The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-23
An Incident of AntIetain.

| ieStiou oL SeneThl MCSIeidHb Hcao- quarters It was expected he would or der forward his reserves under General Fitz John Porter. but he did not. Prec- ious minutes and priceless hours ebbed away and nothing was done. was looking about for remount for my horse had a couple of bullets in him and could not be depended on. when an officer of General McClellan's staff whom I knew detached himself from the group at little distance and came over to me. He said:
 T hear you were with Hooker when he was wounded?"
 "Yes."
 Do you know whether he is dis abled?"
 I said that he had been hit hard, could not sit his horse and had been carried off on an ambulance: since then I had not seen him.
 l Do you know where he is?"
 "Yes: at a red farm house in an open field on the right. this side of the creek"
 Will you take a message to him?"
 By this time began to think the in terrogatory both curious and serious, and I answered.
 That depends on what the message is."
 My friend anddI were by ourselves, well out of the ear-shot of the staff, but within view. and I, saw that the staff or some of them were watching what went on. He came a little closer, lowered his voice and said:,
 Most of us think that this battle is only half fought and half won. There Is still time to finish 1t. 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 if he can. ask him # he will take command of this army and drive Lee into the Poto- mac or force him to surrender"
 It was perhaps the most astounding request ever made by a soldier to & ci- vilian: What he suggested was noth- ing less than an act of mutiny in the face of the enemy, and told him SO.
 'I know that as we'll as you do." was the answer. We al! know it, but we know also that it is the only way to crush Lee and end tie rebellion and save the country"
 I pointed out that if Hooker were to be approached on such a subject it ought to be by him or by one of his con- rades in the plot-for 1t was 8 plot-and htat if they meant business they ought to be ready to take the risk. I added that thought 1t more than likely that General Rockers answer to such pro- posal would be to order the man who made it, whoever he was, under arrest.
 Tt need not be proposal" he re- piled. "All we want you to do Is to sound Hooker and let us know what his views are. The rest we will do our selves" asked him if he meant tc give me written message
 Certainly not Such things are not put in writing"
 But why should Hooker believe me or compromise himself in a converse ton with man he never saw until this morning."
 He said 1t was known had acted as Rockers aide. and urged sundry other reasons. I still declined, but he still pressed it. Hooker. he declared, ha6 won the confidence of the army. and Mcclellan had lost it. It was no time to stand on trifles. He regarded what he proposed to me as g. patriotic duty ana so on. Finally, as I persisted ir refusing to be the bearer of any sucF message. he asked if I would see Hook CT, and bring them word whether ht could. in any circumstances. take tht field ai,ain that day. To this saw nc objection, and rode off. I found Genera Hooker in bed and in great pain. H. ) asked eagerly for news of the battle . When told him that the attack or ) both wings had failed. that no move ment had been made for the last two hours, and that General Mcclellan hat no intention of making any. he became angry and excited, and used languag, . of extreme plainness. I noticed in tn, morning that he had a; very copioul vocabulary. It was directed for tn, most part. against the enemy. whos' sharpshooters followed him all over thu } l AoiaS HI Wu1CIl HIS t6kl uS uTe LII Iui uniform, and his white horse, were b! far the most conspicuous targets. Ono, his staff got the benefit of this How O energetic speech. when two or three O them joined in the suggestion that tn, proper place for a corps commando was not in the skirmish line. and tha he could not prudently remain under s' | hot fire Now 1t was turned upon Mo 5 Clellan, with whose excessive caution ? and systematic inertness in the crisi } of a great battle he had no patience This outburst gave me an opportunit, of putting the question I wanted to and asked him whether his wount would permit him to mount his hors | again that day. He pointed to hi swollen and bandaged foot.
 "No; it is impossible" "Or to take command of your corp , again in any way-in a carriage, if on, could be foundr No, no: I cannot move. am per fect1y helpless" TsA
 Il All at once, whether from the way II which I had put imy Gusstion. ot iron