I am somewhat embarrassed by the inability of the troops to take care of enough of their rations to make them last the time they should, and by the expiration of the term of service of many of them. The Fourth Pennsylvania goes out to-day, and others succeed rapidly. I have made a request to the regiment that they remain a few days longer, but do not hope for much success. In a few days I shall lose many thousands of the best of this force.It is made very clear that for those very reasons he should not have fought the battle then. Substantially all his troops were going home soon and would not fight. They had been out for their three months, as they had engaged to be, and like schoolboys they were notching the days on a stick when they would go home. McDowell was a captain three months before. He had had no experience in fighting troops. He was a brave man, but that was the last time he would get a chance to fight there at the head of the Army of the Potomac. He speaks in that report of the men being well disciplined. An older general than he, I venture to disagree with him. Troops do not get disciplined in ninety days, especially if that is to be their term of service. There are two conditions under which fresh troops, new troops, and especially volunteer troops,will fight well. The first is: When they are brought into the field for the first time and know nothing about the meeting; when they think that a regiment cut to pieces is not more than one third left alive, and when they really think they are to fight up to about that point. Under such circumstances they will fight well even if they hardly know enough of the school of the soldier to load their muskets rightly. When in the course of conversation I have stated to some officers with what readiness new volunteers go into action if called upon to
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practically as commander-in-chief.
He saw in the movement towards Richmond the last chance of having any fighting done under his command; and as he wished to go out in a blaze of glory, he consented to it.
It is but fair to McDowell to say that he was reluctant to fight the battle.
But he was urged on to fight it, as is shown by his report, for the very reason that he should not have fought it. He says:--
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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