Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-09-15

In the spring Of 1853 and 'j4 he was en-
gagged in railroad and other surveys, includ-
ing an exploration of n portion of the Gas.
cade Range for the proposed Pacific Rail
, way, and report upon the construction
equipment, and so forth, ofvarious railways
in the United States. At the close of 1854,
he was sent by the government on secret
mission to San Domingo and adjacent Is
/ lands during which he collected vast a
{ mount Of Typographical ard other informa-
= ton
In 1876 he was commissioned as Captain
! in the lst Cavalry, and in 1855 he accom-
, panied Majors Dela6eld and Mordecai to
the Crimca, to observe and report upon the
conflict then in progress between Russia on
the one hand, and England, France, and
Turkey on the other. His report was print
= ed, and at once attracted widespread and
surprised attention 1t related mainly TO
the engineer and cavelry branches of the
! military service, and was full and compre-
/ hcnsive, and at the same time was crowded
with valuable deductions and important sug-
: gestions, which showed how well he had
comprehended these important branches
This work has obtained favorable recognition
: not merely in this country, but in Europe,
: and it Immediately gave the writer high
, position among the best military minds on
: both sides of the Atlantic.
' Early in 1851 he resigned his position in
t the army and removed to this city, and for
: three years filed the responsible position of
f Vice President and Engineer of the Illinois
2 Central Railroad. In 1850 he resigned his
position on the Illinois Central Railroad and
| removed to Cincinnati, where he was ap-
e pointed General Superintenden of the Ohio
= and Mississippi Railroad. A little later he
, was made President Of the Eastern Division
| o. Ia,
pied at the breaking out of the present re-
= belon.
S In May, 1861, the State of Ohio, Indiana
s and Illinois were placed in the Department
t of the Ohio" and its command given to Ma
d ior General Mcclellan, who had thus been
/ commissioned in the Ohio Volunteers by the
/ Governor of that State. He at once entered
d upon the duties of his new position and as
k fast as possible proceeded to the organiza
e ton Of the nine months Ohio Volunteers
A The same month several bodies of rebel:
n made their appearance in Western Virginia
IS and threatened the Baltimore and Ohio
( Railroad. Gen. Mcclellan at once tool
d measures to prevent the threatened inte
:, ruptions.
@ That Gen. Mcclellan, in thus entering
n zcalously upon the war, did So from a sin
&c cere desire to prevent the disruption of the
n country, is undoubted, His first address
h to the Union men of West Virginia show,
r. that he in no wise entertained suspicion o
If the fanatical purpose to which the war wa!
g now to be perverted by the administration
r, In this address he says;
le x y \ Il have ordered troops to cross the
le river. They come as your friends and you
lc hrothers-as enemies only to armed rebel
T. who are preying upon you. Your home
your families, and your property are sat
S under our protection. All your rights shal
m be relgiously respected.
40 Notwithstanding all that has been sal
ld by the traitors to induce you to believe tina
ne our advent among YOU will be signaizod b
a interference with your slaves understan
us one thing clearly-not only will we abstai
m. from all such interference but We will, c
" the contrary, with an iron hand, crush al
d. attempt at insurrection on their part.
", At the same time he issued an address
;e; his army, in which he says:
ed II place under the safeguard Of yol
% ! honor the persons and property Of the Vi
to to feelings and all their rights. Preserve tn
lis strictest discipline; remember that each on
nd of you holds in his keeping the honor {
W. Ohio and OF the Union.
o. 'If YOU are called uponto overcome arme
opposition, | know that your courage is {
or aual to the test; but remember that you
nd only foes are the armed traitors, and sho
en- mercy even to them when they are in you
[c- power, for many of them are misguided
. Thus early did Gen. Mcclellan indicat
ne that he entered upon the war, not to SUI
ar vert the institutions ofthe South or to col
ny duct a crusade against unarmed citizen
ne but solely to crush treason in arms. Wh
IN doubts that had this policy been adhered t
lie the rebellion would to-day have been
Il e Il, mad h., I,,,pn tN, ,lo
ch stronger than it was ere the attempt ha
ITS been made to disrupt it?
~ The campaign in Virginia and its compet
,.,, success are so well known that we need NJ
lh give its details special attention. Suffice
uo he completely cleared West Virginia of r.
i:' bells, having killed. captured and disperst
i,i 49, all the opposition that held that portion
w WI the State, with a most insignificant loss
w the Federal forces. 1t was one of the mo
a." 'ot mastery campaigns ofthe present war. F.
Io a special object it was originated, and tn
nv object in little more than a month was a
Io H., complished, including every single deta
'ai1 am 1t evinced so much mastery ability tn
.Ll di the commander at once achieved nation
Wv WV reputation, and in response to a univers
uSS e,, demand he was called to Washington to a
JUS sist in repairing the disaster of Bull Ru
aI which luSt then naQ ldllen with crushing
ean ga. feet upon the nation. He was at once gi
10 ior en- the command of Washington and the D
az partment of Northeastern Virginia, and
o,. immediaty set to work to bring order out
',5 ", the choas that there prevailed and an arr
rn rnJ out of the unwieldy mob then as now knoy
Ero ~ as the Army of the Potomac. Before ia
80 ing leave of the Department of West V
-, =, ginia, it may be added, Gen. McClell
,n ~ urged upon the administration the buildi
a u"- of gunboats on the Mississippi river, viii
90 o., suggestion was afterwards carried into effe
oo, on, with result whose benefit is so well knoV
oi i, that nothing more than mere allusion to
nd necessary.
iph Upon assuming command at Washingto
or Gen. Mcclellan at once proposed compl
led hensve plan to to the President. 1t W
nc first, to drop all attemps, save the
on directed against the rebels in arms, an
yal- second, to raise an army of two hundred a
mt eight thousand men, which should, at
but given time, strike the rebellion at doz
Ia. different points, and thus crush it at one
for At that time the main Confederate arr
ba. was at Manassas; rebellion was not u,
Of versa thing in the South, and had Gre
VITO McClellan's plan been pursued, the rebelli
mi, at that early day would have been compet
yr, war y extinguished, His policy of conciliati
ion those not in arms, would have prevent
mre the Confederate leaders from raising for
,hle idable armies, while the enormous physiC
ono superiority, which he proposed to use wou