Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-01
From The New York Journal Of Commerce.
a Page Of History.

deeply interesting. none on which the pen of the
historian will dwell with more eloquence, than
that which relates TO the condition OF the United
States its army and ITS capitol. on the last day Of
August, 1862 The report Of General Mcclellan
now for the first time collects and makes clear
the various incidents which are to I'll this i'm
portart page IN our national record. We regret
that the Congressional edition. the Rebellion
Record edition, aud other cheap editions of the
Report, are incomplete and inaccurate. emitting
entirely some portions which present the most
interesting aud important view Of the relations Of
General Mcclellan TO the Cabinet, the army aud
the country. The edition published under Gen.
McCelans authority is accurate The omission
was doubtless unintentional, some pages of copy
having fallen from a compositor's desk. been
misaid, ia the Government printing office. and
the re-prnters who have followed that edition
have produced imperfect copies
Gen. Mcclellan was not at that time removed
from the command of the army. but the army
was removed from his command by an ingenious
device OF the War Department He was treated
with contemDtuo Is Indifference by Gen Halleck
When ordered To abandon the Peninsula be was
so anxious for an interview with Gen. Halleck,
and free consultation, that he proceeded from
Harrisons Bar To the nearest telegraph station,
and there finding that the wires we're broken un-
der water. he crossed Chesapeake Bay. arriving
at Cherry Stone Inlet, on the east shore. about
midnight. He Immediately telegraphed to Wash
ington, Informing Gen. Halleck that he had come
all this distance to consult with him, and request
ed him TO come % the War Department end OF
the Sire Gen Halleck came, and sent brief
AMI somewhat i'll humored reply While Gen.
Mcclellan decyphering this reply (t was in
their private cipher,) the operator informed him
that Gen Haeck had left the Washington office
without so much as saying good night. aud that
further telegraphng was useless Gen McClel-
q
the scene of its noble exploits, stood himself last
man OF all. on the deserted ground, and left the
Peninsula with the conviction that great error
was in progress ut Washington At Fort Monroe
he wrote dispatch to Gen. Halleck, mournfull v
eloquent, speaking of the services OF his brave
army. and begging Halleck to recognize them.
lie said:
Please say kind word to my army. that |
can report TO them in general orders in regard to
their conduct at y Yorktown, Williamsburg. West
Point, Hanover Court House aud OH the Chick
ahomny well in regard To the seven days
and the recent retreat No one has ever said
anything to cheer them. but myself Say no
thing about me- Merely give my men and Off
GERS credit for what they have done. Ii will do
you much good and will strengthen you much
with them if you issue a handsome order TO them
in regard TO what they have accomplished.
They deserve il.
Verify they did deserve it. They were an
army Of heroes brought home from fields of as
gallant fighting as the world ever saw. But
there no reply to the request of their General.
They received no kind word, no cheer, no thanks.
They were hurried home. to be hurled into the
jaws of death under commander selected to
dsDlace the general who had hitherto shared
their fortunes Mcclellan came TO Alexandria
What his position and relation TO the army
He himself did not know. The process OF deprv-
ing him of his command was going forward
Pope's Army OF Virginia absorbed the Army OF
the Potomac For seven days that noble army
disappears from history. IL had no existence
Mcclellan was left at Alexandra, still the com
handing general OF the Army of the Potomac,
but there is eloquence which every heart
must ieel in his simple narrative of what remained
To him OF his once magnificent command Less
than one hundred men, many of these invalids
and wounded men, were the sole representatives
of the Army OF the POtOmacl So grand is the
contras. which this narrative affords between the
days which preceded and those which followed
the last of August. that it may by some be sus-
pected as intentional that the narrative is omitted
from the incomplete editions of the Report But
we prefer 10 regard il As accidental especially in
view of other and numerous which occur
in the same editions
The secret history of political maneuvering nj
Washington. ut this time. would if made public.
explain the whole responsibility for the disastrous
campaign of Pope The blood of our thousands
lost on the fatal plains of Manassas Is chatgeibe
directly on the inlIigueS OF Washington p0liti
clans of the radical party. who only desired TO
remove Mcclellan from the public view, because
they feaI Ell that the splendor OF his genius, the
devotion of his army, the nobleneSs OF his char
ter, might bring him before the people FIT
man 70 lead the whole nation through war "a
peace and union under the Constitution. FuI
sands on thousands of younc lives poured ont on
fruitless battle fields Aud some OF this secret
history may be recovered from close eXtmina-
ten of the dispatches aud orders issued at Wash
ington between the 29th August and the 81 Sep
TENDER, 1850 Five days-brief time. but filled
with great events The politicians had succeed
ed Mcclellan de5ased and dsgraced. He
asks Halleck for specific orders To what he is
To do az Alexandra. Halleck replies giving gen
eral orders and finding fault. Ammunition
aud particularly for artillery. must be immediate
" sent forward TO Centrevie, for General Pope
Ii must be done with all possible dispatch" teie-
graphs Halleck ut | 40 O'Clock on the 30th
Mcclellan replies at 2:l0 Il know nothing OF
the caliber of Pope's artillery. All ! can do i:
to direct nv ordnance officer to load all wagon,
sent TO him" Halleck finds fault that Franklin
not sooner sent forward Mcclellan reptile,
that franklin had no transportation and hnall,
marched without wagons. and OF course without
ammunition or subsistence
Then Mcclellan sends dispatch, which vii
be memorable in all future times:
Il cannot express to you the pain and NORTH
cation have experienced 10 day in listening e
the distant sound Of the firing OF nv men A.
| can be of no further use here. respectfully aSb
that, ii there is probability of the conflict being
renew ell tomorrow, my be permitted 10 20 &,
the scene of battle with my stall. merely 10 be-
with my own men. il nothing more; they vii
tight none the worse for my being with them.
mand even OF nv own army. | simply ask 20 b'
permitted 10 share their fate on the field OF battle
Please reply to this TO night F"
No sleep that long night in the little camp a
AextnGria. Every moment they expected the
answer permitting them to share the tate Of th,
army fate which all the wsest soldiers wer,
looking To with tie most solemn apprehensions
But 10 answer came Not even the common
courtesy of a reply was given. till the next da,
came Halleek cold dispatch:
Il cannot answer without seeing the President
Gen Pope i in command. by bis orders. OF th,
department"
Ii was too much trouble foe any one 10 Gen
Hsleck's Office To send TO the President the nigh
before. or even that morning, and say: = The
fate ct the nation hangs IN the balance MeClel.
Ian asks leave to 10 TO the field a. volunteer
may he gof
But the insults were not YET ended. The sam,
day. the BIS. of August Gen. Halleck telegraph
Mcclellan:
4 A. u