Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies

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[338] The appearance of his brother officers seemed still more at variance with military propriety. He found them sauntering about in straw hats and linen jackets; while he, on the very hottest day in the year, appeared in dress coat and military cap. While Temple was criticising his brother officers, they were looking at the new-comer. Many were jealous that one so young should be higher in rank than they, and those above him were at first disposed to treat him as a boy. But he overcame this, at once taking a decided stand, though with perfect composure. Kind and courteous to his subordinates, he was exact in the fulfilment of duty to those above him; while his real merits soon showed that he was below rather than above his proper position. He frankly acknowledged that he envied the experience of those who had served through the Peninsula campaign; and he writes of the officers he met, ‘Their laurels already droop gracefully from their brows, but mine are yet to be won.’ He was self-confident, and knew that he should succeed. What General McClellan would do with his army was at the time Temple went to the field a matter of conjecture. Temple, in his enthusiasm, hoped he would move upon Richmond. But it had already been decided to give up the James River.

Leaving Harrison's Landing, Sykes's division marched down the Peninsula to Newport News. Temple was ill the first day of the march, and could scarcely crawl along, and on halting for the night slept in an ambulance; but he resumed the march the next morning; and never, during the long campaign that followed, was he absent an hour from his company. At Newport News, Porter's corps embarked in transports for Aquia Creek; thence it marched to Falmouth; then followed the famous march from that place to join Pope's army, the disastrous campaign under that officer, the retreat upon Washington, the reassuming of the command of his old army by General McClellan, and the brilliant Maryland campaign, ending with the battle of Antietam. In all this the part taken by an infantry officer could not attract general attention. But in looking back upon these long