New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-12
EHB MCDOWELL COURT OF M
QIERS.
Gen. Mcclellan on the stand again.

plan that any o. your 'otes shVu" 20 W 'ie"e'VAS-
burg
Gen. McClellan--You mean the original part Of
Ahe campaign, presume
Gen. MeDOweh-Yes, Sir.
Gen. McClellan-No it was no,-all tie active
tgoOps to move in the general direction of the
Peninsula.
Gen. Mcdowell here s.ked snd obtained leave to
prese eyerl doc uments bearing ON the case which
were read as follows:
The correspondence embraces, among others,
letter from Secretary Stanton TO Gen. Mcdowell,
Apnl IL, informing bio that Tor tue present and
uDiil further orders be TO consider tue National
Csrits az especially under his protection, and 20
make no movement throwing his force ont Of po-
si,IOn fof the discharge Of this primary duty and
smother, April 2l in which II s stated the PIerlden
des,es Mcdowell should not throw his force across
the Rsppabannock at that time, bat that he Should
get his bridges and transportation all ready, and
walt farther orders.
IL the COPY Of instructions to Mcclellan, May II,
Il appears that Mcclellan had asked for re-enfor,e
ments. Tie Secretary Of War BAYS to him: The
President Ia not willing 10 uncover the CAPITAL
entirely, aud il Is believed that even II this were
prudent, ii would require more time to effect june
lion between your army RI that Of the Rappaban-
mock by the way Of the Potomac and ORR Rivers,
than by land march IN order, therefore, 20 increase
the strength Of the attack upon Richmond ~ the
earliest moment, Gen. Mcdowell has been ordered
70 march upon that city by the shortest route, etc.
MeDOwell, May % informs Mcclellan OF his pur-
poses, taking into view the pOeiOn. of the army.
Ihe HIeelG6Dt NfltCS mcdowell, May ~ thht
mont has been orieTed 20 move IRON FIankiln, GU
BarnsOnbnrg 10 relieve Geo. Banks, aud capture
OF destroy Jaeksons anu Ewells forces. You are
Instructed, laying aside for the present the move
ueLt On Richmond, 10 pat 10000 men IN motion at
once for the Shenandoah, moving on the lie. or Ia
kdvaDce OF the line, Ct The Manassas Gap Railroad.
Your object will be ~ caDtae the iorCes OF Jack
s0n and LWell either ia cooperation with Fremont
or, ia case want Of supplies OF OF transportation
iDterferes with his movements, 1t Is believed that
81 .f.Yl Hoo T..
accomplish the object aore, Sc To his Mcdowell
ssys: " The Presidents order has been rcce we'd
aud l. in process Of execution. Ihis Is d erusning
blow 10 "a"
The President writes Mcdowell, ~ AN highly
grstifed by yOur alacry 10 obeying my orders; the
chabse as painful 10 ~ II can possibly Ia TO
you or to any one. Everything now depends upon
the celeIity aud vlgoT OF yoaf movement SIC
DOwell, III reply, after stating reasons, Gays; IL
is, therefore, not DULY persoual grounds that
have a heavy heart ia the matter, but that feel II
throws az al back, and from .Itichuond north we
sha have all our large masses paralyLed ana snail
have TO repeat what we have jest accomplished
O. Did Won frequently aud daily zee Gen Nc
Dowall when be was at Fairfax Court-HouHs IN
March last, and, if 30, did you zee him on the day
when the troops were ordered back TO AlHxandrai
ii So state what was his condition at that tme, or
Ut arV during bls stay al falfiar Courthouse,
wheu the army was there III March last; whether he
was or was not under the inteence o. liquor; state
also how Tong you have known Gen. Mcdowell
and what has Ueen his reputation among IbOe VINO
knew him ps an abstalner from all lntoXcatIi
orinks
A. / saw Cen. Mcdowell several times every day
IN March last at Fairfax Court li0nse, and also on
she day tue troops ordered back 20 Alexandra.
lie was in bic usual condition. entirely Tree Iron
sny elect OF intoxicating hquOr. | have kuOws
Ger. Mcdowell for neatly ~ years; have known
him as who ATTAINED from anything IN the shape
OF wine or spirliu0us quOr-i link, even from tea
and coffee lIauxh.er.l I know mat has been hi1
L " 1
could ina glue nothing more stsurd than The charge
OF BIS ICING IN any way under the iAnuehce Vi
liquor.
Gen. Mcdowell here stated that he had no more
ques ions 10 ask tie wItne-s ut present. The FOL
loving questions were then pfopounded by the
Court:
q. State whether Gen. MeDowe!lwas under your
Command az the time Of your movement IRON the
Potomac and the Peninsula
A lie was.
q. What orders were given by you 10 Gen. Nc
Dcwell having reference TO the movements on the
PeLiutula ana how did these plans affect The general
plan Of movement FOR tle Army Of the Potomac
4. The orders were Tor Gen. Mcdowell 10 embark
his corps upon the transports then engaged IN carry
ING tOOps ana having has whole command eln-
barked, 10 report 70 ne Tor lurth-r orders ~
forir,ts Monroe or wherever | might happen TO be,
the intention beingt0 move that corps AS a umt b.
tie York or Severn River. according 10 CIR un-
nanceE-that movement beils ali essential pat OF
the campaign.
Others higher in autDoniyi AMI If 70, how
A. Trey were nOt Changed by me, but by TIE Pfesi-
dent Of the United STATES. When IN front Of York
town, W3h considerable portion Of the army under
hfe received the fast nmaii ion OF All ibtenion 70
change The destination Of Gen. NcDowelis troops.
1nat animation was a telegraph Dispatch from the
war Department Informing me that Gen. Nc
D)weiPs corps had been Withdrawn from tho army
Of he Potomac.
Q. Did yOo, after the investment Of Yorktown
sehd an orGers 70 Gen. Mcdowell or did Won
rev set any orders % he sent 20 Gen. Mcdowell
III 90 what the tenor Of zach orde-s and OF
fbe reply from Gen. Mcdowell or from those TO
whom the request was made
n. rent 10 orders TO Gen. NJ cDoWeli after the
Investment Of Yorktown, for the reason that re-
eevod The information that ne was do,aohed from
ny .'iauand GA tie very day wo arrived in front Of
Yorktown.
q. Wien you caused the occupation II Hanover
Souf'-llone did you expect The corporation Of
vel AeijOwelle corps, and If 40 OF what Wa
.aon expectation based for wnlt purpose was
ne Cooperation desired, and what wosid have been
% % pioyASle snlt Of junction OF Mcdowell and
N','eI az that lime, or shortly sfterward
" hoped tor tie cooperation of Gen. Mellow. !
corps or hen. Mcdowell army; although that
n o1lston ~ss not The oDlg reason for occupying
VNer Cont House, The expectation aud hC DC Of !
Dp'id'iOh was bssed on informatiO had received
80 '"-Dus uines from Washing too. the rei.so, hy
-" 80, 2"Ihhoh Was desired was 10 increase our I
n9pie s'rebgh sufficiently TO iuGnre the capture
n t,ier mond aud, Ia my opinion, The junction Of
bDD"en ahs Porter would have enabled No 10 |
"1 ~ s.ecomplisi.ed the object OF the campaign.
INA, rSas ~, The capture Of Richmond
~. ihat question, howe yer, have already an.
-"''se 10 my Other testimony