The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-14
their wonted fortitude. as it will be but

and had just turned in for a nights
rest; but 1 dressed quickly, and was
again soon on horseback. I was then
Brigade Quartermaster (Third Brigade,
Hooker's Division, Third Corps). We
proceeded to carry out this order. and
| the other two brigades OF our division
did the same. We cut and slashed our
| tents with knives, and ripped them to
pieces-many Of them new Sibley and
hospital tents. We chopped and broke
and valises to pieces with axes ana
spades. Our surplus clothing was cut
and torn to rags. Our headquarters
officers doffed their old uniforms. in
which they had been campaigning SO
far, and donned their best ones-re-
solved that, IL they had to abandon
any, they would leave the old ones
and / did the same. But nothing was
set on fire that night, lest the Johnnies
should learn Of our movement prema-
turely. Then we loaded up our wag-
ons with ammunition and rations, az
James River. and I'm due time with
drew from our line and followed after
them. The next morning the rear
guard set fire to our abandoned stores
and property, and there was general
conf1agration at Fair Oaks, etc.
l give these facts so precisely, be-
cause this "Baggage-destroying Order"
was never published by Gen. McClel-
Ian, and his friends have ventured to
deny 1t. The copies of ii issued to our
brigade, I have always understood,
were burned up at Bristoe Station, in
August, 1852. when Stonewall Jackson
captured a train OF cars there, con-
tanning among other things all the off,
cial desks and baggage Of our brigade,
and set fire to everything. But / re-
corded the substance Of it I'm my pri-
vate journal, for Saturday. June 2s,
1862, and have the record still
In 1864, when Mcclellan was run
ming for President, and this Order"
was denied, I published the above in
the New York Tribune, and challenged
contradiction; but 1T never came. I
did the same in the Century Magazine
for May, 1889, with like result. The
only explanation I have ever heard IL.
that this order was issued to a part Of
the army, but not to the rest because
Of protests from leading officers that It
might demoralize the troops, and SO
was afterward suppressed as uncanny,
IL not unmilitary:. 1t is strange that no
copy has ever been produced. Was
none preserved by any officer? Or were
all burned up at Bristoe, as aforesaidf
At Harrison's Landing. Of course. we
were safe-under the secure shelter Of
our gunboats. Or. as Little Mac"
phrased it July l, Il fear shall be
forced to abandon my material to save
my men under the cover Of the gum
boats" (War Records. Vol. xI, Part
3, p. 280.) The same day he tele-
graphed, Rodgers win do all that can
be done to cover my TANKS with his
gunboats)." And again. More gum
boats are much needed" Ibid, pp.
2S1, 2S2) And still again, 81 shall do
my best to save the army. Send more
gunboats" (Ibid. p. z80.)
Lee certainly had the Army Of the
Potomac now where he wanted it,
where 1t did not menace Richmond,
and was fairly eliminated. How he
must have laughed at Little Mac" and
his strategic change Of base" To
show his contempt for the whole bust
ness, garrisoning Richmond well, he
marched leisurely down the Valley,
hoping to take Washington by a coup:
and he would have done SO, had 1t not
been for Gen. Pope and his gallant II
unsuccessful fighting.
Retreat From the Peninsula.
Then came our promenade down the
Peninsula and back to Yorktown again,
after all our heavy fighting and fright
full losses, and our tardy re-embarka-
tien back to Alexandria: with Little
Mac" in the rear, as usual, when he
should have been at the front, hurry
ing his troops forward. He took "a
leave" Harrison's Landing; he "re-
mained constantly with the rear
guard" he remained on the Chicka-
hominy until the bridge was removed"
(his "Own Story PIP. 468-9); and was
among the last to arrive at Yorktown,
when he should have been among the
first there, and Fastening our re-em-
barkation. He seems to have miscon-
ceived the entire situation" Ordin-
arily his position in the rear would have
been right, had our rear been in dam
ger or even seriously menaced. But,
once under way down the Peninsula,
Lee paid no attention to our humiliat-
ing retreat-he was after bigger
game"-and. therefore. Mcclellan
should have left the care OF his rear
guard to some good division or corps
commander, and fastened back to
Washington, to see how best he could
help there. Had Lee taken Washing
ton, no man can tell what would have
happened-probably the recognition. IL
not the triumph. of the Confederacy.
But, thanks to Hooker, Kearny, Rey-
nolds, Heintzelman, Mcdowell, and 9TH
ers, who rushed their commands to the
front, ready or not ready. Pope was
saved; and saving Pope then and there
meant saving the Republic.
Hooker landed at Alexandria. and
so eager was he to succor Pope, he
marched Immediately to the front with
his field officers ON foot-their horses
being yet on shipboard somewhere
down the Potomac-and Kearny. /
think, did the same. Franklin Zone OF
McClellan's favorites) landed, and af-
ter leisure1y re-equipping his corps.
called on Pope for cavalry to patrol his
and when he found Pope had
not any, marched as far as Annandale.
five or six miles out, Aug. %, and halt
ed, because "detachments of the enc
my's cavalry were reported" between
Alexandria and Centreville, and Nc
Clellan did not deem it "safe for Frank
lin to march beyond Notwithstanding
his splendid corps then numbered over
5000 infantry, two sQuadrons of cav
airy, and several batteries Of artillery.
What did he want of cavalry to patrol
his advance?" He was strong enough
to march anywhere there, with Pope
all beyond him, and only "detachments
of the enemy" if any, between. Had he
pushed on to Centreville. Aug. 2S, as he
should have done (and might have
done), he would have arrived in time
to save Pope possibly in his great bat
tie of Aug. so. But, as it was, he halt
ed at Annandale" and did not reach
Centreville until the evening Of the
3cth, after the battle was over.
No Hurry to Help Pope.
OF course, there were wild reports OF
the enemys cavalry being between AL
exandria and Centreyille at that time
11