Evening star., 1895-08-03

,snA madness of the COM
ssX% X%1&A mander of the Army
of the Potomac and
his staff against the ruler of the War De-
partment, and still hear the denunciation of
that ruler rolling up from the James as
that army encounters defeat before Rich
nc nd, I feel like paraphrasing Madam
Rolands lamentation and exclaiming Oh,
truth, what falsehoods has not malice per-
petrsted, and perpetrated in thy name
against that ruler.
My exclamation is directed to story re-
Gently published in The Star as a part of
the address by distinguished major gen.
eral Of the United States army on the oc-
casion of the May reunion of the Society
OF the Army of the Potomac at New Lon
don. The story is directed against the
great War Secretary Stanton. as showing
his interference with the commanders in
the field, and especially with the plans of
Gen. Mcclellan in his peninsula campaign.
Ihat campaign required the division of the
army then at Manassas and the moving of
tne greater part down the Potomac to
Yorktown,
This plan both the President and his Var
Secretary disapproved, but consented to
under certain conditions, which made Mr.
stanton the guardian of the capital. In the
exercise of this duty he marked the line
OF the division of that army and closed
the gates of the city at the safety line
denounced and have been denouncing him
Tor all the disasters that overlook the Army
OF the Potomac in that campaign
Denied by Gen. Grant.
The story had its origin at the time Gen.
Grant was about to move against Lee
south of the Potomac, and is thus stated
Gen. Grant having ordered certain troops
at the capital to Join the army at the front,
the Secretary sent for him and told him
he could not do it because it would leave
Washington uncovered, 10 which Gen.
Grant replied. Il have Gone it, Mr.. Secre-
tary,' whereupon MIR. Stanton exclaimed.
Il protest; will appeal to the President"
Gen. Grant bowed his acquiescence, and
together they went over to the White
House
Stanton turned to Gen. Grant and said:
Now, general, state your case" "I have
no case to state,' Gen. Grant stolidly re-
piled. Stanton at once poured out an in
dtgnant protest against Grants depicting
Washington of troops. and throwing open
the capital to the inroads of the enemy.
The President, placing his hand on the
shoulder of the great War Secretary, said:
We'll, Stanton, Congress has given us
man (eiancing at Grant, to take charge of
these military matters, and 1 reckon we
had better let him have his own way"
After that Grant had his own way much
This story l now pronounce fiction.
The scene it describes rcver took place
The words attributed to Mr. Stanton as
having been spoken to Gen. Grant in the
War Department are unlike him in every
sense. But Gen. Grant himself has settled
the truth of this story. Referring to Mr..
Stanton, at the close of the war, he said:
There never had been any misunder-
standing between them III regard to the
conduct of the war, and that he never had
any reason to suppose that any fault was
found with anything he had done That SO
far as the Secretary of War and himself
were concerned, the Secretary had never
nterfered with his duties in the field. He
had never die tated course of campaign
to him, and never inquired what he was
going to do in the movement of his army;
and that Mr. Stanton always seemed salts
fled with what he did and heartily cooper
ated with him." So far, then, as the story
is connected with Gen. Grant, il certainly
Is a fabrication.
Peril of This City.
All the commanders of the Army of the
Potomac had in their care the safety of
the capital, and in view of the brave and
active character of the enemy. it was i'm
possible for the President and his whole
cabinet to have other than grave appre-
tensions lest the capital be left open for
the enemy.
Three times Washington was in danger
of capture from the division and move
ments of the army under Gen. Mcclellan,
and once it's capture was imminent under
Gen. Grant, and of which 1 shall tell in a
future chapter.
The President and his cabinet did find it
necessary to constantly watch Gen. Nc
Clel,an, and to interfere for the safety of
Washington. In this particular he was an
exception of all the commanders of that
army and it was his own conduct and
that of his partisans that made him the
exception, for everywhere his partisans
were declaring the war was failure on the
part of the government and wanted 1t
closed. Everywhere they We're looking for
Lees triumphal march into Washington.
Under Gen. Mcclellan the danger to the
capital commenced from the moment he
changed his base Of operations from Ma
nassas to Yorktown. Seeing the newt
President sanctioned it only condition
that the defenses of Washington be made
safe. The Secretary, by his direction, Is
sued an order that, in moving the army,
force should be left which, in the opinion
of Gen. Mcclellan and the commanders of
all the army corps, would leave Washing
ton entirely secure. Mr.. Stanton had mis-
givirgs that Mcclellan would take all the
troops away and leave Washington in a
condition to invite the enemy, and in this
His fears were well founded.
Charge Against Gen. Mcclellan.
Gen. Wadsworth was put in charge of
the defenses, and upon request from Mr..
Stanton to advise him If he felt secure
in such defense, and # the Presidents
orders had been carried out, reported that
the force left was insufficient for such de-
fense In this report he says: 'I deem 1t
my duty to state that, looking at the
numerical strength and character of the
force under my command it is in my judg
ment entirely inadequate to and unfit for
the important duty to which it was as
signed. I regard 1t very improbable that
the enemy will assail US at this point, but
this belief Is based upon the hope that
they may be promptly engaged elsewhere
and may not learn the number and the
character of the force left here" 1t was
more than a month before the enemy were
engaged elsewhere.
This report was a very serious charge
against Gen. Mcclellan. and Mr.. Stanton,
realizing it's gravity and not willing to act
upon such charge, at once appointed a
commission to inquire into and report
whether the orders of the President had
been complied with. This commission re-
ported: "If there was need of military
force for the safety Of Washington within
it's own limits. that referred to in the re-
port of Gen. Wadsworth would seem to be
entirely Inadequate"
From that moment Mr.. Stanton's conf
dence in Mcclellan, as to the safety of the
capital, was under constraint strain of
doubt. The President, being advised of this
report directed that the corpS of GaueraI