The Washington Correspondent of the New York Commercial, one
of the most observing and intelligent at the capital, sees in the inspection of
the wagon trains and ambulances of the army of the Potomac, “a sure indication
of a movement that means business. There
are nine hundred wagons, about two thirds of them drawn by six and the
remainder by four horses or mules, seventy five four horse ambulances, one
hundred one horse ambulances, the baggage train of Gen. McClellan and staff,
the ammunition wagons of the ordnance corps and several portable blacksmiths
forges for horse showing. Every ten
wagons form a train, under the direction of a mounted wagon master, and these
trains are brigaded under chief wagon masters.
The teamsters are not mustered in, but are subject to martial law, and
are under such discipline that they will not again hasten to the front, or join
in a stampede to the rear, as they did at Bull Run. The telegraph corps, the balloon corps, the
copyists for recording and writing duplicate copies of orders, the pontooniers,
the sappers and miners, the express rider – in short, every necessary appendage
to the fighting me of the grand army, is in readiness to march at the word. Meanwhile, neither leaves of absence nor
furloughs are granted except by reason of sickness, upon medical certificates,
or ‘in urgent and exceptional cases.’
The order promulgating this states that “the exigencies of the service
demand that every officer and soldier of this army able to do duty, should be
at his post.”
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 1, 1862, p. 1
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