網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版
[graphic][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

..2

LETTER

OF

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING REPORT ON THE

ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

AND OF

ITS CAMPAIGNS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND,

UNDER THE COMMAND OF

MAJ.-GEN. GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,

FROM

JULY 26, 1861, TO NOVEMBER 7, 1862.

WASHINGTON:

CONSTITUTIONAL UNION OFFICE.

1864.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

TRANSMITTING

The Report of Major-General George B. McClellan upon the organization of the Army of the Potomac, and its campaigns in Virginia and Maryland, fron July 26, 1861, to November 7, 1862.

DECEMBER 23, 1863.-Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, D. C., December 22, 1863.

SIR-In compliance with the resolution dated December 15, 1863, I have the honor to communicate herewith "the report made by Major-General George B. McClellan, concerning the organization and operations of the army of the Potomac while under his command, and of all army operations while he was commander-in-chief." I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, January 20, 1864.

Resolved, That five thousand copies of the report of General George B. McClel lan upon the operations of the army of the Potomac, recently communicated by the Secretary of War to the House of Representatives, be printed for the use of the Senate, without the accompanying documents and maps.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January 13, 1864.

Resolved, That ten thousand copies of the official report of Major-General McClel lan (not including the accompanying documents,) be printed for the use of the members of the present House.

REPORT OF GENERAL GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN.

FIRST PERIOD.

CHAPTER I

NEW YORK, August 4, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to submit herein the official report of the operations of the army of the Potomac while under my charge. Accompanying it are the reports of the corps, division, and subordinate commanders, pertaining to the various engagements, battles, and occurrences of the campaigns, and important documents connected with its organization, supply, and memoranda submitted, will be found apmovements. These, with lists of maps and pended, duly arranged, and marked for

convenient reference.

Charged, in the spring of 1861, with the operations in the department of the Ohio,

which included the States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, aud latterly Western Virginia, it had become my duty to counteract the hostile designs of the enemy in Western Virginia, which were immediately directed to the destruction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the possession of the Kanawha valley, with the ultimate object of gaining Wheeling and the control of

the Ohio river.

The successful affairs of Phillippi, Rich Mountain, Carrick's Ford, &c., had been fought, and I had acquired possession of all Western Virginia north of the Kanawha valley, as well as the lower portion of that valley.

I had determined to proceed to the relief of the upper Kanawha valley, as soon as provision was made for the permanent defence of the mountain passes leading from the east into the region under control, when I received at Beverley, in Randolph county, on the 21st of July, 1861, intelligence of the unfortunate result of the battle of Manassas, fought on that day.

On the 22d 1 received an order by telegraph, directing me to turn over my command to Brig.-Gen. Rosecrans, and repair at once to Washington.

I had already caused reconnoissances to be made for intrenchments at the Cheat Mountain pass; also on the Hunterville

road, near Elkwater, and at Red House, near the main road from Romney to Grafof the 22d I gave the final instructions for ton. During the afternoon and at night the construction of these works, turned over the command to Brig.-Gen. Rosecrans, and started, on the morning 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 immediately preceeded 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 operations while commander of

the army of the Potomac.

The subjects to be considered naturally arrange themselves as follows:

The organization of the army of the Potomac. The military events connected with the defences of Washington, from July, 1861, to March, 1862. paign on the Peninsula, and that in Mary

land.

The cam

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 endeavored, by the authorities the necessity for such imevery means in my power, to impress upon mediate and full preparation as alone would enable the government to prosecute the war on a scale commensurate with the

resistance to be offered.

On the fourth of August, 1861, I addressed to the President the following memorandum, prepared at his request.

MEMORANDUM.

The object of this present war differs from those in which nations are engaged, mainly in this that the purpose of ordinary war is to conquer a peace, and make a treaty on advantageous terms: in this contest it has become necessary to crush

« 上一頁繼續 »