The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-03-06

McCIellan's Restoration to Command.
HOW TT srRrKrs THE Army

McClellan's Restoration to Command.
HOW 1T STRIKES THE ARMY.
1t will be remembered, that Lieut. j. H.
Nichols, Of the 10th Maine, for resigning in
face of the enemy and using improper Ian
guage respecting the Presidents emancipation
Proclamation, was concentrated short
time since lin the newspapers. As it turn
ed out, this was not the Nichols, nor was the
Twentieth the regiment. How unlikely this
report was, our readers can better Judge, after
reading the following extract, copied from a
letter written by Lieut.. Nichols, 10th Februa-
ry, to friend in Brunswick, and published by
permission:
wish you had been with us in our last at
tempt to cross the Rappahannock, and wit
messed the tremendous efforts to advance
Had you seen twenty horses attached TO a
small, eight pound cannon, four hours making
less number OF rods, 1t would have settled
the matter OF a winter campaign in Virginia
In your mind forever. 1t was harder than all
the rest, TO see the gray backs on the other
side making fun of us with their great posters,
reading, Burnside stuck in the mudi better
get Mcclellan to pry him outw Mcclellan
seems TO be their favorite, as in fact he seems
70 be Of all our enemies, both north and south.
Understand me, am willing to fight under
Mcclellan, should 1t be so ordained; but am
equally willing, and little more, to fight un-
der somebody else.
would have been glad to have tried 1t still
longer under Burnside. We had, and have,
faith In him; we believed, and believe, him to
be both honest and capable, gentleman, a
soldier, and a patriot; and we believe had he
had time, with fair share of luck in weather,
and been sustained besides, he would have
wiped out the Fredericksburg business to your
satisfaction and our own.
In Fighting Joer we also believe; and in
one thing we are all agreed-that he will let
neither time, place, nor opportunity, with a
fair prospect OF success, pass without meeting
lighting, and, we believe, whipping the rebels.
ozone thing more are we equally satisfied
that the condition of the men has been very
much changed, and for the better, both as re-
CARDS clothing and rations. In the latter there
Is decided Improvement in quality and va
riety: The men now get potatoes, onions,s soft
bread, and tea. With month or six weeks of
rest. which we shall probably get, the army of
the Potomac will be in as good condition as
ever before, If not better. believe Hooker is
just the man for the command. He has
way of his own. Instead of recommending
fresh beef four days in the week, he orders Il
to be issued, and when the day comes the beef
comes.
Al SuoAt3 VIC HhC ific tiiaifs D9 Wt mean
two-thirds of all the officers and men, with
whom have come In contact. OF the other
third, you must understand that a large pro-
portion never lived so well, nor received such
pay Il mean the ofiicers) as they do now The
longer this war continues and the less fighting
there is, the better they like 1t. Such men are
not in favor Of Hooker; for they know, that
with him they have either to fight or leave the
army. There is no doubt In my mind, that the
latter course has been adopted by some and
will be by others. Now these men must have
some excuse, to justify themselves TO their
friends; and what, more convenient than the
Presidents proclamation, or the persecution
of General Mcclellan? hare yet TO meet the
officers desirous Of carrying this ,oar through
TO a speedy, honorable and lasting peace, trho
Is at all dnriou, that General Mcclellan should
dgdiR assume the command Of this army
wish you at home could make those infer
nal, croaking, cowardly traitors, who are do
ing all In their power TO destroy the confidence
OF the men In their commanders, either come
out here and test their courage in camp and
field, earn the right to criticize better men, or
else hold their peace. 1t is easy for men, en-
joying the comforts of home life, to higge
about the means used for prosecuting this
war; but let them come out here and munich
hard bread with us, and they will be less fas-
tidious and hail with joy any means calculat-
ed to crush the rebellion and send our SOL
diers back to their peaceful homes; they will
not offend decency by the perpetual cry of
"abolitionw whenever slavery is mentioned as
the active cause of this terrible bloodshed.
Future history will show, what vast sacrifice
Of life Is chargeable to the sneaks at home,
who do nothing but find fault with the Gov
ernment, and ventilate their pestilential croak-
Ing In public, only too happy, If in some
public print they can utter seditious murmurs,
which when read by the soldiers in camp
shall breed discomfort