Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-04-29
THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
Report of the Joint Committee.

Report of the Joint Committee.
The army remained at Harrison's Bar dur
ing the month of July and part of August
1t engaged in no active. operations whatever
and was almost entirely unmolested by the en-
emy. The subject of the future operations
al the army was matter of much de liberia
tion on the part of the Government. General
Mcclellan claimed thar the James River was
the true line of approach to Richmond, aud
that he should be Te-enforced in order 10 re.
new the campaign against that place. The
President visited the army about the 9Th of
July, but nothing was then decided upon.
TEE ARMY ENERyArED
On the 25th of July, Gen. Halleck visited
the army at Harrison's Bar, ACCOMPANIED nv
Gen. Burnside, who had come from North
Carolina, with the greater portion of his force
TO Fortress Monroe. The general officers were
called together, and the question O T withdraw
ing the army was submitted to them. The
council was of rather an informal character.
The majority of the officers expressed them
selves in favor OF withdra val of the army
Gen. Burnside testiies that, as be understood
from Inc c1hcers there. the army was not in a
good condition, sickness was increasing, MANY
Of the regimen is were without shclter and
cooking utensils, and many of the men were
"!thout arms The general opinion express
sed by the leading officers was that the men
had become very much enervsted. One of
the leading officers said, that his command
could not, in his opinion, march three miles
and fight a battle. This condition of the
troops was one OF the reasons assigned for the
H''t"hharawsi oil the army from the peninsula
HcLELLAs's DEMAND FOR RE-EsPoRcEsEyrs
General Mcclellan applied for 90 OOC re-en-
ioTcements to enable him to resume active
operations. General Haleck when he visited
the army, informed Gen. Mcclellan that the
trgVefulent
additional troops. General Mcclellan con. |
'rnled TO renew operations with that number |
y S're-eniorcements, and General Halleck left |
win that understanding. But the dav thar he
lett General Mcclellan wrote to him. asking
'u' lo:OUo or 2U,OG0 troops from the Western
amy IN addition to those promised to him,
urging very strongly that they should he
H"nght here temporarily, to be returned TO
I'r W est after Richmond should have been
"Aeh. As this could not be DONE the order
vas gwen Tor the withdrawal of the army as |
apui! as possible, in order 10 co operate
WIN the forces under Gen. Pope, then in the
presence OF superior force of the enemy.
AcLELLAN's TESTIMONY.
Al regard TO the reinforcement of the ar
IN! al haTrison's Landing, the testimony of
ven. mcclellan is as follows:
question. How many available men did
!on estimate that yOn had at Harrisop's Bar
- O"'i 10 undertake movement successful |
F upon Richmond
% answer. think had about IS ono or ,
s-'S'O men nj harrison's Bar, and would have {
80, Neh another movement in advance
NIH ABOUT 10000 more re endorsements. Nv l
vas that pretty much everything that ,
- 10Y uo'ernment could have controlled ought 4
dt | oTen massed on the James River, l t
M M not oeheFe the enemy would trouble q
"Asuihgton SO long as we had a powerful ar .
.4' 10 lhc vicinity of Richmond. and did not
"" spprehensons for the safety of Wash | y
''"t were entertained by great MANY | Il
ca "'Aeu TOT oO,OOO men at first, on the G
saysud s, That thought the army should be /
49, ~ strong as possible, anu as little as | 4
- 'e't 10 chance. When Gen. Halleck | h
'Ie ,lh uo"h To Harrison's Bar, my recollection \
. 'Hat he said that 20 900 men. or som.tbing !,
5 aoy't 'hal number, was all that could be had Il
rnr,t aa'u that would try it again with that
s,tas nave no recoliectisn of having d
- a. subsequent period for greater O
nv oel . thah $4,000 as necessary preIimin- b
-! 10 movement. :,
los, T'eS'ioh. About how many men had been m
IL; nun 'ne 10th of June until you reached m
isgl A''ieu' "ounoed ana miss D
ooo answer. | think the loss was about IA w
lo. loo Du' could not tell positively without b,
Voking at the returns. ~
p, question. Will you state in what your Fl,
with ,t Tor success would have been greater, re
bsr IN. ne addition of 10000 men to the mum. m
tbs, lich you had at Harrison's Landing than TO
i J,ct were in front of Richmond, and before al
Of ttoa hao formed junction with the rest be
- '.e enemy's forces, -
80 "s"er. should have counted upon the IN
ulsca 'he battles, which had lust taken a
frases f, upon the enemy. We had the strong srt
been w.. ~ oeiieve that the enemy's losses had
Dort, very much heavier than our own and that VII
iI,.J IJ"s OF hi9ermy were very much demor an
liiln alter the Battle of Malvern Tt
,, GEN. BARNARD,s REPORT sa si,
Vi The p Their report upon the campaign ha
Ter 10 = tihsula. your Committee would re tw
Chief -, .e report of Gen. John G. Barnard an
mac dprinn e,neers OF the Army of the Poto- fol
Y geCIsnnus mat campaign. made to General FIR
Win sbjah, nan The conclusion OF his renort in.
'Sfms ''a retrospect pointing out The co