Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-01-01

/ Reaufegard
No who reads the voluminous reports OF SCOTS
campaign in Mexico fail to observe the frequency
with which special honorable mention made OF three
young officers ths in hfs nrst dlspa,cn
Scott after ascrbing the success OF this operation main
y to the engineer officers says: If there be anything
in the FORM position and arrangement OF the trenches
and batteries ia the ner OF their execution it is
due to the ability, devotion and unremtting zeal of
these officers" Prominent among these specially named
are, Captain r. f. Lee, First Lieutenant P. g. T..
Beauregard and Brevet Second Lieutenant George 3.
Mcclellan.
Lee seems to have been the special fayorite of the
teran general and there is hardly single dispatch il
which his is not honorably mentioned. Perhaps
this may be owing to the fact that be was the high
est in rank the direct execution of the important
duties committed to him. Ia the reports of sub:
ordinate officers; tbe name of Beauregard and McCle[
Ian, with special concentrations OF their zeal and abll
ty, appear with about equal frequency. We have noted
nearly thirty instances of honorable mention of each of
their names and that of Lee is found quite as frequent
ly mentioned, mainly by Scott himself
In reading the reports of the battles in Mexico I'd
remembering the positions now occupied by the various
officers some curious condolences found Thus,
Magruder gives especial credit Sumner and Joseph
e Johnston is warm in his commentator OF Keno
After the battle of Cherpbusco, Mel LOrng reports
to his immediate superior Earl Y an Dorm The rifles
were accompanied throughout by the distinguished
young lieutenants Beauregard, Smith and Mcclellan
the two latter in command OF portion of the engineer
corps; ALL am happy to say bore themselves with the
| greatest galantry."
| At Churubusco Mcclellan was under the immediate
command Of 1t. G. ". Smith, subsequently street COM
missioner in New York, and of the generals,
the highest rank the Confederate service, superior to
maj general and nearly corresponding to marshal lii
the French army Smith is especially warm in bis
concentrations of Mcclellan. He says Lieut. Nc
Clelan frequently detached, and several times in COM
mand of the engineer company, is entitled to the highest
praise for his cool and daring gaantry all occasions
in the actions of the 9th and goth" And again:
No NTH Eopf 7 If no
i accommodating the same works. and had gone to our
right considerably further from the battery than we
were" Mcclellan was directed to ascertain the pos
ture of affairs, and reported that Lee engaged with
superior force. ordered Lieut.. Mcclellan
tnues Smith, to report the result of his operations to
Gen. Twiggs He did so, and on the recommendation
of Lieuts Stevens and Mcclellan in which concurred.
the lst regiment of artillery ordered to support the
Rifles have every to be more than satisfied
with the daring gallantry of Leus. q. t. Mcclellan
and J. G. Foster. and much indebted to them for
the efficient in which they performed their ar
duous duties on the l 9th aud Goth of August"
| At Churubusco, Mcclellan also under the i'm
mediate command OF Smith, who, in his report to Capt
Mackal, 1.-THE Confederate Genl Mackal we suppose,
who was kile1 near Corinth) says: To Lieut.. G. B
Mcclellan, of the Engineer company am Indebted for
most important services both engineer and com
pany officer. His daring gaantry, always conspicuous
was never more clearly shown than on this OCCASION
Operating most of the time separately relied implicit
ly his judgment in all matters where not pres
ent and happy to say that the result in every
justified his decisions
The careful reader of the whole series of dispatches
respecting the campaign in Mexico, will come to the
conclusion that the three who after the veteran
commanding general displayed the highest military
talents, the three young officers of engineers-Lee
Beauregard, and Mcclellan Beauregard has not, On
the whole, justified his early promise in high de-
gree the Others though it may be doubted whether
the reason is rot to be found in the alousy of the
Confederate authorities rather than in any want of
pacty bis part. Lee and Mcclellan virtually at
the head of the two armiee of the North AMI the South
and by the almost unanimous consent OF both sides,
they the most capable to fill these posts. So
far judge, from the combined result of
the whole series of operations in which they have been
he in he PENINSULA ai esue
unfavoraby, it is true, but the unanimous verdict of
the country that this owing to his plans being
thwartod by without any competent military
knowledge. The of his operations in Maryland,
where he has had uncontrolled authority vndcates the
highest claim for military capacity which bis friends
have ever advanced for him.-Hnper's Weekly,