, 1863-04-14

stripped Washing on be would have been upon
us before the troops sent could hare got to
vpN. -.
Save you1 army, at all cyezts. viii send
reiLforce1ntu1s u f,st as we can. or cournt
they cann"t reach you to day, to-mosro., or
next day." ,;,.:,
Gus fighting. Col 3. $. Alexander tcstides
that on tho afternoon Of that eiay he was sent
fer by Gen. Mcclellan, snI went to his head.
quarters, al s.vage's s:,.iirn, arriving i!:tre
about dark lie received Instructions to pro-
coed, with an escort, tn 1ht Jalnes River, send
bach a sufficient humber of men to ac: as
guides for the ditIereBt columns Of the army,
conln.un,ca with the gunboats. and order
supplies to be brought ny the river to exam !
inc both shores Of the James, to the inouthot
the Chickahominy. and ascertain tlle lauuing
places; proceed up the Chickahominy to the
head Of navigation, and ascertain the places
where the army could cross, in ease Of ueces-
sity, and then return to headquarters aud re-
port. He left Sarage's Station that night and
reached the james River the next afternoon.
By the time he had completed his ezamina-
tion, the army had reached the James Riyerat
Malvern.
While ut headquarters, receiving his IN
struction5, he WAS shown, as he testitles, q
printed order, not then issued, directing the
destruction Of the baggage of officers and
men, and the tents, camps, equipagc and
things Of that kind, appealing to the army to
submit to this priyation, as il would be only
temporary" only for few days" H re-
nlonstrated with Gen Mcclellan against iss{l-
1nS such M order; that it would have 4 bid
effect, would letnorali1e the army, Al it would
be telling them more plainly than they could
be told In any other way, that thcy were de.
1eated and running for their lives. The or
der vas not issued, and Gen. Mcclellan tes-
order.
The retreat to the james River having been
declded upon, the army took up its march,
he1nE attacked By the enemy in the daytime,
and however successful in repclling those at
tacks, egacuating their positions during the
dale and Malvern were fought during the
increment Of the army to the James, the cue
my being repulsed in each days fighting, and
tna our army army tallng back under orders, during
1twould appear, from all the information
your Committee can obtain, that the battles
were fought, the troops bundled, new dispo-
s1tions made aud old ones changed, entirely
% the corps commanders, without directions
nom the Co1nmandlns.General. lie would
the field and seek the position for
the next day, giving no directions until the
close of the days fighting, when the troops
would be ordered to fill back during the mig ut
to the new position selected By him. In that
manner the army reached the james River
The battle Of Malvern Hill, Of the 1st Of
July, was the most 1iercely contested Of any
upon the Peninsula. The troops were placed
in the morning, under the direction Of Gen.
Mcclellan, who then left the teld, returning
to it again in the afternoon. The first action
Of the day commenced about 10 o'clock IN the
forenoon, but did not continue long. The
principal action, when the enemy attacked
most vigorously aud persistently, commenced
late in the afternoon, and continued till after
dark, the enemy being rcpuised and beaten at
every point Many Of the officers examined
by your Committee are of the opinion that
the enemy we're 50 severely punished Oh that
day that they could have been followed into
Richmond, had our arny followed them up
vigorously.
The COMMANDING General, however; deter
mined, to full back from Malvern to liar
rison's Bar, notwithstanding the victory
won there by our army. The retreat of the
army from Malvern to Harrfson's Bar was
very precipitate. The troops upon their ar
rival there were -hnddled together in great
confusion, the entire, army being collected
within space of about three miles along the
river No orders were given the first day Tor
occupying ttc hciyhts..whic commanded the
position, nor were the troops so placed rs
10 lie able to resist an attack in force by the
enemy, and nothing but q heavy rain, thereby
preventing the enemy from bringing up their
artillery, saved the army there from dtstr uc-
titn- The enemy did succeed in bringing EMP
some of their artillery, and threw sulne SHELLS
into the camp, before any preparations for de.
fence had been made. On the I'D Of July the
heights Wrre taken possession of by our
troops and works of defence commenced,
and then, and hot until ;heu, was our army
secure in that position.