New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-11

But when the neophtes Of our condition beesn n M
understood, and ARMIES were raised we had 10 ,yis6
Generals to take command. Gen Scott was n s,d thS
age OF vigorous exertop aud each selection an srs
pertinent Gen. Mcclellan Vas placed in oonnanG
and the public Of whom 7 VIA orc honed r-|sh s.ay
his reluted capacity. He was pat in COM nd ~ =
powerful md wel-appointei army. and we ho ed mucn
from him, but he remained inactive, and b. NitLhe6
the tOOp9 from action in other sections of The country
whore Their services were needed.
what principle or policy dictated his movements and
especially his action in the Fall Of loGl kno- not IA
was inert, and in two or three instances in Which Ia
planned a movement the Rebel officers we, advised
Immediately Of bis purpOset ait1rs in his confidence
PROBABLY found means ~ convey the inele zee; but
so ~ vas everything he attempted resulted disaps
pontment and disaster. Sherman was in CO. maud N
Kentucky, stationed at Louisville with less than fifteen
thousand men under his cOHmrnd and with even i'm.
portant points Ia guard ard he was confronted be-
Buohner and johnson with upward OF seventy Eve
thousand men, He telegraphed 10 Gen. Met elan ex.
planning bis situation and bis utter inability 10 dc.end
the posts in question with his limited meaie and re-
eeiyed the following reply-not a hint al eeniorce{
ments, but SIMPLY this:
To brig Gen. w. 7. SHERMAN Loai,riie How near q
Louisville IL Buckuer IL he moving on Louisyie IIss b
crossed Green Rveri Is the bridge over Grer River
paired Can he Green River / tho face Of AcCooh
u was on tie North side Of Green River how could
McCook hold him out of Louisville holding tie rarosds
MeedRo power to destroy it, inch y H1w M ag: s'a
Tie dispatch, in effect, gives up Kentucky /. gves
up our small forces there their arms and munitions of
war 1t conicmpates that McCook with his hye thou.
sand men. should defend the passage of Green rivee
against force OF ten ~ one; Gat lie should e.end the
rglroad and destroy it, inch BY incl in the psseucsof
such an overwhelming force. and when the lest inch
was captured nothing remained but ~ surrender the
little army under bs command, to surrender LOuFs
Vile, making the Ohio river the boundary When b
found the dispatch which necessarily involves The cone
structon aud consequences applied 70, and deduce0
from IL above he was in snug quarters in Wssbngs
ton and had 5000 men lying on the banks of the Pc.
tOmao none OF whom lie INTENDED. II we 10 Judge
his purposes by his acts should shoulder gun point
cannon, except in reviews within the coming WiBteri
There he lay ia his l5C 90 consuming precious
time and military stores watching the ebb and flow o1
the tide In the Potomac Ill Sherman sck at heart
requested 10 DO relieved from hLs command. lie wAd
replaced by Gen Buell. who was at once furnished with
troops to enable him " maIntaiE his position but nov
enough to warrant him in making an eggr. s'e mov%
ment
But during the Winter and early Spring. McClellan
still held his troops the banks vi the Potomac In
the meantime the Rebel General quite at bIs lesuref
removed his army his Cannon his munitions Of war 20
more distant and more convenient position, and ~
this delicate movement he lost not maD VI gun. o.
mule. General Mcclellan discovered 1t some week q
ten days after he had made the movement snd boiNY
took possession Of his abandoned camp.
Let no one suppose that view his conduct at thee
time in less favorable light because he is nov eandi-
date for the Presidency. lg.ye now the opinions whicn
formed az the events were passing ana 80 p'epareq
vouch by cotemporaneOus papers: reerr'd 70 TWO
letters Which wrote on the 6th and Sth Of april s620
one 10 the President and TO the Secretary Of Wsf5
In order understand the hrst OF these Letters shouq
yictories-not won by Mcclellan or IN hls Iresences
that the Union arms in the ascendant. resd
from my letter.book Qetter.press copy:
The Hon. =. NJ. STANTON, Sec'fnS &c: 0ER snS
The Secession Generals Will attempt to re,risyH their ally
fortunes by stroke Of geneTasp They caHe defen&
the long line which threatened but must and Al abandon
almost everything else, and attempt 10 preak center W
Tennessee 6y bringing ssanst that single point az ovews M
ing force They will me-, sway from ,sns NJ ,no" oss
fght battle strike Nv, simply occueS desefs0
camps lie ough. not to be p united to hold sae large Pss
hot aisoin liuSdf
them ought 10 he cent At 10 REINFORCE our &c r zen.
nessse, Snd to help to hght the great battle" =,
This letter dated the 18th, was written 'l0ngh nov
mailed. the 9Th Of April, which was Sund"Y. mig
was writing Gen. Grant was fighting the eat batae
ON The sta wl5,e 20 the President letter from
which read an extract
"LAsoAsrER. Ohio, Apdi 9 Isca
Sra Strong doubts are entertained of McCeen oysy,
and think. with he conmene' be career
with unbounded popularity Our public here bore With big
ursed and admitted until at last the retreat the Rebel
army from Manassas, with their sLsiy aruanes ud mnnfs
on, 81 wei n.. sg 10 essnot for eo
csve possible .h-t their retreat could have been tctea
without hi. tuOdse The ike was never h.ai Of in tie
ndsr ali the circums,anoes think you be a.s>
ned in keeping tina, in position where difysy OF n.
petence may be productive such seriou. cyl II nysD
and competent. he ha, bad time sad means enough 10 nd uD
10 the Pre.iaen. Of the Uniied s,stea-
did not and DO not vouch for the truth 81 the SUB
pcions OF di,oyaty, but subsequent facts Lave een'
WINGED me that Gen. Mcclellan did not wish 70 n'terll
rou and disorgsnize or capture tho Rebel sfmy ana
crush out the Rebellion. He hound by many sron9
ties to JeeI son Davis who his early patron, an6
who gave him and ~ Beauregard their ONLY titles to
dstinction-their mission 10 re soat OF European war,
With this explanation. these letters give the opnion
which then entertained. and Still entertain OF Gen
Mcclellan. lie gained victory at Antietan, but sat.
sGed himself with REFUSING. without pursuing IN
enemy Had Grant OF Sherman Won that victory. tho
Rebels would not have crossed the Potomac as they
did quietly and at their leisure, with their amamept
and their plumber.
He fought battles on the Peninsula but tie Piinc4
do Joinyie who in his military family friendly
observer SAYS in substance that he suffered lis move
mens to be ohoked by obstacles not insuperabe and
that he not In al great haste 10 act ~ No mght
hAya bean