November 30,
1864
Did you hear how the Hon. Nesmith, whom I have mentioned,
discovered the real cause of the defeat at the first Bull Run? He was in
Washington at the time, and the military wiseacres, as soon as they got over
the scare, were prolific in disquisitions on the topic. One evening Nesmith
found a lot of them very verbose over a lot of maps and books. They talked
wisely of flank movements and changes of front, and how we should have won a
great victory if we had only done so and so; when he remarked solemnly: “Gentlemen,
I have studied this matter and I have discovered the real reason of our defeat.”
They were all ears to hear. “Well,” said Nesmith with immense gravity, “well, it
was them darned Rebels!” . . .
Last night the 2d Corps picket line was relieved by the 9th
— a delicate job in face of the enemy, who are pretty close up; but it all was
done in entire quiet, to the relief of General Humphreys, who feels the new
honor of the 2d Corps. That worthy officer stopped on his way to his new Headquarters
and honored me by taking a piece of your plum cake. He was much tried by the
noisy ways of Hancock's late Headquarters. “They whistle of mornings,” said the
fidgety little General, “and that Shaw, confound the fellow, amuses himself
with imitating all the bugle-calls! Then the negroes turn out at four in the
morning and chop wood, so that I am regularly waked up. But I shall stop it, I
can tell you.” And I have no doubt he will, as he is wont to have his own way
or know the reason why. I rode out with him to his new Headquarters and
followed the line afterwards, and was much amused to see them drilling some of
the worthless German recruits, in a polyglot style: “Steady there! Mehr
heraus — more to the front. Shoulder arms! Eins, zwei! One, two!”
etc.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 284-5
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