Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-11-21
Cen. MeCleIlnn,s Evenaounrters.

From Russell's Letter to the London Times
His quarters are in Il pleasant hous= at the
corner OF a square not unlike that of Gordon
or Euston. BY day the door and windows are
open a sentry in blue tunic, blue cap, blGe
trousers, all without what are called tacings,
brass buttons with distracted eagle thereup.
on, and waist belt with brass buckle in
scribed ~. s., walks up and down, general
ly with pipe or cigar in his mouth, and his
tirelock carried horizontally over his shoulder,
SO as 10 bring the bayonet on level with any
eye of which the unwary owner may be
coming rOunl the corner. Several dragon
horses are htched up by The rail and the trees
along the pavement, standing patiently and
good naturally, as American horses are wont
to do, or. at most, stamping au1 Ticking of
the flies which in the United States try pa
tience and good temper so hardly. At the
door are ready orderlies, two quick, intelligent
young men, who are civil without being ser.
vile, and who, i'll being so afford some contrast
to the various very Independent soldiers
lounging or sitting on the steps read.
ing newspapers, and waiting for answers
to their messages. There is II sort OF "Open
Sesame" air about the place which does not
prevent the secrets inside being well kept. In
the parlors are seated officers and visitors
smoking or talking. The tables are covered
with a litter OF papers and journals and torn
envelopes, and the clacking tongue OF the tele.
graph instrument reSounds through the build
ing. The general is generally up stairs, and
sundry gentle Cerberi bar the entrance TO his
presence, nor is he destitute Of the art of max.
ing himself invisible when lie pleases His
staff are excellent men, am told, and most
courteous and gentlemanly / know, so tar as
my personal experience goes, nor could any
commander be served more efficiently than
the general is by such men as Brig. General
Van Vliet, or Col Hudson, notwithstanding
the absence OF a good deal of the stiffness
which marks the approaches to some head
quarters, as General Mcclellan found,
when lie and his brother commissioners
sought in vain to obtain access to Marshal
Peissier in the Crimea. The general, a short
time agQ,an employee on the Central Illinois
railway, but with 50 much of the d spirit in
him that he studied closely all the movements
Of that short Italian campai IN of which he is
not doomed to give counterpart in this part
of the world, is a noctnne, and at the close of
long, iabOrious days, works hard and fast late
into the night, till sleep pursues and overtakes
him, when lie surrenders readily for he has one
of those natures which need iair share OF rest
capable though they be OF great exerlion with.
out it on occasion. He works hard, too, in the
saddle and, when the business of the morning
has been dispatched, of he goes, attended by
a rev OlleerS ana small escort OF orderlleS
and troops, across the Potomac, visiting the
camps, examining positions, eating where
fortune spreads the board, and returning, gen
orally after nightal to look over the reports
to issue orders, TO battle little politicians
and to stand on the defensive against those
Of larger dimensions. Here he is natural but
vigilaut-candid, but prudent-tobucco rumi
nant or fu.mant, full o ite and yet contem.
platfve-of a temper, indeed, which seems to
take some of its color from that Of the acct
dents OF its surroundings in time aud place
Extraordinary acts are ascribed to him OF
which he knows nothing. He is the "uaroun
Alraschid' OF the journalists At one time,
attired as uivandiere, he is testing the quality
of lager beer; again, as simple volunteer, / e
is visiting the commissariat stores and making
practical experiments on bread aud meat
Anon, he is encountered as vidette or starts
ont of wood with embrowned face, as a con-
traband, and before the week is over he has
done everything except the thing he has been
really engaged on. Oh, Young Napoleon"
what dreadful hundred days are in store for
you. One can fancy even now the bohlcr
signing for the angnlaS iSte in the palatial build.
ing devoted 10 the laborers of Central Illinois
officials at Chicago.