Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-28

10 fall To cross with the of tho force and make general
attack Should fnd them holding FIRM in very strong
posiIiou may wait for what troops bring up from
Fortress Monroe hut the morale Of roop's now neh
that can venture much do not fear for odds anst me-
The victory complete, and all credit is due TO the gaanty
of our officers and men
The movement was not made, however, Gen. Nc
Cean states because of the high stage of water aud the
bad roads
LARGER FORCE REQUIRED.
On the Oh of june McCalls division of Gen. McDowels
Corps ordered TO join the army the Peninsula On
the 9th Of june Gen. Mcclellan telegraphs: shall De
perfect readiness to forward and take Richmond
the that Mccall reaches here and the ground VIII
admit the passage Of artillery" On the 10th or lth OF
June McCalrs troops commenced arriving at the Whte
House
Preparations continued to be made in Washington to
send down by land from fredericksburg the remainder Of
Gen McDowe's Corps he being directed to co operats
iuly with Gen Mcclellan but retaining an ind pendent
command This does appear to have been In sccodance
vii Gen McCellans wishes. for the 10th of june he
telegr aphs to the Secretary Of War:
1t ought TO be d ncty understood that Mcdowell and
his troops completely under my control received te
legram from him requesting that Metals division ght be
placed to join him immediately upon his arrival mat
request does breathe the spirit Whatever roopa
to must be spos OF so as to do the most gooa
do feel hat such circumstances those III which am
placed Gen Mcdowell should wish the genea lnefes
be sacrificed for the purpose of increasing his command ii
fully control his troops want Of them hut
would prefer fight The battle with what have, and let
others be responsible for the results
On the 18th of June Gen. Noel Han telegraphs to the
Secretary Of War that he has ceved information from
deserers to the effect that troops have lett Richmond To
reinforce Jackson that the movement commenced on the
9Th and that if renfrcemens have gone Jackson they
probably not lees than 10000 men; that he cannot
vouch for The truth of the ement but that it
pretty certain that it 10 believed in Richmond and amo
the rebel troops To this the President replies the
day that the information is corrobOrated by des-
patch from Gen King at Fredericksburg, and remarks
If this is true il good as reinforcement to you OF
IN equal force"
On the same day Gen. Mcclellan telegraphs to the
Presidents
"A general engagement may take place at any hour An
ad vance by involves battle or less decisive The
enemy exhibit every point readi meet us They
certainly great numbers and extensive works il ten
fifteen thousand men have left Richmond reinforce
Jacks iu,trates teir strength and confidence After
tomorr shall fight the rebel my Provide
will permit We shall await only favorable condition of
the earth and sky and the complexion of necessary
liminares
The returns of Gen. Mcclellan to the Adutant- Generals
Peninsula the Goth of June Present for duty, Is 1922
special duty sick and in arrest, l2225; absent z95ll
total 1868
About this time the rebel Gen. Stuart with his cavalry
made his celebrated raid making the entire circuit OF our
army unharmed, and discovering the nature Of
munications with the York river
THE FORCE OF THE REBELS.
On the 24h and 25 h of June, Cen Mcclellan tele-
graphs the Secretary of War that he informed by deser
tiers aud cont alb nds that Jackson contempla an
attack upon his right and A this patch of Gan
Mcclellan, and the of the President reply dated
immediately previous to the seven days battle" they
are given here in full.
+" Reed s50PMl "McCLELLAss JUNE 25, 6I5PM
have just returned from the field, and find your des
patch in regard TO- Jackson several conrabauds just in
give information confirming the supposion that Jack one
I'D Hanover Court house and Beaure
gard arrived with strong renforcemens, in Richmond
terday. incline to think that jackson will my light
and The rebel force is stated at 10000 including
Jackson and Beauregard shall have to contend against
vastly superior d if these rep be but the army
repuse any attack my great nfeorty numbers
but feel that am in way respons bic for it. have
that this decisive point and that all the available
of the Government should be here
will do all that raj do with the eplendid
have the honor command and if it destroyed by
whelming numbers least die with it, and share It's
within short time is dsaster the responsibility be
thrown my sho lders it must rest where it belongs.
Since commenced this have received additional nte
gence confirm the uppos,tion in regar Jacksons
movement, and Beauregaid shall probably be tackled
arrange the defence that side feel
in my again asking for r.infprcements
"GEo Is. McCLELLAs, Major General.
Hon L M. STANTON, Secretary of War"
The answer of the President is as folows:
"WAsHIEGros JUNE &C. 1862 You three dispatches of
Yesterday relation - the aft r endng with the statement
that you completely succeeded ia mang your point are very
pr probability of your being overwhelmed by 300 0OO and
talking Of TO whom the Tespo no.y VIII oong pans me
that you will do the you with at have while
you continue generously think e assume that could
opportunity send renforcemens whenever possibly
can A. LINCOLN
Major General MCCLELLAN"
BATTLES OF MECHANIcsvIILE AND GAINES MILLS
On the afternoon of the 26th of june between two and
three o'clock, the enemy in considerable force made
vigorous attack upon the troops OF Gen NcCas DIVISION
stationed at Mechanicsve consisting OF the two brgades
of Seymour Reynolds he action las cd until ght
fall, when the enemy repulsed. Troops sent
by Gen Porter to the assistance OF those engaged but
they not in the battle, though of them
position to support the right Of the line About twelve
O'Clock that night the troops ordered to fall back
Gaines Mill which was accom- pllsbed without loss.
On tn 9Th the battle of Gaines Mill WAS fou hit prn
cpay by the troops under Gen Porter Our forces there
gagged were from twenty thirty thousand the
force of the enemy being from two to three times that
number The enemy in such superior force tha,
although troops fought with exceeding bravery they
were driven back with loss Of about nine thousand
in killed, wounded, and missing
Gen. Mcclellan was questioned to the policy OF leav
ing The right wing consisting Of only alb thirty III u
enemy Instead of withdrawing il to the right bank of the
Chckahum ny b. fore the battle Of Gaines MILL Ills tea
timony on tha. point is as follows:
Question Whatever might have been the intentions of
the enemy as the tack have been made by lin,
would II been better placed boa wings of
army the eide the Chckahomny prior the
battle OF Gaines Mill :
Answer do think they ought been brought to
the same side of he river before they actually
Question What advantage gained by leaving the
ght wing OF attacked greatly superior
forcef
Answer. IL prevented The enemy from getting our
flank ana rear and in my opinion, enabled withdraw
the army and ils ma eral.
Ieson viii you explain what done by the right
wing Of our army about the time the let engaged
which saved hnk from attack and enabled the and
ils material to be withdrawn
Answer BY desperate fighting they inflicted great
mo the hank