The National tribune., 1907-10-31

quire a COMMANDMENTS Chief of tht
Army-one who possesses your conf
dence, understands your views, and VIII,
is competent to execute your orders by
directing the military forces of the Ma
ton to the accomplishment of the OBJ
jects by You proposed. / do not ash
that place for myself. I am willing tc
assign me, and 1 will do so as faithfully
as ever subordinate served superior
Il may be on the brink of eternity
and as I hope forgiveness from my
Maker 1 have written this letter with
sincerity toward you and from love fol
my country.
Very respectfully. your obedient ser.
want,
Geo. B. Mcclellan, Major Genera
Commanding
His Excellency Abraham Lincoln
| President
The result of this letter and OF the
Presidents visit to Harrison's Bar was
a decision that Mcclellan was hopeless,
and successor must be found. Sccre-
taries Stanton, Seward and Chase urged
Mr.. Lincoln to put Pope in command
of the Army of the Potomac, and Gen.
20. M. Mitchell in command of Pope's
army Gen. Scott also advised that Nc
Clellan be at once superseded The
President was not prepared for so rad
ical a step as this, however, and finally
acted upon Gen. ScOtt's alternative-to
bring Halleck East and make him Com
mander-in-Chief.
The six days of McClellan's retreat to
the James were intensely anxious ones
for the President and Secretary of war.
Mr.. Lincoln spent most of the nights
and days in Secretary Stanton's Office.
part of the time reclining on a sofa or
| lounge. but without going to bed In
all this he spoke no unkind word of
anyone. seeming always anxious to ac-
cept himself the entire burden of the
situation and safe others. There was
unutterable sadness on his face when
he received the announcement of Nc
Clellan's retreat to HarrisOn's Bar
Gen. Pope absolutely refused to take
command Of the army II Mcclellan were
left free 10 use his own discretion as to
whether he would fight or no, and he
therefore urged that a common su-
perior be appointed to both himself
operations coincide. He Joined with
the others in urging that Halleck be
appointed, and July II that General was
made Commander-in-Chief
Comments.
The future historian will find few
things more damaging to McClellan's
reputation than this letter. If he had
come to the National Capital crowned
with the laurels of victory he might
have had some justification for assum-
ing such moral superiority, such an
air of high wisdom toward those placed
officially over him. This attitude how
ever, came with the worst possible grace
from man whose campaign, begun
with so much exuberant promise, had
abounded in failures and defeats The
closing lines, where he spoke Of being
on the brink of eternity" brought forth
Inherited ridicule from the country. While
no doubt Mcclellan was brave man.
he had not, since his entrance into the
service, shown any such rashness upon
the field of battle as to cause the least
anxiety for his untimely cutting off
President LincoIn's Visit.
Gen. Mcclellan continued to impor-
tune the Government almost hourly for
lreinforcements, but the experience had
been that the more men he had the
least likely he was TO move, and. be-
sides, the Administration did not know
where to look for reinforcements. The
first great uprising Of the people, which
had filled the camps of the volunteers
had spent itself. The long inactIon Of
the Army of the Potomac and the alb
solute lack Of something decisive had
depressed the spirits of the people and
stopped enlistments- No one wanted to
go into the army and lie around camp
for months. July President Lincoln.
accompanied by Secretary Stanton, ar
rived at Harrison's Landing to satisfy
himself by personal inspection as to
the strength and condition of the army
Lincoln was one of the greatest law
Iyers OF his day, and no one surpassed
him in the examination of a witness
His first question to Mcclellan was as
to the effective men in his army, TO
which Mcclellan replied that they num-
bered $4,000. Lincoln reminded him
that 10000 men had either gone with
him or been sent him; what had, then.
become OF more than half of them?
Mcclellan thereupOn made writte,
statement, in which he said that no
had present for duty S8,665: absent by
authority, 34,472; absent without au-
thority. 3-778; sick, 1863; making a
total of 143,534. OF those absent nv
authority one-half were probably fit for
duty, but having been sent away on
sick leave and otherwise, had not re-
turned. Even these figures fell below
the Adjutant-GeneraPs report for July
20, which showed, without counting
Gen. Woofs or Gen. Burlside's forces
that there were present for duty, 10l,-
691; on special duty. sick or in arrest,
1888: absent. 1875; total, 1884.
Mcclellan as usual asked for REIN
forcementS rather much over than
much less than 100000 men," The wor-
ried President reminded him that out
side Of those already on the James
there were less than $4,000 men s.to-
gether east of the Alleghenies. The