The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-10-20

cd ut the time appointed, but when
they arrived in front of the rebel
batteries, there were no land forces
there. They thought some terrible
accident must have befallen McClel-
Ian and his army, and sent back their
couricrs in hot haste to know what
the matter was. Mcclellan told them
that ho had concluded after all that
it wasn't safe to move, for he was
afraid that they couldn't find q good
place to land if they did move. But
Mcclellan knew that, by all laws of
Military etiquette, the naval command
crs having planned the expedition, it
was their business, not his, to select
place for landing the troops Well,
they agreed on another time to make
the attack, and the naval forces again
sailed, and again Mcclellan failed to
cooperate. And SO the Potomac re-
mained blockaded and our capital shut
in by rebel batteries, and England and
France were on the point ofrccogni-
zing the Southern Coniederacy because
they were strong enough to blockade
us in our Capital.
THE ARMY MovEs-TuE QUAKER GUNS.
But | cannot 90 into the details of
these matters as wish | could. All
the fall into January, our army
lay idle, and every ono remembers
what magnificent weather. we were
having. Spring was approaching and
still there were no signs that the army
would nave, and Mcclellan still said
that it wouldn't do to advance. At
last Senator Chandler and [ went to
President Lincoln and urged the ne
cessity of its being pressed forward.
And he said "It shall novel Then
Mcclellan summoned council Of war
Of his leading generals, and so manip-
ulatcd and managed it, that eight of
twelve Of them expressed the opinion
that it would be dangerous and disas.
trous to go over the river. Mr.. Lin
coin overruled the council of war, and
under his explicit mandates Mcclellan
moved across the river to attack the
enemy. He moved, growing all the
way. He approached with fear and
trembling, those fortifcations stronger
than Sebastopol. And there he found
nothing but painted wooden guns,
and Notifications so slender that they
never could have borne the weight OF
siege gums, and ncve. did. They were
built for scare crows, and they were
enough to scare the young Napoleon,
| Laughter. The Committee on the
Conduct Of the War, discovered the
humbug even before Mcclellan did
For while the army was even then
marching upon Manassas, n Massachu-
sets man, endorsed as worthy Of be.
lief, by the Massachusetts Congress
men, came before that committee and
told that the guns were all wooden
and that there wasn't a rebel soldier
ut Manassas, and hadn't been for two
weeks. We took him before the Cab
met and they couldn't believe him
But soon there came another witness
"A man known to you and to fame
Bayard Taylor--and he declared tha
the guns were only quaker guns, anC
that there never were any siege guns
there and couldn't have been. So oul
army marched ont there. like the King
of France, with forty thousand men
and in big storm they marched bach
again. Laughter
Now Mcclellan wanted to try tht
Pcninsular route to Richmond. Blu
Mr. Lincoln saw that there was an i'm
portant rebel army lying near Wash
ington which must be watched. Ill
said to Mcclellan. "In my judgmen
the true lire Of advance is to attacl
the rebel army, meantime interposin!
your army between the rebels ant
Washington. But am not Il mihtar,
man, and You arc, and ifyour counci
of war is unanimous on this subject
you may take your own QUITE to Rich
mond, il you will leave an army corp
f here to defend the capital" | men
ton this because an attempt has bcel
made to deceive the people about th
, matter. Mr.. Lincoln only gave Nc
Clellan permission TO go on condition
, of united recommendation of his coun
, cil of war. But Mcclellan paid no at
tention to the condition. Ho nevc
called council Of war on this suhje
i | believe that had he done so, four {
the corps commanders, could have yo
S ted that the route which Lincoln fir;
= suggested, and Grant so gloriousl
+ carried out, [applause was the bes
. one.
TIE PENINsULAR CAMPAIGN-sEIGE OF
c YORKTOWN.
n In spite Of this condition, McClella
}, took his army and sailed away t
- Yorktown. How many men did Il
0 take there? We have indubitable tc.
timony that he took at least l2O, ,OO
: on the start. How many rebels wei
S there to encounter him? We have I'll
+ testimony Of Mr.. Boughten, as trutl
d full man as ever lived, then Senate
y from that part of Virginia, and sint
: dead. lie boarded at the same tabl
c with Magruder and other rebel leat
= crs at the time of the landing of Nj
n Clellan. and Magruder had no MOI
: idea, that he could stay there than
J. the internal regions. The rebels ho
:, not to exceed nino thousand men,
d This information comes direct irol
81 the rebel leaders, who boarded wit
s. Mr. Boughton. Well, they were q
ready to run, but they waited awhi