The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-19
Does Not Even Mention Hero of
the Battle in His Antietam
Address.
PAYS TRIBUTE TO sTHERs.
Politicians Are Wondering if
Candidacy of Soldiers Son
Has Anything to Do With
Lapse of Memory.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York, Sept. 1S-President Roose
welt returned from the battlefield at An
tetam to-day and departed Immediately
Tor Oyster Bay Coincident with his re
turn political tongues are wagging ant
much feeling has been created by the
omission of the name of General George
B. Mcclellan in the Presidents speech al
| Antietam
| Democrats say the probability of the
| son of Little Mac being the nominee
for Mayor of New York might have beer
responsible for the omission. AT any rate
the question is being asked by persons oi
all shades of politics:
Was General George B. Mcclellan al
Antietam?'
The question came UP after they had
| carefully perused the speech delivered by
| President Roosevelt.
FORGOT LITTLE MAC"
Some of those who took part in the dis
cussion were nonplused by the fact that
! the President. who is voluminous his
torian himself. as well as a military hero,
did not apparently know that Little Mac"
was there. This was considered strange.
particularly when the historian President
exhibited intimate knowledge as to the
personality of others who participated in
the conflict.
Here is an excerpt from his speech in
which the President pays a tribute to Po-
lice Commissioner Francis V. Greene,
whose father was at Antietam:
The other regiment. that in which
Governor Murphy served. although prac-
ooot
as good as that OF any veteran organiza-
tion upon the field and suffered a proper
tionate loss This regiment was at one
time ordered to the support of division
commanded BY another New YORK Sose seloseT son
himself served as a Major General In
tho war with Spain, and who Is now. as
Police Commissioner Of New York. rem
dering as signal service in civil life as he
had already rendered In military life.
It was commented upon that the Pres
ident not only knew that General Greene
was at Antietam and his son took part in
the war with Spain, but It had slipped his
memory that Mcclellan, usually regarded
as the hero OF the battle. was there.
McCLELLAN'S SON.
And then the audacious politicians won
dered If the fact that General Mcclellan
too had a son had anything to do with
the Presidents lapse of memory. For the
benefit of those who have become dubious
Of the Presidents s. speech. the following Is
quoted from the National Cyclopedia OF
American Biography:
"On the morning of September Is, Lee,
with % 800 men. took the defensive at An
tietam Creek. near the village of Sharps-
burg. and on the 18th was attacked by
part of McClellan's army. $1,000 strong.
The battle OF Sharpsburg. or Antietam.
lasted fourteen hours. and was one Of
the bloodiest of the Civil War. about 1000
on the Federal side being killed. while
the total Federal loss was 1900. the Con-
federate 1900.
Lee retired: leaving the field and 5000
prisoners in the possession of Mcclellan.
who claimed a complete victory"
In speaking of General Mcclellan. Gen
eral Pope wrote: 1.-THE effect OF this
mans presence on the army Of the Po-
tomac--in sunshine or rain. in darkness or
light, in victory or defeat-was electrical
and too wonderful to make it worth
while attempting to give a reason for it,
President Roosevelt has been accused of
being interested In the present municipal
Politicians are wondering
whether he is willing to risk his reputa-
ton for historical accuracy by ignoring
the name of Mcclellan to help his friend.
Mayor Low.