The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-07-31
GENERAL SCOTT'S PROPHECY.

1emArkablo Prediction Before the civil
War cpened-"If you Don't DO This You
Will Ds Beaten in the First General 40
tion"-A Historic Military Conference in
1851.
One of the most valuble contributions
to the July number of the Magazine of
American History is that by General
Stone, in which he relates, with circum-
stances and detail, General SCOTS pro-
phecy of the battle of Bull Run. He
writes:
Tho "On to Richmond" party had its
powerful supporters in the capital of
the country, in the Senate and even in
the Presidents Cabinet. While it was
we'll understood there that the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Seward were disposed to
act coolly and in conformity with the
ideas of the responsible military chiefs
in reference to military movements, it
was also understood that Mr.. Chase
was strong advocate for Immediate
advance"
Lieutenant General Scott, the Gen
eral-in- Chief of the Army while desiring
prompt and vigorous faction as soon as
the proper means of procuring success
could be organized, was earnestly OPP
posed to forward movement until such
time as the National forces should be so
reasonably organized as to make success
at the least probable. Notwithstanding
my appointment to the Colonelcy of
new regiment 0he fourteenth United
States Infantry, was still retained by
General Scott as his Inspector General
for the District and commander of the
District of Columbia troops, and was
acting directly under his orders.
At about eight o'clock at evening on
one of the last days of May q think it
was the 31st of May I entered as usual
the quarters of the aged General-in
Chief to make my report for the day
and to receive my orders for the night.
As I entered the General was seated
at the head of his dinner table (Which
had been cleared), while the Secretary
of the Treasury, Mr.. Chase, occupied a
seat opposite him at the foot of the Ia
BILE. Habitually the General-in- Chief
on my entrance in the evening, cour-
teously invited me to be seated but now
he seemed to have been engaged in
earnest conversation, and as advanced
he said, quickly:
Colonel Stone, how many men do
YOU want to march on Richmond by the
way of Manassas
I perceived that the general desired
an instant reply land said promptly !:
''Forty thousand, general" and then
quickly added: with $1,000 in re-
serve"
) "Well, sir, suppose I give you that
force, how soon could you move"
"That, general, would depend upon
the quartermaster's and subsistence de-
partments. could move as soon as
they could give me rations and trans
portation."
"Well, sir, suppose you had them.
How fast would you advance?"
Having all prepared, general, the
advance guard of my force might be on
the Rappahannock in three days,
and"
"Rappahannock! Rappahannock !!
what is that?"
'"The Rappahannock river, general!"
ooh! there is river there, is there !?
Rappahannock river, Ell? wish that
everybody knew that! Well, sir, what
then?"
"Should the bridge be burned"
Eth, there is bridge over that
river, and that bridge might be burned /!
I wish everybody knew that, too. We'll,
sir, if the bridges are burned?"
"Why, then, general, would proba-
II
passage of the fords. Then" And
SO continued to describe the advance.
"The general interrupted me with !:
"Why, Colonel Stone, you are taking
forty or fifty days to get to Richmond"
General, think that would be for
tunate to arrive there in that time in
the place of an active enemy, fully &C.
quainted with the country
The old general said, as if thinking
aloud: 81 wish I could see General
Totten. I wish I could see the chief of
engineers.
I Immediately left headquarters to
find General Totten, the chief of en-
gineers of the Army. It was rainy
night, and to spare the aged general a
damp walk took a carriage and drove
to his house. Admitted Immediately,
I found the venerable General Totten
and his gracious wife seated before the
fireplace, in which small fire had been
kindled to keep away the tlampness.
Both welcomed me kindly and invited
me to seat between them; but ex-
cused myself, and, apologizing for dis
turbing them on SO damp an evening,
.of
5esifes to see you at his head quarters,
and have a carriage in order that you
may respond to his desire with as little
inconvenience as possible"
In one minute the careful wife of his
youth had thrown cloak over the old
Generals shoulders. and few minutes
after / ushered him into the presence
of the General in Chief.
There had been arrivals since my re-
cent departure. Mr.. Seward, Secreta-
nv of State; Mr.. Cameron, Secretary
Of War, and General Thomas, Adjutant-
General of the Army, were there. All
rose as General Totten entered, and a
chair was placed for him at the table,
between General Scott and Mr.. Secre-
tary Chase. Mr.. Cameron seated him
self between General Scott and Gener-
al Totten, while Mr.. Seward stretched
his length upon lounge near by.
After few words of compliment had
passed, General Scott said:
General Totten, regret to have dis
turbcd you on SO disagreeable an even
ing, but greatly desired your opinion
on military matter which is under
consideration. How many troops
would you consider it necessary to have
to make 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 I do not think it would be
wise to undertake such an operation,
without a force of ct least fifty thous-
and men,"
General Scott-Supposing such a