Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-10-20

the most extraordinary ever penned by any
man wearing soldiers uniform. l pause
fcrs moment To ash the reader 10 take In
q full realizing sense Of the import Of the,
following amazing words aM
'The last news received from the direc-
ton Of Manassas was from strsgylers, 60 the
effect that the enemy we're erscuating Cen
tyevillo and retiring tovaraa Thoroughfnre
Gap. That Is by no means reliable. / am
clear that one OF two courses should BIO
adopted. F1st--To concentrate all our
| available forces 70 open communication with
! Pope. Second-16 iearc Pope to get out Of
has scrape, and at once 10 use all means to
make the Capital perfectly safe. No mid.
die course will not answer. Tell me what
you wish me to do and | will do all in my
! power to accomplish it. wish to know
what my orders and sithority are. ask
for nothing but will obey Whatever orders
you give. only ask prompt decision,
\ that l may at once give the necessary orders.
II will not do to delay longer" - ="
Expr,s i've silenceis the only possible c,i Z.
ment on this astounding proposition, for the
profound horror and contempt such words
inspire take away all power of cool dssec
tion. 1t is said that when Mr.. lincoln read
this dispatch he fell back in his chair in q
half fainting fit, and even at this distance
of time it is hardly possible to read it with.
out sinking Of the heart.
General Mcclellan in the above propo.
sition suggests two courses | need not say
that they are substantially one and the same
lie kneD Mdt Lees JUNCTION ,eifh Jnctson
,ous nolo certain. --Eiz John Porter had at
tended to that In either case. therefore.
Pope was perfectly certain to be left to get
out of the scrape." ~ ...- :
But what was the "scrape" out of which
Pope was to get? Into what horrible indis.
cretion so unwarranted that to leave him to
get out" of it was only just punishment on
him-had he rushed? Will it be believed
that he got into ''the scrape" at the urgent
instance of Gen. Mcclellan. who begged
Pope to make diversion in his favor? Will
it be believed that, with the loyal alacrity Of
a true soldier, he had. in obedience to this
request, thrown himself down on the Rapi-
dan to compel the enemy to loose his hold
on the army. of the Potomac-th he re-
ceived the whole weight of the rebel force
| precipitated upon him-that with masterly
generalship he kept back that force for
seventeen days, fighting in that time several
large battles. in which, repeatedly success
ful. he gave the rebels their first taste oI
true punishment-that by this means he
succeeded in gaining time sufficient for Gen.
McClel Ian to bring back his army to the
defence ofthe Capital? Yet such are the
facts which history records. Now we under
stand. This was the "scrape" Pope was tc
get ont oil
The 3OM of August II have exhausted
the main action in this strange drama, but
there remains an episode that shorld take
its place in this recital. So far as the keep
ing back OF reinfOrcements goes. Gen. Nc
Clellan had done his hest that Pope should
not get out of his scYape." But there re
mains touch beyond this. Pope's ammu
milton, rations and forage were now exhaust.
ed, and he sent 10 Washington to procure
supplies: Gen Mcclellan was to- tfl the or
ders. You shall now see how he dill it.
10 the reauesr for ammunition, Gen. Nc
Cle!lau telegraphs at l 10 p. m: II know
nothing OF the calibre of Pope's artillery
Yet he was within two minutes telegraphic
communication with the Ordnance Bureau
at Washington, where he might have had
full information on this point. h..
To the request for ratisns, Gen. Franklin
replies:
II have been instructed by Gen. MeClel
Ian to inform you that he will have al the
ailable wagons at Alexandlia loaded with
rat'ons for your troops, and all ut the car
also, Hs soo4s as you DiN send in n caraI q
escor to A3esandvia az n guard to the train. .
l cannot better set forth this matter in its
true bearings than by giving the following
passage from Gen. Pope's official report:
about daylight of the 3Oth. received a
note from General franklin, written by
direction Of General Mcclellan. informing
me THAT ratfens and forage ,oould be loaded
into all the available wagons and cars at
Alexandria, as soon as | would send back O
cavalry escort to guard the trains. Such q
letter, when we were fighting the enemy
and Alexandria was swarming with troops,
needs no comment. Bad as was the CON
ditiou of our cavalry, was in no situation
to spare troops from the front, nor could
ttey hare gome to Alerandrid and returned
toifhia the time by tohich noe must hare had
pror,sions or hare fallen back In the direction
of Washington; nor do l see ,chat serric,
copnlry could haze rendered in guarding
railroad trains"
l must let this close this expo. ition of III,
extraordinary series of transactions at Alex
nlria, in which have done little else thar
aIlew official dispatches to tell their owl
story. leave the reader to form his owI
Judgment aud pronounce his own verdict. -
But one remark remains. have hitherto
had occasion to call in question Gen. Nc
Clellan's capacity The conduct here set
forth invites at thestion of his toyalty ca.
not enter Gen. McClellsn's private thought,
and pluck out the "heart of his mystery
1t is possible that his conduct at Alexan
dria was nothing more than the effect ol
heartless sel6shness and ambition, which
+ can lead up to the very door of treason
without passing within. It is now certain
that it was the avowed purpose Of McClol-
Ian and his friends 40 to arrange matters as
that the army should, to use their expires
sion, fall back into his arms" at Washing
ton. For this end it was essential that Pope
should not obtain reinforcements. for had
he received the thirty thousand troops that
lay idle at Alexandria, he would beyond a
doubt hare beaten the rebelr amy. That ht
should do 70 was manifsstly not at all in
Gen. McClellan's programme.
Looking st Gen. McClellan's conduct as
it stands revealed in his own dispatches,
can only say to him, ''H this be LOYALTY