, 1862-12-06

WIS renewed The next mor1ing, and after au- |
o'her e2y's hard fighting, OUT forces fell back
ny pursuit. TFo days liner, however, be |
threw ontiderable force between Chantil1y |
nro Germantown to turn Pops right. Hook
eF efhlodged them after short but severe en- |
EaEtmsnt, In which Biigaditr Generals Kear- |
we've Killed Pope's army hsd been reia.
1cfceo by the corps OF franklin aud Sumner,
safety.
During the operations Of theprsvious week.
OF which We received very favorable but not
tfustworthy accounts, every effort was made
to Lush forward supplies and relrtorcemeuts
to Gen. Pope's army. The troops from the
Peninsula were ordered not to wait for trans
portation,- but to march Immediately to the
fed OF battle; Some Of the corps moved with
becoming acttvity; but the delays Of others
were neither creditable nor excusable. Our
losses In theee b11t1es were Very heavy,
both in life and :materials, but as no official
reports have tee1 Eeceived, except brief
sketch from Gen Pope, marked Exhibit No. 4,
Ten. Pope WAS transferred to another depart
ment before tie reports Of his 7Bnbordina:es
could be received; probably they will soon
ba handed in Most Of the troops actually
epEbged in these battles fought with great
bravery, but seme Of them could net be
struggled away from their comms1ds, ard it
Is esid that not few Voluntarily surrendered
to the enemy so as 10 be parcled as prisoners
Of war.
In order 10 reorganize the different corps,
get the stragglers back into their ranks, and
to Eupp1y deficiencies Of ammunition, cloth
ing. &c, caused by recent losses, GEL Pope
requested and received directions TO bring his
army within the defenses of Wa=hinstoo,
Which were then under the command OF Gen.
Mcclellan. This movement was executed on
the night Of the Sd, without loss. Gen. Pope
being now second In command of the uaised
forces, applied to be relieved, and was trans
fe1red 10 another department. Although this
short and active campaign was from causes
already referred to, less successful than We
had reasons to expect, it had accomplished
the great and important object Of covering the
capital till troops coutd. be collected for its
defense. Had the army Of the Potomac ar1lved
q rev days earlier, the repe1 army could have
been easily defeated and perhaps destroyed.
TIE CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND.
Seeing that al attack upon Washington
would now be futile, Lee pushed his main
army across the PorOuac for raid Into Mary
land and Pennsylvania. Gen. Mcclellan was
directed to pur6ue him with ell troops which
we're not required for the defense OF Washing
ten. Several coIps were Immediately thrown
cdt IN observation at Darlestown sud Lees
horo, and most Of his army YVES in motion bg
Frederick on the 18th AS the ca1npzsga WAS
to be carried on within the department com-
.oandtd by Mt}ot Gen. Wool, directed Gen.
Mcclellan to assume c. ntrol OF ill troops
within his reach, without regard to depart
mcn,a1 lincs. The .gaHisons OF Winchester
per's Ferry, and the commanding officer Of
that post hBd been advised By my chief Of
sthiF TO mainly cnntine his defense, in case ha
was attacked by superior iorccs, to the POSI-
tion Of Maryland Hights, which could iiag:
been held long time against oTer~ y helming
numbers. To Withdraw him entirely from
tbat position, with the great body Of Lee's
forces between him and our arm :, would nut
only expose the garrison to capture, but all
the artillery and stores collected at that place
must either bc destroyed or left to the enemy
The only feasible plan was Tor him 10 hold It's
him, OF open Communication SO that be
could evacuate it in safety. Tte5c vie1B were
commnnicated both to Gen. Mcclellan and to
Col Miles.
The LIT of Gen. McClellan's army pursued
part of the encny's forces TO the South
alountains, where, on the 14th, be made 8
stand. 4 severe battle ensuea, the enem3 be-
ing defeated ard driven from his position with
heavy loss. Lees army then fill back b=hInd
Antie;am Creek, q few miles above its mouth,
and took position admirably suited for de-
fenee. Onr army attacked him on the 10th,
that aid the ensuing day, which resulted in
the defeat OF the rebel forces. On the night
OF the 18th our troops slept On the field which
they had 60 braFe1y won. On the 18th, neither
party renewed the attack, and in the night Of
the 18th and 18th, Gen. Lee Withdrew his
army to the eonth side Of the Potomac. Our
loss in the several battles on South Mountains
and at Antietam vas l ,Ti2 killed, S,OGG
wennded, and 913 missing, making total of
| 10,f21. Gen. Mcclellan estimates the eneny's
| loss at nearly 20, Goo; but their own accounts
| gives their loss at about II, GOO in killed and
| wounded.
| SURRENDER OF EARPE1'5 FERRY.
On the aprroaeh Of the enemy to Harper'6
Ferry, the officer in command on MARYLAND
flights destroyed his artillery and abandoned
bis 1,oEE, ard On the 18th, Col. Miles surren-
dcEed HarreF's Ferr5. with only Sigh resist.
ance, aud within hearing Of the guns OF G5n.
| McCle}lan'e army. As this whole matter has
! been Investigated and reported upon by mil
| ltary commission, it is unnecessary for me to
dlscpE6 the di5gracetul surrender Of the post
| and army Under Col. Miles command. Gen.
| Eccle!lan's preliminary report Of his opera.
| ucns in Maryland including the halt.es o1
South Mountain and Ar:ietam, is submitted
herewith, marked Exhibit No. i No ozeports
OF his subordinate officers have been submit
| ted.
GEN. 5!CLELLAN's STRANGE DELAY AFTEE
TILE Brittle OF ANIIETAn.
From the l7th CT September TIL the 26th O
| October, A1cCleilan's main army remained Oh
| the Forth bunk Of the Potomac, in the vicin
| isy ot Snarpsbu'g aud Harp=c's Ferry. .Eut
lcng inactivity OF so large artoy in the fa.e
I OF a defeated fec, and during the most tavsra
bic season for rapid movements and yigor.
| GUS campaign, WaB matter OF t5Ttat Gisap .
| pointmeat ard regret. Your letter Of the eth
aid nJ reply on the 2S.h Of October, In r.:
| gard to The allcged causC5 Of tIls unfor: uratt
dclay, submit herewith, marked Exhibit No
| !, il reply ~ the telegraphic o1der Of the & I
q October, quoted i'll MT letter nf the 2Sta
| above referred to. Geu. Mcclellan disap
| proved OF The plan OF crossing TIE Potomac
| ecuth Ct The Blue Ridge, aad said that h
| would cross at Harpe.'s Ferry and advance
upon Winchester. He, however, dill nus b..
gin to cross til the 26ta OF October, AID sar1
ut Berlin
This passage occupied several DAYS, and VA
completed about tue Sd OF November Nhu
caused him to Change his views, or what hi
Plan Of campaign FaR, am ignorant, TO
about this tins he erased TO comnuuices,
| with INC in regard to his operations, sEndiu.
biz repotEs directly to the President. On TIL
5th inst. received the written order Of th
P1esiden. relieving Ger. Mcclellan, aud plac
| ing GsD. Burnside in command Of the arm
ct the Potomac. This order was transmit
ted by special messenger, wlo delivered
to Gen. Mcclellan at KectortowE OIL tho TIA
GEN. BUELL'5 OPERATIONS.
! When lett the Department of the Mis5is
sippi IN July last, the main body of the arny
nnder hai. Gen. Buell., wds between Hunts
Vile and Stevenson, moving toward Caatta
ncoga, for which place they had left Corintl
about the 10th Of Jne. Mai. Gea. Curtis
forces were at Hslena, Arkansas, and thos
under Brig. Gen. Scbofeld in southwestern
Missouri. The central army, under Mai. Gen
Grant, occupying the line OF West Tennessee
and Northern Mississippi, extended fron
Memphis to lusa, and protected the railroad
from Columbus south, which we're then ou
only channels of supply. These sevaral 81
mics spread along lire of some GOO mile
from tie western borders OF Arkansas t
Cumberland Gap, and occupying strip G
country more than $50 miles In width, trol
which the enemy's forces had recently bee
expelled, were rapidly decreasing in streugt
from the large numbers Of soldiers sent hon,
On account Of real or pretended disability.
On the other hand, The enemy's armies wer
greatly Increased by an arbitrary and rigidl
enforced conEcrip,ton. With their superiorit
In numbers and discipline they boldly detel
mined to recccupy Arkansas, Missouri, Ter
nessee and Kentucky, and, if possible, to in
7aGe the States Of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
While our attention WAS distracted by the il
Vss1on Of Maryland and Pennay y1eania, and a
extended Iud1au instruction on the Wester
frontiers. This plan had very many chance
OF success but the timely order Of th
frealdent, of August 4, calling for additions
forces, ard the pr1otic respo2Re Of the peopl
OF the Northwest, thWarted the enemy's vel
formed calculations.
Gen. Bragg suddenly transferred large pa1
OF his army from Tupe1o, Mississippi, thro1g
the States Of Alabama and Georgia, raacha
Chattanooga in advance of Gen. Buell. turue