Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

The* Intelligenceir IS PUBLISHED WEEKlg AT FIFTY CTS. FOE THEfiE MOITTHS IN SPECIE OR PROVISION'S. I- ~ r" ' * -' ? -RATSS '?P 'ADVERTISING. ?;-- Advertisements inserted fit the rates of On? Dol? lar per Ecjunre of twelve lines for the first insertion vand Fifty Cents for each subsequent insertion. Obituaries and Marriage Notices charged for at ..these rates. ? From the New York Herald. ' The Chickahomifty Campajg-n The Reports of Generals Lee and McGlellan. General Lee's report of the operations before Eichmond subsequent to the battle .. " of the Seven Pines is a yeajy interesting document. Ge?eTal McClelian's report of the same events has been before the pub? lic, for a considerable-time, and' has been Vreely commented upon. But the set as? saults of professional critics, having no other purpose but to,, write McClellan down, have^had comparatively little ef? fect, while it.is certain that the quiet sto? ry told by General Lee will damage Mc Clellan's military refutation beyond re? pair. In the comparison of the two re? ports we must find the historic truth of i the story; and that historic truth will for vever shpw McClellan in a light scarcely less than ridiculous. ?All ihe story of that terrible fighting VTluJn began at Mechanicsville and ended at Mai vert; Hill has, from the conimence san'dBk been foggy. The mass of the peo? ple KaVe never* dfstThctry understood it ^Tie correspondents got mixed up at the, " * tart, .hardly-lfnew where they were, and * never found?out until they awoke at West over. Then they began to write confused, .descriptions, in which the fights they had eecn were frightfully muddled with one another and with the "fights they had "heard about. No ono untangled this ?narl. Thus the people wore deprived of tho readiest means of information and ?never made up the loss. Correspondent-* had before and have since furnished intel? ligible schomes orskeletons of battles and campaigns, that enable the people lo grasp .Vach as a unit and put in tho prdp'er .place? nil facts that might subsequently come to hand. But this no ono evVr did for the seven days. It is therefore onlj' proper to run over the names and relation of the various fights at pr?s?nt in t?r'Her to make more clear a comparison of what is said b}' tho two gefk-rals. Lee was in Bichmond with about six? ty thousand men, and McClellan was in iro*h*t 9f it with certainly not less than one hundred thousand; Jackson, with forty thousand, was marching to join Lqe. The notRble feature in tho theqtre of ope? rations was the Chiektthominy river. That stream traverses the country about four or five milos north of Richmond, in a direction very nearly east and west, and runs through an extensive tract of marshy land to tho northeast arid east of Rich? mond known as White Oak Swamp. Mc? Clelian's left rested on this swamp, which Lee. supposed to be impassable for an army. His line crossed the stream, and his right rested on Beaver Dam, a tribu? tary of the Chickahominy, he having a small force thrown out about a mile fur? ther, in the village of Mechanicsville. McClcllan'8 right was t?cf?ftre north of Richmond, with (tho Chickahominy be? tween his line and the city. His left was due cast of Richmond, without any river between tho city and his troops. The fighting began on McClellan's right, north pf tho city and on the north side of the Chickahominy river. On the 25th of Juno, at noon, A. V. Hill assaulted Mechanicsville and captur? ed it, driving out our forces, which were not large, and which retired to* Beaver Lam. On the same day, but at nightfall, Hill and Longstreet assaulted the position at Beaver Dam, a mito further west, and were repulsed. Those two were stubborn fights, but not groat battles'. - On the 27th, at daylfgbt, Hill and Long etrect renewed the assault at Beaver Dam; but McClellan had already decided to with -draw from the' position, Us Jack? son, coming down on his right, was sure to turn it: Longstreet and* Hill, there? fore, only encountered a force placed to check and retard their advance; so they carried the position, and this made the third of their wonderful " vBtbries," .On the same day came the great battle of the series, called by McCleiTan the bat? tle of Games' Mill, and By Lee the battle of the ChickahorainyV McClellan had re? tired hia whole line from its advanced posi? tion, his left being on tho Chickahominy at Powhito creek, and his right swept back so that his lino was almost parallef with the line of the river. Against this Lee pushed Jackson, who had now arriv? ed with a command of forty thousand men. Longstreet, A. P. Hill and D\ H. Hill. It was a fierce battle, aud our forces w^Ve withdrawn across the Chickahomi? ny at night. That ended the ?fighting north of the river. On the 2*8th there was no battle. Our forces were all south of the. river 'and re? treating through White Oak Swamp, whileLee, waited oh the north side of the river, \oxpCctingTthat McClellan would attempt to renass tho stream and fight his-way'to the?White House. * On the 29th occurred tho fights at Al . len's Farm, iPeach Orchard, and so on, t/hat may properly "be classed under a gen? eral he*ad as "Sic battle of Savage Station. None of the troops that Lee had had north of the Chickahominy were engaged in this. Ii was the attempt of the force under H?ger and Magruder?that Lee had left in the lines around Richmond to storm the position held by our rear guard. Meantime, however, Jackson was hurry? ing across the Chickahominy in rear of this jtf)sition to get at uSj and Longstreet and Hill, who had marched up the Chick? ahominy and rccroBsed iti were hurrying down ou tho Richmond side to get at Mc ?'Clellan's flank, or, it may be, they thought it was to save Richmond. But Magruder and Huger were repulsed, and we with? drew from Savage Sta.ion at night. 0Oi/June 3? occurred the battle in White Oak Swamp, and that ut "G-iendalej which the enemy call the battle of Nelson's farm. Wo had gotten through the swamp and 'burned the bridges, and now formed a lino that facod towards Richmond, its right being in the swamp, its left at Malvcrn Hill, on tho James. 'Glon'dYle was near the centre of this line. Long street and Hill were trying to force our position at Glendale, and expecting Jack? son to comb through the swamp and help'. If he couldjiave gotten through he would have been in the rear of us at Glendale, but he cQuld .not get tfrvough. Franklin I held him all day as a giant would an in? fant. Longstreet and Hill wero conse? quently held with equal cose at Glend ale. We withdreiv from both . positions at i tight: . dn July 1 was fe'dght the battle at Mai vern Hill. Our force was tolerably con? centrated. Jackson, linger and Mngru der assaulted our position, and wore re? pulsed with very great loss. We with" drew at night. Such is the record. It is obvious that th.5 important battle was the'one at Gaines' Mill. All that went before was preliminary to that, ana what followed was the necessary consequence of the loss of it. McCl?iftjfl Kavliig last thiit hitttle I was compelled to relinquish his position aud get a new base. Had Hie won that' battle he would not only have held his position, but he would have destroyed the force wi'ti which Lee fought it. That it was within his power to win that bat? tle, to make that d:mr decisive against the enemy, and to turn their apparent victo? ry into positive disaster, is obvious both from the report of McClellan and the re? port of Lee. McClellan tells Us very clearly the reason why lit' l?st the battle. .It was because he opposed to the seventy thousand men under Lee oftly half that number. Lee tells us that in that battle he moved his whole line against our posi? tion, comprising tho commands of Long street, Jackson and the two Hills. McClel? lan estimated that force at seventy thou? sand, and .that must have been nearly right. McClellan assures us that Porter only had thirty-five thousand, anU he wrote to the President tho next day that " a few thousand more men would* have changed this battle from a dci'uat to a vic? tory." With "a few thousand more men" he could have turned the tide of that impor? tant battle, and yet he had on the other side of the ChickatWrniny, hardly half a day's march away, sixty thousand men. I Why was that force idle? Why "were Hooker and Kearnv left at Barker's farm ; to FiBten to the fire and Ht;wid sti?'( Why were the divisions of Sedgwick, Richard? son and Couch'not put into it '?! Sumuer, Heintzelman, Kcyos and Franklin wero all on that day fit 10 tight for the grand? est empire under the sun, and the corps of any ono of thosa would have changed, tho result. But these troops were not' used on that day, because General Mc? Clellan was the victim of a delusion. He :was utterly and shamefully fooled by the manoeuvres of General Lee. Ho had' made up his mind that Lee hacf two'hun? dred thousand men; that seventy thou? sand were pounding Porter, and that the other hundred and thirty thousand wero at Richmond ready to pounce down' and gobble up Sunrner, Heintzelman and tW res?. And the proof that they wore not there is found in tho fact that they (did not dp.it .That large force existodenjy in McClelian's, imagination and on tho pages of his " secret service" report. Lee's main force was in front of Sorter! and ?- forte of twenty-five or thirty thou ?and held the Richmond.lines; and in or? der to prevent MeClellan from reinforcing Portci' they made a great noise* as i? usu? al in such cases. They were successful ; :tor MeClellan watched them with the largest plirt of his army. That Tie" did so watch them is evident from his own ?re port, and that the force in front of, Rich mond was inconsiderable is evident front Lee's report, as well as from every fact in tho history of ?he "event. MeClellan re? ports a battle on that side, and Lee does not even mention it. Thero, then, was McClellan's humiliating blunder. As he iiCknowlcdgea, it was possible for him to concentrate his force on either side of tho Chickahominy. Oh either sidei he would have the preponderance cf numbers. The inducement to concentrate on the north side was the chance to destroy Lee's army by a magnificent battrfc- The inducement to concentrate on the south side was the chance to capture Richmond, almost with? out a.battle. On the north side he would have had one hundred to seventy?enough to watch the river and Whip the seventy On the south side he would hftvc had one hundred to thirty?the sevcnt3r on the other sido could not. have touched him? and Richmond would have been the prize, lie even claims that by concentration on the north side he-"couY^fravp beaten the enemy there." He docided not' to strike for Rifchmond^ andforan unhoroic reason: he might fail ; so he corttinUed his retreat. That offered r.o chauco for failure/ But Lee blundered very greatly also. The blunders of the two go togcthej, and either, in. the hands of a great perceptive soldier, would have been annihilated. On the 20th of June MeClellan. as he tells us, had his preparations mado for onset n gainst the enemy's capital. His roads and bridges were built, his lines formed, his Supplies up, his troops id hand?alj was ready., and the dogs of war were held in the leash, ready and panting to go. Thero was only'ono fact ho foared, and tht*.t wfjs the enem'y's ? n?nibfefs?the im? mense power with which they hold the place. He was to move on 26th, and on that very day Lee; a? if in league wj?h MeClellan, moved out of Richmond with all the troops with which he hold it. ex? cept about twcKty-fivc thousand. There whs Richmond deferide'.'! by cr.Iy that number, and here were a.hundred thousand ready to mo?s against ft- Leo made haste" to put a river between Rich? mond and the rest of his .force, He. took away his heroes?Longstrcet and Hill? and carried them to join Jackson. Drunk? en Magrudcr and Impotent Ku'ger wore the only ones in Richmond, and they had. only two divisions. Lee did all this, even by his own showing.. It was the most complete division of forces over seen. . Ho kept his forces thus divided for three days ?the 20th, 27th and 28th of June. " On one of these days Leo and his army were alone on the north side of the Chickahom? iny. <; The bridges," says Lee, " wore de? stroyed; their reconstruction impractica? ble." That is, McClellan's hundred thou? sand were on tho same side of the river with Richmond, and only Magni^cr and Hugcrstood between. Lee, withseventy thousand, was on the other side the river, and couldn't get across"; he waso?t of the fight. This Iaatcd ?11 day, and MeClellan employed that day in securing* h's retreat One .hour of Sheridan on that 28th of June would* have given us Richmond, and Lee would never have been heard of again as a general. He must havo died w?th shame. But the discrepancy between the state? ments of facts in these two reports is not greater than their difference of tone. Mc? Clellan's exhibits a strange mental condi? tion. He never once considers how he can defeat his enemy's grand attempt, but only how he can get away. Hois anxious to put on some ono else's should ei-slhe responsibility of the defeat jn bat? tles that havo not yet begun. He has from tho first mado up his ?mind to bo beaten. His messages havo tho despon? dency of " last words." His apprehen sions'have doubled.the sizo of Lee's army, and that has mado him .hopeless. His mind fa jso preoccupied with retroat that, oven when ho has whippod tho enemy? by his own showing and tho enemy's showing?he sees no other advantage* but that it gives him the opportunity to run a little further. Little as" wo aro disposed to glorify Loo, it must bo acknowledged that tho tone of his report- is very different from this, and that it always contera: plates in a manly spirit the legitimate ob? jects of a soldier's ambUion?victory .and tho destruction of all opposing rj?wer.. -.-o Rr M. T\ Hunte^of Virginia, confined; in Fort Pulaski,'ha^. appff'pd,.. through in? fluential friends for .a- parole ? of two or thr^Qj Woeks, to visitfamily, .jsvho are suff^ring'under heavy domestic a?ictionf". THE STAB S ARE IN THE Q.UIET DEEP. The stars are in the quiet deep, A thousand saintly, eyes of light, Sweet watchers of thy maiden sleep, That bring thee visions thro' the night; For not a breath that sweeps the skies, ? "With tones that take the genth; car, But from some holy mansion flies, To soothe the dream of one so dear. Silent, as through Arches cf blue, ..." , Darts the bright meteor gleaming aud gortc, So dc they riso Bright i? the skieB Blessing Cor angels what mortals have won. Commissioned by a Power Divine, Thus Love asserts an augcl sway, And blessings, for thy heart, from mine, Even now are speeding on their way. The sacred principle of things, Jn all we know, that Heaven makes fair, May well command a thousand wings To waft and hallow Lore's own prayer. Softly as goes Dew to" t!io. rctfe, . . ?",?? Bearing the precious bairns gathered above, So do they bear, Blessing and prayer, - * Cheering the happy heart, chosen of Love! -:--<z>?? Mail for County Seats. . The following communication in refer once to mail communication with county seats or :t Courthouses," will be found im? portant : POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, j Washington, August 3d, 1865. } ? ?Sir: With a view.to.furnishing mail fa? cilities at tho earliest practicable moment, to persons residing at and near County seats in the State of South Carplina, 1 have the honor to inform }*ou that tho Department; on 'the receipt of reasonable Tjids for tho transportation, trill be pre? pared to issue orders authorizing tempo? rary mail service on routes running from such county serits to tho nearest points on railroads on which mails are conveyed. - Very respectfully,- . Your obedient servant, W. DENNISON, Post Master Genoral. Hon. B. F. Perry, Provisional Govern? or of South Carolina, Greenville','S. C. N. B. By " temporary mail service " is intended service to Dec. 31st next, previ ous-io which time all the. routes in the State will bo advertised for re-letting from January Ist-"" 1866. ? -.-o Gen. Cox, of Ohio, proposes a settle? ment of the negro status Question, of which "Northern jo'urhals express their approbation. Believing that, for tho good of both parties, some separation should be made between the white and black races, hcsuggesls that, without interfering with the existing organization" of any State, portions of the country, perhaps of- each State, be devoted to, hegro colonies. -He thinks tHat tho blacks, being thus gath? ered to.particular localities, the degree of civilization of which tljcy arc capable may be readily attained through thepatronago of the Government and the assistance of the whites, all motives for antagonism being removed. The difficult}' of soloct ;ng and securing the localities is not sol? ved. . Jackson, Aug. 21.?The following.con stitutional amendment has just passed the Convention, by a veto of eighty-six to eleven: The institution of slavery having been destroyed in the State of Mississippi, nei? ther slavery nor involuntary servitude, otherwise than for the punishment of* crime, whereof the party shall bo duly convicted, shall hereafter cx':st in this State; and tho Legislature,at its session, and thereafter as the public welfare may require, shall provide by law for tho pro? tection* m(}v .security of tho persons and property of the freedmen of the State", and gtfard them and the Stato agaiast any evil that may arrise from their suddon emancipation. The Mississippi Convention, now in session at Jackson', has passed to first read? ing ordinances ratifying all State laws passed during the war, all judicial proceed? ings, marriages, sales and contracts of tho sam? period, and probibTtfng.tbo passage by the Legislature of any law imposing civil disabilities, punishment or forfeiture of estate for having taken part in the reb'el L'on. Memorials were presented reques? ting of President Johnson that the State shall not be garrisoned by negro trpQps, and that steps bo taken in behalf of Jeff. Davis and ex Governor Clark. Tho Con? stitutional Committee has reported in fa? vor bf prohibiting slavery. -zr*> Death.?Xot oily does dqatK beautify cur lifeless forms, but/ the thought" of it gives k more beautiful expression to the countenance even in life, andnewstrength tp the heart; a. rosemary,is both placed as a chaplot on the. brows of tho dead and gives lifo to the fainting by its vivi? fying essence. From the Memphis, Tenn., Daily Commercial. \ Ifot the South t?e Heard.. In order to secure peaco upon the'best and most permanent basis and hasten the complete rqstoration.of tho, machinery of civil government throughout the South; ern States it is a matter of no small im? portance to the authorities at \Vashing" ton, that the true sentimen?t of tne South ern peopj.e shojjld. be definitely made known as regards the situation in which they are placed by the unsuccessful re? sults of their revolutionary' struggle, and tho relations which they sustain, or de? sire to sustain, to the Federal Govern? ment. # And it is, perhaps, of no less importance to the. public trariquility and the great work of national reconciliation, tha t the people ot the North and "Vy>st should be put in possessio^ of facts instead of ru? mors, as to tho real positicn^und, purposes of their Southern neighbor*), and fairly understand the tone and temper of the Southern mind:. At present there is a disastrous igno I ranee, on^ this subject among the pooi-lo at large, and an ignorance all the greater [ on the part of those who asi^nie to feel' tho greatest interest ,in Southern regener? ation, arid seek to control and shape it. as this want of knowledge and conse? quent hick of real sympathy may chance to suggest. Nor is the Government itself so thor? oughly posted upon tho matter, that it ' needs no further enlightenment to assist and promote its deliberations. The Pros ,, , ? *... tdent has much elso tc learn than rriay be gathered from the delegations that Have waited lipon him as representative South? erners, many of whom arc self-constitu? ted committees, with individual, objects to accomplish, unauthorised to speak even for their friends and neighbors, still less to reflect tho public sentiment of any considerable constituency. And.far less may the authorities or people derive, from.the correspondence-of the publj.1:. :press information that is. of value or reliability. Much of it is posi? tively frflap?njuch of it embellished by fancy or prejudice?all of it, with scarce? ly an exception, fraught with mischiof and evil: It is by this sort of literature that the public mind is kept in a forment, and the passio'r-s of the people fed, with what, in many cases, seems a pertinacity almcst infernal. Isolated instances of disaffection, bru? tality or cruelty to negroes, are sought out or invented with a tvuly Satanic in? dustry, and reiterated in the eftrs of the people and the administrations as evi? dence of the refractory, sullen, rebellious, or still treasonable temper of the South? ern States." o It. seems to be a studied purpose with these conspirators against reunion upon the basis of the Constitution, to vilify the ?South-as barbaric, irroclaimaoly depraved, and fit only for subjugation. ^ In these sources, the radical exponents of constitutional restoration are constant? ly finding new arguments for forcing their dogmas upon the attention, of the pef>pje and tho Government, and the Govern? ment., jts.elf is unavoidably misled to a greater or less extent, by the same perni? cious system of misrepresentation that haa left^hc.^Southcrn pooplc completely at the mercy of their.foe?, as it wore, and virtually helpless. There is in.njl .this a .manifest injustice. The South, in the name of humanity, has a right to be heard. She has attempted to throw off the National authority, but failing in the effort, groaning under its terrible consequences, ready to renew her old time allegiance, and indisposed to quibble as to terms which she can neither alter nor reject, she or.ly asks that the wprk of restoration be spefifte'd, aftd that she may have some opportunity of vindi? cating .herself, from the broadcast asper? sions, which are so industriously dissem? inated to blacken tho sincerity of her mo? tives and prolong her miseries.- . .For tho purpose then of giving to the inhabitants of tho late Confederate States ah opportunity of announcing in some gcnoral' and authoritative- way.' what may. be.-regarded as an; .official declaration of sentiment, reflecting ? tho dominant opinions of the Southern conn try, we beg leavo to. suggest tha't a Convention of Delegates, from all the seceding States beheld early in tho coming Autumn, or as soon as practicable, at Nashville or soTO^pthcj central point, for the purpose, Of placing the people of. these States in their true position before tho country and tho'world, as a people acquiescent in the rulings of fortune, submissive to Federal authority, anxious to resume the dutios of citizenship, and assuring President Johnson.-of their united" purpose to co-op? erate with him in the re-establishment of la,w and order and "tho maintenance of the national authority. And as-'an initiatpiy movement, let conventions be held at once in tho vari? ous counties of Tennessee, and delegates selected-?3. a State Convention to be held ^at Nashville, and let the example, inau? gurated here, - be urged with all possible earnestness and zeal upon the remaining States cf the South that there may bo an entire concert of action and an a?sem blagr, in general Conventionjpto'orthy of the noble occasion which shall have sum? moned k together. Let it be understood, furthermore, that no man participates in these conventions who has not been at one time or another identified with the causo of secession, and in an attitude ot hostility to tho Govern? ment, whose protection he now desires in return for bis renewed allegiance. We do not presume to say what should, be the programme of such fi convocation ? as we have in all sincerity and good faith'"* suggested. ,It would.necessarily be com? posed in a grillt measure of tho bravery, tlijjtgenius, and tho intelligence of the Southern States?statesmen, soldiera and scholars, all occupying the same level of defeat) yct.by the adversities-of fortuno made capable of stronger and more uni? ted efforts for the social and .political ren I ovation of their wasted and disorganized communities; and entitled, from the ag? gravated: Steinas Which are heaped upon their rmmos,*to at leatf a'respectful and considerate hearing. They have no organs of communication with eacK'.bthcr.flc the people at large-^ many of them, divested by statute of the elective lranchise; have no means of-es? tablishing their loyalty at the ballot box ?all of them are under the ban. of a pub? lic opinjoi\,that. weighs not in its deduc? tions?-Vlll-?f them, under the lash of a nal and prescriptive press.. . Let them be heard, we say out of their ] own mo.iitins let.them be adjudged, and not but of tho mouth of a Tribune corres? pondent. Let their united pledge be giv? en of fealty to tho law and Constitution, Let their recognition; iof-the- abolition of negro slavery bo formally announced.? Lot them seal tho act of emancipation with the seal of their conventional 'au? thority. . Let them repel the unfriendly and u? f >iu ded asseverations of their tra duccrs, and estenJ.to the measures and - the policy indicated by their Executive Magistrate, a hand, and heart of earnest ? assent and ?o-oporatiori;' With such.? demonstration the country would rest content. The President would rejoice.at its manifestations. It would "strengthen bis own arm:?weaken thaC of his political- antagonists, and to its. Con? clusions ?tjn.j'itlgemcntQf mankind would pronounce one universal amen. ;. Junto's Erutus Booth (the father of J. Wilicos BooJ-h). and several. friopds had been in vited'to dine with an bid man in Bai tith?re, of distinguishcd,kindrioss, ur? banity ant! piety. The host, 'though dis? approving of theatre going,- had heard So much' b'f Booth's remarkable powers, that curiosity to see Jthe man in this in? stance, overcame -his prejudice. After the dinner .was over, some one requested Booth as a pariicut?r favor, and one which all present would appreciate,, to read the Lord's prayer. ' * Booth rose slowly and reverently from his chair. It Was wonderful to witness tho play,.of emotion that convulsed hia countenance. Ho became deadly pale, and-hi,s eyes, turned tremblingliLupward, wero wet with tears. As yet hoHiad not spoken. Tbc . silence could be felt. It -became painful, until at last the spell was .broken, as if by- an electric shock, as a rich toned voice from the white lips s5*l labled forth. ;;Our father \yho art in Heaven," with a pathps and solemnity that thrilled all hearts. He nnisTied? the'silence continued. Not a voice was . heard, or a muscIo.ntQveil, in his rapt au? dience, until from a remote corner of tho room a subdued sob was heard, and the I old niarj... their host, stepped forward with streaming eyes and seized; Booth by tho . hand. "Sir," said he, in broken accents, (: you have afforded mo a pleasure for which my.wholo.futuro life will feel grate? ful. 1 anvan old man, and every day from boyhood to the present time, I thought that I had repeated the Lord's Prayer, but I have hover heard it before ?never." ? -Yoir are right," said Booth. "Toread that.pray-M* as'it should be read has caused ih'e ).hc severest study and la? bor for thirty years;.and I am - far'from being.satisfied with my rendering of that ' wonderful production. Hardly one per- u son in ten ? thousand" .cbinpfftkends how much beauty, tenderness and grandeur can be conde?sc.d,;in'to a; space so small and words, so' simple. The prayer iteelf sufficiently illustrates the truth of theiBi ' bio;.and stamps upon it the seal of Divin? ity." . ' -:. *?;'... -o j John Minor Bates is for negro suffrage. ' He is for anything that pay?.