The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-20

Country W ponoiu tne Illuminating spectacio VI
new ships, at this advanced age, fitted with
machinery which cannot, until very important
changes have been made, work at all satistac-
toriiy, and, perhaps, not even them
That the new war vessels Of the country,
which has always led the world in high speed
cannot equal in that particular the pirate Ala
bama-of about the same tonnage--is a larger
piece of humble pie than we ever expected to
be forced to eat.
The Military Star Chambers 1T wash
tngton.
The Mcdowell Court of Inquiry presents the
singular spectacle Of an investigation kept open
after the evidence against the party ostensibly
on trial has been exhausted and his innocence
of the charges against him fully established
AS in the Porter case, which was prolonged
in the same unjustifable way, it is but natural
that the public should infer that other objects
are sought to be accomplished through its Ia
bors than those to which twas expressly limit
ed by Its organization. That inference will be
strengthened into conviction by two important
official papers which will be found this morn
ing among our telegraphic dispatches from
Washington and from the evidence of Major
General Hitchcock.
1t appears that these documents, which have
q direct bearing on the testimony given by
General Hitchcock in reference to the defences
of Washington, and which are necessary to a
full understanding of others submitted at the
same time by General Mcclellan, were ruled
out by decision Of the Court. OF their mate.
riality we should have supposed that there
could be no second opinion, from the state
ments made by Generals Hitchcock and Wads-
worth in regard to the insufficiehcy Of the force
left for the defence of the capital. The latter,
it will be recollected, asserted before the joint
Senate and House Committee on the Conduct
of the War that General Mcclellan had left
an insufficient force for the defence of Washing
ton, and not gun on wheels" The testimony
given by General Hitchcock in regard to the
alleged neglect of General Mcclellan in
connection with the defences of Washington
is now fresh on the minds Of our readers. 1t
appears, from the documents to which we refer,
that Mcclellan did not guess at or make a
rough estimate of the force which he left behind
for the defence of the capital, but that his
figures were, derived from the latest military
returns-the only reliable sources Of informa-
ton. When, therefore, Generals Hitchcock and
Wadsworth make assertions at variance with
these figures they exhibit recklessness of
statement unaccountable In military men, See
ing that they can be thus easily disproved from
official sources.
In his letter to Colonel Pelouze, Recorder Of
the Mcdowell Court of Inquiry, General Nc
Clellan states that in the instructions trans
mitted by him to Generals Banks and Wads-
worth, under date of March 16, the numbers Of
troops therein specified were furnished him by
the Adjutant General Of the Army Of the Poto-
mac and were taken from the latest official
returns, and do not, therefore, differ materially
from the aggregate strength of the commands
present at that date. From the accompanying
letter of General Barry, Inspector Of Artillery
it will be seen that thirty-two pieces Of light
artillery, in addition to those enumerated in
General McClellan's communication to the
Adjutant General, were left by him in the city Of
Washington, with men, horses and equipments,
all in condition for immediate service, with the
exception of q few horses, which could have
been supplied by she Quartermasters Depart
mont at any time-thus making one hundred
and nine pieces of light artillery left by his
orders for the defence Of the national capital
and its approaches at the time the Army OF the
Potomac left Alexandria for the peninsula. Is
it to be wondered at that with the objects which
the Court seems to propose to itself evidence
like this should have been ruled out!
The remarkable effectiveness of General
Wadsworth's memory is not, it appears, confined
to figures. On the I'd of April he says, in let
ter addressed to theSecretary Of War, published
in the HERALD on the 22d Of July following:-"I
am not informed as to the position Gen. Banks is
directed to take; but at this time he is, as
understand, on the other side Of the Bull Run
Mountains, leaving my command to cover the
front from Manassas Gap (about twenty miles
beyond Manassas) to Aqua creek" 1t appears
from General McClellan's letter to General
Wadsworth, which was given in evidence in the
Mcdowell inquiry, that Gen. Wadsworth was
informed as to the position General Banks was
directed to take in these words:-"General
Banks will command at Manassas Junction,
with the divisions Of Williams and Shields
On the LIST Of April, the day previous to the
date of Wadsworths letter, as seen by General
McClellan's communication to the Adjutant
General, published by the Mcdowell Court Of
Inquiry, General Abcrcrombe occupied War
rsnton with a force, including Colonel Geary's
at Whiis Plains, end W. cavalry ordered to
him, amounting TO $50 men with twelve pieces
of light artillery. Blenker's division was then
between Warrenton and Manassas Gap.
Immediately after General McClellan's ar
rival In front Of Yorktown he at once compre'
hended the magnitude Of the task before him
He had not sufficient force to detach a
command TO turn the position by the
north bank Of the York river, and the
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