The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-20
Mcclellan and the Peninsula Campaign
Testimony Of Gen. Sumner.

ObSts-1 1919
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Mcclellan and the Peninsula Campaign
Testimony Of Gen. Sumner.
Sailors and subordinate officers on ship
board have no high opinion Of Master who
comes on board through the cabin window,
and depends upon a sailing master to do his
work for him. There are many such who nav
igate the ocean; men who have acquired posi-
ton on the quarterback not by personal mer-
It, but by combination Of fortunate circum-
stances--infuential friends, relationship to the
owners, or the riches OF a father-and who,
while wearing the honors fail to perform the
duties and assume the responsibilities of mas
ter spirit. They rely upon others to do what
they should do themselves. They shrik the
responsibilities which of right they should
bear They occupy their places not as the re-
suit of long experience; not by virtue Of prior
labors of meritorious daring and skill, but
simply because they have been favored by luck,
while more deserving men heave at the wind
las, go aloft in the gale, are piped out In the
storm, and perform the other severe labors
and bear the hardships and dangers of the fore
mast hands. ae
SO, too, in the field. This war was precipi-
tated upon the nation when it had had but lit
tie experience. The affair in Mexico in '46-7
was mere pastime compared with this. 1t
was a mere skirmish among the pickets in
comparison with the herculean displays of the
last three years. We were as a nation mex
perienced In the arts of war. We simply had
the raw material out of which to make armies.
Our officers were men of mere profession.
They were as a class untried. The real metal
of few was known. 1t is not wonderful that
towards were developed in shoulder-straps. Ii
would have been wonderful had it not so turn
ed out. They needed wedding out. The men
Of small soul as well as those of no soul, need
ed to be separated from men of whole soul.
The men of disloyal sympathies needed sitting
from those with hearts beating only for their
country. Men of envous spirit as well as pol
troons and mountebanks, needed to be tested
as by ere, and it has been done. The terrible
ordeal that tries mems souls, has been passed
through.
B. MCCLELLAN ? Does he loom up on the
page of history as Napoleon, Wellington or
Scott; or does he show small and present
enc of those lamentable failures which the hu-
man mind contemplates without pleasure, and
delights only in forgetting?
We have already had occasion to examine
pretty freely his famous Peninsula campaign,
As that Is the only portion of his history from
which his friends claim to extract evidences of
military genius. We have introduced the tes-
tlmony of Major Generals Hooker and Heint-
xelman and Brigadier Gen. Casey, all officers
OF the regular army; all officers educated like
4cClellan,at W. Point; all with him In the PEN
lnsula campaign, and therefore not only CON-
petent to eriticise his acts as military COM
mander, bat to criticise his particular acts In
this particular campaign. We have also pre-
sented the testimony Of Governor Sprague, he
and they all giving their testimony under oath,
before committee the American Congress.
We have also given the testimony of DR.. Bis
sell, United States Surgeon, not under oath.
In relation to the conduct Of Gen. Mcclellan
during one Of the most fearful battles Of that
campaign, showing where he was, what were
his thoughts-expressed in words, what were
his actions, what were his expectations, and
what he proposed to do with the army then
under his command.
we now introduce one more witness; man
mliitaFiiy educated, venerable in years, ripe In
experience, soldierly in his bearing, and who.
since giving his testimony has been called to
bis final account, aud now sleeps his last sleep.
having fought his last battle.
Major General E. V. SUMNER now fllls a
hero's grave, and his name is embalmed in the
heart OF the nation he served SO long and so
well. In the Peninsula campain he was al
ways in chief command when on the field for
as we shall show Gen. McC an was never nras-
ent, and Sumner, by virtue Of seniority Of com.
mission, ranked all the other corps command.
ers. He gave his testimony before the Com.
mittee on the Conduct of the War, Feb. IS.
1853, and it Is recorded, Part I. pages 1870.
We introduce few extracts: 5lEiI
Question. What position did you hold in
the army of the Potomac while it was on the
Peninsula?
Answer. My proper command was the Sec
4no corps d'Grmee, but ia the lines before
army.
Question: About what number of troops
composed the expedition that finally landed
on the peninsula? 't'''''''
answer. should say about 10000 men.
Enough am not very certain.
In relation to the battle Of williamsbrrc
Gen. Sumner says, ''the roads were n :, 800;
"ble condition. and the army was mou;n.
Slowly; consequently Hooker had a vorv &c
"vere fight before he could be reiuforcoJ
He fully explains why he did not sooner s,,n.
port Hooker--his own corps was ten mile,
distant. He had but small force at his com
mand-not 10000, as Hooker supposed-and
these he did not deem It prudent to remove,
Dut he used every effort to hurry up reinforce
menrS from the rear. He, says "About the
tlme the action at the centre closed Gen. Nc
oiellan came up and took command of all the
"troops."
Question. Did Gen. Mcclellan So,o ann a.
rectlon OF the troops during the bsttia that
day? vo-s- - "A''io 'u"'
Answer. No, sir; not during The bo,,,o
he ordered the troops on the right IN bo :.
Enforced after he came up, but that was oSier
the action had ceased. 9S''
Thsnsxt battles following that of Williams