The New York herald., 1862-08-22

drilled aud organized there and, if necessity
requires it, they can do some good fighting
without either drill or organization. They can
Gil up the ranks of decimated regiments, whose
veterans will soon teach the raw recruits their
duty and mould them to the skill, the spirit and
temper of the organizations by which they will
be absorbed and assimilated. Not a day nor
IN hour is to be lost. What is done let it be
done quickly.
A Rebel Account or the /" Seven Days
Battles I'm Front of Richmond.'
We transfer to these columns, from pom
phlet lately published at Charleston, S. c. a
connected rebel account, in a general way, of
the memorable "seven days battles in front of
Richmond" which the reader will find very in
terestng, from its disclosures of the plans,
movements and achievements Of the rebel
forces, and their sore disappointment in being
finally bafled and beaten back by the tactics Of
Mcclellan and the splendid fighting OF his ad-
mrable army.
This narrative of these sanguinary "seven
days" gives us only six, our rebel historian hav
ing overlooked the opening battle, and the neat
little victory Of Wednesday June rs, gained by
Gen. Hooker on our left wing in an advanced
movement near Fair Oaks The second day
marked tho indccisive but ominous attack OF
the rebels on our extreme right; and from this
point our rebel historian follows the two armies
to Malvern Hill. where he turns back in grum-
bling mood, coniessing that the "actual results"
to the rebels were "below their expectations"
The author of this pompous and "highislu.
tin" satire of "glittering generalities' is, we
suspect, the notorious Roger A. Pryor, from the
conspicuous position which s assigned him, and
from the important part which he is set down as
having performed in the only really disastrous
battle to our arms of all those seven bloody
days-that of Friday, at Gaines Mills. With the
close Of saturdays fighting, although repulse
to the rebels, they were sanguine, from the1
tons and roads which they commanded 6f
expected to cover, that Mcclellan was en-
trapped, and "would be unable to extricate
himself without victory or capitulation," and
.all hopes of his escape were thought to be
impossible" But by the next days fighting
the face Of the case was somewhat changed; for,
says our rebel historian, "during Sunday the
mortifying fact became known to our generals
that Mcclellan had in measure succeeded in
Guiding us-having stolen march Of twelve
hours on Gen. Huger, who had been placed in
a position on his flank to watch his move
ments."
The battles of Monday and Tuesday, which
were awfuily destructive to the rebels, are in
geniousiy worked up into dearly purchased
victories, which '.tt,e more grape might have
turned into disastrous rout. Twenty thou
sand fresh men brought up to the support of
McCia IAN ut Malvern Hill would have carried
him back to Richmond; but they were not forth
coming and his exhausted troops, after their
seven days and nights OF desperate fighting and
marching, We're in no condition to follow up
their victories against overwhelming numbers.
Had the forces Of Mcdowell, Banks and Ere
mont been moved down close upon the heels of
Jackson from the valley of Virginia, they might
have come in at Mechanicsville in good time
70 win the city of Richmond with the battle
at that point. But as it was, with Jacksons
forty thousand unexpected troops added to the
forces Of the enemy, and in the absence of some
fifty thousand expected Union troops upon his
right, it is glory enough to Mcclellan and his
brave army that they succeeded in cutting their
way through to secure position
In all the wars Of modern times we can hardly
recall struggle which, for terrible lighting for
successive days and nights, will compare with
these "scyen days battles in front Of Richmond
excepting the desperate struggle of Napoleon
Of isl3-l4 against the overwhelming forces
agt tln Alfino from, 4 ainxfa m Paris Tb. ahal
leaders and the rebel army were confident
Of the utter destruction or capitulation OF the
army OF Mcclellan. They were confident that
a victory was within their grasp, which would
instantly open thGiS way to Washington and
the independence their Confederate States"
Hence the terrible energy and recklessaesss
Of life which they displayed in their vain crSfts
TO destroy or exhaust into a surrender our no.
BILE Army Of the Potomac.
In conclusion, our stilted rebel historian un-
der review leaves US completely in the dark as
TO the aggregate forces Of the rebel army of
Richmond and It's losses in killed and wounded
in those seven days Gghting. We have no
doubt, however that their army numbered at
least 10000 men, against less than 100000;
and that, while our losses on ell those seven
days, in killed, wounded and missing, was less
than l6 600, the rebel losses amounted to not
less than 80, 900 men. And thus we drop tie
subject, and with the cheering conviction t'lat
it will not be many weeks before those "seven
days battles ia front Of Richmond" will DO
ocipsed by o series Of Union successes which
will carry the "old Dag" into that devoted