The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-28
THE IRON BRIGADE
A Story OF the ARaY OF TIE POTOMAC
CHAPTER Xxx.


gone. the winter OF our discomfort indeed
has come. For weeks the army hangs
there Inert and chatting along the Potomac,
while Lee and his bronzed veterans saun-
ter away through the Shenandoah, feed
ing on the fat of the land" Marveling at
the inaction Of Mcclellan, Stuart rides back
with some eighteen hundred horse and two
light guns and, of course, Pelham; and,
just as he did few months earlier down
on the Peninsula, joys CONTEMPORARY
clear around the bewildered and indignant
divisions, laughing at the effort of Pleas
anton to catch or others to head him.
Mcclellan says his cavalry is too wearied
and broken down to accomplish anything,
and the President mildly asks what it has
been doing to so fatigue ii. Another corre-
spondence of complaints begins and finally
ends at Warrenton, when the order comes
early in November that sewers once and
for' all McClelIan's connection with the
Army of the Potomac He had done much
to make ii, God knows. He was great as
an organizer and instructor. He had the
faith and regard of most of the officers
and the love of all the men. 1t was in bat
tie and campaign that he failed them, not
devotion than was accorded Little Mac un-
til he took the field. Even now, this sad
November day, there are scores of officers
and soldiers whose faces are furrowed with
tears they see him ride away. There
are many commands that would gladly re-
call him. There are regiments that could
not be made to cheer him after Antietam
that mourns his going now, even in the
hard-used First Corps. There are men
right here in the Iron Brigade who de-
plore the ordered separation, but there is
higher power, a higher duty still, and, no
matter what may be the sorrow OF this
parting, the Army of the Potomac would
be faithless to Mcclellan and his teachings
were it not loyal to the commander-in-
chief, the President of the United States.
Even in the bitterness of heart that must
accompany submission to his soldier fate,
Mcclellan himself strikes the keynote of
that undimmed, mistaken spirit of loyalty
above all things when he bids his old COM
rades farewell, and in so doing, bids them
be as true to his successor as they had
ever been to him.
Changes, too, have occurred in many a
minor grade. The Fifth corps mpurns the
d
der whose head is demanded as one re-
suit of the woeful mismaneuvers about
Manassas. Old names appear at the head
of grand divisions, as Burnside calls the
doubled corps. New names, comparative
ly, appear at corps headquarters New
brigadiers, a full crop, ride up from the
roster of field officers. and not so many
now hail from the ranks of influential but
unskilled civilians. New regiments have
been grated on old brigades; new blood
injected into old and toughening veins. 1t
is high time our friends of the Iron name
had reinforcement, for, despite Wisconsin s
praiseworthy course of recruiting veteran
commands well raising ones,
their ranks are wofully thin; so, as neither
Badger nor Hoosier regiment comes to
swell the army of the Potomac, there is as
signed TO the old brigade, thereby assuring
it's distinctive Western character, a brand
new, ambitious and, as II turns out, most
pugnacious and fghtful array of Wolver-
ines, "all teeth and toe-nails,' say the
Badgers, who take them under advisement,
and so the much-vaunted menagerie is
complete again.
Changes. too. have come to the staff,
and, to Benton's blushing delight, he is
called upon at Catletts to "wet' a new
commission, recommended by his old gen.
eral and heartily approved by the new
II Is Captain Benton, additional abide
camp now, and he rides for the time being
with a division commander famous for
staying qualities, if not for urbanity, a
man who is of the fight-to-a-finish mold
and would hang every rebel from Maine
neither fear nor forgiveness and who takes
it amiss that one OF his staff should mourn
much over the fate of a rebel in arms
especially one who serves that archrebel
Eweli and has no earthly excuse for fight
ing at all. We have had few as yet OF
these vehement patriots in high places
We have had far too many, storms Stan
ton In Washington, of those who would
handle treason with gloves, furnish guards
for the homesteads of hard-fighting chiefs
on the Southern side, hold commerce and
communion through flags of truce with
former comrades across the lines. 1--WE
must stop 1t. by heaven!' says Stanton
| splitting a table top with one blow of hi:
| fist. I'VE must drumhead and shoot 'em,
| says Fred's new commander, land I'll hans
the first man Of my staff that L catch
1t must be owned that the general fight:
hard as he swears, which is saying a goot
| deal. and means no doubt very much o.
! what he says. He has heard much of Ben
| ton as gallant staff officer, eager reliable
/ tireless, a fellow that never wears out
| The one thing against him Is his traininl
under that soft-sided senior of his
| CFred's original chief, and his own known
weakness for certain folks in rebellion
| He ought to be thankful Ladues deaC
and buried" says this new leader of al
! old division. "And as for his Charlottes
Vile friends. he'd better steer clear Of ZEN
| all IL he doesn't court trouble with me-
| THE winter of our discomfort" indeed
With gloomy heart and sad anticipation
| Benton rides away through the leafles
woods 10 the old familiar scenes abou
| Fredericksburg Word from Washington
has brought him little comfort. Rumor o
his commanders sayings has filled him wit
| foreboding. DR.. Chiffon, to whom he ha
written on almost any provocation and VIII
had gratefully and promptly answered hi
| Sharpsburg missive. giving young Pelham
message, now wrote not at ALL "He seem
sad and brooding." said Jack. in the on
letter that young gentleman had manage
TO send through since his Incarceration
Jack was well enough to resume duty an
most eager for exchange, but negotiation
hung fire unaccountably. so said he. an
Lounsberry had been back again in Rich