Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-10-18
THE LONDON TIMES On M,CLELLAN,S
VICTORIES.

THE LONDON TIMES On M'CLELLAN'S
VICTORIES.
From the London Times, Oct 2l-
The victory, such rs il was, OF Mcclellan
and his colleagues, is exceeding remarkable.
An arInySdemoffliZed by q succession OF fail
urcs and a long retreat has suddenly proved at
least equal and, NAV say, superior, to an
army elafed with triumph and bent npon a
continuation OF its conquests. The forces of
The Confederafes have suffered their first i'm
portant check exactly At the period when they
might have been thought most assured of vic
tory. 1t was generally expected that the grand
army of the Fedarals, when il did advance into
Virginia, would require an aseendancy in the
neld, II only by force ofnumbers and superior
ity of equipment. Nobody would have been
surprised TO hear some months ago that battles
have been won in Virginia, and that Richmond
had been taken. Similarly we imagined, after
the capture of Fort Donelson. that Gen.
Halleck, with his powerful and well-supplied
force, would beat the Confederates Oh the Mis-
sippi, and, though nobody believed in the con-
quest of the South, everybody was prepared for
The military success of the North.
These calculations, however, Were not veri-
fed by events. Up to the beginning Of last
month every pitched battle had been more or
less m favor of the Confederates, and their
final advance from Richmond to the Potomac
represented one continuous victory They then
cross the Potomac. and carry the war into the
e-nennys country; here fortune turns against
them, and they rrtracc their steps. after no in.
glorious fighting, with heavy loss on both sides
1t is not that they found the country hostile or
that they moved too far frem their supplies;
Tor they penetrated hut 4 short distance into
The Maryland territory: they were not unfa-
vorably received, and their retreat, as the
event shows, was assured. Neither was it
that they caught their enemy at bay, and so
found themselves confronted with the strength
of despair, for Mcclellan was the pursuer.
and IL was he who of his own choice brought
on The first engagement. We cannot describe
the actions reported Is anything but fair fight
ing on lair Ield, and yet the victory, or such
semblanee of it as was achieved at all, re-
manned with the troops who had been repre-
scented, and we doubt not, with perfect truth
exhausted. dispiri;rd, and altogether infe-
rior 10 their opponents.
II is worth while, therefore. 10 inunirr in
what circumstances this sudden turn of for
tunes could have originated, and We are much
inclined 10 believe that is traceabie 20 the lib
Grafton of Mcclellan from those profess iouaI
restrictions and disabilities which official or
personal iealousies had previously imposed
upon him. At no other point can we discover
anything 10 account for the turn of the tide
hat here there was something notable even be-
fore the fighting began. Mcclellan, for The first
time, perhaps, in the whole war; received full
power from The President 10 act as he Thought
proper In the Chief command. No sooner was
he invested with this authority than he did ey-
actly the opposite of wha. his previous tactics
had led US toeXpccJ. Instead OF shsltering and
reforming his broken bartalions behind the de-
fences of W ashinElOn. he instantly. and with
ont an hour ; delay. marched in pursuit of the
very army which had Just driven The Federal
forces headlonG across the Potomac As soon
hpaT-
en-. He renews the fight day after day, and
presently he sustainS an attack himself with 4
continuation OF this unusual fortune UIti-
mately, if he does not actually drive the Con-
federateS across the river in their turn. he sees
them deliberately retire after the handling he
has given them, and thus gains, IN a weeks
campaign. over strong and triumphant army
an advantage which he failed to achieve under
far more favorable conditions in the course OF
- whole year.
IL is amystery where he got the troops for
such 4 work. The description given of the Fed
rrail army il fled from the armies of Lee ann,
Jackson was too natural 10 be doubted and
though McClellan's own corps had had not
beeen engaged, YET that very force had suffered
still worse treatment on the banks OF the James
rIVeT. 1t was surely not in the despairing and
feyer-stricken army which stole away from
Masfuder that the materials for a new cam
palgn conld be so promptly found. Washington
was full OF troops, no doubt, but they must
have been either raw levies or veterans who
were none the better for their services, whereas
cur own correspondent reported the condition
of ths Southern army, before the fight com
menced, as efficient in the extreme All the
best Southern Generals Were on the ground
TOO, shd we can trace. indeed, in their move.
mrnt. the military genius which has ALWAYS
distinguished the South. Probably the best
arnlyi IN the hest condition which the Confed-
erates have ever arrayed on a field of battle
stood last month on the soil of Maryland, and
yet Il was worsted by an army Of which we can
give 40 account, commanded by general who
had never won battle before.
VIZ assume without hesitation that the in VA
sion 9f Maryland has been a failure Whether
1t wss raid for the sake of stores and proyi-
sions, or an attempt to raise the State against
the Union. or simply a strategic movement
against the army of Washington, the conclusion
must he the same. Whatever the Confede rates
desired to do they must have left undone,
because the Federal army forced them to retire
Ihey met, II not with superior force, at any
rate With a force which they could not conquer
and 20 they retreated. We do not place the
least faith In the stories of their ssdemoraliza.
ton" or rout. Ii appears plain that they with
drew from Maryland in excellent order and
with all their materiai-perhaps with more
than hey took in. We have no doubt they will
soon oe heard OF again, nor do we consider that
HE cause OF the North has been advanced a
smglo step by these unexpected victories But
for all this IL is perfectly clear that the Confed
crates, who had marched triumphantly up to
The very waters of the Potomac, then Suffered
reverse, and that their plans or strategy, in 80
far as The invasion Of Maryland was concerned
complely failed.
AT that point, some cause or other, and, as
We suspect, the definite aseendency of McClel-
ian gave the Northerners IN advantage. They
pad Dearly Tor II, but still they got il, and it
VIII sse interesting in the extreme 10 see
%hcTbsr they can retain il, or whether il
VIII pass away from them again. For the
nTSt tine IN the war Federal general has
challenged the COnfederateS 10 fight a pitched
battle, and has won il. For the first time
Mcclellan has discarded the spade and APP
pealed 10 the sword. Instead OF entren ching
himself behind field works or MAKING his an.
proach,s according 10 the rules of engineering
science, hc has boldly marched against his
opponents and fought them. By theS, tacfics
ne has. a. he himself expresses the fact
.'saved' The STATE OF Maryland TO the North
ami perhaps the state of Penns ylvania toe
RuI he has done more han this He has shown
that he has really qualifications for command
and that Northern soldiers come of win.
ners q fair stand UP light
ara Oh Ia,