MCCLELLAN ORGANIZING THE GRAND ARMY.

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CONFEDERATE WORKS ON MUNSON’S HILL, AS SEEN FROM THE UNION ADVANCE POST AT BAILEY’S CROSS-ROADS. [SEE MAP, VOL. I., P. 172.] FROM A SKETCH MADE IN SEPTEMBER , 1861.

joined to his physical advantages rare military and diplomatic attainments.He had known how to conquer Mexico without suffering a check; he hadbeen able to establish a government that would warrant evacuation of thecountry, capable of maintaining itself without extraneous assistance, andhe had secured a treaty with leonine conditions for the Americans. Butage had attacked him physically and mentally. Obese and impotent, thebrilliant Scott was in 1861 but the shadow of his former self. While recog-nizing the services rendered by him to the republic at the outbreak of thecivil war, by his fidelity to the Stars and Stripes in spite of his Virginionorigin, the young generals reproached him with paralyzing their ardor andinterfering with their projects. The President and his Secretary of State,Mr. Seward, who, through political habitude, was also a temporizer, regrettedthe resignation of Scott, and augured ill of the youth and rashness of

the earliest moment, to allow me to he placed on theofficers’ retired list, and then quietly to lay myselfup — prohahly forever — somewhere in or about NewYork . But, wherever I may spend my little remainderof life, my frequent and latest prayer will be, ‘ God savethe Union.’ ”

On August 10th, at the request of the President,General McClellan gave the latter authority towithdraw this letter of August 8th, which, as hesaid, “was designed to be a plain and respectfulexpression” of his views. President Lincoln wentwith this letter to General Scott, and requestedhim to withdraw his reply. On August 12th Gen-eral Scott wrote again to the Secretary of War, tosay that he could not withdraw his letter, for threereasons; the third relating to his physical infirmi-ties, and the first two being the following:

“ 1. The original offense given to me by Major-Gen-eral McClellan (see his letter of the 8tli inst.) seems tohave been the result of deliberation between him and

some of the members of the Cabinet, by whom all thegreater war questions are to be settled, without resortto or consultation with me, the nominal General-in-Chief of the army. In further proof of this neglect,—although it is unofficially known that in the last week(or six day6) many regiments have arrived and othershave changed their positions; some to a considerabledistance,—not one of these movements has been re-ported to me (or anything else) by Major-General Mc-Clellan ; while it is believed, and, I may add, known, thathe is in frequent communication with portions of theCabinet and on matters appertaining to me. That free-dom of access and consultation have, very naturally, de-luded the junior general into a feeling of indifferencetoward his senior.

“2. With such supports on his part, it would be asidle for me as it would be against the dignity of myyears, to be filing daily complaints against an ambitiousjunior, who, independent of the extrinsic advantagesalluded to, has, unquestionably, very high qualificationsfor military command. I trust they may achieve crown-ing victories in behalf of the Union.”

Editors.