Identifier: menthingsisawinc00rusl (find matches)
Title: Men and things I saw in civil war days
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Rusling, James Fowler, 1834-1918
Subjects: Generals
Publisher: New York, Cincinnati, The Methodist book concern
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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Potomac, and, fresh from his victoriesin West Virginia, was being heralded as our YoungNapoleon. We now know that these West Virginiavictories did not amount to much, and that Rosecransreally did the business thereâwhat there was of it. Butcompared with Big Bethel and Bull Run, and our othermilitary exploits at that time, they loomed up like Ma-rengo and Austerlitz. As McClellan was in chief com-mand, of course he got the credit; and soon became thehero of the hour. As my first commander, I saluted and honored him;and in many respects he was indeed the beau ideal of asoldier. He certainly took hold of the green andawkward Army of the Potomac with intelligence andskill, and soon put new life and vigor into it. Our de-moralized regiments and brigades were reorganized anddivisioned; our disorganized batteries were rehorsed andequipped and put to drill; our forts were overhauled;and our line of defenses extended and strengthened.Though his headquarters were in a house in the heart of 24
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Gen. George B« McClellan, J862. George B. McClellan Washington (a military mistake, as I always thought),yet he was in the saddle a portion of each day, and allparts of the army soon became familiar with his presenceand person. His inspections and reviews were of week-ly occurrence, and, notwithstanding current criticisms,were a constant and valuable school of drill and disci-pline to both oflftcers and men. McClellan was then a moderate-sized man, apparentlyabout thirty-five years of age, with a sharp, quick eye, aclear-cut nose, dark brown hair, mustache, and im-perial; and he sat upon his handsome horse like a borncentaur. His uniform and horse equipments weremodest: his bearing was dignified and soldierly; andthough his jaw and chin lacked massiveness andstrength, yet, on the whole, it goes without saying, hemade an excellent impression in all our camps. This continued well into the fallâthat superb fall of1861. But when autumn was over and past, and a hun-dred thousand of usâ

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