Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-05-26
GENERAL GEO. ID. MCCLELLAN.
Gen. McClellan's Speech at the Ban
quet of the Army OF the Potomac

Gen. McClellan's Speech at the Ban
quet of the Army OF the Potomac
Society.
Washington, Special:-Nothing could
have surpassed the enthusiasm with which
Gen. George b. Mcclellan was received at
the banquet Thursday evening, when be
arose to reply to the toast, "Army of the
Potomac" He said:
In days long past and gone forever, when
we were young and strong, full of life and
hope, with the future all before us, there
were such relations between lis that it seems
to me too cold and formal to address you
simply as Mr.. Chairman" and gentlemen"
Our chairman often brought me intelligence
that needed, up from the very jaws of death,
and when assigned to the command of di-
vision of new troops, he hurried by forced
marches to the assistance of his comman-
der on the bloody field ofAntietam. There
can be no fern or ceremony between him
and myself. Very many perhaps most, OF
YOU were with me when, in this very city,
I assumed command OF that mass Of brave
men, unorganized and uninstructed, who
composed the nucleus of what afterwar d
became the army of the Potamac. Those
of you who were with me then were to me
more than dear comrades, more than
brothers in arms; you were as my children.
He spoke of the TRY ing times in which
you and l did our very best for the coun
try" and recalled 1.-THE we'll loved and fanlil-
lar faces which all missed from their ranks,
and proceeded:
I see now that city the capital O. nation,
as it was when it came here from Western
Virginia, full of disorgaaized troops in inn
ntt nly I ,NuIa nd
quiet restored. as by magic, when you
at once responded TO NV APP pc ais and &C.
onded my endeavors. l remember well the
mass OF raw troops pouring in badly armed,
posed of men that ever
responded to an appeal TO arms, actuated by
the highest and purest motives of patriot
ism, ; discussing, no party ques-
tions, knowing but one thing-that the
country was in danger and that they
were ready to give their lives to save it. [
saw an army come out of that mass. ! saw
it acquiring order, discipline and instruc-
ton. Then followed that tedious and "un-
necessary" work on the ratification of the
capitol--a work which set the army free to
strike where its blows were felt, and which
more than once saved the capital. l saw
that army become capable of being handled
on the march and under fire, and leave the
camps in which it Lad been created and go
to the peninsula. Then you stood by me-
and l stood by you, and do not forget
how nobly y@u passed through your first
experience of battle.
He sketched briefly at this point some of
the principal battles, and alluded to the
seven days fight as made Sin obedience to
orders from Washington to cover an advance
of reinforcements, which never came,
though the enemy came instead"
FORTUNATELY" he continued, 'this had
Teen toreseen, and, days before. transports
with supplies had been sent to the James to
await the army"
He then spoke of the gallantry with
which the army fought when removed
from his command, and the glad confidence
with which it welcomed his return; of the
battle ofAntietam; of his withdrawal from
the army of the Potomac on
what he then believed and still believes was
the eve of decisive battle, never to meet
that army again as commander. Conclu-
ding he said:
The army which it was my fortune to Or
ganize and create, the army that became
an army Of veterans, l., as its earliest and
only living commander, am glad to know
was unsurpassed by any of the historic ar
mics of the world in efficiency, valor or
achievement.