Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-05-09
The Peninsular Campaign in Virginia
(MARcH-JULY, 1867
BY THE PRINCE DE JOINvILLE.

The battle began again with the day, but
under circumstances necessarily unfavorabls
to the Federals. The two roads leading
to Williamsburg were blocked up with troops.
On the left.hand road, coming from Lees
Mill, were the divisions Of Hooker aud
Kearny, of Heintzman's corps, but separated
by an immense number of wagons ladened
with baggage, and mostly mired. On the
right-hand road, two other divisions were
advancing with even greater difficulty. The
ground was in such state that the gun
carriages were completely buried in the liquid
mud. Much disorder resulted from this con-
fusion of men and baggage in the deep and
narrow roads. In the United States they
have no staff corp. The American system
of "every man for HIMSELF" individually
applied by the officers and soldiers of each
corps, is also applied by the corps toward one
another. There is no special branch of the
service whose duty it is to regulate, central
ize, and direct the movements of the army.
In such case as we have mentioned, we
should have seen nothing Kindred the march
of tho troops; here. stopping detachment Of
wagons, and making them stand aside to clear
the way, there sending detail of men to repair
the road, or drag cannon out OF the mud, in
order to communicate to each corps comman-
der the instructions of the general. Here,
there is nothing of the kind. The functions
of the adutant general are limited to the trans
mission of the orders of the general-in.chirf,
without takin the least care to see that they
are executed. The general has no one to
carry his instructions but nids.de.camp, who
are full of good intentions. and fit to repeat
mechanically verbal order, but are very lit.
tie regarded when they undertake to exercise
any Initiative whatever. Hitherto, through
the want of staff corps had often been felt,
its consequences had not been serious. We
had the telegraph, which united the different
corps. The generals could thus confer togeth-
er, and communicate to each other anything
important: but once on the march, the tele
graph could no longer be used, and then there
were no more communications. The want Of
a staff was not less felt in obtaining and trans.
mittiug information OH tho eve of an action.
No one knew the country, and the maps
were SO defective as to be useless. Little was
known of the fortified country on which the
army was about to fight. This battlefield
had been seen and reconnoitered. the evening
before, by the troops that took part in Stone
mans skir,nish enough was known of it to
form plan of attack, and assign to each one
his part in it. But no; every man kept his
observations to himself not from any bad in.
tention, but because it was no ones special
duty to attend to this general work. The Or
ganization was defective, and. with the very
best clements, an army which is not organized
cannot hope for great successes. and is fortu-
nate it it escapes great calamties
- H.. 4 Il .c.cA ~ Al, Il
army, Hookers division. whicl, was at the
head of tho column on the left-lIand road, and
which on the previous day had received
general order to march on Williamsburg, do.
6oucl,rd on the morning Of the 5th on the
ishmus where Stoneman's fight had taken
place, without the least idea of what it would
meet there. Received on its appearance by
a substantial fire from the enemy's works. it
deployed resolutrly in the abattis aud went
into action but it had arrived alone and in
detach,nents while the defense was kept up by
from fifteen to twenty thousand men strongly
intrpnched. The odds wer" too great for It.
Hooker, who is an admirable soldier, never
thelpss stood his ground for sometime, but
finally had to give way and fall back. leaving
in those terrible abattis, and in the woods in
the rear, two thousand killed and wounded.
with several cannon which could not BE- drag
ged out Of the mud after their horses were
killed. The enemy followed him in his re-
treat. Kearney's division. having succeeded
in passing over the incumbered road, marched
rapidly toward the sound of tho cannon, and
renewed the fight. The contest changed from
the edge of the plain to the woods, and con.
tinued to be severe, for the enemy had receiv.
ed heavy reinforce,ments. The Federals
fought well, encouraged by their commanders.
Heintzelman, Hooker and Kearney. K-arney
especially. who had lost an arm in Mexico.
and had fought in the French army at Mou
zaia and Solferino, displayed the rarest cour-
age. Alone, with all his aids.de.camp shot
down around him, lie electrified his men by
his intrepidity.
Meanwhile, that part of the army which
was massed on the right-hand road remained
inactive. Only one division had come up,
which the generals could not consent to use
before the appearance Of the troops that were
to sustain it. But these troops were stopped
by flooded streams, incumbered roads, aud
broken aud mired wagons. Still. however.
we heard tine terrible firing Of Hooksrs di.
vision, which was cut up and retreating. We
had heard it first in front, then on one side.
and always retiring. The balls and shells
came, whistling. and shattering the trees. to
the very midst OF these motionless troops
1t was three o'clock, andit was at last decided
to move. One division entered the woods to
flank the confederate regiments that were driv.
ing Hooker, while on the extreme right
brigade crossed creek on an old mill.dam
which the enemy had neglected to guard. and
debouched in the plain beyond ths marshes
on the 0auk Of the works which covered VIII.