Year: 1862

Mcclellan, and What They Say About Him.


We make the following extract from a
letter of Mr.. Samuel Bowles, of the Spring
field Mass Republican, who has been on
visit to Washington. His paper has here
tofore been strong ely Mcclellan:


"lndeed, it is very difficult for an earnest
candid seeker of the truth to reach cor
rect judgment as to General Mcclellan
management of the campaign, and bis rela-
tion to its successes and failures. There Is
no doubt of great abatement of confidence
in him on the part of the Cabinet and Con-
gress. The President, too, measures what
he gave him before without stint. 1t is
not easy to see why, with nearly quarter
of million of the oldest and best troops of
the Union at his command, General Nc
Clellan permitted the rebels to press their
lines in upon him at all points, aud to hold
the Potomac, both above and below Wash
ington, all winter-why be refused to seize
fine opportunities to cut off large detach-
ments of their armies-why be denied the
Navy Department the cooperation it has
for months asked to take Norfolk, and
seize the Merrimac before she could execute
the mischief that has since startled the
country; or why be could not join the naval
forces in clearing the Potomac of the rebel
batteries, for which they were long ago
ready; why, in the only 'stirring up be
gave the enemy, the preparations for an
advance and retreat were SO feeble as to
result in the Balls Bluff tragedy; why he
kept General Haeck IN check for weeks
after that officer was ready to move onward
why be opposed General Buffers Southern
expedition until overruled by the War
Department; why he kept promising to
move onward, and never did until the Pres
ident had repeated twice or thrice positive
orders to do so; and when he did so, he
permitted himself to repeat the farce of the
King of France in marching up the hill and
then marching down again? That all these
and many more similar things are true of
his course as commander-in-chief, have
the most abundant reason to believe.


"That he has almost sinned away, BY
postponement and inaction, his day of grace
with the President and Cabinet, those most
cognizant of the opinions of the latter sui.
fcienty know. The new Secretary of War,
Mr.. Stanton, has been growing in impa-
thence with and estrangement from him,
ever since he assumed that Office; and but
for the Presidents cautious policy, it is |
quite likely General Mcclellan would have
been dethroned from the leadership of the
army of the Potomac. There was a tre-
mendous pressure from the Senate and a
portion of the Cabinet for a change; but
the President was 6rm, and said that though
he had relieved him from the general COM
mand, in part because he was not satisfied
with his course, he had confidence now that
he had taken the field at the head of his
especial division of the army, he would
push forward the campaign as rapidly as
possible, and prove worthy the position"


An officer in the army of the Potomac
says: Manassas is the biggest humbug on
the face of the globe. Future travellers
will point it out as the place that 227 regi-
ments of Union troops dare not assault for
seven months, though defended by less
than one-third their number. Will histo-
rians ascribc the torpor of the grand army
for this long dreary period, to treachery
or imbecility of leaders, or to some other
cause? Oh! that we had Grant to order
us to 'move on the enemy's works."