Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-11
CHAPTER Xxx.
A CRY FROM TIE AMBULANCE.

A CRY FROM TEE AMBULANCE.
The autumn, the wasted autumn has
gone, 1.-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 saunter away through the
Shenandoah, feeding on the fat of the
land" Marveling at the inaction of
Mcclellan, Stuart rides back with 500
horse and two light guns and. of
course, Pelham; and, just as he did q
few months earlier down on the pen
Ursula, joys contemptuously clear
round the bewildered and indignant
divisions, laughing at the effort of
Pleasanton to catch or others to head
him. Mcclellan says his cavalry is
too wearied and broken down to ac-
complish anything, and the president
mildly asks what it has been doing To
so fatigue it. Another correspondence
of complaints begins. and finally ends
at Warrenton, when the order comes
early in November that sewers once
and for all McClellan's connection with
the Army of the Potomac He had
done much TO make it, God knows.
He was great as an organizer and in
Structor. He had the faith and regard
OF most OF the officers and the love of
all the men. 1t was in battle and cam
paign that he failed them. not they
him. for mortal man had never deeper
devotion than was accorded Little Mac
until he took the field. Even now. this
sad November day, there are scores of
officers and soldiers whose faces ara
1urrowed with tears as they see him
ride away. There are many commands
that would gladly recall him. There
are regiments that could not be made
20 cheer him after Antietam that
mourn his going now, even in the
hard-used First corps.
Changes, too have occurred in many
a minor grade. The Fifth corps
mourns the loss of the brilliant. rift
ed, handsome soldier whose head is de-
manded as one re-Ilt of the woful mis-
maneuvers about Manassas old
names appear at the head of grand
divisions, Is Burnside calls the doubled
corps. New names. comparatively. APP
pear at corps headquarters. New
Orlgadiers, full crop, ride up from
the roster of field officers, and not SO
many now hail from the ranks of in
entail but unskilled civilians. New
rents have been grated on old
---.s.4ues; new '6fuUd rnJeJIeu INTO OLD
and toughened veins 1t is high time
our friends of the Iron name had re-
Enforcement, for despite Wisconsiu's
pralseworthy course of recruiting vet
eran commands as well as raising new
ones, their ranks are wofully thin; so.
as neither Badger nor Hoosier regi-
ment comes TO swell the Army of the
POTOMAC, there is assigned to the old
brigade, thereby assuring its distinctive
western character. brand new. ambi-
Slous and, as it turns out, most pug
nacious and fightful array of Wolver-
ines, all teeth and toe-nails." saw
The Badgers, who take them under adj
Visement, and so the much-vaunted
menaSerle is complete again.
changes, too, have come 10 the staff
and, to Benton's blushing delight. he
Is called upon at Catlett's to wet"
a new commission, recommended by
his old general and heartily approved
by the new. Ii is Capt Benton. addi-
uonal aide-de-camp now, and he rides
Tor the time being with a division COM
mander famous for staying qualities. if
not for urbanity man who is of the
nght-to-a-hnish mold, and would hang