The calmness and silence of the streets of Washington this
lovely morning suggested thoughts of the very different scenes which, in all
probability, were taking place at a few miles' distance. One could fancy the hum
and stir round the Federal bivouacs, as the troops woke up and were formed into
column of march towards the enemy. I much regretted that I was not enabled to
take the field with General McDowell's army, but my position was surrounded
with such difficulties that I could not pursue the course open to the
correspondents of the American newspapers. On my arrival in Washington I
addressed an application to Mr. Cameron, Secretary at War, requesting him to
sanction the issue of, rations and forage from the Commissariat to myself, a servant,
and a couple of horses, at the contract prices, or on whatever other terms he
might think fit, and I had several interviews with Mr. Leslie, the
obliging and indefatigable chief clerk of the War Department, in reference to
the matter; but as there was a want of precedents for such a course, which was
not all to be wondered at, seeing that no representative of an English
newspaper had ever been sent to chronicle the progress of an American army in
the field, no satisfactory result could be arrived at, though I had many fair
words and promises.
A great outcry had arisen in the North against the course
and policy of England, and the journal I represented was assailed on all sides
as a Secession organ, favorable to the rebels and exceedingly hostile to the
Federal government and the cause of the tumors. Public men in America are alive
to the inconveniences of attacks by their own press; and as it was quite
impossible to grant to the swarms of correspondents from all parts of the Union
the permission to draw supplies from the public stores, it would have afforded
a handle to turn the screw upon the War Department, already roundly abused in
the most influential papers, if Mr. Cameron acceded to me, not merely a
foreigner, but the correspondent of a foreign journal which was considered the
most powerful enemy of the policy of his government, privileges which he denied
to American citizens, representing newspapers which were enthusiastically
supporting the cause for which the armies of the North were now in the field.
To these gentlemen indeed, I must here remark, such
privileges were of little consequence. In every camp they had friends who were
willing to receive them in their quarters, and who earned a word of praise in
the local papers for the gratification of either their vanity or their laudable
ambition in their own neighborhood, by the ready service which they afforded to
the correspondents. They rode Government horses, had the use of Government
wagons, and through fear, favor, or affection, enjoyed facilities to which I
had no access. I could not expect persons with whom I was unacquainted to be
equally generous, least of all when by doing so they would have incurred
popular obloquy and censure; though many officers in the army had expressed in
very civil terms the pleasure it would give them to see me at their quarters in
the field. Some days ago I had an interview with Mr. Cameron himself, who was
profuse enough in promising that he would do all in his power to further my
wishes; but he had, nevertheless, neglected sending me the authorization for
which I had applied. I could scarcely stand a baggage train and commissariat
upon my own account, nor could I well participate in the system of plunder and
appropriation which has marked the course of the Federal army so far,
devastating and laying waste all the country behind it.
Hence, all I could do was to make a journey to see the army
on the field, and to return to Washington to write my report of its first
operation, knowing there would be plenty of time to overtake it before it could
reach Richmond, when, as I hoped, Mr. Cameron would be prepared to accede to my
request, or some plan had been devised by myself to obviate the difficulties
which lay in my path. There was no entente cordiale exhibited towards me
by the members of the American press; nor did they, any more than the generals,
evince any disposition to help the alien correspondent of the
"Times," and my only connection with one of their body, the young
designer, had not, indeed, inspired me with any great desire to extend my
acquaintance. General McDowell, on giving me the most hospitable invitation to
his quarters, refrained from offering the assistance which, perhaps, it was not
in his power to afford; and I confess, looking at the matter calmly, I could
scarcely expect that he would, particularly as he said, half in jest, half
seriously, "I declare I am not quite easy at the idea of having your eye
on me, for you have seen so much of European armies, you will, very naturally,
think little of us, generals and all."
SOURCE: William Howard Russell, My Diary North and
South, Vol. 1, p. 439-41
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