Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-04
The Battle Before Riehmoad.


From the Londsu Tines July III
Inc - strategicsl motives which hsvs lsi a
general to retire, after an attack of the enemv.
nom position which he had occupied in or;ler
! 70 make an assault upon his caDitgI are pureIv
unln ntelligloie. 1t Is quite obvious that q retro
gla1e movement on the part or besieging army
means an Untensbls position, eo6lesSio7 q.
/ weakness, measure Cfsafety
! 1t the English army bsfore Delhi had thrown
I their right beyond the S1bsee Muudeq and tbsn
had retired across it after two hard fights agairsr
a sorte Of the Sepoys, 50 that their rig6t va
obliged to double back and csver itself babiD7
the left on the Jumna, even our atf ction. our
hopes and our fears could not deceive rs into the
belief that the TetIOgTade movement was made
IN consequence Of any pTsmeditated strategy
and that the attack was an expected result
which must lead to the strengthening Of the new
position
If for a moment we take the Thames as reprs-
sentlng the James River, and then imagine
deep and sluggish stream sweeping round ths
city from the northeast, 50 e. to fsLl into the
Thames below Plaistow- marshes, We may have
a rough idea Of the relations Of the ChiekshOm-
my with the James River and Richmond To
the east OF the ChiekahOminy, thus represented,
let Us conceive a river flowing from the north
west, at distance of II miles from it, which IS
called the PamUnkey, and which turns off east
ward into the sea at some point on the coast Of
Essex
The Union general, having advanced between
the James and the latter river, finds himself
with the Chickabominy in his front He throws
q portion Of his army across the river, and.
having thus established his left. proceeds to
pivot on it, and to extend his right by the right
bank Of the Psmunkey so as to pet 10 the north
Of Richmond Scarcely has he done So when
the enemy attack the left which had crossed
Chickshominy river, iufict on it asevsre defeat,
take gans and prisoners, and only rssire when
Mcclellan throws large supporting e force across
the river.
small cavalry razzia made by the enemy On
MS right sweeps around It, destroys commfssrfs-
vessels in the Psmunkey, and encircling his
whole army, crosses the ChickahJmiuy below
his LETT, and returns to the bsleaguIed city
The communications CT the army so situated
have been mainly dependent on the rivers and
the sea, and while the general has been prsDar-
lng Tor an assault on the enemy, the corps On
which be has relied for some 6emOnstrat on on
Us extreme night are suddenly attacked By the
Con.edeTates under "Stonewall" jackson $50
called from his tenscity in holding to an OBJ
strGcIon Of that nature in his fight with Shields
At winchester last spring., and are chased across
the Potomac.
Az active offensive movement in combination
with Fremont, forces Jackson to fall back into
turning 10 the east, he crosses the mountains and
marches straight with his victorious little arr.v
largely reinforced" :" whether By Bsauregsrds
men or not II is impossible say, and i3ins ths
Coniederates at Richmond The presence Of
ms dashlng leader and MS men seems to inviro-
rate the Southern leaders. On the 26 b of J6ns
.hey direct an attack on the right wing of the
Uulonists between the Chickahominy and Pa
nnnkey in heavy force
ais, by order Of Gen. Mcclellan, receded ssve-
al miles hotly pursued land therefore rpnnfny
'eTy hard) by the COnfsderat5s" Two dsvs
lard fighting led to the retreat Of the whole Of
he UglOn army TO the other side Of the Chicka-
,omlny, so that they now lie massed between
hat rlver on their right and the James river On
heIr LETT. Now, their retreat mas left open the
whole OF the country between the Cbickshoniny
.nd the Pamunkey to the C0nteders,es
West Point and White House have fallen into
he euemy's hands, and the head of York river
s once more their own. IF Mcclellan had
T0PTs0 motH suddenly transported his army
cross the river, after msDsclng Richmond on
ne north side, so as to lead the enemy TO throw
-P works and TO prepare for an attack on that
uarteT, leaving Richmozd on the side resting
n James river comparatively weak, We might
ndeTstand the strategy but such a movement
fter serious attack, hard fighting for two Jaws
r more, heavy loss, uUg pUTsUts- b sil4,
nemy, q csntraction Of lines is at least suspi-
iOus, strsgetically considered and making"
Or the James river looks like q severe reverse.
he proximity to Richmond is gone tho
leHacs Of the lines Is No mOre-for if General
-eClellan or his successors makes the James
yer the base of operations, the Union army
lust drop down lower than Fort Darling IN
ss their zunboats have worked through the OBJ
rUctions, which has not yet been asserted.