The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-17
FoR PREsIDEET. ve
i. ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
OF ILLINOIS.
,igta FOB vIon-PRnsIDENT,
Sd ANDREW JOHNSON,
Did Mcclellan Contemplate the Surrender
of his Army u

Did Mcclellan Contemplate the Surrender
of his Army
In our columns to-day we copy from the
Detroit Advertiser aletter from DIR. o. j. Bis
sell, the late surgeon of the United States
steamer Jacob Bell" which acted as tug
and tender to the gunboat "Galena," during
the battle of Malvern Hill, as to the circum-
stances which took place on board the latter
vessel, while Mcclellan was on board her as a
refugee from the dangers Of the field. This
letter is accompanied by copious extracts from
/, the diary or journal of DR.. Bissell, describing
In detail the conduct and language Of the fu-
gltive general on the occasion. 48
We have heretofore given the testimony of
Gen. Hooker in relation to McClellan's cam
paign, and the argus Immediately, feeling the
force of his testimony, attempted to invalidate
itby denying his competency to criticise mill
itary operations. -A -2
sle We then gave the testimony of Gen. Casey,
who like Hooker, is regularly educated West
Point officer, and he was assailed because of
his inefhciency, and that assault was backed
up by the allegation that he had been reproy-
ed by Gen. Heintzelman. We then brought
forward Gen. Heintzelman himself, an officer
who has seen twenty-five years. service, and
who has been in more battles than Mcclellan
ever dreamed Of. and forthwith the Argus as
sails him, and denies his fitness to eriticise, or
even to tell the truth.
Now Is it probable that no officer in the ar
my can tell the truth unless he happens to be
McClellan's friend-perhaps pet? Haven't
other men eyes and ears, so that they can see
and hear? Didn't Gen. Heintzelman kao,o
what kind of orders he received; whether en-
couraging him on to victory or holding him
back at the moment he was seeking to grasp
the prizeP The idea of putting down every
body else, to bolste%np apoltroon and noun
tebank, is perfectly preposterous, and the peo-
pie are not so stultifed that they will fail to
place a proper estimate upon all such at
tempts.
But as the argus seems disposed to reject
the testimony of all military men, we invite
Its special attention to the testimony of Dr.
sBissell, who Is not a man of shoulder-strars
but man Of medicine, and whose mission il
not to destroy but to save life. Read thai
testimony carefully, and do SO with the ques-
ton at the head of this article clearly and dis
tinctly before the mind. Did Gen. Mcclellan,
even before the result of the battle of NAL
vern could be known, design surrendering
his army to the rebels and throwing the re-
sponsibility on the authorities at Washington?
Did he contemplate ending the war by max
ing REBELLION triumphant? Did he propose to-
send off his quasi royal French Princes, who
had glittered on his staff like paste on the
breast of negro concert conductor, using a
us. gunboat for that purpose, and then sur
render his army, and the balance of the feet
II possible, to the rebel commanders, thinking
his country would hold the administration re-
sponsible and screen him from the fate of a
traitor2 These are terrible questions, we
realize full well, but we ask the candid reader
to peruse the testimony Of DR.. Bssel, whose
means of information were ample, and then
answer these questions to himself as in the
sight OF God. 4
Dr. Bissell says emphatically that when Gen.
Mcclellan came on board the gunboat-before
the battle commenced, this was-he said in
the presence OF his French officers: "MY AR.
MY IS DEMoRALIzED, AND SHALL BE
COMPELLED TO SURRENDER OR CA
P1rULATE THIS AFTERNOON OR To-
NIGHTp s56n
DIR. Bissell further says, that at later Pc
ROD OF the conversation, and in presence of
himself and 1t. McCrea,- j
6MaDlollan and tho ,,-s..o..
FEDERAL CAUSE HAD FAILED, and that THE
GovERNMENr WOULD HAVE TO AcKNowT..
EDGE THE SOUTHERN CoNFEDERAcY. Hay-
ing agreed to this, they drank very freely of
Wniskey, and one of the princes was so over
come that he was put to bed"
Dr. Bisseil says there were some things
connected with this days events which sur
prised him very much. He adds:
"There seemed from tho conduct Of Con.
Mcclellan and the princes, an APPARENT nr.
SIRE TO SURRENDER THE ARMY. ON THE
PRETExr OF AN UNSUCCESSFUL cAMpArcN
thro wing, however, the responsibility UPON
THE AUTHORITIES AT WASHINGTON"
1t is proper to remark here that all this
agrees substantially with the statements in re-
-iation to this affair, of Gen. Barnard, who was
McCellan's engineer in-chief
Now we ask the special attention of the
reader to matter of dates. The battle of
AaaiVern Hill was on the Both day Of June. 1t
was une Soth that he e1pected, if indeed he did
nor oes'g" TO surrender or capitulate to the
enemy during the afternoon or at NIGHT
NOW 1t was only two days previous. June
2S5h, at II, 20 A:M-see McClellan,s Ranor,
pages 131-2-that he wrote that insolant Iot'
ter from SaVage's Station. to the secrst.rr
of War, in which he used this language:
81 know that few thousand more man
would have changed this battle from defaat
TO victory. AS it Is the Government must
not and cannot hold me responsible for the
result.
"The Government has not sustained this
army II you do not do SO now, the game is
>, ~ save this army now, 1 tell you plain
enae OWE NO THANKS TO YOU, OR TO
AN oIhER PERSONS AT WASHINGTON.
7log HAVE DONE YOUR REST TO SACRI-
FICE This ARMY"
Mustthe reader be forced to the upwelcome
thought that, at twenty minutes past rDidniobt
June %, 1862, t
'fthe very wItchng time of n,vh.
When churrhyards yawn and hell itself brsath az.
contagion TO the world"
ar. sfH.srfft