Evening star., 1863-04-06


be left in possession of their batteries, and the
movement should be made without disturbing
them.
THE committee here devote considerable
space to the question of the amount of forces
lett for the defense of Washington, and the
matter OF the withdrawal of McDowellss COM
mand from the army of the Potomac, present
ing, however, no new facts OF special import
ance.l
PENINsuLAR CAMPAIGN.
General HeintZelman, who commanded the
first troops OF the army OF the Potomac that
landed on the peninsula, arrived at Fortress
Monroe on the 23d of March, two weeks after
the evacuation of Manassas. He had orders 10
encamp near Fortress Monroe as possible.
in order that the enemy should have no idea of
the direction in which the army was to move.
whether towards Yorktown or Norfolk. Gem
eral Heintzelman states that shortly after land
ing he obtained information that the enemy had
not more than 10000 troops at Yorktown and on
the penns ul:, and is satisfied that he could
have advanced and isolated Yorktown, in
which case there would have been no serious
obstacle IN the way of proceeding directly to
Richmond.
On The 27th of March he sent out recennoi-
tering parties as far as Big Bethel and Watts
creek, and went near the Halfway House,
where about 400 of the enemy and little artil-
lery were seen. He telegraphed to General
Mcclellan what he was doing, and received
dispatch in reply that he (tien. McClellan)
hoped that nothing had been done to give the
OF the line OF operations OF
the army. The reconnaissance was then with
drawn.
Troops continued to arrive at Fortress Mon
roe, and on the I'd of April Gen. Mcclellan
himself arrived. On the ith of A pril the army
commenced its movement in the direction of
Yorktown, and on the 5th appeared before the
enemy's lines. Gen. Mcclellan stated that he
moved from Fortress Monroe sooner than he
otherwise would have done, upon hearing that
the enemy were sending down reinforcements
All the testimony goes TO prove that when
our troops first landed on the peninsula the
force of the enemy there consisted of Magru 4
Ger's command, yariously estimated At from
1000 to f9.GCO men, except by General McClei-
Ian, who estimates it from 1905 to 2uUj0. The
Hon. Lemuel ]. Bow den, United States Sena-
tor from Virginia. then living within the
rebel lines, near Williamsburg testities that
the rebels did not determine TO reinforce Ma
gruder until it was apparent that our forces
intended to stop before Yorktown and COM
meGce regular siege of the place. 1t is now
evident whatever may have been the opinion
of our officers at that time, that our forces,
when they first appeared before Yorktown,
could have pierced the lines of works across
the peninsula there without much Difficult
ty. isolating Yorktown, and cutting off re-
Inducements. when the place must have fallen
In very short time. Some of our generals
expected and desired this should be done
General HrintZlpman forwarded to General
Mcclellan the application of General IIamil-
ton, commanding division, Tor permission TO
force the enemy line. No answer was re.
ccived TO the application.
lnstrad of thar, however, u siege was de-
termined upon, contrary 10 the desire of the
President, who. as early As the at:: of April,
wrote 10 Gen. Mcclellan urging action. The
letter has already been published.
a month was spent before Yorktown. our
amy. III the opinion of some of our ablest OF
ticers, becoming more demoraized hy the abors
OF long siege than it would have been even by
All unsuccessful assault.
The returns in the Adintant Generals office,
signed by Gen Mcclellan and his adiutant
on he ,f q
the forces on the peninsula under Gen Met tial-
Ian amounted TO la,3'2 present for duly
On the lst Of May the President telagraphs to
Gen. Mcclellan -. Your cal. for Parrot guns
from Washington alarms me. chiefly because
II argues indefinite proerastinatiom. Is any
thing 10 be done -
On the night of the Sd and the morning OF the
18th OF May the enemy evacuated Yorktown
without loss. One OF The witnesses tpstifjaS
that General Mcclellan was very much cna-
grincd and mortified 1T the evacuation. as he
had made his preparations to open from his
batteries on Monday, the 5th OF May
The committee report that there seems to
have been great misapprehension and contu-
sion i'll relation TO the management OF the troops
at Williams burg. When the pursuit first com
menced on Sunday, General IIentzellnan was
instructed by General Mcclellan 10 take chare..
oi operations lii front. Dn the morning of
Monday orders Were sent to General Summer
10 take the command; General Mcclellan re-
manned behind III Yorktown to superntend the
sending two divisions up the York river L,
v.
rendering the roads almost impracticable tor
the pa sage of troops. The troops OF III dif-
ierent commands became mingled-diyislons
and hriGades, 10 some extent were separated
from each cther-and it seems to have been
difiie uii TO get the troops up in time.
Several OF the generals testified that had the
enemy Deen promptly followed up after he
battle of Williamsburg, they could have been
followed right into Richmond-one of them
says without firing gun General Mcclellan
says that the roads We're so bad, in conseq quence
OF the ruins that il WAS impracticable 10 make
a vigorous pursuit.
The battle Of Williamsburg appears TO have
been fought under many and serious disad-
VanfaSes. Nothing was known of the ma
ture OF The country or the defensive
works OF the enemy until our troops arrived
before them: there no controlling mind in
charge OF the movements. there was uncer-
talnty in regard 10 who was in comma n d: ca IN
general fought as he considered best: and by
the time the general commanding appeared on
the HELD the principal part OF The fighting was
over
On the 3lst of May and the 3lst of June the
battles of Seven Pines and Fair Oaks Were
fought. As there has been SO mach cpntro-
yersy III regard to the conduct of some Of the
troops engaged in that battle. the committee
viii refer more particularly 10 rfe testimony of
Gen. Casey: who commanded the advance tii-
vision, upon which the attack was first made
Gen. Casey states that, when the campaign of
the Peninsula commenced, his division con-
sisted principally of raw and mex Xperieuced
troops. They had suffered greatly from the
laboIs and exposures incident upon the siege
OF Yorktown and the advance of the troops I'M
the PENINSULA. Some OF tlcin had been tor
weeks without shelter, being compelled to
leave their camp equipage behind when or
dered ON the pursuit vi the enemy after the
evacuation OF Yorktown. That division took
the lead across the Chickahofniny. taking ND a
position at Seven Pines. where it established
itself by throwing up entertainments and cut
ting ab:its.
a few days before the battle Of Seven Pines.
contrary 10 The advice and opinion of Gen
Reyes and Gen. Casey. the division was or
dGrcd three-quarters of mile TO the front
within six miles Of Richmond. his pickets ey.
tending within five miles. They had no sup
port on their right or their left, the remainder
Of the corps 10 which they belonged fKeyes)
being in to rear: and in the battle that fol.
lowed they were moi adequately supported by
renforcements.
The next day, the 1st Of June, the enemy at
tackled Gen. Sumner at Fair Oaks General
Hooker, who had been ordered forward the
day before by Gen. HeintZellnan, with one.
half OF his division, hearing the firing of the
enemy upon Gen. Summers forces. proceeded
n; once in that direction and engaged the en-.
eny. In short time the enemy were repuIsed
and fell back in confusion. There was no com.
muniCa ion between the forces under General
Sumner and those under Gen. Heintzelulan,
(flookeIs,) hut each fought AS he deemed best
under tie circumstances. General Mcclellan
with the tho