Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-01


northern writer's, that he had determined
beforehand TO change his base"-that nc
was proceeding 70 do so when General Lee
attacked him, and that his movement 10
Westover was only carrying out his pre-
| viously- formed plans II utterly unsus'ain-
ed by the facts. and is contradicted by all OF
General McCiellan's dispatches 70 the war
Department up 20 and including the eve
ming of the 9th OF June. He did most un-
| questionabIy change base" but IL was
an enforced and not a voluntary change.
PURSUED DOWN THE JAMES.
On the 18th General Mcclellan started
| for the lower James, and General Lee
began a vigorous pursuit as soon as ne
could definitely decide on what were the
| plans of the enemy.
Those days OF retreat, pursuit, and bat
tie we're crowded with incidents and STIR
ring scenes which / cannot now give in
detail. The loaded train of ammunition
which an engine with full steam on hurled
into ne Chickahominy amid the explo-
sion OF hundreds OF shells: the vast camps
with their burning debris; large Federal
hospitals with their thousands OF wound
ed; immense quantities of stores OF every
description half burned: thousands OF
stands OF small arms. and abandoned can
non, wagons. pontoon trains, etc.--aii told
of great army making hasty retreat
The uncertainty at first of McClellan's in
tentOns, the wooded character or the
country, the lack Of typographical maps,
the ignorance of our officers OF the topo-
graphy. and the failure OF certain of his
subordinates to carry out his orders, all
put General Lee at a very great disad-
vantage, gave Mcclellan twenty-four
hours the start. and saved his army
from utter destruction.
Jackson was delayed by the necessity
OF rebuilding Gfapevi1e bridge. over the
Chickahomny. and did not put his column
In motion until 'early dawn" OF the Sotn.
1t is said that on this occasion Jackson
sent for Captain C. II. Mason, 'the Ma
poleon OF railroad contractors" whom
he had as the chief Of his pioneer corps,
and told him to collect material for the
bridge, and the engineers would prepare
plans and specifications" Captain Ma
son promptly replied: Never mind the
pictures General. Just give me men
enough who will wade in the water and
tote poles. and I'll have your bridge with
out waiting for~the pictures
Jackson liked that. and responded with
his characteristic Good Very goOdi'
gave Captain Mason an ample detail ~
men, and sure enough before the ensi-
neers had finished the plans Mason
reported the bridge ready for the troops
to cross.
HEAVY FIGHTING AT SAVAGE STA
TON.
On the afternoon Of the 18th General
Magruder encountered McClellan's rear
guard, under General Sumner, at Savage
Station. on the York-River railroad. and
there was some heavy fighting until the
enemy retre5ted after dark, placing
Whiteoak swamp between himself and
his pursuers, and destroyed the bridge
on which he crossed.
General Lees orders were for all OF his
columns to press the enemy the next
morning, but only Longstreet and A. +.
Hill really met his wishes, and fought
against overwhelming odds the bloody
battle OF Frazier's Farm sometimes called
Glendale). I'm which, by some OF the most
superb fighting of the war. they finally
drove the enemy from the field. and cap
tured fourteen pieces of artillery Gene
| ial Lees orders were that Holmes, Huger,
| and Magruder should all join In one SUI
preme effort to pierce the enemys centre
| and destroy his wings, and for Jackson
| to cross Whteoak swamp, and attack
| Frankln's flank, and rear. But none
Of these got into the battle. and IL was
| practically a fight between A. =. Hill
and Longstreet and the whole OF McClel-
lan's army. Jackson gave as reason
for not crossing Whiteoak swamp that
1t was impossible with the bridge burned
and Frankin's strong position on the
other side; but his bographer Dr. r. l.
Dabney. his chief Of staff, pronounces II
"a temporary eclipse of Jacsson's ge
| IL. 1, III -.
haustion. and Colonel William Allan
chief of ordnance on Jacksons STAFF, anc
enc OF our ablest military critics, say:
In his admirable book, "The Army Of
Northern Virginia in 1892 Jackson.
| comparative inaction was a matter Of sur
prise at the time, and has never beer
satisfactorily explained. Some have at
| tributed IL 10 physical exhaustion, anC
the demands OF the campaign had beer
severe but II IS best to set Il down q,
one of the few mistakes OF his marvel
lous career"
DEFENDED BY MIR. DAVIS.
But, on the other hand. remember e
| have heard President Davis ably ant
earnestly defend Jackson's conduct on th
occasion, and attribute II to the nature o
the ground, and Franklin's impregnabl,
position.
The fact remains. however that Genera
Lees golden opportunity OF utterly crush
ing Mcclellan that day was lost by thu
failure of his subordinates to carry on
his plans.
IL was on this field that the inciden
occurred. when President Davis foun'
General Lee so far in front that he re
monstrated with him for uselessly ex
posing himself. and Lee, in turn, gently
limited that that was no place for tn
| President. when A. Il. Hill galloped up
and begged both OF them to so to tn
rear, saying: "Why, one shot from tina
battery over there might deprive tn,
Army Of Northern Virginia Of its com
mander and the Confedsracy OF its Presi
dent"
Malvern Hill and Harrison's Ian.
ding.
The next day Mcclellan had taken DO
sition at Malvern lfill, crowned tn
| heights with his superb artillery, masse,
his troops in the strongest position he hat
vet occupied, and prepared to make
j,st stand to cover his retreat to Har
r,son's Landing and the protection OF hi
aunhoats. General Lee ordered a com
bined attack. but his orders miscarrie,
and the attack was made in detachment
"a was repulsed with heavy loss. H.
rnade new dispositions for combined as