The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-03-02
A PAGE OF HISTORY

a rA6E Uf nIS IUkI
The journal OF COMMERCE" reviews the
Mcclellan report, and with overpowering
evidence of the wrong and injustice to this
skiful soldier and true patriot. Here are
incidents of August and September, 1862
Let every fair man read this and
think:
"Gen Mcclellan was not at that time re.
moved from the command of the army but
the army was removed from his command
by an ingenious device of the War Depart
ment. He was treated with contemptuous
indifference by Gen. Halleck When order
ed to abandon the Peninsula he was so
ANXIOUS for an interview with Gen Halleck
and free consultation, that he proceeded
from,Harrison's Bar to the nearest telegraph
station, and there finding that the wires
were broken under water, he crossed Chesa
peake Bay arriving at cherry stone Inlet, on
the east shore about midnight. He imms
diatey telegraphed to Washington informs
ING General Halleck that he had come all
this distance to consult with him, and re
quested him to come to the War Depart
ment end Of tho wire. General Halleck
came and sent brief and somewhat ILL.
humored reply. While General Mcclellan
was decipherng this reply 1t was in their
private cipher, the operator informed him
that Gen HaIleck had left the Washington
office without so much as saying good night
and that further telographing was useless
Gen. Mcclellan returned 10 his army,
brought it awav from the scene of its noble
exploits, stood himself, last man Of all, on
the deserted ground with the conviction
that great error was in progress at Wash.
ington.
Here is another:
Pope's army of Virginia absorbed the
Army of the Potomac. For seven days that
noble army disappears from history 1t had
no existence Mcclellan was lett at Alex
andria, still the commanding general Of the
Army of the Potomac, but there is an elo
auence which every heart must feel in his
simple narrative of what remained to him of
his once magnificent command. Less than
one hundred men, many OF these invalids
and wounded men, were the sole represcn~
tatives of the Potomac? So grand is the
contrast which this narrative affords between
the DAYS which preceded and those which
followed the last of August that it may by
some be suspected as Intentional that the
narrative is omitted from the incomplete
editions of the report. ~-
The same history of political maneuvre-
ing at Washington at this time would, 1t.
IN lde public explain the whole RESPONSE
biity for the DISASTROUS campaign Of Pope.
The blood of our thousands lost on those
fatal plains of Manassas is cbargeable di-
rectly on the intrigues Of Washington p II
ticaos Of the radical party, who only de-
sired to remove Mcclellan from the public
view, because they feared that the splendor
Of his genius, the devotion Of his army, the
nobleness of his character, might bring him
before the people as fit mao to lead the
whole nation through war to peace and
Union under the Constitution. For this
they intrigued, aud for this they have vast
ed thousands on thousands o. young lives,
poured out ON fruitless battle fields. Five
days, brief time, but filed with great events
The politicians succeeded Mcclellan was
debased and disgra;ed. He asks Halleck
for specific orders as to what be is do at
Alexandria. Halleek replies, giving general
orders and fin ling fault. Ammunition,
and particularly for artillery, must be i'm
mediately sent forward to Centreville for
General Pope. 1t must be done with all
possible dispatch" telegraphs Halleck, at
i:45 o'clock on the Both. Mcclellan re-
plies at 2:l0. 81 know nothing Of the call
ore of Pops's artillery. All | can do is to
direct nv ordnance officer to load up all
wagons sent 70 him" Halleck finds fault
hat Franklin was not sooner sent forward.
Mcclellan replies that Franklin has no
transportation, and finally marched without
ammunition or subsistence. .''
Then Mcclellan sends 9 dispatch, which
will be- memorable in all future times
Il cannot express to you the pain and
modification have experienced today IN
listening TO the distant sound OF the firing
Of my men. As can be Of no further use
here, l respectfully ask that, if there is .
Probability of the conflict being renewed t.
morrow, / may be permitted to 60 to the
scene of battle with my staff merely to De
With my own men, aif nothing more; rey
will fight none the worse for my being with
them IL - = MI deemed best to intrust