Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-12-19

treasure and 10 Iess time than il ca1 be under
asy other mon" This is no doubt the spinIea
OF the Editor Of that paper, but It IS net tie
opinion Of the writer, nor accs be believe OF
any considera bic proportion OF Che "s-se men
OF the country whe have closely and impair
tally observed the career of Gen. Mcclellan
as a military csnHander. With your PerHlis-
sion, a few aacls and reasons will be given Sby
such opinion sugbt apt TO be entertsiaed BY
any eana or aeneisle man, but ca the contrary,
the conclusion should be that Little 1Gc-
las been the great clog TO edVsLeeneot az
suppression Of the rebellion; and that II an
efficient, competent aud loyal commander, had
been placed in the position occupied by him,
The rebellion would leng since have been crush
ed Odt.
Gen. Mcclellan came iuto the service in the
present war, with some credit acquired in
eubOrdinaie capacity in the Mexican war, aud
as somewhat known to the country as o Psi.iI-
tary writer and critic. He vas in command
in Western Virginia and the battle Of Rich
Mountain, which be dc not sgnt, aud the
result Of which he did not 6new, until it was
concluded, proved tie stepping stone to his
advancement 10 ihe command in chief OF the
Mcclellan is worthy of Eotc, as furnishing q
fair index Of his subsequent career. The Feb-
el army lay Hp0n a mountain easTeGGhed, and
Mcclellan proceeded to al opposite hiilAsd alsa
entrencIea. Rosecrans obtained permission to
proceed with force 70 make fan2 move
ment or diversion iu the rear, aud the enemy
being apprised Of Ire design, seat what they
supposed sufficient fs-ce 10 check CT defeat
him, but were themselTes defeated, ard their
main body Immediately evacuated their en-
Irenehments aud conEsenced a retreat, while
Mcclellan lay Ia prOfoHBd ignorance Of the
battle ard retreat, and fozr hours after the
enemy had leFi in his treat, HAS serenely view
ing through his glass the abandoned works,
and then frst learned the fact Of their retreat.
Now msrk the report Of the battle Of Rich
Mountain. Thus Tar We have some index sl
his character As military commander, but
this report furnishes porIratHre Of Geo. B.
Mcclellan ss maR. Search the records OF
military reports, in eur own Or foreign ser
vice, and the assertion is bszarded, that q more
egothticAl and unjust announcement Of an
actisn ard ite results csnnst Be found. The
pronoun Il" hourizhes very eeEspieaoasly,
while Roseerans, who did the fighting and wen
the battle, and was eDtiied ts the main cred
it aud shoald Lave been most conspicucusly
and hon0rably mentioned, is not even alluded
tOl
The disastrous battle OF Bull Run, having
occurred bat few days subsequent to the
battle Of Rich Mountain, the trepedaiion and
dsDay that prevailed at the Capital, served
for . time to PGrHlyze both sense and assertion
there, and the Administration reco!ecting the
brilliant conduct Gf Mcclellan 10 the achieE-
mept Of Rich MoHHlG;5, Is given by himself,
called him to Washington sSd placed him in
chief command. Gen. Mcclellan on Rssum-
Jag command theIs found lasge force, which
was ia y short time, not later than September,
1861, increased TO two hundred thousand Ren
fully armed aud equipped, with all the neces-
eary sHPpiies REQUESTS for an Immediate for
ward movement Lsck row at the history Of
that army aud OF its eomElander from that
time until tAe April or May following, when
the frst forward EIoveaseDt commenced. The
FIRST act Of Cen Mcclellan was to establish
his headquarters in Washington City. The
next ts appoint s9on bis stat sUnce one bun
dred Aid-s-S+ saEnp, with sprinkling Of for
eign Princes Eaaong tSe number and also Of
his early zcts was the establishment Of bal
Icon eorPe, vita the daily ascension Of an in
mense keleoE, which sfiOrded fae opportu
nifty for his Priagely Aides and amateurs to
sDufI the air Vi the upper regions, ana view
the Capital, the ttrtaous windiRgs ef the Po-
temae and the ids, inactive army Of the
Union ; but not that Of The enemy, for it was
far in the distance. This WAS fac amusement
fer the privileged few, Wk0 by the gracious
permission Of the cOamapder-n-chief, were al
lowed to enjoy it, bat rather expensive for
those who had TO foot The bill, for each sscea-
sion Of this airy bauSle coald not have cest
the Government less thzn ten thousand delars
ifnot twice thai aEaoEnt Being thus equip
ped with all the Appliances for a regular carpet
campaign, here commenced a system of eva
sions, shifts and mcuutebankisms, to protrcet
inaetion and delay such - was never before
displayed before deludcd people or disgraeed
any nation. The Preterse of the necessity Of
delay for the purpose Of organizing the army
and discipiining the troops, having been rang
upon all he changes until il heeaRe stale and
thread -barc, the ballosn insiitatica WAS thsn
made to display its chief virtue By being
brought mere vigorously iato requisition,
whereupon the rumor would be startled 10y the
thousand aud one officers louhging about the
hotels, saloons and streets, ard echoed by the
subsidized papers, the Washington Star, n.
Y. Herald and ether disloyal sheets, that a
reconnaissance by ballocn was beitg made to
be followed by an Immediate advance" Then
again waeE 8 rev regiment weGId arrive in the
city, and often times in the night, perhaps
tired, weary and hungry, orders would come
from headquarters that ii should proceed Gi-
rectly across the Potomac to spend the night
without tents or covering, and the cry OF an
Immediate advance would again be proclaim
cd. Then by published orders all officers of
duty would be required TO join their respective
commands, and the same subsidized organs
would, thereupon, as if speaking from author
ily, say the "advaucc" would now certainly
commence. Thus the delay was protracted
isem week 10 week, and frem mouth to menth,
Ind as winter approached, it was asserted an6
published, on authority of Mcclellan himself,
'hat the army lrould not go into triatSr quar-
ksrS, bat would remain in readiness for an ad-
'ance, sshils at the same time TIE troops srere
erectin9 the ve1y same +cilter quarters in
iohich theg remained until spring! No one
can forget the fruitful source, as a pretext for
celay, the "bad roads," furnished. Lock at the
correspondence in the n. Y. Herald articles
IN the Washington Star, and kindred prints
riore than suspected of being in the pay Of
Mcclellan, which appeared during the long
inter and spring iDactien and 10 one can
iaiI to be astonished at the bold pictures put
.arlh to deceive the public and cover up the
,.isgraceful and ruinous inaction of the csm-
,..aRder of the army Of the Potomac daring
lis memorable period. When every other