From the North.
Yankee account of affair at Fredericksburg.
A correspondent of the N. Y.
Herald, writing from
Fredericksburg, Va. July 5th, says the Fourth of July was celebrated with ‘"great rest"’ by the soldiers there.
He says:
‘
The day was ushered in with salves of artillery, every flag obtainable was displayed and no demonstration of patriotism . While the officers drank fourth the privates vied with each other in rendering"
Hall Columbia" and other national airs, the bands tooted till the great exhaustion of lung and muscle rendered further strains excruciation, and torpedoes and fire crackers rattled back a noisy and defiant echo in the cannon, whose thunders shook the staid old town of
Fredericksburg until windows rattled like the chattering teeth of
Harry Gill.
In the afternoon the troops were drawn up in the form of a hollow square, and left to the enjoyment of such sport as the ingenious might devise.
First came a mule race.
A large track was laid out, an army wagon into a judge's at twenty- four of the long eared quadrupeds arrayed in due form, and at the word "go," sent better skelter round the circle, while every one rushed for a place of safety from the peals of the astonished abuttals, whose riders, one another fumbled off with an agility that would have done honor to
Dan Rice in his palmiest days.
Thus the fun was kept up till night, but when twilight had crept over the scene, every man was in his quarters, quiet, orderly and steady, ready for the duties of the soldier, and prepared, if need be, to march upon rebeldom.
At the headquarters of
Gen. King a large number of officers collected during the ing and the play of our works soon attracted an immense through of volunteers, who, accompanied by their officers flecked from every direction.
At the conclusion of the pyrotechnic display the troops set up a prolonged shout for
Gen. King, who at length appeared upon the porch and, in a neat and stirring speech, expressed his pleasure at his return to his old division, his confidence in their soldierly qualities and the hope of the utter and immediate downfall of the
Confederate States.
Other officers followed, and the crowd, after rounds of cheers for their General, the
Union and
McClellan again returned to camp.
Nothing has occasioned more surprise in the citizens of
Fredericksburg than the behavior of our troops upon such an occasion as this.
Their gentlemanly conduct in the execution of orders seemed a miracle to the
Fredericksburg but that none should be intoxicated, and not a difficulty of any character occur, with thousands of soldiers turned out, with no restraint upon their actions save their own sense of propriety, seems to the deluded inhabitants wonderful indeed, and has elevated the
Yankees more in their estimation than any other plan that could have been designed.
This morning the lry captured four rebels on duty about twenty miles from the city, on the telegraph road to
Richmond.
In the attempt one rebel was killed and several of the horses wounded, but our men all escaped without injury.
The prisoners belonged to the militia, and express a readiness to take the oath of allegiance, as they desire to return to their farms.
They profess great ignorance of rebel operations, and could give no information concerning the number of troops in their immediate vicinity, though they thought there were none save a squadron of cavalry, encamped a short distance from the picket.
The men were armed with double barrelled shot guns, revolvers and sabres, and were well mounted and clothed, though there was little if any similarity in their dress, each man apparently having fitted himself out in his own style.
This is the first time we have found the enemy since their retreat from before
Fredericksburg, and nothing yet can be heard from them upon either the
Bowling run or Gord Moville plank road.
The rebel cavalry occasionally dash through the country outside our lines, and have made one or two attempts recently to carry off loyal men, but without success.
Our cavalry however, are on the lookout, and we shall either get another batch of rebels or effectually put a quietus upon such demonstrations.
Yesterday
Mayor Slaughter and
Mr. John L. Marye, a prominent lawyer of
Fredericksburg, started for
Richmond to procure the release of
General Reynolds, recently captured by the enemy before
Richmond.
General Reynolds was for a time
Military Governor of
Fredericksburg, and had won the esteem of the inhabitants, who, despite their Secession proclivities, could not avoid the conviction that life and property were fare safer under our rule than it had ever been under the away of the rebels.
The above gentlemen were sent by the citizens, who appointed them a committee immediately upon learning the capture of the
General, and do not prefer any claims upon the
Confederate authorities by virtue of their official position in relation to municipal affairs.
Several farmers from
Maryland and elsewhere are here harvesting the abandoned grain of rebels on shares, though there is an immense amount of wheat which will never be touched.
The railroad bridge has been again rebuilt and the trains cross as usual.
The canal boat and pontoon bridge are also stretched across for the third time, and a large force is employed building a wire bridge upon the piers of the old Chatham bridge.
This will escape all the floods, and doubtless remain long after the rebellion shall have been crushed.
The prospect of a fight here remains as dubious as ever, though the citizens of
Fredericksburg are confident that the rebels will have possession of the town in a few days.
’
French interference.
The New York
Herald is trembling over the naval preparations of
France.
It thinks if is the duty of the
Secretary of the Navy to look well to our sea coast defences, that they are put in order, and to hasten the completion of the iron-clad vessels now in the course of construction or contracted for, and to see that none of them will prove a failure like the
Galena, to be pierced by heavy metal as readily as if they were wooden walls.
If he is not satisfied with the number size, or duality of the vessels now on hand, let him advise Congress to that effect, and call for more or better vessels.
If war with
France should find us not completely prepared with a navy equal to that of
Napoleon, after the repeated warnings we have had of the danger of
European intervention, the country will exact from
Secretary Welles a terrible reckoning.
The best way to prevent a foreign war is to be well prepared for it. --If the ruler of
France sees that we are in a condition to repel his blows with interest he will be very slow to attack us, and, if he should, the nation will have the satisfaction of knowing that our flag will be borne triumphantly through the battle and the breeze.
To be unprepared is to invite foreign aggression as well as domestic strife.
Had our Government been properly prepared, even with a military force of thirty thousand men and a sufficient naval armament to capture and to hold
Charleston, the rebellion would have been nipped in the bad, instead of being permitted to grow into such formidable proportions by delay that half a million of troops are now found to be insufficient to put it down.
In point of land forces, when the three hundred thousand additional men called for by the
President shall have been enrolled and organized, the
Government will be equal to any emergency.
Let the country be equally strong at sea, and there need be no fear for the result should the combined powers of
Europe assail the
American republic, the palladium of liberty and the hope of downtrodden humanity to the ends of the earth.
In the struggle it will have the sympathies of the democracy of all
Europe, if not their active aid by lighting up the flames of revolution.
McClellan's address to his troops.
A letter to the Philadelphia
Inquirer says no proclamation like that of
McClellan to his troops has been issued since ‘"the plenty days of
Napoleon."’ It adds:
‘
It created the greatest and most unbounded enthusiasm throughout the entire army.
The men tossed their caps into the air, and hurrahed again a again until they were hoarse with jubilation.
The sentence, "on this our nation's birthday, we declare to our foes, who are rebels against the best interests of mankind, that this army shall enter the
Capital of the so-called Confederacy; that our National Constitution shall prevail, and that the
Union, which can alone insure internal peace and external security to each State, must and shall be preserved, cost what it may in time, treasure, and blood," called forth the most rapturous demonstrations.
The boys say "Little Mac" has got his back up now, and means to "go in." This suits them exactly.
They have never entertained an idea that they were whipped, but with supreme reliance on
McClellan's generalship they have fought all their battles, and felt that in every one they were the victors.
A gentleman of high standing, and one who has had every advantage of ascertaining the
morale of our army within the last few days, assures us that it feels able and willing to meet the enemy at any and all times.
It has enjoyed comparative rest.
It has been well purged of all cowards, and to-day
McClellan gathers around him an army of veterans not inferior in courage and purpose to the old Imperial Guard of the
Empire.
At a meeting in
Philadelphia it was
Resolved, That we mean to stand by the Administration of
President Lincoln, and our patriot armies and their commanders in the field (applause,) and sustain by all the means in our power every measure that may be necessary for the maintenance of the
Government — the great object of our solicitude and the cynosure of every loyal citizen.
Resolved, That we cordially adopt the patriotic sentiment of
Major- General McClellan (terrific applause and cheers) expressed in his recent address to his invincible army, that those who are now waging war against the
United States, are ‘"rebels against the best interest of mankind, and that our National Constitution shall prevail, and that the
Union, which can alone insure internal peace Union, which can alone insure internal peace and external security to each State, must and shall be preserved, cost what it may in time, treasure, and blood."’ (Cheers and applause.)
’
The Confederate Losses.
A letter to a Northern journal says that
Richmond will be in
McClellan's hands in a week.
The Confederate loss was tremendous:
‘
The enemy have had their best regiments out to pieces. They have lost the flower of their troops.
Their choleast were hurled upon our troops in the great effort to destroy us, and they were repulsed with horrid carnage.
The fact that for the past five days they decline to meet, us in combat proves most disorganized they have become, and how terribly they have suffered.
The Richmond papers acknowledge to a loss of eight thousand out of one division alone, which entered the battle fourteen thousand strong.
It is but fair to presume that other divisions of their army were punished in like manner.
They do act claim a victory, while they confees that
McClellan gained his point.
The whole
South is clothed in mourning for those who have fallen before the unerring fire of our Union troops Scarce a village, town, or city, but was represented in the one hundred and eighty thousand men who, confident of victory, attacked the army of the
Union, to fall in heaps before its murderous guns.
Never again can
Davis and
Lee bring the same fiery and maddened forces against our invincible army.
The Philadelphia
Inquirer, on the authority of
Major General Porter, says the loss on the
Confederate side was
seventy-five thousand. It very kindly goes on to show why our loss was so great.
Their greater loss is due to the skillful manner in which
McClellan selected the positions for battle, making the rebels in every instance the assaulting party, and to the excellent choice of spots for the concentration of artillery by our division general, moving them down as they advanced, like swathe of grain.
They are also to be accounted for by the desperate advance of the rebels — due, it is said, in a very great degree to intoxication.
Their canteens were filled with whiskey, and thus they rushed into action — and thousands into eternity — drunk.
Lacking the ordinary prudence of sober men, even in battle they come forward in exposed masses, and were cut down like grass.
Again, their very superiority in numbers gave our troops a denser mass upon which to fire, and gave to many a bullet a billet due to the crowd into which it was sent.
But mainly is the dreadful punishment inflicted on the enemy due to the splendid fighting of our noble troops, and the skillful and gallant style in which they were handled by their able
Generals.
’
The New York
Herald, of the 9th noticing
Gen. Burnside, who is now shelling some little towns in
North Carolina says:
‘
With regard to the movements of
Gen. Burnside, which were somewhat mysterious heretofore, we learn that two divisions of his army were on shipboard and had actually started to join
Gen. McClellan's army ten days ago. The expedition it appears, was hearing
Hatteras when a boat from
Roanoke Island, with dispatches for
Gen. Burnside, containing the intelligence that
Gen. McClellan's army was in
Richmond, intercepted the fleet Upon this information the troops were ordered back to
Newbern, and a boat was sent to
Fortress Monroe to obtain positive information.
The return of the boat brought the true story, and matters were arranged accordingly.
Had the first story proved true.
Burnside's army would no doubt, have marched inland to prevent the retreat of the rebel army — a duty which is only postponed for another day. In the meantime, we may ask, who is responsible for sending this false report?
The flag boat of
Gen. Burnside, however, which is no doubt, but a short way in advance of his fleet and army, arrived at
Fortress Monroe at 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon. So that we will, unquestionably, hear from him very soon, to the advantage of the
Union arms on the peninsula.
’
"the Federal disasters in Virginia — European intervention the probable consequence."
This is the heading of an article in the New York
Herald.
The papers have stopped, calling the defeat a ‘"masterly movement,"’ and are coming down to the truth.
The following is the article.
The series of Federal disasters in
Virginia, ending with the latest and greatest of all — the retreat of
Gen. McClellan's army before superior numbers — is well calculated to stir the national heart to the depths.
The whole country is roused, and every body inquires what is the cause of the misfortunes.
The blame does not rest with the brave troops who have been sacrificed, fighting like heroes, not with the
General, who, at the outset, said he would do the best he could with the small number of troops entrusted to him, but with the imbecility of the Navy and the
War Departments.
It was
General McClellan's purpose to proceed up the
James river at first; but over incompetent Navy Department was unable to clear it for him, notwithstanding the immense number of vessels at the command of
Commodore Goldsborough.
The
Merrimac was permitted to control the waters of the
James river till it was too late, and the rebels had possession of the strong points on its banks.--Had the river been under control of our fleet when
Gen. McClellan was ordered to march up the
York peninsula, a very different story would be told to-day.
The James would have been his basis of operations from the beginning, instead of the
York and the
Pamunkey; and, supported by the gunboats, he would have been in
Richmond a month ago. The War Department cut up and divided
McClellan's army in despite of all his remonstrances, sending one portion here and another there, in order to give position and consequence to political
Generals, while the rebels concentrated their whole force around
Richmond.--the, decisive of the theatre of war. The result was a serious reverse to our arms.
If this blow had been brought about by design on the part of our high officials, it could hardly have been more disastrous.
That the radicals intended to have
McClellan repulsed on the
Chickahominy, as they caused
Banks to be repulsed on the
Shenandoah, there cannot exist a doubt.
But there is something still worse to be apprehended.
The news of the disaster has gone to
Europe, and upon its heels will probably follow intervention on the part of
France and
England, if not of all the maritime powers of
Europe.
The practical question is, what ought to be flow done in the crisis that is upon us. The first thing the people ought to do is to demand the removal of the imbeciles from the Navy and War Department, who have brought such disgrace upon our arms.
The next most essential thing is to secure the coast from the
Rio Grande to the
Kennebec.--to strengthen the fortifications already in existence, and to add new works wherever they may be needed, and, lastly, to organize a home guard to man the artillery, and practice constantly at the guns.
In the meantime the fleet of gunboats ought to be made stronger, and the new iron-clad vessels ought to be hastened to completion.
Lastly, 1st the 300,000 men called for by the
President be speedily enrolled, organized, and brought into the field.
Thus prepared for the powers disposed to intervene, they may shrink back from the consequences, or should they be rash enough to assail us, we can retaliate upon them with terrible vengeance.
Not only can we wrest from them every foot of soil on this continent, and on all the islands which belong to it, but we can carry the war into
Europe.
There are plenty of Irishmen throughout the
Northern States who want to go to
Ireland with arms in their hands.
Then, if the country is forcibly broken up by foreign interference, the loss of American bonds, amounting to six or eight millions of dollars, due to English capitalists, is inevitable.
If the republic is divided it is no longer the
United States, and the question is which half of it will be responsible to foreign countries for the common debt.--Among the dangers, too, of European Powers will be revolution at home, organized by the Democracy in sympathy with the
United States.
Such are some of the difficulties involved in the meddling of
European nations with our domestic affairs.
Yet there is too much reason to believe that they meditate intervention, and that they will attempt it if our statesmen are not careful and energetic.
Our people should be prepared for this emergency.
It is extremely probable that they will make the recent disaster in
Virginia an excuse for the recognition of the independence of the so-called
Confederate States, and that step would involve consequences of the most tremendous character.
Our citizens should hold a great public meeting, where the voice of the people could be heard and the conservative strength and power of this metropolis made manifest.
Another article in the
Herald winces after this fashion:
Tax bills, currency bills, Treasury notes, a bankrupt bill, tariff bills, &c., &c., are coming upon us in their full force, combining depletion on a large scale, and some little relief withal.
The late events near
Richmond indicate another years war, and an additional debt of five hundred millions to our late calculations, to say nothing of the chances of
European intervention.
Let us brace ourselves up to the work; but let the Administration buckles to with a vigorous and united Cabinet, and the country will stand the ordeal and come out of it triumphantly.
The French Princes.
The French Princes have absented the standard of the ‘"glorious Union,"’ and betaken themselves to
Europe.
The Northern papers are noticing them in the most fulsome manner.
In a sketch of their fighting qualities we find the following:
‘
At the
battle of Gaines's Mill, on Friday, the 27th June, the
Count and Due acted as aids to
Gen. Fitz John Porter, who had immediate command.
With remarkable celerity they were seen dashing along the line, conveying orders to officers.
The Prince smiled in admiration over the plank of the Orleans race, as his nephews flow through the storm of leaden hall.
He is gratified with the experience they have had in our army.
Once at that battle the Due came near being killed or captured by the enemy.
Near the close of the engagement he had been sent by
Gen. Porter to order a regiment of cavalry to stop the stragglers, and endeavor to re-establish in their former position some of our wavering troops.
Returning more leisurely to the point from which he had started, he perceived three regiments of infantry being drawn up in line near the hospital, where he had left
General Porter.
His keen eye soon detected something strange in the appearance of the regiments; presently he perceived the rebel flags, and instantly, as he was turning his horse, a volley fired at him more forcibly convinced him that they were three rebel regiments he had encountered.
Happily he escaped unscratched, and the speed of his splendid horse was very perceptibly accelerated.
The Princes, by the way, are elegant riders, have had a number of handsome horses in camp, and have always been ready for the field at a moment's warning.
At the
battle of Williamsburg he often had to "skedaddle."
That night
General Sumner sent him with two companies of infantry for the purpose of attempting to capture a gun which had been lost from
Captain Gibson's battery.
He proceeded cautiously with his command into the acacias in front of Fort Magruder, until he met the enemy's skirmishers who fired at him as he was riding on the road.
The enemy had brought up some horses and was dragging the gun out of the mud. Finding it impossible to recapture it, the Due returned considerably disappointed.
The Come acted as aid to
General Stoneman at the
battle of Williamsburg, and, as well as the
Prince himself, rendered valuable services.
It was the Due, it appears, who was the first, to open communication between
Sumner and
Heintzelman at the
battle of Williamsburg.
Then, in the subsequent operations on the peninsula, they continued to take an active part.
Riding with the
General always, they accompanied him on the field at the
battle of Fair Oaks.
In the series of battles during the past two weeks they have had a great deal of experience.
’
Down on the English officers.
The
Yankees are down on their old friends.
A letter from the ‘"grand army"’ says:
‘
Of late, quite a number of English army officers have been guests at the headquarters of our army, always treated with marked respect and courtesy, and yet they come down here and report untrues about our army, its condition, and the probabilities of its success.
And, to make the matter better, they go to their national war vessels and tell their countrymen that we are irrecoverably whipped.
The joke of the thing is that they are on their way to
Canada, not being willing to stay on Yankee soil during the celebration of the anniversary of American Independence.
They remember the days when a few farmers whipped one flower of the
British army.
Secretary Stanton would do well to keep these meddling British soldiers away from our line of operations, if he does not want misstatements made in regard to it.
’
George Puts it off a month.
Although tired out,
General McClellan is very cheerful, and promises, if the
Government will sustain him, to be in
Richmond in less than one month.
Support him and he will not belie his good name.
His men are full of enthusiasm and in the best of spirits.
The mud has dried up, and life is far more tolerable than it was a week ago. Our lines are contracted and concentrated, and our position is better than ever.
The recruits for the New army.
Governor Curtin, of
Pennsylvania, writes to the Philadelphia
Bulletin that the absence of the names of
Governors Burton, of
Delaware, and
Kirkwood, of
Iowa, from the late address of the loyal Governors to the
President, was in consequence of inability to reach of those gentlemen by telegraph when the memorial was prepared.
Both those gentlemen, as well as
Governor Sprague, of
Rhode Island, have since authorized their names to be affixed to the memorial.
Cincinnati, July 8.--
Governor Morton's (of
Indiana) call for eleven additional regiments and six batteries of artillery, although only published yesterday morning, has been responded to in the most hearty and confident manner by prominent and influential representatives from over thirty counties.
Gov. Morton and
the Hon. P. W. Thompson addressed a large meeting at
Indianapolis last night.
The organization of new
Ohio regiments will commence immediately.
Camps are being established in different parts of the
State for their reception.
Recruiting has materially improved the last few days.
Over eight hundred privates on furlough have reported at Camp Chase, and more are coming in every day.
Governor Buckingham, of
Connecticut, has called for six additional regiments from that State, in compliance with the
Presidents requisition.
The Northern papers have been indiscriminately pitching into
General Halleck for permitting
Bean regard to out-general him at
Corinth.
The correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune opens on him in the following ungloved style:
‘
Granted that it was desirable to let the public down gradually to the truth that a thin line of pickets and a few trumpery field pieces had held our grand army back, for weeks after the grand skedaddle had begun; and to trade off by degrees the abrupt step between the sublime looking for battle and the ridiculous hunt after an enemy whose very tracks were cold — granted all this, why tell the people in an official dispatch that
General Pope had the enemy all in his eye, and had bagged 10,000 of them to begin with, when the facts were that nothing ever occurred to warrant any such assertion, and not elsewhere was this better known than at headquarters.
It is all coming to light now, and in no way more surely than by letters from officers and soldiers which numerously reach us, denying and ridiculing the larger share of what has formed the burden of official dispatches from up the
Tennessee since the evacuation.
’
