Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-31

was proceeding to do so when General Lee
attacked him, and that his movement t'
Westover was only carrying out MS pre-
viousy-formed plans, Is utterly unsustaih
ed by the facts, and Is contradicted by all o
General McClellan's dispatches TO the wal
! Department up to and including the eve
ming OF the 9th OF June He did most un
questionably "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 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 were crowded with incidents and stir
| ring scenes which l cannot now give IN
| detail. The loaded train OF ammunition
which an engine with full steam on hurled
into the 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.-ail told
of a great army making a hasty retreat.
The uncertainty at first OF McClellan's In
tentions, the wooded character of the
country, the lack Of typographical maps,
the ignorance of our officers OF the topo-
graphy, and the failure of certain OF his
subordnates 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 Grapevine bridge. over the
Chlckahominy, and did not put his column
In motion until "early dawn" OF the 30th.
1t is said that on this occasion Jackson
sent for Captain c. r. Mason. the Ma
poleon of railroad contractors" whom
he had as the chief Of his pioneer corps,
and tod 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 goodv'
gave Captain Mason an ample detail of
men, and sure enough before the engi-
neers had finished the plans Mason
reported the bridge ready for the troops
to cross.
HEAVY FIGHTING AT SAVAGE STA
TION.
On the afternoon OF the 10Th 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 retreated 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. u.
Hill really met his wishes. and fought
against overwhelming odds the bloody
battle Of Frazler's Farm sometimes called
Glendale), In 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 enemy's centre
and destroy his wings. and for jackson
to cross Whiteoak swamp and attack
Frankln's flank, and rear. But none
Of these got into the battle. and IL was
practically a fight between A. y. Hill
and Longstreet and the whole OF McClel-
lan's army. Jackson gave as n reason
for not crossing Whiteoak swamp that
It was impossible with the bridge burned
and Franklin's strong position on the
other side; but his biOgrapher. DR.. r.. L.
Dabney. his chief OF stan. pronounces IL
"a temporary eclipse Of Jackson's ge-
MUS" due to his utter physical ex-
haustiOn, and COonel William Allan,
chief of ordnance on Jnckson's stan. and
enc OF our ablest military critics says
in his admirable book, 1.-THE Army OF
Northern Virginia In 1902" "Jackson's
comparative inaction was a matter OF sur.
prise at the time, and has never been
satisfactorily explained. Some have at
tributed II 10 physical exhaustion, and
the demands OF the campaign had been
severe; but it Is best to set 1t down as
one OF the few mistakes Of his marvel.
louS career.
DEFENDED BY MIR. DAVIS.
But, on the other hand. / remember "a
have heard President Davis ably and
earnestly defend Jackson's conduct on thl,
occasion. and attribute IL 10 the nature OF
the ground, and Franklin's impregnablC
position.
The fact remains, however, that Genera
Lees golden opportunity OF utterly crush.
Ing Mcclellan that day was lost by Tho
failure OF his subordinates 70 carry out
his plans.
II was on this field that the incident
occurred, when President Davis found
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 4. +. Hin galloped up
and begged both OF them 20 90 TO IN,
rear. saying: why. one shot from tha
battery over there might deprive the
Army Of Northern Virginia OF its com
mander and the Confederacy Of its Presl
dent"
Malvern Hill and Harrison's Lam
ding.
The next day Mcclellan had taken DO
sItlon at Malvern Hill, crowned tho
heights with his superb artillery. massed
his troops in the strongest position he hac
yet occupied and prepared 10 make a
last stand TO cover his retreat 20 Har-
risOn's Landing and the protection Of his
gunboats. General Lee ordered a com
bned attack but his orders miscarreo
and the attack was made In detachments
and was repulsed with heavy loss. he
made new dispositions for a combined as
sault the next Monday. but Mcclellan re-
treated under cover Of darkness and IN