The Portland daily press., 1901-02-14

lie desired and expected q vigorous for.
ward movement OF ths Army OF the Po-
tomac following the battle OF Antietam.
but Gen. MoClellan insisted that is was
impossible. He must have more men, he
said, and more everything. Struck py
the great discrepancy between the nnm
hsr OF frooua that had been sont 20 ten.
McCIeilan and the number the general -
ported as received, bir. Lincoln one ~
sxoIaItned, "Ssnding men 70 ne. xsra. r..
noe half az them 0et there" but the
presf dent sxerted h1mseif, and urged the
haade OF departmenfs 60 exert themseltes
In sending 20 the army the reenlorcsmsnos
and supplies for which Gen. Mcclellan
called. Hut SILL the army dad not move
In fact, when on the S3d OF september,
Gen, Mcclellan heard OF Indications OF
heavy re-enforcernents coming 20 Lee and
jackson ON the other side OF the Potomao,
he made q new and more urgent call for
additional troops. sept ~ ns wrote 70
Gen. Halleok that his present purpose
was to hold the army about as it was
then, "watching the river daily. intend
ing to attack ths enemy should he at
tenpt TO cross to this side; but that
was all.
The President was not encouraged by
ths letter, and q visit to the army fol-
lowed, Mr. Lincoln reached zen. Nc
CIellan's heaqduarters Oct !. In bis
"Own Story Hsn McCleilan says: HIS
ostensibls purpose is to see the troops ana
the battlefield incline TO think that the
real purpose OF his visit Is TO push me
into premature advance into VIZ
Rfnia.i Mr.. Lincoln's conversation with
Gen. MoCIelIan could hardly have left
any otner impression upon the Generals
mind. During his three days stay at
tne headquarters OF the Army OF the Po-
tomac, again and again the President
seems to have urged upon Gen. Mcclellan
> av..r.. .~em nf a
morning report OF the Army Of the Po-
tomao TOR Sept 80, showed that Gen. Mo-
Clsilan had under his command lOU, I4a
men present for duty. A review was ar
ranged, and on the "a and 3D. OF Oosoosr
the President, with Gen. MoCleilan, rode
after brigade, division aftsr division and
corps after corps IL was then that saw
Mr. Lincoln for the second time. The
corps In which i was serving was en-
camped near the Antietam Iron works
The President with Gen. McCleiian and
his staff arrived on the ground shortly
after nine O'Clock In the forenoon. Tha
several divisions OF tne corps were In
line nc that time In columns and brigades
and the reviewing party passed rapidly
along each brigade front. the President s
slim, tall figure contrasting strikingiy
with tns short, thick-seE nsure OF Gen
Mcclellan. It was only glimpse OF the
President thar we bad as he rode by, but
that glimpse was q revelation or the bur-
den of care ana anxiety which MIR. Lin
coin was bearing at that time. It was q
sad, thoughtful face which the great lead
sr turned toward US, but the reception he
everywhera received must have been TO
him a pleasing testimony as to ths conf
denoe in which he was held by the rank
and file OF that great army.
The next time saw Mr.
Lincoln -nas In the spring
of 1854. Two divisions OF the Ninth corps
had psen In the Westsrn Army year
We were with Grant at Vickspurg and
later on at Campbell's Station, and In
the siege &C 9noxville, In East Tennessee
where, as in earlier days IN Virginia. We
had tested our strength with Longsureebs
corps on hard fought fields. NOW zen
Grant had been placed at the head OF tne
army, and marching over the mountains
into Kentucky, we had made onr way
eastward. A few pleasant weeks we had
spent at Annapolis, and Ae April drew 70
a Close we folded our tents one day ana
marched ACROSS the country toward wash
inGton.
encamped near Bladensburg, about eight
miles from Washington. Inc next morn
Ing We were informed that as we passed
through the national capital the PreHi-
dent would review the troops from the
balcony OF Millard's Hotel. The men
gave an 6ALfh JULIEN W ehCAs Ah0aA1%aJ
JheiF clothing was cleaned and made
ready as for inspection, ana the appear
ancs OF the various regiments was never
better than when, about noon, we entered
the city. The people on ths stresss along
the line of march gave US q soldier .
greeting As we approached Wtllsrd's
Hotel tina crowds increased, and as We
came opposite, thers on the balcony was
the President, with burnside ana men
prominent In military and OWL life,
looking down upon the toughenet rem
nanss OF regiments that had bsen two and
three years In the ssryices upon oehers
with full ranks just from their NortheIn
homes, whi Is after them. In solid ranks,
marched the fiyss division Of eolored
troops thatsthe President or the residents
or Washington had looked upon,
We learned cur destination the next
day; we were on our way to the Wilder
ness. How many In our ranks had seen
Lincoln for the last tims-the men who
at the Wilderness. Srottsylvania, the
North Anna, Cold Harpor ana at Pstsrs-
burg, In the sharp conflict OF battle were
to lay down thsfr young lives In the
precious hops that government for the
people, by fine psopls and OF the people
might not perish from the earth.
One of these, an officer In my own regi-
ment, q hrothsr OF the Hev. b, Ii.
Bailey, who was pastor or the First Par
ish in this olty from 1857 to 1879, wrote
his last letter nome on the morning fol-
lowing the battle OF the Wilderness. and
was killed in action at Spottsylvania ive
days later. The letter was addressed to
his brother. Having described ths bat
tise or ths previous day with its terrible
scenes and fearful losses, Capt. Bailey
added these words: ~ am yet well. and,
thank God, spared to strike once more for
Iiberty and the right. i trust and hops
To come out safely, but He who rules and
holds ne In the hollow of His hand alone
knows the future. L would NOT sntioipats.
but am glad now that l am here, al
though the ordeal 10 terrible TO 90
through,--tsrribie wounds, terrible suffer-
ing, but glorious in their fruits II they
preserve our national nfs trus. It will
pay, II anything In this life does, firm
ly believe. We stand anu wait, all of us,
and fall when we must. think willing
sacrifices. May God give as the victory
and keep us all till HIS sime for our meet
ing"
This letter Ia In the spirit of Lincoln
himself. Indeed, l can think OF him
only as animated by it when he looked
down upon as thAt day from the balcony
OF .Willsrd's Hotel. Certainly 1 never