The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-17
Gen. McClellan's Report of the Mary
land Campaign.

1t is a frequent misrepresentation of the
radical press that General MCCLELLAN has
made no report of any kind, either of his
Peninsula campaign or of the Maryland
campaign His preliminary reports of both
these campaigns were made and filed in the
War Department promptly, but for some
reason they have been concealed from the
public until the present time. The pre-
liminary report of the Maryland campaign,
made inc October last, is now given to the pub
lie, and may be found elsewhere in this pa
per, and will be received with great interest
by our readers. 1t is brief, clear and salts
factory in its statements, summing up a
number of the most important events of
the war in soldierly, and at the same
time, in scholarly style. From brief
review of the report, in the Journal of
Commerce, we extract the following, show
ing how it effectually disposes of the two
slanderous attempts made to charge on
him that he did not support POPE with
alacrity, and that he was responsible for
the loss of Harpers Ferry:
There is an overwhelming eloquence in the
simple description of the late commander of
the great army on the Peninsula, at Alexandria
on the 30th August with only hundred men
under his command, having exhausted all the
means at his disposal to forward supplies to
General Pope even to his own headquarter
I'll, III
Those few days in August and September last,
will in future years be material for song and
stirring description in story. The sound of the
battle was in his ears The very dust of the
conflict was visible on the distant horizon.
The men that he loved-and sadder STILL that
loved him-were going to death in the tempest
of war; but he might not be with them, for he
was sitting forgotten by his government, in
mis- tent by the Potomac, his services ignored,
mis- sword declined. his loyalty even impeached
by base and ignoDlc DartisanS whose motto had
all along been 1.-The Union is league with
hell Upon the unfortunate issue of that
campaign of General Pope (McClellan does
not tell lis it was only the day after he thus sat
deprived Of command, disgraccd and aione), he
received an intimatiOn that his services were
desired" He was still INSTRUCTED that he had
nothing to do with the troops under General
Pope" but the very next day made it necessary
for the nation to call on him to take command
Il Il.
are nearly a hundred thousand men living to-
day VINO. if they survive the war (as God grant
they may). will describe to their children and
chiidrcn's children the cyulting joy of the army
when the news flew from regiment to regiment
over the Virginia hills that George was in the
field" The name OF the young general him
elf The very heart OF the army, saved the CAPT.
tai. The shout went rolling down the CO.
lUmrs. it crossed the breaks in the shattered
MASSES it rang through the forests, it sped
from hill to hill, until the rear guard caught it
UP. ana it was heard by the enemy far in the
rear. bv the old field oi conflict toward Manas-
sas The tide Of the battle was STAYED in its
flow The soldiers ncSou@ht leave to turn
back. They were gifted with new life. They
were no longer flying horde but they We're
a.sain an army. VINO can doubg it. when thir-
ten days later they - calamity carried the
crest Of south Mountain, and two days after
won the bloody field Of Antictam, against the
same cncmy before whom they had been re-
treating on Washington!
Il appears clearly that Gencral Mcclellan had
nothing whatever to DO with HaIpers Ferry.
lie advised the Government, nevertheless,
what course ought to be pursued, but General
IIulcc,l declined his advice, AND Harper $
Ferry was lost 1t has been sad that he should
have relieved Harper's Ferry. After all his
communications Herewith were cut on, On the
18th. he was authorized to take command OF
that place. iIai ms advice been pursued, there
would either have been no garrison there or
they would have been securely posted on tnc
Maryland Heights. Instead Of this, it was i'll
the hands of tntrustWorthy men, and all that
he could do was to send Franklin to fight his
way through Champions Pass, and relieve the
beeagured garrison. Franklin did his work
brayciy and we'll. On the same day that Burn
side carried South Mountain, right glOriOusly
was Franklin sweeping through the lower
pass. driving the enemy before him,
and on the next day, while pressing
down the valley to the relief OF Har-
ner's Ferry. learned Of his disgraceful surren-
der by the cessation OF the cannon to which he
had been listening as to the voice of brave
nomr@6cs calling for aid but gallanrly main
t,ininr their own against the foe. 1t does
not concern us now to say who was char
, mo with the loss OF Harper's Ferry The
President has seen lit to remove, the disgrace
81 1isrnissaI from the officer who was lncul-