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intended to seize Washington, North Carolina , at the earliest practicablemoment, and to open the Mississippi by effecting a junction between Gen-erals Halleck and Butler. This movement of the Western armies was to befollowed by that of the Army of the Potomac from Urbana, on the lowerRappahannock [see map, next page], to West Point and Richmond, intend-ing, if we failed to gain Richmond by a rapid march, to cross the James andattack the city in rear, with the James as a line of supply.
So long as Mr. Cameron was Secretary of War I received the cordial sup-port of that department; but when he resigned, the whole state of affairschanged. I had never met Mr. Stanton before reaching Washington, in1861. He at once sought me and professed the utmost personal affection, theexpression of which was exceeded only by the bitterness of his denunciationof the Government and its policy. I was unaware of his appointment asSecretary of War until after it had been made, whereupon he called to ascer-tain whether I desired him to accept, saying that to do so would involve atotal sacrifice of his personal interests, and that the only inducement wouldbe the desire to assist me in my work. Having no reason to doubt hissincerity, I desired him to accept, whereupon he consented, and with greateffusion exclaimed : “Now we two will save the country.”
On the next day the President came to my house to explain why he hadappointed Mr. Stanton without consulting me; his reason being that hesupposed Stanton to be a great friend of mine, and that the appointmentwould naturally be satisfactory, and that he feared that if I had known itbeforehand it would be said that I had dragooned him into it.
The more serious difficulties of my position began with Mr. Stanton’saccession to the War Office. It at once became very difficult to approach
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