Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-05-16

| united and the pOSSeSslOn OF nicnIIonu 40
sured. Alas it was not willed. l cannot
think of those fatal moments without a real
oppression Of the heart. Seated in All orchard
at the bvouac of Porter's division, amid the
iovous excitement which follows successful
fight, saw horsemen of the fifth regiment
bring in as prisoners entire companies Of con:
federates, with arms and baggage, their officers
at their head but neither this confidence of tri-
umph among the Fcderals nor the detection
of the enemy deceived me, and | sadly asked
myself how many OF these young men who
surrounded me, telling me of their exploits.
would expiate with their lives the error that
was about to be committed
Not only did not the two armies unite, nor
even communicate with each other, but an or
der came from Washington by telegraph to
burn the two bridges that had just been
seized. The army Of the Potomac and its
leader were thus told as clearly as possible
that they must give up all hope of aid from
tho armies of upper Virginia; the means Of
efftcting a junction was now taken away.
This unfortunate measure had been adopted on
hearing of the bold. dash which Jackson was
then making on the upper Potomac. This
skillful leader, finding the Federal forces in
that region divided into number of inde-
pendent armies, under Generals Fremont,
Banks, Sgpl, &C., had pro6ted by this state
of anarchy to beat them one after the other
II. had driven Banks across tho Potomac.
and created as much confusion as if he had
been about to enter Washington. With
more than 10000 men to protect the city,
with the line of the Potomac so easy to defend.
and with the vast intrenchcd camp which
surrounded the capitol, it was not thought
safe. Mcdowell was summoned in all haste
to Join in the pursuit Of Jackson. As was
to have been expected. Mcdowell arrived too
late. But tho fact remained thV the bridges
which might have connected his opera.
tions with those Of Mcclellan had been cut.
Probably, in the confusion that rrigned Mt
Washington, the order TO destroy them had
been given to prevent the confedcratcs from
using them to send rcinforccments to Jack
son.
But let US leave this affecting spectacle, let
us leave Jackson, by his rapid movements
making sport of the four generals opposed to
!, him. He had accomplished lis object. His
bold dash had prevented the junction Of Nc
Clelan and Mcdowell at tho time when it
might have been decisive. Henceforh the
army of the Potomac had to rely on itself
alone. 1t was necessary to act promptly ;
for each day increased the disproportion BE-.
tween the forces of the two adversaries; and
it was to be feared that the Frderals en-
camped amid the marshes of the Chickahom-
inv, would suffer much from the great heats
which had began to SET in. For several days
the two armies had been face to face. The
Federal advanced guard was cncampcd five
miles from Richmond. There were daily
skrmishes, carried on with desperation that
made general action inevitable. General
Mcclellan waited for two things before attack
ing. lie waited till the roads, broken up by
the rain. should become more solid and pass
able by his artillery, and, in the second place.
till the bridges which he was throwing over
the Chckahominy should be completed, or
nearly so. These bridges had become indis-
pensiblc; nothing could be done without
them. The situation Of the localities. the i'm.
possibility of leaving the railroad which sup.
piled the army, and the necessity Of guarding
against movement of the enemy to turn his
position, had forced tho general to divide his
troops into two wings on tho opposite sides of
the river. But it was important to be able
to unite them rapidly. either on the right bank
to attack the confederate army which covered
Richmond, or on the left bank to oppose the
turning movements already mentioned, and
which was much to DO feared. The confed.
crates, in fact remained masters Of several
bridges on the upper Chickahominy. which
would enable them to occupy tho exccllant
positions presented by the left bank as soon
as the northern army should abandon them.
The latter would thus have been shirt up,
blockaded, and starved out on the right bank,
) and placed in singularly critical position.
Unfortunately everything dragged on the
Federal side. The roads were long in drying,
the bridges long in building. awe never saw
; as rainy season." said tho oldest inhabitant.
"Ws never saw bridges as hard to build,"
said the engineers. The detestable river
foil-d all their efforts. Too narrow for a
bridge of boats too deep and ,niry for piers; |;
here stream ten yards wide flowing between
two plains Of quicksand in which the horses
sank to their girths. and which offered no
foundation; there divided into thousand
streamlets over surface Of three hundred
yards. running through ons Of those wooded.
boggy marshes, peculiar to tropical countries,
and changing it's level and it's bed from day to
} day, in it's uncertain and capricious sway. it
undid or annulled each day the severe labor
Of the previous day, done under burning
sun and often under the FIRE Of the enemy.
Aud thus the precious days few by. Per.
haps-lst us say It frankly-the army was
not so eager to act a. it should have been.
To advance and meet the enemy, to attack
him on his own ground, was bold undsrtak-
ing. somewhat foreign to the habits Of an
American army, which loves. above all me-
tholical. slow. circumspect war, that leaves
nothing to chance. This delay. a. We have