Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-10-10

of Tennessee aud South CarohnS .-,.
Between these once fraternal names how
wide n gulf hos since been dug by passion,
by madness, and by folly a gulf which,
in the providence of Sod, nothing suroly
but reason and justice can ever bridge
again.
The peculiar Importance fthat arm Of
the service TO wb;Gn. in virtue of hi4 dis
,lnc,ion won ut the Academy, Lieutenant
Mcclellan ga, attached naturally gave
him prowuenco in the operations 81
Ger SCOTS advance 10 which his years
and his rank would not otherwise have
entitled HIM. lie won his promotion TO
the rank OF second lieutenant early IN the
cam plign, and received bis brcysi d. llrst
lieutenant fer gallant and molltououS
conduct at The battle O! ConUoas on the
lgth of August Of tho same year The
service OF the engineers and lha staff ot.i-
cers at Coulreras was vi the most a'duou'
lind. testing IN the highest degree the
GOODNESS, tue personal bravery, and the
movers OF physical endurance, IS well -
the professional skill Of those engaged 10
II. Gen. Nuicucia's position was lnNnite-
ly more formidable from the broken, tough
and imp1cl.cable character OF ,he cour-
try. than from the s&ll with which that
pompous AID wordy pcrsonoge hed select
I'd aud intrrnched his camp, and the To-
couuois.aucp which determined the route
taken by our troops 10 assault ald over
wAelm their enemy had 10 be executed
on moonless night, over rocky ard pre-
cipitous mule-paths, through a region OF
wild raeine and tanged forests.
Deserted in disgust by Santa Anna
whose advice be ARdScorncd, and whom
he hoped by decisive victory over the
American invaders to Gust from pOSer,
Valencia was utterly bcwildered by the
attack TO which this dangerous night re-
connoissaucC opeped the way {; HE troops,
finding themselves uGAtrica6ly involved,
were stricken with panic and one OF the
mos, complete Victories OF the var re-
warded the skill Of our commanders and
the vaor OF our troops.
When compared with the battle on
which war has since been waged by Amer
lean armies, the battle. through which
our soldiers fought their way to the city o.,
Mexico. may seem, indeed, but petty ana
insignificant combats. But the campaign
Of lS4T wa', in truth, n most lnsuulivC
school for the officers who passed through
it. Not less by the mistakes aud iail
.ures OF the enemy than by our own sue
cesses were the capable and INK
thouahtful amoug those officers taught
, rightly TO estimate he tremendous dlth
Icultes which attend war Of invasion
and the formidable advantage enjoyed
by an army acting OIL the defensive in
a country sparsely populated, broken, rug
eed, and densely wooded ; nor Is 1t easy
TO imagine the extent OF the disasters
which must have befallen the cause OF the
Union, and absolute copduct in the boio
of our vast aud undisoiplined armies been
assumed, in the outset of the existing war
by the arrogant and inexperienced civlli
: ans whose influence has been since SO Ia
= man,ably felt in the disturbance OF wei
: considered plans Of campaigns ana IN
, waste Of ycll organized resources.
| The hard-rought action OF Molino de
R,vou .he Slh Of Scmlember lS47, Afford
ed Lieutenant Mcclellan occasion toproy
. tha, his-rapid promotion in lis profess
% ION had moi disturbed that well balance
p sense ofjustice which is ope Of the rooIe
= qualities of hi, nature.
5 The conduct Of the attack upon th'
, Mexican po.ilions-at Moino del Rcy ha
= been confined by General Scott 20 Genei
. al Worth. The ostenslbe object Of ihi
D o,roai, as The destruction of cannon fout
r dry which the MeXicans were believed
! have established et that point; but a
/ General Worth found reason to anticipat
such ~ resistance as might load toa gene
al action for the possession OF TIE helgh'
e and fortress OF ChaPule,ec, it was Of Ih
n first importance for him to be thorough
, informed 81 the true nature Of the dc!cn
IS o, thro,yn up hy Santa Anna at ,Mullr
D del Rev. and of the tue pro Tcrlioi
I Of which the Mexican Prnsider
e would there array against him. Two SO
3 ious reconnoissancesl we're according orle
t el by General Worth before the a''oc
i. was made, and ~ these reconnaissance
20 Lieutenant Mcclellan bore distinguish
81 ed part.
y The conflict which followed assume
the character OF baltle-the mostfnrc
ii. ly contested battle indeed Of the who
10 warm which, after hours OF desperh
OF onslaught, an aggregate American Tor
OF about three thousand Eve hundred stroi
assaied and drove from their formidlt
= intrenchments = Mexican army nunbt
~ ing at least ten thousand mon with tt
,h loss 10 the enemy Of four pieces Of artille
and nelrly a thousand prisoners. Liet
10 Mcclellan was offered the breyet rank
OF captain for his share in this victory, b
Ia declined to rec i've it on the ground tt
n he was not fully entitled TO it, haIi
he been concerned in the preliminary opo
OF tons alone, and not in the actual asst
10y and capture Of the enemy's works 7
maxim palm1m Yi,imerth fcrd; is not oft
IL thus vigorously applied in his own case
at young and ambitious man actively {
nd gagged in the most exciting ofproHessioi
be Within a week, however, the storming
on Chapultepec, the consequent occupati
no Of the Mexican capital, gave the magni
hy imous young soldier fresh oprortnn
of winning, BY actual service and exp
he ure in the stricken field, the rank whi
he te dsdaiued otherwise to were lie W
EN- breyeted a captain for these GROWING
ea erations ofthe campaign on the 18th S,
nus ember, lS41. ~