Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-01-08


exist. In carrying outany system of pol.
icy which you may form, you will REQUIRE
n Commander in Chief of the army. one
who possesses your confidence, under.
stands yonr views, aud who is competent
ITO execute your orders by directing the
military forces of the nation to the accom-.
Pishment of the objects by you proposed.
do not ask that place for myself. l am
willing to serve yon in such position as
you may assign me, and will do so as
faithfully AS ever subordinate served su.
pertor | may be on the brink of eternity,
and, as | hope forgiveness from nv ma
ker, have written this letter with SINGER
lily toward you and from love for my
country.
[signedl GEo. B. MCCLELLAs.
EARLY in. August the army was ordered
to Acquia. The condition of affairs at
Washington during the campaign of Pope
Is graphically described. September Cd
the President directed Gen. Mcclellan to
take command of his own and General
ropes armies, and find the, enemy. On
the 18th of September Antietam was
fought, South Mountain and CramDtonis
Gap having been already won by us. Not
single gun or color was lost by us in
these battles, and our total loss in men at
Antietam is stated by Gen. Mcclellan at
Iz,44S. The advance into Virginia after
Autietam is related, with an account of the
causes by which that advance was DELAY.
ed. On the night of November 4. General
Mcclellan was relieved, and the command
transferred to Gen. Burnside. Gen. M
Clellau thus describes his own report -
This report is in fact the history of the
Army of the Potomac. During the period
occupied IN the organization of that army
1t served as barrier against the advance
OF lately victorious enemy, while the for
tihcation of the Capital was in progress.
ana under the patronage which it then re.
celved, 1t acquired strength, education,
and some of that experience which is nee
essary to success in active operations, and
which enabled it afterward to sustain it,
self under circumstances trying to the most
heroic men. Frequent skirmishes occurred
along the lines. conducted with great gal
iantry, which Injured our troops to the
realities of war. The army grew into
shape but slowly, and the DELAYS which
attended on the obtaining of arms, coutiu-
ued late into the Winter of lS6I-'62. were
no less trying to the soldiers than to the
people of the country. Even at the time of
the organization of the Peninsula cam
Paign, some of the finest regiments were
without rifles, nor were the utmost exer-
tious on the part of the military author
ltles adequate to overcome the obstacles
to active service. When at length the
army was in condition to take the field the
Peninsula campaign was planned and en-
tered upon with enthusiasm by-officers and
men. Had this campaign been followed
up as it was designed, cannot doubt that
1t would have resulted in a glorious
triumph to our arms, aud the permanent
restoration of the power of the Govetu-
ment in Virginia and North Carolina, if
not throughout the reYolted States. 1t
was, however, otherwise ordered, and the
Army of the Potomac was recalled from
within sight of Richmond and Incorporated
win the Army of Virginia. Tue disap
pointments. of the campaign on the Penin-
sula bad not damped their ardor nor di
minishedE their patriotism. They fought
well, faithfully, gallantly, under Gen.
ropes yet when compelled to fall back on
Washington, defeated and almost demor
allied. The enemy, no longer occupied in
guarding his own capital, poured his
troops uorthward, entered Maryland,
threatened Pennsylvania, aud even Wakh-
ingtou itself. Elated byhis recent victto.
rles, and assured that our troops were dis
organized and dispirited, he was confident
that the seat ofwar was now permanently
transferred TO the loyal States, and that
bis own exhausted soil was to be relieved
from the burden OF supporting two hostile
armies. But be did not understand the
spirit which animated the soldiers of the
Union. shall not, nor can l., living, for.
get that when was ordered 70 the CON
mand of the troops for the defence of the
CAPITAL, the soldiers, with whom l had
shared so much Of the anxiety and pain
and suffering of the war, had not lost their
n n in kt,ng-
They sprang to my call with all their an
cientYigor, discipline and courage. l led
them into Maryland. Fifteen days after
they had Iallen back defeated before
Washington, they vuuquisbed the enemy
on the rugged heights of South Mountain,
pursued to the hard fought field of Anlie-
tam, aud drove him, broken aud disap
pointed, across the Potomac, into Virginia.
The army bad need of rest after the ter.
'rible experience of battles and marches
with scarcely an interval of re
pose, which they had passed through
from the time of leaving the Pen
insula, the return TO Washington, the de-
feat in Virginia, the victory at Sopth
Mountain, and again at Antietam. It was
not surprising that they were 10 a large
degree destitute of the absolute necessaries
to effective duty. Shoes were worn ont,
and blankets were lost clothing was in
rags; in short, the army was unit for ac-
tive service, mud an interval for rest and
equipmert was necessary. When the
slowly forwarded supplies came to US led
the army across the river; renovated, re-
freshed, in good order and discipline, and
followed the EetreauDg foe to position
where was confident Of decisive victory
when, in the midst of the movement, while
my advance guard WAS actually in contact
With the enemy, 1 was removed from the
command. *#
% \ x Instead of reporting victorious
campaign, it has been my duty to relate
the herOism of a reduced army, sent upon
IN expedition Iuto an enemy's country,
there to a6audoO one and to originate an.
nther nnIg nIan of camnnign which rnia.L.