New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-09-17
rv,r CUNBoAT GENERA.

While clTrunstdnISi t!iHcuCN suo"n INV
Gen. Mcclellan was on o gunboat during the
battle of Malvern Hi. there is positive testl-
mony that he was on q gunboat during the ter
rib!e battle Of White Oak Swamp OF Glendale,
the day before (June ;0); and that when the
battle Of Malvern Hill was fercely raging. no
was several miles from the scene. selecting. as
ne himself tells IA, tho final position OF the
army and It's depots." when, as he expected.
it should be defeated. We summon h- Chief
Engineer General Barnard, (now Chlei-Engi-
neer Of tho Army of the Potomac before Peters
burg and the Rev. Dr. MARKS, al eyewitness
and one Of McClellan's army friends, 10 assist
his defective memory.
Cen. Barnard, In his review Of the Peninsular
Campaign, in which be WAS Engineer-in-Chief
and at Mcolellan's right hand, says, on page
a. when speaking Of tho great battle of the
Goth:
"Itwas m eventf1i day and an eyen.'n point; CEN
trail too u tie general position OF the army. where
was tho Commanding General during tits bciile' At
the extreme o and FOR Considerable portion OF the
time cunboet'
this statement. lie does morn. On page rs
he says:
IL va. very lsts st nigh, before ny aids ~
turned to give me the results Of tho days ght!ug along
tie whole line aud the true position Of afInirs"
81. may well be doubicd." says his disgus;ed Engi
nccr Ciief in al cding to this "whcther In all the
recorded dispatches Of military commanders. parallel
10 this extraordinary avoval be found. Va sup
posed IL the especial business Of General to know 1T
each moment the position Of Affairs and to have
rome agency in ruling ii. Here We find the days Eight
ing All done tho resuisfor better or worse-acoorn
pll.hed and very late at night tho Commanding Gen
eraI last learning about them''
Let us hear what The Rev. DR.. Marks says OF
the Commander-in-Chiefo on this eyentiul day,
in his sketch Of "the Peninsular Campaign in
Virginia" On Pnge 2Ss he says
1.-THE Commander-inChief was evidently oppressed
with the deep-st sohcltudc for he accompanied the
Prince lido Joiave AID his nephew. to the waratean
er and remained board until Late in the afternoon,
communicating his orders BY signals and co'Aiers Dr.
James Rogers Brigade SlrycOn ol kobinsons Brigade
who had been III with foyer ior several days. was hho
wise ON this steamer and atrrTari rotated 10 me tie
events and Of that ley they came under his
eve. lie said Goa Mcclellan was evidently hboring
under tic deepest depression. and appTehehd
ed the worst results- Eut abou! o'clock
Dispatch came from Gen. MACY saying that onr srmy
va, holding the enemy at boy "a oil points. ana IN al
probability would drive him tom tue he!d This mes
sage seemed 10 IN ON immense burden on tie heart Of
ths General and ho arose ard walked the deck with
buoyant step; aud RON this time evidently listened TO
the battle With new hope. But about ) o'clock the
Commanding General rode into tho line OF our army
and remained until the action closed. Gen ueinHe
man had sent 10 hin message that The tro0ps noticed
hls absence and II exsrting depressing influence
on hen and he could DOT be answerAlo for the conse
queuces BE- longer held hinScf so fr aiooi from tbH
scene Of acton and Of danger"
Commenting on tilis battle, Cen. Barnard
says, page 40:
Tho army VIA saved in spite Of Gen. NcClcllar's
Ignorance Of the petition Of affairs and rssults ofibe
dsys fighting. and consequent incapacisy to give nlli
gent orders"
Speaking OF the battle OF Malvern Hill, the
next day, Gen. Barnard asks gnd answers:
"wbere, tn. day, Ia hs Commanding General or
with Capt. Rodgers 10 select the final position 81 the
Army and iis dcpots He does not tell us that IL gas on
gunboat. and that this day not even signals would
keep Linn In communication With his army for hs jour
uey was ten fifteen miles down the river andh ~ss
tina absent Til late In the afternoon This In tie lrst
time We ever had reason 10 believe that the highest and
fr,t duty OF q General tie daysof battle WA seps-
rating himself from his army ~ reoonnoiter spaoe u
retreat"
Any candid man, who shall read Gen. McClel-
lan's Report carefully, will be thoroughly con-
WINGED that tbs brilliant battles on the Ponin-
sula were solely the work Of the corps COM
msnders and but Cor The interference OF MeClel-
Ian T. Commander Chief Richmond would