The Republican journal., 1882-03-23
NUMBER 12.
Sketches of Army Life.
NUMBER TWELVE.
A GROUP OF UNION GENERALS.
GEORGE b. MCCLELLAN


GEORGE b. MCCLELLAN
was the most popular commander in the armies
of the United States. Bonaparte was never a
greater favorite in the armies of France than
was General Mcclellan in the Army of the Po-
tomac. In appearance at least che was every
inch soldier" He possessed fine form, was
always clad in rich, neat uniform of dark
blue, and was magnificent horseman. He was
as fine looking officer as the Union armies ever
saw. No Union General has beenm severe
ly criticised than he. Many have charged him
with cOWardice, and others with treason. Both
classes display much more prejudice than good
sense III their accusations. That he was neither
coward or a traitor does not need to be argued
for single moment If we desire to find causes
for his disastrous failures, while in command of
the Army of the Potomac, we can easily trace
them to other causes than these
First. 1t cannot BE- denied that his superiors
at Washington, by the skillful and excessive
Use of red tape" successfully paralyzed many
of the movements he undertook to make The
victories of the past century have been won
when cooped up within the walls of a war de-
partment scores of miles from the fields of battle
Second. For the first two years the civil war
on the Union side, was largely an experiment
We We're learning ho@ to fight And the inform
alton thus gained, the wisdom thus dearly earn
ed, had much to do i'll mouliing the successes of
the last two years of the war.
bp 4, .,,fi
Mcclellan cannot deny the fact that he lacked
many elements of character, essential to success,
even under the most favorable circumstances
His bravery and loyalty are not to be questioned
for moment. His skill as an organizer and as
a civil engineer is admitted. But that he was
conservative, faut-fnding, undecided. hesitat-
ing, and fatally slow, must also be confessed.
He lacked the determined zeal and resistless
energy that great leader must ALWAYS possess
The great mistake of his lifc-the one his old
soldiers can never fOrget-was when they We're
lighting in the trenches to preserve the life of
the nation, he turned his back upon them by ac-
cepting the presidential nomination of a party
whose platform declared the war failure. But,
notwithstanding that, 50 long as there are sur
yiyors of the old Army of the Potomac, so long
will Little Mac be kindly remembered
AMBROSE L. BURNSIDE
possessed certain elements of character that
have made him the target for many wears of
those who see no beauty in such qualifications.
First. He was a very modest, unaS SSuming
man. One who never pressed his own interests
or boaSted of superior greatness. Promotion
came to him unsought, and at times, if bis own
preferences had been followed honors would
not have been accepted. Second. He ALWAYS
When after consultation with his brother Off
GERS, movement was made which ended in a
disastrous defeat he did not attempt to make Il
Scape goat of some subordinate officer, but had
the rare manlineSS to declare: Il alone am re-
sponsble for the failure" A an ndiyidual he
was noble, generous. brave and beloved. As q
corps commander he was effective and success
full. At Anietam it was the desperate charge
of his corps at the Stone Bridge that turned the
tide of battle. and thrilled the nation with the
bravery OF our troops. As 4 commander OF the
army, he was not alone responsible for the dis
astrous failure. Fredericksburg came immedi-
ately after Antietam. The assault made upon
st. Mary's heights at the former was not more
desperate than that made across the Stone Bridge
Al the latter. 1t was simply on larger scale
The success of either must be decided by the
fortunes Of war one was a brilliant success
the other a sorroWful defeat The country thar
honorcd him for the desperate chances taken at
st moi i.rn fy fnr ak ipfr
same chances at fredericksburg. From pri-
Yates point of observation remember him a>
a noble, dignitied oiiccr; brave, kind and saga
ciouS, but 4 victim to 4 three fold power that
would crush any man.
First. Promoted against his own wishes to a
position he knew he was not capable of filling
Second. Circumstances which he could not
control seemed to be all combined against him
Third. His subordinate officers refused to
give him their warm. cordial support and with
out that no commander can hope to succeed.
The rank and file of the army knew him well
His form was familiar to every common soldier
We knew of his kindness. his generous nature
his bravery, and his ability. And the survivors
OF that Old army will dcnouncc any attempt to
assaSsinatc The memory Of their beloved COM
mander, when his eloquent voice can no longer
speak in his own defense.
JOSEPH HOOKER.
At the mention of that name we seem to see
the old veteran once more. Not the htlpes,
paralytic that he was the last few years of his
life; made such by the injuries received at
charlottesville. Not the vain, shallow boast
full man in gilt uniform that his critics would
make us believe, but the brave, dashing. bril-
liant leader; one who could plan rs wisely and
battle as bravely as the most eminent of those
who criticise him. Tall. erect. commanding in
appearance, he was one Of the most brilliant
commanders upon the Potomac. As Il subordi-
nate officer he was perhaps proud, ambitious,
and disposed to have his own way But all that
was overshadowed by his skillful management
of troops and his heroic bravery. As a com
mander of the Army of the Potomac, he was its
most skillful organizer and its most rigid dis
ciplnarian. All admit that the battle of Chan
cellorsvie was as wisely planned as amy battle
of the war; but it ended in defeat, and there is
a disposition on the part of some to place the re-
sponsibility of that defeat upon General Hooker.
1t is Very easy task to sit i'll an elegantly fur
nished room, fight battles, and decide the for
tunes of war twenty years after the struggle
has ceased. A few strokes of gifted but pre-
JUDGED pen measures the commanding Gener-
ais ability and decides the place he must fill in
history. | have no fault to find with those who
are striving to give the American people an i'm
partial history of the civil war, even though it
censures the officers we learned to love. But of
the critic who condemns General Hooker for
not bringing all his troops into action before he
retreated across the river, | only ask, as he
writes his lines of condemnation, to remember
that Hooker was a wounded and disabled SOL
dier hours before that retreat was made. He
sustained injuries from that cannon shot at
the Charlottesville house, from which he never
recovered and for the confusion, delay sub
sequent mismanagement, if there was any,
he was not responsible. He retained the COM
mand four hours perhaps, until General Couch
assumed it. But it was not Joe Hooker with