The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-19

with bitter disappointments. like Nc
Clelan. Pope. Mcdowell, Burnside, and
others yet with ,d forensic eye he saw saw
many others who led the Union Army to
final victory.
Perhaps the most important and exact
ing military office in time of war is
that of chief of staff
IT requires scholarship, tact, military
and engineering training, quick action.
exactness, and above all undying cour-
iage.
For this office Mr. Lincoln looked to
his trained officers, but he looked in
vain.
( With his quick conception and great
knowledge of human nature he saw and
called from civil life Rawlins and Gar
field.
They have made their history, you
have read it, / need not dwell upon it
here.
No president had ever been military
strategist and Lincoln did not foresee
that he called upon 20 act as such.
But after the fiji t lamentable and
disastrous battle of Bull Run. when the
enemies of the country in the north
were CRYING out that the war was q
failure and demanding peace at any
price he saw that the country was look
ing to him. After that deplorable defea t
he spent an entire night, alone unaided
and unadvlsed tracing his maps and
And what did he find
The national capitol stood at the very
outer edge of union territory. a very
perlous situation indeed
Johnstons victorious army was within
sight of the national capitol with his
pickets well advanced.
The Shenandoah valley offered pro-
, tected avenue for confederate approach.
McDowelrS defeated army had degener-
ated into an uncomfortable mob. both
officers and men.
And yet confronted with these most
discouraging conditions, Mr. Lincoln
then and there mapped out the most
remarkable military campaign that the
world has ever known, campaign, or
series of campaigns which were practi-
cally followed. until the ultimate sue
cessful close of the war
He ordered an immediate reorganiza
ton. and thorough drilling of the army.
The blockade by our navy of all
southern ports
The OCCUPATION of West Virginia and
Missouri. thus affording protection to
the loyal people there, and securing their
much needed aid thereafter.
The invasion of Tennessee.
The opening of the Mississippi river
to the gulf. thus cutting in two the
enemies territory.
These things all came to pass. Some
of them very slowly. to be sure. and
at fearful cost.
But they all came to pass
Met With Disappointment.
To conduct the campaign in front
of the capitol. and to clear the dispu-
ted territory there Mr.. Lincoln. relied
most largely upon General Mcclellan.
only to meet with the most bitter dis
appointment.
While he urged and ordered general
advance, and the people clamored why
don't the army move,' the army quiet
y rested on it's arms.
And when the president felt compelled
to remove Mcclellan from his command,
the very earth seemed to tremble under
his feet.
The army of the Potomac fairly wor-
shipped Mcclellan. He was handsome,
he was kind, and gentle. he was popu-
lar with his men, they had been having
an easy and restful time. while the
president had again and again ordered
a forward movement. Mcclellan was a
lovable character. but he was no war
rior to lead his men to battle. More con-
siderate of his men by far than Caesar
r. Ns<-l.l