The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-04-15
gurtage On, genlutrat,
RAvENNA, OHIO:
From the n. Y. Tribune.
TIE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.


The Joint Committee of Congress on the
Conduct of the War has completed its report
on the operations of the Army of the Po-
tomac, and we print it in full this morning;
surrendering to it a very large portion of our
space, but no more than its interest and great
importance demand. For the first time the
public is put in possession of a clear and i'm
partial history of the great army which the
nation raised with uuexampled hberality and
rapidity, and with unequaled generosity in
trusted to an uutried commander.
The Joint Committee, appointed in De-
cember, 1861, has pursued its labors with pa
tient diligence ever since, and finally presents
the results of its investigation to Congress
and the pnblic in report which is a model of
lucid, compact, and impregnable statement.
Composed of men differing widely in their
political views and personal sympathies, and
examining questions into which both politics
and personalities have been too largely suffer-
ed to enter, the Committee have, neverthe-
less, been united by an honest purpose to dis
cover the whole truth, and are unanimous in
the conclusions at which they have, arrived.
Thereport begins with the organization of
the Army of the Potomac under Gen. Nc
Clellan, and follows its fortunes down to the
dismissal of Gen. Burnside after the battle of
Fredericksburg. 1t presents the facts con-
cerning the blockade of the Potomac, the in
action of the Army during the Winter of
1961-2, the Rebel evacuation of Manassas,
the Peninsula Campaign, the failure of Gen.
Mcclellan to cooperate with Gen Pope, the
Campaign in Maryland, the protracted delay
which followed the battle of Antietam, the
removal of Gen. Mcclellan, the operations
under Gen. Burnside, and the final resignation
Of that nd IF ino1udas fbarefora
the whole military career of Gen. Mcclellan,
and not even his friends can object that he
should be judged by the results of an exam
ination so comprehensive, and by Commit
tee who cannot be suspected of a bias for or
against him..
AT the time of the appointment of the
Committee in December 1861, the Army of
the Potomac numbered about $4,000 men.
| Gen. Mcclellan had been its commander since
July. The whole of the intervening time
had been consumed in its organization anc.
equipment and since the 1st of October it had
been well armed and supplied with material,
well disciplined, and eager for active service.
Nowhere was it expected to go into Winter
quarters. The defense of Washington re-
quired not more than from $4,000 to $4,000
m n, leaving 100000 for aggressive opera
tions. The Rebels were at Manassas, in q
force now known to have been less than 70,
600, and by no means strongly fortified. Gen
Mcclellan, nevertheless. remained quiet all
Winter, and the only active operations were
on the part Of the Rebels, by blockading the
Potomac. sas,,s a5
f. That sore disgrace the Navy was eagertc
remove, requiring only the cooperation o.
Eabout 600 troops in order to hold Matthias
Point Gen. Mcclellan, after many sohcita-
tions, promised the troops and preparations
j were completed, but the troops failed to ar
rive. The reason assigned for their non-ap
pearance was the opinion of McClellan's en-
gineers that they could not be landed at th'
point proposed. Capt. Fox replied that tht
!, landing of the troops was a matter for which
the Navy. were responsible, and they wer'
again promised, but again were not sent. Tht
only excuse offered was the fear of Gen. Nc
Clellan that the movement might bring on
general engagement. The blockade, there
: fore, continued till March following, when tn
Rebels of their own. accord abandoned it.
[ On the 10Th of January, 1862 the Presi