Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-01-27
january 81, 1868.
ImpOrtant Letter from Cen. Hitohcock

TO The Editor Of The Duly Chronicle
WAsHIsdToN CRY. ID. c., January n, 1868. -
Sir The New York Times cf yesterday contains
what was designed to he received by the public
AZ report Of my testimony before the Mellow
ell Court, now in session 10 this city, but it is 80
full OF errors aud inaccuracies Of all sorts, mis-
placements Of whole passages, and in one ma
lerial particular directly reversing my statement
that beg TO request that you Will afford space
in your columns for an accurate publication OF
that testimony together With the documents tx
hibited with it, which can doubtless be had at
the Courtroom.
IL my testimony was worth publishing at all,
II ought TO have been published as gave il. 1t
was the duty Of the court to determine the ques.
tons should be called upon to answer, and
niue only to state the truth, as sworn to do.
The court asked my opinion touching the re-
sponsibilities in case OF dsobedience Of orders
by General McCLELLAN, in not leaving for the
security of Washington the force designated by
tue four commanders Of the four army corps
composing the army of the Potomac.
Ia answering this question, placed the re-
Aponsibihty where military law mud army usage
has always placed it, with the officer who, as
was assumed in the question: had disobeyed the
order, to wit, with Gen. McCLELLAN, and not
with the President, who. in making good his
original order, by the detention of u part oil
/
merely took necessary step to repair mis-
chief committed by General MCCLELLAN himself
in not attending to the order Of the Sih of March
which was reiterated through the Secretary oi
War gu the 18th Of the same month In thI
| Tunes report Of my testimony this portion of il
is inverted, aud ] am put forward--I am bounl
TO suppose by accident-as placing the respOn-
albihty with the President, and not with Gener.
al MCCLELLAN.
| hIr mil n.
Court, that General MoCLELLAN, in disobeyinl
the orders of tue President, took upon himsel
the responsibility for all the consequences tina
might follow such disObedence This is plaiI
military principle, which every soldier under
stands.
will add here that General MoCLELLANi
proper course, under the orders of the President
was first to obey the orders punctually aud pre-
csely, and then to consider whether he had sulIi
cent force lett for the execution Of his plan 0
going to Richmond via Yorktown and the PENN
sula. II not, he should have reported to th
President before starting on his expedition. il
in that case the President had required him Il
proceed in the execution of his plans, all tn
} world would have placed the responsibility at th
door Of the President. General MCCLELLAN d.
not do this. lie commenced his expedition ''neg
glecting" the point so "explictly" ordered b
the President, and put large part of his fore
lh motuu iuI the latn'Hue nclOTt Nnt ffehlueh
knew Of that "neglect," and thus took upo
himself the entire responsibility for all that fol
lowed,
brilliant sucGess has often protected an off
Ger from the penalty annexed by laW-see th
} ninth Article OF War-to disobedienue Of orders
, but it will he new feature in military hstur
when fIi.ure, resulting from u departure of plan
= and orders, shall be visited upon the superior
! whose plum was not followed, and whose orde.
were neglected"
= Respectfully, &c, h, A. IIiTcHcock.