, 1864-02-25
+: ,HEcCLELLAN.s REPoRT.
What He Omitted from His Hook,

General Mcclellan, says the Cincinnati o.
sette, pretends that his report is Is plain mar.
ratiVe OF such facts as are necessary for the
purposes of history" and he Gays; "Where
1t was possible have preferred to give these
facts in tie language Of dispatches, written
at the time of their occurrence, rather than
to attempt new relation. But there az :.
some strange omissions Of dispatches con-
cerning some OF the most important events
In his dispensation, Which seriously mar. the
reliability Of his narrative rs historical doc
ument. For orinstance, the following dispatch
announcing to the country his glorious VIC
tory over the evacuated Yorktown, and his
triumphant pursuit of the flying enemy, is
left ont Of the report:
HEADQUARTERS ARxx or TIE PoroMAc,
May 4
We hare the rampasts, guns, ammunition. camp
which our engineers report very strong. I have
thrown all my cavalry and horse artillery in .pur.
fnf fnppo5ted By infantry move F1snklas
BY water to West Point to-day No time shall be
The eunbeats have gone up the York River.
Gloucester Is also In our possession.
~ ''' '''~ ~ GEo. b. MCCLELLAN.
Nor is the following, describing the further
progress of the driving Of the enemy to the
NGll, and the cxubcrant spirits Of the young
Napolconic general in the distant pursuit,
given in tie report:
HEADQuAnrEns ARMY or PoroxAo,
May 4th-7 r. N.
Hon. E. N. Stanton, Secretary OF War:
Our csyalry and horse artillery came up with the
Two miles Ills eide Of Williamsburg. 1 briak
fight ensued. Just as my Aid let, Smith division
OF infantry arrived on the ground, and presume,
Shs eneys e Snt se
enough up there to insure all purposes. All along
the lines their works prove to have been most
nees Of the course / hare pursued. The snccess
was brilliant, and you may rest assured that its
effect VII! be Of the greatest Importance. There
GEORGE b. MCCLELLAN.
Major General Commanding.
Nor docs the report contain the following
dispatch, dated next day, showing the sudden
change In the mood Of the triumphant pur-
suing general, when he found that Ills pursuit
had actually ovcrtaken the enemy, and that
fighting was to be done, and that the rebels
really intended to ssaisputc every step 10
Richmond" Then his f'forcc enoughh OF
the afternoon before, sank to the inevitable
Mcclellan inferiority next morning, and the
only thing lie felt confident Of was that the
enemy was superior and would fight we'll
B1rorAc II FEoFT OF WuL1Axenuna,
Nav &. 1s62-10p. m.-5
Hou. r. n. Stanton, Secretary OF War:
After arrsne1Dg tot movements up York River. I
snt q nc 70 etfong 1oe probably gete
s sss s"a 1ssRhsfS Rhs 6nti asn asHs
one Colonel and 1s0 pFisoue1B, and killed at least
two Cooncls and many priyatcs. Hlsconduct was
brilliant In the extreme.
/ do not know our exact loss. but fear that Gen.
Hooker has lost considerable on our LEFT.
IleaFn from prisoners that the Tebakt intend dts-
pus:SqH 8 x.ery stfp to r. Alc1xoad: M s.. ,.,,,,...
eAsE ht1s srhAs ,ssE.ns ths original Isan;
,Ior 70 MGt q Ms rsstks, ssko .fiR faht ael but
GEO. B. MCCL. .LLAN,
Major General Commanding.
A narrative consisting Of orders and dis
patches, is incomplete If it omits those
which show the condition Of the command
structed afterlh0ug hts, written out In retire
ment, may be more satisfactory to the Gene
ral, but they Go not give what he proposes, q
picture Of events By the dispatches and Or
ders Of the time
At one moment in victorious pursuit of
the flying enemy; announcing his resolution
to push them to the wall, and that his force
victory, and its effect upon the country, md
commencing all as proving the wisdom Of
his plan; and then as soon Us he found that
the enemy had stopped running, md that 10.
Johnston Was actually in front Of him, lis
htort tank utihfn him. The encmy's force be-
they would fight well He consulted priso-
ners and was told that the rebels we're actu-
ally going to dispute the way to Richmond.
OF course If they intended to fight, he did
not He concluded not to push them to the
wall, bnt to take to the wall himself. It was
not lis plan at all that had drawn him into
nil this trouble. It wns Washington inter-
ference. His force was entirely inadequate.
He would "rrn the risk" Of trying to hold
the enemy in check, while he resumed the
original plan.
Il was Gen. McCle1lan's fatc ,teter to b. rec,
enc'gh to an engagement IF his army 10 under
stand the nature af il, and uniformly to give
m incorrect and unjust account Of it In bis
early dispatches Thus in the battle Of Fai,
Oaks, in dispatch dated at night, "On the
Battle Field, )" r hfch he never came near, and
which the enemy Then held, be DETAINED Gen
Cneey's division, which for two hours Lad
borne the brunt OF the encmy's attack. HI
1srs compelled to retract this next day, bni
the credit and spirit Of the division were ire
| parably injured.
So ID this case he gnye the entire credit te
Gen. Hancock, who had By command of q en-
sumner, taken possession Of some abandon
60 e, 1sd9nbts, arg who had done but little Q
l lAE AS4AAe. 0E UulllleA al mGQzlQQ @
Sumner, Hooker, md Kearnty, who did th.
Chief fighting in the battle, which cost u
2,22e men, Of whom a5G were killed and ] ,40t
| wounded.
his report now shows the total ignoranc.
and injustice OF Lis dispatches at tic time
Gen. Kcarney's private letters, which were
aiterward published, showed how the SOU
OF that gallant officer was etung by this in
juetice and chnrlataniem. But it is eviden
from the dispatches that charitable allow
nnce should be made for the dtmprd'i-ed statt
OF Gen. McC1ellan's mind, when he fount
that the entmy had stopped running.
i,,g lis brayc pursuit and inyincible de:erni-
paticu, and while his army was fighting thi4
battle, he remained behind ut Yorktown, to
superintcnd the starting of Franklin's divie-
ion by water, and to send dispatches t. the
country t. have future victories discounted,
In total Ignorance Of what was going on.