The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-11

weather, tneTe was no edTlnly reason WHY
the army should not advance and deal to
the triumphant Confederates, boastfully
awaiting them behind their formidable
field works, decisive and stunning blow
at the very scene of our recent humiliation
on the plains of Manassas and along the
wooded banks of Bull run.
Day after day throughout the autumn
had Little Mac followed by brilliant
retinue, ridden from camp to camp, in
specting. reviewing. commanding. CRITICS.
ing. and, long ago as mid September, after
the spirited skirmish near townsville. he
had thrilled the listening thousands. Fred
and his Badger comrades among them. by
the ringing words in which he had assured
them the should be short, sharp and
decisive, and for hours the bands had
pealed exultant music, 1.-The boys" cheered
themselves hoarse in glorification over his
stirring declaration: I'VE have had our
last defeat-we have made our last re-
treat" and the mingled appeal and pledge
that followed: You stand by me, and III
stahd by YOU" Stand by him? Stand by
Little Mac? Such was the faith and love
and devotion that burned for him through
out that magnificent command that.
the late autumn rolled by and the promise
of speedy action f1uttered from camp TO
camp, there was hardly an officer or man,
] from division commanders down to drum
| mer boys that would not willingly have
| died for him! Never, I'm the days of his
| most splendid achievement, surrounded by
the marshals of his empire and supported
| by the Imperial Guard, did Napoleon him.
| self receive from the hearts of his soldiers
| a love more spontaneous from their lips
greeting more thrilling, than did George
Mcclellan as he rode the lines of the new
born Army of the Potomac, practically his
own creation, for ii was but raw material
when confided to his hands.
And yet, save for more drills more grand
reviews and ceremonies. and in spite of the
clamor of the Nation, the press and the
| government, it moved not, and the fine
| weather of December was gone and Janu-
| airy came. and with ii the fogs and soft
skies and seas of mud again, and stories
| went from fire to fire to the effect that the
President and the people had become irri-
tated at the long delay, and that Little
Mac was being urged and importuned and
even blamed. LET Little Mac alone" said
| the boys. He knows what he's about"
| for even in their impatience nothing could
shake their loyalty.
| At last as is we'll remembered, the Pres
| ident, IN the exercise of his prerogative.
| took the law into his hands and issued his
| first order directing the advance of an
| army in the field. And at last its corps
organization completed now-though with
generals not of McClellan's choice-to the
| glorious music of the innumerable bands,
| in splendid weather and in splendid spirits.
| the long blue columns filed out from the
shelter of the circling Notifications and
| took the road to Centerville.
Promotion bad by this time carried Freds
division commander to the head of a corps
and his brigade commander to the head of
| the fine division in which until now the
wild westerners had been numbered as the
First Brigade. Now they became the Third
and were both astonished and Disguised to
| find that their numerical designation de-
pended not. as they were inclined to say,
on their soldierly superiority, but upon the
relative rank of the brigade commander
1t CALLED them. to tell the truth. TO find that
the promotion to division rank of the West
Point soldier who had organized, drilled
and taught them from the start involved
corresponding setback for themselves.
Some Badgers took the matter so much to
have declined promotion-let somebody else
step up to the command of the division
rather than see his old comrades moved
from the right to the left of the line, from
front to rear of the column. In vain were
they assured that it really made no earth
ly difference. that the brigade would take
turns at the head of the column on the
march, and, as for the line of battle, they
Sx.ak G-l,t,
left as on the right. 1t is strange to see
what little things will start big sensation
among young soldiers. Badger and Hoo
sier, the brigade had mild case of sulks
when it found that its 'comrade commands,
made up of New Workers and Pennsylva-
mans, each headed by West Point gen.
eral. were now its seniors in soldier rank,
because the best they could boast for bril-
gade headquarters was one of their own
colonies. Senators and representatives,
egged on by letters from 1.-The boys,
fiocked to the White House and the War
Department to ''see about this and have
1t rectifed, and came away reconciled from
the one and ruffied from the other The
new war secretary was as like Cameron as
cactus is like the cowslp. Even then at
the outset OF his career, he was all spines
and bristles. The patient President, how
ever-was ever man more patient?-listened
without interruption 10 the somewhat We
hement words of the Badger statesmen
who had assured the boys BLACK Hats
and ALL that they would see them righted.
With downcast eyes, his shaggy head on
one side, his long, bony, muscular hands
extended finger tips touching over the
| right knee, his wide mouth twitching some
times into a semblance of whimsical smile.
Mr.. Lincoln waited until his callers had
finished then passed hand through his
bristling hair, then clasped both hands be-
hind his big black brown head and threw
IL upon their support and gazed aloft as
though for inspiration, then Strengthened
up and with the sunshine breaking through
the sombre lines about his deep-set eyes
began:
LAS understand it," said he, 1.-THE BOYS
want 10 go back to head the procession, as
they did when Mcdowell commanded the
division. Now, TO do that I've either got
TO pull their own general down a peg-set
him back from the head of the three bri-
brigadier who ranks such fellows as Augur
and Patrick, take him away from the bri-
gade he has been licking into shape and
set him over our friends and nelghbors
from Wisconsin and Indiana-that, too
gentlemen" and here he reached out and