Camp at Cedar Creek near    

Middletown June 30^th 1862.

 

            No letter by the mail from you dear wife although I received one from Mr Pendry directed by you. I was much disappointed when I tore open the envelope to find that the outside only was from you. Of late you have said frequently in your letters that you did not know whether it was worth while to write as you did not know where to direct your letters. Now I should be sorry if this should prevent your writing, for it makes no difference whether you direct your letters to one town or another in this department, so that the regiment, or brigade, or both are distinctly written in the directions. I have often received your letters addressed to points which had been left for a long time, but the letters / when they reach the distributing office in Virginia, which is probably Wheeling are sent correctly to the army wherever it may be. There is undoubtedly sometimes great delay arising from the carelessness of agents, but generally the letters come to hand some time or other. Today the mail brought a Gazette of the 24^th only six days old, so that some things come through tolerably well. I do not think however that I ever now receive your letters in so short a time. Do not fail to write as often as you can for it is a great comfort to me to feel that whether I receive letters or not there is one true heart at home that always writes to me. Your letters are all that I have to console me and you must not write less frequently. Since I wrote you we have had some excitement in our army on account of the extraordinary action of the War Department. When Gen^l Fremont was relieved of his command, he left Gen^l Schenck in his place, as he was the senior Brigadier / present in the army under his immediate command. This was all right and very agreeable to the American officers who were thus placed under the command of Schenck, as he has won their confidence by his conduct in the campaign. But quiet did not remain long. A copy of a Baltimore paper announced an order from the War Department placing Brigadier Gen^l King in command of Fremont's forces here and turning Schenck out. This was an outrage not only upon Schenck, but upon Sigel who was a Major General and upon divers others. Banks also a Major General was overlooked. The consequence was that Schenck asked to be relieved at once from all duty in this army. Sigel also kicked up, and officer after officer remonstrated until finally the President revoked his order appointing Gen^l King to this command, and gave it to Gen^l Sigel. This was satisfactory to Schenck and all others, and so the matter has for the present / quieted down. Gen^l Schenck withdrew his request to be relieved, but had not this morning when I saw him received any reply to either his request to be relieved or the other. When he assumed the command turned over to him by Fremont, he immediately revoked the order placing Gen^l Piatt, and my brigade in a division under his command, but made each brigade independent. This was all right and proper so long as he retained the same command as Fremont had, but when this was taken from him, it left him entirely without any command, so that unless an order has been made today, he has really no troops under him atall. When I left him today however Gen^l Sigel was with him in consultation and I do not doubt but that Gen^l Sigel will give him a larger command than he had before. I hope that this will be done for Gen^l Schenck deserves to be placed where he can have an opportunity of doing such service as he is capable of. /

 

I had just closed the last page when a dispatch from headquarters was handed me reassigning Gen^l Schenck to the command of the division which he had before the removal of Gen^l Fremont. I am in hopes that Gen^l Sigel will enlarge his command, because I think Schenck deserves it.

 

Burnet has not yet returned from Washington. I expected him a little today, though he would have had very little time to see the sights in Washington. His Aunt Ev I know will try to keep him as long as she can, & she may possibly detain him until she can give him some news of the effect produced by the letters of Gen^ls Fremont & Schenck in my favor. Some events show however most conclusively that neither Fremont or Schenck are in favor at Washington, and I think very likely a recommendation from them however just and proper it might be would not / only meet with but very little attention but might in fact prejudice my course. Thank heaven the letters were unsolicited on my part, and all that I have done is to send them to Ev to be presented for consideration without a line upon the subject from me to another person. If I should not be appointed, I shall feel mortified that I have even done this much, but I will wait until Burnet returns before I begin to regret the course which I have pursued. So far in this war I am conscious of having performed my duty in every position in which I have been placed, and since I have been in the command of the brigade I have on many occasions been gratified by the regrets which the officers of the regiment have expressed both to myself and others that there was a prospect of my leaving them permanently by being made a Brigadier. Today an instance of this sort occurred which while it gratified yet astonished / me very much. Today was muster day, and I rode up to the regiment and chatted with the officers. Quite a number gathered around me, when one of them expressed a hope that I was not going to leave them or the regiment could not do without me, this sentiment repeated by several, when I jestingly remarked, "You are pretty fellows not to be willing to have me promoted". They replied that was not it, they would be glad to have me promoted, only that it would take me away from the regiment "and this they considered a great misfortune to them". Capt Deshler was among them and had joined in the conversation to the same effect, and then said, "yes Colonel if I could keep you by doing so I would stand in the way with two revolvers". I thanked them jestingly for their good opinion, and remarked they need not be afraid for I had no influence to bring to bear which would procure me the appointment, and no doubt I would soon be at their head again. Now the point / of all this, that when at M^cDowell before the date of the battle I deemed it necessary to issue an order which Capt Deshler and some of the officers considered very arbitrary, and which they requested me in writing to withdraw. Those officers with but one exception were from the 79^th part of the regiment. Capt Deshler was one of the committee of officers who waited upon me, and in presenting the written request said verbally that if the order was persisted in he would quit the service. The same sentiment was expressed by the others. I replied that I had considered their request and declined to grant, that the order should be enforced and that if they presented their resignations on that account they would be immediately accepted by me & I would use my utmost efforts to have them accepted above. They found that was not merely their commander in name but in fact & then the matter dropped. The order was strictly enforced, & no resignations were sent in. They felt hardly however, but now to my surprise these very men desire to retain me in command. You will say that I am growing very vain as I write so much about myself but you wish to know all that troubles and pleases me and so you

 

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must put up with the vanity. I intend to send home by Burnet a box of things which I do not need during the summer, and I will also send a list of such things as I would like to have you send me. He will probably be here tomorrow night.

 

Love to Lindy and the children with many good night kisses to darling wife

N. C. M^cLean

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