New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-09-22

pulrHi Wc w hob pionouuVo ~ iuSupeIdDIe: We
do not say that Fortress Monroe was or was not
the true base Of operations, though our impress.
sion is that our army should have been debarked
ut Mobiaek Bay, so as to turn the Notifications
Of Yorktown and speedily preclude any direct
advance by the Confederates on Washington
but the fact remains, and was admitted by Gen.
Mcclellan at the time, that if he threatened
Richmond from the east, he must leave in front
of Washington force adequate to its protec-
ton against Confederate dash from the south.
But that is not our business with Mr.. Porter.
That gentleman asserts-we presume truly
that he WAC left to fight nearly all day at
Gaincs's Mil with only $4,000 men, opposed to
more than double that number of Rebels; and
that, if lie chad been rc-eniorced in time with
coo fresh troops" he would have won the
field.
Wig, then, ras hf NOT so re.eafored by Gen.
MeCleilan' Why were g, 1000 men left to bear
up against nearly the whole Rebel strength,
while tho greater portion Of Gen. McClclan's
army stood idly behind their defenses looking
toward Richmond, from which direction they
were not on that day even threatened by any
considerable forcel If that IS generalship,
what would be incapacity or tredchery1.
We have but ore rule on this subject. and We
know no politics and no friendship in its appli.
cation. TIE true General is he ,eh0 Ino,rs hour
10 Ggtt battles riM near'y or quite ALL his force
agans. as much less than all his anita onists force
as possible. Half the art OF war is just there.
Bull Run has twice seen our arms defeated and
disgraced because the Rebels had oil their force
in band, while our commanders had not. All
war is full of illustrations Of this vital truth.
And. though we had reposed much faith in Gen.
Hooker, yet when we learned that he Stood still
all day across the Roppahannock, while the
Rebels ip overwhelming force were defeating
Sedgwick and driving bin into the river, we
were sadly constrained to give him up as not
the man TO handle great army. 49,
Mr. Porter says that our men fought better
than the Rebels before Richmond, and would
have beaten them ifjoiued by Mcdowell. But
he also truly says that we did beat them ritIout
Mcdowell OF Malvern, when McClellan'5 re.
treat was stopped By river, and bis army was
concentrated perloyce. u re could and did
tea, hem at Malr,rn, uhy not at Gaines's NIL,
or at all srtnts in our intrenchments b,tore Rich.
mond II we could do il after abandoning
thousands Of our wounded and destroying or
leaving to tie enemy several millions worth
Of munitions and provisions. why not before
making those enormous sacrifces' l. il pre-
tended tia, We were stronger after aveek Of de.
ica,s and retreats than We were az the begin.
ningi Ifno,. why not concentrate and fight
q, first rather than a, lasti And what use in
sending more men to Commanding Ge9eral
who fails a, The decisive momen. TO Gee more
than half those he already basl
We prefer Mr. Porter the columns Of The
TRIBUNE for an answer Of reasonable length 70
Ihesc questions. Ii our conviction tina, Gen.
Mcclellan Is the greatest military humbug of
the age be erroneous, we want il corrected.