The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-07-22
FROM THE NORTH.
our summary thls morning is made mp from
Northern papers to the l7tl inst;

o"f summary tbls morning is made mp from
Northern papers to the 17th inst;
THE STRENGTH or McLELIas's ARMY-ovER
l5s,oe3 aKs SENT HIM BEFORE THE Ff6Hrs
Wednesday lest was q lively day in the United
States Senate and In tie scramble tha frnth about
MeClellan's force came ont. From offeal stata.
cpts it was shown that lse 900 rlen were sent to
Mcclellan before any engagement Las, ;sskn,, place
before Eichmend. Mr. Chandler walked into tho
administration about the conduct of the war
After severe overhau'ing of tie lalis Bluff disas
ter he says
After this Wholesale slaughter the whole army Of
SAe POTOMAC retired, except in front Of Washing
ton He then read further testimony showing III =.
the Navy Department applied 10 the War Depart.
ment for 400 men - hold Matthias's Point AMI
keep open the Potomac, commencing such epplca.
ton as early as june I'll in oco Der il WIS agreed
t. send men. Vessels were gathered there by the
War Department, but the troopz were not sent 30
the appointed time and the Navy Department.
could not tnd CUT tae eason. The evidence fur
ther stated that the President assisted the Navy
department rs much rs hs could with this piaD but
Gsa. Mcclellan objected. because he feared the ar
rsugements for landing. hal not been made. Thus
the nation was c!SeraeaG for 8lcnris bY the block
sde 81 the Potomac, sud the Capital besiegtd
Dy orce at no time !f tha. OF the Uni ed States
III December the Ia, ion began 20 cislnor for n
movement, and tho Committee on the Conduct Of
the Wa- urge,. the recessiiy foc such e movement
Inc fIesideGt aiits CstOiGet were iAFGr some
forward movement, and they were assured by Gen.
Mcclellan that move would be made very COON ::
that he never intended TO so into winter quarters
And he did not. Oar brave men spent the winter
in canvas tents
At last, in January the President says the order
forwardF T. and those Gloricas events tsak place az
Forts DoDaleon and iIenry, Newbern, &c. The
do nothing strategy" seemed to give way and tho
weeks aud days OF spades and piek-2ses 10 be over
On the 22d Of February the army OF the Puto-
mac was ordered 20 move, bat Il was not ready-
At last. on the 10th OF March, ii Gid move under the
protest OF its commander. On she 10Th of March,
that army numberea -iu 900 men by the muster
roll. They marched 10 Aanassas and the wooden
guns Of Centreyiile, and the euell. less than 40
Oc0, quietly moved away.
The Generals had voted not TO advance On Ma
nassaS, but 10 leave tic enemy there and sneak
around to Annapolis Seven out of eight of these
Generals were appointed by the advice Of Gen. Me
Clellan.
But the President and Secretary Of War over
ruled this, and made the army move on to Manas
sas. Why did not this magnificent army Of 100000
men at once march on Richmond. Nc one knows
But ct last Mcclellan divided his army, and sailed
for Fortress Monroe
The Committee tic Conduct Of the War srm-
moped General NadsWorth " TO swore that he nsi
only l9J22 rnea left To defend Washington with,
and not single gun mounted on wheels part of
this force was new aud undiseiplined, and SOME
nearly GisorganiZed.
He then read from tb8 testimony Of John Tucker,
Assistant Secretary Of War, who testified that
prior the ,ti OF April 10000 men were first sent
down to McCleIan then Pran&lins division OF
1900 Yves sent snd on the ist ef June NcCalis di
vision OF 10000 moro, and about that time l100o
from Baltimore and Fortress Monroe, aud on tie
last OF June Shiedss division of about 5000 max
ing total Of lJs,000 to General McClel-
Ian prior 10 the engagements before Richmond
Mr. Tucker further testified that lie did not know OF
any other force which couii have been sent to Nc
Ciean. Thus It is shown that $500 of the best
troops that ever stood on Gods footstool lad been
sent TO McCiaiis.l.
And yet the reasonable press IF the country are
bowling against the Secretary of War, because he
did not send reinfcrceGeG,s Lo Mcclellan. lie read
further from the testimony of General Meigs, cor
rcboratins the statement Of Mr. Tucker and saying
tina. lie believed that everything that Mcclellan
i'i asked for had been promptly sent 10 him by the
Government.
2Ir. Chandler said that Mcclellan had lost more
in the trenches, i've to one, than fell from
the bullets of the enemy since the array vent to
Yorktown.
at last when q small fraction Of the army were
whipped at Williamsburg, Gen Mcclellan at e long
distance from the eld battle wrote dispatch
the Secretary Of WaF. stating te:.t be would try to
hold Ike enemy In check But they were too fast
itr him. Then the road o..en to Richmond. aud
all lie had TO Go 10 march OUT of tae svTamps
into Richmond
But we found most of the swamp we co:,i, set
tied rs.s down in tie middle of il. and went 20
digging trenches. Zen thousand crave man wufe
lost there by sickness 1hsn, after waiting some
time, the battle Of Fair Oaks fought, and
instead OF following the enemy into Richmond. we
found another swamp and aGg;G commenced dig
ging trenches aud waited ,iu tie enemy got ali
the seintoreelnents he could raise by impress
ment, and for the army from CoEi-ti. to come 10
his aid.
And then the rebels attacked us throwing their
whole force on onr CHI wing. But instead of re-
iiforclng that position. retreat was ordered And
this is called strategy" We lost ten tlous and NE
by digging trenches and then LETT those trenches
without fixing a gun. The army wa6 ordered 10
advance on our gunboats instead OF 70 Rich
mend
Mr.. Chandler, in conclusion. said he knew he
would be denounced Tor making these disclosures
bur lie thongh' the country ought TO know the Iacts
Only traitors and fools would dsnouuce him.
Mr. Sumner offered resolution that the Com
nittee the Conduct of the War have leave to sit
during the recess OF Congress Laid over.
The Senate then went into Executive session and
subsequently, adjourned.