October 27, 1862 (Monday): The River is Rising

The White House Telegraph Office (Library of Congress)

EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, October 27, 1862.
(Sent 12.10 p. m.)
Major-General McCLELLAN:
    Yours of yesterday received. Most certainly I intend no injustice to any, and if I have done any I deeply regret it. To be told, after more than five weeks' total inaction of the army, and during which period we have sent to the army every fresh horse we possibly could, amounting in the whole to 7,918, that the cavalry horses were too much fatigued to move, presents a very cheerless, almost hopeless, prospect for the future, and it may have forced something of impatience in my dispatch. If not recruited and rested then, when could they ever be? I suppose the river is rising, and I am glad to believe you are crossing.


A. LINCOLN.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, October 27, 1862-3 p. m.
His Excellency the PRESIDENT:
    Your Excellency is aware of the very great reduction of numbers that has taken place in most of the old regiments of this command, and how necessary it is to fill up these skeletons before taking them again into action. I have the honor, therefore, to request that the order to fill up the old regiments with drafted men may at once be issued.


GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, October 27, 1862. (Sent 3.25 p. m.)
Major-General McCLELLAN:
    Your dispatch of 3 p. m. to-day, in regard to filling up old regiments with drafted men, is received, and the request therein shall be complied with as far as practicable.
    And now I ask a distinct answer to the question, Is it your purpose not to go into action again until the men now being drafted in the States are incorporated into the old regiments?


A. LINCOLN.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, October 27, 1862-7.15 p. m.
(Received 8.30 p. m.)
His Excellency the PRESIDENT:
    I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of 5.10 [3.25] p. m. to-day. Feeling deeply impressed with the importance of filling up the old regiments at the earliest practicable moment, I have, upon several different occasions, urged this measure upon the War Department, as well as upon Your Excellency, as the most speedy and effectual method of giving us effective troops for future operations. Some time ago an agent of the Governor of Pennsylvania informed me that an order from the War Department was necessary to authorize the transfer of drafted men to the old regiments. On the 11th instant I requested General Halleck to have the necessary order given. I received no reply to this, and learned this afternoon that no such order had been issued. In the press of business I then called an aide, and telling him that I had conversed with you upon the subject, I directed him to write for me a dispatch asking Your Excellency to have the necessary order given. I regret to say that this officer, after writing the dispatch, finding me still engaged, sent it to the telegraph office without first submitting it to me, under the impression that he had communicated my views. He, however, unfortunately added "before taking them into action again." This phrase was not authorized or intended by me. It has conveyed altogether an erroneous impression as to my plans and intentions. To Your Excellency's question I answer distinctly that I have not had any idea of postponing the advance until the old regiments are filled by drafted men. I commenced crossing the army into Virginia yesterday, and shall push forward as rapidly as possible to endeavor to me the enemy. Burnside's corps, and part of Slocum's, have been crossing yesterday and to-day, and Reynolds' corps is ready to follow. Pleasonton, with the cavalry, is at Purcellville this evening.
    The crossing will be continued as rapidly as the means at hand will permit. Nothing but the physical difficulties of the operation shall delay it.


GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 19, Part 2, Pages 497-498.

An interesting exchange.  The story of the aide who added "before taking them into action again" is certainly interesting, but there is no way in 2012 to know if it is true.  Certainly the sentiment expressed in the contentious portion of the exchange rings true to McClellan's past method of operation and Lincoln could be excused if he thought, rightly or wrongly, "Here we go again."   The weather was coming into play as well.  Krick's "Civil War Weather in Virginia" reports rain all day on the 26th with high winds all night on the day of these exchanges.  Burnside was at Lovettsville, opposite Brunswick, Maryland and reluctant to move his troops in the face of such harsh weather because of fears of sickness.  Pictured above is Lincoln's telegraph office, located at 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.