480 Second Battle of Bull Run. [1862 to have a thing understood as it really is." Responding nobly to the suggestion, eighteen governors immediately signed a joint tender of troops, under which a call for 300,000 volunteers was issued. On July 8 and 9 the President visited Harrison's Landing, and in a personal conference with General McClellan and the commanders of the several army corps, made specific inquiry of each, of the number of troops, their sanitary condition, the losses in the late battles, and the expediency of renewing the campaign or withdrawing the army. In a letter of July 3 McClellan said he doubted whether he had with him "more than 50,000 men with their colours." His tri-monthly return for July 10, one day after the President's visit and a week after the battle of Malvern Hill, shows present for duty equipped 98,631, aggre- gate present 117,714, aggregate present and absent 157,038 of whom 34,472 were absent by authority. Having provided for an early increase of the armies, the President now also inaugurated a change in their management. On his return to Washington he, by an order of July 11, constituted General Halleck General-in-Chief of all the land forces, and called him to Washington. Reaching the capital on the 22nd, Halleck was immedi- ately sent to Harrison's Landing to acquaint himself with the situation, and to confer with General McClellan. The result was that, on Halleck's return, the Administration resolved to withdraw the Army of the Potomac from Harrison's Landing and bring it back to be united with the Army of Virginia, under General Pope. McClellan persistently opposed the change, and by various delays so thwarted its execution that he and his army did not reach the neighbourhood of Washington till August 27. By that date General Lee, relieved from all danger to Richmond, had assumed the offensive and marched against Pope. With his whole force he confronted that general near the old battle-field of Bull Run, where three days later, on August 30, 1862, he inflicted a second great defeat on the Unionist army, partly on the same ground as that of the former battle. It is quite evident that this defeat resulted from McClellan's delays and the want of efficient co-operation between him and some of his corps-commanders. There was then, and has been ever since, angry controversy as to whether such delay and want of co-operation were intentional or not. Under the firm belief that they were, a court-martial cashiered General Fitz-John Porter, one of the corps- commanders ; and President Lincoln approved the finding. Long years afterward General Grant entertained a contrary opinion, and Congress reinstated Porter in his rank. At the moment, however, in view of the discouragement and demoralisation caused by the defeat and the imminent danger to the city of Washington, Pope was relieved and assigned to other duty ; and President Lincoln, recognising McClellan's great ability as an organiser and the unaccountable influence he seemed to possess
