The following changes occurred at Camp Griffin: Major Robert H. Mann resigned; succeeded by John S. Platner, Captain Co. H, who in turn was succeeded by First Lieutenant A. H. Drake. Chaplain George N. Cheney resigned; succeeded by Rev. A. H. Lung, Pastor of the First Baptist Church Canandaigua. John R. Cutler, Captain Co. D, succeeded by Henry J. Gifford, 1st Lieutenant, transferred from the Thirteenth New York. Samuel A. Barras, 2d Lieutenant Co. D, resigned, George T. Hamilton, 1st Lieutenant Co. F, resigned. Henry G. King, promoted from 2d to 1st Lieutenant Co. F, vice G. T. Hamilton, resigned. Henry A. Hills, promoted to 2d Lieutenant, from 1st Sergeant, vice H. G. King, promoted. George W. Brown, promoted from ranks to 1st Lieutenant Co. D, vice H. J. Gifford, promoted. Jefferson Bigelow, promoted from 1st Sergeant to 2d Lieutenant Co. D, vice S. A. Barras, resigned. John W. Corning, appointed 2d Lieutenant Co. B, vice H. J. Draime, promoted.
Prior to his departure, the Chaplain was presented with an elegant gold watch, as a testimonial of the regard entertained for him.
The following deaths occurred from disease:
Company B, David Hart; Company C, Corporal George A. Langdon; Company C, Pierre Outry; Company E, Peter Zimmer; Company F, George E. Prentice; Company F, Gardner Bacon; Company F, Irwin Van Brunt; Company G, Patrick Conner; Company G, Wm. Cooper; Company H, James H. Gates; Company I, Archibald Coleman; Company K, Augustus Murdock.
William Humphrey, Company J, and Joseph Finnegan, Company K, were accidentally killed.
The long inactivity which prevailed in all our armies was as unsatisfactory as it was inexplicable to the country. Day after day, week after week, and month after month, brought the same story, “All quiet along the lines,” until the patience of the people became well nigh exhausted, and they began to clamor for the removal of this and that leader, declaring that they all
“Like peasant foot-boys did keep the walls
And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.”
On the 19th of January, however, the President issued orders for a general movement of all the Federal forces; one result of which was the series of victories at the West, which so revived the drooping hopes of the nation. Twelve days afterwards, he issued a special order directed to the Army of the Potomac, which had not yet moved. It read as follows: