The Richmond Dispatch disputes angrily several statements in Gen. McClellan’s report, and says:
To cover on of the most shameful, as well as complete defeats recorded in history, McClellan’s vanity prompted him to in a system of deliberate falshood [sic], which justly brought upon him the derision of the civilized world. But it did him no manner of service. His employers saw through his devices as his opponents had already done from the beginning. No man – least of all McClellan himself – believes a word of what he writes. He has found his proper level, and all the lying reports which he can manufacture between this and doomsday cannot raise him above it. He came here to take the city of Richmond – He had, first and last – from Fortress Monroe to Mechanicsville – as documents furnished to the committee of inquiry by the war office, substantiated by the assistant Secretary of War, prove beyond all doubt, 158,000. He was beaten in every battle, from Williamsburg to Malvern. Lincoln found him at Westover or Shirely [sic] with but 80,000 men. What had become of all the rest? Had they sunk or melted into the air? They had sunk into the earth, victims to the bayonets and the shots of the confederate troops, or to the disease of the climate, aggravated by incessant exposure, and unremitting toil in ditching his way to Richmond. At last, only because it was necessary to withdraw our troops to repel invasions from another quarter, he was permitted to slink away with the miserable remnant of his troops cowed, broken-spirited, and effectually brought down from the lofty tone of the braggadocio with which they commenced the siege of Richmond. – A more entire failure is nowhere recorded, and a more thorough charlatan never lived.
– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, April 9, 1864
To cover on of the most shameful, as well as complete defeats recorded in history, McClellan’s vanity prompted him to in a system of deliberate falshood [sic], which justly brought upon him the derision of the civilized world. But it did him no manner of service. His employers saw through his devices as his opponents had already done from the beginning. No man – least of all McClellan himself – believes a word of what he writes. He has found his proper level, and all the lying reports which he can manufacture between this and doomsday cannot raise him above it. He came here to take the city of Richmond – He had, first and last – from Fortress Monroe to Mechanicsville – as documents furnished to the committee of inquiry by the war office, substantiated by the assistant Secretary of War, prove beyond all doubt, 158,000. He was beaten in every battle, from Williamsburg to Malvern. Lincoln found him at Westover or Shirely [sic] with but 80,000 men. What had become of all the rest? Had they sunk or melted into the air? They had sunk into the earth, victims to the bayonets and the shots of the confederate troops, or to the disease of the climate, aggravated by incessant exposure, and unremitting toil in ditching his way to Richmond. At last, only because it was necessary to withdraw our troops to repel invasions from another quarter, he was permitted to slink away with the miserable remnant of his troops cowed, broken-spirited, and effectually brought down from the lofty tone of the braggadocio with which they commenced the siege of Richmond. – A more entire failure is nowhere recorded, and a more thorough charlatan never lived.
– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, April 9, 1864
No comments:
Post a Comment