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 THE 
 
 L IIT E 
 
 OP 
 
 GEO. B. M^CLELLAN, 
 
 BY 
 
 ALEX'R. DELMAK. 
 
 Author of " Gold Money and Paper Money ; " Abraham Africanus ;" 
 
 "The Great Paper Bubble;" "The House with Two 
 
 Windows." &c., &c. 
 
 .- » .0 ». ^t 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 T. R. DAWLEY, PUBLISHER FOR THE MILLION, 
 
 13 AND 15 PARK ROW, N. Y. 
 
 .^ 
 
C^2 
 
 ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1864, BY 
 
 IN THE clerk's OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 FOR* THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK. 
 
 T. R. Dawley, Steam Book, Job and Newspaper Printer, Electro- 
 
 tjper, Stereotyper and Publisher. — ^Nos.. 13 and 15 Park 
 
 Row, New York. 
 

 s, 
 
 ^ The Life of George B. McClellan. 
 
 :o: 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 THE BOY AND THE OFFICER. 
 
 Birth and Parentage — Education — Personal Characteristics — The Cadet 
 — The War in Mexico — State Rights — Monarchy — The Siege of Vetra 
 Cruz — The Winning Gun — Gallantry and Intrepidity — Cont^eras — 
 Cherubusco — Chepultepec — Mexico — Victory — Thanks of the Command- 
 er-in-Chief — Return to the United States. 
 
 The subject of the present volume, George Brinton 
 McClellan, was born in Philadelphia, on the 3d day of 
 December, 1826, and is consequently but thirty-eight years 
 of age. 
 
 His father, Dr. George McCleflan, was a well-known sur- 
 geon and physician of the Quaker City — a man of culti- 
 vated manners and kind heart, who never failed to win 
 the esteem and admiration of all who came in contact with 
 him. 
 
 Philadelphia being the seat of the first Medical College 
 in the United States, and giving to the country every year 
 a fresh batch of well-educated and ardent young followers 
 of Galen, it is easy to infer that to be a successful physi- 
 cian in the Quaker City requires more than ordinary talent 
 and address. 
 
 Dr. McClellan was a man of this stamp, and his skill and 
 perseverance did not fail to win him- an eminent reputa- 
 tion. 
 
 As his name indicates, he came of Scotch blood, and 
 the family claims to be of kin to that brave Highland 
 shepherd whose genius turned his flock into an army and 
 
12 THE LIFE OP 
 
 his crook into a flaming sword that waved them on to 
 victory with Colin Campheli. 
 
 Of George B. McClellan's mother little is known. A 
 lady of quiet, modest habits, the world saw and heard but 
 little of her. But her warm and generous nature is seen 
 in that of her son. Ardent and sincere natures speak 
 plainly of the kind maternal source from which these 
 qualities of mind invariably flow. 
 
 G-eorge, as a child, was neither remarkable for his bodily 
 strength or the precocity of his intellect. He took his 
 turn at being knocked down, and at knocking his fellows 
 down, as other children did ; while the inevitable satchell 
 and burden of books graced his back, and portentious 
 bunches of marbles and China-alleys bloated his pockets 
 in due time. Then came school days; and, who knows, 
 perhaps, a day or two of sweet, long-drawn happiness 
 at — hooke}^ ! The Zane street school was the first that 
 closed its academic doors on the sobbing, reluctant George, 
 who wasn't much of a boy in size, by the way, and didn't 
 mind crying when he felt miserable. 
 
 But Zane street is not a dreary place withal, the disci- 
 pline being very liberal, and the course not over irksome. 
 A year or two at this excellent institution is generally 
 sufficient to fit a bright intelligent lad for college, and we 
 may be sure that George did not take longer at it than 
 his mates did. 
 
 A friend of his father's, who remembers him as his friend, 
 says that he was quite a gentlemanly little boy, tolerably 
 playful, and boisterous, but respectful to his elders, and 
 affectionate to his friends. 
 
•GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 13 
 
 He used to be fond of drawing, and his books were 
 splattered all over with specimens, exceedingly crude to 
 be sure ; of that graceful accomplishment. Portraits of the 
 school teachers, embellished the title pages, and fly 
 leaves ; flocks of birds of unknown species adorned the 
 chapter headings ; while groups of dislocated cows and 
 impossible horses wandered all over the earth, as it lay 
 portrayed on the pages of his geography, and with their 
 legs in the middle of the South Sea, and their tails hang- 
 ing over the Antarctic Zone they cropped the herbage of 
 l^ova Zembla or quenched their thirst in the refreshing 
 waters of the Dead Sea. 
 
 George received a severe whacking at one time for these 
 innocent recreations, and was exhorted never to practice 
 them again without first providing himself with spare 
 drawing paper. The birds accordingly disappeared from 
 view, and the teachers' portraits were rubbed out with 
 repentant bread crumbs ; the cows died off, and the horses 
 became a totally extinct species. More of their tails are 
 still to be found in the vicinity of the region subsequently 
 discovered by Sir James Hop, near the South Pole. 
 
 At the age of thirteen, George was sent to the University 
 of Pennsylvania, a Freshman of the freshest kind. This 
 Seminary of learning is not one of the big- wig kind. In 
 a word, it is not a TJnversity in the European sense of the 
 term, but as a State institution ranking second only to that 
 of New York, it affords the youth of the Keystone State 
 advantages of a sound course of instruction in the higher 
 branches of education, and well answers the purpose of its 
 noble and enlightened founders. 
 
14 THE LIFE OF 
 
 After three years of study at the University, during 
 which time he displayed talents of a very high order for 
 one so young, George earned his diploma, and returned 
 home in triumph. The fatted calf was killed, although 
 George protested that he was not fond of veal; and his 
 parents arms received him with that fondness and pride 
 that always falls to the lot of blustering graduates. The 
 lad was full of health, eager, and tractable ; and displayed 
 a knowledge of mathematics and kindred sciences far be- 
 yond his years. It was very plain he was ripening into 
 a soldier. His temperament indicated the possession of 
 these two cardinal qualities for a soldier — obedience and 
 fire. His constitution was healthy, his movements active, 
 and his bearing brave and manly. Add to this a keen 
 eye, and a generous hand, and the soldier was written as 
 plainly upon him as nature could make it. 
 
 Dr. McClellan, a very observant man, was not slow to 
 perceive the growing bent of his son — his fondness for out- 
 door sports, his progress in geometry, his firm tread and 
 defiant port, all marking him out for a military life — and 
 at once sought to gratify it. 
 
 Being a very influential man, he obtained without diffi- 
 culty, an appointment for George to the United States 
 Military Academy, where, after four years of study and 
 exercise, he was graduated second in his class, in 1846. 
 
 At this time, the United States were engaged in war 
 with the republic of Mexico. 
 
 In 1835, Mexico, after many years of internal revolu- 
 tion and civil discord, decreed the confederation of States, 
 of which she was then composed, to be a consolidated re- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 15 
 
 public in whicli th'e rights of the separate States were by 
 this simple act at once swept away. This was the deed 
 of Santa Anna, who, at the time, was nominally her con- 
 stitutional President, but, in fact, her dictator. 
 
 Bereft of the means of organized resistance, the Mexi- 
 can States, all but Texas, where several thousand Ameri- 
 can colonists had settled, bowed to the yoke, and the 
 glorious Mexican Constitution of 1824 existed no longer. 
 ITot so with Jexas, whose people clung to the Constitu- 
 tion, and rejected the centralized despotism which civil 
 war had invited, and her cunning and ambitious chiefs 
 were not slow to seize upon as a means of perpetuating 
 their force. 
 
 This period of Mexican history is repeating itself now in 
 ours, where, with a false cry and a falser purpose, the 
 leaders of an aristocratic party, which affects to centre in 
 itself all the parity, learning and worth of the country, 
 have fastened themselves upon the Constitution, in order 
 to tear it to pieces, and erect upon its ruins a ^N'orth Amer- 
 ican despotism. Their disregard for the reserved rights 
 of the States, and their plain attempt to obliterate State 
 lines, by means of a consolidated republic or monarchy, 
 is also noticeably in keeping with Santa Anna's consolida- 
 tion of Mexico. 
 
 The brave people of Texas disdaining to lose their indi- 
 viduality, and sink into a position of suffering dependance 
 towards the Mexican Capitol, heroically rebelled, and pro- 
 nouncing the government of Mexico a usurpation and a 
 despotism, and its chief a dictator and a tyrant, flew to 
 arms to defend their right of revolution. Placing them 
 
16 THE LIFE OP 
 
 selves under the leadership of Gen. Sam. Houston, the 
 battle of San Jacinto was fought and Santa Anna's army 
 was defeated, and himself taken prisoner and sent to 
 Washington, where, in the following year, the republic of 
 Texas, with its first President, David J. Burnett was for- 
 mally recognized. 
 
 San Jacinto was not the only battle fought, though, for 
 who can forget Goliad, Conception, San Antonia de Bexar, 
 and the cold blooded tragedy of the Alamo ? 
 
 But San Jacinto practically terminated the war, and 
 was therefore the most noticeable action that occurred, 
 Mexico, however, continued to maintain a hostile attitude 
 towards her new neighbor, which was only restrained from 
 breaking into open war, by the dissentions, which, at the 
 same same time, unremittingly weakened her at home. 
 She captured Texan vessels, and incited the Indians on 
 the Texan borders to murder the people; while nothing 
 was left undone in the way of diplomacy to effect the ruin 
 of the infant republic, by throwing her into the arms of, 
 successively, France and England. 
 
 This constant exposure to attacks made the Texans anx- 
 ious to place their country among a sisterhood of other 
 States, for mutual protection and support; and proposals 
 Avere accordingly made to the TJ. S. Government at Wash- 
 ington for annexation. For fear of provoking Mexico into 
 a war, this proposal at first met with but partial favor; 
 but an election for President occurring in the States at the 
 time, this question of annexation was made a party ques- 
 tion, and James K. Polk was elected with the understand- 
 ng that he was ftxvorable to the measure. In December, 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 17 
 
 1845. Texas was formally admitted to the Union, and war 
 at once broke out with Mexico. This furnished the young 
 McClellan with the opportunity he so ardently desired. 
 War is the time for military promotion and military honor, 
 and George was immediately brevetted second lieutenant 
 and ordered to Mexico. Taking leave of home with heart- 
 broken words, but filled with enthusiasm for the cause, 
 the young adventurer turned his face for the first time to- 
 wards glory and danger — eager to win the one, and quick 
 to scorn the other. Once away from the scenes of home 
 and boyhood, in a ship crowded with hundreds of the 
 rough but brave troops, he was afterwards destined to 
 command, the shyness and reserve which had previously 
 distinguished his manners at once disappeared, and he be- 
 came a pleasant, humorous companion, the very soul of 
 his brother ofiicers, and the idol of the men. 
 
 How many of us at this critical period of life, when the 
 temptation to sacrifice duty to the pleasures which are 
 sure to be derived from popularity and jovial companion- 
 ship, forget all the fine resolutions with which we set forth- 
 
 And particularly does this remark affect the young officer. 
 With a score of jovial blades for companions, and several 
 hundred men about you, who, from the necessities of the 
 service, are obliged to show you invariable respect, no 
 matter whether it is deserved or not, and can in no way 
 exercise a check upon your inclinations, the temptations to 
 fall are very difficult to resist. 
 
 For this reason I have always regarded a military offi- 
 cer, of serious and affable manners — with double respect, 
 for he exhibits not only great firmness of mind in being 
 
IS THE LIFE OP 
 
 refrained from falling into the mere sensualist and dandy — 
 qualities that distinguish half the military men of the day — 
 but an equal firmness in having resisted the temptation 
 to become proud and affected. 
 
 Arrived at Corpus Christi, McClellan was assigned to 
 the command of a company of* sappers, miners, and pon- 
 toniers, with whom he performed distinguished services. 
 His command was in Gen. Worth's division ; that heroic 
 G-en. Worth, whose monument stands in Madison Square- 
 Worth commanded that division of the army, which, in 
 the battle of Monterey, had been ordered to carry the 
 heights on the Saltillo road, while Gen. Taylor, with the 
 other division, advanced along the Seraloo road. As it 
 was impossible to communicate with the Commander-in- 
 chief, Worth was obliged to act independently throughout 
 the battle. He carried the forts commanding his line of 
 approach, stormed the bishop's palace, and had fought his 
 way through the streets nearly to the Grand Plaza, when 
 the town capitulated to Taylor, approaching from the 
 other side. This was September 23d, 1846. McClellan 
 was then not quite twenty years old, yet he not only con- 
 ducted himself with distinguished bravery, for which he 
 was commended in the official reports, but evinced that 
 coolness under fire, and that deliberate judgment ready 
 made for trying emergencies, which has characterized 
 him ever since. 
 
 At the siege of Yera Cruz, McClellan again made him- 
 self conspicuous for his military ability and gallant conduct, 
 and was mentioned with high enconiums 'in the official 
 reports. 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 19 
 
 Had the United States then been convulsed with the 
 throes of civil war and revolution as France was, when 
 Lieutenant Bonaparte planted a three gun battery upon 
 the shores of the harbor of Toulon, how different might 
 have been the fate, not only of the country, to-day, but of 
 the brilliant subject of this sketch ! 
 
 But our young officers grow up with different ideas from 
 what they do in Europe. There they are younger sons 
 who adopt the profession simply because it is honorable. 
 They grow up in it, confident of their ability to remain in 
 it, and careless of the acquirements which their academies 
 offer to them. They live in it, and they die in it. They 
 are good fellows, merry fellows, mostly dandies or tipplers. 
 There is nothing beyond the routine of garrison life within 
 their reach. If they go out of the service, their pride and 
 connections forbid them to adopt any other profession, 
 without, indeed, as has been the case in very rare in- 
 stances, they enter the church or practice law. Once a 
 soldier, always a soldier. There is no change that is pos- 
 sible to them, A commission in the army condemns a 
 man either to the life of a recluse, or that of a carouser. 
 
 But it is far different at home. Our officers here are 
 not the refuse of younger sons and good-for-nothings ; but 
 on the contrary, are selected from among the most pro- 
 mising youths in the land. They are educated in the most 
 thorough manner, and with a view of their pursuing other 
 professions besides that of arms. Knowing full well that 
 war-times are happily but temporary ones, and that a 
 career of usefulness is always open to them upon a return 
 
20 THE LIFE OF 
 
 to peace, the American officer is generally a thoughtful, 
 intelligent gentleman. 
 
 When men of superior atttainments, like Napoleon 
 Bonaparte or Arthur Wellesley, arises amid the crowd of 
 tight-waisted exquisites, who wear the epaulettes in Euro- 
 pean armies, they soon become a military chieftain and 
 conquerors. But such men are not exceptions in the United 
 States. They are the rule. And instead of rising into 
 military eminence, their mutual superiority counterba- 
 lances, and their genius usually finds vent in other em- 
 ployments where such excellence is not so commonly 
 found. It is thus that most of our best officers are in civil 
 employments during times of peace. Even McClellan, 
 when the present war broke out, was the President of both 
 the Illinois Central and the Ohio and Mississippi Railroads, 
 and in both these capacities became as distinguished for 
 business scope, financial talent, and practical enterprise, as 
 he had been for gallantry in the Mexican war, or for di- 
 plomacy in St. Domingo. 
 
 But this is anticipating. The point we wish to make is 
 this: that while European officers have no other career 
 but that of arms, and are therefore satisfied with attaining 
 enough proficiency to keep up a decent appearance at the 
 head of a company, our officers have the whole world be- 
 fore them, and qualify themselves .for success in the most 
 distinguished walks of life. They, therefore, are careless 
 of any very great military distinction, and while they are 
 nearly all of them ISTapoleons in talent, there is no fear of 
 any of them becoming Naj^oleons in tyranny. 
 
 But we must return to our young hero, who, having 
 
GEORGE B. M'cLELLAN. 21 
 
 aided in reducing Yera Cruz, was now on his way to still 
 more bloody fields. At Cerro Gordo, and the occupation 
 of the city of Mexico, McClellan was again noticed for 
 gallant conduct, and, together with GJ-eneral Beauregard, 
 then Lieutenant Beauregard, and G-eneral Foster, then 
 also a lieutenant, was commended in the official reports. 
 
 Cerro Gordo, it will be remembered, was a pass on the 
 road between Yera Cruz and Mexico, which the Mexicans 
 had fortified with great care, and defended with 12,000 
 men under Gen. Santa Anna in person The American 
 force was 8,500 men under Scott. With this force the old 
 hero, with terrific energy, crossed a ravine hitherto deem- 
 ed impassable, and by a series of manoeuvres, remarkable 
 for their skill and boldness, took the enemy in reverse, sur- 
 prised him in the time of action, made a general assault on 
 all the posts at once, cut off the retreat of infantry, artil- 
 lery, and even a part of the cavalry, and gallantly carry- 
 ing the almost insuperable heights, defeated the Mexicans, 
 killed 1,000 to 1,200 of them, and captured 3,000 prisoners, 
 5,000 stand of arms, 43 pieces of artillery, 7 standards, 5 
 generals, and Santa Anna's private baggage and money 
 chest. The movement was likened to the passage of Bo- 
 naparte over the Alps, and its importance is evidenced by 
 the almost immediate surrender of the Mexican capital to 
 our victorious arms. This was on the 18th of April, 1847. 
 In this action McClellan again demonstrated his extraor- 
 dinary ability. During the night preceding the battle, 
 with 500 men to each gun, he managed, with incredible 
 labor, to drag up to the summit of a hill, broken by deep 
 chasms and commanding a portion of the enemy's posi- 
 
22 THE LIFE OF 
 
 tion, one heavy 24-pounder and two 24 pound howitzers 
 Like Bonaparte's battery at Toulon, these guns won the 
 day, the astonished Mexicans being utterly unable to ac- 
 count for their having got there, except by* means of a bal- 
 loon I The American loss in this memorable action, was 
 but 33 officers and 398 men — of whom only 63 were killed. 
 At Contreras and Cherubusco, both of which battles were 
 fought on the same day, he won the brevet of 1st lieuten- 
 ant; and at Molino del Eey, that of captain, which he, 
 from a sense of modesty, declined. He accepted a brevet, 
 however, for "gallant and meritorious conduct'' at Che- 
 pultapec, the last of the brilliant series of victories which, 
 under Gen. Scott, preceded the occupation of the Mexican 
 capital. This action was fought Sept. 13, 1847, and con- 
 sisted of a series of movements which, while they deceived 
 Santa Anna, who was in Mexico, two miles off, with his 
 army, into the belief that the city itself was being attack- 
 ed, resulted in the storming and capture of a heights and 
 castle 90 feet high, and defended by the able and heroic 
 Gen. Bravo, with a large force of picked men. 
 
 The victors now pressing forward with unabatod ardor 
 concluded the campaign, and the war with the occupation 
 of Mexico. 
 
 From this time, 1847, until the breaking out of hostili- 
 ties in Yirginia, 1861. McClellan laid aside the profession 
 of arms. 
 
 We shall see him in his new career, exercising the same 
 moderation and displaying the same gallantry and decis- 
 ion which so eminently distinguished him in Mexico. We 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 23 
 
 shall see through all, the modest gentleman, the pure pa- 
 triot, and the man of high talent. 
 
 His sojourn in Mexico had inured him to fatigue and 
 familiarized him with danger. His appearance denoted a 
 hardy constitution and great personal strength and agili- 
 ity. His features were bronzed, and an air of determina- 
 tion manifested itself in all his actions. A slight com- 
 pression of the under lip and an almost imperceptible 
 knitting of the brow, which subsequent trials and hard- 
 ships have since deepened, now first began to show them- 
 selves. 
 
 They afforded a harmonious contrast to his other per- 
 sonal characteristics, which were generally of an affection- 
 ate and cheerful nature. The veterans who have fought 
 with him during the present war, all testify to these quali- 
 ties in their beloved General, without ever being a marti- 
 net, and yet without forgetting the responsibility of his 
 position, as the Commander-in-Chief of an army of some- 
 times one hundred thousand men ; he invariably attached 
 every man to him who came within his personal supervisr 
 ion, and this without any effort on his part. It was 
 simply that courage and delicacy, that warmth of nature 
 and that decision combined which he had first developed 
 in Mexico, and afterwards ripened during the fourteen 
 years of intercourse he enjoyed with men of taste, culture, 
 and distinction, which folLowed the close of the war in 
 Mexico. 
 
24 THE LIFE OP 
 
 CHAPTEB II. 
 
 THE PATHFINDEE. 
 
 McClellan's Activity and Industry. Scott's Friendship for Him. 
 McGlellan an Author. His Journey to San Francisco. Explora- 
 tion of the Cascade Range. Hardships. Sufferings in the Moun- 
 tains. Tribute to the Catholic Missionaries. Opinion of Gover- 
 nor Stevens and Secretary Davis. Anecdotes. The Priest's Bless- 
 ing. Jeffei'son's Medal. Peace and Friendship. An Offer of 
 Marriage. Four Hundred Horses and an Indian Wife. McClel- 
 lan's Abhorrence of Personal Vanity. Gold-Seeking. The Big 
 Thought. The Unexpected Election. Return to Washington in 
 1854. 
 
 The sobriquet of The Pathfinder has been applied to 
 several of those hardy pioneers who have, at various peri- 
 ods in our history, opened the path of empire to our ad- 
 vancing civilization. To none will it apply with more 
 aptness than to G-eorge B. McClellan. But before advan- 
 cing his claim to the proud title of Pathfinder, we shall 
 have to detail that portion of McClellan's career which 
 followed his return from active service in Mexico. 
 
 Upon his arrival in the United States, G-eorge at once 
 proceeded to his home and received the gratified embraces 
 of his family, and the well-earned admiration of his friends, 
 for his gallantry and devotion to our glorious flag. 
 
 His nature was of too active a kind to endure leisure. 
 Invested with the command of a corps of engineers at 
 West Point, he undertook his new duties with alacrity, 
 and during such moments of time as remained at his own 
 disposal, he prepared a translation and adaptation of M. 
 Gomard's bayonet exercise, from the French, under the 
 
GEORaE B. MCCLELLAN. 25 
 
 title of *' Manual of Bayonet Exercise, prepared for the 
 use ot the Army of the United States, by George B. Mc- 
 Clellan, Brevet Captain U. S. A./' This work was prepar- 
 ed during the years 1849 and 1850, and was published in 
 1852, by Lippincott, Grambo & Co., Philadelphia. It was 
 warmly recommended to the Secretary of War by Gen. 
 Winfield Scott, and at once adopted as a text-book for the 
 army. 
 
 To appreciate the truly modest manner in which Mc- 
 Clellan ventured to lay this little work before the public, 
 we can do no better than to introduce a portion of the re- 
 marks with which it was prefaced : 
 
 " The Bayonet Exercise presented in the following pages, 
 is chiefly from the French of M. Gomard, an eminent 
 French teacher of the art of fencing. 
 
 " After an examination of the systems of Selmnitz, Pi- 
 nette, Muller, &c., the superiority of Gomard's was very 
 evident. It is in its arrangement very analagous to the 
 infantry tactics, and of such a nature that it can readily 
 be taught by the non-commissioned officers. 
 
 " In addition, it is far the simplest system of all. In 
 the others are to be found many different " guards," very 
 inefficient thrusts, and an almost infinite number of par- 
 ries, against the lance, dragoon, hussar, cuirassier, infan- 
 try soldier, &c., ad infinitum. 
 
 " Gomard lays it down as a principle, that the most for- 
 midable antagonist an infantry soldier can encounter is an 
 infantry soldier; that the bayonet is more formidable than 
 either the lance or the sabre. This assertion may seem 
 surprising, but trial will convince any» one of its truth, 
 
26 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and of the consequent fact, that an infantry soldier who 
 can parry the attack of a well drilled infantry soldier, has 
 nothing to fear from a cavalry soldier, because simple va- 
 riations of the parries against infantry are perfectly effect- 
 ive against the sabre and lance, e. g., the parries in high 
 tierce and quarte. 
 
 " There is an instance on record of a French grenadier 
 who, in the battle of Polotsk, defended himself, with his 
 bayonet, against the simultaneous attack of eleven Kus- 
 sian grenadiers, eight of whom he killed. In the* battle of 
 Janguessa. two soldier's of Abbe's division defended them- 
 selves, with their bayonets, against twenty-five Spanish 
 cavalry, and, after having inflicted several severe wounds, 
 rejoined their regiment without a scratch. At that period 
 there was little or no regular instruction in the use of the 
 bayonet." 
 
 A very noticeable feature in McClellan's life, is the warm 
 friendship he enjoyed from Scott. It was Scott who first 
 detected McClellan's extraordinary genius in Mexico. It 
 was Scott who repeatedly marked him for distinguished 
 conduct. It was Scott who recommended his maiden ef- 
 fort of authorship. It was Scott who remarked his ability 
 as an explorer. Finally, it was Scott who recommended 
 him to the chief command of the armies of the United 
 States, after the first battle of Bull Eun, and who resigned 
 his own command in his favor. 
 
 To Gen. Scott, no less than to his own great merit, is he 
 therefore, deeply indebted for his signal success in life. 
 G-enius unrecognised often falls into decay, and many and 
 
27 
 
 many a hero has passed unrecognized into an oblivions 
 tombj unwept, unhonored, and unsung. 
 
 Full many a gem of purest ray serene, 
 
 The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear ; 
 
 Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
 And waste its sweetness on the desert air. 
 
 To none, therefore, does McClellan bear that unmixed 
 affection and respect, that he does towards the old hero of 
 Lundy's Lane and Mexico. 
 
 This gratefulness is but one of the many estimable qua- 
 lities of George B. McClellan's character. He never for- 
 gets his friends. 
 
 Shortly after the publication of his Manual of Bayonet 
 Exercise, McClellan was appointed by the Secretary of 
 War to the joint command of an expedition, which had for 
 its main object the discovery and survey of a railroad 
 route from the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi Eiver, 
 across the Cascade Eange of Moifntains. 
 
 This important mission was executed with such success, 
 that on the 27th of February, 1855, after its results had 
 been officially laid before Congress, Jefferson Davis, then 
 Secretary of War, published the following enconium on 
 McOlellan^s expedition : — 
 
 " The examination of the approaches and passes of the 
 Cascade mountains, made by Captain McClellan, of the 
 corps of Engineers, presents a reconnoisance of great va- 
 lue, and though performed under adverse circumstances, 
 exhibited all the information necessary to determine the 
 j)racticability of this portion of the route, and reflects tJie 
 highest credit on the capacity and resources of that officer" 
 
28 THE LIFE OP 
 
 This expedition was under the joint command of Isaac 
 J. Stevens, Governor of the Territory of Washington, Ste- 
 vens being the senior officer. 
 
 • Starting from Washington, May 9th, 1853, Gov. Ste- 
 vens proceeded at once to St. Paul's, while McClellan took 
 passage for San Francisco, the plan being that Stevens 
 should proceed with his party in an westerly direction, 
 and McClellan with his in an easterly direction, until a 
 junction was effected. Stevens had with him a large and 
 well appointed party, mth Professor Spencer F. Baird as 
 naturalist, Dr. John Evans as geologist, and Mr. Stanley 
 as artist. They had abundance of instruments and sup- 
 plies. McClellan, on the contrary, was obliged to organize 
 his expedition on the Pacific, the whole region of which 
 was, at that time, wild with excitement concerning the re- 
 cent discovery of gold in California. His instructions 
 were to proceed to San Francisco, collect such information 
 as he could there, and either there or at his next appointed 
 rendezvous, at Astoria, to organize a corps of savans, 
 guides, hunters, trappers, and mule packers. 
 
 Imaghie the difficulty of such an undertaking in a new 
 country like California ! But McClellan was not a man to 
 halt at trifles. With indefatigable energy he collected 
 all the information he could in San Francisco, and then 
 proceeded at once to Yancouver's Island where he suc- 
 ceeded, after many mishaps, in organizing his command. 
 The army officers at our frontier forts, all of whom are 
 men of education and cultare, afforded him the materials 
 for a scientific expedition. Lieut. J. L. Duncan, of the 
 Third Artillery, became the astronomer, topographer and 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 29 
 
 draughtsman of the party ; Lieut. H. C. Hodges, Fourth 
 Artillery, the quai'termaster and commissary ; Lieut. J. 
 Mowry, Third Artillery, the meterologist ; Mr. George 
 Gibbs was appointed geologist and ethnologist ; Mr. J. F. 
 Minter, assistant engineer, in charge of courses, distances, 
 &c.; Dr. J. G. Cooper, surgeon and naturalist; and Mr. 
 A. L. Lewes, assistant engineer and interpreter. 
 
 In addition to these, there were five assistants in obser- 
 vations, &c., two sergeants, two corporals, and twenty-four 
 privates of the Fourth Infantry, two chief packers, three 
 hunters and herders, and twenty packers, besides McClel- 
 lan himself This made sixty persons in all. 
 
 There were one hundred and seventy-three horses or 
 mules — seventy-three for riding, and one hundred for pack- 
 ing — besides cattle and sheep, 
 
 McClellan arrived at Yancouver, June 27, 1853, yet by the 
 24th of the following month, all was ready. As an instance 
 of how difficult a matter it was to simply organize the expe- 
 dition, we may mention that of the only two chronometers 
 it was possible to procure, one was utterly worthless, and the 
 other none of the best. The barometer was good for no- 
 thing, the saddles so worthless that they fell to pieces af- 
 ter a few days service, and some of the men so eager to be 
 off to the diggings, that it was with difficulty they could 
 be kept from deserting. Once away from the immediate 
 vicinity of the settlements, and under the inspiriting guid- 
 ance of McClellan all went well, and such was the success 
 with which the expedition was conducted, notwithstanding 
 all the drawbacks we have related, and the many other 
 ones which proceeded from limited supplies, rugged tra- 
 
30 THE LIFE OP 
 
 veiling, intense cold and heavy rains and snow, that G-ov. 
 Stevens issued the following order concerning it on the 
 29th of Oct., 1853 :— 
 
 " To Captain McClellan, his officers and men, too much 
 praise cannot be ascribed for their indefatigable exertions, 
 and the great ability of all kinds brought to their division 
 of the work. They can point with just pride to the de- 
 termination of two practicable passes in that most for- 
 midable barrier from the Mississij)pi to the Pacific, of the 
 Cascade range, and to a most admirable development of 
 the unknown geography of the region eastward of the 
 Columbia, as shoioing the unsurpassed skill and devotion 
 vjJiich has characterized the chief of the division, (Captain 
 McClellan,) and all of his assistants." 
 
 The expedition started from Vancouver, July 24, 1853, 
 with instructions to explore the Cascade mountains from 
 the Columbia river to the 49th parallel, to examine- the 
 line from Wallah- Wallah to Steilcoom, and thence east to 
 the Eocky mountains, in order to fall in with the other di- 
 vision under command of Gov. Stevens. The strictest 
 economy was enjoined upon our young adventurer, and a 
 handsome sum of money placed at his disposal for the ex- 
 penses of the journey. Orders were also left by Gov. 
 Stevens with his own party, that in case of liis absence, 
 and of falling in with McClellan's party from the west- 
 ward, the latter was to assume command of the whole. 
 
 Of its signal success we have been already advised. 
 The economy and business tact displayed by McClellan in 
 managing his command, are also noticeable features of 
 the expedition. 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 31 
 
 Of his adventures in the mountains, the terrible suffer- 
 ings he endured, and the admirable manner in which he 
 supported the spirits of all, by his cheerfulness and endur- 
 ance, we would like to speak at length, but the limits of 
 this work forbid. 
 
 A few anecdotes relating to this part of his life, how- 
 ever, may not be out of place. 
 
 At a distant post near the Cascade range, there exists a 
 Catholic mission, called that of Atahnan, which was then 
 under the care of the Eev. Fathers Pandozy and D'Har- 
 bomey. Shut out from the world by the remoteness of 
 their solitude, the devotion which these worthy priests ex- 
 hibited for their charitable work, made a strong impression 
 upon McClellan*s mind, and he took particular pains to 
 pay them a beautiful tribute to their philanthropy. He 
 said : " The simple fare you put up with, the want of all 
 comfort you endure, the unbroken solitude into which you 
 have buried yourselves, surrounded only by the most wild 
 and tremendous works of nature, excites my admiration for 
 the motive that has impelled you here — a motive which 
 has for its only object the diffusion of morality and Intel 
 ligence to the wandering savages who occasionally fre 
 quent the spot.'' 
 
 The worthy fathers, touched by his ardor and ingenu 
 ousness, blessed him, and wished him a happy voyage 
 Their wishes were fulfilled. McClellan traversed over a 
 tJiousand miles through these deserts without a persona 
 mishap to himself, although always at the head of his 
 party, and exposed to the most danger. On one occasion 
 his command was reduced to 36 persons, 42 horses and 52 
 
32 THE LIFE OP 
 
 packing animals. On another, two of the mules near him 
 went over an unseen precipice, but McClellan's animal 
 passed the danger unharmed, and his rider escaped. The 
 good priests' blessings were effectual. 
 
 An Indian chief, with the extraordinary name of Wat- 
 tai-Wattai-pow-lis, exhibited to McClellan a medal which had 
 been presented to him in 1801 by Capts. Lewis and Clark, 
 the first white explorers of a route between the Missis- 
 sippi and the Pacific. The medal was embellished with a 
 bust of " Thomas Jefferson, President of the U. S. A., 
 1801,^' and the chief exhibited it as a token of his rank, 
 and indicative of the powers with which he might oppose 
 the entrance of the whites into that region, if he choosed. 
 " Ah, chief," replied McClellan, " you have only looked 
 upon one side of the medal. The other has upon it the 
 emblems of two clasped hands, a pipe of peace, and a bat- 
 tle axe broken in twain, with the motto 'Peace and 
 Friendship to all men.' Wattai-Wattai-pow-lis was never 
 heard to say anything about attacking the expedition after 
 that. 
 
 A chief named Kam-ai-ya-kam, was made acquainted 
 with the object of the expedition, and told that in the 
 event of that route being decided upon for a railroad, the 
 whites might wish to purchase the land from him. The 
 chief replied that he had no objection to dispose of the 
 land for a good consideration, but that he had lost a great 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 33 
 
 deal already by accepting inconsiderable presents from 
 various parties, who afterwards came and claimed his 
 lands, saying that the presents he had accej^ted had bound 
 him to part with them. McClellan explained to him that 
 no bargain on his part was binding without his signature, 
 nor on the part of any white trader, for lands, without the 
 authority of the government, a copy of whose seal he fur- 
 nished him with. Kam-ai-ya-kam was so cfelighted at 
 this that he offered McClellan four hmidred horses if he 
 would marry his daughter and become his son-in-law. It 
 is needless to say that the captain respectfully declined. 
 
 It is the common practice of explorers to bestow their 
 own names upon such remarkable works of nature as they 
 may be the first to discover. In this manner Amerigo 
 Yespucci has wrongfully given his name to this continent. 
 In the same way we find between the Mississippi and the 
 Pacific such names as Fremont's Peak, Fremont's Island, 
 Fremont's Pass, Grunnison's Island, Pike's Peak, Denver 
 City, &c. 
 
 McClellan has furnished the only exception to this spe- 
 cies of personal vanity. He carefully ]3reserved all the 
 aboriginal names of localities, and only ventured in one in- 
 stance to infringe upon this rule. This was in the case of a 
 mountain which he called Mount Stuart, the Indian name 
 of which could not be ascertained. 
 
34 THE LIFE Ot 
 
 During one part of tlie journey, some of the party dis- 
 covered gold in the waters of the Yakima. The men all 
 rushed after the treasure, and the objects of the expedi- 
 tion were for the time forgotten. McClellan, chafing with 
 scorn and mortification at this evidence of avarice, had the 
 patience to resign himself to circumstances, and to calcu- 
 late the time lost by the men, and compare with it the 
 meagre ret&lts of their diggings. These results he exhib- 
 ited to them on paper. They at once saw that it paid 
 them a great deal better to devote their services to the le- 
 gitimate objects of the expedition ; and accordingly the 
 march was at once resumed. 
 
 A chief named Skloo tried a trick on McClellan, which 
 the latter detected, and foiled. Another chief, one Ow- 
 hai, hearing of it, struck his forehead and said ; " Ah, 
 that Skloo — ^big head — big thought. Captain McClellan — 
 bigger head — bigger thought — like myself !" 
 
 The Indians in that region are very fond of horse-rac- 
 ing. In order to divert themselves, the officers of the ex- 
 pedition offered the Indians a much coveted piece of scar- 
 let cloth. This caused a large entry to be made for the 
 race. In short, the whole tribe was present, and what is 
 more, they were all stripped stark naked for the ride. In 
 order to distinguish one from the other, the officers had 
 them painted in stripes like a barber's pole, when off they 
 went. The course was not measured or the time marked 
 
GEORGE B. m'cLELLAN. 35 
 
 but the winner received his prize, and went on his way 
 rejoicing. Such was the envy which followed him, that 
 McClellan, to please the chief, offered another prize of 
 equal value to he who should be elected chief, at a general 
 election to be then and there held by the Nomads. This 
 was at the chief's own suggestion, for, like Mr. Lincoln, 
 he was confident of re-election. As if to complete his 
 chagrin and mortification, an entirely new-i man was 
 elected, and the chief retired into private life, not alto- 
 gether unconsoled, however, for Captain McClellan gave 
 him a handsome present at parting. 
 
 In the spring of 1854, McClellan returned to Washing- 
 ton, after one of the most successful expeditions ever or- 
 dered by the United States Grovernment, iind received the 
 congratulations of all parties. 
 
 CHAPTEH III. 
 
 THE COMMISSIONER. 
 
 Construction of Fort Delaware — Exploration of Red River — Exploration 
 of Texas — McClellan as a Sailor — His intense activity — The van of 
 civilization — McClellan^s Railroad System Adopted by Government — 
 His Secret Mission to the West Indies — His Mission to Europe — The 
 Celebrities he Met — McClellan the Perfect Gentleman — The Historic 
 Scenes he Visited — The Value of his Labors in Introducing Rifled 
 Arms and other Improvements into our Service. 
 
 We should have mentioned that previous to McClellan's 
 journey to San Francisco, and his survey of the Northern 
 Pacific Eailroad route, he was ordered to Fort Delaware, 
 
86 THE LIFE OP 
 
 in 1851, to superintend its construction under Major John 
 Sanders. The next year he accompanied Capt Eandolph 
 B. Marcey, (whose daughter he subsequently married,) on 
 an expedition to explore the Eed Eiver. This duty, per- 
 formed with great ability and to the complete satisfaction 
 of the government, he next accompanied G-en. P. F. Smith 
 in September, 1852, to Texas, to survey the rivers and 
 harbors of that State. 
 
 As a sailor, no less than as a soldier, McClellan again 
 distinguished himself, and the practical experience of salt 
 water life he gained in this exploration stood him a good 
 turn, when he subsequently became engaged in the survey 
 of the waters of Puget Sound, during the stay at Yan- 
 couver's Island, related in the last chapter. 
 
 His life, it will be seen, was one of constant activity. 
 ]^othing could satisfy his restless desire to be doing some- 
 thino', but a constant devotion to active service. 
 
 Our lives are all too short here below to waste any of 
 its precious hours. The man who does the most towards 
 adding to the stock of human knowledge, does the most 
 good in this world. Knowledge is civilization, and civili- 
 zation is virtue and morality. The more we work, the 
 greater mark we leave behind. Our labor is never lost. 
 Some day or other it is picked up and turned to account. 
 Those who do nothing, might as well never have existed. 
 The march of humanity is slow at best, for error has to be 
 encountered at every step, and knowledge diffused. But 
 how much slower w^ould it not be if no one came forward 
 to lead the way. 
 
 McClellan fully appreciated this, and determined to lose 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 37 
 
 no time. Procrastination is a thief. To-day is always 
 the best time. 
 
 Had this brilliant young officer died before his journey 
 to the Columbia, at the youthful age of twenty-six, he 
 still would have left behind him a name celebrated in 
 the history of the country. Had he died upon his re- 
 turn from that expedition, at the age of twenty-eight, he 
 would have been written down in history as one of the 
 great Pathfinders of the American empire, What a shi- 
 ning example is he not to the youth of this vast republic ! 
 
 But his life has been happily spared for a further career 
 of usefulness and honor, a career brilliant in all its details, 
 and glorious in the results it has already achieved. 
 
 To lead his countrymen in a war that added California 
 to the Union, to map out the pathless solitudes of the great 
 mountain ranges of Western America, to represent his 
 country among the courts of Europe, and to become the 
 foremost leader in the present war for the Union, has al- 
 ready been his proud destiny. 
 
 May it be his to consummate a grand work* of national 
 regeneration, and lead his now distracted fatherland to an 
 honorable and permanent peace ! 
 
 Upon McOlellan's return from Oregon, he was immedi- 
 ately detailed by the government to investigate the entire 
 railroad system of the United States, with a view to ob- 
 tain 'all the necessary data on construction, equipment and 
 management, for the successful operation of the contem- 
 plated Pacific Eaih'oad. 
 
 Of the result of his j)rocecdings, he presented a full re- 
 port in JSTovember, 1854. 
 
38 THE LIFE OP 
 
 This report is remarkable, as, indeed, are all his wri- 
 tings, for its brevity, lucidity and directness. He never 
 intrudes himself or his personal opinions iu his reports. 
 They are all strictly scientific, and for this reason have 
 proved of great service to the country. 
 
 His report upon the railroad system of the United States 
 has become a text-book on the subject, and the various 
 acts of Congress concerning railroads, which have passed 
 since its publication, are all more or less based upon its 
 contents. It was this admirable report which first brought 
 him to the notice of the great Illinois Central Eailroad 
 Company, and which induced it to subsequently invite him 
 to resign his commission in the army, and undertake the 
 superintendence of that wonderful highway. 
 
 He had received his commission as first lieutenant in 
 1853, and in March, 1854, he was promoted to be captain 
 in the First Cavalry. 
 
 In the winter of 1854-5 he was employed by the Gov- 
 ernment on a secret mission to the West Indies. The re- 
 sults of this mission were never made public, but he per- 
 formed his part of ambassador as satisfactorily as he had 
 that of warrior, author and pathfinder, and received the 
 thanks of the Government. So satisfactorily was his mis- 
 sion to the West Indies concluded, that he was next ap- 
 appointed, with Colonel Delafield and Major Mordecai, two 
 of the best educated oflacers in our service, to study the 
 organization of European armies, and observe the war in 
 the Crimea. 
 
 For this reason, his mission to the Caribbean Islands was 
 supposed to have been connected, the capacity they pos- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. ^9 
 
 sessed, of being used as military and naval bases of ope- 
 rations, in the event of our being attacked by European 
 powers. 
 
 McClellan wrote one volume of the report of this Eu- 
 ropean commission, which was printed by order of Con- 
 gress. His portion of it was republished in Philadelphia, 
 after the Commissioners' return to the United States, un- 
 der the title of " The Armies ot Europe ; comprising Des- 
 criptions in Detail of the Military Systems of England, 
 France, Eussia, Prussia, Austria and Sardinia." (8vo. 
 1861.) 
 
 In this important commission, Capt. McClellan had an 
 opportunity to become personally acquainted with some of 
 the most celebrated men in Europe. Lord Clarendon, the 
 British Minister of War, Lord Eaglan, then commanding 
 the British forces in the Crimea, Sir Edmund Lyons, Ad- 
 miral of the Black Sea Fleet, Count Walewsky, the French 
 Foreign Minister, Baron Manteuffel, the Prussian Foreign 
 Minister, Baron de Budberg, the Eussian Ambassador at 
 Berlin, Baron Krusenstein, the Eussian Diplomat, Prince 
 Paskievitch, the old Eussian hero and Marshal, Count 
 [Nesselrode, the Prime Minister of Eussia, Count Dalgour- 
 ouki, the Eussian Minister of War, the Emperor Nicholas, 
 Baron Lieven, Prince Ouroussoff, Count Waldersee, the 
 Prussian Diplomat, Count Buol Schawenstein, the Austri- 
 an Minister, and Baron Tecas, the Sardinian Minister. 
 
 Arriving at Balaklava October 8th, he enjoyed, with his 
 brother officers, the personal acquaintance of General 
 Simpson, the successor to Lord Eaglan in command of the 
 British Army, G-eneral La Marmora, Commander-in-chief 
 
40 THE LIFE OP 
 
 of the Sardinian contingent, General de Martimprey, chief 
 
 of the iDersonal staff of Marshal Pelissier, the Erench* 
 commander, General 'Niel, Chief of Engineers, and many 
 other illustrious persons. 
 
 On their way home, leaving Constantinople and Scutari 
 on the 13th ISTovember, they successively enjoyed the so- 
 ciety of the Grand Dukes William and Leopold of Aus- 
 tria, the veteran Marshal Eadetsky, at Yerona, Marshal 
 Castillon, at Lyons, General Grouchy, at Strasbourg, Mar- 
 shal Maguan and Marshal Yaillant, at Paris, and numer- 
 ous dignitaries of lesser note. 
 
 This personal contact v^ith men of fame and high social 
 position, was a source of great pleasure to Captain McClel- 
 lan, because it afforded him a rare opportunity to study 
 their manners and their attainments. 
 
 A gentleman himself, McClellan delighted to encounter 
 other gentlemen. 
 
 A man of rare ability himself, he loved to meet with 
 men of genius. 
 
 A man bent upon a high and an honorable career, he 
 derived pleasure in meeting with others whose names had 
 become famous in the history of their countries. 
 
 But personal intercourse with the high and noble of 
 many lands, was not the only privilege he enjoyed. He 
 was recognized everywhere as a man of great talent, and 
 people of all conditions rejoiced to see him, and to do him 
 honor. 
 
 In addition to this, he visited almost every spot of in- 
 terest in Europe. He stood where William conquered and 
 Eichard perished; where Hampden struck, and Burke 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 41 
 
 thundered forth for liberty; where Magna Carta was 
 signed ; where Charles was beheaded ; and Fox. Pitt and 
 Sheridan proclaimed American Independence. 
 
 He beheld the mansoleum of Napoleon, the place of the 
 Ba'stile, the spot where Louis perished, and* where the 
 Frendi Eepublic was born. 
 
 He visited the birth places of Steuben and Kosciusko, 
 and saw the city which its own inhabitants had destroyed, 
 rather than it should fall into the hands of the invader — 
 the heroic city of Moscow. 
 
 He viewed the little Gibraltar of Toulon, the bridge of 
 Australitz, and the plains of Waterloo — successive monu- 
 ments of Napoleon's meteoric career. And as the grass 
 grew over these spots, where the history of nations was 
 decided in blood and in carnage, he read the lessons that 
 nature eventually triumphs in her quiet, gentle way 
 over all. 
 
 Warsaw,- where " quiet " ferociously reigned ; Yenice, 
 Yienna, Mantua and Milan, the scenes of Shakspeare's 
 "divine comedies,'' the Bosphorus, where Leander dashed 
 the briny wave aside, and Marseilles the cradle of French 
 republican liberty, were successively visited by the com- 
 mission. 
 
 Their labors comprised a vast collection of facts con- 
 cerning systems of fortifications, the use of rifled arms and 
 cannon, medical and hospital arrangements, ambulances, 
 clothing, camp equippage, accoutrements, ordnance, am- 
 munition, permanent fortifications, sea-coast and land de- 
 fences, seige operations, bridge trains, boats, wagons, tor- 
 pedoes, iron floating batteries, barracks, army bakeries, 
 
42 THE LIFE OP 
 
 gnu carriages, cooking, dessicated food, hygeine, electric 
 firing, balloons, field guns, fuses, gun cotton, furniture for 
 camps and hospitals, dresses for soldiers, litters, maga- 
 zines, mortar boats, military railroads, stables, steam 
 transports, tents, laundries, ventilation of hospitals, care 
 of horses, treatment of wounded, and care for the pei-sonal 
 comfort of troops in action. 
 
 To Captain McClellan is due the credit of constant ob- 
 servations on all these important matters. Not a moment 
 of time was lost. The commission returned to the United 
 States in the summer of 185G, after having collected a vast 
 amount of information of the most important description — 
 all of which has been turned to the highest account in the 
 present conflict. 
 
 A quarto volume, embellished with hundreds of maps, 
 diagrams, wood cuts, and colored lithographs, embodied 
 the results of these labors, and was published by order of 
 Congress, dated March 2d, 1861. This work is of the 
 highest value. It was scarcely printed when the fall 
 Fort of Sumter occurred. Its contents assumed a deep 
 importance at once. We owe to the labors of this com- 
 mission the introduction of rifled arms, the use of ear- 
 then fortifications, the appreciation of railroads for pur- 
 poses of war, the adaptation of iron-plated vessels, the 
 employment of steam transports, the balloon telegraph, 
 the floating ram, the sanitary commission, the improved 
 hospital, and the many improvements in the art of war 
 which have lately been put into service. 
 
 This ends McClellan's services as a Commissioner and 
 Diplomat. 
 
GEORGE B. M'cLELLAN. , 4^ 
 
 As in every other respect, we are compelled to acknowl- 
 edge him the possesser of extraordinar}^ talent and ad- 
 dress — much greater than are commonly attributed to 
 him, for his early history is obscured to us by the still 
 greater brilliancy of his subsequent career as Commander- 
 in-chief of the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 His grasp of mind and tenacity of purpose appear to 
 no greater advantage than in the manner in which he 
 succeeded in rendering his early life alike honorable and 
 famous. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 THE BUSINESS MAN AND FINANCIER. 
 
 McClellan as Superintendent and Vice-President of ike Illinois Central 
 Railroad. — The Vast Undertaking entrusted to him. — His Financial and 
 Business Ability. — President of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. — 
 Breaking out of the War in 1861. — He tenders his Resignation. — It is 
 not Accepted. — He writes his last Report and announces his inten- 
 tion of Seeking the Field. — His Resignation Reluctantlt/ Accepted. — 
 He accepts a Major-Generalship and unsheathes his sword for Union 
 and Liberty. 
 
 In the month of January, 1857, Captain McClellan re- 
 signed his commission and accepted the invitation of the 
 Illinois Central Eailroad to become its General Superin- 
 tendent. He was soon after elected Yice President of the 
 corporation, and acted in this double capacity for over 
 three years. 
 
44 THE LIFE OF 
 
 This Illinois Central Eailroad was called into existence 
 by act of Congress, September, 1850, and the act of the 
 Legislature of the State of Illinois, February, 1851. 
 
 At that time there were but twenty-two miles of Rail- 
 road in the State. 
 
 The company were granted the right to construct a 
 road from Cairo to Chicago — three hundred and fifty miles 
 — and a branch line from Centralia to Dunleith, on the 
 Mississippi river— two hundred and fifty miles — making 
 altogether, with connections, seven hundred and eight 
 miles of railroad. This grant included the fifth of every 
 alternate section of land for six sections in width, (a sec- 
 tion is one mile square,) on each side of the road and 
 branches. 
 
 This grant amounted in the aggregate to four thousand 
 and fifty-five square miles of land, or two million five hun- 
 dred and ninety -five thousand acres — very nearly as large 
 an area as that comprised within the entire State of Con- 
 necticut, twice as large as Delaware, more than half as 
 large as Massachusetts, about the same size as the Electo- 
 rate of Hesse-Cassel, three-fourths as large as the G-rand 
 Duchy of Baden, and half as large as the Grand Duchy of 
 Tuscany. 
 
 To superintend the construction and repair of this great 
 thoroughfare, and bring into the market and dispose of 
 this vast territory, in farms suited to the occupant, to de- 
 velope the agricultural and mineral resources of a new 
 State, containing 55,409 square miles, in order that 
 they might bear upon the value of the property own- 
 ed by the company; and to promote emigration from Eu- 
 
GEORGE B. MOCLELLAN. 45 
 
 rope, and commerce hj the lakes, in order to settle and 
 improve the lands of the company, was the vast under- 
 takiDg to which George B. McClellan was called. 
 
 'Nor were the company disappointed in their choice. 
 McClellan did all this, and more. $23,487,669 were ex- 
 pended upon this road. JVot a penny was VMsted. No 
 shinplaster bonds, no fifth mortgages, no " suspended re- 
 quisitions," were issued to raise the wind. The financial 
 policy of the company was simple and effective. $17,- 
 000,000 of construction bonds were issued, and their pay- 
 ment secured by the mortgage of 2,000,000 specified acres 
 of land. As fast as these lands were sold and paid for, 
 the bonds were liquidated. 
 
 The system was a plain, hard cash system. No irre- 
 sponsible paper money. No long promises drawn upon 
 posterity. 
 
 Of course, it was in every way the interest of the com- 
 pany to sell the lands forthwith. Eirst, because every 
 section sold would make the rest more valuable. -N'ext, 
 because it would bring additional traflic to the road. Fi- 
 nally, it would assist to pay off the construction bonds and 
 set the company free from debt. 
 
 Agents were accordingly dispatched to Europe, prospec- 
 tuses published, handbills and posters circulated, and ad- 
 vertisements displayed inviting emigration and settlement 
 on the Illinois Central Eailroad lands. 
 
 These efforts were attended with so much success, that 
 not only is the railroad almost free from debt to-day, but 
 the State is teeming with a population of two millions of 
 souls. 
 
46 THE LIFE OP 
 
 This system of sending agents to Europe has been re- 
 cently adopted by the United States government to pro- 
 mote the sale of Five-Twenty bonds, with great success. 
 
 It is a pity it has not copied some more of the features 
 which distinguished the fiscal management of the Illinois 
 Central Kailroad, by George Brinton McClellan. 
 
 The country might have been better off for it to-day. 
 
 The following is the plan of sale of the Illinois Central 
 Eailroad lands : — 
 
 Payment of one year's interest in advance, at six per 
 Cent, per annum ; and six interest notes at six per cent., 
 payable respectively in one, two, three, four, five, and six 
 years from date of sale ; and four notes for principal, pay- 
 able in four, five, six, and seven years from date of sale ; 
 the contract stipulating that one-tenth of the tract pur- 
 chased shall be fenced and cultivated, each and every yeaVi 
 for five years from the date of sale, so that at the end of 
 five years, one-half shall be fenced and under cultivation. 
 
 Twenty per cent, deducted from the valuation for cash, 
 except the same should be at six dollars per acre, when 
 the cash price was five dollars per acre. 
 
 A purchaser's account would stand as follows, supposing 
 he contracted for eighty acres of land at $10 per acre, on 
 March 1, 1859. 
 March 1, 1859, Cash Payment, 1 year's interest in advance, 
 
 at 6 per cent. ^ 48 00 
 
 PRINCIPAL NOTES. INTEREST NOTFS. 
 
 1860, ^48 00 48 00 
 
 1861, 48 00 48 00 
 
 1862, 48 00 48 00 
 
 1863, $200 00 36 00 236 00 
 
 1864, 200 00 24 00 224 00 
 
 1865, 200 00 12 00 212 00 
 
 1866 200 00 200 00 
 
 Total, $1064 00 
 
GEORGE B. M*CLELLAN. 47 
 
 Thus, with S48 cash, a poor man might purchase eighty- 
 acres of the richest prairie farmingland in Illinois, requi- 
 ring no clearing, and no manuring, and with ordinary la- 
 bor, might succeed in six years time in becoming its entire 
 owner in fee simple. 
 
 We here perceive those talents of which the country 
 stands in most need to-day — the talents of a thorough busi- 
 ness man and a financier. 
 
 So conspicuously did they exhibit themselves in the 
 person of our hero, that he was called in 1860, to the gene- 
 ral superintendency of the Ohio and Mississippi Kailroad, 
 which connects the cites of Cincinnati and St. Louis, 
 crossing the line of the Illinois Central Eailroad at Odin 
 and Sandoval. 
 
 Two months later, he was elected President of the east- 
 ern division of the same. 
 
 The Ohio and Mississippi Eailroad is three hundred and 
 forty miles in length, the eastern division extending a dis- 
 tance of one hundred and ninety-two miles from Cincin- 
 nati to Yincennes, on the boundary line of the State of 
 Illinois. 
 
 He held this office, and also that of Director of the road, 
 until the breaking out of the war, when fired with the de- 
 sire to lead his countrymen to the field, in defense of the 
 Union, he sent in his resignation, received a commis- 
 sion as Major G-eneral from the Governor of the State of 
 Ohio, and proceeded at once to organize the nine months 
 volunteers from that State. 
 
 Such was the esteem in which he was held by the com- 
 pany, that his resignation was not accepted at first ; but 
 
48 THE LIFE OP 
 
 upon being assured that notliing would induce him to. for- 
 sake the service of his country in the hour of her need, 
 they reluctantly accepted it when tendered for the second 
 time. . • ... , 
 
 The following is the letter which accompanied McOlel- 
 lan's last report as President of the company. It was 
 written after his first offer of resignation, and before his 
 second ; — 
 
 PEESIDENT'S EEPOET. 
 
 To the Stockliolders of the Eastern Division of the Ohio and 
 
 Miss iss ipp i Ma ilroad : 
 
 I herewith submit Eeports of the Superintendent and 
 Treasurer, showing the business operations of the compa- 
 ny for the year, ending April 30th, 1861. 
 
 It is needless for me to call your attention to the dis- 
 turbed state of the political and commercial affairs of the 
 country, as affecting the business of the Company. Our 
 connecting roads have all suffered from the same cause, 
 some of them to a greater extent than ourselves, and, 
 therefore, the future prospects of the company cannot be 
 considered as less promising, relatively, than they were at 
 the date of the last Annual Eeport. 
 
 Having been called into the military service of the coun- 
 try early in April last, by the exigencies of the national 
 affairs, and most unremittingly occupied since that time 
 by the duties of the service, I have not been able to give 
 that detailed and careful consideration to the annual state- 
 ment which I should otherwise have done.; but must con- 
 tent myself with referriug you to the reports and state- 
 ments which follow, and which will give you a fall exhibit 
 of the transactions and condition of the company. 
 Yery Eespcctfully, 
 
 GEO. B. McCLELLAlSr, 
 
 Cincinnati, June Srd, 1861. Prest. ■ 
 
 "We have thus traced George B. McClellan's career as 
 the Officer, the Pathfinder, the Commissioner, and the Bu- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 49 
 
 siness Man and Financier. We have only to rapidly sketch 
 it as the Commander-in-Chief and the Statesman. 
 
 Much as we would have loved to dwell upon the early 
 days of McClellan, our limited space has forbidden. 
 
 We see him constantly actuated by one desire — to make 
 himself an honorable and a useful name. 
 
 As long as the country called for his services in Mexico, ' 
 he was ready to devote them to her. When they were no 
 longer needed in battle, he cheerfully became an instructor 
 at West Point. For her again he toiled over the pathless 
 wastes of the Cascade mountains, or traced the Eed river 
 through its long and sinuous windings to its source. FOr 
 her he braved the fevers of the Texan coast, and the hot 
 suns of St. Domingo; and for her he sped all over Europe, 
 to garner the scientific information of which she stood 
 so much in need. 
 
 It was only when she had no further employment for 
 him that he retired to private life. 
 
 Bat the moment the tocsin was sounded, the moment 
 the coantry was called to arms, he deserted all — home, 
 friends and business prospects, to unsheath his sword for 
 the second time in her defence. 
 
 This gallantry and devotion shines all through McClel- 
 lan. 
 
 Is it any wonder, then, that being first in war, and first 
 in peace, he should be first in the hearts of his country- 
 men ? 
 
 The particulars of General McClellan's career after the 
 breaking out of the war, can be given in no better lan- 
 guage than his own. He says : 
 
50 THE LIFE OP 
 
 " The attack upon Fort Sumter, on the 12tli of April, 
 1861, took the northern people by surprise, and found them 
 entirely unprepared to carry on a serious contest. Our 
 people were born and educated amidst the blessings of 
 peace and material prosperity ; they were in the habit of 
 yielding obedience to the laws of the country and the will 
 of the majority, as expressed in the elections, and had be- 
 come accustomed to see great political excitement and an- 
 imosity calmly subside, through the deference of the mi- 
 nority to the decision of the majority. Thus to the last 
 moment it was difficult to realize that a great civil war 
 was imminent ; and men clung fondly to the hope that the 
 good sense of both sections would, in the eleventh hour, 
 find some honorable solution of the difficulty, as had so of- 
 ten been the case before. 
 
 *' It is probable that neither section fully realized the 
 power and violence of the passions evoked, and that each 
 flattered itself with the delusive hope that the other would 
 yield something, rather than risk the inevitable and terri- 
 ble consequences of an appeal to arms. Each underrated 
 the strength, resources and courage of the other. These 
 mutual misunderstandings, ably used by a comparatively 
 small number of ambitious and unscrupulous men, were 
 at their height, when the insult offered the national flag in 
 the harbor of Charleston, aroused both parties to some- 
 thing like a true sense of their condition. 
 
 " The South were warned that they were irrevocably 
 committed to make good their threats, and to establish by 
 force their vaunted right of secession. 
 
 When brought clearly to the minds of Northern men 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 51 
 
 that it was now too late to inquire what were the original 
 causes of the contest, and that it only remained for them 
 to aveng-e the insult to the flag, and to sustain the govern- 
 ment in supporting the inviolability of the Constitution, 
 maintaining the unity of the nation, and enforcing its 
 laws. 
 
 There can be no question that these were the true issues 
 which called forth that wonderful enthusiasm manifested 
 by our people in 1861. When the President, on the 19th 
 of April, 1861, issued his call for seventy-five thousand 
 volunteers to suppress the rebellion, the difficulty was to 
 restrain the ardor of the nation, and to limit the number 
 of volunteers to something like that called for. The strug- 
 gle then was as to who should be so fortunate as to be re- 
 ceived, not as to who should avoid the call. 
 
 The governors of States were beseiged by eager crowds, 
 anxious to be permitted to fight for their country ; and 
 they, in turn, importuned the authorities in Washington 
 for permission to increase their quotas — a permission usu- 
 ally very difficult to obtain — for the men were still few 
 who foresaw the magnitude and duration of the struggle 
 in which we had embarked. 
 
 While there was no difficulty in procuring men, it was 
 no easy task to arm, equip, and organize them, especially 
 in the western States. 
 
 The scanty supplies of war material at the disposal of 
 the general government were mainly in the east, with the 
 exception of the arms at the St. Louis arsenal, which were 
 not much more than sufficient to meet the demands in 
 Missouri. There was no United States arsenal in the 
 
52 THE LIFE OP 
 
 States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or Kentucky. The 
 West, at that time, possessed no establishment capable of 
 manufacturing arms on a large scale, and few for the pre- 
 paration of clothing and equipments. In proportion to 
 the population, there was less military information in the 
 West than in the East. 
 
 It was under these circumstances that on the 23d of 
 April, 1861, I was appointed by Gov. Denison, Major G-e- 
 neral of the Ohio contingent, under the three months call, 
 and at once undertook the task of rendering available for 
 the field the mass of unorganized and unarmed men who 
 were collecting upon the call of the President. 
 
 From Ohio, thirteen regiments of infantry were de- 
 manded; in a few weeks, the same number of three years 
 regiments was called for, and by the middle of July the 
 number was increased to twenty-two. 'No cavalry or ar- 
 tillery were embraced in the original call. 
 
 On the 23rd of April, there were in the State of Ohio 
 1880 small arms, mostly altered flint locks ; 31 field guns, 
 many of which were unfit for service, and few provided 
 with the indispensable equipments; 120 tents; not regi- 
 mental, yet mustered into the United States Service. 
 
 Such were the preparations of a State which has since 
 sent vast armies into the field. Indiana and Illinois were 
 not in a more favorable condition. 
 
 All mail communications with Washington were at that 
 time interrupted in consequence of the occurrences at Bal- 
 timore, and were for a long period difficult and un- 
 certain. 
 
 The attention of the authorities was fully occupied in 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 53 
 
 arranging for the immediate defence of the Capital, — and 
 the supplies being limited in amount — but little could be 
 done for the Western States, which were for some weeks 
 compelled to rely on their own resources. 
 
 Neither the people nor the Grovernors failed in the emer- 
 gency, but both manfally met the crisis. 
 
 It was then that the strength and value of the State 
 Governments were made fully manifest, for to them was 
 the safety of the West due in that hour of trial. 
 
 I have good reason to know thiat all the loyal Governors 
 of the Western States did their full duty in the emergency, 
 but being in more direct personal communication with 
 Governor Dcnnison, of Ohio, during the most critical por- 
 tion of this period, I desire to bear testimony to the triple 
 qualities he then displayed. He manifested a degree of 
 energy, ability, untiring devotion, and disinterested 
 patriotism which was creditable in the extreme. 
 
 As has already been said, the Western States were to- 
 tally unprepared for the impending struggle. It may be 
 asserted, with almost literal truth, that neither arms, am- 
 munition nor equipments existed there. We had nothing 
 but the men — all else was to be created. 
 
 Another great difficulty arose, from absence of Govern- 
 ment funds ; the Subsistence Department soon supplied 
 its agents with money, but none was received from the 
 Quartermaster's Department until after the 20th of May, 
 and then for some time in insufficient amounts. 
 
 ******* 
 
 The Governors of States now exerted themselves to the 
 utmost. 
 
54 THE LIFE OF 
 
 * * * * * ^ * 
 
 On the 3rd of May, the States of Ohio, Indiana and Il- 
 linois were formed into the Department of the Ohio, which 
 
 the Greneral-in- Chief placed under my command. 
 
 * * * * * * * 
 
 During the month of May, the political aspect of affairs 
 in Kentucky and Western Yirginia was uncertain and 
 threatening. In the latter, a Convention had been called, 
 to assemble at Wheeling, on the 13th of May, to decide 
 upon the question of separation from the eastern portion 
 of the State, while the election upon the question of rati- 
 fying the Kichmond ordinance of secession from the Uni- 
 ted States, was fixed for the 23d of the same month. 
 
 Excitement ran high, and honest men differed widely 
 as to the policy that should be pursued by the military au- 
 thorities of the General Grovernment. 
 
 I received a multitude of letters from a large number of 
 sincere Union men, who entertained widely divergent views 
 as to the measures adequate to the emergency. Many 
 urged, as early as the beginning of May, that troops should 
 immediately be sent into Yirginia, to encourage the Union 
 men and prevent the secessionists from gaining a foothold. 
 At least an equal number insisted with equal force that the 
 arrival of troops from other States would merely arouse 
 State pride, throw many wavering men into the rebel 
 ranks, and at once kindle the flames of civil war. 
 
 In Kentucky the struggle was much more bitter than in 
 Western Virginia. The State government, the arms, and 
 the military organization, were to a great extent in the 
 hands of men who favored the secession of the State ; but 
 
65 
 
 so able and determined was the course of the Union lea- 
 ders, and so marked did the majority of the people soon 
 became in their support, that the secessionist leaders were 
 compelled to content themselves with the avowal of the 
 position of neutrality, while awaiting the results of the 
 elections to be held on the 26th June for Congressmen, 
 and on the 4th August for members of the Legislature. 
 
 The policy of the leaders of the Union party was, " To 
 remain in the Union without a revolution, under all the 
 forms of law, and by their own- action." The words of 
 Garret Davis were, *' We will remain in the Union by vot- 
 ing if we can, by fighting if we must, and if we cannot 
 hold our own, we will call on the general government to 
 aid us/' 
 
 It was the desire of these true and able men that no ex- 
 traneous elements of excitement should be introduced in 
 the State until the elections were over; they felt sure of 
 carrying these elections if left to themselves. I fully coin- 
 cided with them in their expectations and opinions, andj 
 so far as was in my power, lent them every assistance in 
 carrying out their views, among which were the organiza- 
 tion of Home Guards and the distribution of arms to Union 
 men. In Missouri, hostilities had already broken out, and 
 it was evident that that State was destined to become the 
 seat of serious fighting ; nor was it then supposed that our 
 tenure of St. Louis was entirely secure. 
 
 Collections of Southern troops at Memphis and Union 
 City threatened Columbus, Ky., and Cairo, and made it 
 necessary to keep a vigilaut watch in that direction. It 
 should also be remembered that in the early part of May 
 
56 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the national capital was by no means secure, and it was 
 not at that time an improbable contingency that Western 
 regiments might yet be needed to protect or regain "Wash- 
 ington. As bearing upon this point, it may be stated that 
 in a letter addressed to the GJ-eneral-in-chief on the 21st 
 May, I informed him that from the information in my pos- 
 session the indications were that the disposable troops in 
 the regular Confederate service, from Mississippi, Alabama, 
 Arkansas and Louisiana had gone to the East via Lynch- 
 burg ; leaving in Tennessee the State militia, who were 
 badly armed and under no discipline. On the 26th April, 
 when my command was confined to the limits of the State 
 of Ohio, I submitted to the general-in-chief certain sugges- 
 tions, the substance of which was : — That, for the purposes 
 of defense, Cairo should be occupied by two battalions, 
 strongly intrenched, and provided with heavy guns and a 
 gunboat to control the river ; that some eight battalions 
 should be stationed at Sandoval, in Illinois, to observe St. 
 Louis, sustain the garrison of Cairo, and if necessary, re- 
 inforce Cincinnati; that a few companies should observe 
 the lower Wabash ; that some four thousand men should 
 be posted at Seymour, in Indiana, to observe Louisville, and 
 be ready to support either Cincinnati or Cairo ; that there 
 should be five thousand men at or near Cincinnati, and 
 two battalions at Chillicothe, Ohio. With the troops dis- 
 posable for active operations, it was proposed to move up 
 the valley of the Great Kanawha upon Eichmond ; this 
 movement to be made with the greatest promj^tness, that 
 it might not fail to relieve Washington, or to insure the 
 iestruction of the enemy in Eastern Virginia, if aided by 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 57 
 
 a prompt advance on the eastern line of operations. 
 Should Kentucky assume a hostile attitude, it was recom- 
 mended to cross the Ohio with eighty thousand men, and 
 move straight on JSTashville, acting thence in concert with 
 a vigorous offensive on the Eastern line. It was strongly 
 urged that everything possible should be done to hasten 
 the equipment and armament of the Western troops, as 
 the nation would be entirely deprived of their powerful 
 aid until this should be accomplished. 
 
 It was not until the 13th May that the order, forming 
 the Department of the Ohio and assigning me to the com- 
 mand, was received. In the meantime, as much excite- 
 ment existed in Cincinnati, which city was regarded as a 
 tempting object to the enemy in the uncertain condition 
 of Kentucky, I took steps to concentrate the greater part 
 of the Ohio troops at Camp Denn.ison, on the Little 
 Miami Eailroad, seventeen miles from Cincinnati ; a fa- 
 vorable position for instruction, and presenting peculiar 
 facilities for movement in any direction. As soon as the 
 new department was placed under my command, I took 
 steps for the immediate erection of heavy batteries at 
 Cairo. In the letter of May 21st, already referred to, af- 
 ter giving the information gained in regard to the posi- 
 tion of the enemy on the Mississippi Eiver, it was stated 
 that I was convinced of the necessity of having, without 
 a day's delay, a few efficient gunboats to oj)erate from 
 Cairo as a base; that if they were rendered shot-jDroof, 
 they would enable us at least to annoy seriously the rebel 
 camps on the Mississippi, and interfere with their river 
 communications — their main dependence ; that I request- 
 
58 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ed authority to make the necessary expenditures to pro- 
 cure gunboats, and that I regarded them as an indispen- 
 sable element in any system of operations, whether offen- 
 sive or defensive. In the same letter the necessity for 
 light batteries was strongly set forth. 
 
 :jt * * * * * * 
 
 In the early part of May, I declined moving troops into 
 Western Yirginia for the reasons already given, and be- 
 cause I regarded Kentucky as of much greater import- 
 ance. It was not until the latter part of the month that 
 I became fully satisfied as to the favorable tendency of af- 
 fairs in that quarter. 
 
 It was difficult to obtain accurate information as to the 
 movements of the secessionists in Western Yirginia, and 
 the results proved that it was always necessary to make 
 great allowances for the exaggeration which ever attends 
 ignorance of military affairs, and the alarm consequent 
 upon the shock produced by a novel and abnormal state 
 of things. Early in May, Governor Letcher called out 
 the militia of Western Yirginia under the State laws; 
 Charleston, in the Great Kanawha Yalley, Parkersburg, in 
 Wood County, and Grafton, in Tajdor County, being the 
 points at which they were to be assembled. The accounts 
 we received at the time, in regard to the numbers of the 
 militia thus collected, varied much, and great alarm fre- 
 quently manifested itself on the Ohio frontier, lest it should 
 be invaded. To quiet this not unnatural feeling, a few 
 arms were distributed among the Home Guards, and about 
 the middle of Moy some regiments of the Ohio State 
 troops were moved to points convenient to the more ex- 
 
59 
 
 posed portions of the frontier. I did not share the appre- 
 hensions of an invasion, for I saw no good reason to sus- 
 pect the existence of the necessary preparations, and did 
 not regard it as probable that the Confederates would at 
 that period consider Western Yirginia as a suitable base 
 for offensive operations north and west of the Ohio river. 
 I supposed it to be the object of the Eichmond authorities 
 to hold possession of Western Yirginia, and to coerce its 
 loyal inhabitants into the secession movement. 
 
 * ^ * * * * * 
 
 Gen. McClellan then describes the two campaigns in 
 western Yirginia, including the battles of Grafton, Rich 
 Mountain, and Laurel Hill, and concludes an account of 
 his operations in that quarter, in the following words : — 
 
 " The result of these operations was thus to give us un- 
 disputed control of all that portion of Western Yirginia 
 north of the Great Kanawha, and of the passes leading in 
 from the east. The enemy lost their general killed, and 
 his second in command taken prisoner, all their guns, 
 transportation, baggage, camp equipage, etc., about one 
 thousand in killed and prisoners, several colors, and many 
 small arms ; the remains of their force was entirely disor- 
 ganized. Our own losses in all these affairs, were a little 
 less than one hundred men killed and wounded. From 
 the best information that could be obtained, the total ef- 
 fective force in the district, under the command of Gen. 
 
 Garnett, was about eight thousand men. 
 
 ****** 
 
 In this brief campaign, the telegraph was extensively 
 used in the field operations ; the line was constructed as 
 
60 THE LIFE OP 
 
 the army marched forward, and we were seldom without 
 an office at head-quarters. Great credit is due to the Su- 
 perintendent, Mr. A. Stager, for his energy and intelli- 
 gence. 
 
 I cannot close this brief narrative without hearing tes- 
 timony to the good conduct, enthusiasm, and endurance 
 of the young^ troops whom I then commanded. That they 
 would be courageous was to be expected ; but the patience 
 and endurance they evinced under long marches, priva- 
 tions, and fatigue, exceeded all my anticipations. Their 
 demeanor in this, their first campaign, gave promise of 
 the achievements in which they have since participated on 
 many hard fought £elds. 
 
 OPEEATIONS 01:^ THE POTOMAC. 
 
 Charged, in the spring of 1861, with the operations in 
 the department of the Ohio, which included the States of 
 Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and latterly, "Western Yirginia, it 
 had become my duty to counteract the hostile designs of 
 the enemy in Western Yirgiria, which were immediately 
 directed to the destruction of the Ealtimore and Ohio 
 Eailroad, and the possession of the Kanawha Yalley, with 
 the ultimate object of gaining Wheeling, and the control 
 of the Ohio Eiver. The successful affairs of Phillippi, 
 Eich Mountain, Carrick's Ford, etc., had been fought, and 
 I had acquired possession of all Western Yirginia, north 
 of the Kanawha Yalley, as well as of the loAver portion of 
 that valle3\ 
 
 I had determined to proceed to the relief of the upper 
 
GEORGE B, M'CLELLAN. 61 
 
 Kanawha Yalley, as soon as provision was made for the 
 permanent defense of the mountain passes leading from 
 the east into the region under our control,when I received 
 at Beverly, in Randolph county, on the 21st of July, 1861, 
 intelligence of the unfortunate results of the battle of 
 Manassas, fought on that day. 
 
 On the 22d, I received an order by telegraph, directing 
 me to turn over my command to Brig.-Gen. Eosecrans, and 
 repair at once to Washington. 
 
 I had already caused reconnoissances to be made for in- 
 trenchments at the Cheat Mountain Pass ; also on the. 
 Huntersville road, near Elkwater, and at Eed House, near 
 the main road from Eomney to Grafton. During the after- 
 noon and the night of the 22d, I gave the final instructions 
 for the construction of these works, turned over the com- 
 mand to Brig.-Gen. Eosecrans, and started, on the morn- 
 ing of the 23d, for Washington, arriving there on the after- 
 noon of the 26th. On the 27th, I assumed command of 
 the Division of the Potomac, comprising the troops in and 
 around Washington, on both banks of the river. 
 
 • With this brief statement of the events which immedi- 
 ately preceded my being called to the command of the 
 troops at Washington, I proceed to an account from such 
 authentic data as are at hand, of my military ojoerations 
 while commander of the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 The subjects to be considered, naturally arrange them- 
 selves as follows : The organization of the Army of the 
 Potomac; the military events connected with the defenses 
 of Washington, from July, 1861, to March. 1862 ; the cam- 
 paign on the Peninsula, and that in Maryland. 
 
62 THE LIFE OF 
 
 The great resources and capacity for powerful resistance, 
 of the South, at the breaking out of the rebellion, and the 
 full proportions of the great conflict about to take place, 
 were sought to be carefully measured; and I had also en- 
 deavored, by every means in my power, to impress upon 
 the authorities the necessity for such immediate action and 
 full preparation as alone would enable the government to 
 prosecute the war on a scale commensurate with the re- 
 sistance to be offered. 
 
 On the 4th of August, 1861, I addressed to the Presi- 
 dent, the following memorandum, prepared at his own 
 request : 
 
 * ^ * 5fC ¥ * * 
 
 Without entering at present into details, I would advise 
 that a strong movement be made on the Mississippi, and 
 that the rebels be driven out of Missouri. 
 
 As soon as it becomes perfectly clear that Kentucky is 
 cordially united with us, I would advise a movement 
 through that State into Eastern Tennessee, for the pur- 
 pose of assisting the Union men of that region, and of 
 seizing the railroads leading from Memphis to the East. 
 
 The possession of those roads by us, in connection with 
 the movement on the M.ississippi, would go far towards 
 determining the evacuation of Yirginia by the rebels. In 
 the meantime, all the passes into Western Virginia, from 
 the east, should be securely guarded ; but I would advise 
 no movement from that quarter towards Eichmond, unless 
 the political condition of Kentucky renders it impossible 
 or inexpedient for us to make the movement upon Eastern 
 Tennessee, through that State. Every effort should, how- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 63 
 
 ever, be made to organize, equip and arm as many troops 
 as possible in Western Virginia, in order to render the 
 Ohio and Indiana regiments available for other opera- 
 tions. At as early a day as practicable, it would be well 
 to protect and re-open the Baltimore and Ohio Eailroad. 
 Baltimore and Fort Monroe should be occupied by gar- 
 risons sufficient to retain them in our possession. The 
 importance of Harper's Ferry and the line of the Poto- 
 mac, in the direction of Leesburgh, will be very materi- 
 ally diminished so soon as our forces in this vicinity be- 
 comes organized, strong and efficient, because no capable 
 general will cross the river, north of this city, when we 
 have a strong army here, ready to cut off his retreat. 
 
 To revert to the west, it is probable that no very large 
 additions to the troops now in Missouri, will be necessary 
 to secure that State. 
 
 I presume that the force required for the movement 
 down the Mississippi, will be determined by its command- 
 er and the President. If Kentucky assumes the right po- 
 sition, not more than 20,000 troops will be needed, togeth- 
 er with those that can be raised in that State and Eastern 
 Tennessee, to secure the latter region and its railroads, as 
 well as ultimately to occupy Kashville. 
 
 The "Western Yirginia troops, with not more than 5,000 
 to 10,000 from Ohio and Indiana, should, under proper 
 management, suffice for its protection. When we have re- 
 organized our main army here, 10,000 men ought to be 
 enough to protect the Baltimore and Ohio Eailroad and 
 the Potomac. Five thousand will garrison Baltimore, 
 
64 THE LIFE OP 
 
 3,000 Fort Monroe, and not more than 20,000 will be ne- 
 cessary, at the utmost, for the defense of Washington. 
 
 For the main army of operations, I urge the following 
 composition ; — 
 
 250 Regiments of Infantry, say 250,000 men. 
 
 100 Field Batteries 600 guns 15,000 " 
 
 28 Regiments Cavalry 25,500 " 
 
 5 " Engineer troops 7,500 " 
 
 Total 298 000 
 
 The force must be supplied with the necessary engineer 
 and pontoon trains, and with transportation for every 
 thing save tents. Its general line of operations should be 
 so directed that water transportation can be availed of, 
 from point to point, by means of the ocean and the rivers 
 emptying into it. An essential feature of the plan of ope- 
 rations, will be the employment of a strong naval force, 
 to protect the movements of a fleet of transj^orts intended 
 to convey a considerable body of troops from point to 
 point of the enemy's sea-coast, thus, cither creating diver- 
 sions, and rendering it necessary to detach largely from 
 their main body, in order to jprotect such of their cities as 
 may be threatened, or else landing and forming establish- 
 ments on their coast at any favorable j)laces that oppor- 
 tunity might offer. This naval force should also co-ope- 
 rate with the main army, in its efforts to seize the impor- 
 tant sea-board towns of the rebels. 
 
 It cannot be ignored that the construction of railroads, 
 has introduced a new and very important element into 
 war, by the great facilities thus given for concentrating at 
 
GEORGE B. MC CLELLAN. 65 
 
 particular positions, large masses of troops from remote 
 sections, and by creating new strategic points and lines of 
 operations. It is intended to overcome this difficulty by 
 the partial operations suggested, and such other, as the 
 particular case may require. We must endeavor to seize 
 places on the railways, in the rear of the enemy's points 
 of concentration, and we must threaten their sea-board 
 cities, in order that each State may be forced, by the ne- 
 cessity of its own defense, to diminish its contingent to 
 thQ Confederate army. 
 
 The x^roposed movement down the Mississippi, will pro- 
 duce important results in this connection. That advance, 
 and the progress of the main army at the East, will mate- 
 rially assist each other by diminishing the resistance to be 
 encountered by each. The tendency of the Mississippi 
 movement upon all questions connected with cotton, is too 
 well understood by the President and Cabinet, to need any 
 
 illustration from me. 
 
 * * * * * * * 
 
 In- conclusion, I would submit that the exigencies of the 
 treasury may be lessened by making only partial pay- 
 ments to our troops, when in the enemy's country, and by 
 giving the obligations of the United States for such sup- 
 plies as may there be obtained. 
 
 GEO. B. McCLELLAN, 
 '^ Maj. General. 
 
 * * ;H * :fr * * 
 
 This was the outline of operations proposed by McClel- 
 lan. Had it been adhered to with the singleness of pur- 
 pose which prompted its inception, the war might have 
 
66 THE LIFE OP 
 
 been ended in one campaign. 
 
 But the Administration had other objects in view than 
 the restoration of the Union. 
 
 Its mission was to forcibly emancipate the slaves of the 
 Southern United States ; and the Avar was prolonged, and 
 is still prolonged, in order that this act might be fully con- 
 summated. 
 
 We do not here discuss the right or the wrong of slav- 
 ery. In a theoretical or moral point of view, no argu- 
 ment can successfully defend it ; but in its practical bear- 
 ings upon the welfare of this nation, taking it as it already 
 exists, it becomes the duty of every statesman having the 
 good of the peoj)le at heart, not only to defend it, but to 
 defend others in defending it. 
 
 Everything comes in good time — even freedom. The 
 world takes its time to grow — so does opinion ; and when 
 these is accelerated by extraneous means, reaction is sure 
 to follow, and the hands which mark humanity's march 
 on the dial of time are put back. 
 
 It is this acceptation of things as they are, with the res- 
 olution to improve them to an extent sufficient for his day, 
 and suitable to the temper of his times, which marks the 
 statesman. 
 
 The philosopher has no business with the Avorld as it is. 
 Sis world is yet to be born. But the statesman is the 
 proper moralist of the hour. His concern is expediency 
 — his basis, compromise. 
 
 We thus draw the lice between those who urged on this 
 war from motives of mistaken philanthropy, and those 
 who flew to its support from motives of patriotism, and 
 
GEORGE B. M'cLELLAN. 67 
 
 the single desire to re-unite a broken and distracted coun- 
 try. 
 
 Foremost in the latter class stands the hero of our 
 sketch — George Brinton McClellan. 
 
 We now proceed to rapidly sketch the various move- 
 ments of the army under his control, skipping, for the sake 
 of brevity, over that portion of its history which redounds 
 mostly to the credit of McClellan — namely, its organiza- 
 tion and equipment. 
 
 Passing over the battle of Ball's Bluff, the ^orth Caro- 
 lina Expedition, and the operations South and VYest which 
 McClellan at once instituted, we produce President Lin- 
 coln's letters, of January 21, and February 3, 1862, intend- 
 ed to show that even at that early date, the policy which 
 sought to prolong the war, in order that slavery might be 
 the more effectually eradicated, wa3 even then in active 
 operation, and by the counter- current it initiated ao-ainst 
 the plans and intentions of the Commander-in-Chief of the 
 army, embarrassed his operations, and multiplied the dif- 
 ficulties which surrounded him. 
 
 The order of January 31, 1862, is as follows : 
 
 Executive Mansion, 
 Washington, Jan. 31, 1862. 
 President's Special War Orders, JSTo. 1. 
 
 Ordered : That all the disposable force of the army of 
 the Potomac, after providing safely for the defense of 
 Washington, be formed into an expedition for the imme- 
 diate object of seizing and occupying a point upon the rail- 
 road south-westward of what is known as Manassas Junc- 
 tion, all details to be in the discretion of the Commander- 
 
68 THE LIFE OF 
 
 in-Chief, and the expedition to move before or on tlie 22d 
 day of February next. * 
 
 ABEAHAM LUSTCOLI^. 
 
 I asked his Excellency whether this order was to be re- 
 garded as final, or whether I could be permitted to submit, 
 in writing, my objections to his plan, and my reasons for 
 preferring my own. Permission was accorded, and I there- 
 fore x^repared the letter to the Secretary of War which is 
 given below. Before this had been submitted to the Presi- 
 dent, he addressed me the following note : — 
 
 Executive Mansion, 
 Washington, February 3, 1862. 
 Maj. Gen. McClellan, — 
 
 My Dear Sir. — You and I have distinct and different 
 plans for a movement of the army of the Potomac. Tours 
 to be done by the Chesapeake, up the Eappahannock to 
 Urbana, and across to the terminus of the railroad on the 
 York Eiver : mine to move directly to a point on the rail- 
 road southwest of Manassas. 
 
 If you will give me satisfactory answers to the follow- 
 ing questions, I shall gladly yield my plan to yours. 
 
 1 St. Does not your plan involve a greatly larger expen- 
 diture of twie and money than mine ? 
 
 2d. Wherein is a victory more certain by your plan than 
 mine ? 
 
 8d. Wherein is a victory more valuable by your plan than 
 mine ? 
 
 4th. In fact would it not be less valuable in this ; that it 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 69 
 
 would break no great line of the enemy's communications, 
 while mine would? 
 
 5th. In case of disaster, would not a retreat be more dif- 
 ficult by your plan than mine ? 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 ABEAHAM LINOOLIT. 
 
 These questions were substantially answered by the fol- 
 lowing letter, of the same date, to the Secretary of War. 
 
 Head-Quarters of the Army, 
 Washington^ Feb. 3, 1862. 
 Hon. E. M. Stanton, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 Sir, — I ask your indulgence for the following paper 
 rendered necessary by circumstances. 
 
 I assumed command of the troops in the vicinity of 
 Washington- on Saturday, July 27, 1861, six days after the 
 battle of Bull Eun. 
 
 I found no army to command ; a mere collection of regi- 
 ments, cowering on the banks of th(> Potomac, some per- 
 fectly raw, others dispirited by the recent defeat. 
 
 ]S"othing of any consequence had been done to secure 
 the southern approaches to the capital by means of defen- 
 sive works; — nothing whatever had been undertaken to 
 defend the avenues to the city on the northern side of the 
 Potomac. 
 
 The troops were not only undisciplined, undrilled, and 
 dispirited , they were not even placed in military posi- 
 
70- THE LIFE OP 
 
 tions — the city was almost in a condition to have been 
 taken by a dash of a regiment of cavalry. 
 
 Without one day's delay I undertook the difficult task 
 assigned to me ; that task the Hon. Secretary knows was 
 given to me without my solicitation or foreknowledge. 
 How far I have accomjjlished it will best be shown by the 
 past and the present. 
 
 The capital is secure against attack ; the extensive 
 fortifications erected by the labor of our troops enable a 
 small garrison to hold it against a numerous army ;* the 
 enemy have been held in check ; the State of Maryland 
 is securely in our possession ; the detached counties of 
 Yirginia are again within the pale of cur laws, and all ap- 
 prehension of trouble in Delaware is at an end; the enemy 
 are confined to the positions they occupied before the dis- 
 aster of the 21st July; more than all this, I have now 
 under my command, a well drilled and reliable army, to 
 which the destinies of the country may be confidently 
 committed ; this army is young and untried in battle, but 
 it is animated by the highest spirit, and is capable of great 
 deeds. 
 
 That so much has been accomplishedand, such an army 
 created in so short a time, from nothing, will hereafter be 
 regarded as one of the highest glories of the administra- 
 tion and the nation. 
 
 Many weeks, I may say many months ago, this army 
 of the Potomac was fully in condition to repel any attack ; 
 but there is a vast difference between that and the efficiency 
 required to enable troops to attack successfully an army 
 
GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 71 
 
 elated by victory and intrenclied in a position long since 
 selected, studied and fortified. 
 
 In the earliest papers I submitted to the President, I 
 asked for an effective and movable force far exceeding the 
 aggregate now on the banks of the Potomac. I have not 
 the force I asked for. Even when in a subordinate posi- 
 tion, I always looked beyond the operations of the Army 
 of the Potomac ; 1 was never satisfied in my own mind 
 with a barren victory, but looked to combined and decisive 
 operations. 
 
 When I was placed in command of the armies of the 
 United States, i immediately turned my attention to the 
 whole field of operations, regarding the army of the Poto- 
 mac as only one^ while the most important, of the masses 
 under my command. 
 
 I confess that I did not then appreciate the total absence 
 of a general plan, which had before existed, nor did I 
 know that utter disorganization and want of preparation 
 pervaded the Western armies.. 
 
 I. took it for granted that they were nearly, if not quite, 
 in condition to move towards the fulfillment of my plans ; 
 I acknowledge that I made a great mistake. 
 
 I sent at once, with the approval of the Executive, 
 officers I considered competent to command in Kentucky 
 and Missouri — their instructions looked to prompt move- 
 ments — I soon found that the labor of creation and organi- 
 zation had to be performed there ; transportation, arms, 
 clothing, artillery discipline — all were wanting; these 
 things required time to procure them. The generals in 
 command have done their work most creditably ; but we 
 
72 THE LIFE OP 
 
 are still delayed. I had hoped that a general advance 
 could be made during the good weather of December ; I 
 was mistaken. 
 
 My wish was to gain possession of the Eastern Tennes- 
 see Eailroad as a preliminary movement — then to follow it 
 uj) immediately by an attack on Nashville and Eichmond 
 as nearly at the same time as possible. 
 
 I have ever regarded our true policy as being that of 
 fully preparing ourselves and then seeking for the most 
 decisive results. I do not wish to waste time in useless 
 battles, but I prefer to strike at the heart. 
 
 Two bases of operations seem to present themselves for 
 the advance of the army of the Potomac. 
 
 1st. That of Washington, its present position, involving 
 
 a direct attack upon the intrenched positions of the enemy 
 
 at Centreville, Manassas, &c., or else a movement to turn 
 
 one or both flanks of those positions, or a combination of 
 
 the two j)lans. 
 
 ******* 
 
 Bearing in mind what has been said, and the present 
 unprecedented and impassable condition of the roads, it 
 will be evident that no precise period can be fixed upon for 
 the movement on this line, l^or can its duration be closely 
 calculated ; it seems certain that many weeks may elapse 
 before it is possible to commence the march. Assuming 
 the success of this operation, and the defeat of the enemy 
 as certain, the question at once arises, as to the importance 
 of the results gained. I think these results would be con- 
 fined to the possession of the field of battle^the evacuation 
 of the line of the XJpi)er Potomac by the enemy, and the 
 
GEORGE B, M^CLELLAN. 73 
 
 moral effect of the victory ; important results, it is true, 
 but not decisive of the war, nor securing the destruction 
 of the enemy's main army, for he could fall back upon 
 other positions and fight us again and again, should the 
 condition, of his troojis permit. If he is in no condition 
 to fight us again out of range of the intrenchments at 
 Richmond, we would find it a very difficult and tedious 
 matter to follow him up there, for he would destroy his 
 railroad bridges, and otherwise impede our progress 
 through a region where the roads are as bad as they well 
 can be, and we would probably find ourselves forced at 
 last to change the whole theater of war, or to seek a 
 shorter land route to Eichmond, with a smaller available 
 force, and an expenditure of much more time, than were 
 we to adopt the short line at once. We would also have 
 forced the enemy to concentrate his forces, and perfect his 
 defensive measures at the very points where it is desirable 
 to strike him when least prepared. 
 
 II. The second base of operations available for the army 
 of the Potomac, is that of the lower Chesapeake Bay, 
 which affords the shortest possible land route to Eichmond, 
 and strikes directly at the heart of the enemy's power in 
 the east. 
 
 The roads in that region are passable at all seasons of 
 the year. 
 
 The country now alluded to, is much more favorable for 
 offensive operations than that in front of Washington, 
 (which is very unfavorable,) much more level, more cleared 
 land, the woods less dense, the soil more sandy, the spring 
 some two or three weeks earlier. A movement in force on 
 
74 THE LIFE or 
 
 that lino, obliges the enemy to abandon his intrenched 
 position at Manassas, in order to hasten to cover Eich- 
 mond and Norfolk. He must do this ; for should he per- 
 mit us to occupy Eichmond, his destruction can be averted 
 only by entirely defeating us in a battle, in which he must 
 be the assailant. This movement, if successful, gives us 
 the capital, the communications, the supplies of the rebels; 
 Norfolk would fall; all the waters of the Chesapeake 
 would be ours, all Virginia would be in our power, and the 
 enemy forced to abandon Tennessee and North Carolina. 
 The alternative presented to the enemy, would be to beat 
 us in a position selected by ourselves ; disperse or pass 
 beneath the Caudine Forks. 
 
 Should we be beaten in a battle, we have a perfectly 
 secure retreat down the Peninsula upon Fort Monroe,with 
 our flanks j)erfectly covered by the fleet. During the 
 whole movement our left flank is covered by the water ; 
 our right is secure, for the reason that the enemy is too 
 distant to reach us in time ; he can only oppose us in 
 front ; we bring our fleet into full play. 
 
 THE PENINSULA. 
 
 This plan was but partially adopted. Preparations, in- 
 deed, were made for a movement to the Peninsula, but 
 under the pretence of covering Washington, a large force 
 was retained in that city, which materially reduced Kc- 
 Clellan's strength. Another reduction of his force was 
 made the day after McClellan reached his base of opera- 
 tions — Fortress Monroe. General Wool, with 10,000 men 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 75 
 
 under him, were detached from the Chief's command. 
 
 The navy, also, which McClellan largely coimted on for 
 co-operation against the reduction of Yorktown, was sum- 
 marily withdrawn. 
 
 To cap the climax, while McClellan was just on the 
 point of turning Yorktown by TVest Point, the first corps, 
 consisting of 60,000 men under General McDowell, was 
 detached from his command. 
 
 Thus even in the beginning of his command, the shad- 
 ows of treachery and envy deepened about him. 
 G-eneral McClellan thus alludes to it himself : 
 It was at this stage and moment of the campaign that 
 the following telegram was sent to me : 
 
 Adjutant-General's Ofpfice, 
 
 April Uh, 1862. 
 Gen. McClellan : — 
 
 By directions of the President, General McDowell's 
 army corps has been detached from the force under your 
 immediate command, and the General is ordered to re- 
 port to the Secretary of War ; letter by mail. 
 
 L. THOMAS, 
 
 Adjt-Gen. 
 The President having promised, in our interview follow- 
 ing his order of March 31st, withdrawing Blenker's divi- 
 sion of 10,000 men from my command, that nothing of the 
 sort should be repeated, that I might rest assured that the 
 campaign should proceed with no further deductions from 
 the force upon which its operations had been planned, I 
 may confess to having. been shocked at this order, which, 
 with that of the 31st ult., removed nearly 60,000 men from 
 
76 THE LIFE OF 
 
 my command, and reduced my force by more than one 
 third, after its task bad been assigned, its operations plan- 
 ned, its fighting begun. To me the blow was most dis- 
 couraging. It frustrated all my plans for impending ope- 
 rations. It fell when I was too deeply committed to with- 
 draw ; it left me incapable of continuing operations which 
 I had begun ; it compelled the adoption of another, a dif- 
 ferent, and a less effective plan of campaign ; it made 
 rapid and brilliant movements impossible ; it was a fatal 
 error. 
 
 It was now, of course, out of my power to turn York- 
 town by West Point. I had, therefore, no choice left but 
 to attack it directly in front, as I best could with the force 
 at my command. 
 
 It is useless to follow the melancholy recital. Prom 
 that hour McClellan and the army were doomed. 
 
 The siege of Yorktown, the victorious pursuit and bril- 
 liant action at Williamsburg — one of the greatest battles 
 of this war — the battles of West Point, Coal Harbor, 
 White House, Chickahominy, Bottom's Bridge, 'New Kent 
 and Seven Pines, and Fair Oaks, followed in quick succes- 
 sion. ITever were such brilliant actions fought before. 
 It only remained to 'form a junction with G-eneral Mc- 
 Dowell, who, although for the time withdrawn from Mc- 
 Clellan's command, was now positively to re-inforce him, 
 and strike the final blow at the exhausted enemy. 
 
 On the 24th of May, 1862, the President re-assured Mc- 
 Clellan, in a letter of that date, that he would surely have 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 77 
 
 McDowell, and the latter would set out to join him on the 
 26th. Here are the words : 
 
 " You will have command of McDowell after he joins 
 you, precisely as you indicated in your long dispatch to us 
 of the twenty-first (21st.) 
 
 A. LmcoLiNr, 
 
 President, 
 Says McClellan : 
 
 This information that McDowelFs corps would march 
 for Fredericksburg on the following Monday (the 26th), 
 and that he would be under my command, as indicated in 
 my telegram of the 21st, was cheering news, and I now felt 
 confident that we would, on his arrival, be sufficiently 
 strong to overpower the large army confronting us. 
 
 At a later hour, oh the same day, I received the follow- 
 ing :— 
 
 May 24, 1862. 
 From Washington, 4 p.m., 24th. 
 Maj.-Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, — 
 
 In consequence of General Bank's critical position, I 
 have been compelled to suspend General McDowell's move- 
 ments to join you. The enemy are making a desperate 
 push upon Harper's Ferry, and we are trying to throw 
 General Fremont's force and part of General McDowell's 
 in their rear. 
 
 A. LmCOLN^, 
 
 President. 
 This filled the cup. It was all over. Kichmond was in 
 McClellan's grasp, and it needed but a turn of the finger, 
 a single word upon paper, to secure it. That word never 
 
78 THE LIFE OF 
 
 came. The Commander-in-Chief was doomed. The time 
 had not yet come to announce, as in the Chicago Mani- 
 festo, " to whom it may concern," that the Union was not 
 to be reinstated without the destruction of slavery. 
 
 The memorable seven days now followed, days immor- 
 tal in the history of America, and the gallant chief con- 
 ducted his army by that most difficult of all movements, a 
 flank march in the face of a large superior force of the ene- 
 my, to a place of rest and safety. G-aine's Mill, Savage's 
 Station, White Oak Swamp, Charles City, and Malvern 
 Hill, have become memorable names to our countrymen. 
 
 That the army of the Potomac did make a successful 
 change of its base, and by an effectual resistance did repel 
 all attacks made by the rebel army to prevent this change, 
 and beat back with terrible slaughter the assailants; that 
 the movements of our army on its march were by night, 
 and the battles were through seven continuous days, ar^ 
 facts not disj)uted. These movements and sanguinary 
 conflicts, terminating in the arrival at the position sought 
 to be reached, were not unpremeditated, accidental or for- 
 tuitous, but were planned and ordered and supervised by 
 the general commanding the vast host comprising the 
 army of the Potomac, George B. McClellan. ]S"ever be- 
 fore on the American soil was such a feat performed ; 
 there is no passage in the military history of our country 
 so luminous as that which records the doings of our army 
 during those seven days. It is doubtful whether any act 
 or series of acts has shed such lustre on our arms in the 
 view of scientific and experienced military men in Europe^ 
 as the movements of our army in retiring from the Chick- 
 
GEORGE B. MOCLELLAN. 79 
 
 ahominy to tlie James, in the face of a foe superior in 
 numbers and led by able commanders. Ko one military 
 exploit in the progress of this civil war has done more to 
 admonish foreign powers that it would be dangerous to 
 interfere with the operations of the lawful government of 
 the country to suppress the rebellion, and, therefore, to 
 prevent such interference. 
 
 Even Pollard, the Confederate historian of the war, is 
 compelled to admit with reluctance, that " skill and spirit 
 with which McClellan had managed to retreat was indeed 
 remarkable, and aiforded no mean proofs of his general- 
 ship. At every stage of his retreat, says this author, he 
 had confronted our forces with a strong rear guard, and 
 had encountered us with organized lines of battle, and 
 regular dispositions of infantry, cavalry and artillery. 
 His heavy rifled cannon had been used against us con- 
 stantly on his retreat. A portion of his forces had now 
 effected communicaMons with the rivers at points below 
 €ity Point. The plan of cutting off his communication 
 with the river, which was to have been executed by a 
 movement of Holmes' division between him and the river, 
 was frustrated by the severe fire of the gunboats, and since 
 that the situation of the enemy appeared to be that of di- 
 vision or dispersion of his forces, one portion resting on 
 the river, and the other to some extent involved by our 
 lines." 
 
 " It had been stated to the public of Eichmond, with 
 great precision of detail, that on the evening of Saturday 
 the 28th of June, we had brought the enemy to bay on the 
 south side of the Chickahominy, and that it only remained 
 
80 THE LIFE OF 
 
 to finish him in a single battle. Such, in fact, appeared to 
 have been the situation. The next morning, however, it 
 was perceived that our resources of generalship had given 
 us too much confidence ; that the enemy had managed to 
 extricate himself from the critical position, and, having 
 massed his forces, had succeeded under cover of the night, , 
 in opening a way to the James Eiver." 
 
 " Upon this untoward event, the operations of the arnjj" 
 on the Eichmond side of the Chickahominy, were to fol- 
 low a fugitive army through a country where he had ad- 
 mirable opportunities of concealment, and through the 
 swamps and forests of which he had retreated with the 
 most remarkable judgment, dexterity and spirit of forti- 
 tude." 
 
 Thus much for the testimony of the Confederates. The 
 commander and historian of the Army of the Potomac 
 was fLilly authorized to say : — " The seven d&js are classi- 
 cal in American history ; those days m which the noble 
 soldiers of the Union and Constitution fought an over- 
 whelming enemy by day, and retreated from successive 
 victories by night, through a week of battle, closing the 
 terrible series of conflicts with the ever memorable victory 
 of Malvern, where they drove back, beaten and shattered, 
 the entire Eastern army of the Confederacy, and thus se- 
 cured for themselves a place for rest and a point for a new 
 advance upon the capital from the banks of the James." 
 
 Mr. Motley, our Minister at the Court of Vienna, thus 
 writes to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, in October, 1862. 
 The letter will be found in the diplomatic coiTespondence 
 
GEORGE B. M'cLELLAN. 81 
 
 communicated to Congress by the Secretary of State pages 
 569 and 570. Extract : 
 
 " In this connection I deem worthy of your notice, a 
 brief extract from a remarkable series of papers in the 
 ]3rincipal military journal ot this empire, in which the 
 course of our campaigns is criticised, sometimes severely, 
 but never ungenerously; always with talent, and with 
 thorough knowledge of the subject, topographically and 
 strategically, and with a firm disposition to do justice. 
 You will be interested to read the comments of so able a 
 writer, upon the withdrawal of our armies from the James 
 Eiver : 
 
 *' It is not to be wondered at, then, if the General-in 
 Chief of the Army of the Potomac was in haste to save 
 the army entrusted to him from the dangers surrounding 
 it, even from certain destruction; froom a noose, in fact, 
 which required only to be drawn a little closely together 
 in order to sujffocate the soul of the Union. The manner 
 in which he acquitted himself of this most difficult of all 
 military tasks, redounds to his infinite honor, and places 
 him at once in the ranks of those memorable commanders, 
 whose name history treasures for posterity ; men, who, if 
 they have perhaps not had the art to chain victory to their 
 banners, possessed, at any rate, the fortitude, the audacity 
 arid the circumspection to rescue their armies from im- 
 pending ruin. * * * The American general 
 has made a thorough study of war in the swamps of the 
 Chickahominy, and has made himself a complete master 
 ill that most difficult of x^rofessions. * * * * 
 He has manifested the unquestioned talent to save his ar. 
 
82 THE LIFE OP 
 
 my, in a manner not sufficiently to be admired, out of tlie 
 most desperate of situations. Moreau made himself im- 
 mortal by his famous retreat from the Iller to the Ehine, 
 in the year 1796. What is due to the American General- 
 Chief, who conducted, with a morally and physically ex- 
 hausted army, through a swampy, pathless country, cov- 
 ered with ancient forests, and in face of an enemy out- 
 numbering him two to ©ne, the most classical of all re- 
 treats recorded in military history, without a single dis- 
 aster?" 
 
 'No doubt this criticism, from a high military source, in 
 an empire thoroughly instructed in the art of war, must 
 have been highly gratifying to our distinguished ambassa- 
 dor himself, the author of histories which are classics in 
 our language. Similar emotions must have swelled the 
 hearts of all our loyal countrymen in Europe at the time. 
 With far different feelings, however, were the commenda- 
 tions of our American general regarded by the Committee 
 on the Conduct of the War. They could easily sacrifice 
 their country's renown to gratify their personal dislike for 
 General McClellan. 
 
 It is a fact familiar to the student of history, that the 
 military renown of armies, and the nations they served, 
 has been often as much heightened by skillful and well- 
 ordered retreats from situations of peril, as by successful 
 assaults. The famous retreat of the ten thousand Greeks, 
 under their leader, Xenophon, needs only to be mentioned 
 in this connection. The hardly less famous retreat of Mo- 
 reau in 1796, has been adverted to by Mr. Motley. In the 
 war between this country and Great Britain, in 1812-15, 
 
GEORGE B, M^CLELLAN. 83 
 
 our navy performed exploits highly distinguished, and 
 greatly elevated our national character. 
 
 In the early months of that war, when we had experi- 
 enced little but disaster on the land, it was truly said, 
 " Our little navy has dragged up by the locks the drown- 
 ing honor of our country." But of all the feats of that 
 navy in this memorable war, there was not one that re- 
 flected greater honor upon the naval arm of the service, 
 than the masterly escape of Captain Isaac Hull, when in 
 command of the frigate Constitution, from a squadron of 
 British vessels, consisting of a razee of sixty-four guns, 
 and four frigates, after a close pursuit of three days and 
 nights. This display of American seamanship was viewed 
 with admiration and astonishment by the greatest naval 
 power in the world. 
 
 On the 20th of April the army returned to the Potomac, 
 its discipline and equipment unimpaired, its morale mag- 
 nificent, its bearing proud and defiant, and its standards 
 torn and faded, but covered with glory. 
 
 McClellan no sooner returned than he was shorn of his 
 command, and reduced to the position of a hanger-on of 
 the army now under General Pope. 
 
 Stung with the injustice and mortification he was sub- 
 jected to, he thus broke forth in an eloquent appeal to the 
 authorities at Washington : 
 
 Alexandria, Va., Aug. 30, 1862. 
 * * * * * ^ * 
 
 I cannot express to you the pain and mortification I 
 have experienced to-day in listening to the distant sound 
 of the firing of my men. As I can be of no further use 
 
84 THE LIFE OF 
 
 here, I respectfully ask that if there is a probability of the 
 conflict being renewed to-morrow, I may be permitted to 
 go to the scene of battle with my staff, merely to be with 
 my own men, if nothing more; they will fight none the 
 worse for my being with them. If it is not deemed best 
 to intrust me with the command even of my own army, I 
 simply ask to be permitted to share their fate on the field 
 of battle. Please reply to this to-night. 
 
 I have been engaged for the last few hours in doing what 
 I can to make arrangements for the wounded. I have 
 started out all the ambulances now landed. 
 
 As I have sent my escort to the front, I would be glad 
 to take some of Gregg's cavalrj^ with me, if allowed to 
 go. 
 
 G. B. McClellan, 
 
 Major-Gen eral. 
 
 In vain. It was not until the bombastic Pope was over- 
 whelmed by the enemy, and driven back in confusion to 
 Washington, that McClellan was again reluctantly called 
 to the command of the army, to save the capital, check the 
 enemy, defeat him on the bloody fields of South Mountain 
 and Antietam, and finally hurl him away in disorder across 
 the Potomac. 
 
 That tremendous but glorious duty successfully per- 
 formed, he was again dei)rived of his command, and, on 
 the 5th November, 1862, retired to Newton, New Jersey. 
 
 Ilis deposal was the signal for personal attack and 
 crimhiation. In the Senate, in the Press, everywhere, ex- 
 cept in the army, he was reviled as a fraud, a humbug, an 
 imposter, and a traitor to his countr}^. He was charged 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 85 
 
 with the defeat of the army, and a committee of investi- 
 gation, ordered by Congress, published a report strongly 
 condemning him for inefficiency. It was the report of 
 this committee which ended in his being deposed from the 
 command of the army of the Potomac. 
 
 But though successful in this, the force of malice could 
 no further go. He was deprived of his command, but he 
 still survived in the hearts of the people. He was success- 
 fully defended against the committee's decision, in a pam- 
 phlet published by Hiram Ketchum, on the 16th May, 
 1864. 
 
 A committee of his admirers bought and presented to 
 him an elegant house and lot in Thirty-fifth street, 'New 
 York, as a testimony of their admiration of his qualities 
 as a soldier and a statesman. In this house he now re- 
 sides, though most of his time is spent in Oracge, New 
 Jersey, in company with his charming wife, formerly Miss 
 Ellen Marcy, daughter of Gen. E. B. Marcy, his former 
 commander in Texas. By this lady he has one child. 
 
 On the occasion of the Metropolitan Sanitary Fair in 
 New York, a sword was presented by a jewelry house in 
 the city, to be the prize of he who should secure the largest 
 number of votes, each vote to be accompanied by one dol- 
 lar in cash. 
 
 For a long while the votes were cast almost exclusively 
 for McClellan, audit was deemed certain that he would be 
 awarded the prize. 
 
 On the last day of the fair, a secret ballot was announc- 
 ed. The object of this was plain enough. It was started 
 by the friends of General Grant, who were determined to 
 
86 THE LIFE OP 
 
 see their favorite win, and knowing that no matter how 
 many votes they cast for Grant, they would be met by a 
 corresponding amount of McClellan votes, this course was 
 determined upon. The result it is needless to relate. Up 
 to the moment of secret balloting, McClellan had six 
 thousand five hundred votes against Grant's two thousand. 
 Upon counting the votes after the secret ballotting. Grant 
 had fourteen thousand five hundred, while McClellan had 
 scarcely seven thousand. 
 
 This shows the bitterness of i^arty feeling which assail- 
 ed him ; but it is to just this feeling that his immense pop- 
 ularity is chiefly owing. The people do not like to see a 
 man assailed by superior numbers, and always take his 
 part. To this, then, is McClellan indebted for his popu- 
 larity, as much as to his own merit. 
 
 To conclude this chapter, we cannot do better than sub- 
 join McClellan's own conclusion to the report he has pub- 
 lished of his own career as Commander-in-Chief: 
 
 In this report I have confined myself to a plain narra- 
 tive of such facts as are necessary for the purposes of his- 
 tory. "VYhere it was possible, I have preferred to give 
 these facts in the language of dispatches written at the 
 time of their occurrence, rather than to attempt a new re- 
 lation. 
 
 The reports of the subordinate commanders, hereto an- 
 nexed, recite what time and space would fail me to men- 
 tion here — those individual instances of conspicuous brav- 
 ery and skill by which every battle was marked. To them 
 I must especially refer, for without them, this narrative 
 would be incomplete, and justice fail to be done. But I 
 
GEORGE B. M'cLELLAN. 87 
 
 cannot omit to tender to my corps commanders, and to 
 the general oflScers under them, such ample recognition of 
 their cordial co-operation and their devoted services, as 
 those reports abundantly vouch, 
 
 I have not sought to defend the army which I had the 
 honor to command, nor myself, against the hostile criti- 
 cisms once sc rife. 
 
 It has seemed to me that nothing more was required 
 than such a plain and truthful narrative, to enable those 
 whose right it is to form a correct judgment on the im- 
 portant matters involved. 
 
 This report is, in fact, the history of the army of the 
 Potomac, During the period occupied in the organization 
 of that army, it served as a barrier against the advance of 
 a lately victorious enemy, while the fortification of the 
 capital was in progress.; and under the discipline which it 
 then received it acquired strength, education, and some 
 of that experience which is necessary to success in active 
 operations, and which enabled it afterward to sustain itself 
 under circumstances trying to the most heroic men. Fre- 
 quent skirmishes occurred along the lines, conducted with 
 great gallantry, which inured our troojDS to the realities 
 of war. >, 
 
 The army grew into shape but slowly, and the delays 
 which attended on the obtaining: of arms, continued late 
 into the winter of 1861-2, were no less trying to the sol- 
 diers than to the people of the country. Even at the time 
 of the organization of the Peninsular campaign, some of 
 the finest regiments were without rifles, nor were the ut- 
 most exertions on the part of the military authorities 
 adequate to overcome the obstacles to active service. 
 
88 THE LIFE OF 
 
 When at length the army was in condition to take the 
 field, the Peninsular campaign was planned, and entered 
 upon with enthusiasm by officers and men. Had this 
 campaign been followed up as it was designed, I cannot 
 doubt that it would have resulted in a glorious triumph to 
 our arms, and the permanent restoration of the power of 
 the government in Virginia and IsTorth Carolina, if not 
 throughout the revolted States. It was, however, otherwise 
 ordered, and instead of reporting a victorious campaign, 
 it has been my duty to relate the heroism of a reduced 
 army, sent upon an expedition into an enemy's countrjp^ 
 there to abandon one, and originate another and new plan 
 of campaign, which might and would have been success- 
 ful if supported with appreciation of its necessities, but 
 which failed because of the repeated failure of promised 
 support, at the most critical, and, as it proved, the most 
 fatal moments. 
 
 That heroism surpasses ordinary description. Its illus- 
 tration must be left for the pen of the historian in times 
 of calm reflection, when the nation shall be looking back 
 to the past from the midst of peaceful days. 
 
 For me, now, it is sufficient to say, that my comrades 
 were victors on every field save one, and there the endu- 
 rance of a single corps accomplished the object of its fight- 
 ing and, by securing to the army its transit to the James, 
 left to the enemy a ruinous and barren victory. 
 
 The army of the Potomac was first reduced hj the with- 
 drawal from my command of the division of Gen. Blenker, 
 which was ordered to tlie Mountain Department, under 
 General Fremont. "We had scarcely landed on the Penin- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 89 
 
 sula, when it was further reduced by a dispatch, revoking 
 a previous ord^r giving me command of Fortress Monroe, 
 and under which I had expected to take ten thousand 
 men from that point, to aid in our operations. Then,when 
 under fire before the defenses of Yorktown, we received 
 the news of the withdrawal of General McDowell's corps, 
 of about 35,000 men. This completed the overthrow of the 
 original plan of the campaign. About one-third of my en- 
 tire army (five divisions out of fourteen, one of the nine 
 remaining being but little larger than a brigade), was thus 
 taken from me. Instead of a rapid advance which I had 
 planned, aided by a flank movement up the York JEliver, it 
 was only left to besiege Yorktown. That siege was suc- 
 cessfully conducted by the army, and when these strong 
 works fit length yielded to our approaches, the troops 
 rushed forward to the sanguinary but successful battle 
 of William sburgh^ and thus oj^ened an almost unresisted 
 advance to the banks of the Chickahominy. Eich- 
 mond lay before them surrounded with fortifications, 
 and guarded by an army larger than our own ; but 
 the prospect did not shake the courage of the brave 
 men who composed my command. - Eelying still on 
 the support which the vastness of our undertaking, and 
 the grand results depending on our success seemed to in- 
 sure us, we pressed forward. The weather was stormy 
 beyond precedent, the deep soil of the Peninsula was at 
 times one vast morass. The Chickahominy rose to a high- 
 er stage than had been known for years before. Pursuing 
 the advance, the crossings were seized, and the right wing 
 extended to effect a junction with reinforcements now 
 
90 THE LIFE or 
 
 promised and earnestly desired, and upon the arrival of 
 which the complete success of the campaign seemed clear. 
 The brilliant battle of Hanover Court House was fought, 
 which opened the way for the first corps, with the aid of 
 which, had it come, we should then have gone into the 
 enemy's capital. It never came. The bravest army could 
 not do more, under such overwhelming disappointment, 
 than the army of the Potomac then did. Fair Oaks at- 
 tests their courage and endurance, when they hurled back 
 again and again the vastly superior masses of the enemy. 
 But mortal men could not accomplish the miracles that 
 seem to have been expected of them. But one course was 
 left ; a flank march in the face of a powerful enemy, to 
 another, and better base, one of the most hazardous move- 
 ments in war. The army of the Potomac holding»its own 
 safety, and almost the safety of our cause, in its hands, was 
 equal to the occasion. The Seven Days are classical in 
 American history ; those days in which the noble soldiers 
 of the Union and Constitution, fought an overwhelming 
 enemy by day, and retreated from successive victories by 
 night, through a week of battle, closing the terrible scenes 
 of conflict with the ever memorable victory at Malvern, 
 where they drove back, beaten and shattered, the entire 
 eastern army of the confederacy, and thus secured for 
 themselves a place of rest, and" a point for a new advance 
 upon the capital from the banks of the James. 
 
 Eichmond was still within our grasp, had the army of 
 the Potomac been reinforced and permitted to advance. 
 But counsels, which I cannot but think subsequent events 
 proved unwise, prevailed in "Washington, and we were or- 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 91 
 
 dered to abandon the campaign. Never did soldiers better 
 deserve the thanks of a nation than the array of the Po- 
 tomac for the deeds of the Peninsular campaign, and al- 
 though that meed was withheld from them by the autho- 
 rities, I am persuaded they have received the applause of 
 the American people. The army of the Potomac was re- 
 called from within sight of Eichmond, and incorporated 
 with the army of Yirginia. Th^ disappointments of the 
 campaign on the Peninsula, had not dampened their ardor 
 or diminished their patriotism. They fought well, faith- 
 fully, gallantly, under General Pope ; yet were compelled 
 to fall back on Washington, defeated and almost demora- 
 lized. The enemy, no longer occupied in guarding his own 
 capital, poured his troops northward, entered Maryland, 
 threatened Pennsylvania, and even Washington itself. 
 Elated by his recent victories, and assured that our troops 
 were disorganized and dispirited, he was confident that 
 the seat of war was now permanently transferred to the 
 loyal States, and that his own exhausted soil was to be re- 
 lieved from the burden of supporting twd- hostile armies. 
 But he did not understand the spirit which animated the 
 soldiers of the Union. I shall not, nor can I living forget 
 that, when I was ordered to the command of the troopa 
 for the defense of the capital, the soldiers with whom I had 
 shared so much of the anxiety and pain and suffering ol 
 the war, had not lost their confidence in me as their com- 
 mander. They sprang to my call with all their ancient 
 vigor, discipline and courage. I led them into Maryland. 
 Fifteen days after they had fallen back defeated before 
 Washington, they vanquished the enemy on the rugged 
 
92 THE LIFE OP 
 
 heiglits of South Mountain, pursued him to the hard fought 
 field of Antietam, and drove him, broken and disappointed, 
 across the Potomac into Virginia. 
 
 The army had need of rest. After the terrible experi- 
 ences of battles and marches, with scarcely an interval oi 
 repose, which they had gone through from the time of 
 leaving for the Peninsula, the return to Washington, the 
 defeat in Yirginia, the victory at South Mountain, and 
 again at Antietam, it was not surprising that they were, 
 in a large degree, destitute of the absolute necessaries to 
 effective duty. Shoes were worn out, blankets were lost, 
 clothing was in rags ; in short the army was unfit for ac- 
 tive service, and an interval for rest and equij)ment was 
 necessary. 
 
 When the slowly forwarded supplies came to us, I led 
 the army across the river, renovated and refreshed, in 
 good order and discipline, and followed the retreating foe 
 to a position where I was confident of a decisive victory, 
 when in the midst of the movement, while my advance 
 guard was actually in contact with the enemy, I was re- 
 moved from the command. 
 
 I am devoutly grateful to God, that my last campaign 
 with this brave army was crowned with a victory which 
 saved the nation from the greatest peril it had then un- 
 dergone. 
 
 I have not accomplished my purpose, if, by this report, 
 the Army of the Potomac is not placed high on the roll 
 of the historic armies of the world. 
 
 Its deeds ennoble the nation to which it belongs- Al- 
 ways ready for battle, always firm, steadfast and trust- 
 
GEORGE B. m'GLELLAN. 93 
 
 worthy, I never called on it in vain ; nor will the nation 
 ever have cause to attri|?ute its want of success, under my- 
 self or under other commanders, to any failure of patriot- 
 riotism or bravery in that noble body of American sol- 
 diers. 
 
 No man can justly charge upon any portion of that ar- 
 my, from the commanding general to the private, any 
 lack of devotion to the service of the United States gov- 
 ernment, 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 a nation's rever- 
 ence, than the survivors to the justice of a nations grati- 
 tude. 
 
 1 am, sir, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 GEOEGE B. McCLELLAN, 
 Major-Gen. U. S. A. 
 
 To THE SeCEETARY OF WaR. 
 
94 THE LIFE OP 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 THE POLITICIAN AND STATESMAN. 
 
 His first participation in Politics. — Vigilance Committee of New Orleans. 
 — Lawless ads of the Thugs. — The position of parties. — George builds 
 a Barricade. — Street fighting. — The Vigilance Committee triumphant. — 
 The Mayor resigns. — The barricades are demolished bi) the Committee^ 
 and quiet restored. — McClellan's political sayings and writings. — He 
 proxies himself a true Patriot. — His nomination to the Presidency. — Po- 
 litical prospects. — The End. 
 
 Previous to the breaking out of hostilities in 1861, Geo. 
 B. McClellan had had but little experience as a politician. 
 As a practical statesman he had had none. 
 
 The only political contest in which be had shared up to 
 that time, was the organization of a people's Vigilance 
 Committee in ISTew Orleans, June, 1858. 
 
 "VVe will now relate the history of this affair : 
 
 The people of New Orleans had for many years suffered 
 from the lawless acts of the countless ruffians who infest- 
 ed the city. They had robbed and murdered with such 
 frequency and impunity, that scarcely a da}^ passed with- 
 out a long list of crimes. Such few of these as came be- 
 fore the proj^er authorities for trial, alone amounted to 
 frightful proportions. No less than five hundred indict- 
 ments for murder, manslaughter, assaults with deadly 
 weapons, and other similar crimes, stood on the docket at 
 the time of which we write, while thousands of villainies 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 95 
 
 were daily committed, which escaped both detection and 
 apprehension. The police force was notoriously leagued 
 with the criminals, or Thugs, as they were called. The 
 Mayor of the city, Charles M. Waterman, was too imbe- 
 cile, or, as some insinuated, too guilty to arrest the evil. 
 He was repeatedly requested to resign, but refused to do 
 so, and things went on as before. 
 
 At this juncture a new election was drawing nigh< There 
 were three candidates for the office,jMayor Chas. M. Water- 
 man, Major P. G. T. Beauregard, of the United States To- 
 pographical Engineers, since General Beauregard, of the 
 Confederate army, and a Mr. Stith. Waterman was the 
 candidate of the Thug or rowdy party ; Beauregard the 
 candidate of the business community, and was endorsed by 
 nearly every respectable signature in the city ; and Stith 
 the candidate of the Native American or Know-l!^othing 
 party. 
 
 The election was for the 5th, and had apparently settled 
 down into a contest between Waterman and Beauregard. 
 
 Nothing occurred to indicate the explosion which threat- 
 ened, so that the citizens of New Orleans were completely 
 astonished, out of both their beds and their senses, when 
 late on the night of June 2d, it was announced that a 
 Yigilance Committee had been organized and armed, had 
 marched to the arsenal in Jackson Square, supplied them- 
 selves with muskets and ammunition, and placed them- 
 selves in a hostile attitude towards the party of Mayor ^ 
 Waterman. 
 
 In the morning, New Orleans rubbed its eyes in wonder. 
 
96 THE LIFE OP 
 
 The Euss pavement of the principal streets had been torn 
 up, and formidable barricades formed from it to obstruct 
 the thoroughfares. In front of these stone barriers cotton 
 bales were planted, and from behind them, cannon frowned 
 upon the astonished citizens ; while men formidably armed 
 with muskets, bayonets and small arms, stood sentry over 
 all. 
 
 Jackson Square was a complete tower of stone work and 
 cotton bales. A ditch was dug inside of it, and a cheval- 
 de-frize planted opposite to each of the streets that de- 
 boughed into the square. This was the work of no inex- 
 perienced hand. We shall presently know under whose 
 directions these defenses were erected. 
 
 The Vigilance Committee had 80O men under arms. 
 They published in the True Delta of that morning a proc- 
 lamation, setting forth the crimes and lawless acts from 
 which the city had so long suffered, and declared their in- 
 tention of usurping power for a short interval for the noble 
 purpose of putting an end to this state of affairs, and re- 
 storing law and order. The proclamation was signed 
 " True Delta,'' and was popularly ascribed to John Magin- 
 nis, the editor of the paper of that name. 
 
 As soon as the news got abroad, the Common Council of 
 the city met in extraordinary session. The Mayor ordered 
 out General Tracy's division of State militia. The First 
 District armory was possessed by the Common Council, 
 but only ten rounds of ammunition were found in it. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Yigilance Committee were not idle. — 
 Eight hundred more men were enrolled and armed. Kit- 
 tridge's gun store was sacked for arms. In this attitude, 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 97 
 
 a message was sent to the Mayor by the Common Council 
 requesting him to resign. He refused. Meanwhile, ano- 
 ther day wore on. 
 
 It is now time to relate who commanded the vigilance 
 party, and who built the barricades. 
 
 The commandant was Major F. E. Duncan of the United 
 States army — the barricade builder no less a person than 
 the hero of this work — G-eorge B. McClellan, then lately 
 resigned from the army, and engaged by the Illinois Cen- 
 tral Eailroad. 
 
 Next morning the newspapers took sides. The Pica- 
 yune and Crescent sided with the Mayor. The True Delta, 
 Delta, and Bulletin, went for the Committee. The editor 
 of the True Delta had been ordered to be arrested by the 
 Mayor on the previous day. Maginnia, however, took the 
 matter very coolly. The vigilance party still kept to 
 Jackson Square, The municipal party made Lafayette 
 Square their head quarters. It was immediately in front 
 of the City Hall. Fifty men and two cannon defended 
 the approaches. The patrol of each party extended as far 
 as Canal street, which was midway between the two 
 squares, but neither of them attempted to pass this rubi- 
 con. 
 
 On the 4th of June, the excitement increased. Incen- 
 diary speeches were made all over the city. More mur- 
 ders were committed, and more violence attempted. The 
 writer of this volume was attacked by a rufEian in broad 
 daylight, and had to defend himself against his assailant 
 who was armed with a loaded six shooter, by using upon 
 him a blunted wood-axe, which he providentially picked 
 
98 THE LIFE OP 
 
 up at a critical moment. There was no police. Matters 
 were in a worse state than before. At noon, Mr. T. P. 
 White, a wealthy money broker, was shot and dangerously 
 wounded in the open street. Lumsden, of the Picayune^ 
 was arrested hy the vigilants. The municii)als, after many 
 ludicrous feints to cross Canal street with their two field 
 pieces, and many returns to their base of operations, in 
 order to supply missing lynch-pins, and repair newly dis- 
 covered defects about their cannon wheels, and caissions, 
 and so forth, finally screwed up their courage to the stick- 
 ing point, by dint of listening to inflammatory appeals by 
 the Mayor's friends, and by drinking a superabundance of 
 hard whiskey — and passed the boundary line. This was 
 the signal for battle. The vigilants ever vigilant, let fly 
 too soon, and killed a number of women and other inno- 
 cent lookers-on, who little expected that the affair would 
 prove so serious. The attack began. The municipals 
 poured in a hot fire of grape and cannister, which killed 
 four and wounded twenty of their antagonists. They 
 were then driven away by a brilliant sally of the vigilants, 
 and Canal street again formed the barrier between the ex- 
 asperated opponents. An ominous silence reigned through- 
 out the city. The stores were closed, and people kept in- 
 doors. Things looked serious. 
 
 At this moment the Mayor, yielding to the importuni- 
 ties and threats of the Common Council, not only resigned 
 his ofiice, but flew to the Vigilants for protection. They 
 guaranteed his life, and escorted him in safety to the St. 
 Charles Hotel, on condition that he would swear in their 
 entire force, consisting of fifteen hundred men, completely 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. ' 99 
 
 armed, as special policemen, and then stand an immediate 
 impeachment. 
 
 This was accordingly done. The Yigilants were sworn 
 in as " Specials," Col. Forno, Chief of Police and leader 
 of the Municipals, was dismissed from office, the Mayor 
 was impeached and his office vacated. H. M. Summers, 
 President of the Board of Aldermen, was appointed in his 
 place, and Colonel Jaques, of the Yigilants, appointed new 
 Chief of Police. 
 
 In the evening, disturbances were attempted to be re- 
 newed* Incendiary speeches were delivered by Colonel 
 Christy, an outside candidate for the mayoralty, and Col. 
 Henry, of the Nicaraguan army. But in vain. The back- 
 bone of the Municipal -party was broken, and people were 
 satisfied with what had been done, and disinclined to re- 
 new the violent scenes of the three preceding days, sim- 
 ply because it was alleged that the Yigilants, instead of 
 acting for the people, were only a force organized by the 
 Native American party, to overawe opposition, and elect 
 Stith. 
 
 On this day, Frederick S. Porter, son of Judge Porter, 
 was killed by an unknown hand. The Yigilants, by mis- 
 take, fired on their own patrol, and killed and wounded 
 several of them. Placards of a mysterious nature were 
 posted on all the walls of the city. 
 
 The citizens wearied of all this turmoil and excitement, 
 and wished for peace. 
 
 Accordingly, when it was announced on the following 
 day, that the barricades had been demolished and quiet 
 restored, the election proceeded without interruption, and 
 
100 THE LIFE OP 
 
 Mr. Stith, the Native American candidate, elected with 
 little opposition. 
 
 As soon as he was installed into office, the most active 
 measures were taken to bring the Thugs to justice ; and 
 for a long while New Orleans enjoyed the blessings of good 
 government and impartially administered justice. 
 
 Thus, through the well-timed action of this Committee, 
 order was restored, though at the expense of a few lives, 
 which everybody, even they, themselves, regretted. 
 
 Its success was gained through the prompt action and 
 professional services of he, whom the soldiers of the army 
 of the Potomac afterwards affectionately nick-named ''Lit- 
 tle Mac." 
 
 The rest of the jDolitical action of Greorge B. McClellan 
 having occurred since the commencement of the present 
 conflict, it will be necessary, in order to understand its 
 bearing, to define the political situation of the times. 
 
 Upon the breaking out of the war, there were in the 
 first wild days of national excitement but two parties — 
 those For, and those Against the South, or. Secessionists 
 and Uiiionists. No one stopped to think of the many 
 possible phases into which civil war might grow. It was 
 expected that it would end in a few days with an inevita- 
 ble re-establishment of the national authority, and that 
 consequently any man who had proved so treacherous as 
 to raise his voice in favor of the enemy would ever after- 
 wards be pointed at as a traitor. So there were only two 
 sides to the question — Union or Secession. 
 
 In this era of sectional unity (to coin a phrase), General 
 McClellan unsheathed his sword for Union. 
 
GEORGE B, M'CLELLAN. 101 
 
 Upon the opening of the campaign in Western Virginia 
 he issued the following proclamation : 
 
 During the following month he issued other proclama- 
 tions, in which these phrases occur : 
 
 " Soldiers ! you are here to protect, not to destroy. 
 Take nothing, destroy nothing. The rights of the people 
 of Western Yirginia, in person and property, shall be re- 
 spected. We come here to save, not to upturn. Your en- 
 emies have violated every moral law They have, without 
 cause, rebelled against a mild and paternal government. 
 They have placed themselves beneath contempt, unless 
 they can retrive some honor on the field of battle. I fear 
 but one thing — that you will not find foemen worthy of 
 your steel." 
 
 Three sentiments are here distinctly discovered : 
 
 1st. The perception of but two sides to the political 
 bearing of the war. 
 
 2d. A determination to restore, but not alter or destroy 
 — to protect, not coerce. 
 
 3d. A contempt for the military prowess of the enemy, 
 and disbelief in the sincerity or permanence of the rebel- 
 lion. 
 
 After the battle of Bull Eun, public opinion very sensi- 
 bly altered. 
 
 It was admitted that the rebellion was not to bo put 
 down without a great effort; — in a word, that the rebel- 
 lion was not a rebellion, but a revolution. 
 
 Then instead of tAVO opinions there became four. Peo- 
 ple began to reflect upon the possibility of complications 
 not contemplated before. It Avas now not simply a ques- 
 
102 THE LIFE OF ^ 
 
 tion of simple restoration. There were tbe eifects of a 
 long war to be considered, change of national habits grow- 
 ing out of it, policy of confiscation, suppression of discon- 
 tent at home, question of emancipation, status of Union- 
 ists in the South, and of Secessionists at the Korth, treat- 
 ment of fugitive slaves, civic rights of soldiers, freedom 
 of the press, right of free discussion, habeas corpus, recon- 
 struction with or without slavery, or otherwise, jDayment 
 of the enemy' s debt } and a great variety of olher meas- 
 ures. 
 
 Parties now began to take somewhat this shape : 
 1st. Abolition — or those who saw that the war mainly 
 grew mainly out of the irrepressible conflict between ne- 
 gro slavery or negro freedom, or the efforts of philanthro- 
 pists to abolish, and of practical statesmen to retain, slav- 
 ery. Fully persuaded that no peace could last with these 
 two sentiments in antagonism, they sought to end the 
 matter by declaring immediate freedom to the blacks, even 
 at the risk of exterminating the whites, though it must bo 
 admitted, that they fully believed in the existence of a 
 strong re-union feeling at the South, and the consequent 
 easy restoration of power to the Federal Government* 
 Wendell Phillips, Theodore Tilton, Dr. Cheever, Generals 
 Fremont and Hunter, and many others, were the leading 
 men of this party. There were many, however, of kinder 
 feelings, who, rather than see the whites exterminated, 
 in order to free the blacks, were in favor of dissolution, in 
 order that the two conflicting systems might be forever 
 separated. To this section of the Abolition partj^ belong- 
 ed that benignant philosopher, Horace Greeley. 
 
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN. 103 
 
 2d. Peace — or those who, recognizing the irrepressible 
 conflict, foresaw that in a Union based on emancipation, 
 the Southerners would be ruined, and the lands forever 
 wasted for want of fit laborers for a tropical climate ; and 
 that in a Union based on the status quo ante helium^ the 
 South, bent upon independance, could only be conquered 
 after a long and desperate struggle, which might end in 
 the possession of their estates and negroes, by the victori- 
 ous Northerners ; or defeat ; and the many evils which 
 would follow it. In the former contingency, the Korthern- 
 ers would themselves in turn become slaveholders and 
 strong pro-slavery men, and in a few years renew the con- 
 flict with changed sides. In the latter, our glory as a na- 
 tion would be lost, ourselves burthened with a heavy debt, 
 the Korth impoverished and enfeebled, and both sections 
 an easy prey to foreign aggression. In both, military or- 
 ganization and power, so fatal to Eepublics, would first 
 undermine our liberties at home, and prepare our people 
 for the inevitable consequence of a stronger government — 
 in other words, a Dictatorship or a Monarchy. Besides 
 that, we should still be burthened, both E'orth and South, 
 with heavy war debts, and decimated in working popula- 
 tion. 
 
 3d. Copperhead — or those who, recognizing the right of 
 revolution, maintained that the South had already exhi- 
 bited enough strength to deserve recognition. There were 
 others of this party who argued that the States being so- 
 vereign, had the same right to separate that they had to 
 unite, and that consequently their withdrawal and forma- 
 tion of a separate Confederacy was a matter of right, and 
 
104 THE LIFE OP 
 
 ought to be so accorded. Both argumejits thus led to the 
 same conclusion. 
 
 4th. Union — or those who yet believed that the two sec- 
 tions would come together again ; who disbelieved in the 
 irrepressible conflict of negro slavery, and the efforts and 
 arts of white emancipationists. 
 
 This belief being the simplest, and requiring the least 
 mental effort to bring it to conviction, was sharec^ in by 
 far the greatest numbers of our countrymen. 
 
 As it was coupled with associations of former national 
 triumphs, with the flag, with the Constitution before it 
 was perverted and broken, and with the livery of both 
 soldier and sailor, it clung to the popular heart, as the ivy 
 clings to the ruined wall, and bid fair to survive every 
 other feeling. It was thought that compromise, kindness, 
 concession, forbearance, and mutual guarantees of amity 
 and forgiveness, would heal all. 
 
 To this faith G-eorge B. McClellan pinned his fortunes. 
 
 It is but fair to avow that Mr. Lincoln, at this time, was 
 o/ the same opinion. This was directly after the first Bull 
 Eun. It was confidently expected that the next campaign 
 would settle all. Active preparations were at once made 
 for a decisive blow. 
 
 Gen, McClellan, at this time, wrote to Burnside : 
 
 " We are fighting for the Union. Say as little as possi- 
 ble about politics or the negro." 
 
 To Halleck he wrote the same. To Buell, " not to per- 
 mit the domestic institutions of Kentucky to be interfered 
 with, nor its inhabitants irritated." 
 
 The result of the Peninsula campaign rapidly changed 
 
GEORGE B. m'CLELLAN. 105 
 
 all the previous views of political parties. Everybody 
 changed sides but the Peace men and the Unionists — the 
 former because they had contemplated farther than any 
 otlier, the possible political phases of the war — the latter, 
 because they refused to contemplate anything but Union. 
 At the period when w^e divided political sentiment into 
 Abolition, Peace, Copperhead, and Union, the respective 
 strength of the parties stood about as follows, in ten : — 
 
 Abolition, - - - - - - 2 
 
 Peace, ------ IJ 
 
 Copperhead, - - - - - - ^ 
 
 Union, ------ 6 
 
 10 
 But now the Copperheads were completely extinguished, 
 and those of the Abolitionists, who, like Mr. Greeley, ad. 
 vocated separation, became coercionists, for fear of being 
 mistaken for Copperheads ; while those who had before 
 loudly demanded immediate emancipation, now saw that 
 their ends would be soonest gained by joining the Union- 
 ists, and gaining both the ear of the President, and the 
 advantages of that coercion which the Unionists now 
 deemed a matter of necessity. Hence, the Unionists ra- 
 ther gained in numbers, and their policy became imbued 
 with schemes of emancipation, confiscation, and the har- 
 boring of " contrabands," and their employment as troops. 
 Parties now stood about thus, in numbers : 
 
 Union (including Abolition,) - - - - 7 
 Peace (including Copperheads,) - - - 8 
 
 10 
 
10^. THE LIFE OF 
 
 It will be seen that the Peace men gained beyond what 
 accessions resulted from the alleigance of the now stifled 
 Copperheads, and that the Unionists, though they gained 
 all the Abolitionists, at the same time lost some of their 
 own numbers. 
 
 McClellan, however, remained with the majority. It 
 was at this juncture that the famous Harrison's Bar letter 
 was penned. (See page 380 of his Eeport.) 
 
 Mr. Lincoln and his advisers, foreseeing the further 
 change of public opinion which must ensue, now concluded 
 ^that McClellan was in the way. The tenacity with which 
 he held to one idea, made him an obstacle. It was clear 
 that Union was impossible. The Confederates were defi- 
 ant, the irrepressible conflict was staring the IsTorth in the 
 face, and but two courses were left open — Subjugation or 
 Eecognition. As McClellen could accede to neither, he was 
 plainly dc trop. He was accordingly removed. 
 
 For a moment, when Pope was in danger, he was recall- 
 ed ; for so popular had he made himself with the army, 
 that no other general could count upon an equal chance of 
 success with it. When that moment passed, he was again 
 dismissed, and ordered to Trenton, N. J. 
 
 Preparations were now made to conduct the t\ ar ui:»on 
 an entirely different basis. The object now was subjuga- 
 tion. The rallying cry of "Union" was retained, it is 
 true; but this was only because it was popular with the 
 masses, whose political ideas arc always of the simplest 
 kind. The employment of negro troops, confiscation, 
 oaths of allegiance, military plantations, and censorship 
 of speech, press and telegraph, were put in force ; South- 
 
GEORGE B. MC CLELLAN, 107 
 
 ern banks and individuals upon re-conquered territory 
 were compelled to disclose hidden property, and forced 
 loans carried into effect. 
 
 Finally, the Emancipation Proclamation came out, and 
 Mr. Lincoln now stood where both the Southerners and 
 tlie Peace men foresaw he would, even before the war 
 had broken out. He was obliged to. It was the inevita- 
 ble result of coercion, no matter from what pure and pat- 
 riotic motives coercion originated. Mr. Lincoln could not 
 control events. He simply bowed to them, and, as he said 
 himself, floated down the stream of circumstances. 
 
 We now approach events of a more recent date. 
 
 I shall endeavor to write of them impartially. 
 
 Upon McClellan's retirement to New Jersey, his time 
 was spent mainly in study, and in watching with keen 
 eyes the progress of national events. 
 
 His popularity with the masses never flagged. 
 
 Parties had again changed their complexion. The di- 
 vision of public sentiment was now about as follow : 
 
 1. Badical Abolitionists. — Those who, dissatisfied with 
 even the rapid progress Mr. Lincoln had made towards 
 abolition, desired to see even more extreme opinions avow- 
 ed, and more extreme measures put in force. These men 
 met in Convention at Cleveland, and nominated John 0. 
 Fremont for the Presidency. 
 
 2. Union Abolitionists — Or made up of those who, unit- 
 ing themselves with the Unionists, conceded something to 
 the latter, in order to avail themselves of their superior 
 numbers, and of the Unionists who resigned themselves 
 16 the guidance and leadership of the former, because they 
 
108 THE LIFE OF 
 
 were already high in office, and possessed of great politi- 
 cal power. 
 
 3. Peace Men. — After Fremont's nomination, however, 
 Mr. Lincoln, in order to destroy his opponents' party, issued 
 his celebrated Niagara Manifesto, " To whom it may con- 
 cern," declaring that Union without the extermination of 
 slavery was impossibfe. This swallowed up the Eadical 
 Abolition vote, but lost Mr. Lincoln a vast number of Un- 
 ionists. Opinions now changed again, and stood about 
 thus, previous to the assembling of the Democratic Nom- 
 inating Convention at Chicago : 
 
 1. Union Abolitionists. 
 
 2. Peace Men. 
 
 3. Constitutional Unionists — Or those who, disagreeing 
 with Mr. Lincoln in the policy or justice of his recent de - 
 claration concerning slavery, yet clung to the belief that 
 a vigorous prosecution of the war would bring the Con- 
 federates to terms, and compel them to accept a fair offer 
 of Union under the Constitution, as of old. Their respec- 
 tive numbers stood about thus : 
 
 1. Union Abolitionists — including a small part of 
 the army vote — all men in office, all Abolition- 
 ists, 2J 
 
 2. Peace Men, 3 
 
 3. Constitutional Unionists — including majority of 
 army vote, all men whose interests prospered by 
 the war, a large portion of the masses, some re- 
 turned soldiers and officers, &c., . . . 4j 
 
 10 
 
GEORGE B. m'cLELLAN. 109 
 
 It will be seen that the Union Abolitionists, or the party 
 in power, had lost largely through Mr. Lincoln's mani- 
 festo. This resulted from the fact that, as I have stated 
 before, they depended for numbers on the Constitutional 
 Unionists. 
 
 The Peace men showed no increase. It is probable a 
 small increase had occurred, but it scarcely showed itself 
 in the number of votes the party could command. 
 
 The Constitutional Unionists were therefore the largest 
 of the three parties, but neither of them were enough to 
 elect a Chief Magistrate. A change must therefore oc- 
 cur, or the election would be thrown into the House of 
 Representatives, when Mr, Lincoln would inevitably be^ 
 returned. 
 
 Accordingly, strong efforts were made to fuse the Peace 
 men and Constitutional Unionists into one party. These 
 efforts were sui3cessful, and the Chicago Convention united 
 upon a platform, which, if the two parties who framed it 
 can only hold together unf 1 the 8th day of l!^ovember 
 next, will assuredly elect their candidate. 
 
 George Brinton McClellan was nominated for Presideiiit 
 on the second ballot, by 2021 votes, ^homas H. Seymour 
 having the remainder, or 23J. 
 
 Having thus accompanied our l^iero until the past e-Teats- 
 of his life are melted into the busy and shifting pa-eseiht^ 
 we leave bim and th^ kind ig.^ader to, act their- part a ia it ^ 
 as we ourselves jhom^stly ^Ljii^nd.toact our ©swn.^ 
 
 E.I.NIS. 
 
i^awiey's uamp ana rireside Library— No 1. 
 
 INCIDENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 BEING EVENTS WHICH HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN PLACE 
 DURING THE PRESENT REBELLION. 
 
 CONTENTS t 
 
 tn escape. 
 
 k Maryland Unionist. 
 
 .%e snake-hunters of Western Virginia. 
 
 eking on the hattle-field. 
 
 kA inquisitive rebel. 
 
 oking on the battle-field. 
 
 California Joe at his work. 
 
 A exeiting incident nf picket Ufa. 
 
 "he wr ng way. 
 
 !aa»on, the scout. 
 
 another picket story 
 
 k picturesque rebel army. 
 
 trunuuing a coward out of camp. 
 
 accination in the army, 
 iebels caught in their own trap, 
 'ould'nt stand it 
 I deimjohn drilled, and spiked, 
 .n inSdent of tlie Williamsburg battle, 
 'learing the battle-field. 
 » Yankee trick in Miasouri. 
 
 These are my sons." 
 
 The spirit of '76." 
 
 ji incident of the battle of the fort^. 
 cenes between pickets. 
 Uttraordinary telegraphic strategy. 
 
 Hurst, the Tennessee scout. 5 
 
 The rebels and the telegraph. 
 
 Preserving the Constitution. 
 
 Scene at a New York recruiting office. 
 
 Daring adventure by Union soldiers. 
 
 Death scene of Captain John Qr.swold. 
 
 Burnside and the fisherman. 
 
 Drubbing a prisoner. 
 
 The dying soldier. 
 
 Miss Taylor in camp Dick Bobinaon. 
 
 A female spy. 
 
 Who was she ? 
 
 A camp of female^ at Island No. Ten. 
 
 The drummer-boy of Marblehead. 
 
 The Massachusetts Sixth in Baltimore. 
 
 What they all need. 
 
 Gen. McCall's first escape. 
 
 Probable tragic close of an eyen'.ful career. 
 
 Rebel practices. 
 
 Another female sece-h. 
 
 The burning of cott in. 
 
 Take your choice, madam. 
 
 An F. F.V. outwitted by a Chicago Fire Zouave. 
 
 " Not unless they lay down their arms." 
 
 Remembered and mourned. 
 
 Dawley's Camp and Fireside Library— No. 2. 
 
 MER^DES: 
 
 TOE! OTJTXj^'HtV'S OHIUjID 
 
 A Wild and Singular Story. 
 
 Thu scenes of this strange story are laid in California, commencing some yea^ befo9 
 ae gold mines were discovered, and brought to the time " when mobs and murders ^en 
 B plentiful as golden slugs •" when gamblers were reckoned right and proper men, an< 
 ambling hells were the saloons of fashion, and men of mind, manners and money amaser 
 tteniselves therein ; when theatres outnumbered churches, and play-books, Bibles; wher 
 ourtezans were the acknowledged leaders of ton ; when San Francisco rivaled her eld« 
 iflters, both of the Old and New World, in her bowers of pleasure — for here was thcgrea* 
 ncleus of splendor and gratification in every sense. Fortunes were made in a single day 
 
 en who had made fortunes in the mines came here. What wonder, then, if crime jostlec 
 rime in the streets, What wonder if fraud throve in the mart of opulence, or that mid 
 ight brawls disturbed the repose of the few who tried to be just. 
 
 Then arose the Vigilance L-'ommittee, taking judgment into their own hands, when th« 
 nivering bodies ot tlagraut offenders, swung from the wide windows of the Committee 
 looms in Battery Street, an awful exainple of the dues of evil. 
 
 Price — 15 Cents«eacli number. Mailed, postpaid, or four copies foi 
 41 ecnts. 
 
 T. R. DAWLEY, Publisher, 
 
 13 and 15 Park R.1W ^.r. \ i? 
 
Dav7le7's Camp & Fireside Library — No. 3 
 
 NORMA D ANTON; 
 
 OK, 
 
 The Children of the Lighthouse 
 
 A TALE OF NEW YORK CITY* 
 
 BT 
 
 EMILY F^IERPOISTT de X.ESDEII.NIER 
 
 Tffls is a real picture of the different phases of city life ; and, if r 
 has no other merit, it is a True Story, each and every character de 
 picted throughout its pages were living, breathing beings. Norma, th< 
 heroine, is a girl of wild and singular beauty. The boy Will is a typ< 
 of the brave and manly kind which wins the hearts of all. Thes< 
 children were at a tender age left orphans, to the guardianship of ai 
 unscrupulous uncle — a Wall Street Broker — who, appropriating theii 
 immense wealth to his own use, placed the children in the care of t 
 Lighthouse Keeper on a distant coast, from whence, after years ol 
 hardship, they escaped — the boy to sea, and the girl back to the city 
 where she was kidnapped by a rascally villain, and taken to a vile der 
 in Greene S^treet. 
 
 WoRTLY, the tool of the rich man ; Jamison, the simple-minded police, 
 man ; Ethel Danton, the profligate ; Hattie Newbold, his victim ; 
 Madame Sx. Jude, the sorceress and fortune-teller ; Ursula Leshman, the 
 good Samaritan ; Cms, and his companion, Chuffer, the " Burkers," 
 were all real, living characters. " Verily, truth is stranger than fiction.^ 
 
 PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS-MAILED, POSTPAID. 
 
 ' »> » • »■ <4 
 
 The Books of this Series are for sale by the Principal Booksellers 
 And Newsdealers throughout the country. Eight Numbers mailed to 
 any address, as they are issued from the press, for $1.00. 
 
 T, R. DAWLEY, Publisher, 
 
 Local or Traveling Agents, male or female, may find profitable 
 mployment by selling these publications. There is a profit of nearly 
 ONE HUNDRED PER CENT. Send for Terms. Agents w|),nted in every city 
 and town throughout the United States. 
 
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DAWL.EY'S TEN-PEMNY NOYEL.S— NO. 1. 
 
 THE TWO RIVALS; OR, MkU kM MONEY! 
 
 FROM THE FRENCH OF EMILB SOUVESTRE. 
 
 The very name of French novel may cohjure np ideas equally alarm- 
 ing with, that of French cookery. Whether we shall be regaled with 
 " Jillet of a fenny snake," instead of fillet of sole ; whether an oyster-fed 
 cat can be ingeniously made to represent rabbit; or a poodle nourished 
 on sponge-cake transformed into the similitude of a pheasant. Admit- 
 ting that much French literature is, like sausage-rolls, light and disap- 
 pointing ; granting that Dumas is wild, Paul de Kock licentious, and Sue 
 too often prolific of horrors, it by no means follows that the same soil 
 • which sends forth bristle and brier, may not breed celandine and daisy. 
 
 DAWLEY^S TEN-PENIVY NOVELL.— -NO. £ 
 
 DARE-DEViL DICK; OR, THE CURSE OF GOLD! 
 
 A STOUT OF LAND AND SEA. 
 
 This is a most singular story of a young ram who was cursed by the 
 power of gold, having had an immense fortune placed to his credit in a 
 bank, by a mysterious individual unknown to him; after which he be- 
 came associated with gamblers and bad men, by whom he became in- 
 volved in a duel, was wounded, became a wanderer, was impressed into 
 the British navy, where Lis career commences as DARE-DEVIL DICK, 
 a dauntless sailor, and one of the most daring, we might say reckless, 
 fighting men in the British navy, through whose means the •'Santissima" 
 a Spanish corvette, was captured, loaded with an amount of doubloons, 
 moidores, and pieces of Eight, that would be astonishing even to the peo- 
 ple of our own day. 
 
 DAWLEY;STEN-PEME ?YiGVELS-N Q. 3-iNPRESS. 
 
 THE FREEBOOTER'S PRIZE l" 
 
 A TALE OF THE OCEAIST. 
 
 The above tale is one of the most truthful and exciting which has ever 
 characterized the adventures of any Past Middy of the British navy. The 
 adventurer leaving home in comparative poverty ; his enlistment upon 
 a war-vessel; his desertion ; joining his fortune upon tho deck of a pi- 
 rate ; his re-desertion ; his next appearance upon a merchantman ; the 
 merchantman's fight with the pirate ; the Quaker Captain ; the Captain 
 de juerre ', his tremendous fighting ; the chase ; final capture of the pi- 
 rate and marriage of the hero, concludes one of the most daring tales 
 that has ever been recorded upon paper, and which excites the admira- 
 tion of all. 
 
 T. Tt, DAWLEY, I^ublislier, 
 
 13 &. 15 Park Row, New York. 
 
DAWt.EY'S TEN-PJEIVNY SONG BOOKS. 
 
 No. 1.-BALLAD3 OF THE WAR, 
 
 CONTENTS: 
 
 God Save Our Nation, 14 
 
 Flag of the Constellation, 15 
 
 War Song, 16 
 
 He Sleeps where he Fell, 17 
 
 The Red Stain on the Leaves, 18 
 Follow the Drum, 18 
 
 The Dying Soldier, 19 
 
 Northmen Come Out, 21 
 
 Our Country is Calling, 22 
 
 The Soldier's Mother, 23 
 
 The Dead Drummer Boy, 24 
 
 The Soldier's &ood-Bye, 25 
 
 The Volunteer's Wife to Her 
 
 Husband, 27 
 
 Kiss me, Mother, and let me go, 26 
 A Mother's Answer, " I have 
 
 Kissed him and let him go 30 
 The Soldier's Dream of Home, 32 
 The Response, 33 
 
 Gone to the War, 34 
 
 Gently! Gently! 35 
 
 March Along, 35 
 
 The Last Broadside, 37 
 
 The Patriot Girl to Her Lover, 38 
 
 The Fallen Soldier, 39 
 
 Roll Call, 40 
 The Union — Right or Wrong, 41 
 
 News from the War, 42 
 
 Song of the Soldier, 44 
 
 Our Union and Our Flag. 45 
 
 The Two Furrows, 47 
 Shall Freedom Droop and Die ? 48 
 To the Men of the North and 
 
 West, 50 
 
 Across the Lines, 51 
 
 The Captain's Wife, 53 
 
 Move on the Column, 55 
 
 The Soldier's Sweetheart, 57 
 
 Carte De Visite, 59 
 
 The Battle Summer, 61 
 
 The Rainy Day in Camp, 61 
 
 The Cavalry Charge, 64 
 
 Lyon, 66 
 
 March, 67 
 
 On Guard, 69 
 
 Coming Home, 70 
 
 After All, 71 
 
 No. 2.-BALLAD3 OF THE SOUTH. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 A Cry to Arms, 40 
 
 Another Yankee Doodle, 60 
 
 A Southern Gathering Song, 59 
 
 Battle Ode to Virginia, 41 
 
 Call All! Call All I 23 
 
 Confederate Song, 44 
 
 Dixie, 26 
 
 Fort Sumter, 33 
 
 Fhght of Doodles, 42 
 
 God Save the South, 21 
 
 Justice is our Panoply, 52 
 
 Lincoln's Inaugural Address, 54 
 
 Maryland, 37 
 
 Manassas, 62 
 
 Our Braves in Virginia, 69 
 
 Rebels, 35 
 
 Song of the Southern Soldier, 48 
 
 Southern Song of Freedom, 17 
 
 Southern Song, 24 
 
 Southern War Cry, 28 
 
 Sweethearts and the War, 
 
 Southern Song, 
 
 The Battle of Bethel Church, 
 
 The South in Arms, 
 
 The Martyr of Alexandria, 
 
 True to his Name, 
 
 The Star of the West, 
 
 The Tories of Virginia, 
 
 45 
 64 
 20 
 22 
 25 
 28 
 29 
 30 
 
 There's Nothing Going Wrong, 36 
 
 The Despot's Song, 50 
 
 The Southern War Song, 52 
 
 The Call of Freedom, 55 
 
 The Soldier Boy, 58 
 
 The Stars and Bars, 67 
 
 War Song, ■ 49 
 
 What the South Winds Say, 18 
 
 War Song, 32 
 
 We Come ! We Come ! 46 
 
 Yankee Vandals, 66 
 
 Price 10 cts. T. R. DAWLEY, Publisher, 13 & 15 Park Row, N^. 
 
LITTLE M^C 
 
 CAIViPAIGN SONGSTER. 
 
 Price, - - - Ten Cents. 
 
 T. E. Dawley, Publisher, 13 & 15 Park Eow, H. York, 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE DEMOCEATIC CREED— Air : "A Man 's a man for a' of that." 
 
 HURBAY EOE, McC LELLAN— Air : " Wait for tlie Wagon." 
 
 THE VISION or ABE LINCOLN.— After Leigh Hunt. 
 
 ABRAM, LOVER OE MY— SMELL.— Air : " When the Swallows Homeward Fly." 
 
 UNCLE ABE 'S " SPRINGFIELD LETTER."— Air : Not yet found. 
 
 McCLELLAN THE HOPE OF THE NATION.— Air : ' ' Red, White and Blue," 
 
 ABRAHAM' S BROTHERLY LOVE.— Air : To he looted for. 
 
 THE BLESSINGS OE PEACE. 
 
 LITTLE MAC IS THE MAN.— Air : " The Green Flag." 
 
 ALL FOR THE NIGGER.— Air : «* Home of the Brave." 
 
 THE WAGES OF WAR. 
 
 McCLELLAN MUST STAND AT THE HELM.— Air : " Arahy's Daughter." 
 
 ABE'S BROTHER OF NEGRO DESCENT.— Air : In search of a tune. 
 
 OLD ABE'S LAST PROCLAMATION.— Air : The tune the old cow died on. 
 
 DO I LOVE OLD ABE OR NO.— Air : Known when found. 
 
 McCLELLAN AND THB-UNION.— Air : " The Flag of our Union." 
 
 ABE'S MILITARY ADVANCES. 
 
 THE SHODDY BRIGADIER— Air : " When I can Shoot my Rifle Clear." 
 
 A NATION'S PRAYER FOR PEACE.— Air : " Isle of Beauty Fare thee Well." 
 
 FATHER ABRAHAM'S " LAST CALL."— Air : " The Reconciliation." 
 
 AN ODE TO OLD ABE.— Air : " The other side of Jordan," 
 
 " NIGGER ON THE BRAIN."— Air : " The Lunatic Asylum." 
 
 OLD ABE'S INVITATION.— Air : «' Bruce's Address." 
 
 LET McCLELLAN COMMAND. 
 
 THE CONSCRIPT'S WARNING TO OLD ABE.— Air : " We 're Coming Father 
 
 Ahraham " 
 McCLELLAN FIGHTS FOR OUR FLAG.— Air : " Lightly May the Boat Flow." 
 THE LOYAL REFUGEE.— Air: "Ohl Susannah." 
 THE ODIOUS INCOME TAX. 
 
 OH ! CUSS THE DARNED REBELLION.— Air : «' Susan White." 
 WE WILL BE TRUE TO McCLELLAN STILL.— Air : " Gay and Happy." 
 McCLELLAN THE MASTER GENIUS. 
 ABRAM'S "MARRY BUT ONE."— Air: (hymn,) "From Whom all Blessings 
 
 Flow." 
 NEGROES ENTREATED BY THE MERCIES OF ABE.— Air : "Come ye Sinners." 
 WHEN ABE'S FOUR YEARS ARE OVER.— Air : "When This Cruel War is Over. " 
 McCL 10 1 LAN'S NAM rt WE HAIL.— Air : " America.' 
 OLD ABn: IN— JUSTIFIED. 
 AN EPI r APH FOR OLD ABE. 
 
 HURRAY FOR THE MAN 1 HAT WE LOVE.— Air : " Vive L'Amour." 
 LINCOLN WRI TTEN DOWN AN ASS— AN ACROSTIC. 
 WHILE ABRAHAM RLIGNS— L. M.— Air : « Crown Him King of All." 
 ABRAHAM THE NIGGiOR S KING —Air : He Shall Forever Reign. 
 ABRAHAM, AIN'T IT SO ?— Air : John Anderson My Jo John. 
 HA L TOMcCLELLAN.— Air : Hail to the Chief. 
 DARKIES, ABE SAYS HERE'S ROOM.— Air : And yet here is Room, 
 HOWCAN WiO PRAISE OLD ABE.— Air: The Presidents Hymn. 
 COPPERHEAD-" PAYMENT.' —Air : Green Grow the Rushes O I 
 THi; BAYONET AND THE BALLOT.- Air : Coming Thro' the Rye. 
 BEECH i<,R i:ND CHi-:EV£R.— An Ode for Music,- The Air not yet found, except 
 
 that which proceeds from the Nigger. 
 McC LEL LANS DUE —Air : Pro liege Seeped pro Patria Semper; 
 >^BE•S DOODLE.— Air: Yanhee Doodle. 
 THE CONSTITUTION AS I r IS— THE UNION AS IT WAS.— Air : To be found ' 
 
 in every true heart. 
 
 BD 6.1 
 
I 
 
 

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