The National tribune., 1908-01-16

in MeClellan's- conduct, and whatever
wild anger broke out among his subor"
dinates it did not receive the slightest
countenance from him. 1t is more than
likely that he had anticipated this man
date for weeks. and also that Burnside
would be his successor, and 1t is claimed
for him with much show of truth that
he kept Burnside with him and inform
ed him carefully of his plans, so, in
case he was called upon to do SO, he
could serve his country by carrying
them out without hitch.
The news was received by the army
with general and sincere manifestations
of sorrow, and particularly in Fitz-John
Porter's and Franklin's Corps. These
had much more reason for looking IA
vorabIy upon Mcclellan than the other
corps, which felt that the success pur-
chased by desperate fighting had been
denied them thru the failure of their
commander to grasA the opportunity.
At Burnside's earnest request Mcclellan
continued in command for another day,
and he accompanied Burnside in
grand review of the troops, after which
| he issued his farewell order, which Is
| marked by the greatest dignity, tact
and good taste. The order is as fol-
| lows:
"Oficers and Soldiers Of the Army of
the Potomac:
"An order of the President devolves
upon Maj.-Gen. Burnside the command
of this army. In parting from you /
cannot express the love and gratitude
bear to you. AS an army you have
grown up under my care. In you have
| never found doubt or coldness. The
battles you have fought under my COM
mand will proudly 1--we in our Nations
history. The glory you have achieved,
our mutual perils and fatigues, the
praUQS of fallen in hattie
and by disease, the broken forms of
| those whom wounds and sickness have
jdisabled-the strongest associations
which can exist among men-unite US
| still be an indissoluble tie. We shall
ever be comrades in supporting the Con-
stitution Of our country and the nation
ality of its people"
How the supersedure Came About.
Gen. c. P. Buckingham gives this ac-
count of what led up to the actual su-
persedure of Mcclellan by Burnside:
II was at that time on special duty
at the War Department, my Office being
adjoining the Secretary's private room.
Or the evening of Nov. 6, about 10
o'clock, the Secretary sent for me to
come to his office. where I found him
with Gen. Halleck. He told me that he
wanted me to go and find the head
quarters of the Army of the Potomac,
and spent some time in giving minute
directions as to the route should take.
Just before I left he handed me two
envelopes, unsealed, telling me to take
| them to my room, and, having read
them, to seal them up. I was thunder
struck to find that one of the envelopes
contained two orders for Mcclellan
one from the President, relieving him
from the command of the army, and
the other from Gen. Halleck, ordering
him to repair to some town in New
Jersey and report by letter to the War
Department. The other envelope con-
tanned two orders for Burnside-one
l from the President, assigning him to
the command of the army, vice McCleI-
Ian, and the other from Gen. HalIeck,
directing him to report what were his
plans.
Before leaving next morning I saw
the Secretary at his house, and he ex-
Iplained TO me his reasons for sending
an officer of my rank on an errand like
that. The first was that he feared Burn
side would not accept the command.
and my instructions were to use, IL nee
essary. the strongest arguments to in
duea him not TO refuse. The second