The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-14

|
800 rive them battle, but says, about one
.,1 az "a MI Gen. Mcclellan sent me word
NOT to renesc the attack IN the morning
Hentzleman had sent Gen. Jameson in pur-
anti of the retreating enemy, but "Gen. Nc
Clellan ordered Gen. jameson back"
The battle of Williamsburg was on the 9TH
day of May. The army remained there till
the 9th. There was no more fighting until
the 91st of May, which was the battle of the
Seven Pines. Gen. Mcclellan was not In this
battle; was on the other side Of the Chicaho-
miny. The battle was renewed on the LIST OF
June. Says Gen. Heintzleman;
II sent my troops forward under Hookefl
and they got within about four miles OF nicn.
mond. They sent word back how iar tney mad
got, and sent word to Gen. Mcclellan. ne
oydered me TO stop and fall back TO the Old
Eno From information we got from the reb-
aIs 7 have no doubt but we might have gone
into Richmond"
In answer to the question where Gen. Nc
Clelan was during this battle, Gen. Heintzle-
man replied
9He was on the other side Of the Chichaho-
miny. received no orders from him during
the battle. Nor did receive any from him
during the battle of Williamsburg
The only order received from Gen. McClel-
Ian at williamsburg was about o'clock the
next morning, not to reneW the fight" n
Referring to the battle of Williamsburg,
and General Sumner, with 10000 men, not
coming to the assistance of the contending
parties, Gen. Heintzleman says:
"If Gen. Sumner had used the troops which
understood he, had at his disposal, the enemy
would have been completely routed, and we
shonld have saved two-thirds of the men we
lost" - ~
Gen. Il. says, 81 have understood that his
"lSumner'sl instructions were. given by Gen.
Marcy, Gen. McClellan's chief of staff.
understand Gen. Sumner says he had orders
for all he did" rararrs2 rs .sE
After the battle Of Seven Pines the army
laid before Richmond twenty five or six days.
June 26th was the affair at Mechanicsyile,
and the 9th the battle at Gaines Mill. Gen.
Mcclellan was about mile and half from
these battles.
The next day the retreat was commenced.
cat Fair Oaks" says Heintzleman, 81 receiv-
led no orders whatever" The night of the
18th Gen. Heintzleman spent at Mcclellan
headquarters. At o o'clock the 10Th, General
Mcclellan went to James River. This was
the day of the affair at White Oak Swamp
Bridge. Gen. Heintzleman carried the news
of this battle to Mcclellan, whom he found at
Malvern. ~
Teh next morning Heintzleman Joined Nc
Clellan and went around with him at Malvern
Hill, where he gave directions in relation to
posting the different corps for the expected
attack. The fight commenced about ten
o'clock. Late in the afternoon the grand at
tack of the enemy was made, which lasted till
after dark. "We gave them very thorough
repulse," says Heinfzleman. At this point in
his testimony we find the following question
and answer: a T
Question. Where was Gen. Mcclellan dur
ing that fight?
Answer He was down at his Headquarters
on the James river. He came up some time
late in the afternoon. General Sumner told
one OF his aides that he had sent up, that he
intended to mass his troops, unless he gave
orders to the contrary. That was made known
to Gen. Mcclellan, and he sent up orders NOT
WAS
with Gen. Porter about half an hour.
Gen. Sumner was in command in that bat
tie, and the general-in-chief, when he Visited
the field, it seems, instead of consulting with
him, spent all his time with a subordinate
commander, and he no other than Fstz John
Porterl The headquarters were two or three
miles from the field. We now invite special
attention to the concluding portion of Gen.
Heintzleman's testimony.
Question. Was the seven DAYS battle fought
under the direction and orders of Gen. Me
| Ciellan, or did each corps commander light his
own troops as he thought best?
Answer The corps commanders fought
their troops entirely according to their oun
ideas. We helped each other. Ii ANYBODY
asked for reinfOrcements | sent them. If I
wanted endorsements sent to others.
Question. Do you mean to say that that
fight ioGs not under the direction, guild
ance and control of Gen. Mcclellan, so far as
tae movement of the troops was concerned :?
Answer. Gen. Mcclellan posted the troops
in the morning, and then went off to his head
quarters, and zoe did not see anything more of
him. That was at Malvern Hill.
Question. You had your orders what to do !?
Answer. We were to oppose the enemy !;
TeNo WUo Utts W. Ludu0 reports 10 DlfQ. y y y
| Zen. Sumner fought the battle of Savage Sta
ton entirely himself That battle
Malvern Hill twas fought entirely By the corps
commanders; at least l can say that receip-
| ed no directions myself Late in
the afternoon received direction from Gen.
Mcclellan to send staff officer to his head
quarters, that he might bring me instructions
TO fall back. should he conclude to have it
done. sent the officer, and about II o'clock
oh vrra erOfA - l.
what order. This took us to Harrison's Land
ing.
Question. Do you consider that general
VINO posts his troops in the morning, and then
goes off and leaves his corps commanders to
lake the direction of the movements OF the
troops under him during the days lighting,
can be said to himself direct the battles
Answer. Well, sir; he ,uas the most extra
ordinary man tuer sdtU. l do not see how
any man could leave SO much to others, and
right. = o 49,
Question. Were you at any time, during the
change or base, put to any Inconvenience in
communicating with the general commanding
oy MS position being too far remote from the
scene of action?
Answer. thought he was too remote. We
were put to considerable inconvenience in
communicating with him. ft71t
Question. We're you compelled, at any time,
to act on your own responsibility and aoithout
orders, when orders were necessary?
Answer. Yes, sir; when at Glendale, l fell
back without orders, after waiting till mid
night, or we should have been cut off by the
enemy.
The length to which this article is already
extended forbids that we should indulge in
many remarks. We simply call attention to
one significant fact; that every peremptory
ana specific order mentioned by Gen. Heintzle-
man, as having come from the GeneraLin-
Chief, during the entire peninsula campaign,
was an order not to isolate the ensn,y at York
toon, to fall back, not to pursue The retreat
ing foe, not to renew the fight. At Williams
ourg ne called back Jameson; at Seven Pines
~ called back Hooker. At Malvern he or