The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-11-14
MCCLELLAN AND STANTON.

An officer of the Army Of the Potomac
under Gen. Mcclellan communicates TO {
Boston paper the following as the exac
words of conversation he had with Gen
Mcclellan at Bar Harbor in August 1884:
when President Lincoln reassigned me
70 the command after the second Bull Run
he said: Now, general, before you leave
Washington | wish YOU would call upon
Stanton and see if you can not have good
personal understanding with him.
"'Mr. President | said, 4 wish never
again 10 have any personal dealings with
| Mr.. Stanton, and speak as much through
REGARD for the men of the Army of the Pc.
tOmac, their lives and welfare as | do on
account of any illtreatment of myself.
"'Now, General tne president said, at
this crisis in the affairs of the nation, con
slider what damaging effect il would have
upon the people were it known that the
commander Cf the army and the secretary
of war were at swords points Don't stop
TO consider longer ! wish you would see
him before YOU leave for the field
&" Mr. President replied you are the
commander inchief. As you order ne, |
obey; ! will do so
when shall | send word to the secre
tarv that you will be there"
- At his office the first business hour Of
tomorrow
81 appeared next morning at the secre-
tarys Office. He opened wide his arms 20
embrace me. He protested that he had
ever been my best of friends. Others
might be my enemies, and had thWarted
HIM in his efforts 10 render me the support
which WIS so unjustiiiably withheld. !
have now urged that you should be recalled
again 10 the command, said stanton. lOu
are the only one 10 save US The army has
uuhOunded trust in yOl, and yO- have con
f,,ence in It, | want you, Gen. Mcclellan,
10 consider that am one OF your stancheSt
aud most loyal OF personal friends Your
heinz recalled again will now enable me,
without any restriction, to back you up
with all the resources of the war depart
ment. Your enemies will no longer be
able to interfere: they can net, they will
not, pledge you, interfere. Go out to the
field in the fullest assurance that you shall
have me here to strengthen your hands and
supply all and every need Of your army
In response assured the secretary that !
in my Judgment all would be well for the |
caase il the army was cordially supported |
and my efforts sustained. | left in the
trust that | would now receive adequate
backing from the authorities, Well, sir,
had not been gone out from the presence
of that secretary two hours before he began
his old style Of villtication of me. Stanton
seemed to have mortal hatred of every
general who stood well with the army or
who was successful in the field. was in
formed of his traducing me by gentleman
whose honor could not be questioned.
When Gen. Halleck was at Washington in
government and social circles
we're scandalized at times and at others
amused by the petty spite shown by one to
the other. 1t was not an uncommon thing
for Stanton to tell some mean anecdOte of
the general and end off by avowing that
Halleck was the biggest liar in Washing
ton Stanton was singular compound,
and | can only account for much of the pc
culiar conduct Of the man on the ground
that he was filled with some sort of mad
ambition"