Then St.Clair came to him, precise and dignified in manner, but obviously anxious to tell important news.
"What is it, Arthur ?" asked Harry.
"We've got news straight from Washington that McClellan is no longer commander of the Army of the Potomac." "What! They've nobody to put in his place." "But they have put somebody in his place, just the same." "Name, please." "Burnside, Ambrose E.Burnside, with a beautiful fringe of whiskers along each side of his face." "Well, we can beat any general who wears side whiskers.

After all, I'm glad we don't have McClellan to deal with again.

Wasn't this Burnside the man who delayed a part of the Union attack at Antietam so long that we had time to beat off the other part ?" "The same." "Then I'm thinking that he'll be caught between the hammer and the anvil of Lee and Jackson, just as Pope was." "Most likely.

Anyhow, our army is rejoicing over the removal of McClellan as commander-in-chief of the Army of the Potomac.

That's something of a tribute to McClellan, isn't it ?" "Yes, good-bye, George! We've had two good fights with you, Seven Days and Antietam, with Pope in between at the Second Manassas, and now, ho! for Burnside!" The reception of the news that Burnside had replaced McClellan was the same throughout the Army of Northern Virginia.