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The city of 150,000 surrendered, and the stars and stripes once more floated over the Custom-House, Post-Office and other public buildings of the crescent city. The flag never again to be hauled down from that position, for, as it was grimly said by a Confederate General on the fall of Richmond, "it had never been the policy of the rebels to retake the cities and posts captured by the Union forces."

CHAPTER XV.

THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MCCLELLAN-THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST RICHMOND

THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-MCCLELLAN'S INACTION-PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN-THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC-YORKTOWN -WILLIAMSBURG THE CHICKAHOMINY-THE PRESIDENT URGES ACTION- NORFOLK TAKEN-MCDOWELL AT FREDERICKSBURG— STONEWALL JACKSON'S CAMPAIGN DOWN THE VALLEY -BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS-LEE IN COMMAND-MECHANICSVILLE-GAINE'S MILLS, ETC. TO THE JAMES-MALVERN HILL HARRISON'S LANDING.

IT

T will be remembered, that the President, on the 27th of January, 1862, had issued an order that active operations, and a general advance of all the armies should begin on the 22d of February. That order contemplated active movements, and in concert, by all the forces in the field. Lincoln appreciated and anticipated the common-sense views subsequently acted upon by Grant, of attacking the enemy at all points at the same time.

On the 31st of January, he had ordered that all the dispoșable forces should be organized into an expedition for the immediate object of seizing and occupying a point on the railroad southwest of Manassas Junction.

Early in March, McClellan, with his splendid army, marched on Centerville, to find it evacuated, and wooden guns in position on the works, behind which the rebels had so long remained unassailed. Addressing his vast army at Fairfax Court House, the young general said: "The Army of the Potomac is now a real army. Magnificent in material, admirable in discipline and instruction, excellently equipped and armed, your commanders are all that I could wish." The

last division of the Confederates left Centreville on the 9th of March. On the 10th, McClellan started for the already abandoned position. The army of McClellan was over 100,000 strong, with 350 pieces of artillery. Great dissatisfaction had prevailed throughout the country at the long continued inactivity and tardy movements of this General. President Lincoln was very slow to withdraw his confidence when it had been once given, and was noted for the unflinching fidelity with which he stood by those in whom he trusted. He had long stood by McClellan, and sustained him against a very large majority of the most earnest Union men of the Nation. The Committee on the Conduct of the War, the stern and fiery War Secretary, Mr. Stanton, and many others chafed and struggled during the long Winter of 1862, against McClellan's inactivity. They were not satisfied, and the confidence of the President began to be seriously shaken. It is clear that McClellan was a good organizer. He was an admirable engineer, and he had performed the great work of organizing and drilling a magnificent army-an army equal to any which had ever met an enemy. Could that magnificent army, at the moment it struck its tents around Washington, have been transferred to the command of the impetuous, rapid, indefatigable, elastic Sheridan, or to the brilliant hero of Atlanta and "the grand march," or the imperturbable, unflinching, iron will of Grant, it would have marched into Richmond long before McClellan reached the Chickahominy. It is now but too clear that McClellan lacked the energy, decision and boldness for aggressive movements. It is not clear but that his inactivity was, to some extent attributable to an indisposition to inflict great injury upon the rebels; and it is believed that he indulged the hope of a restoration of the Union by a show of power, rather than by the exercise of it in inflicting hard blows.

Celerity formed no part in the military movements of McClellan. The Prince de Joinville, attached to his staff during his campaign, has made a criticism upon the American character, which was as true of General McClellan, as it was mistaken in regard to the American people. "I here

point out," says he, "a characteristic trait of the American people-delay."

General McClellan and his army were always encumbered with the most enormous quantity of luggage. In the Winter of 1862, members of Congress and others were astonished to see drawn up before the door of the young general, six immense four-horse wagons, marked "Head-quarters of the Army of the Potomac," They knew little of military affairs, but were curious to learn what was the camp equipage which required twenty-four horses to draw, and subsequently, observed the difference, and drew comparisons, when they learned that Grant started on his wonderful campaign against Vicksburg with a clean shirt and a tooth-brush.

During the long Winter of inactivy of 1862, the impatience of Mr. Lincoln at McClellan's inactivity became at times unendurable. On one occasion, he said to one of his military friends, who was also a friend of McClellan, "If General McClellan does not want to use the army for some days, I should like to borrow it, and see if it cannot be made to do something."

The political and personal associations of the General were with those who, in political stations, and in the army, had been most friendly with the South, and some of whom professed to believe that the Union could not be preserved by coercion.

General McClellan had estimated the number of troops necessary to be left to defend the Capital at 35,000, and 23,000 for the Potomac, Baltimore and Annapolis. The President had long before urged upon the General the raising of the blockade of the Potomac, and an early movement on land towards Richmond.

On the 8th of March, the President directed that Washington should be left entirely secure, and that any movement to be made should begin as early as the 18th of March, and that the General-in-Chief should be held responsible that it was as early as that day. It was also ordered that the army and navy coöperate in an immediate effort to capture the enemy's batteries upon the Potomac, between Washington and the Chesapeake Bay.

A council of war was held at Fairfax Court House, March 12th, at which it was decided to proceed against Richmond by Fortress Monroe. The President expressed his acquiescence in this plan, although his opinion had been very decidedly in favor of a direct march upon Richmond; this acquiescence, however, was upon the condition "that Washington should be left entirely secure, and the remainder of the force should move down the Potomac to Fortress Monroe, or anywhere between Washington and Fortress Monroe, or at all events to more at once in pursuit of the enemy by some route." Such was the impatient language of the President, inspired by the long delay of the Army of the Potomac. He had directed a division of the Army of the Potomac into four army corps.

On the 9th of March, the heart of the Nation was thrilled by the intelligence of the encounter between the iron-clad Merrimac, and the United States vessels of war, lying near Fortress Monroe. The rebels had taken possession of the Merrimac at Norfolk, when that post was shamefully abandoned in the Spring of 1861. They had covered her sides with iron armor, and naming her the Virginia, she now steamed down the James River, and attacked and destroyed the frigates Cumberland and Congress. The Cumberland was most bravely fought at anchor, until she went down, with her flag still flying, and for days it could be seen marking the spot where was sunk as brave a ship, which was as gallantly fought as ever was vessel commanded by a Nelson or a Perry. The Minnesota, in coming to the aid of the Cumberland and Congress, ran aground, and lay at the mercy of this terrible ironclad battery. But just at this time, there came up the Bay, a low turtle-like looking nondescript, which was soon announced as the iron-clad Monitor, an experiment built by the distinguished engineer, Ericsson. This vessel mounted two 11-inch Dahlgren guns, carrying 168 pound shot. She attacked successfully the iron-clad Virginia, and saved the fleet. Whole broadsides were fired upon the little Monitor, by her gigantic competitor, with no more effect than a volley of stones. The result of this contest revolutionized naval warfare. The wonderful success of the Monitor caused the

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