ngly with his own
severely plain black. He wore a high silk hat and a plain frock coat.
His face wore that peculiar sombre expression we see in all his
photographs, but it lighted up into a half-smile as he occasionally
lifted his hat in acknowledgment of the cheering of the men.

About one hundred yards in rear of the President's staff came the new
commanding general, "Fighting Joe." He was dressed in the full uniform
of a major-general, and was accompanied by his chief of staff, Seth
Williams--he who had held this position under every commander of the
Army of the Potomac thus far--and a large and brilliant staff. There
must have been fully twenty officers of various ranks, from his chief of
staff, a general, down through all grades to a lieutenant, in this corps
of staff officers. It was the first time I had seen General Hooker to
know him. His personal appearance did not belie his reputation. He had a
singularly strong, handsome face, sat his superb horse like a king,
broad-shouldered and elegantly proportioned in form, with a large, fine
head, well covered with rather long hair, now as white as the driven
snow and flowing in the wind as he galloped down the line, chapeau in
hand; he was a striking and picturesque figure. It was evident the head
of the army had lost nothing in personal appearance by its recent
change. The same cheering marked the appearance of "Fighting Joe" which
had greeted the President, as he and staff galloped down and up and
down through the three long lines.

Both reviewing cavalcades moved at a brisk gallop, and occupied only
about twenty minutes covering the three miles of lines; and then the
President and staff took position, for the marching review, some
distance in front and about midway of the lines. Instantly the scene was
transformed. The first line wheeled into column by brigades successively
and, headed by General Hooker and staff, moved rapidly forward. There
were but few bands, and the drum corps had been consolidated into
division corps. On passing the President, General Hooker took position
by his side and remained throughout the remainder of the ceremony. The
troops marched in columns of masses, in the same formation they had
stood in line; that is, in column of two companies front and only six
yards between divisions. This made a very compact mass of troops, quite
unusual in reviews, but was necessary in order to avoid the great length
of time that in the usual formation would