e was not General Scott's first choice
for that command, the latter preferring General Henry W. Halleck, then
on his way from California to Washington, for that responsible
position. When McClellan took command he at once commenced making his
reports directly to the Secretary of War, instead of through the
lieutenant general. This was resented by the commander in chief, who,
September 16, 1861, issued General Orders No. 17 by way of admonition,
in which he said: "It is highly important that junior officers on duty
be not permitted to correspond with the general in chief, or other
commander, on current official business, except through intermediate
commanders; and the same rule applies to correspondence with the
President direct, or with him through the Secretary of War, unless it
be by special invitation or request of the President." This gentle
reminder of his duty to his superior officer did not have the desired
effect, and so, on October 4th, General Scott addressed a letter to
Hon. Simon Cameron, wherein he quotes his General Orders No. 17, in
which he says: "I hailed the arrival here of Major-General McClellan
as an event of happy consequence to the country and to the army.
Indeed, if I did not call for him, I heartily approved of the
suggestion, and gave it the most cordial support. He, however, had
hardly entered upon his new duties when, encouraged to communicate
directly with the President and certain members of the Cabinet, he in
a few days forgot that he had any intermediate commander, and has now
long prided himself in treating me with uniform neglect, running into
disobedience of orders of the smaller matters--neglects, though in
themselves grave military offenses." He complains that General
McClellan, with the General Orders No. 17 fresh in his mind, had
addressed several orders to the President and Secretary of War over
his [Scott's] head. On the same day of the issuance of General Orders
No. 17 General Scott addressed a letter to McClellan directing that
officer to report to the commanding general the position, state, and
number of troops under him by divisions, brigades, and independent
regiments or detachments, which general report should be followed by
reports of new troops as they arrived, with all the material changes
which might take place in the Army of the Potomac. Eighteen days had
elapsed between his letter to McClellan and his communication to the
Secretary of War, and no response had been rece