Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-09-15

or some of them, were watching what
went on. He came little closer. low
cred his voice, and said:
Most of us think that this battle is
only half fought and half won. There
is still time to finish it. But McClel-
Ian will do no more. What ] want you
TO do is to see Hooker. find out
whether he can mount his horse, and
IL he can, ask him whether he will
take command OF this army and drive
Lee into the Potomac or force him to
surrender"
1t was perhaps the most astounding
request ever made by soldier to n
william. What he suggested was moth
ing less than an net of mutiny in the
face of the enemy, and told him so.
Il know that as we'll rs you do"
was the answer. I'VE all know 1t,
but we know also that it IS the only
way to crush Lee and end the war and
save the country"
pointed out that II Hooker were to
be approached on such subject, 1t
ought to be by him or by one Of his
comrades in the plot-for it was n
plot-and that, II they meant business.
hey ought 10 be ready to take the
risk. added that ! thought 1t more
than likely that Gen. lioolSer's answer
to such n proposal would be to order
the man who made il. whoever he
was. under arrest.
1T need not be a proposal" he re-
piled. 'All we want you to do is to
his views are The rest we will do
ourselves" asked him II he meant
Ia give me written message.
Certainly not Such things are not
put into writing"
But why should Hooker believe
me. or compromise himself in q con-
versation with man he never saw till
this morning.
lie said II was known had acted as
Ilooker's aide, and urged sundry other
reasons. still declined, but lie still
pressed it. Hooker, he declared, had
won the confidence of the army, and
Mcclellan had lost it. IL was no time
to stand on trines. He regarded what
he proposed to me rs patriotic duty,
and so on. Finally, as | persisted in
refusing to be the bearer of any such
message, he asked il | would see
Hooker and bring them word whether
he could, in any circumstances, take
the field that day. To this saw no
objection, and rode off. found Gen.
Hooker in bed and in great pain. He
asked eagerly for news OF the battle.
When ! told him that the attack on
both wings had failed, that no move
mcnt had been made for the last two
hours, and that Gen. Mcclellan seemed
to have no intention of making any,
he became angry ana excited, and
used language OF extreme plainness.
] had noticed in the morning that he
had very copious vocabulary. II was
directed for the most part against the
enemy, whose sharpshooters followed
him all over the field. in which his tall
figure in full uniform, and his white
horse, were by far the most consp!cu-
Gus targets. Once his staff got the
benefit of this flow of energetic speech.
when two or three OF them joined in
the suggestion that the proper place
for n corps commander was not in the
slSirnish line. and that he could not
prudently remain under so hot fire.
Now Il was turned upon Mcclellan,
with whose excessive caution and sys-
tematic inertness in the crisis of q
great battle he had no patience. This
outburst gave me an opportunity Of
putting the question ] wanted TO, anA
I asked him whether his wound would
permit him TO mount his horse again
that day. lie pointed to his swollen
and bandaged foot.
''No; II Is impossible"
"Or to take command Of your corps
again in any way-in q carriage, II
one could be found?'
mo. no; cannot move. ] am per
fectly helpless"
All at once. whether from the way
In which had put my question, or
from my manner. it seemed TO fash
upon him that there was something
behind. He broke ont:
'Why do you ask? What do you
mean2 Who sent ron hereg"