Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-10-14
Was Mcclellan a TraltorH

In Harper's Magazine there are
printed for the first time extracts from
John Hays diary, written when he
was Lincoln's secretary. Writing in
1864, he recounts story told him by
Lincoln which reveals Mcclellan In q
Lew light.
"On September %, 1864, Hay re-
cords that letter had just come from
Nicolay, who was in New York, stating
that Thurlow Weed, the dominant Re-
publican leader in New York State,
with whom Nicolay was to confer, had
gone to Conada. When Hay showed
the President the letter he said: L
think ! know where Mr.. Weed has
! gone. i think he has gone to Vermont,
not Canada. i will tell you what he
is trying to do. have not as yet told
anybody
"And then Lincoln proceeded to un.
fold the following story of remark.
able intrigue:
"'Some time ago the Governor OF
Vermont came to me on business of
Importance" he said fixed an hour
and he came. His name is Smith. He
is, though you would not think 1t,
cousin of Badly Smith. Badly is large,
blond, florid. The Governor Is little,
dark sort of man. This is the story
he told me, giving General Baldy
Smith as his authority:
"'When Gen. Mcclellan was here at
| Washington lin 1862 b. Smith was
very intimate with him. They had
been together at West Point and
1
friends. Mcclellan had asked for pro.
motion for Badly from the President
and got it. They were close and con-
fidential friends. When they went
down to the Peninsula their same inti-
mate relations continued, the General
talking freely with Smith about all his
plans and prospects, until one day
Fernando Wood and one other Demo
cratic) politician from New York ap-
peared in camp and passed some days
with Mcclellan
"'From the day this took place
Smith saw, or thought he saw, that
Mcclellan was treating him with un-
usual coolnes sand reserve. After a
little while he mentioned this to Nc
Clellan, who, after some talk. told
Badly he had something to show him..
He told him that these people who
had recently visited him had been urg-
ing him to stand as an opposition can
didate for President; that he had
thought the thing over and had con-
cluded to accept their proposition, and
had written them q letter (Which he
had not yet senD giving his idea of
the proper way Of conducting the war.
20 tatn n,NI tY,Nn
people of the South with the idea that
our armies were intended merely to
execute the laws and protect their
property, etc, and pledging himself to
conduct the war in that inefficient,
conciliatory style.
"'This letter he read to Badly, who.
after the reading, was finished, said
earnestly: General, do you not sec
that looks like treason, and that 1t will
ruin you and all of us?" After some
further talk the General destroyed the
letter in Baldy's presence, and thanked
him heartily for his frank and friendly
counsel. After this he was again TAX
en- into the intimate confidence Of Nc
Clellan. Sal
Immediately after the battle of
Antietam, Wood and his familiar came
again and saw the General and again
Baldy saw an immediate estrangement
on the part OF Mcclellan. He seemed
to be anxious to get his intimate
friends out of the way and to avoid
opportunities Of private conversation
with them. Badly he particularly kept
employed on reconnaissance and such
work One night Smith was return
ing from some duty he had been per
forming, and, seeing light In MeClel-
lan's tent, he went in to report He
reported and was about to withdraw
when the General requested him to
remain. After every one was gone he
told him those men had been there
again and had renewed their PROPOSE
tion about the Presidency; that this
time he had agreed to their proposition
and had written them letter aceeding
to their terms and piedging himself to
carry on the war In the sense already
Indicated This letter he read then
and there to Baldy Smith.
Immediately thereafter B. Smith
applied to be transferred from that
army. At very nearly the same time
|
Franklin. Burnside and others.
"'Now that letter must be in the
possession of f. Wood, and II Will not
be impossible to get It, Mr. Weed has,
think. gone to Vermont to see the
Smiths about it,
"Hay continues:
az was very much surprised at the
story and expressed my surprise.
said had always thought that No
Clellan's fault was a constitutional
weakness and timidity, which pre-
vented him from active and timely
exertion, instead Of any such deep-laid
scheme of treachery and ambition.
"'The President replied: "After the
battle of Antietam l went up to the
field to try to get him to move, and
came back thinking he would move at