The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-29
THE IRON BRIGADE
A STORY of the ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

sWamped. Two OF the ofncerS nad Deeu
captured, one being poor Paul, who mao
been nearly drowned, and was found In
flshermans hut not far from Matthias
Point. Two of the party were still at large
Arrests of suspected civilians had been
made, both in Washington and Baltimore,
and certain secret service officials had been
summarily discharged by order of the sec
, rotary as being unworthy TO hold positions
of such trust and responsibility.
stanton is a terror, said Fred'S in
| formant, a staff officer just from Wash
| ington. He insisted on shutting out Nc
| Clellan, just Little Mac was getting
| good hold and learning how to fight. He
insisted in putting in Burnside, who loved
; Mcclellan and didn't want the command
/ didn't think himself fit for IL. He insisted
| on Burnside lighting and burnside bumped
| US up against a stone wall where we but
| ted our brains out, and things have gone
| crooked every which way. God help the
man that has to bump UP against Stanton
| just nowl"
This was the Wednesday following the
furious storm of that Monday night of
| mid December, under cover of which the
| honest, loyal, but almost broken-hearted
soldier had withdrawn his silent army
| across the stream, with twelve thousand
| or its number sacrificed to the insane de-
| mand to fight and satisfy the people that
| the Army of the Potomac could fight. 1t
was now some thirty-sx hours after Fred's
serious difference with his division COM
| mander. He had sent the morning previous
I'M .nat urgent appeal to his OLD genera 10
| things he almost loathed. He looked for
! answer within the week. and. taking adj
vantage of the permission, coldly accorded
| him by the chief of staff, to be absent
| over night. he had gone, heavy-hearted. to
/ his old friends of the Iron Brigade, and
sought at their hands the sympathy and
| consolation to- be expected of men who had
| themselves felt that the official atmosphere
| was frigid who're once it had been so fair
And 1t was here on Thursday morning,
| while breakfasting with the genial COM
| mande~ of the Black Hats and listening to
his philosorhic advice TO take things
| coolly' and that "all would come right,
| he was surprised by the coming of cav
airy orderly, splashed with mud, who bore
missive addressed by the adjutant gen.
eral of the division and marked '.!mme;
| date With word OF apology TO Colonel
| Fairchild and his officers. Benton tore 1t
open, and two papers fell out. One read:
Captain Benton-Inclosed just received.
The general says you better come this way.
| and you can get what luggage you need.
| There will be steamers going all the even
| ing
| iSignedl BREWSTER, A. A. G."
| The second was a telegram to the COM
handing general, -th Division, -th Corps.
J and bore singular resemblance to one re-
| ceived on almost the same ground some
| seven months previous:
| Secretary of war desires to see Captain
| Benton of your staff at once. Take first
| boat. intermediate commanders notified.
No delay:
| w ell, We'll, SAID the cOlOnel, tIey Hd We
been prompt. You can get to Acquia by
noon, can't your
Not If he goes back by way of Old
Scoffer's," remarked field officer, thought
| fully. Fred, don't you imagine the chief
wants to smooth things bit before you tell
Stanton all about it?''
Don't go back, Benton. Just let him
| sweat. It'll make him more civil another
| time" began an impetuous comrade, but
| stopped short at sight of the cloud in Ben
| tons eyes, the anxious look in the colonel's
fine oil. Ald rfry foo hn
| latter who spoke again, and without inter
| ruption, for already he had won the faith
of even such martial iconoclasts as the
| Black Hats. This means something more
than a mere difference due to ill-temper,"
| said he. You are wanted for q purpose
Benton. Is it-about Ladue, do you Think"
surprised" he answered, thinking uncon-
trollably of the words of his Washington
informant, God help the man that has to
| bump up against Stanton just now!
| Yet he rode back TO headquarters and,
surely enough, found his chief there,
| chatting and suspicious. What's Stanton
| want of you?" he blurted out. You haven't
you didn't-make row about what said
| Monday night, did you? We were all cross
grained then; and l didn't happen to think
II have certainly written to friend at
| Washington asking for other duty, SIR
said Benton firmly. though his anger had
anxiety. II did not get lost. however
| obeyed orders, and under similar crcum-
| stances should do so again.
I've told you l didn't understand the
matter at the time or / shouldn't have
| said perhaps, what 1 did," broke in Old
| Scoffer, both hurt and troubled. IF you're
going to start in on your army career with
| hauled over the Goals, you've mistaken
| your profession" Scoffer knew he had
been in the wrong. He wanted to undo
| the wrong. He simply didn't know how,
and Benton wouldn't help him.
You say perhaps general, and that
| implies lingering doubt So long as you
| think there was the slightest justification
for your reprimand, there is not the slight
est of my trying to serve you" And
| so they parted enemies, if anything, and,
hement assertion, enlarged of course, in
| transit, that he had more friends in the
South than in the army" and without hav-
| ing taken the first boat or having oppor-
| tunity to take counsel with his former
chief, Benton reported the following day
| at the War Department, and, after an
hours wait and worry. was shown into the
| presence of the angering secretary.
1t was dull December morning The
| rain had been pattering for hours. The
streets were deep in mud. The flags hung
| to roof and cornice and drifted low about
| the crowded portico without. and followed
| the splashed and dripping men, boring their
insistent way into the depths of the dingy
| old edifice. 1t was a day of gloom and
| despond. 1t followed close on the heels of
dire disaster, and. with the stories rushing
| disruption at the front, the Iron Secretary
was stung and goaded by the evidences of
| triumphant plot and treason all about him
| and among the cities safeguarded at the
| rear. Two prominent households within
easy rifle shot of his desk were now shown
| to have been in constant correspondence
with leaders of the rebel cause at Rich
| mond. Two families in Baltimore hitherto
| unmatched were found to have been con-
nected with the recent escape of closely
| guarded Confederate officers from a prison
| camp almost within sight of the flag at
| Federal hill. One gallant staff officer, scion
of a well-known and loyal supporter of
| the administration, stood accused of init
| mate acquaintance with several of the par
ties to the plot and of further knowledge
| of their designs, and the heart of the sec
| rotary hot within him and hardened
against this young staff officer of fighting
corps who ushered into the severe and
| repellent presence, stood silently at guard,
| glanced one instant at the grave bearded
| faces of the three officers in attendance
and then, blue and unfiinching his ewes
| fixed almost in challenge on the massive
specialized, glowering front of the great pa
triot and statesman-the forceful, dominant.
| war Democrat, Stanton.
For a moment each studied the other
| and the menace in Stantons frown reused
the spirit of fight in Benton's not too pa
cifc temperament. What business has a
/ | ought to be hanged, no matter il he is
| most in the Badgers mind. His father the
squire, had once trounced a brother-in-law
for less The bump Of INSTRUMENTATION was
| oven before the Secretary's first o,,ac