Life of Wm. Tecumseh Sherman.: Late Retired General. U. S. A.Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
Life of Wm. Tecumseh Sherman.: Late Retired General. U. S. A.
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
That same day, Lincoln and Seward came down to the camp in an open
carriage. "We heard," said Lincoln, "that you had got over the big
scare, and we thought we would come over and see the boys." Sherman
escorted them about the camp, and then called out his troops on parade.
Lincoln stood up in the carriage and made a most effective address to
them. When the soldiers tried to cheer him he stopped them, saying:
"Don't cheer, boys. I rather like it myself, but Colonel Sherman says
it is not military, and we had better defer to his opinion." Lincoln
praised the condition of the troops highly, and the effect of his
speech and visit was excellent.
When the President entered Fort Corcoran, Sherman in the carriage with
him, the mutinous captain of the Sixty-ninth New York, whom Sherman
had threatened to shoot, came forward and said: "Mr. President,
this morning I went to speak to Colonel Sherman, and he threatened
to shoot me." "Threatened to shoot you?" echoed Lincoln. "Yes, sir;
he threatened to shoot me." Lincoln looked at the officer, then at
Sherman, and then, stooping over, said to the Captain, in a whisper
loud enough to be heard by others: "Well, if I were you, and he
threatened to shoot, I would be mighty careful, for he looks like a
man who would do just what he says." The officer sneaked away amid the
laughter of the by-standers, and the President afterward remarked to
Sherman: "Of course, I didn't know anything about it, but I thought you
knew your own business best."
General McDowell now had his headquarters at the Arlington House,
and was busily reorganizing his army. All the subordinate officers
were in great trepidation, lest they should be held responsible for
the disaster of the battle. General McClellan had been sent for, and
changes in command were occurring daily. One evening, as a number of
the officers were gathered in the Adjutant-General's office, a list of
newly-appointed Brigadiers was announced. The list comprised the names
of Sherman, Heintzelman and several other Colonels, all of whom had
shared in the panic at Bull Run. None of them could believe that they
had actually been promoted, and Heintzelman exclaimed, with an oath:
"It's all a lie! Every mother's son of you will be cashiered." The
appointments, however, were actually made; and when McClellan assumed
command, he confirmed the organization made by McDowell. Sherman
received several new regiments, built two new forts, and organized an
elaborate system of drills. He was now convinced that there was a long,
hard war ahead, and he made up his mind to prepare for it as thoroughly
as possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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