The Burlington weekly hawk-eye., 1863-04-18
BURI1NGTONY ,WHBNI. w HlAWK,EYlH

BURI1NGTONY Wa
little importance to the capital I assure
this place would throw us back six months,
If it should not destroy Us. i Beware of the
evils now point out to you. You saw
them when here, but you seem to forget
them in the distance. No more troops can
be sent from here till we have fresh arri-
walls from the North" m H
MCMILLAN PROPOSES TO SACRIFICE WASH
.git INGTON. - fE
The letter of Gen. Mcclellan, of the 11th,
to which Gen. Halleck here refers, contains
the following: 2r 9SE so
II believe this army fully appreciates the
Importance of victory at this time, and
will fight well but the result of q general
battle, with such odds as the enemy now
appears to have against US, might, to say
the least, be doubtful; and, if we should be
defeated, the consequences to the country
would be disastrous in the extreme. I'm
der these circumstances, / would recon-
mend that one or two of the three army
corps, now on the Potomac, opposite WASH
|ington, be at once withdrawn, and sent to
this army. I Iwould also advise
THAT the force of Col. Miles, at Harper 8
Ferry. where it can be of little use, and is
|continually exposed to be cut off by the
|enemy, be Immediately ordered here.-
This would add about 25, 900 old troops to
our present force, and would greatly
|strengthen us. l4jss tn 2a r
.sIf there are any rebel forces remaining
on the other, side of the Potomac, they
Iuust be so few that the troops left in the
forts, after the two corps shall have been
withdrawn, will be sufficient to check
them and with the large cavalry force
now on that side, kept well out in front, to
IF h0 or Mt nf
any very large army, part of this army
might be sent back within the intrench-
lments to assist in repelling an attack. But
ieUen If Washington should be taken while
these armies are confronting each other,
this would not, in my Judgment, bear COM
lparison with the ruin and disaster which
would follow single defeat of this army.
the gigantic Rebel army before us, we
would have no difficulty in recovering it.
On the other hand, should their force prove
sufficiently powerful to defeat us, could
all the forces now around Washington be
sufficient to prevent such a victorious army
from carrying the works on this side Of the
Potomac, after they are uncovered by our
army? think not.''
Your Committee having gone so fully in
to the details of the Peninsula campaign,
do not deem it necessary to devote so much
space to the campaign in Maryland. the
same mind that controlled the movements
upon the Peninsula, controlled those in
Maryland, and the same general features
characterize the one campaign that charac-
iterized the other. In each may be seen the
same unreadiness to move promptly and
act vigorously; the same desire for more
troops before advancing; and the same ref
jerences to the great superiority of numbers
Ion the part of the enemy. Your Commit
tee, therefore, content themselves with re-
ferring briefly to the leading operations of
the campaign.
HARPER's FERRY.
In relation to the surrender of Harper's
Ferry, your Committee have not deemed it
necessary to take much testimony upon
that subject. The military commission
which was convened in this city in October
last, fully Investigated that subject, and
their report has been given to the public
Attention is called merely to two kilograms
of Sept. IL, which passed between Gen.
Mcclellan and Gen HalIeck, and which
are as follows: ~,
'ROCKvILLE, Sept. 11-9:45 a. m.
Sol. Miles is at Or near Harper's Ferry,
i understand, with 9,OOOtroops. He can do
nothing where he is, but could be of great
service if ordered to join me. 1 suggest
that he be ordered at once to join me by the
most practicable route.
"GEO. b. MCCLELLAN,
Major General Commanding.
Maj; Gen: II. w. HALLEcK, General-in-
WAR DEPARTMENT.,
"WAsHINGTON, D. c., Sept. ii, 2:3O D. M.
"There is no way for Col. Miles to Join
you at present. The only chance is to de-
tend his works until you can open COM
munication with him. When you do SO, he
will be subject to your orders.
H. w. HALLECK,
''General-in- Chief.
MAJ. zen. MCCLELLAN, Rockville"
SOUTH MOUNTAIN.
On the l4th of September the battle of
South Mountain was fought-the troops at
Turner's Gap being under command of
Gen. Burnside, and those at Crampton!s
Gap being under command of Gen. Frank
in the enemy retiring to, the
vicinity of Shepardstown.
ANTIETAM.
On the 18th of September the battle of
Antietam was fought. It was commenced
by Gen. Hooker on the right, at dawn, our
troops driving the enemy before them, and
gaining an important position. When Gen.
Hooker was wounded and taken from the
field, Gen. Sumner took command Of our
right. Gen. Sumner had been ordered to
hold his corps in readiness to advance an
hour before daylight, but did not receive
the order to advance until 1920 in the morn
ing. Gen. Mansfield, who had come up to
the support of Gen. Hooker, had been kill
ed. Our troops, seeing their leaders fall,
and being very heavily pressed by the enc
my, were forced back for some distance
from the advanced position Gen.. Hooker
had reached; but finally, with the assist
ance OF the troops brought up by Gen. Sum-
ner, checked the enemy's progress and
maintained their position.
On the left, Gen. Burnside, about 10 o.
clock, was ordered to attack the enemy at
the bridge across the Antietam in his front,
and to effect a crossing there. The advance
OF Gen. burnside was met by the most OBJ
stinate resistance on the parto of the enemy,
and 1t was not until 1-2 o'clock that the
bridge was carried. By o'clock Gen.
Burnside's whole command had crossed
and taken position on some elevated ground
just above the bridge. He was then order
ed to take the heights commanding the
town ofShepardstown which was done af-
ter desperate fighting. By that time the
enemy on our left had been reinforced by
withdrawing some Of their troops from op-
posite our right, where our advance had
been checked, and Gen. Burnside was COM
PEELED to give up some of the ground he had
succeeded in occupying. He had sent to
Gen. Mcclellan for reinfocements, but re-
6nruv 4 A..