Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-23
THE BATTLES AROUND WASHINGTON.
Denial That Gen. Heintzelnan Withdrew
From the Williamsburg Road Without

Denial That Gen. Heintzellnan withdrew
From the Williamsburg Road without
Orders.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In The STAR Of September 20 appears an ar
ticle entitled BATTLES Around Washington" by
Leslie ]. Perry, from which l make this ex-
tract:
but meantime Heintzelman, without notice,
had started his columns across White Oak
swamp, leaving Sumner and Franklin alone to
make what promised to be big fight Heintz-
elman's excuse for this remarkable performance
was that there were too many troops in and
ABOUT Savage's station to be handled judiciously,
only single road across the swamp and, finally,
that an aid Of Gen. Mcclellan was waiting to
guide his troops. Gen. Mcclellan says that
Heintzelman's orders were not to retire until
night. The fact is Sumner and Heintzelman
disliked each other and we're continually at log
gerheads. HeintzelmAn probably objected to
hghtlng under Summers orders and simply
marched off to avoid that contingency, thus
leaving the road from Richmond open for an
attack on Summers left flank and rear and per-
haps cutting him OF from the White Oak Swamp
road. which would have been DISASTROUS
do not know Mr.. Perry or what claim he
cannot be ignorant that the charge he makes is
a very grave one and that if it were true, as he
asserts, that Gen. Heintzelman to crafty per-
sonal dislike to a brother officer deliberately
exposed thousands Of soldiers to death and
disastrous defeat, he would undoubtedly have
been court-martialed, If not dismissed the
army; not only was no action Of the kind
taken. but Gen. Mcclellan in refusing an appli-
cation for Leave expresses his estimate Of Gen.
Heintzelmans services in the following terms:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoroMAo,
August 5, 1852.
"Dear General: Gen. Mcclellan regrets that
he cannot just now grant your application for
leave Of absence. He is daily expecting in
structions from the government respecting the
further operations of this army and until he
knows what he has TO do he feels that be cannot
dispense with the presence and aid OF a general
upon whose services he would largely count
shouid lie be called upon for active opera
tions. S. WILLIAMS.
Gems. Sumner and Heintzelman did not dis
like each other" and were not at 'Ioggerheads."
That it was thought that they could be de-
pended upon to support each other Is evident
from the fact that Gen. Pope placed their corps
side by side in the operations of the army I'M
der his command, and in his report states that
Gen. Heintzelman performed his duty faith
fully and honestly"
Mr.. Perry has perfect right to his opinion,
and should not dispute it were it not that he
signs himself rs belonging to the war records
board" which implies authority which his
private opinions would not possess, and his arti-
Gle appears in paper which you issue for the
benefit of the GAL K. MARY L. HEINrzELMAN.
STAR reporter called Mr.. Perry's attention
to the correction this morning. He said: ''Gen.
Heintzelnan was brave and patriotic old hero
who fought according to his lights. 1t is indispu
table that there was controversy between Sum
ner and himself, ard much feeling growing out
of his disobedience of orders at Savage's Sta
ton, which, however. had no bearing on his
alu 40 mot
think did Gen. Heintzeiman any injustice by
mildly observing that his retreat without orde RS
from the vicinity of Savage's station was re-
markable performance, and / did his memory
all the justice possible by quoting his excuses
for thai operation.
My statements were based on the official
records. In three differen:reports Gen McClel-
Ian is on record as stating that the Williams
burg road ordered to be held until dark"