Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-01-07


vouminous report Of Gen. Mcclellan recsay ordered to
be printed by Congress- and furnishes that paper with
interesting summary of portions of il. This digest
it will be- conceded very brief in view of the fact that
the report embraces nearly eight hundred manuscript
pages The writer states that the document sis full of
points which controversy might be made and whenever
time shall be ripe, no doubt will be made"
| The report is dated New York, August A. 1863 1t be-
gins with an auson to the results Of the victories in
Western Virginia. which, learn not won in con-
nexion with any general cooperative plan of action and
then goes to recite the arrival of Gen. Mcclellan at
Washington after Bull Run the organic alton of the Army
of the Potomac the grand plan laid out for the general
campaign of 186l-62; the final invasion of Virginia in
1862; the Peninsular movement the days battles
aud the short but glorious Maryland campaign of septem
ber 1862
On the lat of November Gen Mcclellan was appointed
to the chief command of all the forces of the Union and
at began active operations The theatre OF had
extended about the whole circumference of the South
and it became necessary well practicable, to plan
large and sweeping combination OF military operations
An organization of New England troops for occupying
the coast line of the South the middle Atlantic, which
had been suggested by Gen Mcclellan in September 1861
took shape in January 1862, expedition under Gen.
Burnside designed to facilitate the movements of the
main body i'll Eastern Virginia by occupation of the
coast line of North Carolina Gen. Burnside being order
ed when he should have sezed Newbern to occupy and
destroy the Weldon and Wilmington railroad far west
Goldsboro and should circumstances favor to push
far Raleigh Wilmington being, however, his ultimate
objective point Caution about proclamation was re
commended the General being urg ed ito say little as
possible about politics the negro and to state merely
that the true issue for which fighting is the pre-
servaton of the Union and uphoding the laws of the
General Government
At the same time letters sent to Gen. Haleck,
(appoiniod TO the command of the department of Mis-
souri, y to Gen Buell. Gin command of the department of
the Ohio y to Gen. Sherman, Commanding South Ca
roini and Georgia; y and to Gen Butler, Commanding
the depar tment of the Gulf
Gen. Halleck charged with the duty of reducir
chaos ORDER in his department In respect to military
operations he ordered to hold the State by fortified
posts and concentrate his force the Mississippi.
Gen Buell. instructed to the vast Importance of
the rtary occupation of Eastern Kentucky and Tennes
IL Kentucky itself he advised the conduct OF
itca affairs is perhaps important than that
of our mil ary operations and he urged to bear in
mind that shall most readily suppress this rebellion
and restore The authority of the Government by regousy
respecting the constitutional rights of ALL In accordance
with the feelings and opinion of the President General
Mcclellan requested Gen Buell. to the people of
Kentucky that their domestic institutions will in man
be inerfered with !; and to allow nothing but the
dictates Of military necessity to him to depart
from the spirit of bis Instructions"
In respect TO Tennessee, Gen Buell. ordered to |
throw the of his troops by rapid marches by Cum
berland Walkers Gap Knoxville, in order to occu
py the railroad at that point" and "cut the communca
ton between Eastern Virginia and the Mississippi Gen.
Buell. further counselled to avoid widening the
breach existing between aud the rebels by causeess
aud prosecutions Of individuals" 81 have always
found says Gen. Mcclellan, that it is the tendency of
subordnates to make vexatious arrests suspi
con"
Gen Sherman advised that the favorable movement
for coup de against Savannah had been lost and
that the best before him would be to isolate and
reduce Font Pulaski" But the reduction of Charleston
and its deeuces" held up the great moral
to be sought for and this stated to be object for
which Gen Mcclellan was actively maturing his comb
n,Na
be encountered in reducing New Orleans aud ordered
possbe after the fall OF that city to seize all
the approaches leading to it from the East and partcu
lary Jackson, in Mississippi with ultimate view as
well TO the capture of Mobile to the opening of the
Mississippi
The instructions thus issued to the Generals named
comprehend the entire scope OF the plans of Gen McCle
nlans tha &C AArrny OF the
Potomac under his orders the central feature
1t considered by him necessary to the Of these
plans that they should be carried out simultaneously
nearly possbe and the advance of the Potomac Army
upon Richmond by the lower Rappah annock kept in
hand by him. TO be delivered the decisive blow in
junction with all the rest of the general movement.
Passing Gen. McCean's full and elaborate account
of the consultations and operations which preceded the
advance TO Manassas March g. 1862 we find that this ad
intended by him merely to occupy the troops
during the preparations for the Peninsula campaign then
fully decided upon.
Gen. Mcclellan reached the Peninsula with sc, 900 efec
tves early in April He gives bis for not assault
ing the works at Yorktow describes the battle of Will
amsbu-g with special praise Of Gen. Hancock and re-
cites the advance TO Richmond The siege Of that city
narrated At length and the change of bsse with it's at
tendsnt battles from INTERCHANGEABLE fought June &C. to
Malvern Hill fought July ], 1862 This closed" says
Gen. Mcclellan, " the hard fighting which had continued
from the afternoon of the 26th June in series OF
gagements wholly unparalleled this continent for de-
termination aud slaughter both sdes"
July 4th the General teegrsphed to the President that
he occupied at Harrsons Bar positions which could be
carried oily by overwhelming numbers" 1.-The spirit OF
the army" he added, is excellent; straggers finding
their regiments and the soldiers exhibit the best results
Of discipline He thus up the results Of the brief
but fierce campaign:
:" / cannot now approximate to any statement of our
losses but we were not beaten in any conflict The
my unable by their utmost efforts drive us from
the field. We have lost guns except twenty
Eve the field Of battle twenty one Of which were lost
by the giving way of McCas division under the onset of
sup Iior numbers When all the circumstances Of the
known II will be acknowledged by all competent
judges that the movement Just completed by army is
unparalleled IN The annals Of Under the most diff
cult circumstances have preserved trains guns
our material, and above all our honor
To this thu President replied Be assured the heroism
and skill Of Yourself officers and men and forever will
be- appreciated you hold your present position we
shall hive the enemy yet"
On the 9Th Gen Mcclellan teegraphed: " If not at