The Unpopular History of the United States by Uncle Sam Himself/Chapter 24

by Harris Dickson

XXIV

DEMAGOGUES AND DISSENSION

1862 was a period of confusion and turmoil. Cabals, intrigues and wirepulling permeated every department at Washington, spreading dissension, insubordination and distrust amongst the army. Efforts of commanding officers were neutralized and change followed change. As an instance: General Burnside, when at the head of the Army of the Potomac, resolved to suppress insubordination, and had actually written out General Orders No. 8, dismissing from the service Generals Hooker, Brooks, Cochrane and Newton. Instead, however, of publishing these orders Burnside went to Washington to confer with the President. As an outcome of their interview Lincoln relieved Burnside of command, and appointed Hooker, in this characteristic letter:

Executive Mansion,
Washington, D. C.,
January 26, 1863.

Major-General Hooker:

General:

I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I have done this upon what appears to me to be sufficient reason, and yet I think it best for you to know that there are some things with regard to which I am not satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and skillful soldier, which of course I like. I also believe you do not mix politics with your profession, in which you are right. You have confidence in your yourself, which is a valuable if not an indispensable quality. You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of the army you have taken counsel of your ambition and thwarted him as much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer. I have heard in such a way as to believe it, of your recent saying, that both the army and the Government needed a dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command. Only those generals who gain success can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship. The Government will support you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more or less than it will do for all commanders. I much fear the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticizing their commander and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I shall assist you so far as I can to put it down. Neither you, nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army while such a spirit prevails in it. And now beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories.

Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.

Politics and demagoguery contributed their sinister influence to weaken the forces in the field. It grew and blossomed and bore evil fruit. Various states assumed the care of their own sick and wounded by sending agents to the front and bringing home the soldiers, causing hundreds of deaths, against the advice and over the protest of military surgeons. Thousands of men who were slightly ill, and thousands of malingerers, were provided an easy means to get entirely out of the service. Had they remained at the front, in care of regimental surgeons, most of them would have been returned to duty in a few days.

Politicians, anxious to curry favor and make votes, withdrew soldiers from the breastworks to be used at the polls.

Once safely at home, if a man wanted to stay there, he could secure a discharge by getting any physician "in good standing" to sign a certificate of disability. And these certificates soon acquired a commercial value — as was inevitable under the temptation. Militiamen learned the art of feigning every disease suggested by patent medicine advertisements. Impositions became so frequent that discharges for rheumatics were absolutely barred — that was too easy. Records of the War Department show that disability certificates were subjects of barter and sale. Medical officers of character and patriotism were exposed to every kind of bribery. Thousands and thousands of men never returned to the ranks. General McClellan mentioned a single regiment, which sent 506 men to the rear, of whom only 15 or 20 reported again for duty. By reason of "chronic absenteeism" and desertion, the Federal army at Antietam had 101,756 absentees, with 87,164 present.

Out of a certain army corps 13,000 were in ranks, while 15,000 were absent. Not more than one-tenth of the sick who were left behind ever rejoined their regiments. My son, listen to your Uncle Samuel, and get this straight. I am not trying to hurt anybody's feelings, but merely showing you how a bad system can destroy the usefulness of good men. Much of this was caused by a state hospital system, which grew out of politics, and politics won't mix with soldiering.