The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-29

' WHEELING, saFK1Dl
: begun in September, 1861, by the appoint
ment of Gen. Marcy as chief-of staff.
The history of the various departments
of the army is then rapidly but fully
sketched, with details which show how
vast was the labor to be performed in per-
fecting them, and with due mention made
of those who in the discharge of their da-
ties in the engineer. medical, commissary,
and uuartermaster's departments especially
Il signalized themselves by their skill, fidelity
and energy. II
4 General Mcclellan particularly ,dwells
4 w on the sanitary state of the troops, which
is declared to have been on the whole "bet-
i ter than that of any army of the United
States and this notwithstanding the try
ing nature of the campaign of the psninsu
Ia and the haste with which, after the bat
ties of the seven days, the troops were re-.
moved from Harrison's landing to Alexan-
dria, leaving behind them all manner of
of necessary hospital stores and accommo-
dations. -ldj ~5
The remarkable developement Of the tel
egraph corps is also noticed, and the impor
tance of the services rendered by the zero
nautic corps which accompanied the army.
PLANS OF ACTION IN OCTOBER, 1861.
Early in October, 1861, General McClel-
Ian addressed letter to Secretary cameron,
at the request of the President, in which
, he set forth the then position of affairs and
the course opeI to the government and
himself. ,-,,-.,... l.ou /"
In this letter he showed that the force
under his orders was greatly inferior to that
asked for by him in August for the prose-
cution Of vigorous and successful invasion
of the South. He urged the concentration
of the national forces on Virginia for the
purpose of Striking the rebellion at the
heart" He showed that for the defence of
Washington there would be required &C.
cording to Generals Barnard and Barry.
Of the engineers and artillery. 600
For Baltimore and the Potomac. ......... .l5, 600
For operations against the enemy. .l5O 0O0
For Lower Potomac. .............-........S, q, UOU
Total electives required. ............. .20s 600
The actual effective strength at his dispo-
sal be then showed to be, including all
points held, l47 ,695, with 22S field guns
some of the batteries being raw and unfit
for service, and the whole being 200 guns
less than was estimated on all hands as me-
cessary. s
The whole force of the Union elsewhere
employed was stated by the War Depart
ment at I6l 900, and the reserves, organi-
zing, at 100000. - ~, D.
Gen. Mcclellan accordingly recommend.
ed complete and vigorous concentration
of all the forces not required for defensive
purposes upon the active campaign in Vir
ginia; the War Department estimating the
force of the enemy in Virginia at not less
than $50, 900 men. "Unity in councils, the
utmost vigor and energy in action" be ad
ded, "are indispensable. The entire militia
ry field should be grasped as whole and
not in detached parts" = "The
rebels" he continued, have displayed ener-
~, unanimity and wisdom worthy the most
desperate days of the French revolution
Should we do less?" Were such concen-
tration as he proposed to be effected, Gen.
Mcclellan expressed his conviction that the
rebel organization might still, by well
planned and we'll executed movement, be
overthrown before the winter should set in.
While these propositions were under con
sideration the disaster of Balls Bluff took
place. Of this General Mcclellan states
that the movement of Gen. Stone was or
dered by him as a demonstration which he
thought it possible might induce eenemy
to abandon Leesburg-being made, as it was
cotemporaneously with reconnoisances in
| n II n.a,,o,u,lla ,nHor Ian NJ
Call. General Stone having accomplished
on the morning of October 20 all that he
was expected to accomplish, Gen. Mccall
was recalled from Drainesville to his camp
at Langley. The fact that General Stones
troops were in action on the Virginia side
was telegraphed to Gen. Mcclellan on the
2lst, and reaching the ground the next day
he Harmed the full extent of the disaster
which had followed from this movement,
and by 4 A. NJ. of the Oath had caused the
whole command to recross the Potomac in
safety.
Appointed to the command OF the Poto'
mac army, all Gen. McClellan's attempts to
get the army actively into the field in Vir
ginia had been defeated through variety
of causes enumerated by him. On the lst
of November he was appointed to the Chief
] command of all the forces of the Union, and
at once began active operations.
The theatre of the war has now extended
about the whole circumference OF the South;
and it became necessary, as we'll as practi-
cable, to plan large and sweeping combi-
nation of military operations.
An organization Of New England troops
for occupy ing the coast line of the South on
the middle Atlantic, which had been s1g
gested by General Mcclellan in September,
1861, took shape in January, 1862, as an
expedition under Gen. Burnside designed
to facilitate the movements of the main
body in Eastern Virginia by an occupation
| e - ...s& linz of Nor,b H.rol;n. n.na..l