The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-08-28

!, must be permitted to say that his sin
d plicity exceeds belief. His only hop
: of impunity from attack is that the enc
1 my will not know hi- force, and wi
: speedily be, engaged elsewhere. B
e whom aud where? Not certainly b
I the army under Mcclellan, for he ha
D already learned that Mcclellan neve
attacked. BY whom and where?
again ask. General Wadswortli mus
answer. One hundred and twent
thousand men were landed at Fortress
, Monroe, and sat down before York
Y town under Gen. Mcclellan, while th
T enemy at that time did not reach tel
! thousand men. Instantly General Nc
Clellan began to telegraph for rein
forcements, and continued to telegraph
up to the day he was attacked by tn,
, rebels. The country has been deceive,
as TO McClellah's force; has been lee
to believe it was inadequate. Johr
Tucker, Assistant Secretary of War
procured transportation and superin
tended the shipntent of all the troop.
and reinforcements. He testifies a.
follows:
"Question. What is your position
under the Government
"Ansacer. / am Assistant Secretary
of War. hHA a'fa
"Question. DO you know anything
about the transportation of troops Il
Yorktown. and peninsula?
"Ans,cer. ] do. ! attended to the
embarkaiion of those troops.
Question. Of the whole of them
"Ansaoer. Yes, sir.
u" Question. Can You state what
number of troops were first embarked
for that place?
"AnSacer. Prior to the 5th of April,
as know from the statements made TO
me by one of the Qnartermasters who
were attending to the details, there
were one hundred and twenty-one
thousand FIVE hundred men.
2" Question That was before Gen,
eral Franklin's division was ordered
there?
"Ansacer Yes, sir. Shortly after
that Franklin's division was shipped ::
1t numbered twelve thousand men.
About the first of June, McCalrs divi
sion was sent down there: it consisted
of ten thousand men. And abont the
same time, from Baltimore and Fort
Monroe there were scrt eleven thous-
and men; and The last of June part
of ShieldS's division were shipped. |
did not superintend that, but | am in
| formed there were about five thousand
of them.
4" Question You superintended the
shipment of all the troops but thuse
from Gen. Shicli>'s division?
"Ansper Yes, sir.
"Question ; Does that comprise all
that has been sent tn General McClcl
Ian since he landed there?
"Ans,cer: That is all that know of.
Question That includes the
number sent by General Wool and
Dix?
"Ansrer Yes, sir. That makes
one hundred and fifty thousand men in
ALL
"Question Do you know Of any
other forces at the disposal of the Gov
ernment that could have been spared
for it's assistance
"1ns,rer. / do not. aft
Question. Were there any rea
sons why General McDoweI's forces
conld not be sent? ffi efea .a
"Ans,oer. Yes, sir. The President
deemed them essential for the protec-
tiOn of Washington. .r1ot7az ll
Question. And that force was
none to strong for the defense of this
place? '''.~--
"Ans,cer. 1t was so regarded.
Question. Have you any personal
knowledge of the state of the roads
and the condition of the countrv on the
peninsula when General Mcclellan first
took his Army there? eNa
"AnSner Early in April visited
the headquarters of General Mcclellan,
aud found the roads totally impassable
for the transportation of artillery, and
almost so for supplies. On my arrival
at General McClcllan's headquarters, |
was informed that he was sending. his
cavalry all back to the river, because 1t
as impossible for him tn transport for
age to sustain them. AS an evidence
If the condition of the roads from Ship
Point to his headquarters. | was my
self eight hours going seven miles ON
horseback" ftfaf a.-e3 sfs
This testimony is so important that
| have deemed it absolutely requisite
that the country should have it. The
country has been deceived. !: has
been led to believe that the Secretary
of War or somebody else has inter
fcred with General McCIellam's plans,
when he had an army that could have
crushed any armv on the face of the
earth. One. hundred and fifiy,cight
thousand of the best troops that ever
stood on Gods footstool were sent
down to the peninsula and placed under
command, of General Mcclellan and
yet the whole reasonable press of the
country has been bowling after the
Secretary of War because OF his al
legged refusal to send reinforcements To
General Mcclellan. As said the
other day, lie has sent every man, every
sabre, every bay"net, every horse, that
could he spared from any source what
ever To increase that grand army under
General Mcclellan in front of Rich
mondY We. shall see. General Me-
Dowrll's force was not sent down, be-
cause it was deemed necessary tn pro-