Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-08-01
GEN TER PROP HEl'T J.


1A BID xredd don Dsfors ths Civil
war opsnsd tslf yon DON IA This You
Will nj 1satsn n The First 0snsral Ac-
tion', 1ristorio I'll tary conssrsnos Is
B IF sls61 q.
One Of the most valuble cont ributions
10 the July number Of the MAJ azine Of
American Historry, il that by General
Stone, il which he relates, with ciiroum-.
stances and detail, General Scott pro-
phecy q the battle Of Bull Bun. He
writes
The g On % Richmond party had its
powerful supporters il the capital Of
the country IA the Senate and even u
the Presid ent's Cabinet. While it was
we'll understood there that the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Seward were disposed to
act 5coolly and il conformity with the
ideas Of the resi- onsible military chiefs
in reference TO military movements, it
was also understood that Mr.. Chase
was a strong advocate for s immediate
advance. 81 :#5 3S ss5 81: q
( Lieutenant- General Scott, the Cen
sralin- Chief of the Army, while desiring
prompt and vigorous action as soon as
the proper means Of procuring success
could be organized, was earnestly ops
posed to . forward movement until such
time as the National forces should be so
reasonably organized as to make success
at the least probable. Notwlths landing
my appointment to the Colonelcy Of a
new regiment (the E norteenth United
States Infantry q 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. II g
At about eight O'clock at evening on
one of the last days of MAY q think it
was the 31st of May Z 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, conr-
teously invited me to eseated but now
he seemed to have been engaged in
earnest conversation, and as advanced
he said, quickly: ~ n.y.
"Colonel Stone, how many men do
you want to march on Richmond. by the
way of Manassas" - - s-s
I perceived that the general desired
an instant reply and said promptly:
stForty thousand, general ;" and then
quickly added: with $1,000 in re-
serve, a -,fs.t /. -. 49,
''Well, sir, suppose Igive you that
force, how soon could youmove?"
''That, general, would depend upon
the quartermaster's and subsistence de-
partments. I could move as soon as
they could give me rations and trans
portahon."
"Well, sir, suppose you had them.
How fast would you adyance?"
Having all prepared, general, the
advance guard Of my force might be on
the Rappahannock in three days,
s'Rappahannockl Rappahannockl
what is that ?" .>-E, -.
''The Rappahannock river, general"
%"Oh! there is river there, is there?
Rappahannock river, Ell? I wish that
everybody knew that! Well, sir, what
them" .5.-..
"Should the blid ge be burned--?'
t.Eh, there is a bridge over that
river, and that bridge might be burned!
I wish everybody knew that, too. Well,
sir, if the bridges are burned ?"
''Why, then, general, I would proba-
bly, lose two or three days in forcing the
passage Of the fords. Then p 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 Richmondw
General, i think that I would be for
tunate to arrive there in that time in
the place Of an active enemy, fully ac-
quainted with the country" -.
The old general said, as if thinking
aloud: II wish / could see General
Totten. Il wish T could see the chief Of
engineers n..t ~. s.. .y,lt.
I Immediately left head quarters to
find General Totten. the chief Of en-
gineers of the Army. It was a rainy
night, and to spare the aged general
damp walk I took a carriage and drove
to his house. Admitted Immediately,
I found the venerable General Totten
and his gracious wife seated before the
fire. place, in which small fire had been
kindled to keep away the dampness.
Both welcomed me kindly and invited
me to q seat between them; but lex
cused myself, and, apologizing for dis
turbing them on so damp an evening,
said: 'General the General in Chief
desires to see you at his head quarters,
and have a carriage in order that you
may respond to his desire with as little
inconvenienc as possible" @ \. syst Fl
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. 6 # @ d
There had been arrivals since my re-
cent departure. Mr.. Seward, Secreta-
ry of State; Mr.. Cameron, Secretary
Of War, and General Thomas, Adiutant-
General Of the Army, were there. All
rose as General Totten entered, and a
chair was placed for hiIn at the table,
between General Scott and Mr. Score
tary Chase. Mr.. Came ron seated him
self between General Scott and Gener-
al Totten, while Mr.. Seward stretched
his length upon a lounge near By.
After few words Of compliment had.
passed, General Scott said Y.
9 General q tten, I regret to have dis
turbed you on SO disagreeable an even
ing, but I greatly desired your opinion
on 8 military matter which is under.
consideration How many troops
would you consider it necessary TO have
to make q movement hence on Richm ond
Inv tllAa way Of Manassas 81 .lI.I d "a