Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-03-30


; here present know, for they have
. travelled over it. At twelve O'Clock
and five minutes in the afternoon oi
the 9th of August Mcclellan tele-
graphed:
ALEXANDRIA, August 2, 1s62-l25 p. m.
My aid has just returned from General
Franklin's camp; reports that General
Franklin, Smith, and SlOcum are all in
Washington. He gave the order to the next
in rank to place the corps in readiness fO
move at once. learn that heavy firing mas
been heard this morning at Centreyille and
have sent to ascertain the truth. l can find
works garrisoned and ready for defenSeP
G.. B. MCCLELLAN, Major General
Major General HALLECK, Washington.
Mr.. Howard. What works?
Mr.. Chandler. suppose they were
the works around Washington. Pope
had been fighting then for twelve
days, night and day, and all the time
there were thirty thousand fresh
troops that had been lying then three
days awaiting transportation; and
with an order peremptOrily to go out
by forced marches. Mcclellan wanted
to know if the works around WASH
ingtOn were safe And at one o'clock
and fifteen minutes p. m. on the 9th
and here hours and minutes become
impOrtant-General Mcclellan again
telegraphed:
'Franklin's artillery have no horses ex-
cept for four guns without caisSons. can
pick up no cavalry. In view of these facts
will II not be well to push Summers corps
here by water as rapidly as possible, to make
| immediate arrangements for placing the
works in front of Washington in an efficient
condition Of defense?"
This was the 9th of August, three
days before the final battle was fought,
and when there were thirty thousand
men lying in Alexandria doing MOTH
ing!
81 have no means Of knowing the enemy's
I force between Pope and ourselves. Can
/ Franklin, without his artillery or cavalry
effect any useful purpose in front? Should
not burnside at once take steps to evacuate
Falmouth and Aqua, at the same time COW
ering the retreat OF any ofPOpe's troops who
may fall back in that direction? do not
see that we have force enough in hand to
/ form a connection with Pope, whose exact
position we do not know. Arewe safe in the
direction Of the valley?7
Not force enough to attempt to Join
a brother soldier fighting overwhelm-
ing odds? Yet up to this very time,
POpe's supplies and munitions were
actually going to him by an unob-
structed railroad, and the superintend-
ent had been begging for infantry to
protect his trains. His dispatches of
those days are full of such petitions
And that is in response to a peremp-
tory order to march by forced marches
thirty thousand fresh troops to relieve
our army that had been fighting eIev-
en- days! Again, on the morning of
the 18th of August, the day of that
severe battle where HoOker's men
were left without ammunition, Gen
erak Halleek telegraphs to General
Franklin:
WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, d. C., August o, 1862.
On parting with General Mcclellan. about
two O'Clock this morning, it was understood
that you were to move with your corps to-
day toward Manassas Junction, to drive the
enemy from the railroad. have Just learn
ed that the General has not yet returned to
Alexandria. II you have not received his or
der act on this. II. W. HALLECK,
GeleTdl-iIl- Chief
Major General FRANKLIN, Ale1andria.
This was two days before the battle!
At one o'clock and five minutes D. m.
of August 2S, not General franklin,
but General Mcclellan responds:
ALEXANDRIA. VIRGINIA.
August 2s, 1852, ?. IN.
Your dispatch to franklin received.
nave been doing all possible to hurry artille-
~ and cavalry. The moment Franklin can
be started with q reasonable amount he
shall go. In the mean time see Whipple's
dispatch Something must be done in that
direction. Please see Barnard and be sure
that the works toward the Chain Bridge are
perfectly secure. look upon these works
especially Ethan Allen and Marcy as of the
first importance. 1 have heard incidentally
IN At there IS no garrison in Ethan Allen, but
presume 1t a mistake. have justeOnversed
with Colonel Holabird, and think the enemy
is IN so much force near Manassas as to
make II necessary for us to move in fOTce.
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,
Major GeTeTGE Commanding.
This is in response to a peremptory
order to move instantly! General
Halleck replied:
WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, ID. c. August Is, 1852.
Not moment must be lost in pushing as
large force as possible toward Manassas. so
as TO communicatewith Pope before the en-
eTny is REINFORCED. / directed General Barn.
ard to report to you, and donot know where
he is In Barnard's absence Whipple can
tell you a bout the garrisons oft forts. No
message from Pope has reached here.
II. W. HALLECR,
Geaerot-ii- Chief
Major General MCCLELLAS, Alexandria,
He says that not moment must be
lost in pushing a large force toward
Pope. On the same day, August %, I
is another dispatch from the same
source:
WAR DEPARTMENT
WAsHISGroN, ID. c.. August D, 1852.
There must be no further delay in moving
Franklin'S corps toward Manassas. They 1
must go tomorrow morning ready or not Z
ready If we delay too long to get ready I
there will be no necessity to go at all, for 7
Pope will either be defeated or Victorious
l IL Of
the men must carry provisions with them .
till the wagons can come TO their relief
II. W. HAILECK,
GeleTGl-in- Chief.
On Friday, the 18th of August, Cen
eral Mcclellan telegraphed--mark you.
this was two days after the peremptO-
ry order TO move by forced march
es-
"Franklin's corps rs in motion; started
about six a m. / can give him but two
squadrons OF cavalry. I propose moving
General Cox TO UptOn's hill, to hold that i'm
portant point with its works, and to push
cavalry scouts to Vienna, via Freedom hill
and Hunters lane"
To make long story short, Frank
Inns corps moved the enormous dis
tance, starting at six o'clock that day.
of six miles, and then encamped. /
cannot stop longer to read from these
documents, though l have them all
before me, for see my time is nearly
out. On the day of the final battle,
80, at six o'clock in the after
noon, after Pope had been driven
back, he was informed that Franklin's
corps was within twelve miles of the
battlefield and it had been during the
whole three days within sound of his
guns in the terrible fighting that was
going on. Frankiin's corps arrived
within twelve miles of the battle
field, having accomplished the enOr-
nous distance of eighteen miles on a
forced marcn of three daysI And
Pope was defeated. l asked General
King, who took part in that battle,
Suppose General Franklin's corps
had appeared on the field of battle at
four o'clock in the afternoon of Satur-
day, the 30th, what would have been
the effeet?" Said he, "If one single
brigade of Franklin's corps had APP
peared on that battlefield at four
o'clock in the afternoon, we should
have sent them (the rebels) kiting to
Richmond" But they did not ap-
pear
But, sir, we are at present engaged
with General FitZ John Porter. |
have been reading heretofore from
official documents; but now must
ask permission to read from other ,
documents; but L have compared