The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-17
The Chickah ominy Comprehensive Re-
ports or Generals Leo and Mcclellan.

The Chickah ominy Campaign-The Re-
ports or Generals Lee and Mcclellan.
General Lees report of the operations before
Richmond subsequent to the battle Of the
Seven Pines is a very interesting document
General McClellan's report of the same events
has been before the public for considerable
time, and has been freely commented upon.
But the set assaults Of professional critics, hav-
ing no other purpose but to write Mcclellan
down, have had comparatively little effect,
while it is certain that the quiet story told by
General Lee will damage McClellan's military
reputation beyond repair. In the comparison
of the two reports we must find the historic
truth of the story; and that historic truth will
forever show Mcclellan in light scarcely less
than ridiculous.
All the story OF that terrible fighting which
began at Mechanicsville and ended at Malvern
Hill has, from the commencement, been foggy.
The mass of the people have never distinctly
| understood il. The correspondents got mixed
up at the start, hardly knew where they were,
and never found out until they awoke at West
over. Then they began to write confused de-
scriptions, in which the fights they had seen
were frightfully muddled with one another
and with the fights they had heard
about. No one untangled this snarl
Thus the people were deprived OF
! the readiest means Of information, and never
made up the loss. Correspondents had before
and have since furnished Ineligible schemes
or skeletons of battles and campaigns, that en-
able the people to grasp each as unit and put
in the proper places all facts that might subse-
ouently come 10 hand. But this no one ever
did for the seven days. II is therefore only
proper TO run over the names and relation OF
the various fights at present in order to make
more clear comparison OF what is said by the
two generals.
Ice was in Richmond with about sixty thou
sand men. and Mcclellan was in front OF IL Win
certainly not less than one hundred thousand
Jackson with forty thousand, was marching 10
;oin Lee. The notable natural feature In the
tbootre Of operations was the Chickahomny
river. That stream traverses the country aoou
four or FIVE miles north Of Richmond, in direc
. t;on very nearly east and west, and runs throug
3 an extensive tract OF marshy land TO III
a northeast and east Of Richmond, known O
b White Oak Swamp. McClellan's left rested
d this swamp, which Lee supposed to be impa'
! sable for an army. His line crossed ID
s,ream. and his right rested on Bcave
Dam, tributary OF the ChicNahom'''.
q he having a small force thrown out about
mile further, in the village Of Mechanicsviii
McClcllan's right was therefore north Of Ricl
I, ond with the Chickahominy between his lin
a and the city. His left was due east Of Ric
id mond. without any river between che city ar
j, his troops. The lighting began on Mcclellan
vi RIGHT north Of the city and on the north SIC
e of the Chickahominy river.
IN On the 18th of June, at noon, a. T. nni
md saulted Mcchanicsville and captured it, drlv''
a .n out our forces, which were not large a.
which retired TO Beaver Dam. On tne sa'