The spies reported that political wire-pulling, that bane of the North, was at work.

McClellan's enemies at Washington were active, and his indiscreet utterances were used to the full against him.
Attention was called again and again to his great overestimates of Lee's army and to the paralysis that seemed to overcome him when he was in the presence of the enemy.

Lincoln, the most forgiving of men, could not forgive him for his failure to use his full opportunity at Antietam and destroy Lee.
The advance of McClellan stopped.

His army remained motionless while October passed into November.

The cold winds off the mountains swept the last leaves from the trees, and Harry wondered what was going to happen.