The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-13

War, to the effect that Gen. Mcclellan
in 1852 sought an interview with Gen.
Lee with the supposed purpose of max
ing peace over the heads of the govern
ments at Washington and Richmond:
Bishops House.
222 East Harris street.
Savannah, Ga. Jan. 3, 1904
My Dear Friend: Your letter of the
list instant to hand. My recollection of
the conversation to which you refer is
clear.
Gen. Longstreet told me more than
once that Immediately after the battle
at Sharpsburg, or Antietam, while he
was in Gen. Lees tent, the General
handed him a letter which he had just
received from Gen. Mcclellan, the COM
mander of the Federal armies. Gen.
Lee gave Gen. Longstreet a copy of
the letter and asked him to give it his
serious attention, and on the following
morning advise him Gen. Lee) what
he ought to do in the matter. The let
ter from Gen. Mcclellan proposed an
interview between himself and Gen.
Lee. Gen. Longstreet said to me: Il
told Gen. Lee that in my judgment
there was no other construction to be
placed on it save one, and that was
that Gen. Mcclellan wanted to end the
war then and there
Gen. Lee said: THAT idea occurs to
me also, but President Davis. and not
Gen. Lee, is the one to whom such a
message must be sent
Gen. Longstreet took the letter to his
own quarters, where he found Gen. T.
r. Cobb, of this state. He gave it to
Gen. Cobb, pleging him to observe Sc
crecy with regard to it, but not saying
word as to the construction he placed
on it.
After reading the letter attentively
Gen. Cobb said there was no doubt in
his mind that Gen. Mcclellan want
ed Gen. Lee to help in the restora-
ton of the Union by marching to
Washington with the combined forces.
Gen. Longstreet told me of the cir
cumstances more than once, and al
ways added that he thoroughly coincid-
ed in Gen. Cobb's views, but that Gen.
Lee, for the reason stated, declined
to meet Gen. Mcclellan.
The copy which Gen. Lee gave Gen.
Longstreet was sent after the war to
Col. Marshall. 1 tried to get it from
Col Marshall. who told me he had
mislaid it and could never find it.
do not know, of course, what became
of the original letter.
! forgot to say that Gen. Longstreet
strongly advised Gen. Lee to meet
Gen. Mcclellan in order that he might
know definitely what Mcclellan want
ed.
I have this moment heard of Long
streets death Saturday at Gainesville.
He often came to Visit me when
lived in Atlanta, and we often talked
of the war and its sequel.
l recall very distinctly a reply he
made to me one day when 1 said:
well, General, you and 1 are both
glad to-day that We have a united
country, and perhaps in Gods provi-
dence it is as we'll that we We're de-
feated even though we were clearly in
| the right
Il do not believe in placing the blame
on the Lord said Longstreet. I'VE
ought to have whipped the Yankees,
restored the union and settled the ne
gro question ourselves; but we had a
big load to carry in some Of our own
| leaders,"
Very sincerely, your friend.
Benz. ]. Kelley,
Bishop of Savannah, Ga.
1.-THE conjecture to which the receipt
of letter by Gen. Lee from Gen. Nc
Clellan gave rise-that it was desired
by the latter to end the war by forci-
BILE means, ousting the politicians in
control at Westinghouse a very sug-
gestive one. 1t is well known that
Gen. Mcclellan distrusted the patriot
ism and good faith of the administra-
ton. He had not been supported with
reinforcements at the critical moment
in the operations in front of Richmond,
and the failure of his peninsula cam
paign was due, in his opinion, to the
unwillingness of the designing polti-
clans at Washington to see a Demo-
crat gain the prestige and political in
fiuence that a decisive victory at Rich
mond would have given him. His
army had been virtually taken from
him after the Change of base" to
James river and given to Pope, with
the result that it was badly beaten in
the second battle of Manassas. Only
when Gen. Lee crossed the Potomac
into Maryland and his advance upon
Washington was feared was Gen. Nc
Clellan again placed in command to
save the situation-which he did at An
tietam by causing Gen. Lee to recross
the Potomac. Soon after that action
Gen. Mcclellan was again deprived of
his command. for the reason, 1t was
believed in 1862, that a general was
wanted who preferred the success of
the Republican party to the restora-
ton of the Union. Whether this be-
lief was or was not correct IL is I'M
necessary to consider. but it is unde-
niable that in the presidential cam
paign of 1854 Gen. Mcclellan was pre-
vented by force and fraud from re-
ceiving the votes cast for him. In the
earlier elections of 1852 on the stop
the-war" issue a number of the lead
ing Northern states gave large Demo-
cratic majorities. 1t was therefore
not difficult for Gen. Cobb and Gen.
Longstreet in 1852 to believe that in
proposing an interview after the battle
of Antietam Gen. Mcclellan had it In
mind to restore the Union by united
action of the two chief armies, in de-
fance of politicians who were supposed
to have only party interests in view.
Gen. Lee, it will be noted, is said To