Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-04-29

crossed the Chickahomlny. and connecte
with the navy IN the James River. We shoul
then have had united army, and the cooper
alton of the navy. and probably would hav
been IN Richmond in two weeks. The fac
That we did not know the character of tn
Chickahominy an obstacle Gas it lay acros
our direct road to K RichmOnd), that our trans
ports were on the York River, and that TIL
railroad furnished good means of supply L
4 the army, that we wished to connect with Nc
I Dowell~ coming from fredericksburg, &c.
! determined our route. In taking ii we los
essentially all that was worth going so far Il
I gam, VIZ the James River approach and the
/ cooperation of the navy.
! s.The route chosen, two weeks should no
! have been spent III traversing the forty nj les
I from Williamsburg w to Bottoms and New
Bridges; and the barrier of the Chickahom
my being lett unguarded at Bottom's Bridge
no time should have been lost in max ing use
OF the circumstance to turn and sieze the pas
sage OF New Bridge, which might have been
done by the 2Sth of May, and even earlier, had
measures been pressed and prepared for it.
''The repnlse of the rebels at Fair Oaks
should have been taken advantage of. 1t was
one of those occasions which, if not seized
do not repeat themselves We now know the
state OF dlsorganization and dismay in which
the rebel army retreated. We now know that
1t could have been followed into Richmond
Had il been so, there would have been no re-
wing. Although we did not then know all that
we now do, ii obvious at that time
that when the Rebels struck the blow at our
lett wing, they did not leave any means in
their hands unused TO secure success II was
obvious enough that they struck with their
whole force, and yet we repulsed them in dis
order with three hlths Of ours. We should
have followed them up at the same time that
we brought over the other two fifths
ssAtter it was known that McDow.I ,pas oau
ed OIL to another quarter, there no was longer
hope of an increase of force by the junction
OF MS corps. There were no re-enforcements
to look for beyond what we received by the
middle of the month of June The rebel force.
was known or supposed to be constantly in
ereaslng by conscrIption, by the influx of
troops from other parts, and by the breaking
up of Beauregard's army
= M toSt me moment came ,Chen action uas
Imperative. The enemy assumed the fnitiative.
We had acarning Of a1hen aud lchere he tcas 10
strike. Had Porter been withdrapn the might of
me 26fh Of June, our army irouh hqoe been con-
cenfrated on the right bank of the Chfckaho1Dtau
Rrer, ,rhsle the t.ro corps, nj keast ofkhe eneg,,
force 'eere on the left bank. Uhatever course
loe then took, rhether 10 strike at Richmond and
'he portion Of The enemy on the right bank, or
more at once for the James, tce uould hare had
z concentrated army and fair chance of abraH |
Gnt result IN The first; and in the second if ,ce |
hothing, we toonid hare been in The
ane case on the morning of the 27ta as lce uere
IN that of the 2SHt, minus a lost batHe ami n |
compulsory retreat. Or had the fortified lines |
hrown up expressly for that object, been held bu |
10000 men, as they could hare been. IRE ,conH |
lace fought on the other side acith so 900 men
nste0d Of 21,00o- Or, .fnatly had the hines
cen abandoned, Wih our hold On the right bgnE
me Chichnhomtny. ice might hare fought and
rushed the enemy on The left bank, reopene1 orr
nd cd |
richmond.
''.7s II tcas, the enemy fought Nth his chole
enough !eff before our lines to
eep up an dppearance-and lce fought 1cih
I ,o0o men, losing battle and 6, 900 men BIZ
its defeat ,ce ues drtrsn from our position our
dr0nce for conquest turned into retreat for
!fefy By a force probably not greatly superior 10
ur 0lcn.
''ln view Of the length of time VIII ch our
perations before Richmond CONSUMED, there I
} now no doubt that the depot at the White
ouse should have been fortified as well as
ne or two points on the railroad thence to the
that the tete de pOnt at Rot !
I'M Bridge should have been completed
nd likewise tetes-de-p -pont or strong positions,
repaired to cover the debouches from our
'ldges to the left bank of the Chick ahominy |
I'm these the army would have possessed
eedom OF motion to concentrate on either {
de, and the disastrous battle of the 9th !
ouu SCdTCeIy nave occurred.
'' w hen the army reached TIE james River
needed no prophet to predict the disasters /
hIch have siuce befallen country s cause (
the army had sustained itself nobly ii can
II De denied that so much fruiteSs toll and so
uch disaster had deprived it from the elan /
1lch results from success alone. 1t was | Fl
oreoVer, as well as our forces elsewhere sad |
diminished in numbers. On the other hand
e whole army, from its first low state. had
n M dahl in, /
cellent in organization, and inspired by a | n
eat success. Had its numbers indeed. ap O
cached to thatattributed to it-200 900 men >
there is little doubt that march upon :"
ashington would have speedily followed our a
to the James, Fl
''from such considerations, as well as those II
lowing from the results of the past opera
ms, l counseled the Immediate withdrawal IL
IN the James to reunite with our forces GOV a
ng Washngton.'' ct
fhe report of Gen. Barnard is the only re- h,
It of the officers engaged in the campaign :,
the Peninsula which your committee have .
aimed. The report by the commanding 81
leral has not yet been made, and the reports h,
his subordinates have not been sent by b i'm be
the Department.
n the Hartford Police Court the other day in
life was called upon to testify relative to a a,
lent assault made upon her husband. The
e looked SO badly that the woman's nature 81
aroused and she said she had provoked ha
assault-that she had called her husband ne
worst names she could think of. ssWhat h,
you call him ?'' demanded the Justice.
called him mean copperhead,'' - said the 10
e, feeling that she had by this painful dis DIV
sure trumphanily vindicated her hard
ded spouse.
IN exchange paper says ssthere is nothing
nature as developed in feminines; for no
ner does female juvenile begin to wa Tx in