, 1864-01-09

Wese Wlthout rifles, nor we're the utmost ex-
erttons On the part Of the military authorities
adequate to overcome the obstacles to active
service.
When aflength the army was in condition
to take tie field the penfnsular campaign was
planned and entered upon WITH enthusiasm
by officers and men. Had this camraign been
followed up a. 1t VAS designed: I cannot
doubt 1t would have resulted In 3 glorious
triumph to ouE arms, and the permanent res
t9ration OF the power Of the Government in
4ngtnia and North Carolina, II not through
ont the revo1ted States. It WIS, however,
otherwise ordered, and ths army Of the Poto-
mac was recalled from within aisht Of Rich
mend and incorporated With the army Of
Virginia. The disappofntments Of the ca1n.
palg1 on the peninsula had not damped their.
ardor or diminished thei:5 patriotism. They
fought vel, faithfully, gallantly under Gen
rope; Jet were compelled' to fall back on
lied. The enemy, no longer, occupied In
guarding his own capital; poured his
troops northward, entered Maryland,
threatened Pennsylvania, and even
Washington ITSELF Elated by his receutyic-
tories, and assured that our troops were
thct the seat Of war was now permanently
transferred to the loyal States, and that his
own exhausted soil was to be relieved from
tue burden Of supporting two hostile armies.
But he did not understand the spirit which
animated the soldiers Of the Union. I shall
ordered to the commaand 81 the troops Tor the the
defense Of the capital the soldiers with whom
I had shared SO much of the anxiety
and pain and suffering Of the war, had not
lost their confidence IN me as their command
er. They sprang tony call with al their
ancient vigor, discipline and courage. led. .
them into Maryland. Fifteen days after they
had fallen back defeated before Washington,
they yanquished the enemy on the rugged
heights Of South Mountain, pursued to The
hard thought field Of Antietan, and drove him,
broken and disappointed, across the Poto-
mac, into Virginia
The army had need Of rest after the terri
bic experience Of battles and marches, with
scarcely an interval Of ropose, which they
had gone through from the time Of leaving
The Peninsula: the return to Washington, the
defeat in Virginfn, the victory ut South Noun
tai1', and again at Antfetam. It was not sur
lrising TINT they Wero In q 1arge degree desti-
lute Of the absolute necessaries to effective
duty: Shoes Wcre worn out md blankets
were lost; clothing WINS in rags; In short, the
army was unfit for active service, and ID IL
terya1 for rest and equipment was necessary.
When the SLOWLY y-forWarded supplies came
to us led the army across the river, rcnoya-
ted, refreshed, In good order aud discipline,
md followed the retreatipg foe to position
!
when, in the midst Of the movement, while
ny advanced guard was actually in contact |
nth the enemy I was removed from the
cporting victorious campaign, |
t has been my duty to relate the |
leroism Of reduced army, sent upon an cx- |
'ed1tlon into an enemy's country, there to \
'bandon one and originate another and new
Ian Of campaign, which might and wonld |
nave been successful II supported with np-
Of Its necessities, but which fai1ed
because Of the repeated failure Of promised |
upport at the most critical, and, it proved,
he most fatal moments. That heroism sur
'asses ordinary description. It's Illustration
must be left for the pen Of the historian In |
imes Of calm reelection, when the nation |
hall be looking back to the pdst from the
midst Of peaceful days. For me now it is
ut1cient to say, that my comrades were vic
ors in every field save one, and there the en-
u1ance Of single corps accomplished the ]
kject Of it's fighting, and By securing to the
rmy its transit to the James River, left to
he enemy ruinous and barren victory"