The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-08

should have troubled them very much, and
taken all their means of supply there. The
next cause for the failure of that campaign was
this: think if a junction of all our force had
been made after the battle of Hanover Court
House, we should have sure thing it.
Q. What prevented that junction?
A. do not know, except that the troops
were not ordered down from Fredericksburg.
understood that they had been asked for.
This testimony accords substantially
with that of the Prince DE JoINvILIE,
whose statements must be regarded as
made by witness who had no personal
ends to answer. His statement is as fol-
lows, taken from his pamphlet, page Al :
subsequent movemenbup the left bank in
the direction of West Point would put us so far
in the rear of the army charged with the de,
fence of the lines of Yorktown that it would
have been in a most perilous position. This
accomplished, the Confederates must have
abandoned Gloucester and fallen back hastily
upon Richmond. The execution of this coup
de main had been left to corps of the army
commanded by Gen. Mcdowell. This corps
was to be the last to embark at Washington,
and it was calculated that it ought to reach
Yorktown in body on its transports at the
moment when the rest of the army moving
down by land, should appear before that port,
from Fortress Monroe.
Instead of finding it, we received the mex
plicable and as yet unexplained intelligence that
this corps 50, COO strong, had been sent to an
other destination. The news was received in
the army with stupefactiOn, although the ma
jority could not foresee the deplOrable conse-
quences of step taken, it must be supposed,
with no evil intention, but certainly with incon-
ceivable recklessneSs. Fifteen days before,
this measure, although it must have always
been injurious, would have been much less so.
We might have made arrangements upon a
new basis. Taken when it was, it deranged
a whole system of machinery fairly work.
Among the divisions ofMcDowell's corps, there
was one, that OF Franklin, which was more re-
cited than all the others, as well on account
of the troops themselves, as of their command
ers The General-in-Chief had bestowed spe-
cal pains on its organization during the winter,
and earnestly demanded its restoration. 1t was
sent back to him without a word of explana-
ton. precisely as it had been detached from
him. This fine division II 600 strong, arrived,
and for moment the General thought Of in
trusting to it alone the Gloucester expedition.
But this intention was renOunced.
General William B. Franklin was also a
witness before the committee; be also diff
fers in opinion from General Hooker.
General Franklin was asked. ''To what
cause or causes do you attribute the tall
ure of the peninsular campaign" cans
wer, The primary cause was the detach-
ment of McDowell's Corps from the Army
of the Potomac at the particular time at
which it was detached l think the de-
tachment of that corps left General McClel-
Ian on the peninsula with all his plans de-
ranged
The Prince de Joinvill also states:
On the night of the Goth (May) he (A1cClellan)
sent forward General Porter's division with a
few squadrons of cavalry in furious storm, to
Hanover Court House, Village about twenty
miles north of Richmond, where the railway to
Fredericksburg crosses the Pamunky. The
troops of Porter moved rapidly, and about mid
day on the 27th came upon the hostile divis-
ion of Branch, at Hanover Court House. This
they assailed with vigOr, dispersed it, and took
one of its guns. Assailed in their turn by Con-
federate troops who had suffered them to pass
by the woods in which they lay hidden, the
Federals turned on their ne" enemies and scat
tered them also This brilliant affair cost the
FederalS 40D men, and left General Porter in
possession of six cannon. of 800 prisoners and
of two bridges, one on the Fredericksburg and
one on the Virginia Central road. The advan-
ced guard of Mcdowell was then at Bowling
Green, fifteen miles from that of Porter. 1t
needed only an effort of the will; the two armies
were united and the possession of Richmond
certan Alas. this effort was not made. |
canpot recall these fatal moments without a
real sinking of heart
Now, it is quite apparent that De Join
vile, Generals Hunt, and Franklin, do not
concur with Hooker as to General McClel-
lan's incompetency. An inquiry is natu-
rally suggested why Major General Fitz
John Porter, who, under the general in
chief command, conducted the siege at
Yorktown, who fought the battle of Gaines
Mills, who captured Hanover Court House,
and who bore the brunt of the fight at NAL
vern Hill, was not called upon to give his
opinion upon the conduct of the peninsular
campaign. There, too, was General How
ard, from Maine. a thoroughly educated
soldier, who lost an arm in one of the bat
ties before Richmond, and man of tn /.
purest character, whose testimony would
have been universally believed by all who
knew him in the army and in the State OF
Maine. These witnesses were not called
for reasons doubtless satisfactory to the
committee. But General Hooker was un-
der oath, and it is presumed meant to tes-
tify truly when he gave his opinion OF
General McClellan's qualifications as sol
dier: This was, however, matter of opin
ion; it was also the opinion of Genera
Hooker that after the battle of Williams
burg the army could have moved right or
and got into Richmond by the second day
after that battle without another gun being
fired. Notwithstanding this opinion, thu
committee themselves were satisfied tina
Hooker had all he could do to hold his owl
after that battle, and that the storm of tn
next day rendered it absolutely impossible
to supply him with ammunition, much les
to advance.