Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume I.

[548] forces and paralyzing our efforts. Had any real purpose of suppressing the Rebellion been cherished by Gen. Scott, he would never have scattered our eastern forces along the line of the Potomac and Chesapeake, from Cumberland to Fortress Monroe, divided into three or four distinct armies, under the command of militia officers who had never smelt burning powder, unless in a squirrel-hunt. His advance across the Potomac, after having been put off so long as possible, was made, as we have seen, on the 24th of May. Within one week thereafter, a column of 50,000 men should have taken the road to Richmond, with their commander in their