The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-31
MCCLELLAN AFTER ANTIErAM.

er1c1sourg-EatuQus IlauS, ana 0a1l4u'
Men Sent to Death.
MCCLELLAN AFTER ANTIETAM.
The movement from Washington into
Maryland to meet Lees invasion was de-
fensiye in its purpose, though it assumed
the character of a defensiye-offensive
campaign. Now that this had been ac-
complished and Lee driven across the from
tier, it remained to organize on an ade-
Quate scale the means of a renewal of
grand offensive operations directed at the
Confederate army and towards Richmond.
The completion of this work, including
the furnishing of transportation, clothing,
supplies, ETC., required upwards of a
month, and during this period no military
movement occurred, with the exception
Of a raid into Pennsylvania by Stuart
prising officer, with 200 or 500 troop
ers, crossed the Potomac above Williams
port, passed through Maryland, pene-
trated Pennsylvania, occupied Chambers
burg, where he burnt considerable Gov
eminent stores, and after making the en-
tire circuit Of the Union army, recrossed
the Potomac below the mouth Of the
Monocacy. He was all the way closely
pursued by Pleasonton with 500 cavalry,
but though that o6icer marched Is miles in
"a hours, he was unable to intercept or
oEertake his fast-riding rival
MCLELLAN IN VIRGINIA.
On the recrossing of the Potomac by
Lee after Antietam, Mcclellan hastened
to seize the debouche of the Shenandoah
Valley, by the possession OF Harpers s
Ferry. Two corps were posted In its vi
cinity, and the Potomac and Shenandoah
spanned by pontoon-br bridges. At first Nc
against Lee directly down the Shenandoah
Valley, as he found that, by the adoption
Of the line east of the Blue Ridge, his
antagonist, finding the door open, would
again cross to Maryland. But this danger
being removed by the oncoming Of the
season Of high-water in the Potomac, Nc
Clellan determined to operate by the east
side of the Blue Ridge, and on the 26th
his advance crossed the Potomac by q
pentoon-bridge at Berlin, five miles below
Harper's Ferry. BY the I'd Of November
the entire army had crossed at that point.
Advancing due southwark towards War
renton, he masked the movement by guard
Ing. the passes of the Blue Ridge, and by
threatening to Issue through these, he CON-
PEELED Lee to retain Jackson in the Valley.
With such success was this movement
managed that on reaching Warrenton on
the 9th, while Lee had sent half OF his
army forward to Culpeper to oppose Nc
Clellan's advance in that direction, the
other half was still west OF the Blue
Ridge, scattered up and down the Valley
and separated from the other moiety by
at least two, days march.
BURSsIDE sUPrRsEDrs MCCLELLAN.
McCleilan's next projected move was to
strike across obliquely. westward and
1.op. tSs caned.1s ns oree
but this step he was prevented
from taking by his sudden removal
from the command OF the Army OF the P0-
toamc, while on the march to Warrenton.
Late, on the night of Nov. Z, amidst a
heavy snow-storm, Gen. Buckingham, ar
irving post-haste from Washington,
Rectortown. He was the bearer of the
following dispatch, which he handed to
Gen. Mcclellan:
General Orders, No. 1872.
War Department, Adjutant-Generafs Of
fee,
Washington, Nov. 5, 1862.
By direction of the President of the
United States, it is ordered that Maj j.-Gen.
Mcclellan be relieved from the command
Mai j.-Gen. Burnside take the command of
that army.
By order of the Secretary Of War.
K. d. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
1t CHANGED that Gen. Burnside was at
the moment with him in his tent. Open
ing the dispatch and reading it, without a
change of countenance or of voice, Nc
Clellan passed over the paper to his sue
side, you are to command the army."(43)
Thus ended the career Of Mcclellan az
head of the Army Of the Potomac-an
army which he had first fashioned, and
then led in its maiden but checkered ex
perience, till it became a mighty host
formed to war. and baptized in fierce bat
ties and renowned campaigns. From the
exposition l have given Of the relations
which had grown up between him and
those who controlled the war-councils al
Washington, it will have appeared that
were these relations to continue, it would
removed McClellan-better for himself
and better for the country. This, indeed
was practically done, when, on the return
from the Peninsula, his troops were sent
forward to join Pope: but the disastrous
termination of that campaign prompted
the recall Of Mcclellan as the only mar
who could make the army efficient for tn,
his work of expelling Lee from Maryland
he entered, after brief repose, on a new
campaign of invasion; and it was in tn,
midst OF this, and on the eve Of decisiv,
blow, that he was suddenly removed. In
moment chosen was an inopportune and al
ungraeious one: for never had Mcclellan
acted with such vigor and rapidity-neve
had he shown SO much confidence in him
self or the army in him. And it is nc
table fact that not only was the Who'll
body Of the army-rank and file as we
as Observation-Disclosures in their affectio
for his person. but that the very Genera
appointed as his successor was the strong
est opponent Of his removal
MCCLELLAN ESTIMATED.
The military character Of Mcclellan wi
not be difficult to define, however much
Is yet obscured by malicious detraction O
the one hand, or blind admiration on tn
other. He was assuredly not a great Ger
eral; for he had the pedantry Of war RI
ther than the inspiration OF war. Hi
talent was eminently that Of the cabinet
and his proper place was In WashingtoI
43. Hurlbut: Mcclellan and the Condut
Df the War.