The National tribune., 1894-05-03

railroad-which he informed Senator viii
son." We are about to destroy it perma
nently."
Let us examine the records to see how
he made good his promise. May 6 Gen
Hickman started at p. M, instead of
a. M, to make his reconnaissance, when he
met what he thought two brigades, which he
engaged for short time, with loss of eight
| men killed and go wounded. Not much Of
a sacrifice was this for one brigade to make
if the driving Of Lee out of Virginia was to
be the result. If Hickman had been ordered
to advance before now he would have reach
ed the road before the enemy arrived from
Richmond, which he met later in the day
600 rebels in all.
On May Gen. Brooks, with four brigades,
advanced 10 Port Walthall Junction, where
he claims to have met a superior force, and
retired latter destroying about 300 yards of
the railroad and burnt one saw-mill," with
a loss of 20 killed and 229 wounded, which
seemed to satisfy Brooks, and he retired,
like Hickman the day before, into the secure
place of the great bottle that Butler had
wasted all his valuable time in fitting the
cork into its place, which he informed STAN
ton that he was taking as precaution, for
fear of accident to the Army of the Potomac.
What a master of the art of war, to think
that he would be allowed to remain at Ber-
muda Hundred if that army met with re-
pulse. The question was, with his army,
What can l seize while Lee and Grant are
graphing with each other? If Grant wins l
am all right; if Lee wins, / will cut and run
for Fort Monroe as soon as possible" But the
idea of an army of 10000 men stopping to
intrench position which could be held by
one-third of that number placed in line-of-
battle across the peninsula, shows that he
was more afraid of his men than of accident
to the Army of the Potomac. The very idea
of hesitating in the presence of not more
than 10000 rebels, was calculated to weaken
the confidence of his men in their COM
mander, and his repeated failures to effect
Judgment on their roads discouraged his men
and encouraged the enemy to change from a
defensive to that of an offensive.
On May 8 the battle of Swift Creek was
fought by Gen. Weitzers Division, aided by
two brigades of Brooks's Division and one
brigade each of Turner's and Amess Di-
visions, without anything being accom-
plished, not even making Judgment upon
the important lines of Lees supplies and
operations. WeitZell held his ground dur
ing the night of the 9th, and next morning
was ordered to retire into the bottle. 1t
did not appear to be long time between
drinks for Buffers army, as the mouth of
the bottle was so near at hand. Weitzel
says he began to retire from Swift Creek at
IL a. m. on May TO- But, hearing that
Geary was being pressed by the enemy from
he went to his assistance, and
did not reach the bottle until night, where
Butler lay quiet all next day. During then,
Hole cix hi dao Of 1o 90 rahal
in North Carolina" which Comrade Welsh |
reaching Richmond, marched along the turn-
pike (which he was tempted to take on the |
night of May s. unmolested.
Gen. Hoke made a junction with the forces |
Of Beauregard on May II, just in time to be
used against the cavalry of the Army of the |
Potomac, which, under Phil Sheridan, met |
the rebel cavalry under Stuart at Yellow
Tavern the same day, whipped them and
lrove them into Richmond, leaving Sheri-
ian in possession of the outside defenses of
hat city. When he moved between their
ines to cross the Chickahominy, he found
hat the rebels held the eastern bank of that
liver. having burnt the bridges over which
he expected to cross. And then at least two
)rigades of the rebel forces from North
Carolina" were sent by Gen. Hoke to attack
'heridan's cavalry in the rear. But they
we're handsomely repulsed and driven back
nto Richmond, which is more than can be
aid to the credit of Buffers army. The
oss sustained by the cavalry of the Army
f the Potomac can be fairly charged TO the
allure of Butler, and was the beginning of
hat great river of blood shed in the many
ssaHlts made by the Army of the Potomac
uring that terrible siege.-PoToMAC.