The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-07-25
From the National Intelligeneer,J
MILITARY COMPARISONS.


We observe that certain ofour CO.
temporares, in commenting on tn
recent battles at Gettysburg which
resulted in the repulse of Gen. Lee
> make them the text not onlyof jus
admiration awarded to Gen. Meade
but of injurious allusion to3all who
have preceded him in the command
of the Army of the Potomac. Els
: pecially have those who are afflicted
with what Gen. Cochrane hassDot in
aptly called the McC7eUan.phobia
eagerly seized the opportunity atfor'
ded, as they assume, by this mod
ern instance to point "wise saws
in condemnation of the s..aysrseau-
J. tiousness or fmbecility WHICH al
lowed the enemy to escape from
the battlefield of Antietam with,
ont destruction. Gen. Meade, i,
has been said, was not the man te
fall into any such error, and much
affected pleasantly was essayed by
one or two journals, Immediately af:
ter the result of the late battles was
known, in the way of facetious rail
lery, warning Gen. Meade against
the perils of Immediately pursuing
the enemy, and suggesting the ex-
pediency of allowing Gen. Lee sutfi-
cient time to effect his retreat in safe
ty from Gettysburg, as formerly from
Antietam.
So sodden with ignorance or pre-
judice are the writer's that they did
not seem to have been aware that at
the very time they were indulging in
these genialities, the enemy had done
at Gettysburg precisely what he did
ct Antietam-escaped "under cover
of night and that Gen. Meade,
after his success Of Friday in "hand-
somcly' repulsing the attacks made
on his position, did precisely what
Gen. Mcclellan is blamed for doing
a year ago-allowed an interval of
thirty-six hours to elapse without
pressing the enemy for renewal OF
the engagement. AS this is simply
question Of history, and does not
need to be complicated with ques-
tions of personal strife or military
partisanship, we cite the memoranda
which constitute the official record
under this head.
On Friday, July Sd, at 35 minutes
past eight O. clock in the evening, af-
ter announcing the final repulse of
the enemy on that day, Gen. Meade
writes to Gen. Halleck as fallowo
"Aftcr the repeIlng or TIC assault indications
leading to the belief that the enemy might be
withdrawing, an armed reconnaissance was push
ed forward from the left, and the enemy found 10
be in force'
At the close of the battle on Fri
day, then, the enemy had not begun
his retreat. On the next day, the
4th of July, in despatch written at
noon, Gen. Meade informs Gen. Hal
Ieck that our troops "now hold Get
tysburg," which the enemy chad
abandoned, leaving large numbers
Of killed and wounded on the field. .
At ten o'clock in the night of the
same day, during achich time there
had been no fighting, he writes: "No
change of affairs since despatch Of
twelve, noon" On the following
morning, Sunday, July 5th,) at 20
minutes past eight o clock, aud there
fore thirty six hours after the repulse
of the enemy, he telegraphs to Gen.
Halleck as follows:
''Thc enemy retired under c0rer Of the night
and heavy rain iu the direction Of Fairfield and
Cashtown Ny cavalry are in pursuit"
Now, let US compare these official
reports with those made from the
battlefield Of Antietam by Gen. Nc
Clellan. That battle was fought on
the 17th of September, 1862, lasting
until after dark. On the following
morning, at 8 clock, Gen. McClel-
Ian wrote as follows to Gen. Halleck
"The battle Of yesterday continued for four.
teen hours and until after dark We held all
we gained except portion Of the extreme left
that was obliged to abandon part Of what il
had gained. Our losses were very heavy, espc-
cially in general officers The battle will proba-
hlv be renewed to-day Send all the troops you
can by the most expeditions route"
After examination, and on refec-
ton, Gen. Mcclellan determined not
to renew the fight that day Both
armies remained comparatively mac
tive, as after the Gettysburg battle
of July Sd. On the morning of Sep
tember 18th, at 80 minutes past 8
0 clock, and therefore thirty-slx hours
after the battle Of the 18th, Gen !
Mcclellan telegraphed as follows:
.But little occurred yesterday except skir,
mishi7g. being fully occupied in replenishng
ammunition taking care Of wounded &c. EGs
MATT tie cnemy ajdndoned hi; portion, leaving
his dead and wounded on the field. We are
again in pursuit. ! do not yet know whether
he is falling back 70 an interior position or cros'
sing the river We may safely claim complete
victory.
Two hours later Gen. Mcclellan
was able to report that the enemy
was not merely "falling back to an
interior position, but actually Cross
ing the river, for it was 80 minutes
after 10 o'clock Of the same day that
he telegraphed as follows:
:: .:Pleasan.on is driving the enemy across ih'
river Our r;ctorv was complete. The enemy