The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-03-08
GEN. WcCLELAN.s DREAM.
BY WESLEY BRADSHAW.

r Mcclellan arrived IN Washington TO take
5 command Of the United States Armv found
E that justly celebrated soldier po,ing over
| several maps. and reports OF scouts
| As the hour came tollug through the
: night, togethe. with the dull rumbling Of
/ army wagons and srtiilery wheels. the wea-
. EieI Zero pushing from him his maps and
, reports, leaned his forehead on his folded
arms upon the table before him. and fell
into sleep SO deep that even the occasion
al booming OF 'he heavy guns. being placed
ia position on the irtrenchments, was iu-
sufficient TO disturb it.
Il could not have bean slumber,ng thus
more than ten minutes," said the General,
= to an Intimate friend. to whom he related
the strange narrative. "when l thought the
door OF my room. which had carefully
locked. was thrown suddenly open. aud
some one strobe to me, and laying a hand
upon my shoulder, said in a low, solemn
voice:
General Ne Gillian do soa sleep at your
post! Roase you. or ere 1t ean BE- preeeated.
the foe ptH Be on Washington -
Newer before in my liie have I heard
voice possessing the commaniin-, and even
terrible tone of the one that addressed me
these fearful words Aud the sensation
that passed through me. as it tell upon my
ears. and | cowrringly shrunk into myself
At the thought OF my own ueeligence. can
only compare to the whistling, shrieking
sweep of storm of grape shot discharged
directly through my brain. could not
move. however. although | tried hardly to
raise my head from the table. As sense
of my willn sness. and yet helplessness to
make answer to the unknown intruder. op-
pressed me, l once more heard that same
slow. solemn voice repeat.
"General Nc Cieilan do you sleep at your
post2'
1T here was peculiarity, about this time;
il seemed as though la mere atom of
mstter-was suspended in the centre OF an
infinite space. and that the voice came from
a halow distance all around, too. As the
last wori was uttered reg .ined. by some
fell and yet aaknowa power. my volition,
and with the change the grape shot dis.
charge sensation in my brain cease |, and a
strange bat new one seized my heart; once
as ii huge rough icicle being sawed back
and forih through and through me.
Il started up. or rather | should say |
thought started up, for whether / was
awake asleep am utterly unable to de-
eide. My first thought was abou, nv
maps. and, before my eyelids had opened
my hand was grasping them But this was
no, all. The table was still before me. and
the maps. all crumplsd in my tightening
clutch. were still before me: but everything
else had disappeared. The furniture was
gone. the walls of the apartment we're gone.
the ceiling was not to be seen. All saw
was the tableau am abou. to describe to
you.
s.My gaze was turned Sou,hward. and
there. spre I'd ont before me was Gying
map that is the ouly expr: ssion can think
OF As beftting the scene. In one grand comp
dea my eye took the whole expanse OF couu-
try, as far Souh as the Gulf of Mexico.
and from the Atlantic Ocean on the East to
The Mississippi river Westwardly.
Before fully fixing my attention upon |
the immense scene. however, l thought Of I
the mysterious vi-itant. whose voice | had |
heard but a moment previous, and looked
toward him. An apparition stood on my |
left, somewhat in front. at distance Of |
about six feet from me. sought for his
features. hoping to recognize him But
was disappo nted. for the statue like figure
was naught but vapor. . cloud, having |
only the general outlines Of a man.
"This troubled me and I vas turning
the matter over in my mind. when the
shadowy visitor, in the same slow, solemn
lone as before. said:
ueHeFdl uICtfeHHH yDuT ttVSS u SHO/E.
--Look TO tie .SouthUardP
II was unable to resist this command,
even had wished to do SO, and again.
therefore my eyes were cast over the liuing
map.
"Out on the Atlantic I saw the various
vessels of the blockading squadron looming
up with the most perfect odrstinctness in the
bright moonshine, that illuminated every I
thing with strong. bu. mellow ligrt. I |
saw Charleston Harbor and its forts. with
their pacing sentinels, and their sullen look. !
ing barbe,te guns. My eyes followed ths
ocean line all the way round into the Gulf !
to New Orleans, and thence up tho Missis. /
sippi. Fort Picken-. and in fact. every /
fori6cs,ion along this water boundary. |
beheld with as much dis,inc.ness a. you, |
sir. sag hat CorporaPs guard passing there
The sight filled ms with delightful sur
prise; but it would be utterly impossible for
me TO describe the ecstatic amazsnent that /
followed. as. within the limits mention.
myeyes took in. in a minute, but lightning |
like detail, every mountain range, every /
bill, every valley, every forest, every mead /
ow. every rirer. every rivule,. every city, |
every village, every camp. every body Of /
men, every sentinel. every earthw work, every |
cannon, and. [ may say. dispensing with |
further d tail, every living and every Head /
thing, no matter wha. its height or bulk
Ny blood seemed to stop in its channels
with joF, as | thought. tha, the knowledge, /
and thereby advantage, thus given 10 me.
would insure speedy and happy termina-
ton o! the war. And this one idea was
my mind, when. once more. thas
solemn voice said:
s'.GeaeraL Nc Gillian your fimr is short
mote sc}taf you bchold. Iaryy net; your
time rs storft'
Il started. and giancing at the unesrthiy
speaker, saw him extend his arm and point
South ardly.
s.Still | saw no features. /,
Smoothing out the largest and most SC
cura;e one Of my maps I seized . pencil.