Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27
| THE IDOL OF HIS MEN
Army of the Potomac Worship
ed Little Mac.
WAS A GOOD HORSEMAN
Recollections of Veteran of Incl
dents of the War.
HOOKER, SUMNER AND KEaARNY
President Lincoln Knew How to Sit a
Horse-Grant the Greatest of
Military Riders.
BY L. D. SALE.

It Is fair to presume that every member
Of the Army of the Potomac who has had
the good fortune to see the most excellent
photo engraving of the proposed equestrian
statue OF Major Gen. George b. Mcclellan
in The Sunday Star of January IA has felt
his eyes moisten just a little and his heart
pulsate just trifle quicker.
Here comes Little Mae!'
Who of those who served under INN
has not heard the cry pass along the lines
like an electric flash, whether on the march,
at review or on the firing line? And who
that has seen him gallop swiftly by at the
head of his STAFF on his stoutly made brown
geiding can ever forget him? Little Mac!'
To us old gyay-headed buffers OF 1906 the
affectionate title bestowed upon him by
his men recalls precious memories The
Army of the Potomac loyalty served many
commanders; some Of them they liked pass
Ing well, but from Mcdowell to Grant not
one OF them possessed the affections of their
men as did George Brinton Mcclellan. The
testimonial to his services in the hour of
supreme peril comes late, but the survivors
Of the Army of the Potomac whom he led
from Yorktown to Fair Oaks and from
Fair Oaks to Antietam, are not inclined to
indulge In carpfng criticism. The present
Is an era Of good feeling, north, south east
and west. Let no man disturb 1t.
On Foot and Mounted.
Mcclellan on foot and on horseback
seemed to be two different individuals In
stature about feet @ inches, but well set
up and well proportloned, he did not i'm
press one afoot as when mounted. He
seemed to grow in the saddle, and he al
ways rode at rapid pace and like a CEN
taur. AS far as sticking on a horses back
is concerned and having good seat. Grant
had no superior in the army; but he was
not as Imposing mounted as Mcclellan. In
additlon to having symmetrical figure,
Mcclellan possessed singularly handsome
features, and, whether on foot or mounted,
looked the soldier. recall scene which
thousands of others may remember. 1t was
after ne had resumed command of the
army late in the summer of 1862. We were
well on the way to Frederick before it be-
came generally known that Mcclellan had
been restored to US. Not a man in the
ranks but was tagged from marching and
fighting, and l am sure when the news
came that we were to be led again by Nc
Cfeilan every mothers son stepped with a
lighter heart.
suddenly broke upon our ears from the rear
the shouts of men, which swelled in vol
ume as the minutes passed. Then the bands
struck up patriotic air, and we knew that
Little Mac was coming. AS he swept by
IN cloud of dust, with cap in hand, the
air. was rent with cheers, caps flew high
and no commander ever received a heartier
welcome. The pathetic scene at parting
after Antietam near Warrenton, Va, 1 will
not attempt to describe. The men did their
duty to his successors; they were too loyal
to their country and it's cause to do other
wise, but, singular as it may seem to some,
Mcclellan was never displaced in their af-
fections.
Battle of Antietam.
Speaking of Antietam, it was my good
fortune to see the elder Sumner lead his
men on the field at that terrible crisis in
the affairs of Mcclellan and the nation,
when Hooker and Mansfield were carried
from the field wounded the latter mortally.
Affairs We're going badly with us. Jackson
still held the confederate left wing in the
west woods, Longstreet the center was
confederate right wing, while Burnside was
still laundering on our left at the bridge
held by ToombS. Sumner, G. man above
medium height, was mounted on medium
sized sorrel gelding that looked altogether
too small for man of his size. He asked
questions right and left in q low tone of
voice as to what federal troops were in his
front. The old soldier had seen too much
of war to be ratified at anything. Even
after he had sent Sedgwick's division into
the terrible west woods, where Jackson's
men were lying in waiting for him, and was
compelled to retire with frghtful loss. the
'tOld Bull of the Woods" never lost his
oomposure; but he probably thought in
fourteen languages.
About shutdown. after Pope had retired
with his army to Centerville, l dismounted
near the point where the Little River turn
pike and the road to Centerville fork. Soon
there refined up few feet near me SOL
dierly looking man on spirited iron gray
horse of about fifteen and a half hands.
The horse was very restless, and l noticed
that his rider carried the reins of the bride
on the stump of one of his arms with
which he easily controlled him. This was
Gen. Philip kearny, then the ideal Amer
lean sabreur, renowned for his feats
against the savages of the far west, and a
of the Mexican war, in which he
lost his arm. Two hours later there was
d<>or 10 ADhf cy,f{I TN,
rainstorm. The next forenoon. while riding
through the main street of Fairfax Court
House, passed an ambulance with a heavy
escort OF cavalry. One of the curtains of
the vehicle tapped as I passed and saw
the deathly white hand of man. On MAX
ing inquiry / was told that the body of the
man was that Of Kearny. AS I had not
heard of his death 1 asked again of an
other cavalryman the same question and
was told that the body was Stevens. Both
generals were killed the same evening and
their remains were being escorted to Wash
tngton. .
Pope and Mcdowell.
I saw Pope and Mcdowell ride side by
side on to the bloody battlefield of Cedar
Mountain, eleven miles southwest of Gull
pepper. after Banks had been defeated by
Jackson. They were mounted on handsome
bay geldings and each were imposing-look-
ing men to my youthful eyes. Banks, with
his 1.-THE and erect figure and handsome
Clellan, when mounted looked TO be much
larger man than he really was. He was a
fine hOrseman. Hooker was not only the
man, but the most imposing
figure on horseback, barring Hancock, IN
the Army of the Potomac. He had a pink
and white complexion, and large and hand
some gray eyes. He was heavy and tall.
upward of six feet. If he was not a great
he was a good soldier, and
looked the part. While at the head of the
army he rode a milk-white stallion, which
tradition says was stolen in Prince George
county in the vicinity of Oxen Hill. A
negro betrayed his place of concealment,
which was in some bushes on his owners
farm. Much ado was made about this stall
lion. as he was valuable and of pure Ara
bian blood. AS his owner was Union man
Secretary Stanton took hold of the matter,
but through some hocus pocus the horse
was secretly shipped to New York and got
into the hands OF George Wilkes, the sport
ing editor. and by him presented to Hooker.
President Lincoln at Review.
Few people now living have seen Presi-
dent Lincoln on horseback. 1 saw him but
once. It was In the winter of 1863. a short
period previous to Hooker's advance on
Lees left flank at Charlottesville which
he turned, and MT. Lincoln was present at
q review of the army on the plains of Stat