FROM THE PENINSULA TO ANTIETAM.

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sent off every man but those, and will now send them with the train as youdirect. I will also send my only remaining squadron of cavalry with GeneralSumner. I can do no more. You now have every man of the Army of thePotomac who is within my reach.” I had already sent off even my headquar-ters wagons — so far as landed—with ammunition to the front.

On the same day I telegraphed to General Halleck , “I cannot expressto you, etc.” [The dispatch which General McClellan here indicates, as intend-ing to insert when revising the manuscript, proceeds as follows:

“I cannot express to you the pain and mortification I have experienced to-day in listeningto the distant sound of the firing of my men. As I can be of no further use here, I respectfullyask that if there is a possibility of the conflict being renewed to-morrow, I may be permittedto go to the scene of battle with my staff, merely to be with my own men, if nothing more; theywill fight none the worse for my being with them. If it is not deemed best to intrust me withthe command even of my own army, I simply ask to be. permitted to share their fate on the fieldof battle. Please reply to this to-night.

“ I have been engaged for the last few hours in doing what I can to make arrangements forthe wounded. I have started out all the ambulances now landed. As I have sent my escortto the front, I would be glad to take some of Gregg’s cavalry with me, if allowed to go.

“ G. B. McClellan, Major-General .”

Tlie dispatch was dated “Camp near Alexandria, Aug. 30th, 1862, 10:30p. M.” On the following day he received this answer:

“ Washington, Aug. 31, 1862, 9:18 a. m.

11 Major-General McClellan : I have just seen your telegram of 11: 05 last night, Thesubstance was stated to me when received, but I did not know that you asked for a replyimmediately. I cannot answer without seeing the President, as General Pope is in command,by his orders, of the department.

“ I think Couch ’s division should go forward as rapidly as possible, and find the battle-field.

“ H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief .”]

On the 1st of September I met General Halleck at his office in Washington,who by verbal order directed me to take charge of Washington and itsdefenses, but expressly prohibited me from exercising any control over theactive troops under General Pope.

At this interview I informed General Halleck that from informationreceived through one of my aides I was satisfied that affairs were notprogressing favorably at the front, and urged him to go out in person toascertain the exact state of the case. He declined doing this, but finally sentColonel Kelton, his adjutant-general.

Next morning while at breakfast at an early hour I received a call from thePresident, accompanied by General Halleck .

The President informed me that Colonel Kelton had returned and repre-sented the condition of affairs as much worse than I had stated to Halleck onthe previous day; that there were thirty thousand stragglers on the roads; thatthe army was entirely defeated and falling back to Washington in confusion.He then said that he regarded Washington as lost, and asked me if I would,under the circumstances, consent to accept command of all the forces. With-out one moment’s hesitation and without making any conditions whatever, Iat once said that I would accept the command and would stake my life that Iwould save the city. Both the President and Halleck again asserted that it