The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-06-08
Bu,.er,s Operations ON the ssnthsiAc

Buffers Operations ON the S0nthsiac.
A correspondent Of the New Yeik 7Smes, writ
ina from Smear Jlmes rlyer, May 97.h, undertakes
an explanation of why i.aier whipped on the
10Th uh. He says:
Grn Butler Is censurei In y'sr very valuaese pa
per tor two reasons Fist, kecsHss, sd nseirct of
ihe Supposed advice OF ten t:iltMaIc, he dill not
f0Si'y the position he held before I'VE efnnd 'ehe
Of rebel wofts ON the i.,h last ana secondly, be-
eausa he Withdrew his iirces alter tbs hatiie of
i6.h mad been Iost, admit that II Gen Ruthr had
GpstitieL his position ON the ID II ~ 0ight have
wikstood the rt bel attack on the i"sst hofnias OF
the lG,h and ihpa escaped the tesPe,Nshay OF the
fearful lass sustaiaed ky our army tHt Z contend
that evan in that case he would have been obliged
eventually to abandon the posiaia0, ava tiisct a
retreat nn.ier, peSLap;, gieatrr dnicahtes as the
result shawS he had moi su"'e.en. n"m"FI OIL men
ton sa the f.uTsburx and Riehmnnd rail-
raaa whese he canid have fortlsied himself,
In a shu,t time. go that he could have re-
mained with safety m"ie than DAY nr two -
lie would have t,een exPosed coRtiuuafiy to At
tack in font and rear and on tA., lasl rank. The
fact Is, that te,,r.i Ea.ies's 1etffat tfaM New
ry'A Ean IL his iuttiic aiions near tseSa.aaa Hut
deed clearly the part III wisdom and prudence,
aud probably what saved his army tssNs destruc-
lion Gen Batter deserves great praise for his
.fMncss in not yielding his better Judgment 10 the
wishes oi thase who afgcd ms stay, aud t"t n'l
"resisht and skill ia eAtetisy has irtseaf ut the
night tifie aud in s0 snccessfni q ManRer Is he
did but The trouble lies in ihis, the ielty Of forcing
body Of men oi the numi'er OF tieR Batter g
army Into sdch Positioa. The army mad no busi-
ness there There were no chances ~ success
Whatever Gen EatieT's PERSONAL Ideas may have
been, his army ee:tainIy felt perfectly c"b6dent
OF defeat. Little Or no e0Rfden:e, u iAft. was
placed In the Hsiiitafy ability af Most af tho Gene
I,is commanding ny The infcfi0f aiaseeEs aai rank
and Gle.
The disposition Of Gen antleI' forces the night
before ti,r battle was very bal ani exceedingly
n. aty. Al
miles long, and hut one iinc. The reserves were
also few ami badly disposed nf. The mlLTnvefs
during the hslii were very sllial0Sy, unsktMt, and
unsatisidct tory, and sh9Wcd that military genius
did not stand al the head oi affairs Ti,'. enemy
mlBrdvcred very shiiiiuiiy and rapidly, thiOwiRg
his aod cn!iiiiihH al troop. up,n various parts et
Gen Buffers long ani weak line snrcesaive!y,
heating his afuiy by d.tiil He threw his fb,t'.
tifs upon <.rn BHiir.- right tiInk: then, tap,tiy
~ the swn"p nf an ttsc e stfnrk his erntre, and
then hi ieii, diving back those paris nj Gen iut
l.f's line IN confusion anl inliieiing hat Getting,
great iuss.
Gen EdileI's grand mistake consisted IN not
arizing, tn the 6fa Instance HPan taa great strlte
eic point OF our army south of GiehR,oHd-ibat is,
Petersburg. This place can!d have keen easily
taken Immediately after Cen Buffers landing at
GeIMuda Hundred, and, beiD. on the south side Of
the AppOmatoS river and tile junction Of several
railroads, would have been a place Of vast i'm
poiiahre to w. Petersburg would have been a
splendid base tar any "peiai ms Gen !utler wisiied
t. make, aud his army w0hid have been safe there
Then hr would have cut OF 4 very Important
cbaRnei ri supplies 10 f.cc's asmy, aud from thence
with the assistance If our gnntoats, hc could have
cht OF all reiniDIceiaents and supplies coming
from the S0u;a toward iichTiond.
The statcmeGt that The hattie OF The IGh was
only n teint 1" cover the salal cavalry raid of
kahtl, Is too cnatemptibiy absurd 10 need refuta
tinn No one will he deceived by 1t Gen Huiirr q
campaign south "f Richmond is ended, and cln,or
must admit, though with regret, that it was a
f,nfe, and "A failure attended with great loss OF
human HE and limb.