Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-20
McCLELLAN'S LOYALTY.
More Testimony-Treachery to the
Union Cluse-Hs offered to Serve
the Rebellion.


To the members of the National, Union C!ul
| Philadelphia.
| GENTLEMAN: Tam in possession of your
note, in which you ask ne If | remember
having made certain assertions at the
rooms of the National Union Club in
January last, on my return from the rebel
lines, in regard to Gen. George B. McClel-
Ian and Clement J.. Vallandigham, and
desiring to know If l would reiterate said
statement.
recollcct perfectly well having made
certain statements in rcga-d to the two
persons named, and in presence of several
mem bers of the Club.
In response to your inquiry if | would
repeat said statement. | would answer by
saying: First, that while the battle before
Richmond, Va, in 1862, was still
progressing. and Immediately after Gen
Mcclellan had fallen back from befl re
that city, in company with a friend, an
officer in the rebel service, who was pre-
vented from joining his command in the
! fight in question. on account of a wound
received at the battle of Seven Fines, and
being provided with Il special permit from
the War Department at Richmond,
visited the Notifications around Richmond,
and advanced to distance of about two
miles north of that city, where we met
Col. Gayle, of the l2ih Alabama (rebcl)
regiment, who was a particular friend OF
the officer in whose company | was. also
Lieut.. Col Dickens, OF the same regiment,
with whom had the advantage of a
personal acquaintance. The Colonel was
experimenting the disintcrment OF num-
ber Of cases of the United States rifles,
which lay buried in the ground and in
rows, the soil heaped ever them as If they
we've graves. Four of the cases Of rifles
were already unburied when reached the
spot. aud l had the TO me unpleasant)
satisfaction of handing some of those
guns. which had already been taken out of
the cases.
heard Col. Gayle say that the inter.
ment Of these guns was known at the War
Department (rebel) even before McClel-
lan's retreat from before that city.
On the inquiry of my friend and DR..
Kelly, of the rebel army. from Col. Gayle.
it he thought it had been intended that
said guns should fall into the hands of the
Confeaerates, the Colonel answered in the
affirmative and concluded by saying
''Macs all right" .,r.. uar e.t1a
Not more than a hundred yarls distant
from this spot, Lieut.. Col. Pickens point
ell out to me number OF ambuances--
two hundred and ten in mum ber--an,l said
he had assisted at their capture. and that.
when captured. the horses belonging to
said ambulances were hitched, some to
trees and some to the rear OF the ambu
ances. And was then in the employ of
the United States. it was my business to
gather as much information in regard to
military matters as possible, and on my
inquiry Of Col Pickens if he thought
these amhnlances had been intended to be
in the same bargain" as the rifles, he said.
Il don't see what else they should have
been intended for. they werejus where you
see them, and the horses htched where
you see them, whilo the fight was going
on right here
Presently some whiskey was handed
round, aud we all drank. toast to
/ l4ttiS IL W.
About the mouth of April. of the same
year, as was going from Richmond to
Mobile, in company with Lieatenant
WITT and DIR. Knoed. of Missouri. and
DIR. Fontleroy. OF Virginia, the two latter
gentlemen being of the rebel General
Prices staff, we met with Brigadier Gen
eral Watson, of Alabama. General Wat
son said in my presence that then. or at
any time after the war. he would give
satisfactory proof that Geo. B. Mcclellan.
Of the Federal larmy, at the outbreak
of the rebellion. and during the prelimlna-
ry are rangements for the organization of
the Confederate army. had offered his
services to the Confederate Government,
but that as the Confederate Government
had resolved to give rank in preference to
officers formely in the United States SER
vice, according to seniority of rank. they
could not give to cCleallan what he
desired, as other officers ranked him in
seniority; and that General Mcclellan hav-
1 ing become offended at this. then offered
his services to- the United States.
In December, 1862. had occasion to
call on Governor Shorter, of Alabama.
who was then soiourning at the Huntsville
+, Hotel. Huntsville. Alabama. Governor
Shorter then introduced me to Gen. Wat