Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-11-19

| From the Philadelphia Press of Nov'r 10
WASHINGTON, November 9, 1S62.-The fol
lowing important correspondence will perhap.
give some of the reasons which actuated oul
War Department in recommending the Pres
dent to make change in the command OF
| the Army of the Potomac
| HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY
| Washington, October %, 1862. {
Hon e. M Sfanfon, Secretary Of War:-SiR:
In reply to the general interrogatories con-
tanned in your letter of yesterday, have the
honor to report:
First. That acquisitions for supplies 10 the
army under General Mcclellan are made By
his staff officers on the Chiefs of Bureaus here;
that is, the Quartermaster applies by his Chief
Quartermaster on Quartermaster General; for
conimissary supplies by his Chief Commissary
on Commssary General, &c.
No such acquisitions have been, to my
knowledge, made upon the Secretary OF War,
and none upon the General-in Chief.
Second On several occasions, General Nc
Clelian has telegraphcd me that his army was
deficient in certain, supplies. All these tele,
grams were Immediately referred to the head 8
VI uuiCauo VIII OtuSfS ~ Te port. IL vas as
certained that in every instance the requisi-
tions have been Immediately fIled, except
where the Quartermaster General had been
Obliged to send from Philadelphia certain ar
t1cles of clothing, tents, ETC., not having full
supply here. .;g.F
There has not been. far as could asccr-
tain, any neglect or delay, in any department.
or burean, in issuing all the supplies asked
for by General Mcclellan, or by the officers of
his staff.
Delays have occasionally occurred in for
warding supplies by railroad on account of
the crowded condition of the railroad depots
or of a want of sufficient number of cars; T;
but, whenever notified of this fact. agents have
been sent out to remove the difficulty unaer
the excellent superintendent OF Gen. Haupt
think those 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 frequent
Iy he for some days without the supplies it has
asked for, on account of neglect in making
timely acquisitions 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 men, as general rule, have been bet
ter supplied, than in the case of our armies
operating in the West. The latter have ope-
rated at much greater distances from the
sources Of supplies, and have had far less IA
cilities for transportation. In fine, / believe
that no armies in the world in campaigning
have been more promptly better supplied
than ours.
Third. Soon after the battle of Antietam,
General Mcclellan was urged to give me in
formation of his intended movements, in or
der that if he moved between the enemy and
Washington the reinforcemeDts could be sent
from this place. On the first of October, find
ing that he purposed to operate from Harper's
Ferry, / urged him to cross the river at once
and give battle to the enemy, pointing out to
him the disadvantages of delaying till the au-
tumn rains had swollen the Potomac and i'm
paired the roads On the 9th of October he
was peremtorily ordered TO cross the Potomac and
gire battle TO the enemy, or driue him South. /
said to him: &c Your army must noD more, while
the roads in good condition. twill 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 under General Nc
Clellan as TO prevent his compliance acith my
ders TO adrance upon the enemy.
Had he moved his army to the south side of
the Potomac, he could have received his sup
plies almost as readily as by remaining mac
fire on the north side.
Fifth. On the seventh OF October, in tele-
gram in regard to- his intended movements,
Gen. Mcclellan stated that he would require
at least three days to supply the first, fifth.
and sixth corps; that they needed shoes, and