Gen. Less address to his soldiers.
We lay before our readers this morning the admiration address of
Gen. R. E. Lee to the gallant force whose patriotic sacrifices have accomplished the salvation of the
Confederate capital, and inflicted a blow upon the forces of the
North which must have nice brushing effect.
Rarely in the annals of warfare has such a series of successes attended the efforts of a brave and devoted army, and this address of the
Commander-in-Chief is the well merited as it is chaste and appropriate.
The brief recapulization of the results of the battles around
Richmond affords some idea of the obstacles that have been met and overcome by our forces.
Headquarters in the field,July 7th, 1862.
General Orders No. 75
The General Commanding, profoundly grateful to the
Army Gives of all victory for the signal success with which he has blessed our arms, tenders his warmest thanks and congratulations to the army he whose valor such splendid results have been achieved.
On Thursday June 26th, the powerful and thoroughly equipped army of the enemy was entrenched in works vast in extent and most formidable in characters within sight of our
Capitol.
To-day the remains of that confident and threatening host lie upon the banks of
James river, thirty miles from
Richmond, seeking to recover under the protection of his gunboats, from the effects of a series of disastrous defeats.
The battle beginning on the afternoon of the 26th June. above
Mechanicsville, continued until the night of July 1st, with only such intervals as were necessary to pursue and overtake the flying foe. His strong entrenchments and obstinate resistance were overcome, and our army swept resistlessly down the north side of the
Chickahominy, until it reached the rear of the enemy, and broke his communication with the
York, capturing or causing the destruction of many valuable stores, and, by the decisive battle of Friday forcing the enemy from his line of powerful fortifications on the south side of the
Chickahominy, and driving him to a precipitate retreat.
This victorious army pursued, as rapidly as the obstructions placed by the enemy in his rear would permit, three times over the flying column, and as often driving him with slaughter from the field, leaving his numerous dead and wounded in our hands in every conflict.
The immediate fruits of our success are the relief of
Richmond from a state of siege, the rout of the great army that so long menaced its safety, many thousand prisoners, including officers of high rank, the capture or destruction of stores to the value of millions and the acquisition of thousands of arms and fifty one pieces of superior artillery.
The service rendered to the country in this short h eventful period can scarcely be estimated, and the
General Commanding cannot adequately express his admiration of the courage, endurance, and conduct of the officers and men engaged
Those brilliant results have cost us many brave men but while we mourn the loss of our gallant dead let as not forget that they died nobly in defence of their country's freedom, and have linked their memory with an event that will live forever in the hearts of a grateful people.
Soldiers' Your country will thank you for the heroic conduct you have displayed — conduct worthy of men engaged in a cause so just and sacred, and deserving a nation's gratitude and praise.
