University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles N. Tenney to Adelaide E. Case, 1861 Ocober 10

I have seen the man
whose portrait adorns this
page, and a striking
likeness it is too.

Little did I think
when I saw Major Gen.
that he so soon was to be called
the of America. But when I read
of his gallant exploits
Mountain, and and of
in fitting the
under his command for the [important?]
work now before us, I can scarcely
that so much confidence has been placed
in him. and that he has been placed
at the [head? lead?] of the patriotic
so soon in this hour of peril.
he
while inspecting the sins of the South
and have with almost

he examined, though hastily, every soldier
I am heartily gladhe that the
humors he has so modestly, and with
grace, recieved. have been conferred upon him As many have
cried out against him because he has not
made a forward movement, let us for
a moment see why he has not made
such a movement. In the first place, we,
not the south, have everything to gain
by delay. It has been the opinion of leading
men, that the present war would be on of
considerable duration, else why were men called for
three years service? Now, see for a moment the con-
dition of our Military and Naval force on the assumption
of Mr Lincoln to the duties of state. One fleet was
small and scattered, the larger part being
in the waters of the Pacific, and the remain
der inefficient, while our land forces were
also small and scattered. The renegade
and traitor Floyd, caused the major
part of the arms and munitions of