2

LEE’S ATTACKS NORTH OF THE CHICK.A HOMINY .

Magruder was there to keep up a “clatter,” as Swinton expresses it. Noone ever lived who could play off the Grand Seignior with a more lordlyair than could “ Prince John,” as Magruder was called. During theabsence of Lee he kept up such a clatter that each of McClellan’s corpscommanders was expecting a special visit from the much-plumed cap andthe once-gaudy attire of the master of ruses and strategy. He put on naturallyall those grand and imposing devices which deceive the military opponent.

The fortifications around Richmond at that time were very slight. McClel-lan could have captured the city with very little loss of life. The want ofsupplies would have forced Lee to attack him as soon as possible, with allthe disadvantages of a precipitated movement. But McClellan seems to havecontemplated nothing of the kind; and as he placed the continuance of thesiege upon the hazard of Cold Harbor, he was bound to put every availableman into that fight. .

Just before we crossed the Chickahominy, I asked General Garland if heremembered what Napoleon said at Austerlitz when one of his marshals hadbegged permission to attack a column of the Austro-Russian army which wasmaking a flank movement. Garland replied: “ I, too, was just thinking thatMcClellan was saying to his officers, as Napoleon did, ‘ When your enemy ismaking a false movement, do not strike him till he has completed it ’; and itmay be that he will gobble up Richmond while we are away.”

While we were lying all day idle on the 28tli, unable to cross the Chicka-hominy, the clouds of smoke from the burning plunder in the Federalcamps and the frequent explosions of magazines indicated a retreat; butWhiting kept insisting upon it that all this was but a ruse de guerre ofMcClellan preparatory to a inarch upon Richmond. I made to him somesuch reply as that once made to General Longstreet, when a cadet at WestPoint, by Professor Kendrick. The Professor asked Longstreet, who neverlooked at his chemistry, how the carbonic acid of commerce was made.Longstreet replied: “ By burning diamonds in oxygen gas.” “ Yes,” saidProfessor Kendrick, “ that will do it; but don’t you think it would be aleetle expensive ? ” | “ Don’t you think,” I said to Whiting, “ that this ruse

of McClellan is a leetle expensive?” The old W r est Point yarn had a veryquieting effect upon his apprehensions.

& In ante-bellum days (so the old army story usedto run) Magruder was a lieutenant of artillery atKouse’s Point. There his mess entertained someBritish officers, two of whom were scions of nobil-ity. The visit having been expected, the mess hadborrowed or rented gold plate and silver plate,cut-glass ware, rich furniture, and stylish equi-pages for conveying the noble guests. PrinceJohn assured them that these were but the d6brisof the former splendor of the regimental mess.“ Only the debris, my lord ; the schooner bringingmost of the mess plate from Florida was wrecked.”On the second day of the festival one of the daz-zled noblemen said to Prince John: “We do notwish to be inquisitive, but we have been so muchimpressed with this magnificence that we are con-

strained to believe that American officers must bepaid enormously. What is your monthly pay?”Assuming an indifferent air, Prince John said:“ Damned if I know ”; then, turning to his servant,“Jim, what is my monthly pay?” The servantwas discreetly silent, it may be from a wink, or itmay be that to remember $G5 was too heavy a taxupon his memory also.— D. H. H.

| The professor would never contradict any one.The following is a specimen of his style of ques-tioning. X. Y. Z. (whose name is now a householdword) was on examination : Professor K. “Whatis its color?” X. Y. Z. “White, sir.” ProfessorK. “ Yes, you mean a kind of grayish white. Infact, you might call it coal-black, might you not?”X. Y. Z. “Yes, sir, that’s it.”—D. H. H.