Jan. 29, 1862

Jan. 29, 2012: Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson is ordered to remove Gen. Loring and his division from Romney in western Virginia, after Loring sends Gen. Taliaferro (pronounced "Tolliver", believe it or not) to Richmond to complain that he and his troops had been sidelined in such a desolate place. 
–George Templeton Strong of New York writes in his journal concerning his visit with the U.S. Sanitary Commission to Washington, and gives his impressions of the new Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton: "Stanton impresses me and everybody else most favorably. Not handsome, but on the contrary, rather pig-faced. At lowest estimate, worth a wagon load of Camerons [his predecessor]. Intelligent, prompt, clear-headed, fluent without wordiness, and above all, earnest, warm-hearted, and large-hearted. He is the reverse of all things of his cunning, cold-blooded, selfish old predecessor. . . . He is the most popular man in Washington now, but will it last?" On this same trip, Strong and his group seek a meeting with the President, and offers this portrait of Lincoln: "He is a barbarian, Scythian, yahoo, or gorilla, in respect of outside polish . . . but a most sensible, straightforward, honest old codger. The best President we have had since old Jackson’s time, at least as I believe. . . . His evident integrity and simplicity of purpose would compensate for worse grammar than his, and for even more intense provincialism and rusticity."

–Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, in command of the benighted Federal Army-Navy expedition hung up on the bar at Hatteras Inlet, writes to Gen. McClellan, General-in-Chief, on their progress:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Hatteras Inlet, January 29, 1862.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Commanding U. S. Army, Washington:

GENERAL: Since my last report on the 26th instant we have been incessantly engaged in getting our vessels over the bar into the sound. They have all had to be lightened of their cargo in order to bring them to the necessary draught for crossing. This has necessarily consumed much time, owing to the limited means for towing and discharging. We have, however, at anchor in the sound this morning transportation for twelve regiments.
All the necessary arrangements for a considerable movement having been made, I shall, in conjunction with Commodore Goldsborough, at once make an advance upon Roanoke Island. These arrangements have all been made in the best spirit and we have received much valuable assistance from the commodore's vessel. . . .