Year: 1862

ANAVV O1l1V11IO ANOs 33O


Why we're not corresponding efforts put
forth by the Administration at Washing
ton to strengthen our army at least to an
equality with that of the enemy.


We gnashed our teeth at receiving from
President.makers and Convention-eDgineers,
instead of corps d'armee, a question for de
bate: Can civil engineer be good gen.
eral We bad no time to debate whether
Mcclellan was good General or bad one.
He aoas our general, and the strong grip of
the strengthening foe was upon our throats,
and we wanted help. We did not care
whether it came to Us under Halleck, or
Burnside, or was committed to Mcclellan.


SLAUGHTER OF THE REBELS.


At early light the cannonade from Por-
ter's batteries announced that the shock of
the rebel columns had fallen on our extreme
right-their plan and present attack beng
upon an arc curving from the northwest to
the southeast. We lost immensely. We
destroyed the rebels indeed horribly, kill
ing and wounding more than we did at the
Seven Pines. The Romans at Cann9 and
the Russians at Borodino, did not show a
more martyr-like courage than the most OF
our volunteers did in face of those massed
columns of the enemy. They were so close
to them that the constant and excellent re-
bel practice of relieving the regiments uns
der fire with fresh troops, was plainly seen
by our weary men, not without sore trial to
their resignation and steadfastness. The
rebel warfare was similarly vigorous and
wise before all the other corps, divisions
ard brigades on which it fell on Friday.
Superior numbers assailed inferior; the as
saults were in the highest degree marked by
the confidence which numbers give and by
desperate courage and by discipline. What
ever local results favored us on the going
down of the sun it was evident that the
Army of the Potomac was outnumbered,
that it was in certain peril of being out.
numbered, cut of, crashed, or made prison.
ere of war. That affirm.


THE LAST SCENES.


Friday night was full of anxiety to all
men in the army who had brains. The
probability was that the care of their acres
of dead and wounded, and the exhaustion of
two days fighting, would impose quiet on
the rebels, and exempt Us from attack. In
the mean time, the Left Wing, which had
fought the way for the army across the
Chickahominy, and at the cost of half its
blood had won our victories and maintained
our position upon the principal highway to
Richmond, was partially in motion to lead
the army again to new line of operations,
and to pluck it out of the deep danger that
gaped upon us. Keyes was marching at
one o'clock on Saturday morning for City
Point. Day dawned. Ears ached with the
tension with which men listened for the we'll
known musketry volleys of the rebel assault
in mass. Watches were consulted with
strange frequency. Regiments and trains
of wagons moved at halt past nine to one of
the three inlets to the White Oak Swamp,
upon which the army was to move in it's
delicate operations of change of base.
Other regiments move between ten and
eleven. At half past eleven, while looking
in the surgeons walk at three differ.
ent legs lying under the operating table,
strangely fascinated by their amputated
yet suggestive hideousness, telegraph op-
orator whispered in my ear, " The wires are
cut" and passed on. So I knew that the
eremy's forces were in possession of the
railroad, and that communication with
White House Point was lost The interest
deepened. At twelve it was announced
that the rebels were at Dispatch Station,
three miles from Savage's. On our front,
before the war~worn Hooker, and Kearney,
and Sumner, cannonading and musketry
volleys had broken out afresh. The ner-
vous anxiety at this principal Railroad
station grew apace. A train stood there
black with the crowd that filled it and clung
to it. They would not believe the announce.
ment made at two o'clock P. NJ, that the
last train that tie Union employees would
run over the road had already gone. At A
o'clock Commissary Green told me he was
ordered forthwith to move provisions to
COUGHS Division over the White Oak
Swamp. saddled my horse, and while
mounted before his tent, saw several regis
ments from Porter's brave command. I
rode off cheerful. l felt sure that Gen.
Mcclellan would change bis army's base,
and battle and weaken the enemy while he
strengthened his position in Virginia. Yet
there were many, very many men in the
circle of those headquarters / was riding
away from, who at the moment would have
made even bets that within two weeks the
Rebel army would have dictated terms of
peace to the United States in the City of
Washington.


= "A dispatch from Louisville Of the 21st
ult. saya:-A passenger just arrived from