The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-31
TIE DEAD SOLDIER.
4 ,EMBEU OF HIS STAFF TALKS or
MCCLELLAN.
Something About tho PouinsrIa CaIn,
pa!gn-The Country, Too Impatient,
Failed to G!>o Mcclellan TroI.ar
SutpSr. -Ina funerai.

CHICAGO OFT 81 a tnrrnter OF Gen
S'et'eiIah'a aI.n n it,y a.tct ti.o ou.ri al
Ct 'he war Wa Maj J,StPh i.uhipnl -
thi' cityi VII" " AT uut ".,u tas -" liza
l!i'iitis lu.antrt, AMI ,4UIily ant TW:,I't w.
LHHs!crroI 10 That lenrrals staii. !, III
M"J hIrhiani IhurSiLy speaking oI iAe
u IA sOii!cr:
| McticIau lett US III tine woods OF NasJ
N'r@ina to 80 to Washington AMI become
coiiiE' tlder-iil-chief uI tai. army During
the rtlnunierof that sea on ana Lne follow
ing winter he exercised Ia, wondorluttairnt
As an organizer Of arnios III vre.iLIn, uuU Of
li!e levies, as tIey urrivei III. great Avny
OF the fotuhac. Ino :nine time ne
fortified wa hingLon Then He piannej
| aiii after ward executei lAv iirst
| attack on R;chmonl, t1kins thS water
road, which, rs most Iniliciry mon admit,
| was The true stratoslca base OF supplies aud
| the ona landing his army witlm sight uf
| RICHMOND with tho smallest possible los of
| hIel The force prepared by him
| to constitute that army ani su,-
tain the attack Oh liichmouI was
| 2oo, 600 of all grades, OF which perhaps
| four-littis were cltecUual the remain ler be
ing in hosp pital or detailed service. l
| reinonter the figure because l kept n
| general rep rt of the .roup3 mas,eI under
niin there; His plan of the campaign was
| to leave Banks aL lllrpct', Ferry vita IA
| strong force DIX III Bll,imore with an ad
ditlonnl force. strong garr!s ms in tho fofti-
tications about Washington and sufficient
force IN tHe city 10 make the capital ab o.
lutely secure
Nnen We arrived in Yorktown and began
to feel the enemy iehiul his breastworki
news came that tho & vernment had changed
IT. views about tho safety of Na~hingt1
civilians are subject to suCh change oI fesl-
lnS-the government overestlluating tho
offensive strength of the enemy and un ler-
estimating tho projection which our advance
lnsur~i to everything left behind us.
a. result uI this hanse at Wash
III LOLA an entire cHulpp IlaI9
III McCle!ians plans OF attack. Ac,
coidmgly when we were ready to take
1t throHgA regular siese operations, we
marched into a deserted town. Tho enemy
reireated to II chmuud and we advanced, |
foilo"ins o.pt tho original plans made by |
Mcclellan ieiore leaving Washington, hut |
uhhapplly TX week. lntar than the time as
signed. Mcclellan was in jurel, as his best
friends thought, not b, malice pre- Dense, or
becau'e Lincoln or his advisers dislked or
intentionally th"arthd him, bat becau So the
country had not at that time learned the
virtue Of patience, every delay, however
neceS AIRY, bringing Indignant protests from
all the northern paper.
Two years later, when the country hal
learncl the art Of war, it viewed with
proper patienc, aud faith Con. Grants ad.
vance overland Tho country gnve Gem
Grant the support due him ard which was
due to McCiellan, but which, unhappily, he
had heen made FROM Washington in Gan
McClellan's pluns, fuzzy agreed to before he
loft, AMI changel after he took the field, he
would have taken Richmond in tho first
peninsular campaign
His fault, or hi' virtus. was hi' immen,
provision Of means FOR every end he sough
to accomplish. Thi' is merciful quality in
a general Ona reason his men loved him
was bacnu-a he had that quality. inconsiSt-
ent perhaps with the greatest military abil-
Ity, that ma 10 him very sparinS of human
life. He, could not bear to tut |
A regiment or brigade into danger
a nm a tsII tI,..
he same place until satisfied of the {
lseie-sneSs Of further attempts in that direc. /
ion He never willingly placed force in !
position when he could not ses with raa on l.
able certainty n return for tile sacrifice d
which he must ma ;e S far as his fainrss +,
ire attributable to himself aul not to the "
inwarlike character of the country bebinl
'lm. think this quality in lis nature can :
'e taken in expiauation of them. t. his i
'recaution and humauit; wo may cbnrra C
my appnront military inaction |