with General Scott; the elder was irascible and jealous, the younger certainly not submissive.  At last, on October 31, the old veteran regretfully but quite wisely availed himself of his right to be placed upon the retired list, and immediately, November 1, General McClellan succeeded him in the distinguished position of commander-in-chief (under the President) of all the armies of the United States.  On the same day Mr. Lincoln courteously hastened out to headquarters to make in person congratulations which were unquestionably as sincere as they were generous.  Every one felt that a magnificent opportunity was given to a favorite general.  But unfortunately among all his admirers there was not one who believed in him quite so fully as he believed in himself; he lost all sense of perspective and proportion, and felt upon a pinnacle from which he could look down even on a president.[147] Being in this masterful temper, he haughtily disregarded the growing demand for an advance.  On the other hand the politicians, always eager to minister to the gratification of the people, began to be importunate; they harried the President, and went out to camp to prick their civilian spurs into the general himself.  But McClellan had a soldierly contempt for such intermeddling in matters military, and was wholly unimpressible.  When Senator Wade said that an unsuccessful battle was preferable to delay, for that a defeat would easily be repaired by swarming recruits, the general tartly replied that he preferred a few recruits before a victory to a great many after a defeat.  But, however cleverly and fairly the military man might counter upon the politician, there was no doubt that discontent was developing dangerously.  The people had conscientiously intended to do their part fully, and a large proportion of them now sincerely believed that they had done it.  They knew that they had been lavish of men, money, and supplies; and they thought that they had been not less liberal of time; wherefore they rebelled against the contrary opinion of the general, whose ideal of a trustworthy army had by no means been reached, and who, being of a stubborn temperament, would not stir till it had been.

It is difficult to satisfy one’s self of the real fitness of the army to move at or about this time,—­that is to say, in or near the month of November, 1861,—­for the evidence is mixed and conflicting.  The Committee on the Conduct of the War asserted that “the army of the Potomac was well armed and equipped and had reached a high state of discipline by the last of September or first of October;” but the committee was not composed of experts.  Less florid commendation is given by the Comte de Paris, of date October 15.  McClellan himself said:  “It certainly was not till late in November that the army was in any condition to move, nor even then were they capable of assaulting intrenched positions.”  At that time winter was at hand, and advance was said to be impracticable.