Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-28
TIE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
REPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
Continued from the intelligeneer Of May 2lst
PENINSULA CAMPAIGN.

PENINSULA CAMPAIGN.
Gen. Hein zeman, who commanded the hrst troops OF
the Army OF the Potomac that landed on the PENINSULA
arrived at Fortress Monroe the 23d OF March TWO weeks
after the evacuation of Manassas lie had orders 10 en-
camp as near Fortress Monroe as possible ~ order that
the enemy should have idea of the direction in which
the army to move whether towards Yorktown Nor
folk Gen HenIzeman states that shortly after landing,
he obtained information that the enemy had than
10000 troops Yorktown and the Peninsula, and
satisfied that he could have advanced and isolated York
town in which there would have been serious OBJ
stsce the way Of proceeding directly Richmond On
the 27h March he sent accommodating parties lar
as Big Bethel and Watts creek and went the Half
way House. where about fur hundred of the enemy and
little artillery He photographed to Gen McCie
Ian what he doing and received despatch IN reply
that he General Mcclellan hoped that nothing had b~rn
done to give the enemy information OF the line opera
tons Of the army The Reconnaissance then with
drawn Troops continued 10 arrive at Fortress Monroe
and on the I'd of April Gen McCellan himself arrived
STRENGTH OF THE ARMY AT YORKTOWN.
Ca the 4th of April the army commenced its movement
in the direction OF Yorktown, and the 9Th appeared
before the euemys lines. Gen. Mcclellan that he
moved from Fortress Monroe than hs otherwise
would have DONE upon hearing that tho sending
down reniorceme nts.
All the testimony goes to prove that when troops
landed the pen sua the force of the enemy there
consisted of Magrudrrs command varousy estimated at
from 900 to $4,000 men, excerpt by Gen Mcclellan, who
estimates it from Is 900 to 10000 The Hon Lemue J.
Bnwden United ates Senator from Vrginia-then living
within the r. b.. lines, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that
the Iebes did not determ reinforce Magruder until
IT, apparent that forces intended to stop before
Yorktown and commence regular siege Of the place 1t
10 evident, whatever may have been the opinion OF
officers at the time, that forces they first
appeared bere Yorktown could have pierced the line OF
works the peninsula there without much difficulty,
is atng Yorktown, and cutting off reintorcements, when
the place must have fallen in very short time Some of
Ge erals expec ed and desired that that should be
done. Gen. Hentzelman FORWARDED 10 Gen. Mcclellan
the appl cation of Geu. Hamilton mmandiog division,
for permission TO force the enemy lines No answer
received to the application Instead Of that however,
siege determined upon contrary to the desire of the
President who, cary the 9th of April to
Gen. Mcclellan as follows
There is curious mystery about the number of troops
with you telegraphei yoa the 9th saying that you
Secretary War ment, KEN he said, from your
making 1913 600 then with You and you
shall have reach you. How this screpancy
IS OGO be accounted frl As Gen. OILS command I'M
your own would have to do that comma I'd was away
" suppose the whole force which gone you
time on to strike blow By delay the enemy will stead
lily gain you is he viii gain faster by ortifc tions
aud achievements than by reniorc alone
An ouce more let tel you ia Indispensable to you
that you strike blow am powerIess help This lou
down the bay Of fed instead lighting
onls shifting and not surrounding difficulty
entertainments either place The will not fail
nng that the hesitation upon
an emit he'd position but the story of Manassas peated
And the repetition made completes nearly month
later, when the enemy, the face superior force
evacuated Their works without loss and without the know
ledge Of the General commanding army
TIE WITHHOLDING OF MCDOWELL IS CORPS
Gen Mcclellan, however, did deem bis forces sut
Gent and objected very strongly to the order Of the Pre-
sidenr detachng McDowe's Corps for the defence OF
Wa hington, "imperilng the success IT orr cause
He calrd again and again for reinfocements akng for
Franku's aid McCalrs divisions of McDowels Corps to
be under command OF ankn, insisting that Frunkns
division at east should be sent to hm On the 18th of
April Frankhn'r division ordered to Alexandra to
embark Tor Fortress Monroe On l4th Gen Franklin
ropo ted Gen Mcclellan yorktown but his troops
rrmsntd board the transports until The enemy
evacuated the place, when they ordered West
Point.
On the 9th Of April Gen. Mcclellan teepraphed to the
President II have BY the transportation must
have my army lew miles" and asks that
ali bis orders for wagon trains &c m,y be COM
piled with All was sent to him as desired until even
Gen. Mcdowell f und himself stripped the transpor-
tnton designed for his corps that when 10 Ere
dericksburg it with the greatest difficulty he could
supplies fer bis email forc from Aqua Falmouth
ustl the railroad was completed.
A month spent before Yorktown, our army in the
opinion OF OF abest officers becoming more de-
moral zed by the labors OF long siege than would have
been by unsuccessful assault The returns in the
Adjutant Generals office, signed by Grn Mcclellan and
hfs Adjutant General show that the 30th April 1862
tha fo' the peninsula under Gen Mcclellan amount
ed to ll2 1872 present Tor duty On the LIST # May the
President teegrapbs to Gen Mcclellan Your cali for
Parrott guns from Washington me- CHIEFLY because
It argues indefinite procIastnaton Is any thing be
dope7"
THE BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG
On the night Of The Sd and morning of the 4th Of Nav
the enemy evacuated Yorktown bout loss One of the
witnesses test fees that Gen Mcclellan was very much
chsgrDed and mortified at the evacuation be had made
preparations to open from his batteries Monday the his
5Eu of May.
The evacuation discovered by daylight on the moro
ing Of the b. Between ten and eleven o'clock General
onemaD, with the cavalry and ght-horse artillery
started in pursn /. About o'clock Gen Hooker with
his DIVISION left Yorktown with orders to support GEN
SfnnaTn Hair fzal, ~
moved out during the day with the whole or portions Of
thsir corps Alb ut five miles from Yorktown the division
OF Grn Hooker delayed for time in con,
Of other troops coming from another direction getting in
the road before him.
Ia the time Gen Soneman had the rear
Of the eDrmy with his cavalry, and followed tn I'D close
y, keep ng up running re all the me- until the enemy
reached tber works the beghb ,rhood Of WILLIAMSBURG
when the pursuit checked. Gov Sprtgus was sent
back TO hurry up the infantry support under Hooker
After considerable delay, ding impossible pass tn
troops sh-ad OF him. Gen Hooker turned of and proceed
ed by another road OF which he had blamed
IT. some II ths inhabitants; marched till III clock that
night renewed the at day light and came up b. the
advanced works OF the enemy s after sven o'clock
about half mile from Fort Magruder and ut once en-
gagged the enemy.
There srems TO have been great and
confusion IN relation the Of the troops at
Williamsburg. When the pursuit fret COMMANDED on
Sunday Grnera Heintzeman instructed by C}sn.r.i
Mcclellan to take charge OF operations in front On the
morning Of Monday orders to Gen Summer IN
take the command; Gen. Mcclellan remained bebira i
Yorktown to snperntend the sending divisions up the
York river to Weft Point heavy rain set in on Sunday
rendering thu roais almost impraccabe for the
OF tr ops TIE troops the different commands became
mlt ged; DIVISIONS aud brigades to some extent ware