appreciation of my frankness as to ask me if he ever took another command to accept a place on his staff. Of course, I replied to him as I did to McClernand, though I had little expectation of ever being called to the staff of either.

Notwithstanding its interesting and unusual features, my visit to McClellan was far from reassuring in any respect. In addition to his depressed frame of mind, I found a bad state of feeling among the officers of his staff, three of whom were drinking heavily, while others were talking both loudly and disloyally. They not only disapproved McClellan's removal, which was felt to be imminent, but openly denounced the President's Emancipation Proclamation. Not only did several earnestly advocate McClellan's resistance to the order relieving him, but one man declared that the army should change front on Washington and that when it arrived there, McClellan should turn the government out and take charge of both civil and military affairs himself. While this was merely camp-fire talk, it indicated bad feeling on the part of officers who should have known better. It culminated, however, in a way hardly foreseen. One of the number in a loud and resonant voice declared that he wouldn't serve Lincoln's abolition government any longer, but intended to send in his resignation and go home at once. Another called out: "That's the talk!" Still another loudly gave his approval, whereupon the only Southerner present, Martin of Kentucky, got up and, drawing his wallet from his pocket, exclaimed: "I am tired of such senseless talk," and slapping his wallet with his open hand added, "I'll bet fifty dollars, and here's the money, that not a

d-d one of you ever resigns so long as Uncle Abraham's greenback mill keeps grinding. Now put up or shut up!" And that was the end of the seditious talk that night.

After giving my testimony before the court-martial, I returned to Washington, feeling depressed if not discouraged. I had joined McClellan's staff with the conviction that he was our foremost organizer, disciplinarian, and leader, and was commanding our best-trained veterans, which must be our main dependence for putting down the rebellion. To that general and that army, it seemed, we must look for superior genius, strategy, discipline, fortitude, and final victory. I left it greatly disappointed. While I was far from despairing, I felt sure our triumph over the Confederacy would be delayed, and when it did come, as come it must, it would not be due to superior generalship and discipline, but rather to superior resources in men, money, and determination-in short, "to main strength and awkwardness" rather than to geuius and strategy. I realized then for the first time that Gibbon, the historian, was right when he declared that "the great battles won by the lessons of tactics may be enumerated by the epic poems composed from the inspirations of rhetoric."

With combined feelings of disillusionment and hope, I reached Washington on October 17, and, after giving McClernand a full account of my interview with McClellan and learning that, although the formal orders for his Vicksburg project had not yet reached him, he was still confident of receiving them at an early day, I got my traps together and started north four days later.

Having been informally authorized to visit New York for the purpose of getting a regiment of volunteers, before going west, with letters to Thurlow Weed, at that time the political boss of the Empire State, I called on him at the Astor House the next day. He received me kindly and even graciously, but when I told him that I was a regular army man from Illinois under orders to report to Grant in the west, but wanted service in the line with a New York volunteer regiment, he grew perceptibly reserved. He asked my age and rank, and inquired where I had served, and after intimating that he might secure the position of major or even lieutenant colonel for me, he added frankly that the colonelcies must be reserved for New Yorkers. From this it was evident that I could expect nothing from him. By this time it had become pretty well known that the War Department would not give a regular leave of absence for anything less than the command of a regiment, which accounts for the high rank I was seeking, as well as for the fact that I had not already accepted the rank of lieutenant colonel in the First Delaware Cavalry. I was, however, patient and waited around several days in hopes that I might find an opening, but in vain. The great man was dignified, considerate, and patronizing. He said nothing to discourage either my ambition or my desire for service, but, on the other hand, each interview bore it in upon me that he was considering the political rather than the military aspects of the case. As I was interested in the military rather than the political needs of the government, and as my education and my experience so far had convinced me that I was better

prepared than any civilian for the command of a regiment, I was not long in reaching the conclusion that I should hasten to my new field of duty. I therefore took leave of the distinguished politician, with deep disappointment and with the feeling that he was an entirely new type and had given me a new point of view from which to regard the war and the organization of the army. Reflecting that armies must be raised as well as instructed and commanded, I made my way as rapidly as possible to the southwest, resolved to earn my promotion in the field rather than try to get it through the politicians and their influence.

V

ON GRANT'S STAFF

West Tennessee-Major Wilson-Northern MississippiMajor Rawlins-General Grant-General McPherson -First service with Cavalry-True line of Operations -Campaign of Vicksburg-Yazoo Pass-Running the Batteries.

Although I hastened west my troubles were not yet ended. With delays and stop-overs caused by overworked railroads and broken connections delaying my groom and horses, as well as myself, I did not reach Jackson, Tennessee, till November 7. Almost the first man I met there was my brother Henry, who had left West Point early the year before to help raise the Eighteenth Illinois Infantry of which he became the adjutant. He had already been promoted to captain and was then serving temporarily on General Sullivan's staff in the campaign against Forrest, who had just come on the stage and was smashing things in west Tennessee. My brother had taken a gallant part in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson and in the battle of Shiloh. He had been twice wounded and had but lately returned to duty. He had early become known to the leading generals as an active and fearless officer and an excellent drill-master with re