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

= eDused Ills purpose was to endeayor 10
clnb upon my shoulders and then throw
me down"
Mr. Stanton'5 action at tho time of his an.
pointment Is thus described "Before had
hnlshed .dy toilet Mr.. Stanton's card came
up, and as soon as possible I went down to
see hln. He told me that hs had been sp
pointed Secretary Of War and that his name
had bsen cent 10 tho Senate for comtirma.
tlon, aaa !hat he had called TO confer with
ne as 10 ala acceptance. Hesaid that accent
ance wou'. involve very great personal sac
rlhces on bis part. If wished him to accent
he "ouia &C 50, but only on my account: that
he mad come TO know my wishes and deter.
mine accordingly. l told him that l hoped
he would accepG the position. Before be
was IN office he constantly ran after ME and
prolessed the most ardent friendship: as
soon as he became Secretary of War his
Whoie manner changed, aud | could no Ion.
ger Ind the opportunity to transact even
the ordinary currant business OF The Office
with him. il ls now very clear to me- that.
tar from being, as he had always represent.
ed himself 10 me, III direct and violent on.
position to the radicals, ne was really in
secret h!iiance with them, and TINT he and
they were alike unwilling that I should he
successful. No other theory can possibly
account for his or their course and on that
theory everything becomes clear and easilv
explained"
Alter the seven days eight Mcclellan
wrote to Stanton: SIN addition TO what 7
nave already said, only wish to say to the
President that think he is wrong in re.
SarulnS me az ungeuerous when said that
my force was too weak. merely ntmated
a truth which to Gay bas been too plainly
proved. If, ct this instant, could DISPOSE
OF ten thousand fresh men l could gain the
victory TO morrow. know that few thou.
sand moro men would have changed this
battle from defeat to q victory. AS it is.
tho government must not and cannot hold
me responsible for the result. I feel too
earnestly tonight I have seen too many
dead and wounded comrades to feel other.
wlso tDan that the government has not sus-
tanned this army. 1fyou do not do so now
the samo is loat. IF l save this army now
tell sou plainly that owe 10 thanks to
you Or &c any other person in Washington.
You have done your best to sacrifice this
army"
Of"Old Brains" BalIeck, Mcclellan saws
vi all men whom ] have encountered in
nigh position Hal!eck was the most hope.
lessly stupid. 1t was more difficult to get
'~b ANN'. lLiiOiiol lltS Ictiu liIGu Cdu U6 con.
celved by any one who never made the at.
tempt do not think ne ever had a cor.
rect military idea from beginning to end.
When ha arrived at Washington, he saws
q panic prevailed, the capture of the CITY
was deemed inevitable, and "there was o
war steamer anchored Off the White House.
With steam up, ready to take off the Presi.
Gent, Cabinet, etc, at g moments notice.
He was now put 10 command of the forti.
iications Of the Capital, and that seemed to
limit his authority, for he was told that the
commander CT the army had not been
chosen but, hearing that Lee was march.
ing into Mary land, he says:
Undetermined to solve the question for nv.
self, and when | moved out from Washing.
ten with my staff and personal escort left
Gly card, with 2. p. G. written upon it, at
me White House, War Of1ice and Secretary
Se"ard's house, and went on my way. I
vas afterward accused Of assuming com.
:nand without authority, for nefarious pur.
poses, end, in fact, fought the battles of
South Mountain and Antietam with halter
around NV neck; for if the Army of the
Potomac had heen defeated and had sur
Vivcd | "ouiG, Eo doubt, have been tried for
Gssualing authority without orders, aud in
The slate OF feeling which sc unjustly con-
tSi-' ii'sti 'IS Gui ulOSL
Gen. +. j. Porter | would probably have
been condemned to death I was fully
aware Of the risk | ran, but the path of du-
ty Eas Clear and tried to follow it,"
Mcclellan virtually charges Pope with
eowardice, and speaks Of Burnside with ill
disguised contempt. This paragraph hints
at some Of The sinister influences by which
lie was surrounded:
stanton came to caution me against
trusting Ha!iecE, who waa, he said, proba.
bly, the greatest scoundrel and most bare
faced villain in America: he said that lie
was totally destittste Of principle, and that
IN the Almaden Quicksilver case he had
convicted HaiiecS Of perjury in open court
Whsn Halleck arrived he came to caution
me agains; Stanton. repeating almost pre-
ciSe'y the sAmo words that Stanro1 had en-
played"