The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-03
M'cLELlAs's LETTER 10 LEE.
a Communication Said TO Have B.sn Sent
ISIS After tho Hattie or Anii,isn,,

anu blshOpB spoke With great earnest.
ness OF the peril which lies, in the Chi.
enso platform. And ono OF these pIous
mon, n distinguished authority OF the
Catholic church OF the south, expressed
the opinion that there WIS far creator
sense OF tho peril which Is IN thcSp new
doctrines In tho south than tho nortl,
believes 10 be possible. Then thIa pre-.
late told story which WINS listened Ia
With Intense Interest, and which no said
he had received himself from General
longstrect, He said that after the bat
tie OF Antielam. when Lees army was
In retreat, General LonEstrcct received
a message from General Lee, urging
him to call at Lees Headquarters as
soon as possible. Longstrcet made
haste to obey the summons, and when
he had greeted his superior and chattcl
with HIN for q few moments, Lee took
him aside that he might have private
conversation with him. When they
were thus apart from the others, Gem
eral Lee said 10 him:
General longstrcc,, have this
morning received letter from General
Mcclellan. II hns given me II great
deal or anxiety, | have sent for you to
ask you whnt you think OF It. for | con-
Tess that am pcrplcXcd as TO my own
course"
Hero General Ice handed the letter OF
which he spoke to General Longstreet,
who, after reading II. found 1t contained
an urgent request from General McClcl-
Ian for n meeting either that day or
later the next, for discussion OF sub
Ject OF the highest Importance. Az
General Longstret handed the letter
back 10 General Lcc he said TO Lee:
What do you think OF 1T"
II do not know what TO think, and l
wish you would give the subject careful
consideration aud let me know Tonight
what your opinion Is"
General Longstrect asked that he
might take the letter with him back to
his own head quarters that he might
read and rc-read II, and consent was
given. In the afternoon, ns he was
reading the letter agnln, General
Toombs called upon him. and Long
street said to him: General, am going
to take the liberty OF chewing you n
letter which General Lee received n few
hours ago from General Mcclellan. and
TO get your opinion upon It." Toombs
read the letter and then said: There Is
something OF the highest consequence
behind that letter. My opinion Is that
General Lee ought to see General Nc
ClellGn, so that he may know what pUr-
pose Mcclellan had In mind when writ
Ing It," And Longstrect said In re-
Spouse: THAT. too. IL my opinion. Gem
eral Lee asked my advice, and was not
ready to give II, hut now tina, find
that your opinion aud mine are the
same, shall say so to General Lee"
He mounted his horse Immediately and
rode TO General Lees headquarters.
And he told Lee that he had taken the
liberty OF Showing the letter 10 Toomhs
and found that Toombs and he were OF
the same opinion. which was that Gen.
eral Lee ought to grant McClcllan's re-
quest.
General Lee said: II. too. have been
thinking this matter over, and have
come to an opinion. reason in this
way: General Mcclellan cannot want TO
see me In relation to an exchange of
prisoners or any kindred subject. There
Is perfect understanding about those
things. At all events he would have so
suggested In his letter. II he wants to
see me about he conduct OF the war
he proposes q discussion which neither
he or ! have any right to enter upon
with one another. II he wants to see
me with regard TO any settlement OF
this strife. he Is assuming authority
for himself and for me which we do not
possess. Those subjects are exclusive
ly for the administration ut Richmond
and the administration ut Washington.
I will not see him"
General Longstreet asked permission
10 retain tho letter. and General Lee
consented to that. The retreat rolled
miles away until General Lees army
fpty IrtrnprbaI npnn ,bn .o,,,l,
bank OF the Rappahannock.
This extraordinary proposition from
Mcclellan is not referred TO In McClel-
lan's memoirs, nor In General Leee's
book. LonGstreet intended to refer 10
II In his memoirs. but while writing that
book his house was destroyed ry fire
and many OF This most valuable memo
randa were lest, Including this letter.
Therefore Longstrnet does not refer TO
1t In his personal history. But he has
told the story to his friends. among
whom was the prelatc who related Il In
this city the other evening.
LanEstreet has his own idea OF wha,
Mcclellan had In mind. and he was sat-
istied that General Lee was OF his opln-
ion. The battle OF Antietnm had been
fought. and Lee had been driven south
OF the Potomac. II was Union victory
~ ieuSuIl VI I'c I"puiSe, out IL was
not full victory, because Mcclellan
had permitted Lee TO escape him. The
Impression which General Lee had was
tina, General Mcclellan proposed 10
suggest n suspension off hostllItles, and
possibly TO treat with Ice for the clos
Ing OF the war, the only terms that Nc
Clellan would ask being the restoration
OF the Union. II The negotiations were
disapprOved by Mr.. Lincoln's admins
tratlon then Mcclellan expected to 20 TO
the people with the plea that he had
made honorable propositions for ending
the war upon the simple bnsIs of the
restoration Of the Union, and that he
had been prevented from communicating
those plans by Mr.. Lincoln and his cab
met, n position which he thought would
make him inevitably n powerful candI-
date for the succession to the prcsl-
denCy.
That may not have been McClel!an's
purpose, but II was both General Lees
and General LonGstrccta impression
that It was what he had In mind when
he sought this private conference with
the general OF the Southern army.
This anccdotc. which was told at the
Union League Club. where the enter
talnment was given. made profound
impression upon some of the veterans
OF the war who heard II, and they. too,
were OF the opinion that the view which
General Lee and General Longstrec:
took Of fthc purpose which lay behind
this letter was cOrrCct.-phlladelph
Press.