The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-17

lolbs hcdQ ILLS tAallSCItpb HUH HIS aIOuTldl
carefully, and then say, If you can, that Fer
nando Wood is wrong in saying that iHintelli-
gent and honest peace men do not concur ins
the opinion that Mcclellan tcill continue the
aoGr If elected" q rss3is n If
HI ss5saslss GRAND RAPIDS, Oct. 3, 1854.
DEAR SIR: 1Agreeably' to your request I
have made copy of my journal of June 80,
1852, which read to you some days since. l
cannot consent to let the original which you
desired to pass from my possession, althougha
any person can have the privilege Of seeing it
by calling on me. Il Ffakx n1ENAfS
All the material facts I wrote to my wife at
the time, but the letter was handed to difier.i
emit persons and now it cannot be found, al
though those who read it recollect the facts.
also in October. 1862, gave the leading
facts to Gen. Garfield and Secretary Chase,
and several others. I will make affidavit to
the facts andstatements made in the journal,
and the log-book of the "Jacob Bell' contains
the evidence Of all the FACTS "A am, sir, your
most obed't servant = , 70 i'7a1''''AA
osss O.. j. BIssELL,
Late Surgeon of u. s. s. S. sJacob Bell"
Extract from the journal referred to in the
foregoing letter.. "a iiga n1sssas yseVa
s. bobaoi JUNE 3d. 1852.
Soon after our arrival at City Point, we
learned that Gen. McC lellan, with his army,
had arrived at Turkey Bend, and we got M
der weigh and stood up the river, arriving at
Turkey Bend about noon. The north bank Of
the river was lined with soldiers washing and
bathing, or filling their canteens. 4 In the dis.
lance was heard the thunder of cannon.
Lieut.. McCrea inquired Of some of the SOL
diers where Gem Nc lellan was. He was in
formed that his headquarters were about half
a mile distant. McCrea called for his gig and
went on shore. In about an hour the oxwain
returned and told the steward the Captain
wanted him to send a dozen bottles Of whis-
key. The whiskey was given the coxwain in
a basket. At about P. M. the firing became
very brisk, and soon McCrea hailed the U. S.
steamship "Gaiena,o boat was sent, and the
Captain, with Gen. Mcclellan, the Prince de-
Joinville, Prince de Paris iCountl Duke de
Chartres, and an officer who understood
was Chief Of Artillery The was not in uni
form, came on board the "Galena.' The u.
s. steamship sJacob Bell" at the time was
turning the "Gslena's" bow up stream, as we.
we're about starting up the river to shell the
Charles City road.
The "Galena," "Jacob Beln and "Aroos-
took" stood up the river to point from which
we could reach that road with our shell. The
'Galena' occupied the centre at the stream,
with the Jacob Bell" tapping up her STERN
All our guns were brought to bear upon the
road, signal officer being on the lookout of
| uAo |NAOAo3 Sifih6 anu ICCclVlug signals
direction to our guns 80 -
Gen. Mcclellan was on the lookout" a
short time. At about 12 P. M. the fire in
that direction began to slacken, and the YES
sells stood down to the pointfrom which we
started, the old ferry. Before we got under
weigh, Gen. Mcclellan, With the Princes,
came on board the "Jacob Bell" 81
/ After an Introduction of the General and
| staff IN the nf1oQrq of 1.Tacnh Rall oDrns-
| ent, Mcclellan said, My army is demoralized,
and shall be compelled to Surrender or CO.
pitalate this afternoon or tonight, and 1 mast
| hare q qalnbodt to take the princes to Fort
ress Monroe Smnaedidtetg" that it would not
be safe to send them on transport. McCrea
replied that Capt. Rogers said he could not
spare gunboat. The General and Princes
insisted on a gunboat. Much conversation
| took place between the General and the
Princes, McCrea and myself being present,
| and part OF the time O. correspondent OF the
New York Times, as | afterwards learned
| Mcclellan and the Princes agreed that the
federal cause, as they called ii, has failed, and
The Government ,ooatd haze to ledge the
Southern Contederacy. "a
The result, if the Princes should be taken
prisoners. owing to their European relations.
was also discussed; and finally it was agreed
to make another effort to induce Capt. Rogers
TO send gunboat with the Princes to Fort
ress Monroe. This was the more earnestly
insisted on, as they all agreed that the srrren-
der Of the fotilla would certainly follow the
surrender of the army; and Gen. Mcclellan
said the authorities at Washington would be
responsible for that result. At this time,
tbout 8 P. M, a letter was brought.to Gen.
Mcclellan, which he said was from his Chief
OF Staff, and gave its contents - The enemy
is repulsed and our armyis safe He then
remarked, she wishes me to come to the
'front.'" ~ go = ~. 80. w. s.,a9sq
After reading the letter the General and
the rest of the group left the hurricane deck
for the quarter deck. The General. Prince
de Joinville and McCrea went aft the deck
and conversed some minutes, and then return
ed, and the General left, after bidding the
Prince farewell, for the array. The HJacob
Belp then got got under weigh and stood
down to City Point to order up some of the
transports, and i then returned to Turkey
Bend. st@tsaDt
After our return, Prince. de Joinville re-
quested McCrea TO go and persuade Rogers
to send gunboat to carry them to Fortress
Monroe. The Captain went, and soon return
ed and said Capt. Rogers had orderedsa gun-s
boat to go, and that he was going with his
vessel. The Prince de, Joinville said to him.,
THAT will interfere with your arrangements
with Gen. Mcclellan How is that, said the
70 keep your vesse here and boat on shore, 50 that
the General could get on board If he should be at
tackled in the night. McCrea said he had ar
ranged with another vessel to lie here HIS, =
About this time McCrea learned that there
was correspondent on board, and asked me
fit was so. told him man came on board
about the time the General did. did not,
however, know his business. He said if there
was any on board he must leave Immediately,
as ne would have no correspondent on board
his vessel.
We got under weigh after the Princes bag
gage could be brought on board and had
pleasant trip to Old Point, where we arrived
at s o'clock p. M, July /, and the Captain had
the honor of the correspondent of the New 4
York Times as passenger in his gig from
the vessel to the wharf l7iaR IsnlR
There were some things connected with this
days events which surprised me very much.
There seemed from the Conversation of Gen
Mcclellan and the Princes, an apparent de-
sire to surrender the army on the prete1t Of
an unsuccessful campaign, thrO,cinq, however, :.
The responsibility upon the authorities at
Washington. I may be mistaken in this.
But l could not otherwise interpret their con-
versation, especially as their remarks about
surrendering the army We're coupled with the
acknowledgment of the Southern Confedera-
cy, and the responsibility of authorities at
washington. eatles.q
Another fact which struck me was the free,
not to say excessive use OF whiskey. The
whiskey-bottle was passed three times while
they occupied the hurricane-deck, each time
General Mcclellan, the Princes and McCrea
thinking. This struck me the more forcibly,
as >. mad understood the General was strictly
temperance man. HliE Tlsf F1
tle ensct of the whiskey was quite manifest
"a sus sail, slim Prince Count, as he requir-
90 maeerlal aid, In the shape of man at each
sac, 70 pass rom the hurricane to the quarter
decA auu M.sr little time, being unable to
posed that he occupy his bed in, the cabin
which he did by the assistance Of McCrea and
one of the Princes.
EVA grand Union demonstration and torch