The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1862-11-29
esr. nALIrcx on sleoLELILAs.


s E HaAD- quARrEas OF rHs AMY, |
AsnInorox, October p, 1862.
Hos =. n. Manson y, Sscrssasy Of War:
sn: - In reply toths general interroga.
tories sontained in your letter Of yesterday,
have the honor to report
First: That acquisitions for supplies to
the army under General Mcclellan, are
made By bis staff officers on the chiefs OF
bureaus hsre-that is, the quartermaster
supplies, BY his chief quartermaster gen.
sral, for commissary supplies BY bis chief
commissary on the oommissary general. No
such reouisitions have been, TO nv knowl-
edge made upon the Secretary OF War, and
mono upon the General in Chief.
Second: On several occasions, General
Mcclellan has telegraphed me that his army
Was deficient 10 certain supplies. All these
kilograms were immedi ately reported to the
heads Of bureaus with orders to report !; it
is sscertainsd that in every instance the
acquisitions have been Immediately filed,
except where the qusrtermaster general bad
been obliged to send from Philadelphia GER
tain articles Of clothing, tents &c., not hav-
ing full supply here. There has not been,
90 far as it could be ascertained, any neg
.lect or delay in any department. or bureau
in issuing ali the supplies asked for By Gen.
Mcclellan or by the officers of bis staff
DELAYS have occurred in forwarding sup
plies BY said road on accoans Of the owded
condition Of railroad dep0ts, or OF want
of a sufficient number of cars, but when
ever notified OF this fact, agents have been
sent out to remove the difficulty. Under
the excellent superintendence of General
Houpt, / think these delays have been less
frequent and Of shorter duration than is
usually the case, with freight trains.
An army Of the size Of that under General
McClellan will frequentiy be for some days
without the supplies it has asked for on ac-
count Of neglect in making timely requi-
sitions for them, and unavoidable delays in
forwarding them and distributing them to
the different brigades and regiments. From
all the information that can obtain, am
Of the opinion that the acquisitions from
that army have been filed more promptly,
and that the mer, as general rule, have
been better supplied than 10 the case Of our
armies operating in the West. The latter
have operated at much greater distances
from. the sources of supplies, and have far
less facilities for transportation. In fine, |
believe that no armies in the world in CAM
paigning have been more promptly or bet
ter supplied than ours. .,g
Third: Soon after the battle Of Ante.
tam, General Mcclellan was urged to give
me information of his intended movements,
in order that il he moved between the en-.
emy and Washington the reinforcements
could be sent from this place. On October
LIST, finding that he purposed to operate
from Harper's Ferry, urged him to cross
the river at once, and give battle to the en-
EN-, pointing out to him the disadvantage
Of delaying until the autumnsl rains had
swollen the Potomac and impaired the
roads.
On the 9th Of October be was peremp-
torily ordered to cross the Potomac and
give battle to the enemy, or drive him South.
| said to him, "Your army must move now,
while the roads are in good condition.
1t will be observed that three weeks have
ELAPSED since that order was given.
Fourth: In my opinion there has been
no such want Of supplies in the army I'M
der Gen. Mcclellan as to prevent his COM
pliance with my orders to advance upon the
enemy. Had he moved his army to the
south side of the Potomac he would have
received his supplies almost as readily as
remaining inactive on the north side.
Fifth: On the 7th day of October, in
a telegram in regard to his intended move
mens, Gen Mcclellan stated that he would
require at least three days 70 supply the LIST
5th and 9th corps, that they needed shoes,
and other indispensable articles of cloth
ing, as we'll as shelter tents. No complaint
was made to me that his army acquisitions
had not been filed, and it was inferred
from bis language thai he was only haltfng
for the distribution of his supplies. On
the llth of October he telegraphed me that
a portion Of his supplies, sent by railroad,
had been delayed. As already stated,
agents were being sent from here to inves-'
sigate this complaint, and they reported that
everything had gone forward. On the same
day, the 18th, Mcclellan spoke Of many of
his horses being broke down by fatigue
On the 18th of October he complained that
the rate of supply was only $50 horses per
week for his entire army there and in front
of Washington. l Immediately directed
the Quarter-master general to inquire into
this matter, and report why larger supply
was not furnished to Gen. Mcclellan. Gen.
Meigs reported to me on the 10th Of Oc-
tober, that the average issue Of horses to
Gen. McClellan's army, in the field and in
front of Washington, for the previous six
weeks, had been !, 459 per week, or 8,454
in all.
In addition, he reported to me that
large number Of mules had been supplied,
and the number Of these animals with Gen.
McClellan's army on the Upper Potomac
was 3,lO0. He also reported that he was
then sending that army all the horses he
could procure. I5f E
On the 18th Of October, Gen. Mcclellan
stated in regard to Gen. Meig's report, that
be had fled every requisition for shoes and
clothing; ssThat Gen: Meigs may have or.
dered these things to be forwarded, but
they might as we'll remain in New York or
Philadelphia, go far as my army is con-
cerned.' Immediately called Gen. Meigs
attention to this apparent neglect of bis de-
partment. rela
On the 10th of October he reported, as
the result Of bis investigation, that $4,000
pairs of boots and shoes had been received
by the Quartermasters Of McClellan's army
at Harper's Ferry, Frederick and Hagers-
town; 10000 pairs were at Harper's Ferry
Depot on the 2lst, and that 10000 more
were on their way, and Is 900 more had
been ordered.
Col. Ingalls,, Aid de-camp, end chief of
staff to Gen. Mcclellan, telegraphed on the
18th as follows: s.The suffering for want
Of clothing il exaggerated, think, and