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ADVANCE BY THE PENINSULA DECIDED ON.

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command of all military departments | ington and Alexandria to move down the

but that of the Potomac; extending Gen. Halleck's department in the West so as to include all the Mississippi Valley northward of the Gulf States and west of a north and south line drawn through Knoxville, Tenn.; and creating a new 'Mountain Department,' consisting of the country between McClellan's and Halleck's, to be commanded by Gen. Fremont. Undoubtedly, this order indicated a diminution, if not absolute failure, of the President's confidence in his senior General; and, while it is very obvious that the commander of a great army operating from the Peninsula against Richmond could not properly and safely direct the movements of other armies, scattered all over the country, and with which his telegraphic communications would probably be often interrrupted, it is

Potomac; and

"3d. That a naval auxiliary force can be had to silence, or aid in silencing, the enemy's batteries on York river.

"4th. That the forces to be left to cover

Washington shall be such as to give an entire feeling of security for its safety from menace. (Unanimous.)

"If the foregoing can not be, the army should then be moved against the enemy, behind the Rappahannock, at the for reconstructing bridges, repairing railearliest possible moment; and the means roads and stocking them with material sufficient for supplying the army, should at

once be collected for both the Orange and Alexandria and Acquia and Richmond Railroads. (Unanimous.)

"N. B. That with the forts on the right bank of the Potomac fully garrisoned, and those on the left bank occupied, a covering force in front of the Virginia line of 25,000 men would suffice. (Keyes, Heintzelman and McDowell.) A total of 40,000 men for the defense of the city would suffice. (Sumner.)"

This decision, being communicated to the War Department, was promptly responded to as follows:

certain that all our movements
should have been directed by a com-
mon head, responsible for the proper
distribution and concentration of our
forces. A Secretary of War, how-lowing directions as to its execution:
ever able and fit, is perplexed by
duties and anxieties too multifarious
and distracting to permit of his serv-
ing to advantage as Generalissimo.

"WAR DEPARTMENT, March 13, 1862. "To Maj.-Gen. GEO. B. MCCLELLAN:

"The President, having considered the plan of operations agreed upon by yourself and the commanders of army corps, makes no objection to the same, but gives the fol

"1st. Leave such force at Manassas Junction as shall make it entirely certain that the enemy shall not repossess himself of that position and line of communication.

"2d. Leave Washington entirely secure. "3d. Move the remainder of the force

down the Potomac, choosing a new base at Fortress Monroe, or anywhere between here and there; or, at all events, move such remainder of the army at once in pursuit of the enemy by some route.

"EDWIN M. STANTON,

"Secretary of War."

Two days later, at 'a council of corps commanders at Fairfax Court House, it was decided-for reasons not given and not apparent-to debark our army at Old Point Comfort, between the York and James rivers, instead of Urbana or Mob Jack Bay -a most unfortunate decision, though materially qualified by the following provisos : "1st. That the enemy's vessel Merrimac there to intrench and rebuild the railcan be neutralized. roads and bridges, "occupy by grand guards Warrenton Junction, or War

Gen. McClellan hereupon ordered Gen. Banks, with his corps, to move both his divisions down from the Shenandoah Valley to Manassas ;

"2d. That the means of transportation, sufficient for an immediate transfer of the force to its new base, can be ready at Wash-renton itself, and also some little

VOL. II.-8

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more advanced point on the Orange | Gen. Shields had 6,000 infantry, 750

cavalry, and 24 guns, well posted some three miles south of Winchester, and half a mile north of the little village of KERNSTOWN, Covering the three principal roads which enter Winchester from the south-east, south, and south-west.

Gen. Banks had remained with Shields until about 10 A. M. ;" when, a careful reconnoissance having discovered no enemy in front but Ashby's cavalry, he concluded that Jackson was too weak or too cautious to risk an attack, and departed for Washington via Harper's Ferry. Before noon, however, Shields was advised by Col. Kimball, on his left, that a Rebel battery had opened on his position, and appeared to be supported by a considerable force of infantry. Thereupon, Sullivan's bri

and Alexandria Railway," leaving but two regiments of cavalry to " occupy Winchester and thoroughly scour the country south of the railway and up the Shenandoah Valley." Gen. Banks had already thrown across the Potomac, at Harper's Ferry," the 28th Pennsylvania, Col. Geary, following himself," taking possession of Bolivar and Loudon Heights, Leesburg, Charlestown," and Martinsburg," and pushing back the Rebels to Winchester, which Stonewall Jackson evacuated" without a struggle. Gen. Shields, commanding Lander's division," pursued Jackson to Newmarket," where he found him strongly posted and ready for action. He thereupon fell back rapidly to Winchester, pursued by Jackson's cavalry, under Turner Ashby. Gen. Banks, having dis-gade was pushed forward to support patched one division toward Center- Kimball, and our artillery opened ville," Jackson's spies assured him simultaneously with one or two more that Shields had but four regiments Rebel batteries; but at such distance left, and might easily be captured or as to do little harm. Soon, a still routed; so Ashby drove in our pick- larger force of all arms was developets and pressed hard upon Shields, ed by Jackson on his right, and an who kept the larger part of his force effort made to turn our left, which concealed until Jackson was induced was gallantly resisted and foiled by to advance in force and attack. In Sullivan's brigade, supporting Jenks's the slight skirmish which occurred," artillery. Jackson then rëenforced Gen. Shields was struck by a frag- heavily his left, sending two additionment of shell which broke his arm, al batteries and his reserve to supand so injured his shoulder and side port the movement; when Shields that he fought next day's battle in ordered up Tyler's brigade of 4 regibed. Jackson had 10 regiments of ments to the support of Col. Kiminfantry, all Virginians, but reports ball, commanding that wing, wheretheir aggregate strength at only 3,087 by the Rebels were outnumbered and men, with 27 guns and 290 cavalry." hurled back upon their main body,

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FIGHT AT KERNSTOWN. THE MERRIMAC.

strongly posted behind a high and solid stone wall, crossing a hill, where a desperate stand was made by Jackson's famous 'Stonewall Brigade,' and others, whose fire was for a few minutes rapid and deadly; but their position was soon flanked and carried by our eager, determined advance, and they retreated in disorder, leaving 2 guns, 4 caissons, and many small arms. Night now fell, and saved them, doubtless, from a heavier loss. Our men secured their prisoners, cared for their woundedthose of the Rebels having mostly been carried off by them prior to their retreat and sank down to rest on the battle-field. The Rebels retreated a few miles, rapidly but in good order, ere they, too, rested for the night.

Jackson attributes his defeat in part to Gen. R. B. Garnett's error of judgment in repeatedly ordering his men to retreat, when he should have held on and fought. It seems clear, however, that the capital mistake was his own in fighting at all, when his total force, according to his own estimate, was less than 5,000 men, and he estimates our infantry on the field at over 11,000. He makes his loss 80 killed, 342 wounded, and 269 missing, mainly prisoners; total, 691; while Shields claims 300 prisoners, and estimates the Rebel loss in killed and wounded at 1,000 to 1,500." Our own loss in this engagement was 103 killed, including Col. Murray, of the 84th Pennsylvania; 441 wounded, and 24 missing.

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heavy rëenforcements for Jackson were at hand, immediately sent an express after Williams's division-by this time well on its way to Harper's Ferry-desiring its immediate return; but Gen. Banks, hearing of the battle by telegraph from Winchester, had already stopped at Harper's Ferry and anticipated this order; himself rejoining Shields early next day, and resuming command. He pursued Jackson vigorously up the Valley to Woodstock, but was unable to bring him to bay.

We have seen that Gen. McClellan's council of corps commanders decided, on the 13th of March, to abandon his original plan of debarking at Urbana, on the Rappahannock, and advancing thence on Richmond by West Point, at the head of York river, making this a secondary base. This most unfortunate decision is rendered unaccountable by a destructive if not disastrous naval collision which had just occurred in Hampton Roads, and of which the results were well known to the council.

Of our naval officers' most calamitous, cowardly, disgraceful desertion of and flight from the Norfolk Navy Yard and Arsenal at the beginning of the struggle, the revolting particulars have already been given." Among the vessels there abandoned to the Rebels, after being fired, was the first-class 40-gun steam-frigate Merrimac, which, by Capt. McCauley's orders, had been scuttled and Gen. Shields, well aware that partly sunk, so that only her rigShields's official report says:

"The enemy's loss is more difficult to ascertain than our own. Two hundred and seventy were found dead on the battle-field; 40 were buried by the inhabitants of the adjacent vil

lage; and, by a calculation made by the number of graves found on both sides of the Valley road between here and Strasburg, their loss in killed must have been about 500, and in wounded 1,000."

37 See Vol. I., p. 473–7.

ging and upper works were burned; | March 8th, a strange craft was deher hull being saved by a speedy scried from our vessels off Newport submersion. Having thus fallen News, coming down the Elizabeth an easy prey to the Rebels, she river from Norfolk, past Craney was adopted by them as the basis of Island, attended by two unremarkaan iron-clad, whereof Lieut. John M. ble steam gunboats. Two other Rebel Brooke furnished the original plan, gunboats, which had, evidently by which Chief Engineer Williamson preconcert, dropped down the James and Naval Constructor Porter, to- from Richmond, had been discovered gether with Lt. Brooke, ultimately at anchor off Smithfield Point, some fashioned into the terrible engine of 12 miles distant, about three hours destruction known to us as the Mer- before. rimac, but designated by her rebuilders the Virginia. Messrs. Brooke, Williamson, and Porter, were all graduates from our navy, as was Commodore Franklin Buchanan, who became her commander. In preparing her for her new service, the hull of the Merrimac was cut down nearly to the water's edge, after she had been plugged, pumped out, and raised; when a sloping roof of heavy timber, strongly and thoroughly plated with railroad iron, rose from two feet below the water-line to about ten feet above: the ends and sides being alike and thoroughly shielded. A light bulwark, or false bow, was added, designed to divide the water, and serve as a tank to regulate the vessel's draft; and beyond this projected a strong iron beak. Being thus rendered thoroughly shot proof, she was armed with 10 heavy and most effective guns; and so, having been largely refitted from the spoils of the deserted Navy Yard, became at once the cheapest and most formidable naval engine of destruction that the world had ever seen. Whether she had or had not the ability to live in an open, turbulent sea, was left undecided by her brief but memorable career.

A little before noon, on Saturday,

The nondescript and her tenders gradually approached our war-ships awaiting her, and, passing across the bow of the Congress frigate, bore down on the Cumberland, in utter disdain of her rapid and well aimed but utterly ineffective shots, which glanced as harmless from the iron shield of the foe as though they had been peas. Not a gun was fired by the mysterious and terrible stranger until she struck the Cumberland with full force under her starboard fore-channels, at the same moment delivering a most destructive fire; while her blow had opened such a chasm in the bow of the Cumberland that her forward magazine was drowned in 30 minutes. Still, her fire was kept up until, at 3:35 p. M., the water had risen to the main hatchway, and the ship canted to port; when, giving a parting fire, Lt. Morris ordered every man to jump overboard and save himself if possible. The dead, and sick, and severely wounded, were unavoidably left in her bay and on her decks, to the number of at least 100; and she sank to the bottom in 54-feet water, with her flag still flying from her topmast.

Meanwhile, the Congress-which had exchanged broadsides with the Merrimac as she passed-was attacked

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