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

ization at West Point; in the siege of Vel
Cruz, and in all the battles of Gen. Scott
march to the city of Mexico The con
pany left this city May 23d. 1913, marcl
ed to Vera Cruz, and arrived at West PoiI
on the 22d June.
Lieut.. Mcclellan was brcvetted Captai
for gallant and meritorious conduct in tn
battle rat Chepultepec, and the follOwiu
year saw him commander of this great CON
pany of sappers and miners, and pontc
niers. He continued here until 1851, bu
military routine was not enough for hin
During this period he translated from th
French, which he knows thoroughly,
manual which has become the text book Q
the service, and introduced the bayonet ex
ercise into the army.
Capt. McClellan's next service was t
superintend the construction of Fort Della
ware in the fall CT 1851; in the spring o
1852 he was assigned to duty under Maj
Marcy, in the expedition that explored tht
Red River; and then ordered as senior en-
gineer to Texas on the staff of Gen. P. F
Smith, with whom he was engaged in sur
veying the riTers and harbors of that State
Capt Mcclellan, in the next year, was
one of the engineers who were ordered to
make explorations and surveys to ascer-
tain the most practicable route for a rail.
road from the Mississippi river to the Pa
cifc Ocean; and among other duties. he
made the reconnaissance of the Yakima
Pass among the Rocky Mountains, and the
most direct route to Puget Sound He
was associated in the exploration of the
forty seventh and forty-ninth parallels Of
north latitude with Gov. Stevens, of Ore
gon. The Secretary of War, Jefferson
Davis, in his official report to Congress,
says of Mcclellan services: 1.-The exam
ination of the approaches and passes of
the Cascade Mountains, made by Capt
Mcclellan, of the corps of engineers, pre-
sents reconnaissance of great value, and
though performed under adverse circum-
stances, exhibits all the information nee
essary to determine the practicability of
this portion of the route, and reflects the
highest credit on the capacity and resources
of that officer" Nor was this the whole
service of this indomitable public servant.
In this report. its closing words, Secretary
Davis says Capt Mcclellan, of the corps
of engineers, after the completion of his
field operations, was directed to visit var
ious railroads and collect information and
facts established in the construction and
working existing roads, to serve as data in
determining the PRACTICAL bility of construct
ing and working roads over the several
routes explored. The results of his inqui-
ries will be found in a very valuable mem
DIR herewith submitted"
To the engineering service succeeded,
for three years, other duties which large
ly raised the reputation of Capt McClel-
Ian. After executing secret service in
the West Indies, and receiving commits
sion in the United States Cavalry, he was
one of a Military Commission of
three officers, to proceed to the Crimea and
Northern Russia for observation on the ex-
isting war; and his report "On the Organ
izatiOn of European Armies and the Op-
erations of the War;" evinced SO much |
grasp of the subject as to add to the rep
utation of brave and efficient officer in |
the field, that of large comprehension of
the science of war.
And now, as there was no call by his
country for service in the field, he resign
ed (lS57 } his position in the army, and
became simple American citizen; but
still kept, as it were, in the line of his
profession of engineer, for he beanie Vice
President and Engineer of the Illinois
Central Railroad. Having served here
three years, so much valued were his SER
vices that he became General Superintend-
mt of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad,
n which capacity be was acting when the
present unhappy strife broke out, and he
vas rendered the place of Major General
# the Ohio State forces; and little later,
iov. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, also endeav-
red to secure his services in organizing
he volunteers of that State. He accept
d, however, the earliest offer of Ohio;and
lie very promptly organized the militia of
hat State in a manner so original and ef-
icient as to elicit the warmest encomiums;
nd perhaps no State in the Union has a
itizen soldiery bidding fairer to keep the
'eople true to the duties of both citizen
nd soldier at the same time as Ohio, un-
er this system.
But so thoroughly had Gen. Mcclellan
that he was a scientific SOL
ier, that on the l4th day of May he was
endered a commission in the United States
rmy as Major General, andhe was assign {
d the department of Ohio, with a wide {
istrict, including Western Virginia. His ;
7ork since the 9th of May, when with
ortion of his command he entered Virgin (
4, is too well known to need more than /
assing reference. His success has been
apid and complete, while the noble words t
hat he has uttered in his proclamations 8
ave been admirably calculated to appeal I
D that mysterious power. which, in the t
ing run, must be the arbiter in this coun- {
", public opinion.
Such is the record which an officer, yet '
ut thirty-fve, has made of service to his ?
,untry. 1t shows iHdomitable energy, un- 9
ring industry, and rare fertility of re- 9
'uree. But something else is required in I
rder to make such a commander as the I
our demands, the rare power to command !
len; and this Gen. Mcclellan has, be- 5
luse he is himself a whole-souled man, !
nd has the power Of intellect. His Pri- r
ate life is as beautiful as his public Ca !
,er has been both brilliant and solid; and 5
lOugh he moves quietly and with no pre- |
.ntiOn, in the ordinary business circle, '
It in the battlefield, when all his ener- $
les are reused, he shows that genius for I
ar that prompted the unreserved tributes t
admiration that are seen in official re- I
orts. 4;
Gen. McClellan's work in Virginia has S
like admiration from the d
'untry. He has held, at various points, t
lirty thousand troops under him, and he c
as had tliem ever at the right time in the s