East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-04-28

| houldsrs il must rost where II belongs"
Since commenced this have received addit-
ional intelligence confirming The suppositon in re-
gard 10 jackson and Beauregard; shall probably
be attacked tomorrow, and now go the other
side Of the Chckahommy 20 arrange for the defense
on that side / feel that there Is no use in my
again asking for reinforcements.
GEORGE b. MCCLELLAN,
Major General
Hon. L NJ Stanton, secy Of War
The answer Of the President is as follows
" Your three dispatches of yesterday in relation
TO the affair, ending with the statement that you
succeeded in making your point, arc very gratify-
ing"
q Tho latter one, ofs Is P NJ, suggesting the
probability Of your being overwhelme by 25OOOO
men, and talking Of who tho responsibility will be-
long, pains me very much. give you all can,
and act with the presumption that you will do the
best you can with what you have while you con-
tinue ungenerously think, to assume that could
] give you more il I would. / have omitted, shall
omit opportunity to send you reiniorcements
whenever possibly can.
| THE SEVEN DAYS BATTLE
On the forenoon Of the Goth Of June, between
and o'clock, the enemy in considerable foroe made
n vigorous cross att nek up the troops Of Gen Nc
Calls division, stationed ut Mechanicsve, consist
ing of the two brigsdcs Of Seymore and Reynolds
The action lasted until nigntfall, shcn the enemy
were repused. Troops were sent up by Gen Por-
1
in position to support the right Of the line. About
IL o'clock that ght the troops wer0 ordered to fall
back TO Gaines Mill, was accomplished without loss
On the 7th the battle Of Gaines Mill, was fought,
principally by the troops under Gen Porter Our
| forces there engaged were from n 900 TO p,OOO.
| the enemy being two or three times that number
The enemy were in such superior force that although
our troops fought with exceeding bravery they
were driven back with n loss OF about 1000 men, in
| killed, wounded and missing
,La tka hiatt aT lair
all our forces were concentrated the right bank
| Of the CLickahominy, and the next day the move
ment 20 the James River was determined upon
Gen IIeintze nan testfes that the night after the
battle he sent for by Gen. Mcclellan; that he
| found everything packed ready to leave; that Gen
Mcclellan said there we're two things 10 be done
TO concentrate his forces and risk a battle or to
Withdraw to the James river; that II he risked q
battle there and was beaten, his army was de-
stroycd Gen. IIeintzelman advised him ~ ia
risk battle under such circumstances, for II that
army was lost the would be lost that II was
better 90 to the James river TO await reinforce
ments Gen. Mcclellan replied that he was OF that
| opinion himself, and that was determined upon -
That night at 1920 A. M Gen. McClella telegraph'
the Secretary of War that he (Gen McClellan) Ii
responsible for the result but feels that the gov
| ernment has not sustained his army
To this the President replies the 23th "If
you have drawn battle, or repuse, it is the price
we pay for the enemy not being in Washington
|
trated on you Had we stripped Washington he
would have been upon us before the troops sent
could haye got TO you"
| Save your army nt all events. We will send
renforcements fast can. OF course they
cannot reach you to- day, tomorrow, next dny "
The 2Sth of June passed without any serious
fighting Col b. S Alexander tcsti6es that on the
| afternoon of that day he sent for by Gen
Mcclellan, and went to his headquarters at Saw
ages Station, arriving there about dark. lie re-
l. 10.
send back sufficient number of men TO act as guides
for the different columns of the army communicate
with the gunboats and order supplies to be brough.
up the river TO examine both shores Of the James
to the mouth Of the Clnchahominy, and ascertain
| the landing places proceed up the Chickahonny
to the head Of navigation, md ascertain the places
where the armies could in case of nece 81 y,
AMI then return 70 headquarters and report lie
left Savage's Station that night, and rea he tie
James river the next afternoon. BY the time he
had completed his examination tho army had
reached the James river at Malvern.
The retreat to tho James river having boen deci-
ded upon, the AMY took up its march, being at
tackled by the enemy In the day time, and hoscver
successful in repelling tn SO attacks, evacuat :
| their positions during the night. The actions Of
Savage's Station, Glendale and Malvorn, were
fought during the movement Of tho army to the
James, the enemy being repulsed in each days
| fighting, and our army falling back, under orders
during the night
A. |
was the most fcrcely contested Of any on the PENN
sula. The troops were placed in the morning undei
the direction Of Gen. Mcclellan, who then left ;he
fell returning 10 it in the afternoon. The first nc
ton Of the day commenced mt 10 o'clock in the fore
| noon but did not continue long The principal ac-
tion, when tho enemy attacked most vigorously and
persistently, commenced late in the afternoon and
continued till after dark, tho enemy being rcpused
and broken Mt every point. MANY of the officers ex-
amined by your sommitte Of the opinion that
| the enemy 50 severely punished on that day
that they could have been followed into Richmond
had our army followed them up vigorously 1t is
true that our army had been severely tried during
the week, fighting as they di ne, ,ry every day,
and rctrelt,Dg every night The corps commanders
azd tho troops under them fought most bravely y-no
troops better. However, disccartcncd they may
have become by what all must have regar-
de as preclpitate retreat during the night, they
still fought with the most obstinate b avery whoa
attieko / in the day time by an exulant and sue
ccssful enemy.
The comman ling General, hpwsvcr, determine
to fall back from Malvern to Harrison's Bar, not
withstanding the victory won by our army lie
seems TO have regarded his army entirely untitled
to meet the enemy for, tho day of the battle at
Malvern, evidently before that battle took place. he
writes u the Adjutant General of the army FROM
| Haxalls plantation;
my men are completely exhausted, and dreai
the result If attacked To-day by fresh troops
If possible, 1 shall return tonight to Harrison's
| bar, wnero the guboOats can renler moro Hid 10
covering our position Permit me 10 urge that net
m hour should be lost in sending fresh troops
Moro gunboats arc much needed"
On the "a Of July tho President tclegraphs TO
Gen. Mcclellan;
"Your dispatch Of yesterday morning induces me
to hope your army is having rest In this
hope allow me TO reason with you for moment
When you ask for $1,000 mcn TO be promptly sent
you, you must surely labor under gross mis-
take OF fact Recently you sent papers showing
your disposal of forces last spring for the defense OF
| Wash. n gton, and advising return to that plan
| find in ,ludcd in and about Washington 10000 men
/ Now please be assured that have not enough
TO fill that very plan by $1,000 All Of Gen. Fre-
monts in the valley, all of Gen. McDowclPs not
with you, and all in Washington taken togetho- do
not exceed IL they reach 1000 with Genera, Wool
and Con. Dix alde 10 those mentioned. | have
not outside cf your army $4,000 man east Of the
mountains Thus the idea Of sending you 80, 900 or
any other considerable force promptly Is simply alb
surd If in your frequent mention Of responsibility
you had the impression that blame you for not
doing more than you can, please be relieved of such
impression 1 only beg 10 like manner you viii not
ask impossibilitics Of me.
| "If you think that you not strong enough
TO take Richmond just now, do not ask You to try
IL just now. Save your army, material and person
al and will strengthen IL for the offensive rs fast
| as can"
On the Sd Of July, nftcr the army had rcachol
TIarrson's Bar, Gen Mcclellan writes TO the Sesre-