Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-10-28
The Imaginary and the Real
Mcclellan.
[rrou the Chicago Tribune,l

Without examining MS lWHtaiN Itcotu'
which was destitute of interest, without
even glance ut his face, which shows him
equally destitute of intellect of any high
order. without stopping to weigh the fact
that one who could pass through the Mex
lean war with no other promotion than a
| breyet lieutcnancy, who could be used by
| jeff. Davis on secret and unlawful fill
clustering spy service against Cuba, who
could claim the glory without participating
in either the responsibility or the danger
of the battles i'll West Virginia, had no
elements of the hero yet the country so
needed representative, the people so
needed dcmigod upon whom to lavish
the great American disposition for hero
idoIatrv. that all united IN crowning Nc
CleIan with paper crown, and mailing
him as our Geueral-n chief before he had
led a squad into a skirnsh. or rendered
any other service then to telegraph the
battles in West Virginia which Rosccrans
planned and fought, emitting the name Of
kosecrans from ;he dispatches. This vet
eran of a thousand cheers and not single
charge, greeted by Napoleon's huzzas,
though innocent Gf NaPoleon's battles,
this calico hero, this knight in pantalettes,
did the people of the North, without dis
tinction of party. and their President
Welding to their voice, to their everlasting
shame lie it spoken. predestnate to begin
his military career at greater eXaltaton
of fame than that to which the worlds
greatest Gcnerals.-its Naritoroughs.
Wclimgtons, and Wa>hingtous, have been
content to climb thrSugh long succession
of hard earned victories Ever since that
date. the people have been separating the
imaginary from the real Met leIlau, and as
fast as that which i,iHagiHhrY is removed.
that which is real sinks ii:o insignllic-
ance.
The imaginary Mcclellan is a fierce
looking youth. with an eagle eye, Roman
nose compressed lip. and the expression
of hero. The real Mcclellan has a
mild eve. pug nose, an animal lip, and
the mediocre expression of II lnan not tn he
trusted with any other chan very. ordinary
issues. The imaginary Mcclellan fought
a brilliant battle at Rich Mountain. The
real Mcclellan sent subordinate to fight
the battle While he remained To sign the
dis Patch. The imaginary Mcclellan organ
lied the Army Of the Potomac according
10 the most approved modes Of warfare
The real Met lellan. for nine months, re
fused to organize it or to promote any of
his Generals beyond BriradIcrship, for
fear Of eIevatiug rivals who might out
shine him. The imaginary Mcclellan was
iii the front of the battle at Williamsburg,
on a tierv black charger, leading the troops
to victory. The real Mcclellan was at
Yorktown, seven miles to the rear, under
a shed, waiting for it tn stop raining. and
responsible wholly for their defeat The
imaginary Mcclellan was always contend
ing against a superior force. and thnartrd
in all his efforts 10 obtain rcuforccmcnts
The real Mcclellan had ut Washington
l-5.o00 To contend against from 6n.e0D to
$1,000 Yorktown, 100 .WlO against : 600 ::
at Williamsburg. s0nhD against $500
At Fair Oaks. Gaines Hin, and other bat
ties. he had force largely outnumberinc
that Of the rebels. of which he brought
from a third to fourth into battle while
he failed in every battle 10 so handle liz
force as 10 Use more than a snail fraction
of II. Other departments We're stripped
of the forces winch Met lellan had certified
To he necessary for their protection. to
provide him with rcinforcemcnts, when he
already had IN every battle many times
more than he kne" how 10 pat lnie tie
fight. The imaginary Met !eilan Lad IA
deep personal sympathy WIN the common
soldier. The real lell1a led them
without any Other l!aa tl!ta 10 avoid bat
tie. into sWamVs, where he lust in a lew
months ffo.n thirty 10 forty thousand men
by disease and hy descFljoa, without firing
a gun at the enemy. The imaginary Me
tlelldn desired ',only Ia share the fate al
his soldiers Oh tine lcid of lWfile." The
read Mcclellan never, tfon Yorktown to
Anuctan. was under iiIr. lie was absent
from Williamsburg, absent from Fai:
Oaks, absent from Gaines Mil, absent At
each OF the Seven Days battles. which
were fought only by corps commanders,
absent from Malvern HIS and with the
reSerNe-thefe teth5 on "tilct place. not
even W a.hlnsion 80 s,ie-at AntIetam.
l he ltna@HafI Mcclellan was tall oil deep
i'ld' iaf-s seeing plalif' To the 'aiiurc to toll
low WHICH All the disasters oil the war are
que ne rt3I Hc' itiiah never had any
oiher plan than the doE-m, thc-manger-
plan OF neither lighting battles and reap
ing hoh"fs himself nor allowing any one
e'se TO- 10 'he i'!taeliary Met lellan Is
due We capture Gi New Orleans. The
real Mce7elIah ADVISED th!t 1t should not
be uleert"hcn' as IL would require 1u,WO
men. bal'tf ana arrasnt accomplished
IL WIN ''ooo' Ne imaginary Mcclellan
is feauE 20 Sacr.'le' personal agErandize,
"A Of flt..