The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-21
The ChIekahOmIny Campaign.
The Reports OF Generals Lee and
Mcclellan.


General Lees report f the operations be-
fore Richmond tubseeu-nt - the battle Of
the Seven Pines IS . very interesting dosu-
ment. General McClellan's rel ort Of the
same events has been Def re ihe public or a
considerable time, and has been freely COM
menfed upon. But the set fssaul Of pro
sioaai cripcs, having no other purpose but
10 write Mcclellan down, have hsd compar
ativeiy little effect, while il is certain that
the quiet story told BY General Lee will
dsmage McClellan's military reputation be.
ond repair. In the comparison of the tWo
reports No must find the historic truth Of
The story aud that historic truth will for
ever show Mcclellan in q light scarcely less
ihan ridiculous.
All the story Of that terrible fighting
which began at Mechanicsville and ended
a. Malvern Hill haF, fr5m the commence
ment, been loggy. The mass Of the PEG
pie have never distinctly uncerstcod il. Il
is theretors proper 70 run over the rames
and selAtion Of the various hghts at present
in o der 10 make more clesr q oompsr son
OF VIVA is said BY The tso Generals.
Lee was Ia Richmond with shout sixty
then9and men. aud hcC elan was in ifont
OF q With certainly not less thin ore hun
dred thousand; jackson, with forty thous-
and, was marching TO Join Lee. TEE roiable
nstarsl feature 10 the theatre of operations
was tie Chiekshommy river That stream
travers the country about four or Eve miles
north cf Richn 4, in q direction very
nearly east and wet, snd rdrs thraush an
ext nsiye tract 81 marshy lapd 10 the north
east sna east OF Richmogd, known rs White
o K swamp. McClellan's lett res "a on this
swamp which Lee supposed TO be imrassa-
be for an htmy. Hi line cnissed the
stream, and Is right re ted on Beaver Dsm.
3 tributary Of the Uhickahominy, he hav ng
a small force thrown cut about a nile fur
the, in the vilisge Of Mechanicsville. Ne
Clellsnk right wss there ore north Of Rich
monG, with the Chickshomiby between his
line and the city. lis left was due east OF
Richmond, without any river between the
CITY and his troops The fighting began on
Nee ellanis right, north Of the city and on
the north side If the Chiokahominy river.
On the 2sth Of June, at noon, A. p. hi !
aSaulted Mechanicsylle ana captured i,
driving our forces. which were not large,
aud which retired 20 Beaver Dam. On the
same day, but At night az, Hill ard Long-
street assaulted the position at Beaver Dam,
Q mile further west, snd were repuls 4.
hese two were stubb n fights, but rot
ret bltiles.
On the 27th, al daylight, BIZ and Lonr-
street renewed the assault al Beaver Dam
hut McC'eilan had alrsady decided 10 with /
draw ON tue fosl ion, as Jackson. comiag
doSn on his riEht, was sure to tur7 if /
Llugtrset and II n, therefore, only ebcorn.-
tered forcs plsced 10 check aud retari their 4
advance; 20 they carried The position. snd 1
this made the third Of their wonderful avje. 1
tories"
On The same day cane che irst great hat /
tie of the series. called BY MeCl ,llan the /
.itle Of Gaines Mil. and 81 Leeih battle 4
d Chickshominy. Mcclellan had retired /
his v4lole lire rom is advanced position. 1
b, iefi being Oh the Caickahominv al 20
VII te creek, and bis right swept back "a
bat bis line was almost parallel " IA the
ne Of the RIVER. Against this Lee pushed
Jackson, who had nov srrivcd with . COM
na' Of f.rty thousand men, Ioursfreet.
Hill. aad d. c. till Il va. 4 fescs
aiile, ana our forces were Withdrawn scross
he Uhickahominy a. night That ended
be lighting north % the river.
On the 28ih there Was no bsit'e. Our
lrces yera all south Of tie rirrr AMI re-
eaEng through White Oak swamp, whre
.ee va ted on the north side II tie rlUfr, ex-
e ting that Mcclellan ". nid attempt to
spsss The stream and 6ght his way 10 the
'h'te Houss
Oa she 2elh occurred The eight At Artnss
q m, Peach 0rchaid and 50 on, that may !
r1perly Be classed under general head as !
's battle Of Eaysge station. None Of the ,