Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-19
Mcclellan as a Failure.

In pamphlet of IS pages, entitled Lin
coin and Stanton" Judge William X Kel-
ley gives the following account of an inter
view with Secretary Stanton few months
before General McClellan's removal from
the command of the Army of the Potomac
On Sunday morning, the 30th of March,
1862, Judge Kelley went to the War De
partment, presented his card, and was
admitted. General Mcclellan was with the
Secretary at The time. After he had gone
Judge Kelley was admitted to the Secre-
tary's office, and, after some preliminary
conversation, made statement substan-
TALLY as follows General Henry NJ Naglee
entered sleeping car at Philadelphia for
Washington at II o'clock last evening. The
car was not to start until some time later
Among his fellow-travelers he recognized
old friends, and seemed ANXIOUS to impress
them with a sense Of his great military and
political Importance. He stated to item
that the President was so -incensed by
McClellan's failure to effect his promised
surprise by the use of canal boats on the
upper Potomac, that he had given
him notice that hewould relieve him of his
command if he did not, within ten days,
submit plan of practical campaign
which he would undertake to execute.
Senator Latham of California had written
Naglee that something must be done i'm
mediately by McClellan's friends, or that
he would lose his command, as Lincoln's
patience would bear no further strain. The
Senator had named the time and place in
Washington at which thev should meet
for conference General Naglee said he
had not found Latham at Washington, but
that he had been referred by him TO Sena-
tor Rice. The interview with Senator Rice
had been satisfactory, and the plan agreed
upon was to prepare memoranda as notes
for campaign against Richmond, with
Fortress Monroe as base, on loose slips
OF paper of different texture, color, and rul-
ing, SO as to impress the President with the
conviction that Mcclellan, in spite of the
labor in which be had been involved by the
Harper's Ferry movement and the Presi-
dents imperative demand for plan under
penalty of dismissal had stolen intervals in
winch to Jot'down a point or two az time,
and thus outline plan which he was will
ing to submit, not only TO the President,
but to the Judgment of council of division
commanders, OF whom there were twelve
As | proceeded to report this part of Zen
eral Naglees alleged statement Judge
Kelley continues, Mr.. Stanton arose in
evident excitement, and passed to O case in
which there were number Of blue paper
boxes alphabetically arranged, and, draw
! ing from one several slips of paper such as
General Naglee was reported to have de-
| scribed, he said: " Yes, here are the slips
These are the implements by which effect
was given to conspiracy to deceive the
President and in consequence of which
$1,000 of our best troops are afoat II
wooden bottoms, and should the MerrimaC
| get among the fleet of transports she could
sink them all as easily as she sunk the
| Congress in the Cumberland 1t was by
this means, says Judge Kelley, that the
Peninsular campaign was forced upon
President Lincoln