upon Nashville, without Civ
ing the enemy bat,ls-then followed, or rather
moved parallel with Bragg, who, after capturing
garrison at Muniordsville, turned oil ifom the man
road to Louisville along which Gen. Buell. passed
the latter reaching Louisville without ANY engage
= uent. Another column Of the enemy had moved
from East Tenncssec, after blockaing Cumberland
, Gap, upon Lexington, and threatened Cincinnati.
e a small force OF troops, which bad been
pushed forward 10 Richmond, KY, under Mnj. Gen
Nelson, We're met by the enemy and completely
3 routed. In the mean time every effort had been
made 10 collect new troops az Cincinnati and Louis.
vile, and TO fortify these places against a coup.de
main.
10 give confidence 10 the new levies, portion Of
Gen. Grants army was withdrawn from Mi-slssipp
and sent TO Kentucky and Cincinnati. No alta, 1
( was attempted by the eueny.
Mujor-Gon. Buell. left Louisville on the Let OF Oo
tOber with army II about 900 men in purfnii
T Of Gen. Bragg. The latter engaged q part Of Gen
Buell. army at Perryyille, about II o'clock on IN,
sth Of October. a general battle onsued, and wa.
continued till dark; il was mainly fought by Major
Gen. McCook's corps; the enemy reiregted during
the night; the losses heavy on both aides, bun
no official reports OF the numbers engaged or IN,
losses on either side have been received. After Iii,
battle the main army Of the Rebels retrcated q
, East Tennessee; Gen. Buell. pursued It as far IA
Mount Vernon London, then fell back 10 the line
from Louisville 20 Nashville Here Major Gen
: Rosecrans superseded lin in the command by Oh,
orders of the President. a. The Secretary Of WA
has ordered military commission 20 investigate the
operations Of Con. Buell. in this campaign, il would
be obviously improper for TO express any opinion
unles8 specially directed to do
The command Of Brig Zen. Morgan at Cunber
land Gap abandoned that place and retrelted 10 the
Ohio River. The alleged cause Of this retreat Wal
the want Of supplies. The commanding officer
however, had jnst before reported that he had sew
eral weeks provisions, and under no circumstance
would he surrender that important post. An inyes
tigation Of this matter has been ordered.
The withdrawal Of considerable part Of Gen
T Grants army to reinforce Gen. Buell. and 20 occupy
Zlnesvile and Cincinnati induced the enemy 20 re-
new operations in Northern Mississippi aud Western
Tennessee.
a force Of some 5000 OF 5000 men was sent to at
tack Bolivar and jackson, Tenn, aud by destroyin
the railroad 10 cut off all connection between Mem
phs and Corinth. The head OF the enenys column
was met about four miles south Of Bolivar on the
Goth Of August, aud brisk skirInish ensued. Or
the 3lst portion Of the enemys forces was enga
and repuIsed near Medow Station On the 1t OF
September the fight was renewed at Britton's Lane,