The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-10-28

lille more advanced point on the Orange and
Alexandria Railway, as soon as the railway
bridge Is repaired.
Great activity should be observed by the cav
airy. Besides two regiments at Manassas,
another regiment of cavalry will be at your
disposal, to scout towards Occoquan, and prob.
ably fourth towards Leesburgh.
To recaphulate: The most important points
which should engage your attention are as fol-
lows:
LIST. A strong force, well entrenched, in the
vicinity of Manassas, perhaps even Centreville,
and another force, (brigade,) also well en-
trenched near Strasburg.
I'd. Block houses at the railway bridges.
Sd. Constant employment of the cavalry well
to the front.
and in advance as far as the Rappahannock, if
possible.
9Th. Great care to be exercised to obtain full
and early information as to the enemy.
9Th. The General object is to cover the line
of the Potomac and Washington.
The foregoing is communicated by command
of Major Gen. Mcclellan.
8. WILLIAMS. Asst. tdit. Gen
To Major Gen. N. P. Banks,
Comdg 9Th Corps Army of the Potomac.
1t is already known how these orders
were countermsnded by the Washington
powers. After BANKs's retreat down the
valley, and the celebrated Stonewall
JACKSON raid in May, Gen. MoCIEILAN
from his peninsular camp, renewed his ur-
gent advice, in the following dispatch:
Coal HARBoR, May &c, 1s62-1OA.M.
kilograms of last night received. 1 am glad
to know affairs are not 80 bad as they might
have been. would earnestly call your atten-
IN INV {v,ct 10
March 10th, to Gen. Wadsworth of the same
date, and to my letter of April LIST, to the Adju-
tant General. cannot but think that prompt
return to the principles there laid down would
relieve all probability of danger. will for
ward copies by mail. / beg to urge the i'm
pOrtance of Manassas and Front Royal in con.
tradistinctiOn to Fredericksburg.
GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, Mai. Gen.
His Excellency, A. LINCOLN, President.
Again no attention was paid to his adj
vice, and every one knows what followed
after the defeat of PORE. After MoOLELAN
had been recalled to save the capital, and
had fought the great battles of South Noun
tain and Antietam, the radicals renewed
their fierce attacks on him, and again COM
planned bitterly of his delays. He was
again urging on the Administration the
necessity of providing against the descent
OF the enemy through the Shenandoah
Valley, The Washington theory was that
9 pursuit of the rebels over the overland
route would drive them back and keep
them back. MCCLELLAN repeated his adj
vice and entreaties. Here are extracts
from the letters:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THR POToMAC,l
Oct. Is, 1862-l0:45 p. NJ.
To Major General HaAleck:
As the moment is at hand for the advance of
the army, question arises for the decision of
the General-in-c chief; which, although perhaps
implicitly decided by the President in his let
ter Of the 18th, should be clearly presented by
me, as do not regard it as in my province to
determine it. This question is the extent to
which the line Of the Potomac should be guard.
ed, after the army leaves. in order to cover
Maryland and Pennsylvania from invasion by
large or small parties of the enemy. It will
always be somewhat difficult to guard the inn
mediate line of the river, owing to its great
extent and the numerous passages which exist,
1t has long appeared to me that the best way of
covering this line would be by occupying
Front Royal, Strasburg, Wardensville and
MOrefield, as the debouches of the several val
leys in which they are situated. These points.
or suitable places in their vicinity, should he
strongly intrenched and permanently held:
and great advantage of this arrangement would
be, covering the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
and an essential part of the system would be
the construction of the link of railway from
Winchester to Strasburg, and the rebuilding of
the Manassas Gap Railway bridge over the
Shenandoah.
The entrenchment of Manassas Junction
would complete the system for the defence of
Washington and the Upper Potomac Many
months ago recommended this arrangement.
in fact gave orders for it to be carried into eff.
feet. shall regard it as essential under all
circumstances,
As have no department and command SIM
ply an active army in the field, my response.
bility for the safety of the line OF the Potomac
and the States north of it must terminate the
moment advance so far beyond that line as
to adopt ianother for my base of operations.
The question for the generel-in-chief to decide,
and which regard as beyond my province, is
this:
LIST. Shall the safety of Harpers Ferry and
the line of the Potomac be regarded as assur-
ed by the advance of the army south of the
Blue: Ridge and the line left to take care of
I'd. If it is deemed necessary to hold the
line or that hereiEbefore indicated in advance
of it, how many troops shall be placed there,
at what points, and in what numbers. and of
what composition at each, and whence shall
they be supplied, i. e. from this army or from
other sources.
l commence crossing the river at Berlin in
the morning, and must ask prompt decision
of the questions proposed herein.
G. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major General Commanding.
The reply which Gen. MCCLELLAN re-
ceived from Gen. HALLROK was sneer
Here it is:
WASHINGTON, Oct g. 1S62-1:35 P. NJ.
Major General George b. McClellan:
You will also exercise your own
discretion in regard to what points on the Po-
tomac and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
are to be occupied or fortified. will only add
that there is no appropriation for permanent
Entertainments on that line. Moreover, / think
it will be time enough to decide on terrifying
Front Royal, Strasburg, Wardensville and
MOrefeld, when the enemy is driven south of
them and they come into our possession. x
H. w. HALLECK, General-in.C Chief
That sheer of HALIECK cost the nation
all it has suffered at Gettysburg, and in
this late raid of 1864. 1t was an expen-
sive sneer. When the Diaces named came