The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-09-14

by Tom Scott. / showed the sentinel
the name of Scott, told him it was
General Winfield Scott, the COM
mander-in-chief, and he passed me
through. 1 got over the
Long bridge at Washington at 9
o'clock, just as the countersign was be-
ing given out for the night. / rode
up to Wizards hotel through streets
thronged with people, wild with ex-
citement over the favorable dispatches
that had come in from the front. The
brass bands were out in force, and
sombody was making rousing On
to Richmond speech from the balcony
of the hotel. l walked into the office
under the sound of his inspiring words,
knowing how soon those cheers would
be hushed TO whispers of alright.
Chadwick was keeping the hotel then,
and as l pushed up to the desk he
stared at me, bareheaded and stream
ing with dirt and sweat as / was and
finally recognizing me- asked me where
| had been and what was the matter.
"' come from the front. Mellow
oil is licked out of his boots, and the
wreck of our army is not far behind
me-
Chadwick dived back into his pri-
vate Office with scared face, and in
few moments came back and took me
in with him.
"There sat General Mansfield, who
was in command of the troops around
Washington, with a bottle of cham
pagne before him.
"' Mr.. Chadwick informs me, sir,
that you report our army retreating.
Are you military man, sir?
" No, sir
Then, how do you know, sir, that
they were not merely making a change
OF front or executing some other mill
tary maneuver, sir?
"'Well, general l replied, as calmly
as | could, while the gray-haired old
martinez eyed me sternly, L saw whole
regiments throw down their guns and
take to the woods. | saw artillery
men cut their horses loose from the
guns and caissons and gallop away I
saw officers, men, Congressman and
Texas steers running neck and neck
down the road toward Washington,
and steers were the only things that
had their tails up. 1t may have been
Il change of front, as you say, but
"'I don't believe a single word of
it, broke in the general, who had lis
tened to me with evident impatience.
"'Good-evening,' 1 replied, and
walked out of the door, The crowd
had got the news by this time from
Chadwick, and was almost pulled to
pieces. Somebody noticed that l was
wearing a gray suit, and shouted
He's rebel There were several
suggestions that / be lynched for try
ing to stimulate rising of the rebel
element in the city. General Mans
field hurried off to the war depart
ment, and pretty soon a sergeant and a
squad of soldiers came for me and took
me to the department. President
Lincoln and his entire cabinet were
there, with old General Scott, anxious
ly waiting for news from the front.
Simon Cameron had known me as a
member of the legislature and vOuched
for my loyalty. There was very little
said while l told my story briefly.
"The President sat with his head
bent down'upOn his hand, and was evil
IDENTIFY very much depressed. Simon
Cameron, then secretary Of war, was
the coolest head in the cabinet. He
immediately consulted with Scott as to
hurrying reinforcements across the
Potomac, and orders were issued to
stop all fugitives at Long bridge. They
asked me very few questions, but after
| had told my story and was dismissed,
the newspaper correspondents nearly
devoured me. Just as / came out of
the war department met one of Gen
eral McDoWell's aids bringing in the
report of his commanders defeat"