The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-10-04
VOL. XXIII---NO. 7:
Review of McCleiian,s Marvi,,,
paIgn.
Correspondence Of the New York World

I "AshiH"ToN, september 90
| General McClellans Maryland campaio,
which ended on Friday, after "A fort
nights incessaDt operations, with the eN
pulslon Of the shattered -rebel army from
| The State-is pronounced by military critics
OF high authority the most brilliant and
scienthie movements cfI tie WAR; .ioD
Whatever may be McClellan's geniug.
whatever may have been his f.iiuuiTes
hitherto, it is evident that his PENN sli,ar,
experiences have given him such know,
ledge of the art of handling Immense
bodies Of troops, and such confidence II,
his power to move and fight thopi, as no
other American General has had even the
opportunity to acquire. f..
Add to this The romantic devotion with
which the soldiers idoizc his person and
qualities and you have u KEY to the splen-
ud achievements of the last two weeks.
On the 9TH inst a disgusted aud disor.
ganized army had fallen back to Wasbipr!
ton before vitorious foe The reheish
flushed with conquest, were pouring into
Maryland The,cap;tsi, the rich northern
fields and cities, Were in dagger. Our.
soldiery were shee without a Shepherd
There was no leader The eau se was AZ,
most lost. Vest all KNOW that the rebets
had staked their suprenle>t resources on
this effort; tina: il mIabe could hurl
them back, so terrible a crisis could never
come again
The iortnGhts triumph OF Mcclellan.
then, consists IN this:
In having, on that Saturday evening,
stepped from the position oi a general
without command 10 the head of our
disordered legIons, old and new: in plac-
lnp Jo,UyD reinspired veterns and 5000
ra" troops on the march 10. Rockville
that very night: in at once Organizing
these 10000 men into new corps. II df.
visions, los brigades ..- r. fn'r
In then commencing grand movement,
sometimes by two, then by three and four
columns, cifectuaI.y covering both the Po.
tonac fords and the advances 10 the Bnl.
timore and Ohio railroad, and pushing
swiftly and safely after the enerny = in
showing that enemy lion in his path,
diving him from Frederick to the noun
tain passes-fron an offensive position 10
tie attitude cf defense
In stAi pursuing, and winning the South
Mountain range by united triple attacks;
IN giving his men just sufficient re,t and
then forcing the enemy To turn and give
pitched battle at the Antieiam Creek
la fighting the great battle of Sharps-
burg the most scrent!hc and sytemati-
ca!ly aTIayed OF the war; rIrht, left and
centre, against right, LETT and centre: in
winning thst awful field, despite the shock.
Ing disaster OF another general at liarpers
fe.!y aud the consequent reinforcement
o! the desperate enemy; finally, in driy-
ing Lee and hi- generals for their lives
across the Potomac, and reporting himself
ready 10 emu IN Virginia the disruption Of
their grand army, 50 well commenced in
this satisfactory Maryland campaign.
Strange alterations Of fear and trl-
umph And stranger still the insatiate
unfairness of certain minds. whicll-but q
week since Oh their knees for .qvioer-
now declare themselves ind dignant at nc
Ciellan, because he has not anil i,7te2 the
rebe! army. "a.
Modern armies Of one hupdred thousand
men are not anIihjlated. They are rarely
roltei. Victory consists in driving them
back with irrecoverabie icss. These same
srunnbiers could not sufficiently exalt the
triumph of the rebels, or degrade the lre..
verse Of Mcclellan, when the latter WIS
forced to retire from RichBcnd-thoush
he saved his whole army and equipments.
The rule will not only work both wavs,
but. in this instance terribly against the
rebellion. do not believe that the lido
will ever again be turned against US If
it Is, twill be due to our own inaction and
imbecility.