Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-02-04
NOTES ON THE WAR, n
2Onssi ~All i-+--- Ity 4
Five Days in Front Of Wash
...s'e'' lngt0n, a.
H,cond Battle of Bull Run--Pope and
MCOtel,ap
tFrem the Cincinnati oa1eue.l


Every one who has followed the evants OF
the war land who has not? will remember
chat there were Eve days in 1852 in which
the fate Of this nation apparently hung on
a,thread, and when orery loyal heart was
held in breaihlsss suspense. 1t was from
the 9th Of August, 1862, to the 2i OF Sep
tember. 1twas the crisis Of the rebel des'
tiny. and their whole fabric Of power and
expectations really fell with their failure to
tako Washington. The Federal Capital was
at the beginning of that period in actual
danger, and no one could safely predict the
result. There were three events occurred,
however, which prevented the possibility OF
Lees success. One was the providential
rain, and rising of the Rappahannock an
other the successful maneuvering of Pope,
by which Jackson's corps was at one time
cut off from Lee; and, lastly, but not least,
the heroic and gallant conduct Of Kearncy,
Hooker, Heintzelman, and part of the
Army Of the Potomac, while Fitz John
Porter, Griffin, and some others were mani
Testing the den,oralizatioa into which the
Army of the Potomac had fallen. The truth
on this subject ought to be known to every
honest man, and we shall cndeavor to give
on outline OF it in few words Gen. Mo
Clellan gives hissiew of the matter. We
shall give one he has not taken.
General Pope's report was made year
since. Why that, as well as other reports
Of generals have not been laid before the
people, we don't know. We have, however,
copy OF it, with other documents Of sim
liar kind; and, by comparing them together,
can see the main facts without the aid of a
commentary. General Pope was assaigned,
by special order of the President, to the
command of the "Army Of Virginia, on
the 26th of June, 1862. That army was
composed of the three corps of Fremont,
Banks and McDowell-numbered lst, I'd
and Sd. The two first were in tho Valley,
near Winchester, and the third, McDowell's 5
near Manassas Junction. In effective n,er
the whole army numbered but 46,S7S men.
It will be remembered that it was Mellow
ellis corps 100000 mem that Mcclellan kept
demanding for his re-enforcements, which,
if he had got, the rebels ,oould haze erchong-
ed Capitals, if they had any sagaciy.
The wish Of the Government was thai
Pope should coUer the city of Washington
from attack, assure the safety ofMc Shenon
doah Valley, and If possible, operate on tn
enemy's communications at GordonsuiNe. -
Accordingly, Pope moved his troops int
the best positions for accomplishing thes
objects. Gen. Sigel, commanding the Firs
Corps, was at Sperryville, Gen. Banks som
eight miles East and part Of McDowell's q
Waterloo Bridge, on the Kappahannock.
We need not detail further movements, il
cludng the battle of Cedar Mountain, bu
come to the results. In the meantime M,
Clellan's army was just commencing the 81
ries of battles, which attended its retreat t
Harrison's Landing. Pope suggested t
the President the impolicy of that move
ment, urging that Mcclellan should not g
back of the White House or York River
and even at the risk of losing material, t
make his way by Hanover Court House, an
forthe reasons that the retreat to Jane
river carried McClellan's army away fro,
any re-sntorcements that could probably b
sent him, and absolutely deprived him
any assistance for the Army of Virginia,
Pope then wrote to Mcclellan stating h
troops and disposition, and that he had n
other object, except to assist him. The al
swer was in general terms, proposing notl
ing. Pope then suggested that some or
should be placed in command superior
both; Halleck was made Commander i
Chief The subsequent events to the ari
val Of Lee at Thoroughfare Gap, proceedir
by the base Of the Blue Ridge, are We
known. In the meanwhile, Mcclellan r
monstrated against removing his army, ar
never did move till tho Government,
their peremptory orders, showed thcy wei
not 70 be tri6ed with. One Of his telegraph
dispatches is very curious. He insists thu
the army cannot and ought not to be move,
under month, but in seventeen days aft
that Il ,eas.at alexandria, No sooner hu
Mcclellan began TO move than Lee also
gan his forward movement Not an no,
was to be lost by either army. The feehr
at Washington is we'll illustatsd by the 70
lowing telegraphic dispatch from Halleck
UNITED SrArEs MrrkWy TELxuHApu,
was pkPAnrnRsr, Washington, Aug. 81, 1859.
To General Pope ''
have just sent Con- Burnsido's reply.
Gen. Cox's forces are coming in from Pa
kersburg, and will be here to morrow al
the next day. Dispute every inch Of groun
and fight like the devil, till we can re-enfor
you Forty-eight hours more, and We O.
make you strong enough. Don't yield
inch II you can help il.
II. w. HALLEcK, Gsneral.in Chief
A true copy:
T.C II. SMITH, Lieut.. Col. and A. d.
Yes, gallant Army of Virginia, fe
ike the devil, " for on you it depends, as
shall soon see. whether tho satanic host
Tsbellion--second only to tho fallen demo
--shall enter in triumph the glorious ca
tai Of our country Yes, Cox is comi
and did come In time to meet. with the
liant regiments Of Ohio, tho demonac h