O ye people, O my brothers! let us choose the righteous side!
"So shall the Northern pioneer go joyfully on his way,
To wed Penobscot's waters to San Francisco's bay;
To make the rugged places smooth, and sow the vales with grain,
'And bear, with Liberty and Law, the Bible in his train;
The mighty West shall bless the East, and sea shall answer sea;
'And mountain unto mountain call: Praise God, for we are
free!"
Though the regiments to which they sang were made up principally of anti-slavery men, yet there were a few proslavery men among them, and these objected, loudly and vehemently, to introducing or stimulating anti-slavery sentiments among the soldiers. Especially did they object to those lines by Whittier. This caused considerable discussion among both officers and men, which, through one of the pro-slavery officers, finally reached the ears of General McClellan, then in command of the forces south of the Potomac. The General, for reasons best known to himself, thereupon issued an order to the "Hutchinson Family" to sing no more in the camps, and retire at once.
In obedience to this order, the "Family" left the camps and came to Alexandria, on their way to Washington. The reason for their leaving the camps had reached Alexandria before the coming of themselves, and had produced a very strong feeling among the Union men of the city against General McClellan, and in favor of the Hutchinsons.