The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-15
~ he CentnrY Nnr Book"

Part V. Of "rhe Century War Book
now ready, has, among other articles, one
upon what was known as Ihe fenlhsuIa
Campaign" written by Major General
George -. Mcclellan. who was then in
command OF the Union army.
The following interesting description or
thhe feeling entertained for General NC
Cle.lan by his soldiers was written py
George klmball, who was member OK
the command.
Though a quarter OF a century has
passed since those darkest days or the
war | sun retain a vivid remembrance
of the sudden and complete change when
came upon the face OF analfs when Gen
eral Mcclellan was restored 10 COMMAND.
At the time | was serving IN Company a.
Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers, at
tachcd 10 Ricketts, division or the FIRST
Army Corps The announcement OF NC
Cleilans restoration came 70 us III 'le
early evening of the % Of September.
ls62, Just after reaching Hall Hll weary
from long marching and wen nlsn dis
hclrtened 10y recent rcNcrscs lie men
were scattered about IN groups, DISCUSS
INK the events OF their ill-starred cam
paigu and INDUCING In comments thdt
were decidedly ancomplifnentary to those
who had been responsible Tor It's mlsinan-
agement. We did not know, of course,
the exact significance or all That nad
happened as We afterward learned IT, bur
being mainly thinking men, We were able
to form pretty shrewd 6uesses as TO
where the real difficulty lay Suddenly.
while these mOurnfui consultations were
in full blast. mounted officer dashlnB
uast our bivOuac, refined up long enough
- shout. Little Mac ~ back here on
the road boys" The scene mat followed
can be more easily Imagined than de.
acribed. From extreme sadness ne passed
in a tyinking u "A ielirium OF crllgnt,
n Islivorer mad come A real rainbow
Of promise' mad appeared suddenly I'm the
dark political SKY. The geellnS IN our
division upon the return OF General Nc
lellan had its counterpart IN all the
others for the -.gny II the Potomac
loved him as II never IOVed any other
leader. In a few Gays we started upon
whenever General Mcclellan. appeared
among his troops, from IN" Tossing Oh
the Potomac at Washington 70 the crap
nile with Lee at Antietam, 70 was the
siunal Tor the most spontaneous ana en-
thusiastic che crlng | ever listened 10 or
participate1 IN. Men threw their caps
high into the AR ana dthcei any t,v'lSh ~,
like schOolhOys, so glad were they u get
their old commander back again. IL Is
true that Mcclellan had always been for-
funate IN being able 20 excite ehthuslasn
arong mis- troops, but demonstrations at
tbis time took 'On an added and notice
tIla emphasis from the fact mat ne had
neon recalled 20 command efier what the
army believed 10 De an unwlae ana IN
mss sti-pensiOn. The climax seemed TO
81 reached, however, at NlidletO"n,
where we nrst caught sight or the enemy:
Here upOn our arrival. We lOun1 Gcnerf
Nc1 iellau sitting upon MS horse Ia the
road Inc enerny occupied "a gap In the
e,uth mountain, 4 mile OF Two beyond.
Pcno and Hatch were nSnung, and tho
arn,ke of their guns could be- seen hair
80 uu the mountain As each ofganI-
1,tion passcd the General. the men be-
rafne anuarcuUy tOrScLU Ot every thing
bn, fheir love for him. Ihey chccred and
c6e.red again, until they became 50
b11rse they could cheer no longer. IL
seemed as II an lnteruissiOn had been
d.,larel IN order mat reception might
6, rendered TO the Generdl-ln-C chief. 4
.yr.at crowd continually surrounded him.
and me most cxtrdyagant demonstrations
csre INDUCED In. Hundreds even Rugged
ne horses legs and caressed his head
and uape While the troops were thus
Siirgin.r by. the General continually point
81 aim his finger 10 the gap IN the noun
raj, through which our path lay. IL was
lie a great scene In play, with the roar
81 th4 guns for an accompaniment. An
ther enthusiastic demOnstgRtion that |
remembered occurred Ia the afternoon OF
ne 1Tth al Antietam, when the General
rHde along our line Of battle. The cheers
rot,id NOT nave been heater than they
W.re General Mcclellan may have had
Nro0ueuts sewhere. he had few, N any.
among the soldiers whom he command
This is orp. OF the many interesting mar
,afives contained IN The Century War
Doot" Terms upon which Il may be
obtained Will be found elsewhere ia tais
Issue.