Some of these gallant men
came for thirty days, others for ninety, our wise rulers being
satisfied in their own mind that the latter number of days would be
quite enough to finish up the small job of putting down the
rebellion. These militiamen wore gay and many-colored uniforms, and
had the fat of the land for rations. They were the nation's favored
guests, and every man was set down for a gentleman and a hero, who
would as soon shed his blood for his country as eat his breakfast.
And these gallant militiamen were organized into a grand army, so
full of pomp and circumstance, that we were sure the enemy would run
away as soon as he saw it coming. But in order to make the thing
safe beyond peradventure, we gave the command of this grand army to
General McDowell, a man of solid parts, a gentleman, and a
soldier. Our wise political rulers at that time held to the idea
that a gentleman who had seen service must be a great general. Hence
it was that General McDowell, being a gentleman and a scholar, and
ready enough to square his political sentiments with the predominant
ideas, was accepted as just the soldier who would lead our gallant
militiamen to victory, and never think of running from the enemy.
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