The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-05-15

/ ed to the Secretary, explaining the state
/ of the case and asking authority to
postpone TIE aImv corps formation un-
til the completion of the movement
! The reply was an abrupt and unreasOn
/ able refusal 1 again telegraphed, ex-
/ planning the situation and throwing the
/ responsibility upon the Secretary where
/ upon he gave way.
Meanwhile as far back as the 9th of
/ February, orders had been given for col
! lecting the transportation necessary to
/ carry out the Urbanna movement
/ This conclusion had been reached after
1 full discussion. On the 9th of Janua-
/ ~ had been issued the Presidents gen
/ eral war order No l, directing a gener-
al movement of the land and naval for
| ces against the enemy on the 22d of Feb
ruary. On the 31st of JsAuary was is
sued the Presidents special war order
No. l. directing the Army of the Poto-
mac TO advance to the attack of Manas-
sas on the 22d of February. The Pres
ident, however, permitted me to state
my objections TO this order, which
did. at length, in letter of February 3,
to the Secretary of War. AS the Presi-
dents order was not insisted upon, al
though never formally revoked. 1t is to
be assumed that my letter produced. for
a time at least, the desired effect
When Manassas was abandoned and the
enemy was behind the RapidaB, the Ur-
banna movement lost much of its prom
Use, as the eDemv were now In position
to reach Richmond before we could do
so. The alternative remained of max
ing Fortress Monroe and its vicinity the
base of operations.
The question now arose as to TIE line
~ 70 ho fnl that
the James on the one hand, on the 9TH
er, the line from White House as base,
crossing the Upper Chickahominy.
REINFORCEMENT WITHHELD,
The army was admirably placed for
adopting either, and nv decision was to
take that of the James, operating on
either bank as might prove advisable,
but always preferring the southern. l
had urgently asked for reinforcements
to come by water, as they would thus be
equally available for either line of oper-
rations. The destruction of the MeTri-
mac on the 11th of May had opened the
river James to us, and it was ONLY after
that date that it became available. My
plan, however, was changed by orders
from Washington. A telegram of the
18th from the Secretary of War inform
ed me that Mcdowell would advance
from Fredericksburg, and directed me
to extend the right of the Army of the
Potomac tofhe north of Richmond, in
order to establish communications with
him. The same order required me to
supply his troops from our depotS at
White House. Herein lay the failure
of the campaign, as it necessitated the di-
vision of She army by the Cbickahominy,
and caused great delay in constructing
Too Hl hYi haN
while if had been able to cross the
James, reinfOIcements would have
reached me by water rapidly and safely,
the army would have been united and
III no danger of having its flank turUed
or its line of supply interrupted. and the
attack could have been much more rap
idly pushed.
No praise can be too great for the Of
hcers and men who passed through these
seven DAYS of battle, enduring fatigue
without a muTmur, successfully meeting
and repelling every attack made upon
them, always in the right place at the
| right time, and emerging from the fiery
ordeal a compact army of veterans, equal
to anv task that brave and disciplined
men can be called upon to undertake
| They needed now only a few DAYS of
weli-earned repose, a renewal of amuni.
! tiOn aud supplies, and reinfOrcements to
| hll the gaps made IN their ranks bv 50
many desperate encounters. to be pre-
pared to advance again with entire con-
fideuce to meet their worthy antagonists
ia Other battles. 1t was, however, deci-
ded by the authorities at Washington,
against my earnest TemOnstrauces, to
abandon the position on th0James, and
/ the campaign. The Army of the Poto-
mac was accordingly withdrawn, and it
/ was not until years later that it again
/ found itself under its last commander at
/ substantially the same point on the bank
! of the James. 1t was as evident in 1862
as in 1865 that was the true defense of
| Washington. and that it was on the
banks of the James that the fate of the
/ Union was to be decided. Lancaster
| Intelliqencer.