The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-11-29
The Peninsular Campaign.
A REVIEW BY THE PRINCE DE
JOINVlLLE.

JOINVlLLE.
(Conelus,on.)
THE sIRCE OF YORKTOWN
The necessity of a regular siege being
now apparent, works were opened against
Yorktown, and the Prince proceeds 10
give picturesque and interesting account
of his operation, conducted on a spot full
of historical "reminiscences. and snlivened
with striking episodes illustrating the
vast recent improvements in artillery. He
makes it plain that the fall of Yorktown
was already certain, when the Confederate
Generals, with commendable provision,
took the resolution of abandoning the
place. The evacuation was accomplished
in the nipht Of Sd and 4th of May; and,
as the Prince justly observes, the "inpos.
sibility Of commanding the assistance of
the navy, and the fatal removal of Nc
Dowelrs corps, by which McClcllan had
been prevented from carrying Yorktown
by q coup de main, deprived the Federal
army Of the chance of brilliant success :"
The enemy retreated, carrying with them
the consciousness that they had gained so
much time for the defence of Richmond,
and the Federal forces saw the campaign
open into larger perspective of labOrs
in the field and with diminishing hopes
Of an amicable adjustment of the national
difficulties" For it appears that General
Mcclellan from the first counted upon a
decisive victory at an early day as Offering
the best hope of a reasonable conclusion
to the quarrel. The Princes testimony
ON this point is explicit, and it suggests
the inquiry whether, after all, those who
clammored most against Gen. Mcclellan
for action, while they deprived him of the
means of making his action effective. were
not really in favor of prolonging the war,
and of making any settlement hopeless.
THE BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG.
McClellan's pursuit Of the enemy was
immediate.
A few hours after the news vas receiy-
ed of the evacuation the whole army was
in motion. Stoneman's cavalry first cross
ed the entertainments. As they passed
on, several Internal machines, cowardly
instruments of destruction, burst under
the horses fee. and killed several men
Stoneman marched rapidly upon
Williamsburg with all the cavalry and
four batteries Of horse artillery. The IN
fantry followed as fast a. the few and bar.
row roads weuld permit. There were
really only two of these roads-one direct
from Yorktown, tine other coming from
the left Of the Federal positions The
latter traversed Warwick River at Lees
Mill, on a bridge which it took three
hours to rebuild. When this division,
which was the first to cross, had advanced
a short distance it met a portion of the
Confederate army, which gave way and
fell back before il. Smith informed Ne
4 I'LL N. 81 L1
thought that Stopeman might outstrip
the hostile column and cut il off at the
fork Of the roads before Williamsburg,
sent orders to that officer TO hasten his
march. Unfortunately it was not easy TO
advance rapidly. The narrow roads led
through wooded country, at any time
charming from its scenery, which recalls
the smiling Devonshire, the Provence Of
England But now We only looked rsasa
these forests as the hiding-ploces Of an
enemy. The young Duke Of Chartres, on
a scout with forty horsemen. suddenly fell
upon a Confederate brigade This was
the rear guard Of the column described by
Smith. The Prince brought back some
fifteen prisoners and gave his information
to Stoneman, who hurried his advance to
reach this column before it should join
the main body Of the hostile forces sup
posed to be At Williamsburg. Soon the
fork of the road was reached.
At the moment when Stoneman debouch-
ed at the fork his. cavalry was saluted By
an artillery fire from numerous field works
The Federal column had come
out upon the abattis of Fort Magruder, a
Fashioned work of some extent, with re-
doubts and r,tie-pits
Here after a useless attempt to storm
these works with cavalry, in which the
Prince particularly notices the gallautry
Of Major Williams of the Sixth, and in
which the Army of the Potomac "a lost Its
first gun" mired in the clay beyond the
force of the horses to withdraw it, the
Federal column was compelled to beat a
retreat, and await the infantry. Summer
came up and wished to renew the attack.
But it was too late and the rain falling in
torrents turned the whole region into q
lake. The battle began in these dnfavor-
able circumstances the next day. The
rain, the narrow roads turned to liquid
mud, and the crowding onward of the
columns had brought about terrible con-
dition OF disorder, aggravated by the ab-
sence Of any adequate and instructed staff,
a defect in the AmericanFrmy upon which
the Prince comments, with justice and
attributes the fact that Hooker, heading
on the morning of the 5th upon the scene
of Stoneman's engagement without know.
ing what was going on. Hooker's division,
consequently, coming up, little by little,
to attack fifteen or twenty thousand men ;,
solidly intrencheG, was thus overpowered.
Hooker, who is an admirable soldier,
held his own for some time, but had to
give way and fall back, leaving in the
woods and in these terrible aJotis some
two thousand of his men killed and wound
ed, with several guns which he could.not
bring off The enemy followed him as he
fell back. The division Of General Ksar-
ney having passed the crowded road, agad-
marching upon the guns at the pas de coarse,
the battle. The fighting
had now rolled from the edges Of the plain
into the forest, and it WAS sharp, for the
enemy was strongly reinforced. The Fede.
rails fought not Less Armiy, encouraged by
their chiefs, Hooker, Heintzelman, and
Kearney. Kesrney, in especial, who lost
an arm in Mexico, and fought with the
French at the Muzaia and at Solferino,
had displayed the finest courage. All his
Aids had fallen around him, aud left alone,
he had electrified his men by his intre-
pidity. During all this time the part of
the army massed on the road to the right
remained passive. single division only
had come up, and the Generals in com
mspd could not resolve to throw it into
the engagement without seeing its sup.
ports were delayed by the swollen streams,
the encumbered roads. the shattered wa
gons sticking in the mud. It Was
now three o'clock, and the Generals re-
solved to act One division passed through
the woods to flank the regiments which
were driving Hooker, while to the extreme
right brigade passed the creek on an old
mill bridge, which the enemy had faded
to secure, and debouched upon tho aepk
of the Williamsburg works. The Confsd.
crates did not exnect the attack which, if