New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-23
The Present Position OF the Army from n
Sanitary View Peace Threugh starvn-
ton In the south n Deiusion-Cbnncci-
IorsviIIe-who IL the Right MANI
Fredorioksburg-TheN ew-xork Papers
-stecL.yobbing in the Army-John q.

Anal POTOMAC May ~, 1865.
Since the recent relrogradc movement we have
settled down in our old camps, whether 70 remain
here for n week, q month or during the whole sea
son very few know. This state of suspense and
doub, is irving TO every one. The camps are not fiji
10 live in any longer, not even for day; it is i'm
narrative that they should be evacuated at once.
Several movements Of this kind have already been
insnquraied but this will be found Intellectual TO
escape disease.
of dead mules and horses In various stages
of DECOMPOSITION, filling the air with their horrid
stencil; garbage rottIng on the ouisklrts OF every
camp the en,rails Of cattle slaughtered for food only
half buried in the gr0und-wait but u litile while
for the heat of midsummer, and from these heaps OF
oal those Of dead animals, Will arise o-ofs
Of which the now prevailing ones are but Fremont
,ions and the first wind which blows will scatter
with i.s wings the seeds OF q dire aud deadly pes
thence.
he allowed 10 pass without measures being adopted
and enforced in reference TO IL. What those meHs-
urr. shall be those in anthorityimust decide. So
offensive would be the work OF burial that men
could not he found 20 undertake it, cover them with
mounds Of dirt and The fret heavy ram will reveal
their added decay; dsinfectipg drugs caunot be- OBJ
tanned in sufficient quantities What then 10 To be
donei Shall we have change OF base for sanitary
reasOnsI
regre, TO find that the old fallacy Of starving the
gouth into n peace still has rs adherents here
well AZ a. home. The time when this might have
been done IL long since gone by they but await the
ripeniug now OF y magnificent crop OF grain. have
talked with intelligent prisonerr, whose statements
confirm me in the belief that the Sonth are more able
than ever to maintain themselves. They are with
ont lrxaries but any one who has lived among them
il aware how little they value these. That suiier
ing prevails 10 degree their cities, 10 doubtless
the case; but the coming harvest VIII make up III
plenttude tor the privations OF the past glance
across the river from any OF our signal Stations re-
veas such wide contrast in the Gs ect OF the conn-
try beyond and that ON this sde, that one canuot
fail To perceive the difference between occupation by
"A hostile army and occupation by friendly one.
This was itrikingly apparent during The recent ad
vance. "
am not responsible was deprived OF The pleas lre
of furnishing the readers Of TIE TRIBUNE with n
detailed account of what has been called tho 'hVe
days battle" Many are the criticisms when nave
been passed ON the genera'ship displayed durlug
That Iry my occasion. All that ] have read appear
10 my feeble Judgment very excellent, and, RAD they
been nut IN execution, would doubtless have won
the day. L understand that al the council OF war
which was held preparatory to the retreat, on, OF
the xix oorps commanders present, DOLLY TWO OF them
were in favor OF "a retrograde movement. III was
raining very hard at the time.
1 have since heard the wlsh expressed by officers
of various grades that the bridges bad been swept
AWAY, 40 mat we might have been compelled 10 re-
new the battle. The nature OF the contest Was Pc
cuhar-it was what might be called close fight,
being confined to narrow roads and thick woods,
with ouly here and there open field. On Sunday
noon forced out OF Charlottesville, our army was
compelled 10 assume defensive position on tue
Ely's Ford road, about quarter OF mile or so III
rear Of the town, the center of our column holding
tie road to United States Ford, our avenue oi re-
treat. Against this center, defended by Slckles,
Couch, aud Mead, the whole strength oil Lee
army was hurled, with view to possessing Ihein
selves Of the road.
1 believe it 70 have been in one Of these attempts
that the nasIer.spirt OF the Rebel army, Stonewal
jackson, received his death wound. Ihis, TO TIE
Union cause. was equal in value to at least twenty
thousand men. A very eccentric man, accord ng to
the testimony Of those who knew him. tne worst
tLot can be said of him u.s. that lie the wrong
aide Of right. Lie was SOLDIER Vi the Goes AZ well