Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-06-20
Before Richmond.

Before Richmond.
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
SEVEN PINES, Monday afternoon, June g.
There is duelling at long range between the
enemys pickets and our own-and there are
movement and preparation ON our side, and
undoubtedly on their side, for the great bat
tie soon to be fought. And ! will candidly
tell my friends that they must make up their
minds to hear the details of conflict before
Richmond compared with which the battle Of
the Seven Pines was but a skirmish. The
enemy are greatly superior to us in numbers.
Their earnestness is Of course greater than
ours--for they fight to repel an invasion of
their homes and liresdes. Their courage MS
daring, ifnot as tenacious as our own, is by
nature savage, and has been animated by poll
tics into implacable hate. They have our own
dsciplne--an equal experience in the camp
and in the feld-and possess in their despised
smooth bore muskets and their cartridges Of
one round bullet and three buckshot, a far
better weapon for this wooded fighting ground
than our boosted Minnie rifles.
No. saw these Confederates fight under
the Seven Pines, and say to all those people
who think that we are to march into Rich
mond without fighting every inch Of our way
that they nurse delusion which the list OF
killed and wounded certainly, and possibly
the list Of killed, wounded and captured, will
wake them from--shockingly if they have
sons brothers, or nephews in the battle. /
tell you, New Workers. that this Confederate
army has no purpose Of retreating before us MS
we march into their political capital. They
sit in their trenches and lie under their can
non to save the Southern Confederacy. They
desire to fight BY evacuation of strongholds
and retreats from positions of advantage, held
Just long enough to weaken us by delays,
they have drawn us where they can flank us,
and where they W i'll compel us to fight, whe-
Their we want to or not They consider that
the coming battle will decide their fate, and
that of their Confederation--tha ii will con-
clude the war. They know its Importance,
and they are braced to its duties. To whip
this Confederate army tomorrow or next day,
we shall have to destroy 1t. To march into
Richmond we must pave our way with 20, 900
dead Southerners. Can we do it2
lis now /! O'Clock at night, and the wind
is in the northeast and the air is so cold that
even in this Si0ley tent worst possible of all
canvass houses j the seasoned sleepers turn
chilly in their blankets. The moon is gone
under rain-clouds, and a storm--one of those
which stiiien the march of armies and impose
peace on enlbattled enemies-is close at hand.
There will be no battle of Richmond to-mor-
row. There should be none day after to-mor-
others-who lie on the ground withoutindia-
rubber or wooden blankets, without oyercoats,
without shelter. of any description. They
lost under the Seven Pines everything, save
what they stood and fought in. After the
soaking they will receive tonight they will
require a days drying, days sunshine the
few comforts Of a single military day in the
swamps of Virginia. to render them lit for use,
Oh, You who buy and sell cotton in New
ork, and are changers of money there, and
merchants beyond the seas, and you who float
softly DER carpets in palatial roo ms, and
bridge over the spaces between easy duties
with music and the languid culture OF Arts
all you who in comfort and security use the
blessings of free government ana stable socie-
ty, to make yourselves rich and happy, you
do not know what Mcclellan soldiers suffer,
nor do you feel the debt which you owe them,
as they lie here in the cold rain And tell
you, danes and gentlemen, that this debt will
grow against you fast. For i! is through the
very gates Of Hell, ana the jaws OF Death, that
We are saving this Union.
MIDNIGHT that changes all Burn
side is sad to be at the White House with
- troops. Doubtful-but if so, will the
Confederates decline the battle before Rich
mond and retreat2 say they will not. They
will fight but, thank God, they win not fight
US two to one. Certainly they will not, il
Mcdowell is actually on the march TO join US,
and will give promise of arriving here any
time before next Christmas. Bat they win
fight-and the looms that weave Grape will
rattle again for the dead that will be slain
before Richmond.
Tue RLAoKEsr PAGE.-When the truthful
historian shall write the history of this sad
and unholy civil war, there will be in the
volume many pages over which shadow Of
hlackness will forever rest but the blacklist
page will be that which hands down 70 future
generations the record Of Gen. Buffers order
in regard TO the women of New Orleans
Like the shadow Of great wrong, il will
forever darken the fair brow Of the Goddess
Of Liberty. The millions yet unborn will
read il with commingled feelings Of shame
and pity, and doubt our boosted claim TO
freedom, civilization and Christianity. True,
il is but the act Of one man, but that man
commissioned aud paid by his countryto the
enforcement Of the laws aud the preservation
OF society. II the Government retains him in
commission, It becomes responsible for bis
acts and endorses his infamy.
No man respects more than we do the we'll
earned reputation Of the American army.
at is a school
Where every principle tending TO honor
Is taught-Vfollowed; +"
oht IN the name of that distinguished army
we soiemnly protest against an act which
would blight its greonest aurels and lay its
trophies PROSTATE in the dust II they war,
&c, y not be on domestic happiness; IL they
invade, be their oountry's hearths inviolahle
,et ihem achieve triumph wherever their
banners ny but let il not be over morals, in
noeence and virtue
Aet we Government remove this stigma
from iw name by removing Gen Butler fom
MS command Dayton Eipir', Jpas