AT THE CRIMEA. was directed to visit various railroads, and to collect information and facts established in the construction and working of existing roads, to serve as data in determining the practicability of constructing and working roads over the several routes explored. The results of his inquiries will be found in a very valuable memoir herewith submitted." This public duty was followed by the performance of some secret service for the Government in the West Indies. 287 McClellan will be the great leader the country requires. Of the clear and precise style of McClellan as a writer, the following description of the storming of the Malakoff presents a good illustration : "In their admirable arrangements for the attack of the Malakoff, the French counted on two things for success: first, they had ascertained that the Russians were in the habit of relieving the guard of the Malakoff at noon, and that a great part of the old guard marched out before the new one arrived, in order to avoid the loss which would arise from crowding the work with men; in the second place, it was determined to keep up a most violent vertical fire until the very moment of the assault, thus driving the Russians into the bomb-proofs, and enabling the storming party to enter the work with but little opposition. "The hour of noon was therefore selected for the assault, and the strong columns intended for the work were at an early hour assembled in the advanced trenches, all in admirable order, and furnished with precise instructions. In 1855, McClellan received a commission of captain in the United States cavalry, and was appointed by the Government, together with Colonel Richard Delafield and Major Alfred Mordecai, to proceed to the Crimea and report upon the war then waging between Russia and the allied powers of France and England. The result of his observations was embodied in a work entitled, "Report on the Organization of European Armies and the Operations of the War." It is acknowledged to be a production showing a thorough mastery of the military art. Its demonstrations evince an exact knowledge of science and a broad view in the application of its principles. The author, in the freedom of his criti-mitting fire until the moment appointed. cism, does not hesitate to disregard the pretensions of rank and authority, and submit the strategy and tactics of the most distinguished European officers to the test of his own judgment. This selfreliance, though it might be thought by some presumptuous in so young a man, comes from a consciousness of power, derived not only from original genius but careful culture, which gives promise that "The mortars maintained an unre The very instant the last volley was discharged, the storming party of Zouaves rushed over the thirty paces before them, and were in the work before the astonished Russians knew what had happened. It was stated that this party lost but eleven in entering the work. Other troops advanced rapidly to support the storming party, a bridge was formed by rolling up five ladders with planks lashed to them, a communication was at once commenced between the advanced trench and the bridge, brigade after brigade passed over, the redoubt was at once occupied by the storming party, and thus the Malakoff, and with it Sebastopol, was won. The few Russians remaining in the work made a desperate resistance. Many gallant attempts were made by Russian columns to ascend the steep slope in rear and regain the lost work; but as the road was narrow, difficult, and obstructed, the position strong, and the French in force, all their furious efforts were in vain, and the Malakoff remained in possession of those who had so gallantly and skilfully won it. With regard to the final retreat to the north side, it can only be said that a personal examination of the locality merely confirms its necessity, and the impression so generally entertained that it was the finest operation of the war; so admirably was it carried out that not a straggler remained behind; a few men, so severely wounded as to be unfit for rough and hurried transportation, were the only ghastly human trophies that remained to the allies. The retreat, being a more difficult operation than the assault, is worthy of more admiration, but the Russian retreat to the north side, and the French assault upon the Malakoff must each be regarded as a masterpiece of its kind, deserving the closest study. It is difficult to imagine what point in either can be criticised, for both evinced consummate skill, discipline, coolness, and courage." and the character of his studies may be seen in the conclusions with which he has closed his report. From them can be inferred the probable direction of his present efforts toward securing the safety of the country. "It is believed that a calm consideration of the events so hastily and imperfectly narrated in the preceding pages must lead all unprejudiced persons among our countrymen to a firm conviction on two vital points: "1st. That our system of permanent coast defences is a wise and proper one, which ought to be completed and armed with the least possible delay. "2d. That mere individual courage cannot suffice to overcome the forces that would be brought against us were we involved in a European war, but that it must be rendered manageable by discipline, and directed by that consummate and mechanical military skill which can only be acquired by a course of education instituted for that special purpose, and by long habit. "In the day of sailing vessels the successful siege of Sebastopol would have been impossible. It is evident that the Russians did not appreciate the advantages afforded by steamers, and were unprepared to sustain a siege. "This same power of steam would enable European nations to disembark even a larger force than that which finally encamped around Sebastopol. To resist such an attack, should it ever be made, our cities and harbors must be fortified, and these fortifications must be The practical tendency of his mind provided with guns, ammunition, and ON THE RAILROAD. instructed artillerists. To repel the advance of such an army into the interior, it is not enough to trust to the number of brave but undisciplined men that we can bring to bear against it. "An invading army of fifteen thousand or twenty thousand men could easily be crushed by the unremitting attacks of superior numbers; but when it comes to the case of more than one hundred thousand disciplined veterans, the very multitude brought to bear against them works its own destruction; because, if without discipline and instruction, they cannot be handled, and are in their own way. We cannot afford a Moscow campaign. "Our regular army never can be, and perhaps never ought to be, large enough to provide for all the contingencies that may arise; but it should be as large as its ordinary avocations in the defence of the frontier will justify; the number of officers and non-commissioned officers should be unusually large, to provide for a sudden increase; and the greatest possible care should be bestowed upon the instruction of the special arms of the artillery and engineer troops. "The militia and volunteer system should be placed upon some tangible and effective basis, instructions furnished them from the regular army, and all possible means taken to spread sound. military information among them. "In the vicinity of our sea-coast fortifications it would be well to provide a sufficient number of volunteer companies, with the means of instruction in heavy artillery, detailing officers of the 289 regular artillery as instructors, who should, at the same time, be in charge of, and responsible for, the guns and material. "In time of war, or when war is imminent, local companies of regular artillery might easily be enlisted for short terms of service, or for the war, in the sea-coast towns. The same thing might advantageously be carried into effect on a small scale in times of peace." After returning from Europe, McClellan, finding that the army, in those piping times of peace, did not offer a sufficient scope for his activity, resigned his commission and accepted the appointment of vice-president and chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad. After serving three years in this office, he accepted that of president and general superintendent of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. He was actively engaged in the performance of the civil duties pertaining to this position when, war becoming imminent, he was summoned to resume his sword. Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, strove to secure his services in organizing the militia of that State. The Governor of Ohio, however, was beforehand, and had already offered to him the command of the Ohio troops with the rank of major-general, which McClellan unhesitatingly accepted. A few weeks subsequently he was May commissioned by the United States 14. Government a major-general in the regular army and given the command of the department of Ohio, embracing the States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and that part of Virginia lying north of the Great Kanawha River and west of the Green Brier River and the Maryland line, with so much of Pennsylvania as lies west of a line drawn from the Maryland line to the north-east corner of McKean County. We shall soon follow the energetic leader, in his campaign in Western Virginia, from the triumphs of which he was called to his present high position. McClellan, now thirty-five years old, is in the prime of life. A man of short stature and broad frame, with a tendency to corpulency, though of compact structure, he is possessed of great physical activity and powers of endurance. Not prone to loquacity, he is reticent of his own counsel, and when he speaks expresses himself in few words, and with the decisive tone which characterizes the energetic man of action, rather than the speculative discourser. temperament is that of the prevailing Anglo-American type, a combination of the sanguine and nervous. He has the thoughtful forecast of the one and the rapid movement of the other. This commingling of the two temperaments is shown in the dark though not black hair, in the light-colored but piercing eyes, in the full but concentrated frame, in the small hands and feet, and in the rounded but well-knit limbs. His His combined military knowledge and civil experience fit him eminently for the command of a mixed force of volunteers and regulars, enabling him to harmonize their discordant elements. He can appreciate fully the value of the disciplined soldier, and yet is not un conscious that important aid may be rendered by the citizen when aroused to take up arms in defence of his country. He has discovered, from actual contact, the character of his countrymen, and knows how gradually to subject their impatience of control to the stern requirements of military law. The secessionists of Eastern Virginia, emboldened by the advance of the troops of the Confederate States, soon strove to overawe or subject the Union men of the Western District. Having accumulated a considerable force at Harper's Ferry, they moved towards Grafton and other points west of the Alleghanies. It became, therefore, a matter of moment with the Federal Government, in order to sustain its loyal supporters in Virginia, to counteract this movement of the secessionists. The neighboring States of Pennsylvania and Ohio, between which that part of the western district of Virginia most devoted to the Union is enclosed, naturally presented the proper basis for operations in that quarter. Accordingly, General Patterson, at the head of the Pennsylvania troops, was ordered to march upon Harper's Ferry, while Gen-eral McClellan, in command of his Ohio force, was directed to cross the Ohio River and co-operate with him. Previous to doing this, however, it was necessary to give a check to the secession force advancing through Western Virginia. McClellan accordingly prepared to co-operate with the loyal Western Virginians, led by Colonel May Kelley, who were to march to meet 27. MCCLELLAN'S PROCLAMATION. the enemy at Grafton. Previous to moving his force across the Ohio, McClellan issued this proclamation : "HEADQUARTERS, DEPT. OF THE OHIO, CINCINNATI, May 26, 1861. "TO THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN VIRGINIA: "VIRGINIANS: The General Government has long enough endured the machinations of a few factious rebels in your midst! Armed traitors have in vain endeavored to deter you from expressing your loyalty at the polls. Having failed in this infamous attempt to deprive you of the exercise of your dearest rights, they now seek to inaugurate a reign of terror, and thus force you to yield to their schemes, and submit to the yoke of the traitorous conspiracy dignified by the name of the Southern Confederacy. SO. "They are destroying the property of citizens of your State, and ruining your magnificent railways. The General Government has heretofore carefully abstained from sending troops across the Ohio, or even from posting them along its banks, although frequently urged by many of your prominent citizens to do It determined to await the result of the State election, desirous that no one might be able to say that the slightest effort had been made from this side to influence the expression of your opinion, although the many agencies brought to bear upon you by the rebels were well known. You have now shown, under the most adverse circumstances, that the great mass of the people of Western Virginia are true and loyal to the beneficent Government under which 291 we and our fathers have lived so long. As soon as the result of the election was known, the traitors commenced their work of destruction. "The General Government cannot close its ears to the demand you have made for assistance. I have ordered troops to cross the river. They come as your friends and brothers as enemies only to the armed rebels who are preying upon you. Your homes, your families, and your property are safe under our protection. All your rights shall be religiously protected. 66 'Notwithstanding all that has been said by the traitors to induce you to believe that our advent among you will be signalized by interference with your slaves, understand one thing clearly not only will we abstain from all interference, but we will, on the contrary, with an iron hand, crush any attempt at insurrection on their part. "Now that we are in your midst, I call upon you to fly to arms, and support the General Government; sever the connection that binds you to traitors ; proclaim to the world that the faith and loyalty so long boasted of by the Old Dominion are still preserved in Western Virginia, and that you remain true to the stars and stripes. 66 66 G. B. MCCLELLAN, Major-General Commanding.' This was followed by a proclamation to the army. "CINCINNATI, May 26, 1861. "TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE ADVANCING COLUMN: "You are ordered to cross the frontier and enter upon the soil of Vir |