The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-03-02

army, ! simply ask to be permitted to share
their fate on the field sf battle. PLsass re
ply to this to.aisht. e .ros.Tf9aa
No sleep that long night in the little
camp at Alsxandria. Every moment they
expected the answer permitting them to
share the fate of the army--a fate which all
the wisastsoldiers were looking to with the
most solemn apprehensions. But no an
swer came. Not even the common courtesy
of reply was given, till the next day
came Halleck's cold dispatch: s5-
!, II cannot answer without seeing the
President, as General Pope is in command,
by his orders, of the Department"
1t was too much trouble for any one in
General Halleck.,s Office to send to tie Pres
ident the night before, or even that morn
ing and say, the fate of the nation hangs in a
balance; Nice Clellan asks to 60 to the field
as volunteer; may he go2
But the insults were not yet ended This
same day, the 3lst Of August, General Hal
leck telegraphs Mcclellan:
"As many as possible of the new regi
ments should be prepared to take the Held.
Perhaps some more should be sent to tho
vicinity of Chain Brid5e."
Mcclellan replies that it is General Ca
sey's province to attend to the new regi-
ments, and General Barnard's to order
Others to Chain Bridge. "By the War De-
partment order have my right to give
The orders" Here was one Of those very
common complications under tho present
management, 81 have not seen the ORDER"
replies Halleek 1t was the last insult OF
the War Department, that order, devised in
the same spirit which few weeks later die
tated the order sending the victor of South
Mountain and Antietam to report at Tren'
ton. The order was decisive. General
Mcclellan commands that portion Of the
Army of the Potomac which has not been
sent forward to General Pope's command.
How they must have chuckled at the War
Department over the keen wit of this order.
1t was issued on the afternoon of August
39th, and after the receipt from General
Mcclellan of his dispatch of 2:lO r. NJ,
saying:
81 have NO sharpshoot rs except the
guard around my camp. have sent every
man but those, and will now send them with
the train as you direct. l will also send
nv only remaining squadron of cavarly with
| Gen. Sumner can do no more. Yog aoV
haze eosry man Of the Army Of the Potomac
acho IS pithin ny reach ....
Certainly it was sh.rp satire, very keen
and biting wit, which dictated, after that
last sentence, the words OF the order: Gen.
Mcclellan commands that portion of the
Army of the Potomac that has rot been
sent forward %
But the morning of the 3lst brought to
Washington some startling intelligence
Halleck had been for four days busy in re-
ducing McClellans position, finding fault,
neglecting and even insulting him. The
President and Secretary Of War had yield
ed to the radical politicians who were bound
ing the young general, and on the evening
of the 3Oth, when the War Department il
sued its order, Washington radicalism was
iubilant and all believed that there was
truth in Pope's dispatches, and that he was
sweeping the rebel army with the bosom ct
destruction. Mcclellan was down and a
great victory won by Pope Men who were
in Washington that night will remember
the triumph of the radical faction. Butthe
next day a change came over the spirit OF
the radical dream. Halleck telegraphs Nc
Clellan that he has not seen the OF der, and
he evidently begins to think they have been
a little too fast in Washington. The news
from Pope is not ose-colered to day. Nc
Olellan begins to loom up again in the minds
OF the managers.
"You will retain the sommand OF every
thing in this vicinity not temporarily be-
longing to Pope's army in the field. l beg
of YOU 10 assist me in this crisis with your
ability and experience. l am entirely tired
out"
So says Gen. Halleck at l07 p m. on
the 3lst. Well he might be tired. The sx-
pertinent had failed The whole plan Of
abandoning the peninsular campaign and
disgracipg Mcclellan was proving disas'
trous failure The stability and experience"
of Mcclellan was now worth thinking OF
once more At half past eleven that night
Mcclellan telegrapbs Halleck that Pope is
defeated, the road filled with wagons and
stragglers coming towards Alexandria, that
Pope's right is entirely exposed, and that
be fears the gravest consequences. He adds:
ITO speak frankly-and the occasion re-
ouires it-there appears to be total 40
sencs of brains, and | fear the total de,
struction of the army"
81 shall be up all night" says Mcclellan
from Alexandra. 81 shall be up all night"
saws Halleck from Washington. 1t was a
fearful night. The morning brought truth
from Pope's army and wisdom to the heads
in Washington. Mcclellan 10 sent for. All
day disastrous intelligence comes in. Nc
Clellan is ordersd to take command of the
defences of Washington, but his orders are
limited. They do not yet dare to face the
indignation of the radical politicians, who
would have seen Washington destroyed
rather than Mcclellan restored. But the
morning of the I'd leaves them in doubt NO
longer. The hope Of the nation hangs upon
the man they had disgraced and ridiculed
on the 3Oth The President and Gen. Hal.
leck seek McO cOlellan at his house; and ''com-
NIT everything" into his hands, directing
him to 60 out aud meet the returning army.