The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-09-17
RICHMOND, VA. WEDNESDAY MoBl

Wnnvttt IN efnft - prevsnA Il ~ nsaf.t rs sglue
'easi. o his briEsdes under tsensfs Hfifir, gci
who!" nt the next day hattie ni.hs,ut coming on
.hs hsid though In full view ci tie hafsIs which
was raging. while ten. Griffin hiinHeU spent the
dsy IN making III nasured ssicintss upon .he Gene
raj commanding The action, ia ths prcaenc. Of 4.
premlscuous Assenhage
Darkness closed the ac,ien IN Friday the enemy
being driven back from bs positions by Hetnt xeI
mans corps and Reno, concluded by furious al
TACK along the turnpike by Kings dviGion al lie
Dowell's corps. leaving bis dead aud wounded on
the field
do not hesitate to say that il the corps OF I,ar.
ter had attacked tho enemy in Gsnk on The after
nooho Friday. M be had my written orders 10 DO
we should utterly have crushed Jackstn before The
forces under Leocould have reached him. Whv he
did not do SO cannot understand
Our men, much worn down by hard service and
continuous lighting tor many previous days. s.,it
very short of provisions, restsd on their guns Our
horses had had no forage for two days i had tele-
graphed aud written urgently for rstions and fe
rage 70 be sent us; bat, on Saturday morning. ba
Iors tue action was resumed, l received lsttes
from Gen. Franklin, written the day before at
Alexandria, stating that he had been directed by
ten, Mcclellan to inform me that ratoDs and TO
rage Tor my command would he loaded into the
ears and available wagons as l would send
cavalry escort 10 Alexandria 10 hr,ng them up So
All hope of being able 10 maintain my osit,ou
whether victorious or not, vanished ih this letter
My cavalry was utterly broken down by long ana
y,
ss they were, could not be spared from tbs trout,
even 1t there had bsen time. 60 back 81 niles 10
Alexandra ami await .he Leading Of tra.hs. 81
tbs Time th,e isttsr was written, Alexandra Was
su aHninE WITH uccr5 AMI l,,y y hole a ray intel
sls'Sca hsan.e plses staa q
once nisdsfsto0d that We must, II poaitle hnisb
what ve had to do that dey. as nent ,nss, ase q $
behind Bull Kun. If we v via,e,i to save lnen and
animals ftom starvation
Or Friday night | sent a Exemplary o,de. to
Gen Porter 20 bring his command on the field and
report TO me in person within. three kaurs be
received the order, A portion is Brought up. but,
as before stated, one OF his bt gades re.ained the
whole day at CentraTil;e, snd was not IN the en-
gasemsrt The enepy's ieayy reiufor esinsnts
having reached him on Friday aftorn"en End night.
ha began to macs his right for the ys1rpose OF
crushing our left aud occupying the road ~ Ce,.-
treville in rear. His heaviest assault Inaae
gbont O'Clock III Tie afternoon. whsu, after ever
wheirnihg Fitz John Porter and driving his aFces
back The centre and left, mass attsr nlass of bis
force were pushed against our left. terrific con-
test with great slaughter, carried on iur sew
sraf hours our men behaving With hrRneEs and
gailantry, under the immediate command of Gen.
Mcdowell. When night Closed, our left had been
forced back about hall mile, but stiii remained
firm and unshaken while our right held its ground.
Gen. Franklin, with his corps, arrived after dark
at CeptreyIi!e, six miles in rear, whilst Sum-
ner was four miles behind Frank lin could have
brought UP ttsse corps in the morning III tine TO
have renewed the etic but starvation stared bofA
men and horses in the face, and, broken and ex-
bausted As they were, they were in no condition to
bear hunger; also, accordingly retired to Centre
vile that night in perfect order. Neither on Sun
day nor on Monday did the enemy make any ad
vance upon us On Monday sent to the army
corps commanders for their effective strength,
which, all told including Sumner aad Franklin,
fell short OF sixty thousand men Instead OF trng
ing up thirty thousand men, Franklin e1d Sumner
united fell short Of tw enty thousand and these
added to the force had, already wesripd out, aud
much cnt up, did not give me the means TO Go any
thing else than stand on the defence.
The enemy during Monday again began 20 work
slowly around to our right. for the purpose o: pos
sessing Fairfax Cour House, and thus turning oiir
rear.
COUGHS division and one brigade OF Summers lad
been left there, and s.rt down Hooker on Mol
day afternoon to take commsnd and pest himself
at in front of GsrmantoEp, AT the saline tiiae d.
ree.ing Mcdowell TO take position along the turn
pike from Centreviiie to Fairfax Court. House,
about two miles west of the latter place
Heintzelnan directed to post himself in rear
and support Reno. who pushed north OF the
road. at point about TWO aid II half miles cast OF
Centreville, and to cover that read. II being my
purpose, in the course OF the night. 10 mass my
command Oh the right, iu the dire ction Of German
town, Nhere felt convinced tie next attack 81
the enemy would be Tads
Late in the afternoon of Monday the enemy
made his demonstration upon Germantown. but
was met ny Hooker at that place. a1d by Reno, re
intorced By kesYney further Nest. Tue battle wss
very severo, though short, the enemy teirg driven
back mile with heavy ioss leaving his dead aud
wouad,d. In this short action Iost two Of our
most valuable and distinguished officers Gene rails
kearney and Stevens
By moving the whole OF my command was mass
ed behind difficult creek, between Flint Hill and
the Wsrrenton Junction, with the advance, under
Hooker, in front OF Germantown.
With the exception OF Sumner, the commanders
OF the army corps rf the Army OF the Potomac had
continued TO inform ma tina: their commands We're
and had been denoraIiLed ever since they left Har-
] hat $,a-, had :rs{ o,,I NO
disposition to fight. This latter statement their
conduct in the variors actions fully eoDtradated ;
but the struggling in those corps distressing.
TIE iutl facts having besn reported, = n on Tues
day afternoon 10 retire 10 the en'renehnleEtg near
Washington. which was accordingly done on that
day aud the neai, IN coed order aud without the
slightest loss
Banks who had been left with lie Tairesi trains,
cut eff at Bristol by the burning Of the bridge.
ordered TO ioin on Monday at Centrevllie, which
he did OH the afternoon OF that day
This brief summary viii explain sufficiently i'll
detail the whole OF the operations nf the forces
der NY command during sirtesp days Of continuous
fighting by day and marching BY night.
To confront powerful enemy with greatly iufe
rior forces, and fight him day by day, without
losing your army; tndsay aud embarras his move
ments, and force hiu'. by persistent resstance, TO
adop. long and circGious routes, bis destination,
the duties which have been imposed .ron
They are, of all military operations, the most diff.
cult and the most haiaesing both 10 the command.
er and to bis troops. How TAR we have been site.
cessfu l lcaYe TO the Judgment OF my country
men. The armies OF Virginia and ot the Potoslac
have heen united in the presence aud aainst the ei
forts Of wary and vigorous enemy in greatly sli.
psrior force 10 either, with logs for which they
did not exact full retrihutiou
Among the officers " hom ! seel bunni 10 men,
lion with especial gratitude fol their mcat hearty.
cortitl aud untiriDg zeal end aucrsy, ara 6eus.
Mcdowell, Banks. Reno, HeiutZelnign. Hooker, aud
kearney. and manysothers OF Inferior rank, whoe,
.I1 lVf. ft.p
of the Government
The trrops have exhibited wonderful paliepcs
and coursge, and cannot ray too much for theui.
JOHN POrt, asIor General Y. s. a
TIE IMPORTANT FoslTIcS OF eks. M'cLELLAE--
The CABINET 10 BL BkokLS III.
The Nav York Hyatd IN an article OH tbs uen
position Of Gen. Mcclellan Commander in Chief
of the Federal arny, lays down q prearatnmo for
hitl which is not likely to suit Old Abe" II says
General Mcclellan has been restored to tlie pqsi.
ton be ought to held at tho head oil the army by
ihs force OF circumstances, which redonnd TO bIs
credit and to tie disgrace and discoyD'ituie et bis
enemies. The universal satisfaction with which hs
reappointm.nt has been received by, the country.
and the joy and confidence 1heh IT has inspired
among the troops, ars the beet proofs OF the pru-
deIfcs which dc.stsd the change. II Is curl US TO
note through what disasters aud difficulties this issa-
sure vas brought about. II was only by the utter
failure Of tbs other Generals. and the imperative 9
demands of the officers and OF the rank and fjs vi
the army, almost in stats of muslny. that Gen
Mcclellan was, at The eleventh hour, restored
to the position OF which he had been deprived
by tie iasrisues OF = rampant faction of sddie-
Drained fanatics. Had even moderate success at
send.d the operations of the army under other misi
sfary leaders, Gen. Mcclellan would have rema'nsd
under cloud, and Justice wond not have beer done
to hs talents soldier till after he war wssoTer.
Even as it was il required ail tn. deiermini ION
and moral courage OF the Preai1en. to reestablish