The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-01
EAfacel1Mentts.
ssM,CLELLAN,s LAST SERVICES TO
THE REPUBLIC"

North american RevieW lor april py
George Ticknor Curtis, on "McClellan's
Last Services to the Republic" from the
time he led the Army Of the Potomac to
a place of safety on James river at Har'
rison's Landing to the transfer of the
army to Pope, and thence to the battle
of Antietam, and McClellan's subsequent
displacement from command, when "his
preparations had been 30 made" Mr..
Curtis states, "that nothing could proba-
bly, have stayed his entrance into Rich
mond." The points made clear, about
which there has been much misappre'
honsion, is that McClellap's failure to
advance on the rebel capital after the
battle on Malvern Hills, was because OF
the prohibition of the meddling author
tiles at Washington. He was then with
In fourteen miles of Richmond, and oc'
cupied the base of operations which cost
Grant armies and hundreds of millions
to gain. But HalleCk said no to Nc
Clellan's repeated and urgent appeals
Then came the transfer of the army from
the Peninsula and Pope's disastrous and
laundering campaign; the rebel army
flushed with success threatening Wash
ington, and the Federal army beaten
and demoralized falling back to the de-
fences of that city. Mr., Curtis says:
After his interview with the Presi-
dent, in the afternoon of September lst,
General Mcclellan went to the House in
Washington where his family then re.
sided, and remained there that night
At halfuast seven O'Clock in the morn
ing of the I'd, the door-bell rang, and the
President and General HalleCk were
ushered into the parlor. They said that
Colonel Keton had returned and re-
ported great disaster; that there were
fifty thousand stragglers already on the
roads leading into Washington, and that
the city could not be saved. The Presi.
dent was deeply moved. He asked Gen.
Mcclellan if he was willing to take the
command, in that state of things MCClel
Ian expressed his willingness to take the
command, and his belief that he could
save the capital. Both Mr.. Lincoln and
General Halleck reiterated their fears
that the enemy would enter the city,
Mcclellan said he would stake his head
on its safety. The President earnestly
entreated him to take the command and
he assented without hesitation, without
making single condition or asking for
q single promise of any kind. But what
command did he then takep The whole
arrangement was verbal only, made in a
moment of extreme peril. Not scrap
Of written order was made when the
President left Gen. MCClellan's house.
Mcclellan Immediately made prepara-
tions to go the front and take command
of the retreating army. The morning Of
the day he spent in perfeCting arrange,
ments for receiving and disposing Of the
troops. In the afternoon be crossed to
the Virginia side and relieved Pope Of
command Every one knows what his
reception by the army was. 1t was lift
ed from the slough of despond into
which Pope's incapaCity had thrust it
and resumed its old energy, faith and en-
thusiasm. Lee was moving towards
Pennsylvania, and Mcclellan gathered
the remnants of Pope's beaten army and
with reinforCements hastened in pursuit.
Says Mr.. Curtis:
On the 9TH he ordered up his staff and
escort and started fer the head of the
moving column. But, before he rode
out of Washington, he left his card as
Major. General for the President, the
Secretary of State, and General Halleck.
The President and General HalleCk he
saw HalleCk did not object to the move
ment of the troops. The President ask.
ed General Mcclellan If he had seen the
Secretary of War, and begged him to do
so as personal favor, Mcclellan called
upon Mr.. Stanton, who received him
with exhuberant expressions of sffec.
tion, said that he had always been Nc
Clellan's best friend, that bad men had
made mischief between them, but that
he should nevertheless always continue
to support him cordially. Embracing
the General with tenderness, Stanton
babe him God-speed But the General
had not been gone from the War Depaat-
ment five minutes, when the Secretary
spoke Of him in terms Of gross and shock
abuse.
South Mountain and Antietam follow.
ed, and Lee was forced to recross the
Potomac, Shortly before the battle of
South Mountain on the l4th of Septem-
ber, Mr.. Curtis relates, General Lee
was seated in his tent reading a patch
that had been brought to him at that
moment, General Longstreet who was
with him asked the news, said Lee,
Mcclellan is again in command" This
rests on the authority Of Longstreet
The remarkable fact brought out by
Mr.. Curtis, is that Mcclellan fought the
battles of South Mountain and Antietam
without written orders defining his com
msnd. If defeated he would unques.
tlonably, Mr.. Curtis believes, have
been court.martialed for assuming
command to which he had not been le.
gally assigned. His bitterest enemies
were ia power at Washington. Lincoln
was his friend, but what would his am
liable qualities have avsiled against the
hatreds, the Vaccinations and the devi.
ces of McClellsn's enemies"
About the condition f the army after
Antietam and the failure to ovsrtake
and destroy Lees army-something that
as rule was not easily done-Mr. Cur.
tbs writes;
On the night after the battle of Antie.
tam, Mcclellan anxiOusly deliberated
whether he should pursue the enemy
If he had done 80, and had lost the next
battle, Lee could have marched as he
n Iae n u