The New York herald., 1862-12-08

OA1s 0sO012100 y 4OO1
sas q tAs delays fixtures q our army. Ihs'
lively time coming Tbs ssce Of The radicals Asos
ren Henseforth they wiz have more snaa they On
| 70 cover up their dirty work OF the pas..
But, dropping that subject TO await for more full d.
veopments, win give few ideas that have been sue
gssted by the movements OF army since last July
Tour readers are aware that the radical abolition
lists were continually finding fault with Mcclellan
for not advancing with sufficient rapidty, until al
length they succeeded in having him relieved from the
command Of the Army OF the Potomac, but unfor
tunatey for them time whom his army was moving
faster than 1t had done before, and when 1t
directly on the heels Of the rebel army with every pros
uect OF an immediate battle which would probably
cs ushed out the rebellion just at this critical moment
Thea order came for change Of commander which
sariIy brought the army TO sudden halt Of about .
week a uing which time the rebels made their escape
across N Rappahannock and our army consumed ts
provisions SO that when Burnside had made himself
acquainted W, h his responsibilities he discovered
that the Orange and Aexsudria Railroad besides being
exposed 70 dessr cton by any enterprsing rebel who
might into s head TO burn bridge, and thus cut
his line Of conmuut ton and supply, was when per
fect ordsr entirely iuaA sauas to transport supplies for
such an army as that Of the Potomac This military Tea
ture had been foreseen by Mcclellan, and had consti
tuted Of his principal Aets against advance
this line and Of the James river whore
communication with the protection afforded by gun
boats would enable him establish his supply depo. a.
Haxalls only fifteen miles from the rebel capital. Bu'
Halleck aud Meigs Of different opinica, and an
order issued for the abandonment Of James river for
the line Of tue railroad. This stupid and eupabls move
ment, In the language Of major general not particularly
friendly TO Mcclellan, amounted TO thsThe army was
IN oahn Naaio had
gained the expense Of several Thousand ves only
fifteen miles distant from Richmond. II was ordered
70 make most denornizing retreat to Fort Monroe,
and thence an expensive water transit TO Alexandria and
Aqua creek For what object was this donei It
take up new base, seventy I'VE miles by rail from
Richmond"
Fortunately for the country, Popes railroad commun.
cations cut and he might have been expect
ed, and anticipated by those who knew him. do.
feated before he had advanced from Washington
oprevent his getting back without great disaster. moro
positive proof could have been adducad to sustain the
wisdom Of Mccleens opinions regarding the truo line Of
advances put to confusion the crude notions Of Hal
leck and the Pope expedition. conclusive, and
tho army under Pope fortunate that had Mcclellan
Alexandria pushing forward supplies Of provisions TO
his starving HQuartermaster General Megs tho
coadutor Of Hseck getting false accusations agans
Mcclellan pretex for his removal (Which exclu
syey for the benefit Of tho public, and submitted
General McClelan) had devoes his attention to
his appropriate dues he would easily have ascerained
that an army Ike that placed under Pope could not with
its animals &C., have been supplied by single track
rairoad ike that Of the Orange and Alexandria, at any
very great distance from its supply dspo Pope found At
warrenton that hs could net supply his troops be
fore he joined by the Army Of the Potomac and at
tme when he only had about SO 900 men, and at only
onethrd the distance 70 Richmond. These arthme
tical calculations into which the General Chief and the
Quartsrmaster General seemed consider beneath
dignity enter, the neglect which cost many vsaa
BILE livss aud large amount of money.
The experience OF our army she peninsula IN the
transit Or supplies BY rail afforded good practical illus
tration from which the wise gentlemen alluded TO
might have proftcd
On arrival Mcclellan At the White House he found
An excellent single track railroad from that point Rich
mond This road as stocked with and engines and
It's exclusive devoted 70 transport ing supplies for
that aTmy during the time the military operations
were going on upon the Chickshominy, only twenty
miles the depot at the White House. Tho capacity
OF tho railroad found inadequate 10 furnish the
say supplies and tho artillery cavalry and quarternas
ters horses were, for the greater part Of the te on
half allowance OF forage in consequence. These posi-
tive facts well undestood by every ocer connected
with the army the peninsula, and cannot be ignored
There no trying disguise the truth that oven
II army could be subsstcd upon long limo Of raroad
passing through enomy's country, will always
prove exceedingly dangerous experiment for the rea
that IL supply communications continually liable
10 interruption by she enemy should Burnside,
for example, saseeed IN forcing passage over
tho Rappahannsck and reestsbishing the railroad
bridge across that stream, he would then be
about sixty.three miles by rail from Richmond,
with several long bridges across the North and
South Anna and other streams the destruction Of which
w0pld involve very considerable delay In the advance
. his srmS, r tho rebel army does not desire to meet
Burnside this side Of ncamond wiu' w.noO. any aues
tion destroy every inch OF from
inward, and wo will be under the nec~-s ~ ou''"s
railroad sixty three miles in length -,
This will very great delay, does not ense
y defeat the object n view These facts 60 conclu
svely 10 show that where water communications he
obtained they should always be resorted Since the
introduction OF gunboats there Is difficulty in keeping
open hcse lines. There has been vast expenditure Of
and money in the ruitess cndeavor to prove that
McClellan,was wrong in selecting James river for his
base. Notwithstanding this venture the prediction
that before Richmond Is acn this James river will
have be again resumed the line OF approach is
quite probable that all other possible experiments win
rsorted 10 for the purpose Of avoiding this but OBJ
nsxious may be 10 those who responsible for the
removal Of the army from this line, they viii have TO
10 IT, even at the expense Of fully vndcang the
,-doIn Of AcCellans policy. Every day that Is spent
in o,os txpasmsnis strengthens the public feeling In
vorof the late commander Or the Army Of the Potomac
furnishes the world proof Of his wisdom as military
commander. @ ~ !.
Fire Mt, 1arper's Fcrry-DcstructiOn Of
Governments Property.
UARprRs FERRY, Dec. Z, 1862
fire broke out In the guard house, where rebel
prsocers were confined, last night. Two government
buildings were completely. consumed, including tho
telegraph Office. Loss about 500 0G0 Most