The National tribune., 1904-03-10
The Rebels Take the Strongly Aggressive.
Washington Mens csd-Bad Planning and
Good Fighting on Our Part-The Plains oi
Manassas Again Battlefield.

1t Will have appeared from the exp0Sl-
ton Of the motives that prompted the
change of base, that, in transferring the
Army Of the Potomac to the James River,
the fundamental idea of its commander
was to secure a line of operations whereby,
with a refreshed and REINFORCED army, a
new campaign, under more promising aus
pices, might be undertaken. The position
Of the army, at once threatening the COM
munications of Richmond and enabling it
to spring on the rear Of the Confederate
force should it attempt an aggressive
movement northward, seemed the most ad-
yantageous possible, whether for offensive
operations or for insuring the safety of the
National Capital. Gen. Mcclellan brought
back to Harrison's Landing between S0,
600 and $4,000 men; and his view was that
all the resources at the command Of the
Government should be at once for
warded to him. Having the James River
now open as a line Of supplies, he had
formed the bold design of transferring the
Army of the Potomac to the south bank
of that river, and operating against the
communications of Richmond by way of
Petersburg.Q)
There appears to have been at first an
intention on the part Of the Administra-
fion to adopt this judicious course; but a
train Of events, partly the work of man
and partly the effect Of circumstances, pres
emily arose. that not only frustrated this
design, but removed the army wholly from
the Peninsula, and transferred the theater
of operations to the front Of Washington
and then to the soil of the loyal States.
What these events were | shall now set
forth.
POPE IN THE SADDLE.
offensive operations, the military councils
at Washington, taught a lesson by the
events of Jackson's campaign in the Shen-
andoah Valley, had gathered together the
disjOinted fag-ends of armies in Northern
Virginia under Mcdowell and Banks and
Fremont, and had consolidated them into
the Army Of Virginia" which was in
trusted to the command Of Mai. ..Gen. John
Pope.f2 That officer brought with him
from the West, where he had held COM
mand under Gen. Halleck, the reputation
for species OF aggressive energy that was
supposed to characterize the Western style
OF warfare, in contradistinction to the
methodical campaigning OF the East,(3)
and he signalized his advent to command
By the PRONUNCIATION of a pseudo Napole-
onie proclamation, in which he expressed
his contempt for certain phrases he found
much in vogue, such as bases OF supplies,
and lines Of retreat, at,"-phrases which he
enjoined his army to discard as unworthy
OF soldiers destined to follow the leader
ship Of one who had never seen anything
but the backs Of his enemies" Under
meath all its bombastic nonsense, Pope's
proclamation contained one grain OF sense,
which was the rebnke it gave the ignorant
use Of military terms common at the
North; and though there was an execrable
want of taste in the pointed satire directed
at McCielian's methodical tactics. there is
no doubt that the declaration of q more
vigorous war-policy quite met the views
OF the mass Of the people.
PoPE's CONFIDENCE
In assigning Pope to the command of
the Army OF Virginia" although his firss
duty was to cover Washington, yet his ull
innate object and avowed purpose was to
take Richmond by an overland advance;
and he had charmed the ears Of the MEM
bers OF the Committee on the Conduct of
the War by his facile expositions OF the
manner in which he meant to ''lie off on
the fanks of the rebels" and even-had
he only such an army as McClellan's-
march straight to New Orleans.A) Be-
fore Gen. Pope could set out in the execu-
fion OF this design, however, there oc-
CURED the series Of events culmina ting in
the retreat Of the Army of the Potomac.
No sooner had this taken place, than
the powerful faction opposed to Mcclellan
/. That this was Gen. McClellan's pur-
pose is vouched for by no less an authority
than Gen. Halleck, who, in a memoran-
dunn Of visit to the headquarters of the
Army OF the Potomac, at Harrison's Land
Ing, on the 25th Of July, 1852, says: 81
stated to him (McClellan) that tie object
OF my visit was to ascertain from him his
views and wishes in regard to future oper-
ations. He said that he proposed to cross
the james Rirer at fh0t point Harrison !
Landing. Gen. Grant, two years after
wards, crossed few miles belowl, attack
Peferstarg. and cut of the eaemy's eomma-
aicGfioHs By that route south, making no
further demonstration, for the present,
against Richmond. stated to him rers
Frankly my rie1s In regard to the danger and
tmprecficabilify Of the plan, etc. Report on
the Conduct OF thesWar vol /, o. 4541 II
would appear that Gen. Grant had less
respect for Gen. Halleck's views Of "the
danger and impractieability of the plan.' >
seeing that two years afterwards hs
adopted that precise plan, and took Rich
nlond and destroyed Lee by It! Nor can Il
be said that circumstances. so far az re
CARDS the defense Of Washington, differed
In the one case from those i'm the other
excepting that they We're such as to war
rant the adoption Of the plan by Gen. Nc
Clellan much more than by Gen. Grant
for in 1862 there were 10 men left benin.
for the defense of Washington to one il
1854. - 80
2. The appointment Of Gen. Pope +
the command Of the Army of Virginia
bears date the 9th of June, the day befor
the battle OF Gaines's Mill.
3. This supposed distinction between tn
Western and Eastern mode Of making wa
Is thus expressed in Pope's address to hi
army: Il have come to You from the West
where We have always seen the backs o
the enemies-from an army Eh0sc basines
it has Been to seek the adrersGry, aud to lea
Ai1 Ukes foasi; whose policy has been al
tack and not defense. l presume hav
been called here to pursue the same sys
tenn"
l. "QsesfioS. Suppose that yon had til
army that was here on the 1st day o
March last. do you suppose you woul
,hnd any obstacle to prevent your marchin
from. here to New Orleans?
Pope. 4 shoxld suppose nof" Report O
the Conduct Of the War. vol. !. p. 2s2.