The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-17


It 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 fled 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 LASTS now given to thepub-
lie, and may be found elsewhere in this pa
per, and will be received with great interest
by our readers. It is brief, clear and salts
factory in its statements, summing up
number Of the most important events of
the war in soldierly, and at the same
time, in scholarly style. From a brief
review of the report, in the Journal Of
Commerce, we extract the following, show
ing how it efectually disposes of the two
slanderous attempts made to charge on
him that he did not support PopE with
alacrity, and that he was responsible fot
the loss of Harper's Ferry: -r.."
There is an overwhelming eloquence in the
simple description of the late commander of
on the S0th 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
teams which he had dispatched on that service.
Those few days in August and September last,
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
his tent by the Potomac, his services ignored.
mis- sword declined, his loyalty even impeached
by base and ignoble partisans, whose motto had
all along been 1.-The Union is a league with
hell" Upon the unfortunate issue of that
campaign" of General Pope (McClellan does
not tell us it was only the day after he thus sat
deprived of command, disgraced and alone), 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
of all those troops and save the capital There
are nearly a hundred thousand men living to-
day who, if they survive the war Gas God grant
they may), will describe to their children and
children's children the eXulting 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
self the very heart OF the army, saved the capt.
tai. The shout went rolling down the CO.
lumns. 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, and it was heard by the enemy far in the
rear. by the old field OF conflict toward Manas-
sas The tide of the battle was stayed in its
flow. The soldiers oesought leave to turn
back They were gifted with new life. They
were no longer flying horde, but they were
again an army. Who can doubt it, when thir-
teen days later they so calamity carried the
crest of South Mountain, and two days after
won the bloody field of Antietam, against the
same enemy before whom they had been re-
treating on Washington!
II appears clearly that General Mcclellan had
nothing whatever to do with Harper's Ferry.
He advised the Government, nevertheless,
what course ought to be pursued, but General
Halleck declined his advice, and Harper's
Ferry was lost. 1t has been sa'd 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. Had his advice been pursued, there
would either have been no garrison there, or
they would have been securely posted on the
Maryland Heights. Instead of this, it was in
the hands OF untrustworthy men, and all that
he could do was to send Franklin to fight his
way through Champions Pass, and relieve the
beleagured garrison. Franklin did his work
brayely and well. 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-
per's Ferry. learned of his disgraceful surren-
der by the cessation Of the cannon ann to which he
n l,o calling for aid but CALAMITY main
ta;nin~ their own against the foe. II, does
not notice concern us now to say who was, char
neable with the loss of Harper's Ferry: The
President has seen fit to remove, the disgrace
of dismissal from the officer who was 1ncul-