The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-29
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ORIGINAL SCHEME Of The WAR.
The Generals Letters to the
President, Secretary of
the War, and Military
Commanders.
The Virginia, Peninsular, and
= Maryland Campaigns.
How the Army of the Potomac
Fought and How it's Sacrifices
were Rewarded in Washing
General McClellan's Tribute
to his Soldiers. 7

oOl1O1 o1 uuCS10lldu 1I4UutO
to his Soldiers.
General Mcclellan has at last been per-
mitted to tell his own story of the great
campaign for which the administration has
endeavored to make him responsible to his
tory and the county. When We say that
this story proves, beyond cavil or contra
diction, that for the campaign of 1862 Gen
eral Mcclellan is in truth responsible only
.su far as concerns the salvation of an army
imperiled by the reckless and ignorant
strategy of a knot of selfish politicians,
We say what the most passionate and
prejudicial reader of these clear and
quiet and manly pages will find it hard to
gainsay, at least in the secret Of his own
brain and heart. The whole story be 1t
remembered, too, is not told. cannot possi-
bly, be told by commissioned general OF
the army writing to the head Of the Depart
ment Of War, that head being the very
man whose hand has been weighing for evil
upon him and upon his gallant troops tor so
many weary and worse than wasted
months Of what still remains to be made
known we shall here now say nothing
We shall even refrain from commenting
upon the narrative which has been made
public, and contine ourselves to the simple
duty of stating, in brief synoptical form,
what it is that General McOlallen tells us
of the annals of this mighty war. .
The generals report, when we consider
that it embraces the history of nearly six
teen months crowded with great events, is
singularly brief and condensed. 1t takes
up the story of his connection with the ar
my at his arrival in Washington after the
first disaster,at Bull Run, and passes on
through the whole period of the organiza-
ton of tho Army o. the Potomac; through
the preparations made III the winter OF
ls6l-62 for the invasion of Virginia
through the movement against Richmond,
by way of Yorktown aud Peninsula /;
through the fercely contested battles Of
the seven days and through the short but
splendid campaign in Maryland down to
the surrender, by the general who had form
ed and developed aad disciplined aud
saved the finest army in the republic OF his
baton of command ON wild November
night in the camp at Warrenton. in Vir-
ginia. .-..... r=--, -
The report is dated at New York, Au-
gust 4, 1863, and is addressed to Brigadier
General Thomas, adjutant general United
States army. 1t is accompanied by there
ports of corps, division and subordinate
commanders, and by many illustrative doc
uments, such as maps, charts, aud the
like. 8il.' =.
Passing briefly over his brilliant cam
paign in Western Virginia with the state
ment that he was preparing for campaign
in the Upper Kanawha Valley when he
learned at Beverly of the disaster OF Bull
Run, Gen. Mcclellan observes that he had
received no notification OF the movement
of the eastern army, and was not therefore
prepared to Operate with it. Late on
Sunday, the fatal 2lst of July, an order
came to him from Washington directing
him to move into Eastern Virginia, without,
however, inform ng him OF the vital fact
that Gen. Patterson had been unable to pre-
vent the junction of Johnston with Beau
regard He was preparing to obey this
blind and tardy order, when on the 22d
came another order requiring him to turn
over his command to Gen. Rosecrans, and
TO repair in person to Washington.
Leaving specific directions as to the for
tifi ,stion of the most Important points
tLen held by US in Western Virginia, Gen.
Mcclellan on the 9th assumed command
of the "Division of the Potomac"
h iound this army, TO which was assign
ed the double duty of protecting Washing
tn and of threatening Richmond, neither
cap. .ble of threatening Others nor protect
ine itself The extent OF the resources of
the South for resistance had been most i'm
perfectly appreciated, and it was necessary
at once to alarm and to encourage the ofh
cial mind. ..
GEN. M'CLELLAN's SCHEME OF CAMPAIGN IN
August, 1861. . .-
81 On the 4th of August, 1861, the new
general laid before the President hisscheme
of the war.
In this scheme it was laid down that our
best, if not our only, hope Of a speedy and
lasting peace lay in convincing the disloyal
populations, at the outset of hestilities, that
resistance to the government must prove
impracticable. $3.50 w ss1 ~
It was pointed out that our reverses at
Bu,lRun had made this task at, once more
dfacult, since they had semboldened our
enemy and injured our own prestige born
ath6ms and abroad.
a- Virginia having been made; the battle
field isbecame necessary 10 fghe thepe; but
order to success in the campaign against