84 THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. act. Apian had been thought of by him ; it was to transport the whole army seventeen miles from its position at that time, to abandon the line of communications on the York river, and to seek', with the assistance of the navy, a new base on the dames river. If this movement could be successfully and secretly made, the chancesofa great battle fought on the river bank with the cooperation of the gunboats covering one Hank of the army, would be much more favorable to the fed erals ; but the movement had dangers of its own, and it was not easy of accomplishment in the face of the enemy; not to mention the nndesirablcncss of an apparent retreat. The plan then was renounced, or at least adjourned. A ith American tenacity, a quality which is just as remarkable in the people as their habit of delay, and perhaps balances that habit, it was settled that the army should not fall back, • unless it was absolutely driven so to do. The General wished to carry out the operations already commenced; but ho nevertheless took the wise precaution of sending to City Point on the river Janies, vessels loaded with ammunition, provisions, and supplies of all sorts. This done, General JEcClcllan devoted himself to bringing on a general action on the ground lying between himself and Kichmond, a ground which he had carefully studied in numerous rcconnoissances. These recon- noissanccs had given rise to a number of adventures. On one occasion the General had climbed with several of his officers, to the top of a high tree, and there, every man on his branch with spy-glass in hand, they had held a sort of council of war. 'This took place within a hundred paces of the hostile pickets, whom no attempt at observations could escape. We dreaded to hoar the crack of the rilles of the famous Southern squirrelshooters; but they were magnanimous, and the rccomioissancc ended without a mishap. On another occasion, the staff of a comedcrate commander appeared simultaneously with onr own upon the banks of the Chickahominy. At once the hos
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