They had not the slightest conception of preparing the army for war.

It was impossible that they could have any such conception.

The people and the Congress did not wish the army prepared for war; and those editors and philanthropists and peace advocates who felt vaguely that if the army were incompetent their principles were safe, always inveighed against any proposal to make it efficient, on the ground that this showed a natural bloodthirstiness in the proposer.

When such were the conditions, it was absolutely impossible that either the War Department or the army could do well in the event of war.

Secretary Alger happened to be Secretary when war broke out, and all the responsibility for the shortcomings of the Department were visited upon his devoted head.