Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-05-20
VOL. XVI. @
EEEAIE UHAM1El, n
WAaHIHQTnN. Nav 9. 1852 q

Generals, a8s
] r-n eiEATR CHAMBER. sOlif
I WAsHIHOTON, May g. 1882
BazE sIE. haVs tnis9day receive,
your note, b R.hish you sal that 4 d re
ported BY sone. lkFs0ns thar the secrsta-l
Of War, Mr. Sumner, myself and others or
interfering with Gen. MoOleLlsn's militarJ
plans. IRm,snFQ, Mr.. SPINNER in mo way
direOtlg or lhdirselly, has ittsrfered o.
attempted 70 interfere With any Of Genera
Moolellsa's military plans, or with sthI
plans Of any other general IN the field
Mr.. Stanton entered the War ofioS ct 9
time Of anxiety and gloom, when the mos
thoughtful men Of the country were op
pressed With splioitpds concerning the
condition Of the country, foreign and do
mostio. Mr.. Stanton carried Into the War
u gfice industry, zeal, end en- iron viii 60
tuated by an intense and vehement desire
70 pr0mptlY orush out this nsbsllion, Ae
pressed up5n eli ih both the military ana
civil service, theimportanoe Of prompt and
decisive action. BE may have committed
some errors bat ] am sure he has done
Intentional injustice 70 none. 4 Do not
know that be has ever inArfsrsd With any
Of the plans Of Gen. Mo0lellsn; butsI do
know that be has laborea With nnASg gging
Essl to place al the resources Of the geF-
eminent ct he disposal Of Gen, Mcclellan
aad other military commanders believe
that Edwin u. Stanton deserves, not the
oensure, but the gratitude Of sll men who
would promptly suppress this unhslloWed
rebellion. have never interisred, either
direetly or Indirectly, with the plans Of
Gen. Mcclellan, or any other Of our mill
tafy commandars nor has the Military
Committee, or any Of the members Of that
committee, 50 intetfefsd., The Military
Committee, composed Of four republicans
and three democrats, is now and has been,
unit in military affairs. The members
Of the committee may have their opinions
n regard 70 men and operations in the
field, and as individual they may have
canvassed the acts Of military men with
that freedom with which American oitis
Gems and Legislators may canvass the sets
Of public men in civil and military life;
but they have not in committee, or in the
Senate, or elsewhere, attempted in any
way TO interfere With the plans Of military
commanders, or to advise Congress or the
government 70 interfere With those, plans.
AAAa ~ taaAAAAAeAA ny
been actuRted by partisan feelings in re-
gard to military appointments or opera
tiOns. Since the war commenced nearly
2. 900 names have been before the commit
tee 70 be, oanYasssd and psased upon; of
this number nearly two hundred and fifty
we're generals. have never been sotuated
by political considerations In any Of these
and am sure I can say the
same for each Of the other members of the
committee. have aided in securing The
appointment in the army Of nearly one
hundred citizens Of Massachusetts am
sure that ct least half Of them are men who
sre politically opposed 10 me, and some Of
them, or their relatives and friends, hsye |
been the most active Of my political enc
mics.
In raising my regiment last fall did
not inquire into to the political sentiments
Of the officers LappOinted, and when LEFT |
the regiment placed il in the hands Of
Col. Cove, Of the regular army, most &C
somplisbed oficer, and democrat, trained /
at Concord in the school Of Franklia Pierce.
In August last, before went home toraiaA
my regimen received an invitation from
General MoOlsllaH to 60 upon his staff.
The SecFeary Of War, Mr.. Chase and Mr.,
Blair earnestly urged me to accept that po
sition. After my return the invitation was
and by the pressing advice Of the
Secretary ofWar and others ] left my reg.
iment against my personal wishes, from
sense Of public duty, end accepted that
place the last Of October From that time,
for nearly thee months, was q member
Of General McClsllsn's stat, and daily ct
bis headquarters. Up TO the time he left
for Fortress Monroe, was almost daily ct
bis headquarters, ard am sure that Gen.
Mcclellan himself, Gen. Williams, his Ad-
iutaht General; Gen. Marcy, his inspector
General and all the other members Of the
itaf, will beyeyer ready to bear prompt tes-
.imony that I Was.eVer prompt to Sc 5ond his
wishes. / have in sli cases, in regard to
1fioers and measures, eHdesVored promptly
10 comply with their requests I have be-
,ieyed, and I have acted upon the belief
hat it was my duty ss q member Of the Sen.
stesnd Chairman Of the Military Committee,
10 support Gen. Mcclellan and other mill.
iRry commanders, and to place yat the dis
Dosal Of the War Department the resources
1f the country, and to leave the responsi-
5ility Of action with the E1eeutiEe Depart
ment and the military commsnders. The
Of tho COMMITTEES, and think
I may say nearly al, il not all dfhe mem
5ers of the Senate, concur IL this opinion.
Generals Scott, MoClellan, Fremont, Nc
DoWeIl, Banks, Butler, Burnside and 81
other leading Generals can bear ample tss-
limony 10 this statement In nregaFd to the
operations in7the field, Rs inrciTil Affairs, l
form my opinion from the fa6is that come
within my knowledge, and, asisl ny habit,
bsve expressed there opinions frssiY, per. /
hsps too freely but am hoi the partisan
or the enemy Of sny of the min tsry, c6n-
nanders. 90 as fer as he. who goes the
fsFthsst in sppls9aing the succsssful forts
Of any snd ell.of our military men. 1Fegrst
to see that We have dlsss Of men Who !
are swift to Osnsur6i and aFraiRi others,
both in the civil and military service, who
are striving to impress the country with
the conviction that there Is in Con grezs
party disposed 70 interfere with the plans of |
General Mcclellan. 10 sosomplish their
object some Of these people donot scruple /
TO misquote or misrepresent The feelings,
words and acts Of the men they seem desif- /
Gus Of placing 10 false position; but such i
oonduel can only harm themselves gay e
Very truly yours,
HENRY WILSON,
To.Gshsral John 8. Tyler, Boston, Msss.
NJ. ~. ~. l1f0H -i-i
The Government is now replenishing its |