The National tribune., 1909-08-05
McClellan's Reply.

The order, which came with stunning
unexpectedness to Mcclellan, drew from
him long letter which, filled with all
the sounding verDiage of military ped
antry, pointed out the overwhelming
difficulties and dangers of all advance
upon that awful place, Manassas juno
tion.
This verbose communication, and its
pretense of high military sagacity, is
one of the most hurtful things to Nc
Clellan's reputation that ever came
from his pen.
Gen. Jos. E. Johnston knew-in fact,
every thinking military man, except
Geo. b. Mcclellan and Jefferson Davis
that the Confederation occupation of
Manassas Junction was pure bluff, and
could not be maintained for a day after
the Army of the Potomac began to
really move. ANY one who looks at
the map will see that the Potomac Riv-
er makes long sweep to the southwest
below Washington, finally coming to
within % miles of the Rappahannock
at Fredericksburg. AS we had posses
sion of the Maryland shore and the Po-
tonlac We could any night move a
strong force across the Potomac at
Aqua Creek and be directly in the rear
of the force at Manassas Junction and
several days march nearer Richmond.
Gen. Joe e. Johnston was constantly
expecting that such an obvious move as
this would be made. and, against Jeff
DaEiss strong opposition, he kept
everything in readiness to fall back to
the confederacy's true line of defense
on the Rappahannock
Therefore, when McClellan's protest
was oyerruled and he was compelled 10
advance he found that Joe Johnston
had left deliberately and leisurely sew
eral days before, leaving nothing be-
hind but the Quaker guns which had
simulated the 9S ~ Sfa
pieces in strong fortiiications."
Mcclellan and Stanton.
Secretary Stanton and Gen. McClel-
fan Were entirely too opposed IN their
views to get along together for a mo-
ment. When Mcclellan was in the
hight of his power the Secretary of War
was treated by him as a mere clerk.
He in some way got the idea that he
could treat Stanton as he had been
treating Cameron. Mcclellan had es-
tablished his headquarters on jackson
Square, and he held a "ievee" there
every morning at 10 o'clock and every
evening at 9. At these he was sur
rounded by his subordinate officers and
Aids and Crderlies, and maintained a
great deal more style than was kept up
at the White House. Disregarding Off
cial etjauet, the Secretary had gone,
Immediately upon his appointment and
confirmation, to call upon the General
in-Chief, and. somehow, Mcclellan got
il into his head that he could teach the
Secretary his place by having him wait
for an hour while Mcclellan was david
ling in the reception room. Gen Van
Vliet, afterward Quartermaster OF tine
Army, was present on this occasion,
and testifies how angry Stanton became.
The lack of earnestness, the total abb
sence of any serious and determined
purpose about headquarters erraged
him, when he thought of the intense
feeling among the people and the hard
ships that they were cheerfully enduring
to put down the rebellion while their
chief was engaged in this society nom
sense. Stanton wrote to Charles A.
Dana that he was going TO have around
him men who were in dead earnest, and
said:
las soon as i can get the machinery
of the Office working, the rats cleared
out and the rat holes stopped We shall
move. This army has got to fight or
run away, and while men are striving
nobly in the West the champagne and
oysters on the Potomac must be
stopped"
The champagne and oysters to which
Stanton referred We're the grand daily
dinners that Mcclellan was giving and
at which the guests We're men of prom
inence, who were known 10 be hostile
TO the Lincoln Administration John
+. CoyIe, editor of the National Intelli-
gencer. says of these dinners:
while he had his headquarters in
Washington, Gen. Mcclellan gave an
elaborate dinner with several courses
of wine almost every afternoon. / was
frequently present, and do not recall
that at any time there were less than
20 guests at the board--not the friends
of the Administration or the war, eth
er; such were never invited. Mcclellan
was the head of society in Washington,
and society was Overwhelmingly in
favor of secession. After dinner Nc
Clellan and his staff, in full-dress uni
form, mounted and went clattering up
and down the public streets. He had
no reason for going, except to be seen.
y was ridiculous"
Go ba continued