The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-10-14
BEL AIR MD FRIDAY MORNING OCTOBER H. 1854 ]

wise him OF the result OF its proceedings,
and then read them to him. "What,"
said he, "have the council decided by q
vote of eight to four--two to one-in fa-
vor of the Peninsular Campaign ?" He
then asked many questions in regard to
to the same, until Mr.. Stanton came in,
and | proposed to read the proceedings to
him. He replied, "give me the papers,
I'll read them myself" and, after reading
them over and preparing his notes, he, as
you say, "put them (the counciD through
the strict course of examination" which
you refer to. This examination, made for
the purpose of neutralizing the effect of
the decision of the council of war on the
President, and thus to carry out the OBJ
jects of those who had been insisting upon
the removal of General Mcclellan, lasted
for four or five hours, during which time
it was only interrupted by an occasional
expression of the President, indicating his
satisfaction and qualification at the many
explanations of military movements con-
templated, and which he had not before
been able to comprehend. p - H+i.1
1t was now getting dark. Mr.. Stanton's
questions indicated approaching exhaus-
tion and finding there was silence which
called for cessation of bestiites on his
part for the night, Mr. Lincoln expressed
himself highly grati6ed with the inter
view, said he was impressed with the ear
nestness and intelligence Of the officers
present, and that he had every confidence
in them. He was now determined not to
remove General Mcclellan, as he had
promised to do, but that he should make
his campaign, as approved by the council
of War, under restrictions, which he would
make known on the following morning at
ten o'clock, when he desired the presence
ofall the officers of the councils and un-
til after which time he desired that none
of them should leave the city, n.... 80
Before leaving the President, the recor-
der of the council approached the Secre-
tary, and said, off you please, Mr.. Stan
ton, permit me to have the proceedings of
the Council of War that they may be cop.
led in a. fair hand, and General Simmer,
the President of the Council, will sign
them, the recorder will sign them, and
they will then be in proper FORM" ''I'm
just as good a judge of the form as you
are" was the reply of your friend. ~
Other incivilities' have been attempted
by Mr.. Stanton toward me, the manner
and result of which he has neither forgot
ten nor forgiven, and which he may relate
to you whenever he may feel SO dispos,
ed. ..gt @gaa = .rNl yeas ..J
!, On the following morning, at the APP
pointed hour. when all the officers of the
Council of War had assembled, Mr.. Lin
coin said: 81 have slept better than for
two weeks. | feel relieved of an immense
responsibility. | have determined upon
the following programme"-which he sub.
mitted verbally, and which wars substan-
TALLY as follows pp-ia. ...a. .t.' -
81 will permit General Mcclellan to
carry out his campaign. He shall leave
sufficient force to defend the works before
Washington. He shall embark fifty
thousand men from Annapolis, and then,
unless the batteries on the Potomac, which
you assure ME will necessarily be aban-
doned, are withdrawn or sileneed, I. shall
reserve my authority to embark other
troops.' He then said 81 have deter.
mined to divide General McClellau's army
into four corps, and 1 shall appoint the
commanders of them" And afterwards
he promoted the four officers who had OPP
posed General Mcclellan scampaign, three
of whom he appointed to the command of
corps, and, with the exception of Generals
Franklin and Smith, who have been the
subjects of constant annoyance and indig.
niles since, the others have all been dis
missed from the army. 'a.
The Prninsular campaign was proposed
by Gen. Mcclellan whilst Communicating.
Chief of the armies of the United States,
and was intended to be made with the
forces then under his command is East
ern Virginia, estimated at over two hun
dred thousand men. 1t was so accepted
by the President and the movement was
commenced upon that basis. General
Mcclellan had scarcely left Washington
TO take the field, when the Secretary of
War relieved him of all the armies not
under his, General Mcclellan immediate
command, and assumed commanl of them
himself. The troops left in Northeastern
Virginia were placed under the command
of Mcdowell, Banks, Fremont and Sigel,
each being Independent of the other, ard
of General Mcclellan, and all subject to
the ord,r of Mr.. Stanton. Whilst the
above divisions of our armies was taking
place, the Confederates concentrated theirs
until, on the 18th of June, Gen McClel
Ian found himself before Richmond with
eighty five thousand men Gncludiug Nc.
Calls ditision), and was attacked by the
concentrated Confederate force Of one hun
dred and seventy-fve thousand at the very
moment when Mcdowell, under protest,
withdrew his assistance from Mcclellan,
by the orders Of the President and Secreta-
tary ofaWan .l.. tp4"af.a.
The campaign under Gen. Grant did
not commence until the 4th Of May, 1854.
That Of Charlottesville, in which the