Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-12-10
l'Sb(elDs edition.
mr. McDowpIa COURT OF INQUIRY.

THE McD0WBB4 COURT or ISQCIBf.
The Court met this morning At II O'Clock
The room was crow ded some tine previous
10 the opening of ,hr court, in anticipation pi
70 presence Of 8cn. II -Ciniian ~ 4 witness.
Gen Mcclellan appeared shortly after II
o'<Jock and his examination was proceeded
with. He snswer-d various Questions put TO
bin by GA. Nc DoweIl - the following effect:
The substance ola communication TO witness
by Gen. Franklin from the President was tha;
the Pm sideut assumed the re ponsibHity OF the
chan ge ofdes tination o. tfe n. hcDowelis corps,
regarding That corps as necessary 10 the defence
OF Washington; slLhou gh-the witness pro-
ceededto ssy-the troops actually left in Wash
ingion AID in front disposahle FOR its Defence
were rather more than double the garri~on
fixed by the engineer and artillery officers, and
considerably more than the Target number re-
commended by any or the corps commanders
20 ha lett i'm the vicinity OF Washington.
Witness does not row recall any coumun!-
cation made 70 tl,e l'r.si.ient BY HIM relation
to this disposition of Mcdowell corps. Ii
would lie necessary for witsess % consult his
papers before answering definitely. He re-
nlembrred receiving a. dispatch from Gen.
Franklin TO the effect thar, in Gen F.'s opinion
snd from his knowledge OF the case Gen.
Mcdowell had nothing TO do with the separa-
;ion OF his corp- from tha army Of the Poto-
Iaac. When Gen. F. wrote that dispatch he
commanded corps in the division OF Geh.
Mcdowell.
A COPY OF ,he New York Herald. containing
a report of speech made at Tarrytown, Oct.
IL, by Hon. J. II. Haskin, alleging that Gen.
Mcclellan had stated th!.t he had been uhjor-
inmate in not taking Richmond because of the
failure OF Gen. Me Dowell TO reinforce him
; expected and promised, was submitted 70 the
witness az this point of the examination.
Witness said The in ciden lated in the speech
was certainly new 10 him, and he .gas very
sure he had never mad- the remark attrisTIted
10 him in the connection stated. He had 40
doubt said for il had ever been his opinion, that
the Army OF tn Potomac would have taken
Eichluond had not the corps OF Gen. Mcdowell
been separated from it. It's also his opinion
that had the command ofGen. Nc DO well Joined
tine Army OF til" Potomac in tn" Month Of May
by the way OF Hanover Court House, from
Fredcricksbu thar we hould have had Rich
mond IA Il week afl.rsIhe JunciioA. Witness
cid not hold Gen Mcdowell responsii,l. in HE
own mind for the failure 10 join him on ei.hnr
occasion. Witness thinks Gen. Franklin, on
ioinir. him on The PeniEs uIa, brought verbal
mre age from Gen. Mcdowell expressing h!s
,ish 20 AID him 10y demons ration up n Fred
tlick>burG
In ans wer 10 4 question 10 the witu--- IL after
lis change OF rasr a. Yorktown, it vas any
p;,It OF hi- plans - 20 10 Frederick soarg, Gen.
NJ, CieIlsn >ir; :. No ;ha' all the active troops
were TO NOV. an The general direction of -hs
Peninsula
Gen. Me Dow Ell here inlroduced nulaber o.
. COMMUNICATIONS between hi3>-ell and the Pres
ident. Secretary stan loIl. and Gen. Mcclellan,
show IN. thai M ii cD.l acted under orders ia
lot moving 80 support Nee, and that he was
every way disposed himself Among them
! was telegram OF date May Il, by President
J Lincoln 10 Gen. Me DO we'll. Instructing him to
lay aside the movement on TO RichIaond 10 co.
! operate with Fremont in the destruction OF
Ewell and Jackson; telegram of the came
! dste from Mcdowell TO The Precedent saying
that his order had been ooes ed, but thai it was
| "A crushing blow TO him; q telegram same
| dat. from the President 70 Gen. NJ Doseil,
| expressing himself highly Grstified with tlr
4 alacrttS 18th which he had obeycd the order
SUI SOY ing uIaI IL t,aIuIuI 10 n,,u o. "A,
Grnerai Mellow ell; telegram of the same
date from Mcdowell 10 The President. saving
hat his order wonId be carried on, yyi,h All
energy, nut pointing ont the impos sihilitv OF
elec;inS the purpose proposed; that he could
enfc! nothing IN the direction in which ne " a.
| being sent, and would lose much where h.s WAS.
| and that by the movement ali our arn,ie, yyopld
| br paraly zed from Richmond 10 the Sheran
doSh.
The examination Of Gsn. Mcclellan was re-
stunned. ana he was questioned rs 10 his knowl.
! edge OF the habit of Gen Mcdowell ~ TO the
u>e OF intoxicating liquors.
| Witness said h- had heown Gen Mcdowell
! Tor nearly twenty year, and had known him
! a. Sustaining rnurely from the use Of wine or
shF spritnous liquors, and, he believed, even
tea or coffee That Was his reputation anon yst
ai VINO know hmm. Witness could imagine
nothing more sb-urd than The charge
General Mcdowell herr stated tina, hs WAS
| through with the witness; and the Cont Wa,
proceeding with the examins ton of t}.n Mel
Nh, N We left The room