Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-21
AN ENGLISH VIEW OF M,oLELLAN


The London Quarterly ReVisw has a re.
view Of the prospectSof the Con federates based
upon four different volumes, published in Lon
don, from four different authors, which con-
tains some facts and opinions worthy OF atten-
tion. The John Bull writers, although leaning
generally toward the side Of the Confederacy,
are impartial in respect to Northern Generals,
and the opinion OF the London Quarterly Of
Mcclellan, is pretty plainly expressed in the
following passage:
The Federsls, after sustaining defeat at
Bull Run, unconsciously frittered away the i'm
mense superiority OF strength which still re-
mained to them by selecting Gen. Mcclellan as
their new commander in-chief. For months
and months this Aihelstane the Unready-a
sensible and worthy man, but slow and eau
hous In the eItreme-set TO work TO organize
and discipline his army, nearly 200, 900 strong,
with view to fitting II for a campaign In
which there were to be no more Bull Runs
A few miles of, In his front, lay Generals John
ston and Beauregard, with an unruly and riot
Gus army, little more than &c, 900 strong, In
toIicsted with their recent victory, which was
loudly celebrated In beakers Of whiskey, by
dance and by song. II was not until the spring
OF 1869 came and Fort Donelson fell In the
West, simultaneously with the commencement
OF hcClellan's advance towards Richmond in
the East, that the Confederates awoke to the
magnitude Of the task which lay before them -
This review mentions Mcclellan incidentally
only, but in a very damaging way. For In
stance, 1t brings out in a strong light his mas.
terly Inactivity at Antietam. Speaking Of the
rear guard of D. Hill, stationed at South Noun
tain, as described In the book OF Capt. Ches-
ney, British officer, the review says:
"before D. H. Hill fell back to South Noun
tain, Its is now notorious that 4 momentous
incident had happened. II will be necessary
70 give q few words to the character OF this
General. 1t should be promised that the wives
OF d. Ii. Hill and stonewall Jackson are sisters,
and II IL generally believed 1--WE know not with
what truth that Mrs. Hill had long urged her
husband 70 do something whereby some por-
ton Of JAckson's illustrious fame might be ac-
qulred BY and accrue 70 d. II. Hill. Per-
sonAlly there is not in the Confederate army a
man Of more dauntleSs courage than d. II.
Hill, but he has always been regarded ia
Capt. Chesney'A words) as "impatient " OF con.
troll" and this he manifested upon the occa-
sion In question.
The orders OF Gen. Lee respecting the bat.
tie which was now imminent were placed in
Gen. HIPS hands. These orders, according to
Gen. Lees inyariable practice, were full, pre-.
else, and unreserved. II was, according 10
Gen. Lees view, very desirable to gain few
days, In order TO permit Gen. jackson TO finish
his task at HArper's Ferry, and to allow SEINE
Of the many stragglers TO get to the front
Gen. Hill was therefore instructed to take up
strong position at South Mountain. These
orders, as II happened, were dlspleasing 10
Gen. Hill. He flung them, after reading them,
Indignantly from him, In the belief Gas has
been urged In his defence) that they would be
picked up by one OF his staff, and carried
safely 10 his quarters.
"Be this as 1t may, they were left lying
where they fell; the ground was shortly after
evacuated by the Confederates and occupied by
the FederAls. Gen. Lees orders were picked
ply Federal soldier, and their value being
recognized, quickly carried to Gen. Mcclellan.
No wonder that Mcclellan commanding, ac.
cording to his own statement, "a, ,l04-and ac-
cording 10 other Federal statements ll0, 600
men, promised himself an assured and easy
Victory over the worn and weary troops which
he knew 10 be before him, and as to whose
movements and Intentions he had now full
Information. That this knowledge was in his
possession is confirmed by the testimony which
he gave before Congressional committee
some months later, at Washington.
Viewed by the light Of the fact that Gen.
Lees orders were In Gen. McLellan's hands
several days before the battle of Sharpsburg
was fought, the imbecility, inertness, and want
OF enterprise Of the latter general, are, we sub
NIT 10 our readers, incontrovertibly estab-
lished, 10 the utter annihilation of his fame.
He dared not make any use of his large reserve
under Fitz John Porter In the battle OF the nth,
he dared not resume the attack on the 18th, and
allowed his enemy TO retire unmOlested on the
morning of the 18th, leaving as the sole trophy
for Washington and New York to exult over
three hundred desperately wounded Confede
rates who fell into McClellan'S hands"
The ReVieV says, In 4 note, that McClellan't
eItrayagant estimates OF the strength of his op.
ponentS were simply ludicrouS, and that in.
stead of MAS Confederates having fought at
Antietsm, it is absolutely certain that they
numbered only $4,000 in that battle; and, fur,
thermore, that Gen. Lee "points proudly to
the battle Of shSrPsburg as the brightest
1oWer In his wreath"