Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-05
arrived a. diserent eOneIusI0ns from your

arrived at different conclusions from your
own.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
| 81. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief.
/ OFFICIAL Cory. }. C. KELToSs Asst. Adjt. Cen
Notwithstanding this plain and emphat-
ic exhibit Of the necessity of the transfer,
General Mcclellan did not move until the
14th, eleven days after he was ordered to
do go Meantime General Burnside had
promptly moved from Newport News to
/ Acquis Greek, according to orders. The
tardy motions of Mcclellan caused General
Hnlleck to be "greatly discouraged at the
prospect of timely aid from that quarter "
to assist Pope in repelling the advance of
the rebel army upon Washington. To gain
time for McClellan's operations and to ef-
feet demonstration from the enemy, Gen
eral Pope pushed across the Rsppahan-
mock and then ensued the battle of Cedar
Mountain. Regarding General POpe's Op-
erations, General Halleck says his "dis-
positions at this juncture were well plan
ned" He severely eensures the delay
shown in the movements of the Army of
the Peninsula by saying:
"Every effort was made to push forward
supplies and re-enforeements to General
Pope's army. The troops from the Penin-
sula were ordered not to wait for trans
portatiOn, but to march Immediately TO the
field Of battle. Some Of the corps moved
with becoming activity, but the delays Of
others were neither creditable nor excu-
sable"
BE further says Of Pope's campaign:
3Although this short and activs cam
! Poigr was, from -ozrrses- ulr5zdy referred 10,
less successful than we had reason to ex-
pect, it had accomplished the great and
| important object Of covering the capital
till troops could be collected for its defense.
| Had the Army Of the Potomac arrived q
few days earlier, the rebel army could
have been easily defeated, and perhaps
destroyed"
Passing rapidly over the movements
upon the Upper Potomac General Hslleck
speaks of the disgraceful surrender" Of
Harper's Ferry "within hearing of the
guns Of McClellan's army" The long in
activity of McClellan's army after the bat
tie Of Antietam, on the 18th Of September,
in the face of defeated foe and during
the most favorable season for rapid move
ments and a vigorous campaign was, a mat
ter of great disappointment and regret
General Mcclellan disapprOved of crossing
the Potomsc south of the Blue Ridge and
said he would cross at Harper's Ferry and
advance upon Winchester. He did not
however, begin to cross until the 22d Of
October, and then at Berlin. General
Halleck here refers to the correspondence
which had been had between the Secretary
of War and himself regarding the alleged
want of supplies for the army, in which
he showed that there was no reason for the
charge Of delay fof that cause. The pas
sage of the Potomac was completed on the
Sd OfNovember, and thencefOrwsrd Gen
eral McC Clellan ceased to communicate with
General Hslleck and sent his reports di-
reetly to the President On the 9th the
order came relieving General Mcclellan
from command.
This history of the course of the late COM
mander is most damaging and convincing.
1t is from the pen of no " Abolitionist or
radical, but from one who had been warm
friend and admirer of Mcclellan; from
an old soldier who has clear head and
practical insight into military movements
The plain record which it gives of inca
pacity, and, that gravest Of all soldierly Of
fences-disObedience of Orders,-cannot be
gainsayed.
General Halleck then reviews General
BuelPs campaign, and says that as an in
vestigation has been ordered into this, it
is obviously improper for him to express
his opinion unless specially directed to do
so. He reviews the military operations
throughout the country, and concludes that
while our soldiers have fought bravely
and won many important battles, these
victories have not produced the naval re-
suits. In many instances the defeated foe
was not followed from the battlefield, and
even where q pursuit was attempted, it
almost invariably failed to effect the cap
ture or destruction of any part of the re-
treating army. One defect has been in the
unnecessarily large amount Of transporta-
ton and baggage allowed. The troops
have been too little accustomed to marches
such as are required by active operations
in the field. The enemy out-march US both
in advance and retreat. Absenteeism is
another great evil. There are thous-
ands Of stragglers and deserters and
men absent without leave. In the
case Of officers this evil is being abated by
summary dismissals, and if the law were
sIringently enforced against the men it
would soon put an end to desertions But
struggling on the march and in battle can
be prevented only by severe and summary
punishment, inflicted upon the spot. Gen.
eral Halleck closes by saying:
ain this and many other important par
neulars our military laws require revision
and amendment. They were mostly en-
aetcd for a small army and for times Of
peace, and are unsuited to the government
of the army we now have, and the war in
which we are now engaged"
We make no apology for the space Occu-
pied by this abstract Of General Halleck's
report. It is one Of the most important
documents of the war.
Secretary Smiths RESIGNATION Certain.