Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-06
M,CLELLAN,s OWN STORY.
Mcclellan and the IIeadCHS-EHis Demun.
+. citation of Secretary StanltOn-HOW He
Lost Command Of the Army-StOrie1
Told by President Lincoln.

| MEMOIRS, puDnSneu IO-uay:
| SIT is perhaps hardly worth while to notice here
any Of those unfounded ISLANDERS which some
papers uttered concerning me- that is, the state
ment that at the outbreak OF the war entertained
offers to enter the southern service. need only
say that there was not the shadow of foundation
| for this The leading men of the southern side
| knew perfectly well OF all men would be the last
to WAIVER in my allegiance to the general govern
ment and its lag.n
GEN. GRANTS GOOD LUCK
Gen. Mcclellan was receiving salary Of SIC, 600
year as a railroad president at the outbreak Of
the war, but he resigned to take his chances as a
soldier He began his career in the west, and 1t
came to Cincinnati to ask him. as an old acquaint-
ance, to give him employment or place on his
stan. Marcy or Seth Williams saw him and told
doubtless he would do something for him, but be-
fore he got back he was telegraphed that he could
thther s that Mcceiian dd r not see e him Ths
was his good luck, ~ writes Mcclellan. "For had
been there would no doubt have given him a
place on my Staff and he would probably have re-
manned with me and shared my fate"
HIS TROUBLE WITH RADICAL LEADERS.
Con. McClellan's troubles with party leaders
began almost as soon as he took command OF the
Army OF the Potomac, and he has good deal to
say concerning their interference He Says 81 have
tween myself and some of the radical leaders
| shortly after 1 reached Washington. They then
saw clearly that it would not be possible to make
party tool OF me, and soon concluded that it was
their policy to ruin me, If possible. The
real object OF the radical leaders was not the re-
storation Of the the, Union but the permanent az
ready to sacrifice the Union, if necessary. They
Go I'M d,a,og grave error In supposing me
ing that l looked forward to military
success as means OF reaching the presidential
chair At the same time they knew that II
achieved marked success my influence would
necessarily be very great throughout the country
an influence which, should certainly have used
for the good OF the whole country, and not for
| that of any party at the nations expense. They,
therefore, determined to ruin me in any event and
by any means; first by endeavOring to force me
ure would probably end my military career, after
wards by Withholding the means necessary to
achieve :, success t That they We're not honest Is
to advance at a time when an advance would
! have been Madness they withheld the means OF
success when was in contact with the enemy,
and finally relieved me from command when the
game was in my hands. Taking both east and
west and counting the losses also by disease do
not dOuOt tnaC more than 100000 OF men were
sacrificed unnecessarily for the sake OF inSurtng
the success OF a political party.
Il do not base my assertions as to the motives of
the radical leaders upon mere surmiSes, but upon
facts that have frequently come to my knowledge
during the war and since. For. instance, Major
Charles Davies, once professor of mathematics at
West Point, told me, and at different time told
Gen. Joseph Z. Johnston, the following story:
During the very early part of the peninsular cam
palgn he was one OF a commission sent from New
YORK to urge more vigorous action in supporting
me- They called upon the President, and found
OF the purpose OF their visit Mr. Stanton stated
that the great end and aim OF the was to abol-
1sh slavery: To end the war before the nation was
ready Tor that would be failure. The war must
be prolonged and conducted so as to achieve that;
that the people OF the north were not yet ready
to accept the view, and that it would not answer
TO permit me to succeed until the people had been
worked up to the proper pitch ON that question;
mat the war would not be finished till that
result was reached and that, therefore, it was not
their policy to strengthen General Mcclellan so as
TO insure his success
HIS ARRANGEMENT OF STANTON.
"From the light that has since been thrown on
StantOn'S character am satisfied that from an
early date he was in the reasonable conspiracy,
me, and pretending to be 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 before reach
ing Washington in 1861. Not many weeks after
arriving was introduced to him as safe adviser
on legal points. From that moment he did his
best 10 ingratiate himself with me, and prOfessed
the warnest friendship and devotion. / had
no reason to suspect his sincerity, and. there
most disagreeable thing about him was
the extreme virulence with which he abused
the President the administration and the republic
can 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 Challu was fool to wan
der all the way 10 Africa in search OF what he
could so easily have found at Springfield, ILL., Moth
ing could be more bitter than his words and man
ner always were when speaking on the administra-
ton 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 Sec
Rotary Cameron made quite an abolition speech to
some OF the newly arrived regiment. Next day
Stanton urged me to arrest him for melting to in
subOrdination He often advocated the prOpr1ety
OF my selling the government and taking affairs
into my own hands,
w ccQdh h
ting down the rebellion at any cost, always re-
garded these extreme views as the ebullitiOns OF
an intense and patriotic nature, and sometimes
wasted more or less time in endeavOring to bring
him to more moderate views, never dreaming that
all the while this man was in close communica-
tlOn with the very men whom he so violently
abused. His purpose was to endeavor to climb
upon my shoulders and then throw me down."
Mt: Stanton,s action at the time OF his appoint
ment is thus described "BefOre had finished nv
toilet Mr. StantOn'S card came up, and as soon at
possible went down TO see him. He told me that
he had been appointed Secretary OF War and thas
his name had been sent to the Senate for confir-
nation and that he had called TO confer with me
as to his acceptance. He said that acceptance
would Involve very great personal sacrifices on his
part. II wished him to accept he would do So
but only on my account: that he had come to know
my wishes and determine accordingly. l told
him that hoped he would accept the position
Before he was in Office he constantly ran after
me and professed the most ardent friendship;
as soon as he became Secretary OF War his
whole manner changed, and l could no longer
find the opportunity to transact even the
ordinary current business OF The Office with
him. 1t is now very clear to me that, far from
being, as he had always represented himself to
me- in direct and violent opposition to the radi-
Gals, he was really in secret alliance with them
and that he and they were alike unwilling that
should be successful. No other theory can posi-
bly, account for his or their course, and on that
theory everything becomes clear and easily eX-
planned"
HIS RELATIONS WITH LINCOLN
OF his relations with the President, Gen. McClel-
Ian says: 'My relations with Mr. Lincoln were
generally very pleasant, and seldom had trouble
with him when we could meet face to face The
difficulty always arose behind my back
believe that he liked me personally and
certainly he was much Influenced BY me
when we were together. During the early
part OF my command in Washington he often
or appointing general officers. He said
that he knew stanton to be friend OF mine
and assumed that would be glad to have him
Secretary OF War, and that he feared that IL he
had told me beforehand some OF those fellows
would say that l had dragOoned him into it,
very close until the severe attack OF illness in De-
cember, 1861. / was often sent for to attend
| formal and informal cabinet meetings and at all
hours when the President desired to consult with
me on any subject, and he often came to my
house, frequently late at night to learn the last
news before retiring. His fame as q narrator OF
! anecdotes was fully deserved, and he always had
something apropoS On the spur OF the moment"
SENDING MDowEIL's CORPS TO POPE
From McClellan's letter to his wife: srWhile
listening this p. m. to the sound of the guns re-
| ceived an order detaching McDowell's corps from
| my command. 1t is the most infamous thing that
history has recorded have made such repre-
sentatiOns as will probably induce revocation OF
Tie order, or at least save Franklin to me. The