Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-08-21


was witness to the great ezertions and ser
vice of this company, animated by, ant
emulating, the zeal and devotion of it
excellent officers, Lieutenants Smith, Nc
Clellan and Foster" Until the surrendel
of the Castle, Lieut.. Mcclellan was en-
gagged in the most severe and trying dutieI
in opening paths and roads to facilitate tht
investment in covering reconnoisances, anC
in the unceasing toll and hardships Of the
trenches.
The total of the company" COlone
Totten writer, "was so small, and demand
for its aid so incessant, that every man may
be said to have been constantly on duty,
with scarcely moment for rest and refresh
ment" Capt Swift was still too i'll for
such labOrs, and died soon after; but Col.
Totten remarks, the other officers directed
"the operations of the siege with unsur-
passed intelligence and zeal" Such is
the plain and truthful record of the earli-
est war experience at the age of twenty, of
the noble soldier, who is now the General
of the Army of the Potomac, and whose
star is fixed in the American Constellation.
Let the next stage forward be related in
the official words of Col Totten: Severe
labors followed the surrender of Vera
Cruz and its Castle, and accompanied the
march to the battle of Cerre Gordo, in
which the company displayed. in various
parts of the field, its gallantry and eficien-
cy. 1t entered tho city of Jalapa, with
the advance of Gen. Twigg's division, and
Puebla, with the advance of Worth's.-
During the pause at the latter place, the
instruction of the company, in its appropri-
ate studies and exercises was resumed by
its persevering and jealous officers, and as
sistance was given by all in the repairs of
the defenees, Marching from Puebla, with
Gen. Twigg's division, the company was
Joined to Gen. Worth, at Chalon, and ar
rived in front of San Antonio, on the 18th
of August, having greatly assisted in clear
ing the road of distractions placed by the
enemy"
The company on the 18th was ordered
to take the head of Gen. Pillows column
at st. Augustine The service of the COM
Pany was now noble, and is specified all
along in the official reports. Before the
day of Contreras, Gen. Twiggs on discov-
ering his enemy in a naturally strong po-
sition with breastworks that commanded /
approach in every direction, dispatched two
engineers to reconnOitre, one of whom was
Gen Mcclellan. They were stopped by
the Mexican pickets, had their horses shot
under them and were compelled to return
The action soon commenced-the battle of
Contreras-in which Lieut. Mcclellan was
with Magruder's battery, which rendered
splendid service. After mentioning Ne
Clellan several times in his official report, |
Gen. Twiggs thus writes: Lieut.. G. B. |
Mcclellan, after Lieut.. Calender was
wounded, took charge of and managed the
howitzer battery, Lieut Reno being de-
tached with the rockets with judgment
and ssccess until it became so disabled as
to require shelter. For Lieut.. McClellan's
efficiency and gallantry in this affair, l
present his name for the favorable consid-
Grafton of the General in Chief" After a
night of exposure to pitiless storm, the
army fought the next day, August Goth,
the battles of Cherubusco; and that fine
soldier, Gen. Persifer F. Smith, thus CON-
pletes the record of Mcclellan: "Lieut.
G.. w. Smith, in command of the engineer
company, and Lieut.. Mcclellan, his subal-
tern. distinguished themselves throughout
the whole of the three actions Nothing
seemed too bold to be undertaken, or too
difficult to be executed; and their services
as engineers were as valuable as those they
rendered in battle at the head of their gal
liant men," For such conduct on that day,
Mcclellan was breveted First Lieutenant.
Lieut.. Mcclellan was brevetted Captain
for gallant and meritorious conduct in the
next battle. Ell Molino del Rey; but, de-
elining, he was still Lieutenant on the
great day of Chepultepec; and the General
in Chief, naming him with five others,
uses these words: "Those five Lieutenants {
of engineers won the admiration of all a.
bout them" His name appears in the
official reports, in connection with varied
and most arduous service. On the night
of the 1lth of September, Capt Lee, and
Smith, Tower and Mcclellan,
with company of sappers were employed c
in establishing batteries against Chepulte- |
pee, which were actively served during Z
the next day, Q2th,) which was the day
before the assault.
Lieut.. Mcclellan, long before daybreak
Of the 18th, was in the field, and Major
Smith, of the engineer corps, thus says of t
his mornings work: "At three o'clock a
party of the sappers moved to the large c
convent in advance and found it unoccu- 9
pied Lieut.. Mcclellan advanced with a '
party into the Alamada, and reported at
daylight that no enemy was to be SEEN i
The sappers then moved forward and had 7
reached two squares beyond the Alamada, 7
when they were recalled" This company t
vas under senior Lieut.. Smith, and was b
ngaged during the day in steeet fighting t
Intil 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and par L
icularly in breaking into houses with crow t
'lrs and axes. Major Smith says: Lieut.
Mcclellan had command of company for b
time in the afternoon, while Lieut.. Smith C
vas searching for powder to be used in t
flowing up houses, from which our troops s
lad been fred upon contrary to the usages o
# war. During this time, while advanc- b
ng the company, he reached strong po- II
ltOn' but found himself opposed to a large C
orce OF the enemy. He had a conflict with q
his force, which lasted some time; but the V
advantage afforded by his position enabled r
nm at length to drive it off, after having L
lilled more than twenty of its number. t,
Such is the official record of Mcclellan Y
70 far as brilliant special service is con- g
erned. This, however, can convey no "
ust idea of the labor and skill that are re. o.
Iuired, in order that lasting honor may be p
on the country. 1t is the every
lay life of the officer that is keenly watch q
d by the men; and what is said of Nc c,
Jlellan is. that it was so marked by thor Il
ughness as to command respect and con- h