The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-12

must DO admitted that his report Of this great battle
at suoh variance with all the statements which have
appeared the press that is due not only % history
but TO the ndomitable prowen OF heroic army that
every fact sustained by testimony should b
given In order TO fully establish the truth. reserve
for any suitable occasion abundant documentary owl
dsncs to support the facts furnished.
On Saturday, July 4, both armies continued 70
face each other during the entire day. without either
manitestina disposition TO attack. "Ths enemy, says
/ Meade, "drew back his left flank, but main.
| tanned hs position In front Of our Ieft,n a. u
| always conscious that vulnerable point was
there. and they were 10th to retire from t. On the
night Of tho 4th Lee finding his ammunition exhausted
and his subsistence mperlled decided 70 withdraw and
he began his retreat towards williamsport, with four
thousand Of prisoners and all his immense trains. On
the morning OF the 9th this event became known, and
General Meade despatched the Sixth corps in pursuit.
together with squadrons OF cavalry "The 9Th and
9th OF July were employed" says Msades report Gin
succoring tho wounded and burying tho dead" Tho
enemy made good or ell this precious time In pushing
on towards Wilamsport as rapidly az possble and II
fortunate for them that detachments not do
tailed for these solemn and affecting duties and that
whole army NOT launched In prompt and eager pursuit.
They burdened by heavy trains lcd with plumber,
without ammunition, and wofuly demOralized Had
cess, fallen On Thorn In flank rear, any
where or anyhow, General Lee might have got
across tho Potomac, but his army "The trains,
with the wounded and prisoners" says Lees report,
were compelled to await At Wlliamsport (about the
9Th Of JULY the subsdng Of the rvor and the oonstruc
Mon OF boats. The enemy had not yet made
his appearance" The rebel army must have trembed
with anxiety the dreaded Yankees should heave In
sight before they could escape the swollen Potomac,
which Providence seemed to have destined as the place
their surrender II not till the 18th Of July that
army, long delayed, up but, unfortunately
enemy had nearly finished their preparations for
flight can attack" says Leo, "was awaited during
that and the succeeding day. This did not take place,
though the two armies were In close proximity" Why
il did not take place the country has yet under
STOOD General Meade In his report gives no expana-
ton The press Of the day stated that General Meade
again held councils Of at this supreme moment,
and that several Of hts generals opposed falling
on the crippled enemy. All we know
Is that Lee, having completed his preparations,
slipped quietly the river the morning Of the l4h
"The crossing not completed until P. NJ, says
Lee, swhen the bridge was removed. The enemy or
fered no serious interruption and the at
tended with loss Of m1teriel except few disabled
wagons and two pieces Of artillery, which the horses
unable to drag through the deep mud" It seems
that General Meade and the recacrant members OF the
council Of war finally made up their minds 70 attack
"But advancing the morning Of the 14h reports
General Meade t was ascertained he (the enemy had
retired the night previous by the bridge at Falling Wa
ters and the ford at Wiliamsport."
In striking confirmation Of the sketch given Of this
important battle It may be interesting to quote few
brief extracts the diary Of British officer who
guest of General Lee during the campaign in Pennsy
vania, and which published In Blackwoods Magazine
in September last The wrier was witness Of the
battle Of Gettysburg and the hearty praise he avishes
upon the Confederate troops and their generals shows
that all his sympathies with the South, and he
takes pains 10 conceal his prejudices against the
North. Speaking Of the moment when the columns
Of Longstrest had been finally repulsed by our left
on Friday afternoon, July 8, he says:-"t Ia difficult
TO exaggerate the critical slate OF affairs they ap
peared about this tme n the enemy his General had
oon any enterprise, there q saying What might haze
happened. General Longstreet talked 10 me-" he mar
rates. for long time about the battle. The General
said the mistake Lee had made in not ooncentrat
ing the army making the attack with 30 900 men
instead Of 5000. II is npossibe 10 avoid seeing
adds the English officer "hat the OF this check q
the Conrederates lies In their utter contempt for the
enemy" He oontirues,--''wagons horses, mules ana
| cattle captured in Pennsylvana-the solid advds-
| tages or this campai0s-have been passing slowly
along this road (Fairhsld) all day (Juiy D..
So interminable was this train that II soon
became evident that we should NOS be ablo to
start. A II became dark we all lay around
big nre and heard reports coming in from the different
generals that the enemy retiring and had been doing
so all day long, But this Of course could make no differ
ence 10 General Lees plans. Ammunition h must have,
az he had failed to capture 1t from the enemy according
TO precedent Our progress" he continues, was natu.
rally very slow indeed, and took eight hours to 60
| as many miles"
viii close these extracts with the following graphic
sketch OF q stampede" which occurred on Monday,
July g. about NJ, and which demonstrates most
uneauvocay the utter Generalization OF the Confederate
army
"About seven P. NJ" the writer states, I've rode
| through Hagerstown. in the streets OF which we're
several dead horses and q few dead men, After
| proceeding abou. mile beyond the town we halted,
and General Longstreet sent four cavalrymen up q
lane with directions report everything they saw. We
then dsmounted and lay down. About ten minutes later
(beng nearly dark) we heard sudden rush. panic
and then regular stampede commenced in the midst OF
which deserted our four cavalry heroes crossing field
as fast as they could gaop All complete con-
mounting their horses and pursuing those
which had got looss and soldiers climbing over fences
protection against the supposed advancing Yankees
In the midst Of the din heard an artillery officer shout
ing 10 his cannonners to stand by him and plant the
guns 10 proper position for snGadng the lane. alG
distinguished IOngstrset walking about, hustled By the
excited crowd and Remaining, in angry tones, which
could scarcely b heard and 70 which attention was
paid, sNow, you don't know what s-you don't know
what To-, while the and confusion were 81 their
height the object OF all this alarm length emerged
from the dark lane, In the shape Of . domestic four
wheeled carriage, with harmless load Of females The
stampede bad however, spread increased in the rear,
i and caused much harm and delay"
nbo b hoped .Sat the above narrative VIII b r..
gaSded a dhpsScoass, a q ssns 4 BE- inpartial