The Washington herald., 1910-08-07

Twice had Burnside been asked 20
take McClellan's place. and twice
had Burnside declined. But stanton
had determined that the PhiladeI-
phia general should go. and al last
Burnside was induced to accept the
command OF the Army Of the Po-
tomae. There was profound disap-
pOintment among the rank and nIe
over McClellaE's enforced retire
ment. and II was largely echoed in
the country when Burnside almost
Immediately met disaster at Fred
ericksburg. There was a clamor for
the restoration OF Little Mack"
and Winner expressed IT in his
song;
Give Us back our old commander. Little Mack.
the people's pride
Poor Winner soon found the
heavy hand OF power stretched
toward him. for the song had been
taken up by the soldiers. had been
sung IN the theaters. had been
widely reprinted in Democratic
newspapers, and had threatened a
mutinous disposition in those bril-
gades and divisions which were par
ticularly attached to the young
Napoleon"
Nor was the government alone 20
be reckoned with by the composer.
but there was a strong anti-Mc-
CleIlan party in Philadelphia. and
they began making It about as IN
pleasant for him as a man would
undergo. in the way OF insults and
threats OF every character. He re-
ceived anonymous letters by the
score. These letters were all OF
the same fiery character. what we
would call to-day BLACK Hand
ers" They threatened TO burn his
house and drive him out OF PhIadeI-
phia. The only thing that saved him.
he was assured. was HIS wife and
children. Both Winner and his wife
were insulted whenever they made
their appearance on the street. for
even the children had been taught
10 call him q "Copperhead"
But all this he lived down. Even
those who had taken great offense
at HIS writing Of the song were
later his warmest friends. In his
declining years the old song maker
looked back to the experiences with
a kindly. half-sarcastic smile. but
the matter was not 20 be smiled
at when the War Department put
the song under the ban, and when
its author had 10 give the assur-
anee. under pain Of being cIapped
into prison as a promoter Of Sc
ditiOn, that he would not further
encourage the circulation OF the
verses.
But the song. OF rather the title,
made a lasting impression on Nc
Clellan's sympathizers. and. indeed.
became a final part OF our political
vocabulary Later on, when Little
Mack" entered the political arena
and there was some talk of his be-
ing elevated to the Presidency. It
was not a rare thing at a public
meeting TO hear the stentorian
voices Of old veterans CRY out. Give
Us Back Our Old Commander"
Hardly less curious was the fact
that not long afterward the same
words became the rallying CRY OF
the stalwarts OF the Republican
party. when they prosecuted their
formidable canvas for the nomina-
ton OF Gen. Grant for a third term
in the Presidency. and that the men
10 whom GIVE Us Back Our Old
Commander" was hateful. when ap-
piled 10 Mcclellan. thought 1t was
a proof OF the highest patriotism
when applied to Grant.
An interesting thing about the
composing Of songs by Sep Winner
was that he always used the violin
in working out the melody. rather
than the piano; and the violin
which he used in the composition
OF almost all Of his popular. songs
was made by his father from wood
taken from Independence Hall. This
violin is highly priced BY a son of
the composer. Mr.. J. Glib. winner
who keeps it in his bungalow home
at Somers Point, n. J.
The pressss for,-,rv