Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-12-07
NcGIeliali.s Book.

NcCIelian.s Book.
The late Gen. Gee. B. McClelan's story
of his connection with the civ! war is soon
to be placed before the public.
Considerable space is taken up in de-
failing his entrance into tho struggle from
civil life, his campaign in Western Virginia,
and his lahois in organizing the Army OF
Northern Virginia. lie pays warn tributes
to the gnliautry and capacity Of Gems Han
| COCK, Sedgwick, Rey uolds, Meade, Fi!z John
Porter and others. The following EXTRACTS;
10 regard to his troubles with party leaders
and his arraignment OF Secretary Stanton
| will be read with interest:
II have already stated in general vav
what occurred between nyself ard some Of
the raG!ca! leaders shortly after reached
Washington. They then saw clearly thst
it would not be possible to make = party
tool Of Ye. and soon concluded that it Was
their policy tc ruin me il possible. : =
The real OBJECT OF the radical leaders was
not tho restoration Of the Union, but the
permanent ascendancX Of their party, and
to tins they were ready TO sacrifice the
Union, if necessary. They committed 8
grave error in supposing me to be politically
! ambitious, and IN thinking that | looked
forward to military success AS a means Of
reaching the presidential chair. At the
some time they knew that if I achieved
marked success my influence would neces.
| sarily be very great throughout the country
an Influence which should certainly hayo
used Tor the good Of the whole country, and
| not Tor that OF any party at tho nations ex.
pense. They therefore determined to ruin
me in any event and by 2ny means irat by
endeavOrlGg to force me into premature
movements, knowing tha. a. failure would
probably end my military Career after
wards by withholding the means necessary
To achisve success. That they were not
honest is proved By the fact that having
Jailed to force me to adysucc 1T time when
an advance would have been madness, they
withheld the means Of success when I YVES
III contact with the enemy, ana finally Is.
l!eved me from command when the game
was III ny hands. Taking ho!., East anJ!
West, and counting the losses also by dis.
ease, Go not doubt that mo1e than 500 900
men were sacrificed unnecessarily for the
sake of insuring the success Of q political
party.
Il Go not base my assertions as 10 the mo.
tives Of the radical leaders upon mere sur:
misses, but upon facts that have frequently
come to my knowledge during the war and
since. For instance, Major Charles Davies,
onca professor ofmathematics st West Point,
told me, and at q different time told Gencr.
al Joseph E, Johnston, the following story
During the very early part Of the Pennsu.
lar campaign be was one Of a commission
seut from New York TO urge more vigorous
action In supporting Eie. They called upon
the President, and found MIR. Stanton with
him. In reply 10 their statements of the pur-
pose OF their visit Mr. Stanton stated that
the great end and aim of the war was 10
abolish slavery. TO end the war before the
nation was ready for that would he Il fail
ure. The war must be prolonged and con
Quoted 80 as 10 achieve tbat that the pe0-
PIE of the North were not get ready to sc.
cept tine view, and that it would not answer
to permit me to succeed unti the people had
been worked up to the proper pitch on that
question; that the war would not bo finished
till that result was reached, and thai there
fore 1t was net their policy 10 strengthen
General Mcclellan so as 20 insure bis sac
cess.
From tie light that has since teen
thrown on Stanton's character, | am salts
fed That from Gn early date he vas IL The
reasonable conspiracy, ans? that bis course
in iusraIiating himself with me, aGd pre-.
tending 20 ba my friend before he was in
office, was only part of his long system OF
treachery. | had never seen Mr.. Stanton.
and probably had not even heard Of him be
fore reaching Washington in 1861. Not
many weeks after arriving was introduced
to MIN as safe adviser on legal points.
From that moment he did his best to ngra-
tiata himself with me, and professed the
warmest friendship aud devotion. | had
no reason &c suspect bis sincerity, and
therefore believed him TO be what he pro.
fessed. The most disagreeable thing about
bin WAS the extreme virulence with which
he abused the President, the administration
and the republican party. He carried this
to such an extent that | was often shocked
by it. He never spoke Of the President in
any way than as The Original Gorilla and
often said that Du Chai!lu was a ool TO
wander all the way TO Africa in search Of
what he could SD easily have found at
Springfield, III. Nothing could be more
bitter than his words aud manner always
were when speaking Of the administration
and the republican, party. He never gave
them credit for honesty or patriotism and
very seldom for any ability.
Sat some time during the autumn of 1861
Secretary Cameron made quite an abolition
speech to some of the newly. arrived regi-
ments. Next day Stanton urged me to ar
rest him for melting to ipsubordination.
He often advocated the propriety Of my
seiziog the government and taking the at-
fars into my own hands.
"As be always expressed himself in favor
of putting down the rebellion at any cost,
always regarded these extreme views as tbs
cbuliitions Of AZ intense and patriotic no,
! ture, and sometimes wasted more or less
/ time in endeavoring to bring him to mare
mnaarata uiaus newer draining that q