The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-12-06
Gen. ualiecE's Report.

Gen HAILKCK, without any precedent or
special invitation to prompt him. has
taken the pains to submit to the Secreta-
r. Of war vndication of his conduct as
General in Chief in the form of a report of
the operations of the army since his APP
pointment in July last The report is a
good deal longer than the Presidents mes
sage, and consists chiefly of history Of
operations oftbe army of The Potomac, the
General attempting to remove much Of
the odium of its Encouragement from the
shoulders of himself and the administra-
tioa to those ofGen. Mcclellan. The most
interesting part of TIE report is a cores
pondence between Hallcek and Mcclellan
in reference to the removal of the army
from James River to the Potomac in Au>
gust last Halleek visited Mcclellan, and
finding that the latter asked for $4,000
more men to take Richmond, told hin,
10000 were the urmest that could be sent,
and ordered him to prepare to evacuate.
Mcclellan took q night to consider on
it, and next morning agreed TO make the
attempt with 10000 re-inforcements-
Halleck thereupon returned to Washing
ton, but on arriving there found despatch
from Mcclellan saying the enemy had
been reinforced, aad instead OF &c, 900, he
must have $4,000 mere men. Halleck, in
reply ordered him to evacuate the position.
Against this order Mcclellan enters a warm
protest, couchcd in language breathing
such longing, earnest. overwhelming con-
Germ for the success of the great cause in
which he was engaged, that, whatever
may be said of him otherwise, that letter
must forever satisfy the country Of the
purity Of his motives and of the unselfish
intensity of his patriotism. Halleck,
owever, was inexorable and Mcclellan 10
ordered to move And here comes in the
nub of the report. Mcclellan, says Hal
leck, spent a week in getting ready to
move, and nearly another week in reach.
ing Aqua Creek, while he knew that the
whole rebel army was marching upon
and there was the most
urgent need Of every man to reinforce
Pope Tie goes further, and says that,
even after 3IcClellans army reached Alex
andria, if the various divisions had prompt |
ly marched out to the assistance of Pope,
the rebel army could easily haye been de-
stroyed, while the failure to do SO, caused |
all the subsequent disasters. As NcClel- |
Ian had been substantially removed from |
the command of the army by this time,
the blame for this Hardness to reinforce
Pope is not indeed imputed to the former,
but rather to his division commanders.
So far from accusing Pope of mismanage-
uent, Halleck cemmends his dispositions,
md attributes his failure to others. Among
others, he gives letter from Pope pro.
bouncing Sigel decidedly unreliable.
He also finds fault with the long delay
Of the army on the Upper Potomac after
the battle of Antietam, and implicitly
places upon Mcclellan the blame for the
Harper's Ferry disaster.
The report will be read with deep in
crest, as giving full and authentic sketch
# all the operations Of our armies for the
ast six or eight months; but Is its nam
biect seems to have been to justify the
emoval of Mcclellan, it will doubtless
ave the effect to draw out counter
from that officer, and may thus
cad to endless and useless if not injurious
chickering's and controversy.
1