Although the great loss at Manassas Junction/Bull Run was very discouraging to many Washington City officials, President Lincoln was not one of them. He stood firm in his resolve that in the long run the Union Army would suppress the rebellion. He realized that after a bad start, the Union Army would recover and win, even if the struggle became long and drawn out.
Mr. Lincoln did fear however, if the tide was not turned quickly, that the people of the North might become discouraged and push for compromise and peace. He did have a large support base in his own party, but also realized that some were just backing the war as a means of securing additional revenue for themselves.
With the battle behind him, President Lincoln put General George McClellan in charge of the army. His appointment brought great enthusiasm to the soldiers who loved McClellan. His new duties however were compounded as the original 90 day enlistments were now up, and inexperienced soldiers came into his army. On July 24, 80,000 new Union volunteers were accepted into McClellan’s army.
On July 26, Congress finally voted to approve my appointment as U.S. Federal Marshal of the District of Columbia. I had accepted my commission on April 12, but Congress had more important things to do in the meantime than to vote on political appointments.
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