East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-12-09
Details of the Late Army Movements

A special to the Herald, dated Dec.
Q, gives the following details of the
late army movements in Virginia:
THE FALLING BACK OF THE ARMY.
The public need not be surprised
when the announcement is made that
the Army Of the Potomac, which set
out six days ago, full of high hopes,
and with every promise of success, is
back again upon its old stamping
ground, worn, tired and weary.
Ny last dispatch was sent on Mon
day night last, from the field, south of
the Rapidan. and hoped then that
my next would be written at Orange
Court House, or at least as far away
as the west bank of Mine river. L
believed then that General Meade's
plans and combinations could not be
other than successful; and the reasons
for that faith you will see when you
read the story.
THE REASONS FOR THE MOVEMENT.
All day on Saturday and Sunday,
Gen. Meade and his corps commanders
were engaged in devising means to
GUST the enemy from his position on
Mine River. 1t had been demonstra-
ted that he was too strongly posted
to warrant us in making a direct as
sault upon his works, even though we
should outnumber him two to one.
OUR POSITION ON SUNDAY EVENING.
Darkness found us, on Sunday night
in the following position: The Second
Corps was on the extreme left, in the
vicinity of Clark's Mountain, reinforc-
ed by one division of the Sixth Corps.
The left centre was held by the Third
Corps; the centre by two divisions Of
the Sixth Corps.
WHY THE ATTACK WAS ABANDONED.
Gen. Warren was to have attacked
and turned the enemy's left wing at
3 o'clock in the afternoon. The Fifth
and Sixth, under Sykes and Sedg-
wick, were, at the same time, to attack
his left, while the Third and First
were to make q demonstration upon
his centre. The reserves of artillery
had all been brought forward and po-
sitioned ready for action; but, for some
reason, Gen. Warren failed to act in
concert, and night slipped in upon us
oil drawn up in line of battle. That
night change was made in the pro-
gramme, Gen. Warren did not deem
his force adequate to the task Of turn
ing the enemy's right, so he was still
further reinforced by two divisions of
the Third Corps, under Generals Carr
and Prince, while Birney, with his
division Of the same corps, was to sup
port the artillery.
THE ATTACK AGAIN APPOINTED FOR MON
DAY MORNING.
Eight o'clock on Monday morning
was then set as the hour for the great
battle to open, and we retired to our
ground beds to sleep and dream. The
night of Sunday was the coolest we
have yet experienced. Ice formed in
the streams an inch in thickness, and
several of our men froze their limbs,
and one or two their lives out, while
doing picket duty.
OPENING OF THE ARTILLERY FIRE.
At eight o'clock on Monday the
artillery began to play upon the en-
omy, and for an hour, / think, the
firing was as constant and heavy as l
ever witnessed but the infantry. did
not make any demonstrations what
ever, and, aftor making deal of noise
and wasting large amount of am
unition, the artillery was silenced by
On order from general headquarters.
OUR FALLING BACK.
Nothing further was done during
tho day, except to study strategy, and
that study resulted that the wisest
plan to advance would be to 60 back
to tho line of the Rappahannock and
take fresh start Accordingly, yes
terday morning we commenced moving
back toward the river, and at night
we crossed in safety, having succeeded
in losing about thousand men in
killed, wounded and missing, and gen.
Grating very unkind feeling in the
breasts of the rank and file towards
those in position, who had promised
them so much and yielded them so
little.
That there was q great blunder
made by somebody, somewhere, is
apparent; but is not for me to fix it
The nuhlic must whit until n court of