The National tribune., 1908-06-25

intended to be as unquestionable and
peremptory as any that a soldier could
receive. He was then, as the repreSen-
tative of the President. to take Gen.
Meade to the headquarters of Gen.
Hooker and transfer the command
from the latter to the former. Gen.
Hardie manifested some reluctance to
doing his appointed task in the pre-
ser;bed manner, but Mr.. Stanton SEN
tentiously Unmarked tina, in this case
the manner was of the substance CO the
matter, to which Mr.. Lincoln added
that he would take the responsibility
upon himself for any wound TO the
feelings of the two Generals or of the
bearer of the order. Gen. Hardie was
supplied with passes and orders to IA
cilitate his progress. and with money to
buy his way thru to his destination If
delayed or INSTRUCTED on the road. II
compelled by the imminency of cap
ture by Stuart's raiders to destroy his
papers, and he could still make his way
thru, he was to deliver verbally the or
der for the changing of the command
and supervise its execution.
Gen. Hardie. in civilians dress,
reached Frederick in safety, and by dill
igent inquiry ascertained the where
abouts of Gen. Meade's headquarters.
several miles from town. BY some
| oversight at headquarters, no Govern
or or Provost Marshal had been APP
pointed for the town, and the streets
and all the roads leading to the camps
were thronged with boisterous soldiers.
more or less filed with Maryland whis-
ky, and many of them RIPE for rudeneSs
or mischief. BY liberal use of money
he at last obtained a buggy and driv-
er who knew the roads; but his prog
ress thru struggling parties of soldiers
and trains of wagons was so slow, and
hn of oh N
officers to secure passage and safety
| from one stage to another, that the
night was far spent when he reached
Gen. Meade's headquarters and after
some wranglfng penetrated TO his tent
Meade was asleep. and when awak-
ened was COMPOUNDED by the sight of an
officer from the War Department stand
ing over him. He afterward said that.
in his semi-stupor, his first thought
was that he was to be taken to WASH
| ington in arrest, tho no reason oc-
CURED to him why he should be.
When he realized the state of affairs
| he became much agitated, protesting
against being placed III command of an
army that was looking toward Rey-
nolds as the successor. if Hooker should
be displaced; referring to the personal
| friendship between Reynolds and him
| self, which would make the President S
| order an instrument of injustice to
both; urging the heaviness Of the re-
sponsibility so suddenly placed upon
him in presence of the enemy, and
when he was totally ignorant of the po-
sitions and dispositions o. the army
he was to take in charge; and strenu-
ously Directing to the requirement that
he should go to Hooker's headquarters
to take, over the command without lie
ing sent for by the Commanding Gem
eral as Mcclellan had sent for Burn
side, and Burnside for Hooker. Meade
proposed to Hardie that he should tele-
graph to Stanton to be relieved from
taking the command, but Hardie tod
him that in the council it had been as
sumed that he would wish to be ex-
cused, that he would prefer Reynolds
first and anybody else but himself af-
terward, and that he might even deem
it too late to displace Hooker; out that,
notwithstanding, ii had been determ-
ined that Hooker should be relieved,
and by Meade alone, and that it should
be done Immediately upon HardieS ar
rival. 1t was a mental relief to the
stern Secretary of War. when Gen.
Meade's spontaneous utteranees were
reported to him, to note that he had
uttered no protest against Hooker's be-
ing relieved of the command. evep-liu
what might almost be called the pres
ence of the enemy. This silence on the
part of a man so regardless of himself,
cepted as being, in itself, his complete
vindication.
After taking Gen. Hardia's opinion.
as professional soldier. that he had
no lawful discretion to vary from tie
orders given, horses and an escort were
ordered out and the party proceeded to
general headquarters. some miles dis
tant. Hardie undertook To break the
news to Hooker, who did not need to
be told anything after seeing VINO his
visitors were. 1t was q hittes moment
to all. fpr HookerS>flad construed fav-
orably the delay in responding 10 his
tender of resignation and could not
wholly mask the revulsion of feeling
Gen. Butterfeld. the Chief OF Staff,
between whom and Meade much
GOODNESS existed, was called in,
and the four officers set themselves
earnestly to work to . do the State
some service by honestly transfer
ring the command and all that could
help to make it available for good.
During the interview Meade uRguarded-
~ expressed himself as shocked at the
scattered condition of the army, and
Hooker retorted with feeling. Tension
was somewhat eased by Mea1c's insist
ing upon being regarded as a guest at
headquarters while Gen. Hooker was
present, and by requesting Gen. Butter
field. upon public grounds rot to ex-=
eICiSe HIS pii'htSS VI "lthuidNih
with his chief; but Hookers chagrin
and Meade's overstrung nerves made
the lengthy but Indispensable confer
ence rather trying to the whole party.
Reynolds the Gentleman.
when Reynolds heard the news he
dressed himself with scrupulous care
and handsomely attended, rode to
headquarters to pay his respects tn the
new commander. Meade. who looked
like a wagonmaster in the marching
clothes he had hurriedly slipped on
when awakened in his tent. understood
n "A n