Year: 1864




Ian has at last been issued. 1t is brief
history of the army of the Potomac from
its organization to the time of his removal.
In concluding the report, he says:


" In the arrangement and conduct of
campaigns the direction should be left to
professional soldiers A statesman may,
perhaps, be more competent than a soldier
to determine the political objects and direc-
tion of campaign; but those once decided
upon, everything should be left to the res
ponsible military head, witheut interference
from civilians. In no other manner is sue
cess probable. The meddling of individual
members of committees of Congress with
subjects which, from lack of experience,
they are Of course incapable of comprehend
ing, and which they are too apt to view
through the distorted medium of partisan
or personal prejudice, can do no good, and
is certain to produce incalculabe mischief.


l cannot omit my thanks to the President
for the constant evidence given me Of his
sincere personal regard, and his desire to sus-
tain the military plans which my Judgment
led me to urge for adoption and execution.
| cannot attribute his failure to adopt some
Of those plans, and to give that support to
others which was necessary to their success,
to any want of confidence in me and it on
ly remains for me to regret that other cOun-
sells came between the constitutional COM
mander,in- chief and the general whom he
sells which resulted in the failure Of great
campaigns.


Ii the nation possesses no generals IN ser
vice competent to direct its military affairs
without the aid or supervision of politicians,
the sooner it finds them and places them in
position the better will it be for its fortunes.





After calm, impartial, and patient con-
sdoraton ofthe subject-a subject which de-
mands the closest thought on the part of ev-
cry true lover of his country-I am con-
vinced that by the proper employment Of
our resources, it is entirely possible to bring
this war to successful military issue |
believe that necessary preliminary to the
establishment of the Union is the entire
defeat or virtual destruction of the organ
lied military power of the Confederates
and that such result should be accompa-
MED and followed by concilitory measures
and that by pursuing the political course
have always advised, it is possible to bring
about permanent restoration of the Union
"a reunion by which the rights of both
parties shall be preserved, and by which
both parties shall preserve their selfrespect,
while they respect each other.


have not sought to defend the army
which had the honor to command, nor my
self against the hostile attacks once SO rife.
K x X


1 am devoutly thankful to God that my
last compaign with this brave army was
crowned with victory which saved the ma
tion from the greatest peril it had then un-
dergone. | have not accomplished my pur-
pose if, by this report, the army of the Po-
tomac is not placed high on the roll of the
historic armies of the world. Its deeds en-
noble the nation to which it belongs. AL
ways ready for battle, always firm, steadfast
and trustworthy, l never called on it in
vain nor will the nation. ever have cause
to attribute its want of success, under my
self or under other commanders, to any fail
ure Of patriotism or bravery in that noble
body of American soldiers.


No man can justly charge upon any por-
tion Of that army, from the commanding
general to the private, any lack of devotion
to the service of the U. States government
and to the cause of the Constitution and the
Union. They have proved their fealty in
much sorrow, suffering, danger, and through
the very shadow of death Their comrades
dead on all the fields where we fought have
scarcely more claim to the honor of ma
tons reverence than their survivors to the
justice of nations gratitude"


In BAD SITUAr1oN.-Someo of the
people of our sister Territory, Idaho, are
growing because their Federal officers are
all absent in other parts of the world; yet
these same persons admit that when theiI
officers are at home acting in their official
capacities, they make by maladministration
confusion worse confounded." So if the
officials return to their posts they will only
make matters worse, and if they remain
away things will be left in about as bad a
shape as can be- Whether or not to have
the officials back, or what to do in such an
emergency is a perplexing problem. Some
might answer the vexed question by advis
ing the people to appeal to Uncle Abe and
have the erring and reckless officers removed
and others placed in their stead; but that
course would be Objectionable, for the old
joker might take it into his head to send out
worse batch (if that were possible) than
those now in office. And, off so be"-as
Cen Banks has 1.-THE people would be-
come desperate Then again, if appealed il
this way, the good natured President might
! take the matter into serious consideration anC
conclude that the difficulty was "perpex
ing compound, not of union and slavery this
time, but of good officers and bad people, anc
if so be, send out few regiments of soldiers
and a military Governor to keep the people
in subjection. But, seriously, we can't solve
this question for our neighbors over The