CHANGES IN THE REGIMENT, 61 in a few moments," and a telegram was published to that effect in the Herald of the following day. During their stay here, the officers and men. made the acquaintance of several interesting families in the vicinity. Among them was the "Woodworths," residing on the picket line. Mr. W., who originally moved from Oswego County, New York, had suffered much at the hands of the enemy. After the first battle of Bull Run, the rebels entered his house, robbing it of many valuables, and conducted him to Richmond, where he was imprisoned. Being released in the following October, he returned to find his once happy home nearly in ruins. The officers spent many pleasant hours in the society of his entertaining daughters, and in listening to the old man's narrative of the wrongs inflicted upon him for his Union sentiments. All the members of the family apparently vied with each other in their efforts to render the sojourn of the Thirty-third in that locality as pleasant as possible. The following changes occurred at Camp Griffin : Major Robert H. Mann resigned; succeeded by John S. Platner, Captain Co. H, who in turn was succeeded by First Lieutenant A. H. Drake. Chaplain George N. Cheney resigned; succeeded by Rev. A. H. Lung, Pastor of the First Baptist Church Canandaigua. John R. Cutler, Captain Co. D, succeeded by Henry J. Gifford, 1st Lieutenant, transferred from the Thirteenth New York. Samuel A. Barras, 2d Lieutenant Co. D, resigned. George T. Hamilton, 1st Lieutenant Co. F, resigned. Henдy 62 INACTIVITY OF OUR ARMIES. G. King, promoted from 2d to 1st Lieutenant Co. F, vice G. T. Hamilton, resigned. Henry A. Hills, promoted to 2d Lieutenant, from 1st Sergeant, vice H. G. King, promoted. George W. Brown, promoted from ranks to 1st Lieutenant Co. D, vice H. J. Gifford, promoted. Jefferson Bigelow, promoted from 1st Sergeant to 2d Lieutenant Co. D, vice S. A. Barras, resigned. John W. Corning, appointed 2d Lieutenant Co. B, vice H. J. Draime, promoted. Prior to his departure, the Chaplain was presented with an elegant gold watch, as a testimonial of the regard entertained for him. The following deaths occurred from disease: Company B, David Hart; Company C, Corporal George A. Langdon; Company C, Pierre Outry; Company E, Peter Zimmer; Company F, George E. Prentice; Company F, Gardner Bacon; Company F, Irwin Van Brunt; Company G, Patrick Conner; Company G, Wm. Cooper; Company H, James H. Gates; Company I, Archibald Coleman; Company K, Augustus Murdock. William Humphrey, Company J, and Joseph Finnegan, Company K, were accidentally killed. The long inactivity which prevailed in all our armies was as unsatisfactory as it was inexplicable to the country. Day after day, week after week, and month after month, brought the same story, "All quiet along the lines," until the patience of the people became well nigh exhausted, and they began to clamor for the removal of this and that leader, declaring that they all PRES'T LINCOLN'S LETTER TO GEN. M'CLELLAN. 63 "Like peasant foot-boys did keep the walls On the 19th of January, however, the President issued orders for a general movement of all the Federal forces; one result of which was the series of victories at the West, which so revived the drooping hopes of the nation. Twelve days afterwards, he issued a special order directed to the Army of the Potomac, which had not yet moved. It read as follows: EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, January 31st, 1861. President's Special War Order No. 1. } Ordered, that all the disposable force of the Army of the Potomac, after providing safely for the defence of Washington, be formed into an expedition for the immediate object of seizing and occupying a point upon the railroad south-westward of what is known as Manassas Junction; all details to be in the discretion of the General-in-Chief, and the expedition to move before or on the 22d day of February next. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. General McClellan replied, in writing, to this order, objecting to the plan which it proposed, as involving "the error of dividing our army by a very difficult obstacle (the Occoquan), and by a distance too great to enable the two portions to support each other, should either be attacked by the masses of the enemy." In conclusion he expressed himself desirous 64 A SECOND LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT. of moving against the enemy, either by the way of the Rappahannock or the Peninsula. This reply explains the reason of his having so long delayed operations. His aim was to mass together a large army, thoroughly equipped and drilled, and leaving a sufficient force to guard Washington, throw the remainder of his army suddenly in the enemy's rear, or hurl them swiftly upon the rebel capital, before they could move to its support. The President did not agree with his young General, as will be seen from the following communication, which he addressed him in reply: "EXECUTIVE MANSION, "WASHINGTON, February 3d, 1862. } "MY DEAR SIR:-You and I have distinct and different plans for a movement of the Army of the Potomac; yours to be down the Chesapeake, up the Rappahannock to Urbana, and across land to the terminus of the railroad on York river; mine to move directly to a point on the railroad south-west of Manassas. If you will give me satisfactory answers to the following questions, I shall gladly yield my plan to yours: "1. Does not your plan involve a greatly larger expenditure of time and money than mine? "2. Wherein is a victory more certain by your plan than mine? "3. Wherein is a victory more valuable by your plan than mine? "4. In fact, would it not be less valuable in this YIELDS TO HIS YOUNG GENERAL. 65 that it would break no great line of the enemy's communication, which mine would? "5. In case of disaster, would not a safe retreat be more difficult by your plan than by mine? "Yours, truly, "A. LINCOLN." He afterwards, however, yielded to General McClellan. Thus affairs stood, until the first week in March, when the enemy were discovered to be retreating from Manassas, and the grand advance commenced. |