ould shine among all criminal catchers. The
Know-Nothing West Point hatred is stirred up against Sigel. I was
most positively assured that at Pea Ridge a West Point drunkard and
general expressly fired his batteries in Sigel's rear, to throw
Sigel's troops into disorder and disgrace. But in the fire Sigel
cannot be disgraced nor confused; so say his soldiers and
companions. Sigel would do a great deal of good, but the
Know-Nothing-West Point-Halleck envy, ignorance and selfishness are
combined and bitter against Sigel.

In this inquiry Sigel proved that he always fought his whole corps
himself. So do all good commanders; so did Reno, Kearney, so do
Hooker, Heintzelman, Rosecrans, and very likely all generals in the
West.

The McClellan-Franklin school, and very probably the Simon-pure West
Pointers, fight differently. In their opinion, the commander of a
corps relies on his generals of divisions; these on the generals of
brigades, who, in their turn rely on colonels, and thus any kind of
_ensemble_ disappears. Of course exceptions exist, but in general
our battles seem to be fought by regiments and by colonels. O West
Point! At the last Bull Run two days' battles, McDowell fought his
corps in the West Point-McClellan fashion. His own statements show
that his corps was scattered, that he had it not in hand, that he
even knew not where the divisions of his corps were located; and
during the night of 29-30, he, McDowell, after wandering about
the field in search of his corps, spent that night bivouacking
amidst Sigel's corps!

_March 9._--New York politicians behaved as meanly towards
Wadsworth as if they were all from Seward's school.

_March 9._--Hooker is at the Herculean work of reorganizing the
army. Those who visited it assert that Hooker is very active, very
just; and that he has already accomplished the magician's work in
introducing order and changing the spirit of the army. Only some few
inveterate McClellanites and envious, genuine West Pointers are
slandering Hooker.

_March 12._--Since the adjournment of Congress, everything looks
sluggish and in suspense. The Administration, that is, Mr. Lincoln,
is at work preparing measures, etc., to carry out the laws of
Congress; Mr. Seward is at work to baffle them; Blair is going over
to border-State policy; Stanton, firm, as of old; so is Welles;
Bates recognises good principles, but is afraid to see such
principles at once brought to light; Chase makes bonds a