The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-04-17
Report Of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War.
The Army of the Potomac.

The Army of the Potomac.
1t will be remembered that the joint com
mittee on the conduct of the war was raised
in December, 1861 consisting of three mem.
bers of the Senate and four members of the
House of Representatives. After having
taken the testimony of nearly two hundred
witnesses, including about one hundred gen.
erals, the committee now submit their report
through their chairman, Senator Wade
The length..of the document precludes US from
copying it entire, and we shall therefore pre-
sent an abstract of its material points.
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
Before proceeding to take testimony the
committee addressed note to Gen McCiel-
Ian, requesting an interview, which was pre-
vented by the i'll health of that officer. The
committee speak in high terms of the repu-
tation which Gen Mcclellan brought to the
command o: the army. and of the soiicitude
with which that army was regarded by the
Government from the outset. Other gener-
ais and other exigencies had TO be provided
with troops from other sources, and nothing
was for moment allowed to impair or di-
minish the efficiency of the army Of the Po-
tomac. The committee add:
"When Congress assembled in this city,
in the beginning OF December. 1861. so sue
cessful had been the exertions OF the author
tiles. and SO zealously had the people re
sponded to their coun,ry's call. that the con-
sol:dated morning reports, furnished your
committee by the aIiutant general OF the
army, showed that. exclusive of the command
of Gen Dix, at Baltimore,the army of the
Potomac consisted of about $4,000 men.
The weather during the fail season. and
for some weeks after the converting of Con-
gress, continued unusually favorable for act
i've military operations. .As month after
month passed without anything being done
by the army of the Potomac. the reople be-
came more and more anxious for the an
nouncement that the work of preparation
had been completed ard active operations
would soon be commneced.
From the testimony before vour committee
it appeared that the army of the Potomac
was we'll armed and equipped. and had reach
ed high state of diciplne by the last o:
September or FIRST of October. The men
were ready and eager TO commence active
operations. The generals in command OF
the various divisions we're opposed to going
iato winter quarters, and the most of them
declared that they had no expectation Of do
ing so."
THE BLOCKADE or TIE ToToMAC.
1t appears from the testimony of Capt G.
\. Fox. that in June, 1861, the Navy Depart
ment proposed to the War Department that
measures be adopted n take possession oi
Matthias Point. in order TO secure the navi-
CATION of the Potomac from any danger oi
being interrupted: but nothing was DONE
/ The same course was twice taken afterward
with the same result. although the blockade
which followed, was earnestly predicted. Fl
nally, Gen Mcclellan promised that 1000
men should be ready at time named to pro-
eeed down the river. The Navy Department
provided the necessary transports for the
troops, and Capt Craven, commanding the
Potomac tiotila, upon being notified to thai
etfsc', collected At Matthias Point al the
boats Of his hotilla at the time named. The
troops did not arrive, and the Navy Depart
ment was informed of the fact by Capt Cra
ven. Assistant secretary Fox. upon enqnir.
ing of Gen Mcclellan why the troops had
not been sent according to agreement. Wa;
informed by him that his engineers were o
the opinion that so large a body of troop,
could not be landed. ana therefore he conclu
ded not to send them. Capt Fox replied
that the landing OF the troops was matter
of which the Navy Department had charge
that they had provided the necessary means
to accomplish the landing successfully: tina
no enquiry had been made of them in regard
to that matter, and no notification that III,
troops were not to be sent.
1t was then agreed that the troops shou!t
be sent the next night. Capt Craven wa
again notified and again had his fotilla il
readiness for the arrival of the troops. Bu
no troops were sent down at that time. no
were any ever sent down for that purpose.
The President was exceedingly disappoint
ed at this failure, and Capt Craven threw u
his command on the Potomac and applied t
be sent to sea. Navigation was immediatei
closed and so remained till the rebels voun
: tarly evacuated their batteries the Marc
folloSing.
LINE OE OPERATIONS.
=. This part of the report opens with the fo
lowing documentary matter:
f "EXECUTIvE MANSION, }
= WASH INGToN, january 81, 1862. {
Presidents Special IFar Order No l.
= Ordered, That all the disposable force {
. the army OF the Potomac, after providin
safely for the defense of Was lingtor, b
r formed into an expedition for the imme6ia.
+ object OF seizing and occupying point upo
:, the railroad southwestward of what is know
e as Manassas Junction: all details to be in II
discretion of the general-in-chief, and III
d expedition to move heftlre Or On tho ooa L.