Year: 1862

3orr espcuGcnce y. Y. Tribunel


FORTRESS MONROE, June %, 1862


Those who have known the reasons for de-
lay on the Chickahominy, and have expert
enced no disappointment that the impending
battle has not been fought, begin to turn in
expectancy towards the quarter that has so
long engaged the attention of the world The
period Of delay is drawing to close. The
volcanic state of things along the whole line
denotes that the eruption is near at hand. The
present danger, or probability, is that a gen.
eral engagement will be brought on, not by
direct attack, or any movement having that
for its sole purpose, but for preliminary step,
the seizure of position--the shifting and set
ting of the schemes, the immediate prelude to
raising the curtain on the last act of the drama.
While Gen. Mcclellan is now preparing to
accept a general engagement should the en-
emy regard one of these movements chal-
ienge, he is not quite yet prepared to make the
unmixed challenge by taking the initiative and
following it up to the bitter end. IT will not
be long before he will arrive al this point in
his preparations, when there will be no motive
for future delay. We have variety of ru-
mors, one of which is that Stonewall jackson
has appeared on MeClellans right, and is
menacing White House. Taking rebel
representations for authority, there is some
reason for believing that Jackson has arrived
in the neighborhood of Richmond, and Joined
his forces with those of the main army,
though the local supposition is that he would
continue to employ the Union force in the up
per part of Virginia, as he has hitherto done.
| have no direct authority for saying thar
White House will soon cease to be the point OF
the particular interest which it at present has,
as the base Of the army OF the Potomac, yet
am Left TO infer as much from a variety OF
reasons. The breaking up of the hospitals
there, by sending away the large number Of
patients in that vicinity, may not be proof in
itself of such an intention, though such fact
taken in connection with Others, might 90 to
strengthen such a supposition. To day the
State OF Maine arrived, with between 800 and
400 invalids, but few of them wounded, TO be
followed by 1000 or 900 more. This may
be simply a measure of reform resulting from
new regime. While II may be that, It may
be something more.


Prudent men, especially since the recent
rains, have felt that White House was
position too much exposed to be the depot o
so much property SIS the rebels would be abll
20 destroy by a successful stack. A genera
removal from White House to West Point j
6 not improbable, if it has not already takei
place. Ii was holding out the highest induce
.ments almost Imaginable to the enemy, who
We may reasonably suppose, would omit no oc
casion or effort 70 strike at a point so vita


McClesns right is unquestionably his wea'
side. Whether there is any real ground 70
.he alleged apprehension concerning Whit
House, as the base, we may well suppose thai
as one of the moves on the board, and anon
the last moves Of the great game now draw
ing to close, the rebel leaders may eonclnd
that jackson can employ his forces in no wa
80 we'll as to abandon the campaign in th
shenandoah, and make rapid descent K