This increased the
discontent and opposition of his enemies, who regarded it a great
grievance that a general would not follow their advice.
But George was not to be driven into the mud by a set of meddlesome
civilians, who knew nothing about war. And to show them that he was
not, he kept his army quiet, on the banks of the Potomac, all
winter. And in this position he contemplated Mr. Beauregard, and Mr.
Beauregard contemplated him, separated by twenty miles of mud. We
had not got our war eyes open then, my son. In truth, we had but a
very imperfect idea of what an amount of resistance a resolute and
determined foe, standing on the defensive, can offer.
When it was spring, and the birds had come back to us, and the
prospect looked bright and cheering, and the hopes of the nation ran
high, George mounted his horse, and, picking up his army, moved out
in the direction of Richmond, taking the overland route. He sent
word to Mr Beauregard to wait until he came and he would thrash him
out of Manassas. But Mr. Beauregard was not inclined to accommodate
George with a fight at that particular point, where his elbows were
so exposed, and stepped quietly out by the back door before George
got there.
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