Daily national Republican., 1863-04-02

The following official report from General
Mcclellan begins with the evacuation Of Har-
riSUn'S Landing, and covers all his operations
in reaching Aqua Creek and Alexandria his
rcsftning the command of the forces after tic
failure Of Pope; and his operations In Mary.
land, including the Battles of South Mountain
and Autictam. It is important and Interesting,
being tho only official account of those bloody
battles yet published, and which we are happy
to be able to lay before our readers exclusively.
as furnished by the Government.
HEADQUARTERs ARMY OF THE PoToMAC,
October Is, 1862.
GENERAL have the honor to submit a pre-
lIminary report Of the military operations under
my charge since tho evacuation of Harrison s
Landing.
The measure, directed by the gcncral.in.
| chief, was executed successfully, with entire
safety to my command and its material, be-
tween the l4th aud 18th of August. The line
Of withdrawal selected was that Of the mouth
Of the ChickahOmiuy, Williamsburg, and York.
town. Upon this line the main body Of the
army, with all Ito trains, was moved, Hcintzel.
mans corps crossing the ChCkahUminy at
Jones's bridge, aud covering by its march the
movement Of the main column. The passage
Of the Lower ChiCkahominy was effected 6y
means of battGau bridge two thousand feet in
| length. The transfer OF the army to Yorktown
was completed by the 18th of August. The
embarkation of the troops and material at
Yorktown and Fortress Monroe was at once
/ commenced, and as rapidly as the means o.
! transportation admitted everything was sent
forward 10 Aqua creek and Alexandria. No
mere sketch OF an undertaking of such magui.
tudU and yet sO delicate military character
Will suffice TO do Justice. | must now, how.
/ pt nnft F,,sfth
deierrlng full description for my official re-
port of the campaign before RiChmond-a labor
which l propose tO undertake as soon US events
will afford me the necessary time. Justice 10
| the achievements Of the army of the Potomac
| and the brave men who composed il, requirgs
that tile official record of that campaign should
| be prepared with more care than circumstances
| have hitherto permitted me to bestow upon it.
! The delay will not have OGeu felt as Injurious
to the public interest, inasmuch as by frcauept
reports from time 10 time have kept the De
partmcnt advised of events as they occurred.
reached Aqua creek with my staff on the
9th of August, reported my arrival, and asked
for orders. On the eth of August received
from the general in-Ghief permission to proceed
to Alexandria, where | at once fixed my head
| quarters. The troops composing the army OF
the Potomac we're meanwhile ordered forward
TO Reinforce the army under General Pope. So
completely was this order carried out that on tie
3Oth of August had remaining under nv com
mand only camp guard of about one hundred
men. Everything else had been sent to rc-en!yrce
General Pope. In addition, exhausted all the
means at my disposal TO forward supplies to
that officer, my own headquartGr teams even
being used for that purpose.
Upon the unfortunate issue of that campaign.
! l received an lntlmatlon from the geueral-in-
chief that my services were desired for the mr.
pose OF arranging for the defence of the capi-
tai. They were at once cheerfully given. al.
though, while awaiting definite instructions at
Alexandria, had endeavUrcd, as lust seen. tn
promote favorable result in the operations
then pending, and had thus contributed, though
indirectly, yet 40 far as | could, to the defence
of Washington. On the I'd of September the
formal order of the War Department placed me
in command ofthG Notifications of Washington
and OF all the troops for the defence OF the
capital" On the lst of September had been
Instructed that had nothing to do with the
troops engaged In active operations under Gen,
Pope, but that my command was limited TO the
Immediate garrison of Washington. On the
next day, however, was verbally instructed
by the President and the gcnGral-in.c chief to as.
sumo command of General POpc's troops (in.
Guiding my own army of the POtomac) as soon
40 they approached the vicinity of Washing.
ton, to 90 out and meet them, and to post them
as deemed best to repulsC the enemy and in.
sure the safety Of the city.
~ TINS Tine the task imposed upon me wa,
limited TO the dispositions necessary to resist q
direct attack VI the enemy upon the Capltal
such, indeed, was the danger naturally indicn
ted by the defeat Of our forces in front, Tn,
various garrsons were at once strengthened
and put in order, and the troops were DISPOSED
TO cover all the approaches to the city, and Sc
as TO be readily thrown upon threatened points
Now deiences were thrown up where dCen
necessary. \ few days only had elapsed bulOT,
comparative security was felt with regard L
our ability to resist any attack upon the city
The disappearance Of the enemy from the from
Of Washington and their passage into Mary
land enlarged tho sphere of operations, aHC
made an active campaign necessary to cove
Baltimore, prevent the invasion Of Pennsylya
MIA, and drive them out Of Maryland. Bcnl
| hOnoTed with the charge Of this campaign
entered at once upon the additional duties im
| posed upon Inc with ChCUrfuncss and trust
yet not without feeling the weight of the re
spOnsiDllltlcs thus assumed, aud being deeply
Impressed with the magnitude Of the Issues in
yUlvCd.
Having made the necessary arrangement.
for the defence Of the city in the new condition
OF things, pushed forward the let and Oh
corps, under Generals Reno and Hooker form
| ing the right wing under General Burnside, tc
Lceoburg on the 5lh instant; thence, the Isl
corpb, by BrOOksyille, COOkesvillo, and Ridge
/ NllICS " FICuCTlCh, ana inc Jln corps, by Da
mascus, on New Market and Frederick. The
I'd and llth corps, under Generals Sumner and
Williams, on the 9th were moved from Tenally
town to Rockville, thence by Middlcbury and
CrOana on Frederick, the llth corps moving
by a lateral road between Urbana and New
Market, thus maintaining the communication
between the centre and right wing, as well a.
| covering the direct route from Frederick tc
Washington. The 9th corps, under General
Franklin, was moved to DarneBtown ON the
9th instant, thence by Jacksonville and Barn.
vile on BuCkeystOwn, covering the road from
the mouth Of tlIg MOnUCaCy to Rockville, and
being In position TO connect with and support
the centre should IL have been necessary (as
was supposedly 10 force the line Of the Mono,
aCy. COuCh's division was thrown forward {,
Onut's Cross Roads and POolcbyillC by the
river road, thus covering that approach, watch
ing the fords OF the Potomac, and ultimately
following and supporting the 9th corps The
object Of these movements was TO iccl the
enemy-to compel him to deyelope his inten
tiOnS-at the same time that the troops were
Ia position readily to cover Baltimore or Wash,
ingtOn, to attack him should he hold the linC
Of the MonOcacy, or TO follow him into Penn,
ayvania II necessary. On the I:lh portion
oi the right wing .eutcrcd Frederick, after d