The National tribune., 1881-11-12
The Peninsular Campaign.

the subject is far from being exhausted. 1t is
true that each subsequent writer follows in the
track marked out by some one or more of his
predecessors, developing nothing new except, it
may be, his own individual recollections and
opinions; but inasmuch as different individuals
were differently situated during the periods of
which they speak, each additional contribution
to the literature of the war possesses sufficient
| interest to warrant it's being read.
1t is getting time, however, for those who as
| sumo to record the history of events to examine
into the matters of which they speak more care
fully than has been the custom, that nothing but
facts may be stated 1t is not safe any longer to
rely upon the histories written Immediately after
the close of the war, nor upon the newspaper re-
ports published during its continuance. Nor can
the testimony taken by the Committee on the
| Conduct of the War, so far as it relates to the
numbers of troops at any given time, be consider
ed as giving those numbers accurately, unless
based upon personal knowledge or an examina-
ton of the official record. The truth of all this
is, we think, clearly demonstrated in a recent
publication by the Military Historical Society of
Massachusetts,, entitled "The Peninsular Cam
paign of 1862"
The volume contains several papers, but at
present we have the t: me to refer to but one and
that only for moment, written by Brevet Brig
adier-General Francis W. Palfrey, covering the
period from the fall of Yorktown to the COM
mencement of the Seven Days Fight, in which
pages 1879 he says: Mccall arrived on the
10Th or 18th" a. E., of june with 8 514 men for
duty About the same time some 1900 men
III ,514 for duty came from Baltimore and Fort
ress Monroe, of which Heintzelman got about
fantry With these additions the Army of the
Potomac had for duty, June Goth, 1862, 1892
men, with sixty batteries and 343 guns"
Again: On page $50 of the same volume Cen
eral Palfrey, in speaking of the commencement
of the Seven Days Battle, which began June rs,
says: "McClelan's force at this date was what
has already been stated" H. e., 1916 men-see
above with the addition of about 5000 men
the end of June"
He thus makes the Army of the Potomac ag
gregate in effective force on June &C. 100 1G2 men,
and much greater than the official records warrant
him in doing. And in this connection he falls
into grave error as to the date of the arrival
of Shieldss men, who did not reach the Army
of the Potomac until July 2, when it lay at Har-
risons Landing
So far as General Paltreys assertion as to the
numbers drawn from Baltimore and Fortress
Monroe is concerned, we observe, at this time,
that it would have been materially strengthened
had he designated the organizations comprising
the force to which he alludes. hurried investi-
CATION on our part has failed to discover any such
accessions to McClelan's army.
There were several regiments from Fortress
Monroe and vicinity that Joined the army at
about the time indicated, including the First
Michigan, assigned to the writer's brigade, and
probably the Tenth New York to the brigade of
Warren, of the Second division OF the Fifth
Corps, and possibly two or three Others assigned
elsewhere, but we seriously doubt if all of those
actually joining would aggregate much over
1000 effective men, even if that number was
reached.
1t is matter of small moment, however,
whether the II 600 joined or not, so far as the
facts of the main question are concerned, and we
do not, therefore, pretend to examine critically
into that branch of the subject or to speak
thoritatiyely regarding it.
If General Palfrey is correct to the alleged
reinforcements even then the effective strength
of the army was in our opinion 10000 less than
he states it to have been at the time indicated.
In support of this assertion submit the
following, based upon personal knowledge and
figures to be found in the records of the War
Department and various official publications.
On the Doth of June, 1862, the Union army
upon the Chickahominy consisted Of five Corps,
each of two divisions Except the Fifth which
had three and also the artillery reserve of the
whole army, and possessed an effective strength
of but little more than 10000 men viz:
Second Corps, Summers 1920
Third Corps, Heintzelman's 1890
Fourth Corps Keyess -. 4,6OO
Fifth Corps, Porter's @,5OO
Sixth Corps Franklns 9,4oO