MCCLELLAN IN WEST VIRGINIA.
141
stood the nature of his communication. There was probably something inthe tone of my question which was not altogether expected, and his compan-ions began to look a little uneasy. He then protested that they meant nodisrespect, but, as their military experience was about as extensive as my own,they thought I ought to make no movement but on consultation with themand by their consent. The others seemed better pleased with this way of put-ting it. My answer was that whether they meant it or not, their action wasmutinous, and only their ignorance of military law could palliate it. Theresponsibility for the movement of the army was with me, and, while glad toconfer freely with them, I should call no council of war and submit nothing tovote till I felt incompetent to decide for myself. If they apologized for theirconduct and showed earnestness in military obedience, what they had nowsaid would be overlooked, but on any recurrence of insubordination I shouldenforce my power by arresting the offender at once. I dismissed them withthis, and immediately sent out orders through my adjutant-general to marchearly next morning. Before they slept, one of the three had come to me withan earnest apology for his part in the matter, and a short time made them allas subordinate as I could wish. The incident could not have occurred in thebrigade which hadbeen under my com-mand at Camp Den-nison, and was the
natural result of thesudden assemblingof inexperiencedmen under a bri-gade commander ofwhom they knewnothing except thatat the beginning ofthe war he had beena civilian like them-selves.
The same marchenabled me to makethe acquaintance ofanother army “ insti-tution,”—the news-paper correspond-ent. At CharlestonI was joined by twomen representinginfluential newspapers, who wished to know on what terms they might accom-pany the column. The answer was that the quartermaster would furnishthem with a tent and with transportation, and that their letters should besubmitted to one of the staff to protect us from the publication of facts which
■Syr*'?.
POST HOSPITAL AND WAGON-SHOP AT KANAWHA PALLS, NEARGALLEY BRIDGE. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.