Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-06
Why HAS Not Richmond Been
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From the Mt. Vernon Banner. !

lie
history will vindicate them from the asper.
sions of the reptiles who hiss out theil
venom against the heroes who have fought
Tor our flag upon a half hundred fields.
0 But achose fault is 10, that Richmond has mol
, been tdkenP
Q To answer that question, it is only nec-
y essary to briefly refer to the leading events
connected with the campaigns of the Army
. OF the Potomac, and the rebel Army OF
Northern Virginia.
) 1t Is generally known, to civilians as well
j as soldiers, that 1t is fundamental principle
} OF war, to avoid fighting an important bat
tie at the opening Of campaign, unless YOU
outnumber the enemy, and your army be
composed of veterans. But although the
contrary was the case; though Beauregard
not only outnumbered Mcdowell, but oc-
! cupied an intrenched position, Mr. Lincoln,
under the inspiration of Messrs. Greeley,
Wade, Chandler, Sumner and other fire-sidc
warriors, compelled Mcdowell to "onward
to Richmond" against his Judgment, and
that OF his officers. The result, was dis
grace and disaster to our arms ; our flag was
in the dust; Washington lay at the mercy
of the rebels, and our nation was humiliated
before the civilized world.
This was Mr.. Lincoln's blunder, and the
fault was his.
AT that time Mcclellan in Western Vir-
ginia, and Lyon in Missouri, were free from
the interference of Mr.. Lincoln and his
presumptuous advisers, and in both of those
regions our arms were victorious, and the
rebels were scattered in rout. 1t was then
that George B. Mcclellan. upon the recon-
mendation of General Scott, and in accord
ance with the outspoken wishes of the peo-
pie, was offered the command of the Army
OF the Potomac. He agreed to accept the
1 nn INA and NlnN 7
would pledge himself to give Mcclellan the
absolute control of the operations of that
army. But no sooner had that General
brought order out Of chaos, and re-estab-
llshed public confidence, than Mr.. Lincoln
dlsregarded his solemn pledge, and again
began to dabble in War. Mcclellan remind
ed him of the maxim of Napoleon:
'Thdt nothing is so difficult, as 10 prescribe
before hand to General, the line Of conduct he
shall pursue during a campaign; and that moth
l1'g so cramps the efforts Of genius, as TO compel
NE head Of an army to be gOUTned By any piH
but has Olcn."
But unfortunately, Mr.. Lincoln already
began to scheme for q reelection, and lie
considered it more important to himself to
secure few political adherents, than to gain
battle.
Our army, at that time, was on the south
side of the Potomac; the rebels were in its
immediate front, and Longstreet occupied
Munson's Hill. Mcclellan determined to
cut him of; and although Gen. Scott had
been relieved from the command of the ar
my, in consequence of mental and physical
feebleness, Lincoln committed the singular
mistake of submitting McClellan's plan for
his consideration. The old General approv-
ed; but unfortunately he took with him to
the council his son-in-law, Colonel Scott,
whose gVmnnthipV hnlinVn1 tn hn
the rebels. Longstreet was informed of
McClellan's plan, and hastily withdrew
from his position. Col. Scott was accused
of completely with the rebels; and, instead
of bringing him to trial, few days after
ward, he was allowed to sail for France
upon passport granted by President Lin
coin.
Time will not allow us to enter further
into details. After a series of brilliant vic
tories at Williamsburg and at the Seven
Pines, at Fair Oaks, at Malvern Hill and on
the Chickahominy, Mcclellan was ready to
thunder at the gates of Richmond, when he
was ordered to withdraw his army from the
Peninsula.
In May, 1862, Halleck had been n'outwitted
by Beauregard at Corinth, and suffered that
General to send Lee 30, 900 men, and to with
draw $4,000 from Halleck's immediate front,
while that wise man was playing mole
among the bitches. Lees army originally
Outnumbered that of Mcclellan, and was
afterwards increased 10000 by the corps
from Beauregard. Mcclellan told the Pres
ident that if he would give him 20,000more
men, he would take Richmond in four days;
and it is almost incredible that Lincoln re-
fused the reinforcements, although Mellow
ellis corps was unoccupied. 1t seemed to
be the object of the Administration to pre-
vent Richmond from being taken. Upon
being refused reinforcements, Mcclellan de-
clared that he would attack Richmond with
his actual force, but 1t soas decided at Wash
ington that it was easier to approach Rich
mond over fortified line of seventy miles,
than over a less difficult one of twenty!
This fault lies at the door Of Mr.. Lincoln.
Our army was withdrawn, in pursuance
of Mr.. Lincoln's order, and Lee suddenly
invaded Maryland; but with a rapidity of
combination seldom equaled in war, Nc
Clellan was there to meet him, and the bril-
liant victories of Antietam and South Noun
tain, saved Mr.. Lincoln from an excursion
to Richmond.
Lee was hurled beyond the Potomac; the
President had time to breathe at ease and
1t was determined to punish Mcclellan for
having had the ability to beat Lee, and save
Washington.
Mcclellan was emoved-Burnside sue
ceeding him in command of the army, and
the first slaughter of fredericksburg was
the result. Burnside was removed to give
place to Hooker, who had declared that our
not having taken Richmond was attributa-
BILE to want of generalship. 1t was now
his turn. Lincoln and Halleck were on
hand to aid him; and the disaster of Cham
cellorville, with the loss of thirty thousand
men and sixty cannon, was the result. Since
then, Hooker has declared that during the
battle he was engaged twenty-five hours
fighting the authorities at Washington, and
two hours in fighting Lee!
Our bleeding and mangled army was
scarcely reorganized, when Leo invaded
Pennsylvania, and Meade was named to
lsupersede Hooker. At tGettysburg, the rival
armies again met in battle array, and one
wing of our army was about giving away
, before the concentrated columns of the en-
emy, when an officer, adopting the ruse of
one of the French Marshals, cried out
"MCCLELLAN is COMING w. TIL THE PENN
sYLvANIA REsERvEs"
Like a current of electric fire, the word
flew from line to line, and from column to
column, and wild volcanic shout went up
. for ..Little Mac" and our noble fellows
again sprang forward, determined to con-
!, quer or to die. The field was won; an6
those brave stern men wept with joy, wher
they said to one another" 1t was the ghos
of Little Mac which gained that victOryv
Mall oil 10 nlr