Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-26
Majsr General MccIelIun'. Military Genius


The command of the army of the Potomac,
as will be seen by a telegrapbic dispatch from
Washington, has been transferred to Major
General Mcclellan, who has been summoned
to Washington, his command in Western Vir-
ginia having been gwen 10 Gen. Rosencrans,
who has exercised great military skill in
carrying out the orders of General Mcclellan
in that quarter. Tho correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Commercial who has accompanied
General Mcclellan in his Western Virginia
campaign, thus speaks Of the military genus
he has displayed:
The admirable manner in which this cam
paign was planned and executed stamps Major
General Mcclellan as a commander of first
class military genius. When we remember
that his entire army had to be enlisted and
organized al t"itfo, and all i's immense train,
tho innumerable petty details Of administra-
ton, which had to be managed by mex
perienced men, and that the matsriei of the
army, and most of its officers, were utterly in
experienced and without military education
"a great many without brains-some of the
Generals without energy to execute an order
and that the impossiblity of perfecting the
transportation and subsistence departments
were serious obstacles to rapid progress, it is
amazing that he should so soon, and so per-
fcctly have accomplished the great mission of
sweeping the Confederate armies from the
mountains of Western Virginia.
When we take the map of the campaign, and
observe the occupation of each succeeding
pOsitiOn, and each subsequent movement in
| its order, remarking the object of each, which
becomes apparent after it is made, we cannot
but be struck with admiration at the beauti-
fully skilful game of war-chess which has just
been played by master-hand. The enemy
opens the game by advancing to Phillippa.
Mcclellan suddenly occupies Parkersburg, and
possesses both lines Of railroad from the river
to Clarksburg and Grafton. Phillippa is un-
expectedly snapped up. The enemy fortifes
Laurel Hill, and concentrates at HuttonsviIIe,
Beverly and Leedsville. 1t is desirable to
take the enemy front and rear A swift move
ment to Buckannon tanks the enemy on the
left. Another, to point under their cannon,
within mile of Laurel Hill, checks them sud-
denly at that point. A third rapid march finds
Mcclellan at Roaring Run, and a masterly
movement utterly destroys the enemy at Rich
Mountain. Beverly is ours We have Laurel
Hill in the rear, between two powerful wings
of our army. General Garnett can not fight,
but flies to the mountains, and is caught in a
snare laid for him. Mcclellan moves on Hut
louisville and Cheat Mountain Pass; Morris
moves up the Seneca Pass. and kills Garnett
The Railroad Pass at Cheat River had alread Y
been damned by Mcclellan. The operations
in the kanawha region were mere bye-play,
but some Of the movements there were as i'm
portant as pawn positions in chess. Anybody
by observing the map may discover how splen-
didiy the game was planned aud played. But
until they see these formidable mountain
passes, they can not appreciate the proper
merits OF the expeditions.
Gsrnstt vainly supposed that his rear could
not be turned. t. The best laid schemes Of
mice and men aft gang aglee." Rosencrans
| and Lander, with the FIRST brigade, found a
way to turn 1t, notwithstanding the " impossi-
biiityv of the thing That msreb mas annel
| to some of Xenophon's marches with the ten
thousand Greeks. And here beg leave to di-
gress, in order to supply AN omission in former
| accounts of this famous expedition. Burdsall's
dragons, from Cincinnati, played meritori-
Gus part in it, and, indeed, they almost " play.
ed out" their horses The Typographical feats
OF the horses were often astonishing. They
climbed mountain sleeps that ordinarily would
be deemed impossible for the best mules. The