Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-28
Editorial Correspondencel
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whether you get them regularly or not. The
way Of correspondents in this quarter is 90
hedged about with divers difficulties and re-
stFioliOhs, that Il is By no means certain
whether an .ePiStle deposited in the post
Office here win the next day be on its way to
the Western Reserve or quietly repOslng in
the waste basket of the government censor.
You may, or may not, therefore, have re-
ceiyed my last letter, in which told you
that knowing that the great battle would not
open for some days at least, we had retired
from the immediate vicinity Of the army and
returned 70 Fortress Monroe. assI
A few words @ to the condition Of the
army Of the Potomac will not be without in
terest 70 yOu-snd firstly, while the whole
loyal country has been impatient at the long
delsy, and inaetioh which has characterized
this army, and while at Washington found
the whole pOpulatiOn-speaking in general
expressing want Of canAdence in
Geh. Mcclellan, here there is the utmost con-
hdeaee in and reliance on him as soldier.
am glad to End this 80, because if the army
had not confidence In its General we could
expect nothing but defeat in the coming
battle. With that confidence we shall gain
the victory. Every officer and soldier l
have conversed with pins his present faith
to Mcclellan. Some Of them-very many
Of them-have Joined with you, and me,
and nearly every other loyal civilian, in
cha6ng at the "quiet on the Potomac and
the great Manassas humbug, but so far as the
issue on the Peninsula is concerned they be-
Heve Geo. B. Mcclellan is just the man to
lesd them to victory. This is one great point
which will tell for us when the time of as
sanlt comes.
Another is the determined air of business
and work which psrvades the entire army.
We hear little or nothing of the ''spoiling
for fight" which was boosted in the earlier
months of the war, but there is manifest
determination which promises much more
fer us than such loud assertions of valor
which had not been tested. Then the troops
did not know what war was,a and their ideas
Of battle were much like those with which
they viewed free fight in q country bar
room. Now, they know that war is 9 seri-
ous, solemn business hard learned trade
which gives them steady work and not
mere dash of reckless bravery or rashnesS.
And so what we now see in the face Of the
men who compose our army is not the flush
Of excitement but the cool look Of men who
know that when they sfe told to advance,
they viii walk to the cannon's mouth with
the same implicit obediencs with which they
would go to their daily mechanical toll at
home. They are veterans, notrecrults andsc,
when the day of battle comes, and these vet
ersn hosts leave these hillsides to march down
yonder in what will be the valley of the
shadow Of death to thousands Of them, there
win be no Bulls Run panic nor inglorious
skulking. Never until saw this army did
1 feel the confidence in it that now do.
It is worth ones careful inspection to see
the mode of Life which these soldiers lead,
and the adsptsbIlity to circumstances which !
distinguishes them, A regiment is halted |
lpOn a rising ground little out OF the water
which foods half the country hsreabOuts. In |
an hour you viii see the ground covered |
with little black shelter tents, some with log |
sides, TO raise them higher than they would /
be, some with embahkments around |
them to shed the rain and wind and the riVu- |
lets which speedily follow the smallest show
sr, some with snte.roOms and bowers Of
svergreens, and in and about all Of these
the sun-browned soldier is working or cook.
ing or sleeping as contentedly as if they
we're at their own homes. They are all |
,heerful and hopeful haYn't heard dis
groWl since I've been here from
he common soldier, except an occasional
complaint Of the long delay of the Paymas-
er in bringing the money that the volunteers
amily are anxiously looking for by every
nail or express from the army. This cause
# complaint will soon be removed, as de-
of Paymssters will be here this
week to pay OF the whole Potomac army.
And 50, from general and bird's-eye view
If The situation here, We gather courage and
,Onfdence. There will be great fight, and
hat loss of life which McClellsn's "anaconds
llan" was to save has got to be met at last
'ut that the Stars and Stripes will wave vic
OriOus over those rebel works around York
own fully believe. But if not, then the
'attle viii be gained by therebels over troops
hat viii fight to the death.
q n