WAR PREPARATIONS IN THE NORTH.

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views, and forwarded it to Lieutenant-General Scott. He read it to me, andmy recollection of it is that he suggested two principal lines of movementin the West: one to move eastward by the Kanawha Yalley with a heavycolumn to cooperate with an army in front of Washington; the other tomarch directly southward and to open the Yalley of the Mississippi . Scott’sanswer was appreciative and flattering, without distinctly approving his plan,and I have never doubted that the paper prepared the way for his appoint-ment in the regular army, which followed at an early day. |

But in trying to give a connected idea of the first military organization ofthe State, I have outrun some incidents of those days which are worth recol-lection. From the hour the call for troops was published, enlistments began,and recruits were parading the streets continually. At the capitol the rest-less impulse to be doing something military seized even upon the membersof the Legislature , and a good many of them assembled every evening uponthe east terrace of the State House to be drilled in marching and facing byone or two of their own number who had some knowledge of company tac-tics. Most of the uniformed independent companies in the cities of the Stateimmediately tendered their services and began to recruit their numbers to thehundred men required for acceptance. There was no time to procure uni-forms, nor was it desirable; for these companies had chosen their own, andwould have to change it for that of the United States as soon as this couldbe furnished. For some days companies could be seen marching and drilling,of which part would be uniformed in some gaudy style such as is apt to pre-vail in holiday parades in time of peace, while another part would be dressedin the ordinary working garb of citizens of all degrees. The uniformed fileswould also be armed and accoutered, the others would be without arms orequipments, and as awkward a squad as could well be imagined. The mate-rial, however, was magnificent and soon began to take shape. The fancyuniforms were left at home, and some approximation to a simple and usefulcostume was made. The recent popular outburst in Italy furnished a usefulidea, and the “ Garibaldi uniform ” of a red flannel shirt with broad fallingcollar, with blue trousers held by a leathern waist-belt, and a soft felt hat forthe head, was extensively copied and served an excellent purpose. It couldbe made by the wives and sisters at home, and was all the more acceptablefor that. The spring was opening and a heavy coat would not be muchneeded, so that with some sort of overcoat and a good blanket in an impro-vised knapsack, the new company was not badly provided. The warm scar-let color reflected from their enthusiastic faces as they stood in line made apicture that never failed to impress the mustering officers with the splendidcharacter of the men.

The officering of these new troops was a difficult and delicate task, and, sofar as company officers were concerned, there seemed no better way at thebeginning than to let the enlisted men elect their own, as was in fact done.In most cases where entirely new companies were raised, it had been by the

4-Scott’s answer was dated May 3d, and is given lby General E. D. Townsend (then on Scott’s staff),in his “ Anecdotes of the Civil War.”