Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-27
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1864.
AN ENGINEER TURNED PAMPHLETEER.

A few months ago General j. g. BARNARD,
Of the United States Corps of Engineers, pub.
lshed small volume entitled "The Peninsu-
Lar Campaign and it's Antecedsnts, as developed
by the Report Of Major General George B. Nc
Clellan and other Public Documents" 1t pur-
ported to be review" of that campaign, but in
reality it was coarse and malignant personal at
tack on tho military reputation of Gen. Mcclellan.
When he wrote his "review" Gen. Barnard was
only Brigadier General of Volunteers Since
the publication of his "review" he has been
made Mcjor General of Volunteers Sic itur
ad astra.
We have said that Gen. Barnard's work is .
coarse and malignant personal attack on Gen. Nc
Clellan. 1t certainly Is not the treatise Of SOL
der who respects his profession or of gentleman
who respects the amenities of discussion In it
Gen. Mcclellan is charged with mismsngement
in the face of the enemy" with "culpable negli-
genoe," with "more than childish levity and
obstinacy," with "having forfeited every claim
to generalship even Of the most Indifferent charac-
ter" and as if these reflections on the professional
character Of his former commander (for whom he
o
could not satisfy his lust of defamation, Gen. Bar
nard undertakes to impeach the truthfulness and
candor of Gen. McClellan's report by levelling
against it the grossest accusations, where, for
instance, he charges Gen. Mcclellan with resorting
to an unworthy subterfuge," (p. 20,) with
"stultifying his own conclusions" (p. 21,) with
falsi6cations which bear the stamp Of disingenu-
Gus afterthoughtT (p. 25) and other such dishon-
orable imputations.
1t will be seen that this writer is fluent
in elimination, if not cogent in the evidence
by which he sustains his charges. What adds
to the wantonness Of his charges is the statement
by which they are prefaced, when at the thresh-
old of his volume Gen. Barnard, in speaking
Of his relations with Gen. Mcclellan, does not
scruple to write, {" with no man have ever, with
q more absolute freedom from any other feeling
than one of personal kindness been long closely
associated, and if, at any moment, there seemed
to me to exist any slight grounds for complaint,
they were never such as to be remembered or to
have any abiding place in my breast"
When this review" thus reeking with person
al vilifcation of the commander under whom he
had served, and with whom he had SO "long been
closely associated" first came under our notice, we
gave to its contents careful perusal, because we
were told that the political enemies Of Gen. McClel-
Ian designed to it for the purpose of helping to
"kill him off" rs candidate for the Presidency,
first before the Chicago Convention, and secondly,
in case of bis nomination, before the people As
the result of our perusal we very naturally came to
the conclusion, as every intelligent reader would
easily infer, that such farrago of caumnious in.
sinuation and vtuperation could injure nobody but
the writer.
It seems, however, that the Republican " Execu-
tive Congressional Committee" appointed to direct
the operations Of the pending Presidential contest
from this city, have judged that the contents of this
volume, in spite of its garbage perhaps they were
attracted by It's noisome odor-have judged that it
furnishes materials good enough for popular use as
ga campaign document" and the "review" Of
Gen. Barnard has therefore been condensed for
their use, by his own other servceable hand
into political pamphlet, which they are disscmi-
mating throughout the country, in order, if posi-
bic, to poison the popular mind The bane car
AAcS Will ~ u buiuoicus III VIC very Nuu-
lence of its nature and in the exaggeration of its
measure, as large doses Of certain posons are said
sometimes to neutraiEe their delterious tendencies
by the very excess in which they administered.
But since the "review" of Gen. Barnard is daily
finding its way in the shape of Ca campaign docu-
menp to multitudes who may not be apprized Of
its character or the character of its writer it may
be worth while, in tho cause Of historical truth az
well as Of political fairness, to place both in their
; true aspect before the public.
As this work processes to treat on "the PENN.
sular Campaign and It's Amtecsdsnts," it will be
interesting to know what are somo of the "ante-
cedents" Of this Gen. Barnard which qualify him
Tor the task of slandering General Mcclellan.
He was, il will be remembered, the Chief Engi.
neer Of the Army Of the Potomac while it was un-
der the command of Gen. Mcclellan, during the
winter Of ls6l-'82, and during the whole of the
Peninsular campaign. While acting in this Ca
pacity ne was necessarily entrusted by Gen. No
Olellan with large responsibilities, and the advice
which in this capacity he gave to his commander,
If believed to be inspired by the intelligence co az
crbed to him in his profession, was naturally such
advice as would largely influence the determina.
t;on ~ Oar MoClollsr H.