In the house of his friends Volume 1; a novel - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...with his politics, will indulge him! The old warrior has been betrayed at every turn; he is as transparent as Undine's waves, and, mark me, seated in his easy-chair, swathed in Tripler's bandages, he will hurl our so-called 'Grand Army' to a frightful disaster! "Why is not McClellan here? He already knows that he is to be Scott's successor! And the country must pay the price in blood and tears!" "You are a gloomy prophet!" cried Hamilton, stung with the reflections on his beloved chief. "See here, Schuyler," said Rowan, "you hold Scott in your heart, still, as the hero of '47! You have not been in his daily company. I have watched him narrowly for five months. He is on the verge of apoplexy, his eyes dim with vertigo, his mind is impaired, but his pride and martial spirit alone are undimmed! God help our country! "But, thank God! the brutal defeat will only force his early retirement, and bring some responsible man to the front! Do you know whom we have in front of us?" "No!" gloomily replied Hamilton. "There is Beauregard, Gustavus W. Smith, and Joe Johnston--a dangerous trinity--all somewhere near, while Scott potters with the army here, through the silent and saturnine McDowell, merely an accomplished staff-officer, a walking vocabulary!" "Where is Lee?" curiously demanded the excited Hamilton. "Therein comes out the unerring sagacity of the shrewd and untiring Jefferson Davis," said Rowan. "To bring Lee over was to lead Virginia out!" "But Joe Johnston, Cooper, Sidney Johnston, all went out without a price and long-dickering, like Robert Lee! They knew their own minds, from the first! They frankly threw all up--the one, quartermaster-general, the other, a...