Maryland free press., 1862-11-21

1Jldiers could not restrain their controlling adli-
ration for their General. After he had passed
along the lines and was returning towards the hill,
| Gen. Patrick, commanding the Provost guard at
headquarters, passed up the crest, and, with cap
! in hand led the whole command in three addition
al tumultuOus cheers 70. Gen. Mcclellan, The
| Sturges Rifles which have been with him from
the time of his first campaign in Western Virgin
! ia, gave an extra complimentary cheer, and Al
ihe men turned their heads around, and gave ono
! leng, last lingering look, whit be rode away tc
lid similar adieu 70 other commands.
| lie thei, passed through the camps of The re-
! serve artillery. The batteries we're all arranged
in convenient positions, the cannoneers standing
! by their guns. The men presented sabres, while
the music mingled with their cheers as he passed.
The magnificent artillery reserve of the,army of
the Potomac, which Mcclellan had organized with
so much care, he seemed reluctant to leave it now
when there was an immediate prospect OF its efh-
cheney being fully displayed on the field:
| 1t was while riding from here that burnside,
accompanied by brilliant staff, came dsshiug
across the field and Joined him. They shook each
other cordially by the hand, and rode together du-
ring the remainderof the day. When we reache
! .he turnpike on either side of which troops are
encamped we witnessed one of the grandest and
most effective demonstrations it has ever been my
fortune to behold. The troops in General Fdz
j John Porter's corps were martialled IN masnlit-
cent array n the right of the road, and those IN
| General Couch's corps on the left. Butlefte 8,
Sykes' and Humphreys divisions, in Porter's
corps we're disposed in order, the binners of each
command appearing in the centre, close en- the
road. Hancock's, Howard's ard French's diVi-
! sions, in Couchs corps were arranged in some
what similar manner, with the artillery of both
commands planted Oh prominent positions.
As had been done in theother instances, McClel-
lan's farewell address to ais soldiers was read to
them just before he passed to personally bid them
farewell. AS he rode along the turnpike, with
head uncovered, between the lines of troops, aud
followed by the gltterpg array of officers, fifty
| thousand of his devoted soldiers, with hearts and
voices in perlect Unison, and ali with one accord,
burst forth into the most tumultuous cheering
Along the lines no rode, amids The continued ac-
clamations of the fifty thousand, while, from the
distance, we would occasionally catch, as though
! il were an echo, the sound from the troops We
had left behind, and who were cheering yet, long
after Lhs Ganera al had Gnnn awau fran tha i'm
diate vicinity of his headquarters. Whilst he
rode along the batteries fred salutes, the bands
PLAYED and the soldiers cheered the smoke from
the artillery oated in f.ropg the perforated ban
ners, and the acelanat.on1 of the troops mingled
with the martial music of the bands and guns
l cannot recall from my experience any occasion
on which the enthusiasm manifested BY these SOL
diers has been surpassed.
| Passingsthe end of Porter's and COUGHS lines,
General Mcclellan, and party proceeded four or
| Eve miles further soIthe place where Frnnklin's
corps was encamped. On the way, soldiers fol-
lowed and cheered him. He was soon near Frank.
| lin's corps. His arrival was not expected quite
so soou and the troops were not formed t9 receive
him. But when tho soldiers saw him apr r-oacting
their encampment, the color-bearers Of the vari.
GUS regiments grasped the stars and stripes and
the esimental standards, and came dashing down
the hils and across the fields, the members OF the
regiments without arms, dashing wildly sftsr
them. Mcclellan passed through this mass Of
soldiers to General Franklin's headquarters, whore
he, Burnside and Franklin; while the latter's
troops were being collected and disposed, had q
protracted interview, ;, ' .'
This ended, the conn any mounted their horses
again, and rode among the troops of Frapklin's
corps. Smiths division, part formed in line of
battle and part in column, greeted Mcclellan with
across the valley In one grand solid column, with
args ,ating in the breeze, to meet the retiring
General. They flock d around him, discarding
entirely everything concerning the rn,eo Of mill
tary formation, and, in the most feeling manner
bade him an aiectionate farewell. The troops in
Newton's division, formed further on, were no
less decided and enthusiastic in their demonstra-
tions. 1t was really wonderful to see how deep
was The expression of feeling by the soldiers on
this occasion. . 458.
Having pissed through the lines of all the
troops in the vicinity, General Mcclellan turned
his horses head to 60 back to his headquarters,
whence he intended proceeding to the train which
was waiting to convey him to Washington. Now
we witnessed the most sfiecting scene of sll.-s
Until this moment it hardly seemed that their f.
vorite General could leave them But now be
was going from among tbem---hs had already
gone. The moment that they fully realized it ell
these soldiers, animated by one universal i'm pul,s
ran after him, some weeping aloud, and shouted
in the most touching and appealing manner,
"Fetch him back, fetch him back % and "Oh,
come back, come back to us, Mcclellan u
As be rode along the turnpike on his return
from F'snklin's corps, troops under Couch and
Porter, which be had passed in regular formation
few hou's before, now rushed out from their
camp ground snd thronged the roadside, anxious
to take another last look at their Beloved Gerer-
al. Many of them were melted to tears, and after
cheering him again and again, Joined in the uni
versal Ss;ppication, "Come back to US, come back
to US, Mcclellan" -.
PARTING AT PcRTEn's nEApeUARTERs.
RidiBg up to General Fitz John Porter's head
quarters he was met by delega tion composed OF
several hundred officers in Porter's command.-
After the party had dismounted, and Mcclellan
had reached the porticp Of the house where the
oeacers were assembled, tho division generals OF
the corps being close beside him, General Butter
field, in fen we'll choren Words, alluded to the
affection existing between Mcclellan aud his Of
fcers, and stated that those who were now assem-
bed there had convened to personally bid him
farewell.
In reply, General II cCiellan sad :-"Ii hardly
know what to say to you, my friends, officers as.
ISOLATED so long with me in the Army of the Po-
tomac. can only bid you farewell History
will do justice to the deeds of the Army of the