162 



ARMY OPERATIONS 



of the United States toward the civil authorities of the 

 Government. 



The Constitution confides to the civil authorities 

 legislative, judicial, and executive the power and 

 duty of making, expounding, and executing the Federal 

 laws. Armed forces are raised and supported simply 

 to sustain the civil authorities, and are to be held in 

 strict subordination thereto in all respects. The fun- 

 damental law of our political system is essential to the 

 security of our republican institutions, and should be 

 thoroughly understood and observed by every soldier. 



The principle upon which and the objects for which 

 armies shall be employed in suppressing rebellion 

 must be determined and declared by the authorities, 

 and the Chief Executive, who is charged with the 

 administration of the national affairs, is the proper and 

 only source through which the views and orders of the 

 Government can be made known to the armies of the 

 nation. 



Discussion by officers and soldiers concerning public 

 measures determined upon and declared by the Gov- 

 ernment, when carried beyond the ordinary, temperate, 

 and respectful expression of opinion, tend greatly to 

 impair and destroy the discipline and efficiency of the 

 troops, by substituting the spirit of political faction 

 for the firm, steady, and earnest support of the authori- 

 ty of the Government, which is the highest duty of the 

 American soldier. The remedy for political errors, if 

 any are committed, is to be found only in the action 

 of the people at the polls. 



In thus calling the attention of this army to the true 

 relation between the soldiers and the Government, the 

 General commanding merely adverts to an evil against 

 which it has been thought advisable during our whole 

 history to guard the armies of the Republic, and in so 

 doing he will not be considered, by any right-minded 

 person, as casting any reflection upon that loyalty and 

 good conduct which have been so fully illustrated upon 

 so many battle-fields. 



In carrying out all measures of public policy this 

 army will, of course, be guided by the same rules of 

 mercy and Christianity that have ever controlled its 

 conduct toward the defenceless. 



By command of Maj.-Gen. McCLELLAN. 



JAS. A. HARDIE, Lieut. -Col., 

 Aide-de-Camp and Act'g Ass't Adj.-General. 



On Monday night, Oct. 10, a body of Con- 

 federate cavalry of about twenty-five hundred, 

 under Gen. Stuart, suddenly appeared at Cham- 

 bersburg, Penn., and occupied the place. 'The 

 Government storehouses and machine shops 

 were burned by them ; also the Cumberland 

 Valley railroad depot. On the next day Gen. 

 Stuart marched to Emmettsburg, thence to 

 "Woodsborough, New Market, and Monrovia, 

 which place he reached early on Sunday morn- 

 ing. Thus far his force had gathered about one 

 thousand horses. He next pushed for the Poto- 

 mac, at Noland's Ford, at the mouth of the Mono- 

 cacy ; but finding a Federal force there, he divided 

 his troops and crossed at different places, chiefly 

 at Conrad's Ferry, and six miles below the Mono- 

 cacy. The entire distance of his march north 

 of the Potomac, was a little over one hundred 

 miles. A large number of Federal troops were 

 put in motion to effect his capture, but without 

 success. Reconnoissances made on the 16th and 

 17th discovered the Confederate army occupy- 

 ing a position extending from Bunker Hill to 

 the Shenandoah river. 



It had been expected that Gen. McClellan 

 would take the forces of Gen. Pope's shat- 

 tered army and march into Maryland and 

 conquer the victorious Confederate force and 



pursue them even to Richmond. The in- 

 activity of his army after the battle of An- 

 tietam became a subject of complaint. It was 

 overlooked that the low water in the Poto- 

 mac required time to line its north shore with 

 troops to prevent another invasion of Maryland. 

 It was overlooked that most of his troops had 

 been in active service in the field during the 

 previous six months, and might require most 

 important supplies. On the 6th of October the 

 following despatch was sent by the general-in- 

 chief, Gen. Halleck, to Gen. McClellan: 



WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 6, 1862. 

 Maj.-Gen. McClellan: 



I am instructed to telegraph to you as follows : 

 The President directs that you cross the Potomac and 

 give battle to the enemy or drive him south. Your 

 army must move now while the roads are good. If you 

 cross the river between the enemy and vVashington, 

 and cover the latter by your line of operation, you can 

 be recnforced with 80,000 men. If you move up the 

 valley of the Shenandoah, not more than 12,000 or 15,- 

 000 can be sent to you. The President advises the in- 

 terior line between Washington and the enemy, but 

 does not order it. He is very desirous that your army 

 move as soon as possible. You will immediately report 

 what line you adopt and when you intend to cross the 

 river. Also, to what point the reinforcements are to 

 be sent. It is necessary that the plan of your opera- 

 tions be positively determined on before orders are 

 given for building bridges and repairing railroads. I 

 am directed to add that the Secretary of War and the 

 General-in-Chief fully concur with the President in 

 these instructions. 



H. W. HALLECK, Gen.-in-Chief. 



According to the report of Gen. Halleck, Gen. 

 McClellan disapproved of the plan of crossing 

 the Potomac south of the Blue Ridge, and said 

 that he would cross at Harper's Ferry and ad- 

 vance on Winchester. The advance, however, 

 did not take place until the 26th of OctobeY. It 

 became the subject of speculation on the part 

 of the public as to the real nature of the causes 

 of delay. Subsequently, upon the removal of 

 Gen. McClellan from the command of the army, 

 on the 7th of November, the following letter 

 was published: 



HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMT, ) 

 WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 1862. J 



Son. K M. Stanton, Secretary of War : 



SIR : In reply to the general interrogatories contained 

 in your letter of yesterday, I have to report : 



1st. That requisitions for supplies to the army under 

 Gen. McClellan. are made by his staff officers on the 

 chiefs of bureaus here ; that is, for quartermasters' 

 supplies, by his chief quartermaster on the Quarter- 

 master-General ; for commissary supplies, by his chief 

 commissary on the Commissary-General, ic. No such 

 requisitions have been, to my knowledge, made upon 

 the Secretary of War, and none upon the General-in- 

 Chief. 



2d. On several occasions Gen. McClellan has tele- 

 graphed to me that his army was deficient in certain 

 supplies. All these telegrams were immediately refer- 

 red to the beads of bureaus, with orders to report. It 

 was ascertained that, in every instance, the requisitions 

 had been immediately filled, except one, where the 

 Quartermaster-General had been obliged to send from 

 Philadelphia certain articles of clothing, tents, &c.,not 

 having a full supply here. There has not been, so far 

 as I could ascertain, any neglect or delay, in any de- 



Eartment or bureau, in issuing all supplies asked for 

 y Gen. McClellan, or by the officers of his staff'. De- 

 lays have occasionally occurred in forwarding supplies 



