CHAPTER XX
In Washington Once More.—1862
I WAS very kindly received by my employers of the
Tribune, and, according to their liberal practice, was
given a week's leave of absence, which I spent in New
York. On reporting again for duty, I offered to write a
full review of the operations of the Army of the Ohio under
Buell, and the managing editor authorized me to prepare
it. Hearing from friends on McCook's staff that the
official reports of the Perryville campaign had been
forwarded to Washington, I asked permission to go there in
order to get a sight of them, if possible. My application
led to the discussion of my future duties. George W.
Smalley had been the chief correspondent of the Tribune
with the Army of the Potomac until after the battle of
Antietam, of which he wrote a remarkable description —
the best piece of work of the kind produced during the
Civil War, in my opinion. (He subsequently served as
the London correspondent of the Tribune for nearly thirty
years, and since the summer of 1896 has represented the
London Times in the United States.) A regular editorial
writer on war subjects being needed, it had been decided
to keep him, as such, in New York. It was determined that
I should fill the vacancy, and, with that understanding, I
started for the national capital early in November. My
departure was hastened by the momentous announcement
of the second removal of General George B. McClellan from
the command of the Army of the Potomac, and the appoint
ment of General Ambrose E. Burnside in his place, by
direct order of the President of the United States.
The disastrous end of the humiliating Peninsular cam-
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