The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-03
Mo0lellan's Gsneralship- Testimony of
Gen. Casey. .saE.


Gen. Casey.
Gen. SrLAs CASEY, who was with the army
of the Potomac on the peninsula from the last
OF March till the latter part Of June following,
was summoned before the Joint Special Com
mittee of Congress on the Conduct of the War.
His testimony bears date March s, 1S63-the
next season after the events narrated took
place. Gen. Casey held the rank of Colonel in
the regular army, having received a regular
military education, and was also brigadier
general OF volunteers; SO that his competency
to criticse military movements is undisputed.
His testimony will be found in Part LIST of the
Report of the Committee, pages AL to 447.
Gen. Casey says, in answer to question,
page 442: l
THAT part of the army that went to York
town, think should have stormed the works,
as, from the information received afterwards
there were but about 1000 or 5000 men there
on the arrival of the five corps on the pennsu-
la" ff&WE
Concerning the battle Of Seven Pines, Gen.
Casey says, page AS:
Seen. Mcclellan aoas not on the field of bat
tie until after the enemy euGcuGted.n
Question. Where was Gen. Mcclellan while
that battle was being fought?
Answer. He was on the other side of the
Chicaholniny. III our forces had pushed on
that Monday morning we should have gone
right into Richmond, in my opinion. / got on
the ground just as Gen. Hooker was taking
possession, after the rebels evacuated. They
had left wagons full of muskets standing in the
road and where they were burying their dead,
they had thrown down their hoes and spades
aud left them. Some OF four men who had been
taken prisoners, and left behind by the enemy
reported that the enemy was in a perfect state
of decentralization.
Question. What prevented the bringing our
whole army across the Chicahominy, and max
ing fioal assault on Richmond right after that
victory?
Answer. That should have been done in
my opinion.
Question. What reason was given for not
dong it?
Answer One reason was that the Chica-
hominy was very high at the time. Gen. Nc
Clelan remained there three weeks. Ramon
was rife in the army that he was about attack
ing the enemy day after day, still our army
lay there for three weeks, until Stuart made
his raid around it, and learned how we were
situated. jackson then came down and re-
inforced the rebel army, and then they swept
us down to the James river.
Question. Do you believe there would have
been much difficulty in an energetic general
having taken Richmond and destroyed the
rebel army there, with the force that General
Mcclellan had a
Answer. / think that il Gen. Mcclellan had
possessed that quality Of great general we
should have taken Richmond sF
Question. What did he do?
Answer. l do not know. In regard to Gen.
Mcclellan, am perfectly willing to say that
he Is man OF talents, but he does lack some
of the qualities of great general.
Question. What did he expect to accom-
plish by laying there and making those in
trencEments?
Answer. cannot tell
Question. Was Gen. Mcclellan at any time
on the field of battle so as to take note of the
merits or dement's OF officers? t
Answer. He was not at tho battle of Fair
Oaks; and never heard that he was at any
other on the peninsula, except, perhaps, at the
battle of Malvern. Page 49,
Generals Sumner and Hooker place the fact
beyond question, that at the battle of Malvern
he was not on the field, while other testimony
shows that during that severe engagement he
was at safe distance on board gunboat.
Referring to the retreat Of McClellan's ar
my to Harrison's Landing, without Selling
.
the heights that really commanded the posi-
ton Of his army, General Casey says, page
446:
4h,Dt Nc ~ on,y .nlng mat saved us there was,
from nusbin@ their massa prspen.ed Inc enemy
nothing would have saved that arm VIZ . "''o
Question. WHAT'S your opinion of the pro-
pp,S.y Of moving on Richmond by way of the
tonp 'u''eau VI uirec' irom Washing
Answer. or the three ulans submitted to
tne government, as l understand them,
sdnnte .ne one ~, sne PRESIDENT desired to have
right from here. Wash, ~ my uo"n On Tue
Question. What was the ADVANTAGE Of that
plan go.
al ms sa;t 20 washington, and avoid
for its projection II internosed ,once neIe
anon,n r. s,d Wash;ra,on s poseu .uetween the
have enabled us to take from Washington
more troops than we otherwise could. When
Soroa auanrh ,ass ~ Wasrn@,", 'lete was not
Question In your Indictment. were as manv
troops spared from here Washington for the
peninsula campaign as prudence would per-
Answer noo,aos,u .h,n.. opo.,
dent was perfectly riebt in keening Mcdowell
Oack' under the circumstances. r