, 1862-07-10
Con. AEoclellan's Dream.

justly celebrated soldier poring over several
maps, and reports Of scouts As the hour came
toiling through the night, together with the dull
rumbling Of army wagons and artillery wheels,
the wearied hero, pushing IRON him bis maps
and reports, leaned bis forehead on his folded
arms upon the table before him, and fell into q
sleep % deep that even the occasional booming
Of the heavy guns being placed in position on
the intfenchments was insufficient to disturb it
could not have been slumbering thus more
than ten minutes" said the General 70 an init
mate friend, to whom be related the strange mar
rAtive' when l thought the door Of my room,
which had carefully locked, was thrown SUD
denly open, and some one strobe up to me, and,
laying band upon my shoulder, said In slow
solemn voice:
"Gen. Mcclellan, do you sleep ct your post
Rouse you or, ere can be prevented, the Toe viii
be IN WashingtonW - II
Never before 10 my Lie have heard . voice
possessing the commandihg and even terrible
tone Of the one that addressed % me tnese words
And the sensation that passed through me, - u
fell upon my ears and eoweringly shrunk INTO
myself at the thought Of my own negligence, !
eau only compare to the whistling, shTieking
sweep Of q storm Of grape shot discharged d.
rectlY through my BRAIN. l could not move,
however, although | tried hard to raise my head
from the table. AZ sense Of my willingness,
and yet helplesSness 10 make an answer 70 the
unkn0wn intruder oppressed me, ! once more
heard the same slow, solemn voice repeat;
"Gen. Mcclellan, do you sleep atyour postf"
There was Q peculiarly about u Of this dmei
It seemed as though La mere atom e. water
was suspended iD the centre Of On innnite space,
and that the voice came from hollow distance
all around me. As the last word was uttered,
regained by some felt and unknown power my
sFolskion md NTH the ahnm6n. fhn OVono en0t
discharge sensation IN my brain ceased, and q
strange but new one seized my heart one es II .
huge rough icicle was being sawed back aud forth
through and Through me.' laJ eiF 4. l
] started up, or rather l should say thought
I started, for whether was awake or asleep.
am unable to decide. Ny thought wes about
my maps, and before my eyelids bad half opened
ny hand was grasping them. But this was
all. The table was still before me, and the maps,
all crunpled 10 my tightening clutch, were stlll
before me, but everything else bad disappeared
The fufuilurewus gone the walls q the apart
ment were gone; the ceiling was not 70 be seen.
Al saw vasthe tablean am about % describe
TO you. Ny gaze turned . nIhEardi and mere
spread Out before me, was . living map; yea q
living map; that is the only expression I can
think Of as befitting the scene. In one grand
coup d all, my eye took in the whole expanse o.
country, as far south as the Gulf Of Mexico, and
from the Atlantic Ocean on the east, 70 The MIS-
sissiPpi river westwardly. .,l3 a.,.r,.,. ~ \
before iulIy nxlng my Iuenuon 1PSn W .i.a ~
mtnse scene, however, tnougns o. .ne mySis-
rious visitant whose voice had heard put mo-
nlent previous, and looked toward him An
apparition stood on my lvit' somewnat y Ho1L
at distance ot about s'x ieet rom me: is1ugns
for bis features, hoping to recognize him. bu.
was disappointed, Tor the stAtne-iike ngure ~ ~
naught but vaPor--a elouds%having cny lne
general outlines Of 2 man. Inls gouolso ms,
and I was turning the matter over 10 my mind,
when the shadowy visitor, in the same slow,
solemn tone as before, said; 9
Gen. Mcclellan, your time Is shoFtl LOOK
to the Southward." s,...i, :. .,,i,is, -
felt unable TO resist the command, even mao
wished to do 80, and again, therefore, my eyes
were cast on the living map
Out on the Atlantic saw the various vessels
Of The bloekading squadron looming up with
the most perfect distinctness IN the bright moon
shine that Illuminated everything with strong.
but mellow light. saw Charleston harngF, ana
its lOrts, with their pacing sentinels, ane the,.
sullen-looking baF6ette guns. ny eyes lolloese e
the ocean line all The way round INTO & ne ynl5
to New Orleans, and thence up the mississippi
Fcrt Pickens, and, On fact, every foriilcalicn
along this water boundary, beheid win as
much distinctness as you, sir, see that CorporAis
guard passing there. ~ 3, r.si5y;t.,
Trh;s sight allied ma with A delRhtiuI surprise
hnt n vr,,I5 ~ ut,erlv iTnnossibie (or me 70 de-
scr;hs IN scqlatie Amusement that followed, as
w;thin he limits I mention, nv eyes took IN, in
minute but liRhtning-like detail every mountsin
rance every hin every valley, every forest every
meadow. eyeTy river. every city, every camp, ev-
erv tent eVefv body Of men, every sentinel, every
aarthwork. overv cannon. and. Imay say, dispens-
n tx. .s,A.