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


On the 9th Of January, 1862, President
Lincoln, without consultation with General
Mcclellan, assumed command of all the
armies pre- pared and preparing for thess
general movements. He issued on that
day his "War Order No. l, prescribing that
on the 22d Of February, 1862, a general
movement of all the land and naval forces
of the United States should be made against
the insurgent forces.
This order was followed four days after
by second order commanding the Army
of the Potomac to occupy APPOINT southwest
of Manassas Junction
On the 9th of FEBRUARY Gen. Mcclellan
received note from the President reason
ing with him on the choice he had made OF
a route to Richmond. Gen. Mcclellan
replied substantially, in letter to Secre
tary Stanton, recitlDg what had been done
with the Army Of the Potomac, and what
remained to be done with that aud with
all the other armies of the Republic; stating
his reluctance to ''waste life in useless bat
ties, :" and bis desire "to strike at the heart;"
and pointing out the military reasons for
preferring the base of she lower Chesapeake
to that of Washington for operations against
the army intrenched at Manassas.
"For many long months" he said, IL
have labored to prepare the Army OF the
Potomac to play its part in the programme;
I have exerted myself to place all the other
armies in such condition that they, too,
could perform their allotted duties" Il
know" he concludes, "that his excellency
the President you, and l, all agree in our
wishes, and that those wishes are to bring
this war to close as promptly as the means
in our power will permit believe that
the mass OF the people have entire conf
dence in Us. Let US then look only to the
great result to be accomplished, and disre-
gard everything else "
The President, after reaching this letter,
forbore to urge his war orders. Conferences
were held, the base of the lower Chesapeake
was finally selected fer the movement
against Richmond, and steps were taken to
prepare the necessary transports, under the
exclusive direction Of the Assistant Secre-
tary of War. ,ag
The Navy Department had been invited
as early as August II, 1861, by General
Mcclellan, to take steps for protecting the
navigation of the Lower Potomac. Moth
ing had been done, however, and General
Barnard, chief of engineers, reported that
it would be impossible for the army to
prevent the erection by the enemy of bat
teries at "High Point and thence down to
Chopawampsic.' As the navy took no
steps to prevent the erection Of batteries
on the Virginia shore, nothing was left but
to maneuver so as to compel the enemy to
eyacuate.
THE ADVANCE TO MANASSAS.
After detailing the measures taken by
him to secure the reconstruction Of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, General Nc
Clellan begins the history of the Peninsu-
lar campaign. On the 9Th of March the
President renewed his objections to the
Chespeake movement, bot after a full con.
yersation again withdrew them, and the
plans of General Mcclellan being laid by
him the same day before a council of diYis-
ion generals, they we're by the majority ap
proved. Still the complete secrecy neces
sary to their success had now by the course
of the sxeeptife been sacrificed ; and on
the same 8th Of March the President issued
two new orders, still without consulting
General Mcclellan, BY which the situation