Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-10-19
of Gen. MCCLELLAN
Concluded.
CALLED TO WASHINGTON,

'ictorles, winch IN months time DESTROY
ed the rebel power in West Virginia, on th,
2lst of July General Mcclellan was order
ed to turn over his command to General
Rosecrans and report at Washington
FIVE days later he assumed the command
OF the Army of the Potomac, which the
defeat OF Eu,l Run, July 2lst had reached
TO little else than an armed mob His ener
getic actions towards recognizing the ar
my inspired the soldiers with fresh cour
age and The people with confidence. At
the request of President Lincoln, he pre-.
pared memorandum containing his plan
of operations for the Union forces. and ad
dressed it 10 him on the 4th of August
This most remarkable paper, though
thought to be visionary then, is now his
torc for it furetold Substantially the
whole history of the war from that dav to
this, and stamped General Mcclellan az
the mastermind of the day. 1t is enough
TO say here that where tina. plan has been
followed out success has attended our eff
forts 10 crush the rebellion, and nearly
every deviation from it has resulted in
disaster.
PREPARATIONS TOR GRAND CAMPAIGN.
Gen. Mcclellan set Immediately to work
TO organize and equip the Army Of the Po-
tomac, and soon restored discipline and
confidence where disorder and distrust
had before existed. On the lst of Novem-
ber Gen. Scott, feeling his inability by
reason of his infirmities to discharge the
onerous duties which devolved upon him
as General-in-Chief of the Union forces,
asked to be placed upon the retired list,
and Gen. Mcclellan was at once assigned
10 the position thus made vacant. lie
now had, nominally at least control of all
the military operations in the United
States, and set 10 work to develop his plan
of the grand campaign. Instructions were
issued TO the commanders OF the various
military depar rtments, and everything
promised that in the following spring a
series Of blows would be leveied against
the power of the rebellion which would
ettectually crush it, and restore the author
ity Of the government throughout the
Southern States. His instructions TO de-
partment commanders ore models of clear
ness, directness and brevity, and that he
ever had in mind the political as we'll as
the military bearings of The great conflict
" Gou will please constantly to bear in
mind lie writes to Gen. Buell., then COM
manher o! the Department of Ohio, q" the
precise issue for which We are fighting:
that issue ia the preservation OF the Unlon
and the restoration OF the full auAorlty
of the general govern ment ovei all por-
tons OF our territory. And then follows
this most memorable sentence: We
shall most readily suppress this rebellion,
and restore the authority OF the govern
meut, by religiously respecting the constl-
tutioral rights Of all"
TUE ROLE or THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
Having thus marked out plans of opera
tions for Gen. Buell. Gen. Halleck, Gen.
r. W. Sherman, Cen Bd,lor, and Gen.
Burnside, he began to make preparations
for advancing against Richmond 10y the
peninsula route when, to his surprise, as
il was without consultation with HIM,
President Lincoln issued an order on the
9th of January, directing that general
moyemept of all the land and naval for
ces of the United States be made ON the
22d of February. Four days later the
President issued special order Tor the
adyauce of the Army of the Potomac
AGAINST Manassas. Gen. Mcclellan asked
nerrission to state his objections to this
plan, which being granted, he addressed
to the Secretary of war, under date OF
February Sd, most important paper con-
tanning his reasons for moving on Rich
mond by way of the water route, and de-
welcoming his plan of the campaign East,
West and South. The same day he re-
ceiyed from the President the now Rotor
ious letter about my plan" whieh plan
has since cost the nation SO many lVes
and 80 much treasure. The letter OF Gen.
Mcclellan evidently had some influence
upon Mr. Lincoln, since the execution oil
his special order was no! insisted upon
Active preparations were then maze LOT
moving the Army Of the Potomac to the
lower Chesapeake, when, again to McClel-
lan,s surprise, the President ir terfered, hy
ordering the retention uear Washington
of what the General l-in-Cbief and his corps
commanders should deem force adequate
for the protection Of the city. On the loth
of March the army advanced on Manassas,
which the enemy had just evacuated, ana
on the 18th the main body moved back to
, Alexandria, preparatory to embarking tor
the lower Chesapeake.
GEN. MCCLELLAN PARTIALLY DEPoSED.
While Gen. Mcclellan was at Fairfax
Court House, on the 10Th of March the
was informed by member OF his staff that
an order of the President was printed IN
the National IntcHigcncer Of that morning
relieving him OF the command of all th(
military departments except the Depart
ment of the Potomac, thus deposing him
from the position of general-in-chief, anc
that without word of consultation witt
him. Such was the beginning of the at
tempis of tho administration to thwar
McClellan's plans and injure him, II posi-
bic, in the estimation Of the country
THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN.
On the 18th of March the army bogaI
10 embark on transports for Fortress Mon
roe. which had been dioldied upo'
as base OF operations in preference
Urbana, as General Mcclellan trst lnieno
cd, Before the general had left Washing
ton, Bleukers division was withdrawn fror
his command, and given to General tfe
mont, though but day or two before tn