Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-11-03
McCleiian's Gunboat Experience.
saMs Direct Testimony from odcers
Of the Galena.

Van 0ieson 10 well known in this CITY.
aaa me statements made in his letter have
ceen frequently repeated to persons here:
NEWARK, October Z, 1864.
"DsAR SIR-I. remember seon after
yoar return here from the James river,
where yos acted as snrgson of the gunboat
CAIRNS. hsaring you state that General
Mcclellan was Or board daring the retreat
o! onr army 10 Esrrison's Landing. and
dnTing,hs battles OF Glendale and Malvern
Hal. Having frequently heard it denied
take the libss,y .: writing to be re,s-
sursd
forFs truly. A. VAN WixRLs.
ITO Il. L. Van Girson, II. d.. Eng
iish'own. Monmouth county. n. j."
REPLY.
ESatISH1owx. n j., Oct. 10. 1864.
MIR Dean SIR-Yours of the 7th in
slant WAS received in due time. Agresa
bly TO your request. will write the facts
concerning General McClellan's presence
on board the United States steamer
Ga!ens, which l have SO frequently stated
tn you and many others of my friends in
Newark
'Ie sc aciEs ;aust confess my utter
surprise tha; mr. testimony should b.
needed &c snb>tsntiste G fact already so
we'll established that no san, person.
whether he side with him or against him
personally OF politically. can doubt 1t.
Even Mcclellan himself. in giving his
testimony upon this identsl question,
admits by Implication that he was present,
ai;ho.sh apparently ashamed to answer
the direct question. He retreats under the
cover OF detective memory. His answer
you reco!iect. is j do no. remember. 1t
Is possible | may have been; my camp was
near the river How it is that General
MeC!eian's memory should be:ome so
wonderfully oblivious to his long aud
Searisome stay upon the quarter deck and
n the cabin of tho Gslens. is to me
entirely unexplsinable. for Re certainly
was present IN tho body. il perchance
absent 10 the spirit, and ate. drank, walk
ei, snoked and talked like any Other
nan.
An e.snt ct such I'm portance. at such
critical time. is. IS you may well sup,
pose, IS indel;bly stamped upon ms
memory as the answer to the first question
IN the Shorter Cstechism.'
MY eyos were constantly upon him
aid ny esTs upon the alert, both 20 lesrr
:he nsan snd catch some tidings of the
situation OF which we had most ominou.
iorebodi1gs.
My observations ami impression.
made at That Sine were write at the
time in uy daily journal now lying before
ne. from which give you the essentia
facts OF the case under consideration.
"On The morning Of June 30th. 1862
the Gsleas. at that time the flagship OF
the squadron, lay near Haxall's Landing
/ was on the morning of that day sent on
shore to inspect some of the wounded who
had been sent to the river bank for
transportation, and after having returned
on board with Captain Rodgers. learned
la. another battle was expected during
the afternoon of the same day. Abou,
,wo P. n, we ran to the conjecture1 head
quarters Of General Mcclellan. Captain
Rodgers here went on shore. and after Q
short absence brought Mcclellan on hoard
with him. He was received by the officer.
ii undress uniform, and was accompanies
By the Prince de Joinville and his two
nsphews, and others of lesser note, whom
/ did not particularly notice. as my Who'll,
attention was concentrated upon Nc
Clellan. Near four p. N. Lientenan,
C!nu', OF the Signal Corps, then stationed
n tho foretop, reported. Enemy sdvan.
cling in large force upon the LETT We
ran up some distance further, where WI
could distinctly hear an incessant roar oil
artillery, mingled with volleys o.
gusketry apparently about mile or two
OF. We then commenced throwing shells
upward 1.-THE banks, or rather bluffs. being
quite high and to the left. In few mo.
me1tt we received signal. Your shells
doing wel.' We continued thus firing
until sundown, during which we received
the following dispatches: Mccall is
breaking Sumner is having q hard
time. Mcclellan then left the Galena
for the ieid-about 8 Pm. The last dis.
patch received was late in the evening
'onr men bringing in enemy's wounded.
Near midnight il was rumored that
We hal held our position and captured one
thousand prisoners. And so ended. the
battle OF Glendale.
''On Tuesday, July lst, 1862. at about
ga. ~. General Mcclellan again came on
board. looking jaded. anxious and weary.
~ ~ 4. u, we proceeded down the river
as far as Harrison's Landing Mcclellan
meanwhile went into the cabin to take q
little sleep. a. 1890 p. N. Mcclellan
came from the cabin and took passage in
. ting with General Franklin to the
encamPment. In about an hour McClels
returned, when we Immediately started
up the river. hearing heavy firing as we
passed up. Near Carriers dock it increas-
ed to perfect roar. Mcclellan. though
quietly smoking cigar upon the quarter
deck. seemed anxious and looked
inquiriagly at the signal officer, who was
receiving message from shore. In q
minute be reported. heavy firing near Por-
ter's divisions Shortly after this, about
P. NJ, message came demanding his
presence in the field, and he left the
vessel. $50 P NJ, firing almost ceased
At IL P. ~, Mcclellan returned, accom-.
panied by General Marcy. General Nc.
Cls!lan says, They took one gun from u,
yesterday, bnt to-day we have taken many
of their guns and colors.' Yes, said