Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-29
ruE M'DowrLL COURT or INQUIRY.

tente0 from hahf0- -ttChhouo W
she PRESIDENT remarkable Devei-
oPments.
THE M'DowELL COURT OF INQUIRY.
The suppression by the Administration of the
correspondence aud orders relating 10 our cam
paigns and particularly so that OF the Peninsula,
has been the of the gr,aiest injustice TO
Generals, 10 the soldiers and all engaged This
suppression so insulting to the people. has been
coupled with falsifcatons. which make il a
crime. As the truth leaks out. we begin see
why the guilty ones in Washi- gton love dark
ness rather than light-for their deeds are evil
When the blaze of history Is thrown upon recent
events il will blast those whose cowardice and
presumption have ruined our country IL is only
| by accident, or indirectly, that the evidences
brought to hight Haleck's report. like toad,
ugly and venOmous. bare yet precious jewel in
It's head" in the noble letter of Mcclellan from
Harrison's lending.
The Mcdowell court martial has brought out
the letter to Ftz John Porter, to cOnfound the
enemies of Mcclellan The rest of the evidence
intended to vindicate Mcdowell. reaches further
aud places in high relief the conduct of the Com
marder in Chief
Mcdowell had Manned well and fought well
the battle of Bull Run. Looking back at that
protractei and almost successful battle we can do
justice to the valOr of men and the skill of
our officers. The final defeat and panic are to be
traced 10 other causes than MrD0well's want of
generalShip His fate afierward was to march
and countermarch. and effect nothing; till on the
same held Of Manassas. under Pope, he encoun-
tered second defeat. Accused of treachery by
Sisel on the field of battle. aud denounced a
traitor by the diving BrOdhead, he seemed to con-
centrate upon his he I'd all the odium of that dis
asier. as Pope did all it, righteousness. The sen
sstion letter writers in Washington had long made
him their target They had not the courage or
I = a.
They accused him falsely of intemperance sl0th
and cowarlice The public. who saw him screened
by the Cabinet. charged it TO Chase whose relative
he Is. and whose neptsm is somewhat indicate,
and resented the supposed fivoritism by a ready
credulity of all charges however gross.
We know not how his conduct in the brief cam
paign of Pope will appear upon investigation.
The charges have been vague aud indefinite.
This Inquiry is one promoted bv Mcdowell him
SELF and the investigation will be one sided. The
facts thus FAR presented vndicate his character.
personally, and rs an officer and particularly in
the retreat from Fredericksburg. They throw a
food of light upon that turning disaster of the
campaign of the Peninsula.
Who was responsible for the failure of Nc
Dawell. with his corps of 40.000 to connect with
Mcclellan, at Hanover Court House. and march
on to Richmond? Mcclellan, on this point, ties
tilted before the court martial:
Il have no doubt said. for il has ever been my
opinion that the Army of the Potomac would
have taken Richmond had not the corps OF Gen
Nj DJweIl been separated from it Ii Is also nv
opinion, hld the command of Gen Mellow ell
joined the Army of the Potomac in The month ol
My. by way of Hanover Court House from
fredericksburg, that we should have had Rich
mond within IA week after the junction do nol
hold General Mcdowell responsible ia nv owl
mind. for the failure to join ON either occa
sion''
ii M~Do~ell was not responsible. who ther
was? We quote upon this point portion of the
correspondence exhibited on the trial:
eExEl AL NJ 'DowEiL TO GENERAL MCCLELLAN
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT RArPAHANNocKl
Opposite Fredericksburg. May %, 1861
Mi Gen Geo Mcclellan. Commanding III,
Army.of the Potomac, White House, Va.
| have received the orders of the Secretary o
War to move with the army under my command
an CO operate with yours in the reduction o.
Richmond. and also copy of his Instructions e
you in relation to that co operation Major Gen
eral Shields will join me to day the
necessary preparations for the march can be com
peIed, watch l think viii be by the Oath inst
We shall set forward in the general direction or
dered
= There Is i'm front Of US to impede our aCvanc,
the secession army of the Rappahannock, ;,
called. under the direction of ]. r. Anderson, O
The Trede-ar Iron Works His force is from
twelve to fifteen thousand men. mostly S0uil
Carolina and Georgia troops. We should engag,
this force our first days march, MS they ar,
within six to eight miles of us posted and e
the figh, AMI left of the Fredericksburg ant
Richmond Railroad. and in position of conside
rable strength. j; is my purpose to turn thei
position by throwing large force on their lef
flank and cut off their opportunity of receiving
reinforcements from the direction o. Gorlous
vile. and, ut the same time, endeavOr to save th,
railroad bridges. Ii this can be done, another
channel OF supplies can be had for the force going
against Richmond that cannot fail giving a grea
relief to the Commissary and Quartermasters
department of the amy, and facilitate your ope
rationS. We cannot rely or this at present. be
cause they now occupy the line and ] am told arr
preparing to destroy The bridges it they are orcet
10 fall back
/ bee TO ask to what extent can rely on co
operations from YOU in my present movement, il
the way of your cutting OFF the retreat Of the enemy
upon Richmond. where they would add l. 900 Il
the forces against Won. and in saving the bridge:
across the Paymunkey; and what point on ths
Paymunkey you can extend your right to join me
and 10 what point YOU can cause supplies to b,
placed for my command. and by what date car
| count finding them there ready for met
shall require subsistence for $4,000 men anC
forage for | l 900 animals
IRvIx Mcdowell
Major General Commanding Department.
WAsHINGroS, VI ly "a, 1862.