1862 July 9 Harrison's Landing, Va.

[from a "war journal"  of George Hazen Dana of the 32d Massachusetts as compiled by him from diaries and letters]



                                                 Harrison’s Landing.
                                                 July 9th 1862.
We are, as you see, at the same post as when I last wrote.
 Since then, nothing to disturb us.          The rebels are
within a few miles of our advance (in how large force I
do not know), and, as McClellan’s orders read yesterday,
we may be attacked at any moment, and are well prepared.
I think that the guess I made in my last was incorrect.
Everything is kept close here till executed, but from
all we can gather, Burnside’s arrival with re-inforcements
is what “little Mac,” as the soldiers call him, is waiting
for, and then for a grand advance.          The solution
of the last movement seems to be this – McClellan,
with his comparatively small army, could not hold
the long line of operations that he had planned and
taken possession of, as the rebels have been strongly re-
inforced by Jackson’s Whole army. - - -  The day
before Mac commenced his splendid manouvre (changing
his whole line of operations, and which, had it not been
executed in a masterly manner, would have ensured
the destruction of our entire army.) President Lincoln
visited him, and we probably see, in the arrival of
fresh troops now, the fruits of that visit -           I see by
the Boston Journal of July 4th that we lost our
siege guns.          It is false – nothing was lost, not a
gun, and McClellan compliments his men to that
effect in his last order -          All I hope is to be
able to write you a letter soon from Richmond -

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5130