New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02


When Mcclellan discovered, upon his ar
rival IN Damn late in the afternoon, the
dimensions of the fight which had taken
place. he sent off hot dispatches 10 WASH
ington. declaring that II find General Joe
Johnston in front of me in strong loroe'
nrobably greater q good deal than my
own"-he had 1l2 coo ready for active service
AT his own command-and that ne Iearhed
from prisoners brought In that the enemy
intended to dispute every step 10 tHch-
mond" He said he would run the FISK OF
holding the enemy in check there while ne
resumed his original plan. As the enemy
at that moment was making use or the
DARKNESS 10 move toward Richmond, Nc
Clellan had no difficulty In holding MS
ground That Johnston had gone on was
learned the next day when Mcclellan COM
,,oined that the roads were in such bad
condition that no large bodies or troops
/ could be moved forward or backward
J Johnston, despite the character OF the
roads. was moving forward force which
little Mac" had been asserting was
larger than his own.
Ry MAY II Johnston had his army en-
canned within three miles of Richmond.
President Davis and nearly all OF the MEM
hers OF his Cabinet were so fearful TOT 'he
safety of the capital that they sent their
families away, and the President further
displayed his feelings by being baptized at
his home and privately confirmed az d.
Paurs Church. The more important ar
chives were sent to LynchbUrg and 10 Co.
umbia.
Fearful of great armies before him,
which he believed were growing IN NUMBERS
daily. although they were actually In fuil
retreat Mcclellan remained for several
DAYS at Williamsburg. Finally, however,
hls army reached the bank OF the Chicka-
homlny River. but the reinforcements under
| General Mcdowell, which had been started
toward him across country at his own ur-
gent solicitation, had been detected owing
10 "Stcnewall' Jacksons sensational raid
UP the Shenandoah Valley. 1t was May Il
VIXEN he took up his headquarters at White
House. on the south bank of the Pamunkey
River a branch of the York, and prepared
10 force his way into Richmond.
There were two barriers to his ambitions
Ono was Johnston's army The other was
the Chickahominy River. with its bluffs, It's
fever breeding swamps and It's tendency
10 rise rapidly and overflow its banks
Dense woods bordered 1t in many places
The army had already had some experience
with marshes and DOGGY rivers at York
town. and it has been stated that in con-
sequence the army that left Yorktown wa:
not in such good health as the one which
sat down before ii.
The first step was the crossing of the
Chickahominy. Bridges were built at diff
- tfoD five int 4
which the army had been divided. those
under Heintzelman and Reyes, were moved
across. The other corps, under Sumner
Franklin and Porter, remained on the nortl
side, the last named being near Mechanics
vile and about seven miles from Rich
mond General Porter, on May II, at
tackled and defeated a Confederate force
near Hanover Courthouse. which was
marching out 10 join General Joseph r,
Anderson.
The battle Of Seven Pines, or Fair Oaks
was the first big battle In which McClel-
lan's great army was engaged. The ground
over which it was fought was south of the
Chickahominy River. and near the track
OF the Richmond x York River Railroad
The two Union corps which had been
on the so-called Bottom Bridge, a short
distance south of the point where ths
railroad crossed on it's way east 10 White
House Landing. at which McClellan's head
quarters were located. and West Point a
the head OF the York River. Their route
was the Williamsburg stage road. Ii par
Glleled the track about a mile To the south
all the way from the river into Richmond
Perhaps Ave miles from the bridge tho
thoroughfare was intersected by two roads
one OF which came from the northwest anc
was called Nine Mile Road. II crossed
the railroad at Fair Oaks Station. The
other came up on the south side. from tn
Richmond Road to Charles city. whicl
branched from the Williamsburg Road per
, haps two miles outside Richmond and raj
toward the southeast. At the intersection