The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-05-17

pdign-HOW McCleLLdn's Campaign Wa
Forced Into Disaster
General William B. franklin in Philadelphia
Weekly Times.
On the 9Th of March | was ordered tt
repair to headquarters. Assembled there
were the General,in.Chief, the Chief En-
gineer of the army of the Potomac, anC
all of the division commanders excep
General Hooker, who was represented by
General Nagee. General Mcclellan sub
mitted to us his plan for the movement
ofthe army, and then left us to ourselves
Upon the question of approval of his plar
the vote was, / think, nine 1or approya
to three against it. Although it has beer
reported as eight to four. The numbers
are not material, as the main object o
the meeting was to obtain condemna
ton of the plan by the subordinate gen
erals, Immediately after this meeting
we were informed that the President wisl
ed to see us. We went to the White
House, and found there the Presiden
and Secretary of War. They knew thu
result ofour meeting. Each one of III
was asked in turn by the Secretary o
War our opinion Of the time required t
transfer the army to its new base. Tht
general opinion was that month woulC
be required, and each was asked by thu
Secretary whether he was willing to havr
this suffering country wait month longe
before blow was inflicted upon the enc
my. We were then asked in turf
whether we thought the army ought t,
be organized into army corps ornot. w
unanimously answered that we though
it ought to be so organized. The Presi
dent then informed us that he deferre,
his opinion as to the proper method o
moving the army to ours. He asked u
to use all our energies to help the coun
try out of its great dangers, and ended b
saying to u.s. "If you are faithful to me-
l, on my part will be faithful to you.
He then said that he should form tn
Army of the Potomac into four arm
corps, and knowing but little of the caps
cities of the generals suitable for the con
mand of these corps, should assign tn
commands according to rank. The meet
ing was then dismissed.
General Johnston having evacuated hi
position at Centreville on the 8th ofMarc
the army was Immediately moved t
Fairfax Court Hose. Here the assign
ment to corps was made, and my divisio
was assigned to General McDowell's corp
Shortly afterwards, about the middle {
March, we returned to position in fror
of Alexandria to await transportation.
was determined that the bulk ofthe arm
should be landed at Fortress Monroe, an
moved up the Peninsula between tn
York and the James rivers, and that Ger
eral McDowell's corps should land on tn
north side of the York river. This al
rangement required Gen, Mcdowell
corps to move last, and Gen. Mcclellan
with headquarters, left Alexandra o
April l, he supposing that nothing coul
occur to change that arrangement. O
the Sd of April l was, ordered to embar
my division. About IL o'clock in til
evening received orders to move part {
the division on the next day, and to cal
at headquarters for further instruction!
Going at once to the War Department,
found Gen. Mcdowell and General Wads
worth there. General Mcdowell informe
me that the Secretary of War had toll
him about an hour before that McClellal
intended to work by strategy and no
fighting and that he should not hav
another man from his department, tina
all of the enemies oil the administrator
centered around him and the Seretar
accused him of having political aspira
tions. Also that he had not left the mum
Der of trooEs to defend Washington tina
the President required; in other words
that he had disobeyed the Presidents OF
ders. General Mcdowell demonstrate,
against the step which was about to b
taken, arguing that if General Mcclellan
had political aspirations they would b
forwarded by the very course which th
administration was taking in this case
He used all of the arguments which h
could bring to bear to convince the Sec
retary that he was making mistake il
ordering the detachment of his corps
The result was, General McDowelPs corp
was detached from the army of the Poto
mac, and was marched to Catlett's station
on the Orange C. Alexandria Railroads
when it could do no possible good. Gen
McClellan's plan of turning Yorktown by
| the movement of McDowell's corps OF
the north bank ofthe York river was ut
terly destroyed. The army ofthe Poto
mac was forced to stay whole month OF
the Peninsula uselessly, and the capture
of Richmond, which in all human pro
liability would have been made in tht
month of May had General Mcclellan
plan been carried out, was deferred fo
three years.
Thus was consummated the first gTea
crime of tie war. A general had beer
sent from Washington in command o
four army corps on the most importan
command possible. Before he had beer
absent forty eight hours, his largest corpi
commanded by his second in command
containing more than one fourth of hii
army detailed for duty which was vita
to the success Of his campaign, was de-
tached from his command, without con
sultation with him and without his know
Idedge. / do not know whether the per
petrators of this crime we're punished for
it-in this life, but theg CHASTITY account o.
bloodshed in Virginia for the next three
years show that the innocent country
was punished in way that will be re.
.memhered bY YidOYs and orphans for 4