Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-07-28

hord Jesus, 1t IS more 0teSSed 10 gaVe than
to TeceiUe.'"
The Official" Report of Mcclellan.
The following excellent satire on sc. 3.
McClclIan's" reports has been furnished by
a correspondent. 1t is a capital piece of
humor:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoroMAc,
Near Gunboats on james river,
July 9th, 1862.
Hon Ed. M. STANTON, Sec. War, U. S. A.
1t may seem a misnomer for the Army
of James River to be called the Army of
the Potomac, and it NAV excite surprise
that my address is Near the Gunboats"
instead of Richmond, Va" but I have
just executed a grand stragetic movement.
Nothing equal to it was performed at Sc
b~astopol.
That the enlightened public of Boston
and New York may understand the mag
niicent conception and execution of this
wonderful plan, l will make a brief state
statement.
o.. the Goth of June I enticed across
the Chickahominv the rebel Generals Jack
son, Longstreet, d. H. Hill and A. 2. Hill,
for the purpose of annihiIating them when
separated from their reserves. The works
at Mechanicsville, though very strong,
were s~trategicalIy. abandoned that night
to toll the rebels into my tolls around
Gaines Mill. No such magnificent design
was carried ont at Sebastopol.
On the 9th inst, the rebel Longstreet
and A. P. Hill attacked my works in front
and jackson and D. FL. Hill turned them
on my right. We killed vast numbers of
the enemy, and Left a vast army of my
wounded in his hands. Knowing the
great lack of provisions and medical stores
"a the rebel ranks, | let them take a
thousand of my we'll men and all my sick.
Ny wounded, sick, and sound men, will
add greatly to the distress of the enemy
and help to crush this unnatural rebellion.
No such magnificent scheme was devised at
Sebastopol.
The rebels having cut my telegraph
wires, I found it necessary to invent a new
system ofsigna's. | therefore adopted the
old idea of signalling by lights !; SO / made
bonfires oat of a few million of dollar.
worth of commissary and quartermastcl
stores. l am happy to state that the sig
nails were understood throughout my whole
line. In this age of progress we ought t.
improve upou old ideas, and l am conf
dent that l can firmly claim that no suct
signal lights were used at Sebastopol.
On the 29th, the rebel Generals Eve
and Stuart cut the railroad, destroyed m
stores at Dispatch Station, White House
&c. We lost stores to the amount of 70,
ty millions of dollars. All this was pal
of my original scheme, long conceived an
now handsomely executed. Neither til
Russians nor Allies did anything of tn
kind at Sebastopol.
On the Goth / resolved to toll the en-
my still further on, and it became aga
necessary to make signals to my army
The better to deceive the enemy, l Bile
up a fine engine and several tons of %,
3 der, instead of using signal guns. l a
3 happy to say that the explosions we
r heard throughout my whole line, and we
understood by my gallant boys. No su,
r substitute for signal guns was used at S
bastopol.
t That quiet Sabbath afternoon / resum
Q my march for James river, but the serel
!, ty and calm of that holy day was brok
|. in by the rebel McLaws, who attacked
Q in a most barbarous and uneivilized ms
ner. We fought him until dark, VIII,
" disguised with the atrocious conduct
( McLaws, | resolved to leave him and CT
k tinue my march to James river. I US
g the same happy e~xpedient Of making S
nal lights by burning my stores. l
h near the battle ground some two thousa
J. OF my sick and wounded, directing G
i'd Sumner to destroy all medical and col
g missary stores at Savage's Station. 1t
difficult to conceive how the rebels
of sustain this new burden.
e, In my official report to the Hon. Sec
e tsry of War, / would earnestly call the
tention of the Rev. Mr.. Beecher, and
lie Puritans ofNew England, to the fact t
le l was attacked on the holy Sabbath day
lie that goddess rebel McLaws. Such a tn
le was only of weekly recurrence at Sci
topol.
q On the 3Oth, / let the rebel Jackson