The National tribune., 1904-01-28
GEN. MccLELLANs PLANS.

Popular Impatience for Movement by the
Mighty yArmy-stckentng Disaster at Balls
Bluf-President Lincoln's sAnxiety-variety
Of Plans suggested-Mcclellan Falls III.
The Potomac Blockaded.
Three months of varied and fruitful ac-
tivity thus passed, and the close of Autumn
found around Washington an army both
formidable in numbers and respectable in
efficiency. There then arose the problem
of putting it in motion; and This problem
involved two questions-when TO strike,
and where? The latter was a question
that concerned the General-in-Chie but
the former was one that profoundly
touched the people, who, as the sustalners
of the war; .thronged in and made their
voice heard, and became partakers of the
counsels Of state. 'Q)
During that period in which the army
was being formed public remained silent.
And there was in this silence some
thing almost pathetic; for, knowing that
an undue urgency for action, expressed
through the public prints, had precipitated
the disastrous campaign that ended in
Bull Run, men sought to make amends by
a sedulous refraining from the like again.
Gen. Mcclellan was left free to work his
will; and, being strong in the trust of the
country, he was master Of the situation:
no monarch could be more so.
EARLY ACTIVITY EXPECTED.
Il
Was in pledge Of early and energetic ac-
ton on the part of the commander; for
the country had too much at stake, and the
passions and interests Of men were too
closely bound up with speedy suppress
sion of the insurrection, to brook Fa-
bian policy. Gen. Mcclellan had, in
public speech at the time he assumed con-
mand of the Army of the Potomac, prom
ised that the war should be short, sharp,
and decisive" This was the very key
note on which all the motions of public
sentiment turned. 1t was, therefore, In
the highest degree important for him to
seize the first opportunity to justify, by
some paipable proof, that confidence which
the country had spontaneously extended to
him. There was too little moderation, too
little stability in the public judgment, to
make it possible that this condition OF
that had been freely bestowed would pres
entity disappear, unless confirmed by deeds.
a commander who, under popular Gov
ernment, is intrusted with the conduct OF
war, has to shape his acts not alone
according to abstract military dictates, but
must take into account eonsidera tions Of q
political and moral order as well. For the
wishes, impulses, prejudices, ignorances
even of his countrymen, enter as really
into the problem with which he has to deal
as the character of his enemy or the lines
Of military operation. A Captain who is
also King, may act in quite different wise
from a Captain responsible to Cabinet
or Congress. What q Cesar or Napo-
leon might do, could not be initiated by
Wellington or Eugene; and the history OF
the latter illustrious commander, and his
equally illustrious colleague
shows, strikingly, how that even the vic
tor of Bienheim and Families had to con-
form the inspirations of his military gen
ius to the dull wits of a Dutch States
General. Mcclellan. who had as yet done
RI off
ton or q Eugene, should have made the
slightest possible draft on the indulgence
of the people.
There is little or no doubt that, thus far,
Gen. Mcclellan had formed no other theory
regarding the employment of the Army of
the Potomac. than that which was common
throughout the country; which, eompen-
diously stated, was to make direct at
tack on the enemy in front of Washington
and TO make this attack as soon as posi-
All his plans at this period contemplated
general advance from Washington as
early as the month of November; and, look
ing back to the middle of October, it ap-
pears from Gen. MeClellan's own state
ment that he had at that time upwards Of
which, after deducting the forces to be en-
ployed in garrisoning Washington, Balti-
more, and Annapolis, and those assigned
for guarding the line of the Potomac, he
was able to place in the field a column for
active operations of above 1900 men. (3)
M'CELLAN CHANGES HIS PLANS.
But about the time he had designed put
ting the army in motion, Gen, Mcclellan
found himself, by his appointment as Gen
eralin-Ch charged not only with the
direction Of the Army of the Potomac, but
of all the other armies In the field He
then began to change his views regarding
the line and method of operating against
the enemy In Virginia, and this led him to
the adoption of a policy that caused q de-
lay OF all active operations, lasting through
out the whole Winter and continuing till
March, 1862, when the movement to the
Peninsula was begun.(4) This inactivity,
% This is the striking expression en-
pioyed By Mr. kinglake in describing the
influence of English public sentiment in en-
forcing the War Of the Crimea
2. Though Gen Mcclellan used to keen
his own counsel, yet Gen. Mcdowell tells
me he was wont, In their rides over the
country south of the Potomac, to point
out towards the flank of Manassas and say,
I'VE shall strike them there"
3. Mcclellan: Report, p. Z.
4. 1t would appear that 1t was during
the month of November that Gen. McClei-
Ian hrst began to change his purpose of
operating against the enemy in front of
Washington, and determined to assail Rich
intimation of this change of purpose ap-
pears in reply by Gen. Mcclellan to q
memorandum drawn up by President Lin
coin, suggesting movement on Manassas
This paper, with many others relating te
his own personal correspondence with Gen
Mcclellan, was given the writer by the
late President during the Summer Of 1864
1t is marked in Mr.. Lincolns hand as
esmhsg, naylng bese 1se, made about the 1st Of De
''If 1t were determined to make q for
ward movement of the Army of the Poto
mac, without awaiting further increase o
numbers, or better drill and discipline
how long would it require to actually re-
in motion?
lAnswer in pencil by Mcclellan: Il,
bridge trains ready. by Dec. 15-probably
23th.'
AFTER leaving all that would be neces
sary, how many troops could join the move
Uent from southwest of the river?
Answer In pencil, 71,OO0.'l
How many from northwest Of it?
AlAnswer In pencil. s33,000'l