Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-10
Old Stories.

a Senator from the West. whose reputation
for truth and veracilv viii not be improved among
good men by the speech he mate on " ednesdaY
last, repeated TO the public the old story thar
Gen. Mcclellan TOOK refuge on a gunboat during
the battle Of Malvern Hill Il i not worth
while to repeat the frequent and authoritative
deniaIs OF rhi- Story. wiic- was manufactured u
year or so ago out OF whole cloth 10 suit he
radical market But * will do 10 harm Just Il
ths time TO give the account of an incident which
we had lrcrl. the lips Of q brave anf-gaiiaut OFF,
Ger "A thorough Republican in pptics.) aud
which We printed more than a year since.
This officer was wing sick in an ambulance
during tue battle OF Malvern Hill, in an exposed
situation, FOR he had not left bis regiment during
the " hole of the seven days. The battle at
its hight and the of the artillery from ship
and shore WAS deafehing, when he heard a shout
of thousands OF voices that sounded above the
guns aud musketry. Thinking that it indicated
some great event on the field. he -prang o 1t Of
the ambulance and s,eadied himself 10y a wheel
while he looked for the cause Of the cheering,
which had now rolled up to the spot where he
was He then saw that IL was the presence OF
Mcclellan, who was riding down the lines, shot
and shell falling around him. The intense
thusinsm of the men surpassed all description.
One fact proved that enthusiasm to be uuiegnei
the wounded al dying men joined everywhere in
the cheers Close by me, said our Informant,
clay an old man. a soldier wounded badly. AS
the General came up he raisei his hand to his
head, took off his cap and waved it in the air.
cheered joyously As the General rode by. and
then his hand Tell or the ground, still graspng
cap. but never moved again. He was dead when
looked at him few minutes afterward
Hon Mr.. Wllkison. AMI the entire tribe of po-
litcal slsnderers to which he unfortunately De
longs. may labor for years, and they cannot do
away with the effect OF enthusiasm which is ex-
empllfed by such occurrences rs that. / he mo.
ment of death is not the ,meut when either
soldier or civilian plays the hypOcriIe Truth
stands before a man in that moment as a form of
awful severity Imagination fancy. the idle
emotions of the passing hours OF gay and hope
ful lite. vanish in the presence of the reality
which then confronts the soul The love of the
American soldier for Mcclellan i a love that
passes the knowledge of men like this radical
Senator. who think that faisehoOd, iricked up
in sounding phrases j. sufficient to overthrow
anu destroy that affection.
Their idle Tepetitions of OLD stories. worn
thread-bare, are OF no avail la every village
in the land there j. some one vino has soldier
or brother, to tel him OF the devotion OF the
army 10 tue mlu sho has 80 otiea led them to
victory. so often saved the capital ana the
ton
Nor can any one, who reasons according TO
common sense. fail To perceive that such enthu
sssm this has solid foundation. The com
mon soldier i very good Judge OF General"
says very high military authority An army
never goes wild with love for coward or an in
competent man. A dsing soliier OF the Ameri
can army, falling in the cause of his country. Is
not the man to waste his latest breath in cheering
for a General Who has skuSsd in battle. Let he
radical Senator, if ne the ability, eadeavor 10
place himself eventually in the position of that
soldier at Malvern. The day Is closing around
bin. Gloom. thicker than the sulphurous clouds
OF battle, gathers over him. The thunder of
the artillery is dim in his Most solemn
thoughts OF the future now come 10 him; and OF
this world 10 scenes are near his heart, no forms
80 claar in his mental vision. the scenes of
home. and The forms OF the best loved Each
moment Is priceless TO think OF them. The
sounds OF battle. though close at hand, seem TO
recede. aid grow distant, "a the soul OF the de-
parted soldier Is intent on scenes that far
from the held Of carnage Il must be some
strong emotion. some mighty love that
bring him back 10 the Mill OF battle, the ground
stained with bloOG-hs oWn-the roar OF The
Conflict. the shouts of his comrades. He has
done With all that. and is going away. To inter-
rupt the peaceful, coming OF death with any
earthly emotion Is not easy. But the face OF his
general brings that strong emotion. hat face
he knows well He has It calm ana stead
fast when ne rode oy IN the morning, aud ne aas
felt all through the battle the presence close at
hand of the watching eye. In other battles he
has seen the enemies OF his country hurled back
and des,ro, Ell by the skill and undsunted energy
OF the general He believes in him de be
lievs that thu fate Of his country is IN his hands.
and he trusts il there. And then. as he comes
toward him. the deep love of the dying patriot
and soldier love that the poor fanatics ~ho
brawl IN Senate houses. or write newspaper arti-
cles la Independents. cannot dream oi-hlis ms
soul and overfows HIS arm Is ner'ei again.
His eyes grows light again. His voice. which
could just nov scarcely murnur dear old home
names and words. breaks out in the rich tones OF
cheer and Joy He waves the torn and stained
old cap above his head. His fingers had not
blood enough to color them, but they had
stfeogth aud vigor DOW. George Gsorge!"