New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-09-30


# the Associated Press in this city waited up
N By delegation of tho Mcclellan body guard, and
gas presented with a fine sword as token OF their
npreeietou Of tho valuo OF his services II bat
nst. that as all OF McClellans glory and renown
vas due to newspapers and newspaper writer's, be
" no represented more newspapers here than any
other men should be given sword. Had 1T been
MeClelan's own sword Il would have been still Eorc
Tho order then vent 70 Mcclellan to got ready TO
act with Lis army And first hswas told it was nee
csssry 10 divide his army into Army Corps. He re-
sisted the suggestion finally became a peremPtofy |
order. Th@n he wanted time TO prepare for it. lie
Was told he must move the army, or II would NOV
under some other general. lie asked so many days
to do il in. The President gave him what he asked
and added two days more. Mcclellan had then to-
take some action. The city began to DO alive with
unvonteG movements. People stared in pleased as
constituent and began to look hopeful. 1t began to
be rumorcd that something important was to be
done. Evon the day was fixed. But they httlo
knew Mcclellan. Ills time nearly out and Tho
army he'd not been organized into corps He was
again reminded OF il, but pleaded some cxcusc. At
last The President as Commsnder-in-Chicf issued
the order himself and told Mcclellan to see that 1t
was carred into exection. That was on Saturday,
and Monday was the last day of grace for McCiol-
Ian. On SUNDAY he went overinto Virginia, and that
night telecIapbod to- the Secretary of War that ii was
impossible to organize the army upon theeye ofgo-
ing into'battle. Stanton got mad, and telcgraphed
back to him il these woids: "The Grst duty Of ALI
-. IL L. 81 IA
fior" Stanton sterted for the Presidents house;
the President was in bed. but Stanton routed him
up. and, 70 use his own language, "The President
heard some pretty plain shil,-tail talk Mcclellan
telecraphed back that ho did not mean TO dsobey
the order Of tho President; be merely meant that 1t
MAS difficult to execute il then; he would do 1t as
soon rs possible. On Monday the army moved;
With what result you know. The enemy had qui-
city decampedso leisuTcly that some o. the troops
who left their camps at Centrcville Sunday after
noon, finding tho accommodations at Manassas
likely TO be bad camo back to Contrcyllc, and with
Gen. Johnston, spent the night there, and left OF
Monday morning. They left Manassas Monday af-
tcrnoon about O'Clock, the rear becoming some
what disordcry Our troops got there about
o'clock end spent the night, while Johnston quietly
Slept about 10 miles beyond Manassas, and got UP
early Tuesday morning and went on his wey.
There are three things connected with this Army
Of the Potomac under Mcclellan that look dark.
The Rebels in small force, knowing our superiority
in numbers, and that ct any moment We could brush
them away like II cobweb, still deliberately built
their log huis and settled down in Winter quarters,
apparently knowing that our immense army, within
days march Of them, would not move this Winter.
where did they get that knowl.deel We did not
know it. Mcclellan did not order his troops into
Winter quarters, but left them in their tents with
such accommodations us they chose to provide for
themselves, and the county were looking foT some
thing 10 be done almost every day. But for being
deceived IN that respect, never should have been
ALE 10 get through this Winter and obtain the
means to support the Government. Had the people
been Convinced that there would have been move
mont until Spring, We should have Lad financial
oonyulson. Yet the Rebels knew II, or acted ox-
acty as they would have done Lad they known it.
Just about the time Stanton came into the Cabi
net, and it became evident 10 Mcclellan that an ac-
tive policy was to be nauguraicd be issued an Or
der that none Of his Generals or other officers on
our outer lines should examine any contrabauds,
from the direction OF the enemy, but they should ala
be sent unqucstioncd to his headquarters. What
eyar information our Gonenis obtained OF the enc
my in font Of them, they had to get from McCicl-
lan's hcadquarters ard it vas just what he chose
to tel them. lie had the monopoly OF all that IL
formation. And vet he told the President, short
tine before be was compelled 30 move, that lie bad
n,stive information that the Rebels had lGO 900 men
al Contreyilio ana Manassas AID with their immons
Notifications there il was madness TO attack Them.
The country nov knows what was there and what
tho foltiacoiions were.
The President, in his Grst war Order, fixed upon
The I'D Of February when the active operations
should commence. The accounts W obtained from
those left at Manassas, are that even before that
time, oven vhilo the question was being discussed
before Mcclellan, (the Presidents Order dated
jan. ~ they began to make preparations 20 leave,
taking away some Of their heavy guns and stores.
Some Of our Generals began 70 move even before
the time fixed, but Mcclellan Delayed and put it of
tin the last day, issuing his Orders only on Sunday
night, or rather, really Monday morning, for Il
Yet the Rebels knew on Saturday that
our army would move Oh Monday. Al least NC are
told 50 Ly those who were left behind, Whore did
they get this information
when II was found that thc enemy had escaped, !
preparations were mado for other movements. Yet
tive weeks have passed and nothing has been done
except TO expose troops ncedes,y 10 he storms,
marching Them back aud forth IN the rain, until
some have dropped dead in the ranks and our hos
a. &