, 1861-07-03
Gen. Buck ner,s Reply to Gen. mcCle1-
1anss Dispatch.
lF1om the Frankfort Ieoman, June 29.l =
HEADQUARTERS KY STATE GUARD, [

lFron the Frankfort Ieoman, June 29.l =
HEADQUARTERS KY. STATE GUARD,
FNANBronT, Ky., June %, 1861. {
S1R:-My attention bas been directed to the
following dispatch from Gen Mcclellan in
reference to my Interview with him at Gin
cinnati:
Grafton, Va, June 26.
To Capt. r. Nelson, q. Navy:
My interview with Gen. Buckncr was personal,
not official. 1t was solicited By him more than
once. made no stipulattonb on the part of the
General Government, and regarded his promise to
drive out the Confederate troops the only result
Of the interview. His letter gives his own views,
not mine.
TSigned1 GEO. B. MCCLELLAN.
Bttwcen Gen. Mcclellan and myself there
can be nothing more than Misrepresentation
as to the results Of the interview. # the in
tersiew was personal, It was necessarily off
except in our official capacity, carry out any
understanding. This position Is necessarily
conceded in the following dispatch addressed,
not to me personally, bnt to the Governor Of
Kentucky:
I have received Information that Tennessee
troops are under orders to occupy Island No. !,
understanding. with Gen: BuckRer, call upon yon
in The M1ssiseippi rise1 above the Tennessee line
as within your lurisdictlon and If 80, what ones?
[sicnedl & B. McC1K11Ax.
Major General U. S. a.
received yours on the We subject, publish
ed fu Memphis paper as . telegraphlc dis.
patch frGm Cincinnati but before seeing 1t I
had already acted In accordance with my agree
Ment and your Instructions, and prevented the
occupation of Columbus By 5000 Tennessee
treoIs.
It i true that twice sought an interview
with Gen. Mcclellan. It Is equally true that
Ec hod previously expressed strong wish for
an interview with ME. know that his pur
rose was to discharge his duty to the govern.
ment which he serves with such fidelity and
abi1ity. He knows that my purpose was to
make such arrangements with him as would
tend to preserve the peaceful attitude Of Ken
tucby, The objects to be attained by either
party were sufficient reason for seeking OF
desiring on interview.
nv letter to you Of the 1o:h inst, presents,
in MY cpirion, g concise aud accurate report
If what cali an arrangement" and Gen.
/ Mcclellan, in bis dispatch to you. calls IN
understanding" resulting from this inter-
view. The misapprehension in reference to
that understanding, I am satisfied, does not
Test with ue; because my own opinion IS to
the correctness Of my statement is fortified
BY that Of other gentlemen, one Of whom was
| present at the interview, aud whose reeonec.
lion corresponds with mine.
Gen. Mcclellan by his despatch seems to re-
| gard my "promise to drive ont the Confed-
crate troops as the only result Of the inter
| view" 1 might, with equal reasou, regard
cur exemption from the presence Of Federal
| and Confederate troops as the only result Of
| that interview. If my only object was to an
Dounce my purpose to drive ont the Confed
erate trocPs,i it WAS needless to meet him.
The result, In my judgment, was the agree
nsnt reported in my letter Of the 10Th inst.
Gen. Mcclellan states that be "made no
stipulationa on the part Of the General Gov
| ernment" In the sense in which his dispatch
to Capt. Nelson reads, regarding the intefyie
as "personal, not official" this view Ia cor
rect. But bis action Us an officer Of the Gov
erzmert necessarily binds him within the lin
its Of the agreement The nature and extent
of that agreement are distinctly stated in my
letter # is an agreement" or "under
standing" resulting from "the policy which
he will adopt toward Kentucky" The right
tf Kentncky to claim the position she had as
eumed was neither conceded nor discussed
hut Was denied by Gen. Mcclellan. It Wal
simply The policy Of permitting hentucky t
cute the laws within her own limits, or ths
policy OF thrusting upon her needless wal
: We were agreed as to that policy; and the re
suit Of thai concord Of opinion was the agree
whatever Ticw Gen. Mcclellan msy take O
: It; whether perecna or official, there can b
20 doubt that he will fully comply with th
agreement entered into between u.s. The Wis
dem Of his policy ia sufficiently demonstrate
by the peaceful results which have folowedti II
am, sir very respectfully,
= fs;gnecl sB. BuCKAER,
. Inspector Genera
! 70 His Excellency, B. MAooFTm, Ffankfor