The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-05-10

The Blue anA the Gray Review Inol.
dsnts Of the Late War. sna In .
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell Of Canp, March and Battle.
Blessings upon memory"
That Is sentiment expressed few
weeks ago as I sat by the side Of the
road leading from Long Bridge, Wash
ington. to Fairfax Court House and
Centerville, writes j. A. WatrOus, in
the Chicago Times-Herald. In that
quiet Sunday sitting, memory was
eager to aid in a review Of scenes and
incidents Of thirty-eight years ago the
10th of last March.
1t was on this, the old Fairfax road,
that most Of McClellan's great army,
10000 strong, passed that day. Be
fore 1t was fairly light long liIes Of
cavalry moved along this road, and for
hours and hours infantry and artillery
filed the space from side to side, and
following these came twenty miles Of
wagon trains, bearing extra arms, am
the baggage Of officers. The march
had been going on for hours, when
those In advance heard a succession Of
shouts miles and miles to the rear.
The steady roll of cheers came closer
and closer until 1t reached the head Of
the infantry column. What was the
cause Of 1t? A popular general, follow
ed by large staff and a strong cavalry
escort.
What handsome and happy face
that young general had on this mellow,
sunshiny morning. How his color
heightened and eyes flashed as the men
cheered and threw their caps in the air.
A smile and salute In response brought
more cheers, and then the soldier cap
was lifted and a double smile given.
So be rode. saluted, smiled and barred
his head for many miles while passing
along the army that had learned to love
him; SO rode Little Mack" the idol of
the Army Of the Potomac before he or
1t had been tested In the fiery furnace
Of mighty battle.
1t was the great army's first advance
since the Bull Run disaster. in which
few Of its members participated. It
was McClellan's first great military un-
dertaking
ory helped me to see those long lines Of
young men, to hear their cheers, to see
Little Mack" as he was at SO, at the
head Of a vast army, clothed with great
power. laden with stupendous respon-
sibilities.
l remember the confidence and hope
Of the army on that occasion. It
laughed at the thought Of failure under
such leader. 1t was ready to fight.
1t expected to fight. 1t hadn't even the
shadow Of a misgiving as to the out
come. Little Mack knew how to dis
cipline an army. inspire 1t with hope
and stock 1t with confidence. There
were plenty Of men In that army on
that March advance who really pitied
the Southern Confederacy, SO confident
were they that its days were soon tp
be numbered after Little Mack and his
invincibles fairly got at them. Don't
ask me how they felt six days later
when, In prolonged and heavy rain,
they trudged back to their old camps,
In sight Of Washington and about
Alexandria; how they talked after they
had seen the stronghold Of Centerville,
with Its many wooden cannon. shot
less and unshOotable; after they had
learned of the comparatively small
force that for months had held the
place, with Mcclellan and 100000 men
less than thirty miles away. Some Of
their thoughts and great deal Of their
talk would not look well In print. They
had expected to pretty much end the
war that week. What a blasting Of
hopes and shattering Of confidence
there was, my countrymen. But they
fOregathered, frightened their cartridge
boxes and sword belts and braced up
to do their share of the work Of the
next three years. A score Of great
battles and several scores OF lesser ones
tell how well the Army Of the Potomac
did its part. But never again. not for
Q minute, did they give all Of their con-
Hdence to or base all Of their hopes upon
a single general. That march ON the
Fairfax road to the wooden guns Of
Centerville. to learn that third Of
their number had held them at bay,
with such guns, for six months. and
the move back upon Washington. in
that drenching rain, opened their eyes
and enlarged their understanding.
There were no cheers on the way back
from Centerville-nOt q cheer.
How readily l called up some Of the
men who became distinguished after
they marched ON this famous old Fair
fax road in McClellan's first advance.
Hancock. sitting his horse as naturally
and gracefully as II he had grown
there. had a brigade. A year and a
quarter after that he had won lasting
fame at Gettysburg In command Of an
even dozen brigades. George u.
Meade, a modest regular captain and
volunteer brigadier. had only brigade
on that march to view wooden guns.
Sixteen months later be had carved his
name In very high place as COM
mander Of the army. John F.. Reynolds.
the peerless corps vOmmander. who
opened the infantry fighting at Gettys-
burg and lost his life doing 1t. had q
brigade. Sumner and Franklln-and
what stately appearing soldiers they
wereAhad divisions, and so did Fight
ing Joe Hooker. Less than ten months
from that time they commanded the
three grand divisions Of the army at
Fredericksburg's greatest battle. John
Sedgwick. John Newton. Frank Wheat
ON. Alfred PleasontOn, ]. r. Hatch,
Ricketts,, George W. Getty. John C.
Robinson, A. p. Howe. c. q. Griffin. II.
G. Ayers. Dan Butterfield, George
Sykes. G. O. Aueur. Abner Doubleday.
Wilcox. Dan Sickles, Phil Kearney. II.
w. SlOcum, II. G. Wright. q. s. Ham,
iltOn, o. o. Howard, George l.. Hart