The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-04-02

II
in the balance; Mcclellan asks leave t.
go to the field as volunteer: NAV he 20 I?
But the insults were not yet ended
This same day, the 3lst August, Gen. Hal
lsck telgraphs Mcclellan;
As many as possible of the new regi.
ments should be prepared to take the
field Perhaps some more should 90 sen,
to the vicinity OF Chain Bridge.
Mcclellan replies that it is Gen. Casey.
province to attend to the new regiments.
and Gea. Barnard: to order others to
Chain Bridge by thu war department
order have no right to give them orders -
here was che fthese very common Wash
lngton complications under the present
management "Ihave not seen the order, u
replies Ha,leck. 1t was the last insult Of
the war department, that order. In the
same spirit which few weeks later die
tated the order sending the victor OF
South Mountain and Antietan to report at
Trenton. The order was decisive Gen.
Mcclellan commands that portion o: the
army OF the Potomac that has not been
sent forward to Gen. Pope's command. "
How they must have chuckled at the war
department over the keen wit of this
order 1t w2s issued on the afternoon OF
August 3oth, after tho receip. from Gen.
q S1S~'S'''h o. "a satSp q! -.!D p. J.,
say ng:
/ have no sharp-s, ooters except the
, guard around my camp. have sent every
man but those, and will no~ send them
with the train as you direct will also
send my only remainin. squadron OF cav
airy with Gen. Sumner. / can do no
more iou nolc h2yc eUery man Of Tie .irny
/ Of the Pot0moc agh0 IS tcIfLIn ny rsach.
Certainly It vas sharp satire, very Keen
and biting Wit, which dictated after this
sentence the words Of the order. Gen.
Mcclellan commands that portion Of the
Army Of the Potomac that has not been
sent forward -
But ths morning Of the 3lst brought to
Washington some stirring intelligence
Ha.lCek had been for four DAYS busy ra-
duc'Eg McClelian's position, finding fault.
Neclecting and even insulting him.
The president and secretary of war had
yielded 10 the radical politicians who were
bounding the young general, and on the
evnlac Of the 30th, when tbs war depart
entissued its order, Washington radical
ism was juLilant, and all believed that
there was truth in Pcpes dispatches and
that ne was sweeping the rebel army with
the besoNI OF destruction. Mcclellan was
do~a, aud great victory von hy Pope
-
will r@EeU Der the triumph of the raiic-l
faction. But the n.It day : change came
over the sp:ri; Of the radical dream. Hal
leCk teleslarns Mcclellan that br had not
s>sn the order. and he evidently begins 10
think that possibly they have been Little
too fast IN Washington The news from
Pope j. not rose coioree to day. IcClei-
ian heglss to loom Up again in ths minds
Of .he managers
You will retain command Of eusyyMiry
n & RE ..ri..fy no; temporarily belonging to
Pope army IN the field. tc- YOU ta IS.
si,t me in this crisis w.th your ability and
experience I am entirely ti.e1 cut
30 says Gen Ha.!Ack 1T lJ.1 p. Z, eH
the @I.t Ws,. he nigh, IL il.ed The
experiment lad failed. The whole plan
OF abandoning 'h" peninsula can. pal gn and
G;sgracias Mcclellan was proYin. ,lIsas-
lrors failure Ia ability and experience
OF Mcclellan w1s new wgr,h {. akins OF
once more. ~ halls past eleven that's ga
Mcclellan te,ecIsphs Ha,.ecii that PoTeis
defeated. the road filed with asoEs and
>c:aggle!s coming towards Alexandri..
tina; PoP-'s righ; IS entirely exposed and
that he fears the crave.t consequences.
He adds To speak frankly y-aui the
occasion requires i.-there appears TO be
total absence &! brains. and ! fear total
d,-tructjon OF the army.
4 shc!. 1e up all night says Mcclellan
from Alexandra De! >Lai. 5e up ali night.
says Ha,leci from Washington. It was
fearful night Tue morning brou.httsutH
f'Gn Pope army and -. -.tio,E 10 the heaLs
in Warrington. Mcclellan Is sent for.
All day disastrous !ntslligence comes IL.
-hcC.eiau IS ordered 70 take comuIand Of
the defences Of Washington, hat his or
dsrs are limited They do not vet dare 20
face the indignation Of the radical re.it.~
cans, who would have seen Washing on
destroyed rather than Mcclellan restored.
But the morning Of the 2d leaves them ~
doub. no longer. The hope Of the nation
narcs on the man they had di.graced and
I rid!culed on the 3Oth. The president aad
Gen. IiallsclS seek Mcclellan at his house
and commit everything 10 his hands,
/ directing him TO g out and meet the 70.
turning ARMY.
! The crossing cf the Potomac that day
by Mcclellan i scene for long rauleu-
brance. The shout that ;yeat rolling over
the hills, the eXultation Of men who had
regarded themselves as doomed, but who
now welcomed order, wisdom. genius,
ability and experience, all which they
had proved and knewn-this has been
described ard is recorded Kow the Gen-
ei al took the shattered army, restored its
nsrg'e. led it into Maryland, and.in four
teen days won the victories OF South Noun
tain and Arti,taui; how Halleck COM
I planned of his slow march 10 South Noun
/ tain, and radicals everywhere grow!sd
sulienly over the salvation of the capital
{ by McClel!an-this is already history.