The National tribune., 1907-08-01
The Committee on the Conduct Of the
WQr.

War.
new and potent influence entered
into the management of the struggle. |
Congress. which had been voting men
and money 50 lavishly, evinced nat |
ural disposition to. have a voice in the |
management Of those resources, AMI
especially as the progress made had so
far been very disappointing. Dec. 20
was organized the Joint Committee on
the Conduct of the War. which had
thereafter to be strongly reckoncd with. |
Ben. f. Wade, Senator from Ohio, was
made Chairman. and associated with
him were Senators Zachariah Chandler.
of Michigan. and Andrew johnson, of
Tennessee, and Representatives ID. w.
Gooch of Massachusetts,; John Covodc
of Pennsylvania; George w. Julian. OF
| Indiana and Moses Il. Odell, of New
York.
| These were all strong. representative
men who had decided opinions of their
own and the confidence of the country
! They consulted with the President and
Cabinet, particularly the Secretary Of
War, summoned Generals before them,
and sought information ir regard to1
the war from whatever source it could
be obtained. They were all strongly
dissatisfied with the inaction of the
| Army of the Potomac and much more
so with the blockade of the Capital's
principal highway. They demanded of
| the soecTttdIyp pfttty SlIoifS
| emphatic language" that this blockade
should be raised at once Gen. McClel-
| Ian. who was present, laid the blame on
the navy. They were strongly in favor
of the direct movement upon Manassas
and the Occoquan.
| A Council of War.
| Much to McClellan's displeasure the
| President sought the opinions of his
principal subordinates. This showed
how McClellan's inaction had cost him
the confidence of the Administration.
For months he had been absolute. He
was not required to give a reason for
anything. The Young Napoleon pc
| riod had now passed. In the council
of war Gems. Mcdowell. Sumner, Heint-
zelman and Barnard favored the plan
of advancing directly upon Bull Fun,
and forcing the line of the Occoquan at
tsome point between Manassas and the
| Potomac.
Gems. Keyes. Franklin, Fitz-John
| Porter, w. F. Smith, Mccall, Blenker,
Andrew Porter and Naglee, who repre-
sented Hooker. favored the Urbana
route. Gen. Keyes qualified his vote
with the provision that no change of
base should be made until the batteries
along the Potomac were cleared away.
AID PENINEULAR
An Imperative Order for ActiOn.
Secretary Stanton made his hand felt
at once. and began urging Mcclellan to
reopen the Baltimore & Ohio Railway
to the West, and clear out the batteries
along the Potomac. He insisted upon
Mcclellan giving him his plan of the
| campaign, which did not meet Stanton's
approval. AT the Secretarys insistence
President Lincoln, without consulting
with Gen. Mcclellan, issued the follow
ing imperative war order:
Presidents General War Order, No. 1.
.ne,tx.v
"Ordered. That the 22d day of Feb
ruary, 1862, be the day for a general
movement of the land and naval forces
of the United States against the insur-
gent forces. That especially the army
at and about Fortress Monroe. theI
Army of the Potomac, the Army of
Western Virginia, the army near Mum
fordv1lle. KY, the army and fotilIa at
Cairo and a naval force in the Gulf of
Mexico be ready to move on that day
THAT all other forces. both land and
naval, with their respective command
ers. obey existing orders for the time.
and be ready TO obey additional orders
when duly given
THAT the heads of Departments, and
especially thet Secretaries of War and
of the Navy. with all their subOrdinates,
and the General-in-Chic with all other
commanders and subordinates of land
to their strict and full responsibilities
for prompt execution of this order
Abraham Lincoln"
This was followed four days later by
another order of special significance to
Gen. Mcclellan:
Presidents Special War Order. No. l.
Executive Mansion, Washington,
Jam 81. 1862.
"Ordered. That all the disposable
force of the Army of the Potomac, after
providing safely for the defense of
Washington. be formed into an ex-
pedition for the immediate object OF
seizing and occupying a point upon the
railroad sOuthwestward of what is
known as Manassas Junction. all details
to be in the discretion of the Com
mander-in Chief, and the expedition to
move before or on the 22d day of Feb
ruary next.
Abraham Lincoln"
(TO be continued.)