The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-24

20 g1se 4ny statement BE- may rnalk1 de-
ej;ed weigh. However tns@s II skill IN
sAe sazkz 81 life great Number Of u1ta
wso wia be prompt - say thai Csn- Nal
Lace 10 mistaken or that ne nas besn In
correctly ssscsssd relative 81 tss senss-
f0Eat Efosy.
the Potomac ~ss 90 the peninsula Ia ISSz
when * did net largely eufnamb<x ts.s
army OF Northern Virginia. with whsth
Il c1Gssgsdeas AZ the Time Gen. Wallace
credits I.;ncein with saying ttsas be WAS
x0sHg 10 Harris0n.s landing 10 prevent
Mcclellan from s1rrendersag. the 1afs}s
cf Malvern HEi had been fought. result
Ing ia = sssnsins, ssaxssring blow to Ses-
Lee. aud The army Of the PoscnzzE y AZ as
safely auarsered ~ IL j, had been b<aasd
, ssse forsisiez tons Mcclellan had built
about Washington.
Look nj the records la the wsx depart
nens No sign OF surrender - found.
quite the contrary.
Jaiy Gen. Mcclellan teisgrapbed the
president from Hsrriscn's bar AZ foIIows.
THE hast Of the wagons reached here
al noon yesterday. The exhaustion WAS
very great. but TIE army preserved igs
morale and would have repesied any at
tack which the enemy Was In position 10
make. Our position can only be taken by
overwhelming nunbers. The spirit OF she
army Ia excellent. There are points where
the enemy can establish himself with
cannon or mEsketry and command he
river. and where II In not certain thas car
gunboats can drive him OF In case OF
this. or In case or front II broken. viii
make every effort 20 preserve At least the
personnel OF the army. and the events u
the last few days leave no question that
the troops viii DO all tina. their command
sr can ash"
So Mctgsiian talked when the prezden,
IL credited with a belief that 1t was neg
essary for him ~ !nierpese 10 prevent
surrender
July I. after the army had reached Har-
risons landing. where IL remained 81
weeks. Gen Mcclellan said. Ia u tslegFaG.s
to the president:
THE enemy has not ATTACKED. Ny po-
s.fion is very strong and daily becoming
naors 80. IL not attacked TO-DAY ! shall
laugh at them. Ny men are in splendid
spirits and anxious 10 try it again, Alarm
yourself little as possible about me
and don't Lose confidence sEs tfge af.l.y.
Does tina, sound like the talk of a man
who Is contemplating the surrender of his
army
On the 18th he again addressed the pres
;dert, saying:
We are very strong here now. so far
as the defensive Ii concerned Hope You
will soon make u strong enough TO try
again"
No appearance OF disposition to SUI
render In that
The next day Little Mae sent this to
Washington:
The men are resting vel. but begin
ming TO be impatient for another fight. l
am more and more concerned that this
army ought rot 10 be Withdrawn from
here but promptly reinforced ard thfD-sn
again upon Richmond II We have little
more than half chance we can take It."
Let me quote more frcm Mcclellan. this
time from the ieitere written his wife. au-
ly g. 1892 after President Lincoln had Wis.,
tied him at Harrison's landing. on the
James river Mcclellan said TO his wife.
His excellency was here yesterday and
left this morning He found the army
anything but demoralixed or dispirtted. II
il IN excellent spirits
On July u he said: THE probability IL
that viii attack again very soon-as soon
as some losses are supplied. I natter my
self that this army In q greater thorn In
most certainly with Gods blessing), in
tend to take Richmond with IT."
Among the war records there are also
various letters and dispatches from Pres
ident Lincoln to Gen. Mcclellan while the
latter was On the peninsula. indicating
that the president was fearful that the
army OF the Potomac would be destroyed.
On several occasions. In these dispatches
or letters. he appealed to Mcclellan TO
save the army. but no word from McCiel-
Ian To the president or the secretary OF
war or to his wife has ever been found
indicating that for an instant ne enter
tailed the thought that the army OF the
Potomac would he destroyed or that It
would be necessary for him TO surrender
t.
II seems almost monstrous To hint that
10000 men and such generals as Sumner,
Hooker. ksarny. Hancock Sedvwi,t sra
others could be driven into snrrendsrfng
10 an army Of 300 they had just defeat
ed al Malvern hin.
Surely 6;~n. Wallace has made a mis-
take, a grievous mistake. The story IL
absurd.
Mr. Lincoln was az times very ironicai.
When delegation appealed to him for
tn. removal OF Grant from his command
claiming that his incorporate habits were
a menace 10 the army. Lineoln asked them
If they knew what kind OF whisky Grant
drank. adding that II he knew he would
buy many barrels Of 1t and presen; one 10
each OF larss number OF his generals.
The outcome az the peninsula campaign
was distressing TO MIR. Lincoln. as IL was
20 the army and the Whole North. Mr.
Lincoln may have said. Ironically. that be
was COINS 60 visit the army OF the Patio
mac 10 see that II was not surrendered.
but Gen. Wallace. with all his knowledge
Of the man. ought % nave known then. az
he should now. that Mr.. Lincoln did net
mean that there was any danger OF Nc
t1ellsn's surrendering the army OF the
Potomac.
Two years later Tlneoin waa the Re-
publican candidate for president. and Mo
Ciellsn the Democrats candidate. II Nc
S>teilan had contemplated the surrender OF
the army OF tho Potomac at Harrisnn's
landing two years before. the fact wsuId
have been brought out In that exciting
Political contest. What . campaign story
II would have made. Ecw suddenly IL
would have brought the Democrats ns-
tionai committee together To demand the
dscilnstion Of Mcclellan
A word more about Mcclellan and hss
army.
George u Mcclellan WAS the only com
naaa3sr who had the love of the army OF
the Potomac The others were IeyaFfv
followed. but not snvesi So II WAS with
Burnside with Hoaker. with Meade. and
indeed. Grant. II gave Meade respect ana
confidence II gave Grant admiration
"a.