, 1864-10-27
NJ N1cCN4ELLAN'S GUNBOAT EK'
&sEKlEN CE.
Moro Direct Testimony from Omcers
of tho Ss1leAA,

The Newark IN. J.) Advertiser has the fol-
lowing:
The following correspondence explains It.
eeff. It is only necessary to say that Dr..
Van Gteson ia well known In this city, and
the statements made In this letter have been
!. ."NEwARK, Oct. z.
"Dear Sir: remember soon affe, your re
turn here from the James river, where you
acted as Surgeon on the gunboat Galens,
hea1iDg 3ou Etate that Gen. Mcclellan was
on boart during the RETREAT Of our army to
-Har1ison's Landing, and during the battles
writing to be assured
Il VIZ wnnr.
s.To R. E. Van Gleson, II. D., Enellsh-
town, Monmouth county, N. j."
REPLY.
=, "EsdI4snTows, n. J., Oct. 10.
"Mv Dear Sir: Yours Of the It'll instant
Was recelyed IN due time. AGreeably to your
request I wnl write the facts concerning
General MeCfellRn'e presence on Buard the
United States steamer Ga1ena, which have
80 frequently atated to you and many other
cf my friends in Newark.
"In doing so must confess my utter sur
prise. that my testimony should be needed to
substantiate fact already 80 well establish
ed that no sane person, whether he side with
him Or against him, personally or politically,
aEyan Mcclellan himself, in giving his
testimony upon this Identical question, 3D.
though apparently ashamed to answer the
tirecf question, He retreats under the COW
er OF d detective memory. HIS answer, you
recollect, Is, I do not remember, 1t Is pos
siblcI may hare been: my camp Was near
the river How ts it that General cClellan's
Oh han fill oh
lvious to his long and Wearisome stay upon
the quarterback and In the cabin Of the Ga
lena is to me entirely une1p1afnRble, for he
certainly Was present in the body, II per-
chance abeent In the spirit, and ate, drank,
Wslked, smoked and talked like any other
man,
4tAn event CT such importance, at such q
critical time, Ia, as yon may we'll suppose, as
indelibly stamped upon my memory as the
answer to the tiIst question In the Shorter
Catecbism'
my eyes were constantly upon him, and
my ears upon the alert, both to learn .the
man and to catch some tldinga Of the situa-
ticn Of which We had most ominous FORE
bodlngs-
"My observations and Impressions made
at that time we're written 1t the time in my
daily Journal now lying before me, from
which give yon the essential facts Of the
sOn the morning OF June S0th, 1862, the
Ga1ena, at that time flagship Of the squadron
lay near HaIall's Landing. Was on the
morning Of that day sent on shore to inspect
scme Of the wounded who had been sent to
having returned on board with Captain Rodg-
ers, learned that another battle was expected
during the afternoon oTthe same day. About
ltS p. m, ne ran to the conJectured headQuar-
fefs ofC}en. Mcclellan. Captain Rodgers here
went on shore, and after short absence
brought Mcclellan On board with him. He
was received by the officers in undreas uni
form, and was accompanied by the Prince de-
JoinYllle and his two nephews, and others
Of lesser note, whom did not particularly
notice, ~ my whole attention vas concea-
trated upon Mcclellan. Near4 p. m, Lieu.
tenant Clum Of the Signal Corps. than sta
TONED in the toretop, reported Enemy nd
come distance further, where We could dis-
tinctly hear An almost incessant roar Of artil-
lery, mingled with yolleys Of musketry, ap
Iarently about a mile Or two of. We then
commenced throwing shells upward {the
banks, or rather bluffs, being quite hfgh)
and to the lett. IN few minutes we re-
ceived signals, sYour shells doing WE'LL We
continued Thus firing until sundown, during
which we received the following dispatches:
tMcC21l Is breaking; Summer ia having
hard time Mcclellan than lett the Galena
for the feld-aboht 6 p. m. The last dispatch
bringing in enemy's wounded
"tNear midnight 1t Was rumored that We
had held our position and captured one
thousand prisoners. And 60 ended the bat
tie Of Glendale.
"On Tueedsy, July 1st 1869, at about
Q a. NJ, General Mcclellan again can,s on
1eard, looking jaded, anxious aud weary.
far as Harrison's Landing-McClellan mean
while went into the cabfn to take little
sleep. At 1850 p. ,m., Mcclellan came from
the cabin and took passage in a tug with
Gen. Franklin to the encampment. In about
an hour Mcclellan returned, when We i'm
heavy firing as We passed up. Near Carters
dock 1t increased to perfect roar. McClel-
Ian, though quietly smoking cigar upon tas
quarter deck, seemed anxious, and looked Ia
qul1ingly at the signal officer, who was % Re.
he reported 'heavy firing near Porter's divts-
ion shortly af1er this, about p. H., a
meetage came demanding his presence in
the field, and he LETT the vessel. $50 ?; n.
firing almost ceased. A. Il ?. n, MeClel- stlaI
Gen. Mcclellan says: They took one. gun
from us yesterday, but to-day We have taken
many OF their guns and colors.' fYeR' said
Marcy, we whipped them nke. the devil to.
retired, feeling quite su.e that It came from
q reliable. gentleman So ended Malvern
Hill.
"on July Cd ne hove anchor at daylight;
st ortly alter We dropped anchor, which was
about 8 d. m, Mcclellan left US. Ats p. m.
he again came on board and remained uutll
10 a. m July Sd, 1869, when he left Us, look
Ing more anxious than pleasant.
"This WAS his last appearance. These arc
the facts, which, though forgotten BY Gen.
Mcclellan, are well remembered BY the off,
cers Of the Galena.
sand now trust have sufficiently re-
assured ycu. IrJou find refuters still, just
ask them to step down to Washington aud
consult the log book OF the Q: 8. steamer
Galera for june S0th, July 1st, July I'd, July
Sd, 1859, where, over the bold signature OF
Fighting John Rodpers.' they Will find am-
pie proof Of what they so much dread to be-
leye.
Truly your friend. -..--.
ar. E. VAN G1Esos, n. D.,
"Lste Assistant Surgeon, .. $, N. .
"To A. Van Winkle, Newark n. j."
Corroborative evidence Is given by the
Washington Republican, in extracts from the
| log-took Of the Galena, Biened BY Lieuts.
Lofing and Washburn, Entries dated June
80, July l, and July 2, record the movement Of
Mcclellan, aud show that he was on board
the -Galena during portions of three dayF,
$nt1 VII oh n