The National tribune., 1909-09-23
MCCLELLAN ON THE PENINSULA
Gen. VIM. G. LIE Due Defends Him
Against the Charge of Undue Slow

Gen. VIM. G. LIE Due Defends Him
Against the Charge of Undue Slow
ness.
Editor National Tribune: I read your
weekly yHomments on the action and
events = 1862 with much interest, espe-
cially SO far as the events came within
my personal experience, and sometimes
have to say, He is looking at the
events and persons of 1862 with the
eyes and experience of 1865" or of the
records and without knowledge of or
consideration of the conditions obtain
ing at the time in the earth and among
the people.
1t is only fair, even justice to say of
Gen. Mcclellan that he was better fitted
than any other officer of the army to
direct the organization of a great army,
and this because he had been sent to
study the armies of Europe engaged in
the great struggle between England,
France and Russia. The rebels had
Beauregard. who had been sent to Eu-
rope with Mcclellan on the same busi-
ness. Having organized the army, Nc
to fight it. There was not one man in
the service at that time capable of wise
ly fighting an army of 100000 men in
an enemy's country. The really capa-
BILE men. those who afterward proved
their ability for large commands, such
as Grant, Rosecrans, Sherman, Thomas,
and Hooker. avoided the responsibility
until they had opportunity of expert
Ience.
A Safe Base Necessary.
Mcclellan knew then, what all com
petent officers learned subsequently,
that an absolutely safe base of
supplies is the primary consideration;
second to this the regular and certain
RI CT n II m
munition to the individual soldiers and
animals, and that the army could not
safely advance beyond the reach of the
transportation conveying to them their
daily food. The march up the PENN
Sula was in the Spring of the year. The
battle of Big Bethel had been exploited
in the newspapers as a great victory
for the rebels, who were said to be
largely in force and well fortified across
the Peninsula. The facts were not
then as now known, as appears from
publication in yours of Aug. 26. On
the death of Maj. Winthrop there was
no battle of Big Bethel and no rebel
army of any Importance. Mcclellan
advanced up the Peninsula with proper
precaution as against supposedly large
armies at Bethel and Williamsburg,
but as fast as his supplies could be
brought up to his army, and this fact
is overlooked by all who write of the
Peninsuiar Campaign. That part of
Virginia in the Spring of the year is
practically impossible for heaviIy-laden
army wagons and an extract from Rec
objections of Quartermaster," minutes
made at the time, will show how i'm
possible a rapid movement of McCleI-
lan's army was then: May 80, 1862
issued clothing and camp supplies to
the troops and sent teams to Dispa tch
Station, four miles distant, for supplies.
Ihey were the entire day going and
returning. nearly all the time expended
returning loaded" Friday, June G.
1862.-The roads are execrable, and
even on the high ground and knobs
the wheels cut thru frequently to the
axles. Bad, almost impossible as the
Travelled track is, it is better than the
apparently firm-looking ground outside.
'Our march of seven miles occupied all
day and into the night, leaving some
wagons fast in the mud within one
haif mile from camp, and the newspa-
per Generals in the great cities, with
their granite pavements, are shouting
themselves hoarse with the cry: ON
TO richmond Saturday, June z, /
had new road cut thru the woods nv
the Courtney house. and brought up
everything left behind yesterday, a full
days work for all my men and teams" :"
Crossing the Chickahominy.
The crossing of the Chickahominy
took two weeks. Why? Because this
insignificant stream had a swamp on
each side impossible for supply teams
until corduroyed or made solid by earth
or stone. The Army Engineers had not
yet learned to build bridges and road
ways rapidly with logs. A part of the
army was crossed over Bottoms Bridge.
the only country bridge in use, a low
bridge that went out with the food
nQUt Il 1awr
dam by the rebels, who attacked a di-
vided army. much to McClellan's anx-
iety.
To supply the army from the White
House Landing even the short advance