Coarse Feed First!
Secretary Whitney wrote: “In July, 1861, I was in Washington, where I merely said to President Lincoln: ‘Everything is drifting into the war, and I guess you will have to put me in the army.’ (He was in the Indian service at the time.)
“The President looked up from his work, and said good-humoredly:
“‘I’m making generals now! In a few days I will be making quartermasters, and then I’ll fix you.’”
“AIN’T I GLAD TO GIT OUT O’ DE WILDERNESS!”
In the summer of 1862, just when the North was lulled to repose by the note from General McClellan’s newsmongers, that the people would have a great surprise on the Fourth of July, Colonel J. E. B. Stuart, Confederate cavalrist, took about two thousand picked riders and performed a dash within the hostile lines, which achieved a world-wide admiration. It is necessary to premise that the country was inimical to the defenders of Washington, and the farmers kept the secessionists clearly informed on the Federal movements. Besides, the first duty of keeping Washington engrossed all the Union commanders. If, by any unexpected movement, the rebels occupied the capital long enough to set up their government, Europe would have recognized the stars and bars, and raised the blockade on the cotton ports. Washington was stupefied and terror-stricken when the news came in from the North that rebel cavalry were “cavortin” within McClellan’s lines. Communication was cut off with him, and the President was heard to say in the general dumbness of consternation:
“There is no news from the Army of the Potomac. I do not even know that we have an army!”
He was himself filled with the universal alarm. His hope was that a bright morning would follow the dark hour, but his faith and belief that God would safely lead them “out of the wilderness” was not widely shared.
The allusion was to the popular army song, taken from the negro camp-meeting repertoire: “Ain’t I glad to git out o’ de Wilderness,” which a clergyman had encouragingly chanted awhile before. This wilderness was metaphorically spiritual, but all applied the figure to the Wilderness of Virginia, where the battles were fought.