and half fearful as I found my hands in contact with the

Perryville, where McCook's corps was so badly crippled while nearly

30,000 Union troops were idle on the field, or within striking

distance. With these it was no use to argue that Buell's accident

stood in the way of his activity, nor that he did not know that the

action had assumed the proportions of a battle. The physical

disability was denied or contested, but even granting this, his

detractors claimed that it did not excuse his ignorance of the true

condition of the fight, and finally worsted his champions by pointing