The Mineral argus., 1884-08-07

Oh a military matter which is under
consideration. How many troops
| would you consider it necessary to have
to make a movement hence on Richmond
by the way of Manassas"
General Totten, as he sat there with
his hands clasped on the table before
him and his white head bending over
his hands, in serious thought, looked
the type of the scientific General. He
replied, carefully and deliberately:
General. l do not think it would be
wise to undertake such an operation,
without a force of at least fifty thous-
and men"
General Scott-Supposing such a
force placed at your disposal, General,
how could you make the advance?
General Totten-I suppose that the
Ordnance Department would probably
have supplies sufficient for such a force,
and the Engineer Department would
be ready quickly; the great question OF
time would depend upon the procure
ment of transportation and of substance
stores, etc.
Then came a series of questions and
answers concerning the details of adj
vance. almost identical with the ques-
tions which had been propounded to
me, and to my great relief General
Totten's answer were singularly like
those 1 had already given to similar
questions.
The General-in-C Chief was
greatly pleased. He turned to
the Cabinet Ministers pres
emf and said. Really, gentlemen, here
is a most extraordinary unanimity OF
opinion. 1 address a certain set of
questions to q young Colonel, the young
est Colonel, perhaps, in the army, in
whom one might expect to ind a youth
full enthusiasm and a too anguine view
of matters, and l receive a certain set OF
swe / address the same set of ques-
tions to the oldest and most dlstln-
guished of our scientific general officers
rich in the experience of two wars,
and from him / receive almost identl-
cally the same set of answers. How
can we explain such unanimity OF
opinion? Gentlemen, the only way L
can explain it to myself is that it must
be of their trade hat they have been
speaking, and they speak from its prln-
ciples." Then, growing more serious,
the aged general-in chief said, impress
sively: Gentlemen, this matter has
now, unfortunately, gone beyond pol
itics, and has become a military ques-
ton. Most unfortunately it is so, most
unfortunately and now soldiers
must settle it. Such being the
case, since, unfortunately soldiers
must settle it, you must allow
the soldiers to do what they know they
ought to do, and you must be careful
not to force them to do what they ought
not to do"
"There have now arrived and are in
service seventy-ivo thousand three
months men. There are rapidly COM
ing in three hundred thousand two
years and three-years men. What the
soldiers know ought to be done is this:
The three-months' men should be used
to guard the District of Columbia-the
whole District of Columbia. The two
years and t~hree-years' men as they ar
rive and as they shall arrive should be
placed In large camps of instruction at
strategic points along the frontier, say
sixteen thousand men at Fort Washing
ton on the Potomac; an equal force at
Annapolis, Md, another here in the
Capital; another say at Frederick, Nd,
another at Cumberland, Nd, perhaps
another at Pittsburg, Penn; certainly
one at Wheeling, Va, and n at Mari
cite, Ohio; also at Cincinnati, Ohio
Louisville, KY; Cairo, ILL.,, and other
points on the frontier. There they
should drill and drill and drill and dis
cipline, guarding always the frontier.
Meantime our gallant little navy should
do all that it can to keep up a block
ade of the entire southern coast.
"By the last days of September, OF
the first days of October, we can have
the gun-boats ready on the Ohio River.
BY way, Mr.. Secretary" said he, turning
quickly to Mr.. Cameron, shave you or
dered for me that naval constructor
asked you for, to go under my orders
to the West?"
| mo, General, not yet" said Mr.,
Cameron; "but, General, 1 can furnish
you with as many steamboats, as yol
D want on the Ohio river within sever
: days by contract"
7 General Scott said, a little impatient
a ". "Mr. Secretary, L do not want Their,
e even one old rotten contract steamboat
I want gun-boats, built to draw just a
a many feet of water as 1 say, to carr,
e lust as many guns as l say, and of jus
a such caliber as I say. Sir, there i
plenty of material for such gun-boat
on those Western waters; there is plen
: ty of mechanical skill there, and, sII
there is plenty of timer
Mr.. Cameron FASTENED to say to til
Chief: General, you shall have every
thing Won want"