The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12
Our Army before Rlchm0na-Revlevv Of
ReceDt KVenta,

Our Army before Richmona-Revlew Of
Recent Bventa.
Hon. Henry J. Raymond, editor of the New
York Tines, who acquired reputation a. Z
graphic war reporter during the war in Italy
and Who has been on the bloody battle field near
Richmond both before and during the recent ex
citing events, writes a. follows:
The FIRST necessity of every community, after
q disaster, 10 . scapegoat. 1t 10 an immense re.
NET to find aome one upon whom can be fastened
all the sins Of whole people, and who can then
be sent into the wilderness, to be heard of no
more forever. Of course, We have very active
search for such scapegoat now. The reverse
in front of Richmond is . serious affair, and un-
til somebody has been make to suffer for it, the
country will not feel safe. When somebody's
head is of, it matters not much whose, We shall
all breathe easier. The Post insists that Gen.
Mcclellan shall be the victim. The World cen.
sures the President The Herald falls foul of
Secretary Stanton, and the Tribune, tired for
once of its own denunciations, or having long
since exhausted the list, contents itself with
calling for help on Gen. Hunter and his negro
brigades.
We see little good likely to come of all this.
What the country needs is courage and new
srmy-not ordinations or criticisms of any
kind. Indeed, if we had had less of these hith-
erto, We might have less provocation for them
now The great cause Of our weakness has been
dissensions in Congress, in the Cabinet, and in
the press concerning the merits of different
Generals, and the wisdom of different policies.
In carrying on a war, the one thing needful is
confidence in the Government and its agents.
Whatever strengthens this aids the common
cause whatever and whoever weskens it, inflicts
upon that cause blow which may be fatal
1t is very easy, nov that the affair is over, to
perceive the cause of McClellan's recent re-.
verse. At the last moment, when least expect.
ed, and equally to the surprise, We have no
doubt, of President Lincoln, Secretary Stanton,
and Gen. Mcclellan himself, Stonewall jackson
rushed from the Valley of the Shenandoah, at
tackled with &c, 900 men our right wing of 90
army, without weakening the rebel force massed
in front of it by single man. No General on
earth could make head against such coup de
querre If Mcclellan had stood his ground and
fought in such position, nothing in the world
could have prevented the utter annihilation OF
the army of the Potomac. That he saved the
army against such odds and under such circum-
stances, and that he has been able to place it
upon new base of operations from which he
may renew his attack upon the rebel Capital with
increased chances of success, affords such proof
of consummate generalship as few living soldiers
can show.
General Mcclellan was not taken by surprise
in an attack on bis right wing. He foresaw it
and had prepared for it. He knew that it was
the weakest part of his line, and that as it was
the only cover for his communications it offered
very strong temptations for an attack. His
army was not large enough to cover the whole
of his long line. He called over and over again
for reinforcements to enable him to do so-but
he could not get them. The Government had
none to spare. While the rebels can concentrate
their forces upon single point, We are under
the fatal necessity of covering dozen. Jack
son was ravaging the valley OF the Shenandoah,
and menacing Maryland and the capital Eweli
had joined him with all his force. The Govern
ment naturally hesitated about mourning dan.
ger which came close home to it, by sending
away its troops to guard against one which
seemed remote and doubtful. The strength of
the rebels at Richmond, moreover, was studi-
ously moderated. Predictions were freely ut
tered that it would vanish when approached
that their numbers would prove to be less than
those of McClelan's army, and that he could
very we'll take care of himself. All these things
had their effect. They begat in the public mind
an undue confidence in our force, and q cores
pordng impotence of demand for more troops.
The bloody battles of Seven Pines and Fair Oaks
shook this little, but only for time, and it
was then too late to create q new army for that
campaign.
Mcclellan was not deceived, but he was help.
less. He knew that the rebels outnumbered him:
and in every war, other things being equal or
nearly so, the chances of victory rest with the
army which has the highest numbers. He was
compelled, therefore, to rely on skill-on pre-.
paration, .and in the last resort, on strategy He
knew that his right wing was likely to be attack
ed and beaten. But be believed that this could
only be done by superior force, and that this
force must be drawn from the rebel right. II
the enemy strengthened his own left, he would
in the same ratio weaken his right wing,-and
over his right wing lay the road to Richmond.
Mcclellan, therefore, prepared his own right
wing for prompt and safe retreat to the other
side of the Observation-Disclosures the White
House for q prompt and cheap surrender, and
prepared bis left wing for prompt and over.
whelming advanee. He had massed there the
lery,-had caused roads to be opened, causeways
constructed, and every preparation made for
advancing cannon, and stood ready to avsil him.
self, ct an hours notice, of the expected trsns.
fer of the rebel strength from one side to the
other of his lines. He expected to exchange the
White House for Richmond, and the bargain was
q good one.
Upon this basis McClellsn's plans we're fault
less. But they took 1t for granted that he
would have to meet only the army which held
Richmond. Mcdowell, Banks ami Fremont
we're expected to detain Jackson in the Valley
of the Shenandoah. Scarcely a week before
the crisis came, President Lincoln himself in.
formed Mcclellan that $4,000 men had been
sent from Richmond to reinforce Jackson, and
that this was equivalent to adding just so many
to McClellan's army. No one thought for mo-
ment that jackson was to leave the valley
His whole mission was supposed to be to pre-
vent reinforcements from being sent to McCIel-
Ian. He did this-and good deal more For
when the attack upon our right wing came, it
proved to have been made by Jackson himself.
He had swept down with so 900 men past Hano.
yer Court House, forced our right across the
Chickahominy, and was ready to follow them,
while the rebel force in front of our left stood
there in undiminisbed strength! In single day
jackson had added $4,000 to the rebel Rich.
mond army. Mcdowell had done for Mcclellan
precisely what Patterson did for Mcdowell be-
fore Bull Run. Jackson had played our army
in front of Washington precisely the same trick