Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-10-26
Letter OF Hon. VIM. ID. Kelley
I'm Reply TO Henry NJ. NagIeo.
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. 3. 1854.

ult., which you have done me the honor
TO address to me through the public
journals, in which you say:
"Our acquaintance and all OF the rela-
tions that have ever existed between us
are confined 10 two or three accidental
meetings, at one of which you were pleas
ed to refer 20 the lasting impression
made upon you when poor boy, by the
kindness of my father, who always took
you by the hand, and gave you cheering
friendly words of encouragement and sd-
vice. You are pleased to acknowledge
to the son the kind and valuable intiu-
ences received by you from the father,
and TO proffer your friendly services
whenever they would be acceptable"
You will pardon me, General, if | linn
it "the relations that have existed be-
tween US" to one casual meeting which
took place in the office and in the pres
ence of my venerable and distinguished
friend, Eli K. Price, Esq do not re-
member TO have had word OF inter
course with you on other occasion. On
that occasion. mentioned that our ia
thers had been friends, and told } GU that
in the office of the prothonotary of the
court OF which I was judge. your father
had recognized me 10y my likeness to his
early fIienu, my father. That was the
only time remember TO have seen him,
but shall ever remember the pleasant
words he spoke OF my father, vino died
during my infancy.
The public will estimate the gratitude
| owe for this pleasant incident; but it
was not to notice your personal ailu-
sions that ] took my pen.
You then proceeded to quote a few
sentences from the report in the Press, OF
the 23d ult., of my remarks at the meet
ing in Concert Hall tine evening previous
and at the conclusion ofthe extract you
say Now, my dear sir, this statement Ia
simply false, and, on the part of your
friend, Mr. Edwin NJ. Stanton, malicious
ly false" 49,
The extract you cite is as follows:
1T got out that the president was de
termined TO have the army moved. and
it was found that General Mcclellan had
no plan; and here | may state that We
owe the Peninsu ar campaign 10 those
distinguished Senators, Latham of Cali,
fornia, and Rice, of Minnesota, and n
brigadier in the column of Joseph Hook
er. Gen McClelian's plan was concocted
by Others, and put into his hands. Il
was agreed on in council of war. That
plan was submitted to the Presidrnt.-.
II was submitted in presence ofSecreta-
RS Stanton. Stanton put them through
a strict course Determination. One, Gen.
Blenker, owned that he did not under
stand the plan, but would sustain 1t, "a
he thought he had to obey the man
dates of his chief. Gen. Naglee was one
= nhaarraA
that he had but one star. Sir" said
Mr. Stanton. you have no right hereE,
al am representing Gen. Hooker, SAID
he. Id was afterwards found out that he
was absent without leave land that fight
ing Joe Hooker knew nothing OF the
council tApplause. r.
The report from which you Clip this
extract does not purport to be verbatim
nor was it full. / have, however, no
special objection to take to the passage
you quote. 1t embodies fair statement
of NV assertions, so far as it goes. 1t re-
fers to what occurred during the first
week in March, 1862, and must follow
in the report, which l have not read,
nv statement of the disappointment we'll
informed men had experienced in the
last week of FEBRUARY.
{ had told the audience of the hopes
entertained by the President, the Secre-
tary of War and leading members of Con-
oress. Of the success of General McClel-
ian's proposed surprise of tho rebels on
the line of BrentsVille. You doubtless
remember that the success of that prom
ised movement was said by the Genera!
TO deuend on the fact that IL was to be q
surprise. That no suspicion of mis- con-
templated moVemest might be excited,
he proposed that instead of constructing
pontoons, or hauling them thither, ne
would collect in the canal boats, ot-Whlch
to construct bridge across the Potomac
This he did at his leisure. All was now
ready. IF anything wss wanting ne.
had nobody but himself to blame, "as he
himself had said. The morning OF the
eyentfuI day arrived, and lo' Il difficulty,
and difficulty which TO the eminent
engineer commanding the army was in.
supersble. Il had never oecuFedto him
To measure the outlet lock through which
the boats he had provided were to pass,
and now, lust at the critical monet, as
they were some feet wider than the lock,
tbey obstinately refused to pass through.
Was II not yexatious ! also told the
meeting of the puerile excuses Tor the
failure which he offered Ia the presence
of Hon. Benjamin Wade, of.Ohio, and
Andrew johnson, then a Senator from
Tennessee. and that he IN their presence
nroposed to make another effort to sur
nrise the rebels over 4 bridge which he
thought could be built in ten days. Those
who heard me 'Sillremember all this and
"A, f4,.a...l haf lnliln
infirm as his memory appears to be, can
verify all nov statements. r-
| further sail, IN substance that This
fact following the incident Of the stove
pipe at Munson's Hill, and that the wood
en- guns at Manassas, had exhausted even
the Presidents stock of patience, but
that he had, in the kindness Of his heart
determined TO give General Mcclellan a
chance TO redeem himself from utter
ridicule, and had given him ten days IN
which to propose aplausihle plan OF a
campaign. 1t was then said, he had no
plan, and that when several Of the prom
ised ten days had passed he was sti II with
'ut plan. ~ - ----.-|.... ~ -. -
] AT this point of time, my dear Gener-
al. you come upon the scene; and ra al
firm all that | said of you, without at.
tempting TO reproduce the language OF
my address, 1 re-aftirm this, not on the
authority of one whom I am proud TO
call my friend, lion. E, II, Stanton, hut
Eof, one whose word you ought TO accept,
as he was graduate OF West Point,
Brigsdier General OF Volunteers, and
enioyed. in an eminent degree, the conh-
dence of General Mcclellan, then COM
mander-in,ehief of the armies OF the
United States. lrs -. ..s...,s -....l. .--s'.
Indeed, my dear General, he was COM
manding brigade under General Hook
er in Lower Maryland, which l think
was your position when you received a
communication from a Democratic Sena
tor, Mr.. Latham, OF California, which,
though cannot give you its precise Ian
guage, vet you know that General Mo
Clellan was in danger of removal because
he had stipulated TO submit plan OF
campaign within a certain number OF