The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-09-21

General McClelan's report correctly de-
scrihes the battle of South Mountain as
the storming of strong natural positions
held by the enemy with infantry and artl-
lcry on the crest of a range OF mountains
LOCO feet high, aided by temporary OBJ.
structious and Orcastworks. Our troops.
in the face of these difficulties, effected
Judgement on the crest on the lith of
September. Common sense will assure ev.
cry man that in such lighting the assailant
must be tho greatest sufferer. The baltic
ceased at night. During the night the en-
cmy withdrew, which was not discovered
T TILL our skirmishers advanced nextmorning.
II was brilliant performance for our
troops, but 10000 men might hold such
place for q time against 80 GOO.
In the morning when it was reported to
General Mcclellan that the enemy had quiet.
! ly with rawn during the night, and were
ont ot sight, he began telegraphing to +,
| Washington for country circulation tho
/ following dispatches, by which tho reader
will be able TO measure tho mental and mill
itary capacity and the reliability of the
Young Napoleon:
Tho enemy is making for tho river in
| perfect panic General Lee stated last
night publicly that he must admit that
they had been shockiugly whipped. / am
hurryins everything forward to enleavor
to press their retreat to the utmost
Later in the day he telegraphed:
Information this momont received com.
| pletely confirms the route and demoraliza-
ton ot the rebel army. General Ice is re-
ported wounded, and Garland killed Gen.
eral Hooker alone has over 900 prison-
! era, 200 having been scnt to Frederick,
/ II is stated that Lee gives his loss as 900
Woo following as rapidly as the meu
can move"
Thus he represented this to the country
| as general engagement with Leo's whole
| army, in which Lee who was miles away
was wounded and had confessed to being
shocNngly whipped, add to the loss of ft.
| teen Thousand men, which was moro than
the encmy's whole force at South Noun
tain; and that the balance of Lees army
was "routed and demoralizcd" and max
ing for the river in u perfect panic"
lie was able to telegraph all this to the
country when he knew the results of tho
previous days fighting, in which our troops
under all the disadvantages of storminr
| that strong position, had lost but 1858 ia
all, which must have been greater than tho
enemy's loss.
The Government aud the country dis.
| b"'o HihNShdNhSh DllLs NeucEdk
Mcclellan states in his report: "On tho
next day had the honor to receive the fol.
lowing very kind dispatch from his Excel
lency the Paesldent@
4 WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON. J
September IL, l962-2:45 r. NJ.
Your dispatch of to-day received
God bless you, and all with you. Destroy
the rebel army If possible.
A. LINCOLN.
To Major-General Mcclellan.
But in his report General Mcclellan does
not give the stupendous dispatches which
elected this saugniue and grateful reply.
On the contrary he represents tho onenys
withdrawal as complete before he knew it,
and his march in pursuit as cautious, under
his order that as soon as tho alvanos came
up with the enemy, it should halt and
await his arrival. Consequently, there was
no pressing OF tho retreat to the utmost,
nor ut all; and Ice, whose rear guard was
holding South Mountain until another de-
tachment could capture IIarper's Ferry,
had two days to concentrate his army and
strengthen his position at Autietam.