The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-09-15
--------S Go ..t
The Military Genius Of ''the Young
@ ..a Napoleon"


bic mysteries of McCielIan's campaign
against Richmond, says a cotempoRary, why
after his Army had gained 50 brltlisnt and
glorious victory at Malvern Hill, heshould
have ordered a retreat to Harrison's Land
ing. Whatever may be said of the previous
battles of that campaign there can be no
manner of doubt that that of Malvern Hill
was a great victory, and hurled destruction
upon Lees army to such an extent as Literally
to reduce his force to torn and bleeding
mob More than ten thousand rebels lay
on the field dead or dying whole regts. had
been swept away and annihilated by the
terrible storm,of grape shot and rifle bullets
that tore through their ranks Lees army
was routed, bleeding, and demoralized, and
fleeing in terror to the swamps, throwing
away their arms and knapsaaks, and expect
ing instant pursuit and capture. 1t was at
this juncture that Gen. George B. McClel-
Ian, commanding that army instead of re-
Stunning the offensive and advancing again
| toward Richmond, which he could then have
! taken, ordered retreat to Harrison Land
| ing On this subject we find the subjeined
statement in the Rev. j. ] Marks able
s'History of the Peninsular Campaign i'll
Virginia." written Immediately after Nc
| Clellan abandoned the Peninsula, and by an
army Chaplain who saw what he describes
s'The battle was over, bnt the cannonad-
| ing still continued, and shells and balls Of
every kind tore through the woods in a
ceaseless whirlwind of fury. In the mean
time, thousands of the Confederates fled in
the widest disorder from the scene, and hid
themselves in swamps and hollows; soldiers
without guns, horsemen without caps
and swords, came to the hospitals i'll
the battle field of Glendale and reported
that their regiments and brigades were
swept away, and that they alone were left
to tell the tale. l ..
] sit is one Of the strangest things in this
week of disaster thai Gen. Mcclellan order
ed retreat to Harrison's Landing. six miles
down the James river after we had gained
so decided victory. When this order was
received by the impatient army, the conster-
nation ard anazement overwhelmed our
patriotic and ardent hosts. Some refused
to obey the command, Gen. Martindale shed
tears of Shame The brave and chivalrous
Kearney said in the presence of many off
GERS ST, Phillip Kearney, All old soldier
protest against this order for retreat; we
ought instead of retreating, to follow up the
enemy, and take Richmond And III full
view of all the responsibility of such a dec
laration, say to you all, such an order can
only be prompted By cowoTdice or tre0Son.'
''And with all, hopelessness and despair
succeeded the flush of triumph. In silence
and gloom our victorious army commenced
retiring from an enemy utterly broken, scat
! tered and panic-stricken.
''And when there was not foe within
| miles of us, we left our wounded behind to
| perish, and any one witnessing our retreat
would have supposed that we were in the
greatest peril from vi@liant and trium-
plant enemy.
1t is on the strength of such strokes of
military genius as this that the Democrats
are bawling themselves hoarse to make Nc
Clellan President He has no record as a
statesman, for he never has been one. He
has no civil record, in fact, whatever. by
the war he has been brought into proini-
ncnce. His whole career has been that of a
soldier, and as soldier he must be judged
| He is claimed to be the best general Of the
war. His men gained glorious victory in
a battle where he was not present till its
close, and he rewarded them by ordering
another retreat, leaving all his wounded OH
the field in the hands of a routed enemy
A parallel to this can hardly be found in
military history.