Abraham Lincoln . lization, con-sciously under military duress. McClellan, while fighting battles which 352 LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLX. should produce no result but the expenditure of men and means, hadcontrived to keep the troops with him bj charging each new failure tosome dereliction of the Secretary of War and the President; had cre-ated an impression among them that the Administration was hostile tohim, and withheld what should have been accorded him, and which insome instances he falsely represented as having been promised restoration of McClellan to command, in the face of his misc
Abraham Lincoln . lization, con-sciously under military duress. McClellan, while fighting battles which 352 LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLX. should produce no result but the expenditure of men and means, hadcontrived to keep the troops with him bj charging each new failure tosome dereliction of the Secretary of War and the President; had cre-ated an impression among them that the Administration was hostile tohim, and withheld what should have been accorded him, and which insome instances he falsely represented as having been promised restoration of McClellan to command, in the face of his miscon-duct, was the greatest trial and most painful duty of my official , situated as I was, it seemed to be my duty, and, in opposition toevery member of my Cabinet, I performed it, and I feel no regret forwhat I have done. To-day, Mr. Kelley, I am stronger with the Army ofthe Potomac than McClellan. The supremacy of civil power has beenrestored, and the Executive is again master of the situation. The troops. AMBROSE E. BUHNSITjE. EMANCIPATION. 358 know that if I made a mistake in substitnting Pope for McClellan, Twas capable of rectifying it b}^ again trusting liim. They know, too,that neither Stanton nor myself withheld anything from him at Antie-tam, and that it AV^as not the Administration but their own former idolwho surrendered the just results of their terrible sacrifice and closed thegreat fight as a drawn battle, when, had he thrown Porters corps offresh men and other available troops upon Lees army, he would havedriven it in disorder to the river and captured most of it before sunset. The month of October was closing. For a period of six weeks thearmy had idled the time away encamped on the bank of the was east of the Blue Ridge. General Lee was west of it, in the8henandoah \^alley. McClellan wasnearer Richmond. The President uiged him to makea rapid march on the interior line for the Confederate capital, but thearmy did not move. The patience of the
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