National Republican., 1886-11-30
Lincoln and Mcclellan.

With great pleasure we extract from the
December number Of the Magazine of Ameri-
can History, of New York, the following in-
tercsting incidents from the lives of Lincoln
and Mcclellan. communicated by the Hon.
Horatio King, our well known fellow-citizen.
EDIToR OF THE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN
History Here is little historical Item
which, as far rs II gees, ought to be known in
explanation, possibly, of what has been pub
liCly brought against Gen, George u. Mcclellan
as an unpai donnblc act of rudeness, not to
say insult, to President Lincoln This act was
the keeping President Lincoln waiting for II
considerable time on one occasion when he
called on Mcclellan at his headquarters. Re.
ferring to this few days ago in Conversati m
with Gen. Henry J. Hunt chief OF artillery at
the battle Of Get!ysburs and now governor
inquired If he thought 1t possible that the
story could be true. Hesitating n moment In ev.
ident belief in its falsity, 50 far as
Gen: Mcclellan was CONCERNED n.d ana
OF its publicity, he answered, "Yes, with a
reservation" lie said that one day, when he
himself called at McClellan's headquarters he
found Gen. Barry there in great rage on ac-
count of what he regarded as gross insult to
President Lincoln, who had called to see Gen.
Mcclellan, and had been kept waiting In the
ante room; but whether through the fault of
the Irish doorkceper or the neglect of the gen.
eral he did not appear to know. lie had,
however, observed that when Nc. Lincoln
passed upstairs the uOOrKCeper OF orderly
whatever his appeilation-gave n clownish
burst Of expression as II in derision oil the
President.
How can the exact truth ever be known
One thing Is certain; instead OF going To Nc
Clcllan, the President should have sent for
him to come to the white house whenever he
wished to see him; and this, l presume, was
his usual custom. -
While writing OF President Lincoln, l will
relate another singular incident not generally
known, think. and which comes to me on
equally undoubted authority. At the begin
ming Of the war, oftener probably than later In
the fearful struggle, sometimes on going into
battle, soldier, who had never smelt gun.
powder" would falter, shrink away. and
maybe throw down his arms, utterly unable
from cowardice TO proceed. thus rendering
himself liable to the penalty of death. When
these cases came before President Lincoln, and
the necessity of making an example OF such
| culprits was pointed out to him, he invariably
| plead OF. BY way of convincing him not only
| of the imperative necessity OF strictly enforc'
| cowardly instincts, but also OF Its reasonable
ness and Justice, II was urged that The Soldier
| hand sure death IL he acted the coward, aut
| on the other reasonable chance Of escape 1
| he pressed forward in battle-ho would natu
| rally choose the lesser OF the two, and thu
| save his honor at least IL not his life. But I
| was all to no purpose-Mr Lincoln solemnll
| declaring that he never could consent to sigI
| the death warrant of n soldier for fdRinJ to n,
| gherc his Las ryiGsed 10 carry him: and he neye
did. He consigned to pigeon holes, withou
his signature, scores, If not hundreds, of thes,
cases, where they now lie buried at the Wa
Department. He called them "LcJ Gases"
HoRATIo KING.