visitor was accompanied by Generals McClellan, Franklin,
Smith and other notable men, with an immense retinue. Conscious of the
fatigues already endured by these veterans, the President simply passed
along the line of the divisions, acknowledging the salutations which
greeted him, without requiring the columns to march in review. The
soldiers manifested their appreciation of the interest taken by the
Chief Magistrate in their welfare, by loud and repeated cheers.
Sumner's, Burnside's and Porter's corps had already been reviewed by the
President.

While at this camp, large accessions were made to our thinned ranks.
Before the army left Harrison's Landing, efforts had been set on foot
for filling up the skeleton regiments of our army. Recruiting officers
had been detailed from every regiment, to go to the localities from
which their respective regiments had been raised, and bring in recruits,
to fill the places made vacant by death and disease. The critical
condition of affairs when the army was withdrawn from the Peninsula,
and, afterward, when Pope was so disastrously forced back upon the
defenses of Washington, had roused to most earnest action, many
patriots, who hoped to avert further disaster by forwarding men to the
field. Under these influences, and as the result of these patriotic
efforts, many recruits offered themselves; but after the battle of
Antietam, new life was added to the recruiting service. Many who then
supposed that the war was nearly ended, gladly accepted the large
bounties, and in the hope of soon being "in at the death" of the
rebellion, enrolled themselves among the soldiers of the Union. War
meetings were held in every town, and the utmost enthusiasm was created.
In Saratoga, a large concourse of people, among whom were many of the
visitors at the Springs, gathered for a war meeting. Stirring speeches
were made. Ladies offered their diamond rings, their watch chains, their
watches and other valuables to those who should come forward and enter
the service. Under the influence of such enthusiasm, many came forward
and enrolled their names, and received the jewels from the fair hands of
the patriotic donors. By such efforts as these, all over the country,
from two to three hundred recruits were raised for each regiment in our
corps, and large accessions were made to the ranks of the whole army.

The advent of the new comers was hailed with joy by the veterans, who
had become sadly discouraged by