The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-10-06

He had seen siege in the Crimea, and he
was bound to have siege if he had it in a
| frog pond. ..,s.+--. ~" -
THE BATTLE OF WILL AMsBURG.
We'll then came the battle, Of Williams
burg. Mcclellan WASN'T there, and in that
g"splendidly organized army" there was such
disputing about seniority and precedence and
right to command, and things got 50 mixed
that the battle was almost lost. SO testify
Hooker. Sumner and Kearney. But we won
the fight, and, even without commander
in-chief we fought them all day, and whip.
ped them as usual, for our boys will whip
anything in the world if properly, led, But
Mcclellan was back at Yorktown, and the
Generals sent back for him to bring order
out Of confusion, Gen. sprague came back
|, for him through mire up e his horses belly.
He found him under shed at Yorktown
but he didn't want to come. He said to
General Sprague, these are his very words !:
81 should think the Generals could take care
of little matter like that" - "
At night however, just as the army had
won the day, he got there. The enemy
were all in confusion, and Hooker and others
testify on oath that Richmond could have
been taken with vigorous effort. But
though not there in time to win the battle,
he did get there in time to order . halt =
And then, while he waited, the enemy be-
gan to concentrate and fortify Richmond,
which had meyer been half defended before.
FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES.
W hen Mcclellan got to the Chick ahomi-
ny he divided his army, putting half on one
side the Chickahominy and half on the 9TH
er. A food came, and the two. wings Of
the army were separated The enemy as. !
sailed the half beyond, the .Chicahominy anil
'overpowered it'in spite Of most glorious
bravery. But, Gen. Sumner, without wait
ing for orders. hurried his men across the
Chickahominy to the assistance of the rest
They fought the battle Of Seven Pines, and
then. as eyer when they have any chance
our. boys, were gl2riously triumphant. -
The brave Hooker was in front, as he al,
ways is, and the enemy. were flying con
fnsedly before him like sheep bef're wolves.
We were within four miles Of Ri chmond.
But Mcclellan came up again just in time to
call halt. Our officers were swearing and
our, men cursing, Hooker begging to make
the attack, and the peopls Of Richmond
packing up to depart. And still we halted
and threw up embankmelts big enough for
any railway, 49,, ~. s, ~.
And now, with Jackson with a powerful
force in Western Virginia. Mcclellan stop
ped and commenced bowling for more
troops. But if we bad given him more,
Washington would have baen,lost. And if
you had given. him all, the armies OF the
world, you cnnldn't have whipped hun into.
Richmond. Voice c-".He was good on the
retrest."l No not 50 gnoi on the retreat
eitber--he retreatci too fast. make the
charge without fear of contradiction, that
Mcclellan in his whole military career, was
never under fire. Why. he believed in long
range guns that could carry seven
or eight mileS-7and he .tork precious good
care to keep out OF their wav The vourg
Napoleon meyer crossed the bridge. Of Lodi,
Immediately after the battle, Of Gaines
Mills, which by some inexplicable blunder
was fought with one corps onlv. in the i'm
mediate vicinity of-three or four Others
Colmel Alexander Ttestiies that he visited
Mcclellan in his steu, md thai the latter
was so much disheartcnea by theevcnts Of
the day, that he bad nr1ers drawn up d.
rec ing every man tesdas'roy! all he had. Z
and save himselfa as we'll as he could. Thus
ionr1 1gloriously equipped army I'of a hundred
thousand men was in imminent peril of br-,i
ing DESTROYED 'hy cowardice of their COM
mander. So Colonel Alexander testiAes., Z
and would believe hin, against any Cop
perhead on earth. .ei aob saG o1R ,esz3R
siif1aa3 eiig THE RETREAT. aiWtra6 Suryo,
Fhen came the attack Of the enemy .44-s
They fell upon us ia f,rcc, and our scatter..
en- forces being overpowered, were ordered
10 the James river, General Nc
Clellan was in theadvance, that in, of the
retreating oolsmns. Running away he was
infront. Men iever'ufought more braveiy'
In Gods world than oarl iion.hcarted soi-,
diery in thsti lretreatsiTiAnia 'unedualles'
privsfisns And afort,tuac, they reached the
Banks Or the James river. There the battle
was to Be fought which aSoula decide ezthe
fateiof ftfis magnificent ARMY There'a true
general wculd hare led On mis- soldiers and
triunphedr with them or died ia his tracks,
There, surely, was the "last ditchp-athe
"Wall ,sn' to which the enemy were to be
drivspz z1shs Jsnes river on the one side,
and tie united forces Of tire Confederacy on
the othef. Bit 'Mccheilan rode saloh Z the
lines ofthe army half sHa hour Before the
battle conmsncse'd, ana 'tEcno wi withdrcw On
Eoard Or i gunboat and hid himself. And
the result is shown in General Summers tes.
timony before the Co6imittee On the Con-
duct of'ths War. He says the command
devolved on him. and be suffered terribly
from anxiety, because, not knowing fully
ths disposition Of our forces. he had to 'se.
iect hts reinforcements BY guess. But
judging that the fighting was hardest on his
right, he drew his reinforcements from his