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Stanton (search for this): chapter 3
set forth the views of General McClellan touching the organization of corps; and, as there remarked, his failure to make appointments to these commands at the time he was all-powerful resulted in his having forced upon him as lieutenants men he did not wish in that capacity. It would appear, from a curious piece of history detailed in the Journal of the Committee on the Conduct of the War, that it was through the pressure of the members of that committee, and of the new Secretary of War, Mr. Stanton, that camps were at this time formed; and, indeed, by them, as a species of Aulic Council, that all the larger war-questions were determined. The second of these orders prescribed the conditions upon which a change of base would be allowed, and is in the following terms: General War order, no. 3. Executive Mansion, Washington, March 8, 1862. Ordered, That no change of the base of operations of the Army of the Potomac shall be made without leaving in and about Washington such
Jomini (search for this): chapter 3
s and of ministers; but here the action of such a council should stop; for if it pretends to say to a commander-in-chief not only that he shall march on Vienna or Paris, but also in what way he is to manoeuvre to reach those points, the unfortunate commander-in-chief will certainly be beaten, and the whole responsibility of his reverses will rest upon those who, two hundred miles off from the enemy, pretend to direct an army which it is difficult enough to handle when actually in the field. Jomini: Precis de l'art de la Guerre, vol. II., p. 47. On the other hand, it is to be admitted that General McClellan, too, committed grave faults. He had already put the patience of the public and the Administration to a severe strain by his six months inactivity; and in proposing to remove his army from the front of Washington, he made another and peculiarly heavy draft upon their confidence. In this he again exposed himself to the criticism already made respecting his deficiency in those
Shields (search for this): chapter 3
Winchester—the Union troops occupying Charlestown; but on the advance of General Banks' force, on the 12th of March, he retreated; and, pursued by the division of Shields', retired twenty miles south of Strasburg. Under cover of this advance, the first division of Banks' corps was, on the 20th, put en route for Manassas, and ShieShields fell back to Winchester. Jackson, informed probably of the withdrawal of the troops from the Valley, but exaggerating its extent, returned upon his steps, and, on the afternoon of the 23d, attacked Shields near Winchester. Jackson met a severe repulse, after which he made his way southward. This affair caused General Banks tShields near Winchester. Jackson met a severe repulse, after which he made his way southward. This affair caused General Banks to return himself, as also to recall the division then on the march for Manassas; and after this, events so shaped themselves, that Banks' command was retained in the Shenandoah Valley, and General Wadsworth was placed in command of the forces for the protection of the national capital. To provide for the security of Washington w
Mc-Clellan (search for this): chapter 3
al McCall was ordered to make, with his division, a movement on Drainesville, for the purpose of covering reconnoissances in all directions to be made the following day. These reconnoissances were successfully accomplished on the 20th; and General Mc-Clellan, anticipating that this demonstration would have the effect of inducing the enemy to abandon Leesburg, directed General Stone, whose division of observation was guarding the left bank of the Potomac above Washington, with headquarters at Pohat produced this long and unfortunate inaction, and which will be found in the already noted change of the plan of operations. There is little doubt that, at the period to which this recital has extended—namely, the close of the year 1861—General Mc-Clellan had fully resolved upon acting against the enemy by a flank movement by water instead of assailing him by direct attack; and as the adoption of the former course had a most important bearing on the relations between the Executive and the ge
Banks (search for this): chapter 3
g the line of the Potomac and Washington he assigned to General Banks, commanding the Fifth Corps, and at this time holding the Shenandoah Valley. General Banks was ordered to post the bulk of his command, well intrenched, at Manassas; from thence toheld with cavalry well to the front. Instructions to General Banks: Report, p. 60. Just as General Banks was about to moveGeneral Banks was about to move his corps to Manassas, however, there occurred a series of events that compelled him to retain the greater part of his forceion troops occupying Charlestown; but on the advance of General Banks' force, on the 12th of March, he retreated; and, pursueasburg. Under cover of this advance, the first division of Banks' corps was, on the 20th, put en route for Manassas, and Shier which he made his way southward. This affair caused General Banks to return himself, as also to recall the division then Manassas; and after this, events so shaped themselves, that Banks' command was retained in the Shenandoah Valley, and General
Averill (search for this): chapter 3
my from Manassas, on the 8th of March, so skilfully was the enterprise managed, that the first intimation thereof gained by the Union forces was from the smoke of the burning huts, fired by the Confederates on their retirement! With a view rather of giving the troops some experience on the march and bivouac than for the purpose of pursuit, General McClellan ordered a forward movement of the army towards Centreville the next day, and immediately dispatched two regiments of cavalry under Colonel Averill to Manassas. A few days afterwards, a large body of cavalry, with some infantry, under command of General Stoneman, was sent along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad to determine the position of the enemy, and, if possible, force his rear across the Rappahannock; but the roads were in such condition that, finding it impossible to subsist his men, Stoneman was forced to return after reaching Cedar Run. It was found that the enemy had destroyed all the bridges. This expedition was foll
Carnot (search for this): chapter 3
it is manifest that what gives it significance is that it represents science displacing sciolism, the untutored enthusiasm of a nation unused to war, taught by a bitter experience to yield itself to the cunning hand of discipline—that power which Carnot calls the glory of the soldier and the strength of armies. It is military discipline that is the glory of the soldier and the strength of armies, for it is the foremost act of its devotion, and the most assured pledge of victory (le plus grand acte de son devouenment et le gage le plus assure de la victoire.) It is by it that all wills unite in one, and all partial forces conspire towards one end. Carnot: De la Defense des Places Fortes, p. 505. If the Army of the Potomac afterwards performed deeds worthy to live in history, it is in no small degree due to the fact that the groundwork of victory was laid deep and broad in that early period of stern tutelage, when it learnt the apprenticeship of war. If other generals, the successors o
Scott (search for this): chapter 3
alley35,467 On the lower Potomac1,350 ______ In all73,456 Meantime, the task of collecting water transportation, and embarking the troops for the proposed expedition, was being pushed forward with the utmost energy. Unhappily, however, while every thing seemed to be under way, certain occurrences took place that marred the auspicious circumstances that should have attended the expedition. Upon the evacuation of Manassas, General McClellan, who had, since the retirement of Lieutenant-General Scott in the preceding November, exercised the functions of generalin-chief, was relieved from the control of the armies in the field, and relegated to the command of the Army of the Potomac. At the same time, the troops in Western Virginia were placed under General Fremont, who was assigned to what was called the Mountain Department. Now, a few days before he sailed for Fortress Monroe, General McClellan had been informed by the President that a strong pressure had been brought to bear
G. G. Meade (search for this): chapter 3
mac afterwards performed deeds worthy to live in history, it is in no small degree due to the fact that the groundwork of victory was laid deep and broad in that early period of stern tutelage, when it learnt the apprenticeship of war. If other generals, the successors of McClellan, were able to achieve more decisive results than he, it was, again, in no small degree, because they had the perfect instrument he had fashioned to work withal. Had there been no McClellan, I have often heard General Meade say, there could have been no Grant; for the army made no essential improvement under any of his successors. It was common throughout the war to ascribe a high degree of discipline to the Confederate army—even higher than that of the Army of the Potomac. But the revelations of the actual condition of that army since the close of the war do not justify this assertion. On the contrary, they show that the discipline of the Army of Northern Virginia was never equal to that of the Army of
Devens (search for this): chapter 3
rman's brigade was sent to Edward's Ferry to make a display of force, and the Fifteenth Massachusetts regiment, under Colonel Devens, was sent to Harrison's Island, from which place a small scouting party was about dark sent across by Ball's Bluff, the reconnoitring party having returned, bringing report of a small encampment of the enemy within a mile of Leesburg, Colonel Devens was ordered by General Stone to cross five companies of his regiment to the Virginia shore, and advancing under covermaking observation of the country, to return. The report touching the enemy's encampment proved to be a mistake; but Colonel Devens found a wood in which he concealed his men, and proceeded to examine the space between that and Leesburg. About eightter course, and succeeded in ferrying over about a thousand men of his command. These he united to the commands of Colonel Devens, who had meanwhile retired to the bluff, and of Colonel Lee; and with this force of about one thousand eight hundred
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