The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-11-05
General McGlellan's Death.

General McClellan's Death.
The death OF George i. Mcclellan
bring, To mind very forcibly the
early DAYS fthe war which deyastat-
cd this country Il generation ago. Al
the beginning OF the momcntous
struggle Mcclellan was the hope OF
the nation aud the idol OF the troops. |
a Young man with Il grave and hand
some face. oI military bearing. and
the posse-suf III undonbted capacity.
if not genius Ut Il high order. liz Was
to Il people new 10 War the ideal OF Il
soldier. III tns events which destroy
ed the faith of tile majority in him
and made ilin for many years the
object oi the most iiincofons politlcai
contention il il not how necessary
to speak. Ii is enough 10 say that
he created the Army oftle Potomac,
won great victories with it and left
II. when finally removed from IL
command. the most efficient anu
powerful armed organization thai
eyer marched OH The American con.
finent.
Wise m~n folesaw 1T the opening
of ho-iiIifie. that the commanders ~
the Northern forces at the outset
would be apt to be sacrificed, md II
was this feeling which imp"iied iiir
venerable Gushing 10 express fns
wish that he could know the subal-
tern then in the ranks who Wouii
emerge from that contest the ylctorI-
Gus commander. 1t was hardly
within the range Of possibilities Tor
any Que General to be left III COM
ma;d of IN army like that OF the
pofomac from the beginning to the
end of such a struggle ~ that
through which il passed. La the iifat
place, tile people We're ciamorous III
action. aud the time necessafll. con-
sumed in organizing and eqnipplng
an army fit 10 cope with the hover
OF the confedera. was irksoine y
men whose impetuo-ity WIS fuiiy
equal 10 their patriotism. Inc Ill
aster at Bull Run. revealing. as II
dill. the weakness ri the Northern
army and the exposed position Of
the Federal capital, convinced Me-
Cieilan that Two things Were or VITA
Importance 70 tie al ta'lon OF the
renubi,c- tile organization of the
amy and II d defense vi Washington.
TO fhes tasks he addressed himself,
a, lie has since said. witt the resolu-
tion TO accomplish them. III spite OF
the clalnur ri tire populaee, II ne
sacrificed himself in the endeavor.
How we'll lie succeeded the testl
mony OF competent military critics
and or all his Successors bears VII
ness. The Army Of the Potomac re-
turned 10 Washington after Bull Kun
n moi. Ii went forth under McClei-
Ian one OF the most complete organ
izafions that the world ever saw,
and for thee years. in victory and III
defeat. in struggles that appalled, the
world. under him as well lis under
him a. well rs under other com
manders. it repealed invasion, guar
anteed tie security Of the capital.
and all ihe time dealt secession the
deadly blows which finally compass
ed lis destruction. No COMMANDER
after MEG iellan had to pause 10
make his army. The organization
which he put in tire field WAS the
efficient Instrument OF Meade al
Getlysburg and u Grant ia the
Wilderness anu IT ApponaftoA. II
~ was irre,olu.e in action, his Very
lack OF precipitation, has caution
and hi- minute attention 10 "Details
were OF priceless value to The coun-
try in those months OF peril when Lo
army confronted the head OF the
Confederaey.
While most men are free 10 ADMIT
the importance OF McClelian's ser
vices as an organizer there Is VIDE
diversity OF opinion rs to his ahilitv
as IL commander Ill action. these
views are III too many eases the pro-
duct of LIND partisan laolotfy on
the one baud and VI equally stnpia
party prejudice On the other. Inc
historian and posterity III general
will not give Mcclellan high place
as ~ lighting General. because gen
eralship il judged by results, and the
victor IS the only great commander
but there il no danger that an Gu
liohtened Judgment will ever airaign
lin AZ Il failure. Not one OF bis OWL
enterprises failed. Where his sue
cess VA. nor apparent the schemes
whichsle was working out were thost
forced upon him ~ opposition 10 Ms
better Judgment. The retreat IRON
the cliclsahominy, tls Datfle al
Malvern Hill aud the strnas,s d
Antietam were anything but failure
yrnaphon's retreat With the Tel
Thousand has lived ia story FOL more
than two thousand years, ahd tht tx
trication CT tie Army ef The Potonia.
from ii position in which. II had Deef
but. through 10 fault Of iis Genera
will be regarded Is COMPREHENSIVE
as one Of tile most brilliant achieve :
meuts in tie annals ~ War. IL l.
rarely profitable to di,eGsa what a
man might hare done II he hal had
the opportunity. bat the fact thas
McCleilar,'s removal from eoifilliahd
and all The bitterness OF Ibe easiah-
.,h1 fiat was attrrward made on him
GREW ont of ms determination to af-
rack l..eiM3nd ana Ace south 81 tiis'
James. with that iis.. for his base,
NAV be accepted Us proai 'hat he
was competent in geheia.7iap.
more especiall. .s General Grant.
tho yeufs later. sitter The l~ss Of lU-