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and the northern Laurel hill : and behind them both runs the great Virginia turnpike through Beverly and Leedsville. To cover this turnpike, Garnett had posted Pegram at Rich mountain with 2,000 men, while he held Laurel hill with 3.000. McClellan, who had five brigades, posted Gen. Jacob D. Cox's command on the Lower Kanawha, Gen. Hill's to guard the communications between western Virginia and the upper Potomac, and went in person with the remainder, divided into two columns. The first was to make a demonstra- tion against Garnett at Philippi; the second to capture Pegram at Rich mountain, and cut off the enemy's retreat. Advancing with Gens. Schleich and Rosecrans, who commanded these columns, to Buckhannon, on 10 July he was in front of Pe- gram, and sent Rosecrans to the right to gain his rear. By some miscalculation there was a delay, and Pegram evacuated Rich mountain, but many of his scattered force were captured by McClel- lan near Beverly. Garnett abandoned Laurel hill to join Pegram, but found himself inter- cepted. He then tried by devious paths to escape to the Cheat river. He was over- taken at Carrick's ford, but succeeded in ci'ossing with the loss of all his mate- rial, and was killed on the farther bank, and his force was scattered. In this eight days' campaign McClellan had driv- en the enemy from the great Kanawha, and captured 1,000 prisoners, and he wrote to Washing-

ton that " he had

completely annihilated the enemy in western Virginia." Lee fared no better when he succeeded Garnett and at- tempted to dislodge the force of Rosecrans, under Reynolds, at Cheat mountain. In a convention held at Wheeling, 11 June, 1861, at which 40 coun- ties were represented, this portion of the state had disapproved secession and adhered to the Union, which it was now free to enter as a separate state, as it did. by act of congress. 31 Dec, 1862.

On 14 May McClellan had been appointed a major- general in the U. S. army. Meantime preparations had been pushed forward at Washington for a di- rect movement toward Richmond, the command of the force being given to Gen. Irwin McDowell {q. v.). Immediately after the battle of Bull Run, McClellan was called to Washington, and on 27 July he was assigned to the command of the De- partment of Washington and iSTortheastern Vir- ginia. While reorganizing the Army of the Po- tomac he was, on 20 Aug., invested with its com- mand, and, on the retirement of Gen. Scott, 1 Nov., he was made commander of all the armies of the United States, to the great satisfaction of the whole country, who hoped more from him than it was in the power of man to accomplish. What he had done so sagaciously, intelligently, and prompt- ly in West Virginia placed him before his country- men as the incarnation of perfect military genius. In his report he declared that, on his arrival at Washington, he had " found no army to command — a mere collection of regiments cowering on the banks of the Potomac, some perfectly raw, others dispirited by recent defeat, some going home. There were no defensive works on the southern ap- proaches to the capital. Washington was crowded with straggling officers and men absent from their stations without authority." He had to bring or- der out of this chaos, to create an army, and to de- fend the city. If he was slow in doing this, he did it well. He declared that the true place to defend Washington was on the James river. After the discussion of his plan, a compromise was made in favor of a movement by the York and Pamunkey rivers. Growing out of his reputed tardiness and the conflicting opinions as to the best plan of cam- paign, McClellan was now looked upon by the gov- ernment with suspicion. Mr. Stanton, who had succeeded Simon Cameron as secretary of war, and who was at first McClellan 's friend, soon took issue with him on vital points, and embarrassed the gen- eral and the army greatly. In spite of McClellan's remonstrances the secretary was constantly urging a forward movement, and prevailed on Mr. Lin- coln to issue an order — impossible to be carried out — that a combined movement by land and water should be made on 22 Feb., 1862. The serious ill- ness of McClellan in December retarded the organ- ization, and it was not until 10 March, 1862, that he put the army in motion for a demonstration upon Manassas ; an unnecessary and unfortunate movement, because, in expectation of it, the Con- federates had evacuated the position the day be- fore. One good was accomplished, however, the gigantic machine had been put in successful mo- tion, and active operations were fairly begun. Various plans of campaign were considered. The general purpose was to embark at Annapolis, pro- ceed to either the Rappahannock, the York, or the James, and thence move upon Richmond. One proposition was to land at Fort Monroe, which would be a base of operations, and proceed hj James river to Richmond. Another was to pro- ceed by York river with the co-operation of the navy. This last plan of campaign having been reluctantly accepted by the president, McClellan moved the Army of the Potomac via Alexandria from 17 March to 6 April by water to Hampton Roads, and, landing at Old Point Comfort, en- tered upon the peninsular campaign. As soon as he was gone from Washington his opponents de- clared he had left the capital undefended. The course of the government was shaped in a great degree by the views of the opposition, and his plan of campaign was altered. He had been assured of the co-operation of McDowell's corps. 40,000 men, marching southward to join him and to form his right before Richmond ; but such were the fears as to the security of Washington that Blenk- er's division of Sumner's corps, twelve regiments and eighteen guns, was detached on 31 March, and McDowell's corps was diverted from him on 4 April. On 3 April an order was issued to discon- tinue all recruiting for volunteers, upon which McClellan depended to supply his losses, and the recruiting-offices were closed. As soon as he left Washington he was relieved from the command- in-chief by a published order that had not been communicated to him before, and became simply commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Thus thwarted, whether right or wrong, he made it clear on what conditions he was fighting, and then went on. His first objective point was York- town, which he besieged from 5 April until 4 May. Without venturing an opinion whether Yorktown could have been taken earlier by a vigorous as- sault, it is known that the enemy held it until the