ï~~


ï~~


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ï~~- --




ï~~THE

GREAT REBELLION;
A HISTORY OF THE
Civil War in the United States.
BY J. T. HEADLEY,
AUTHOR OF " NAPOLEON AND HIS MARSHALS," " WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS,"
SACRED DMOUNTAINS," ETC., ETC.
WITH NUMEROUS FINE STEEL ENGRAVINGS.
3n Emo Unolum.z
Volume II.
qartfort, C oaul.
AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY,
BRANCH OFFICE, COLUMBUS, OHIO.
R. C. TREAT, CHICAGO, ILL.
SOLD BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY.
1866.




ï~~ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1866, BY
AMERICAN        PUBLISHING         COMPANY,
IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF CONNECTICUT.




ï~~PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.
IT is with no ordinary satisfaction and confidence that we issue
this Second Volume of the History of the Great Rebellion.   No
other History of this mighty and memorable conflict, has won so
large a favor from the American people.   Mr. Headley's genius
has here found a subject worthy of, and demanding its amplest
resources; and he has successfully risen to the height of the great
occasion.  He here completes a historic record, that will be read
with amazement and the deepest interest by present and future
generations-the record of the sacrifices and successes of a people,
sacredly cherishing the traditions and legacies of the Fathers and
Founders of their Republic, and shrinking from no cost of treasure and blood necessary to subdue the most causeless and criminal insurrection against human rights and human freedom, that
ever challenged a nation to the bitter and bloody arbitration of
the battle field.
Ours is no dry and dreary compilation, which, even if read,
can be of little profit, save to a few minds. It is not the
speculations of the political theorist or philosopher, upon the
causes and obscure agencies culminating in this atrocious conspiracy against the best human Government.      But, it is the
vivid and faithful portraiture-by an author of surpassing genius
for historic delineation-of all the important events in our Civil
War. From it may be got the clearest and most adequate idea
of the spirit of the nation, and of the sweep and shock of its
armies during these four eventful years of heroism and glory.
It is a splendid and faithful panorama of a great people in arms,
inspired with a sublime enthusiasm for Law and Liberty. It
shows the prominent actors in the Tragedy which has held the
gaze of the civilized world-some of them incompetent or un



ï~~8

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.

faithful and disappearing in defeat or dishonor-others grand,
heroic, moving to victory or honorable death, blessed with the
prayers and love of all true patriots, and crowned with their
gratitude and homage.
The delay in the completion of the work, though a pecuniary
detriment to us, will however be compensated by important
advantages to our subscribers. If it had been issued at the close
of the conflict, it must have been written, as were some other
Histories, without the aid of the official reports of Generals Grant
and Sherman-the only reliable sources of information respecting
the last, great and decisive campaigns of the War.
No History   can   possess perfect accuracy.  Authorities  of
apparently equal claims for credence often differ, and time not
infrequently makes disclosures that modify statements and judgments once regarded correct. Special effort has been made to
authenticate the statements of this work by a comparison with
every accessible authority, and we are confident that it has 'no
superior, and, we think, no equal in fidelity of historical narration.
We have employed the very best Artists in the production of
the fine steel engravings which embellish this volume, and though
these have been executed, during the period of high prices, no
expense has been spared to secure in them the highest degree of
excellence.  The engravings of the two volumes taken together
constitute a series of elegant and varied illustrations unequaled
in any other History of the War.
In view of its size, its valuable portraits and other illustrations,
its elegant typography, and the general excellence of its mechanical execution, we are conscious of having more than fulfilled the
pledges made to our subscribers, and in anticipation of their
entire satisfaction, send forth this work.
AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.




ï~~LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOLUME II.
1. PORTRAIT OF~ PRESIDENT JOHNSON..................... Frontispiece.
PAGE.
2.    i"       WM. 11. SEWARD, Secretary of State,.............. 29,
3.    "6       EDWIN M. STANTON,     "     War.............29
4.    6"       GIDEON WELLES,       "     the Navy,..6a6*   29
j  t      SALMON P. CHASE,      "      Treasury............ 29
6. BATTLE OF ANTIETAM................................. ".....'7 0
'7. EVACUATION OF CUTMBERLAND GAP............................ 110
8. PORTRAIT of Major-General J. C. FREMONT.....................134
9.     "            i"     NV. S. fOSECRANS............134
10.    "             "      JOHN POPE,............134
11.     "            "i     N. P. BANKS,...........134
12.    i"            "      0. M. MITCHELL.............134
13.     "            "      JOSEPH IlooKEm,................134
14.     "            "      G.~O. G. MEADE....................134
15. SIEGE Of VICIISI3URGl,,........................................160
16. BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG,..............".."..........206
17. PORTRAIT of General J. E. B. STEWART,...)............254
18.     "         "t    STERLING PRICE,.........................0254
19.    "o         It   LEONIDAS POLK.........................254
20.     "         "    3J, C. PEMBERTON.,......6........ 254




ï~~10              THE    GREAT     REBELLION.
PAGE.
21. PORTRAIT of General T. J. (" STONEWALL ") JACKSON...........254
2'2.    it        "    J. B. MAGRUDER..........................254
23.    it         "    R. S. EWELL.............................254
24.    it         "    JAMES LONGSTREET....................... 254
25.    it         "    A. P. HILL............................... 254
26.    it      Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT,....................86
27.    "t      Major-General W. T. SHERMAN.....................342
28.    it        It    i    Q. A.. GILLMORE..................... 486
29.    it       it    is    W. B. FRANKLIN................oo *o,486
31.    it       it     i    G. H. THOMAS...................... 486
32.    it       it     "    A. H. TERRY....................... 486
33.    it       It     "    P. H. SHERIDAN.................... 486
34.    it       It    it    JOHN A. LOGAN..................... 486
35.."it      "t    "it  GEORGE STONEMAN...................486
36.    it       it          H.KW. SLOCUM...................... 486
37.     "        "It  it    JUDSON KILPATRICK.................486
38. THE FIFTY-FIFTH MASS. (COLORED) REG. ENTERING CHARLESTON,...5S74




ï~~CONTENTS.
VOLUME II.
CHAPTER I.
JUNE--JULY, 1862.
PAGE,
The*Seven Days' Contest-Remarkable Foresight-Position of our Army-Lee's Plan-The Movement Commenced-Battle of Gaines'
Mill-Severe Letter to the Secretary of War-Destruction of Property--A Train Cut Adrift-The Retreat-Army Train-Battle of
Savage Station-Battle of Nelson's Farm and Glendale-Battle of
Malvern Hill-Retreat to Harrison's Landing-Feelings of the People-Letter of Thanks from the President-McClellan's Letter to the
President on the Policy that should be Adopted in Prosecuting the
War-Effect of it on Himself................................. 31
CHAPTER II.
JULY-AUGUST, 1862.
Pope's Campaign-Pope Called to the Army of Virginia-His OrdersConcentration of his Army-Halleck made General-in-Chief-His
Plan of Operations-McClellan Recalled from the Peninsula-His Letter of Remonstrance-Lee takes Advantage of the Blunder of Halleck-Battle of Cedar Mountain-Lee's Great Movement BegunAccount of Subsequent Operations-Battle of Bull Run-Battle of
Groveton-The Last Day's Battle-The Army Falls Back to the
Forts-Lee Moves toward the Potomac-McClellan's Telegram to
Halleck Asking Permission to Join the Army-Placed Once More at
the Head of the Army-Pope's Failure-Review of the Campaign... 54
CHAPTER III.
SEPTEMBER, 1862.
Alarm  at Washington---Antietam--McClellan Takes the Field-Battle
of South Mountain-Surrender of Harper's Ferry-Battle of Antie



ï~~12                THE    GREAT     REBELLION.
PAGE.
tam-Hooker's Struggle-Fatal Delay of Burnside-Lee's RetreatPublic Disappointment---The Army Rests-Emancipation Proclamation-Suspension of Habeas Corpus-Its Effects-Its Dangers...... 66
CHAPTER IV.
JULY--AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1862.
Operations West-Vicksburg--Ram     Arkansas-Mitchell's Gallant Exploit-Curtis Crosses the State of Arkansas-Buell's CampaignBragg Invades Tennessee and Kentucky-Retreat of"Buell to Louisville-Is Superseded by Thomas-Kirby Smith Advances against Cincinnati-Lane in Kansas-New Orleans-Battle of Baton RougeDeath of General Williams-Porter, with the Essex, Destroys the
Rebel Ram Arkansas-Rosecrans at Corinth.....................     7
CHAPTER V.
8EPTEMBER-0CTOBER, 1862.
Battle of Iuka-Gallantry of General Hamilton-Failure of GrantAttempt of the Enemy to Cut Grant's Line of Supplies-Battle of
Corinth--A Gallant Texan-Terrific Slaughter of the Enemy-The
Victory-Arrival of McPherson-The Pursuit-The Battle-fieldRosecrans Placed at the Head of the Department of the Cumberland...................................................  93
CHAPTER VI.
OCTOBER, 1862.
Buell Restored to Command-Moves Out of Louisville-Battle of Perryville-Retreat of Bragg-Pursuit-Removed from Command-Morgan at Cumberland Gap-Gallant Defense of-Call for Reinforcements-Is Surrounded by a Iundred Thousand Men-His Extreme
Peril-Gallant Resolve to Make a Forced March of Two Hundred
Miles to the Ohio-Blows Up the Mountain-Destroys His Siege
Guns-Burns up Everything-Fearful Conflagration and ExplosionTerrific Scene-Midnight March-The Race for Life-Sufferings of
the Army-Its Delight at the Sight of the Ohio--Halleck's Treatment of Morgan-Extraordinary Statements,....................104




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

13

CHAPTER VII.
OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1862.
PAGE.
State of Affairs in the West-East Tennessee-Arkansas-Battle of Prairie Grove-Forrest's Raid in Kentucky-Surrender of Hartsville, Tennessee-Butler's Department-Expedition Against Vicksburg-Surrender of Holly Springs-Assault upon Vicksburg-Gallantry of General Blair-Sherman Superseded by McClernand-Army of the Potomac-McClellan Delays to Move-Correspondence Between Him and
IHalleck-Raid of Stuart-McClellan Ordered by the President to
Move-His Advance-Superseded by Burnside-Parting With the
Army-Review of McClellan's Campaign Against Richmond.......115
CHAPTER VIII.
OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1862.
Burnside Advances on Fredericksburg-His Design-Is Disappointed-Resolves to Carry the Heights by Assault-Terrific Bombardment of
the Place-A Striking Scene-Gallantry of the Seventh MichiganThe Sharp-shooters-Crossing of the River-The Battle-The Defeat-The Army Recrosses the River-Feeling of the People-Burnside Takes the Responsibility-Review of the Campaign-Second
Attempt Made and Abandoned-The Southern Department---Death
of Mitchell-Foster's Expedition into North Carolina-Close of the
Year.....................................................121
CHAPTER IX.
DECEMBER, 1862-JANUARY, 1863.
Battle of Murfreesboro', or Stone River-Rosecrans at Nashville-Hisi
Delay to Move-The Council of War-Rosecrans' Parting WordsThe March Commenced-The Enemy's Line of Battle at Murfreesboro'-Rosecrans' Plan of Battle-Scenes and Incidents-Bragg's
Plan of Attack-Morning of the Battle-Attack of the Enemy-Destruction of our Right Wing-Rosecrans Incredulous-His Gallant
Conduct when Informed of his Disaster-Heroic Defense by Sheriddan-Forming a New Line of Battle-Stubbornness of the Left
Wing-Splendid Behavior of HIazen-The Close-Appearance of the,




ï~~14                THE    GREAT    REBELLION.
PAG.
Field-Our Heavy Loss-Operations of the Following Days-Last
Battle-Murfreesboro' Evacuated-Rosecrans Celebrates High Mass
- The  Army  Rests........................................129
CHAPTER X.
JANUARY, 1863.
Capture of Arkansas Post-Grant Commences his Movement Against
Vicksburg-The Canal-A Year of Disaster-Missouri-Attack on
Springfield-Expeditions up White and Red Rivers-Loss of the
Queen of the West-Loss of the Ariel-Sinking of the Hatteras by
the Alabama-Disaster at Sabine Pass-Banks in New OrleansExpeditions-Capture and Loss of Galveston-The Harriet LaneWestfield Lost-Death of Buchanan-Grand Expedition through the
State of Louisiana-Capture of Alexandria on the Red River.......147
CHAPTER XI.
APRIL-MAY, 1863.
VicksburgCampaign-The Attempts to Get in Rear of Haines' Bluff--
Lake Providence Route-Moon Lake Route-Steele's Bayou RouteBold Resolve to Run the Batteries-The March Inland-The Batteries Run-Difficulties of the March-New Carthage-Grand GulfPort'Gibson-Grand Resolve of Grant-The March Inland-Battles
of Raymond, Jackson, Champion's Hill, Blackwater-Vicksburg Invested-First Assault-Second Assault-Action of the Gun-boats... 155
CHAPTER XII.
MAY-JULY, 1863.:
Assault on Port Hudson-The Siege-Siege of Vicksburg-Its Surrender-Results of the Victory-Surrender of Port Hudson-The Mississippi Opened-Minor Operations West-Arrest of VallandighamHis Banishment-Exasperated State of Public Feeling...........169




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

15

CHAPTER XIII.
JANUARY-APRIL, 1863.
PAGE.
Affairs East at the Opening of the Year-The President's Affirmative
Proclamation of Emancipation-Hooker placed Over the Army of the
Potomac-Fight at Suffolk-Attack on Fort McAllister-Destruction
of the Nashville-The First Colored Regiment-Fights at Blackwater and Kelly's Ford, Virginia-Washington, N. Carolina, Attacked
by the Rebels-Attack by the Iron-clad Fleet on Fort Sumter-Disappointment at its Failure-Injustice to Du Pont................177
CHAPTER XIV.
APRIL-JUNE, 1863.
Chancellorsville-Excitement of the Country at Hooker's Advance-His
Confident Address to his Troops-Plan of the Battle-The Cavalry
Sent Off to Sever Lee's Communications-Attack by "Stonewall"
Jackson on Howard's Corps-Its Defeat-Death of Jackson-Subsequent Battle-.Fredericksburg Heights Carried by Sedgwick-Attacked by Lee, and compelled to Re-cross the River-Hooker Withdraws his Army-Disappointment of the Country-Feint on the
Rebel Capital from West Point-Kilpatrick's Ride to the Suburbs of
Richmond-Siege of Suffolk-Gallant Defense of Peck-Lee's Invasion of Maryland-Surrender of Winchester4-Hooker Superseded by
Meade-Feeling of the People................................184
CHAPTER XV.
JULY, 1863.
Campaign of Gettysburg--Pursuit of Lee-First Fight at GettysburgDeath of Reynolds-Howard Establishes Himself on Cemetery Hill
-Hancock Sent Forward to Select a Battle-field-The Selection of
Cemetery Hill-Rapid Concentration of the Army-The Preparation
-First Day's Battle-Gloomy Prospect for the Union Army-Second
Day's Battle-The Great, Decisive Charge-Gallantry of Farnsworth
-Retreat of Lee-Both Armies March for the Potomac-Success
of Kilpatrick-Service of the Cavalry-The Potomac Swelled by the
Rains-Lee held a Week on the Northern Bank-Strange InactionThe Rebel Army Escapes-The Pursuit-Close of the Campaign.... 197




ï~~16

THE GREAT REBELLION.

CHAPTER XVI.
JULY, 1863.
PAGE.
Operations in Charleston Harbor-Gillmore Effects a Lodgment on Morris Island-Attempt to Take Fort Wagner by Surprise-Grand Assault on the Fort-Death of Colonel Shaw-Cruelty to the Officers of
Colored Regiments-Mobs in New York City-Hostility to the Draft
-Order of the President, Respecting the Treatment of Colored Soldiers Held as Prisoners by the Rebels-The Practical Superiority of
the President-Causes of Public Agitation-Congress.............210
CHAPTER XVII.
AUGUST, 1863.
Cavalry Action of Gregg-Foster's Expedition up the James RiverFight Between Buford and Stuart-Averill's Operations in VirginiaGillmore's Siege of Wagner and Sumter-Herculean Labor-" The
Swamp Angel "-Bombardment of Sumter Over the Top of Wagner-Greek Fire thrown into Charleston-Remonstrance of Beauregard-Action of the Fleet-Death of Rodgers-French Opinion of
the Siege-Steady Approaches Toward Wagner-Its EvacuationEvacuation of Fort Gregg-Morris Island Ours-Bombardment of
Sumter-Refusal of Dahlgren to Attempt to Pass it-Vindication of
Du Pont-Desolation of Charleston-Retribution................2. 0
CHAPTER XVIII.
JULY-AUGUST, 1863.
Events at the West During the Summer-Grant at Vicksburg-Raid
of Phillips-Rosecrans at Murfreeaboro'-Advance on Chattanooga
-Morgan's Raid Through Ohio-The Pursuit-Attempts to Cross
into Virginia-Battle of Buffington's Island-Rout of the BandCurious Aspect of the Battle-field-Quantrell in Missouri-Raid
into Kansas---Massacre at Lawrence-The Pursuit-The Flight-His
Escape................................................226




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

17

CHAPTER XIX.
SEPTEMBER, 1863.
PAGE
Rosecrans Before Chattanooga-Resolves to Flank It-H4zen Left to
Guard the River-Bragg Evacuates Chattanooga--Rosecrans Resolves
to cut off his Retreat-Scattering of his Corps-Bragg Marches back
on Chattanooga-Peril of Rosecrans- apid Concentration of his
Army-First Day's Battle---Second Day's Battle-Rout of our Army-Steadfastness of the Left Wing-Desperate Fighting of Thomas
-The Crisis-Unexpected Deliverance-The Gallant Steedman-A
Desperate Charge-The Battle Saved-The Army falls back to Chattanooga-Causes of Defeat....................................239
CHAPTER XX.
SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER, 1863.
The Army at Chattanooga-Grant Placed in Command of the Mississippi Division-Knoxville Captured by Burnside-Joy of the People
-Besieged by Longstreet-Grant takes Command at ChattanoogaSherman Ordered to Join Him-Hooker Effects a Lodgment in Lookout Valley-Hazen's Exploit-Battle of Wauhatchie-Sherman's
Arrival-The Army takes up its Assigned Position-Grant's PlanCapture of Lookout Mountain-Battle Above the Clouds-The Battle
of Missionary Ridge-The Victory-Pursuit of the Enemy-Sherman Sent to Relieve Burnside-Longstreet Abandons the SiegeBanks at New Orleans-Expedition to Sabine City-Expedition to
Texas-Its Failure-The Department..........................255
CHAPTER XXI.
OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1863.
Army of the Potomac-Meade's Advance to the Rapidan-Compelled to
Retreat-Gallantry of Kilpatrick and the Cavalry-Battle of Bristow
Station-Successes at Kelley's Ford and Rappabannock StationMeade's Second Advance to the Rapidan-The Retreat-Winter
Quarters-Averill's Raid in Western Virginia-National Cemetery at




ï~~18

THE GREAT REBELLION.

PAGE,
Gettysburg-The President's Proclamation of Amnesty-Proposition to Admit Rebel States into the Union-Political ExcitementChange of Plan in Carrying On the War-Grant made LieutenantGeneral-Sherman's Great'March through Mississippi............274
CHAPTER XXII.
JANUARY-APRIL, 1864.
Grant at the Head of All our Armies-Sherman Appointed over Grant's
Department West-A Survey of the Whole Field-Farragut at Mobile-Call for Five Hundred Thousand Men-Butler's Failure Before
Richmond-The Expedition into Florida under General SeymourBattle of Olustee-Kilpatrick's Bold Attempt to Liberate our Prisoners in Richmond-Death of Colonel Dahlgren-Forrest's Raid in
Kentucky-Surrender of Union City-Attack on Paducah-Dastardly Conduct of the Rebels-Attack on Fort Pillow-The Massacre-The Rebels Attack Plymouth, North Carolina-A Rebel Ironclad Attacks the Miami and Southfield, Sinking the Latter-Evacuation of Plymouth-Popular Indignation........................287
CHAPTER XXIII.
MARCH-APRIL, 1864.
Sanitary Fairs--Banks in New Orleans-Inauguration of the Free State
Government-The Red River Cotton Expedition-Porter's Ascent of
the Red River-Capture of Batteries by General Smith-March of
Banks across the Country to Alexandria-Advance into the Interior
-Defeat of Banks-Retreat of Steele-Return of the Gunboats to
Alexandria-Unable to get Below the Falls-Grand Engineering Success of Colonel Bailey-Passage of the Falls by the Fleet-An Exciting Spectacle-Promotion of Bailey-Destruction of the Gunboats
Signal, Covington, and Transport Warner-Return of the Expedition
-Canby Supersedes Banks in the Field-The Latter Returns to New
Orleans-View of the Expedition..............................305




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

19

CHAPTER XXIV.
MAY-JULY, 1864.
PAGE.
Grant's Delay in Front of Washington-The President's Determination
not to Interfere any more with the Army of the Potomac-The two
Armies Move-The Atlanta Campaign-Its Difficulties-Composition and Strength of Sherman's Army-Dalton Flanked-Battle of
Resaca-A Fierce Struggle-Fight at Dallas-Allatoona FlankedBattle of Kenesaw Mountain-Death of Major-General Polk-Sherman Directs the Shot that Kills Him-Sherman's First Defeat-Kenesaw Flanked-The Chattahochee Reached and Crossed-Atlanta in
Sight.....................................................315
CHAPTER XXV.
JULY--SEPTEMBER, 1864.
Atlanta Reached-Hood's First Attack-His Assault on McPhersonDeath of the Latter-Howard Placed over the Army of the Tennessee-Stoneman and McCook's Raid-Hooker Resigns-Fierce Attack
on IlQward-Shelling of Atlanta-An Unsuccessful Assault-Wheeler Sent to Cut Sherman's Communications-Kilpatrick Dispatched
to CutiHood's-Sherman Resolved to Plant his Army on the Macon
Road-Battle of Jonesboro'-Atlanta Cut Off-Hood Evacuates itSlocum takes Possession-The Rebel Army Pursued to Lovejoy's Station-Rest to the Army-Summing Up of the Campaign-Sherman
Orders all the Inhabitants to Leave-His Correspondence with Hood
and the Mayor on the Subject...............................331
CHAPTER XXVI.
APRIL-JULY, 1864.
Necessity of Unity of Action-Sigel in the Shenandoah Valley-Grant's
Instructions to Butler-Folly of Placing the Latter in the Important
Position he Held-Number of the Troops Co-operating directly
with Grant-Our Entire Military Force-Grant's Plan of Campaign
-Advance of the Army of the Potomac-Crossing the RapidanCommencement of the "Battles of the Wilderness"-First Day



ï~~20               THE     GREAT     REBELLION.
PAGE.
Second Day-Third Day-Retreat of the Enemy-Advance of Our
Army-Fight of Warren's Corps-Death of Sedgwick-Grand Assault on the Enemy's Works-Hancock's Brilliant Night AttackFearful Appearance of the Battle-field-A Week's Comparative Rest
-Change of Base, and Bringing Up of Reinforcements-The Dead
of  the  W ilderness..........................................345
CHAPTER XXVII.
MAY, 1864.
Butler's Advance to City Point-Butler's Campaign-Bermuda Hundred-Position of the Army-Kautz's Cavalry Expedition-Torpedoes-Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Severed-Butler's Dispatch-Operations against Drury's Bluff--Dilatoriness of ButlerRefuses to Intrench himself on the Railroad-Morning Attack of the
Enemy-Capture of Heckman and his Brigade-Gillmore and Butler
on the Situation of the Army-Retreat to Bermuda Hundred-Total
Failure of the Peninsula Movement-Grant's Opinion of Butler's Conduct-Butler's Treatment of War Correspondents-Brutal Treatment
of a Chaplain-Naval Operations along the Coast-In Florida-Loss
of the Columbine-Investment of Newbern-Rebel Iron-clads-Gallant Fight of Smith with the Albemarle in Albemarle Sound-Conduct of the Sassacus-Steele in Arkansas.......................365
CHAPTER XXVIII
MAY-JUNE, 1864.
Survey of Grant's Position-Sigel's Failure in the Shenandoah ValleySpottsylvania Flanked-The Race for the North Anna River-Hancock's and Warren's Corps-Fight of the Latter at Jericho FordGallantry of Griffin-Assault of a Redan by Hancock-Gallant
Charge-The Enemy Falls Back to the South Anna-Strength of his
Position-Transfer of Base to Port Royal-Grant again Flanks the
Enemy and Crosses the Pamunkey at Hanovertown-Movement to
Cold Harbor-Battle of Cold Harbor-Grant Resolves to Transfer the
Army to the James River-A Delicate Operation-Gillmore's Failure
to take Petersburg-Lee Deceived-The James Safely Crossed-At



ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

21

PAGE.
tack on Petersburg by Smith-Outer Works Carried-Various Assaults-Butler again Cuts the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad,
and again Driven Back-Last Grand Assault-The Position of Affairs-Review of the Campaign-Grant's Sagacity and Judgment
Vindicated................................................380
CHAPTER XXIX.
JUNE, 1864.
Difficulties of Grant's Position-His Plan to Sever the Communications of Richmond-Sheridan's Expedition-Hunter's-Averill's and
Crook's-The Enemy Defeated at Staunton-Hunter at LynchburgHis disastrous Retreat-The Enemy in Possession of the Shenandoah
Valley-Wilson's Expedition-Defeat of the Second and Sixth Corps
near the Weldon Railroad-A Gloomy Prospect-Operations along
the Atlantic Coast-Capture of the Water Witch-Federal Officers
placed under Fire at Charleston-Mr. Lincoln Renominated for President-Opening of the Political Campaign.....................403
CHAPTER XXX.
JUNE, 1864.
Building and Fitting out of the Alabama in an English Port-Complaint
by our Government-The two years' Cruise-Returns to Cherbourg,
France-Blockaded by Winslow-Semmes Challenges WinslowMorning of the Combat-Spectators coming down from Paris to witness it-The Alabama Steams out of the Harbor-The Combat-Ludicrous By-play on the Kearsarge-Superior Firing of the Federal
Ship-Surrender of the Alabama in a Sinking State-Picking up of
the Crew and Captain by the English Yacht Deerhound The Deerhound Sails off with the Prisoners to Southampton-Semmes' Report
of the Fight-His Slanders and Falsehoods-The two Vessels Compared-Defense of the Commander of the English Yacht-Excitement in Europe over the Engagement-Winslow and the Secretary
of  the  Navy..............................................419
32




ï~~22

THE GREAT REBELLION.

CHAPTER XXXI.
JULY, 1864.
PAGE.
Mr. Chase's Resignation-Want of a Financial System-Low state of Public Credit when he Entered on the Duties of his Office-Estimate
of Expenditures for 1862-Issues of Five-twenty Bonds and Treasury Notes-First Loan made in New York-Loan taken by the Banks
of Philadelphia, New York and Boston-Sale of Bonds, &c.-Customs to be paid in Gold-Suspension of the Banks-Statement of
Revenue and Expenditures-Public Debt at the close of the YearOpening of the Year 1863-An Excise Law resolved upon-Raising
of Money in the Meantime-Issue of Paper Money-National Banking Law-Its Effect in New York-Gold Bill-Statement of Revenue
and Expenditure for the Year-Public Debt-Mr. Fessenden succeeds
Mr. Chase-Condition of the Treasury and Means at its DisposalPublic Debt when he Resigned in'March, 1865................. 433
CHAPTER XXXII.
JULY-AUGUST, 1864~
Alarm produced by Early's Invasion-Sigel's Retreat-Weber Abandons
Harper's Ferry-The Pirate Florida on our Coast-The Rebels cross
the Potomac and occupy Hagerstown-Hegira of the People-Militia
Called out-General Wallace gives Battle at Monocacy-Retreats--
Alarm in Baltimore-Railroad cut between Baltimore and Philadelphia-General Franklin taken Prisoner-Governor Bradford's House
Burned-The Main Army moves on Washington-Skirmishing in
Front of Fort Stevens-Arrival of the Nineteenth and Sixth CorpsThe Rebels Retreat-Pursuit by Wright-Escape of the InvadersAverill and Crook and Duffie engage a Portion of the Enemy-Compelled to Retreat across the Potomac-The Rebel McCausland advances to Chambersburg and Burns it-Attacked in his Retreat and
his Forces scattered among the Mountains-Early prepares to remain
in the Shenandoah Valley-Grant Visits Hunter His Letter of Instructions-Sheridan put in his Place-Political Events-Five Hundred Thousand Troops called for-Peace Negotiations-Jacques and
Kirk-Greeley, Jewett, Sanders and Others-" To whom it may Concern "-Absurdity of the Peace Negotiations....................45i




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

23

CHAPTER XXXIII.
AUGUST, 1864.
PAGE.
Farts Morgan and Gaines-Defenses of Mobile Bay-A       Land Force
under General Granger sent to Co-operate with Farragut-Arrival of
the Tecumseh-Farragut ready to Run the Rebel Batteries-Morning
of the Battle-The Ships lashed two Together-The Brooklyn to
lead the Fleet against Farragut's wishes-The first Gun-The Brooklyn fearing Torpedoes-Backs and Awaits the Fleet-Farragut lashed
in the Main-top, seeing the Delay, takes the Lead just as the Tecumseh Goes Down-He sends a Boat to Save the Survivors-Steams
Ahead-Enters the Bay-Attacked by Rebel Gunboats-The Selma
Captured by the Metacomet-The Rebel Ram Tennessee Attacks
the Fleet-The Combat-Surrender of the Ram-The Tecumseh-A
Brave Ensign-Gallant Deeds and Gallant Men-Surrender of Forts
Powell and Gaines-Siege and Bombardment of Fort Morgan-Its
Surrender-Disgraceful Conduct of its Commander and OfficersMobile not Taken-Capture of the Privateer Georgia............467
CHAPTER XXXIV.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1864.
Grant's Ceaseless Activity-Blowing Up of an Ordnance Boat-Dutch
Gap Canal-Warren's Fight for the Weldon Railroad-Battle at
Ream's Station-Defeat of Hancock's Corps-Meade's DispatchesSheridan's Operations in the Shenandoah Valley-Pursuit of EarlyCapture of our Trains by Mosby-Retreat of Sheridan-His Position
at Bolivar Heights--A Second Advance-Takes Position at Berrysville-Unsatisfactory Campaign-Disappointment of the CountryGrant's Explanation of the Whole Matter-The Permission to "Go
In "-Sheridan Moves in Earnest-Battles of Opequan Creek and
Fisher's Hill-Total rout of the Enemy-Early takes a new Position
at Brown's Gap-Sheridan falls Back..........................481




ï~~24               THE    GREAT      REBELLION.
CHAPTER XXXV.
SEPTEMBER, 1864.
PAGE.
Ravagi.ng of the Shenandoah Valley-Sheridan's Dispatch-His New
Position-Leaves the Army for Washington-Early Resolves to make
a Night Attack-Secrecy of his March-Rout of the Army of Western Virginia and of the Nineteenth Corps-Retreat of the Whole
Army-Sheridan at Winchester-His Approach to the Field-His
Sudden Arrival and Stirring Appeals-Forms a new Line of BattleRepulse of the Enemy-Advance of his Line-The Enemy's Position
Carried-Complete Overthrow of the Rebel Army The Pursuit-A
Supperless Army-Enthusiasm of Officers and Men-The Generalship and Personal Power of Sheridan-The Rebels abandon the Valley-Hatcher's Run-Grant fails to Turn the Rebel Right-Butler's
Demonstration North of the James-Destruction of the Ram Albemarle by Lieutenant Cushing-The Rebels in Canada-Raid on St.
Albans, Vermont...........................................493
CHAPTER XXXVI..
SEPTEMBER-O0CTOBER, 1864.
Operations West during the Autumn-In Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri-Price, Steele, and Rosecrans-Capture of Athens by Forrest
-His farther Operations-General Burbridge sent to Destroy the
Salt-works at Saltville, Virginia-Sherman at Atlanta Davis in Georgia-Hood again takes the Field-Falls on Sherman's Communications-Gallant Defense, by Corse, of Allatoona-Pursuit of HoodThomas at Nashville-Sherman prepares for his Georgia CampaignRome Burned-Destruction of Property-Burning of Atlanta....... 509
CHAPTER XXXVII.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1864.
Sherman prepares to March-Orders respecting Foraging Parties-Division of the Army-Slocum's Wing-Howard's Wing-Kilpatrick's
Cavalry-March of the Former-Pillage of Madison-Slocum enters




ï~~CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

25

PAGE.
Milledgeville-March of the Right Wing-The Enemy at Lovejoy'sKilpatrick's Cavalry-Macon left in the Rear-Sherman enters Milledgeville and Occupies the Governor's House-The Soldiers Organize a Legislature-Rebels Repulsed at Griswoldville-Ki]patrick
drives Wheeler before him and Threatens Augusta-The Army at
Millen-March to Savannah-Capture of Fort McAllister by HazenSavannah Invested--HIardee summoned to Surrender-Sherman starts
for Port Royal-The City Evacuated-Sherman's  Dispatch to the
President-Review of the Campaign..........................522
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1864.
Expedition from Vicksburg-Grierson's Expedition-Breckenridge in
East Tennessee-Stoneman sent against Him-Rout of the EnemyDestruction of Wytheville and the Salt-works at Saltville-Hood Advances against Nashville-Schofield Falls Back before Him-Battle
of Franklin-Siege of Nashville-Impatience of Grant-Battle of
Nashville-Retreat of Hood-Operations around Murfreesboro'Close of the Campaign-Events East-Plot to Burn the City of New
York-Arrest and Execution of Rebel Officers-Warren's Expedition
-First Attempt to Capture Fort Fisher-Co-operative Movement
from Plymouth-Loss of the Otsego...........................535
CHAPTER XXXIX.
JANUARY, 1865.
Guerrillas--Peace Rumors-Relief for the Destitute in Savannah-Grant
plans a Second Expedition Against Fort Fisher-Terry Commands
it-The Bombardment-The Assault and Victory-Evacuation of
other Forts in the Vicinity--Thomas' Army Broken Up-Smith's
Command sent to Join Canby-Schofield's Corps ordered EastNorth Carolina made a separate Military Department-Narrow Escape of the Army of the Potomac-Peace Commissioners appointed
by Davis-Their Interview with the President and Secretary of State
-Exchange of Prisoners-Southern Prison Life-Inhumanity of the
South-Andersonville Prison-Captain Wirz, the Commandant, tried
at Washington and Hung...................................552




ï~~26

THE GREAT REBELLION.

CHAPTER XL.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1865.
PAGE.
The Right Wing of Sherman's Army Throeatens Charleston-The Left,
Augusta-The Army delayed by Heavy Floods-Kilpatrick's Cavalry-Forcing of the Salkehatchie-The Enemy deceived, and their
Forces Hopelessly Separated-Destruction of the Charleston and
Augusta Railroad-Capture of Orangeburg   Crossing the EdistoCapture of Columbia-Burning of the City-Distress of the Inhabitants-Burning of Winnsboro' Charlotte, N. C., Threatened-Sherman suddenly strikes East for Fayetteville-Capture of Cheraw-Fall
of Charleston-Junction of the two Wings-Capture of FayettevilleCommunications Opened with Schofield and Terry-Battle of Averysboro'-Battle of Bentonville-Occupation of Goldsboro'-End of
the Campaign-Sherman Visits Grant at City Point-Speedy Refitting of the Army.......................................564
CHAPTER XLI.
FEBRUARY---APRIL, 1865.
Interview between Grant and Sherman-Review of the Military FieldCanby's Preparations Against Mobile-Stoneman's Advance from
East Tennessee-Cavalry Raid from Vicksburg-Another from Eastport, Mississippi-Sheridan's Raid up the Shenandoah Valley and
round Richmond to the White House-He Reaches the Army of the
Potomac the same Day as Sherman-Grant's Plan to Move around
the Rebel Right Flank-Rebel Attack on Fort Steadman-Sherman
Returns to his Army-Grant Begins his Movement Unexpected Success-Battle of Five Forks-Grand Assault of the Enemy's LinesEvacuation of Petersburg and Richmond-Lee Retreats toward Danville-The Pursuit-Lincoln and Davis on the Day of the BattleWeitzel Enters Richmond-The City Fired by the Rebels---Lee hard
Pressed-His Retreat Cut Off-Grant Demands his Surrender-The
Correspondence-The Capitulation-Surrender of the Troops of
Northern Virginia-Joy of the North over the Victory...........582




ï~~CONTENTS       OF   VOLUME     II.              17
CHAPTER XLII
APRIL-MAY, 1865.
PAGE.
Sherman Rejoins his Army-Receives the News of the Fall of Petersburg and Richmond-He Moves on Raleigh-The Army Receives
the News of Lee's Surrender-Interview with Johnson-The Armistice-Injustice of the Secretary of War and Halleck-Stoneman's
Raid-Assassination of the President-His Last Order-His Character-Funeral Obsequies-The Conspiracy-Arrest, Trial, and Execution of the Prisoners-Rewards Offered for the Capture of Davis and
Others-The Movement against Mobile-Its Capture-Wilson's Cayalry Expedition-Raising the Flag at Fort Sumter-Grand Review of
the Armies of Grant and Sherman at Washington-Closing ScenesNational Debt..........................................599




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ï~~THE GREAT REBELLION.
CHAPTER I.
JUNE-JULY, 1863.
THE SEVEN DAYS' CONTEST-REMARKABLE FORESIGHT---POSITION OF OUR
ARMY-LEE S PLA N-THE MOVEMENT COMMENCED-BATTLE OF GAINES'
MILL --- SEVERE LETTER TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF WAR - DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY - A TRAIN CUT ADRIFT - THE RETREAT - ARMY
TRAIN-BATTLE OF SAVAGE STATION-BATTLE OF NELSON'S FARM AND
GLENDALE-BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL RETREAT TO HARRISON'S LANDING
-FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE-LETTER OF THANKS FROM TIHE PRESIDENTMC CLELLAN S LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT ON THE POLICY THAT SHOULD
BE ADOPTED IN PROSECUTING THE WAR-EFFECT OF IT ON HIMSELF.
EFORE McClellan had fully determined that retreat
would be necessary, he had decided in what direction it should be, when it became inevitable, viz., to James
River, and not back to the base of his supplies at the White
House.
With a foresight that seems almost like a divine premonition, he sent to Fortress Monroe to have transports carry up
supplies to Harrison's Landing on James River, to be ready
for his exhausted troops when they should arrive there, and
with them gunboats, to co-operate with his land forces as
circumstances might direct. These precautions saved him
from annihilation. Having thus done all that human sagacity or foresight could accomplish, he anxiously waited the
decisive movements of the enemy, which should settle at
once his course of action.




ï~~32

POSITION OF THE ARMY.

To understand the exact position of our army at this time,
it is necessary only to remember that the Richmond and
York River railroad, running east to the White House, (the
base of supplies,) and the Chickahominy River, form the two
sides of a letter V-Bottom's bridge being at the point.
The right arm of the V looking north is the river, which
our forces occupied up to Mechanicsville north of Richmond, and the left arm is the railroad) running directly
towards Richmond.   The Williamsburg stage road ran
alongside of the railroad, and not far from it. On the railroad, directly in front of the rebel capital, stood our intrenchments.
Here, and between the river and rebel fortifications, extending northward from the city, lay eight divisions of our
army. On the opposite side of the river was General Porter,
with two divisions, and the regular reserves, to guard against
a flank movement from the north, which should have been
taken care of by McDowell. The other flank, south of the
railroad and turnpike, was protected by the White Oak
Swamp.
This was McClellan's position; and in case of retreat, two
courses lay open to him-either to fall back along the route
by which he had advanced, to the White House on York
River, or cross the White Oak Swamp southward, and reach
the James River, where he still would be in striking distance
of the rebel capital.
The various roads by which the enemy, from his central
position at Richmond, could advance on the Union army,
stretching from White Oak Swamp nearly to Mechanicsville, may be understood, by standing with the face toward
it in Richmond and placing the right hand spread out, on the
map. The thumb would represent the space between the
Central railroad and Mechanicsville turnpike-the forefinger,
the road to the New Bridge-the middle finger, the York




ï~~'LEE'S  PLAN.

33

River railroad and Williamsburg turnpike running near each
other-the space between this and the third finger, the
White 0Ok Swamp-the finger itself, the Charles City turnpike south of it, and the little finger the Derbytown road,
still nearer the James River. By these two latter roads, the
rebels could swarm from Richmond, and fall on the heads of
columns as they emerged from White Oak Swamp, should
McClellan attempt to retreat towards the James River.
As soon as Lee ascertained that McDowell was not to
advance to the aid of McClellan, and the country was clear
around the right flank of the latter, he called in all his
troops from the northern part of Virginia, including Stonewall Jackson, till he had a force in hand nearly double that
of the Union army. With this, he resolved at once to fall
on McClellan, and utterly destroy his whole army. The
plan he adopted was a very simple one, and almost certain
of success. It was to send an entire army beyond the
Chickahominy, and with a single blow, crush the comparatively small force there, and keeping down its banks, get
between McClellan and the White House, and thus "cut off
supplies and starve him into a surrender, or crush him between the two armies in front and rear-each equal to his
entire force.
If in this dilemma, he should attempt to move off towards
James River, through White Oak Swamp, he was to be received beyond it, by heavy columns from Richmond, which
occupying all the roads, should hem him in in that direction,
so that no supplies could reach him from any quarter. It
was a gigantic scheme, and complete in every part, while
the means were at hand to carry it into successful execution.
Nothing but the most consummate generalship, and the steadiest troops, could extricate the American commander from
the terrible position in which it would inevitably place him.
The main Union army, it will be remembered, was be



ï~~34      FLANK MOVEMENT OF THE ENEMY.
tween the Chickahominy and Richmond. Fitz John Porter,
however, with the fifth corps, was on the north side-his
communication with it preserved by numerous bridges. The
first object of the enemy was to sweep this force away, and
then keep down the river in our rear. At the same time he
was to attack in front, to prevent reinforcements from being
sent to Porter.
The storm which had been slowly gathering, at length, on
the 26th of June, burst in all its fury on the devoted army.
The day was clear and warm, and at about three o'clock
in the afternoon, Jackson moved from Ashland down the
Chickahominy. Driving our advanced pickets before him,
he uncovered the bridge at Brook turnpike, and General
Branch, who was on the opposite side, crossed over, and
wheeling to the right, kept down the north bank a little in
the rear of Jackson, who gradually worked off towards the
Pamunkey. The two divisions kept on till they reached
Meadow Bridge, from which they also swept all obstacles,
and A. P. Hill, on the other side, crossed over and joined
Branch: The three columns now moved down towards
Mechanicsville-Jackson in advance, stretching off towards
the Pamunkey to get in flank and rear, Branch next, and
Hill last, resting his right on the Chickahominy. Thus
moving en echelon, they advanced on the Union batteries and
a fierce artillery action commenced, which shook the shores
of the stream, and rolled in heavy thunder peals over the
city of Richmond. But our troops were in a strong position along the left bank of Beaver Dam Creek, the left resting on the Chickahominy, and the right on a thick piece of
woods. Seymour's brigade held the left, reaching from the
river to a little beyond Ellison's Mills-woods and open
ground alternating-and Reynolds the right, mostly in the
woods. Felled timbers and rifle pits strengthened the
position, and the creek could be crossed by artillery, only




ï~~THE OPENING FIGHT.

35

on two roads, along which the fight chiefly raged. Our
batteries swept the ground beyond the creek, yet in face of
their murderous fire, the enemy advanced intrepidly towards
the stream, making his most desperate effort along the
upper road, where Reynolds was posted. The struggle was
fierce but short, and the rebel host surged back. Determined, however, to carry the position at whatever cost, the
rebel leaders, under a fierce artillery fire along their whole
line, massed their troops for another attack. With shouts
and yells that rose over the roar of cannon, they again
advanced, only to be mowed down with terrible slaughter
from the steady murderous fire poured in from Seymour's
brigade.. The battle raged for six hours, or until nine
o'clock at night, when the enemy retired.
McClellan now ascertained that Jackson was moving
rapidly down on his communications, far to the right of
Porter, and directed him to fall back, while the heavy guns
and wagons were sent across the river.
BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL.
At Gaines' Mill a second position was taken, so as to cover
the bridges, while Stoneman, who had been in command of
a flying column to protect Porter's flank, was sent off towards the White HouXse, to prevent its being cut off by
Jackson.
The new position was the arc of a circle, and opposite the
army'of McClellan, on the other side of the stream. Morell's
division held the left of this line, which extended about a
mile and a half, its extremity resting on the slope that descended to the stream, and commanded by Butterfield.
Martindale came next, and then Griffin, who touched the
left of Sykes' division, which extended to the rear of Cold
Harbor.   Each brigade had two regiments in reserve.




ï~~36

BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL.

McCall's division, which had been heavily engaged the day
before, formed a second line in rear, with Meade's brigade
on the left, near the Chickahominy, and Reynold's on the
right.  Seymour was held in reserve in the rear. The
artillery was posted on the elevations around, and in the
spaces between the divisions and brigades.
This was the position of that portion of the army which
was on the north side of the stream at noon, on the 27th of
June. The enemy, relying on his superior numbers, advanced with such determination upon our line of battle, that
by two o'clock, Porter sent to McClellan for reinforcements
and more axes, to complete his defences. General Barnard,
by whom the order was sent, never delivered it,-an act of
disobedience or neglect, meriting the severest condemnation,
-and by three o'clock, Porter was so fiercely ushed, that
the entire second line and the reserves had to be ordered
forward to support the first. An half hour later, Slocum's
division reached him, having been hurried across the bridges
by McClellan as soon as.he heard of Porter's sore need.
When it came into action, Porter's whole force numbered
about thirty-five thousand men, while that of the enemy was
full sixty thousand, if not more. With his overwhelming
numbers, he dashed now on one portion of the line, and now
on another, each time repulsed with terrible slaughter. But
our troops, most of which had been 'severely tasked by the
previous day's fighting, were rapidly beco'ming exhausted,
and at five o'clock an officer dashed into McClellan's headquarters, with an urgent demand for more reinforcements,
as the day was going against them. McClellan had already
sent all that he felt he could spare, for an overwhelming
force was on his side of the river also, ready to swoop down
on him, the moment his exhausted numbers gave them the
opportunity. And yet so pressing was the danger, that he
sent over French's and Meagher's brigades.




ï~~THE POSITION AT EVENING.

37

"The scene which the battle field presented at this moment
was one of imposing grandeur. Thirty-five thousand exhausted, beleagured men, enveloped in the smoke of their
own guns, stood bravely battling against twice their number, that darkened all the surrounding country with their
moving masses. The last of our reserves are in, and have
been for some time, and now the enemy is moving up his
own for a final assault. The thunder of artillery, which has
been breaking along the whole line for four long hours, is
redoubled, while the crash of musketry, fierce, rapid and
incessant, tells the Commander-in-chief, that the final hour
has come. Oh for but ten thousand of those forty thousand of McDowell's, fatally held back in this hour of terrible need, and the victory would be sure. But alas, they
are lounging idly in their camps on the banks of the Rappahannock, while their brave comrades here, are falling thick
as autumn leaves, in a vain effort to uphold the hon6r of the
flag.
The summer sun was sinking in the western sky, which,
without a cloud, looked like a sea of blood through the
smoke of battle that filled all the air. In the valley, the
long lines of lancers might be seen, their pennons fluttering
in the breeze, waiting the pealing bugle note that shall send
them headlong on the heavy battalions,-their sabre-points
sending long lines of light over the green fields, dotted with
groves on every side, while the gentle stream, reflecting the
crimson light, murmurs gently along as though its sweet
music was not drowned in the wild uproar that shakes its
banks. It is a placid summer evening, and a beautiful landscape spreads away on every side, but the eye of the commander sees naught of this. His swelling heart is ready to
burst, as he sees the ever-increasing flood of the enemy, and
no troops with which to stem it. Oh for night to come!
was his mental exclamation. But it is all in vain. The




ï~~38

A CAVALRY CHARGE,.

heavy reserves are steadily pressing back Porter's left, 'and
it begins to crumble, until the disorder reaches the very centre of the Federal lines. " There is no panic, the men do
not fly in the wild excitement of fear; but deaf to every
appeal, they march off deliberately, as if success were impossible." In vain the officers fling themselves in front of
the troops; and shout to them to stand by their flag-in vain
they offer to lead them back on the foe. On foot, his horse
having been shot urder him, Butterfield, surrounded by his
falling staff, plants a flag and calls on his men to rally
around it,--but in vain. With sword in hand, aids dash
amid the broken ranks with stirring appeals, in vain. Amid
the storm of shot and shell, the gallant leaders move and
fall, in vain. The battle is lost, and nothing now remains
but to save it from becoming a rout.' Then came the order
for the cavalry to charge. The bugles rang out over the
horrible din and uproar, and with sabres shaking over their
heads, the Fifth cavalry, shouting as they rode, dashed
fiercely on the dense battalions. But they might as well
have dashed on a rock. Broken into fragments by the
shock, they galloped wildly back through the artillery and
flying infantry, sending up a cloud of dust in their headlong
passage, and increasing tenfold the hopeless disorder. Borne
back for a mile, the shattered army came upon the fresh
brigades of Meagher and French, standing like a wall of
iron, on the field. Undismayed by the frightful wreck that
came heaving wildly down upon them, they maintained
their firm formation, and hurled it scornfully back, and sent
up a loud hurrah that rose over the tumult and told the
enemy that fresh troops were on the field: Advancing
boldly to the front, they arrested the confident and on rushing enemy, and gave time for our troops to rally. Twilight
had now settled over the landscape, and the enemy, having
exhausted all his reserves, and weary with his long and des



ï~~LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

39

perate conflict, paused in his victorious career, and fell back,
and the bloody day was ended. The slaughter had been fearful on both sides, and the trampled green sward and dusty
roads were crimson with the blood of brave men, and
sprinkled thickly with the dead and wounded. Twentythree guns were left in the enemy's hands as trophies, and
many prisoners, among them the gallant General Reynolds.
It was while smarting under this defeat and slaughter of
his brave troops, that McClellan used the following strong
and stinging language to the Secretary of War
" I know that a few thousand more men would have
changed this battle from a defeat to a victory. As it is,
the government must not, and cannot, hold me responsible
for the result.
"I feel too earnestly to-night. I have seen too many
dead and wounded comrades to feel otherwise than that the
government has not sustained this army. If you do not do
so now, the game is lost.
"If I save this army now, I tell you plainly, that I owe
no thanks to you, or to any other persons in Washington.
" You have done your best to sacrifice this army."
This was a terrible accusation to come from a General-inchief on the field of battle, but it is one from which the
Secretary of War has never yet successfully vindicated himself. That night the entire army was transferred to the other
side of the river, preparatory to the movement of the whole
force to the James River. All the wagons, heavy guns, etc.,
were also gathered there, and General Keyes, with his corps,
sent across the White Oak Swamp to seize strong positions
on the opposite side, so as to cover the passage of the trains
and the army.   Orders were also sent to embark all the
troops and stores at the White House, and destroy what could
not be removed. This was done, and a whole loaded train
that could not be saved, was afterwards sent adrift, with a full
head of steam on, which, rushing unguided along the track,
33




ï~~40

IMMENSE TRAIN,

plunged headlong into the stream, the bridge over it having
been destroyed. Huge fires, caused by the burning material collected on the route to the White House, lightened
the midnight heavens, leaving no fragment of the rich spoils
which the enemy had fondly hoped to seize. The bridges
over which our troops had passed were also destroyed, so
that when morning dawned, the Army of the Potomac was
all on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy, while more
than half of the Confederate forces were on the opposite
side, and the bridges broken down between. This was a
complete surprise to the enemy, and compelled him for
awhile to rest-powerless to do mischief. This result had
been planned by McClellan, for he needed the time it gave
him, to get his immense trains across the swamp, before his
army began to m'ove. Tangled up between his corps, it
would throw every thing into comfusion. Only a single
road crossed the swamp, along which five thousand wagons,
twenty-five hundred cattle,his immense siege train,and various
war material had to be transported. It required nice calculation and prompt, rapid movements to accomplish all this
before the overwhelming force of the enemy would be on
his rear, and rushing down, at right angles, on his line of
march along the roads leading from Richmond beyond the
swamp.
The 28th was a quiet day to both armies, so far as hostilities were concerned; but the Army of the Potomac was
stripping itself for the race and the struggle before it.. The
distance to the James River was only seventeen miles, so
that along that single line of road, scarcely half of the immense
train would have entered the swamp when its head would
be on James River. All day long it was winding, like a
mighty serpent, its tedious length through the forest, whose
gloomy recesses resounded with the rumbling of wheels, the
lowing of cattle, and the shouts and curses of men, as they




ï~~RETREAT COMMENCED.

41

urged on their teams. Time pressed, and the huge caravan
was crowded along the hot and narrow way to its utmost
speed.  Wounded men lay bleeding in the wagons, or
limped along beside them, while every ear was turned to
catch the thunder of cannon from the pursuing foe. It was
oppressively hot, yet all day and night the vast throng of
wagons kept hurrying forward to give room for the army,
for the peril to which it was exposed increased with every
hour's delay. The moon rose over the dark forest about
nine o'clock, and revealed a strange, confused, wild spectacle; but its light was dimmed by a thunder cloud, that
pushing up the heavens, sent peal after peal like the roarof artillery over the alarmed multitude.
The next day was the Sabbath, but not a day of rest to
that imperilled army. Early in the morning McClellan
broke up his head-quarters at Savage Station, and moved
across the swamp, to examine the ground beyond, for the
disposition of the corps, and make sure his communication
with the gunboats, without which all would be lost. He
sent Slocum also across, to relieve Keyes, so that the latter
could move on to James River. Porter was to follow, to
make the communication sure. The whole army now began
to move. Sumner, who. was at Fair Oaks, started at daylight towards Savage Station, but before he reached it was
attacked at Allen's field. With Richardson's and Sedgwick's divisions he succeeded however in holding the rebels
at bay for three hours. In the meantime, the enemy, having
repaired the bridges, began to cross the Chickahominy and
were now advancing towards Savage Station.
Franklin hearing of it, sent word to Sumner, who pushed
on to that point and assumed chief command. It was plain
that a battle must be fought here to cover the retreat.




ï~~42

BATTLE OF SAVAGE STATION.

BATTLE OF SAVAGE STA&TION.
Sumner, Franklin and Heintzelman were here-on whom
the Commander-in-chief could rely, and he told them to
hold that position till dark, and right gallantly was the
order obeyed. The public property which had accumulated
here was first destroyed, 'so as not to fall into the hands of
the enemy, and then they prepared for a stubborn resistance.
In vain did the enemy move upon this noble rear guard,
determined to break through to the trains beyond. It knew
the mighty trust which had been reposed in it, and that it
held the destiny of the army in its hands. Sumner and
Franklin's commands were drawn up in line of battle, in an
open field, the right stretching down the road, and the left
resting on a piece of woods held by Brooks' brigade. About
four o'clock the rebels, in overpowering masses, came moving down the Williamsburg road, and fell with savage fury
on Burns' brigade. They could not have selected a worse
point of attackL for a more gallant and stubborn commander
never led troops to battle than he. Rooted to the ground
his hat pierced with balls, and bleeding from a wound in
his face, he beat back the hostile battalions with a stern
courage that elicited the highest praise from even the cautious Sedgwick.  Hazzard'sand Pettit's batteries covered
themselves with glory. The battle raged for five hours, or
until nearly nine o'clock-the thunder of the guns breaking
in successive crashes over the forest, and sending consternation through the struggling trains far ahead, and urging
them on to still greater speed.
As soon as the battle was over, Sumner received orders
to fall back across the swamp. He obeyed reluctantly, for
his blood was up, and he wished to punish still further the




ï~~PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY.

43

presumptuous foe. But the columns were quickly put in
motion, and by midnight were all on the road to White Oak
Swamp, General French bringing up the rear. All night
long the brave but weary columns toiled on through the
forest, and just as the rays of the sun were tipping the tree
tops, the last regiment crossed White Oak Swamp bridge,
and then the bridge itself was destroyed.
One of the most difficult steps of the perilous feat which
McClellan had attempted to perform was now accomplished.
His trains were well on towards James River; the enemy in
the rear were arrested in their pursuit, and he had now
chiefly the forces sent down from Richmond to contend
with, which were designed to fall on him in flank and cut
his army in two. The enemy on the Chickahominy had two
sides of a triangle to traverse to reach him by this route,
while he had but one, so that though he had to delay his
march till his immense trains got.away, he was able to have
heavy forces guarding the roads leading from Richmond on
the, farther side of the swamp.
In the meantime, as soon as daylight revealed to the
enemy that Sumner had abandoned Savage Station  and
fallen back through the swamp, he started in pursuit, but
on finding the bridge destroyed was compelled to halt on
the banks of the stream. Here, planting his batteries, he
opened a furious artillery fire on Franklin, who with his
division had been left to defend the crossing. - But Keyes
handled his artillery with a skill that baffled all his efforts.
BATTLE OF NELSON'S FARM AND GLENDALE.
But while Franklin was thus keeping back the enemy that
had followed through the swamp from Savage Station, a
fierce battle was raging farther on towards the James River,
with a rebel army under A. P. Hill which had moved down




ï~~44

BATTLE OF GLENDALE.

from  Richmond, between the swamp     and river.   The
first road that intersected our line of march after crossing
the White Oak Swamp was the Charles City road, and this
Slocum was left to guard. Farther on towards the James,
was the Newmarket road. McCall was posted on this, with
Meade's brigade on his right, and Seymour's on his left;
the batteries of Randall, Kern, Cooper, Diedrich and Kanahan all posted in front of the infantry line. The country
was open in front, leaving a clean sweep for the artillery.
About three o'clock the enemy was seen moving in heavy
force upon this position, and at the same time coming down
the Charles City road on Slocum. Checked here by the
artillery, they, a little later, fell with desperate fury on
McCall's division. Right in the face of the death-dealing
batteries they advanced with grand, heroic courage, and
though swept by the storm of grape and canister, closed up
their rent columns and still faced the fiery sleet without
flinching. The slaughter was frightful, but making good the
losses with fresh troops, the rebel leaders pressed this devoted division with such fury that at length it was compelled to fall back. The gallant, fiery leaders, Hooker and
Kearney, were hurried to the rescue, and falling with their
weary, heroic columns on the shouting, victorious enemy,
hurled him back stunned and astonished. The battle lasted
till after dark, and again the Union troops had showed their
indomitable valor. Here Burns again distinguished himself,
and here the Sixty-third Pennsylvania,under Colonel Hays, and
the Thirty-seventh New York Volunteers covered themselves
with glory, for by their rapid volleys and desperate charge,
they repelled the third attack, though made by overwhelming
numbers. There was fighting everywhere to-day. The rebel
artillery was thundering on our rear guard at White Oak
Swamp bridge; where the roads crossed at right angles our
line of march, a fierce battle was raging; while, at the same




ï~~JAMES RIVER REACHED.

45

time the enemy came down on Porter already on the
James, to help whom, the gunbpats opened with their ponderous guns, sending their awful missiles of death through
the astonished hostile lines. The latter, maddened that
the foe was about to escape them, resolved at whatever
sacrifice of life to break through our long line at some point,
and thundered on it from the middle of the swamp to the
James River with frightful energy. The whole country was
dark with his moving masses, and the summer sun went
down ih an ocean of rolling smoke, that heaved and rifted
before the deafening explosions which made the earth tremble. Our wearied, hungry troops moved amid this carnival
of death with a heroism that mocked at numbers, and made
that last day of June one long to be remembered. The burdened earth turned red with the blood of the slain, but still
our flag floated triumphantly over the field. McCall fell into
the hands of the enemy, and Heintzelman, who was in chief
command of the troops, began, at midnight to fall back
towards the James, on the banks of which our trains were
now rapidly gathering. Franklin also retired, and McClellan
ordered the whole army to fall back to Malvern Hill. He
had selected this as the key to his position. Although he
had given General Barnard, Engineer-in-chief, special orders
as to the location of the troops as fast as they arrived, he on
the morning of the first of July, made the entire circuit of
the position himself with some of his general officers, to see
that no mistake should occur.
BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL.
McClellan had been for the last three days fighting at fearful disadvantages, for his army lay scattered all the way
from White Oak Swamp to the James River,-a line too
long to be held throughout by his enfeebled army,- and- yet




ï~~46

DESCRIPTION QF MALVERN HILL.

which could not be shortened without peril. The communication with the river mustbe kept up on account of his
transports, the trains be protected, the enemy in the rear
held back, and all the roads coming down from Richmond
strongly guarded; hence, when the enemy appeared in overwhelming numbers at any given point, the wearied troops
guarding it were compelled to hold it till reinforcements
could be hurried up from some other point. But now all
this was changed. He had his noble army once more
well in hand, and concentrated where it could strike its
powerful blows like a single engine. But the rebels had
also concentrated their forces, outnumbering his own, two to
one, and was preparing to make one last great effort to
wring victory from the hand of adverse fate.
Malvern Hill, on which McClellan had drawn up his
wearied but unconquerable host, is a plateau about a mile
and a half long, and three-quarters of a mile wide, with
several roads, converging to a single point, running over it.
On the side towards the river, the slope ended in a deep
ravine, which stretched, to the shore. Here Porter was
posted, with one brigade in the plain, to check any flanking
movement; and here, too, in the stream, were stationed the
gunboats, under Commodore Rodgers, for the purpose of
hurling their ponderous shells into the advancing columns of
the enemy. In front were several ravines, furnishing natural
obstacles to an approaching enemy, while the ground sloped
away, giving a clean sweep for the artillery. On this plateau McClellan massed his splendid artillery, at least three
hundred guns, frowning, like a brow of wrath, on the plain
below, while on the highest point, dominating all, Col. Tyler
had planted ten of his heavy siege guns. This officer had
made almost superhuman efforts to save his unwieldy siege
train amid the struggling mass that crowded the road
through White Oak Swamp, and had succeeded with the




ï~~POSITION OF THE ARMY.

47

loss of only three guns, which had broken down, and so
could not be brought off. Justly proud of his achievement,
he now determined they should no longer remain useless
burdens, and dragged these ten pieces to the top of the hill,
that their voices should first speak in the coming conflict.
McClellan had not enough men to make his whole line of
battle strong as it ought to be, and so he massed his main
force to the north and east, conjecturing the weight of attack
would come from that quarter-against his left wing. The
pursuing force coming from White Oak Swamp, and that
rushing down from Richmond, he thought, would make the
attack in that direction, instead of losing time by swinging
round down stream to the right wing, which would endanger
their own communication with the Capital.
In front of Porter's division, the artillery was so posted
that the tremendous fire of sixty cannon could be coticentrated on any single point, and made that grim chieftain feel
that the troops which could reach him must be something
more than flesh and blood. Sykes commanded his left, and
Morell, his right divisions; Couch came next, and after him,
Kearney and Hooker, then Sedgwick and Richardson,
Smith and Slocum, strong leaders every one, on whom their
chieftain could in that last trying hour rely with unbounded
trust. A portion of Keyes' Corps finished the line, that
curved back nearly to the river again below, in a huge
semicircle. The shattered, mutilated Pennsylvania reserve
corps was stationed behind Porter and Couch as a reserve.
Thus stood the immortal army of the Potomac on the
first of July. When all was completed, McClellan, with his
brilliant Staff, galloped along the mighty line, followed by
the deafening cheers of his devoted battalions, who felt that
they were to fight once more under his immediate eye. Seeing, at a glance, that the fury of the storm, as he had conjectured, was to burst on his left, he took his station there.




ï~~48

ADVANCE OF THE ENEMY.

The infantry was posted down the hill, so that the artillery
had a clean sweep over their heads. The scene was one of
imposing grandeur, and as the bright sun looked down
upon it, his rays flashed along the triple lines of steel that
girdled the hill with light, while the steady ranks belted it
with long dark lines--soon to be lines of fire. As far as the
eye could see, banners drooped in the still air, while groups of
horsemen here and there told where the respective commanders awaited the coming shock. It seemed downright
madness for any troops to advance on such an infernal fire
as, it was plain, could at any moment open from that plateau.
But Magruder, commanding the rebel forces, relying on his
overwhelming numbers, determined to carry it. Skirmishing in the plain below commenced between nine and ten
ii the morning, but the enemy seemed in no haste to enter
on the desperate undertaking before him. At length, however, about two o'clock, a dark mass emerged on the plain
and moved steadily forward on Couch's division. The artillery opened on both sides, and though ugly rents were made
at every step in the enemy's ranks, they closed firmly up,
and kept unfalteringly on. An ominous silence rested on
Couch's division, which lay motionless on the ground. Still,
on swept the hostile column, till within close musket range,
when at the word of command, the division sprung to its feet
and poured in one deadly volley. Before it, that compact
mass was rent like a cloud, torn with an explosion in its
own bosom, and was driven in shattered fragments over the
field. About four o'clock the firing ceased all along the
line, and the hill that for two hours had groaned on its firm
foundations, under the heavy crack of artillery, lapsed
into silence again. Two hours more passed by, but, about
six o'clock, the plain below suddenly opened like a volcano
with the fierce fire of all the rebel artillery, and, under its
cover, were seen advancing the heavy columns of the




ï~~THE BATTLE.

49

enemy. In a moment the hill was in a blaze of light, and
from three hundred cannon rained a horrible tempest of
shot and shell. Seeing that nothing could long stand before
it, the rebel leaders ordered the troops on the double quick,
to carry the hill in one impetuous rush. Brigade after
brigade, emerging from the distant woods, dashed on a
fun across the intervening space, and swept up, in one black
overwhelming tide, towards the batteries. But when they
came within reach of the musketry, the volleys were too
murderous for flesh and blood to withstand. The reeling
lines shrivelled up before it and disappeared from sight.
Still, bent on victory, the rebel leaders reformed their broken
battalions; and, bringing forward fresh troops, sent them
forward with drums beating and banners flying, in the same
all-engulfing  fire. More desperate courage was never displayed by any troops on any field than they evinced in
these successive charges. Again and again, they. crossed
the whole line of fire of our batteries, breasting the storm of
grape and canister without flinching, till close upon our line of
battle, when their shouts of victory arose within short pistol
shot of the coolly awaiting ranks. Then the hill side would
seem to gap and shoot forth flame. One volley, and instantly the shouting troops were on them with the bayonet,
sending them like scattered sheep to their cover, leaving
the slope carpeted with their dead. It seemed that each
repulse must be the last, and that no troops on earth could
be made to advance again, on such certain destruction. But
in a few moments the reformed columns would be seen
emerging from the sulphurous cloud that canopied the field,
and moving swiftly upon the batteries. They advanced,
however, only to vanish again when they camne within reach
of the volleys of the infantry. In the midst of the horrible
din and uproar, and this terrible slaughter, ever and
anon cam* the deep boom of the one hundred pounders on




ï~~50

APPEARANCE OF THE FIELD.

board the gunboats, followed by a shrieking mass rushing
through the clouds of smoke-the next second to explode,
like a clap of thunder, amid the ranks of the astonished foe.
The fiery sun went down on this strange scene,-his
beams struggling dimly through the murky atmosphere, but
still the work of death went on. As twilight deepened over
the field, the puffs of smoke that shot out over the plain
were illuminated with flame,-while blazing shells crossed
and re-crossed each other in every direction, weaving a fiery
net-work over the struggling armies. Into the midst of this
pandemonium, every few minutes, fell one of the ponderous
shells from the gunboats, bursting with a sound that shook
the earth, and sent terror into the rebel ranks. Darkness
at length closed the scene, and the shattered, bleeding host
of the enemy withdrew in despair. The last blow had been
struck and failed, and a loud shout rolled along the Union
lines. But what a field it was! The ploughed and trampled
earth, the shattered trees and buildings, and the fields strewn
with dead horses, broken artillery wagons, muskets and men,
looked as if all the forces of heaven and earth had been
striving to see what a fearful wreck could be made.
Commodore Rodgers, of the gunboats, in a consultation
with McClellan, had said that the southern shore of the
river was so near at this point that should the enemy occupy
it, it would be impossible to get up the supplies for the army,
and as Harrison's Landing was the nearest point of safety, it
had been resolved, two days previous, to fall back there.
Hence, all day long, while the earth was shaking to the
uproar of battle on Malvern Hill, the immense trains were
hurrying forward towards Harrison's Landing. To the same
point McClellan now directed the army to be moved. This
was a delicate operation in the presence of the enemy,
especially as the rear of the trains still blocked the road.
General Keyes, with his corps, was appointed to rover the




ï~~HARRISON 'S LANDING.

51

manoeuvre, and nobly did he fulfill the trust reposed in him.
Colonel Averill, with his cavalry, who had done good service
in the advance beyond White Oak Swamp, covered the withdrawal of the left wing under Porter, and so skillfully did he
manage, that, with only his regiment and Lieut. Colonel
Buchanan's brigade of regular infantry, and one battery, he
so deceived the enemy, that they allowed him to hold the
battle-field unmolested all the next day. General Keyes, by
the way in which he took advantage of every formation of
ground, and kept the trains closed up, and the army disencumbered of the countless wagons and vehicles of every
description that thronged the single road over which he
was compelled to move, showed executive ability equal to
the management of a- great battle, and won the highest
praise of his Commander.
The army was at Jst safe, and the terrible struggle that
had been kept up since the 26th of June, was over. Pressed
by overwhelming nunbers, allowed no.rest, scarcely time to
snatch a morsel of food, bleeding at every step, and leaving
its dead and wounded on almost every foot of ground
it had traversed, this gallant army had fought its way
triumphantly out of the very jaws of destruction, andi now
drew up along the banks of the James River, proud and
defiant as ever. The mighty effort put forth by the rebel
government had failed of success. At an immense sacrifice
of life, it had succeded only in compelling McClellan to
adopt a better base, from which he could advance surely on
Richmond. It is true he had lost 15,000 men in the terrible struggles of the last seven days, but the enemy had
suffered still more heavily, and the rebel Capital was crowded
with the wounded and dying.
The whole movement had taken the country by surprise.
Though every newspaper correspondent had said that unless the army was reinforced, its overthrow or defeat was




ï~~52

FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE.

certain, and although the people wondered and clamored
because McDowell, with nearly 40,000 men, was kept idle
at Fredericksburg, and cursed the Secretary of War for
keeping a part of the army from McClellan, it still would
not admit defeat to be possible. It had resolved that Richmond should fall, and that the fourth of July should celebrate its overthrow. Hence, when the first news of the
retreat of the army was received, it was confidently believed
that it was an advance on Richmond. When the whole
truth burst upon the country, it was stunned at the danger
it had escaped, and filled with admiration at the valor of the
army and skill of its leader, which had not merely kept at
bay, but rolled back the overwhelming numbers of the
enemy, even in defeat-its last blow, the greatest and most
fearful of all. Murmurs and complaints were in every body's
mouth, and rage and disappointment.filled the land, while
Richmond was ablaze with illuminations.
McClellan issued a spirited address to his soldiers, promising soon to lead them   into Richmond.   The President
thanked him in a letter, saying, "I am satisfied that yourself, officers and men, have done the best you could. * *
* Ten thousand thanks for it." Two days after, when the
full accounts had been received, he wrote again:   "Be
assured the heroism and skill of yourself, officers and men is,
and forever will be, appreciated." McClellan now asked
for reinforcements, which the Government at Washington
declared itself unable to furnish.
In this crisis of affairs he wrote a letter to the President,
dated the 4th of July, in which he sketched out the policy
which he thought should be adopted. This letter had an
important influence on his destiny, for although it was
not made public for more than a year, it was the cause of
his removal from the command of the army. The main




ï~~M CCLELLAN' S LETTER.               53
features of the policy he recommended, were, no confiscation-no emancipation act by the.Government-hoping thus
to bring about a reaction on the part of the South. These
views made him the leader of the Opposition, who immediately named him as the future candidate for the Presidency.




ï~~CHAPTER II.

JULY-AUGUST, 1862.
POPE'S CAMPAIGN-POPE CALLED TO THE ARMY OF VIRGINIA-HIS ORDERSCONCENTRATION OF HIS ARMY-HALLECK MADE GENERAL-IN-CHIEF-HIS
PLAN OF OPERATIONS-MC CLELLAN RECALLED FROM THE PENINSULA-HIS
LETTER. OF REMONSTRANCE-LEE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE BLUNDER OF
HALLECK-BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN-LEE S GREAT MOVEMENT BEGUNACCOUNT OF SUBSEQUENT OPERATIONS-BATTLE OF BULL RUN-BATTLE OF
GROVETON-THE LAST DAY'S BATTLE-THE ARMY FALLS BACK TO THE FORTS
-LEE MOVES TOWARDS THE POTOMAC-MC CLELLAN S TELEGRAM TO HALLECK
ASKING PERMISSION TO JOIN THE ARMY-PLACED ONCE MORE AT THE HEAD
OF THE ARMY-POPE'S FAILURE-REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.
WHILE these momentous events were passing in front
of Richmond, great changes were being introduced
into the army around Washington. The President and the
country, had had enough of the military strategy of the
Secretary of War, and it became imperatively necessary to
have some other head, to direct the corps of McDowell,
Banks and Fremont, which had been taken away from the
General-in-chief. General Pope was, therefore, called from.
the West, to take command of these, to be called the Army
of Virginia, and also' of all the troops, in garrison, around
Washington.    He entered on his duties the 29th of June,
the very day on which commenced the seven days' struggle
before Richmond.     He began his career by issuing two
orders, in which he ridiculed the idea of bases of operations
and of "securing lines of retreat," declaring that he should
leave that for the enemy to do. This was regarded as an
indirect stab at the General-in-chief, and hence excited a
great deal of ill will against him throughout the country.




ï~~POPE'S PLAN OF CAMiPAIGN.

55

Thoughtful men looked upon it as a bad omen, that he
should, at the outset of the campaign, avow that he meant
to disregard the soundest military maxims, and, like the
First Napoleon, revolutionize the science of war.
The "Army of Virginia" numbered, at this time, about fifty
thousand men fit for the field, with which Pope was to protect
Washington, and co-operate, in some way, with the Army of
the Potomac. This force was scattered all along, from Fredericksburg to Winchester, and his first object was to get it
together. Adopting the theory, that if the enemy should
attempt to advance on Washington byway of the Shenandoah Valley, it woulds be.better, instead of meeting him
there, to be more in front of Washington, so as to cut
his force in two while on the march, he therefore, began to concentrate his army, in and about Sperryville. By
occupying this position, he hoped to be able also, to operate
on.the enemy's line of communication, in the direction of
Gordonsville and Charlottesville, so as to draw off a part of
the army arrayed.against McClellan. It has been seen,
however, that the movement was too late to effect the latter
object. In the meantime the President began to see that
to have two distinct armies operating against the same point,
and yet entirely independent of each other, with no common head but the Secretary of War whose incapacity to
direct movements in the field, had been tested to his satisfaction, would only complicate the difficulties of the situation instead of removing them, sent for General Halleek to assume the chief command. This officer, who had
never fought a battle, and never conducted a campaign
in person, except the extraordinary one against Corinth,
was, on the 12th day of July, placed at the head of the
American armies, _to control all the campaigns, and push the
war to a speedy issue. He at once adopted a plan of cam.
paign in accordance with the President's original policy, which
34




ï~~56

5HALLECK'S PLAN.

was to move on Richmond overland from Washington. Of
course, it became necessary to recall the Army of the Potomac,
and abandon the peninsula route altogether; and, on the 3d
of August, Halleck sent an order to McClellan to withdraw
his army at once, and come up to Acquia Creek, covering
his movements the best way he could. McClellan was
astonished at this unexpected order, saying in reply, that " it
had caused him the greatest pain he ever experienced." He
sent in a strong remonstrance against it, demonstrating, in
the clearest manner, that it was a suicidal policy, and closing with these remarkable words: "clear in my convictions
of right, strong in the consciousness that I ever have been,
and still am, actuated solely by the love of my country,
knowing that no ambitious or selfish motives have influenced
me from the commencement of this war, I do now what I
never did in my life before, I entreat that this order may be
rescinded."  The appeal was in vain. Halleck would not
rescind the order, and McClellan,' at once, began to obey it,
and withdraw his army, in such a way a to save it from being
cut up in its retreat. But he was not molested. Such a huge
blunder, as the General-in-chief had now committed, was
sure not to escape the keen watchfulness of a man of Lee's
sagacity. Richmond being so unexpectedly relieved from
all danger, he determined to throw his army rapidly across
the country, overwhelm Pope, before the Army of the Potomac could reach him, and move boldly upon Washington.
BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN.
General Pope, being informed that Jackson was rapidly
approaching the. Rapidan, ordered Banks, commanding the
Second Corps, nominally thirteen, but really only about eight
thousand strong, to move to Culpepper Court House, where
the whole army was being rapidly concentrated. On the




ï~~BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

9th of August, he diirected him to move forward towards
Cedar Mountain, and take up a strong position, where he
could resist the advance of Jackson, until the other corps
could be brought up. Jackson, in the mean time, had
already crossed the Rapidan, and occupied the sides of
Cedar Mountain, in force. Banks, as he approached the
mountain, about four o'clock in the afternoon, heard desultory firing from Bayard s cavalry, which was disputing the progress of the enemy, and from Crawford, who
was engaged with his artillery. It was a warm August
day, and the green trees that covered the mountain
sides, effectually concealed the force of the enemy. From
his masked batteries, Jackson immediately    poured in
a destructive fire on our advancing columns. Banks did
not believe the enemy was in any considerable force, so,
after suffering severely for a while, from the rebel batteries,
he determined to charge    those nearest him: General
Williams held the right, and Augur the left, of the line of
battle. General Prince, of the latter division, advanced his
brigade.from this part of the field, supported by General
Geary, who moved nearly in a line with him. They swept
past our artillery, entered a corn field in beautiful order, and
moved steadily forward towards the hostile batteries, tEat
all the while played fast and furiously into their exposed
ranks. The brave men took the desolating fire with astonishing firmness, and, with their eyes bent on the deadly
guns, kept grandly, devotedly on. But suddenly a heavy
mass of infantry, till then concealed behind a low swell, rose
before them and poured a fearful volley into their very faces.
This unexpected- fire, combined with that of the batteries,
was too much for them, and they were compelled to fall
back, though not till they ihad left nearly two-thirds of their
entire number on the field. Prince, while gallantly holding
his men to their murderous work, was surrounded and taken




ï~~58

JACKSON RETREATS.

prisoner, and Geary was borne back severely wounded.
Crawford and Gordon, in a piece of woods on the extreme
right, contended with equalgallantry against the same hopeless J odds; but were also compelled to fall back. The battle proper, lasted scarcely more than thirty minutes, and
yet, in that short space of time, General Gordon lost onefourth of his entire-brigade, and the One Hundred and Ninth
Pennsylvania and One Hundred and Second New       York
regiments, left lialf their number behind them.   Pope,
hearing the cannonade at Culpepper, hurried forward with
McDowell's Corps, to the rescue. Sigel was also ordered to
close up with all possible despatch, and every preparation
was made for a great battle. Darkness settled over the summer landscape; yet, all along that mountain side, occasional
spots of flame would flash out, as a battery, now and then,
sentits heavy shot and shell into the valley below -but
before Pope could get his forces up, Jackson had retired
across the Rapidan. He had accomplished his purpose-decoyed Banks into a trap, and shattered his corps into fragments, that could unite no more, till that campaign was
-ended; for nearly one-fourth of his entire force was killed,
wounded, and missing, at the close of that short desperate
struggle.
Pope blamed Banks for bringing on this disastrous battle,
saying that his orders were to stand on the defensive, until
he could move up his main 'body, and that his neglecting to
do so, not only caused a useless slaughter, but saved Jackson from total annihilation. What the ultimate result of the
campaign would have been, had Banks obeyed orders, it is
impossible to say. We only know it was a sad beginning
of a sad campaign. Pope, finding that it was impossible to
hold his advanced position, on which the enemy was moving in overwhelming force, resolved to abandon it, and on
the 18th and 19th, safely moving his entire army across




ï~~A SWIFT MARCH.             5

59

the Rappahannock, for several days succeeded in holding
the fords against the repeated attempts of the enemy to
cross. These demonstrations of Lee, howeverin front, were
not very determined   and evidently made to mask his
grand movement, which was to turn, the right wing of
Pope's army. The situation was fast becoming one, that
might well fill the latter with anxiety. It would not do to
uncover Fredericksburg, yet to extend his lines so as to keep
pace with the rebel movement to the right, rendered it so
thin as to-. be easily forced at almost any point. A sudden
freshet raising the river, so that there were but few points
where it could be crossed, relieved him for a while. On the
25th onlyseven thousand men, the Pennsylvania reserves under Reynolds and Kearney's division, had reached him from
the Army of the Potomac. But receiving word that thirty
thousand more were on their way to join him, he determined
to let go his hold on the lower fords of the Rappahannock,
and concentrate his forces between Warrenton and Gainesville,
and give the enemy battle. On the 26th he ascertained
that Jackson, having passed around his right, was moving
swiftly through Thorough Fare Gap, to cut off his communication with Wasl4ngton. Pope had directed the approaching reinforcements to take certain positions as they arrived,
which, he felt confident, would enable him to checkmate any
such attempt. But he was disappointed. In fact, the whole
movement of Jackson was.a surprise to him. So rapid and
secret had his march of nearly fifty miles, in forty-eight
hours been, that his sudden appearance at Bristow Station,
on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, was like an apparition. Without wagons or provisions, feeding his army on
the standing corn, which the soldiers picked and roasted on
the way, he had moved with the celerity of cavalry, and was
now thundering in the rear of the puzzled American Commander, breaking up his head-quarters, and capturing his




ï~~Go60

PURISUIT OF JACKSON.

papers. Burning railway trains at Bristow, the enemy moved
up to Manassas JunctioP, Ewell's division bringing up the
rear. Destrgying here, Quarter-Masters' and Commissary
stores, and sutlers' depots, the ragged, famished soldiers,
rioted, for a while, in luxury and drinking, and satiated
themselves with the finest wines. But Jackson was now in
a' perilous position, being between Alexandria and Warrenton, and between Pope's army and that of McClellan. Turning night iito day, by the immense conflagrations he kindled
here, the enemy moved off to Centreville, and crossed the
famous Bull Run, pursued by Pope. Jadkson would hardly
have dared to "make this audacious movement, had he not
entertained a thorough contempt for his adversary. Pope
thought he had him in a trap, and telegraphed to Washington that he could dt escape. In fact, he had him secure
two or three times, yet the latter always managed to get
off, but in every case, through somebody's criminal neglect, or almost equally criminal blunders. The misfortune at
Bristow, was owing to the refusal, on the part of Porter, to
obey orders, and the dilatoriness of Sigel, who commanded
McDowell's advance. So too, if McDowell had "moved forward as directed, and at the time specified, they would have
intercepted Jackson's retreat towards Centreville," and cut
him up badly. But;, after all these mishaps, Jackson was still
in his toils, as he believed. Surrounded by an overwhelming
force, his only way of escape was through Thorough Fare
Gap, or north to Leesburgh. But McDowell, with twentyfive thousand mthen, was between him and the Gap, while
Kearney was pressing him so closely, that the latter alternative would be impracticable. This was the state of things
on the night of the 28th. From Pope's point of view, it did
seem a desperate case for Jackson. Between him and the
Gap, lay twenty-five thousand men-behind him, ready to
fall on him in the morning, were twenty-five thousand




ï~~A BAYONET CHARGE.

61

more, while the rebel leader could not have had more than
twenty thousand men all told. But here again, "some
one blundered."  Ricketts, according to Pope, made a false
movement, causing King to withdraw his troops, leaving
Thorough Fare Gap open, towards which Jackson was
steadily falling back, and through which Longstrect was
about to pour his division  to succor him   Of course,
a new disposition of the forces became necessary. Sigel was
directed to attack the enemy at daylight, and bring him to
bay. He did so and the battle of Groveton followed. It
was a bloody action, and at first, seemed doubtful, but the
arrival of Hooker and Kearney soon changed the aspect of
affairs. The battle raged all day, and the fields and woods
were thickly strewn with the dead; but, at five o'clock,
Heintzelman and Reno made a furious charge on the enemy's
left, which doubled it up, and forced it back, so that, when
darkness put an end to the strife, we were masters of the
field, but nothing more. In the attack on the enemy's left,
Grover's brigade, of Hooker's division, greatly distinguished
itself by a bayonet charge, which shivered the first and
second lines of the enemy, and was checked only by the
third.
But while Jackson was compelled to fall back, Longstreet's
troops were seen pouring through Thorough Fare Gap to his
relief
Our loss in this engagement was estimated at nearly eight
thousand. Again, Pope saw his enemy elude his grasp, but
this time, Porter was to blame; for, if he had come up in
season, Pope "would have crushed or captured" (he said)
"the larger portion of Jackson's force."
The next morning, Pope again gave battle, in the last
desperate hope of breaking the enemy's left. The conflict
was long and sanguinary, extending on into the night. As
in the battle of the day before, no decisive advantage seemed




ï~~62

MARCH OF LEE.,to have been gained by the enemy, yet, at its close, Pope
ordered the whole army' to fall back to the fortifications
around Washington, -for protection. He had ridiculed the
idea of securing lines of retreat, and the country had scoffed
at the veteran Scott, and afterwards at McClellan, for building those elaborate works before venturing an advance
movement; but now, the former was glad to take advantage
of the refuge he had affected to despise, and the latter
heavedua sigh of relief that military science had not yielded
to popular ignorance and conceit.  Halleck, at last, discovered the bold plan of Lee, which, the constant fighting,
and even the last two days' battles, had not for a moment
arrested. Steadily sweeping on towards the Shenandoah
Valley, all the battles he had fought, were for the purpose of
clearing his line of communications, and forcingour army back
into its fortifications, exhausted, bleeding, humbled, so that
he couldcross the Potomac into Maryland, and threaten the.
national Capital from the rear.
All this time, McClellan, stripped of his command, was in
camp near Alexandria, a prey to the keenest anxiety. The
army that he had created, and which had become endeared
to him by common perils and a common destiny, was struggling in mortal combat near him-the sound of cannon constantly borne to his ears, and the earth trembling under the
heavy explosions, and yet, he was not allowed to be with it.
His brave troops were being mowed. down, as he believed,
a sacrifice to incompetency, yet he could do nothing, but
send on fresh men as fast as they arrived, till he had nothing
left,-but the guard around his camp, and this, at last, was
ordered forward also. Never was a Commander placed in a
more painful position. Stripped of all command, he walked
his solitary camp, borne down with grief. At last he could
bear it no longer, and just before midnight, on the last day
of the battle, he telegraphed to Gen. Halleck, at Washing



ï~~MCCLELLAN RESTORED.

63

ton: "I cannot express to you the pain and mortification I
have experienced to-day, in listening to the distant sound of
the firing of my men. As I can be of no further use here, I
respectfully ask, that if there is a probability of the conflict
being renewed to-morrow, I may be permitted to go to the
scene of battle with my Staff; merely to be with my own
men, if nothing more. They will fight none the worse for
my being with them. If it is not deemed best to intrust
me with the command of my own army, I simply ask to be
permitted to share their fate on the field of battle. Please
reply to this to-night."' To this he received no answer.
Such an appeal was enough to move a heart of stone.
Though disgraced from his high command, he did not yield
to resentment, and stand aloof in scornful anger, but, from
a heart wrung with anguish for his brave troops, he prayed
simply that he might fly to the battle-field and share their
fate. If, however, he had wished for revenge, he would
have been satisfied the next day; when the terrified Generalin-Chief, whose treatment of him had been so extraordinary,
sent to him the following telegram: "I beg of you to assist
me in this crisis, with your ability and experience. I am entirely tired out." Caesar was, at length, compelled to cry,
"Help me, Cassius, or I sink."  The President, too, who
had hoped to the last for sbccess, at length yielded to
alarm, for he was suddenly aroused at the sight of the Capital in imminent peril, and sending for McClellan, placed him
once more at the head of the army. The country, at last,
awoke to the humiliating fact, that Pope's campaign had
been a lamentable failure. A few friends, however,' endeavored to break his fall, by asserting that he failed.through
the willful neglect of some of the commanders, to aid himchief among whom was Porter. Certainly, if Pope's statements are to be received as true, he was the most injured and
abused Commander of his time. In the first place, at the




ï~~64

CAUSES OF FAILURE.

outset, General Hatch failed to obey orders and take Gordonsville. Afterwards, he neglected to march to Charlottesville and destroy the railroad between that place and Lynchburg, for which he was removed from the command of the
cavalry of General Banks' Corps. On the top of this misfortune, came the calamitous battle of Cedar Mountain, which
Pope declares was fought contrary to his orders. In the
third place, when Jackson was retreating from  Manassas
Junction towards Centreville, Pope says, "if the whole force
under General McDowell, had moved forward as directed,
and at the time specified, they would have intercepted
Jackson's retreat;" and he adds, "I do not believe it
would have been possible for him to cross Bull Run without heavy loss."  Again, directly after, when he "felt
sure there was no escape for Jackson, to his great disappointment the plan all fell through," because "King's division
had fallen back, leaving open the road to Thorough Fare
Gap." Again, on the 29th, he would have achieved a signal
victory over Jackson, but for the "strange failure" of Gen.
Porter to move as he was directed. And finally, on the
30th, he says "he began to feel discouraged and nearly
hopeless of any successful issue" to his operations, on account
of a letter he received from General McClellan, informing
him that "rations and forage  ere at Alexandria, waiting a
cavalry escort." Beginning with a commander of cavalry,
and being kept up by three corps commanders, two of whom
were in the regular army, this constant disobedience to
orders worked the disastrous issues over which the country
mourned. If all this was true, he certainly was an injured
man, and the wrongs done him received their climax, when
the Administration virtually withdrew him from the field,
and sent him to the Northwest, to conduct a campaign
against the Sioux Indians, who had risen and massacred
several hundred of the inhabitants of Minnesota. The cam



ï~~REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.

65

paign, however, needs no elaborate criticism. Recalling the
army from the James River was a great blunder. The removal of McClellan did not necessitate the removal of the
army, for there were Generals 'in it besides him, who,
from that point, with proper reinforcements, could have
carried it into Richmond. Pope, also, was no match for
Lee, least of all. in a country so thoroughly known by the
latter, and of which he was almost wholly ignorant. Pope
comprehended neither the campaign nor the country, and
the General-in-chief, at Washington, was no wiser. The
former, by looking at his map, could see points, where a
proper force might thwart the movements of his adversary,
and hence ordered them there, without taking into consideration the probabilities, and sometimes the possibilities, of their
getting up in time to carry out his plans. If the army had
been endowed with wings, his campaign might have been a
very successful one, but, as it was, it turned out a miserable
failure, the blame of which fell wholly on him, while it should
be divided between him and General Halleck.




ï~~CHAPTER III.

SEPTEMBER-1862.
ALARM AT WASHINGTON-ANTIETAM-MC CLELLAN TAKES THE FIELD--BATTLE
OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN-SURRENDER OF HARPER'S FERRY-BATTLE OF ANTIETAM-HOOKER'S STRUGGLE-FATAL DELAY OF BURNSIDE-LEE'S RETREATPUBLIC DISAPPOINTMENT-THE* ARMY RESTS-EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
-SUSPENSION OF HABEAS CORPUS-ITS EFFECTS-ITS DANGERS.
THE terror inspired at Washington, by the unfortunate
Sturn of events, was not generally known to the country.
Lee was throwing his mighty columns across the Potomac,
in the vicinity of Hagerstown, but whether for.the purpose
of moving -down upon Washington on, the Maryland side,
or of invading Pennsylvania, or with the design to draw our
troops in that direction, and then suddenly recross the river,
and come down on the Capital on the Virginia side, no one
knew.
Reorganizing the army, as by magic, McClellan at once
took the field, moving cautiously up the Potomac, on the
Maryland side. His gallant army, though foot sore and
worn, were, however, full of spirit and courage, because
their beloved Commander rode at their head, and were
eager to meet the exultant foe, before whom they had been
so reluctantly compelled to retire.
With his left wing resting on the Potomac, arid his right
extending far out into the country, he moved by five different parallel roads, slowly and cautiously up the river,
anxiously watching the development of the rebel plans.
On the thirteenth, he had reached Fredericksburg, still in
ignorance of the exact whereabouts of the rebel army. But,




ï~~HARPER'S ERRY.

67

during the day, an order of General Lee, fell into McClellan's
hands, which fully disclosed the plans of the former. This
was all the latter had been waiting for. He was now no
longer compelled to feel his way, and immediately gave
orders for the entire army to move rapidly forward. Harper's Ferry, on the Virginia side of the river, was, at this
time, held by Colonel Miles, with a large garrison, which,
for some unexplained reason, was not allowed, at the first,
to be under McClellan's charge, though being directly in the
field of his operations. Before he left Washington, he had
requ sted th  the garrison be withdrawn, either to the
M    and    ghts,  hich could be easily held, or sent to
aiin cdvering the Cuimberland Valley.. This advice was
urinheeded, and the place kept from his control, until Jackson,
with a heavy force, was already advancing against it. Two
days after McClellan-was informed that the place was under
his command, he received a verbal report from Colonel
Miles, that -he had abandoned Maryland Heights, the key to
the position, but that he could hold out two days longer.
McClellan sent couriers back, by three different routes, to
inform him that he was forcing the pass on the Hagerstown
road, over the Blue Ridge, and that he would certainly
soon relieve him. " Hold to the last extremity," was his
urgent command. In the mean time the
BATTLE OF SOUTH M OUNTAIN.
was raging. The rebels occupied the sides and tops of the
mountain, on  otl  sides of the road, at a point called
Frog's Gap. The 1flfty slopes were steep, broken, and
wooded, furnishing a strang position for defense, and which
commanded every approachto the base of the ridge. The
battle commenced at sen o'clock in the morning, by the
advance of Cox's division- of Reno's Corps. A heavy artil



ï~~68

BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN.

lery duel followed, the enemy pouring their shot and shell
down from the sides of the mountains, and our batteries replying from the plain below. About noon, a short, severe
conflict occurred between the infantry,.over some pieces
abandoned by our troops in a panic, in which the rebels
were beaten. About two o'clock, the head of Hooker's column, coming to reinforce Reno, was seen moving along the
turnpike. Sweeping off in a road that turned to the right, it
steadily approached the foot of the mountain, amid the prolonged ch.rs of Reno's troops. An hour later, the line of
battle was formed at the base of the ridge - Rickett's
brigade on the extreme right, and ieno's o the lef -and
the order to.advance given. Th enemyopeined on it with
artillery, buit it steadily advanced,  d,  t length, began to
ascend the rugged sloee.:ashort time thewhtole;rebel
force was encountered, and then th wooded steep.became
wrapped in flame and smke. For three hugm, it thundered
and flamed without a manoent's, interyVal, along the, breast of.
the mountain, but nothicg couid, ~t~ytheosteadyjpipward
sweep of that magnifcextit line, and as the. st r  Qf the
sun were gilding the summit, our victorious flag was planted
upon it, and the shout: of triumph rolled down the farther
side, after the fleeing, enemy. Our total loss, in killed and
wounded, was two thousand three hundred and t.wenty-five
-that of the enemy was unknown. Among our dead was
the gallant Reno.
The next day, the garrison at Harper's Ferry surrendered,
numbering eleven thousand five hundred and eighty-three
men, with nearly fifty pieces of artillery. The cavalry,
about two thousand in number, under Colonel Davis, escaped
previously, capturing Longstreet's train, and a hundred
prisoners on its way. The unnecessary fall of this place,
awakened the deepest indignation, and the blame was laid,
now on Halleck, and now on Miles, and again on McClellan.




ï~~ADVANCE OF THE ARMY.

69

Colonel Ford, who commanded the Heights, also came in
for his share of the blame. The disgraceful affair, however,
is surrounded with no difficulties. Colonel Miles was not a
fit man to command the place, as had been fully shown in
his conduct at the first battle of Bull Run, and should not
have been put there. His death, after he had hoisted the
white flag, saved him from further disgrace.
The second blunider was in not putting it under McClellan's command at the first, as it was inclosed in the field of
his military- operations. His advice, at least, should have
been taken. G.   eil Franklin was within a few miles of
Harper's Ferry, to r-elieve it, when it surrendered. A proper
fficer could have held the place, though in itself it was of no
cnsequtncee in the campaign; for, if McClellan was beaten, we
could not hold it, and if he drove the enemy out of Maryland, it was necessarily ours, for the latter would not attempt
to retain it, as the sequel proved. The misfortune consisted
in losing, at this critical period, so many men whom McClellan
could have put to a useful purpose. The latter was blamed
for not relieving it, at the last rmdment. But it fell within
three days after it- was placed under his command, and while
his relieving columns were almost within cannon shot of it.
Although, as before' stated, Harper's Ferry, as a military
post,' had no important bearing on McClellan's plan of the
campaign, the loss of so many troops at this juncture, was a
seriouS matter, and, incase of disaster, might increase it indefinitely. Still; no change was made in the Commander's
purpose, and no delay permitted in the movement of the
army. He had aseeitai ed tdfinitely, Lee's whereabouts and
designs, and he was res lved at once to give him battle.
Pushing his armyrapidly forward, he, on the 15th, came
upon the rebel host, drawn- up in line of battle, on a row
of heights that strtchied along the west side of Antietam
Creek.




ï~~70

7ANTIETAM.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.
Antietam is a sluggish streami,emptying into the Potomac,
with but a few. fords, nd those difficult ones; near these
the enemy had taken his position. Four stone bridges crossed
within the distance, of about seven miles-the last one being
near its mouth   Thecreek entering the Potomac at a sharp
angle, brought the  o streams so near together at Sharpsburg, that Lee's position actuaily stretched from one to the
other-thus protecting both his: flanks and his rear. The
rebel leader had-chosen his position admirably, for a stronger
one could not wde- be found. Not only was he protected
by these two -streams, but the heights on which he was
planted., were not composed of -asingle line of hills, which,
if once carried, the battle was won, but of.a succession of
hills-those in rear commanding those in front. The hollows between, successfuly concealed the immber and movements of the hostile troops.: A directd advnce in front was
plainly out of t h questi~iand MeClellan, having thoroughly
reconnoitered the ground iresolved to attack by both tanks.
Hooker and Mansfield; supported 'by Sniner, were to attempt to turn the enemy's left, while Burnside, at the proper
momentit, was:to carry the lower bridge,;near the mouth of
the creek, and crush the enemy's right, and then sweep along
the heights towards the centre, which was then to advance
and complete the victory. In accordance with this plan,
Hooker, with his corps, composed of Rickett's, Meade's, and
Doubleday's divisions, was ordered, on the afternoon of the
16th, to -cross Antietam Creek by the upper.bridge and
a ford near -it, attack the enemy's left, and  fix himself
firmly there, while Mansfield was to cross during the night,
and Sumner early next morning. The passage of the stream
was effected without difficulty, and the corps moved cau



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ï~~


ï~~A GALLANT CHARGE.

tiously down on the enemy's flank, on the further side. More
or less skirmishing followed, but the firing ceased at dark,
when Hooker found himself, breast to breast, with the hostile lines. The autumn night fell peacefully along the
heights, but it was evident that the morning's dawn would
witness the most fearful battle, thus far, of the war, and, in
all human probability, settle the fate of Washington. It was
clear, too, that the heaviest fighting was to be where Hooker
commanded. Porter, holding the centre with Sykes, massed
his troops, in a hollow' so as to be used as the exigencies
of the battle might require, while his batteries above, played
on the enemy.
The morning of the 17th broke somber and slow, over
the heights, behind which slumbered the two great armies;
for dull, heavy clouds wrapped the sky, giving a deeper
gloom to the still forests around. But, in the early light,
Hooker with his accustomed energy moved boldly on the
foe. The men had scarcely swallowed their hasty breakfast,
when the rapid shots of the Pennsylvania skirmishers announced that the fight had begun.  The whole corps was
soon engaged, and for half an hour it stormed and thundered
miles away to the right, as though the main battle was being
fought there at the outset. The contest was in an open space,
made by a plowed field and a cornfield, and both armies
stood up resolutely to their work. Bute at length, the enemy
began to give way, when, "Forward!" ran along the line, and
it sprang forward with a ringing cheer. Though at first
retiring slowly, the rebels at this wild rush, fled precipitately,
and were borne furiously back over the field, across the
road beyond, and still lack, till a piece of thick woods received them. Meade and his Pennsylvanians, whose blood
was now up, followed fiercely after, and with a wild hurrah,
dashed full on the cover. The next moment, those dark
woods became a sheet of flame, bursting on those brave men..
85




ï~~72

HOOKER WOUNDED.

Rent, shattered and torn before it, they reeled and staggered
back. The next moment, like successive waves of the sea,
the hostile lines swept out into view, cheering as they
came, and carried the field like a storm. Hooker, seeing
the danger, threw a brigade in the path of the foe, but it
went down like frostwork, before the on-sweeping mass.
"Give ine," said he to Doubleday, "your best brigade."
Down, on the run, came the best brigade, and reckless of
shot and shell, moved straight up to the crest of the hill that
crowned the cornfield, an'd forming in full view of the enemy,
began to pour in their rapid, deadly volleys. Hartsuff,
commanding, fell severely wounded; but that noble brigade
held its own for half an hour, and then, finding no support
coming up, dashed alone into the cornfield, and swept it
with one gallant rush. Ricketts, holding the left of the line,
was hard pressed, and Mansfield was ordered to his relief,
but the gallant white-haired General fell in the onset. For
a mile and a half, the battle raged furiously, all along Hooker's front; but at-length, getting his two flanks safe, which
the rebels had made almost superhuman efforts to turn, he
determined to advance and end the struggle. To the right
of the cornfield, was a piece of woods ruining out to a point
which commanded the field, and he determined to take and
hold it. Advancing to an eminence to reconnoiter the
ground, he was struck in the foot with a bullet, and compelled to leave the field. Sumner immediately took command,
and the advance commenced, the gallant Sedgwick leading;
Crawford and Gordon stoutly battling in the woods; but the
former, however, was compelled to give way, and his disordered troops poured like a torrent through Sedgwick's
brigade, hurling it back broken and confused. The enemy,
seeing his advantage, pressed fiercely on, with shduts that
rose over the crash of artillery. Sedgwick, vainly striving
to rally his troops under the rebel fire, was three times




ï~~B3URNSIDE'S ATTACK.

73

wounded, but refused to leave the field, till he saw the attempt was hopeless. His Adjutant-General, Major Sedgwick,
threw himself among the broken ranks in vain, and fell
mortally wounded. Howard now assumed command,* but
his efforts were equally fruitless. Sumner undertook to reform the line, but to no purpose, and the division fell back,
leaving the cornfield to the enemy. It was now noon, and
at this crisis, Franklin came up and was sent to the right.
He at once ordered Slocum and Smith, commanding the two
divisions, to sweep the field. The latter, moving with the
rapidity and resistlessness of a whirlwind, in ten minutes,
cleared it of all but the rebel dead. The enemy now gave it
up, and a lull in the conflict followed.
Hooker's attack had not been as successful as McClellan
had anticipated. The bulk of our army had been massed
on that flank, and yet the most it had been able to do,
was to fix itself on the left of the enemy, while the heavy
loss in officers and men, and the protracted, exhausting
fighting, had left it unable to inake any further forward
movement.
The advance of Burnside on the left, over the bridge,
which was designed to be simultaneous with that on the
right, had been weak and undecided-thus allowing the enemy, with his shorter lines, to throw the weight of his force
against Hooker. This delay was fatal to the success of McClellan's plan. At eight o'clock he sent an order to Burnside to carry the bridge, gain the heights beyond, and move
along their crest to the enemy's rear. He himself occupied
an eminence about midway between the two wings, and
anxiously swept the field with his glass. Although the
earthquake crash of artillery on the extreme right, showed
that the heroic Hooker was throwing himself with terrible
force on the enemy there, the firing on the left indicated
that Burnside had not closed resolutely with the foe, and




ï~~74

FATAL DELAY.

McClellan, becoming filled with anxiety, hurried off an.other aid to Burnside, who dashed up to him, with the
order to carry the bridge in his front, at all hazards. The
aid returning with the report that the enemy still held the
bridge, McClellan, now thoroughly aroused to the danger
that threatened him, sent his Inspector-General, Col. Sackett,
with the peremptory order to Burnside, to push forward
without a moment's delay, and carry the bridge at the point
of the bayonet. If he hesitated, Sackett himself was directed
to stay and see it done. At last, at one o'clock, the Fiftyfirst regiments of the New-York and Pennsylvania volunteers, in a gallant burst, carried it with triumphant shouts.
Burnside then moved across, other troops, and the enemy
fell back to the heights. Hours, golden hours, big with the
fate of the army and the nation, had been allowed to slip
by; yet, even now, a vigorous and daring advance might
save the day. Instead of this, however, Burnside, acting on
his judgment, ordered a halt, and began to plant his artillery.
Hearing of this, McClellan dispatched Col. Key, with orders
to him to push on and carry the heights-that success was
impossible unless he did  that he must not stop to calculate
losses. Three o'clock came, and still the heights were not
carried. Again McClellan hurried off Key, with orders to
storm the heights at all hazards. At last the order was
obeyed-the enemy were driven from their guns by our
gallant troops, that now pushed forward with loud hurrahs,
some of them even reaching the outskirts of Sharpsburg.
But the advantage came too late, for heavy rebel reinforcements, that had been hurrying forward all day from
Harper's Ferry, arriving at this critical moment on the
field, turned the scale against Burnside, and compelled
him to fall back.   Seeing himself suddenly threatened
with overthrow, he sent to McClellan for help. "McClellan's glass, for the last half-hour, has seldom been turned




ï~~CLOSE OF THE CONFLICT.

75

away from the left. He sees clearly enough that Burnside is pressed-needs no messenger tot tell him that. His
face grows dark with anxious thought. Looking down
into the valley, where fifteen thousand men are lying, he
turns a half-questioning look on Fitz John Porter, who stands
by his side, gravely scanning the field. They are Porter's
troops below; are fresh, and only impatient to share in the
fight. But Porter slowly shakes his head, and one may believe that the same thought is passing through the minds of
both generals. McClellan remounts his horse, and, with
Porter and a dozen of his Staff, rides away to the left, in
Burnside's direction. Sykes meets them on the road-a
good soldier, whose opinion is worth taking. The three
soldiers talk briefly together. It is easy to see that the moment has come, when everything may turn on an order given
or withheld-when the history of the battle is only to be written in thoughts, and purposes, and words, of the General."
"Burnside's messenger rides up. His message is, 'I want
troops and guns. If you do not send them, I cannot hold
my position a half an hour.'  McClellan's only answer is a
glance at the western sky. Then he turns and speaks, very
slowly: 'Tell General Burnside, this is the battle of the
war. He must hold his ground till dark, at any cost. I
will send him Miller's battery. I can do nothing more. I
have no infantry.' Then, as the messenger was riding
away, he called him back:---' Tell him if he cannot hold his
ground, then the bridge, to the last man-always the bridge.
If the bridge is lost, all is lost.' "*  The bridge was helddarkness soon covered the field, and the great battle was
over. If Burnside had commenced his movement two hours
sooner, there is scarcely a doubt, that night would have
seen the rebel army fleeing across the Potomac. As it was,
the two tired hosts lay down, front to front, along the slug* George N. Smalley, correspondent of the Tribune.




ï~~76

RETREAT OF LEE.

gish Antietam, waiting for the morning, to renew the conflict. Twelve thousand had fallen on our side, and a much
larger number of the enemy-a ghastly throng-covering
those wooded heights, and choking the hollows. W  had
taken six thousand prisoners, and thirteen guns.
The next morning, McClellan determined to renew the
fight, but he found his heavy batteries were nearly out of
ammunition-ten thousand stragglers were scattered among
the hills-supplies were to be brought up, while fourteen
thousand fresh troops were on the march to join him. He,
therefore, deemed it prudent to delay the attack till the next
day, and spent the 18th in caring for the wounded, burying
the dead, and gathering up his energies for the last decisive
blow. Everything being completed, the orders were issued
to commence the attack at daylight, but the enemy during
the night had retreated, placing the Potomac between himself and our victorious army.
The nation was exultant over the victory. The feeling
of triumph was dashed, however, because Lee's army had
escaped. From the commencement of the war, certain cries,
taken up by a portion of the press, had become, for a time,
popular, and, like all clamors, furious and unreasonable. The
first, was derision of fortifications, as though it were impossible to suppose we should ever need them. Then, there
came an unthinking demand, that a retreating army, no
matter whether it was ten, or a hundred thousand strong,
should always be "bagged" by an equal number, though operating in a country covered with forests, crossed by rugged
heights, and seamed with rivers. Next, came the outcry
against siege operations, and the adoption of the motto, "to
move at once upon the enemy's works."  One after another,
they were abandoned, as they always must be, and the
operations in the field, left to those who understood their
business. Thus, the next year, the public saw, without one




ï~~THE ARMY RESTS.

77

word of complaint, Meade's victorious army, with all its
reinforcements up, sit down idly for a week on this very
spot, and let Lee construct scows, and ferry his army, guns
and supplies and all, over the Potomac, that seemed swollen
with rains on purpose to secure the overthrow of the enemy.
So, too, the clamor against the comparatively short siege of
Yorktown, was changed to plaudits over the tedious sieges of
Port Hudson and Vicksburg.
McClellan did not undertake to move his army at once,
across the Potomac, for, he knew, if the enemy chose to retreat, he could do so without serious molestation; and if he
risked another battle, it would have to be accepted under
great disadvantages, and with the river, which was liable
to be swollen -at any time so as to be unfordable, between
him and his base of supplies. On the night of the 19th,
however, General Griffin, with a part of two.brigades, crossed
the river and carried the enemy's batteries, capturing several
prisoners, and driving the rebel supports back a half a mile.
He reported, on his return, that appearances indicated the
retreat of Lee towards Winchester. To ascertain whether
this was actually so, Porter, in the morning, sent over a
detachment which advanced about a mile, when it fell into
an ambush, and was driven back with great slaughter.
The balance of the month was spent in resting the overtasked troops, bringing up supplies and ammunition, and in
vain attempts to get the soldiers properly clothed, so that
an onward movement could be resumed with some prospect
of success. While -the first month of Autumn was thus
drawing to a close, the two armies still confronting each
other on the upper Potomac, two proclamations were issued
by the President, which had an important bearing on the
future prospects of the war. One appeared on the 22d,
abolishing slavery in all the States that should be in rebellion on the 1st day of January. 1863. The President had




ï~~78

EMANCIPATION.

long been urged to do this, both by politicians and
ecclesiastical bodies, but he had stubbornly refused, not.only
on   the  ground    of its doubtful constitutionality, but its
uselessness, saying, facetiously, that it would be lik          the
"Pope's bull against the comet."          The   armies freed    the
slaves, only as far as they advanced, and it. seemed to him
idle to suppose that a proclamation could achieve more than
the bayonets of the soldiers.     It would be time, he thought,
to settle this vexed question when the rebel armies had been
conquered. With these views, he had struggled hard to secure an Emancipation Act, which would allow compensation to
the owners of slaves. In his preceding message, therefore, he
had recommended the adoption of the following resolutions:" Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled, (two thirds of both Houses concurring.)
That the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures (or Conventions)
of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States,
all or any of which articles, when ratified by three-fourths of the said Legislatures (or Conventions,) to be valid as part or parts of the said Constitution,
namely:
ARTICLE -. Every State, wherein slavery now exists, which shall abolish
the same therein, at any time, or times, before the first day of January, in
the year of our Lord one thousand nine humdred, shall receive compensation from the United States, as follows, to wit:
The President of the United States shall deliver to every such State,
bonds of the United States, bearing interest at the rate of=  per cent.
per annum, to an amount equal to the aggregate'  i of --- =  -- foi each
slave shown to have been therein, by the eighth census of the United States,
said bonds to be delivered to such States by instalments, oiin one parcel, at
the completion of the abolishment, accordingly as the same shall have been
gradual, or at one time, within such State; and interest shall begin to run
upon any such bond only from the proper time of its delivery as foresaid.
Any State having received bonds as aforesaid, and afterwards re9 oducing
or tolerating slavery therein, shall refund to the United States, the bonds so
received, or the value thereof, and all interest paid thereon.
ARTICLE -. All slaves who 'shall have enjoyed actual freedom by the
chances of the war,, at any time before the end of the rebellion, shall be forever free; but all owners of such, who shall not have been disloyal, shall be
compensated for them, at the same rates as is provided for States adopting
abolishment of slavery, but in such way that no slave shall be twice accounted for.                  '. ARTICLE -. Congress may appropriate money, and otherwise provide for
colonizing free colored persons, with their own consent, at any place or
places without the United States."




ï~~AN ELOQUENT APPEAL.

79

He argued these resolutibns at length, closing the message with the following eloquent, earnest language:
"This plan is recommended as a means, not in exclusion of, but additional to all others, for restoring and preserving the national authority throughout the Union. The subject is presented exclusively in its economical
aspect. The plan would, I am confident, secure peace more speedily, and
maintain it more permanently, than can be done by force alone; while all
it would cost, considering amounts, and manner of payment, and times of
payment, would be easier paid, than will be the additional cost of the war,
if we rely solely upon force. It is much, very much, that it would cost no
blood at all.
The plan is proposed as permanent constitutional law. It cannot become
such, without the concurrence of, first, two-thirds of Congress, and afterwards,
three-fourths of the States. The requisite three-fourths of the States will
necessarily include seven of the slave States. Their concurrence, if obtained,
will give assurance of their severally adopting emancipation at no very distant day, upon the new constitutional terms. This assurance would end the
struggle now, and save the Union forever.
I do not forget the gravity which should characterize a paper addressed
to the Congress of the nation, by the Chief Magistrate of the nation. Nor
do I forget that some of you are my seniors, nor that many of you have
more experience than I, in the conduct of public affairs. Yet I trust, that
in view of the great responsibility resting upon me, you will perceive no
want of respect to yourselves, in any undue earnestness I may seem to display.
Is it doubted, then, that the plan I propose, if adopted, would shorten the
war, and thus lessen its expenditure of money and of blood? Is it doubted
that it would restore the national authority and national prosperity, and
perpetuate both indefinitely? Is it doubted that we here-Congress and
xecutive-can secure its adoption?  Will not the good people respond to
a united and earnest appeal from us? Can we, can they, by any other
means, so certainly or so speedily assure these vital objects? We can succeed only by concert. It is not 'can any of us imagine better?' but, 'can
we all do better?', Object whatsoever is possible, still the question recurs,
'can we do better?' The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the
stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must
rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act
anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.
Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress and this
Administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal
significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial
through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the
latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows
we do know how to save it. We-even we here-hold the power and bear
the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the
free-honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall
nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth. Other means may
succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just-a
way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever
bless.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN."




ï~~,0

PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM.

This plan not having been tried, we can only conjecture
how it would have worked, and what the final result would
have been. But whatever differences of opinion may be
entertained of these views, no one can doubt the sincerity, or
the lofty patriotism from which they sprung. Their straightforward honesty must command the respect of all, while the
feeling with which they are urged, cannot fail to awaken the
deepest sympathy for their unselfish author. They were not
coincided in by Congress-and the President seeing no alternative, issued the following proclamation:
'"I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, and
Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and
declare that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for the object ofj
practically restoring the constitutional relation between the United States and
the people thereof in those States in which that relation is, or may be, suspended
or disturbed; that it is my purpose, upon the next meeting of Congress, to
again recommend the adoption of a practical measure tendering pecuniary
aid to the free acceptance or rejection of all the Slave States, so-called, the
people whereof may not then be in rebellion against the United States, and
which States may then have voluntarily adopted, or thereafter may voluntarily adopt, the immediate or gradual abolishment of slavery within their
respective limits; and that the efforts to colonize persons of African descent,
with their consent, upon the continent or elsewhere, with the previously obtained consent of the governments existing there, will be continued; that
on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or any
designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against
the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever  free; and the Ex
ecutive Government of the United States, including the military and naval
authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the. freedom of such persons,
and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any
efforts they may make for their actual freedom.
That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States;
and the fact ghat any State, or people thereof, shall on that day be, in good
faith, represented in the Congress of the United States, by members chosen
thereto at elections, wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State
shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not in rebellion against 'the United States.
That attention is hereby called to an Att of Congress entitled ' An Act to
make an additional article of war,' approved March 13, 1862, and which Act
l in the words and figures following:




ï~~PROCLAMATION.

81

' Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That hereafter, the following shall
be promulgated as an additional article of war, for the government of the
army of the United States, and shall be observed and obeyed as such:
' ARTICLE -. All officers or persons in the military or naval service of the
United States are prohibited from employing any of the forces under their
respective commands, for the purpose of returning fugitives from service or
labor, who may have escaped from any person to whom such service or
labor is claimed to be due, and any officer who shall be found guilty by a
court-martial of violating this article, shall be dismissed from the service.
'SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and
after its passage.'
Also to the ninth and tenth sections of an Act entitled ' An Act to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate
property of rebels, and for other purposes,' approved July 17, 1862, and
which sections are in the words and figures following:
'SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That all slaves, of persons who shall
hereafter be engaged inn rebellion against the Government of the United
States, or who shall in any way give aid or comfort thereto, escaping from
such persons and taking refuge within the lines of the army; and all slaves
captured from such persons or deserted by them, and coming under the control of the Government of the United States; and all slaves of such persons,
found on [or being within] any place occupied by rebel forces, and afterwards occupied by the forces of the United States, shall be deemed captives
of war, and shall be forever free of their servitude, and not again held as
slaves.
'Sue. 10. And be it further enacted, That no slave escaping into any
State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, from any other State, shall be
delivered up, or in any way impeded or hindered of his liberty, except for
crime, or some offense against the laws, unless the person claiming said
fugitive, shall first make oath that the person to whom the labor or service
of such fugitive is alleged to be due is his lawful owner, and has not been in
arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given
aid and comfort thereto; and no person engaged in the military or naval
service of the United States shall, under any pretence whatever, assume to
decide on the validity of the claim of any person, to the service or labor of
any other person, or surrender up any such person to the claimant, on pain
of being dismissed from the service.'
And I do hereby enjoin upon and order all persons engaged in the military and naval service of the United States to observe, obey, and enforce,
within their respective spheres of service, the act and sections above recited.
And the Executive will in due time recommend that all citizens of the
United States, who shall have remained loyal thereto throughout the rebellion, shall, (upon the restoration of the constitutional relation between the
United States and their respective States and people, if the relation shall
have been suspended or disturbed,) be compensated for all losses by acts
of the United States, including the loss of slaves.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this twenty-second day of September in




ï~~82

EMANCIPATION.

the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the
Independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."
It is not to be supposed that the President ever regarded
the question with indifference, or one to be disposed of by a
joke; but with his eminently practical mind, he saw that the
motives which influenced many, were based altogether on
erroneous views, and the effect which    they predicted
would follow such a Proclamation, wholly chimerical. Notwithstanding all that has been said on this subject, We doubt
very much whether the President, to the last, ever expected,
such an edict would have any favorable effect on the war,
so far as the South was concerned-on the contrary, we think
he foresaw what actually occurred, that it would unite its population more firmly than ever, and give Davis more complete
and absolute power. He doubtless anticipated some effect
on foreign governments, which was realized; but the great
object with him seemed to be, to get rid of the monstrous
evil of Slavery. The madness of the South had brought it
within the reach of the General Government, and if he could
make its fate and that of the Rebellion one; he would,.he
believed, achieve the greatest and most beneficent triumph
of this century.  Still, with these views and Wishes, constitutional and other objections interposed in his mind, which
made him long hesitate. It was a very self-complacent conclusion that many ardent immediate-emancipationists came
to, that Mr. Lincoln was a man of excellent motives, but had
not yet grown to their stature and completeness-and that
when these were attained, he then issued his Proclamation. To
him, it was a momentdus step to take, and one he determined
not to be forced into hastily; nor, with all his philanthropic
desire to see Slavery extinguished, would he have assailed it,
so long as he thought the attempt would imperil the Union.




ï~~EMANCIPATION.

83

There is no evidence that he ever departed from        the pupose
he expressed in his letter to Horace Greeley-the Union first
and foremost-Slavery afterward.          When, at length, he saw
that to withhold action longer would not help the Union, and
when, as Commander of the armies, and not as a civil magistrate, he could, as a war measure, strike Slavery, he did,
and, on the 1st of January, 1863, issued the following
final Proclamation:
SWhereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the
President of the United States, containing among other things, the following, to wit:
'That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or
designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion
against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever, free;
and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military
and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such
persons, and will do no act oir acts to repress such persons, or any of them,
in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.
' That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States;
and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in
good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States, by members
chosen thereto at elections, wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such
States shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing
testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people
thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States.'
Now, therefore, I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, by
virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and
Navy of the United States, in time of actual armed rebellion against the
authority and Government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary
war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January,
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in
accordance with my purpose so to do, publicly proclaimed for the full period
of one hundred days, from the day first above-mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof, respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to
wit:
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, Assumption,
Terre Bonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the
city of New Orleans,) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated




ï~~84

HABEAS CORPUS.

as W\Yst Virginia, and also the counties of Berkeley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the
cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth,) and which excepted parts are for the
present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.And by virtueof the power and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and
declare, that all persons held as slaves within said designated States and parts
of States are, and henceforward shall be, free; and that the Executive Government of the United States, including the military, and naval authorities
thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.
And I hereby enjoin upon the people so -declared to be free, to abstain
from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense; and I recommend to them
that in all cases, when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.
And I further declare and make known, that such persons, of suitable
condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to
garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all
sorts in said service.
And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted
by the Constitution upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this first day of January, in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."
Thus was consummated the greatest event of the Nineteenth Century-the one that will forever be the distinguishing feature of this memorable war. What the final effect
on the African race or the country may be, is yet an unsolved problem.     But one thing is settled, Slavery is forever
abolished in this free country, and the great blot on our
national escutcheon removed.
The other proclamation, issued two days after, suspended
the writ of habeas corpus throughout the land, and required all persons accused of disloyal practices, to be tried
by court-martial.    This last was received with a storm        of
indignation, and the courts of some of the States denounced
it as unconstitutional. The right of trial by jury is the most
sacred of all political rights, and when that is finally stricken




ï~~ARBITRARY ARRESTS.

85

down, liberty is dead. The opposition declared that to
override thus the civil courts of a land, is the highest act of
tyranny known to despotism. That civil courts must be disregarded in States in rebellion, and martial law be supreme
there, was conceded by all, for it would be a farce to try a rebel
in rebel courts. Having repudiated the authority of the Government, they could not act under it; and until that authority
was re-established, none but military courts could exist. But
to assert that the courts of New England, New York, Ohio,
and the other States, in which not a band of organized rebels
existed, or could exist openly for an hour, were not qualified to
try every citizen accused of crime, it was argued was an insult,
to them. Good men, on the other hand, denied the allegation,
on the ground that anything was allowable, which had for its
object the overthrow of the rebellion-that extraordinary crises demanded extraordinary measures-that in the disturbed
and distracted state of public feeling, it was absurd to expect
that men of treasonable speech and action would receive
justice in the ordinary courts. But that which excited the
deepest indignation, and brought out the angry remonstrance
of the Governors of Newr Jersey and New York, was the
adoption of the system of arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment
without accusation or trial, either by court-martial or otherwise. Provost-marshals, vested with almost unlimited power,
acted as spies on the people, and on suspicion hurried men
to prison, th.ere to lie till the Secretary of State or Secretary
of War saw fit to release them. That the abuse of this authority
by the Secretaries was very great, is evident from the fact that
scarcely one of these victims, after weeks or months of confinement, was ever tried for any crime whatever. The exercise
of such a power was a most hazardous course on the part of
the Government, and but for the President's interference
with the free use of it, and the universal faith in the purity
of his motives, it might, and probably would have worked




ï~~86

A DANGEROUS PRINCIPLE.

incalculable evil. He was denounced as a tyrant and despot,
on every hand, by his enemies, and crimination and recrimination took the place of calm discussion and argument. The
ablest papers friendly to the Administration, and the soundest
thinkers, deprecated these arbitrary arrests, and feared for the
result, but still repudiated the charge of tyranny and despotism, as all felt that there was not a man in the land who loved
liberty more, or who would make greater sacrifices for constitutional freedom, than the President. Such papers as The
Evening Post and New York Tribune condemned them, not
so much on the ground of personal injustice or hardship, but
because no more dangerous principle can be introduced into
a republican government, than that its citizens can be deprived
of liberty at the mere dictum of those in power, and for no
other reason than that in their judgment the public safety
requires it. It is the fundamental law of the Constitution
of the United States, and of the Constitution of every State,
that "no person shall be deprived of life and liberty without
due process of law;" and all history proves that no danger
to a republic is so great, as the violation of this law. To
override it on the plea of public necessity, is to adopt the
policy of all despotic governments. It ought never to have
been discussed or treated as a party measure, for every
citizen, of whatever political faith, is equally interested ini
the principle involved.




ï~~CHAPTER IV.

JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER.
OPERATIONS WEST-VICKSBURG---RAM ARKANSAS-MITCHELL'S GALLANT EXPLOIT-CURTIS CROSSES THE STATE OF ARKANSAS-BUELLIS CAMPAIGNBRAGG INVADES TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY-RETREAT OF BUELL TO LOUISVILLE-IS SUPERSEDED BY THOMAS-KIRBY SMITH ADVANCES AGAINST CINCINNATI-LANE IN KANSAS-NEW-ORLEANS-BATTLE OF BATON ROUGEDEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAMS-PORTER, WITH THE ESSEX, DESTROYS THE
REBEL RAM ARKANSAS-ROSECRANS AT CORINTH.
WM_  HILE such momentous events were passing on the Atlantic seaboard, the military movements at the West
were not crowned with that success, which our previous victories had led the public to expect. The capture of Memphis
brought our victorious fleet to Vicksburg, the fall of which
would open the Mississippi to New Orleans.    But this place,
situated on a high bluff, bid defiance to our gunboats; so
that, while it was hoped that we had reached the end of our
labors, it was found that they had only begun.
In the middle of July, the rebel ram Arkansas, an ironplated vessel, came down the Yazoo, and, passing triumphantly
through our surprised fleet, safely anchored under the guns
of Vicksburg. Flag-officers Farragut and Davis, with Porter, now held a consultation as to the best mode of destroying this powerful antagonist at its moorings. It was determined to make the attempt at four o'clock on the 22nd, by
Farragut attacking the lower batteries and Davis the upper,
while W. D. Porter, in the Essex, should move boldly and
swiftly down on the steamer and crush it with one deadly blow.
Reckless of the fire of the batteries, Porter dashed full on the
86




ï~~88

A DARING ATTEMPT.

astonished rebel. The blow glanced from the mailed sides,
and the Essex was carried by her momentum, high up on the
river bank, where she lay for two hours or more, under the
fire of seventy heavy guns in battery and twenty field pieces,
besides the guns of the ram. Yet, strange to say, she eventually got off, and, passing down stream, anchored under the
protection of the lower fleet of Farragut. A few days after,
Col. Ellet went up the Yazoo and destroyed the rebel gunboats Van Dorn, Polk and Livingston.
On land, but little was accomplished. In Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana, fights occurred between small forces,
but having no important bearing on the main movements
of the armies. The army of Curtis, which, after the battle
of Pea Ridge the Spring before, attempted to cross the
State of Arkansas to the Mississippi, arrived at Helena safe
on the 12th of July, to the great relief of the country. It
had been a long, most difficult and painful march; the cavalry, twenty-five hundred strong, on one occasion, marching
sixty-five miles in twenty-four hours.
The great movement, however, at the West; during this
month,\was that of the army under Major-Gen. Buell, the object
of which was to seize Chattanooga. His force consisted of about
twenty-five thousand men, with some sixteen thousand more,
scattered through Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama,
mostly under the command of the gallant Mitchell. His first
great object was to repair the railroad running north to Nashville, which he foresaw, contrary to Halleck's opinion, must be
his base of supplies. While this herculean task was being
accomplished by the force under Mitchell, he with his army
marched rapidly towards Chattanooga. All this time, Morgan was on a grand raid in Kentucky. Forrest, also, with
a formidable force, suddenly appeared before Murfreesboro'
on the 13th, surprised and captured the garrison, consisting of fourteen hundred men, and broke up the railroad




ï~~INVASION OF TENNESSEE.

89

to Nashville, which had only been completed the day before.
This was a serious drawback, and Buell was blamed at the
time, for the catastrophe. But the truth was, a sufficient
force had not been given him to protect his front, three
hundred miles long, reaching from Corinth to Cumberland
Gap; he was also lamentably deficient in cavalry, though
he had urged upon the Government the great necessity of his
being supplied. It was plain to him, and ought to have
been plain to Halleck, that the force was too small to hold
the country, even if he should conquer it, to say nothing of
the long line of communication to Nashville, which must be
kept open. Morgan interrupted this so constantly, threatening even Nashville, that Buell sent Major-General Nelson
there to take charge of affairs. In the meantime, Bragg
was concentrating an army of sixty thousand men at and
near Chattanooga, preparatory to an invasion of Middle Tennessee. Buell was aware of the approaching storm, and
divided his inadequate force, so as to protect the most important points the best way he could. On the 20th of August, hearing that Bragg had commenced his march, and
was crossing the Tennessee at Chattanooga and other points,
he began to concentrate his forces at Altamont. But
his supplies were getting short, when the startling news was
received, that Kirby Smith, with a large army, had poured
through the gaps of the Cumberland Mountains, and was
invading Kentucky-having beaten Nelson and routed his
army at Richmond. Even this stern and self-reliant Commander, who had never turned his back on the foe, began
to be filled with anxiety at the perils that surrounded him,
and to see clearly, that instead of conquering East Tennessee,
it would tax his utmost skill and energy to save Middle Tennessee and Kentucky. He immediately concentrated his
troops at Murfreesboro'. It was now September, and he at
once marched out in search of the enemy, who retired as




ï~~90

BUELL' S RETREAT.

he advanced, first from Glasgow, and then from Munfordsville from which he withdrew on the 20th. Buell now determined to fall back to Louisville, which was seriously threatened
by Kirby Smith. He accomplished the long, tedious march
without the loss of a wagon. The citizens of the place were
in great trepidation, and when the tread of his advance columns sounded through the street, at midnight, the shout of
"Buell has come! Buell has come!" went up, as it did on
the banks of the Tennessee, at Pittsburg Landing, from our
shattered, beaten forces, when they saw his trained legions
sweeping to their relief. He immediately reorganized his
army, and prepared to march forth against the enemy, but
an order was received from Washington suspending him
from chief. command, and appointing Thomas in his place.
All this time, General George Morgan was grimly holding
Cumberland Gap, against overwhelming odds.
While military affairs were assuming an alarming aspect
in Tennessee and Kentucky-the bold advance of Smith
thr'eatening even Cincinnati, causing consternation among
its inhabitants and sending them forth to the defense of the
city-along the Mississippi, but little was accomplished, for
Vicksburg still held out against the Federal fleet. Farther
west, General Lane, having been appointed by the Government to raise an army in Kansas, issued his proclamation in
August, calling on the inhabitants of Nebraska, Colorado
and Dacotah to rally to his standard. Affairs remained unchanged at New Orleans under Butler's rigorous sway. He
issued an order this month, assessing the inhabitants who
had subscribed to the rebel defense fund, three hundred and
forty-two thousand dollars. Colonel McNeil and General
Blunt were dealing the guerrillas and organized bands
some severe blows in Missouri; but the only battle that
occurred in the West during the month was at Baton
Rouge, which was attacked on the 5th by a heavy force




ï~~BATTLE OF BATON ROUGE.

91

under Breckenridge. General Williams, commanding our
ti'oops there, formed his line of battle the night before,
some distance outside of the town. But, though he was
prepared  to receive the expected attack, the enemy,
taking advantage of a dense fog, came down at early daylight so suddenly upon him that a portion of his line gave
way, and some guns were captured. He, however, rallied
his troops, and gallantly led them in person against the advancing, shouting battalions, hurling them back with resistless fury. But he fell in the charge, and was borne back,
mortally wounded, to the rear. The battle raged, with
varied fortunes, for five hours, when the enemy fell back.
The gunboats Essex and Sumter shelled the woods during
the action; and after our lines were drawn in, as ordered
by General Williams before he fell, two other gunboats added
their fire, deterring the enemy from making another advance.
The ram Arkansas, and the gunboats Webb and Music, had
designed to take part in the combat, but the former, becoming disabled, was compelled to lie by. So, the next morning, Porter, in the Essex, went in search of the monster, and
met it coming down to attack him. The former at once
opened his guns on the formidable foe. The engine of the
ram becoming disabled, it was compelled to run ashore,
where it continued the combat. Porter, choosing his position, now poured a terrible fire into his adversary. The boat
was soon in flames, and, deserted by her crew, drifted down
stream till her magazine caught fire, when she blew up with
a tremendous explosion. Thus ignobly perished this muchdreaded vessel.
Sherman at this time commanded at Memphis- under
Grant, Who was over the Department of West Tennessee.
His army lay comparatively idle during the month; but the
next month, September, it seemed to rouse from its inexplicable inaction. Grant's head-quarters were at Corinth, where




ï~~92          AFFAIRS AROUND CORINTH.
he was confronted by Van Dorn and Price, who the Winter
before had been beaten at Pea Ridge by Curtis.
Rosecrans, who in the middle of the preceding May had
been ordered to join Halleck before Corinth, was, after the
latter's elevation to the chief command, and Pope's transfer
to Virginia, placed at the head of the Army of the Mississippi, as it was termed, under Grant. During the Summer
he was active in the field, but accomplished nothing of
importance. At this time he was established in Corinth.
Suddenly he was informed that Price had advanced and
taken possession of luka.




ï~~CHAPTER V.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER.
BATTLE OF IUKA-GALLANTRY OF GENERAL HAMILTON-FAILURE OF GRANTATTEMPT OF THE ENEMY TO CUT GRANT'S LINE OF SUPPLIES-BATTLE OF
CORINTH-A GALLANT TEXAN TERRIFIC SLAUGHTER OF THE ENEMY-THE
VICTORY-ARRIVAL OF MC PHERSON-THE PURSUIT-THE BATTLE-FIELDROSECRANS PLACED AT THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND.
ROSECRANS knew that this movement was merely preparatory to an attack on Corinth itself, and, with his
usual promptitude, determined at once to retake the
place, and proposed to Grant to advance by one road,
while he, marching by way of Jacinto, should get in rear,
and prevent the force there from retreating southward.
This was agreed to, and Rosecrans, having concentrated
the troops of his two divisions, started on the morning of
the 19th, and marching eighteen miles and a half, came
within a little over a mile of Iuka. Price did not wait for
his attack, but immediately marched forth to meet him.
One division, Hamilton's, numbering less than three thousand
men, and with but one battery, was in advance, and on this,
Price with eleven thousand men suddenly moved. Hamilton
had reached the brow of a hill, which fell off abruptly on
both sides, when the enemy, hid in a ravine below, broke
cover with a shout, and poured in a sudden volley of musketry. The woods were so dense that Hamilton could not
deploy his men, and, marching them by either flank, from
the only road that ran through the woods, and planting
his single battery so as to command this road, received the




ï~~94

BATTLE OF IUKA.

shock. It was fortunate for him that his position was so
cramped, for it lessened the numerical advantage of the
enemy, and left the contest to be decided, very much by the
comparative strength of the heads of columns. The movements of the regiments into their assigned places were made
with great steadiness, though under a withering fire the
whole time. Each colonel had his orders to hold his ground
at all hazards. It was a square, stand-up fight. The rebel
onslaught was terrific. In dense masses, regiment closing
in on regiment, like successive waves of the sea, they
bore down on our thin line, with a desperation that threatened to sweep it to quick destruction. At this juncture,
Sullivan arrived with his division, and, though no more
troops could be used in front, his timely arrival prevented Hamilton from being outflanked by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. He believed he could stand
pounding longest, and his brave division stood like a wall
of adamant across the road. The woods on either side of it,
were alive with the rolling volleys, and echoed to the shouts
and yells of the combatants. The rebels, determined to
force our line, moved into the desolating fire that met them,
with unfaltering resolution. As they came within close
range, that single battery, the Eleventh Ohio, opened on
them with grape and canister. The guns were worked
with great rapidity, and at each discharge, gaps opened in
the dense ranks, but they closed up again, and the hostile
line swept steadily forward over all obstructions.  At
length, the Forty-eighth Indiana, pressed by three times
its number-its gallant Commander cut down-fell back
in disorder. This left the death-dealing battery exposed,
and with an exultant shout the enemy sprang upon it.
Receiving without flinching the load of canister and grape
that met them, they swept over it and captured it;
but not till every officer, and nearly every gunner was




ï~~THE VICTORY.

95

killed or wounded, and scarcely a horse left standing.
At this juncture, Sullivan, by a great effort, rallied
a part of the right wing, and flung it like a loosened
cliff on the shouting, triumphant captors, and sent them
astounded back to cover. Maddened to fury by their
loss, the rebels rallied, and with yells precipitated themselves upon Sullivan's diminished band, and recovered the
battery. Around its guns, the battle raged with awful
fury. Every flank movement of the enemy being promptly stopped, he was compelled to fight it out in front,
and from   five o'clock till dark, the Fifth Iowa, and
Eleventh and Twenty-sixth Missouri, held that single road,
with a stubbornness that scoffed at numbers. Rooted to
their places- a line of fire running incessantly along
their front, they stood unconquerable as fate. Three times
did the Fifth Iowa, when about to be swallowed up
by the ever-increasing masses, leap forward with the
bayonet, and send them broken and discomfited back.
When their ammunition was at last exhausted, they slowly
retired, but with their faces to the foe. All this time Rosecrans listened, with intense anxiety, to hear the sound of
Grant's guns on the other road, but it came not, and darkness at length closed the bloody contest. Those two brave,
shattered divisions, lay down on their arms, on the ground
they had crimsoned with their blood, to wait for the morning
light to renew the unequal struggle. But the enemy, under
cover of the darkness, stole away; and when the morning
dawned, Iuka was found deserted. Rosecrans immediately
started in pursuit with his cavalry, but being only three
companies strong it could do little more than harass the
rebel;ear, and after going twenty-five miles, gave up the
chase. About eleven o'clock, Grant marched into Iuka,
where he should have been long before. Some unfortunate
mistake had caused the delay, and thus saved the enemy




ï~~96

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

from total destruction. Rosecrans, in alluding to it, said,
"The unexpected accident which alone prevented cutting
off the retreat of Price, and capturing him and his army,
only shows how much, success depends upon Him in whose
hands are the accidents, as well as the laws of life." The
total loss in this battle, was six hundred and eighty, or nearly
a quarter of the whole force engaged.
Rosecrans immediately fell back on Corinth, where he
again took up his head-quarters. He soon discovered that
the enemy was concentrating on that place, or some other
point, which would cut off his communications and compel
him to evacuate it. Price, Van Dorn, and Lovell, had in fact
united their entire forces, for the purpose of crushing his
comparatively small army, before he could receive reinforcements. The latter, calling in all his troops from the adjacent
posts, watched with the deepest solicitude the development
of the hostile plan. At length, discovering that the rebels
had marched around him to the eastward, and were moving
down on Corinth from the north and north-east, he formed
his plan, and disposing his troops to the best possible advantage, calmly awaited the attack. He knew he was outnumbered by two to one, but he relied on the strength of his position, and the indomitable character of his troops. McKean
commanded the left, Davies the centre, and the gallant
Hamilton the right, where Rosecrans supposed the weight
of the struggle would fall. The old fortifications, thrown up
by Beauregard, were too extensive for his little army to
hold, and so he erected works within them.
This was on the third of October. Rosecrans' plan was to
advance on the enemy, as he approached, in order to compel
him to develop his lines, and then retire behind his ownworks,
so that his batteries could sweep the rebels, as they emerged
into the open ground in front. In carrying it out, more or
less fighting occurred, and night found our army back in the




ï~~THE ADVANCE.

97

town, and the rebel lines drawn closely around it. Much
uneasiness was-felt among the soldiers, because they had been
so easily driven back into the place, where the enemy's
shells could reach them, but they were not aware of the
motives which governed their Commander.
This was not lessened by the sound of the enemy at work
all night, planting batteries within close range. At length,
the long wished for, yet dreaded dawn, streaked the eastern
sky, and the roll of the drum and the pealing bugle, awoke
the morning echoes, and were answered by those of the
enemy in the dark forests beyond.
The rebel force was massed in the angle, formed by the
Memphis and Columbus railroads. The left of our army
rested on the batteries extending west from Fort Robinettethe centre on a slight ridge north of the houses, and the
right on the high ground which covered the Pittsburg
and Purdy roads, that led away towards the old battle
ground of Pittsburg Landing. The rebel plan was to move
at once, with overwhelming numbers, on our batteries, and
sweep them with the rush of a torrent. The sacrifice, they
knew, would be great, but they were ready to make it.
Four redoubts covered all the approaches, while batteries
were in every place where guns could be advantageously
posted, so that the whole open space in front of our lines,
could be swept with a hail-storm of fire.
With daylight, skirmishing commenced, and the heavy
boom of cannon, here and there, shook the field; but, as yet,
the enemy's lines were invisible. They were forming in the
roads running through the forest, a half a mile or more in front,
and every eye was strained to catch the heads of the columns
as they moved out for the final advance. The very mystery that shrouded the rebel host, hidden in those stirless
woods, added impressiveness to the scene. At length, a
little after nine o'clock, the fearful suspense ended, for the




ï~~98

THE ATTACK.

heads of the dense columns began to issue from their leafy
covering. In columns of division, the whole host moved
in splendid order up the Bolivar road, straight towards
the murderous batteries. Long lines of glittering steel,
crested the gray formations below, as, with steady step
and closed ranks, they swept forward.Â~ Like a great wedge,
the mighty mass at first advanced, and then slowly unfolded
like two expanding wings, and swooped down on Corinth,
that lay glittering in the mellow sun-light. Price on the left,
and Van Dorn on the right, moved on together, but the
latter, meeting with unexpected obstacles, lost a little time,
and Price first caught the full fury of the storm. Right up
a turfy slope, the steady columns pressed, swept by our
whole line of batteries, the shot and shell tearing through
them every moment with awful desolation. Like clouds,
rent before the incessant flashes of lightning, those gray formations everywhere parted, showing great ragged openings
that closed as quickly as made. The dead and dying darkened all the ground, but the living never faltered. With
heads bent, and leaning forms, like those who breast a driving sleet, they pressed sternly forward, making straight for
Rosecrans' centre. When they came within musket range,
death traversed their ranks with still more frightful rapidity;
yet they never faltered. The earth groaned and shook
under them, and the air seemed to flow with fire around
them, yet they heeded it not. Still onward and upward
they came, like the march of fate. At last they reached the
crest of the hill, and Davies'.division gave way in disorder.
Rosecrans, whose eye has never for a moment left this onrolling mass, starts at this sudden great disaster, and dashing
amid the broken ranks, heedless of the raining shot and shell,
rallies them in person. But the rebels, seeing their advantage, spring forward with a shout, and Rosecrans' headquarters are inundated with the hostile troops, and the next




ï~~THE BATTLE.

99

moment their fire is pouring into the public square of the
town itself. Under this sudden change of fortune, Haniilton's division of veterans is compelled to fall back, and
instantly, with a shout of victory, the rebels rush on
Fort Richardson, the key of the position. A single 'sheet
of flame bursts from its sides, and when the smoke rises, the
space where they stood is clear of living men; only the
dead and bleeding are left. But those brave men have not
trodden Death's highway so far, to yield now, when their hands
are grasping victory; and once- more rallying, they precipitate themselves forward with the fury and clamor of demons.
Richardson, from whom the battery was named, sinks amid
his guns, and the next moment, the rebels are leaping over
them. Suddenly, as if rising out of the earth, the Fifty-sixth
Illinois, hid in a ravine near it, spring to their feet, and pouring in one close deliberate volley, dash across the plateau, and
into the fort, and almost lift the rebels bodily out of it, so
sudden and desperate and wild is their charge. Hamilton
sees the charge, and "Forward" runs along his glorious line.
Sweeping forward with terrible front, he completes the
overthrow. The rebel host is at last broken. Human endurance had finally reached its limit-despair at once took
the place of courage, and,-flinging away their useless arms,
they broke wildly for the woods. And then such a shout
of victory went up, as those who heard it, will never forget
to their latest day. It rolled down the line, and Van Dorn,
oh the left, heard it with a sinking heart. Struggling
through a ravine and thickets and abattis, he was a moment
too late, to have his blow fall simultaneously with that of
Price, else the issue might have been different. He was
now in front of Fort Robinette, within a hundred and fifty
yards of which, stood Fort Williams. These had poured a
deadly enfilading fire through his ranks, as he advanced,
and now the former, with its ten pound Parrotts, stood right




ï~~100

ABRAVE TEXAN.

in his path. Over this he must go, or turn back over the
field, gained at such horrible sacrifice. The shout of victory
borne to him from the left, sounded like the knell of doom.
Price had failed at Fort Richardson, and now alone and
unaided, he must carry the works before him, or all be
lost. It was a mighty task, and he might well pause, before
he undertook it. But instead of shrinking from it, he summoned all his energies for one desperate effort. Two brigades, one supporting the other, at close distance, and led
by Colonel Rogers, of Texas, swiftly advanced straight on
the fort. Instantly its guns, and those of Fort Williams,
opened their fire, and shot and shell went tearing through
the dense columns. But they had braced themselves up to
the fearful work, they knew to be before them, and breasted
the iron storm with sublime devotion. As they came within
close range, and the infantry opened fire, the havoc was
awful. The solid formations caved before it, as the sandbank before the torrent, but closing up compact as iron, the
diminished numbers, with their eyes bent sternly on the
prize before them, kept on their terrible way. Rogers,
striding at their head, seemed to bear a charmed life, and
"Forward-FORWARD," rang clear and strong-from his lips,
rising even above the roar of cannon. Struggling through
the fallen timber, they fell and were caught amid the branches,
presenting a ghastly spectacle. Still the living never faltered-with their eyes fixed on their heroic leader, they let
the volleys crash, and the devastating fire burn along their
ranks, with a heroic indifference. At last they reached the
ditch, and for one fearful moment paused. Rogers, still
towering in front unhurt, waved the rebel flag with his
left hand, holding a revolver in his right, and, still shouting
"Forward," with one bound cleared the ditch. Springing
up the slope, he planted his standard on the ramparts. The
next moment he fell, banner and all, into the ditch, a corpse.




ï~~THE VICTORY.

101

Five brave Texans, that never left their leader's side, at the
same instant pitched heavily forward into the fort, sharing
his fate. The Ohio brigade, commanded by Colonel Fuller,
had lain flat on their faces just over the ridge, and now in
close range, rose and delivered six swift volleys, and the
front was clear of rebels. The supporting rebel brigade
now advanced into the same volcano, bent on the same
hopeless errand. Taking the close and swift volleys into
their bosoms without shrinking, they kept on, till maddened into desperation, they made one wild rush on the
Sixty-third Ohio, that crossed their path. -But the brave
fellows stood like a rock in their places, and in a moment,
friend and foe were locked in a hand to hand death-struggle. Bayonets, clubbed muskets, and, when these failed,
clenched fists were used. The fight was brief but awful, and
the shouts and yells, and oaths and curses that rose, seemed
wrenched from the throats of demons. At length the rebels
gave way, when the Eleventh Missouri and Twenty-seventh
Ohio sprang forward and chased them swiftly to cover.
The battle was over. No second charge could be made,
for the victory was won, but at a fearful cost. Of the two
hundred and fifty of the Sixty-third Ohio, one-half lay dead
or bleeding, on the spot where they had fought. The shout
that rocked the field, when Price recoiled, shattered and
broken, from Fort Richardson, now went up from around
Fort Robiniette, and rolling like the waves of the sea, along
the whole line of battle, swelled back into Corinth, where
it was again caught up and prolonged, till the heavens
shook with the loud and joyous acclaim. There had been
no long battle. The whole struggle lasted scarcely more
than an hour and a half. It was a whirlwind-a hurricane-then a great wild thunder crash-and all was over. And
yet, in the brief struggle, what awful destruction had been
wrought. Over two thousand of our own soldiers had fallen,




ï~~102

THE PURSUIT.

while over six thousand rebels had been piled on that bloody
field. Death had moved through the thick-set ranks of the
foe with a rapid footstep.
Forty thousand, it was estimated, composed the rebel
force, while Rosecrans had but little over twenty thousand
behind his works.
In front of Fort Robinette, the rebel dead lay in heaps.
Fifty-six were buried in. one ditch, but the brave Rogers
was given a grave by himself-those stern Western men
smoothing over and marking his last resting-place, with the
tender care they would give the grave of a companion-inarms. It was but a little to do; yet it was such a testimonial
as the brave love to give to the brave, on Whatever field they
fall.
Two thousand two hundred and forty-eight prisoners fell
into our hands, together with two pieces of artillery, fourteen stand of colors, and over three thousand small arms.
Rosecrans immediately rode along the whole line of battle,
greeted with thundering cheers as he passed. Hie told his
brave troops, that although they had been two days marching
and preparing for battle, and had passed two sleepless nights,
and endured two days' fighting, he wanted them to fill their
cartridge-boxes, haversacks and stomachs, take an early
sleep, and at daylight press after the flying foe.
McPherson, having arrived in the meantime at Corinth,
with a fresh brigade, was immediately started in pursuit,
and the roll of cannon died away in the distance, as he
pressed fiercely after the retiring columns. The roads and
fields were strewed with the wrecks of the fight. The
rebels narrowly escaped destruction in the forks of the
Hatchie, but finally got off.
The fields around Corinth presented a frightful spectacle,
and for weeks after the battle, the place of slaughter could
be scented miles away, by the traveler. It was a great vic



ï~~DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND.

103

tory, and people.began to regard Rosecrans as invincible.
Victory followed his standard wherever he moved, and the
soldiers, with that fondness for nicknames which always
characterizes them, christened him "Old Rosy."
Rosecrans believed that if Grant had supported him, as
he requested him to do, he could easily have entered Vicksburg and saved the after sacrifice of men and money.
Having returned from the pursuit he established his headquarters at Corinth, where he remained till the 25th of October. In the meantime, the Government having created
the Department of the Cumberland, and the Fourteenth
Army Corps, he was placed at the head of it, and departed
for Louisville, where he arrived on the 30th.
With Buell's splendid army under his command, it was
thought that he would immediately move on Bragg, and inflict that punishment on him, which he failed to receive at
the hand of the former.
Repairing to Nashville, he took a survey of his position,
and began to lay his plans for the future. Bragg, in the
meantime, had assembled his army at Murfreesboro', and was
strongly fortifying himself, preparatory to winter quarters.
37




ï~~CHAPTER VI.

OCTOBER.
BUELL RESTORED TO COMMAND-MOVES OUT OF LOUISVILLE-BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE-RETREAT OF BR4GG-PURSUIT-REMOVED FROM COMMANDMORGAN AT CUMBERLAND GAP-GALLANT DEFENSE OF-CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS-IS SURROUNDED BY A HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN-HIS EXTREME PERIL-GALLANT RESOLVE TO MAKE A FORCED MARCH OF TWO
HUNDRED MILES TO THE OHIO-BLOWS UP THE MOUNTAIN-DESTROYS IHIS
SIEGE GUNS-BURNS UP EVERYTHING-FEARFUL CONFLAGRATION AND EXPLOSION-TERRIFIC SCENE-MIDNIGHT MARCH-THE RACE FOR LIFESUFFERINGS OF THE ARMY-ITS DELIGHT AT SIGHT OF THE OHIO-HALLECK S TREATMENT OF MORGAN-EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENTS.
WHILE Rosecrans was thus crowning the Federal arms
with success, in the neighborhood of the Mississippi,
and Butler was trying to bring order out of chaos in New
Orleans, and Galveston in Texas was surrendered (October
9th) to Renshaw, Commander of our fleet there, important
events were occurring, in Kentucky and East Tennessee.
Buell's sudden removal from the head of the army at Louisville, arrested his march against Bragg, which he designed
to commence the next day. Thomas, however, telegraphed
to Washington, entreating the authorities there to reconsider
their. action, and retain Buell in the command, as the proper
person to be at the head of the army. They acceded to his
request, and Buell at once addressed himself to the task of
driving Bragg out of Kentucky; and on the 1st of October
moved out of Louisville, in five columns. Bragg, though constantly skirmishing, began to retire, with the evident intention
of forming a junction with Kirby Smith, who had fallen back
from  his threatened attack on Cincinnati, though he had




ï~~BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE.

105

carried the rebel flag within seven~iles of the city. Buell
overtook the enemy at Perryville on the 7th. A partial engagement followed, which was renewed with great severity
the next morning, by the enemy suddenly falling on McCook's brigade. Repulsed at first, he repeated the attack
at noon, in which the whole left corps became engaged, and
was terribly pressed till night fell, when the battle ended.
Terrill's brigade was driven back in a rout, and he was killed,
as well as Jackson, who commanded the division. The brave,
heroic Rousseau, commanding the third division, bore the
chief weight of the battle, and saved the left corps from
total defeat. A charge by Sheridan, at night-fall, closed
the fight. This partial disaster was attributed by Buell to
the neglect of McCook to send him word that he was pressed
with an overwhelming force, until it was too late to reach
him before night with the other wing of the army, which
was separated by a distance of five miles.
Our loss in this engagement was about four thousand,
leaving Buell but fifty-four thousand men with which to
pursue Bragg, whose army numbered over sixty thousand.
But the nature of the country was such that he could not
force him to a battle, though he pressed him with unrelenting severity. At Crab Orchard, where the country suddenly
changed, being barren and cut up into defiles, so that a
small force could protect the retreating army, he stopped his
pursuit, having captured in all, four or five thousand prisoners.
But though he had driven Bragg out of Kentucky, and
thus relieved the State, the Administration pretended to be
dissatisfied at his not having destroyed the rebel army, and
therefore removed him from his command. Whether Halleck, and the Secretary of War, really believed that Buell
had not done all that could reasonably have been expected
of him, or whether it was necessary, as usual, to have some




ï~~106

CUMBERLAND GAP.

scape goat for their can military blunders, is left to conjecture.
Cumberland Gap, which General Morgan, as before stated,
had captured in the Spring, by a flank movement through
Rogers' Gap, and immediately fortified, preparatory to a
movement on Knoxville, was evacuated this September. The
advance of Bragg into Kentucky, which compelled Buell to
fall back rapidly to Nashville, left the enemy at liberty to
push across the Cumberland Mountains, by various routes,
and effectually cut Morgan off from his base of supplies, thus
leaving him alone, to save himself as best he might. Strong in
his position, he felt able to hold it against all odds, if he
could be kept from starvation. He contested every foot of
the advance of the enemy, and foraged the country in every
direction that his forces could penetrate. In the meantime,
he sent to Halleck, and General Wright of Ohio, for sup,
plies, saying that if his communications could be kept open,
he would hold the Gap against the whole rebel army. At
different times he sent out five expeditions, in which he
killed and captured seven hundred of the enemy, with a loss
to himself of only forty men. For more than two months, he
saw the storm gathering thicker and darker around him, for
as Buell fell back towards Nashville, the rebel flood poured
like a deluge into Kentucky, so that by the 21st of August,
Morgan found Kirby Smith on the north side, and Stevenson
on the south side of the Gap. Still, he kept buoyant and
cheerful. Not a desponding word escaped him-he always
wrote in a confident tone, but said that his supplies were
getting shorter and shorter, and that even his animals were
failing for want of forage. He would not stir from his position, he declared, though he had to kill his mules for food,
if he could see any movement set on foot to open his communications. The country became alarmed for his safety.
The very stubbornness with which he held the grim fortress,




ï~~A DESPERATE POSITION.

107

only ensured his destruction, if no elief should reach hini.
He at length put his army on half-rations, and still clung to
his position, though he knew a hundred thousand men environed him, and held the entire country from the Gap to
the Ohio.
Thus, for thirty days, his brave soldiers were kep.t on halfrations; a great part of the time without bread, rice, flour
or potatoes. The overwhelming enemy continued to draw
closer and closer around him, every day narrowing his field
for forage, until at length, starvation began to stare him in
the face. What now was to be done?  He could hear of no
movement for his relief, and he staid, waiting for it, until
every known avenue of escape was closed against him. The
rebel General telegraphed to Richmond, that Morgan's army
might be considered prisoners of war, for its fate was sealed.
True, one route w - still left open-the wild, desolate region
stretching for two hundred miles directly to the north-but
this was reported by the engineers impossible for any army
with artillery, if indeed it were possible for an army of ten
thousand men, to be supported there at all, in the length of
time it would take to traverse such a country. Yet the rebels
seemed to think, that a man who had dragged siege guns up
and over the cliffs of Cumberland Mountains, might attempt
to escape by this route; and so Humphrey Marshall was sent
to block it up, and, early in September, was making his difficult way through the sterile region to the north-east. In
this painful dilemma, Morgan called a council of war, in
which it. was decided that the only alternative was an immediate evacuation or an unconditional surrender  This
being decided upon, Morgan determined to make a des te
effort to save both his army and artillery, all bgt the siege
guns, which he resolved to destroy. It was a dreary prospect at best-that frightful march of two hundred miles,
with ten times ten thousand men before, behind and on




ï~~108

0DECEIVIK  THE ENEMY.

ery side of him. B  he had tried his officers and men,
and knew they would do anything short of a miracle, while
he Jiimself resolved to be annihilated, before he would surrender. Sending out officers to buy provisions along another
route by war of Mount Sterling, who were purposely taken
prisoners, he completely deceived the enemy as to his intentions. In the meantime, preparations were rapidly made to
leave. The mountain was mined so as to tumble the cliffs upon
the road in his rear, the heavy siege guns were destroyed, and,
on the 16th, a large train started for Manchester. All that
night, and the next day, the work went on. At evening,
the pickets were quietly withdrawn, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Gallup, with two hundred chosen men, was directed to hold
the enemy in check, and, if he attempted to follow, to give
the alarm by blowing up the magazine. Before he should
finally leave the Gap, he was ordered to fire the military
storehouse, commissary's and quartermaste:s' buildings, and
tents, and then spring the mine that would unseat the cliffs,
and hurl them into the road behind the retreating army.
Five picked men were stationed at each magazine, to which
the trains were already laid, and five more at a pit in which
were piled several thousand stand of arms, mostly loaded,
who at a given signal were to apply the torch, and set the
volcano in motion. Gallup, having stationed his pickets,
went forward with a flag of truce, and by adroit management
effectually deceived the enemy respecting Morgan's designs.
When he knew, by certain signs, that the army was well in
motion, he took his leave, saying that he would call in the
morning and get the answer to his flag of truce. He then
visited his pickets, telling them to dispute every inch of
ground, and repaired to Baird's head-quarters, where he
found Morgan sitting on his horse, and with a serious, anxions face, watching his retiring columns. It was now ten
o'clock at night, and the crisis of tthe fate of the army was




ï~~A GRAND SPECTACLE.

109

fast approaching. Turning to Gallup, Morgan said: "Yom
have a highly iinportant duty to perform; this ammunition
and these arms and military stores must not fall into the jds
of the enemy. I hope you will not be captured.'  -F"arewell," he added, and bowing, rode off into the  lo m. The
night wore on, and Gallup, sending off his smallYfrce to a
place of safety, directed three men-Markham, O'rien and
Thad. Reynolds as he was called-the boldest scout and spy
in the army-to kindle the conflagration. As the flames
rolled heavenward, he gave the signal to fire the trains. To
his astonishment, no answering explosion followed, and waiting a sufficient time, he put spurs to his horse and galloped
to the spot. Not a soul was to be found-all had gone forward to the main column. Seizing some burning fagots,
he fired the trains with his own hands, and mounting his
horse, dashed down the Gap. He had barely reached a safe
distance, when the first explosion followed, sending the huge
rocks in every direction. The conflagration in the valley
below was now in full headway, and the scene became in
describably grand. The savage precipices reddened like fire
in the sudden illumination, and the whole midnight gorge
shone brighter than at noon-day. Gallup, sitting on his
horse, that glowed like a fiery steed in the intense glare
of the flames, gazed with silent awe on the wild work his
hands had wrought. Said he: "Every fissure and opening
in the cliffs around me, was visible. The trees and rocks
upon their sides, at any time picturesque and interesting,
were now grand in their beauty. It was a scene more like
enchantment than reality. I gazed, lost in admiration. But
suddenly the scene changed. The large magazine, with its
rich stores of powder and fixed ammunition, exploded.
The explosion shook the mountains like a toy in the hands
of a monster. The air was filled with dense smoke, so that
I could scarcely breathe. Huge masses of rock, cartridge



ï~~110

A COMPLETE- RUIN.

boxes, barrels of powder, and other materials, were blown
to an indescribable height, and went whirling through the
air in wild confusion, falling, in some instances, more than a
mile from the exploding magazine. A moment after, the
burning roof of a building a hundred and eighty feet long,
used as a store-house on the mountain, fell in, and set fire to
the shells stored there." Before the blazing embers that shot
in a fiery shower heavenward had descended to the earth
again, the explosion took place, sounding like a thousand
cannon let off there at once, in the trembling gorge.
Lighted on its way by such a sea of flame, and keeping step
to such stern and awful music, did that gallant army move
off into the night, and turn its face. towards the distant Ohio.
But the terrific fusilade made by the discharging guns and
bursting shells, was kept up there among the solitary crags
until noon. The rebels beyond the ridge were filled with consternation, as they gazed on the lurid sky, and felt the earthquake shock, and knew not what the strange uproar meant.
When, at last, they were informed, by an inhabitant of the
region, that Morgan had evacuated the Gap, they dared not
approach it till three o'clock the next day, for fear of exploding shells and mines. When they did venture near, they
gazed around in blank astonishment. Silence and desolation
reigned thro-ghout the gorge, while the rocks lay piled along
it, in one wild wreck, heaved there by the exploding mines.
Morgan had done his work thoroughly and well, but the
mighty task before him was only just commenced. Two hundred miles of such a country as lay before him, were never
before marched over, by ten thousand men, with artillery and
no supplies, while a vast army was closing in upon them on
every side. As if to cloud the beginning of his great endeavor with increasing gloom, towards morning a pelting
rain set in, accompanied with fierce gusts of wind that swept
mournfully over the swiftly advancing columns. Ten ladies,




ï~~~.*.\~ ~
~
'i<: >.~.
~
~..\
4~' ~   \
~\ N' 'N.'




ï~~


ï~~THE RETREAT.

111

the wives and daughters of officers, were with the army, to
share its perils and its fortunes.
Morgan marched by two parallel roads, and so rapidly,
that by morning his advance brigade was at Flat Lick,
twenty miles from the Gap, which he had left the night before.
By evening, the army was at Manchester. Here Morgan
halted a day, to complete the organization of his forces, and
gird himself for the long and doubtful race before him. Before
he was ready to start, the enemy's bugles were sounding in his
rear, while the scouts brought in the tidings that a brigade of
cavalry, under the notorious Morgan, was hovering around his
line of march. He learned also that Humphrey Marshall was
moving to cut his line of march to the north. In fact, so perilous was his condition, that Gen. Jones, afterwards taken prisoner by us, confessed, that had Morgan delayed his retreat but
a single day, his last avenue of escape would have been closed.
The storm was rapidly gathering, on every side of him,
and nothing but swift marching could save him. A single
inefficient or negligent officer might work his ruin; but a
truer set of subordinates, or a more devoted body of soldiers,
never closed around a brave Commander. Generals Spears,
Carter and Baird, and Colonel De Coucy, led their respective
commands, with a skill that won the admiration and praise
of all. It was fortunate that he had, as topographical engineer with him, Captain Sidney Lyons, who, as State Geologist of Kentucky, had surveyed this whole region. He knew
it so well, that he told Morgan that he doubted, even if he
could succeed in getting his artillery trains over the terrible
roads he must travel, whether he could subsist the army in such
a country, during the short time it would take to traverse it.
It is impossible to give a detailed account of this extraordinary retreat. The army moved in a lengthened line, winding over the rocky, broken, sterile region like a huge serpent;
the heavy rumbling of the trains and guns, the only music




ï~~112

SUFFERING OF THE ARMY.

of the march. When it came to a cross-road, it would rap.
idly concentrate, to prevent flank attacks of the enemy's
cavalry, and as soon as the dangerous point was passed, unwind again, and press forward. The streams were all dry,
mocking with their stony beds the thirst of the weary soldiers. Sometimes, water could be got only by pulling it up
from crevices in the cliffs, eighty or a hundred feet deep;
and one day, the army was compelled to march thirty-four
miles in order to reach water. So constantly and dreadfully
did the soldiers suffer for want of it, that they began to talk
of the distant Ohio, as the end of all human desires. They
suffered, too, from want of food, as the enemy destroyed
everything before them on which they could lay their hands.
Even the officers and women grew faint as they marched
along, gnawed by the pangs of hunger. One day, all that
Morgan had tfo sustain life was a single ear of parched corn,
and on another day, all that he and his staff together had,
was a dozen potatoes. Occasionally, a field of standing
corn was passed, which sufficed to keep them from.starvation. On one occasion, as Morgan was riding along the column, he passed the wife of one of his c6olonels, sitting on a
log, looking faint and pale. Stopping a moment, he said:
"I hope you are not ill."  "Oh, no," she replied, "I am well,
General."  "But," she added, with a wan smile, "I have
eaten but once in forty-eight hours."  Famine was staring
him and his gallant army in the face, but there was no murmuring, no complaint.   The roads were blockaded with
fallen trees and rocks, which had to be removed, or a new
road cut around them; and the crack of rifles from the
thickets along their line of march, and from barricades in
front, and the report of forces gathering in advance, kept
them ever on the alert, and hard at work, and constantly
moving. The usual September storm, even a little delay,
would probably have sealed the fate.of the army; but the




ï~~A THRILLING SHOUT.

113

bright autumnal weather enabled them to march steadily,
and thus keep the advantage they had gained at the start,
to the last. The rebel Morgan and Marshall were both in
his front,) and an overwhelming force in his rear, but the
latter could not overtake him, while he moved so rapidly
that the former had no time to concentrate a sufficient force
to arrest his progress. Occasional conflicts with small bodies
occurred, in which a few of his men fell, and were hastily
buried in the sterile fields past which they marched.
Thus, day after day, for nearly a fortnight, this wonderful
retreat was kept up, until at length, on the 3d of October, the
advance brigade, as it reached a lofty swell, caught a glimpse
of the lordly Ohio, rolling its glittering flood through the
distant landscape. At the glad sight, a thrilling shout went
up, and "The Ohio! The Ohio! "rolled like thunder down the
excited line. Each regiment and brigade took it up in turn, till
"' The Ohio! The Ohio! "rose and fell in prolonged and jubilant
acclamation for miles away, along the weary column. It recalled the time when the German army sent up in a wild shout,
"The Rhine! The Rhine! " as they once more came in sight
of their native stream, and joy and gladness filled every heart.
Morgan was at last safe. Right nobly hUad he won the
race. By his foresight, energy and indomitable perseverance, he had escaped from the trap in which an inefficient
General-in-Chief had allowed him to be caught. He had
saved his entire train, and lost but eighty men since he.moved out of the Gap. Inst.ead, however, of congratulating
him on his skill and success, in his report sent into Congress
the following Winter, Halleck had the injustice to censure
him for evacuating the Gap, saying that "an investigation
had been ordered." No one, however, was deceived by it.
T'he public had long known the situation of Morgan, and,
that unless his communications were opened, and supplies
sent him, he and his army were lost; and hence, instead




ï~~114

GROSS INJUSTICE.

of condemning him, felt unbounded gratitude, that he had
outwitted the enemy, and saved his army and guns. But
the General-in-Chief was guilty of deception, as well as injustice. When he said that "an investigation had been
ordered," it had not only been ordered but finished, and the
report laid on his table six weeks previous. He himself had
directed Major-General Wright to make this investigation;
and, in his report, the latter said he "did not see how, with
starvation staring him (Morgan) in the face, and with no
certainty of relief being afforded, he could have come to any
other conclusion than the one he arrived at," &c. He stated
also that it was unanimously decided, in a council of war, to be
the only course left, if he would avoid a surrender of his army.
When Morgan, who was at Memphis, saw Halleck's report,
stung by its gross injustice, he immediately wrote to him,
demanding a court of inquiry or court-martial, at once, before which he could be heard. Halleck, in reply, said "that
General Wright was directed some time since to investigate
and report the facts concerning that affair, and if that report
shall be satisfactory, no further proceedings will be required,
and you will be relieved from all blame." Morgan immediately wrote to-General Wright, and found to his astonishment, that he had sent in his report the October previous,
exonerating him from all blame, and that this report was in
Halleck's hands when he made out his own report. That the
latter should be guilty of the gross injustice of casting censure
on a brave officer, in order to cover up his own short-comings,
is perhaps not surprising; but that he should put on record
statements, which, placed side by side, present him in
such a painful aspect to the public, is certainly very remarkable. The whole campaign as planned,.was a palpable
blunder, and it was natural that he should put the blame
of failure upon some one else; but this mode of doing it
admits of no excuse.




ï~~CHAPTER VII.

STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE WEST-EAST TENNESSEE-ARKANSAS-BATTLE OF
PRAIRIE GROVE-FORRESTIS RAID IN KENTUCKY-SURRENDER OF HARTSVILLE, TENNESSEE-BUTLER'S DEPARTMENT-EXPEDITION AGAINST VICKSBURG-SURRENDER OF HOLLY SPRINGS-ASSAULT UPON VICKSBURG-GALLANTRY OF GENERAL BLAIR-SHERMAN SUPERSEDED BY MC CLERNANDARMY OF THE POTOMAC-MO CLELLAN DELAYS TO MOVE-CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN HIM AND HALLECK-RAID OF STUART-MO CLELLAN ORDERED BY
THE PRESIDENT TO MOVE-HIS ADVANCE-SUPERSEDED BY BURNSIDEPARTING WITH THE ARMY-REVIEW OF MC CLELLAN'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST
RICHMOND.
DURING this month, October, while East Tennessee had
again fallen into the hands of the enemy, General Blunt,
by a vigorous attack on the rebel Hindman, at Fort Wayne,
Arkansas, had routed him, capturing his artillery, and thus
relieved South-western Missouri from rebel depredations.
In the latter part of the month, General HIerron dispersed a
large band of guerrillas, near Fayetteville, in Missouri.
November passed without any battles of moment, though
throughout the West, constant fighting was going on between
detached forces.  But in the last-of this month, Gen. Blunt,
who was fast rising into distinction, was pressing hard against
the rebel forces under Hindman and Marmaduke in Arkansas.
At Cane Hill, after a sharp contest, he forced the enemy to
retreat.  A few days after, however, learning that Hindman
and Marmaduke, in conjunction, were moving from different
points in heavy farce to attack him, he immediately began
to concentrate his troops, and on Friday, the 7th of December, gave him battle at Prairie Grove.




ï~~116

AFFAIRS WEST.

BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE.
General Herron, who, in obedience to orders from General
Blunt, endeavored to join him, was attacked by an overwhelming force, but, by the most gallant fighting, held his
own until Blunt formed a junction with him. It was a beautiful day, and, the battle occurring in a comparatively open
country, the scene it presented was picturesque and thrilling.
It lasted till night-fall, apparently without any decisive results. But the next morning it was found that the enemy
had retreated. Herron and Blunt had out-generaled the
enemy and defeated him, though superior in numbers, in
a fair field fight. Our loss was a little over a thousand,
while that of the rebels must have been nearly three
times as great. Soon after, hearing that Hindman was at
Van Buren, Blunt pushed on and captured it.
In Kentucky, Forrest's great raid was the important event
of the month of December. He seemed to go where he
liked with his half-wild followers, sending consternation
through the country. Elizabethtown was captured by Morgan on the 27th, and a large amount of property destroyed.
The shameful surrender of Hartsville, Tennessee, with
some fifteen hundred men, this month, awakened the deepest
indignation, and disgraced the troops left to hold it.
On the last day of the month, Forrest was defeated at
Parker's Cross Roads by Sullivan, with a loss of a thousand
men; but, on the whole, affairs in Kentucky and Tennessee
at the close of the year, were in a very unsatisfactory condition.
The Department of New Orleans furnished nothing more
important than the retirement of Butler, on the 15th of December, and the appointment of Banks in his place. The
month previous, at Bayou Teche, fourteen miles from Bra



ï~~VICKSBURG.

117

shear City, a fight occurred between five Union gunboats and
a large rebel force, supported by the gunboat Cotton, which
resulted in the retreat of the enemy and the escape of the
gunboat.
Up the Mississippi, however, more important events were
transpiring. Grant, in command, planned an expedition to
take Vicksburg, which, though it proved a sad failure, was
the beginning of the great measures to open that river to
our fleet. The plan was, for Sherman with his army to move
straight on the place, and attempt to carry it by assault,
while Grant himself was to advance against Jackson City, and
attack the enemy there, to keep him from sending troops
to Vicksburg.
Sherman left Memphis on the 20th day of December, and
the day after Christmas, entered the Yazoo, and ascended it
nearly to Haines' Bluff. Here the army was disembarked,
and moved down towards Vicksburg.
The gunboats had previously, on the 26th, assaulted the
eight-gun battery on the bluff, but were unable to silence it.
In the meantime, disaster had overtaken Grant, so that
his co-operation became impossible. Holly Springs, on which
he partly relied for supplies, was attacked and disgracefully surrendered.  This brought him to a halt, and the
rebel forces, that he expected to keep back from Vicksburg
were left free to reinforce the place.
Sherman, however, ignorant of all this, proceeded to carry
out his part of the plan, and, on the 27th day of December,
advanced with his accustomed rapidity against the city, and
before night drove, the enemy from his outer lines. For the
next two days he continued to press the assault, and on the
29th, a series of charges was made with a fury amounting
almost to desperation. "Blair's brigade, in the advance,
emerging from the cover of a cypress forest, came upon an
intricate abattis of young trees, fel4ed about three feet from




ï~~118

A GALLANT ATTACK.

the ground, with the tops left interlacing each other in con;
fusion. Beyond the abattis was a deep ditch, with quicksand at the bottom, and several feet of water over it. Beyond the ditch was a more impenetrable abattis of heavy
timber. All this was swept by a murderous fire from the
enemy's artillery. Yet, through and over it all, the brigade
gallantly charged, and drove the enemy from his rifle pits
at the base of the center hill, on which the city lay. Other
brigades now came up in support, and the second line was
carried; and still up the hill pressed the heroic advance."
But it was all in vain. The city was impregnable to so
small a force, and reluctantly, the storming party yielded up
their hardly earned conquests, Blair's brigade losing onethird of his men in the daring assault.*
Sherman now saw it was a hopeless task, and, under a flag
of truce burying his men, re-embarked his army and proceeded to Young's Point. Here McClernand assumed command, and the army was divided into two corps, which were
placed under Sherman and Morgan. In announcing the
change of command, Sherman complimented his troops, add;
Sing: " Ours was but part of a combined movement in which
others were to assist. We were in time; unforeseen contingencies must have delayed the others. We have destroyed
the Shreveport road; we have attacked Vicksburg, and
pushed the attack as far as prudence would justify, and,
having found it too strong for our single column, we have
drawn off in good order and good spirits, ready for any
new move."
In the East, the year had'closed disastrously to our arms.
McClellan, after the Battle of Antietam, rested so long a time
on the north side of the Potomac, that the President and his
advisers became impatient, and urged an immediate advance

I Col. Bowman.




ï~~STUART'S RAID.

119

of the army. McClellan; in reply, stated that the troops
were not in a fit condition to move, that they lacked clothing,
supplies, horses, in short, could not march against the enemy,
with any prospect of success. Thecorrespondence between
McClellan and Halleck at this time, is one of the most extraordinary developments of the war-the former repeating
his needs, and urging that they be immediately supplied,
and the latter, flatly contradicting him, affirming that he had
clothing, horses, everything necessary. That the Commander
of the army in the field, who had just saved Washington
and won a great victory, should not know what his troops
stood in want of-in fact, should be told, over and over
again, that they had shoes, and clothing, and horses, right
against the testimony of his own eyes, and the reports of his
own officers-is a singular exhibition of want of harmony
of action. The President seemed to think that Halleck was
right, and, acting in accordance with the views of the latter,
on the 6th of October, directed that the army move at once,
while the roads were good. Four days after, the rebel Stuart crossed the Potomac with eighteen hundred men, on a raid
into Pennsylvania, and so utterly was McClellan deficient in
horses, that he could mount but eight hundred men to follow him-a sad comment on HIalleck's assertions. It was
on this account, that the rebel force, after penetrating to
Chambersburg, some twenty miles in rear of the army, was
able to make its way safely back to Virginia-having completed the entire circuit of the Federal forces. The successful return of this daring expedition was a cause of deep
mortification, and kindled into greater strength the general
desire that McClellan should move at once against the enlemy.
At length, he put the army in motion, and on the 26th of
October, began to cross the Potomac at Berlin, designing to
move parallel with the Blue Ridge, holding each Gap as he
advanced-Warrenton being the point of general direction.
88




ï~~120

MC0 CLELLAN REMOVED.

By the 5th of November, he had planted his head-quarters
at Warrenton-his army well in hand, and ready to close in
a great struggle with the enemy-when he received a telegram from Washington, relieving him from the command of
the army, and ordering Lim to turn it over to Burnside.
The announcement of this sudden change of leaders at
this critical juncture, fell like a thunderbolt on the army and
the nation, and awakened for a time the gravest fears as to
its result. The reason given by Halleck-that it was done
because McClellan disobeyed orders-if the true one, should
have caused his removal a month before, when, directed
to move at once across the Potomac, he had delayed until
he thought he could do so with any prospect of success.
His parting with the army was a sad one to him and the
troops, for it was the child of his creation, and common
sufferings and dangers had endeared them to each other.
None saw him leave, with keener regret, than Burnside himself, who did not wish to accept the position forced on himopenly declaring that McClellan was the only man fit to
occupy it.
This terminated McClellan's connection with the army,
and ended the first great chapter of the war. Public opinion
will always be more or less divided as to his merits as a
Commander, and the partisan character which the whole
question at once assumed, rendered a just discussion of it
impossible; and not, till the generation to which he belongs
shall have passed away, will his conduct, during the two years
and upwards that he was at the head of the Army of the
Potomac, be judged simply by the rules of military criticism.
But there are two great facts which do not admit of discussion. The first is, that the failure of the Peninsular campaign rendered a long and tedious war inevitable. The
second is, that a great campaign cannot be successfully carried
on, by a divided power and conflicting counsels.




ï~~CHAPTER VIII.

I3URNSIDE ADVANCES ON FREDERICKSBURG-HIS DESIGN-IS DISAPPOINTEDRESOLVES TO CARRY THE HEIGHTS BY ASSAULT-TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT
OF THE PLACE-A STRIKING SCENE-GALLANTRY OF THE SEVENTH MICHIGAN-THE SHARPSHOOTERS-CROSSING OF THE RIVER-THE BATTLE-THE
DEFEAT-THE ARMY RECROSSES THE RIVER-FEELING OF THE PEOPLEBURNSIDE TAKES THE RESPONSIBILITY-REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN SECOND
ATTEMPT MADE AND ABANDONED-THE SOUTHERN DEPARTMENT-DEATH
OF MITCHELL-FOSTER'S EXPEDITION INTO NORTH CAROLINA CLOSE OF
THE YEAR.
BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
TEN days after the removal of McClellan, Burnside broke
up his head-quarters, and commenced a rapid march to
Fredericksburg, with the design of capturing the place before Lee's main army could reach it, and thus to cut off his
retreat towards Richmond, and compel him to a decisive battle
in the field.  But the pontoon trains, without which the
army could not cross the river, did not arrive from Washington at the expected time. Consequently, it lay idly on
the banks of the Rappahannock till nearly the middle of
the next month. Ample time was therefore given to Lee
to counteract the intended movement, and make that which
at first seemed feasible, an impossibility.  Still, Burnside
did not abandon the project of taking the _ace, and, thinking that the most desperate movement would be never
anticipated by the enemy-viz., a direct assault up an open
slope, upon his intrenched positioins, held by an ample force,
with interior lines equally formidable-determined to hazard
it. The country back of Fredericksburg rises in successive
terraces, to the heights on which Lee's army lay intrenched.




ï~~122

THE BOMBARDMENT.

This line of heights curves in towards the river, some three
miles below the city, where it is wooded. Here the right
of Lee's army rested. At this point also, Franklin, commanding our left wing, was directed to cross with his corps,
and, if possible, turn the enemy's flank, while the main army
was to cross directly at the city, and move in one grand assault up the heights. For two days before the battle, the
banks of the Rappahannock presented a stirring spectacle.
The moving of masses of troops, the 4far-echoing notes of
the bugle, the heavy tramp of the marching columns, preparatory to the great "day of decision," the sullen thunder
peals that rolled along the heights on either side of the river,
dark with long rows of cannon-combined to make a scene
at once grand and fearful.. On Thursday, the place was
bombarded, in order to drive out the sharpshooters who
prevented the laying of the pontoons, and a hundred and
seventy-nine guns opened at once on the town. At the
commencement of this terrific cannonade, that shook the
shores of the river like an earthquake, the city was enveloped in a dense fog-a spire here and there, piercing above the sleeping mass, alone revealing its locality.
As the awful bombardment went on, dark columns of
smoke, shooting fiercely through the white sea of mist,
told where building after building was fired by the shells.
About noon the, fog lifted; and, drifting gently away,
revealed the city in flames. All day long, the deep reverberations shook the shore, and rolled heavily away over the
trembling eart1nd when the blood-red sun went down in
the hazy sky, ished a lurid light on field and river, and
frowning heights, and miles of quiet tents. "As the air darkened, the red flashes of the guns gave a new effect to the
scene-the roar of each report being preceded by a fierce
dart of flame, while the explosion of each shell was announced by a gush of fire on the clouds. Towering between




ï~~A GALLANT DASH.

123

us and the western sky, which was still showing its faded
scarlet lining, was the huge, somber pillar of grimy smoke
that marked the burning of Fredericksburg. Ascending to
a vast height, it bore away northward, shaped like a plume
bowed in the wind."
The guns, however, could not be depressed enough to
reach the houses on the bank of the river, in which the
sharpshooters lay concealed. If these could be dislodged, the
pontoons might be laid, for the river ran so deep between
its banks, that Lee could not command it with his batteries.
To do this, the Seventh Michigan volunteered to cross
over in boats, under the fire of the sharpshooters, and expel
them with the bayonet. In ten boats, holding twenty-five or
thirty men each, the regiment pushed off with a ringing
cheer, and, pulling straight into and through the pattering
balls, reached the opposite shore. The Nineteenth and
Twentieth Massachusetts followed, and the rebels, popping up
like rats from behind walls, rifle pits and heaps of rubbish,
scampered off through the streets of the city, when three
pontoon bridges were quickly laid, and soon shook to the
tread of the mighty host.
By Saturday morning, the 13th, the army was across, including Franklin's Corps down the river. The fog lay heavy
and still along the river and plain, and shrouded the batteries
in gloom; yet heavy explosions incessantly shook its mysterious bosom, sounding the notes of preparation to the mighty
columns, that, wrapped in its gray mantle, stood in battle
array on the further side of the river. Thqw.attle, however,
did not really commence till nearly noon, when the order to
advance was given, and Couch's Corps moved forward into
the fire. It is impossible to describe the din and carnage that
followed.  In three massive columns, our brave troops
mounted the ascent, but, when they reached the second terrace, the rebel batteries, with a rapid and concentrated fire,




ï~~124

THE BATTLE.

rained shot and shell in a ceaseless, overwhelming storm
on their uncovered ranks. Horses galloping furiously across
the plain-brigades streaming on the double-quick through
the fiery sleet, that made great gaps in them as they passedswaying columns bravely endeavoring to breast the stormthe ragged front of battle wildly undulating along the
slope-the ceaseless crash of cannon-all combined to make
a scene of tumult and carnage inconceivable, indescribable.
Said Col. Stevens, in his report to the Governor of New
Hampshire: "For three-fourths of an hour, I stood in front
of my regiment on the brow of the hill, and watched the
fire of the rebel batteries, as they poured shot and shell from
sixteen different points upon our devoted men on the plains
below. It was a sight magnificently terrible. Every discharge of the enemy's artillery, and every explosion of his
shells, was distinctly visible in the dusky twilight of that
smoke-crowned hill. His direct and enfilading batteries,
with the vividness, intensity, and almost the rapidity of lightning, hurled the messengers of death into the midst of our
brave ranks, vainly struggling through the murderous fire
to gain the hills and guns of the enemy." The dead and
wounded were borne back in an incessant stream to the city;
not a step in advance was gained; and still the troops were
pressed to the devastating fire, and Death held high carnival in
front of the rebel works.  ".Forward, men-steady-close
up /!"fell from firm-set lips that the next moment were sealed in
death; and deeds of personal daring, and heroic sacrifices were
made by regimes and brigades, that will ever render them
immortal. But it was vain valor and vain sacrifice. Meagher's Irish brigade, of heroic renown, was almost annihilated.
Below, down the river, the thunder of Franklin's guns could
be heard, rolling up the banks, but, after his first advance,
the heavy explosions came from the same spot, showing that
he was making no progress towards accomplishing the task




ï~~A LOST BATTLE.

125

assigned him. Said the correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial: " It was with a deep sense of relief, that I saw
the sun go down, and felt that in a little while, darkness
would put an end to the unequal combat. But, for a time,
the fury of the fire on both sides redoubled, as the discovery
was made by the combatants that their day's work was about
done. For a half an hour the din was awful, and the smoke
drifted through the streets as sometimes in a city, when there
is a high wind and a great dust. *  *  *  Franklin's and
Jackson's guns throbbed heavily a few times on the left;
and all was still on the north side of the river;. save the rumbling of army wagons."
At length, silence rested along the crimson heights, and
the battle was over. Not a battery had been taken; not a
breastwork carried; not even the threshold of the enemy's
works reached. Like men led out to execution, the brave
battalions had been marched forth, only to be shot down.
It was literally a "field of slaughter."
Burnside, instead of carrying the heights of Fredericksburg, by a splendid coup-de-main, had walked boldly, unsuspectingly, into a frightful trap, which closed on him with
a swift, fatal.spring. Though no impression whatever had
been made on the enemy's works-showing that our frightful loss was a dead loss-that every life had been thrown
away yet Burnside wished, the next morning, to renew
the attack, but.was prevented by the remonstrance of some
of his Generals.
He reported his loss at less than ten thousand, but it afterwards turned out to be double that number. Lee reported
his entire loss to be only eighteen hundred.
The Sanitary Commission was promptly on the field, and
again proved to the country what an admirable institution
it was.
Sunday dawned warm and balmy as October, and the




ï~~126

THE RIVER RECROSSED.

birds sang along the banks of the Rappahannock, as merrily
as though no scenes of death and carnage had made them
as memorable as the shores of Trasymenus.
Some skirmishing and cannonading followed, but on Monday night, the wearied and bleeding army was secretly,
silently transported across the river, the pontoons taken upand the great campaign was ended.
The country was fearfully excited by this catastrophe,
coming so quickly on the heels of McClellan's removal, and
abuse was poured on the Government from every quarter,
until Burnside publicly took the responsibility of the whole
movement on himself.
Great complaint was made that the pontoons were not
sent forward from Washington, in time to meet Burnside
when he moved from Warrenton, so that he could have
crossed at once, and.taken possession of the heights, before
the enemy had time to occupy them. Hooker, too, thought,
if he could have had his own way, he might have seized and
held them in advance. There are always supposed events
after a defeat, which, had they occurred, would have made
it a victory. But Lee was too good a General to allow his
retreat to Richmond to be cut off by a sudden dash. He
showed afterwards, when attacked by Hooker, and still later,
when pressed by Grant with double his own force, that neither dash, great ability, nor overwhelming numbers, could
accomplish this desired object. Still, deeply as the country
was mortified at the defeat, but little condemnation of Burnside openly was heard. His unwillingness to take chief
command, his modest appreciation of his own abilities, his
known moral worth and true patriotism, warded off the
blows, that afterwards fell fierce and fast on Hooker, who
suffered a similar defeat near the same place.
Burnside soon after planned another advance movement,
designed to retrieve his disasters, and had actually commenced




ï~~GENERAL MITCHELL.

127

it, but heavy rains set in, which turned the whole country
into a sea of mud, and it was abandoned.
This practically closed the campaign in Virginia for the
year. The rebels, some three thousand strong, crossed the
Rappahannock above Burnside, and attacked Dumfries, but
were repulsed.
Further south, but little was accomplished.  General
Mitchell, the celebrated astronomer, who had abandoned his
quiet pursuits at the call of his country, and, under Buell,
acquired the reputation of a skillful, energetic General, but
was afterwards relieved from his command, under the insane
charge of speculating in cotton, was sent, early in the Autumn, to the Southern Department to take the place of Hunter. He immediately' infused energy and life into affairs,
and great results were expected from his known force of
character. But he was stricken down in the midst of his
usefulness, by the yellow fever, and died at Beaufort on the
30th of October. A pure and notle man, he was at the
outset, so ungenerously treated by the War Department, that,
during Cameron's administration, he sent in his resignation,
but it was not accepted. Afterwards, though he had filled
the land with his deeds, he suffered under the charge of
speculating, and at last was sent to Beaufort to die.
In North Carolina, only partial, isolated blows were
struck, having no direct bearing on any of the great campaigns. The principal event which marked the closing year
in this Department, was an expedition against Kinston, set
on foot by Foster, with four brigades under General Wessels
and commanded by Colonels Amory, Stevenson and Lee.- He
left Newbern on the 8th of December, and on the 14th, met
the enemy in force, under General Evans, about a mile from
Kinston, and gave him battle. The rebels were beaten, and
retreated, abandoning the town, which Foster took possession of. He rendered useless two heavy guns which he




ï~~128

A DARING DEED.

could not bring off, and captured four field pieces. After
destroying the quartermasters' stores, and burning the bridge,
he proceeded to Whitehall. From thence, he continued his
course, fighting as he advanced, till he came within eight
miles of Goldsboro', which was only fifty miles from Raleigh,
the Capital of the State. After burning trestle-work and
cars, and tearing up railroad tracks, and, last of all, firing
the bridge over the Neuse, under the shots of the enemy,
he retraced his steps to Newbern-having advanced seventy
or eighty miles into the heart of the State, and spread
consternation wherever he went. Lieutenant George W.
Graham applied the torch to the bridge, under the fire of the
enemy's artillery and infantry, and then saved himself by
jumping from it.
The total loss in the expedition, was five hundred and
seventy-seven. "Among the killed was Colonel Gray, of the
Ninety-sixth New York regiment.
The sum total of the military operations for the year, was
not satisfactory, and belied the promise of the Government,
and the hopes of the people, that the war would be a short
one.
But while in the East, the New Year came in gloomily,
in the West, it was signaled by a battle that inaugurated a
series of movements, which, in the end, were to have an
important bearing on the war.




ï~~CHAPTER IX..

BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO', OR STONE RIVER-ROSECRANS AT NASHVILLEHIS DELAY TO MOVE-THE COUNCIL OF WAR-ROSECRANS' PARTING
WORDS-THE MARCH COMMENCED-THE ENEMY'S LINE OF BATTLE AT
MURFREESBORO'-ROSECRANS' PLAN OF BATTLE-SCENES AND INCIDENTSBRAGG'S PLAN OF ATTACK-MORNING OF THE BATTLE-ATTACK OF THE
ENEMY-DESTRUCTION OF OUR RIGHT WING-ROSECRANS INCREDULOUSHIS GALLANT CONDUCT WHEN INFORMED OF HIS DISASTER-HEROIC DEFENSE BY SHERIDAN-FORMING A NEW LINE OF BATTLE-STUBBORNNESS
OF THE LEFT WING-SPLENDID BEHAVIOR OF HAZEN-THE CLOSE---APPEARANCE OF THE FIELD-OUR HEAVY LOSS-OPERATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING DAYS-LAST BATTLE-MURFREESBORO' EVACUATED-ROSECRANS
CELEBRATES HIGH MASS-THE ARMY RESTS.
ROSECRANS, who had succeeded Buell in command of
the Army of the Cumberland, had a high reputation
for energy and skill, having never yet been beaten in a single battle.  He took up his head-quarters at Nashville, and
commenced the reorganization of the army.
Here he remained, apparently idle, for two months, and
the country, ignorant of the circumstances that surrounded
him, grew impatient. The usual pressure, which at the first
had urged on McDowell, and which, like an evil genius, had
followed every General since the war began, was brought to
bear. on him. But no power on earth could make him move
till he was ready.  They might supersede him, but could not
force him to do that which his judgment condemned, if he
was to be held responsible for the result.
At length, having settled matters somewhat to his satisfaction in Nashville-secured his communications, and accumulated thirty days' provisions, he determined to move.     A
consultation was held at head-quarters, on Christmas night,




ï~~130

THE ADVANCE.

which broke up at midnight. The army was to march in the
morning; and as Rosecrans, in parting, took each commander
by the hand, he said: "Spread out your skirmishers far and
wide! Expose their nests! Keep fighting!  Good night."
The morning, so big with fate, dawned gloomily on the
army-the clouds hung like a pall over the winitry landscape
great drifts of slowly moving mist lay along the valleyswhile the rain came down in torrents, that gathered in pools
in the road, or ranin yellow streams along the gullies. The
reveille, as it rolled from camp to camp, had a muffled sound
in the murky atmosphere, and everything conspired to shed
a gloom over the army. But the soldiers seemed to forget
the storm in the excitement of marching on the enemy, and
soon the mighty host, nearly fifty thousand strong, was.
sweeping along the muddy roads and across the drenched
fields. Thomas led the center, McCook the right, and Crittenden the left. About noon, the clouds broke away before
a stiff north-west breeze, and the sun came out to lighten up
the somber landscape. But already the dropping fire of
musketry, and now and then the boom of a cannon, told
that the rebel "nests" were being "stirred up."  All day
long, the steady columns toiled on over the broken country,
and at night bivouacked in the wet fields. But with dark-'
ness came again the heavy rain-clouds, and the cold storm
beat on the tired army. Through the darkness and storm,
Rosecrans with his escort went dashing over the country, in
search of McCook's head-quarters. Their horses' hoofs struck
fire among the rocks, and they swung along at such a slashing
pace that one of his escort finally exclaimed: "General, this
way of going like h-1 over the rocks will knock up the
horses."  "That's true," he replied; "walk."  Moving on
more slowly through the impenetrable blackness, he called
an orderly and said, "Go back and tell that young man he
must not be profane." Reaching McCook's head-quarters




ï~~A LOST ESCORT.

131

in the woods, the two entered a wagon, and sitting down
on the bottom, with a candle between them, stuck in the
socket of a bayonet, the point of which was driven into the
floor, they consulted together of the movements for the
morrow. "Push them hard!" were his last words as he
arose to his feet. Emerging from the wagon between ten
and eleven o'clock, he exclaimed, "We mount now, gentlemen."  The blast of a bugle suddenly rung through the
forest, rousing up the staff, some of whom, tired with being
ten hours in the saddle, were dozing in their blankets, upon
the rocks around. To the "Good night" of McCook, Rosecrans added, "God bless you! " and striking the spurs into
his horse, dashed down the road, splashing the mud over
himself, and those who pressed hard after him. Losing his
way on his return, he "charged impatiently" through the
woods, in the vain effort to find the right road. Amid bugle
calls, and shouts, the escort got separated and confused, and
lost their leader, who, with a part of his staff, wandered off
alone, and at length, at one o'clock in the morning, reached
his camp-having been in the saddle eighteen hours. The
others' did not arrive there till two hours later.*
The next day, Saturday, dawned in gloom, like the one
before; the heavy clouds hung low, and a pall of mist wrapped
the landscape. Slowly and uncertainly the columns felt their
way on, but at one o'clock the fog lifted, and they moved
off over the soft fields and along the muddy highways, driving the enemy's skirmishers before them. It was uncertain
whether Bragg would make a decided stand before he reached
Murfreesboro', or not, and the whole army was kept well in
hand. The next day, Sunday, was a day of rest to the
main army, for Rpsecrans was averse to military operations
on that day, unless they were absolutely necessary.
SW. D. B.'s "Rosecrans' Campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps."




ï~~132

HEAD-QUARTERS UNDER FIRE.

Monday morning, before sunrise, the army was again in
motion, sweeping across the country in splendid order.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, a signal message came
from General Palmer, in front, stating that he was in sight
of Murfreesboro', and that the enemy was in full flight.
Rosecrans immediately sent an order to Crittenden to move
a division into the town. But the report proved incorrect,
and the order was revoked, yet not till Harker, with his
brigade, had made a gallant dash forward, by which he was
placed in a perilous position. He, however, succeeded in
extricating himself from it without loss.
That night, it rained heavily-drenching the soldiers to
their skins, and making the ground so soft that artillery
carriages would sink, while crossing the fields, almost to
their axles. The following day was dark, gloomy and. depressing, and the soldiers stood shivering in their lines.
Rosecrans was up at three o'clock in the norning, and the
columns were pushed carefully over the broken ground, and
through the cedar thickets, towards where the enemy was
drawn'up in line of battle. Crittenden moved forward about
seven o'clock, when the enemy opened a sharp fire upon
him. Rosecrans was standing, at the time, in front of his
head-quarters, an orderly holding his horse near him, when a
cannon ball str k in the road a short distance off, and
bounded away. --asecond struck still nearer, and a third
with a swift, rush ound, swept past him almost in a line,
takin  ff the hea    an orderly in its flight. His headquart were evidently a target for some of the rebel gunners, and mounting, he rode up a slope a little way off, and
halting under some trees near the road, remained there
during the rest of the day. A shed was made by leaning
some rails on a pole that rested in a couple of crotched sticks,
and covering them w  india rubber blankets. Here the staff,
sheltered from the rain, wro  the orders as they were dic



ï~~THE POSITION.

133

tated by their Chief. The dark columns standing noiseless
in the rain-the swift marching of others into position
bodies of horse galloping over the heavy fields-the dashing
away of orderlies in different directions-the scattering fire
of musketry now swelling into full volleys-the heavy boom
of cannon in front the bearing back of wounded officers
on stretchers, and the certainty of a great battle at hand,
combined to make those who clustered around the fire in
front of that rude shelter, serious and thoughtful. Some, at
least, were so, and among them the accomplished Garesche,
Chief of the Staff, who sat apart, under a tree; reading "De
Imitatione Christi," and pondering on his coming fate. As
if instinctively to break the growing sadness of the scene,
the Fourth Cavalry band struck up "The Star Spangled
Banner," and as the soul-stirring strains arose, and swelled
over the field, each eye grew brighter, and each heart kindled with the fire that ever warms the patriot's breast.
By evening, the different divisions were in their respective
positions, though the right wing, under McCook, had suffered considerably from the determined resistance of the
enemy.
The army now stood with its left resting on the Stone
River, and its right stretching off into the country as far as
the Franklin turnpike, making a line thr  es long. The
farthest brigade.on the extreme right    ich's, and was
thrown back nearly at right angles t   main line, to be
ready for any flank movement of t      emy.       main
part of this right wing occupied a slight ridge, coy  with'
woods, vwith open ground in front. At the foot of the ridge,
between it and the enemy, stretched a valley, varying from
forty to sixty rods in width, and covered with close cedar
thickets and oak forests. The center, posted on a rolling
slope, was a little in advance of the  in line; while the left
wing, starting in a piece of woods, crossed a broad cotton




ï~~134

PLAN OF BATTLE.

field, and ended in another piece of woods. The army, as
it thus stood in line of battle, numbered forty-three thousand
and four hundred men. Behind it were half-burned clearings, cedar thickets, cultivated fields, and patches of forest.
Parallel to our line, and distant about half a mile, lay the
rebel army-its right resting on the river, which took a bend
northward just below the point of junction, so as to keep
nearly parallel with it. Being fordable at all points, the
enemy, if forced to retreat, could fall back across it, and
then make it a strong line of defense. Perhaps it would be
more accurate to say, its actual right lay across the river,
divided from the main army by the stream, for here, on an
eminence, was posted Breckenridge's division, directly in
front of Murfreesboro'. Rosecrans' design was to have McCook keep the enemy in front occupied, either by attack or
defense, as circumstances might decide, so as to prevent
reinforcements being sent to Breckenridge across the river,
while he was to swing two divisions, under Van Cleve, over
from his left, and crush Breckenridge by a sudden assault
of superior numbers. Van Cleve was directed to plant his batteries, as soon as the heights were carried, so that they would
sweep the enemy's whole line of battle, and take his works
in reverse, compelling him to retreat to the south of Murfreesboro', which movement would probably prove fatal to him.
The plan was a skillful one, if the enemy would only give him
time to execute it. But, unfortunately, Bragg had a similar
one of his own, by which he hoped to double up his adversary's right by a secret concentration of a heavy force against
it. All the later part of the day, he was moving his troops
in this direction, and McCook, ascertaining this from one of
the inhabitants whom he had captured, sent him at evening
to Rosecrans with the information. On being interrogated,
he mentioned the different rebel divisions that had moved,
and their leaders. Rosecraus, however, instead of altering




ï~~(I//, f,.




ï~~


ï~~OPENING OF THE BATTLE.

135

his plan, to checkmate this movement, resolved to anticipate
it, and instead of strengthening lis right wing, directed McCook simply to build large camp fires beyond its extremity,
in order to give the impression to the enemy that a fresh
division had been sent there. Whether this ruse was understood or not, it produced no change in the rebel plan.
This was the position of the two armies on the night of
the 30th of December. It had rained all day, and the shivering soldiers lay on the cold ground, to snatch such rest as
they could get, before commencing the terrible work of the
morning.
The right wing was composed of three divisions, of which
Johnson held the extreme right, Davis the center one, and
Sheridan the last, which joined the center of the army.
With the first streak of dawn, the roll of the drum and
bugle blast swelled and echoed from hill to hill along the
mighty line, bright with standards and glittering bayonets
that swayed and shook for three miles in the morning light,
and soon, General Van Cleve's division, which was to cross
over on our left, and overwhelm Breckenridge, was in motion.
Wood was to follow by another ford, and lapping on to his
right, and closing with him as he advanced, storm the heights
held by the rebel Commander.
In the meantime, Rosecrans had High Mass celebrated in
his tent, and thus having committed himself and his army to
the God of battles, he stepped forth into the open air. It
was a cold, wintry morning, and the officers, with their overcoats on, gathered around the fires that had been kindled in
the field. It was just before sunrise, and Rosecrans was listening anxiously to hear the artillery along the heights held by
Breckenridge, when there suddenly came a str'arige, confused
sound from the extreme right, like -the fearful sweep of a distant hurricane rapidly approach '. At intervals, arose the
dull, heavy roar of cannon. Nearer ind nearer the noise came.
89




ï~~13.6

THE CATASTROPHE.

until distinct and plain the rattle of musketry was heard,
sounding in the distance like the crackling of flames amid
dry branches. The officers of the staff grew serious and
alarmed, but Rosecrans onlylooked up, and went on talking.
It was all going on as he expected. McCook was evidently
stubbornly contesting the field, according to his instructions.
Alas, McCook was not fighting, but retreating.*
Bragg's order was, -that -at daybreak the whole line, beginning at the extreme left, with Hardee's corps, and followed
by Polk's, should swing forward on our extreme right, and
bear it back, crumbling it in the retreat, till our army should
stand with its rear to the river. Its communications with
Nashville would thus be, cut off, and its destruction sure. In
double lines they came on, swift and terrible as in-rolling
billows. The rebel General McCown first struck Johnson,
on our extreme right, who was wholly unprepared for the
sudden onset, and crushed him with a single blow-sweeping
over his batteries with wild hurrahs. Cleburne followed him,
and striking Davis' division, hurled it also back over the
field:  Like a swift succeeding wave- Withers came next,
and fell with the same desperation orn the last division of the
right wing, whichlas Sheridan's: If this: hadl given way,
like the other two, no power,on -eath could have saved
Rosecrans. -Hisspleidid army was trembli ginthe balance,
but Sheridan, though left solitary and alone of all that right
wing, stood fast. The wave that brst along that astonished
line, disslving it like rest work, here met a rock, and fell
bak in broken surge&    There was ino surprise here, as in
Davis' Aivision--.evry mav:was in his piaee, and every
gunner athismAee,^k1ig bef.re the shek came. Right in
the face of   battery vmitng fbo th death, and through a
cross-fire of twG amore, th  hostile  mn closed in mass,
and, several regi-hmerts. a: ~stdily on. Through
W. B. F




ï~~A GALLANT FIGHT.

137

and through it, shot and shell tore with awful havoc, but
the great ragged gaps closed swiftly up, and still this mass
of living valor kept rolling on, until within pistol shot of
Sill's brigade, when a sheet of fire burst in their very faces.
Nobly did they attempt to bear up against it, but the head
of each formation crumbled away ere it was completed, and
at length the whole broke and fled. Sill then shouted the
charge; and away went the brigade, with a thunderingcheer,
chasing the enemy to cover, but its gallant leader f  mortally wounded.
But unless*Sheridan could be dislodged, the overthrow
of Johnson and Dats would be of no avail, and so the enemy,
rallying again  ith fresh forces, came on more determined
than ever. At the same time, the victorious columns that
hae crushed two of o ur diyisions to fragments, now bore down
onSheridan's Bank, nd hi overthrow by the double onslaught
seemed certain. -Bu instead of retreating, he moved up to
Negley, and oking on to the center, faced -his troops both
south and west, thapresenting two slender fronts to the enemy.
At the angle h placed most of his guns, and in this position
awaited the onset of the overwhelming numbers. As they
came on those, bat eries ploughed long lanes through the
dense masses but they still advanced-pushing their artillery
forward, until the gus played, on eaech other, within dclose
rifle shot. The slagtr ow     s horrle- Three times
did edete    d.e new  advanee, and ias often was compelle-to fa l  b   &4 Polk, afterwards, of these awful
charges, and th ic     ffect on his troops: "The horse
of every offc.er onhe ed and staff of Vaughn's brigade,
except one, and.he h  esof all the field and staff of every
regiment, exe   two~  ere --lle. The brigade lost onethird of its force."
But Sheridan'samm~it  wi gave outand, and no more
could be got, for the train had been captured in the wild




ï~~138

A GLOOMY PROSPECT.

rout of the rest of the wing. Besides, the enemy was now
all around him, in front, flank and rear, so that at last he
also was compelled to retire, leaving nine guns, which he
could not get through the dense cedar thickets, in the hands
of the rebels. Still, not in panic or disorder did his brave,
shattered divisioti abandon the field-but, with even ranks,
and colors flying, sullenly, savagely, fall back till it found
ammunition.
Th right wing was at last all gone, and the onset that had
borne it backward now fell with unbroken fury on the
center. But the heroic resistance of Sheridan had gained
what was of vital importance-time. As he was retreating,
thus uncovering the center, Rosecrans arrived on the field.
He had staid at head-quarters after the first crowd of fugitives arrived from the battle-field with their story of defeatnot believing that any real disaster had occurred. But as
the throng kept increasing, and the din swelled louder and
louder, he strode backward and forward before his tent,
with a disturbed, anxious look. At length a staff officer
from McCook dashed  p to him, asking. for help.  "Tell
G'eneral McCook," he shouted back, " to,ontest every inch
of ground," and still continued his walk. Then came the
tidings that Sill wa-kited, Willichl killed or captured, and
Kirk wounded. "Never mindi; we mu t win the battle,"
was th stern rep. Another aid now dashed up on a gallop, asking that Rosseau be held in readiness. Rousseau
comanded the, eves. This statledAosecrans. What!
reserves befor the battle was fairy begin  At last, the
fightil t    *t     squarely nit, crusig as it was, that
Ythe ight  hi t; wasgo ne, ad the ceuter  fiting a hopeless
battle.  "T4  eneral MCook     will help  im!' he exclaimed, and almost the next instant, Rousseau's brave battalions were moving ~no  'the de.quick acoss the field.
Another order flew to Van Cleve. to double-quick a brigade




ï~~ROSECRANS FLIES TO THE RESCUE.

139

to the right. All now was hot haste-artillery went bounding across the field; swift riders galloped hither and thither
with orders, and Rosecrans, exclaiming "Mount, gentlemen,"
vaulted into the saddle, and striking the spurs into his steed,
launched away like a thunderbolt. His face was like ashes,
his lips closed like a vice, and a dangerous light burned in
his flashing blue eye. His entire staff and escort pressed
after him as he dashed forward into the fire. Horses and
hiders go down almost within reach of his sword-but,
though his life at this fearful moment is worth twenty thousand
men, he flings it without a moment's hesitation iro the scale.
The fugitives darken the fields, and the panic-stricken trains
block the roads, but nothing can stay his course. Orders
seem struck like fire from his lips. Down Harker's front of
battle, shot and shell shrieking through his escort, he gallops,
and mounting the only eminence near, draws rein on the
top. Here, a sight appalling enough to daunt the stoutest
heart, meets his eye. The smoke of battle rests in clouds
over the valley below, rent ever and anon with terrific ex
plosions-the dark cedar thickets are ablaze with volleys--
the fields are black with his broken battalions, among which
artillery wagons are plunging-and the chaos and wreck of a
lost battle-field are all around him. Seeing a hostile battery
playing with deadly effect on Harker's brigade, he shouted
to the Chief of Artillery, "Silence that battery! " and
planting the guns himself,: again galloped off through a
whirlwind of shot.  He was skirting the edge of a thicket,
when he met Sheridan leading back his diminished, but
compact and heroic column. The gallant leader, as he met
him, pointed back to it, saying, "Here is all that is left,
General; we have no cartridges, and our guns are empty."
Rosecrans himself directed him where to find ammunition,
and in a few minutes the brave fellows were again facing the
enemy.




ï~~.140

A GALLANT STAND.

By this time, the right wing of the center, under Negley,
left exposed by Sheridan's retreat, was outflanked. An aid
das d up to Thomas with the startling intelligence that the
enemy was in hisrear. There wasno alternative, and Thomas,
in a bitter tone, replied, "Cut your way out." "Men, we must
cut our way out," shouts Negley. The proud Stanley closes
up his~ strong-battalions---the other commanders catch the
inspiration  the Eleventh Michigan and Nineteenth Illinois
move forward with the bayonet, the Twenty-first Ohio door
the same, and the victorious, exultant foe is rolled back in
confusion. The rear is clear, and the division falls steadily
back with its guns. What was left of the army was now
swung round, and stood nearly at right angles to its former
position. The left still clung to its position on the river,
for when that should be yielded, all would be gone. Not
like Sheridan must Palmer now fight, till his ammunition
is exhausted, and then fall back, but fight and die where he
stands. But with the falling back of Negley, the right
brigade of this division also retired for a space, and Hazen,
commanding the left extremity, alone held his ground
Rosecrans but, little,knew, at this moment, on what an
apparently slender thread- the fate -of his army trned..But,
luckily, Hazen embraced thewhole danger of the   condition
of things. He knew~,if it "ame to the worsbhe mst die there.
It was not left tohim to seek a newpe   o uwhichto fight.
The: enemy also k o  that h held th key of the whole
pitin, and fell   him with teinfo  fary. bht he stood
rieted roefast to the roundnd-s  tthed8ee on-comng
colanms with a wastg fire. But, tingth his =amunition
gave out, nd he- = ff every staff oAffcer fg tore. In
ha,lthe mreanime-,  the st et  not he determined that
his brigade s  l staid thete and die rather than yield.
He ordered ote re 1et- 4fikayoet, and another that
had none, to club their muskets, and so meet the foe. At




ï~~THE CRISIS.

length, he received his ammunition, and what was needed
just as much, reinforcements.f
All this time, Rousseau and Sheridan had  aintaiNd a
firm front. Opening their lines to let the fugitives pass
through, they closed firmly again, and presented a solid wall
on that broken, tumultuous field. In the meantime, Rosecrans, galloping from-point to point, and followed furiously by
his staff and escort, brought order out of confusion, and, infusing his own daring spirit into the troops, rapidly formed
anew line of battle.:He massed six-batteries on the only
commanding eminence near -which Aswept all the space over
which the enemy must advance.     The sun  was shining
brightly, and his beams revealed a waving forest of steel, as
the long and glittering lines of the enemy, rank upon rank,
came with awful splendor over the broken fields. The
movement of the columns was swift but steady, and many a
heart stood sti, or trembled at what might be the issue in
the coming shoek. Rosecrans knew his army was at stake,
but, wound up to that pÂ~itch of lofty daring which defies fate
itseif, he awaitd it without change of countenance. As the
eneq~y came on, in magnificent order, those six batteries
opened like -the veryjaw  of Hell, and out of them poured
a-wild torrent of  fire "nU death on the -astonished enemy.
Rent and distorrdd stil the columns reeled foiward, bent
Ot Victory. Roseansa on his horse a moment, to watch
the effect of this, horrible fire and the~i dased down to
Batty's brig,  whilay on the ground in the plain below.
Spurring up t the very edge of the line over which the
shot were sweping  like a hail storm, he cried, "Now, let
the whole line charg!t Charge hame,!"   Springing to
their feet withs =.-shout that- rose over the wild din, they
hurled themselves euÂ~theenemy. The staff officers, catching
the enthusiasm of their-Chief; flung themselves along the
line, with loud cheers; and caps Waving in the air. Before




ï~~THE, VICTOR~Y.

that fierce onset, the rebel line, as it struggles to bear up
agains  ~, halt, and shakes like a huge-curtain over the fieldthe rnumbl    to pieces and disappears. "There they go,"
shouted Rosecrans; "now drive them home! "    They did
drive them home, leaving the earth piled with dead. This
was the turningspoint of the battles and the  whole line at
once advanced
But,:though repulsed, the enemy did not abandon the
contest  Re-formi~ng his lines, with every reserve brought
up, he again advauc c in imposing array; but Rosecrans
had now completed his line of battle, and neither numbers
nor reckless daring oaold forceit. About four o'clock, Bragg
made his last attempt, and:this time it was chiefly directed
against Palmer divisi n, o;n the river, But Hazen, with his
iimortal thirteen-hundred, still held the, ground to which they
had clung with such marvelous tenacity during the day;
and there, too, were the heroic Grose, Schaeffer 'Hascall
and Wagner, equally determined to hold that:vital position
to the last. Says Hazen, in his report: "About four o'clock,
the enemy again advanced upon my front, in twolines. The
battle had hushed, and the dreadful splendor of this advance
can only be conceived, as all description must fall vastly
short. His right was even with my left; and his left was lost
in the distance." But this proud array had lost its strength;
the confidence of victory was wanting, and at the first
volley it wheeled and disappeared.
For a time, the heavy boom of cannon rolled over the
field, and, here and there, volleys of musketry showed that
detachments were still fighting; yet, at sunset, the battle
was over. As the blazing orb sank to rest, his last look fell
on a ghastly spectacle. The earth, torn, trampled and red,
lay piled with thousands upon thousands-some, still and
calm, as if in sleep, others mangled and blown into fragments, while bleeding arms and legs, without owners, lay




ï~~NIGHT AFTER THE BATTLE.

143

scattered on every side. Dead horses and shattered guncarriages helped o swell the frightful wreck, over which
darkness, in mercy, soon drew its pall. Among the dead,
was the young, accomp]ished, modest, yet lion-hearted Chief
of the Staff, Garesche. He had never left the side of his
Chief all day, wearing not merely a calm, but a gay and
smiling air, through the wildest storm of battle. In the last
attack, as Rosecrans 'dashed down the line, to throw the
weight of his presence into the fight, a shell shrieking by
him, in its flight struck Garesche in the head, carrying away
all but the under jaw--and the spouting trunk, inclining
gently from the saddle, fell headlong to the earth.
That night, there was a lneeting of the Generals at headquarters. All acknowledged that the prospect looked gloomy
enough. The enemy was only arrested, not beaten. He still
held two-thirds of:the battle-field, and, had in his hands
one-fifth of allYour artillery. Seven:brigadier-generals, and
twenty colonelsand lieutenant-colonels, were killed or missing. The rebel eavalry had gained the rear, and it was
uncertain if another pound of supplies or ammunition could
reach the army; while seven thousand men, or one-sixth of
the whole army, had disappeared from the field. The enemy,
every one thought, -would renew the attack in the morning.
But Rosecrans, finding that he had ammunition enough on
hand for another battle, made up his mind to fight it on
that very spot. Mounting hishorse, he rode  to the rear
to examine the country, and on returning, said,  Gentlemen,
we conquer or dierighthere!"  It was a clear, cold December night, but, about midnight  the heavens became overcast,
and the bitter rain came pitilessly down on the weary ranks,
and on the dead and wounded that burdened the field.
Making some slightchanges in his line of battle, and falling
back a short distance. to a better position, Rosecrans waited
the developments of the coming morning.




ï~~144

THIE FINAL STRUGGLE.

But the enemy had been too severely punished to risk
another determined attack, though, durir: the latter part
of the day there was.some heavy artillery firing.. In the
morning, Beattyhshad bee. sent aergss the river with two
brigades of aun Cleve's division, and occupied a hill commanding the upper ford.
Bragg, seeingthat delay only increased the difficulties
before hitm, deterind; on the next day to make another
bold attempt. to sc  re acomplete victory. This 'time, his
attack was directed against the left. About  three o'clock
in the afternoon, a double line of skirmishers was seen to
advance from the goods in front of Breckenridge's position,
and move across  e fields.._Behind them, came heavy
colum=s of inf   - a,t  n iwas evident the rebel right wing
was bearing downo  the small body of troops that had
oossed the river thegay before.. It.passed the open cotton
fields in three heavy lines -.-of battl--- the first- column, in
three ranks, six meg.deep--the second supporting the first--
and the reserve co  n laa. Thtee batteries- accompanied
this imposing mass as it am   down -   jn splendid order,
White.puffs of smo~e sc  shot ot, ffrom the hill-side; our
single battery resppo  ed, aid.the -roar  fgans shook the
shores of the stream. At first, they  ameon.with steady
step and even front. tnd then. like a swollen torrent, flung
themselves forward -on- that portionof 'an Cleve's division
which was across the river, and boreitbackand over the stream
to the main body. But losecrans-was pepared for ihis move,
pent--in fact, when it occurred, wasabut totexecutehi original plan, and swing his_-t:t against Beekenri Ikge. H hastily
massed fifty-eight cannon?on an eminence, yhe  they could
completely enfilade    uessive olumns athey avanced.
Their opening roarm   sterifle, a  hd t, he eas  f the iron
storm, through the  ik-set ranks, was overwhelming.l It
was madness to face it, yet- the rebel columns closed up and




ï~~RETREAT OF THE ENEMY.

145

pressed on; but, as they came within close range of our musketry, the line suddenly seemed to shrivel up like a piece of
parchment, in the fire that met it. Yet, pushed ohand cheered
by the rear lines, the ranks endeavored to bear up against it
and-advance, but again halted; while officers, with waving caps
and flashing swords, galloped along the lines, and still urged
them on. They had now got so near that the men could be
seen to topple over separately, before the volleys. A third and
last time, they staggered forward, the foremost ranks reaching
even to the water's edge. But here they stopped--it vas
like charging down the red mouth of a,volcano. Balancing
a moment on the edge of battle, they broke and fled. With
a wild and thrilling shout, our troops sprung to their feet,
and charged forward with the bayonet-dashing like madmen through the stream. They chased the flying foe for a half
a mile, cheering as they charged, their cheers caught up by
those on the other side of the river, and sent back with
increased volume and power. Darkness ended the fight,
and Crittenden's entire corps passed over, and, with Davis,
occupied the ground so gallantly won.
That night, the rain again set in, and at daylight, next
morning, it was coming down in torrents, so that the camps
and roads were soon one vast field of mud, rendering the
movement of artillery impossible. Some sharp-shooting
during the day, and a dash at night by two regiments from
Rousseau's division, clearing the woods in front, comprised
the fighting of Saturday.
That night, Bragg evacuated Murfreesboro, and next
morning, Rosecrans spent an hour at "High Mass," giving
glory to God for the victory. It was, however, dearly
bought. He had lost, in killed and wounded, nearly nine
thousand- men,. or a -fifth of his entire army. He had lost,
besides, fifty pieces of artillery, for which he had only a few




ï~~146                 THE RESULT.
captured pieces to show in return. He had gained ths
position, and that was all.
The army now settled down into camp life, and no attempt
to follow up the.enemy was made for nearly six months, or
till the latter part of June. He then moved forward,
Bragg retreating as haadvance, and abandoning the strong
position of Tullahoma, rather than risk a battle. Detached
port ions of the army ~ocasionally came -in collision, in which
the rebels were inv ribly worsted losing many prisoners.
Bragg finally took refuge in Chattanooga, a place immensely
strong by nature, and made still more so by art.




ï~~CHAPTER X.

JANUARY.
CAPTURE OF ARKANSAS POST-GRANT COMMENCES HIS MOVEMENT AGAINST
VICKSBURG-THE CANAL-A YEAR OF DISASTER-MISSOURI-ATTACK ON
SPRINGFIELD-EXPEDITIONS UP WHITE AND RED RIVERS-LOSS OF. THE
QUEEN OF THE WEST-LOSS OF THE ARIEL--SINKING OF THE HATTERAS BY
THE ALABAMA--DISASTER AT SABINE PASS-ANKS IN NEW ORLEANS---
EXPEDITIONS-CAP UYRE AND -OS OF GALVESFON-THE HARRIET LANE---...  -.  L: Y,. -. -.....WESTFIELD LOST--DEATH OF BUCHANAN-GRAND EXPEDITION THROUGH THE
STATE OF.LOUiSIANA--CAPTURE OF ALEXANDRIA, ON THE RED RIVER.
I MMEDIATELY after the failure of Sherman's attack on
V Vicksburg, McClernand, who, we have seen, assumed
command of the ray, on the 44th of January, at Milliken's
Bend, set sai for Fort lindman, or Arkansas Post, on the
Arkansas River; which was considered the key to Little
Rock, the, Capital of the State, and to the extensive country
from  which. hostile detachments were constantly sent to
operate along the -Mississippi River. Admiral Porter, with
three iron-ecl ds ad fleet of light-draft gunboats, accompanied the expedition,.to co-operate with the land forces in
the attack on the fort, which was known to be a strong one,
and wellgarrisaoed. The fleet reached the mouth of the
White River on  he Sth, Asce dig this mere ribbon of
water, enclos     y & dense, silent forest, from which the
gray moss hung ihaugefestoons, it came at length to the
"cut off,-" and pa  e4i into the Arkansas River. Slowly
moving up this tream, with only here and there a wretched
habitation, or  s a    eke  scow, to break the solitude, the fleet
cautiously approached the. rebel position, which was hid from
view by a bend in the river. Hee a  iklay all night, flooded
by the mild moonlight, while, inland, the air resounded with




ï~~148

ARKANSAS POST.

the ceaseless strokes of the axe, showing that the enemy
were busy in obstructing all the roads that led to the place.
At daylight, the troops began to disembark, and form on
the high banks. The- first line of rebel works was only a
half a mile distant, and soon, the fire of the skirmishers
hoed along the stream. The country was entirely unknown
tMcClernand, andall day, Saturday, was spent in marching
and countermarching, to avoid impassable swamps and
bayous; and so night'found the army still struggling to get
into position before the place. Part of the army passed most
of the cold January night in moving forward, while the remainder dragged it out without fire or tents. Sunday morning,
however, dawned bright and cheerful, and, by ten o'clock,
both corps of the army were in position, having completely
invested the place. At noon, MIcClernand sent word to
Porter that he was ready to attack, -and, an hour later, the
gunboats gallantly moved up to within four hundred yards
of the rebel works, and opened fire. The garrison replied,
but the tremendous concentric fire fram' thri er and lafind
batteries gradually oeri  dhlmed tat ofthk fort, and, one
by one, its guisgrew silent;until, at lenl, theyceased to
respond altogether. ilernand, ~vho had f&ight his way
steadily forward now  +e4& a general as&l along the
whole line, but, before iuld;  Ee   whiteflag was
raised, nd. the plaeeo w uto erd: 8een standcifcolors, five
thousand prisoners-,sev~6t'en piece o eai&d, besides small
arms and munitions,' f*-t er Ftheritsof M% victory. Our
total loss Was ailttl niderc h   d.       asassigied
to'the comfrnid -    a, bt indseh        rned it over
to"eneral A. J':    1 nur due o'Mn       6rh e gnllant
mannerin     ih      i    f  lk x+ &ir t of the conifct.
Thbrgade     '              eciaflyitigui shed itself.
General Gran      a     d iit  d imedte cbnmand of all
the forces in his +tnb, ad ean to work seriously




ï~~VICKSBURG.

149

for the reduction of Vicksburg. Being convinced,.frim
the result of Sherman's operations, that it could not be
taken from the north side, he determined to get below it,
and advance from the south. For,this purpose, he concentrated his entire army, on the last of the month, at Milliken's
Bend, on the west shore, just. above the place, and at Young's
Point, a little further down, and opposjte the city.
Vicksburg lies on the eastern shore of the Mississippi, on
a high bluff, and near the point of a great bend in the river.
General Williams had endeavored, the year before, to cut a
canal across this bend, through which the boats could pass, and
get below without coming under the fire of the batteries. A
fleet could- not come up from New Orleans, on account of
Port Hudson, where the rebels had been allowed to erect
strong fortifications, the previous year, though Porter had
advised the Government of what was going on, and had
urged the vital importance of putting a stop to it. He even
offered, with a thousand men, to occupy the place himself,
and hold it, with the aid of his gunboats. But the year
1862 was a year of blunders on the part of the War Department, and of great disasters in the field. The Army
of the Potomac-had been driven from Richmond, on the one
hand, and from the Rapidan, on the other, and shattered
into fragments on the heights of Fredericksburg; Buell
had been forced back from Chattanooga to Nashville, and
Morgan compelled to evacuate Cumberland Gap; and, to
close up the sadrecord, Port Hudson had been allowed to
become wellnigh impregable.
Grant now sat doawn to- the tedious work of completing
this canal, and turning the.ississippi into it; and the spade
and pick took the place of the musket and sword. For six
weks, his splendid:army ly idle here, as if on purpose to
bring the people, to the stool of repentiance, for having, in
their pride, attempted to cast ridicule on the spade, as an




ï~~150,

ATTACK ON SPRINGFIELD.

instrument unworthy of the soldier. Week after week, the
only report that greeted the country was, "Digging still."
While these events had been passing on the Mississippi,
the reh 0s had made another advance into Missouri. On the
8th oftanuary, Marmaduke, with a heavy force, attacked
Springfield, occupied by General Brown, who commanded
the South-west Department of Missouri. The forces of the
latter were very much scattered, so that not over fifteen
hundred men, at this time, held the place. The attack commenced at one o'clock, and was pressed with fierce determination for five hours, when the enemy fell back. General
Brown, while gallantly charging at the head of his bodyguard, to encourage a regiment that had given way, was
severely wounded; and the command devolved on Colonel
Crabbe, of the Nineteenth Iowa. Our total loss was one
hundred and sixty-two----that of the enemy-much larger.
General Brown, when he found himself menaced by a
superior force, telegraphed to Major-General Curtis for help,
and, on the 9th, a part of Warren's brigade, under Colonel
Merrill, started fromilHouston on a forced march for Springfield. By eight o'clock that evening,.they had reached
Beaver Creek, twenty-two miles distant.. Resting here for
four hours, the gaIlant eight hundred agin   started, at midight, reaching the vicinity of  art ile just as the wintry
morningw-as;{b.cal..
orning was breaking. St~rting again, in the afternoon,
they pushed on as far as Wod's reek,  when, learning that
the enemy w=as trying to:get ih their rear,'the little force
feill back to Hartsville, Here the enemy, who had been
foiled in their asalt  ~ Springfietld, fe  suddev-y upon it,
to overwhelm it before suor cotId aive. But, thigh
'earfuly  utnmaered   th  little band gallantly held its
ground, and a le   b   the enemy to abandon his
design. Very he    marchig ws dons by the men--the
Twenty-first Iowa, under Lie tenant-Colonel Dunlap, having




ï~~NAVAL DISASTERS.                  151
marched one hundred miles, through mud and rain, between
Friday afternoon and Monday morning, and, in the meantige,
fought two battles.
There were other engagements between small detachments
in this State and Arkansas, during this and the following
months, but no action of any importance occurred.
An expedition up the White River, under John G.
Walker, captured some guns; and another, under Colonel
Ellet, up the Red River, with the ram, Queen of the West,
took three rebel transport steamers. But, onTebruary 14th,
the ram run aground, at Gordon's Landing, in full range of
a rebel battery, which poured in so destructive a fire that
it had to be abandoned. This was not the only naval
disaster we met with in the South-west, in the latter part
of this year, and the commencement of 1863. A Confederate steamer, fitted out in England, and called the Alabama,
which had been destroying our commerce for some time,
on the 7th of December, seized the California steamer Ariel,
on her way to Aspinwall.
A sadder disaster still, befell the fleet under Commodore
Bell, which was blockading the port of Galveston. On the
11th of January, in the afternoon, a strange sail was reported
in the offing, and the steamer Hatteras, Lieutenant Blake
commanding, was signaled, from the flag-ship Brooklyn, to
give chase. After dark, he came up with the st.anger, and
hailed him, asking the name of the steamer. "Her Brittanic
Majesty's ship Vixen," was the reply. Blake then said he
would send a boat aboard. The next minute, however, even
while the boatswain's whistle was ringing, came the shout,
"We are the Confederate steamer Alabama," accompanied
with a stunning broadside. Blake, who from the first had been
suspiciousthat the stranger was the Alabama, was prepared
for an attack, and immediately returned it. But he could
throw but ninety-four pounds, to the rebel's three hundred
40




ï~~152

SINKING OF THE HATTERAS.

and twenty-four. Knowing his vessel could not stand this
unequal fire many minutes, he determined to close with his
antagonist, and steamed straight towards her. But the rebel
commander knew his advantage, and, avoiding the blow,
poured in his terrific broadsides at the distance of thirty
yards. Thus, within pistol shot, Blake was compelled to
fight the unequal battle. Nothing daunted, however, he
cried, "Give it to them, my boys, give it to them; the Stars
and Stripes must never come down!"-to which, three
hearty cheers responded. But what was such a frail thing
as the Hatteras, before the one-hundred-pound shot and
eight-inch shells of the privateer, delivered within thirty
yards?   In a few minutes, her engines were a wreck, and
she was on fire in two different places.  "Drown the magazine," was the quick order, but the enemy was doing that
for her, for she had then seven feet of water in her hold.
It ~was a short fight, and, in a few minutes, the Hatteras lay,
a helpless wreck, on the water. Still, her gallant Commander
fought on, hopigg against hope, for he could not bear to
strike his flag. But it was all in vain. The report came that
the vessel was sinking, and he reluctantly gave the order to
fire a lee gun, in token of surrender. In ten minutes after
the crew were got aboard of the Alabama, the Hatteras,
with one heavy lurch, went to the bottom. Blake lost his
vessel, but.not his honor, for a more gallant fight, against
hopeless odds, was never waged on the water.
In the latter part of the month, the ship-of-war Morning
Light, and the schooner Velocity, blockading the Sabine
Pass, Texas, were surprised by two rebel steamers, and captured. These naval successes of the enemy, caused much
chagrin and complaint.
The activity which characterized the opening year, along
the valley of the Mississippi, extended also to the Department
of the Gulf.




ï~~MOVEMENTS OF BANKS.

15a

Banks, as before stated, was appointed to supersede But"
ler, in the command of the Department of the Gulf, in
December. The duties devolving upon him were of a delicate nature, for both the people of Louisiana and the North
were divided in their views respecting the course that should
be adopted. The enemies of Butler expected a more conciliatory course than the one he had pursued, while his friends
stood prepared to denounce the first act of leniency, as certain
to produce disastrous results.  ence, Banks' conduct was
closely watched, and, as the result, misrepresented on both
sides. His old friends at the North began to denounce him,
but he kept on in the even tenor of his way. The wisdom
of his course, however, soon became apparent, for, while he
allayed vindictive passions, he at the same time showed that
he would hold the reins of government with a firm hand.
The troops under his command constituted the Nineteenth
Army Corps, and much was expected of him from his known
enterprise and energy. His first movement was to send
Colonel Burrill, with a detachment of troops, into Texas,
who, on the 24th of the month, took possession of Galveston.
But, in a week, it was recaptured by the enemy, and Colonel
Burrill and his two hundred and sixty men killed or taken
prisoners. At the same time, the rebels sent three powerful
rams against our vessels in the bay, and, after a short, fierce
fight, captured the Harriet Lane, and compelled the Commander of the flag-ship, Westfield, to blow her up, in order
to prevent her falling into their hands.
On the 11th of January, he sent General Weitzel, with a
land force, across Berwick Bay to Bajou Teche, accompanied
by gunboats commanded by Lieutenant Buchanan. The
enemy stationed here was attacked, on the 14th, and the
rebel gunboat Cotton so disabled that her Commander blew
her up. The loss of the land force was about thirty, while
several were killed on the gunboats, and among them the




ï~~14

BANKS7 EXPEDITION.

gallant Commander, Buchanan, who steamed to the front
with his vessel, and fought with the greatest intrepidity.
In the Spring, while Grant was endeavoring to get below
Vicksburg, Banks planned an extensive expedition into "The
Attakapas Country," the garden of Louisiana, and which the
rebels held in force. Berwick City, at the mouth of the
Atchafalaya River, was selected as the starting point of the
army, which was to move up the Teche River, strongly
fortified, and protected by rebel gunboats, On the 11th of
April, the main column, commanded by Banks in person,
took up its line of march from Berwick City, while Grover,
with his division, moved up the Atchafalaya in transports, for
the purpose of passing into Grand Lake-which approached
the Teche above the fortifications of the enemy-and thus
cutting off his retreat. On Sunday, Banks came upon the rebel
works, stretching along the shores on both sides of the river,
and guarded by the gunboat Diana. A heavy artillery fight
followed, which lasted till dark. It was renewed the next day,
and soon the gunboat was compelled to retire up-stream.
In the meantime, Grover Was steadily moving around the
rebels, to the east, who, finding themselves threatened in
the rear, hastily retreated, leaving two thousand prisoners
in our hands. Banks then resumed his march, and, on the
20th, reached Opelousas, a hundred and eighty miles from
New Orleans, and only seventy-five from the Red River, the
point at which he was aiming. Alexandria, an important
and strongly fortified place upon it, was at length reached,
on the 8th of May, but not until it had surrendered to
Admiral Porter, who, acting in conjunction with Banks, had
advanced against it with his gunboats. The latter immediately assumed command. Having marched two hundred
miles, through the enemy's country, without meeting with a
single repulse, after giving his arnmy a short rest he moved
down on Port Hudson from the north.




ï~~CHAPTER I.

VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN-THE ATTEMPTS TO GET IN REAR OF HAINES BLUFFLAKE PROVIDENCE ROUTE-MOON LAKE ROUTE STEELE'S BAYOU ROUTEBOLD RESOLVE TO RUN THE BATTERIES-THE MARCH INLAND-THE BATTERIES
RUN-DIFFICULTIES OF THE MARCHE-NEW CARTHAGE-GRAND GULF-PORT
GIBSON-GRAND RESOLVE OF GRANT-THE MARCH INLAND-BATTLES OF
RAYMOND, JACKSON, CHAMPION'S HILLS BLACKWATER-VICKSBURG INVESTED
-FIRST ASSAULT-SECOND ASSAULT-ACTION OF THE GUNBOATS.
WE left Grantf early in the Spring, attempting to get
below Vicksburg, by means of the canal dug the
year before, by General Williams. This scheme proving
abortive, as sufficient water could not be got into the ditch,
he started another project.   About seventy miles above
Vicksburg, and some five miles west of the Mississippi River,
lies Lake Providence, which empties itself through a bayou,
filled with snags, into Swan Lake; this in turn sends its
waters southward, through a long, winding stream called the
Tensas River, into the Black River, the last flowing on into
the Red River, which effects a junction with the Mississippi
below Natchez. The whole route was about a hundred and
fifty miles in length. A canal five miles long had to be cut
through a morass, the shallows to be dug out, the snags
removed, and stumps cleared away, before the boats could be
got out of the Mississippi, and sent through this long, crooked,
inland course.  As the work went on, predictions were
ttered that a new    channel for the Mississippi would be
made, extending, perhaps, even to the Gulf.
The canal was at length opened, and a steamer and a few
barges were got across into Lake Providence.      But the
Mississippi kept its old course, and, as the spring floods fell,




ï~~156

STRANGE NAVIGATION.

the new channel became a shallow creek, so that the whole
project had to be abandoned.
Grant, however, with his accustomed tenacity of purpose,
determined not to aba  on his design to get in the rear of
Vicksburg, for it could be taken in no other way. He now
made a third trial on the east side of the Mississippi. About
a hundred and fifty miles, in a straight line, north from
Vicksburg, there is a little lake, called Moon Lake, separated
from the river only by a thin strip of land. From this lake,
a narrow stream, called the Yazoo Pass, leads into the Coldwater River, which flows south into the Tallahatchie, that
in turn unites with the Yazoo. If he could get into the
latter river, he would be able to move down in the rear of
Haines' Bluff, and' thus effectually turn the fortifications
there, which Sherman had failed to capture. The canal to
the lake was quickly cut; the waters of the Mississippi
poured through it, and the steamers floated into Moon Lake.
Passing out of this, into the Coldwater and Tallahatchie
Rivers, they slowly felt their tortuous way towards the
navigable Yazoo. It was a strange spectacle, to see these
armed vessels threading their way under overarching cypress
trees, and plunging into apparently interminable swamps,
where never before even a canoe had floated. It was like
sailing through a flooded forest, made still more dangerous
by the rapid flow of the swollen waters, which the Mississippi
sent with headlong fury through this new channel. The
paddle-wheels, instead of being used to propel the vessels,
incessantly backed water, to prevent their too rapid descent
among the gigantic trees, whose overhanging branches
sometimes swept the decks. The solitude and gloom of this
strange, winding route, oppressed the spirits, yet the men
toiled patiently on-making, upon an average, less than a
quarter of a mile an hour-till they reached the Yazoo. The
heaviest part of the task now seemed accomplished, and a




ï~~THE BLACK BAYOU.

swift sail down to the rear of Vicksburg was anticipated.
But the rebels had received information of the expedition,
and, divining its object, erected, near the confluence of the
streams, a fort which commanded the channel, and yet was
so surrounded by bogs that the land force could not approach
it. The frail wooden steamboats, of course, could not silence
these batteries, and so this project, costing so much labor
and time, also had to be abandoned.
Baffled, but not disheartened, Grant now made another
attempt to get in the rear of the batteries on Haines' Bluff.
About seven miles above where the Yazoo enters the Mississippi, Steele's Bayou is connected with the latter river. This,
in turn, connects inland, north, with the Black Bayou, Rolling
Fork and Sunflower Rivers, which, in their course, wind entirely around Haines' Bluff. On the 14th of March, Admiral
Porter entered this bayou with a gunboat fleet, accompanied
by a force of infantry under General Sherman. A portion
of this, like each of the other routes which had been tried,
was full of- difficulties. One who accompanied the expedition, thus describes the Black Bayou: "Black Bayou, a
narrow stream, heretofore navigable only by dug-outs, was
made of the width of our steamers, with great labor, by
felling trees and sawing stumps below the surface. Every
foot of our way was cut and torn through a dense forest,
never before traversed by steamers. I never witnessed a
more exciting and picturesque scene than the transportation,
on the last day, of the third brigade, by General Stuart.
Crowded with men, the steamers, at the highest possible
speed, pushed through overhanging trees and around short
curves. Sometimes they were wedged fast between trees, they
sailing along smoothly, a huge cypress would reach out an arm
and sweep the whole length of the boats, tearing guards and
chimneys from the decks. The last trip through the Black
Bayou, was in a night, pitchy dark and rainy."  Added to




ï~~158

A DESPERATE RESOLUTION.

all this, the enemy, having been apprised of 'our design,
filled the thickets along the banks with sharp-shooters, who
swept the decks with their fire, at close range, and scattered
the working parties. Large trees were felled across the
stream, by negroes, in advance, to retard the boats and keep
them under fire, and behind them, to prevent their return.
Before the expedition reached Sunflower River, the peril
of being caught there in the forest, permanently, with his
boats, was so great, that Porter determined to return. This
resolution was not taken a moment too soon, for, if he had
pushed on a few hours longer, he would have been hemmed
in beyond release.
When the expedition again reached the Mississippi, Grant
saw that the last hope of getting in the rear of Vicksburg,
inland, from the north, was gone. Still; he would not abandon the great object fortwhich he had struggled so long and
worked so patiently.  Difficulties, instead of discouraging,
roused him to greater efforts. Having exhausted~ all the
plans that ingenuity could suggest, to avoid the' direct fire
of the rebel batteries, which lined the river for eight miles,
he at last took the bold and apparently rash resolution of
running them with his gunboats and transports. Preparatory
to this, the army was marched inland, towards New Carthage,
below Vicksburg, on the west side of the river. In this
march, General McClernand led the advance, 'with the
Eleventh Army Corps. The swampy country, however,
soon became a vast mortar bed, in which the hubs of the
artillery wheels would often entirely disappear from sight,
and through which the army floundered till further progress
became  impossible without constructing for itself a regular
military road. Bridges had to be built over the sluggish
streams, and corduroy causeways made across treacherous
swamps, and, in the meantime, the levee carefully guarded,
lest the enemy should out it, and turn the swampy lowland




ï~~PASSAGE OF THE BTTERIEs.

159

into an impassable sea. The army thus worked its toilsoe
way, till at last it came in sight of New Carthage, the goal of
its labors, but, alas! it was like an island in the sea, for the
enemy had succeeded in cutting the levee near it, and flooding
all the intervening country. Cut off from this point, McClernand resumed his march, striking the river twelve miles
further down stream, making the whole distance from Milliken's Bend thirty-five miles. All the supplies and ordnance
stores for the projected campaign on the other side of the
river,'had to be hauled over this miserable road.
This being accomplished, the next thing was to get the
gunboats and transports past the Vicksburg batteries. The
night of the 16th of April was fixed upon to make the
attempt. Whether the frail transports could safely run the
terrible gauntlet, was problematical, and it was resolved to
try the experiment with only three-the Silver Wave,
Forest Queen and Henry Clay. The plan was, for Porter
to move down in single file, with his eight gunboats, and,
planting them square abreast of the rebel batteries, engage
them; while the transports, hugging the western shore, in
their rear, covered by the smoke and darkness, were, with
all steam on, to push swiftly below. A little before midnight,
the gunboats, one after another, drifted out of the bend in
which they lay concealed, and, showing no light from their
chimneys, moved like great shadows down the noiseless
current. Nearly an hour passed by, and not a sound broke
the ominous stillness; and the listeners on the shore above
began to think the boats had passed the batteries unseen, when
suddenly there came a flash, followed by a crash that shook
the shores. Lights danced along the heights of Vicksburgsoon, thunder answered thunder, and the flash of batteries,
from land and water, rent the gloom, till the black midnight
seemed turned into an element of fire. Still, the transports
hoped to escape in the confusion, when,.. suddenly, a huge




ï~~160

A THRILLING SPECTACLE.

bonfire blazed forth on one of the hills near Vicksburg,
The rebels were prepared for just such an attempt as this,
and had collected a vast amount of combustibles, which;
when lighted, would make the bosom of the Mississippi, in
front of the batteries, bright as day. The poor transports
were instantly flooded in light, and, as they swept along the
ruddy stream, presented a fair target to the gunners. The
enemy penetrated at a glance the design of Grant, and shot
and shell fell and burst, in a horrible tempest, around the
frail things. The commanders saw that the chances were
against them, but they crowded on all steam, till the gleaming waters rolled away from their prows in a torrent of
foam. Soon, a heavy shot tore through the timbers of the
Forest Queen, and then another, and she drifted unmanageably on the current. A gunboat, seeing her distress, wheeled
and took her in tow, and passed down the river, greeted, at
every turn of its w4eels, with shots from the batteries. The
Henry Clay wastruck by a shell which set her barricade of
cotton bales on fire, and she soon flamed back to the beacon
light on the shore. Blazing like a mighty torch, she sent her
jets of flame, capped with angry wreaths of black, curling
smoke, far up into the midnight heavens. The crew leaped
from the glowing furnace into their boats, and took refuge on
the western bank. The Silver Wave alone was untouched, and,
bearing seemingly a charmed life, glided serenely through
the torrible tempest, till the last battery was passed, and,
with her fragile form unmarred, she floated gracefully on
the water. "The gunboats came through safely, with only
one man killed and two wounded. For over an hour, they
gallantly faced the heavy batteries, and though often struck,
sustained no damage that was not speedily repaired. Still,
but one transport was through, and this alone could
be of no service to the army. More must be brought down,
and Grant resolved, though but one out of three had escaped,




ï~~A GALLANT BOY.

161

to run the same fearful gauntlet with six more, slowly towing
twelve barges. This was so hazardous an enterprise that
the officers felt reluctant to order men to accompany the
boats, and volunteers were called for. Immediately, enough
stepped forward to man a fleet, and it had to be decided by
lot, who the lucky ones should be. So eager were they to
join in the desperate undertaking, that a boy, having drawn
a successful number, was offered by a soldier a hundred
dollars for his chance, which the spirited little fellow refused.
He lived to tell of his share in the daring feat. With strange
good fortune, the whole fleet, with the exception of the
Tigress, and half the barges, passed in safety. She was
struck below the water line, and being run ashore, sunk.
The army was -now below Vicksburg, with transports to
carry it across the river, and gunboats to protect it. And
here, on the 29th of April, the Thirteenth Corps was
embarked, and moved to the front of Grand Gulf, a fortified
place, which Grant designed to capture -and make his base.
The gunboats at once engaged the batteries, and for five
hours maintained a fierce fire, sometimes moving almost to
within pistol shot of the enemy's guns. Grant witnessed
the action from a tug, and saw with regret that the post
could not be reduced from the water side, and that, from
the position of things, no landing could be made near by,
to take it from the shore. He therefore ordered the transports back to Hard Times, and, disembarking his troops,
resumed his march down.the river. At night, the gunboats
again engaged the batteries, and, under cover of the fire,
the transports ran past them, suffering but little damage.
Grant's march through the forest had been unseen by the
enemy, and, the next day, the army was ferried across the
river to the eastern shore. With a patience and tenacity
unparalleled, Grant had finally got his army south of Vicksburg, and over the river, and yet the mighty work he had




ï~~162

BATTLE OF -POIT GI3SON.

assigned himself had only just begun-he had reached only
the threshold of the perils it embraced.
He landed at Bruinsburgh, and immediately pushed forward McClernand's Corps to Port Gibson. About eight
miles out, the latter met the enemy, and forced him back till
dark. The next morning, he found him posted on two roads,
about four miles from Port Gibson. The rebel position was
admirably chosen, for the road ran mostly along high ridges,
with impenetrable ravines on each side, to prevent any
flank movements.    McClernand, however, succeeded in
pushing forward the divisions of Hovey, Carr and Smith,
on the right, while Osterhaus advanced against the left.
The latter was hard pressed by the enemy, but at length,
being reinforced by Logan's division, he ordered a charge,
and, leading it in person, fell in such fury on the rebel line,
that it was shattered into fragments, and fell disorderly back.
Three cannon were captured in this brilliant charge. The
three divisions en the other flank, steadily forced the enemy
back all day towards Port Gibson, until darkness closed the
conflict. The fighting had been close and sharp, resulting
in a loss on our side of some eight hundred and fifty, while
we took a thousand prisoners, and five cannon. That night,
the wearied troops slept on their arms. In the morning, it
was found that the enemy had retreated across Bayou Pierre.
A floating bridge was at once thrown across it, while McPherson pushed on eight miles to the northern fork of the bayou,
which was also bridged, and the next morning, just as the
sun was climbing the eastern hills, he marched with streaming
banners across it.
On the 3rd, (May,) the enemy was clcosely pressed all
day, and many prisoners taken. Grant was now in the rear
of Grand Gulf, and, hearing that it was evacuated, he took
an escort of cavalry, and galloped thither, fifteen miles dis.
tant, across the country, in order to make the necessary




ï~~A DESPERATE IRESOLUTION.

163

arrangements for changing his base of supplies from Bruinsburgh to that place.
When he started down the river, he left Sherman, with
the Fifteenth Corps, to make a feint on Haines' Bluff, in
order to keep the enemy from sending a heavy force to the
assistance of Grand Gulf, before he arrived there. On the
day that the Thirteenth Corps landed at Bruinsburgh, Admiral
Porter opened a heavy fire against the rebel works at
Haines' Bluff, and Sherman landed his troops as if about to
carry them by storm. Pemberton, commanding at Vicksburg, was thus prevented from sending off troops south,
and Sherman, having accomplished his object, re-embarked
his corps, and pressed on after Grant from Milliken's Bend.
The latter did not design, when he crossed the Mississippi,
to push on as he did, but expected to stop and concentrate his
army at Grand Gulf, and effect a junction with Banks, which
would give him an army strong enough to resist any force
the enemy might bring against him. But he received a letter
from the latter, informing him that he had projects of his
own on foot, and could not join him. At the same time, he
heard that Beauregard was about moving from the Southern
cities, west to co-operate with Pemberton, To wait till the
enemy, by the various railroads, could concentrate an immense force against him, would render his defeat almost
certain. To advance with only a part of his army in hand,
and his base of supplies not yet established, seemed equally
perilous. With characteristic boldness, he determined, however, on the latter course, trusting to the country to furnish
forage for his troops. The rebel hosts, he knew, were
gathering on all sides, and his only chance of success lay in
attacking and beating the several armies before they could
effect a junction. His blows must fall, rapid and terrible as
bolts from heaven, or he was ruined. With the daring of
Napoleon, he determined to enact over again that great




ï~~164

TTHE ARMY LEAVES ITS BASE.

chieftain's famous Italian campaign, when, with fifty thousand
men, he attacked in detail and beat an army of a hundred
and fifty thousand, and killed and wounded, and took as prisoners, a number equal to his whole force. He knew that
rapid marching and constant victories were indispensable to
success in this daring movement, and the army was stripped
like an athlete for the race before it. Delay was defeat; a
single severe repulse, and the campaign was ended; but he
did not falter a moment, in his sublime determination. He
set the example of self-sacrifice himself, by taking neither
an orderly, camp chest, overcoat or blanket with him.
Thus cleared of every encumbrance, he ordered the advance, and his banners moved boldly inland. McPherson
struck off to the north-east, while Sherman (who had arrived)
and McClernand kept along the Black River-the three corps
in supporting distance of each other. Grant, all the while,
made demonstrations as if about to cross the Black River,
and move directly to the rear of Vicksburg, which so confused Pemberton that he dared not march out to join the
forces at Jackson.
McPherson, moving straight on the latter place, came, on
the 12th, upon the enemy, strongly posted, near Raymond.
No time could be spared, and the troops were pushed steadily
forward, sweeping everything before them. Our loss here
was four hundred and forty-two. The enemy fell back towards
Jackson, losing heavily in prisoners. Grant now ordered
Sherman and McClernand to bear off to the right, towards
McPherson. On the night of the 13th, the rain fell in torrents, and continued the next day till noon, rendering the
roads muddy and slippery; yet the troops, in close order,
and with cheerful spirits, moved off through the deluge,
making a wearisome march of fourteen miles, and at noon
came upon the enemy, about two miles from the city.




ï~~RAPID MARCHING--CHOIAMPION' 8 HILL.         16
Pressed in by McPherson, and threatened on the flank, the
latter gave way, and left the Capital to its fate.
That evening, Grant learned that Johnston, who had been
sent by Davis to take chief command of the rebel forces in
this Department, had ordered Pemberton to march out from
Vicksburg and attack his rear. He immediately faced
about, and, leaving Sherman to destroy railroads, bridges,
workshops, &c., in Jackson, moved the rest of his troops, by
converging routes, west, towards Edwards' Station. The
text morning at daylight, two men, who had been "in the
employ of the rebels, were brought to Grant, charged with
important information.  They had just passed through
Pemberton's army, and gave the Union Commander the
position of the rebel.brces, and stated that they were
twenty-five thousand strong. Grant immediately sent back
a courier to Sherman, to leave Jackson at once, and hasten
forward. Within an hour, after this prompt chieftain received
the message, his troops were swiftly moving forward towards
the point of rendezvous. Grant concentrated his army with
wonderful rapidity. Trains, quarter-masters' stores, and
everything, had to tumble out of the roads in hot haste, to
give room for the marching columns. Soon, the enemy was
encountered, strongly posted on a precipitous, narrow,
wooded ridge, his left resting on a height, while below were
open fields, in crossing which our troops would be exposed
to the destructive fire of ten batteries of artillery. Ilovey's
division, and McPherson's Corps-all but Ransom's division,
which did not arrive till the battle was over-were at once
disposed in and to the right of the road leading to Vicksburg. But Grant delayed the order to attack, till he could
hear from McClernand, with his four divisions, which, when
they arrived, would complete his line of battle. But the
skirmishing in front of Hovey's division, by eleven o'clock,
swelled into a battle. In'the meantime, Logan had worked




ï~~X66

A GALLANT CHARGE.

around upon the left and rear of the rebels, and pressed
them so vigorously that their superior numbers could no
longer force Hovey back, and the latter, seeing his advantage, ordered a charge. The rebel line gave way before it,
and disappeared in disorder over the ridge: A thousand
prisoners, and two batteries, fell into our hands in this brilliant engagement, but the victory cost us nearly twenty-five
hundred men. Grant was losing fast, and no reinforcements
could be had. At daylight the next morning, the 17th, the
pursuit was renewed-McClernand in the advance, who soon
came upon the enemy strongly posted on both sides of the
Black River. On the west, or further side, the shore rises
abruptly into high bluffs, which were lined with heavy batteries. On the east side, a bayoi twenty feet wide and
three feet deep, leaves the river, and sweeping in a semicircle, a mile in length, again enters the stream, inclosing a
level space, on which the rebels had also planted heavy batteries, protected by a strong force of infantry. This bayou,
or ditch, served as a natural rifle pit, behind which the
enemy felt safe, while their guns swept the plains beyond,
over which our troops would be compelled to pass. A
railroad and turnpike bridge crossed both the bayou and
river at this point, side by side, commanded by the hostile batteries beyond. McClernand opened a heavy artillery fire upon
the position, to which the enemy vigorously responded. At
almost the first fire, Osterhaus was wounded, and General
A. L. Lee took his place. While the cannonade was going
on, Lawler, of Carr's division, which held the right, under
the protection of the river bank, succeeded inh approaching
near the rebel works in that direction, when the order to
charge was given. Casting their blankets and knapsacks on
the ground, the gallant fellows sprung forward, and, dashing
across the open field on the double-quick, plunged into the
muddy bayou, and- though shot and shell struck and burst




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ï~~


ï~~FIRST ASSAULT ON VICKSBURG.

167

incessantly in their midst, struggled through, and with bayonets at charge, swept in headlong fury upon the rebel works.
Taken by surprise at this sudden movement, the enemy at once
raised the white flag, and the whole garrison, with seventeen
pieces of artillery, was ours. The rebel army across the river,
seeing the disaster, immediately set fire to the bridge-thus
cutting off all chance of escape for any portion of their troops
on the east bank-and retreated rapidly towards Vicksburg.
Sherman, in the meantime, had reached Bridgeport above,
with the only pontoon train in the army, by which he effected
a crossing of the river the next morning. McClernand and
McPherson built floating bridges during the night, and on
the 18th, the army was moving en masse on Vicksburg.
Sherman, still holding the right, marched rapidly towards
the Yazoo River, while McClernand, inclining to the south,
closed in on the doomed garrison in that direction. The
next day, Sherman's right rested on the Mississippi, within
plain view of our gunboats, and Haines' Bluff was at once
hastily evacuated by the enemy.
Vicksburg was now closely besieged, and Grant, finding
his army eager for an assault, and believing the enemy to be
demoralized by the staggering blows that had been dealt
him, determined, desperate as the undertaking was, to
attempt to carry the place by storm. The army moved
gallantly to the assault, under a desolating fire, but the
works were too strong to be carried. Only a portion of the
army, the Fifteenth Corps, gained even a temporary advantage, and at fnight the troops were recalled.
The two following days were spent in bringing up supplies, and perfecting the communications, and giving a little
rest to the troops, which had for twenty days been constantly
marching and fighting, on short rations.
Everything being arranged, Grant determined to. make
another effort to carry this modern Gibraltar by assault.
41




ï~~168

SECOND ASSAULT.

Ten o'clock, on the morning of the 22nd, was the time
appointed. The several corps commanders set their watches
by Grant's, so that there should be perfect unity of movement, and at the appointed signal, the army, in splendid
array and magnificent order, swept, awful as the ocean surge,
full on the rebel works.  Then commenced one of the wildest scenes of war. All along the frowning fortifications,
there streamed an incessant sheet of fire, bursting through
the thick smoke, on the brave, uncovered ranks below,
that still pressed dauntlessly forward, heedless of the
destruction that wasted them. They could see no enemy
in front-only solid earthworks, clouds of rolling smoke,
and waves of fire, confronted them. For two fearful hours,
they struggled desperately to reach this blazing vortex, and
quench its deadly fires, but struggled in vain. Just then, Grant
received a dispatch from McClernand, stating that he had
gained the intrenchments in front of him, at several points, and
needed more troops. They were given, and theassault was
pressed more vigorously than ever.  McClernand, however,
overestimated the amount of success gained, and the fresh
attempt only helped to swell the slaughter, and the bleeding
army was at length compelled to fall back, and abandon
the struggle.*
Grant now gave up all attempts to take the place by
storm, and sat down before it in regular siege. Porter, with
his gunboats, kept watch and ward on the Mississippi, cooperating wite-the former by every means in his power. The
gunboat Cincin      was'. - sunk by the rebel batteries, and
fifteen men drowned, and twenty-five killed and wounded.
Tbymasts had all been shot away before she went down, yet
she punk with her flag flying--nailed to one of the stumps.
Granit blamed McClernaiid for giving this false information, which provoked the latter to' issue a geeral order, recapitulating the services of his
corps, and also to defend himself in a letter to Governor Yates, which caused
Grant to remove liim from command, and put Ord in his place.




ï~~CHAPTER XII.

ASSAULT ON PORT HUDSON-THE SIEGE-SIEGE OF VICKSBURG-ITS SURRENDER-RESULTS OF THE VICTORY-SURRENDER OF PORT HUDSON-THE
MISSISSIPPI OPENED-MINOR OPERATIONS WEST-ARREST OF VALLANDIGHAM-HIS- BANISHMENT--EXASPERATED STATE OF PUBLIC FEELING.
THE.very next day after this unsuccessful assault of
Vicksburg, Banks arrived with his army, from Alexandria, before Port Hudson.  Coming down the Red River,
he had crossed the Mississippi above the place, hoping to
find its defenses on- that side much weaker than on the
south.
Forming a junction with Augur's force, that came down
from  Baton.Rouge, he immediately began to invest the
place, but, unwilling:to await the slow progress of a siege,
made two unsuccessful assaults on its impregnable fortifications. The troops fought bravely, and Weitzel, Sherman
and Augur maintained their old renown, and the colored
regiments behaved with great gallantry.; but it was a useless
waste of life.
Banks now sat down before it in regular siege, and day
by day, pushed his batteries nearer and nearer to the rebel
works, until:some of them were within three hundred yards.
At length, after having dismounted- several pieces of the
rebel artillery, and:silenced others with his sharpshooters,
he determined to make another attempt to carry the place
by assault. Sunday, the 14th of June, was the day fixed
upon, and long before daylight the artillery opened all along
the line, and-the Sabbath morning was ushered in by a cannonading that shook the shores of the Mississippi.




ï~~170

0HE ASSAULT.

Farragut, with his gunboats, was co-operating with Banks,
and his heavy guns soon opened, and helped to swell the
uproar that filled all the air.
The extreme north-east -angle of the breastworks was
selected as presenting the least formidable obstacles to success,
for much of the artillery at this point had been, during the
last week, dismounted or silenced. Still, almost insurmountable difficulties presented themselves, even here. At one
point, a clear field, five or six hundred yards in width,
swept up to the ramparts, crossed and recrossed with narrow, deep gullies, too small to afford protection and yet too
broad to be easily passed, and covered also with fallen trees
and vines, thus forming a trap for the advancing troops, who
all the while would be exposed to a desolating fire.
In the dull, gray light of the early morning, the
Seventy-fifth New York moved rapidly forward as skirmishers, followed by the Ninety-first New   York, each
soldier carrying a five-pound hand grenade, which was
to be thrown over the breastworks to scatter the enemy.
Next came 'the Twenty-fourth Connecticut, loaded with
sand-bags filled with cotton, to fill up the ditch for the
advancing stormers. The balance of WeitzeFl's brigade was
to press close after, to be supported by other brigades under
Colonel Birge. As soon as Weitzel should make a lodgment
within the enemy's works, Paine was to follow, and then the
two columns were to be quickly deployed in line of battle,
and move swiftly on the town and the grand citadel itself.
Grover commanded these two divisions, which were to do
the chief work, while Augur and Dwight made feints on
the rebel left.
The assaulting colufins advanced with great intrepiditybrigade after brigade dashing forward under a heavy firebut were compelled each time to fall back. A dense fog
had lain along the river, giving a more somber hue to the




ï~~A REPULSE.

171

gray twilight, but in the midst of the carnage, it suddenly
lifted and rolled upward like a mighty curtain, and the
bright sun lighted up the wild scene with noontide splendor.
The assault was pressed with great valor and resolution, and
the commanders held their troops to the deadly struggle till
eleven o'clock, when such as could retire fell.back; and the
rest crouched in the gullies or hid behind trees and whatever could afford shelter, and waited for the darkness to
cover the field, so that they could get out of the deadly
range of the enemy's muskets. Col. Paine, being wounded,
lay all day between two rows of earth, in an old cotton
field, exposed to the blazing sun, and when at dark he was
removed, his wounds were full of maggots. Many of the
wounded soldiers lay exposed in the same way.
The loss in this assault was estimated at seven hundred
and fifty. The Secretary of War's maxim, "to move at once
upon the enemy's works," had now been tried quite enough,
and the despised "spade" was resorted to again.  Mathematical science and engineering skill, will always be found
more worthy of trust than popular declamation or misguided
bravery.
Banks now pressed the siege with great vigor, and being
determined that Grant, around-Vicksburg, should not get
all the glory, planned another assault. But before it was
attempted, the surrender of the latter place made further
attempts to hold Port Hudson useless.
When Grant had completed his lines around Vicksburg,
opening communication with the North by way of the
Mississippi, so that supplies and reinforcements could be
forwarded, to him to any amount, the fall of the stronghold
was evidently a mere question of timb. Rumors, from time
to time, were received, that Johnston was assembling a
heavy army in his rear, to raise the siege; but the arrival
of reinforcements allowed Grant to detach Sherman, with a




ï~~172

THE SURRENDER.

large force, to watch the rebel leader. In the meantime,
he pressed the siege with all the energy which distinguished
him. Day by day, he dug his way towards the place, and
at length reached positions where his shells could be dropped
into the center of the city. These, crashing through the
buildings, and. bursting along the streets, forced the inhabitants to seek shelter in caves, dug in the earth. For six
weeks, while the army was digging slowly onward, the
batteries kept playing on the devoted citadel. Provisions
became scarce, and the inhabitants grew wan and thin
in their narrow dens. At length, the ammunition gave
out, and Pemberton, whose only hope of deliverance
lay in Johnston's ability to raise the siege, began to
despair, and, seeing Grant about to carry the place by
assault, he, on the 3rd of July, sent two officers with
a flag of truce to the Federal lines, to arrange the terms of
capitulation. Grant would listen to none but unconditional
surrender. A personal interview then took place between
the two Generals, who met midway between the lines, under
a gigantic oak, while the two armies left their places of concealment and swarmed upon the ramparts, to witness this
extraordinary scene. Pemberton was the first to speak, and
asked Grant what terms he proposed.  lTUnconditional surrender," was the prompt reply. "Never," rejoined the
haughty rebel, "so long as I have a mani left me." "Then,"
said Grant, "you can continue the defense; my army was
never in a better contition to continue the siege."  After
some further conversation, the interview terminated without
coming to a definite result, Grant saying that he would confer with his officers. He did so, and sent a note saying that
the entire surrender of the place and garrison would be
required, but that the troops would be paroled, and allowed
to march out of the lines-'the officers taking with them
their regimental clothing, and the staff and field and cavalry




ï~~SURRENDER OF PORT HUDSON.

173

officers a horse each. The proposal was accepted, and on
the morning of the 4th of July-our National Jubilee-day----
the hostile flag came down, and the Stars and Stripes went
up, over te rebel works, amid the enthusiastic shouts of the
whole army.
When Johnston heard of the fall of the place, he immediately retraced his steps across the Big Black River, and
Jackson once more fellinto our ha.
" The result of the campaign,'   Grant, "' has been the
defeat of the enemy in five battles outside of Vicksburg;
the occupation of Jackson the Capital of Mississippi, and
the capture of Vicksburg and its garrison and munitions of
war-a loss to the enemy of thirty-seven thousand prisoners,
among whom were fifteen general officers; at least ten thousand killed and wounded, and among the killed, Generals
Tracy, Tilghman and Green, and hundreds and perhaps thousands of stragglers who can never be collected and reorganized. Arms and munitions of war for an army of sixty
thousand men have fallen into our hands, besides a large
amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, etc., and much was destroyed
to prevent our capturing it."  His own total loss, in killed,
wounded and missing, from the time he crossed the Mississippi,
he estimated at eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-five.
Four days after the surrender of Vicksburg, Gardner, the
Commander of Port Hudson, sent a flag of truce to Banks,
asking a eessation of hostilities, for the purpose of settling the
terms of capitulation. The latter would allow of no cessation, and commissioners were at once appointed, whose consultations ended in the surrender of the garrison as prisoners
of war. To the stirring. strains of "The Star-Spangled
Banner," and "Yankee Doodle," the army entered the place
in triumph, and marched proudly along the sullen silent
rebel line.~ The Union flag was run up on one of the highest




ï~~174

THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED.

bluffs, and, as its starry folds swung lazily out to the breeze,
the artillery thundered forth a salute. About six thousand
prisoners, fifty-one pieces of artillery, two steamers, besides
a large quantity of small arms, ammunition, &c', fell into
our hands.
It was a great victory, but the pleasure it was calculated
to impart was marred by the reflection that but for the
negligence of the Gov    ent.such a fortified work would
never, in the first.pl   ve been in possession of the
rebels; and, in the second place, the loss of life in securing
it was whollyunnecessary, for the fall of Vicksburg, which
was only a matter of time, involved the fall of this place
also, without firing a gun.
But the number of guns, prisoners and materials 6of war
captured were not: the chief results obtained by these two
campaigns..They orpened the Mississippi in its entire length
-an object which had been of paramount importance to the
great North-west. It also bisected the Southern Confederacy,
and cut off its large supplies of men and-animals, which it
had constant   received from the country west of the Mississijpi.  he nation was.jubilant over it, ifor the people
thought they now saw the=end of the rebellion near. Grant
advanced-at once to the first place:in general estimation, as
a military leader, and deservedly so. He: had,.throughout
this arduous, long canipaign, exhibited a tenacity of purpose
and a fertility of resource that few men possess, while the
daring resolution to cut himself loose --from supplies and
reinforcements, and march boldly into the interior+depending
solely on his celerity of movement to prevent a concentration
of the enemy's forces, was the inspiration of true genius.
The rapidity and power with which he dealt his blows,
reminds one of Napoleon the Great.
As a part of this great campaign, Colonel B. H. Grierson's
cavalry raid through Mississippi should be mentioned. It




ï~~GRIERSON'  RAID.

175

was planned to create a diversion in favpr of the army
operating against Vicksburg, as well as to destroy railroads
and other public property. It was dispatched from  La
Grange, Tennessee, by General Hurlburt, on the 17th of
April, and on the 2nd of May arrived at Baton Rouge,
having traversed the whole State of Mississippi. Nothing
like this raid, in boldness and extent, had as yet been
attempted, and its success covered the young Commander
with laurels. These great cavalry raids became for a time
quite the rage with the people, but their effect on the war
was greatly overestimated,- and ~t is questionable whether
the wear and tear, on horses and men, did not damage us
quite as much as -the destruction of property hurt the enemy.
The other operations in the West, during the Spring and
early Summer, were of a minor character. Attacks were
made by the rebels on Fort Donelson and Ship Island, and
quite a heavy one by Van Dorn on Franklin, Tennesseeall of which were repulsed. In the latter part of March,
Morgan and Wheeler were defeated by Colonel Hall, near
Milton, Tennessee, and Pegram by General Gillmore, near
Somerset, Kentucky; and in various parts of Missouri, Mis.
sissippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, conflicts were of frequent
occurrence, between detached bodies of the Union and rebel
troops, in most of which the former were successful. Cavalry raids, scouting expeditions, and guerrilla fights, kept
these States in constant commotion, for independent parties
and regiments, and bands of irregular forces, were constantly
operating, outside of the main armies. These had but little
bearing, however, on the great struggle, except to lay waste
the country, exasperate the inhabitants, and cause great
personal suffering among the people.
But no event caused greater excitement than the arrest
of Clement L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, by order of Burnside,
on the charge of contempt of his orders, and resistance to




ï~~176

VALLANDIGHAM.

the Government, in its measures to put down the rebellion.
Seized at midnight in his own house, and dragged away to
be tried by court-martial, his treatment was boldly denounced
by the Democratic press. Indignant at these denunciations,
Burnside caused the chief offender, in his Department, The
Chicago Times, to be suppressed. This increased the excitement, and there was great danger, for a while, of an open
outbreak in the West. The excitement was somewhat
allayed by the President annulling the order of Burnside
suppressing the Times. Still, the violent arrest of Vallandigham, and the refusal to grant him a trial by the civil
courts, was denounced as an act of tyranny, by the opposition press East and West, and but little more was needed,
at this time, to bring on a collision between the citizens and
soldiers. His final trial, and sentence of banishment to the
rebel lines, deepened the indignation. Congress had passed
an Act the Winter before, covering just such cases as this,
under which he could have been tried and punished in a
manner becoming our republican notions;, and without an
apparent attempt to override the civil courts by the strong
arm of military power.




ï~~CHAPTER XIII.

AFFAIRS EAST AT THE OPENING OF THE YEAR-THE PRESIDENT'S AFFIRMATIVE
PROCLAMATION OF EMANCIPATION-HOOKER PLACED OVER THE ARMY OF
THE POTOMAC-FIGHT AT SUFFOLK-ATTACK ON FORT MCALLISTERDESTRUCTION OF THE NASHVILLE-THE FIRST COLORED REGIMENT-FIGHTS
AT BLACKWATER AND KELLY'S FORD, VIRGINIA--WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ATTACKED BY THE REBELS-ATTACK BY THE IRON-CLAD FLEET ON
FORT SUMTER---DISAPPOINTMENT AT ITS FAILURE--INJUSTICE TO DU PONT.
E  AST, the opening year was distinguished by the President's confirmatory Emancipation Proclamation, (previously noticed,) declaring the slaves, in certain States and
parts of States, forever free.  It was celebrated as a great
event in many portions of the Northern States, and by the
freedmen in Norfolk, Va., and Beaufort, South Carolina. The
Richmond papers denounced it as the most "startling
political crime, the most stupid political blunder, yet known
in American history," and declared that servile insurrection
was the sole object aimed at. It was also bitterly denounced
by the opposition, who asserted that it would have no effect
on the emancipation of the slaves; but, on the contrary, that
it would effectually close the door against the long-cherished
hope of a reaction at the South against the leaders of the rebellion.  They said that if the army did not overthrow Slavery,
no proclamation would; that it was to disappear under the
tramp of our victorious battalions, or not at all.
On the 26th of January, Burnside was superseded by
Hooker in command of the Army of the Potomac. By
those unacquainted with military men and affairs, this was
hailed with delight; and the most extravagant anticipations




ï~~178

ATTACK ON FORT MCALLISTER.

were entertained of the great results that the latter, with his
brilliant fighting qualities, would accomplish.
The month closed, however, without any military operations of importance. A sharp fight took place near Suffolk,
between a Union force under General Corcoran, and the rebels
under General Roger A. Pryor, in which the latter, after a
three-hours struggle, were compelledto retreat.. An attack
was also made on Fo   cAllister, commanding the Savannah
River, by Conimande    orden, in the iron-clad Montauk,
but it failed to produce any effect on the rebel works. On
the 27th of February, however, he had the satisfaction
of.destroying, while aground, under the very guns of the
fort, the troublesome rebel steamer Nashville. A few days
after, Mar dci;   ou:d nander Drayton, with a fleet of
monitors and mortar schooners, again atteirpted to reduce
the fort, but, though a terrific-bombardment, o;f eight hours'
duration, was kept up, no material damage was done to the
works.
The organizatio  of the first colored regiment, at Beaufort, South Cairoi, ii the fore part of this year, caused
a good deal  fi eitement. Under Colonel Higginson,
a Unitarian clergyman,; it made an   edxpitioa into the
interior, and, tiogfi the blacks behave.Tcommendable
gallantry, they afterward, under Cilone  1  igomery, in an
expedition to Darien, were a disgrace to the:fag and to the
nation.
Newbern was attacked on the 14th of Mareh, by a rebel
force under General Pettigrew, without any su essful result;
and Colonel Spear, on the '17th, assailed the rebel breastworks on the Blackwater, near Franklin, Virginia, but was
repulsed. On the same day, a spirited cavalry fight occurred
at Kelly's Ford, on the Rappahannock, between a force
under General Averill, and Fitz-Hugh Lee, of the rebel ser



ï~~IRON-CLADS AT CHARLESTON.

179

vice, which lasted for several hours, and finally resulted in
the rout of the latter.
The month closed with a serious demonstration against
Washington, North Carolina, garrisoned by two thousand
National troops, under General Foster. The rebels, under
Hill and Pettigrew, sat down before it, with strong force,
and commenced throwing up fortifications.
In these minor combats, the months of January, February
and March passed away, and the people waited anxiously
for the settled weather of Spring to inaugurate those great
movements which, it was believed, would break the power
of the rebellion. In the West, as we have seen,-things were
at this time evidently drawing to a crisis, and corresponding
movements were weekly looked for along the Atlantic slope
and seaboard.
The first heavy blow of the war was struck at Fort Sumter, on the 7th of April, by Admiral Du Pont, who, with a
fleet of monitors and iron-clads, endefvored to break down
this barrier, which had so long kept the avenging hand from
Charleston, the hot-bed of rebellion. An invention for the
explosion of torpedoes, to be placed in front of the vessels,
had been towed down from New York, with which, it was
supposed, the iron-clads would be-able to push through the
obstructions opposite the fort; and the highest expectations
were cherished, of a speedjr downfall of the stronghold.
Nine iron-clads and monitors were to make the attack, while
a wooden squadron of five vessels was to lie in reserve,
outside of the bar. Du Pont was not so sanguine of success
as the Secretary of the Navy was known to be. As, through
his glass, he surveyed the work before him, he saw that his
little fleet was to be put to a test to which vessels had never
before been subjected.
When it was announced that the fleet was under way,
the steeples and roofs in and around Charleston became lined




ï~~180

A GLOOMY PROSPECT.

with spectators assembled to witness the approaching conflict.
As the eye 'swept around the:harbor, it was cannon here,
and there, and everywhere. In front, Sullivan's Island lay
on the right, and Morris Island on the left-the two extreme
points curving i.ntowards each other, till they were separated
by a channel only a mile wide. Midway in this channel,
built on an artificial island, stood Fort Sumter. Opposite it,
on Suilivan's.sland, stood Fort Moultrie, while above and
below it. the shore was lined with formidable batteries. On
t h iother side ofthe channel, flanking it, frowned Battery
3ee, on Cummings' Point, while further up towards Charleston--should the fleet succeed in passing all-these obstaclesbattery succeeded battery, all the way to the city. Stretching down towards the fleet, batteries lined Morris Island, and
among them Fort Wagner..The sight was eenough 'to daunt
the stoutest heart, for, full three hundred cannon lay shotted
and trained on the chisel, ready to open their concentrated
fire on the little fleet -the moment it came within range.
Du Pont's plan was to push rapidly past the batteries, and
get to the,west and north-west side- of Sumter which was
known to be less impregnable than the front face. This, he
was aware; would be a desperate task, for-piles, torpedoes, nets,
and all sorts of obstructions, had beein sunk' in the channel
between Sumter and the shores, to hold' any vessels that
might attempt to pass, under the horrible fire that commanded the spot. But it was hoped that the invention of
Ericsson, previously mentioned, would be- 'able to remove
these,.
At noon, the., signal from the flagship -to move -to the
attack, was seen, aid. the little fleet of low, blak-looking
objects steamed slowly forward. It was four miles to Sumter, and the batteries on Morris Island commanded the whole
distance. It had hardly got under way, when the Wee



ï~~THE ADVANCE.

181

hawken, in the advance, with the torpedo machine attached
to her bows, became tangled with the unwieldy thing, and
lost an hour in clearing herself, when the fleet again moved
forward. The spectators lining the shore looked on in
breathless expectation--the rapid roll of the drum in bFot
Sumter was heard beating to quarters, and all knew that
the decisive moment had come.
The fleet moved steadily up, till opposite Fort Wagner,
where, it was expected, the wild hurricane that awaited it
would commence, but not a gun broke the calm of the
slumbering bay. It kept on till opposite Battery Bee,
and still not a eannon spoke;, an ominous silence reigned
over everything. This mysterious, death-like stillness foreboded mischief-still, the fleet kept undauntedly on, till it
was under the guns of Sumter. As the Weehawken was
rounding, to pass beyond into Charleston harbor, the crater
of fire opened, and from Sumter and Moultrie, shot and shell
fell thick as hail-stones from heaven. The Weehawken
never stopped, but steamed steadily on, till she was suddenly
brought up by an enormous hawser stretching from Sumter to
Moultrie-supported by casks, and strung with nets, cables
and torpedoes. The propeller got entangled in these,
became unmanageable, and drifted about in the fiery
tempest--her iron sides echoing under the blows of the heavy
metal, that fell incessantly upon her. The other vessels, as
they come up, see the danger, and sheer off to avoid it.
Wheeling in the fire, they steer to the other side of the fort,
to try the channel there. But here a row of piles, rising
ten feet out of the water, meets their gaze, beyond which
stretch other obstructions as far as the eye can reach--and
beyond them still, rebel iron-clads lie ready for action. To
make matters still worse, the Ironsides suddenly refuses to
obey her rudder, an& drifts on the heavy tide towards Fort
Moultrie, getting foul of the Catskill and Nantucket.




ï~~182

THE ATTACK.

Du Pont now clearly sees that his plan of action cannot be
carried out, and he signals to the rest of the fleet to disregard his movements, which is a permission for each vessel
to  ct as it deems best. To get beyond Sumter is now
arly impossible, and nothing remains but to see whether
the fleet can s   long enough in the v6rtex of that horrible
fire, to knock the fort to pieces. Tons of metal are falling,
with the weight of descending rocks, upon those iron-clads;
yet each gallant commander is determined to lay his vessel
alongside the dark structure, and make a broadside engagement with it. The Keokuk is in advance, followed by the
Catskill, Montauk and, further back, by the other vessels,
till -she is within rifle shot of the nearest batteries, when
the conflict becomes awful. The gunners, stripped to their
waists, work their ponderous guns with cool determination;
and shot weighing four hundred and twenty pounds, strike,
like heaven's own thunderbolts, the massive walls, sending
the stones in fragments through the air. The din and
uproar are so deafening that 6rders have to be shouted into
the ear, while the thick smoke= involves the shuddering sea
and trembling land in impenetrable folds
But scarcely thirty minutes had passed, when the Keokuk
came limping out of the fire, and fast settlingin the water.
The Ironsides is pierced with red-hot shot~-~the Nahant
gapes with thirty wounds--the tarret Hof the Passaie is
knocked to pieces so that it cannot revolve-the Nantucket
can use but one guan-a rifled shot has piyred the Catskill,
and five of the nine monitors must be -reekoned out of the
fight. All that thirty-two guns-the total ni~iber carried
by the fleet- could  d against three hundred, had now been
done,.and to ke  up the contest with but fifteen r sixteen,
would be do wiight, madness  Besides n- land force was
near to take psO -se n of the fort,.if iearced, and night
was coming on. Dua: Pont therefore signaled the fleet to




ï~~INJUSTICE TO DU PONT.

183

retire, and the. strange conflict ended. The Keokuk had
hardly got out of the fire, when she went to the bottom.
A council of war was called the next morning, and it was
decided that it would be unwise to renew the attack.
The result awakened deep mortification, and many. were
determined not to acknowledge that the failure was inevitable. Though Du Pont did all that man could do, and though
every subordinate officer bore himself like a hero, and
fought his ship with unequaled gallantry, the public and the
Navy Department were dissatisfied, and this noble Commander had to suffer for not doing impossibilities, was
removed from his command, and Admiral Foote put in his
place. The sickness, and finally, the death of the latter, prevented him from entering on his duties, and Du Pont, in the
meanwhile, retained his position. Difficulties, however, arose
between him and the Navy Department, and one of the
best and most popular commanders in the navy was laid
aside, and Dahlgren ultimately put in command of the ironclad fleet. History, however, will grant the former that
justice which at the time he was denied, and place the
blame where it belongs.
In the meantime, a good deal of interest was felt in the
fate of General Foster, who, during this month, was for
some time surrounded, at Washington, North Carolina, and
cut off from supplies. General Peck, also, stationed at Suf'folk; had some engagements with the enemy, who were
evidently. manceuvering to get possession of the place.
42




ï~~CHAPTER XIV..

CRANCELLORSVILLE--EXCITEMENT OF THE COUNTRY AT HOOKER'S ADVANCEHIS CONFIDENT ADDRESS TO HIS TROOPS-PLAN OF THE BATTLE-THE
CAVALRY SENT OFF TO SEVER LEE S COMMUNICATIONS-ATTACK BY " STONHWALL'1 JACKSON ON HOWARD'S CORPS-ITS DEFEAT-DEATH OF JACKSONSUBSEQU N  BATTLE-FREDERICKSBURG HEIGHTS CARRIED BY SEDGWICKATTACKED BY LEE, AND COMPELLED TO RE-CROSS THE RIVER-HOOKER
WITHDRAWS HIS ARMY-DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE COUNTRY-FEINT ON THE
REBEL CAPITAL FROM WEST POINT-KILPATRICK'S RIDE TO THE SUBURBS
OF RICHMOND---SIEGE OF SUFFOLK-GALLANT DEFENSE OF PECK-LEE'S
INVASION OF MARYLAND-SURRENDER OF WINCHESTER-HOOKER STJPEASEDED BY MEADE--LING OF THE PEOPLE.
B   UT   the great interest 'centered in:e Army of the
Potomac, which, it was expected, would move the
moment the roads would permit.       Still smarting with the
sense of disgrah, in the slaughter and defeat at Fredericksburg, the country was,impatient of delay; and when, at the
latter end of the month, the news flew over the wires; that
Hooker was crossing the Rappahannock, the most intense
excitement prevailed.   Those who had faith in his generalship felt that the remembrance of Fredericksburg was to be
wiped out, and tVhat McClellan's, Pope's and Burnside's failures to annihilate Lee's army and optre Richmond       were
to be effaced by a victory that woiantonish the world,
and deal a death-blow to the rebellion. =Those, on the other
hand, who had no faith in him as a match for Lee, were
almost equally eÂ~cited, believing that a catastrophe would
happen.   This confidence on the one hand, and fear: on the
other, were deepiened by the following address which General
Hooker made to his army after he had safely crossed the
Rappahannock: "It is with heartfelt Satisfaction that the




ï~~ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

1 5

operations.of the last three days have determined that our
enemy must ingloriously fly, or come out from behind their
defenses, and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him." To one class, this was the
inspiration and confidence of genius-to the other, who
remembered that to the question put to him by the War
Investigating Committee, as to what the ill success of the
Army of the Potomac was owing when in front of Richmond,
he replied, "To the incompetency of its lder," his words
seemed a rash boast, prophetic only of  efeat.
The two great armies of the Union, West and East, were
at the same time entering on movements of vital importance
to the Union cause. Grant, as it has been seen, having
thrown his army across the Mississippi, on the 1st of May
attacked the e~y at lPort Gibson, and commenced that
series of extra nary victories which 3brought him in the
rear of Vicksburg, andinsured its downfall. Hooker's army
having erossed the Rappahannock, on the 2nd-the next day
-after the battle of Port Gibson-he-fought the battle of Chancellor ville, which he had believed would force the enemy into
-adisastrous retreat to Richmond, and secure the conquest of
that place. But the results of the two movements were widely
different  The thunder of Grant's cannon, rolling up the
Mississippi, proclaimed:victory-the echoes of Hooker's,
breaking across the Rappahannock, annoiced defeat and
disgrace.
BA T hE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE.
The main plan of Hooker seems intelligible enough. He
endeavored to confuse the enemy as to theyintended point
of crossing, and then suddenly throw his army over the
river several miles above Fredericksburg, and fix himself in
a position to compet Lee to attack him, or hastily retreat




ï~~186

POSITION OF THE ARMY.

towards Richmond in order to save his communications with
the rebel Capital. To,threaten the latter still more, he
stripped his army of its cavalry, and sent it, under Stoneman, to cut the railroads in rear of Lee. In the meantime,
Sedgwick, with some twenty thousand men, was, at the
pioper time, to cross in front of Fredericksburg and carry
the intrenched heights, and then co-operate with Hooker,
as h. drove the enemy before him. A part of the programme was sucessfully carried out. Stoneman got in the
rear of Lee, and swept triumphantly on towards Richmond,
tearing up the railroad as he advanced. Hooker succeeded,
also, in throwing his army safely over the Rappahannock,
and took up the position he desired, and began to intrench
himself. He now felt that the most difficult part of his work
was accomplished, and said, exultingly, that Lee's army was
the "legitimate property of the Army of the Potomac."
On Saturday, May 2nd, his head-quarters were at Chancellorsville, which consisted of a single house, standing at
the intersection of the Gordonsville plank-road and Orange
County turnpike. This was a central point to his magnificent
army of more than a hundred thousand men, and was five
miles from the ford which he had successfully crossed. A
small field lies in front of the house, but beyond and on
every side, stretches away a tangled wilderness. Two miles
out, on the plank-road, lay Howard's Corps-the Eleventh,
composed in part of German troops-holding the extreme
right. To prevent a flank movement, it was made to front
three ways. Sickles was next to him. Slocum was stationed
near the house, and Meade beyond him, with the Fifth Corps.
Beyond these, completing the line on the left, Couch, with
the Second Corps, lay, to prevent a movement in this direotion on the United States Ford.
Thus matters stood, on Saturday afternoon. Lee, perfectly
aware of our position, sent "Stonewall '' Jackson to execute




ï~~THE RIGHT WING BROKEN.

187

a grand flank movement on Hooker's extreme right, where
Howard was stationed. This indomitable chieftain worked
and cut his way through the tangled forest, till he overlapped
Howard, and then, just at evening, fell on him like a bolt
from heaven, shivering his corps, with one fierce blow, into
a thousand fragments. His fierce battalions, shouting as
they came, drove the panic-stricken fugitives, like a herd
of frightened buffaloes, back towards the center of the army,
and seemed about to get in Hooker's rear, and make an end
of him, without the dignity, even, of -a great battle. The
latter saw his danger, and at once showed his true qualities
as a Commander. A more terrible man, at the head of his
own division, never trod a battle-field, and as such he must
now save himself. Sickles had gallantly tried, but in vain,to make a successful stand. Howard, than whom a braver
man never drew srd, galloped furiously among his broken
columns, waving his  empty.-sleeve as a banner to his men,
in vain---his noble heart breaking at the disaster he was
powerless to avert. A wilder wreck never strewed the
ocean than that tumultuous field exhibited in the gloom of
that night. In this perilous crisis, Hooker called on his old
division, now Berry's: to stop this refluent tide of battle.
Moving firmly into the breach, it presented a solid front,
behind which Sickles, and Howard a little later, rallied a
part of their troops, and arrested the further progress of the
enemy.   Thirty pieces of artillery were massed in front of
Berry's position,...sent their terrific- loads of canister
without a moment's cessation, into the crowded ranks of the
enemy, that pressed on, reckless of death. The moon shone
brightly down on field and wood, over which rolled the
white and sulphurous war:clouds, like drifts of ocean mist
along the tremblig shore.  Out of the deep shadows of the
woods, and up from the open spaces-flooded with moonlight,
arose the shouts of men, the swift crash of musketry, and




ï~~188     DEATH OF "STONEWALL" JACKSON.
the confused noise of foes struggling in mortal combat.
But, at midnight, Jackson's victorious charge was stopped,
and a lull fell on the trampled field. Hooker had placed
himself where, he said, the enemy must come out and attack
him. The latter had done so, and, with one tremendous
blow, doubled his army up.
Hooker now changed his position, so as to make his lines
more compact and solid, and better able to resist the headlong charges of the rebels. What the object of the latter
was, in not pressing the battle further that night, is not
plain, for an event occurred after it was over, which doubtless
had an important bearing on the operations of the next
morning. Jackson, whose brilliant and overwhelming charge
had so paralyzed Hooker, after the conflict rode with his
staff over the ground in TFront of the skirmishers, to make
observations, and decide Where he should plant his next
blow, and in returning, was fired on by his own men, through
mistake, and mortally wounded. This disaster was almost
equivalent to a victory for us. This indomitable chieftain,
at the head of his veterans, pressing up the advantage he
had gained the night before, could hardly have failed to
affect the fortunes of the day. He himself is reported to
have said, that had he not been strick down, he would have
cut off Hooker's retreat to his pontoons.
The next morning, Sunday, at ilve o'clock, the enemy
again moved to the attack, determined to finish what they
had successfully commenced. They came along the turnpike
from the west, and were met by Berry's and Birney's divisions, moving forward from both sides of the road, supported
by Whipple and Williams. The- artillery of the- latter was
posted so as to command all the approaches by the turnpike.
Forty pieces, under Best, swept the ground in front, and when
the rebels, in solid mass, came through the woods, opened
their fire with appalling fierceness. "The advancing column'




ï~~VICTORY OF SEDGWICK.

189

was cut up and gashed, as if pierced, seamed and ploughed
by invincible lightning. Companies and regiments melted
away, yet still they came on. Berry and Birney advanced
to meet them. They were terrible shocks. The living
waves rolled against each other, as you have seen the billows
on a stormy sea."   Nothing, however, could resist the
tremendous charges of the rebels, and Sickles' Corps was
gradually forced back. They could not break our steadfast
lines, but still, compelled them to yield the ground. For
nearly six hours, the battle raged with fearful ferocity, and
then the rebels withdrew. In the afternoon, they again advanced to the attack, but pressed it less vigorously, as if
weakened by their own tremendous exertions.
On this same Sabbath day, Sedgwick had carried the
heights of Fredericksburg-the "light brigade" winning
immortal honor in the last brilliant assault-and prepared
at once to co-operate with Hooker. Had the latter been
able to carry out his part of the plan and advance, after
the enemy had exhausted himself in a fruitless attack on his
own defenses, doubtless a great victory would have been
gained. But he had been beaten, though not routed, in his
own chosen position--behind his defenses-and driven back.
Under these circumstances, an advance was out of the question, and he began to look about anxiously, to see, not how
he might beat the enemy, but save his army. Heavy rains
had set in, and theriver in his rear began to'rise, and though
Stoneman, with his fearless troopers, was in Lee's rear, and
Sedgwick's gallknt battalions were shouting on the heights
of Fredericksburg, it:all availed nothing. Humbled and
mortified, he must swallow his boastings, and march back
over the river, a defeated man. With an army varipusly
estimated at one hundred and twenty and one hundred and
fifty thousand men, lhe had been beaten by sixty thousand.
Seeing Hooker so badly punished, Lee sent an over



ï~~190

REVIEW OF.THE CAMPAIGN.

whelming force against Sedgwick, who, leaving a part of his
force to hold the works of Fredericksburg, was with the,
main army advancing along the plank-road towards Chancellorsville, to co-operate with Hooker. After a severe fight,
he compelled him to retreat across the river under the fire
of his artillery, which threatened momentarily to break in
pieces the frail bridge, that swayed and trembled under the
weight of his swiftly marching columns. It was almost a
miracle that this brave officer succeeded in saving his entire
corps from utter destruction. The force left on the heights
were also driven out of the works and over the Rappahannock,
and the position, captured so gallantly, recovered by the rebels.
On Tuesday night, Hooker also recrossed the Rappahannock, without loss. Had Lee known of his movements, it
could not have been done without serious disaster.
No battle of the war caused such fierce and angry discussion
as this. Some asserted that Hooker retreated only because
the sudden rise in the river threatened to carry away his
pontoons, and cut off his communications. But if General
Hooker made the important move he did, in the Spring of
the year, without taking into account the probable rise
of the Rappahannock, he committed a great blunder-in
fact, an unpardonable one. No event was more likely to
occur than this, at that season, and a movement made without anticipating it was a most unmilitary one.
Much was said of the skill and secrecy with which Hooker
had thrown his army across the river at the point chosenthus outwitting Lee; but it afterwards leaked out, through
some private papers captured, that during the Winter previous, this very spot had been selected by the rebel Generals
as the one where he would cross; and Chancellorsville,
or its neighborhood, designated as the field where the next
great battle would be fought. The truth is, Hooker escaped
with less loss than he had a right to expect. If Jackson




ï~~KILPATRICK'S RAID.

191

had not fallen, it is scarcely possible that the former would
have been able to recross the river without discovery
and attack. On the other hand, Sedgwick saved his corps
by extraordinary skill. After their brilliant success, the
rebels seemed to show a great lack of generalship or enter.
prise.
In conjunction with Hooker's endeavor to crush Lee's
army, on the Rappahannock, a feint movement was made
against Richmond, by way of West Point, under General
Keyes, which many thought should have been a real one, as
Richmond was so stripped of defenders, that its capture was
considered an easy matter.
Colonel Kilpatrick, under Stoneman's command, had
dashed down in rear of Lee's army, destroying depots, railroads and telegraph wires in his'way--scattered the detachments that obstructed his path--galloped to the very suburbs
of the rebel Capital, spreading terror and confusion wherever
he went, and at length, on the 7th of May, he rode into our
lines at Gloucester Point. He had been five days in the saddle,
and, through rain and mud, marched two hundred mileslosing, in all, but one officer and thirty-seven men. In this
bold march into the interior, Stoneman had destroyed bridges,
culverts, ferries, wagons and trains, and captured horses
"and mules, with but little loss to himself; and the most that
could be, was made of it, to compensate for the mortification
of Hooker's defeat; but, aside from the boldness, and skill,
and energy, with which it was conducted, there was little to
console the people. It was a whirlwind sweeping through
the country, terrible in appearance, yet producing no lasting
or very serious results, for the defeat at Chancellorsville
rendered the temporary destruction of Lee's communications
of no value.
Another event occurred at this time, which excited but
little attention, on account of the more-stirring scenes passing




ï~~192

SIEGE OF SUFFOLK.

on the Rappahannock. This was the raising the siege of
Suffolk, by Longstreet. General Peck' had been sent to
command at this. place, the September before, with an army
of about thirteen thousand men, and for six months labored
unweariedly to put it in a state of defense. It lies at
the head of the Nansemond River, thirty miles above
where it empties into the James River. A railroad, twenty
miles long, connected it with Norfolk, from which Peck
received his supplies. In April, Longstreet, with a force
estimated at thirty or forty thousand men, advanced against
Suffolk, designing to cut the railroad in rear of it, capture the army there, and march on Norfolk. In order
to weaken the garrison, he sent a force to operate against
Little Washington, which caused, as he anticipated, an order
to be sent to Peck for reinforcements. He then crossed the
Blackwater, and, in three heavy columns, moved confidently
forward on Suffolk. Peck, advised of this movement, telegraphed to Admiral Lee, who sent up gunboats to operate
in tire Nansemond, and assist him in preventing this overwhelming force from crossing the stream. Longstreet, finding Peck prepared, at every point, to receive him, abandoned
the attempt to take the place by surprise, and sat down
before it in regular seige. Planting batteries along the
stream, he first endeavored to drive the gunboats away or
sink them. A fierce artillery fight followed, in which the
gunboats were riddled with shot. Lieutenants Cushing and
Lamson, who commanded the river fleet, clung to the enemy's
batteries with a tenacity which nothing could shake loose.
General Getty, commanding the third division of the Ninth
Army Corps, held the-line of the Nansemond, nine miles in
length, and by his sleepless vigilance and skill, kept Longstreet's army from effecting a crossing. But, on the 18th
of April, the enemy succeeded in establishing a battery at
Hill's Point, six miles from Suffolk, which threatened to




ï~~SIEGE OF SUFFOLK RAISED.

193

drive the gunboats off. But this strong earth-work was
surprised and captured by a brilliant night attack, made by
two hundred and eighty men of the Eighty-ninth New York
and Eighth Connecticut volunteers. The garrison of one
hundred and thirty-seven men, and five guns, were captured
in this gallant assault. Longstreet now began to strengthen
his defenses. Peck, with his small force, was compelled to
overtask his men, yet he held his powerful foe grimly at
bay, till the 3fd of May, when the events at Chancellorsville
caused Longstreet to raise his siege of twenty-four days.
The skill and courage of General Peck, in thus defeating
the plans of Longstreet, called forth the highest encomiums
of General Dix, who afterwards asked the OGovernment to
make a separate department of this section, and place Peck
over it.
Longstreet was summoned, with his defeated army, to
Fredericksburg, for.ee, now he had measured strength
withl Hooker, and tested satisfactorily his capacity, treated
himwith the same contempt he showed to Pope, and resolved
to march some hundred and fifty miles around him, by the
Shenandoah Valley, to the Potomac, and, crossing over into
Maryland, complete the invasion which the year before had
been brought to such a-disastrous termination by the battle
of Antietam. It was a bold move, but he seemed to think
that he could give his antagonist thirty thousand men more
than his own army,and yet beat him on any fair field.
The country was made to believe, that though Hooker
was defeated, he aid inflicted such a heavy blow on the
enemy as to cripple him severely, and render him incapable
of any serious movement for a long time to come. But the
rumors that he as swinging his superb army around Washington towards Harpe's Ferry, effectually dispelled this
illusion. His movements seemed wrapped in mystery, and
the country was amazed that no blow was struck against his




ï~~194

ATTACK ON WINCHESTER.

extended line. Lee actually moved clear around our army,
as coolly and leisurely as though no enemy confronted him.
By the last of the month, the people of Maryland were
alarmed at the tidings that his advance troops were in the
neighborhood of the Upper Potomac. On the 16th of June,
Governor Bradford issued a proclamation, calling on the
citizens to rally for their defense.
The first blow:fell on General Milroy, at Winchester. He
had been in command at this place since thelast of December, the previous year; and had- under him about seven
thousand men, whichwas considered an ample force to hold
the position against all the rebels known to be in the Valley.
But, on the 11th of June, he received a telegram from
Colonel Don-Piatt,chiefof Staff at'Harper's Ferry, ordering
him to fall back at once on the latter place. Milroy, instead
of obeying, telegraphed to General Schenck, at Baltimore,
his immediate Commander, expressing his regret at the
order, and declaring that he could hold the post against all
the forcethe "rebels could afford to bring against it." He
received permission, in reply, to remain,till further orders.
But he soon asertained, from his scouts, that Ewell and
Longstreet, with an overwhelming force, were advancing
swiftly against him, and he immediately called in all his out.
posts. Instead, however, -fretreating, he still 'waited for
further developments. On Sunday morning, four batteries
suddenly opened on him, and ten thousand men precipitated
themselves on the outwork commanding the approaches
from the west, and swept it like a storm. But by the guns
from the fort proper and the Baltimore battery, commanding
this work, the enemy were soon driven out. An artillery
fight then commenced;-which lasted till eight o'clock in the
evening. Milroy now called a council of war, in which it
was decided to abandon the artillery and wagons, and fall
back on Harper's Ferry. The troops marched out at one




ï~~A ]DISASTROUS RE REAT.

195

o'clock in the morning, and, proceeding by a ravine around
the gwn, struck the Martinsburg road, and pressed swiftly
forward. The column, however, soon found its way blocked
by the enemy, who had got in front. In attempting to cut
its way through, the army became divided, and hurried forward by different routes towards the Potomac. Milroy, with
one column, took the road to Harper's Ferry, and arrived
there safely the same afternoon. The other column, completely disorganized, crossed at Hancock, and finally assembled
at Bloody Run, Pennsylvania, twenty-seven hundred strong.
At first, it was supposed that Milroy had lost a third of his
army, but, in the end, only a few hundred were found to be
missing. The loss in aitillery and trains, however, was' felt
to be a great disgrace, and Milroy was put under arrest, by
order of Halleck. That he committed a great error, in not
obeying at once the first order he received, is very clear.
But Schenck, who gave him permission to remain till further
orders, was still more culpable. His excuse was, that the
original order, which he received from Halleck, contained
no such peremptory command as Don Piatt had dispatched.
This is true, and the guilt of this disgraceful surrender
must be divided between the General-in-Chief Milroy and
Schenck. The only clear, prompt military mind engaged
in the whole transaction, was Don Piatt.
Lee at once crossed the Potomac, occupied Hagerstown,
and pushed on to Pennsylvania, causing the most intense
excitement at Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and throughout the country. The President called
on the several States for their militia, and New York had
the honor of sending forward the first troops. Hooker followed Lee on his right flank, and, on the 27th of June,
occupied Frederick City. Cavalry fights had occurred all
along, at Beverly's' Ford, Brandy Station, Berryville and
Aldie, some of them very severe ones, but they had no effect




ï~~196

GF.NE RAL MEADE.

on Lee's movements. He had occupied all the gaps of the
Blue Ridge, through which he watched the moveme   of
Hooker, ready at any moment, to give him battle.
At Frederick, on the 28th, Hooker, by order of the War
Department, relinquished the command of the army, and
Major-General George G. Meade was put in his place. The
announcement of this change, on the eve of a great and
decisive battle, took the country by surprise, and awakened
the deepest anxiety in every breast. Meade was but little
known; besides, the time chosen to make this important
change, was deemed ill-judged. More than this, it was
currently reported that it was caused by a quarrel between
Hooker, and Halleck the General-in-Chief. This disquieted
the public mind, also, for everything seemed to go wrong
with the noble army of the Potomac, whoever commanded
it. Hence, when, soon after Meade had commenced his
march,.it was..,reported that he had cut telegraphic communication between himself and Washington, that he might
not be interfered:ith th whole country applauded the act.
This fact is a }bitt  ~eommeutry on the management at
Washington at ta time, And sh  w how low in the 'estimati. of the people, the military capacity of the Secretary
of War and the    e al-ia-Chief was held.




ï~~CHAPTER XV.

JULl.
CAMPAIGN OF GETTYSBURG-PURSUIT OF LEE---FIRST FIGHT AT GETTYSBURGDEATH OF REYNOLDS-HOWARD ESTABLIShES HIMSELF ON CEMETERY HILL--
EANCOCK SENT FORWARD TO SELECT A BATTLE-FIELD-THE SELECTION OF
OEMETERY HILL-RAPID CONCENTRATION OF THE ARMY-THE PREPARATIONFIRST DAY'S BATTLE -GLOOMY PROSPECT FOR THE U'NION ARMY-SECOND
IAY'S BATTLE- -T IE  GIEAZ,  ISIVE CHARGE---GALLANTRY OF 'FARNSWORTH
--RETREAT OF LEE---BE TH ARMIE MARCH FOR THE POTOMAC--SUCCESS OF
KILPATRICK-SERYICE OF THE CAVALIY-THE POTOMAC SWELLED BY THE
RAINS-LEE TIELD A WEEK ON THE NORTHERN BANK-STRANGE INACTION--
THE REBEL ARMY ESCAPES--THE PURSUIT-CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
W HEN Meade took command of the army, Lee was
well advanced into the interior, and he immediately
followed after him. The latter was very anxious respecting
his communications, and sent Ewell eastward from Chambersburg, to cross the South Mountain.   Early's division moved
east as far as York, on the inhabitants of which he levied a
large sum of money, while the rest of the corps kept on to
Carlisle.  Lee now determined to move upon Harrisburg,
Sbut on the night of the 29th, hearing that Meade -was well
across the Potomac and had advanced as far as the South
Mountain, threatening his communications, he determined
to concentrate his army' east of the mountains, and Longstreet and Hill were directed to march from Chambersburg
to Gettysburg, to which point, also, Ewell was ordered to
hasten from   Carlisle., The:reports of these movements
having reached Meade, he ordered Reynolds, with the First,
Xleventh and Third Corps, to move forward and occupy the
place.  On the arrival of the latter, he found Buford's cav



ï~~198

DEATH OF REYNOLDS.

alry fighting fiercely with Hill, who was pouring his columns
through the mountains, on the Cashtown road. Moving
promptly around the town, he deployed his advance division,
and marched steadily and sternly on the enemy, and at the
same tipne sent backa courier to Howard, with the Eleventh
Corps, to hurry forward.- The conflict had hardly commenced,
when Reynolds fell, mortally wounded, and the command'
of the First Corps devolved on Doubleday. In the meantime, at half-past eleven, Howard arrived on the field, and
took chief command. The enemy were now pushed vigorously, and Doubleday handsomely entrapped and took prisoners an entire rebel brigade. The Eleventh Corps gallantly
redeemed its fair fame lost at Chancellorsville, and Hill was
getting severely punished, when, at two o'clock, the banners
of Ewell's Corps were seen advancing to the field, along the
York road, outflanking Howard's line of battle. The latter
had, as he advanced to the attack, left Steinwehr's division,
with its artillery, on Cemetery Ridge, in rear of the town,
and when he found it necessary to fall back, with great forethought he sent to the same commanding position some more
guns, and thus, almost by chance, and to protect himself
from defeat, fixed the grand central point of the mighty
battle that was to decide the campaign.
When the tidings of Reynolds' fall reached Meade, he
immediately dispatched'; Hancock to represent him on the
field, saying, as he departed, "If you find a good place to
fight there, let me know."  The latter arrived on the ground
only to find the army in confused retreat, and Howard rallying his forces behind Cemetery Hill. The enemy poured
tumultuously through Gettysburg in fierce pursuit, and captured some twenty-five hundred of our troops: But as they
approached the ridge, they were met by a-fierce artillery
fire, and, after struggling a while to make head against it,
fell back, and, night coming on, the conflict ended. Stuart,




ï~~C.BMETERY HILL.

with his cavalry, which had been following Hooker in Virginia,
when the latter crossed the Potomac, crossed further down,
so that he was at this time between Meade, and Washington
and Baltimore. His presence in this region created the
wildest consternation, and the streets of the former place
were barricaded, and the citizens summoned to defend the
place. This isolated position of his, however, was of incalculable advantage to us, for had he been present with Ewell's
corps on this day, the battle of Gettysburg, in all human
probability, would never have been fought..When Hancock reported the state of affairs to-Meade, and
the position which Howard had selected, he immediately
resolved to give battle atthatpoint, and, having dispatched
swift riders to the different corps, with orders for them to
march with the utmost speed to Gettysburg,. he himself set
out, and reached the place a little after midnight. Lee, all
this eventful night, was also concentrating his army, but, being
ignorant of Meade's m vements,, he advanced cautiously,
and all too slowly forhimself. One west, and the other east
of the Oumberland Mountains which separated them, the
mighty columns of the two armies pressed forward, all that
warm July night, towards thegreat battle-field of the morrow.
Buts how unequal were the prospects! Lee was hurrying on
to:find a place on which to fight; while Meade, not by his own.
foresight, but by the foresight of Providence, had selected
his, which seemed by that dame Providence made on purpose
for the rebel host to break itself to pieces against. The
defeat and retreat of the day had forced this position on us,
which, if held by the, rebels instead of us, would in al
probability have reversed. the fortunes of that great and
vital campaign.
43




ï~~200

THE PREPARATION.

THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
The morning of the 2nd- of July,. lit up a strange and
thrilling scene around that hitherto quiet inland town, the
inhabitants of which, a few hours before, little thought that
one of the mightiest battles of the war, and of the age, would
be fought there.- No teams of the farmer were moving that
day. The swath inii the harvest-field lay where it had fallen
the evening before. The streets and the door-yards were
filled with pale and anxious men and women, and all was
expectation--save that the unconscious herds grazed quietly
in the fields, and the summer birds sang merrily as ever
among the green tree-tops. But these things were unheeded
amid the mighty preparations on either side. The steady
tramp, tramp, of the arriving columns, with,streaming banners, and loud, defiant music-the heavy rumbling of artillery
carriages, as they swept in long and oniinous rows on the
field-the pealing of bugles, the galloping of horsemen
hither and thither, and all the fearful preparations necessary
when two hundred thouand men are about to close in fierce,and -ortal combat, absorbed all minor interests, and made
that July morning appear to those inhabitants solemn as the
closing day of time.
As soon as daylight had revealed the landscape distinctly,
Meade was in the saddle, and rode, all over his position, to
take'in its capabilities, and arrange the location of his troops.
His eye rested on the rebel army, marshaling in the distance,
and ever aid;anof turned anxiously along the roads over
which hid o wn brave. t i roops  were coming. They were
pressi   forwad at the top of their speed, brigade on
bri ade anddivisionion division, till, by seven o'clock, the
Second and Fifth Corps, and the balance of the Third, had
reached the field, and at once marched to their appointed




ï~~POSITION OF THEB ARMY.:,

201

places. Far back, many a weary mile, panting over the
dusty roads, was the gallant Sixth, with the noble Sedgiwick
at its head, straining every nerve to reach the point of danger. It had started at nine o'clock in the evening, and all
night long swept forward as though on a race for life.
Thirty-two miles lay between it and Gettysburg, to which
the urgent order of Meade was hurrying it. It accomplished
the whole distance by two o'clock in the afternoon.
Our line of battle, when completed, extended for nearly
frve miles along a row of heights which receded to the right
and left from Cemetery Hill, that stood boldly out in front,
overlooking Gettysburg, and field and woodland beyond.
The line was in shape something like a horse-shoe. The
right was strongly protected by Wolf's and Culp's hills, very
steep and difficult of ascent, while Howard, with the Eleventh
Corps, held the center. At his right, across the road, on
another hill, was the First Corps. Next to him, completing
the right, was the Twelfth Corps, Under Slocum. On the
left of Cemetery Hill, was Hancock's Second Corps; next to
him, the Third Corps, under Sickles-forming the left, until
the arrival, in the midst of the battle, of the Fifth Corps, under
Sykes. Thus stood the Union army on Thursday afternoon.
In Lee's army, Ewell occupied the left, Hill the center,
and Longstreet the right. He had not designed to give
battle unless attacked, when he could choose his own position, but finding himself suddenly confronted by Meade,
and doubtless encouraged by the previous day's success, he
determined to try the issue in a bold assault on our strong
position. His army was concentrated first, and had he
moved.earlier to the assault, before the arrival of the Fifth
and Sixth Corps, he might, perhaps, have carried our position. But the "stars fought against him."
Thinking that if he could drive back our left, he could
more easily assail the higher position of Cemetery Hill, he




ï~~202

OPENING -OF THE. BATTLE.

directed Longstreet, towards evening, to advance against it,
while Hill threatened the center. Sickles, ignorant of the
intention of the enemy, advanced his line a half a mile or
more, when Meade rode up to post the Fifth Corps, which
was rapidly approaching the field. Not liking the movement of Sickles, he began to explain to him the reasons,
when the thunderbolt fell. The onset of Longstreet was
tremendous. First came the crash of artillery, swelling and
rolling along the whole line; and then, with firm and confident bearing, and deafening shouts, moved up the trained
and steady battalions. Sickles, fighting bravely, was soon
struck, and carried off the field; and the whole left wing
was terribly shaken, and gradually fell back before the desperate charges of the enemy. Its fate was trembling in the
balance, when the heads of Sykes' tired columns were seen
approaching the field. At the welcome sight, a thrilling
cheer went up. They came not a moment too soon, and
the fight raged fiercer than ever. But heedless of the murderous discharges of artillery that swept their ranks, the
enemy still pressed the left so desperately that it was pushed
steadily back, and Meade had to order up the wearied Corps
of Sedgwick, and part of the First Corps, to save= himself
from defeat. Met with these fresh forces, the rebels were
arrested, and though refusing to abandon the struggle, could
not break our line of, battle. Hour after hour, the contest
raged with fearful slaughter on both sides, till darkness closed
over the field. The battle, however, was not over; for,
later in the evening, a sudden, unexpected assault was made
on our extreme right, and several rifle-pits were carried;
which the enemy succeeded in holding.
That night, the prospect was gloomy enough. We had
been pushed back on both wings, though all our reserves
had been brought into action. The dead were piled everywhere-the army was weary, and had not been able to hold




ï~~FRIDAY'S BATTLE.

203

its own. What would the next day bring forth? was the
anxious question of" many a brave heart. Meade, however,
resolved not to retreat, but to fight it out right there, at all
hazards. No better position than that could be found, and
if it should be yielded, a swift and disastrous retreat would
be inevitable. True, he had been fearfully weakened; so
had the enemy-his army was worn out with its long
marches; so was the enemy's-and here he would stand,
and let God help the right.
THE BATTLE OF FRIDAY.
Early next morning, the troops stood to their arms, while
crashing volleys, all along the line, foretold another day of
struggle and of slaughter. On our right, the battle raged
furiously from'early dawn. Ewell was determined to advance from the rifle-pits he had taken the night before, and
Slocum was equally resolute to recover them. Geary and
Birney here met the first assaults firmly. For six hours, the
struggle was desperate on both sides. The rebels seemed
to laugh at death, and again and again charged through the
smoke of artilleryiwith shouts that swelled above the uproar.
Wheaten's brigade, of the Sixth, was hurried up to the
rescue; and our 4le, which had been forced back for a
moment, again advanced. More. troops were pushed forward artillery brought up on a gallop, and posted so as to
enfilade the hostile ranks; and -though braver men never
stood upon a battle-field to die, than did Ewell's veterans
here, our right had become a wall of adamant, against which
the heaviest surges bro e in vain. At eleven o'clock, the
enemy gave it up, and his shattered, bleeding battalions fell
back in despair. Silence now rested on the field, and Lee,
baffled in his firstdesign, pondered what next to attempt.
He had tried both wings, and failed to break them, and on




ï~~204

AN AWFUL CANNONADE.

the right had lost all he had gained the night before; while
a line of earth-works had sprung up, as if by magic, all along
our front. The weakest point still seemed to be the left,
and he determined on a last desperate effort to crush it.
For this purpose, he brought forward a hundred and twentyseven cannon,:and concentrated their teirific fire on our
center and left. At two, o'clock, they opened simultaneously,
and there commenced one of the most awfi4 cannonades
ever witnessed on this continent. On   emetery 1ill, the
storm fell with such fury that the earth was scattered in
showers over the graves, and the tomb-stones shivered to
atoms. Shot and shell fell and burst without a moment's
cessation, and with a power that seemed able to start the
very hills from their firm foundations. Our batteries responded, and, for three hours, more than three hundred
cannon exploded on each other, with reverberations that
shook the field, and wrapped it in white, rolling clouds,
which tossed, and drifted, and settled between the contending lines, till they were hid from view, and the heavens
were darkened as in an eclipse.
About four o'clock, Lee ordered a grand charge. In
splendid order, and "with banners high advanced," and a
courage that seemed to foretell success, the columns came
steadily on. The chief attack was on the point occupied by
the Second Corps. Moving forward with grand, imposing
front and confident bearing, they entered the desolating
fire, without flinching. It was a magnificent charge. A
tempest of shot and shell, howling  above their heads
from the artillery in rear, swept the heights; and Hancock was soon borne wounded from     the fights  Gibson
succeeded- to the command, and, walking along the lines,
told the men to reserve their fire.- On came the rebels,
three lines deep, in perfect order, till within point-blank
range, when the order to fire was heard. A sudden sheet




ï~~THE LAST EFFORT.

205

of flame, a crash, and the first line disappeared like a wreath
of mist. Undismayed, the second line swept on with a
cheer. Up to the rifle-pits, and over them, and up to the
guns, bayoneting the gunners beside their pieces, they
pressed, waving their flags and shouting the victory. But
the moment of their triumph was also the moment of their
destruction. They had not seen that the guns on the western slope of Cemetery Hill enfiladed this spot. These now
opened with grape and canister, on the uncovered ranks.
The effect was awful Nothing human could stand such a
murderous fire and the line swayed back in terror, and then
crumbled into fragments. In an instant, our men were upon
them, driving themn like a herd of sheep. Whole regiments
laid down their arms and surrendered. They seemed appalled-overwhelmed, by the frightful butchery, from which
even flight could not save them. Other charges had been
made, along the line, and gallantly repulsed; and our cavalry, though not performing any grand movement, came in
for its share of the glory. Kilpatrick, having beaten Stuart
at Hanover, and repulsed the rebel cavalry at Hunterstown,
pressed forward to Gettysburg-which he reached Friday
forenoon-and made a sudden dash on Lee's right. The
enemy, finding his skirmishers driven in, took a strong position between two stone walls, surmounted by a rail fence.
Kilpatrick was anxious to carry this position, for if he,ould,
he would beable 'to reach Lee's ammunition train. General
Farnsworth, with two regiments and a portion of a third,
charged it with desperate fury. Leaping his horse over the
first fence, sword in hand, he was followed by his gallant
band. The space between the fences was covered by a fire
from both flanks and the front, yet they dashed through it
with a shout, and reached the second fence, where Farnsworth fell, pierced with five balls. Still on, over the second
fence, the maddened riders went, "in a whirlpool of shot




ï~~-206

THE VICTORY.

and shell," and pressed on through a horrible fire. They
could not return, and so dashed on-what was left of
them-for two miles, to the rebel rear, when they dispersed,
and got back as they could.
But, the grand effort of the day having failed, the enemy
slowly retired. No pursuit was attempted. Meade had no
reserves, with which to follow up his advantage, and scarcely
any ammunition. We were near -defeat.c ould Lee have
commanded a few thousand fresh troops, evs then, he might
have won the day. But we had stood the pounding longest,
and now a fresh corps on our part, could have driven him in
disorder and rout from the field. As it was, both armies
had done all they could. Lee had attacked, and failed; and
now, with one-third of his forces killed, wounded or taken
prisoners, his campaign was over, and nothing remained for
him but to get back to Virginia with his shattered army.
On this very afternoon, what a different scene was taking
place on the banks of the Mississippi! At thesame hour
in which the heights around Get yshrg w  ererocking.to
the thunder of cannon, and theirs  eeswierreddening
with the blood of brave men, Granta    PJdrton were
quietly seated under a spreading oak,   ti termns of
the capitulation of Vicksburg  While6       as being
surrendered into our hands, another warern  beaten and
humbled, from before our brave troops.
It had been a battle of the Giants-Antiet a  over again;
and our loss amounted, in all, to twenty-three t ousnd and
one hundred and eighty-six men. The field pre  nted a
sad wreck, and the slopes around Gettysburg were thickly
covered with the dead-men of the same countryfand creed
and who should never have been foes.
The news of this great victory flew over the wires on the
4th, our National Jubilee-day, spreading joy and exultation,
and swelling to a higher note the shouts of the people. To




ï~~4




ï~~


ï~~THE RETREAT.

207

the army, however, it did not bring equal exultation, for it
was not known whether another battle was yet to be fought.
Lee still confronted our lines, but no general movements
took place. But he had resolved on retreat, and by next
Inorning his columns were retracing their steps, over the
Cumberland Mountains, on their way back to the Potomac,
leaving thirteen thousand, six hundred and twenty-one prisoners in our hands--so that if his loss in killed and wounded
was no greater than ours, his total loss would have been over
thirty thousand. But as the attacking party, unless successful,
always suffers the most, a large number must be added to this,
showing that Lee had good cause for retreating, without
assigning, as he did, the lack of ammunition, and the strength
of our position, as the reasons.
He saved his artillery, with the exception of two or three
guns, though he left twenty-five thousand small arms strewn
through the fields and woods. With his splendid army
thus shivered into fragments, he recrossed the Cumberland
Mountains,_ and pressed rapidly towards the Potomac. Sedgwick, with the Sixth Corps, was sent in pursuit, but on
reaching Fairfield Pass, he found it so strongly held that he
was compelled to abandon it, and then pressed towards
the Potomac on the east side of the Cumberland Mountains,
to intercept Lee's march. The cavalry, moving by different
routes, harassed him continually, capturing trains and prisoners, and keeping the tired troops continually on the alert.
A portion of the force, under General French, destroyed
the enemy's pontoon train, at Falling Waters. Kilpatrick
clung to the rebel army with a tenacity that did not allow
it a moment's rest. At midnight, in a furious thunder
storm, he charged down the mountain, through the darkness,
with unparalleled boldness, and captured the entire train of
Ewell's division, eight miles long. At Emmettsburg, Hagerstown, and other places, he smote the enemy with blow after




ï~~A DANGEROUS POSITION.

blow. Buford, Gregg, Custis, and others, performed deeds
which, but for the greater moVements that occupied public
attention, would have filled the land with shouts of admiration. In fact, the incessant, protracted labors of the cavalry,
during this campaign, rendered it useless for some time.
That it was so effective, was due to Hooker, who took great
pains in its organiuzation, when he assumed command of the
Army of the Potomac.
Before Lee reached the Potomac, a heavy rain storm set
in swelling the river so that all the fords were impassable.
This seemed a special interposition of Providence, and the
country looked to see Lee's army utterly destroyed or captured, before he could get across.
Meade, having spent the 5th and 6th in burying his dead
and caring for the wounded, followed the enemy, by a flank
movement, to Middletown, Md., and thence passed through
South Mountain, and, on the 12th, was in front of Lee,
drawn up on the heights of Marsh Run, near Williamsport.
A whole week had thus been allowed to pass away, while Lee
looked with anxious gaze on the turbulent waters of the
Potomac, whose loud, monotonous roar seemied to scoff' at
his helpless condition. No sooner did the flood begin to
subside, than another storm would set in, sending the water
in torrents down the slopes of the Blue Ridge and the Alleghanies, and keeping the stream full to the top of its banks.
It was a tantalizing condition for Lee, and seemed ominous
of evil, for such a sustained freshet in July was a thing
unheard of. It seemed sent on purpose to destroy himjust as the early and severe Winter, in Russia, came to overthrow the grand army of Napoleon. The whole country
was kept in a state of the highest excitement,  r a majority
of the people believed that the escape of Lee, the year
before, near the same place, after the battle of Antietam,
was owing to the negligence or incapacity of McClellah.




ï~~THE SANITARY COMMISSION.

209

Though Lee then got off, the first night after the battle, and
under cover of the darkness, his escape seemed unpardonable.
Hence, it was believed that if Meade should do his dutyswelled as his army was by reinforcements, and with ample
time before him--Lee could not escape. But the latter was
unmolested, and, gathering timber from the neighboring
country, he constructed a bridge, and, the water at. length
falling, he transferred his entire army, trains, and munitions
of war, safely into Virginia. The cavalry took some prisoners at Falling Waters, and Gregg's cavalry attacked and
harassed the enemy at Charlestown and Shepherdstown; yet
the latter escaped comparatively scathless--to the chagrin,
disappointment, and ill-suppressed murmurings of the people.
Meade crossed the Potomac, and moved down the Loudon
Valley on Lee's flank, hoping to cross his line of march
somewhere; but the latter leisurely pursued his way to the
Rapidan; and the Army of the Potomac, at the close of
July, took up its position on the banks of the Rappahannock,
and the campaign was over. It had been a grand success
by our arms, marred only by the strange delays and inaction
that allowed Lee to rest a week on the northern bank of the
Potomac, and the get off without a blow being dealt him.
It would not be just to pass by this great battle without
alluding to the efforts of the Sanitary Commission to relieve
and care for the wounded. Never before was such a prodigality of expepditure in t he way of charity, witnessed on a
battle-field. Itsagents, trains and supplies were everywhere.
Clothing, medicines,:food and luxuries were in profusion.
Hospitals sprung up like magic on all sides, till it had
nearly fifteen thousand wounded u~der its kind-and generous
protection. Its blessed charities, distributed alike to friend
and foe, shed a benign radiance over the scene of slaughter,
and rescued it from half its horrors.




ï~~CHAPTER XVI.

OPERATIONS IN CHARLESTON HARBOR-GILLMORE EFFECTS A LODGMENT ON
MORRIS ISLAND-ATTEMPT TO TAKE FORT WAGNER BY SURPRISE-GRAND
ASSAULT ON THE FORT-DEATH OF COLONEL SHAW-CRUELTY TO THE
OFFICERS OF COLORED REGIMENTS-MOBS IN NEW YORK CITY-HOSTILITY
TO THE DRAFT-ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT, RESPECTING THE TREATMENT
OF COLORED SOLDIERS HELD AS PRISONERS BY THE REBELS-THE PRACTICAL SUPERIORITY OF THE PRESIDENT-CAUSES OF PUBLIC AGITATIONCONGRESS.
W HILE events of such magnitude were occurring on
V  the banks of the Potomac, General Gillmore, who
had superseded Hunter in command at Charleston, surprised,
on the 10th of July, the rebels in the fortifications on the
south end of Morris Island, in Charleston Harbor, and captured two hundred prisoners, eight single-gun batteries, and
three mortars. General Strong, the next day, in command of
the attacking party; advanced on Fort Wagner,andattempted
to carry it by assault, but failed. It was a spirited affair, and is
thus described by Captain Gray, the only one, offour captains,
that was saved   "General Strong, with two thousand men,
went up Folly River, in the Light-house Inlet, while over
forty guns and mortars, in battery, which had been put in
position on Folly Island, concealed by trees from the enemy's
knowledge, were ready to open their unexpected fire at the
right moment.    The gunboats were to engage the rebel
batteries on the opposite side of the island.   The boats
containing the troops arrived in good time, preceded by
eight boat-howitzers from  the  gunboats. The first boat
contained General Strong and Staff, and then came the battalion of the Seventh Connecticut volunteers.




ï~~A...-GALLA.NT ATTEMPT.

211

"General- Gillmore told Colonel Rodman that the General
concluded that our battalion was the most reliable, and could
be trusted, and was selected for that reason. The batteries
opened at daylight, and in a short time the enemy discovered
the boats, and threw shell and solid shot, trying to sink them.
The shot and shell struck and burst all around us, but only
one boat was struck, containing some of the Sixth Connecticut
volunteers, killing one and wounding two or three."  But
the batteries of Gillmore are unmasked, and pour such a.
terrible fire on the astonished garrison, that they fly from
their guns.. "The General's boat had got two discharges of
grape. Just at this moment, Lieutenant-Colonel Rodman
said to the General, 'Let me land my command, and take
that battery.' The General hesitated at first, and then said,
'Go.' Colonel Rodman stood up in the stern of his boat,
and gave the command, 'Seventh Connecticut, man your
oars and follow me!' At the order, we all headed for the
shore, and as the boats struck, every man sprang, as if by
instinct, and in an instant the men were in line. We advanced rapidly to the first line of rifle-works; our skirmishers
cleared it with a bound, and advanced to the second line.
Our main forces moved to the first line-the foe retired,
firing." *  *  *  "We bivouacked for the night under
easy range of Fort Wagner. At about half-past two in the
morning, General Strong came and called the LieutenantColonel out. He soon returned, and said, ' Turn out; we
have got a job on hand.' The men were soon out, and into
line, but rather slow to time, as they were tired with the
work of the day before.
"The programme was, to try to take Fort Wagner by
assault. We were to take the lead, and to be supported by
the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania and Ninth Maine. Silently
we moved uip to the:advance line of our pickets, our guns
loaded and aimed, and bayonets fixed. We were then de



ï~~212

A PAINFUL POSITION.

ployed into line of battle, (we had one hundred and ninety
officers and men, all told,) reached and crossed the neck of
land that approached the fort--our right resting on the beach.
Our orders were, tomove steadily forward until the pickets
fired; then follow them close, and rush for the works; and
we were promised ready support. General Strong gave the
order, 'Aim low, and put your trust in God. Forward, the
Seventh!' And forward we went--being not over five
hundred yards from the fort when we started. We had not
gone far, before the picket fired; and then we took the doublequick, and with a cheer rushed for the works. Before we
reached the outer works, we got a murderous fire from the
riflemen behind the works. A few fell-a check in the line.
An encouraging word from the officers, and right gallantly
we reached the outer works; over them, with a will, we
went, down the opposite side-across the" moat---there being
about one foot of water in it-right up to the crest of the
parapet; and there we lay, anxiously waiting for our support
to come u p so far as to make it a sure thing for us to rise up
and go over with a bound-our men, in the meantime, busying
themselves by picking off the sharp-shooters and gunners.
" As near as I,can ascertain, we were in this position from
ten to twenty minutes, wheni both of the regiments that
were to support us broke and fled, leaving us to take care
of ourselves as best we might."  Of course, a retreat had
to be ordered, the line of which, for a thousand yards, was
swept by a nmurderous fire. Of the one hundred and ninetyone. men, only eighty-eight-less than half-ever got back
again. Of the mess of eleven officers of this gallant little
band, only four were present at the next meeting. Fort
Wagner was not taken, but a landing had been effected on
Morris Island, and now it was generally believed that the
fall of Charleston was a mere question of time. The rebels
were greatly alarmed.




ï~~THE ASSAULT.

213

Seven days after, another more formidable assault was
made, with similar results. Previous to making it, Gillmore
had surrounded the fort with a semi-circle of batteries, about
eighteen hundred yards distant. The land attack was to be
assisted by the iron-clads, under Admiral Dahlgren. About
half-past twelve, everything being ready, the signal was
given, and, from land and water, a terrific bombardment
was opened on the fort, and kept up all the afternoon. An
incessant storm of shot and shell fell upon it, driving the
gunners to cover. By night--no sound coming from the
fort, except as our own shells exploded in and over it-it
was supposed that the guns had been effectually silenced.
For eight hours, this tremendous fire had been kept up; and
as the sun went down, sinking in a mass of black and angry
clouds, the artillery of heaven opened all along the western
horizon, and the sheeted lightning cast a ghastly, fitful light
over the barren waste of sand and the torn and ragged fort,
that to all human appearance was garrisoned only by dead
men. It was now resolved to carry it by assault, and Strong's
brigade moved off to the perilous undertaking. This was composed of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored) regiment
under Colonel Shaw, the Sixth Connecticut, Forty-eighth
New York, Third New Hampshire, Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania and Ninth Maine. As soon as its dusky outline
could be seen moving over the sand, the guns from distant
Sumter and from Cummings' Point; and last of all from the
hitherto silent Wagner, opened on it with terrible fury.
Nothing daunted, the brigade sprung forward on the doublequick, and dashing swiftly through the iron storm, made
straight for the fort, now lit up in the gloom by its own
incessant fire. A part reached the ditch, crossed it, and
mounted the parapet--led by Colonel Shaw, who fell
there, waving on his men. But every foot of space was
swept by the fire of the garrison, and in an incredibly




ï~~214

THE R EPU LSE.

short interval of time, Strong was wounded, and every
commanding officer wounded or killed. The brigade, shattered, and torn into fragments, rushed wildly back into the
darkness.  The Second brigade, under Colonel Putnam,
now advanced, and charging through the same desolating
fire, mounted the ramparts, and, fighting hand to hand,
actually got into a -portion of the fort. But here it halted,
shattered, exhausted, and powerless to advance another step.
Putnam had fallen; and through the pitchy darkness, which
was incessantly seamed with fire from bursting shells and
exploding cannon, the broken, confused ranks-meltingaway
as they fled---staggered, bleeding, back to their intrenchments; and the deep, silent, black midnight closed over
the scene. The beach was strewed with the dead, whose
dirge the waves sung as they rolled gently on the shore,
while the wounded crawled away along the sand, sheltered
by the darkness.
The presence of the colored troops in this assault, exas-perated the garrison, and many acts of violence and cruelty
were committed against their wounded officers. Colonel
Shaw's body was pitched, with his negro soldiers; into the
sand; and an exasperated feeling, took possession of both
armies. General Strong was wounded, and died soon after
in New York. This repulse produced intense excitement
all over the North, and charges against this or that person
were made without much regard to justice. The colored
regiment led, the assault, and- some laid the blame of defeat
to this cause. It is very doubtful whether any other regiment would have succeeded better; still, placing it in this
position was unwise, and cannot be justified on ny military
principle. To employ comparatively raw regiments-io
matter whether colored br white-to do that which is regarded the hardest, most trying work the oldest veteran regiments are ever puit to, is to tempt fortune and deserve defeat.




ï~~MOB VIOLENCE.:215

There was still another and sadder misfortune that marred
the record of this month, made glorious by the capture of
Vicksburg, the opening of the Mississippi, and the victory
at Gettysburg. Collisions between the citizens and soldiery
occurred in various parts of the North; and in New York
city, they threatened, for a time, to bring back the bloody
scenes of Paris in the time of the Bourbons. The offices
of the Provost-Marshals were burned, telegraph wires cut,
railroad- tracks torn up, the Mayor's house sacked, the
Colored Orphan Asylum burned, and many persons killed.
The cause of these outrages was still more alarming-viz., the
enforcement of the draft. A revolution at the North was far
more to be dreaded than rebellion at the South, though
backed by foreign intervention. Luckily, the mob lacked
organization; and though, for two days, New York city
seemed resting on the bosom of a volcano, whose earthquake
throes extended to Albany and Boston, and even to the far
West, the incipient outbreak was quelled, and the frightful
chasm, that seemed opening beneath our feet, was closed.
The ostensible ground of resistance, in New York, was the
inequality of the draft, growing out of an erroneous enrollment. But various causes produced it. In the first place,
such efforts had been made to get volunteers, that many people
had come to believe that drafting was wrong. In the second
place, the Government, ever since its organization, had
always obtained troops by fixing the proper quota to each
State, and then calling on its Governor to see that it
was furnished. This policy had been accepted as the only
constitutional way to raise an army. But the election of the
previous Fall had given New York a Democratic Governor,
aitd should the same state of political feeling exist in the
coming Autumn, many other State might have Democratic
Executives. The Administration feared that it might thus be
balked in its demand for troops, just as Madison was, in the
44




ï~~-216

DRAFTING. PROPER.

war of 1812, by Governor Strong of Massachusetts; and so,
by one bold stroke, this power was taken out of the hands
of the State Executives, and put in those of Provost-Marshals,
who were scattered over the various Congressional Districts.
This was a perilous innovation on a long-established rule.
That it did not work untold mischief, was not owing to the
wisdom   of Congress, but to the patriotism      of the people,
of all parties. God, in his good providence, saved us from
the evil effects of false impressions and bad legislation.
That there is anything wrong, unjust or improper in a draft,
is a miserable delusion.    A Government that has no right to
enforce one, does not deserve to exist. If the Government
owes its subjects protection, the subjects owe it service, in
return, and to that extent necessary for its self-preservation.
To lrevent further troubles, Major-General Dix was called
from the Department of Virginia to assume command of the
Department of the East.      This was a wise appointment, for
men of all parties had the utmost confidence in his integrity,
capacity and patriotism.
SAt: the close ofthe month, the President issued the follow=
ng order, which is memorable as the commencement of a
seribs of measures which resulted in untold misery to our
brave soldiers held as prisoners by the South:
"EXECUTIVE: MANSION,
WASHINGTON, July 30, 1863..
It is the duty of every Government to give protection to its citizens,
of whatever class, color, or condition, especially those who are duly
organized as soldiers in the public service. The law of nations, and the
usages and customs of war as carried on by civilized powers, permit no
distinction as to color in the treatment of prisoners of war as public enemies. To sell or enslave any captured person, on account of his color, and
for no offense against the laws of war, is a relapse into barbarism, and a
crime against the civilizationfof the age.  -
The Government of the United States will give the same protection toall
its soldiers; and if the enemy shall sell or enslave any one because of his
color, the offense shall be puniked by retaliation upon the enemy's prisoners
in our possession,.
it is therefore ordered that for every soldier of the United States killed.n violation of the laws of war, a rebel soldier shall be executed; and for




ï~~EXCHANGE OP PRISONERS.

21't

every one enslaved by the enemy or sold into slavery, a rebel soldier shall be
placed at hard labor on the public works, and continued at such labor until
the other shall be released and receive the treatment due to a prisoner of
war.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN."
The employment of blacks as soldiers, many of whom
were escaped slaves, exasperated the South, and the Confederate Government refused to regard them as prisoners
of war. This, of course, necessitated action on the part of
our Government; for there can be no plainer duty than
that of every Government to protect its soldiers. This clear,
explicit, just order, placed the matter on a right foundation;
and had the Secretary of War been content to adopt it as
the rule of his action, the colored soldiers would have been
protedted, and tens of thousands of brave men spared a
horrible death. But, wishing to improve on it by a theory
of his own, he broke up the cartel agreed on-which was
working humanely-and filled Southern prisons with innocent victims. After a year of horrors, he was compelled to
come back to the principle of this simple order, but all too late
for an army of sufferers. This is but one of numerous instances
which show how vastly superior the President-with his upright nature, freedom from passion, strong common sense, and
clear appreciation of right-was, to the acutest lawyers and
most accomplished diplomatists of the land. His practical
mind seemed to seize by intuition the right course; and had
he from the outset been followed, instead of pushed, we
should have beehi saved many blunders and misfortunes.
Although this order disappeared from sight, in the long,
yearned discussion that followed, on the question of exchange,
it reappeared at last, to vindicate the sagacity of its author.
The discussion of the Confiscation Act, and other legislative enactments having reference to the status of the slave
and freedman, and the mode of carrying on the war, kept
the North, during the Summer, in a state of turmoil, and




ï~~218

STATE OF PUBLIC FEELING.

furnished the Democratic party with the materials with which
to organize an opposition, that they hoped might, in the
coming year, overthrow the Administration, and institute a
new order of things. McClellan-whose removal from the
army was believed to be owing to his hostility to this kind
of legislation, and to the President's Proclamation of Emancipation-was regarded as the man on whom these opposition elements would rally in the approaching struggle.
The heavy tax on incomes, necessary to meet the frightful
expenses of the Government-swelled by the direct tax on
property, to raise the enormous local bounties for volunteers-also caused great excitement. The public debt, in
June, amounted, in round numbers, to ten hundred and
ninety-eight millions of dollars-which practically, so far as
the burden on the people was concerned, was swelled to an
indefinite amount by. local and State, taxation. What the
pressure of this mighty indebtedness would be, before the
war could close, at the present rate of progress, men trembled to contemplate. The inability of Congress to grapple
with this subject-the madness, with which it persisted in
spending the time, so pregnant with the fate of the country,
in empty harangues oV fierce partisan warfare-disgusted
and discouraged all thoughtful men -of both parties. It
resolved that the war should go on; and yet seemed equally
resolved that politics should keep pace with it-in fact, control it. All things considered, it was the darkest Summer
of the war, notwithstanding the victories of Vicksburg and
Gettysburg.




ï~~CHAPTER XVII.

CAVALRY ACTION OF GREGG---FOSTER S EXPEDITION UP THE JAMES RIVERFIGHT BETWEEN BUFORD AND STUART-AVERILL'S OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIAGILLMORE'S -SIEGE OF WAGNER AND SUMTER--HERCULEAN LABOR-" THE
SWAMP ANGEL--BOMBARDMENT OF SUMTER OVER THE TOP OF WAGNERGREEK FIRE  THROWN INTO CHARLESTON-REMONSTRANCE OF -BEAUREGARD- -
ACTION OF THE FLEET-DEATH OF RODGERS-FRENCH OPINION OF THE
SIEGE--STEADY APPROACJIES TOWARDS WAGNEE-ITS EVACUATION--EVACUATION OF FORT GREGG-MORRIS ISLAND OURS-BOMBARDMNENT OF SUMTERREFUSAL  OF DAHLGREN TO ATTEMPT TO PASS IT-VINDICATION OF D PONTDESOLATION OF CHARLESTON-RETRIBUTION.
T  HOUGH     the Si mer campaign of the Army of the
Potomac was aended, minor engagementsin Virginia,
oecasiopally tookpla~.:and the guerrilla General Mosby
caused a great deal oftrouble. His conduet called forth a
stringent order frq. Ialec.
In August, Gen1~.ralFoster made an expedition up the
James River, with four..gunboats, end when about seven
miles fromth Fort Darling, encountered a rebel battery, and
at the same time, the Commodor Barney ran upon a-torpedo,
which exploded underher bos, lifting them fen feet out
of water, and washing overboard fifteen of her.crew. Foster
was aboard at the    e, but escaped injury.
On the Rappa      nock, Buford had a sharp fight with
Stuart's cavalry, reinforced by infantry, and, after -an obstinate fight, drove him back, though with a loss to himself
of a hundred and forty men, sixteen of whom were killed,
In the latter part of the month, General Averill returned
from an expedition through several counties in the interior
of Virginia, in which he burned some saltpetre works, and




ï~~220

FORT SUMTER.

destroyed a quantity of arms and stores. He fought a
superior force of the enemy, at White Sulphur Springs, and
then retreated, with a loss of about a hundred men.
In the meantime, General Gillmore had pressed steadily
towards Fort Sumter. After the failure of the assault on Fort
Wagner, he sat down before it, in regular siege; but, while
making his slow approaches towards it, he carried out the
extraordinary plan of bombarding Fort Sumter over its top.
There was between Morris and James Islands a marsh, covered with sea-weed, flags and rushes, which Beauregard
had regarded as. wholly untenable-as it was a mere bed of
soft mud, in which a man would go down over his headand so left it out, in completing the fortifications for the
defense of Charleston. Yet Gillmore resolved to drive
piles into this mortar-bed, and mount on them six twohundred-pound Parrott guns, and one monster three-hundredpounder. The timber for these piles had to be brought
from Folly Island, a distance of ten miles, in rafts. To
accomplish all this, without the enemy's knowledge, the
work had all to be done in the night-time. The rafts were
floated to their places, through the darkness, and before
daylight covered with grass and sea-weed, that 'entirely disguised them, so that the enemy was kept in total ignorance
of the work being done right under their eyes. In the
night-time, also, the piles were driven into the mud. For
two weeks, this strange work went on, without arousing the
suspicion of the enemy. Ten thousand bags filled with
sand, were carried two miles by the soldiers, to protect
the guns. The monster gun broke down several trucks,
before it was got into position, but by ncredible labor it
was finally mounted and the "Swamp Angel," as it was
called, was ready to open its fire. By the 16th of August,
thirtyseven gunis were in position on the artificial foundation
laid in this mud-hole, within two miles and a half of Sumter,




ï~~A FIERCE BOMBARDMENT.

22 1;knd but little over four from the city of Charleston. One
can imagine the consternation of the enemy when these
tremendous batteries were unmasked. It was a new creation-a volcanic island risen out of the sea.
On the 17th, they opened their fire on Sumter. In the
meantime, Dahigren, with the Ironsides and Monitor fleet,
moved up opposite Fort Wagner, and engaged it, to keep
it from concentrating its fire on this new position and distracting the gunners in their bombardment of Sumter. The
fleet behaved gallantly; but almost at the outset, Captain
George W. Rodgers, of the Catskill, who had boldly carried
his vessel to within three hundred yards of Wagner, was
killed, and the vessel, with a flag of distress flying, retired
out of the fight. All day long, the terrific bombardment
of Sumter was maintained. An immense wall of sand-bags
had been built up on the outside and inside of the fort,
fifteen feet thick-making the whole mass thirty-five feet
thick. The sand-bags had first to be beaten down, before
the wall itself could be reached; yet, so fierce was the fire,
and so heavy the metal thrown, that on the second day the
naked walls were exposed, and the work of demolition went
on with greater rapidity. The barbette guns were soon
dismounted, some of them toppling over into the sea. Day
after day, the bombardment was kept up, till, at the end
of the seventh day, Sumter was a heap of ruins. The
rubbish, however, falling over some of the casemates, made
them more invulnerable than ever, and a small garrison
there still kept the rebel flag flying.
Gillmore now sent a flag of truce to Beauregard, demanding the surrender of Charleston, and threatening, in case
of refusal, to shell the city. The demand and threat both
seemed so preposterous, that Beauregard dismissed the officer
without a reply. Gillmore then turned the "Swamp Angel"
on the city, and shells were thrown into its very heart. The




ï~~222

A FRENCH VIEW.

old " Greek fire" had been reproduced, and shells loaded
with it were expected to burn the town. It, however, proved
a failure. Still, the dropping of shells into the place aroused
the indignation of-Beauregard, who remonstrated against it
as barbarous--saying that it was absurd to suppose that
Charleston could be taken until the forts commanding the
entrance to the harbor were in our possession.
The engineering skill displayed by Gillmore, and the
tremendous range of his guns, astonished the civilized world.
The idea of bombarding a city almost as far as it could be
seen, was a novel one in carrying out siege operations. The
French Journal des Sciences Militaire had a long article on
it, which the United States Service Magazine published. It
commences thus: "Prodigies of talent, audacity, intrepidity
and perseverance are exhibited in the attack, as in the defense
of this city, which will assign to the siege of Charleston an
exceptional place in military annals. It is a duel 'to the
death,' in which science calls to its aid, and puts in 'operation,
all the modern discoveries to develop upon a gigantic scale
the means of destruction and extermination.  One is struck
with amazement in reading, in the journals and letters from
America, the details of this contest, in which the two adversaries ought to feel a mutual astonishment, as they rightfully
astonish the entire world, by their daily-proofs of superhuman heroism." * *     "Such a position," the writer adds,
after describing Charleston Harbor, "defended by an engineer of transcendent merit--by soldiers who fear neither
fatigue, suffering nor death---would seem  to have been
impregnable;. and yet the besiegers,:  conducting  their
enterprise with incredible energy, make, day by day, slow
progress, ibut with almost certain chances Of ultimate success.
It is the lan& artillery which plays the grand part in these
brilliant and terrible operations. But what artillery, and
what projectiles!-'solid shot and shells, of two and thre:




ï~~SIEGE OF WAGNER.

223

hundred pounds, describing trajectories of six and eight thousand metres, striking the mark with such precision and efficacy
that they penetrate the earth-work to the distance of ten
metres, -and break in fragments works of brick and stone
six and ten metres in thickness. It is a General, unknown
one year ago, who directs this combat of artillery, which
has no precedent hitherto in the history of sieges. Mahomet
II, it is true, employed cannon of a monstrous caliber, which
terrified the defenders of Byzantium, and finished the
destruction of the Greek Empire; but the 'Balistique ' of
the Mohamnedans produced only a soothing effect, in comparison.with that of the: Americans' He then goes on to
describe the bombardment and assault of Fort Wagner.
The Journal containing this chapter, which thus places
the siege of Charleston above all other siege operations in
the history of the world, is the highest military authority
throughout Europe.
By thus occupying a distant stand-point, and viewing
Gillmore's engineering skill through the military mind of the
Old World, we get some correct idea of the stupendous
nature of the work done before Charleston. The want of
success depreciated it in the popular mind, but it stands
alone and without a parallel in military annals.
On the 1st of September, another engagement took place
between our iron-clads and the forts, but, like the former,
was barren of results. In it, Fleet Captain OscarC. Badgerthe successor of Rodgers-was wounded by a shell.
It. the meantime, Gillmore pressed steadily towards Fort
Wagner. If that could- be taken, Fort Gregg, on the point
opposite Sumter, must also fall, and then he could plant his
batteries in point-blank range of the hated structure. He,
however, had no intention of trying another assault. The
spade and shovel, that had risen from    their formerly
despised position, were:..to do the work  "Day after day'




ï~~224

MOIS    ISLAID OURS.

our patient boys creep up, on hands and knees, to their
dangerous toil, with shovel and gun rolling slowly in
advance--for protection, the 'sap roller,' a round wickerwork filled with sticks. Gradually approaching parallels
are thrown up, and each succeeding day brings our engineers
nearer to the fort. They are digging their way, in spite of
shot and shell, into Wagner. Although the distance from
the first parallel to Fort Wagner is but six hundred yards,
yet if the whole number dug were laid out in a straight
line, they would reach ten miles."  Through the long, hot
Summer months, the troops worked, under the broiling
sun  with unflagging courage, until the parallels were at last
pushed so near to the fort, that, with a single bound, the
assailants:could be inside the ramparts. The preparations
were all made for a final assault, when the enemy suddenly
evacuated it, and streamed forward towards Fort Gregg. Our
exultant troops followed after, and this also was evacuated,
and we had. Morris Island, for which we had struggled so
long. Twenty.one guns were left in our possession. We
were now in fair range of Fort Sumter, and its speedy fall
was leagerly looked for.4 Fort Moultrie was also bombarded,
and though Sumter soon became a still greater heap of ruins,
and Gillmore pushed his operations with a skill and energy
that deserved success, it soon became apparent that we were
no nearer Charleston than ever.
Here, it is worthy of notice, that though both Forts
Wagner and Gregg were reduced, and Sumter so demolished
as to be able to mount but a few guns, Dahlgren never
attempted to carry the iron-clads past it up to Charleston.
The brave Du Pont was removed because, with all these
forts in the enemy's possession, and thoroughly mounted
with the most formidable cannon, he failed to make a second
attempt to pass or destroy it; and yet Dahlgren, with but
half the fire to encounter, did not even risk a trial. This




ï~~CHARLESTON DESOLATE.

225

single fact is all the testimony any just mind needs, to prove
whose views were correct. Dahlgren saw plainly that Du
Pont was right, and was too good an officer to risk his
vessels where certain defeat awaited him.
Though Charleston was not taken, it was almost as desolate as Edom. A Southern paper thus described its condition: "Here and there, a pedestrian moves hurriedly along,
and the rattle of a cart or a dray is alone heard for a whole
square. The blinds are closed; vases of rare exotics droop
and wither on the lonely window-sill, because there is no
tender hand to twine or nourish them. The walk glistens
with fragments of glass, rattled thither by the concussion
of exploding shells; here, a cornice is knocked off; there,
is a small round hole through the side of a building; beyond,
a house in ruins, and, at remote intervals, the earth is torn
where a shell exploded, and looks like the work of a giant
in search of some hidden treasure; and little tufts of bright
green grass are springing up along the pave, once vocal
with the myriad tongues of busy trade."
What a picture this is, of the proud "cradle of secession!"
Its destruction was never very important, in a military
view; but, as the hot-bed of treason-the spot where the.national flag was first fired upon, and compelled to come
down at the bidding of traitors-its overthrow was an object
of intense desire to the North; and yet, what fate could be
worse than the one she actually suffered! Behold Charleston, rocking to the shouts of the excited multitude, and
echoing to the joyful peal of bells~ because the brave
Anderson is compelled to haul down his flag! And behold
that same city now, as drawn by the pen of one of her own
people--desolate, dreary and mournful!-and who will say
that she has not drank to the dregs the fearful cup she so
madly mixed for herself?




ï~~CHAPTER XVIII.

JULY AID AUGUST.
kVENTS AT THE WEST DURING THE SUMMER-GRANT AT VICKSBURG-RAID
OF PHILLIPS--ROSECRANS AT MURFREESBORO'-ADVANCE ON CHATTANOOGA--MORGAN'S RAID THROUGH OHIO-THE PURSUIT--ATTEMPTS TO
CROSS INTO VIRGINIA-BATTLE OF BUFFINGTON 'S ISLAND---ROUT OF THE
BAND-CURIOUS ASPECT OF THE BATTLE-FIELD-QUANTRELL IN MISSOURI--
RAID INTO KANSAS-MASSACRE AT LAWRENCE-THE PURSUIT-THE FLIGHTHIS ESCAPE.
BUT while- comparative quiet reigned around the Army
of the Potomac, after the battle of Gettysburg, and
but minor expeditions broke, the monotony along the seaboard, and the tedious bombardment of Fort Sumter went
on, events of great interest were transpiring in the West,
some of which were to give direction to all future operations
there, and evehtually pierce the very heart of the Confederacy. After Grant had captured Vicksburg, and then
turned -and driven Johnston out of Jackson, he took up
his head-quarters at the former place, and dVeoted himself
to the business of his Department, while the army lay quiet
in order to recover its strength for future operations. A
successful raid was made into Central Mississippi, Mnder the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips, in whichi sixty-five
locomotives and five hundred cars were destroyed, and the
communications of the rebels sadly broken up. Besides
this, little was done by Grant's army.
But, up at Murfreesboro', the Army of the Cumberland
was in motion.   Much complaint had been made against
Rosecrans, its Commander, because he lay inactive while
such important events were taking place around Vicksburg;




ï~~MORGAN'S RAID.

227

but he determined, when he advanced, to take no backward
step. Iragg was in his front, with a powerful army, and
Chattanooga was a strongly fortified place, and he knew that
no easy task was before him.
When his preparations were complete, he put his army in
motion, and, crossing the Cumberland Mountains by four
different routes, pressed forward towards Chattanooga. But
while he was thus pushing his victorious columns south, two
events occurred, far back of him, which, though having no
real effect on his campaign, or the war, produced the most
intense excitement throughout the North. These were,
Morgan's raid through"Ohio, and the massacre at Lawrence.
In the latter part of June, Morgan, with a brigade, lay
along the banks of the Cumberland River, evidently meditati   ome serious mo'vement. A Union force was dispatch   to the locality to watch him, and had several
kirm~~swith portions of his troops. But, on the 3d of July,
it was found that-he had crossed the river, the day before, at
Burkesville. Captain Carter had a brush with his advance, in
which he was severely wounded, and his command compelled to fall back. Reinforcements were imnediately st1
him, which arrived just befoe midnight in the vicinity of.
Columbia, then in possession of the enemy. An attack w
at once ordered, but Morgan's force being much stronger
than it had been reported, the Union troops were compelled
to retreat to Jamestown, from whichWpoint Colonel Wolford
dispatched, a courier to -Somerset, to Ge ner com-.manding the United States troops there, stat ir atMorgan
had crossed the Cumberland, and      4north to Columbia. A proper force was immediat   si  inpursuitand
all through the moon-lit-night of the 4th of July, the excited
pursuers pressed gaily forward, and reached the north bank
of Green River about, daylight Sunday morning. Taking a
hurried breakfast, they pushed on all day, and that evening,




ï~~228

2MORGAN CROSSES THE OHIO.

just before dusk, were joined by the Second Tennessee
mounted infantry.
Morgan, in the meantime, in his bold march, had captured
Lebanon, though not until after a sharp fight, in which his
brother Tom was killed. In revenge for his death, some
twenty houses were burned, and the post office robbed.
The Union troops captured here-numbering in all about
three hundred-Morgan compelled to run on foot, in front of
his mounted men, for twelve miles, to Springfield. A sergeant giving out, he was knocked on the head with the
butt end of a musket, and his brains trampled out by the
passing horsemen. At Springfield, the prisoners were
robbed, and then paroled.
On the night of the 6th, the pursuing force was joined,
at Bardstown, by General Hobson, with Shackleford's
brigade, composed of the Third, Eighth, Ninth and Twelfth
Kentucky cavalry, with two pieces of artillery. iobson at
once assumed command, and, pushing on to Shepherdsville,
found that Morgan at that point had captured the mail train
on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and about twenty
soldiers who were passengers in the cars. The horses here
giving out, Hobson halted for a day, but at daylight, on the
morning of the 8th, was again in motion, and followed the
track of the rebel chieftain for thirty miles, by the letters
which his band had taken from the mail-bags, and, after
reading, had torn and scattered along the road. Morgan, in the meantime, had entered Elizabethtown, and,
helping himself to what he wanted, struck for Brandenburg, and, by a sudden, skillful movement, captured the
steamboats Alice Dean and J. T. McCoombs, by which he
took his whole force across the Ohio River. Among
all the bold and extraordinary movements of the war,
none had been bolder or half so desperate as this.
Right through the thickly settled State of Ohio, this fearless




ï~~PROGRESS OF THE RAID.

229

rider proposed to take his lawless band, and, after working
incalculable evil, recross the Ohio, and rejoin the rebel army
in Virginia or south of the Tennessee River.
As Hobson approached the Ohio, he saw the Alice Dean,
wrapped in flame and smoke, burning on the opposite shore,
and the rear guard of Morgan's force rapidly disappearing
in the distance.
At Brandenburg, the Leavenworth home-guards showed
fight, but were overpowered, and forty-five taken prisoners.
The stores and houses were plundered and the raiders cumbered themselves with useless goods, which they soon had
to throw away.
Morgan was now in the Free States, and his march henceforward assumed an importance which at once attracted the
attention of the whole country.
Hiobson was across the river on the morning of the 10th,
and at once commenced a sharp pursuit. Morgan's path
now began to be beset with ever-increasing difficulties; for
a powerful force was pressing on his rear, while in front the
country was rushing to arms.
At Corydon, the home-guards made a short stand, losing
some fifteen in killed and wounded, and two hundred prisoners, which Morgan paroled.
Stealing all the horses he could find, and levying taxes
where he did not destroy, he pushed on to Blue River, and,
burning the bridge behind him, swept through Paris.
Reaching Vernon, where a force of twelve hundred militia
was assembled, he demanded the surrender of the place.
"Come and take it," was Colonel Lowe's response. Morgan
surrounded the town, but, contenting himself with burning
some bridges, he moved around it to Versailles, where he
robbed the County Treasurer of all his money, about five
thousand dollars-saying, in grim jocoseness, that he was
sorry the County was so very poor. Sacking the town, he




ï~~230

WHOLESALE PLUNDER.

sent out a detachment, which burned a bridge and captured
a telegraph operator, while with the main column he kept
on to Pierceville, burning all the bridges on the road. Near
Wiseburgh, he had a skirmish with the home-guards, and at
New-Ulsas, a German settlement, his soldiers captured a
wagon-load of lager beer, which they carried along to drink
by the way. The same night in which the pursuing force
encamped at Harrison, with their horses thoroughly jaded
out, Morgan's bugles were sounding north of Cincinnati.
On his way, he at Miamiville turned over a railroad train,
and burned fifty Government wagons. On the afternoon
of the 15th, he entered Winchester, and robbed the mail
and stole thirty-five thousand dollars' worth of property and
fifty horses, while the soldiers tore up all the flags they could
find, and tied the fragments to the tails of mules, which they
drove, with shouts and laughter, through the streets.
Morgan now struck south-east, for the purpose of reaching
the Ohio, and crossing into Virginia. The country was
thoroughly aroused, and troops were concentrating from
various quarters to head him off and intercept his retreat.
Burning the bridge at Jacktown, he kept on to Wheat Ridge,
where his force separated-a part going through Mount
Olive. Six miles from Jackson, the citizens blockaded the
road, which detained him two hours. Here and there
shooting down a man who showed hostile intentions, and
pillaging and destroying like a band of savages, the force
pressed forward towards the Ohio. Arriving at Jackson,
Morgan sent part of his forces up to Berlin, where three
thousand militia were posted, who were quickly scattered
by a single shell thrown into their midst. At the little town
of Linesville, the home-guards tore up a bridge and blockaded the road, by which Morgan was detained another two
hours -a great gain to the pursuers, who were straining
every nerve to overtake him.




ï~~MORGAN AT BAY.

231

In the meantime, General Judah, with a strong force, was
moving up the Ohio from Portsmouth, a town a hundred
and fifteen miles above Cincinnati, while gunboats patrolled
the stream. It was evident that Morgan would strike for
the first fordable place on the river, and try to cross into
Virginia, as he was becoming sorely pressed-for, although
he could supply fresh horses on the way, his men were
getting worn out by their long and rapid march.
Buffington Island lies about twenty miles below Blennerhassett Island; between them are a great many shoals, that
make crossing comparatively easy. For this point, Morgan
now struck, hoping to get across before his pursuers were
up, or he was headed off by the force pressing up the river.
On Friday night, the 17th, he was at Pomeroy, thirty-five
miles below the island, and the next night encamped in
some corn-fields nearly opposite it. At this point, a road,
coming over a range of hills two miles distant, strikes the
river road nearly at right angles. Three hundred yards
above the former road, was a private one, leading into the
corn-fields where Morgan lay. Judah came down the pike,
and, there being a dense fog, almost run upon the rebels
before he was aware of their position. Morgan immediately
fired on the advance column, throwing it into confusion, and
was about to follow up his success with a charge, when the
gunboat Moose, in the river, opened on him, and at the
same time Hobson's force came up in the rear. Our artillery
was soon got in position, and the battle commenced. Finding himself between three fires, Morgan moved up-stream,
to escape the shells of the gunboat; but she advanced, alsoclinging to him with a tenacity that soon convinced him that
in reaching the river, instead of finding safety he had actually
run into the lion's mouth. Seeing that it was hopeless to
make a stand here, he divided his force into two columns,
and a rush was made by one for the river, at a point about
45




ï~~232

A CURIOUS BATTLE-FIELD.

a mile and a half above the island. But the gunboat,
coming up, sent shot and shell into the mass floundering in
the water-killing some, and turning others back, so that
only about twenty succeeded in getting over.
In the meantime, Basil Duke, back from the shore, was
so hard pressed that the men broke in despair-some surrendering themselves prisoners-among them Duke himself-and others taking refuge in flight. A running fight
now ensued; the main body of the enemy, aiming for a
point up the river, opposite Belleville, Virginia, on reaching
it, plunged into the water, and began to push for the
other shore. But the Moose soon came looming through
the fog, and, pouring her shrapnel into the advance
party, killed some, and stopped the remainder from
attempting to cross. About twenty more, however, got
over here. The remaining rebels now pushed on up the
river fourteen miles further, to Hawkinsport, and again
made an effort to cross; but the omnipresent gunboat was
there, and they had to keep on in their headlong flight.
Scattering in detached bodies, the rebels now wandered
hither and thither, striving in vain to break through the
toils with which they were surrounded. Some two hundred
succeeded in crossing at Readsville, while Morgan, with one
portion, struck into Columbiana County, where his force
surrendered to Colonel Shackleford.
Over two thousand were captured or killed, and all their
guns, accouterments and plunder seized.
The battle-field, and line of retreat, presented one of the
most curious spectacles ever seen in war. The ground was
strewed, not only with guns, cartridge-boxes, &c., but with
all sorts of hardware and dry-goods, and household articles,
such as forks, spoons, calicoes, ribbons, and women's apparel,
together with buggies, carriages, market-wagons, circuswagons, and even quite a quantity of stationery. Such




ï~~QUANTRELL.

233

extraordinary spoils never before fell into the hands of warriors. It seemed as if a den of thieves, where their plunder
was stored, had been broken up, and not that a reputed band
of heroes were retreating, under the leadership of a noted captain. Altogether, this was one of the most remarkable raids of
the war, though distinguished for nothing but foolhardiness.
Morgan crossed the Ohio a hundred and seventy miles
below  Cincinnati, and, passing clear around that city,
attempted to recross the river about a hundred and seventy
miles above it. For ten days, he marched through the heart
of Ohio, plundering and destroying, with apparently no
other object in view than simple retaliation. He must have
moved, during this time, at the rate of at least fifty miles a day,
and yet did not destroy property to the amount of more
than fifty thousand dollars.
THE MASSACRE AT LAWRENCE.
War, from its very nature, is cruel, but in later days,
among civilized nations, it has seldom been disgraced by
such atrocities as the massacres at Lawrence and Fort Pillow.
Men, fitted by nature to be leaders of banditti, took advantage of the war to follow the vocation for which they seemed
designed, and, gathering around them a band of men, lawless and desperate as themselves, plundered and murdered,
under the pretext of carrying on a war for independence.
There were degrees of crime among even this abandoned
class-some leaders having more control over their followers,
and being more humane than others. Over all, however, Quantrell stands pre-eminent for his barbarities and depravity. His
whole career during the war, was marked by crime and violence; but in the massacre at Lawrence, Kansas, he acquired a
reputation that will make his name infamous to the end of time.
During the Summer, reports of intended raids on various




ï~~234

THE ATTACK.

towns, constantly agitated the frontiers of Missouri and
Kansas; but General Ewing, who commanded there, garrisoned the threatened places, and Quantrell's force, numbering
some three hundred, was kept at bay. If disappointed
in their intended attack on a particular place, they would
break up into small predatory bands, and wreak their vengeance on isolated families or parties. Ewing scattered his
force, which, in separate detachments, dogged these marauders from one haunt and locality to another. Missouri finally
getting too hot for him, Quantrell determined, in August, to
make a dash into Kansas. Selecting Blackwater, some fifty
miles from the Kansas line, as the place of rendezvous,
he, on the 19th, moved off with his mounted force, and
passing through Chapel Hill, where he was joined by fifty
more outlaws, pressed straight for Kansas.
Captain Pike, commanding two companies at Aubrey,
forty-five miles from Lawrence, heard, on the evening of the
20th, that Quantrell had just passed five miles to the south
of him; but instead of pushing on after him, he forwarded
the information up and down the line, and to Ewing's headquarters. The latter at once sent forward a hundred men
to Aubrey, thirty-five miles distant, with orders for the combined force to start at once in pursuit. At midnight, they
mounted, and pressed rapidly forward. But Quantrell had
struck across the open prairie, making it difficult to keep
his track, so that they gained but little on him all night.
With the start of several hours, he, by riding rapidly, reached
Lawrence a little after daylight, and the tramp of his horses
through the streets, and shouts of his men, aroused the terrified inhabitants to the sudden disaster that had overtaken
them. The news spread like lightning through the town,
and a few seized their guns and rushed forth to fight, but
were shot down by the desperadoes, who had complete
control of the place. Then commenced a scene of pillage




ï~~THE MASSACRE.

235

and violence which in our history finds its parallel only in
Indian atrocities. Houses and. banks were broken intowomen were stripped of their jewelry, and everything valuable that could be transported on horseback, was dragged
forth and packed for removal on fresh horses gathered in
the place. As fast as houses were pillaged, they were set
on fire, and soon the cracklig of flames mingled with the
shouts and cries of the infuriated demons. "During all this
time, citizens were being murdered everywhere. Germans
and negroes, when caught, were shot immediately. Many
persons were shot down after they had been taken prisoners
and had been assured that they would not be hurt if they
would surrender. Messrs. Trask and Baker, and two other
citizens, were so taken, and while being marched towards
the river as prisoners, were fired upon, and all four killed
on the spot except Mr. Baker, who was not expected to live.
Mr. Dix had been taken prisoner, and his house set on fire,
when one of the fiends told him if he would give them his
money he would not be killed; otherwise he would. Mr.
Dix went into the burning house, and got a thousand dollars
and handed it over  He was told to march towards the
river, and had not proceeded twenty steps when he was
shot dead from behind. Mr. Hampson, clerk of the ProvostMarshal had a revolver, and tried to defend the few things
he had saved from the Johnson House. His wife interfered,
and they told him if he would surrender he should be treated
as a prisoner, an j safe from harm. He sur dered, and
was immediately shot from behind-the ball entering near
the spine, and coming out below the kidneys in front. In
one instance, the wife and daughter of a  ian. threw themselves over his body, begging for his life; but one of the
murderers deliberately thrust his revbver down between
the two women, and killed -the man.
"Before ten o'clock, the main body of the guerrillas




ï~~236

2  HORRIBLE ATROCITIES.

departed with their plunder, leaving a guard over the prisoners in town, and a few stragglers. The few persons
wounded, were wounded at this time by the passing fiends.
In the earlierpart of the day, most -of the persons were
fired at from very near, and killed instantly.
"One of the first persons out was Colonel Deitzler. Mr.
Williamson and myself helpe.m carry off the dead. The
sight that met us when coming out, I cannot describe. I
have read of outrages committed in the so-called dark ages,
and, horrible as they appeared to me, they sink into insignificance in comparison with what I was then compelled to
witness. Well-known citizens were lying, completely roasted,
in front of the spot where their stores and resideaces had
been. The bodies were crisp, and nearly black. We
thought, at first, theywere all negroes, till we recognized
some of them. In handling the dead bodies, pieces of
roasted flesh would remain in our hands. Soon, our strength
failed us, in this horrible and sickening work. Many could
not.help crying like children. Women and little children
were all over town, hunting for their husbands and fathers,
and sad indeed was the scene when they did finally find
them among the corpses laid out for recognition  I cannot
describe the horrors; language fails me, and the recollection
of the scenes I witnessed, makes me sick vhen I am compelled to repeat them." *
These, however, are but few of the details. Twenty colored soldiei s ere shot in cold blood,  in circumstances
of fiendish atroity   hundred and forty unarmed men, in
all, were murded  l a: twenty-four wound:I The dead
lined the streeti~ev where, through which roamed weeping
women and children, while the air/was filled with the smoke
and flames of a 4   d and eighty-five.burning buildings.
Altogether, it was a scene one would never expect to see
SWilliam Kempf, belonging to the Provost-Marshal's Office.




ï~~THE FLIGHT.

237

in the Nineteenth Century, in a civilized and Christian land.
It rivaled in atrocity the massacre of the whites in Minnesota by the Sioux Indians, and shows what desperate bands
of men infested our frontiers. General Lane was in the
place at the time, and narrowly escaped capture by the desperadoes. Enraged at being unable to find him, they burned
his house. Many heroic deeds were performed by the women
in protecting the lives of t e men, and it must be said to
the honor of the wretches, that they refrained from committing violence on them.
After quietly taking a lunch amid the smouldering ruins
of the:town, Quaitrell ordered his men to mount, and lifting
his hat mockingly to the ladies, bowedpol1itely, and said,
" Ladies, I now bid you good morning; I hope when we
meet again, it will be under more favorable circumstances."
He then put spurs to his horse, and rode away, followed by
his murderous gang. He took the precaution to collect all
the fresh horses he could lay his hands on, so as to be able
to elude pursuit.
The troops, under Major Plumb, reached the place only
to find it in ruins, and the enemy gone. Although they had
pressed rapidly forward, having made more than sixty-five
miles, without rest or food, since the morning before-filled
with rage at the sight which met their gaze, they immediately
wheeled and started in pursuit. Lane, assembling a hundred
and fifty of the citizens, joined them, and all day long they
pressed on t    ying track of the foe. Quantrell kept a
hundred of hi   st-mounted men as a rear-guard, who the
moment our men; scattered over the prairies, came in sight,
would form in line of battle. This would compel a halt of
the most advanced pursuers, and by the time the main body
could get up, Quantrell's gang, with the booty, would be
far ahead. The rear-guard, the moment Plumb was ready
to commence an attack, would pour in one volley, then
break into column and gallop off at a rate that defied pur



ï~~238

THE PURSUIT.

suit. Thus the chase was kept up till eight o'clock at night,
when the rear-guard made a stand, and a skirmish followed.
The guerrillas, however, finding another force, under Lieut.Colonel Clark, crossing their line of retreat, broke and scattered in the darkness, so that the trail could not be followed.
Quantrell seeing that he had baffled his pursuers, halted
to rest; but at midnight, a body of militia broke up his
camp. Aided, however, by th'darkness and the uneven
surface of the prairie, he got safely off, and, continuing his
flight, crossed the Kansas border, and at noon the next day
reached the timber near the middle fork of the Grand River,
Missouri, an hour in advance of his pursuers. Here, his
forces scattered.  bout a hundred, with Quantrell at their
head, moved -iown the river. Lieutenant-Colonel Lazear,
with two hundred me, continued to press him so closely that
he was compelled to abandon most of his horses and much
of the plunder he had taken from the Lawrence stores.
There had been, in the pursuit, frequent engagements
with detached parties, and Ewing reported about a hundred
of the miscreants killed. Though the pursuers traveled ahundred miles in the first twenty-four hours-killing many
of their horses by exhaustion, and some of the men themselves died from the effect of the sun, and want of restyet Quantrell, by desperate riding,:succeeded in escaping.
Never did bloodhounds hang more unflinchingly on the
track of a poor fugitive, than did these gallant soldiers and
enraged citizens on the flying footsteps o.is desperado,
until their horses gave out. No prisoners  -re captured--
every man being shot remorselessly down when overtaken.
The perfect knowledge of the fate that awaited him,
imparted a desperation to Quantrell's efforts to elude his
pursuers; and, mounted on the best horse the country could
furnish, he pushed hlm to the limit of his endurance, and
thus escaped a short shrift and a quick passage to the next
world-to drag out a miserable life in this.




ï~~CHAPTER XIX.

SEPTEMBER.
ROSECRANS BEFORE CHATTANOOGA-RESOLVES TO FLANK IT-HAZEN LEFT TO
GUARD THE RIVER-BRAGG EVACUATES CHATTANOOGA-ROSECRANS RESOLVES TO CUT OFF HIS RETREAT-SCATTERING OF HIS CORPS-BRAGG
MARCHES BACK ON CHATTANOOGA-PERIL OF ROSECRANS-RAPID CONCENTRATION OF HIS ARMY-FIRST DAY'S BATTLE-SECOND DAY'S BATTLEROUT OF OUR ARMY-STEADFASTNESS OF THE LEFT WING-DESPERATE
FIGHTING OF THOMAS-THE CRISIS-UNEXPECTED DELIVERANCE-THE
GALLANT STEEDMAN-A DESPERATE CHARGE-THE BATTLE SAVED-THE
ARMY FALLS BACK TO CHATTANOOGA-CAUSES OF DEFEAT.
WHILE these stirring events were occurring in Ohio
and Kansas, Rosecrans, with his magnificent army
well in hand, was pressing victoriously forward towards
Chattanooga, and, the last week in August, drew up his
columns on the banks of the Tennessee, in front of the place.
It being a strong position by nature, and made more so by
art, it was well-nigh impregnable against Any direct attack.
Rosecrans therefore determined to flank it by the west and
south, and, if possible, get in Bragg's rear and cut him off
from his base of supplies, so that if he did not retreat he
would be forced to a decisive battle in the open field.   In
carrying out this jplan, he took his main army over the
Tennessee, a few miles below Chattanooga, and marched up
the Lookout Valley, lying west of the Lookout Mountain.
On the 3rd of September, he put the troops left behindabout seven thousand in number-under Brigadier-General
Hazen, with orders to watch the movements of the enemy
at all the crossings, and make Bragg believe that a large
army was still on the north shore of the river.   This force




ï~~240

SITUATION OF THE ARMY.

was scattered from Kingston to Williams' Island, a distance
of seventy miles, and yet, so adroitly did Hazen manage itcausing the heads of strong columns to appear simultaneously
at different fords--building camp-fires at prominent points,
and boating calls all along the river-that Bragg was thoroughly deceived; until the main army was far to the south
of him. When he discovered it, he saw at once that he
must retreat, or be cut off from his base of supplies; and,
hastily breaking up his camp, he evacuated Chattanooga.
The news reached Rosecrans on the 8th, and he immediately
started in pursuit.
To understand the positions of the armies at this time, it
is necessary to remember that the Tennessee at this point
runs nearly east and west in its general direction, and the
Chickamauga,Creek and the Lookout Mountain hang
south from it, like two great pendants-the former above
and the latter below Chattanooga. Bragg retreated along
the valley formed by the Creek and Mountain. Over the
Lookout Mountain, on the west side, lay the Lookout
Valley, up which Rosecrans was marching. The Lookout
Mountain, therefore, divided the two armies. But Rosecrans' army was very much scattered at the time he heard
of Bragg's retreat. McCook's Corps was far up the Valley,
forty-five miles south of Chattanooga; Thomas, commanding
the center, was thirteen miles back of him, down the Valley;
while Crittenden was on the river, and only some eight miles
from Chattanooga-two of his divisions not yet being across.
Rosecrans now immediately ordered Crittenden to move
around the head of Lookout Mountain, and follow up Bragg's
retiring columns as rapidly as possible, by crossing the
Valley of Chickamauga in a south-easterly direction to Dalton.
Had Crittenden done so, he would have been cut off; for
Bragg, instead of striking the railroad, as Rosecrans supposed
he would, had moved directly south, and now lay about




ï~~A NARROW ESCAPE.

241

half-way between Dalton and Lookout Mountain. Fortunately, Crittenden's movement was delayed, until Rosecrans
ascertained where the enemy really was. The former was
therefore ordered to fo low up the Chickamauga Creek, and
take position at Gordon's Mill, where the road from Lafayette
to Chattanooga crossed. Rosecrans had supposed that Bragg
was in full retreat, and that the chief effort should be to
intercept him; but now, to his astonishment, he learned that
the rebel General was not only not fleeing, but had faced
about, and was preparing to march back on Chattaiooga.
His first, great object therefore was, to get his scattered
army together, before Bragg should fall on Crittenden and
cut him to pieces.
The Corps of the latter lay stretched along the Chickamauga, and extended up the Valley towards~rawfish Springs,
in order to be near as possible to Thomas, who was directed
to march with all haste over the mountain to his support.
The latter must cross by way of Stevens' Gap, and Bragg,
aware of it, ordered General Hindman to occupy and hold
the Gap, while Polk should fall on Crittenden, isolated and
away from all support. Had Hindman done as he was
directed, Bragg would doubtless have won Chattanooga
again, and hopelessly cut Rosecrans' line of communication.
Why he neglected to do so, or why Polk did not attack
Crittenden during the entire week he was alone in the
Valley, does not appear. The double failure  doubtless
saved Rosecrans and the Army of the Cumberland.
Thomas, having sent forward Negley to hold the Gap, on
the 8th and 9th hurried his columns across it, and, pushing
down into the Valley, moved up to Crittenden's right.
McCook was over the Lookout Mountain, far to the south,
when he received the order of Rosecrans to join Thomas,
and at midnight put his columns in motion. Bragg was
aware of his isolated position, and took measures to intercept




ï~~242

POSITION OF THE ARMIES.

him on the road whichit was supposed he must take. McCook,
however, instead of marching directly down to Thomas,
recrossed Lookout Mountain, and, harrying down Lookout
Valley, crossed again, at Stevens' Gap.  He lost two or
three days' march by this route, but saved his army.
But, while he was uirging his columns down Lookout
Valley, and over its rugged heights by Stevens' Gap, events
were assuming an alarming aspect along the Chickamauga
Creek. A race had already commenced between the two
armies, that were moving in parallel lines back towards
Chattanooga. Bragg, having received the reinforcements
he had been waiting for, determined to get between our
army and Chattanooga, and thus cut Rosecrans' line of communications, and force him into a dangerous retreat, or
give him battleen ground of his own choosing.
Whether Rosecrans would have retreated to Chattanooga
without risking a battle, had McCook arrived in time, would
probably have depended on circumstances; but when the
latter did at length form on Thomas' right, the line had
been so prolonged that it was twelve miles in length, and
still ten miles from Chattanooga.
On the 18th, two fords, on our extreme left, were fiercely
assailed, and our forces there driven back-showing that
the -enemy, though manoeuvering in front; designed  to outflank Rosecrans, and this force him to a decisive battle  On
that night, therefore, Thomas was ordered to break off from
the center and take position on the left, leaving McCook to
close up and fill his place. Thus, on the morning of the
19th, he held the left, Crittenden the center, and McCook
the right--the whole stretching along the Chickamauga Creek
from Gordon's Mill. towards Chattanooga. The army was
still in motion on the morning of the 19th; closing up its
line, for no portion of it was perfectly settled in position




ï~~THE ATTACK.

243

but the Corps of Thomas. Granger was at Rossville, four
miles from the left, with a division in reserve.
Early in the morning, Wood, who was stationed at Gordon's Mill, saw low clouds of dust hovering along the roads
that, beyond the Creek, run towards Chattanooga-showing
that heavy columns were marching in that direction---and
reported the fact to Rosecrans.
Brannan held the extreme left, Baird came next, and
Reynolds next to him. Negley's division, belonging to
Thomas, was holding Owen's Ford, two miles beyond Gordon's Mill. Palmer. and Van Cleve, of Crittenden's Corps,
held the center.. Sheridan and Davis, of McCook's Corps,
were marching swiftly up to close the right, when, about
ten o'clock, the sudden explosion of artillery on the extreme
left, told that the enemy had commenced the attack. Croxton's brigade, having been sent towards the river to reconnoiter, was furiously assailed, and the remainder of Brannan's division came to his succor. Thomas, hearing the
rapid firing, rode forward to ascertain the nature of the
attack, and finding the whole division hard pressed and
slowly giving way, ordered Baird's division to move at once
to its support. The enemy, to his surprise, was over the
river, d all the advantage it was supposed to give as a
line o  fense was lost, and it might as well have never been
chose   No strong position was left to fall back upon, and
ran     living men and batteries, stretching for nearly four
miles, through the fields and woods, stood face to face to each
other. The storm that struck Brannan and Baird with such
terrible fury, and rolled rapidly down the line from left to
right, showed that Bragg, beginning with his extreme right,
was swinging the rebel army against our whole line, with the
intention, at some point, of breaking through it. Before the
attack had reached the center, and while Reynolds and Johnson were struggling desperately to hold their ground, Thomas




ï~~244

A GRAND CHARGE.

succeeded in rallying the broken divisions of Brannan and
Baird, and hurled them once more on the enemy. The suddenness and enefgy of the assault, that had well-nigh driven
his whole Corps from the field, thoroughly aroused him. His
sturdy regulars had been rolled back in confusion, and Scribner's brigade saved from annihilation only by cutting its way
through a horde of rebels; and, stung by the disaster, the
moment his columns were once more in position, and presented =a solid front, he ordered the whole line to advance.
The troops now caught the high courage and resolution of
their C mmander, and the deep murmur that rolled along
their t rible front, foretold a fearful onset. Not sudden
and headlong, but grand and awful, like the mighty march of
the ocean-tide, th  firm-set battalions moved sternly, steadily
forward. Longstreet's veterans, flushed with success, threw
themselves in their way, but could not stay that determined
march for a moment. The rebel batteries, forced back,
wheeled into new positions, and hurled shot and shell into
the close formations in vain. The leaders flung -themselves
along their yielding -lines, with waving swords and fiery
appeals, to no purpose. The head of each opposing column
ghat advanced to. stem the awful torrent, melted 'away; and
on, on swept the unbroken line-over abandon' guns,
caissons, everything-until the field was won, antt.emy
borne back nearly a mile.
But while this victory was being gained on our I,olk
and Hill had thrown themselves with such resistles Fimpetuosity on the center; that, though fighting manfully to hold
its ground, it wasforced back, an&'the rout was fast becoming complete, when DIavis came up from the right, and stopped
the progress of the enemy. It was but for a moment, however. Rapidly accumulating fresh troops on the weakened
point, the rebel Generals threw them forward with resistless
intrepidity. Hurling Davis to the right, and Van Cleve to




ï~~FIRST DAY'S BATTLE.

245

the left, in their fierce onset, they boldly penetrated the gap
they thus made, and for a moment the battle seemed lost.
But Thomas, compelled, by the danger hee, to pause and
fall back, now came up; while Hazen, with twenty pieces of
artillery massed at the threatened point, held the shouting
enemy in check. At this juncture, too, Wilder's brigade
of mounted infantry dashed up, and fell furiously on the
advancing columns, forcing them back. But the rebel leaders,
rallying their troops, and strengthened with reinforcements,
again came on, each time swinging off and outflanking us
to the right, so that Wilder was compelled to fall back.
Sheridan then came up, and sending forward Bradley's
brigade, restored the fight. But the attack, that had begun
at our extreme left, kept drifting down our line so rapidly
that Bradley in turn was nearly outflanked, and began to
give way, when Negley and Wood came down the stream on
the double-quick, and charging home, at once arrested the
dangerous movement. Though at times on the point of
complete success, the enemy had been stopped everywhere
along the whole line, and the two armies now stood front
to front, on ground that gave no advantage to either. Our
troops had rallied everywhere with heroic determination,
and the army stood in its place, immovable as a rock.
BaAed'ii every attempt to break our line, Bragg at length,
at night-fall, withdrew, and darkness closed over the trampled
fieldhr ouding its multitude of mangled, bleeding victims
from sight.
It had been a strange battle, and neither could claim a
victory. The numbers engaged on either side were probably about equal. Bragg had not waited for the whole of
Longstreet's Corps to arrive,*nor for several thousand Georgia
militia, -on the way to reinforce him. The rapid concentration of our troops, made it necessary for him to attack at
once, while the army was in  notion. But the regular inter



ï~~246

NIGHT AFTER THE BATTLE.

vals between our columns, which threatened at first to be
our ruin-and if they had been greater, would have beensaved us; for Ach time the enemy struck our flank, our
columns, coming up, took his flank in turn-and so on, in
succession,.till Negley and Wood-met and stopped the last
attack, and closed the battle. On our part, it was a battle
without a plan. The object with Rosecrans was,'to concentrate his army, and secure his communications with Chattanooga. Attacked while doing this, he had to hold the
enemy at bay as best he could, and nothing but the indomitable bravery of the troops saved him from total defeat.
That Saturday night was one of much suffering to the army,
for it was cold and chilly, and no fires were allowed to be
kindled. The soldiers sunk down on the ground, to brood
over the losses of the day, and ponder on the terrible struggle
that they knew must take place in the morning.. Their
ranks had been dreadfully thinned; no impression had been
made on the enemy, and no reinforcements were near. They
had taken a few prisoners, and captured three more guns
than the enemy, but had been driven from Chickamauga
Creek, and were where -no water could be obtained, except
as it was brought a great distance- from springs. Weary
and thirsty, they were compelled to lie down on the tram led
earth, and weary andihirsty they must fight this bat e  er
again in the- morning.
During the night; Rosecrans made some changes %  his
line of battle. The strong position at Gordon's Mill -being
no longer of any use -to him-as the enemy was over the
creek--he withdrew his right, resting it on Missionary
Ridge. This shortened his lines by nearly a mile, and made
his army face more to the south,.
That nighty a consultation was held at head-quarters, and
the following general dispositions made for the next day:
Thomas, strengthened by Johnson's and Palmer's divisions,




ï~~SECOND DAY'S_ BATTLE.

24T

was to hold the position he occupied. McCook, after his
pickets were driven in, was to close with his main line on
Thomas' right; while Crittenden was to hold~wo divisions in
reserve behind the point of junction, to be used as circun.
stances might require.  Thus the army stood, on the early
Sabbath morning, awaiting Bragg's attack, that all knew
would not be long delayed. Suddenly, the thunder of:
cannon on the extreme left, announced the opening of the conflict, and the next moment, the storm broke with appalling
fury on Thomas. With their usual tactics, the rebels did
not feel their way into our position, but fell in one over
whelming charge upon it. The battle had hardly commenced;
when its uproar became so awful, that the boldest all along,
the line held his breath.  Along a part of his line, Thoma~
had thrown up a breastwork of logs and rails, in front of
which ran an incessant stream of fire. Up against it the
rebels moved with desperate valor. Line upon line, they
came steadily on-each, as it entered that withering fire,
crumbling to fragments; yet still, fresh ranks sternly advancedi
over the spot where the last had gone down. But all ins
vain did that devouring fire consume the devoted columns---.
in vain did it shrivel up and destroy the head of each formation. The rebel leaders kept pouring in fresh troops, determined to quench that volcano with human blood, and chokeit with living victims. Rosecrans, seeing how   fearfully
Thomas was pressed, ordered Negley over to his help, andr
Wood, of Crittenden's division, to supply Negley's place; but
even this did not arrest- the ever-increasing flood of rebels:
For awhile, Wood, in the center, was heavily pressed; but;
still, the weight of the attack: fell on Thomas" Maddened>
by their repeated repulse; the rebel leaders rallied their
troops for one last, decisive assault. Covered by a terrific
fire of artillery, the massive columns moved steadily forward
and entering, without shrinking, the fiery sleet that swept
46




ï~~.248

A FATAL ORDER.

the field, pressed straight for that glowing breastwork.
Thomas, seeing the danger, poured in his volleys with
increased rapidity, and the artillerists double-shotted their
iguns with canister; but still, that dark gray mass, wrapped
in its sulphurous shroud, never faltered, and, though bleeding and lessening at every step, crept nearer and nearer,
till at last our troops began to waver. The officers strove
nobly to steady them, while Thomas rode fearlessly along
the undulating lines to inspire them. But it was a vain
effort. Division after division crumbled away, and at length
the whole wing swung back in disorder. Thomas, however,
aided by his gallant lieutenants, again rallied it in a new
position; and, with his right resting on Missionary Ridge,
and his left on an eminence by the Lafayette road, and his
center a little advanced, he sent urgent request for more
troops.
It was now about noon, and Rosecrans, seeing how hard
Reynolds was pressed, ordered Wood to leave his position
in the center and support him. Brannan was between him
and Reynolds, and to do this he had to fall back and march
to the rear of the former. This left a wide gap in the lines,
which, the enemy perceiving, dashed into as quick as thought.
We had broken our own center-lost our own battle.
Davis, from the right, moved quickly up to' close the fatal
opening; but he came too late.  The rebel flood, breaking
with resistless fury through it, smote him with one terrible
blow, swinging him back with such violence that he fell to
pieces with the; shock. Palmer and Van Cleve, on the other
side, shared the same fate. Sheridan, left' alone on the right,
of course went with Davis:; yet, scorning to -fly, he rallied
his men, and fo awhile made a stand, against fearful odds.
Gallant, fearless. and terrible even in a lost fight, it was
pitiful to see him strive with such hopeless desperation to
maintain his old renown, in that wild tumult. Rosecrans




ï~~A GALLANT STAND.

249

himself, whose head-quarters were directly in rear, and had
been carried away in.the rush, could not rally the troops;
and though, with driiwvn sword, followed by his staff, he
galloped amid the broken ranks, he, McCook and Crittenden
were all borne backward in the refluent tide, and a scene
of confusion and terror followed that beggars all description.
Artillery and caissons, and wagons and horses, and a vast,
excited multitude, with here and there only a fragmentary
formation, heaved and struggled on towards the gap in the
mountains, through which the road leads to Rossville. Here
they became choked up, and the shouts and yells and curses,
that rose in the troubled air, were more appalling than the
roar of battle. For a moment, the coniflict seemed over.
The Commander-in-Chief was gone-the centre and right
gone, and nought remained but the wearied, exhausted left
wing, that had also been forced backward. Yet it alone
must save the army, if it is to be saved. It was a mighty
task that now devolved onThomas, but with such 'division
and brigade leaders as 'Baird, Brannan, Reynolds, Negley,
Wood, iarker, iHazen, Scribner, Turchin, and 'others like
them, he would do it, or make it the bloodiest field ever
won by mortal foe. The enemy, having it all his own way
i. every other part of the field, and confident of complete
success, now bore down with redoubled fury on this comparatively feeble band-frll seventy thousand men against
a few divisions., So' stood} the battle at noon. Thomas
might wellsurvey his desperate position with a dismayed
heart. Still, he had:-no thought of retreating. Right there
he would stand, and stand victorious or perish with the
army. Gathering up his thinned and bleeding ranks, he
lined the semicircular ridge, on which he stood, with a wall
of,fire; and set it blazing with artillery from one extremity
to another. The rebels came on in overwhelming masses,
but could not break through it. Battalion after battalion




ï~~250

A  FEARF'L  CRISIS.

moved up in splendid order, only to scatter and melt away
like mist. There was no shrinking now. A high, heroic
purpose had taken possession of every,Man, and he stood
there, a willing victim, in the great sacrifice that was demanded ofhim. Unable to force Thomas' front, the enemy then
began to swing around his flanks. On the fight of Thomas,
a low ridge ran at right angles to the extremity of his
line, with a gorge directly in his rear; and now the
rebels were seen pouring in dark masses through it. The
heart of Thomas stood still at the sight. He had no troops
to oppose this force, for his moving calls for help had found
no response from his Commander. His army, to all human
appearance, was lost. A few minutes more, and the shouting
foe would be in his rear, and then a swift butchery or surrender would close the scene. Turning his eye away to the
left, he saw a vast cloud of dust rising over the tree-tops,
and soon after, dark columns of men moving swiftly across
the fields towards him. But were they friends or foes?
Captain Johnson, of Negley's Staff, having in the fight
become separated from his division, just then galloped up
and reported himself for duty. "Find out," exclaimed his
distressed Commander, "what troops those are, moving upon
me." Away dashed Johnson to fulfill his perilous, mission.
Thomas, to whom the moments were now fraught with life
and death, watched with painful anxiety the approaching
force, with his glass. Nearer and nearer they came, with
the long, swinging tread of trained battalions. It is-yes,
it is the battle-flag of Granger that waves and flutters in the
breeze! Oh, who can tell the load that rolled from his heart
as he caught the welcome sight?  The firm-set lip, relaxed
for an instant, and a sudden gleam flashed from his blue eye.
"All is not yet lost."  The old flag shall yet fly over the
field, and the battle-shout still roll along his shattered lines!
Granger had heard, at half-past ten, the roar of the fearful




ï~~THE RESCUE.

251

storm that was bursting on Thomas, and, as it swelled and
deepened, he moved uneasily about, and turned. his eye
along the road to catch the form of some Staff-officer with
orders to march. But none came, and being three miles
distant, he was afraid when one should come it might be
too late. Seized by a sudden inspiration, he called to horse,
and started his columns for the scene of conflict. Leaving
Colonel McCook to cover the Ringgold road, he took
Mitchell's and Whittaker's brigades, under the command of
Steedman, and moved swiftly forward. " After going about
two miles, he came upon the enemy, and halted. But
quickly perceiving that it was a small force, he.ordered
Colonel McCook to take care of it, and pushed on to where
the incessant crash and roar of artillery and musketry told
him the decisive struggle was going on. He had not come
a moment too soon. As his eye took in the perilous condition of Thomas, it needed no consultation to decide what
was to be done. He saw the fearful danger at a glance, and
moved at once to meet it. The gallant Steedman dashed
forward, and seizing the regimental colors, spurred to the
head of t@ two brigades, and waving them above him,
shouted the charge. His troops were mostly new recruits,
but, fired at the danger that menaced Thomas, they sent up
a shout that rose over the din of battle. Where that flag
went, they would go, even into the gates of death; and,
sweeping swiftly forward, they met, breast to breast, the
veterans-of Hindman, pouring through the gorge and
already shouting the victory. There was no halting, no
wavering, no rallying. Right on into the desolating fire,
they pressed, reckless of numbers and of death, with a loud
and thrilling shout. Over the batteries, over the astounded
battalions of Hindman, they went, in one wild wave. It
was marvelous-the charge of those two immortal brigades.
For one moment, they were lost in the smoke of battle-the




ï~~252

A LAST EFFORT.

hext, their standards were waving along the ridge. Like a
thunderbolt they had fallen on the columns pouring through
the gorge, and shivered them to fragments-like a whirlwind
they had swept the -ridge, clearing it of the foe. Only
twenty minutes had passed--and yet, in that brief time, the
battle had been saved; and in the same short interval, a
thousand men on our side, or nearly a third of those two
heroic brigades, had fallen. A smile, such as heroes wear,
lighted up the face of Thomas, when he saw our victorious
banners waving where but a moment before the standards
of the enemy were advancing to his certain destruction.
Hindman, enraged to see the victory so suddenly snatched
from his hands, rallied to retake the position, and Longstreet's veterans were sent against it. Though Steedman, by
the fall of his horse in the charge, had been bruised severely,
yet he still kept the field, and with scarce a dozen pieces of
artillery in all, swept the enemy with such a terrific fire that
he was forced to retire. But though driven back, he returned
again and again to the attack; yet those two:immortal
brigades stood like a blazing citadel on the heights. Baffled
here, the enemy advanced on the left. Tho   s saw the
heavy column approaching, and, pointing too d old Reynolds to " go in there."  This:gallant Commander' obeyed,
and, facinhg his troops by the rear rank, to save time ordered
them  to "charge bayonets."  Springing forward:-at the
double-quick, the weary, brave felows walked straight over
the column, capturing several hundred:prisoners in their
fierce passage. Night was now coming on, and Steedman's
brigades; which all that Sabbath afternoon, thuugh bleeding
and lessening, had stood rock-fast, had exhausted all their
own ammunition, and all they could gather from the dead
and dying around them. In this fearful dilemma, Thomas
saw the rebels rallying for a last assault. Casting his eye
along his shattered line, standing stern and dark in the




ï~~CLOSE OF THE BATTLE.

gathering gloom, he ordered it to "stand fast." Waiting
till the shadowy mass came within striking distance, he
shouted, " Give them the cold steel!" With bayonets at
charge, they leaped forward at the double-quick, rending
the gloom with their shout. As the rebels saw them
advancing, and caught the faint sheen of their bayonets in
the twilight, they turned and fled. The last blow had been
struck, and a thrilling shout went up from the darkened field.
The struggle was over, and the enemy, exhausted and discouraged, sullenly withdrew. Never was a great. battle
more nearly lost, and then saved-not even that of Marengo.
Thomas, and his brave commanders and troops, had covered
themselves with glory; and Rosecrans sent him word to use
his own judgment about attempting to hold h position.
The former, seeing that his troops had been fearfully overtasked, and that ammunition, food and water were sadly
wanting, concluded to fall back on Rossville, which place he
reached in good order-the enemy hovering near, but afraid
to risk another blow. A new line of battle was here formed,
with the aid of McCook's and Crittenden's divisions, and the
advance of the enemy awaited. But he had been too
severely punished, however, to renew the attack, and the
next night the whole army fell back to Chattanooga.
A bloodier Sabbath than that of the 20th of $September,
never closed over this land. Sixteen thousand, three hundred
and fifty-one,- or about a third of Rosecrans' splendid army,
had disappeared, of which only five thousand were taken
prisoners. Thirty-six guns, twenty caissons, and eight thousand, four hundred and fifty small arms, and other spoils
fell into the hands of the enemy; while we could show but
two thousand prisoners to offset all these losses. The loss
of the enemy in killed and wounded, however, was greater
than ours; for, in their headlong advance on our batteries
and positions, they had been mowed down with terrible




ï~~REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.:slaughter. But, though they got the victory, it was to them,a barren one, for they failed to recover Chattanooga. The
possession of that was the chief object of the campaign, and
we still -held it, while the enemy, after two days of desperate
fighting, had gainedonly a fewmiles of useless fields and roads.
Much criticism was passed on this battle, and on the
movements that preceded it,  an  difference of opinion will
jprobably exist forever. It is much easier-to tell the causes
of a failure, ithan to prevent it; still, there were some grave
mistakes, that ought to have been better guarded against.
If it was designed or supposed that Rosecrans, after he had
taken Chattanooga, would advance further into the interior,
the Government at Washington should have had supporting
columns  uch nearer that place than it did have. A portion
of Grant's army should have marched long before; for it
was not to be expected that that stronghold would fall
without a fierce struggle, and it might be at a sacrifice of a
third ofthe army. Such a contingency ought to have been provided for, but was not; and when that loss actually occurred,
it was by the narrowest chance that Chattanooga was saved.
Again, when the enemy evacuated Chattanoga, he did
not destroy the supplies or bridges along the route, thus
showing one of two things either that he had fled in such
haste thahe could not dofit, or that he expected to
return and need them himself again,very soon. Rosecrans
adopted the former view, and therefore   tied every
nerve to cut off the retreat:of a demo  iied enemy  In
doing this, he made so wide a separatio  ifhi  orps that
it was sure t provoke an attack if any fight wh r was left
in the enemy.   hat the i:d~hat Bragg had f ied to destroy
supplies an& bidges thhc wantoftime, was preposterous
--at all eventtae circumMstaces were sufficiently suspicious
o demand the greatest caution. The result showed it; for
if the rebels, had not committed a great blunder, the probabilities are; we should have lost Chattanooga.




ï~~N                    2~.
~                 ~\ if




ï~~


ï~~CHAPTER XX.

THE ARMY AT CHATTANOOGA-GRANT PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION-KNOXVILLE CAPTURED BY BURNSIDE-JOY OF THE PEOPLEBESIEGED BY LONGSTREET-GRANT TAKES COMMAND AT CHATTANOOGASHERMAN ORDERED TO JOIN HIM-HOOKER EFFECTS A LODGMENT IN LOOKOUT VALLEY-HAZEN'S EXPLOIT-BATTLE OF WAUHATCHIE-SHERMAN'S
ARRIVAL-THE ARMY TAKES UP ITS ASSIGNED POSITION-GRANT'S PLANCAPTURE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN-BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS-THE BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE-THE VICTORY-PURSUIT OF THE ENEMYSHERMAN SENT TO RELIEVE BURNSIDE-LONGSTREET ABANDONS THE SIEGEBANKS AT NEW ORLEANS-EXPEDITION TO SABINE CITY-EXPEDITION TO
TEXAS-ITS FAILURE-THE DEPARTMENT.
R OSECRANS' position in Chattanooga soon became
exceedingly precarious, though it was very strongthe flanks of the army resting on the Tennessee above and
below the place. The enemy advanced against it, and
occupied Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, his line
stretching across Chattanooga Valley. Our communications
by way of Bridgeport, on the south bank of the river, were
cut off, while the sharpshooters there effectually commanded
the road on the opposite side.  Supplies therefore had to be
hauled for sixty miles by land, over mountain roads that soon,
from the Fall rains, became almost impassable. A rebel raid,
in the meantime, destroyed several hundred wagon-loads of
provisions, and damaged the railroad between Stevenson and
Nashville, rendering the subsistence of our army uncertain;
and indeed, for a time, it was doubtful whether our. communications would not be entirely destroyed, and thus a
retreat become inevitable.  This would be extremely perilous, for the artillery and war material would have to be
abandoned.    Chattanooga was the key to East Tennessee,




ï~~256

CAPTURE OF KNOXVILLE.

and the army there at the same time threatened Atlanta,
the grand focus of the net-work of railroads connecting the
southern States of the Confederacy. If we were driven back
from this place, the struggle in the Valley of the Mississippi
would have to be gone over again. Hence, Grant sent a
dispatch to Thomas, to hold on to the last extremity. The
latter, in reply, assured him that he would keep the position
at all hazards.
While affairs were in this precarious state, Rosecrans was
relieved by Thomas; and in a few days,, Grant, who had been
placed in command of the Departments of the Ohio, of the
Cumberland, and of the Tennessee-constituting the Military
Division of the Mississippi-arrived in Chattanooga, and
took charge in person. Hooker, with two corps from the
East, had previously reached the vicinity of Bridgeport, thus
increasing the difficulty of feeding the army.
In the meantime, however, a movement had been made
which had an important bearing on Chattanooga. Burnside
had, during the Summer, planned a campaign against Knoxville-the capture of which had been a great desideratum
with the Government since the beginning of the war. His
preparations being completed, he set his columns in motion
in August. Bucl*ter held the place with but a small force,
and so secret had the movements of Burnside beefi kept,
and so rapid was his march, that he encountered no opposition; and Colonel Foster, with the advance, entered the
place on the lst of September. Burnside himself proceeded
to Kingston, where his'scouts encountered the cavalry pickets
of Rosecrans. The panie at Knoxville, at his sudden arrival,
was great, and the rbel troops left behind them, in their
flight, a considerabletqantity ofquartermaster-stores. The
reception of our troops; by the loyal East Tennesseans, who
had almost begun to despair of ever seeing the old flag
among them again, was most enthusiastic and touching.




ï~~SHERMAN'S MARCH.

257

They cooked everything they had for the soldiers, without
ever dreaming of pay. Women stood by the roadside with
pails of water, waving Union flags, and shouting, "Hurrah
for the Union! "  and " Welcome, welcome, General Burnside, welcome to East Tennesse! " greeted the General, as
he moved along with his Staff.
The rebel garrison at Cumberland Gap, two thousand
strong, was cut off, and, on the 9th, surrendered to our
forces. Burnside now occupied the East Tennessee-railroad
as far as Morristown, and a strong force proceeded down
the road towards Chattanooga; and it was generally believed
that the whole army would soon join that of Rosecrans.
But the battle of Chickamauga, a few days after, and the
shutting up of Rosecrans in Chattanooga, entirely changed
the aspect of affairs, and it soon became evident that Burnside would have enough to do, to take care of himself-for
Bragg, feeling that he was more than a match for the army
at Chattanooga, sent Longstreet, with his division, to retake
Knoxville. Being confident that we should be compelled
to evacuate both places, the enemy expected to drive our
armies back to the Ohio.
But, at this time, there was another important character
moving to the scene of action. Before Grant was put over the
army at Chattanooga, he, as soon as he heard of Rosecrans'
disaster at Chickamauga, ordered Sherman-then on the Big
Black River, twenty miles east of Vicksburg-to send a division to his aid. Sherman received this dispatch on-the 22nd
of September, and at four o'clock that day, Osterhaus, with his
division, was on his way to Vicksburg, and the next day
steaming towards Memphis.- On the 23rd, Sherman received
another order, to followwith his whole army. In four days, he
was slowly steaming up towards Memphis. Fuel was scarce,
and he was compelled to land troops -to gather fence-rails
and haul wood from the interior in wagons, to keep up




ï~~25B

BROWN''S FERRY.

steam. At Memphis, he got orders from Halleck to proceed
to Athens, Alabama-repairing the railroad as he went, and
depending on himself for supplies. The work was at once
begun, and gangs were kept employed day and night; but
Sherman soon saw---as Buell did, the year before, when
marching to the same destination-that this would be too
slow work, and he determined to take to the.highways till
he could clear his front. Having scattered the enemy, he
again went to work repairing the railroad, in accordance
with his first orders. But a dispatch from Grant, urging
him forward, made -him abandon again the unwelcome task,
and push on in the manner which his judgment approved.
In the meantime, Grant was getting everything ready for
his arrival, when he designed to make a general assault on
the enemy's strong position.
All this time, the troops and animals were suffering for
the want of provisions,- which the obstruction of transportation rendered extremely scarce. As was stated previously,
Missionary Ridge drops like:a pendant, in a south-westerly
direction, from, the Tennessee River, above Chattanooga, and
Lookout Mountain, in the same direction from. the -river,
below the place. Chattanooga, lying in a bend of the river
between the two mountains, was overlooked and commanded
by both heights, and hence, both must be taken. Hooker
was selected to operate against the latter mountain; but, in
order to make a lodgment on the south side of the river, it
was necessary to occupy Brown's Ferry, which Was three
miles below Lookout Mountain, by the river, and six from
Chattanooga, et,, owing:to the sharp bend of the stream
that here runs back almost parallel to its course, was only a
mile and a half from the latter place byland  Thepossession
of this ferry would also lessen the distance of transportation
to Bridgeport. The Chief Engineer, General W. F. Smith,
proposed a plan for seizingit, which, after a reconnoissance




ï~~A BOLD MOVEMENT.

259

by Grant and Thomas, was adopted. Four thousand men
being at once placed under his command, fifty pontoons,
capable of holding twenty-five men apiece besides the oarsmen, and also two flatboats for carrying about a hundred
more, were built, in which.fifteen hundred picked men, under
the gallant Hazen, were placed. It was, we have seen, six
miles, by the tortuous river, to the Ferry-three miles of
which were picketed by the enemy. On the night of the
27th of October, these pontoons-mere boxes-were quietly
pushed off, and floated, noiselessly down the current. It
was very dark, and the drift of the current rendering the
We of oars unnecessary, they passed unheeded by the pickets
on shore. Down, around Moccasin Point, in front of Lookout Mountain, they rapidly floated, without being discovered.
The landing waa- to be made at two different points, and
here the alarm was given, and the flash of musketry lit up
the darkness;.. This roused~ thee neighboring camps of the
enemy, but the Union troops jumped ashore, and quickly
formed to repel  an attack. The empty boats were then
rowed swiftly.across the river, to a point where stood the
balance of the four thousand, who had secretly marched
thither by l~adi  These having.,been taken in, they were
rowed back to the spot where the others had disembarked.Ssetrong position was immediately secured and intrenchments thrown up, The enemy, taken wholly by surprise,
after.a feeble rAsistance retreated ujf.the Valley. The
imaterialsi for:  pontoon bridge, which had also been brought
down by land, an~ concealed, were now brought out, and
by noon a bridges ninehunadred feet long, spanned the river,
by which supplies and reidfrcements could be forwarded
to our troops. The nextday, the whole of the Eleventh
Corps was across, and encamped in Lookout Valley. The
enemy, alarmed at this demonstration, made an attempt to
drive back our forces by a 'night attack.




ï~~260

A NIGHT BATTLE.

BATTLE OF WAUHATCHIE.
Howard's Corps, at the time, was only a mile or so from
Brown's Ferry. Geary, with his division, went into camp
near Wauhatchie, three miles distant. Hooker, who was
with Howard's Corps, was aroused about one o'clock in the
morning by the "muttering of heavy musketry" in the
direction of Geary. The latter had been suddenly attacked
by overwhelming numbers, and Hooker, anxious for his
safety, ordered Howard to double-quick his nearest division,
Shurz's, to his aid. "Forward to their relief, boys! " he
shouted, as they streamed off on a run, through the gloom.
They had not gone far, however, when suddenly there came
a blaze of musketry from the hills near by, where no enemy
was supposed to be. Tyndale's brigade was immediately
detached, to charge the heights, while the other brigade
kept on towards Geary. Steinwehr's division now came up,
and the hill to the rear of Schurz, and along which the road
ran, was also found to be occupied by the enemy. This,
Orlan Smith's brigade was ordered to carry with the bayonet.
It was bright moonlight; yet but little of the difficulties of
the ascent could be seen. It was very steep, and covered
with underbrush and seamed with gullies and ravines, and
"almost inaccessible by daylight."  Yet, right. up this, two
hundred feet high, in the face of a heavy fire, t'his skeleton
brigade was ordered to charge bayonet. Flooded in the
mellow light, silent as death, the Seventy-third Ohio and
Thirty-third Massachusetts pressed up the slope, and at
length reached the top, where they camne upon rifle-pits, out
of which suddenly burst a volley from nearly two thousand
muskets. Overwhelmed by this awful fire, the brave fellows
fell back in disorder to the foot of the hill. Though now
fully aware of the difficulties before them, and that three




ï~~A. GALLANT CHARGE.

61

times their number crowned the heights, these noble regiments re-formed their lines, and again sternly breasted the
hill. Shouts, and yells, and taunts, were hurled down on them,
and the crashing volleys tore through them; yet, without
firing a shot-with set teeth and flashing eyes-they climbed
steadily up to those blazing rifle-pits, and then with one bound
cleared them. The bayonet did the whole work, and not a
shot was fired till the enemy was in full retreat. One volley
was poured after them, and then the shout of victory arose,
wild and clear,-in the night air.. It was an astonishing charge.
No wonder Hooker said, "No troops ever rendered,more
brilliant service," and that the reserved Thomas.declared,
"The bayonet charge of Howard's troops, made up the side
of a steep and difficult hill over two hundred feet high,
completely routing the enemy from his barricades on the
top, * * * will rank among the most distinguished feats
of arms of this war."
All this time, heavy and incessant volleys of musketry
arose from the spot where Geary was struggling against
overwhelming numbers. The fighting here was desperate,
and several times he was nearly overborne; but, with that
tenacity which has always distinguished him, he still clung
to his position, and at length hurled the enemy back, compelling him to take refuge on Lookout Mountain. The
Valley was now ours. Geary gained new honors in this
hard-fought battle; but they were dearly won, for his son, a
captain, was killed.
This fight by moonlight, after midnight, amid those wild
hills-that blazed the while with musketry and exploding
shells-presented a strange spectacle. Hooker himself was
in the thickest of it, shouting on -the men.
Our forces being firmly established here, steamboats could
run up to Brown's Ferry, from which it was but a mile and
a half to the upper bridge, opposite Chattanooga. The




ï~~262:

ARRIVAL OF SHERMAN.

army was now relieved from the fear of starvation, unless
the bridges should be carried away by rafts sent down by
the enemy from above
This was a great improvement in the condition of affairs;
still, Grant felt too weak to assume the Offensive against the,
strong works which confronted him, until Sherman should
arrive.
The latter crossed the Tennessee in person; on the 1st of
November, but there was no way by which to get his army;
over, and it had to take the long march by Fayetteville to:
Bridgeport. Sherman, in the meantime, pressing on, rode.
into Chattanooga on the 15th. Never was     man more
welcome. Grant had received a summons-.frei   Bragg, to
remove the- non-combatants from Chattanooga as -he waa
about to bombard it, to which the former',had -returnd no
reply, but he now: felt:.that he soon. would be ready to sends
one, in the shape of his strong columns. Shermain's troops
after their long and 'wearisome march, needed rest sadly,
and expected it, before entering orb one of, =the most hazard-:
ous undertakings of the war. " But," laid -the gallant
leaders,I saw enough of the con-dition o. men and  animal:
in Chattanooga, to inspire me with rene edenergy." With
a part of his command, he was directed. toa  e a demonstration on Lookout Mountain, while with. the 'main army, he
crossed the river and marched up above--Chattanooga, opposite
Missionary ridge. Returning to Bridgeportre took a rows
boat, and passed down the river, to hurry foward his weary,
foot-sore divisions.  wiing's di sion was:the foce left to
make the proposed demonstratio~n on Lookout: Mountain.
The rest were hurried forward, but.the r oads were, almost
impassable-,malking the increased effort= demanled at he
end of such a long march, a terrible task t the soldiers.
But they toiled cheerfully forward in obedniece to the
orders of their beloved Commander, and,.bythe=23rd, were




ï~~SHERMAN'S SUCCESS.

263

well up, and lay concealed behind the hills opposite the
Chickamauga Creek, which, skirting the extremity of Missionary Ridge, here empties into the Tennessee. One division, however, was left behind-a delay caused by the
breaking of the pontoon bridge at Brown's Ferry-and it
was compelled to join Hooker's Corps, and operate with him
in the battle that followed.
By a skillful manoeuver, he, the same night, moved a
small force silently along the river, capturing every guard
of the enemy's pickets but one. The next thing was, to get
his army across the Tennessee-here nearly thirteen hundred
feet wide. About three miles above him, and on the same
side, he found a stream emptying into the river. Thither,
a hundred and sixteen boats were carried, by a concealed
road, and launched, while three thousand men lay ready to
embark in them. An hour after midnight, on the 24th,
these boats silently floated down into the Tennessee, and,
passing for three miles the enemy's pickets, landed the
troops on both sides of the Chickamauga Creek, which
emptied into the river opposite Sherman's army. Two
divisions, with artillery, were soon ferried over, and a fteedu-pont established. In a few hours, a bridge fourteen
hundred feet long was completed, and shaking to the
tread of Sherman's mighty columns. Another bridge, two
hundred feet long, was flung across the Chickamauga Creek.
The extreme north point of Missionary Ridge was not occupied by the enemy-his right being further back, near the,
tunnel through which the railroad passed. This extremity,
Sherman at once seized, thereby threatening Bragg's communications. A cavalry force, in the meantime, was sent
off eastward towards Cleveland.
Grant now had Sherman's army above, and Hooker's
below him, and both on the same side of the river; while
Thomas lay in front of Chattanooga. Missionary Ridge,
47




ï~~264

FIGHT ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

tending south-west from Sherman, passed in front of Chattanooga, where the center lay.
Bragg was amazed at this sudden apparition of a powerful
army on his extreme right, and immediately made preparations to dislodge Sherman. In the meantime, Hooker, from
below, moved against Lookout Mountain, and, by dark,
carried the nose of it, and at once opened direct communications with Chattanooga. His advance up the steep sides
of the mountain had been made with great celerity and
skill. A thick fog for awhile concealed him, but, as it
lifted before the sun, the cliffs above were seen crowded
with the enemy, while cannon sent a plunging fire from the
heights.  Grant, far down in the mist-shrouded valley
below, could hear the thunder of guns and crash of musketry high up in the clouds above, as though the gods were
warring there. Says an eye-witness: "At this juncture,
the scene became one of most exciting interest. The thick
fog, which had heretofore rested in dense folds upon the
sides of the mountain, concealing the combatants from view,
suddenly lifted to the summit of the lofty ridge, revealing
to the anxious gaze of thousands in the valleys and on the
plains below, a scene such as is witnessed but once in a
century. General Geary's columns, flushed with victory,
grappled with the foe upon the rocky ledges, and drove
him back with slaughter from his works. While the result
was uncertain, the attention *as breathless and painful; but
when victory perched upon our standards, shout upon shout
rent the air. The whole army, with one accord, broke out
into joyous acclamations. The enthusiasm of the scene
beggars description. Men were frantic with joy, and even
GeneralThomas himself, who seldom exhibits his emotions,
said involuntarily,' I did not think it possible for men to
accomplish so much.' " The day before, Thomas had made
a strong reconnoissance in force, in his front, and, with but




ï~~OPENING OF THE BATTLE.

265

slight loss, had occupied Orchard Knob, and developed the
lines of the enemy. Everything was therefore now ready
for the grand assault upon the rebel position. Bragg had
thought that Chattanooga was his beyond a doubt; but
suddenly, to the right, in front, and left of him, he saw himself confronted by three, armies. Still, he believed Missionary
Ridge to be impregnable, and that no force could climb
its steep and rugged sides' in the face of his powerful
batteries.
Sherman, from his position, could glance across to Tunnell
Hill, on which the rebel batteries were placed; and he looked
grave, but determined, at the fearful,task that had been
assigned his brave troops. Before the great, decisive day
(the 25th) had fairly dawned, he was in the saddle, and by
the dim light that streaked the cloudy east betokening a
stormy day, rode along his entire line. A deep valley lay between him and the steep hill beyond, which was partly covered
with trees to the narrow, wooded top, across which was a breastwork of logs and earth, dark with men. Two guns enfiladed
the narrow way that led to it. Further back, arose a still
higher hill, lined with guns that could pour a plunging fire
on the first hill if it should be taken. The depth and character of the gorge between, could not be ascertained. Just
as the rising sun was tinging with red the murky rain-clouds,
the bugles sounded "Forward!" and Corse, leading the advance, briskly descended the hill, crossed the valley under a
heavy fire, began to ascend the opposite heights, and soon
gained a foothold; but the spot where he stood was swept
by the enemy's artillery.
BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA.
The great battle had now fairly opened, and for more
than an hour it swayed backward and forward in front of




ï~~266

THE BATTLE.

Sherman. Bringing up brigade after brigade, this gallant
Commander strove nobly, but in vain, to carry the lofty
heights above him. By ten o'clock, it was one peal of
thunder from top to base, while the smoke, in swift puffs
and floating masses, draped it like a waving mantle. Corse,
severely wounded, was borne to the rear; yet still the
columns stubbornly held the ground. All the fornoon, the
battle raged furiously at this point. This most northern and
vital position mu.st be held by the rebels at all hazards, for if
once taken, their rear would be threatened, with all the stores
at Chickamauga. Hence, Bragg massed his forces here, and
at three o'clock, says Sherman, "column after column of the
enemy was streaming toward me; gun after gun poured
its concentric shot on u~s from every hill and spur that gave
a view of any part of the ground." Once, he was partially
forced back, but by a skillful move, he recovered his ground
and drove the pursuing, shouting enemy to his cover. His
men were sternly held to their terrible work; but Sherman
was getting impatient for Grant to move on the center, as
he told hini the night before he would. From his elevated
position, he could see the flags of Thomas' Corps waving in
the murky atmosphere; but hour after hour passed away,
and still they did not advance. The enemy- was steadily
accumulating his forces against him, and his troops, that had
fought from early dawn, were getting weary. Grant had
sat on his horse, listening to the thunder of artillery on his
right, as Hooker came down like an avalanche from the
heights of Lookout Mountain, and to the deafening uproar
on his left, where his favorite lieutenant, Sherman, was
hurling his brave columns on the batteries of the enemy;
but still he did not move. Thinking, at one time, that
Sherman was too hard pressed, he sent over a brigade to
his help; but the latter, who had become thoroughly aroused
at the resistance he met with, sent it back, saying he did not




ï~~ADVANCE OF THE CENTER.

267

need it. And so, hour after hour, for six miles, it flamed
and thundered along those rocky crests, until at last the
decisive moment, looked for by Grant, had arrived. In
front of him, the steep acclivity went sheer up four hundred
feet. The base was encircled with a line of rifle-pits, while
the summit was black with batteries. Between him and the
foot of the mountain, was an open space a mile and a half
wide, which the advancing columns would be compelled to
cross. He saw that it would require no common effort, and
no common bravery on the part of troops, to reach and
climb that steep, in the face of such difficulties, and he
therefore wished Sherman to push the rebel left till Bragg,
in order to save the key of his position, would be compelled to
weaken his center; and also till Hooker could come up, who
was detained in building a bridge. The rebel Commander,
not dreaming that Grant would attempt to advance up the
steep face of the mountain in front, and evidently thinking
that  e meant at all hazards to crush his right, and thus
threaten his rear, drew away his troops from the center, till
the line here became comparatively weak. This was what
Grant had been waiting for, though fearful that the day
would be passed before it came. But it had come at last, and
Hooker being well advanced, he, from his position on Indian
Hill, ordered the signal for the "Forward! " to be given.
These were, six cannon shots, to be fired at intervals of two
seconds. Strong and steady the order rang out: "Number
one, fire! Number two, fire! Number three, fire! "  "It
seemed to me," says an eye-witness, "like the tolling of the
clock of destiny. And when, at 'Number six, fire!' the
roar throbbed out with the flash, you should have seen the
dead line, that had been lying behind the works all day,
come to resurrection in the twinkling of an eye, and leap
like a blade from its scabbard."  Three divisions, under the
command of Granger, composed the storming force, and as




ï~~268

MOUNTING THE HEIGHTS.

they moved off towards the fro'wning heights, the enemy
seemed to regard it as a mere review. But, with a swift,
steady motion, the glittering line swept on, and it was soon
evident that desperate work was afoot. Suddenly, all along
the crest of the ridge, the artillery opened, and the gallant
line began to melt away. Still, it never faltered-the banners kept advancing, and at last that terrible mile and a half
were past, and the columns stood face to face with the long
line of rifle-pits at the base of the mountain. A sheet of
fire ran along the summit, cutting with fearful mortality our
exposed battalions. There was no time to stop here, for,
great as was the obstacle that confronted them, it was only
a barrier of mist, compared to the awful work that lay
beyond; and so, with one wild cheer and a bound, they
cleared it, and stood panting in the deserted ditch. And
now for the ridge. "Take it if you can!" passed along
the bleeding line, but it was already advancing. The rave
fellows, casting one look up the steep, rocky sides, to the
thirteen batteries flaming at the top, clutched their weapons
with a firmer grasp, and began to mount the slope. Here
can be no rush-no sudden charge. Step by step, like
mountain goats, they must win their way upward. As the
smoke lifted here and there, Grant saw, with inexpressible
anxiety, the regimental flags, like mere crimson specks,
fluttering slowly upward. Regardless of shot and shell,
each vied with the other in the advance. Over their heads,
from Forts Wood and Negley, and other batteries, our shot and
shell flew With fearful precision, and fell crashing in the rebel
works. Rocks and stones, and shells with lighted fuses, were
rolled down on the torn line, and it now and then halted,
under some projecting rocks, for breath. But "Forward!"
again rung above the uproar, and each flag seemed to have a
voice crying "EXCELSIOR."  Oh! it was a thrilling sight.
shot and shell were doing their murderous work; but




ï~~THE VICTORY.

269

nothing short of annihilation could stop those noble battalions. Higher, and still higher, they crept, until at last, just
as the sun was sinking in the west, they reached the summit,
and then, as the gathered billow thunders and foams along
and over the sunken ledges of the sea, they, with one wild
shout ad burst, swept over the deadly batteries. The next
joment, cheer after cheer went up all along the smoking
crest, and rolled down the crimson steep, till, to the right
and left, and far below, the air trembled with glad echoes.
Dismayed, and filled with consternation at the frightful
calamity, Bragg, mounted on his gray horse, sped away to
the rear, followed by his discomfited host. The army was
now thrown forward in swift pursuit, which was kept up till
late at night, and renewed next morning before daylight.
As the columns swept on, wagons, guns, caissons, forage,
stores, and all the wreck of a routed army, met them at
every step. By night, the rear-guard of the enemy was
reached, and a fight ensued, which lasted till darkness closed
in. The next day, Hooker and Thomas joined in the pursuit, and the beaten enemy was smitten with blow upon
blow, until further advance became impossible. In the
meantime, Sherman detacheI Howard to move against the
railroad between Dalton and Cleveland, to destroy it. This
was done, and communication between Bragg and Longstreet cut off.
Our total loss in this battle, was about four thousand.
We took six thousand prisoners, forty pieces of artillery,
and five or six thousand small arms. The rebel killed and
wounded was not known.
Sherman was now ordered to return to Chattanooga; but,
receiving permission to make a circuit by the north, as far
as Hiawassee, he did so, destroying railroads and capturing
stores. "This," says Sherman, "was to have been the limit
of our journey. Officers and men had brought no luggage




ï~~270

A HARD DUTY.

or provisions, and the weather was bitter cold." But at
this moment, Grant received a dispatch from Burnside, at
Knoxville, saying that his supplies would not last a week
longer, and asking for help. To reach him, nearly ninety
miles distant, in that time, would require heavy marching;
but Burnside and Knoxville must be saved, if humi effort
could do it. Grant at once ordered Granger to march; but
finding that he would not have the necessary force, and,
moreover, that he "moved with reluctance and complaint,"
he determined, "notwithstanding the fact that the two
divisions of Sherman's forces had marched from Memphis,
and had gone into battle immediately on their arrival at
Chattanooga, to send him with his command," including
Granger's. This was assigning him a fearful task, and the
iron Commander, though shrinking from no effort where
duty called, felt that it was asking a hard thing of his brave,
exhausted men. The language he uses in regard to it,
shows this, and also reveals the grand character of the man.
"Seven days before," says he, "we had left our camps on
the other side of the Tennessee, with two days' rations,
without a change of clothing, stripped for the fight, with but
a single blanket or coat per man,---from myself to the private
included. Of course, we then had no provisions save what
we gathered by the road, and were ill supplied for such a
march. But we learned that twelve thousand of our fellowsoldiers were beleaguered in the mountain town of Knoxville, eighty-four miles distant; that they needed relief, and
must have it in three days. This was enough, and it had to
be done."  Noble words, from  a noble man! His tired
troops, though feeling that others could better make this
long march, cheerfully consented to go, and that very night
started forward. By daylight, they had made fifteen miles,
and, on the 2nd of December, marched twenty-six, pushing
the enemy, that attempted to delay their advance, before them.




ï~~RELIEF OF BURNSIDE.

271

In the meantime, Burnside was severely pressed. Having
only some twelve thousand men, he had been obliged to
fall back before Longstreet with his overwhelming force.
Recrossing the Tennessee, which he had passed in his advance,
and fighting as he retired, he was finally compelled to take
refuge in Knoxville. Longstreet, confident of success, then sat
down in regular siege before the place, knowing its reduction
a certainty unless it should be relieved. Fearing its reinforcement, he made a desperate assault upon its strong works, but
was repulsed with heavy loss. The near approach of Sherman
now caused him to abandon his siege of twenty days. It
was hoped that, being cut off from Bragg, his Corps would
be captured or dispersed; but, passing around the stronghold that he could not capture, he retreated towards Virginia. Burnside pursued him, and an engagement took
place at Beams' Station, but Longstreet succeeded in falling
back without serious loss, and eventually opened up his
communications with Richmond.
Sherman had pushed forward with great celerity. But
the rebels burning the bridges in their retreat, he feared
he might be delayed till Burnside would despair of succor,
and he therefore ordered Colonel Long, commanding his
cavalry brigade, to take his fleetest, strongest animals, and
hurry forward, and be in Knoxville in twenty-four hours "at
whatever cost of life or horse-flesh." The distance was forty
miles, and the roads horrible. But this gallant Commander
accomplished the task assigned him, and the clatter of his
horses' hoofs in the streets of Knoxville, on the night of the
3rd, sent joy to the hearts of the beleaguered little army.
Sherman continued to advance till the night of the 5th,
when a messenger arrived from Burnside, saying that Longstreet had raised the siege. Sending on Granger's two
divisions to Knoxville, he then halted his army, for his work
was done. He himself rode on to Knoxville, to see Burnside.
He then leisurely returned, with his wearied army, to Chatta.




ï~~272

HARD WORK.

nooga. The work it had done was chiefly of a character
not to attract public attention, but it deserved higher encomiums than though it had won a victory. With short rations,
poorly protected from the weather, sometimes barefooted, it
had marched four hundred miles through the enemy's country,
--without sleep for three successive nights-crossed the Tennessee, borne the brunt of the fight at Chattanooga, pursued the
flying enemy into Georgia, then wheeled about and, by forced
marches for nearly a hundred miles, compelled Longstreet
to raise the siege of Knoxville, and then had marched back
again.
East Tennessee was saved-in fact, a great part of the
Valley of the Mississippi; for, had Knoxville and Chattanooga fallen, Grant could hardly have made a stand short
of Nashville. And yet, the probabilities all were that these
two places would fall. Grant knew that he could not long
remain at Chattanooga with the rebel batteries crowning the
heights that overlooked it; while, without help from him,
Burnside must surrender. His only hope lay in the successful assault of the enemy's works. But this was a desperate measure, in which he knew the chances were against
him. Still, it must be taken, or all be lost. Thanks to his
brilliant strategy, and the bravery of his troops, he succeeded,
and the turning point of the rebellion was gained.
While these momentous events were transpiring in East
Tennessee, Banks, at New Orleans, was busy in his Department,
and great results were expected from the army under his
command, though no formidable rebel force confronted him.
In September, having been reinforced from Grant's army,
he sent General Franklin to seize Sabine City, situated on
the Sabine River. Commodore Bell, commanding the Gulf
Squadron, detached four gunboats, under Lieutenant-Commanding Crocker, to co-operate with him, assisted by a
hundred and eighty sharp-shooters from the army. The
batteries, however, proved too powerful for the gunboats.




ï~~TEXAS EXPEDITION.

{ 273

The Clifton and Sachem were disabled, and captured with
all on board, and the expedition returned to Brashear City.
The army afterward advanced, and, on the 21st of October,
occupied Opelousas, and quite a severe fight occurred, Nov.
3d, near Bayou Bourbeaux-General Washburn commanding.
In September, Little Rock, Arkansas, was captured by
General Steele.
In November, an important expedition was made into
Texas. The garrison at Esperanza fled at our approach,
after blowing up the magazine, and ten guns were captured.  Brazos Island, Point Isabel and Brownsville were
in Banks' hands on the 9th of November. From this point,
the army marched north-east a hundred miles; to Aranzas,
capturing three guns and a hundred prisoners. General
A. J. Hamilton, of Texas, having been appointed Military
Governor of the State, by the President, accompanied the
army, and every one looked to the expulsion of MagruderCommander of the rebel forces-and the speedy establishment
of Federal authority. But not long after, the expedition
was abandoned, and General Banks returned to New Orleans,
followed by Hamilton. Washburn soon after left the army,
and Major-General Dana was placed in chief command.
News of a projected movement against Mobile took the
place of news from the army in Texas, and its failure there
seemed to die out of mind. Festivities, balls and masquerades occupied the winter months in New Orleans, and
military matters were kept in abeyance. Preparations were
also made for an election to come off in February, and Banks
devoted himself to the civil duties of his Department-not the
least of which was the question of compensated labor. The
large number of slaves made suddenly free must work, and
to a great extent under their old masters, and therefore it
was important that some just and equitable system be adopted, and power given to enforce it.




ï~~CHAPTER XXI.

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-MEADE'S ADVANCE TO THE RAPIDAN-COMPELLED
TO RETREAT-GALLANTRY OF KILPATRICK AND THE CAVALRY-BATTLE OF
BRISTOW STATION-SUCCESSES AT KELLY'S FORD AND RAPPAHANNOCK
STATION-MEADE'S SECOND ADVANCE TO THE RAPIDAN-THE RETREATWINTER QUARTERS-AVERILL7S RAID IN WESTERN VIRGINIA-NATIONAL
CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG-THE PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION OF AMNESTYPROPOSITION TO ADMIT REBEL STATES INTO THE UNION-POLITICAL EXCITEMENT-CHANGE OF PLAN IN CARRYING ON THE WAR-GRANT MADE
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL-SHERMAN'S GREAT MARCH THROUGH MISSISSIPPI.
N the East, the Army of the Potomac had remained
comparatively quiet, but, on the approach of Autumn,
it again assumed offensive operations, for it was necessary to
occupy the attention of Lee, as he was sending reinforcements to Bragg. A      general advance of the army was
therefore determined upon, about the middle of September.
Pleasanton was directed first to cross the Rappahannock, and
attack the rebel cavalry picketing the river in the neighborhood of Culpepper.    Gregg crossed at Sulphur Springs,
Buford at Rappahannock Bridge, and Kilpatrick at Kelly's
Ford. These, moving on Culpepper, attacked Stuart, who
held the town, and, after an obstinate fight, drove him out,
capturing three guns. Meade now advanced, and crossing
the river with his entire army, made the place his headquarters, with the cavalry guarding his flanks and rear.
Lee, in the meantime, lay encamped near Orange Court
House, and, though much inferior in numbers, boldly crossed
the Rapidan on the 9th of October, and, by a skillful movement, completely outflanked Mead, which compelled the
latter to break up his camp and retreat-losing some of his




ï~~A GALLANT CHARGE.

275

stores in his hasty retrogade movement. Pleasanton, with
the cavalry, remained behind to watch the enemy, and then
slowly retired toward the retreating army.  Buford had
been forced back more rapidly than Kilpatrick, whose command-with Davis over the right brigade, and Custer over
the left-fell back more slowly. When the latter reached
Brandy Station, he found that the former, ignorant of his
movements, was far in advance, leaving his right entirely
exposed. To make matters worse, Stuart had passed around
his left, so that Iilpatrick, with whom was Pleasanton himself, was suddenly cut off. This gallant leader saw at a
glance the peril of his position, and, riding to a slight eminence, took a hasty survey of the ground before him. He
then gave his orders, and three thousand swords leaped
from their scabbards, and a long, loud shout rolled over the
field. With a heavy line of skirmishers thrown out, to protect his flanks and rear, he moved in three columns straight
on the rebel host, that watched his coming. At first, the
well-closed columns advanced on a walk, while the batteries
of Remington and Elder played with fearful precision upon
the hostile ranks. He thus kept on, till within a few hundred
yards of the rebel lines, when the band struck up "Yankee
Doodle." The next instant, a hundred bugles pealed the
charge, and away, with gleaming sabres and a wild hurrah,
went the clattering squadrohs. As they came thundering
oi, the hostile lines parted and let them pass proudly
through. Buford was soon overtaken, and a line of battle
formed; for the rebels, enraged to think they had let Kilpatrick off so easily, reorganized, and now advanced to the
attack. A fierce cavalry battle followed, lasting till after
dark. Pleasanton, Buford, Kilpatrick, Custer and Davis again
and again led charges in person. It seemed as if the leaders
on both sides were determined to test, on the plains of Brandy
Station, the question of superiority between the cavalry; for




ï~~276

BRISTOW STATION.

the charges, on both sides, were of the most gallant and desperate character. The dark masses would drive on each
rother, through the deepening gloom, with defiant yells,
while the flashing sabres struck fire as they clashed and rung
in the fierce conflict. At length, the rebels gave it up, and
our cavalry, gathering up its dead and wounded, crossed
the Rappahannock. The army fell back along the railroad,
from Saturday night till Wednesday, without bringing on a
general engagement. To the Second Corps, commanded by
Warren, was assigned the difficult task of guarding its rear.
At daylight on Wednesday, this Corps took up its march
along the south side of the Orange and Alexandria railroad,
and moved to Bristow    Station, about three miles from
Manassas Junction. As the advance, under General Webb,
was crossing Broad Run, about noon, there suddenly came
out of the woods north of the railroad, not more than a
hundred yards distant, explosion after explosion of cannon,
and the next moment, the heads of the rebel columns
appeared in view. The attack was totally unexpected, and
was designed to throw the Corps into confusion. But Warren, whose clear head no surprise could unsettle, at once, with
that tactical skill for which he is so remarkable, threw his
army into position along the railroad, and awaited the onset.
Hurrying up his artillery, and planting it with consummate
judgment, he soon rained a terrible fire on the rebel ranks.
Scarce ten minutes had elapsed after the first sudden explosion of artillery, before our batteries were throwing their
shells with fatal precision into those of the enemy. So
horrible was the fire, that the rebels soon left their pieces
in dismay, and fled to the woods. As the smoke lifted, and
disclosed six of them standing deserted in the field, Warren
detailed ten men from each regiment to bring them off.
They bounded forward with a shout, and seizing them and
wheeling them on the retreating foe, fired a parting salute,




ï~~DARING OF LEE.

277

then dragged five of them back within their lines, amid the
wildest cheering of their comrades.- The rebel infantry now
charged Warren's position, but were met with such a withering fire that they broke for the woods, to form again. After
five hours of fighting, the rebel leaders gave it up, and
retired to the woods, from which they kept up an irregular
artillery fire till dark, when they fell back with a loss of
some thirteen hundred in killed, wounded and prisoners, six
pieces of artillery, and two battle-flags.
This was Warren's first battle as sole Commander, and the
Way he fought it showed the highest skill and capacity as a
General. Meade, in his congratulatory order, said; "The
skill and promptitude of Major-General Warren, and the
gallantry and hearing of the officers and soldiers of the
Second Corps, are entitled to high commendation."
Lee, having forced Meade to fall back to the line of Bull
Run, destroyed the Orange and Alexandria railroad from
the Rapidan to Manassas. He deserved a good deal of
credit for this skillful movement, for, with an army much
inferior to Meade's at the outset, he had sent off a large
body to reinforce Bragg; then with his comparatively small
force, had boldly assumed the offensive, and forced our army
into a retreat.
On the 7th of the next month, Generals French and
Sedgwick attacked a portion of the rebel army at Kelly's
Ford, taking about five hundred prisoners. The Rappahannock Station was protected by several strong forts. On the
north side was a fort and two redoubts, held by a force two
thousand strong. Against these, French and Sedgwick
next moved, with great rapidity, and, having cut off the
enemy's retreat, -stormed them-the Sixth Maine, Fifth
Wisconsin and Fourteenth New York forming the assaulting
force. As they dashed into the rifle-pits and forts, a short
and  bloody hand-to-hand fight followed-men     actually




ï~~278

ADVANCE OF MEADE.

grasping each other's bayonets, in the close death struggle.
But in twenty minutes it was over, and then a loud and
thrilling cheer went up. Over sixteen hundred men, four
guns, and eight battle-flags, fell into our hands.
Lee now retired to his old position behind the Rapidan,
not so jubilant- as when he advanced across it to drive
Meade back to the Rappahannock. The latter, stung at the
audacious manner in which he had been driven, by an inferior force, from the Rapidan, now made preparations to
advance again, and on the 26th of November, the day after
the battle of Missionary Ridge, the Second Corps, under
General Warren, marched to the Germania Ford, and crossed
the river in the afternoon-many of the troops wading up
to their necks in the icy water. Warren then moved forward,
and next day, confronted the rebel army. But General
French, on the right, and Sykes on the left, marching by
different routes, had not been heard from-in fact, the former had lost his way-and hence, Warren could not make
the attack he contemplated. But, at sundown, he advanced
his skirmishers, and, by his brilliant manceuvering, made the
enemy believe that he was about to attack him, and thus
gained time for the other Corps to arrive. Just before dark,
the First Corps, under Newton, came up, and at daylight
next morning, the Sixth, under Sedgwick. The line of
battle was at once formed, and advanced, but the enemy
was gone, having decamped the night before. A pursuit
was immediately started, and the rear-guard overtaken.
But a heavy rain setting in, accompanied by a dense fog,
it was impossible to obtain accurate knowledge of the
rebel position, which was a very strong one, on the west
bank of Mine Run. Warren, however, determined if possible
to bring on a battle, and, with an escort, advanced and made
a close personal reconnoissance of the enemy's fortifications.
So perilous was this bold tour along the hostile lines, that




ï~~WINTER QUARTERS.

279

twenty men were killed and wounded before it was completed. Warren having laid his plans, resolved to attack,
and the next morning at daylight, his Corps was in motion.
But the whole day was spent in manoeuvering his forces, in
the wooded, unknown country, to thwart the rebel attempt to
get in his rear, and to obtain the required position. He reported to Meade that night, when it was resolved that a general
assault on the enemy's fortifications should take place at
eight o'clock the next morning. But Warren ascertained,
at daylight, that -the rebel lines had been entirely changed
during the night, and that his force and position were such
that it would be foolhardiness to make the attempt, when as
yet the whole army was not up. Another plan was formed,
but abandoned, and, on the night of the 1st of December,
the army recrossed the Rapidan, and eventually retired to
winter quarters.
Thus ended the third year of the history of the Army of
the Potomac. Its last operations had not been successful,
though Warren, the young and recently-made Major-General,
had shown a generalship and capacity for command, which
made him one of the most prominent leaders in it, and
marked him out as one of the main pillars on which Grant
was to rest in his great campaign.
During this month (Decenmber), a brilliant exploit was
performed by General Averill, who was directed to destroy
the East Tennessee and Virginia railroad. It cannot be
described in fewer words than in his own language:
"I cut the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, at Salem, on
the 16th instant, and arrived safely at this point (Edray,
Pocahontas County, W. Va.,) with my command-consisting
of the Second, Third and Eighth Virginia mounted infantry,
Fourteenth Pennsylvania, Dobson's battalion of cavalry, and
Ewing's battery at Salem.
" Three depots were destroyed, containing two thousand
48




ï~~280

AVERILL S RAID.

barrels of flour, ten thousand bushels of wheat, one hundred
thousand bushels of shelled corn, fifty thousand bushels of
oats, two thousand barrels of meat, several cords of leather,
one thousand sacks of salt, thirty-one boxes of clothing,
twenty bales of cotton, a large amount of harness, shoes and
saddles, equipments, tools, oil, tar, and various other stores,
and one hundred wagons.
"The telegraph wire was cut, coiled and burned, for half
a mile.
"The water-station, turn-table and three cars were buined,
and the track torn up and rails heated and destroyed as
much as possible in six hours. Five bridges, and several
culverts, were destroyed, over an extent of fifteen miles.
"A large quantity of bridge-timber and repairing materials were also destroyed.
"My march was retarded occasionally by the tempest in
the mountains, and the icy roads. I was obliged to swim
my command, and drag my artillery with ropes, across
Craig's Creek, seven times in twenty-four hours.
"On may return, I found six separate commands-under
Generals Early, Jones, Fitz-Hugh Lee, Imboden, Jackson,
Echols, and McCausland-arranged in a line extending from
Staunton to Newport, upon all the available roads, to prevent my return. I captured a dispatch from General Jones
to General Early,. giving me the position and that of Jackson at Clifton Forge, and Covington was selected to carry.
"I marched from the front of Jones to that of Jackson,
at night. His outposts were pressed in, at a gallop, by the
Eighth Virginia mounted infantry, and the two bridges
across Jackson's River were saved, although fagots had
been piled ready to ignite.
"My column, about four miles long, hastened across,
regardless of the enemy, until all but my ambulances, a few
wagons, and one regiment, had passed, when a strong effort




ï~~AVERILL' S RAID.'

281

was made to retake the first bridge, in which they did not
succeed.
"The ambulances and some sick men were lost, and, by
the darkness and difficulties, the last regiment was detained
upon the opposite side until morning. When it was ascertained that the enemy seemed determined to maintain his
position up the cliffs which overlooked the bridges, I
caused the bridges, which were long and high, to be destroyed, and the enemy immediately changed his position
to the flank and rear of the detachment which was cut off.
I sent orders to the remnants to destroy our wagons, and
come to me across the river, or over the mountains.
"They swam the river, with the loss of only four -men
who were drowned, and joined me. In the meantime,
forces of the enemy were concentrating upon me, at Callaghan's, over every available road but one, which was deemed
impracticable, but by which I crossed over the top of the
Alleghanies with my command, with the exception of four
caissons, which were destroyed in order to increase the
teams of the pieces. My loss is six men drowned, one officer
and four men wounded, and four officers and ninety men
missing.
"We captured about two hundred prisoners, but have
retained but forty officers and eighty men, on account of
their inability to walk. We took also about one.hundred
and fifty horses.
"My horses have subsisted entirely upon a very poor
country, and the officers and men have suffered cold, hunger
and fatigue with remarkable fortitude. My command has
marched, climbed, slid and swum three hundred and fifty-five
miles, since the 8th instant."
The public mind, East, had been kept in a state of
excitement by other than military events. During November, the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, for the burial of




ï~~282

AMNESTY PROCLAMATION.

the soldiers who fell there, was consecrated, with great ceremony--Edward Everett delivering the Address.
The most important event of December, however, was ac
proclamation of amnesty, by the President, and a proposition
for the admission of rebel States back into the Union. A
full pardon was granted to all who would take the following
oath, except the class afterwards mentioned.
" I,     -, do solemnly swear, in presence of Almighty God, that I
will henceforth'faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the
United States, and the Union of the States thereunder; and that I will, in
like manner, abide by and faithfully support all Acts of Congress passed
during the existing rebellion with reference to slaves, so long and so far as
not repealed, modified or held void by Congress, or by decision of the
Supreme Court; and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithfully support allproclamations of the President, made during the existing rebellion,
having reference to slaves, so long and so far as not modified or declared
void by decision of the Supreme Court. So help me, God."
The persons excepted from the benefits of the foregoing provisions, are:
All who are, or shall have been, civil or diplomatic officers or agents of the
so-called Confederate Government; all who have left judicial stations under
the United States, to aid the rebellion; all who are, or shall have been,
military or naval officers of said so-called Confederate Government, above
the rank of Colonel in the Army, or of Lieutenant in the Navy; all who
left seats in the United States Congress, to aid the rebellion; all who
resigned commissions in the Army or Navy of the United States, and afterward aided the rebellion; and all who have engaged in any way in treating
colored persons, or white persons in charge of such, otherwise than lawfully
as prisoners of war, and which persons may have been found in the United
States service as soldiers, seamen, or in any other capacity.
The following portion, relating to the re-establishment of
the States in the Union, was met with a storm of denunciation by the opposition, as a high-handed attempt to secure
electoral votes at the Presidential Election to take place the
next Autumn:
"And I do further proclaim, declare, and make known, that whenever in
any of the States of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee,
Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina, a
number of persons, not less than one-tenth in number of the votes cast in
such State at the Presidential Election of the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty, each having taken the oath aforesaid and not having
since violated it, and being a qualified voter by the election law of the State
existing immediately before the so-called Act of Secession, and excluding




ï~~POLITICAL AGITATION.

283

all others, shall re-establish a State Government which shall be republican,
and in nowise contravening said oath, such shall be recognized as the true
Government of the State, and the State shall receive thereunder the benefits
of the Constitutional provision which declares that 'the United States shall
guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government,
and shall protect each of them against, invasion, and, on application of the
Legislature, or the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened),
against domestic violence.'
And I do further proclaim, declare, and make known that any provision
which may be adopted by such State Government in relation to the freed
people of such State, which shall recognize and declare their permanent
freedom, provide for their education, and which may yet be consistent, as a
temporary arrangement, with their present condition as a laboring, landless
and homeless class, will not be objected to by the National Executive. And
it is suggested as not improper, that, in constructing a loyal State Government in any State, the name of the State, the boundary, the subdivisions,
the Constitution, and the general code of laws, as before the rebellion, be
maintained, subject only to the modifications made necessary by the conditions heretofore stated, and such others, if any, not contravening said
conditions, and which may be deemed expedient by those framing the new
State Government.
To avoid misunderstanding, it may be proper to say that this proclamation, so far as it relates to State Governments, has no reference to States
wherein loyal State Governments have all the while been maintained. And,
for the same reason, it may be proper to further say, that whether members
sent to Congress from any State shall be admitted to seats, constitutionally
rests exclusively with the respective Houses, and not to any extent with the
Executive. And still further, that this proclamation is intended to present
the people of the States wherein the National authority has been suspended,
and loyal State Governments have been subverted, a mode in and by which
the National and loyal State Governments may be re-established within said
States, or in any of them; and, while the mode presented is the best the
Executive can suggest, with his present impressions, it must not be understood that no other possible mode would be a6&table.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the eighth day of December, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-eighth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN."
All during the Autumn, political matters agitated the
public mind almost as much as events in the field.
Schenck's military orders with regard to elections in Maryland and Delaware, were denounced as an attempt to control
the polls with the bayonet; and all felt that the fierce party
strife that was to be waged the comiig year, would test the
stability  of our Government more than anything that had
yet transpired-and trembled to contemplate it.




ï~~284

A LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.

The Army of the Potomac, as we have noticed, went into
winter quarters near Washington, confronted by the rebel armor
under Lee; and Grant's army did the same at Chattanooga, in
front of Bragg. The calls, from time to time, for volunteers,
had amounted to a prodigious number, and still the war
seemed as far from being over as ever, and it became very
evident that a radical change must be made in the mode of
carrying it on. Scott's original plan was, to have two great
armies move simultaneously-one down the Valley of the
Mississippi, and another along the Eastern coast-and driving
the enemy before them, finally crush him somewhere in the
Southern States. McClellan's plan was the same; and the
movements West commenced almost simultaneously with his.
The recall of the army from before Richmond, broke up this
plan, and ever since, in the East, the Government had been occupied in defending its own Capital. This course, it was plain,
must be brought to a close, or the war never would be ended.
Halleck was evidently unequal to the task of grasping and
carrying out a great plan; and the Secretary of War was
no better. Congress, had only made matters worse, by
its interference, and resolved, at last, to abandon it, and
compel the Cabinet to do the same, and so passed an Act
creating the office of Lieutenant-General-evidently for the
purpose of giving General Grant that rank. The President
at once nominated him, and his confirmation took a heavy
load from the public heart. A military man, with the power
to grasp and the energy to carry out a great plan, and
embrace the vast field of operations, was at last at the head
Sof the national forces, and it was plain that the day of "quidnuncs" at Washington was over. The mighty power of the
North, which had been hurled hither and thither with such
blind energy, was to be held calmly in hand, and made to
move like the steady, resistless tide of the ocean, on the
rebel forces.




ï~~SHERMAN'S RAID.

285

Previous, however, to the commencement of this new
order of things, and as if designed by Providence as a
preparation, a movement was made by Sherman into Central
Mississippi. Placing a cavalry force of nearly eight thousand under General W. F. Smith, with orders to start on the
1st of February from Memphis, and to move toward
Meridian, he himself, on the 3rd of February; with a force
of about twenty thousand infantry and twelve hundred
cavalry, and provisions for twenty days, took his departure
from Vicksburg. His march was easterly, across the Big
Black River, by way of Champion Hills, Clinton and Jackson. Moving rapidly eastward-scattering the astonished
enemy as he advanced-by the middle of the month, he was
at Meridian, the center of a network of railroads. Here he
halted, and waited for Smith's cavalry, but it did not come.
This officer did not start till the 11th, and had advanced
only a little beyond Okalona, when he was met by the
enemy. Ordering a retreat, he was attacked and defeated
badly, and finally succeeded in reaching Memphis with his
command completely disorganized. Sherman intended to
cut off Mobile from Johnston, who had succeeded Bragg in
the command of the Confederate army; confuse and cut up,
as much as possible, Polk's army, that was confronting him;
destroy military depots, supplies, &c.; and, if everything
should work favorably, swoop down on Mobile, on which Farragut was pounding. But Smith's defeat put a stop to his
movements. He did not dare to advance further without
that cavalry force, and so he leisurely retraced his steps to
Vicksburg, followed at a respectful distance by his cautious
adversary.
This expedition was designed to be an important one, and
the public expected great results from it; but the failure
of the cavalry force to co-operate with it, converted it into
a raid. Yet, in moving across the whole State of Missis



ï~~286             USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.
sippi, for a hundred and thirty miles, he had not merely
caused great destruction, and terror among the inhabitants,
but had tested practically the capacity of the country to
feed an army, and doubtless obtained that knowledge which
afterward made him attempt the bold and daring march
across the State of Georgia.




ï~~/ / Z, -/, x   /-  e,;,e      -




ï~~


ï~~CHAPTER XXII.

GRANT AT THE HEAD OF ALL OUR ARMIES-SHERMAN APPOINTED OVER GRANT'S
DEPARTMENT WEST-A SURVEY OF THE WHOLE FIELD-FARRAGUT AT MOBILE-CALL FOR FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN-BUTLER'S FAILURE BEFORE
RICHMOND-THE EXPEDITION INTO FLORIDA UNDER GENERAL SEYMOURBATTLE OF OLUSTEE-KILPATRICK S BOLD ATTEMPT TO LIBERATE OUR
PRISONERS IN RICHMOND-DEATH OF COLONEL DAHLGREN-FORREST'S RAID
IN KENTUCKY-SURRENDER OF UNION CITY-ATTACK ON PADUCAH-DASTARDLY CONDUCT OF THE REBELS-ATTACK ON FORT PILLOW-THE MASSACRE-THE REBELS ATTACK PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA-A REBEL IRONCLAD ATTACKS THE MIAMI AND SOUTHFIELD, SINKING THE LATTER-EVACUATION OF PLYMOUTH-POPULAR INDIGNATION.
EVERYTHING now seemed ready for the great change
that took place the next month, when LieutenantGeneral Grant was put at the head of all the armies of the
Union. The same order of the 12th of March, that gave
him this high position, assigned to Sherman the command
of the Department of the Mississippi-composed of the
minor Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee, and Arkansas-in short, the command vacated by
Grant.   Under him, was a group of lieutenants rarely
equaled, never surpassed, in any army-McPherson, Hooker,
Thomas, Howard, Hurlbut, Logan and Schofield. It was a
grand army, and grandly officered.
Grant, in Washington, at once went back to the original
military plan of moving two armies simultaneously southone east, and the other west of the Alleghanies,. Richmond
and Atlanta were the objective points, which, when once
reached-the former the head, and the latter the heart of
the Confederacy-the two mighty armies could steadily




ï~~288

SURVEY OF THE FIELD.

approach each other, crushing and grinding whatever lay
between them. As Grant, from his high position, took a
glance at the work before him, what a spectacle met his
gaze! Never before had one Commander surveyed such a
vast field of operations, and looked over such a mighty
array, subject to his single control. From the Potomac to
the Rio Grande, for five thousand miles, arose the smoke of
camp-fires, and stood embattled hosts awaiting his bidding.
To aid him in the gigantic task before him, six hundred
vessels of war lined the rivers and darkened the coast for
twenty-five hundred miles, while four thousand guns lay
ready to send their stern summons into rebel defenses.
Soon, the effect of Grant's grand designs began to be
felt, though scarcely seen by the public eye. Railways
groaned under the weight of soldiers returning to their
regiments; the rivers were black with transports bearing
ordnance and supplies, and the entire North trembled under
the tremendous preparations going forward. It was no single
isolated battle that Grant contemplated, but mighty, unceasing blows to be dealt by the colossal force under his command. It was to be a final struggle between the North and
South-the last fatal interlocking of the two giants in a
death grapple.
We needed a practical head like his, over the Navy
Department. If the naval power of the South had borne
any proportion to its land forces, this want would have been
felt in a deplorable manner. But our naval strength was so
overwhelmingly preponderant, that great disasters were
almost impossible. But the feelings of our naval Commanders
may be gathered from Farragut's dispatches from before
Mobile, on the outer forts of whose Bay he was fiercely
pounding, while Sherman was traversing the State of Mississippi with the hope of lending him a helping hand. In
the latter part of January, he had made a bold reconnoissance




ï~~FARRAGUT AT MOBILE.

289

of Forts Morgan and Gaines, and, as a result of his observations, wrote to the Secretary of the Navy that he was satisfied that if he had had but a single iron-clad, he could have
"destroyed the whole force in the Bay, and reduced the
forts at his leisure."  In the latter part of February, he
shelled Fort Powell. Two or three months later, he wrote:
" I deeply regret that the Department has not been able to
give us one of the many iron-clads that are off Charleston
and on the Mississippi. I have always looked for the latter,
but it appears that it takes us twice as long to build an ironclad as any one else. It looks as if the contractors and the
fates were against us. While the rebels are bending their
whole energies to the war, our people are expecting the
war to close by default, and if they do not awake to a sense
of their danger soon, it will be so."  This was very plain
talk, by one who stood at the head of the navy, to the
Secretary, and shows how differently things would have
been managed if hhad been allowed to control matters.
Between the victory of Chattanooga and the next May,
when Grant would be ready to begin his great simultaneous
movement of the two grand armies of the republic, there
was considerable activity in military affairs in various parts
of the country. In January, quite a fight occurred at
Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, and the rebels obtained some
successes in Western Virginia. The President's proclamation, on the 1st of February, ordering a draft for five
hundred thousand men to be made on the 10th day of
March, showed what mighty preparations were in prospect.
Butler, having heard that Richmond was weakly garrisoned, started an expedition to liberate the prisoners there,
but it turned out a miserable failure.
One of the most important expeditions-or, at least, most
talked about-was one under General Seymour, that left
Port Royal, the fore part of the month, for Jacksonville,




ï~~290

FLORIDA EXPEDITION.

Florida.  It was composed    of twenty steamers, eight
schooners, and about 9ve thousand troops. It left Hilton
Head on the morning of the 6th, and occupied Jacksonville
the next day. Gillmore, the Commander of the Department,
said the object of the expedition was: First, to procure an
outlet for cotton, lumber, timber, &c. Second, to cut off
one of the enemy's sources of supplies. Third, to obtain
recruits for any colored regiments. And last, "to inaugurate measures for the speedy restoration of Florida to her
allegiance, in accordance with instructions received from the
President, by the hands of Major John Hay, Assistant AdjutantGeneral."  The three first reasons might as well have been
omitted, as the last was the true one. Seymour, in accordance with his instructions, pushed a force on to Baldwin,
twenty miles from Jacksonville, while another portion was
sent forward to Sanderson. These preliminary steps being
taken, Gillmore returned to Jacksonville, leaving Seymour
in command in the field. The latter, on his own responsibility, now determined to advance inland a hundred miles,
without supplies, in order to destroy the railroad, near the
Savannah River. On the 18th, the army left its camp at
Jacksonville, in light marching order, with ten days' rations,
and made sixteen miles, over bad roads, that day. The
next day, it marched seventeen miles, and encamped at a
place called Barber's. In the morning, the march was
resumed, the objective point being Lake City, nearly forty
miles distant; but the columns had proceeded only sixteen
or eighteen miles, when the enemy's skirmishers were met.
Pushing these back four miles, the army came upon the
rebels in force. The columns were at once deployed, and
Hamilton's battery ordered forward to within a hundred and
fifty yards of the hostile linie. This close proximity, of
course, brought the gunners completely under the fire of the
sharpshooters. It went in with four pieces, fifty horses,




ï~~BATTLE OF OLUSTEE.                 291
eighty-two men and four officers. In twenty minutes, half
of the guns, half of the officers, more than half of the men,
and all but ten of the horses, were lost. The different regiments, as they came into position, were met by a murderous
fire. One broke, another got out of place, and yet the
conflict raged with terrible ferocity. Seymour was everywhere present, apparently. reckless of death, striving to win
the battle thus suddenly, unexpectedly thrown upon him;
but his efforts were all in vain. Hle succeeded only in
holding the-men to a useless slaughter. From two o'clock
till dark, the contest was close and deadly, when, as if by
mutual consent, it ceased, and Seymour, leaving most of his
wounded in the hands of the enemy, withdrew, and the
troops, foot-sore and weary, marched all night to Barber'shaving marched over thirty miles, and fought for four hours,
since the previous morning. The next morning (Sunday),
the shattered, dispirited army continued its retreat, and did
not rest till it reached its old camps at Jacksonville. Over
one-fifth of the army of five thousand men, and five pieces
of artillery, were lost in this disastrous fight-called the
battle of Olustee, because it occurred a few miles from this
railroad station. The whole affair caused a great deal of
indignation, and, as in the case of all foolish, unsuccessful
expeditions, every one engaged in it was blamed by turns.
Now the President and Hay-whom he had made Major on
purpose to accompany the expedition-were blamed; now
Seymour, for being ambuscaded, and now Gillmore, for
allowing it to be so miserably conducted. So, too, the
Seventh New Hampshire, and a colored regiment, were
accused of losing the battle by their poltroonry. Of course,
an investigation was called for, while the newspapers discussed it freely, without waiting for its developments. Gillmore asserted that Seymour moved inland in direct violation
of his orders, and, after he started, required him, his superior,




ï~~292

KILPATRICK'S RAID.

to make a naval demonstration in his behalf. Seymour has
not seen fit to tell how much the presence of Major Hay had
to do with this departure from the course marked out for him
by Gillmore. We suspect it would be hard to fix the blame
on any one man. It was one of those shrewd little plans
got up between those at Washington and some civilians and
officers-the success of which was intended to astonish the
country, and show that all the wisdom did not rest in military
quarters. All that need be said of it is, it was a foolish
expedition: from the start-badly carried out, and a total,
disgraceful failure.
The rebel General, Patton Anderson, soon after the battle,
did an act which should be mentioned to his honor. He
made out and sent in a complete list of all our prisoners in
his hands, both white and colored, together with a description of the character of the injuries of each of the wounded.
This conduct was the more noticeable, being in such striking
contrast with the brutality shown to the blacks at Fort
Wagner and other places.
In the latter part of the month, Kilpatrick started on his
great raid for the relief of our prisoners in Richmond, which
were reported to be in a most suffering condition. Knowing that the rebel Capital was weakly garrisoned, he thought
that he might, by a sudden dash, enter it and release them
before a sufficient force could be brought up to arrest his
progress. His plan was submitted to the President and
Secretary of War, and after due deliberation accepted, and,
on the last day of February, this daring leader, with four
thousand chosen men, left his camp at Stevensburg, and
marched for Ely's Ford, on the Rapidan. By the aid of a
daring scout named Hogan, he succeeded in capturing the
entire picket stationed there, without giving the alarm. He
then pushed rapidly forward, and at daylight reached
Spottsylvania Court House. Elated with his successful start,




ï~~RICHMOND ALARMED.

293

he now moved rapidly towards the Beaver Dam Station, on
the Virginia Central railroad, which he reached at four
o'clock, and where he went into camp for a few hours.
Colonels Dahlgren and Cook, with five hundred men, had
been sent across the James River, to move down its south
bank and release the prisoners at Belle Isle, and then with
them join Kilpatrick in the city, who was to enter it by the
Brook turnpike. The latter carried the first line of rebel
works, within two miles of the Capital, and opened on it
with his artillery, the sound of which was to be the signal
for Dahlgren to advance. The latter, however, misled by a
negro guide, did not appear, and Kilpatrick, disappointed
in not having his co-operation, and finding the rebel defenses
stronger than he had anticipated, now spent some hours in
reconnoitering to see if he could not find a weak place
where he could dash in. In the meantime, the city was
thrown into the wildest consternation. The bells were rung,
and couriers sent off to hurry up the troops on the Chickahominy. Finding the obstacles in front of him too great to
be surmounted, and the hostile forces concentrating fast, he
wad compelled reluctantly to abandon his bold design, and see
to the safety of his command. Falling back, he swept around
Richmond to the Chickahominy, which he crossed, at Meadow
Bridge, and went into camp in the midst of a driving storm of
sleet, and hail, and snow. Here he was attacked by a heavy
force, but succeeded, after a sharp fight, in repulsing it; and
noving off to Old Church, again went into camp, to wait
the arrival of his scattered detachments.. During the day,
they all came in except Dahlgren's ctmmand. At length,
hearing that the latter was over the Pamunkey, and making
his way towards Gloucester Point, he moved leisurely down
the Peninsula, and arrived safely at Yorktown. Dahlgren,
becoming separated in the darkness from his main body,
fought his way, with a hundred men, to within.three miles




ï~~294

DEATH OF DAHLGREN.

of King and Queen Court-House, where he fell into an
ambuscade and was shot down, and all but seventeen of his
party killed or taken prisoners. The body of this gallant
young officer was shamefully maltreated, and buried in the
middle of the road by the rebels, to show their savage hate.
They asserted, in extenuation of their conduct, that a paper
was found in his pocket, directing that Richmond when
captured should be laid in ashes and given over to plunder.
This raid had a special, noble object in view, which would
sanction the taking of heavy risks.
The sudden appearance of the rebels, the latter part of
this same month, in the western part of Kentucky, took the
country by surprise.
On the 24th of March, Forrest, in command of the rebel
forces, attacked Union City, which was surrendered by
Colonel Hawkins, the Commander, in a manner that called
forth the bitterest condemnation. The next day, the combined rebel force, numbering in alL six thousand men,
attacked Paducah, which post was held by Colonel S. G.
Hicks, with six hundred and fifty-five men. On the approach
of the enemy, Colonel Hicks reti:d into Fort Anderson
with his little band, resolved to hold it to the last extremity,
while some gunboats in the river, commanded by Captain=
Shirk, moved up to his assistance. Forrest advanced to'
the attack, but failed to make any impression on the foit.
He then sent a flag of truce to Colonel Hicks, demanding'
the surrender of the place, 4ing in conclusion; " If you
surrender, you shall be treated as prisoners of war, but if I
have to storm your works, you may expect no quarter."
Hicks very quietly replied, that he had been placed there
by his Government to defend the post, and should do it.
Forrest, however, made a base use of the flag of truce, and
advanced his troops, while the negotiations were going on,
to advantageous positions. H-is sharpshooters also mingled




ï~~A COWARDLY ACT.

295

with the women and children that had been sent out of town
to avoid danger, and picked off the officers of the gunboats,
knowing that they could not be fired on without killing the
women and children. They also placed women in front of
their lines as they. moved towards the fort-a piece of
dastardly cowardice that can hardly be believed of any
American.
Forrest made three desperate assaults on the place during
the day, but each time ryas mnet with such a destructive fire
that he was repulsed with a loss of three hundred killed
and about a thousand wounded, While on our side only
sixty were killed or wounded. Finding that Colonel Hicks
could be neither frightened nor forced, into a surrender, he
withdrew, and on the 12th of next month-the anniversary
of the attack on Fort Sumter-drove in the pickets of the
garrison of Fort Pillow. This fort was situated on a high
bluff on the banks of the Mississippi, and was garrisoned
with five hundred and fifty-seven men-two hundred and
sixty-two of whom were colored troops.
MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.
The attack was made at sunrise. Major Booth, of the
colored troops, the senior in command, was killed about nine
oclock, and Major Bradford succeeded him. Forrest pressed
his attack vigorously, up to three o'clock, but without any
success. The gunboat New Era, Captain Marshall, threw
its shells with great effect into the rebel ranks, causing them
to flee from one ravine into another, as she shifted from one
position to another in answer to the signals from the fort.
Forrest, finding that he could not carry the place by assault,
resorted to a flag pf truce, under cover of which, with true
Mexican duplicity, he determined to gain a position that
would, enable him, with a single dash, to get into the fort. He
49




ï~~296

MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.

now demanded a surrender of the place, and Major Bradford
asked an hour in which to consult with his officers. Forrest
replied that he would give him but twenty minutes, and in
the meantime moved his men along a ravine to the position
he desired. Bradford rejecting the summons to surrender,
the rebels made a sudden rush, and, with the cry, ' No
quarter! " cleared the ramparts with a bound. There was
no fighting-overwhelmed by superior numbers, the troops,
black and white, threw down their, arms, and precipitated
themselves down the steep bluff near the fort-some hiding
themselves under the brush that lined the river shoresome taking refuge in the water itself, and lying with
their heads just far enough out to allow them to breathe.
Then commenced a scene of cruelty and murder that
finds its parallel in our land only in '"Forts Mimms and
Raisin. All of the savage was there-the thirst for blood,
remorseless hate and barbarity, and fiendish yells all but
the scalping-knife. Neither sex, nor age, nor color, was
spared-everything went down before that bloody onslaught.
Even children were hacked to death or coolly shot down,
while their tearful, despairing faces were turned pleadingly
on their murderers. The sick were not spared by these
fiends, who seemed determined to enact a scene that
should shock the civilized world. The matter was one that
demanded some official action, and the Joint Committee on
the Conduct and Expenditures of the War appointed Messrs..Wade and Gooch a sub-committee to proceed to the spot,
and investigate it. That we may not seem to exaggerate
the conduct of the rebels, we quote a portion of the report
of this Committee:
"Immediately after the second flag of truce retired, the
rebels made a rush from the positions they had so treacherously gained, and obtained possession of the fort, raising
the cry of 'No quarter!' But little opportunity was




ï~~THE MASSACRE.

297

allowed for resistance. Our troops, black and white, threw
down their arms, and sought to escape by running down
the steep bluff near the fort, and secreting themselves behind
trees and logs, in the bushes, and under the brush-some
even jumping into the river, leaving only their heads above
the water, as they crouched down under the bank.
"Then followed a scene of cruelty and murder without a
parallel in civilized warfare, which needed but the tomahawk
and scalping-knife to exceed the worst atrocities ever committed by savages. The rebels commenced an indiscriminate
slaughter, sparing neither age nor sex, white nor- black,
soldiei or civilian. The officers and men seemed to vie
with each other in the devilish work; men, women, and
even children, wherever found, were deliberately shot down,
beaten, and hacked with sabres; some of the children, not
more than ten years old, were forced to stand up and face
their murderers, while being shot; the sick and the wounded
were butchered without mercy-the rebels even entering the
hospital-building, and dragging them out to be shot, or
killing them as they lay there unable to offer the least
resistance. All over the hill-side, the work of murder was
going on; numbers of our men were collected together in
lines or groups, and deliberately shot; some were shot while
in the river, while others on the bank were shot, and their
bodies kicked into the water, many of them still living but
unable to make any exertions to save themselves from
drowning. Some of the rebels stood on the top of the hill,
or a short distance down its side, and called to our soldiers
to come up to them, and as they approached, shot them
down in cold blood if their guns or pistols missed fire,
forcing them to stand there until they were again prepared
to fire. All around were hear   cries of 'No quarter!'
'No quarter!' 'Kill the damned niggers; shoot them
down!' All who asked for mercy, were answered by the




ï~~298

THE MASSACRE.

most cruel taunts and sneers. Some were spared for a time,
only to be murdered under circumstances of greater cruelty.
No cruelty which the most fiendish malignity could devise,
was omitted by these murderers. One white soldier, who
was wounded,in one leg so as to be unable to walk, was
made to. stand up while his tormentors shot him; others who
were wounded and unable to stand, were held up and again
shot. One negro, who had: been ordered by a rebel officer
to hold his horse, was killed by him whew he remounted;
another, a mere child, whom an officer had taken up behind
him on his horse, was seen by Chalmers, who at once ordered
the officer to put him down and shoot himn, which was done.
The huts and tents in which many of the wounded had
sought shelter, were set on fire, both that night and- the
n.ext morning, while the wounded were still in them---those
only escaping who were able to get themselves out, or who
could prevail on others less injured than themselves to help
them out; and even some of those thus seeking to escape
the flames, were met by those ruffians and brutally shot
down, or had their brains beaten out. One man was deliberately fastened down to the floor of a tent, face upward,
by means of nails driven through his clothing and into the
boards under him, so that he could not possibly escape, and
then the tent set on fire; another was nailed to the side of
a building outside of the fort, and then the building set on
fire and burned. The charred remains of five or six bodies
were afterward found, all but one so much disfigured and
consumed by the flames that they could not be.identified,
and the identification of that one is not absolutely certain,
although there can hardly be a doubt that it was the body
of Lieutenant Akerstrom, Quartermaster of the Thirteenth
Tennessee cavalry, and a native Tennesseean; several witnesses who %-w the remains, and who were personally




ï~~THE MASSACRE.

299

acquainted with him while living, have testified that it is
their firm belief that it was his body that was thus treated.
"These deeds of murder and cruelty ceased when night
came on, only to be renewed the next morning, when the
demons carefully sought, among the dead lying about in all
directions, for any of the wounded yet alive, and those they
found were deliberately shot. Scores of the dead and
wounded were found there the day after the massacre, by
the men from some of our gunboats, who were permitted to
go on shore and collect the wounded and bury the dead.
The rebels themselves had made a pretense of burying a
great many of their victims, but they had merely thrown
them, without the least regard to care or decency, into the
trenches and ditches about the fort, or the little hollows and
ravines on the hill-side, covering the  but partially with
earth. Portions of heads and faces, hands and feet, were
found protruding through the earth in every direction. The
testimony also establishes the fact that the rebels buried
some of the living with the dead, a few of whom succeeded
afterward in digging themselves out, or were dug out by
others-one of whom your Committee found in Mound City
hospital, and there examined. And even when your Committee visited the spot, two weeks afterward, although parties of men had been sent on shore, from time to time, to
bury the bodies unburied, and rebury the others, and were
even then engaged in the same work, we found the evidences
of this murder and cruelty still most painfully apparent; we
saw bodies still unburied (at some distance from the fort)
of some sick men who had been met fleeing from the hospital,
and beaten down- and brutally murdered, and their bodies
left where they had fallen. We could still see the faces,
hands and feet of men, white and black, protruding out of
the ground, whose graves had not been reached by those
engaged in reinterring the victims of the massacre; and,




ï~~300

THE MASSACRE.

although a great deal of rain had fallen within the preceding
two weeks, the ground, more especially on the side and at
the foot of the bluff where the most of the murders had
been committed, was still discolored by the blood of our
brave but unfortunate men, and the logs and trees showed
but too plainly the evidences of the atrocities perpetrated
there.
"Many other instances of equally atrocious cruelty might
be enumerated, but your Committee feel compelled to refrain
from giving here more of the heart-sickening details, and
refer to the statements contained in the voluminous testimony
herewith submitted. Those statements were obtained by
them from eye-witnesses and sufferers; many of them, as
they were examined by your Committee, were lying upon
beds of pain and sffering, some so feeble, that their lips
could with difficulty frame the words by which they endeavored to convey s.ome idea of the cruelties which had been
inflicted on them, and which they had seen inflicted on
others.
S"How many of our troops thus fell victims to the malignity and barbarity of Forrest and his followers, cannot yet
be definitely ascertained. Two officers belonging to the
garrison, were absent at the time of the capture and massacre.
Of the remaining officers, but two are known to be living,
and they are wounded, and now in the hospital at Mound
City. One of them, Captain Potter, may even now be dead,
as the surgeons, when your Committee were there, expressed
no hope of his recovery. Of the men, from three hundred
to four hundred are known to have been killed at Fort
Pillow-of whom at least three hundred were murdered in
cold blood, after the post was in possession of the rebels,
and our men had thrown down their arms and ceased to
offer resistance. Of the survivors, except the wounded in
the hospital at Mound City, and the few who succeeded in




ï~~FATE OF BRADFORD.

301

making their escape unhurt, nothing definite is known; and
it is to be feared that many have been murdered after being
taken away from the fort.
"In reference to the fate of Major Bradford, who was in
command of the fort when it was captured, and who had up
to that time received no injury, there seems to be no doubt.
The general understanding everywhere seemed to be, that
he had been brutally murdered the day after he was taken
prisoner.
"There is some discrepancy in the testimony, but your
Committee do not see how the one who professed to have
been an eye-witness of his death could have been mistaken.
There may be some uncertainty in regard to his fate.
"When your Committee arrived at Memphis, Tennessee
they found and examined a man (Mr. McLagan) who had
been conscripted by some of Forrest's forces, but who, with
other conscripts, had succeeded in making his escape. He
testifies that while two companies of rebel troops, with Major
Bradford and many other prisoners, were on their march
from Brownsville to Jackson, Tennessee, Major Bradford
was taken by five rebels-one an officer-led about fifty
yards from the line of march, and deliberately murdered, in
view of all there assembled. He fell-killed instantly by
three musket-balls, even while asking that his life might be
spared, as he had fought them manfully, and was deserving
of a better fate. The motive for the murder of Major Bradford, seems to have been the simple fact that, although a
natie of the South, he remained loyal t6 his Government.
The testimony herewith submitted, contains many statements
made by the rebels, that they did not intend to treat ' homemade Yankees,' as they termed loyal Southerners, any better
than negro troops."
The testimony taken was very voluminous--covering thewhole ground; and, that there might be no charge of




ï~~302

TESTIMONY OF A PRIVATE.

unfairness, the name and rank of each witness were given,
together with all the questions put to him. A severe crossexamination would doubtless have caused many of the statements to be modified, and have impeached the credibility of
some of the witnesses. As an example of the kind of testimony bearing hardest against the perpetrators of this enormous crime, we give a single statement made by a private:
"In about five minutes after the disappearance of the flag
of truce, a general assault was made upon our works from
every direction. They were kept at bay for some time,
when the negroes gave way upon the left, and ran down the
bluff, leaving an opening through which the rebels entered,
and immediately commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of
both white and black. We all threw down our arms, and
gave tokens of surrender, asking for quarter.  (I was
wounded in the right shoulder and muscle of. the back, and
knocked down, before I threw down my gun.)     But no
quarter was given. Voices were heard upon all sides,
crying: ' Give them no quarter; kill them; kill them; it is
General Forrest's orders.' I saw four white men and at least
twenty-five negroes shot while begging for mercy; and I
saw one negro dragged from a hollow log within ten feet of
where I lay, and as one rebel held him by the foot another
shot him. These were all soldiers. There were also two
negro women and three little children standing within
twenty-five steps from me, when a rebel stepped up to them
and said: 'Yes, God damn you, you thought you were free,
did you?' and shot them all. They all fell but one child,
when he knocked it in the head with the breach of his gun.
They then disappeared in the direction of the landing,
following up the fugitives, firing at them wherever seen.
They came back in about three-quarters of an hour, shooting,
and robbing the dead of their money and clothes. I saw a
man with a canteen upon him, and a pistol in his hand. I




ï~~ATTACK ON PLYMOUTH.

303

ventured to ask him for a drink of water. He turned
around, saying: 'Yes, God damn you, I will give you a
drink of water,' and shot at my head three different times,
covering my face up with dust, and then turned from me,
no doubt thinking he had killed me, remarking: ' God damn
you, it's too late to pray now;' then went on with his
pilfering. I lay there until dark, feigning death, when a
rebel officer came along, drawing his sabre, and ordered me
to get up, threatening to run his sabre into me if I did not,
saying I had to march ten miles that night. I succeeded in
getting up, and got among a small squad he had already
gathered up, but stole away 'from them during the night,
and got among the dead, feigning death, for fear of being
murdered. The next morning, the gunboat came up and
commenced shelling them out, when I crawled out from
among the dead, and with a piece of paper motioned to the
boat; she came up, and I crawled on board.
his
WILLIAM F. ' MAYS."
mark.
It is hard to believe that native-born American citizensmen brought up in the light of the civilization of the
Nineteenth Century, and educated under Christian influences,
could be guilty of such deeds. Acts of violence have
been committed on both sides, during this sanguinary struggle, which are undreamed of by the public. It always has
lbeen, and always will be so, in war; but such deeds as these,
are not to be classed amid its ordinary cruelties, and should
never find a place among the records of civilization. Their
proper place is in the war song of the Indian, as he dances
around the fire in which his bleeding captives are writhing.
Another event of considerable importance, occurred on
the Eastern coast, at Plymouth, North Carolina, during the
month. A land force of rebels made a furious attack, on
the 18th, upon the garrison commanded by General Wessels,




ï~~304                 A REBEL RAM.
but were repulsed. The next day, the iron-clad rebel ramAlbermarle-came down the Roanoke River, and attacked
the Southfield and Miami. These two boats were fastened
together at the time, and were driven straight on the hostile
steamer, as she came heavily down. The latter, reckless
of the heavy rifled shot, that bounded like peas from her
mailed sides, moved fearlessly on the two boats, striking the
Southfield-sinking her immediately, and seriously damaging
the Miami. Captain Flusser was killed in the engagement.
It was feared that the. ram would soon have possession of
the whole Sound, and that Roanoke Island would be attacked.
Plymouth had to be evacuated, and the public was loud in
its denunciations of the Secretary of the Navy. A resolution
of inquiry was passed by Congress, requesting him to give
an explanation of the matter.




ï~~CHAPTER XXIII.
SANITARY FAIRS-BANKS IN NEW ORLEANS-INAUGURATION OF THE FREE
STATE GOVERNMENT-THE RED RIVER COTTON EXPEDITION-PORTER'S
ASCENT OF THE RED RIVER-CAPTURE OF BATTERIES BY GENERAL SMITHMARCH OF BANKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ALEXANDRIA-ADVANCE INTO
THE INTERIOR-DEFEAT OF BANKS-RETREAT' OF STEELE-RETURN OF THE
GUNBOATS TO ALEXANDRIA-UNABLE,TO GET BELOW THE FALLS-GRAND
ENGINEERING SUCCESS OF COLONEL BAILEY-PASSAGE OF THE FALLS BY
THE FLEET-AN EXCITING SPECTACLE-PROMOTION OF BAILEY-DESTRUCTION OF THE GUNBOATS SIGNAL, COVINgTON, AND TRANSPORT WARNERRETURN OF THE EXPEDITION--CANBY SUPERSEDES BANKS IN THE FIELDTHE LATTER RETURNS TO NEW ORLEANS-VIEW OF THE EXPEDITION.
THOUGH having no direct bearing on the war, the great
Fairs throughout the country the first few months of
this year, deserve a special mention. The raising of funds
on such a gigantic scale for the relief of our wounded and
sick soldiers, had never before been witnessed. Independent of the amount of good done, and the vast number of
soldiers thus saved to the army, it created a bond between
the people and the soldiers that rendered it impossible for
them ever to feel that their interests were separate.
Before the great decisive movements of the Spring commenced, the country was destined to suffer one more mortification from the failure of an ill-starred expedition.
General Banks in New Orleans after adjusting the labor
system and seeing to the elections, on the 4th of March inaugurated the Free State government with the most imposing
ceremonies. A multitude, estimated at fifty thousand in
number, assembled in Lafayette Square, where a platform
had been erected, and the newly elected Governor Hahn was




ï~~306

RED RIVER EXPEDITION.

installed into office amid the firing of cannon, the playing
of patriotic airs, and the huzzas of the multitude.
The political machinery having been put in working order,
Banks could turn his attention to affairs in the field, and in
this month a combined naval and land expedition was fitted
out destined to become famous as the "Red River Cotton
Expedition."
Porter, with a large fleet of gunboats and transports carrying a portion of Sherman's army under A. J. Smith, left
Vicksburg early in March, and proceeded towards Alexandria, where the main army, under Banks, was to-meet him,
after having marched across the country. The objective
point in the expedition was Shreveport, in Caddo Parish, on
the Red River, some six hundred and seventy miles by water
from New Orleans, and a great depot for commissary stores
of the rebel army. On the passage up the river, Fort DeRussey, a formidable work, was captured by a rapid land
march of Smith, together with ten guns and three hundred
prisoners. Alexandria surrendered to Porter without a battler and here, on the 17th, the land force joined him, having
marched a hundred and seventy miles in five days. The
army by land, and the gunboats by water, now moved forward toward Shreveport, some three hundred miles distant.
It was a long and weary march for the troops, and almost
equally arduous work for the gunboats to make their way
up the shallow, tortuous stream.  Steele, commanding in
Arkansas, was to co-operate with this force, moving on
Shreveport from Little Rock-having these two objects in
view-to keep Price, in Arkansas from joining the rebel
force under Kirby Smith in Louisiana, and to take Shreveport in rear while Banks advanced against it in front. At
Mansfield, forty-five miles from it, the rebels made a stand,
where our cavalry came up with them on the 8th of April.
The army was scattered over the country far back in the




ï~~DEFEAT OF BANKS.

307

rear, which Kirby Smith seemed fully aware of. At first,
on the 7th, the cavalry, commanded by Colonel Robinson,
drove the enemy before it, and pursued him some fourteen
miles, when the column came upon a body of infantry
which, after a sharp contest, was also forced back. Colonel
Landrum's brigade of infantry, and Colonel Lucas' of cavalry, coming up that night, the whole advanced in the morning, but on arriving near Sabine Cross-Roads, they found
themselves suddenly confronted by fifteen or twenty thousand men.   In the meantime General Ransom with his
troops arrived, accompanied by General Banks. The latter
immediately dispatched a courier to Franklin, in the rear, to
hasten up with his Corps, but Kirby Smith saw his advantage,
and pressed it vigorously. The cavalry in front were turned
back in terrible rout, and the troops though struggling
bravely to bear up against the disorder, were also at length
overborne and their artillery captured-their ranks being
broken by the fleeing wagon train which somehow had got in
advance.  But at this critical moment, when every thing
seemed lost, Franklin arrived with his Corps, and waving his
hat above his head fell furiously upon the exulting, shouting
rebels. Two horses were successively shot under him, but
leaping to the saddle of a third, he still led on his men.
By his gallantry he succeeded in checking the victorious
progress of the rebels for a time, but he also was at last
borne back in the refluent tide. Fortunately, the Nineteenth
Army Corps under General Emory, had been advised of the
rout, and stood drawn up in line of battle as the fleeing
army came in sight. Allowing the shattered, broken columns to pass to the rear, it closed sternly up and bravely
breasted the storm till darkness put an end to the conflict.
In the meantime Smith, with the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps, had reached Pleasant Hill, and drawn
up his forces behind a low ridge. The next day the rebels




ï~~308

THE RETREAT.

advanced, confident of success, and Emory, whose line of
battle had been formed in front of Smith, and masked him,
after dealing the enemy a heavy blow, fell back, according
to pre-arrangement, when the confident, shouting foe dashed
forward in pursuit. Smith's troops lay flat on the ground
until the first rebel line was well up the slope, when seven
thousand muskets suddenly blazed in its front, and the
artillery swept the crowding columns with terrible slaughter. The rebels, stunned at the suddenness and awfulness
of the blow, stopped and staggered back, and before they
could recover their senses, Smith gave the order to charge,
when his brave troops swept the field with a shout.
But nothing now could change the defeat into a victory,
and next morning the retreat was contintued. Banks sent
word to Porter, acquainting him with his disaster, and directed him to fall back to Grand Ecore, whither he was
retreating. From this point the retreat was continued to
Alexandria without serious molestation, except at Monet's
Bluff, where the rebels made an attack on'him, but were repulsed with heavy loss. Here he halted to save the gunboats, which could not get over the falls above the place, on
account of low water.
In the meantime Steele had advanced from Little Rock,
but when near Camden his wagon train was cut off and
destroyed. Marmaduke with a heavy force now confronted
him, and Banks having retreated, the whole rebel force was
free to operate against him, and he was compelled to fall back.
At Saline Falls, however, Price pressed him so hard that he
was forced to turn and give battle, and fell with such fury
on his pursuers, that they let him alone during the rest of
his retreat, and he reached Little Rock again in safety.
In the meantime the rebels were swarming along the
shores of the Red River, both above and below Alexandria.
Above, Porter was dreadfully harassed from the shores, and




ï~~A GREAT ENGINOER.

309

things began to wear a gloomy aspect. There was no appearance of a rise in the river, and without one, Porter's
entire fleet must be destroyed, to prevent its falling into the
hands of the enemy-for forage was getting short, and the
protecting army would soon have to move. With its departure
all attempts to save the boats would be abandoned. In this
painful dilemma Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey, acting engineer
of the Nineteenth Army Corps, proposed to build a series
of dams across the rocks at the lower falls, and raise the
water sufficiently to let the boats pass over the upper ones.
His plan was ridiculed by the best engineers, but Bailey had
tried it before, in floating logs down the western rivers, and
was so sanguine of success, promising to complete the work
in ten days, that Banks was requested to let him attempt it.
Three thousand men, and two or three hundred wagons
were put at his disposal, and the work commenced. Those
quiet shores at once became a human hive, and the sound
of the axe, the crash of falling trees and shouts of men,
made the forests echo. The army and fleet looked on in
astonishment at this new system of engineering adopted by
this bold western man. On the left bank of the river, a
dam, made of fallen trees, was run out some three hundred feet,
and then four coal barges filled with brick were sunk at the
end. From the other shore, cribs filled with stone to meet
the barges, were built. The work was successfully accomplished, and the water rapidly rose. In one day more it
would have been high enough to let the boats above the
upper falls pass over; when, unfortunately, on the 9th of
May, the pressure became so grgat that two of the coal
barges were forced downward from their position, and swung
round at right angles to the dam. The water immediately
began to pour through like a cataract. Porter saw with a
sinking heart the catastrophe, for he feared the men would
have no heart to rebuild the dam. Determined if possible




ï~~310

PASSIE OF THE BOATS.

to save some of his vessels, he jumped upon a horse and galloping up stream, ordered the Lexington to try to pass the
falls. She succeeded, and then headed straight for the fearful shute in the dam. Tens of thousands lined the shores,
watching with breathless interest the perilous movement.
Not a sound but the low steady rush of the torrent broke
the stillness as she neared the boiling m lstrom. Crowding
on all steam, her gallant Commander stood and calmly
watched the approaching crisis. The vessel, impelled by a
full head of steam, and the swiftly descending, sloping hill
of water, rushed like a mad thing toward what seemed certain destruction. Leaping into the boiling cauldron, she
settled heavily in the surge, and, for a momenta seemed
going to the bottom. Rolling heavily from side to side, she
at length caught on a- rock, and hung for aninstant suspended in the torrent, then, rising slowly, swept off into
deep water, and rounded quietly to. The watching, excited
multitude that had not.uttered a word while the fate of the
vessel was held in a fearful crisis, now rent the heavens
with deafening shouts. From shore to shore the wild cheers
echoed, and again and again were taken up and sent in
thunder toward the sky. The Neosho now tried it, but the
pilot becoming firightened as the vessel approached the
abyss, stopped her engine. Porter saw the fatal mistake,
and watched to see her disappear in the tumultuous waters.
Her hull went out of sight, and she seemed lost, but slowly
lifting herself again, she heaved forward and passed through,
though with a hole in her bottom. The 'partial success of
the experiment encouraged the men to rebuild the dam;
though they had been working for eight days and nights up to
their necks in water, they cheerfully entered on the herculean
task. Bailey now left a gap of fifty feet in the dam, to
avoid the tremendous pressure of the water, and built wing
dams on the falls above, so as to make a deep channel for the




ï~~THE FLEET SAVED.

311

current. In three days the work was accomplished, and on
the 11th and 12th six gunboats and two tugs were got
over the upper falls. They then one after another, with
their hatches battened down, took the shute of the dam,
cheered loudly by the whole army as they successively passed
safely through. It was a great epgineering success-the
entire fleet being saved-thanks to the skill of an engineer
who dared to attempt an undertaking that all had ridiculed.
Porter could hardly moderate his delight at this unexpected
deliverance of his fleet, and heaped encomiums on Bailey,
whom the Government very properly rewarded with the
star of a Brigadier-General.
Porter in his report said: "Words are inadequate to express the admiration I feel for the abilities of LieutenantColonel Bailey. This is, without doubt, the best engineering feat ever performed. Under the best circumstances a
private company would not have completed this work under
one year, and, to an ordinary mind, the whole thing would
have appeared an impossibility. Leaving out his abilities as
an engineer, and the credit he has conferred upon the country,
he has saved to the Union a valuable fleet worth nearly two
millions of dolors., More, he has deprived the enemy of a
triumph which would have emboldened them to carry on
this war a year or two longer; for the intended departure
of the army was a fixed fact, and there was nothing left for
me to do, in case that event occurred, but to destroy every
part of the vessels, so that the rebels could make nothing
of them. The highest honors the Government can bestow
on Colonel Bailey can never repay him for the service he
has rendered the country."
The fleet, however, did not get off entirely scatheless.
The gunboats Signal and Covington, having been sent down
the river from Alexandria to convoy the Warner, a boat
loaded With cotton, unexpectedly came upon a series of
50




ï~~312

A DISASTER.

rebel batteries about thirty miles from the place. These
batteries were so concealed, that their existence was not
dreamed of until they opened on the boat loaded with
cotton-piercing her boilers almost instantly, and.sending
her, a helpless wreck, against the opposite bank. The rebel
troops fired at the same time with musketry, killing and
wounding nearly two hundred soldiers that were aboard of
her. Others were killed in trying, to escape to the shore.
The Signal and Govington at once rounded to and pushed
back to help -the transport, but soon found that they had
enough to do to take care of themselves. Their steam pipes
were soon cut, and their boilers perforated with shot, yet
they gallantly maintained the unequal contest for five hours.
Lieutenant George P. Lord, commanding the Covington,
fired his last charge of ammunition--then spiked his guns,
set fire to his vessel, and with what was left of his crew,
escaped to the shore, Soon the flaming beoat blew up with
a loud explosion. Lieutenant Edward Morgan, of the Signal, maintained the contest for half an hour longer, but finding that he was only exposing his men to useless slaughter,
abandoned it. His decks being strewn with the wounded
who had gallantly stood by him to the ltt, he could not
consent to set fire to his vessel, and so he gave permission
for all to escape as they best could. But few, however, got
off, for in attempting to climb the opposite bank they became
a fair mark for the sharp-shooters, and were dropped, one
after another, into the river.
SWhen Banks heard of this disaster, he sent out a body of
cavalry and dispersed the rebels.
Both fleet and army now camne back to the Mississippi,
and Canby was sent to take the place of Banks in the field,
while the latter returned to New Orleans to confine himself
to the civil duties of his department. This ended his military career of which his friends had expected' so much.




ï~~BAD ECONOMY.

313

The expedition, whoever planned it, was a foolish one, while
Banks, in carrying it out, showed a great lack of military
sagacity. With the enemy in his immediate front, he was
caught with his army widely scattered apart, and his trains
anywhere but where they should have been. Beaten in detail,
he was driven back in disgrace, and the whole expedition
turned out a mortifying failure, and came very near being a
great catastrophe. Its chief object seemed to have been to
gather cotton, of.which large quantities were known to be
in this section. It was a bad speculation, however, on the
part of the Government, and most disastrous to the military
reputation of the Commander. If Franklin, whom the Secretary of War had sent to Banks in a fit of spleen, had been
at the head of it, a different result would have been reached.
It is proper to state that though this expedition was started almost simultaneously with the movement of the two
great armies under Sherman and Grant, it had no connection
whatever with it. It was organized previous to the assumpti6n of supreme command by Grant, or it never would have
been organized at all. It had been sanctioned by those unfortunate strategists, Halleck and Stanton, and hence had to
proceed. Nothg was left for Grant to do but to hurry it
forward as fast as possible, and have it out of his way before
his great movements commenced. Hence, as far back as the
15th of March, he notified Banks of the importance of capturing Shreveport at the earliest possible day, and that if he
should "find that the taking of it would occupy from ten to
fifteen days more time, than General Sherman hadgiven to
his troops to be absent from their command--he would send
them back at the time specified by General Sherman, even
if it led to the abandonment of the main object of the Red
River expedition, for thisforce was necessary to movements
east of the Mississippi; that should his expedition prove
successful, he would hold Shreveport, and the Red River




ï~~314

GRANT'S INSTRUCTIONS.

with such force as he might deem necessary, and return the
balance of his troops to the neighborhood of New Orleans,
commencing no move for the further acquisition of territory
unless it was to make that then held by him more easily
held; that it might be a part of the spring campaign to
move against Mobile; that it certainly would be if troops
enough could be obtained to make it without embarrassing
other movements; that New Orleans would be the point of
departure for such an expedition; also that he had directed
General Steele to make a real move from Arkansas as suggested by him, (General Banks,) instead of a demonstration,
as Steele thought advisable."
Grant told him, moreover, to move as quickly as possible--
abandon Texas altogether, and, leaving only a portion of
his army to guard the Mississippi, to prepare to co-operate
with Farragut against Mobile. This would keep a part of the
Southern army away from Richmond, while the farther he
went toward Shreveport, the less use he was to Grant. Hence,
as we have said, the only interest the General-in Chief took
in the expedition, was to have it over with as speedily as
possible.
But all these battles and expeditions in tl East and West,
were isolated affairs, having no bearing on the mighty movement about to be made. They caused some noise and much
angry feeling and vituperation, but the burdened trains and
crowded boats, steadily moving without noise and observation
southward, were the really great events of those four months.
These separate successes or disasters were the mere by-play
to the great drama about to open--the dim and far-off
flashes along the edge of the storm-cloud, which was soon
to darken all the heavens, and shake the earth with its
thunder.




ï~~CHAPTER XXIV.

GRANT S DELAY IN FRONT OF WASHINGTON-THE PRESIDENT'S DETERMINATION
NOT TO INTERFERE ANY MORE WITH THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-THE TWO
ARMIES MOVE-THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN-ITS DIFFICULTIES-COMPOSITION
AND STRENGTH OF SHERMAN'S ARMY-DALTON FLANKED-BATTLE OF RESACA-A FIERCE STRUGGLE-FIGHT AT DALLAS-ALLATOONA FLANKED-BATTLE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN-DEATH OF MAJOR-GENERAL POLK-SHERMAN
DIRECTS,THE SHOT THAT KILLS HIM---SLERMAN'S FIRST DEFEAT KENESAW
FLANKED-THE CHATTAHOCHEE REACHED AND CROSSED-ATLANTA IN SIGHT.
T  HE long delay of Grant in front of Washington awakened much surprise, but he had resolved not to move
till he was ready. No order to move at a certain day, like
that of President Lincoln formerly to the Army of the Potomac, without consulting the General-in-Chief, was given.
The public might grumble and grow impatient, but he had
learned from experience the folly of such a course, and determined to let Grant take his own time, if he did not move till
mid-summer. The lesson he had learned, had been a costly
one to the country, and to our brave soldiers, but it was
learned at last-that the General-in-Chief should be left to
carry out his own plans without interference from politicians
or the Secretary of War. This settled determination of his,
neither to meddle with military movements himself, nor let
others do it, filled every one with hope, and was a good
augury of the future. The public settled down patiently
into the conviction that Grant was to be left untrammeled,
and the Secretary of War to be confined to his legitimate duties, for which he was eminently qualified.
At length the first of May, the appointed time, came, and




ï~~316

THE TWO GREAT CAMPAIGNS.

the two mighty armies arose from their long apparent torpor,
and the knell of the Confederacy from that hour began to
toll. Their movement was simultaneous, and the campaigns
practically parallel; yet their starting points were a thousand miles apart, with the lofty Alleghanies between. In
some respects they were widely different. Grant had but
little over half as far to go as Sherman, with no flank to guard
but his right, and that easily made secure by an army
of occupation in the defiles of the Shenandoah Valley.
Neither was he confined to a single base like Sherman, but
could change it at his pleasure, as he afterward did. The
latter could reach his objective point only by a single line
of railway, stretching for nearly two hundred miles through
a comparative wilderness, with Forrest's daring cavalry
threatening both flanks and his long line of communications,
which, if once permanently cut, would secure the destruction
of his army. They were different in another respect; Grant
could at any time fling his army, by water, in front of Richiond, when the difficulties of his task would be only just
commenced, while Sherman, if he should once get in front of
Atlanta, Would have achieved the most difficult part of his
campaign.
The eyes of the whole country were fixed on the two
armies, but Grant held more fully the attention of the East,
and Sherman that of the West. The South saw the coming
storm and braced itself to meet it.
Sherman, at the outset, had asked for one hundred thousand men, and two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery. The
disgraceful failure of the Red River expedition, interfered
somewhat with this arrangement, but the War Department, by
great effort, succeeded in giving him all but twelve hundred
of the required number of men. His force was divided as follows:-the Army of the Cumberland, Major-General Thomas,
sixty thousand, seven hundred and seventy-three men, and one




ï~~SHERMAN'S TASK.

317

hundred and thirty guns; Army of the Tennessee, McPherson,
twenty-four tlhousand, four hundred and sixty-five men, and
ninety-six guns; Army of the Ohio, Schofield, thirteen thousand five hundred and fifty-nine men, and twenty-eight guns.
Kilpatrick commanded the cavalry of the Army of the Cumberland. The Confederate Army opposed to him was sixty
thousand strong, including ten thousand cavalry; the latter
superior to that of Sherman. Hardee, Hood and Polk commanded the three Corps, composing this army.
Sherman had a most diflicult task before him. If he succeeded, he would solve P new problem in war-or rather
introduce a new principle into military science, viz.:-that
an& army of a hundred thousand men could be marched three
hundred miles from its actual base, (which was Nashville,) and
yet this long line of communication be kept open. Such a
thing had been considered an impossibility; and when the
news of his advance reached Europe, there was no discussion
among military men respecting his probable success; it was
settled that he was going to certain defeat. The South also
had no doubt on the subject.
The public will never appreciate the skill which Sherman
showed in arranging his forces, securing his transportation,
and guarding his communications-a skill that astonished
and baffled his foes, and yet retained his army almost intact.
By all ordinary rules, in order to guard his transportation
and secure his communications as he advanced, he would
have had to deplete his army and string it along his rear, till
but a handful would be left by the time he reached Atlanta,
if he got there at all. One of his devices to protect his line
was an admirable and successful one. By a glance at the
map, it will be seen that the railroad in its course to Atlanta
frequently crosses streams. The bridges over these had to be
protected at all hazards. The destruction of the railroad
between them was comparatively of small account as it could




ï~~318

FIRST MOVEMENT.

be repaired in a few hours. To protect the bridges, and at
the same time, not materially lessen his force, he had small
bomb-proof block houses, or fortifications, built near them,
as he advanced, large enough to hold a few hundred men,
and provisioned for a long time.. These the enemy could
not beat down with their cannon, nor carry by assault, nor
could they starve out the garrisons. In the meantime, a few
pieces of artillery completely commanded the approaches to
the bridges, so that no force could advance to destroy them.
He also accumulated at different points, as he advanced, vast
stores of imperishable provisions, so that in case of accident,
he could subsist his army until communications could be
restored. Although it was necessary to the-success of his
campaign that the railroads should be kept exclusively for
military purposes, the fact that they were, caused incalculable suffering to the people of East Tennessee.
Having thus anticipated almost every contingency that
could arise, he, early in May, put his magnificent columns
in motion. Johnston lay in and about Dalton, which was so
strongly fortified that an attack in front would have been
madness, and Sherman here began that series of movements
which won for him the sobriquet of the "great flanker."'
Resaca lay eighteen miles south of Dalton, directly on the
railroad, and he determined, if possible, to reach this by a
circuitous route, and seize it, thus compelling Johnston to
retreat or accept a battle, unprotected by his fortifications.
McPherson's army was at once started westward on a circuit
of some thirty or forty miles, through Snake Creek Gap to
this point, while Thomas moved directly up in front of Dalton, as if about to force a passage there. I ut Dalton was
covered by Rocky-Face Ridge, cleft in two by BuzzardRoost Gap, through which ran the railroad.    This narrow defile was filled with abattis, artificially flooded by a
neighboring creek, and swept from end to end by artillery




ï~~DALTON FLANKED.

319

posted on every commanding spur, and on a height at the
farther extremity. Against this Thomas made first a feint,
and then a vigorous attack, in which Veatch's division of
Howard's Corps actually carried the rocky ridge, but could
not, from the obstacles opposed to it, reach the gorge-while
Geary's division of Hooker's Corps made a gallant, desperate
push for the summit. Added to the natural obstacles and fire
of the enemy, huge rocks were sent down, crashing through
the trees and advancing lines with resistless fury. No decisive
advantage was gained by our forces, but the enemy was kept
so well occupied that McPherson was left to make his difficult march undisturbed, till he got within a mile of Resaca
If, by -a sudden bold push, he could have taken this place,
Johnston's army would, doubtless, have been annihilated.
But, on reconnoitering, he found it too strong to be carried
by assault, for the wily Johnston had provided against this
possible contingency, by hurrying off troops thither. McPherson therefore fell back on Snake Creek Gap, ready to
strike the rebel flank when the army should retreat. Hooker's Corps was immediately sent over to McPherson's aid, followed by all of Schofield's army, until Howard's Corps alone
remained in front of Dalton. Johnston, seeing the trap that
was set for him, immediately evacuated his stronghold and
fell back rapidly to Resaca, when Howard entered Dalton
and kept on directly in the enemy's track.
Thus was the first eighteen miles won. Sherman lost about
a thousand men in these first movements.
BATTLE OF RESACA.
Reaching Resaca, Sherman found his adversary strongly
posted, and he at once initiated another flank movement.
The Oostenaula stream, which is here crossed by a railroad
bridge, he pontooned, and then hurried off Sweeney's division,




ï~~320

0BATTTLE OF RESACA.

with orders to move around, and threaten Calhoun, still farther down on the railroad, while Garrard'sdivision of cavalry
was sent to destroy the railroad beyond. There was some
heavy fighting here during the first day. Judah's division
of Schofield's Corps charged bravely on the enemy,. but was
repulsed. Cox, getting oat of ammunition, ordered a charge
of the enemy's breastworks in his immediate front, and carried them with a eheer.. Palmer's Corps also pressed the
enemy vigorously, who, after vainly endea eriug to break
our centre, massed his forces against our left, and came down
in one of those impetuons overwhelming assanlts, for which
the rebels were distinguished. Stanley caught the blow on
his flank, and, for awhile, bore up firmly against it. At last,
however,, he gave way,_nd the broken confused ranks began
to retire in disorder, when there suddenly arose a cheer,
heard above the roar of artillery. Robinson's brigade was
coming to the rescue on a run. With one terrible blow, it
stopped the shouting, exultant enemy, and sent him bleed.ing, discomfited back to his breastworks:  Darkness, at
length, closed the combat, and night came down on the valley and ridges, strewed with the dead and wounded. Though
no material advantage was gained, the enemy had failed to
break our extended, incomplete line at any point.
Quiet reigned over the two armies that night, eicept that
the incessant blows of the axe, and the falling of trees showed that Johnston was busy in. piling obstructions in his front.
Sunday morning, the 15th, dawned mild and peaceful, but
by the time the sun was an hour high, the scattering
fire of the skirmishers told that the day was to be one
of blood, not of rest. By'noon Sherman had his army well
up, extending for miles in a sort of semi-circle--McPherson
on the right, Thomas in the centre, and Schofield on the left,
with Howard extending beyond. The rebel army-Hood
on the right, Hardee in the centre, and Polk on the left, was




ï~~GALLANTRY OF BUTTERFIELD.

321

drawn up behind breastworks, calmly awaiting the coming
shock. At a given signal, the whole army moved forward;
and the battle began. Into our uncovered ranks the enemy
hurled shot and shell with desolating effect, until the dead
lay everywhere, but not a brigade wavered. Inch by inch
the gallant regiments worked their way on, pressing heavier
and heavier, every moment, the astonished enemy-determined, at whatever sacrifice, to carry the strong position that
confronted them.
Hooker threw forward Butterfield's division against the enemy's strongest position, supported by Williams' and Geary's
divisions, and -th-batt   yopened vigorously on both sides.
Hooker fought for thtee or four hours and made steady headway, carrying line after line of rifle-pits, until Butterfield's division encountered a lunette of formidable size. Several
attempts were made to carry this and capture its guns, which
were pouring a destructive fire into our lines, but they did not
succeed. The troops fought with great desperation, but as
often as they advanced upon the lunette, the terrific volleys
of musketry from the enemy in the fortifications hurled them
back in confusion. At last Butterfield charged forward and
took a position under the protecting works of the fort, and
so close to the guns within, that they could be touched by the
men's hands. "In the effort to gain this exposed position,
the contest was a bloody one, Geary's division supporting
Butterfield.  Ward's brigade, which were participating in
their first battle, fought with marked determination, and contributed much to secure the position."
"After vain efforts to capture the lunette, from which the
enemy poured into our ranks grape, canister and shrapnel,
HIooker's forces gave up the unequal contest, and during the
balance of the day lay under the breastworks protected
from the enemy's fire, and picking off every rebel who
showed himself above the ramparts. Night found him in




ï~~322

CAPTURE OF RESACA.

this position, and he at once matured plans for capturing the
works by strategy, under cover of darkness. The pioneers
were brought up; the ends were dug out of the works, and
the guns drawn out. by the aid of ropes, under a destructive
fire from the occupants of the lunette, who were driven out
or captured, as our -troops swarmed in through the opening
in overwhelming numbers."
This Corps lost very heavily. -At -ten o'clock at night,
Hooker began to throw up breast-works to protect himself,
and in the meantime advanced his skirmish line. This in the
darkness moved upon the enemy, and a night battle commenced, lighting up the gloom with flame, and sending its
heavy thunder all along our expectant line. At two o'clock
in the morning, the rebels gave way, and the low moans of
the dying, and cries for water succeeded to the uproar that
made the night hideous. In this battle-the gallant Kilpatrick was wounded, and had to leave the army till his recovery.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear, but as the- sun
climbed the heavens it revealed the whole valley filled with
smoke and fog, that lay like a great pall over the spring
brightness and beauty. It was soon discovered that the
rebels, not wanting to risk another battle, had evacuated their
works, and were in full retreat. Our line immediately advanced, and the cavalry pressed fiercely on the enemy's rear.
The latter succeeded in getting off his artillery, but was
compelled to burn his wagon trains to prevent them from
falling into our hands.
An officer visited the spot where the desperate hand-tohand fight had occurred, for the lunette, and says, "this
was thickly strewed with the dead and wounded. Inside
and around the work, rebel and Union officers and men lay
piled together; some transfixed with bayonet wounds, their
faces wearing that fierce contorted look which.marks those
who have suffered agony. Others, who were shot dead, lay




ï~~A GHASTLY SPECTACLE.

323

with their calm faces and glassy eyes turned to heaven.
One might think they were but sleeping. Others had their
skulls crushed in by the end of a musket, while the owner
of the musket lay stiff beside them  with the death-grip
tightened on the piece. Clinging to one of the guns with
his hand on the spoke and his body bent as if drawing it,
lay a youth with the top of his head shot off. Another with
his body cut in two still clung to the ropes." *
Crossing the Oostenaula, Johnston partially destroyed the
bridge, so that the pursuit was delayed. McPherson endeavored to throw over pontoons, and get in his rear, but
was unable to do sou under the heavy fire to which he was
exposed, and the former got off with his army: Our loss in
these two days had been heavy-about five thousand in all.
That of the enemy was not probably so great, for he fought
behind breastworks-but we took nearly a thousand prisoners, and eight guns, and a large quantity of stores.
The whole army at once pressed rapidly in pursuit-a portion going by circuitous roads-struggling through the rough
country as it best could-fording the shallow' streams-pontooning the deep ones, and hovering like a storm-cloud on
the fleeing enemy. The movements were complicated and
often wide apart, yet Sherman's grasping mind embraced
them all, so that the entire army moved like a single piece
of mechanism.
On the 17th, Newton's division had a sharp artillery fight
at Adairville, near Calhoun, but Johnston never halted
in his flight; and on the 18th, after some heavy skirmishing,
Clinton fell into our hands. Here Sherman gave his gallant
weary troops a few days rest, while he hurried forward his
supplies and re-established telegraphic and railroad communication with Chattanooga.

* Captain Conyngham.




ï~~324

MARCH ON DALLAS.

It was beautiful spring weather, and the country around
being fine, a perfect carnival reigned in the camps that were
scattered for miles in every direction. Racing and hunting
parties were got up, and mirth and gaiety took the place of
battles and marches. But the vast extent of country occupied by the army, and its wooded character, gave opportunity to the base and villainous soldiers that belong to every
army to carryout       i sy~em of pillage and house burning
that filled the inhabitants with terror, and spread suffering
on every side. Cold-blooded murders were not wanting to
complete the dark list of crimes committed by them.
Leaving a garrison here, and also one at Rome, which had
been captured with all its warehouses, foundries, workshops,
and fifteen hundred bales of cotton, withouta fight, Sherman
on the 23rd, again put his army in motion toward Dallas--that
lay west of the railroad, south of Allatoona--a place strong
by nature, and covered with fortifications. If this point could
be reached before Johnston abandoned Allatoona, he would
be cut off from Atlanta. This he must prevent at all hazards,
and the rugged character of the country gave,him every
facility for making obstinate defense all along our line of
march. Day after day more or less fighting occurred, but
still swinging steadily off to the right, Sherman continued
to push his victorious columns forward till he approached
Dallas.' The junction of the Acworth, Marietta and Dallas
railroad, he was very anxious to secure, and Hooker was
ordered to hasten forward and seize it. Near New Hope
Church, the latter came upon the enemy in strong force, and
attacked him fiercely. The Corps fought with its accustomed gallantry, and Geary's division especially distinguished
itself. The rebels also fought desperately, disputing bravely
every inch of ground, yet Hooker drove them steadily
toward the junction. But night came on before he reached
it, and a drenching, pelting rain storm set in, which arrested




ï~~BATTLE OF DALLAS.

325

the fight; and the tired Corps sunk to rest on the flooded
geld.
For three days now, there was constant skirmishing, and
some heavy fighting between portions of the army, while
Sherman was developing his line, preparatory to a general
onward movement. On the 28th, Johnston, taking advantage of the somewhat disintegrated state of our army, fell furiously on McPherson, while closing in on the army of Thomas.
Hardee's and Polk's Corps made the assault, which was sudden and terrible. Our men. were behind rifle pits extending
for two miles, waiting, as the skirmishers fell back, to receive
the shock. Logan, hat in hand, rode along his division, encouraging the men, who replied with shouts. Soon after,
McPherson with his staff, rode along the whole line, received
with deafening cheers as he passed. The assaulting columns
came down with shouts and yells, that rose over the crash of
their volleys; but our troops reserved their fire until the enemy
were within a few yards, when a volley from the first rank
leaped forth like a sheet of lightning, cutting with its fiery
blade the rebel line of battle. A second one from the rear
rank instantaneously followed, and the rash, brave foe fell
like grass before the swinging scythe. Rolled back before this
withering fire, they rallied again and again, and came on
with the same defiant shouts, charging up almost to the muzzles of the guins. But it was like the waves beating the
rocks. The Army of the Tennessee never wavered, but
steady and stern, stood and reaped that harvest of death, till
night fell, when the baffled foe gave it up, and retired, leaving the ground covered with dead. His loss in this desperate assault was fully three thousand, while McPherson's was
not over a third as great.
Sherman now paused a few days to mislead the enemy,
and on the 1st of June sent McPherson around to the left
on another flank movement. Johnston was confounded at




ï~~326

BATTLE OF KENESAW.

these continual flank movements-now around his right, and
*
then around his left, ever threatening his communications
with Atlanta. As before, so now he was compelled to abandon his stronghold which he had fortified with so much care,
and fell back to Kenesaw Mountain, if possible a still stronger
position than any he had thus far abandoned. Making Allatoona Pass a secondary base, and leaving a garrison there to
hold it, and repairing the railroad behind him, Sherman prepared to advance again.
On the 9th of June " Forward" sounded from our bugles,
and the conquering army took up its march for Kenesaw
Mountain.
BATTLE OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN.
It drew up in front of this formidable height, whose crest,
four hundred feet high, was seen to be lined with artillery.
On the right arose other mountains, and, farther back, Lost
Mountain-all dark with batteries, while every spur was alive
with men, "felling trees, digging pits, and preparing for the
grand struggle impending."  Says Sherman, "the scene was
enchanting, too beautiful to be disturbed by the rude clamors
of war, but the Chattahoochee lay beyond, and I had to reach
it." "By the 11th of June our lines were well up, and we made
dispositions to break the line between Kenesaw and Pine
Mountains. General Hooker was on its right and front, General Howard on its left and front, and General Palmer between it and the railroad." On the 14th, during a sharp
cannonade, General Polk was killed, and the next morning
Pine Mountain was discovered to be abandoned.
The death of Polk, as related by Captain Conyngham, reminds one of the death of Moreau, at Leipsic. Bonaparte,
seeing a group of officers on a distant elevation, ordered a
captain of artillery to throw a shot into it, saying, perhaps




ï~~DEATH OF POLK.

3 27

somne little Generals are there. The latter did so, and the
cainnon ball smote Mt6reau.
Sherman, riding up to a battery, took a careful survey of
Pine Mountain with his glass. Then turning to Captain SiIMnson, he said, "Can you send a shell right on the top of that
knob? I notice a battery there, and several general officers
near it."  "Ill try, General," was the& reply: He fired. "A
little too high, try again, with a shorter fuse," said Sherman. T.he second shell flow through the air, and entering
the distant group, crashed thrfouih the side of Polk, tearing
his body into 'framents.
Thomas and Schofield now advanced, and found the enemy again strongly intrenched along the line of rugged hills
that connect Kenesaw and Lost Mountains. On the 17th,
the enemy abandoned Lost Mountain, and took position on
Kenesaw; his right wing thrown back, so as to cover Marietta, and his left covering the railroad in the rear, thus contracting his lines, and leaving no weak spot open to an attack. From his high position he could, look down on every
movement of our troops, while his cannon thundered away
upon our long line. To make matters worse, a heavy rain
storm had set in, and day and night, week after week, it
poured down on the exposed army, turning the narrow country roads into gulleys, and every open space into a marsh, and
thus preventing any general movement. The troops suffered
greatly; yet kept steadily at work. " General McPherson
watching the enemy on Kenesaw, and working his left forward; Generial Thomas, swinging, as it were on a grand left
wheel, his left on Kenesaw,'connected with General McPherson, while General Schofield was all the while working to
the soutith and east along the old Sandtown road."
Thus matters went on, amid the pelting rain, when on the
22nrd; IIHdod made a sudden attack on Hooker's Corps.
Driving in thlie advanced detachments, he fell furiously on
51




ï~~-328

A.2. REPULSE.

Williams' division. The onset was fierce, but failed-the
enemy losing seven or eight hundred men. Sherman now
determined to assault in turn; and, on the 27th, the army
advanced against the stronghold. The long rain storm had
cleared away, the roads were good-and a warm summer
sun was shining, as the columns moved off on the desperate
undertaking. The grand assault was made by the two armies
of Thomas and McPherson, at two different points. Gulleys,
rocks, trees, and underbrush, lay on the line of march, before
the mountain, swarming now with men like bees, could be
reached. Heralded by the crash of artillery, the columns
moved steadily forward, and the battle soon raged furiously.
Kenesaw seemed a volcano there in the summer air, while a
surge of fire kept rolling steadily up its base. Troops never
behaved more gallantly, and the officers held them to their
deadly work with unparalleled devotion. Generals McCook
and Harker fell at the head of their brigades, cheering on
the men; and many other officers went down before the awful
fire that swept, without cessation, the rugged slopes of the
mountain. But it was vain valor, for the position was too
strong to be carried by direct assault. Some brave regiments mounted half way up the slope, but only to be hurled
back broken and bleeding; and at length the bugles rung
out the order to cease firing, and the battle was over. Sherman had met his first defeat. His loss was severe, reaching
full three thousand, among whom    were many valuable
officers.
If Sherman made any mistake in this remarkable campaign, it was in ordering this assault. His own reasons for
making it. are not satisactory. He says, '"al1 looked to outflank. An army t9 be_ efficient must not settle down to one
single mode of offense," &c. An army must "settle down"
just to that "mode of offense" which will bring victory with
the least loss of life. He thought also that the "moral




ï~~THE CHATTAHOOCHEE REACHED.

329

effect" of a successful assault would be good. But it is
equally true that the "moral effect" of an unsuccessful one
is bad, and the chances here were nine to one against him.
Besides, he after all, had to fall back again to his old flanking system, the only wise course when it can be taken against
such a strong position as Kenesaw mountain was.
Gathering up his bleeding army, and, burying his dead,
under a flag of truce, he sent McPherson forward to the
Chattahoochee, far in the rear of Kenesaw  ountain. As
soon as Johnston was aware of this movement, he evacuated
his strong position, and Sherman rode into Marietta. The
result showed that this would have been the proper course
at first, and that he could have had the strong position without the loss of a man.
Sherman now pressed forward, in hope of catching Johnston in the confusion of crossing the Chattahoochee. But
the latter had provided against such a contingency, and covered his movements so well that no considerable advantage
could be gained over him, though more or less fighting occurred all the way to its banks. On the 4th and 5th of July,
the rebel army crossed the river in safety. On the 7th,
Schofield effected a lodgment on the farther bank, and laid
a good pontoon and trestle bridge. Sherman handled his
troops with such skill, that by the ninth, he had secured
three good points for crossing over his army above the enemy's tete-du-pont, when the latter reluctantly abandoned his
last line of defense, and fell back to Atlanta.
In the meantime Rousseau, with two thousand cavalry, was sent around Atlanta, to destroy the railroad at
Opelika, Ala., south, and cut off Johnston's suppliea  This
force was gone twelve days, and succeeded in aceomplishg
its object, and returned, with the loss of only thirty mern
The control of the Chattahoochee, Sherman said, "was one
if not the chief object of the campaign," but Atlanta lay




ï~~330              ATLANTA IN SIGHT.
only eight miles distant, and he determined to capture it.
But after the heavy marching and fighting of the past few
weeks, the army needed rest before entering on such a desperate undertaking, and it pitched its camps along the stream,
and gave itself up to several days' repose. From a neighboring hill the steeples of Atlanta, and the smoke of its
foundries could be seen. Around it stretched a beautiful
country, dotted with plantations, while in every direction,
the smoke of locomotives, as they sped along the plains, revealed the various lines of railroad that centered in the
place.




ï~~CHAPTER XXV.

ATLANTA REACHED-HOOD'S FIRST ATTACK-HIS ASSAULT ON MC PHERSONDEATH OF THE LATTER-HOWARD PLACED OVER THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE-STONEMAN AND MC COOK'S RAID-HOOKER RESIGNS-FIERCE ATTACK
ON HOWARD-SHELLING OF ATLANTA-AN UNSUCCESSFUL ASSAULT-WHEELER SENT TO CUT SHERMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS-KILPATRICK DISPATCHED
TO CUT HOODS-SHERMAN RESOLVED TO PLANT HIS ARMY ON THE MACON
ROAD-BATTLE OF JONESBORO?--ATLANTA CUT OFF-HOOD EVACUATES ITSLOCUM TAKES POSSESSION-THE REBEL ARMY PURSUED TO LOVEJOY 'S STATION-REST TO THE ARMY-SUMMING UP OF THE. CAMPAIGN-SHERMAN ORDERS ALL THE INHABITANTS TO LEAVE-HIS CORRESPONDENCE WITH HOOD
AND THE MAYOR, ON THE SUBJECT.
O   N the 17th of July, the whole army moved forward,
fighting as it advanced, and, at length, Atlanta greeted
the eyes of the weary, suffering, yet enthusiastic tro.ops.
Johnston, at this time, was removed from command, and
Hood put in his place. A new mode of conducting the campaign was now to be inaugurated.    The Fabian policy was
dropped at once, and the impetuous Hood, the moment he
obtained the control of the army, broke into a furious offensive. On the 20th, Sherman was in the act of forming his
new lines, about five miles from  Atlanta, with no enemy in
force apparently near, when suddenly, nearly the whole of
Hood's army came pouring forward with shouts and yells,
that rolled like thunder over the field. Newton's division
of Howard's Corps, and Johnson's of Palmer's, received the
first shock. They had just before thrown up a breastwork
of rails, behind which they poured in a galling fire. Hooker's Corps, however, was entirely uncovered, yet stood like
a flaming citadel in the open fields. Where this onset was




ï~~332

HOOD'S FIRST ATTACK.

made, a gap in the lines existed, which Hood hoped to pene.
trate. Had he succeeded, disastrous consequences would,
doubtless, have followed. But though the assault was sudden as a thunder-clap, and found our troops partially unprepared, it failed to break through our lines. The rebels threw
themselves forward on our batteries with a recklessness that
was frightful to behold. Their ranks melted away before
the fire like the sand bank when caved by the torrent, yet
the living never faltered: Over their own piled-up dead, they
still crowded the gates of death with a self-devotion never
surpassed. The sacrifice was great, but it did not avail, and
the bleeding, shattered host fell back to its intrenchments,
having lost in this short, fierce engagement, according to th4
estimate of Thomas, five thousand men. Our loss was about
half that number.
Two days after, Hood-abandoned his extensive line of defenses, falling back to his interior position of redoubts, in
front of which were almost impenetrable chevaux-de-frise,
with water between them.
While Thomas was thus pushing forward in front, McPherson, from Decatur to the eastward, was moving down
the railroad toward the city.
Hood, two days after this terrible repulse, made another
desperate attempt to break through the net that was steadily
closing round him. Leaving just enough troops in the intrenchments to hold them, he massed his entire army against
McPherson on the left, who had not yet got into position.
The onset, if possible, was more terrific than that of two
days before, and, at one time, came very near overwhelming
the Army of the Tennessee. Blair caught the first blow,
and then the shouting, yelling, frantic mass poured down on
the whole line with a fury that, at first, seemed irresistible.
In the meantime, a heavy force got in the rear and captured
some twelve guns. The enraged gunners rushed back for




ï~~A BLOODY CONTEST.

333

their pieces, and a bloody, hand to hand fight took place
over them. In front, the rebels, with their usual daring,
dashed unflinchingly through the fire that wasted them, up
to the very breastworks, and planted their colors alongside
of our own, and fought like tigers around them. "For a
half an hour, the two armies fought face to face each side of the
same line of intrenchments, with the battle colors of the respective parties flying from the same works." The struggle
was so close and deadly that orders were of little avail-it
was a contest of the old Greeks and Romans, when everything, for a time, rested solely on the valor of the soldiers.
Sherman, with Schofield and Howard, stood on an elevation
that commanded a view of the battle field. Planting two batteries on two hills one on each side of him-which poured a
converging fire into the enemy, he sent word to Logan, in the
centre, to mass his troops and charge. "You must retake
those guns," was the stern order. No sooner did the gallant
Logan receive it, than he swiftly massed his troops, and
riding alternately at the heads of the columns, shouted them
on. Wood's division led the charge, and a loud cheer rolled
down the line, as it advanced. The enemy supposing we
were thoroughly beaten, were astonished at the sight, but
moved boldly out to meet the onset-the artillery, on both
sides, playing over the heads of the troops. Soon, however,
it ceased as the approaching lines came close together. A
crushing fire, a cheer, and then we were upon and over them,
scattering them in flight, and retaking part of the guns.
The struggle was a short one, but while it lasted, death
reaped the field with rapid strokes. Six tremendous assaults
were made on the Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Corps, but when darkness closed over the field, victory was
ours.  The dead lay everywhere-sometimes in ranks, as
though whole companies had been swept away by a single
volley. Logan reported the enemy's dead at over three




ï~~334

DEATH OF MCPHERSON.

thousand, and the whole rebel loss was estimated at twelve
thousand, including seventeen hundred prisoners. We captured, also, eighteen stand of colors, and five thousand small
arms. Our loss was only a little over seventeen hundred.
The enemy, however, succeeded in carrying off eight pieces
of artillery. Our greatest loss, however, was the death of
General McPherson, who fell while crossing a piece of woods,
attended only by an orderly. He came unexpectedly upon
a detachment of rebels, who fired upon him as he attempted to escape.
A comparatively young man, he was one of the ablest
officers in the army. Long before he was known to the
public, Grant leaned on him, and the enemy, who knew his
worth, feared him. Noble and pure-minded, he was beloved
by all. Able in council, his opinions carried great weight,
while in "the high places of the field," he moved, a tower
of strength. As Napoleon, when it was told him that the
noble, true-hearted Duroc had fallen, so the iron-hearted
Sherman, when the tidings reached him that McPherson was
dead, burst into tears.
The next day, Garrard returned from a cavalry raid to
Covington, forty-two miles east of Atlanta, in which railroads,
bridges, cotton, stores, &c., were destroyed, he having lost
but two men in the expedition.
Sherman was now able to move his lines so as to lay regular siege to Atlanta, but to cut off its supplies, it was neccessary that the Macon road should be broken up. To accomplish this, Stoneman was dispatched with a cavalry force of
five thousand, while McCook, with four thousand infantry was
to meet him on the railroad near Lovejoy's, and co-operate
with his movement. The former got in front of Macon, but
on his return, he was surrounded by Iverson, and captured,
with a thousand of his men. McCook performed his part
of the task assigned him, but getting hemmed i by a large




ï~~ATTACK ON HOWARD.

335

force of infantry and cavalry, had to cut his way out, which
he did in the most gallant style. On the whole, the expedition was a sad failure. Sherman, in the meantime, kept
extending his lines and tightening his coils around the
doomed place. Like a scorpion girt with fire, Hood turned
and turned to find some way of escape, and on the 28th, at
noon, again flung his army in a desperate assault on our
lines. Again the Army of the Tennessee received the rebel
assault, but, this time, under the leadership of Howard.
Shermian had put him in McPherson's place, which so offended Hooker, who felt his claims were overlooked, that he resigned his position and came home. Howard had assumed
direct command only the day before the battle.
Says Sherman, "The enemy had come out of Atlanta by
the Bell's Ferry road, and formed his masses in the open
fields, behind a swell of ground, and after the artillery firing,
advanced in parallel lines, directly against the Fifteenth
Corps, expecting to catch that flank in air. His advance was
magnificent, but founded on an error that cost him sadly;
for our men coolly and deliberately cut down his men, and,
in spite of the efforts of the rebel officers, hisranks broke and
fled. But they were rallied again and again, as often as six
times, at some points, and a few of the rebel officers and
men reached our lines of rail-piles, but only to be killed or
hauled over as prisoners."  These assaults continued from
noon until four in the afternoon, when the enemy disappeared, leaving his dead and wounded in our hands. The splen,
did and daring manner in which the rebel troops, right on
the top of repeated defeats, were brought to the assault,
speaks volumes for their bravery. After being driven for
nearly two hundred miles, and then, when turning and
breaking into afurious offensive, remorselessly slaughtered, it
showed the highest order of bravery, and marvellous endurance, to move with confident bearing, as they did, against




ï~~336

WHEELER'S CAVALRY.

overwhelming numbers, protected by breastworks. The enemy's loss, in this last attack, was estimated at six thousand,
while our own was under six hundred-a great disparity,
if true. Five stand of colors were taken, and two thousand
muskets.
Hood now let Sherman advance his lines without interruption. He was dashing his army to pieces against the adamantine wall closing around him; and he saw that some
other course must be adopted, or his fate was sealed.
Sherman now began to shell the place, and, at one point,
made an assault, in which he lost some four hundred men.
But, on a careful examination of the enemy's works, he saw
that the place could not be carried by storm without a loss
that would leave him without an army, and he cast about
for other means of reducing it. If he could once plant his
army on the Macon road, he knew that Hood would have to
leave,' for this, now, was his only line of supplies. He at
once resolved to do this, and the 18th day of August being
chosen for the movement, the wagons were loaded with fifteen days' provisions.
But Hood, in the meantime, had formed a similar plot
against Sherman. Finding himself unable to break through
his lines and defeat his army, he determined to cut his communications, and starve him into a retreat. Wheeler, with
all his cavalry, was sent off toward Chattanooga, to operate
on the single line of railroad by which Sherman's army was
fed. When this was told the latter, instead of being alarmed, he- said, " I could not have asked anything better, for I
have provided well for such a contingency." He knew that
Wheeler would fail, while it relieved him from the annoyances of cavalry. He, therefore, resolved to cut the West
Point railroad at Fairburn, and the Macon road at Jonesboro', by cavalry alone, and Kilpatrick, who had returned to
duty, was dispatched with four thousand men and eight pie



ï~~O"OD' S LAST BATTLE.

337

ces of artillery to carry out his plan. Although this bold rider
made a complete circuit of Atlanta, yet the expedition was
only partially successful. Breaking the roads was comparatively a small matter; they must be held permanently, and
so Sherman returned to his original plan. The surplus wagons were sent back to his intrenched bridge on the Chattahoochee river, whither the Twentieth Corps was also dispatched, and the various movements at once. commenced for
carrying it out. The separate columns moved like clockwork, and reaching without delay the points aimed at, showed the highest stragetic skill on the part of Sherman.
To a common observer, only a vast army could be seen
marching by various roads over the country; but, in Sherman's plan, they were like the several wheels of a mighty
machine, whose steady revolutions lift the ponderous hammer, which by its descending blows grinds every-thing
beneath it to powder.
The West Point railroad was reached and torn up, and
then the army moved eastward to Jonesboro'. On the 31st,
Howard, who was on the right, arrived, while Thomas, in the
centre, was at Couch's, and Schofield commanding the left, at
Rough and Ready..A glance at the map, will show in what
a desperate position Hood was now placed. He was completely cut off south and east, by railroad, and he must demolish this living wall, closing around him, or leave Atlanta
at once. He attempted to effect the former, and S. D. Lee and
IHardee, with their Corps, fell on Thomas with desperate resolution, and a fierce battle followed. The rebels fought with
their accustomed gallantry, and, for a while, pressed Thomas'
veterans sorely, but they were finally repulsed with a loss of
some four thousand men. Davis' Corps now came up, and,
at four o'clock on the 1st of September, moved majestically
on the rebel position, sweeping it like an inundation, and
capturing an entire brigade, with its General and eight guns.




ï~~338

ATLANTA EVACUATED.

Five thousand more were here put hors-du-combat, while our
loss, in both engagements, was but little over two thousand.
Hood's army was fast melting away, and the shattered remnant must now flee or be captured. He saw plainly that all
was lost, and that night, hastily evacuated Atlanta, blowing up magazines and stores, and destroying seven locomotives and eighty-one cars.
The torch was applied, also, to a thousand bales of cotton,
which made the midnight heavens lurid with flame. Lighted on his gloomy march by this sea of fire, Hood moved
swiftly forward over the country toward Macon.  The inhabitants of Atlanta, filled with consternation, streamed
after him in every vehicle they could lay their hands on,
making a scene of terror and confusion that baffles description. Slocum, of the Twentieth Corps, seven miles north, on the
Chatahoochee, heard the explosions, caused by the blowing
up of the cars, and saw the ruddy heavens, and suspecting
the cause, sent out, at day-break, a strong column to reconnoitre. Atlanta was found deserted, and he marched in and
took possession of it.
At daylight, next morning, the army started in pursuit of
Hood, and kept up the chase, for thirty miles, to Lovejoy's,
where he was found strongly fortified. Here it was arrested
and moved back to Atlanta, for the campaign was over, and
the tentless, almost shoeless, ragged soldiers needed rest.
Sherman wrote, "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won," and so it
was-won by genius, skill, and downright hard fighting. He
had given the lie to all prognostications, and stamped himself the foremost General of the age.
This extraordinary campaign cannot be summed up better
than in these words of Colonel Bowman. "When we reflect
upon the enormous distance traversed-upon its rugged and
defensible character; it being nothing less than a penetration of the entire series of parallel Allegha.ny ranges-upon




ï~~REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.

339

the strong army and able General of the enemy, contesting
our advance, inch by inch, over ground entirely known to
them and unkown to us, after years of preparation in roads
and fortified places-upon the fact that Sherman was obliged to rebuild bridges and railroads, as he advanced, and
protect his line of supplies, all the way from Nashville to
Atlanta, three hundred miles long-upon the dazzling series
of victories unbroken, save at Kenesaw, which crowned our
banners-upon the miraculous handling of troops, as if by
mechanism, over the most wretched of roads, in the most
impracticable of countries-upon the skillful and extraordinary system of supplies, of food, forage and ammunitionupon the tremendous disparity of loss inflicted on the enemy, although he fought a defensive campaign-upon the
wonderful, tactical genius of the great Commander, whether
on the march or in battle-this campaign must stand unsurpassed in the annals of history." Even the momentous events
transpiring East, could not overshadow this great campaign,
not only great in its actual character, but also in its results.
The centre of Southern railroads was reached, the Confederacy again bisected, and Sherman's hand was feeling its
great arteries.
He now placed his camp in order and showed that he had
come to stay. He commenced putting Atlanta in a state of
defense, and ordered all non-combatants to be removed to
Hood's lines, with their servants and effects. He asked the
latter for his co-operation in effecting this. Hood acceded to
his proposition, but bitterly denounced the measure, as "unprecedented, studied and ungenerous cruelty."
This was a charge so wholly contrary to Sherman's character, and so repugnant to his feelings, that he replied to it.
He had before shown that he wielded a trenchant pen, as
well as sword. His letter to the Massachusetts agent, who
asked to enter his lines to get blacks to fill up the quota of




ï~~340                    A   PLAIN    LETTER.
the State, under the President's call for troops, struck a hard
blow at that miserable, pseudo patriotism, that wished to
keep the able-bodied whites from the war, and place its tremendous responsibilities on mercenary foreigners, or the
poor, liberated blacks.      His answer to Hood        showed the
same capacity to strike hard.blows.        He says:--
" GENERAL,-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter,
of this date, at the hands of Messrs. Ball and Crew, consenting to the arrangements I had proposed to facilitate the removal south, of the people of
Atlanta, who prefer to go in that direction. I inclose you a copy of my
orders, which will, I am satisfied, accomplish my purpose perfectly. You
style the measures proposed 'unprecedented,' and appeal to the dark history of war for a parallel, as an act of ' studied and ungenerous cruelty.'
It is not unprecedented, for General Johnston himself very 'wisely and properly removed the families all the way from Dalton down, and I see no reason
why Atlanta should be excepted. Nor is it necessary to appeal to the dark
history of war, when recent and modern examples areso handy. You, yourself, burned dwelling-houses along your parapet, and I have seen to-day fifty
houses that you have rendered uninhabitable because they stood in the way
of your forts and men. You defended Atlanta on a line so close to the
town that every cannon-shot, and many musket-shots, from our line of investments, that overshot their mark, went into the habitations of women and
children. General Hardee did the same at Jonesboro', and General Johnston did the same last Summer at Jackson, Mississippi. I have not accused
you of heartless cruelty, but merely instance these cases, of very recent occurrence, and could go on and enumerate hundreds of others, and challenge
any fair man to judge which of us has the heart of pity for the families of a
'brave people.' I say it is a kindness to these families of Atlanta, to remove them now at once from scenes that women and children should not be
exposed to; and the brave people should scorn to commit their wives and
children to the rude barbarians who thus, as you say, violate the laws of war,
as illustrated in the pages of its dark history. In the name of common
sense, I ask you not to appeal to a just God in such a sacrilegious manneryou, who, in the midst of peace and prosperity, have plunged a nation into
civil war,' dark and cruel war;' who dared and badgered us to battle; insulted our flag; seized our arsenals and forts, that were left in the honorable
custody of a peaceful ordnance sergeant; seized and made prisoners of war
the very garrisons sent to protect your people against negroes and Indians,
long before anygvert act was committed by the (to you) hateful LincolnGovernment;,hed to force Kentucky and Missouri into the rebellion in spite
of themselves falsified the vote of Louisiana; turned.loose your privateers to
plunder unarmed ships; expelled Union families by the thousand; burned
their houses, and declared, by Act of your Congress, the confiscation of all
debts due Northern men for goods had and received. Talk thus to the marines, but not to me, who have seen these things, and who will this day make
as much sacrifice for the peace and honor of the South, as the best-born
Southerner among you. If we must be enemies, let us be men, and fight it




ï~~A SAD CONDITION.

341

out as we propose to-day, and not deal in such hypocritical appeals to God
and humanity. God will judge us in due time; and lie will pronounce
whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of women and the families of a " brave people" at our back, or to remove them, in time, to places
of safety among their own friends and people.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed,)       W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General Commanding."
This policy, at the first blush, did seem cruel, and the ct
that the enemy committed acts of barbarity, was no justification for Sherman's committing similar acts. It is, therefore,
but right that he should be heard in his own defense. So heavily did this order fall on the innocent women and children,
that the Mayor begged him, in the name of mercy, to revoke
it. Among other things, he says:
Many poor women are in an advanced state of pregnancy; others, having young children, whose husbands, for the
greater part, are either in the army, prisoners, or dead.
Some say, 'I have such a one sick at my house; who will
wait on them when I am gone?' Others say: ' What are we
to do? we have no houses to go to, and no means to buy,
build, or rent any; no parents, relatives, or friends to go to.'
Another says: ' I will try and take this or that article of
property; but such and such things I must leave behind,
though I need them much.' We reply to them: ' General
Sherman will carry your property to Rough and Ready, and
then General Hood will take it thence on;' and they will reply to that: 'But I want to leave the railroad at such a
place, and cannot get conveyance from thence on.'
"We only refer to a few facts to illustrate, in part, how
this measure will operate in practice. As you advanced, the
people north of us fell back, and before your arrival here
large portion of the people here had retired South;. so that
the country south of this is already crowded, and without
sufficient houses to accommodate the people, and we are informed that many are now staying in churches and other out'




ï~~342       SHERMAN'S REPLY        TO THE MAYOR.
buildings.   This being so, how is it possible for the people
still here (mostly women and children) to find shelter, and
how can they live through the Winter in the woods-no shelter or subsistepce-in the midst of strangers who know them
not, and without the power to assist them much if they were
willing to do so.
' This is but a feeble picture of the consequences of this
measure. You know, the woe, the horror and the suffering
cannot be described by words.     Imagination can only conceive of it, and we ask you to take these things into consideration.  We know your mind and time are continually occupied with the duties of your command, which almost deters us from asking your attention to the matter, but thought
it might be that you had not considered the subject in all of
its awful consequences, and that, on reflection, you, we hope,
would not make this people an exception to all mankind; for
we know of no such instance ever having occurred-surely
not in the United States.   And what has this helpless people done, that they should be driven from their homes, to
wander as strangers, outcasts and exiles, and to subsist on
charity?"
Sherman felt the truth of all this, and saw that his course
might be deemed harsh in the sight of the world, so, to clear
himself from an unjust charge, and place the reason of his
conduct on record for the future historian, he wrote the following letter -
"ATLANTA, Ga., Sept. 12, 1864.
JAMES M. CALHOUN, Mayor, E. E. RAwsoN, and S. C. WELLS, representing
the City Council of Atlanta:
GENTLEMEN:-I have your letter of the 11th, in the nature of a petition,
to revoke my orders removing all the inhabitants from Atlanta. I have read
it carefully, and give full credit to your statements of the distress that will
be occasibned by it, and yet shall not revoke my order, simply because my
orders are not designed to meet the humanities of the case, but to prepare
for the future struggles, in which millions, yea hundreds of millions, of good
people outside of Atlanta have a deep interest. We must have Peace, not
only at Atlanta, but in all America. To secure this, we must stop the war




ï~~////                   /




ï~~


ï~~A  NOBLE     DEFENSE.                       343
that now desolates our once happy and favored country. To stop war, we
must defeat the rebel armies that are arrayed against the laws and Constitution, which all must respect and obey. To defeat these armies we must prepare the way to reach them in their recesses, provided with the arms and
instruments which enable us to accomplish our purpose.
Now, I know the vindictive nature of our enemy, and that we may have
many years of military operations from this quarter, and, therefore, deem it
wise and prudent to prepare in time. The use of Atlanta for warlike purposes is inconsistent with its character as a home for families. There will be no
manufactures, commerce, or agriculture here for the maintenance of families,
and, sooner or later, want will compel the inhabitants to go. Why not go
now, when all the arrangements are' completed for the transfer, instead of
waiting till the plunging shot of contending armies will renew the scene of
the past month?  Of course, I do not apprehend any such thing at this moment, but you do not suppose that this army will be here till the war is over.
I cannot discuss this subject with.you fairly, because I cannot impart to you
what I propose to do; but I assert that my military plans make it necessary
for the inhabitants to go away, and I can only renew my offer of services to
make their exodus in any direction as easy and comfortable as possible. You
cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.
War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war on
our country, deserve air the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.
I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you, to secure peace. But you cannot have peace
and a division of our country. If the United States submits to a division
now, it will not stop, but will go on till we reap the fate of Mexico, which is
eternal war. The United States does and must assert its authority wherever
it has power; if it relaxes one bit to pressure, it is gone, and I know that
such is not the national feeling. This feeling assumes various shapes, but
always comes back to that of Union. Once admit the Union, once more
acknowledge the authority of the National Government, and instead of devoting your houses and streets and roads to the dread uses of war, I and this
army, become at once your protectors and supporters, shielding you from
danger, let it come from what quarter it may. I know that a few individuals
cannot resist a torrent of error and passion, such as has swept the South into
rebellion; but you can point out, so that we may know those who desire a
Government, and those who insist on war and its desolation.
You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm, as against these terrible hardships of war. They are inevitable; and the only way the people of
Atlanta can hope once more to live in peace and quiet at home, is to stop
this war, which can alone be done by admitting that it began in error, and is
perpetuated in pride. We don't want your negroes or your horses, or your
houses or your land, or anything you have; but we do want, and will have a
just obedience to the Laws of the United States. That we will have, and if
it involves the destruction of your improvements, we cannot help it. You
have heretofore read public sentiment in your newspapers, that live by falsehood and excitement, and the quicker you seek for truth in other quarters,
the better for you.
I repeat, then, that, by the orginal compact of government, the United
States had certain rights in Georgia, which have never been relinquished, and
never will be; that the South began war by seizing forts, arsenals, mints,
52




ï~~344

MOMENTOUS EVENTS.

custom-houses, &c., &c., long before Mr. LiNcoIN was installed, and before
the South had one jot or tittle of provocation. I, myself, have seen in Mis.
souri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, hundreds and thousands of women and children fleeing from your armies and desperadoes, hungry and with,bleeding feet. In Memphis, Vicksburg and Mississippi, we fed thousands
upon thousands of the families of rebel soldiers left on our hands, and whom,
we could not see starve. Now that war comes home to you, you feel very
different; you deprecate its horrors, but did not feel them when you sent carloads of soldiers and ammunition, and moulded shell and shot, to carry war
into Kentucky and Tennessee, and desolate the homes of hundreds and thousands of good people, who only asked to live in peace, at their old homes,
and under the Government of their inheritance. But these comparisons are
idle. I want peace, and believe it can only be reached through Union and
war, and I will ever conduct war purely with a view to perfect and early
success.
But, my dear Sirs, when that peace does come, you may call on me for
anything. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you
to shield your homes and familes against danger from every quarter. Now,
you must go, and take with you the old and feeble; feed and nurse them,
and build for them, in more quiet places, proper habitations to shield them
against the weather, until the mad passions of men cool down, and allow the
Union and peace once more to settle on your old homes at Atlanta.
Yours, in haste,
W.T. SHERMAN, Major-General.
It is a noble defense.
But, while these momentous events were passing in the
West, others, calculated to move the nation to the centre,
and which arrested and held the attention of the civilized
world, were transpiring in the East. Amid the mighty movements, gigantic battles, and fearful slaughter, that shook and
crimsoned the earth between Washington and Richmond,
the news of the fall of Atlanta came like a faint and far-off
echo.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVI.

NECESSITY OF UNITY OF ACTION-SIGEL IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEYGRANT'S INSTRUCTIONS TO BUTLER--FOLLY OF PLACING THE LATTER IN THE
IMPORTANT POSITIGN HE HELD-NUMBER OF THE TROOPS CO-OPERATING
DIRECTLY WITH GRANT-OUR ENTIRE MILITARY FORCE-GRANT'S PLAN OF
CAMPAIGN-ADVANCE OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-CROSSING THE
RAPIDAN-COMMENCEMENT OF THE " BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS "-FIRST
*
DAY-SECOND DAY--'TIIRD DAY-RETREAT OF THE ENEMY-ADVANCE OF
OUR ARMY-FIGHT OF WARREN'S CORPS-DEATH OF SEDGWICK-GRAND
ASSAULT ON THE ENEMY S WORKS-HANCOCK'S BRILLIANT NIGHT ATTACKFEARFUL APPEARANCE OF THE BATTLE-FIELD-A WEEK'S COMPARATIVE
REST-CHANGE OF BASE) AND BRINGING UP OF REINFORCEMENTS-THE
DEAD OF THE WILDERNESS.
THE simultaneous movement of the combined forces of
the Republic, East and West, was a sublime spectacle.
The tread of more than a half a million of men, suddenly
shook the earth, as, with faces turned southward, they moved on the tottering Confederacy. All of Grant's energies,
for months, had been directed to secure this unity of action,
this consolidation of Northern strength. With forces far
outnumbering those of the South, backed by an overwhelming navy, we yet had made but little progress toward putting down the rebellion. First a blow would be struck East,
and then one West, with sufficient intervals between them,
to allow the rebel leaders, with their shorter interior lines, to
transfer troops from one section to another, so as always
to present a force at the menaced point, nearly, if not quite
equal to the one we had there.
The armies, under Halleck's and Stanton's administration,
had, to use Grant's homely but expressive phrase, worked




ï~~346

SIGEL'S DUTY.

like a balky team."  His great object, therefore, was to reverse all this, and when he had attained his object, he was
ready to move; and the roll of the drum, and the pealing
bugle awoke the Army of the Potomac from its long slumbers, and, for the fourth time, it turned its face toward
Richmond.
As before.stated, Grant had only his right flank to protect, and thus keep Lee from threatening Maryland and
Washington, by way of the Shenandoah Valley. To secure
this, he says:"General Sigel was, therefore, directed to organize all
his available force into two expeditions, to move from Beverly and Charlestown, under command of Generals Ord and
Crook, against the East Tennessee and Virginia railroad.
Subsequently, General Ord having been relieved at his own
request, General Sigel was instructed, at his own suggestion, to give up the expedition by Beverly, and to form two
columns, one under General Crook, on the Kanawha, numbering about ten thousand men, and one on the Shenandoah,
numbering about seven thousand men. The one on the Shenandoah to assemble between Cumberland and the Shenandoah, and the infantry and artillery advanced to Cedar
Creek with such cavalry as could be made available at the
moment, to threaten the enemy in the Shenandoah Valley,
and advance as far as possible; while General Crook would
take possession of Lewisburg with part of his force, and
move down the Tennessee railroad, doing as much damage
as he could, destroying the New River bridge, and the salt
works at Saltville, Virginia."
A still more important co-operating force was under Butler, who commanded at Fortress Monroe. In this department, including North Carolina, were a little over fifty-nine
thousand troops. On Butler's proper co-operation, Grant
mainly depended for success; and it was one of those stu



ï~~INSTRUCTIONS        TO   BUTLER.                 347
pendous follies the Administration seemed determined to
commit to the last, to let this man, without military education, or experience in the field, hold so vital a command.
The following were Grant's instructions to him
"FORTRESS MONROE, Va., April 2, 1864.
GENERAL:-In the spring campaign, which it is desirable shall commence
at as early a day as practicable, it is proposed to have a co-operative action
of all the armies in the field, as far as this object can be accomplished.
It will not be possible to unite our armies into two or three large ones, to
act as so many units, owing to the absolute necessity of holding on to the
territory already taken from the enemy. But, generally speaking, concentration can be practically effected by armies moving to the interior of the enemy's country, from the territory they have to guard. By such movement,
they interpose themselves between the enemy and the country to be guarded,
thereby reducing the number necessary to guard important points, or, at
least, occupy the attention of a part of the enemy's force if no greater object
is gained. Lee's army and Richmond being the greater objects toward
which our attention must be directed, in the next campaign, it is desirable to
unite all the force we can against them. The necessity of covering Washington with the Army of the Potomac, and of covering your department
with your army, makes it impossible to unite these forces at the beginning
of any move. I propose, therefore, that what comes nearest us of anything
that seems practicable:-The Army of the Potomac will act from its present
base, Lee's army being the objective point. You will collect all the forces
from your command, that can be spared from garrison duty-I should say
not less than twenty thousand effective men-to operate on the south side
of James River, Richmond being your objective point. To the force you
already have, will be added about ten thousand men from South Carolina,
under Major-General Gillmore, who will command them in person. MajorGeneral W. F. Smith is ordered to report to you, to command the troops
sent into the field from your own department.
General Gillmore will be ordered to report to you at Fortress Monroe, with
all the troops on transports, by the 18th instant, or as soon thereafter as practicable. Should you not receive notice by that time to move, you will make
such disposition of them and your other forces, as you may deem best calculated to deceive the enemy as to the real move to be made.
When you are notified to move, take City Point with as much force as
possible. Fortify, or rather intrench, at once, and concentrate all your troops
for the field there as rapidly as you can. From City Point directions cannot
be given, at this time, for your further movements.
The fact that has already been stated-that is, that Richmond is to be your
objective point, and that there is to be co-operation between your force and
the Army of Potomac-must be your guide. This indicates the necessity
of your holding close to the south bank of the James River, as you advance.
Then, should the enemy be forced into his intrenchments, in Richmond, the
Army of the Potomac would follow, and by means of transports the two armies
would become a unit.




ï~~348

STRENGTH OF THE ARMY.

All the minor details of your advance are left entirely to your direction.
If, however, you think it practicable to use your cavalry south of you, as to
cut the railroad about Hick's Ford, about the time of the general advance, it
would be of immense advantage.
You will please forward for my information, at the earliest practicable day,
all orders, details, and instructions, you may give for the execution of this
order.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
Major-General B. F. BUTLER."
These instructions he subsequently reiterated, and informed him farther, that he expected him to move from Fortress
Monroe the same day that Meade advanced from Culpepper, and also stated the plan which he proposed to follow.
The Army of the Potomac proper, numbered, at this time,
a little over one hundred and twenty thousand men: The
Ninth Corps, under Burnside, held in reserve, and numbering a little over twenty thousand men, was stationed on the
road near Bull Run.   His orders were, not to move until
he heard that the Army of the Potomac had crossed the
Rapidan, and then to move promptly.
Thus, it will be seen, that Grant had directly co-operating
with him, in various directions, over two hundred thousand
troops. Although our military force, at this time, was nine
hundred and seventy thousand and seven hundred men, only
a little over six hundred and sixty-two thousand were available for duty; hence, a third of our actual force was operating against Richmond. More or less remotely and directly,
more than two hundred thousand bayonets were pointing
toward the rebel Capital.
The general plan of operations, adopted by Grant, in the
important campaign on which he was entering, he states to
be as follows
"My first object, being to break the military power of the
rebellion, and. capture the enemy's important strongholds,
made me desirous that General Butler should succeed in his
movement against Richmond, as that would tend more than




ï~~GRANT'S PLAN.

349

anything else, unless it were the capture of Lee's army, to
accomplish this desired result in the East. If he failed, it
was my determination, by hard fighting, either to compel
Lee to retreat, or to so cripple him that he could not detach
a large force to go North, and still retain enough for the
defense of Richmond.   It was well understood, by both
Generals Butler and Meade, before starting on the campaign, that it was my intention to put both their armies
south of James River, in case of failure to destroy Lee without it."
This shows how important was the position held by Butler, and how absurd it was to place him in it. The General
in the Army of the Potomac, second only to Grant, should
have commanded there-one who would iot have been
"corked up" at the very outset.
The quotation above, however, does not give a clear view
of Grant's entire plan. The success of Butler's operations
against Richmond were, at the best, problematical, and his
own plans had to be formed on their possible failure.
It appears, in other parts of Grant's report, that his first
object was to turn Lee's left flank at Mine Run-where the
latter held a strong position-and compel him to a decisive,
pitched battle. If he accomplished this, he believed that,
with his superior force, he could destroy him, or so utterly
shatter him, that he could present but feeble resistance anywhere between that point and the rebel Capital. If Butler
could capture Petersburg, destroy the South Side railroad,
and work around Richmond till his left rested on the James
above the city, Grant could form a junction with him there,
which would leave the Capital completely invested. The
course he was actually compelled to pursue, was the last
one he desired. Butler not only failed in performing what
was.expected of him, but he, himself, also failed to get a de



ï~~350

MOVEMENT OF THE ARMY

cisive battle out of Lee, and was beaten back in every attack,
from the Wilderness to the James.
On the night of the 3rd of May, all was in commotion in
the Army of the Potomac, and the next morning, it moved'
in splendid array across the Rapidan. It was divided into
three Corps-the Second, commanded by Hancock, the Fifth,
by Warren, and the Sixth, by Sedgwick. Two Corps crossed
at Germania Ford, and the other at the United States Ford.
Sheridan, commanding the cavalry, led the advance, and
protected the immense trains, composed of over four thousand wagons, which.were to be carried through that broken,
wooded country.
This day, the army marched about twelve miles. Granit
expected that his passage of the Rapidan would be stubbornly contested; but Lee seemed to think that his chances
of success, with his inferior force, would be better, to attack
the army while on the march, and separated in the forest-for
the course, it was compelled to take, led across a wild and
desolate tract of country, overgrown with stunted pines, and
as unfit for a battle-field as could be imagined. This "Wilderness,"' as it was called, extended from Chancellorsville up
to Mine Run, where Lee lay intrenched. Besides, by the
road that Grant was compelled to take, Lee could come
down on him on the Orange and Chancellorsville turnpike
and the Orange and Chancellorsville plank road, and strike
him at right angles, while on the march. This, as soon as
Grant's plan was fully developed, he did, compelling the
latter to halt, and form line of battle in the woods, so as to
cover the fords over which the trains were passing. This
was the last thing Grant desired. He knew the country imperfectly, and could in no way overlook it, while every highway and byway wis familiar to Lee and his corps-conmmanders.
On Thursday morning, Warren reached the Old Wilder



ï~~POSITION OF OUR ARMY.

351

ness Tavern, ten miles south of the ford, and situated on the
Germania and Chancellorsville plank road-Sedgwick being
on his right with his line extending back to the river. Hancock, who had crossed five or six miles farther down the
river, was directed to move forward to Shady Grove Church
from Chancellorsville, but Grant, finding that a battle was
to be thrown upon him on this unfortunate spot, countermanded the order, and Hancock was directed to swing
round and hasten forward, by a cross-road, with all possible
dispatch and close up with Warren, and form the left wing.
Lee, aware of the gap here, made a desperate effort to get
into it, and thus divide the armies. Previous to this, however, a part of Griffin's division had been pushed forward to
ascertain the designs of the enemy, in doing which a severe
fight occurred, and the force was compelled to fall back with
a loss of several hundred men.
About three o'clock, Lee attempted to get between Hancock and Warren; Grant penetrating his design-and Mott's
division, the advance of Hancock's Corps, just then coming
up-he ordered this, with Getty's, on Warren's left, to charge
the enemy, so as to hold him back until the rest of Hancock's Corps could arrive. They, at once, plunged into the
woods, which were so dense that artillery was almost entirely
useless, and the real
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS
commenced. The woods were soon ablaze with the fire of
the musketry, but every effort of the enemy to advance at
this point, was baffled, and he was held sternly back until Hancock's Corps arrived and closed up the line on the left. The
battle was a singular one. Says an eye-witness:
"The fighting-who shall describe it? Not a thousand
men can be seen at once, yet for miles, in the front, thou



ï~~352

FIRST DAY'S BATTLE.

sands are engaged. The volleyed thunders of the combat
roll among the glens and ravines, hoarser and higher than
the voices of an Eastern jungle. The woods are alive with
cries and explosions, and the shrill, anvil clatter of musketry.
One cannon, pitched afar, times the wild tumult like a tolling
bell. The smoke is a shroud about our heroes; there is not
wind enough to lift it into a canopy.
"And now, out of the concealed and awful scenery, where
the fight goes on, there come the ruins it has wrought, in
shapes, borne in blankets and on litters-maimed, tortured,
writhing; with eyes dull with the stupor of coming death;
or bright with delirious fire. Listen to the hell, raging beyond and below; behold this silent, piteous procession, that
emerges ceaselessly, and passes on. Into and out of the
ordeal of fire; from the pride of the ranks to the suffering of
the hospital, these forms have been, and come, and are of no
more avail."
Darkness, at length, put an end to the contest. Grant
saw, at a glance, the peril he was in, and that Lee needed
but slight success at this point to compel him to re-cross the
river, as Burnside and Hooker had done before him, and he,
therefore, brought over a part of Sedgwick's Corps, to which
he added some of Warren's force to strengthen Hancock.
Burnside's Corps, too, which had strained forward all night,
was up in the morning. Grant had notified him at four
o'clock, the afternoon before, that he was over the Rapidan,
and directed him to hasten forward. So swiftly did he march
that, says Grant:
"By six o'clock of the morning of the 6th, he was leading
his Corps into action near the Wilderness Tavern, some of
his troops having marched a distance of thirty miles, crossing both the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. Considering that a large proportion, probably two-thirds of his command, was composed of new troops. unaccustomed to march



ï~~DEATH OF WASDWORTH.

es, and carrying the accoutrements of a soldier, this was a
remarkable march."
SECOND DAY'S BATTLE.
Grant, however, did not wait his arrival. He had given
his orders the night before, for a general advance of the
whole line, at five o'clock in the morning. The army, at
this time, stretched for about seven miles through the Wilderness, and as no general survey of it could be had, much
had to be left to the separate Commanders. At five o'clock,
Sedgwick attacked on the right, moving with his accustomed
gallantry on Ewell-on the left, Hancock burst like a torrent on the enemy, and drove him back in confusion, and,
for hours, the battle roared like a tornado for seven miles
through the pine forest. Grant stood under a tree and listened to the crashing volleys that receded away in the dis.
tance, while aids were constantly coming and going with
reports and orders.
Still, the line of that terrific fire seemed to advance nowhere, except on the left. Hancock steadily pushed the
enemy before him for a mile and a half, taking a rebel riflepit and five stand of colors. Wadsworth, connecting with
his right, put forth desperate efforts. Apparently forgetful
that he had a life to lose, he again and again led the charge
in person. Two horses were shot under him, and, at length,
a shot pierced his own head and he fell. His body was seized
by the enemy, and he died in their hands.
But, at length, Hancock's victorious career was stopped.
The rebels rallying fiercely, fell on his exhausted battalions,
whose ammunition was now getting low, and bore them
steadily back, until, at eleven o'clock, he occupied the ground
which he held in the morning. His extreme left, for the
moment, was turned, but the mischief was quickly repaired,




ï~~354

LAST EFFORT OF THE ENEMY.

and a lull at this point came in the contest. But, at four
o'clock, Longstreet coming up, having made a forced march
of twenty-five miles, Lee resolved to make one more
desperate effort to turn our left and double it up on the
army.
The enemy came on in four lines, and fell with such desperation on Hancock that he succeeded in breaking his firm
formation, and, for a moment, the battle seemed lost. When.
the startling news was borne to Grant, he replied, "I don't
believe it." But Gibbon's division was promptly formed in
rear of the break, and the headlong torrent that was pouring
through was stopped. For three-quarters of an hour, the
battle raged here with terrible ferocity. Longstreet was
determined to complete what he had so auspiciously begun,
and hurled his columns forward with a desperation and gallantry, that could not be surpassed. Hancock, however,
knowing that the battle lost here was lost everywhere, disputed every inch of ground with a stubbornness that neither
valor nor numbers could overcome.
The use of so little artillery, made this one of the most
remarkable battles on record-over two hundred thousand
men fought in a vast jungle.
"There in the depths of those ravines, under the shadows
of those trees, entangled in that brush-wood, is no pomp of
war, no fluttering of banners in an unhindered breeze, no
solid tramp of marching battalions, no splendid strategy of
the fields Napoleon loved to fight on. There a Saturnalia,
gloomy, hideous, desperate, rages confined. That metallic,
hollow rack of musketry, is like the clanking of great chains
about the damned; that sullen yell of the enemy, a fiendish protest and defiance. How the hours lag; how each
minute is freighted with a burden that the days would have
groaned to bear in other times! Still, the sad, shuddering
procession, emerging out of the smoke and tumult and pass



ï~~A VIVID DESCRIPTION.

355

ing on. Still the appealing eyes, and clenched hands, and
quivering limbs of human creatures, worse than helpless,
whose fighting is over. The paths are full of them, the roads
are thick with them, the forest seems to take up the slow
movement, and move with them like giants hovering over
the funeral of Lilliputians. Piled in ambulances, they move
on further yet, while the torturer of battle plies on below,
making more victims. Here and there, beside some path,
you shall see a heaped blanket, labeled by some thoughtful
bearer with the name of the corpse beneath it bore in life;
here and there, you shall come across a group of men bending over one wounded, past help, and dying an agonized
death. And often-too often-the shameful spectacle of
one bearing a weapon, unhurt, pallid and fear-stricken, flits
through an opening toward the rear, and is gone. You
shall meet with soldiers, in groups of one, or two, or three,
hidden in some thicket, or coolly making coffee by the
road-side. And hearing the roar of the battle below, and
seeing the bloody trail of the battle behind, it shall be a
glad thing to see these men hunted by officers back, with
curses, to the ranks, to share the dangers of their nobler
comrades.
"About this battle there is a horrible fascination. It is
like a maelstrom. You feel it sucking you in, and you go
nearer to see men fall like those you have seen fallen. Down
through the break, underneath the edges of the smoke,
where the bullets are thick, and the trunks of trees, like the
ranks of men, sway and fall with the smiting of shells, you
have a little view of the courage and the carnage of this
fight. There are the enemy, retreated to the breastworksa ragged pile of fallen trees and heaped up earth-hiding
their heads, spitting lead and flame. Here is the Sixth
Corps-what you can see of it-plunging on, firing continually, tumbling over branches and limbs, sinking waist-deep




ï~~356

CLOSE OF THE CONTEST.

in swamps, fighting with its might, and bleeding at every
pore."
The covering of the trees, and the absence of cannon,
made it a very close contest--the lines often almost meeting
in the fierce encounter. For seven miles, the forest was alive
with the confused sounds of this awful struggle, out of which
arose fierce jets of smoke, that settled in a vast and sulphurous cloud above the green tree-tops. The dead and wounded
lay thick as autumn leaves along the low ridges and slopes,
and in front of the hastily thrown up intrenchments, and
when night put an end to the contest, the "Wilderness"
was dreary and desolate indeed. After dark, the enemy
made an attack on our left, in which Seymour and Shaler
were taken prisoners, with a large number of troops.
The battle, on this day, was the decisive one, and at its
close, it was evident that Lee had put forth his greatest
effort, and just at the moment too when Grant was in a position to be beaten, if ever he could be. Still the latter was
not certain that the attack would not be renewed in the
morning, and he, therefore, during the evening, selected a
new and stronger position, and contracted his lines. But
Saturday brought no renewal of the attack, and the day was
spent in reconnoissances and skirmishes along the whole line.
The result of the day's operations, was a convictiqn, on the
part of Grant, that the enemy was preparing to retreat, and
he, therefore, determined, weary as his army was, to throw
it forward by a rapid, night march towards Spottsylvania.
If he reached this place first, Lee would be cut off from Richmond, and compelled to give him battle in the open field.
Accordingly, at ten o'clock, our advance started off through
the gloom.
The moon had been down for an hour, and the army
passed like a mighty shadow over the sterile country. "The
fires burned brightly, and at a distance, upon the wooded




ï~~THE RACE.

357

hillsides, looked like the lights of a city. Standing upon an
eminence, at the junction of the Germania, Chancellorsville,
and Orange Court-House roads, along which the tramp of
soldiers, and the rumble of wagonetrains, made a smothered
din, one could almost imagine himself peering down through
the darkness on the streets of a metropolis, in peace. Back
in the forest, from the hospitals, from the trees, from the
roadside, the wounded were being gathered in ambulances
for the long, night journey. That part of the army, not
on the move, was slumbering by its fires, waiting for the
signal."
Lee, however, was soon made aware of the movement,
and dispatched Longstreet, an hour later, to the same point.
The two exhausted columns marched by parallel roads, but
Longstreet had the shortest distance to go in the race, and
reached Spottsylvania first.
BATTLE OF SUNDAY, MAY 8TH.
Warren's Corps was in the advance, in the march for this
vital point, and Bartlett's brigade, of Griffin's division, was
ordered to attack the place at once, on the supposition that
only cavalry held it. But, to his astonishment, this Commander run into Longstreet's whole Corps, and was shivered
to fragments-one regiment, the First Michigan, losing threefourths of its number in fifteen minutes. Robinson's division, on the left, finding itself confronted by an overwhelming
force, also gave way in. disorder.
At that critical moment, Warren, with his Staff, arrived
on the field, and fired at the sight of the disordered ranks,
spurred forward and seizing a division flag, rallied the troops
by his gallant bearing, and held them firmly to the shock,
until the other portions of his Corps could arrive. From
eight till twelve-for four hours-he maintained the unequal




ï~~358

DEATH OF SEDGWICK.

struggle, and, at length, gained an open space which led up
to the rebel line of battle, that stretched through a piece
of woods.
Two fresh divisions coming up-Crawford's and Getty's--
an attack was made on the enemy's position just at evening,
and after an hour and a half of severe fighting, the first line
of breastworks was carried, though with heavy loss to us.
The next morning Grant saw his line advanced to within less
than three miles of Spottsylvania Court-House, and well
intrenched.
MONDAY.
This was a sad day, for it took from the army one of its
ablest Commanders. Sedgwick having gone out in advance
to superintend the placing of some batteries, noticed that
one of the gunners dodged, as the sharp whistle of a bullet
sounded near. Amused at the man's nervousness, he said,
pleasantly, "Pooh, man, you can't hit an elephant at that
distance "-referring to the nearest enemy in sight-when the
bullet, of a sharp-shooter ensconced in one of the neighboring trees, entered his eye, and passed directly into his brain.
The blood gushed from his nostrils, and with a serene smile
on his face, he fell into the arms of his Assistant AdjutantGeneral. A noble man, a strong leader, a great General,
and one of the firmest props of Grant, he fell where he
always preferred to fall, on the field of battle, with his face
to the foe.
Monday was a day of comparative quietude, though there
was constant skirmishing.  Hancock had crossed the Po
and thrown up intrenchments, working all night by the light
of lanterns, hung in the blossoming cherry trees. Heavy
cannonading occured at intervals, along the line, and an
attack of the enemy was expected, but was not made in any
force or determination.




ï~~SHERIDAN 'S RAID..359

Both armies were fearfully exhausted. For the last three
days, the line of battle had been constantly formed, and, for
forty-eight hours, many of the troops had been without rest
or regular rations.
Soldiers had never shown greater endurance on any battlefield, and the "three days' battle in the Wilderness" will
remain to all time, as an evidence of the superiority of
American troops-when once inured by long service--to any
others in the world.
On this day, Sheridan, with the cavalry force, started on a
raid to sever Lee's communications with Richmond. The
very next day he sent a dispatch to the Secretary of. War,
stating that he had "turned the enemy's right, and got into
their rear; had destroyed from eight to ten miles of railroad,
two locomotives, and three trains, and a very large quantity
of supplies; and that since he had got into their rear, there
was great excitement among the inhabitants and with th(
army. The enemy's cavalry had tried to annoy his rear and
flank, but had been run off, and he had recaptured five hundred of our men-two of them colonels."
From this point he moved on, spreading destruction in
his path, until he reached the suburbs of Richmond, and
actually entered the first line of works. But finding it impossible to proceed farther, he wheeled about and crossed
the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge, having suffered but
slight loss in his daring ride. But, like every movement of
the kind, since the war commenced, it was of no practical
importance, for it had no effect whatever on Lee's movements.
On Tuesday, the 10th, Grant having finished his reconnoissances, and got his army into position, determined to
assault the enemy's works. It was ordered to take place at
five o'clock in the afternoon, and all day long the artillery
beat in a steady, awful storm on the rebel position--in some
53




ï~~360

GRAND ASSAULT.

places setting fire to the forest, that smoked and flamed
above the dead and wounded. More or less fighting occurred all along the lines, and at about four o'clock, the
enemy came out and attacked Barlow's division, which
occupied a flanking and somewhat isolated position over
the stream, and compelled it to re-cross and join the Second
Corps. This delayed the proposed attack for an hour and
a half, so that it was sundown before the columns began to
advance.
During this interval, however, the cannonading was terrific, and shot and shell fell in a ceaseless shower on the
rebel works. At half past six, Grant and Meade, with their
staffs, took positions on an eminence that overlooked, to
some extent, the field of operations, and the signal-twelve
cannon shots-sounded the advance. With cheers that rose
over the crash of cannon, the assaulting columns at once
leaped forward and pressed over the broken field. Through
patches of wood-over ridges, across swampy holes and
ravines-swept at every step by a destructive fire--the
dark lines steadily advanced, although the brave battalions
crumbled away like frost-work before the enfilading fire that
ploughed through the ranks. It was a vain effort, however,
and it was soon evident that the troops were held to a useless slaughter--those strong works could not be carried.
The only success, of importance, was achieved by the Sixth
Corps, that, since the death of Sedgwick, had been commanded by General Wright.
" About three hundred yards in front, the enemy occupied
a work very strongly constructed, as high as a man's head,
and loop-holed at the. top. The party organized to attack
this work, was disposed by General Russell, and led by Colonel Upton. It consisted of a portion of the First division,
the Vermont brigade of the Second division, and some
picked troops of General Neill's command, who were massed,




ï~~A GALLANT CHARGE.

361

on the eve of the attack, to the left and front of three batteries-Cowan's, McCartney's and -Rhodes'. Some companies of the Forty-ninth New York regiment had occupied,
during the afternoon, a work in advance of the general line,
and just to the left of the line of march of the column of
attack. As the column pressed forward, these companies
moved by the left flank, engaging a battery of the enemy on
the right of his work.
"The batteries of McCartney, Cowan and Rhodes opened
on the work, over the heads of the attacking column, which
moved steadily on in the face of a terrific blaze of musketry,
with arms a-port, and without firing a shot, up to the very
face of the enemy's position. It poured-a flood of savage
faces and plunging bayonets-over the crest of the work
and into the midst of the enemy, capturing, in an instant,
nine hundred and fifty of the very men who had stampeded
the brigades of Shaler and Seymour, on Friday night, in
the Wilderness, and sending a scattering volley after a host
of flying rebels. Twelve guns, also, came into our possession."
Shouts of laughter greeted these prisoners, as they were
run back into our lines at full speed, before the bayonets of
their captors. Darkness, at length, closed the conflict, and
our bleeding lines retired from the hopeless struggle. Our
losses this day were fearful, and the moon that night, looked
down on hetacombs of brave men, piled everywhere around
the rebel works and over the fields.
The next day was spent in skirmishing and manoeuvering.
In the afternoon, a heavy storm set in, followed by a dark
and foggy night. Hancock took advantage of the darkness
and rain to change his position, and, unobserved by the
enemy, planted himself on his right flank. Between four
and five o'clock in the morning, in the midst of a pouring
rain, the troops moved silently forward against a salient or




ï~~362

CHARGE OF HANCOCK.

angle of the enemy's works, held by Johnston,which here
were exceedingly strong, with a wide ditch in front. Barlow's division had the advance, Miles' brigade leading. The
assaulting columns moved swiftly, and in dead silence, forward, and without a cheer or a shot, swept in one dark flood
over the ramparts, capturing almost the entire division of
Johnston.
Hancock now turned the captured artillery on the enemy,
and drove them back for nearly a mile. But here they
rallied, and a long and bloody fight followed. The other
Corps were brought up, and a desperate effort was made to
turn this brilliant success into a complete victory; and all
through the forenoon, in the midst of the pelting rain, the
fearful conflict continued to rage. At noon the storm broke,
and the sun came out, but, alas! not to light us to victory.
The first advantage was the last, of any importance, that was
gained, and after hours of heavy fighting; it was evident that
the enemy's position could not be carried. The rebels, fighting with a desperation never surpassed, made five successive
charges to re-take the works that had been carried by Hancock. The two armies were rapidly concentrated around
this single spot-the one to retake, and the other to hold the
captured works-hence, the struggle and the slaughter here
were awful.
"Column after column of the enemy penetrated to the
very face of the breastwork, to be hewn down and sent back
like a broken wave. Column after column still came on,
dealing death and meeting it, and making way for other
columns and others still; and all the day long, against this
rush of a foe, that seemed disdainful of life, the angle was
held by our troops, fighting, falling, but unyielding, to the
close. Our artillery made havoc on that day; from dawn to
dusk, the roar of the guns was ceaseless; a tempest of shell
shrieked through the forest, and plowed the field.




ï~~A FRIGHTFUL SPECTACLE.

363

"When the night came, the angle of those works, where the
battle had been hottest and from which the enemy had been
finally driven, had a spectacle for whoever cared to look,
that would never have enticed his gaze again. Men in hundreds, killed and wounded together, were piled in hideous
heaps---some bodies that had lain for hours under the concentric fire of the battle, being perforated with wounds.
The writhing of the wounded beneath the dead, moved these
masses at times; at times, a lifted arm or a quivering limb,
told of an agony not yet quenched by the Lethe of death
around."
Says another correspondent:-" The angle of the works
at which Hancock entered, and for the possession of which
the savage fight of the day was made, is a perfect Golgotha.
In this angle of death the dead and wounded rebels lie, this
morning, literally in piles-men in the agonies of death
groaning beneath the dead bodies of their comrades. On an
area of a few acres, in the rear of their position, lie not less
than a thousand rebel corpses, many literally torn to shreds
by hundreds of balls, and several with bayonet thrusts
through and through their bodies, pierced on the very margins of the parapet, which they were determined to retake or
perish in the attempt. The one exclamation of every man
who looks on the spectacle is, ' God forbid that I should ever
gaze upon such a sight again.'"
Hancock's achievement was a brilliant one, and, for a
time, promised success, but as it turned out, it was a useless
waste of life.
Grant's losses, since he crossed the Rapidan, had been
fearful -a whole army had disappeared-and it was necessary thai, these should be repaired, and now for six days the
army had comparative rest, while reinforcements were hurried up from Washington. The manner in which the troops
came pouring in showed the forecast of Grant. He had




ï~~364

UNBURIED DEAD.

anticipated no easy victory-he knew. Lee and his gallant
veterans, and hence prepared for the frightful loss of life
which had now taken place. These gathering hosts showed
too the almost exhaustless resources of the North, and that
they were at last being employed by a man who knew how
to use them.
Grant a few days before, had telegraphed to the Secretary
of War, "I propose to fight it out on this line, if it takes all
Summer," and it was evident that he meant to. This was said
in no spirit of obstinacy, as it was generally supposed-it was
a mere re-affirmation of judgment on the plan he had adopted,
notwithstanding the frightful sacrifices of life the carrying it
out had demanded.
The base of supplies, in the meantime, had been changed
to Fredericksburg. Manceuvering of the forces, skirmishing
and heavy artillery firing, kept the troops on the alert, but
Grant had resolved not to dash his army to pieces again on
the strong works before him.
The ceaseless energy with which he had pushed the enemy, had not left him sufficient time to bury his dead properly, and the "Wilderness" presented a shocking spectacle,
with its uncovered, or but partially interred bodies, scattered
amid the shattered trees of the forest and wreck of the fight.
During these seventeen fearful days, Sherman's army had
been sending up its victorious shouts amid the mountains of
Georgia, as it hewed its way toward Atlanta, and Butler
causing consternation among the inhabitants of Richmond,
as the sound of his cannon broke over the rebel Capital.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVII.

BUTLER'S ADVANCE TO CITY POINT-BUTLER'S CAMPAIGN-BERMUDA HUNDRED-POSITION OF THE ARMY-KAUTZ'S CAVALRY EXPEDITION-TORPEDOES-RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG RAILROAD SEVERED-BUTLER'S DISPATCH-OPERATIONS AGAINST DRURY'S BLUFF-DILATORINESS OF BUTLERREFUSES TO INTRENCH HIMSELF ON THE RAILROAD-MORNING ATTACK OF
THE ENEMY-CAPTURE OF IIECKMAN AND HIS BRIGADE-GILLMORE AND BUTLER ON THE SITUATION OF THE ARMY-RETREAT TO BERMUDA HUNDRED--
TOTAL FAILURE OF THE PENINSULA MOVEMENT-GRANT'S OPINION OF BUTLER'S CONDUCT-BUTLER'S TREATMENT OF WAR CORRESPONDENTS-BRUTAL
K
TREATMENT OF A CHAPLAIN-NAVAL OPERATIONS ALONG THE COAST-IN
FLORIDA-LOSS OF THE COLUMBINE-INVESTMENT OF NEWBERN-REBEL IRONCLADS-GALLANT FIGHT OF SMITH WITH THE ALBEMARLE IN ALBEMARLE
SOUND-CONDUCT OF THE SASSACUS-STEELE IN ARKANSAS.
IN accordance with Grant's orders, General Butler, on the
4th of May, moved his army from Fortress Monroe, to
co-operate, by an advance on Richmond, with the former,
and keep reinforcements back from Lee. While Grant was
entering on the terrific "Battles of the Wilderness," and its
dreary solitudes were echoing to the roar of his guns, Butler
with his army on transports, guarded by iron-clads, was
steaming up the James River, toward City Point, that lay
about fifteen miles below the rebel Capital. A landing was
made at this place without opposition, and soon the army
was planted securely on the narrow strip of land, known as
Bermuda Hundred.
The river here takes a sharp bend, so that the army
rested both its right and left flank on it, though, by the
stream, they were many miles apart. A line of intrench



ï~~366

KAUTZ'S RAID.

ments was also stretched across the neck, while either extremity was protected by gun-boats. A more secure position
could not have been selected. The difficulty was that while
an army here could repel a large force, a small one, on the
other hand, could coop it up so as to render it inoperative.
It was like a cavern, the mouth of which could be defended
by a few men within, against great odds without; and,
on the other hand, a few men could prevent any egress
from it.
Simultaneous with the advance of the army, a cavalry expedition, under General Kautz, was sent off to strike the
Richmond and Weldon railroad, at a point some eighty miles
distant, and destroy a bridge three thousand feet long, and
then act as circumstances might dictate.
A strong fleet of gun-boats and iron-clads, under Admiral
Lee, co-operated with the army. It was known that torpedoes had been sunk in the river, and hence they were dragged for in advance. But, notwithstanding the utmost precaution was taken, about noon, on the 6th, one that had
escaped discovery, exploded& under the Commodore Jones,
near Four Mile Creek, utterly destroying the vessel, and
killing and wounding half of the crew. A party of marines
and sailors immediately landed at the point and discovered
three galvanic batteries sunk in the ground. Two men also
were captured in a battery near.
One of these being interrogated respecting the locality of
the torpedoes, at first professed entire ignorance, but being
placed in the advance boat of those dragging for them, and
told that he would be blown up with the rest, he became
more communicative, and stated where those he knew of
were placed. He said, moreover, that the one which exploded
under the Commodore Jones contained two thousand pounds
of powder-that the large ones were exploded by galvanic
batteries, but the smaller ones, either by contact or a line




ï~~TORPEDOES.

367

from shore.  Those that were sunk, were put down by
Hunter Davidson, formerly of the United States Navy, who
commanded a boat named the Torpedo, which was built for
this especial service.
The next day, the 7th, the tug gun-boat Shawsheen, while
looking for one of these submarine terrors, near Turkey
Bend, came under the fire of a rebel battery, and was destroyed, and most of the officers and crew captured.
First Assistant-Engineer Young sent to the department a
sketch of these galvanic batteries, by which the torpedoes
were exploded, which is curious, as a part of our naval history daring a war, that brought into service so many new
missiles of destruction.
He says:-" The galvanic batteries were formed of nine
zinc cups, each one battery, or a set of cups being placed on
shelves directly over the other. In each zinc cup was placed
a porous clay cup. In the zinc cup, and outside the porous
cup, was placed the sulphuric acid and water, and inside the
porous cup was placed the nitric acid. The zinc of one cup
was connected to the cast-iron of the other, by a clamp and
thumb screw. The negative wires led directly to the torpedoes, (one to each.) The positive wires ran along near a
foot-path, parallel with the river, for about two hundred
feet, and terminated at a sub-battery. In this sub-battery,
were two large wooden plugs, with a hole about one-half
inch in diameter in each; these holes being filled with mercury; the positive wires connecting from the torpedoes to
the bottom of these plugs; the positive wires, from the
charged batteries, being inserted in the mercury at the top
of its i'respective plug, to form the connections and explode
the torpedoes. The wires from the river bank to the torpedoes were supported by a three inch rope, being stopped
to rope about every four feet. At a distance of every fifteen
feet of the rope, were some five or six feet of three-quarter




ï~~368 RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG R. R. SEVERED.
link chain to assist in keeping it on the bottom. The wires
were covered with gutta percha, about one-quarter inch
thick. The battery used is generally known as the Bunsen
battery."
With such infernal mechanism lining the banks of a nar.
row river, and connecting with vast masses of gun-powder,
lying concealecd on the bottom, and all under the control of
hidden operators on shore, the navigation of the stream was
made most perilous. We had not a Commander afloat who
would not rather at any time engage a hostile fleet, of vastly
superior force, than carry his vessels, without an enemy in
sight, up such a river. There is something infinitely more
appalling in sailing over such hidden engines of destruction,
than there is meeting any danger face to face.
About the time the rebel batteries opened on our fleetdestroying the Shawsheen-a fight commenced on land. Butler moving out his army toward the Richmond and Petersburg railroad, the rebels attacked him. The day was excessively warm, but, about eleven o'clock, the enemy opened
with artillery, and a sharp cannonade was kept up along the
lines.
While the left and centre were thus engaged, a brigade,
on the right, under Colonel Barton, pressed forward, and
striking the railroad, succeeded in tearing up the track for
some distance, and setting a bridge on fire. But being
heavily pressed in turn, it was compelled to retire.
The action continued with more or less severity till four
o'clock in the afternoon, when the order was given for the
army to fall back to the lines held in the morning.
On the 9th, Butler again moved forward to break up
more effectually this important railroad.  With General
Smith's Corps, on the left, and Gillmore, with the Tenth
Corps, on the right, the columns began their march at daylight, and passed cautiously through the thick woods in frost,




ï~~BUTLER'S DISPATCH.

369

without meeting the enemy.        About nine o'clock, Smith
struck the railroad at Port Walthall Junction, and Gillmore
at Chester Station, and the work of destruction commenced.
But little resistance was made by the enemy, and it was evident that he had been taken wholly by surprise.
Butler now determined to advance on Petersburg, and the
army, the same afternoon, moved forward.         The place was
held by Beauregard with a large force, who had been
ordered up from the south to take charge of affairs around
Richmond.
Butler, elated with his easy success, and fully believing
that he could hold possession of the railroad communication
between Richmond and Petersburg, sent the following telegram   to Washington, summing up his achievements, and
announcing the separation of Beauregard's forces from those
of Lee
"MAY 9, 1864.
Our operations may be summed up in a few words. With one thousand
and seven hundred cavalry we have advanced up the Peninsula, forced the
Chickahominy, and have safely brought them to our present position. These
were colored cavalry, and are now holding our advanced pickets toward
Richmond.
General Kautz, with three thousand cavalry, from Suffolk, on the same
day with our movement up James River, forced the Blackwater, burned the
railroad bridge at Stony Creek, below Petersburg, cutting- in two Beauregard's force at that point.
We have landed here, intrenched ourselves, destroyed many miles of
railroad, and got a position which, with proper supplies, we can hold out
against the whole of Lee's army. I have ordered up the supplies,
Beauregard, with a large portion of his force, was left south by the cutting of the railroads by Kautz. That portion which reached Petersburg
under Hill, I have whipped to-day, killing and wounding many, and taking
many prisoners, after a severe and well-contested fight.
General Grant will not be troubled with any further reinforcements to
Lee from Beauregard's force.
BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, Major-General."
More or less fighting occurred between the hostile farces,
without bringing on a decisive battle, and Butler, at length,
determined    to  advance against Fort Darling,.located on




ï~~370

ADVANCE OF BUTLER.

Drury's Bluff. The batteries here were the main obstacle
that prevented our gun-boats from moving as near to Richmond as the depth of water would allow, and if they were
once silenced, it was believed that the advance of the fleet
would compel the evacuation of the rebel Capital.
Butler having reached Kingsland Creek, formed line of
battle on the south-east side, in view of.,James River. The
fleet, in the meantime, moved to the vicinity of the fort to
co-operate with the land forces...
Thenews of Hancock's brilliant success at Spottsylvania,
reached the army on this day, causing immense cheering all
along the front.
For five days there had been more or less fighting, and
much of the time in a pouring rain, but no decisive advantage had been gained by either side. Butler succeeded in
taking some of the outer works of Fort Darling; and from
the daily bulletins, published by war correspondents, the
public expected the speedy capture of this stronghold.
Foiled here, Butler attempted to get toward Petersburgthe fall of which had been prematurely announced--but
meeting with strong opposition, he, on Monday, changed
front, and moved toward Richmond. His line, at this time,
was three miles long, extending from the James River to the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad. He had been molested
so little in the occupancy of this road, that he seemed to
think the enemy had abandoned all hope of re-occupying it,
and hence neglected to take those precautions which a skillful
Commander would have adopted.
Gillmore, one of the ablest engineers of the age, and
of much experience in the field, advised him to throw up
intrenchments so as to be able to hold this important position against any attack of the enemy. But Butler, in a
pompous manner, replied, that he was acting on the ofensive, and not defensive, and refused to follow his advice.




ï~~CAPTURE OF HECKMAN.

371

Gillmore, clearly, did not believe that the rebels had abandoned all hope of re-taking this important railroad, and the
event proved the correctness of his opinion. The movement to City Point had evidently been a surprise, and had
Butler advanced at once, before the enemy recovered, from
it, Petersburg, if not Richmond, could have been easily
captured.
But the five days, or more, that he had been campaigning
in the open country, had been improved by Beauregard in
hurrying up troops, which, the moment they were well in
hand, he meant to hurl with resistless fury on our army.
Monday morning, the 16th, was selected for the assault, and
a better time could not have been chosen. The night had
been exceedingly dark, and toward morning a dense fog
wrapped everything in impenetrable gloom. Shrouded in
this, the enemy came noiselessly down on our unsuspecting
line, striking it first on the right flank. Heckman's brigade
was posted here, on which the onset came with the suddenness of a thunder-clap.
The fog lay so thick over the fields, that a person, a few
rods distant, was invisible; hence the proximity of the enemy was unknown till his unearthly yells rose out of the mist,
right in the face of the brigade. Heckman, than whom a
braver man never lived, dashed through the gloom, shouting
to his men to stand firm, and succeeded, by great effort, in
rallying a portion of his brigade, whose loud cheers soon
answered the defiant yells of their assailants. So dense was
the fog, that the troops were brought breast to breast, before they could see each other, and the fight became a handto-hand contest. Wholly unable to see the ground occupied
by the enemy, Heckman could not tell what disposition to
make of his regiments-in fact, was totally ignorant of the
strength of the force opposed to him.
Under such circumstances, the contest could not be other



ï~~372

A NOVEL DEFENSE.

wise than a short one. The rebels knew the exact position
of the brigade, and swiftly overlapping it, took it in rear,
and captured nearly the whole, and with it its leader, the
gallant Heckman. Two regiments of Gillmore's Corps had
been detached from it, and, under Weitzel, lay in rear of
the brigade as a reserve. These, aroused by the firing
and yells, that rent the fog in advance, sprung to their
arms, and were led, by Colonel Drake, swiftly forward
toward the spot where the conflict was raging. Charging
fiercely on the exultant foe, they bore him back, and rescued
some three or four hundred of our prisoners. The rebels
rallying, charged back, but could not move those noble regiments from their places.
The battle raged furiously here, for a long time, for
both sides brought up reinforcements to this vital point.
The contest, however, was not confined to the right flank,
but drifted steadily down the line for two miles and a
half.
"The rebel plan of massing brigade after brigade, in line
of battle, and hurling them in rotation against us, was here
tried with very bad results. General Smith, with that forethought which is characteristic of him, anticipating some
such move on the part of the enemy, had ordered a large
quantity of telegraph wire to be intertwisted among the trees
and undergrowth which lay in front of our position. Wister
and Burnham received the order and obeyed it. Heckman
failed, unfortunately, to get it. When, therefore, the rebels
charged upon our intrenchments, in the dull light, hundreds
of them were tripped down, and unable to tell the cause.
As they lay upon the ground, our musketry-fire kept many
of them from ever rising more. As with the first line, so
with the second. They met the same fate. The third line
fared no better, and this simple agency of a telegraphic wire,
interlaced among the trees, played more havoc inthe rebel




ï~~RETREAT OF BUTLER.

373

ranks than anything else. The dead lay like autumn leaves
before the front of Wistar and Burnham."
About eight o'clock, there was a lull, and Butler, now
thoroughly alarmed, ordered a retreat. For the first time
in his life, he had experienced a real rebel charge, and his
confidence in his own powers seemed suddenly to vanish.
Notwithstanding the disaster that had overtaken the army,
Gillmore was not disposed to abandon so readily this position
on the railroad, the holding of which was so necessary to
ultimate success; and when he received the order to fall
back, sent an urgent remonstrance to Butler to withdraw it,
saying that he believed he could hold his position. Receiving, in reply, a peremptory order to retreat, he reluctantly
obeyed, and the army fell back to its intrenched position at
Bermuda Hundred.
Thus, in a single morning, the whole value of the Peninsula movement was lost, and might as well have not been
undertaken at all, for the rebels not only had possession of
the railroad again, by which they could forward troops and
supplies to Lee, but had cooped up Butler in his strong position, so that he was as powerless to make any aggressive
movement, as though locked up in an iron cage. There
never was a movement begun with such a promise of success,
that ended so disgracefully.
Grant saw a most important part of his great plan thus
suddenly broken up, thereby increasing four-fold the magnitude of the work before him. The chagrin and feeling with
which he received the news, may be gathered from the manner in which he alludes to the subject in his official report.
He says
"On the 16th, the enemy attacked General Butler in his
position in front of Drury's Bluff. He was forced back, or
drew back, into his intrenchments between the forks of the
James and Appomattox Rivers-the enemy intrenching




ï~~374

ABUSE OF A CHAPLAIN.

strongly in his front, thus covering his railroads, the city,
and all that was valuable to him. His army, therefore,
though in a position of great security, was as completely
shut off from further operations, directly against Richmond,
as if it had been in a bottle 'strongly corked. It required
but a comparatively small force of the enemy to hold it
there."
A little farther on, referring to the same lamentable affair,
he says:"The army sent to operate against Richmond, having hermetically sealed itself up at Bermuda Hundred, the enemy
was enabled to bring the most, if not all, the reinforcements
brought from the south by Beauregard, against the Army
of th Potomac. In addition to this reinforcement, a very considerable one-probably not less than fifteen thousand menwas obtained by calling in the scattered troops, under Breckenridge, from the western parts of Virginia."
The public was not aware, at first, of the extent of the
misfortune, and rested comparatively satisfied with the announcement that Butler's "position was impregnable."  It
was as much as the position of a war correspondent was
worth, in the Army of the James, to breathe one word in
disparagement of Butler's skill, or express a doubt of the
wisdom of his movements.
This had a striking illustration in the case of a chaplain in
Gillmore's Corps. In a private letter to the editor of The
Evening Post, he stated some veryunwholesome truths, respecting this unfortunate battle. This was published anonymnously, but Butler having discovered its author, under a
trumped-up charge of his being absent without leave, got the
unsuspecting clergyman within his department, and, unable
to make him consent to unsay the truth, and state a falsehood, threw him into confinement among rebels and negroes,
where he kept him for more than a month, subjected to




ï~~KAUTZ S RAID.

375

exposures that well nigh destroyed his life. Refusing to
grant him a trial, in direct violation of his duty; refusing,
also, to allow him to hold religious service with his fellowprisoners, he continued his unmanly persecutions until powerful friends of his victim, from without, took up the case,
when he was compelled to release his despotic grasp, and let
the injured man go free to paint his persecutor in his true
colors.
Kautz's cavalry raid, which started two or three days
before this disastrous battle, accomplished its work successfully. The damages inflicted upon the enemy have been
described as follows:
"Going direct to Walthall Junction, the depot of the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad was destroyed, together
with its contents. Moving on to Chester Station, a similar
scene was enacted.
"Marching on to the Richmond and Danville road, the
depot at the coal mines, with a large number of cars, was
demolished. The same occurred at Tomahawk Station. At
Powhatan, a locomotive and train were destroyed, together
with the railroad buildings. When the Third New-York
and Eleveuth Pennsylvania cavalry approached Chola, on
the line of the Lone road, their further progress was contested by a rebel infantry regiment stationed there. After a
brisk fight, our men drove the rebels. In the short engagement, but few were killed or wounded, on our side.
"The rebels having retired, the command pushed on, after
destroying considerable of the property, a train of cars, and
a locomotive included. The expedition then struck for the
South-side road. Here, at Black's and White's, another
train was destroyed, with a large amount of commissary
stores. At Wellsville and Wilson's Station, railroad property
was demolished.
54




ï~~376

BUTLER HERMETICALLY SEALED.

"At Lawrenceville, the Court-House of Brunswick County,
a large amount of corn, tobacco and flour, belonging to the
Confederate Government, and which had been taken from
farmers, for taxes, was burned.
"On the Nottaway River, near Jarrett's Station, a pontoon
bridge was destroyed. The part of the Petersburg and
Weldon railroad, which was tapped by the former raid, had
been repaired, but this time the raiders broke it more effectually. At all the stations, where the expedition halted to
destroy depots, the railroad track was torn up for several
miles on each side. Bridges were leveled, not only on the
railroads, but on several turnpikes.
"There were large quantities of commissary stores all
along the line of the road, which were rendered thoroughly
useless for the Confederates. The work done by this expedition was most effectual; four railroads being rendered
useless to the rebels, to say nothing of what else was done,
which will cripple them very materially.
"Our men penetrated within four miles of Richmond, and
three of Petersburg. Encounters with the enemy occurred
on several occasions, but they always were compelled to
retire."
With small loss, the force again reached City Point, on
the evening of the 18th.
Butler now being "corked up," but little interest was felt
by Grant, in his action, for he knew that nothing more could
be done in that direction until he should arrive with the
Army of the Potomac. There was plainly, now, but one
way to form a junction with Butler, and that was to march
to the spot where he lay helpless. The Army of the James
being "hermetically sealed," it must remain useless to him
until, by his presence, he could unseal it.
The rebels, emboldened by their success, endeavored to
get possession of the James River, below Butler, and cut




ï~~ACTION OF THE NAVY..377

off his supplies; they accordingly attacked both Fort Powhatan and Wilson's Wharf, but were repelled by the monitors under Admiral Lee.
But, while the month of May will be forever marked in
our calendar for the mighty military movements it witnessed,
East and West, its record would not be qmplete without
giving the naval operations along our coast.
When Grant set in motion our great armies, it was understood that the navy should, at the same time, threaten the
rebel ports, not yet in our possession, and thus keep from
Lee reinforcements that otherwise would reach him. With
all our borders at peace, the entire military force of the
North was available, and could be sent in any desired direction. At the South, this state of things was reversed, and
with fewer men to bring into the field, she had to keep
back many, even of these, to protect the few ports that still
remained to her.
At Mobile, Farragut lay waiting for one or two iron-clads
to boldly force his way into the bay, while expeditions up
the rivers of Florida kept detachments of troops there, which
Lee would soon be in sore need of. In one of these up the
St. John's, we lost the steam tug, Columbine, which fell into
the hands of the enemy. Our batteries and iron-clads were
also pounding away on the defenses of Charleston harborholding strong garrisons there to defend the-place.
Thinking that we had drawn away our forces from New.
bern, to fill up our armies, the rebels organized an expedition against it, and in the fore part of the month, news was
received that it was closely besieged by the enemy, and
fears were entertained that it might fall into his hands, but
he was driven back in disgrace.
Although nothing but disaster had overtaken the Southern
nvy from the outset, two formidable rams, on the eastern
toast, this Spring, caused a good deal of alarm to our ship



ï~~378

FIGHT WITH THE ALBEMARLE.

ping. One, at Wilmington, was reported to be a powerful
vessel, and a strong force was kept watching her. The Albemarle, that had wrought such mischief to the Miami and
Southfield, in Albemarle Sound, was decoyed out of the
Roanoke River, by Melancthon Smith, senior officer in the
Sound, and atta ked by eight steamers. The gun-boat Bombshell, which accompanied it, was captured, and the ram was
compelled to retire from the conflict, apparently, somewhat
damaged. The Sassacus behaved nobly in the combat. Laying herself alongside her formidable antagonist, she poured
in her heavy shot at close quarters. After the capture of
the Bombshell-she being some distance off, and the ram
lying broadside too-Roe, the Commander, "ordered full
steam on and open throttle, and laid the ship fair for the
broadside of the ram, to run her down. The Sassacus struck
her fairly just abaft her starboard beam, in the position, in
the rear of the house or casemate, with a speed of nine or
ten knots, making twenty-two revolutions with thirty pounds
of steam. As I struck, (he says,) she sent a one hundredpounder rifle-shot, through and through, from starboard bow
to port-side, at the berth-deck. The collision was pretty
heavy, and the ram careened a good deal,-so much so that
the water washed over her deck, forward and aft the casemate. At one time, I thought she was going down; I kept
the engine pushing, as I hoped, deeper and deeper into her,
and also hoping it might be possible for some one of the
boats to get up on the opposite side of me, and, perhaps,
enable us to sink her, or, at least, to get well on to her on
all sides. I retained this position full ten minutes, throwing
grenades down her deck hatch, and trying in vain to get
powder into her smoke-stack, and receiving volleys of musketry, when the stern of the ram began to go round, and her
broadside port bearing on our starboard bow, when the ram
fired, and sent a one hundred-pounder, Brook's rifle-shot,




ï~~CLOSE OF THE CONFLICT.

379

through the starboard side, on the berth-deck, passing
through the empty bunkers into the starboard boiler, clear
through it, fore and aft, and finally lodging in the wardroom. In a moment, the steam filled every portion of the
ship, from the hurricane-deck to the fire-rooms, killing and
stifling some, and rendering all movements, for a time, impossible."
Just before receiving this shot, he sent a one hundredpounder, solid shot, against the monster, which broke into
fragments against his mailed sides, one of the pieces actually
bounding back upon his own deck. The flag-ship, Mattabesett, and the Wyalusing, engaged the ram with equal
gallantry, laying their vessels alongside of it, with a boldness
never surpassed in any naval combat. They rained their
heaviest shot and shell on the huge structure, at close quarters, cutting away the flag; but failing to reach any vital part.
In Arkansas, Steele pushed Price at every point and forced
him into disastrous retreat.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVIII.
SURVEY OF GRANT'S POSITION-SIGEL'S FAILURE IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY-SPOTTSYLVANIA FLANKED-THE RACE FOR THE NORTH ANNA RIVERHANCOCK'S AND WARREN'S CORPS-FIGHT OF THE LATTER AT JERICHO FORD
-GALLANTRY OF GRIFFIN--ASSAULT OF A REDAN BY  IANCOCK-GALLANT
CHARGE-THE ENEMY FALLS.BACK TO THE SOUTH ANA--STRENGTH OF. HIS
POSITION---TRANSFER OF BASE TO PORT ROYAL-GRANT AGAIN FLANKS THE
FtEMY AND- CROSSES THE PAMUNKEY AT HANOVERTOWN-MOVEMENT TO
COLD. HARBOR-BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR--GRANT RESOLVES TO TRANSFER
THE ARMY TO 'THE JAMES RIVER-A DELICATE OPERATION-GILLMORE'S
FAILURE TO TAKE -ETERSBU RG-LEE DECEIVED-TIlE JAMES SAFELY CROSSED---ATTACK ON PETERSBURG BY SMITH-OUTER WORKS CARRIED-VARIOUS
ASSAULTS-BUTLER AGAIN CUTS THE RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG BRAILROAD,
AND AGAIN DRIVEN BACK-LAST GRAND ASSAULT-THE POSITION OF AFFAIRS-REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN-GRANT'S SAGACITY AND JUDGMENT
VINDICATED.
URING the time that Grant lay before Spottsylvania,
waiting for reinforcements to come up, and recruiting
his overtasked army, he had ample time to survey his position.  As, he said, "during three long years the Armies of
the Potomac and Northern Virginia had been confronting
each other," and "in that time they had fought more desperate battles than it probably ever before fell to the lot of
two armies to fight, without materially changing the vantageground of either."  It was not a pleasant reflection to think
of these terrible struggles and fearful losses-all made without giving him any "vantage ground."
To make matters worse, Butler had totally failed in his
co-operative movement, so that, practically, he must be left
out of any plan Grant might adopt to reach Richmond. Sigel
also had miserably failed in the Shenandoah Valley, and the




ï~~SIGEL' S FAILURE.

381

prospect was that he must look to himself, and his gallant
army alone, for success. The part this officer performed in
the grand campaign cannot be better given than in the following few sentences of Grant:"The movement of the Kanawha and Shenandoah Valleys
under General Sigel, commenced on the first of May. General Crook, who had the immediate command of the Kanawha expedition, divided his forces into two columns, giving
one, composed of cavalry, to General Averill. They crossed
the mountains by separate routes. Averill struck the Tennessee and Virginia railroad, near Wytheville, on the 10th,
and proceeding to New River and Christiansburg, destroyed
the road, several important bridges and depots, including
New River bridge, forming a junction with Crook at Union,
on the 15th. General Sigel moved up the Shenandoah Valley, met the enemy at New Market, on the 15th, and after a
severe engagement, was defeated with heavy loss, and retired behind Cedar Creek. Not regarding the operations
of General Sigel as satisfactory, I asked his removal from
command, and Major-General Hunter was appointed to supersede him."
Grant having, at length, established his base of supplies,
and received his reinforcements, gave orders for the army to
move on the 18th. Still determined, if possible, to get a
field-fight out of Lee, he planned a flank movement around
the right of the rebel army to the North Anna River. If he
succeeded in reaching this point first, it would place him in
Lee's rear, cut off his communications, and compel him to
evacuate the strong works at Spottsylvania.
The movement was postponed, however, on account of an
unexpected attack of Ewell, who came ont of his intrenchments and assailed our right, so that it did not commence
till the night of the 21st.
To mask it more effectually, Hancock and Wright were




ï~~382

SPOTTSYLYVANIA FLANKED.

previously ordered to attack the rebel left, as though it were
Grant's intention to turn that flank. After losing several
hundred men in this feint, the former was shifted over, by
night,, to our extreme right, and at once commenced his
march for the North Anna. Torbert's cavalry, in the meantime, moved off ten miles east of Spottsylvania, on the Fredericksburg railroad, to clear the country for the march.
Hancock at first struck off with his Corps east to Massaponax
Church, then wheeled south, and moving rapidly forward
all night, and all next day, reached Bowling Green at evening-the head of his column being seventeen miles from
Spottsylvania.
Lee, however, having in some way obtained information
of this movements and penetrating Grant's design, at once
proceeded to checkmate it. At midnight, the reveille was
beat in the rebel camp, and, by one o'clock, Longstreet's
Corps was pushing on through the darkness toward the
North Anna. In the presence of such an enemy as Lee,
Hancock's movement was a perilous one, for it exposed him
to a flank attack while on the march.
To guard against this, he took a somewhat circuitous
route, which, of course, gave Longstreet all the advantage in
the race, as he, moving directly to the rear, had a much
shorter line to traverse.
Warren broke off from the main army a few hours after
Hancock started-taking, for a while,.the same road. With
a promptness, that could hardly have been surpassed had
there been a mutual understanding, Ewell's Corps at once
moved off in the same direction. Saturday afternoon, Burnside followed the other two Corps, leaving Wright--in command of Sedgwick's old Corps-alone in front of Spottsylvania.
Hill, with his Corps still remaining behind in the intrenchments, at once came out and attacked him, evidently for the




ï~~THE NORTH ANNA.

3-83

purpose of ascertaining the actual force left behind. Breaking through our skirmish line he was received with such a
terrible artillery fire that he dared not push his attack, and
fell back to the cover of the works.
That night Wright followed the rest of the army, when
Hill also moved off, and Spottsylvania, in front of which such
rivers of blood had flowed, was left silent and deserted.
The country, over which these two mighty armies now
marched, seeking a new battle-field, had thus far escaped the
ravages of war, and sprouting wheat and clover fields, and
quiet farm-houses, greeted the eyes of the weary soldiers as
they toiled forward toward the North Anna.    From the
outset, it was plain that, unless the movement could be kept
secret for several hours at least, we could not reach the desired point, before the enemy. As he started almost simultaneously with us, there could be but one result to the race,
and when, on Monday, the heads of our columns approached
the North Anna, the enemy was found to be there in position.
This river was sixty-five miles from the Rapidan, and but
twenty-five from Richmond, but though distance had been
overcome, the obstacles that intervened between Grant and
the rebel Capital, remained great as ever. Hancock struck
the stream near where the Fredericksburg and Richmond
railroad crosses it--Warren, who had the right, four miles
farther up, at Jericho. Griffin's division of the latter Corps,
in advance, at once plunged into the stream, and waist-deep,
floundered over the rocky bed to the farther bank. The
enemy apparently not expecting that any part of our force
would cross so high up, had no troops to oppose the passage
here. The rest of the Corps rapidly followed, and Griffin
moving swiftly over an open space, a third of a mile wide,
took position in a piece of woods, and soon encountered a
heavy skirmish line of the enemy.




ï~~384

GRIFFIN'S FIGHT.

The rebel leaders, made aware of Warren's movement,
hurried up reinforcements to this point, and, at five o'clock,
fell furiously on Griffin-coming on in two lines of battle,
and suddenly opening with three batteries on his uncovered
ranks. But Griffin, with his accustomed gallantry and firmness, held his position, and gave the on-sweeping battalions
such a murderous fire, that the attack in front was soon
abandoned, and the rebel Commander detached a brigade to
make a detour and fall on his right flank. Cuyler, who commanded here, had not yet got into position, and his brigade
gave way before the sudden onset.
This was a critical moment for Griffin, but with that
promptness which has always distinguished him, he quickly
ordered up three regiments of Bartlett's brigade, and restored
the line. The Eighty-third Pennsylvania regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel McCoy, ran into the rebel brigade while on the march. With great presence of mirid, he
quickly moved his forward companies into lineand poured in
a sudden volley, while one of his men seized the rebel leader
by the collar, and pulled him into our lines a prisoner.
Caught in flank and rear, by the fire- of the regiment, the
rebel brigade broke and fled.
The brilliancy and success of this engagement called forth
a congratulatory order from Meade. A failure here, at the
outset, would have complicated matters much, and for a few
moments, it seemed inevitable.
While, on the right, this conflict was passing on the south
bank of the stream, Hancock, on the left, was engaged 'in a
desperate fight on the north side. Here, on either bank, the
rebels had, long before, erected strong works, which now
swept the shores with a destructive fire. Hancock saw, at
once, that there must be no delay; that the redan on the side
nearest him, must be taken at all hazards, by assault. This
perilous task was assigned to Birney's gallant division.




ï~~A GALLANT ASSAULT.

38

"On the left, was the brigade of Colonel Egan; on his
right, Pierce's brigade, and General Mott's brigade on the
right of Pierce. The Fourth brigade (the Excelsior, commanded by Colonel Blaisdell, of the Eleventh Massachusetts)
came up partly in the rear, its left to the right of the redan.
To cover the assault, three sections of artillery were put in
position, and replied to the artillery fire of the enemy. On
the left of Birney's division, was Barlow's division, the left
of which connected with the right of Gibbon's division, while
Tyler's heavy artillery division was held in reserve.
"An hour before sundown, on Monday, the assault was
begun and most brilliantly executed, by Birney's command,
which swept across the open space at double quick, under a
storm of artillery and volleys of musketry. Two regiments
of the Excelsior brigade, (the Seventy-first and Seventysecond New-York,) first reached the redan, the garrison of
which ran precipitately, as the menacing line of fixed bayonets came sweeping along. Making a foothold in the
parapet with their muskets, the brave fellows clambered up
and simultaneously planted their colors on the rebel stronghold.
"Thirty rebels, unable to get away in time, were captured
in the ditch. The total loss in this brilliant exploit, the
very rapidity and daring of which astonished and paralyzed
the rebels, did 'not exceed a hundred men, and secured us
the possession of the bridge, across which a portion of Hancock's Corps immediately crossed, and held the bridge-head
during the night."
Wright's Corps, crossing at Jericho's Ford, took position
in rear of Warren. The enemy being swept from the line
of the stream, Burnside's Corps, on the 25th, crossed over
between Hancock and Warren. The Army of the Potomac
now lay south of the North-Anna, with the exception of
Hancock's Corps, which was unable to cross, as the rebels




ï~~386

LEE AGAIN FLANKED.

had burnt the bridge, when they found they could no longer
hold it.
Grant now changed his base to Port Royal, on the Rappahannock, and a long, sad train, containing our wounded,
was soon winding its  way to that point. In the meantime,
he pushed on his advance columns three miles toward the
South Anna, which was found to be the real rebel line of
defense-having evidently been. selected, long ago, and
strongly fortified.   -.
For the last few da s rthe heat had beer overpowering,
and the troops were much exhausted; still there seemed no
end to their labors. Wherever they moved, strong defenses
sprung up in their faes, behind which theee emy mocked at
their efforts to force him into a dedisive gagement:
Lee lay here with his centre advanced, and his flanks
thrown back, and strougly protected, hop igthat Grant would
dash his army against the intrenchments aushe   did at Spottsylvania. But the latter, after a thbrough reconnoissance of
the position, was satisfied, he said, that it wa stronger than
any the enemy had hitherto taken up,inls,  on the night
of the 26th, he withdrew his army to the north bank of, the
North Anna, and again moved around Lee's right flank,
crossing the Pamunkey at Hanovertown. -Sheridan, with
Merritt's and Torbert's divisions of cavalry, cleared the advance for the Sixth Corps, which this time took the lead---
Hancock bringing up the rear.
Some sharp fighting occurred before the Corps effected a
lodgment on the opposite bank; and on the:28th, Sheridan
had' a severe cavalry engagement with \Fitz-hugh Lee--
driving him from' the field. The whole armynow rapidly
crossed and advanced toward the Chickahominy. Grant,
therefore, transferred his base from the Rappahannock to
the White House, which had become a historic place to the
Army of the Potomac.




ï~~COLD HARBOR OCCUPIED.

3 87

In the meantime finiding, as he said, Butler "hermetically
sealed," at Bermuda Hundred, and that the position could
be held with a less force than the one under him, he ordered
W. F. Smith to join him with the Eighteenth Corps, by way
of the White House. The troops were placed on transports,
which, passing down the James, advanced up the York
River to the White House, from which point, it was scarcely
fifteen miles to the Army of the Potomac.
On Monday, the 30th, Grant pushed energetic reconnoissances, which showed the enemy to be in full force, in front;
when Warren, on the left, made an effort to get possession
of the Mechanicsville pike, but failed. Grant now determined to seize Cold Harbor, for the purpose of forcing the
Chickahominy at that point, by carrying, if possible, the enemy's works between him and it.
On Tuesday night, Warren's Corps, holding the extreme
right, was transferred to the left, where, the next day, it was
joined by the Eighteenth Corps from the White House. The
rest of the army came up this day, and a sharp conflict
ensued for the position of Cold Harbor. We finally carried
it, though with a loss of two thousand men. It was an
important point to hold, for nearly all the roads leading out
of Richmond converge here, as well as those coming from
the White House. Hence, Lee made a great mistake in not
securing it in advance, and holding it all hazards.
Grant now determined to give battle the next day; and
Hancock's Corps which, after the withdrawal of Warren's,
held the extreme right, was brought over to the extreme
left, during the night. He had to fight his way into position, so that he was not ready to advance until afternoon.
The attack was ordered to commence at five o'clock, but
just before the hour arrived, the heavens grew black as night,
and a heavy thunder cloud rapidly pushed its way across
the sky. Its dark bosom was incessantly riven by lightning,




ï~~388

A THUNDER STORM.

and the thunder boomed louder than artillery, above the
waiting armies. The wind swept by in fierce gusts, bending
the trees like wands, in its path, and everything betokened
a wild and stormy evening.   Soon the burdened clouds
opened, and the rain came down in a perfect deluge, turning
the fields into standing pools, and swelling the Chickahominy into a turbid flood.
The order for the attack had, therefore, to be countermanded, and the drenched army went into bivouac for the
night. A new order was issued, fixing the attack at half-past
four in the morning.
BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR.
Hancock's Corps was on the extreme left, Wright's next,
the Eighteenth, under Smith, next, then came Warren, and
last, Burnside, holding the extreme right. The rebel army
was drawn up in front of the Chickahominy, two lines deep,
with a heavy skirmish line well advanced. It was irregular,
in order to conform to the ridges, woods and swamps, over
or across which it extended. Between the two armies, lay
a low, swampy region, made worse by the thunder storm
of the night before-and this was to be the battle-field.
The morning was dark and gloomy, and a gentle rain was
falling, as the firm-set lines moved out from behind their
breastworks, and began -to advance over the field.  The
skirmish line pushing rapidly forward, soon encountered that
of the enemy, and their sharp, irregular volleys awoke the
morning echoes. The next minute the artillery opened, and
from right to left, for miles along the Chickahominy, the
deep reverberations rolled like heaven's own thunder of the
night before.
The advance of that mighty host, as the long lines of glittering steel rose and fell along the uneven ground, was a




ï~~BARLOW'S ADVANCE.

389

magnificent spectacle. Hancock, on the left, first came up to
the enemy's works. Barlow, with four brigades, formed his
extreme left; and this gallant Commander carried his troops
for half a mile, through woods and over open spaces, under
a heavy fire, square up to the rebel works.
These were the immortal brigades that made the gallant
dash into the works at Spotfsylvania, and here, enacting
over again their heroic deeds, they sprung with a shout over
the enemy's parapets, capturing the guns, colors, and several hundred prisoners. This was the key to the rebel position, and could this gallant charge have been properly supported, Lee's army, in all probability, would have been
driven over the Chickahominy. The latter was aware of
this, and had guarded well against such a catastrophe, for
Barlow had not yet turned the captured guns upon him,
when a heavy force, under Hill, was seen advancing to
retrieve the disaster.
These bold brigades saw the approach of these overwhelming numbers without fear, but the position they had gained
was so far in advance, that it was exposed to a deadly, enfilading fire from the rebel artillery, that now ploughed through
them with awful havoc. Two of their leaders, Brooks and
Byrnes, fell mortally wounded; other officers were fast disappearing; and shattered, rent, and bleeding, they, at length,
fell back, bringing with them a part of their prisoners, but
jot the captured guns.
The whole of Hancock's Corps advanced simultaneously
with Barlow's division, and came like it, upon the rebel
works, and made desperate efforts to carry them. Deafening yells, rising from behind the hostile intrenchments, answered with shouts all along our tlines---incessant explosions
of artillery, and crashing volleys of musketry-the long, low
sulphurous cloud hanging in the damp air above the combatants-the never-ceasing stream of the wounded, borne




ï~~390

GRANT AND MEADE.

back to the rear, made that summer morning one of gloom
and terror to the beholder.
The Sixth Corps, under a desolating fire, swept the first
line of rifle-pits, in its front, and with five batteries played
furiously on the rebel position, but could make no serious
impression on the main works. Warren and Burnside, on
the right, suffered less than the rest of the army, especially
the latter, who did little more than keep up a heavy artillery
fire.  The brunt of the battle was borne by Hancock's
Corps, which, also, gained most of the advantage that was
even temporarily secured.
The Army of the Potomac had again flung itself against
the rebel works in vain, and rent and bleeding, fell back,
though not to its original position. A lull came in the battle, and the anxious question asked by all was, "Will the
assault be renewed?"  Grant and Meade stood on a naked
eminence in consultation; the latter, nervous and emphatic
in his manner; the former, cool and imperturbable as ever,
looking gravely, sternly on the embattled hosts and the ensanguined field.
Intervening woods hid much of the country, and, apparently, wishing to ascertain for himself the true condition of
things, he called for his horse, and, mounting it, rode down
to Hancock's head-quarters, and after consulting with him,
went over to Wright's. All this time, occasional firing. was
heard along the lines, for they were still in close proximity, especially on the left-Barlow being on ene side of a
ridge, and the enemy on the other, not more than fifty yards
apart.
The war correspondent of the Times, in speaking of the
position of the lines, and their nearness to each other, at
some points, relates the following singular incident, which
we give in his own words.
"One portion of our line retained all day a position within




ï~~A GALLANT BRIGADE.

391

flteen yards of the rebel works. This heroic band was the
brigade of Colonel McKean, a brigade of Gibbon's division
of Hancock's Corps, and numbering about eight hundred men.
The conduct of these eight hundred; is as splendid a stroke of
heroism as ever lit up the story of' the glory we call Greece
and the grandeur we call Rome.' Through the live-long day,
these men held their line, within fifteen yards of the enemy,
and all his forces could not dislodge them. Repeatedly,
during the day, the rebels formed double columns of attack
to come over the work and assail them, and the officers
could be heard encouraging their troops, saying to them
'There are only four or five hundred of them-come on.'
But the moment the rebels showed themselves above their
parapet, a line of fire flashed out from behind the earthern
mound, where those eight hundred heroes stood in a new
Thermopyke, and many a rebel threw up his arms and fell
prone, under their swift avenging bullets.
"The sequel of this bit of history is as curious as the deed
itself--for while the rebels dared not venture out to assail
McKean's men, neither could he, nor his command, recede
from the perilouis position. He could not get back to uswe could not go forward to him. In this dilemma, the
ingenious device was hit upon of running a 'sap,' or zig-zag
trench, up from our line to his. In this way, a working
party were able tc dig up to where they lay, begrimed
with powder and worn down with fatigue, and a few
hours ago they were brought safely away-' all that was
left of them, left of six hundred! '  But McKean, their
gallant leader, he came not away alive. Since eleven in the
morning, he had lain behind the bulwark his valor defend.
ed-a corpse:. While preparing to resist a rebel assault,.
he fell, pierced by the bullet of a sharp-shooter, and, after
living for an hour or two, in an agonizing death-in-life,
begging his staff- officers to put an end to his misery, his
55




ï~~392

REBEL ASSAULT.

heroic soul forsook the turmoil of this weary, warring
world."
The two armies remained in this relative position, all day,
neither making any decided demonstration. But, just after
dark, the rebels came down on Hancock's Corps in one of
their tremendous charges. Our brave troops, however, had
moved too often on formidable works, without flinching, to be
driven from behind'their own intrenchments, by any force;
and as the dark mass became well defined in the grey gloom,
they poured in volley after volley of musketry, with a coolness and precision, that made the hostile lines melt away as
though swallowed up by the night, while the deadly batteries
tore huge gaps through the dim formations.
The assault, however, was a most gallant one, and the
great openings made in the ranks were closed up with
steadiness and a noble devotion; and they pressed forward
until they reached the breastworks, and poured their fire
over the very parapets-some even getting upon them, but
only to fall dead before the terrible fire that met them. Their
shouts of defiance rung over the din of battle, and the order
"Forward, FORWARD," rose steady and strong through the
darkness, but all their efforts to carry the intrenchments
were vain. Our troops had been compelled again and again
to attack the enemy behind their breastworks, and been
repulsed, and now they had their revenge, and hurled the
assailants back with terrible slaughter.
This ended the battle of Cold Harbor, or, as it has' been
sometimes called, of Chickahominy. Grant had failed here
as at Spottsylvania, and it was plain that he could not force
the Chickahominy. It then became a serious question what
the next move on this mighty chess-board would be.
The aspect of affairs here had materially changed since
McClellan, two years before, attempted to move on Richmond from the same point. He found no trouble in crossing




ï~~GRANT'S PLAN.

393

the Chickahominy; indeed, had but little difficulty in advancing two miles beyond it. But that campaign taught the
rebels wisdom; and now strong works dotted the country
in every direction, and for five miles out of Richmond, every
available point was fortified.
It was very plain, therefore, that Richmond could not be
taken in this direction, and but one of two courses remained
for Grant to pursue-either to retrace his steps far enough
to turn Lee's left flank, and so come down on Richmond
from the north, or continue on as far as the James River, and
join Butler.
The former course would cover Washington and save the
Government from its former fears for its safety; but, in this
case, the Fredericksburg railroad would be the line of communication, over which his supplies must pass, while the
length of it would require an army to protect it.
Grant, therefore, resolved to keep on to the James. He,
however, remained for more than a week in front of the rebel
position, gradually working his way, with the spade, toward
it, as though he intended another assault; but in the following paragraph he gives the true reason of his delay:
"I therefore determined to continue to hold substantially
the ground we then occupied, taking advantage of any
favorable circumstances that might present themselves, until
the cavalry could be sent to Charlottesville and Gordonsville,
to effectually break up the railroad connection between
Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg; and
when the cavalry got well off, to move the army to the south
side of the James River, by the enemy's right flank, where
I felt I could cut off all his sources of supply, except by the
canal."
To withdraw such a vast army from the immediate front
of the enemy, was a dangerous undertaking; for it was
hardly to be expected that it could be done unobserved




ï~~394

THE RETREAT.

by him, and he would not fail in case of discovery to attack
both in flank and rear.
Hitherto all of Grant's movements had been by his left
flank, and made in the same way; at night, the Corps holding the extreme right would throw out a strong picket line
in front, to cover its movements, and then fall back, and
marching in rear of the army, take position on the extreme
left. The next Corps would follow in the same manner,
until, by this simple process, the army was advanced the entire length of its line, some eight or ten miles. But Grant
was now not to advance his lines so as to. lap the enemy's
flank and threaten his rear, but, if possible, to swing loose
entirely from him, and make a rapid march of fifty miles,
with all his trains and artillery. To secure himself in case
of attack, while doing this, he gradually concentrated his
lines until, in front, they were scarcely more than four miles
long. This, consequently, forced the several Corps back,
until the army assumed the form of a square, in its main
outline; all along the sides of which, and beyond, strong
earth-works were thrown up to protect the flanks.
Having completed all his preparations, and Sheridan, with
his cavalry, being off, he, on the night of the 12th, silently
withdrew from the enemy's front. Wilson's cavalry and the
Fifth Corps crossed the Chickahominy, at Long Bridge, and
proceeded to the White Oak Swamp, to cover the crossing
of the rest of the troops. The Eighteenth Corps, in the
meantime, marched back to the White House and again embarked in the transports for Bermuda Hundred.
With such secrecy and dispatch did the Army of the Potomac move away, that its departure was not known by Lee
till next morning, when it was miles away.   It marched
below the White Oak Swamp instead of through it as it did
under McClellan and by different roads stretched forward
toward the James River. Meade, to whom was intrusted




ï~~FIRST ATTEMPT ON PETERSBURG.

395

the management of the army, in this delicate movement,
evinced the highest skill, and everything went on with
the precision and regularity of machinery. There was some
skirmishing on the way, but none serious enough to check the
onward movement; and the 'grand army swept steadily and
swiftly forward and crossed the James River without molestation. This probably would hardly have happened, if
Lee had been aware of Grant's plan; but supposing his
design was to advance on Richmond by theway of Malvern
Hill, he disposed his forces to meet this imaginary movement.
Two days before Grant broke up his camps at Cold Harbor, a demonstration was made against Petersburg by
Kautz's cavalry, and an infantry force under Gillmore. The
cavalry penetrated beyond the outer works, but not being
supported by the infantry, was compelled to retire.  Gillmore thought the works too strong to be carried by assault,
and, hence, did not make the attempt, for which he was
much blamed.
Grant having deceived Lee, as to his intentions, determined to capture Petersburg before the latter could throw
reinforcements into it; and hence, before the army was over
the river, planned an assault upon it. As the failure of this
well-laid plan, on the success of which everything, for the
time, depended, has been the cause of much dispute, we let
General Grant give his own account of it. He says:"After the crossing had commenced, I proceeded by a
steamer to Bermuda Hundred, to give the necessary orders
for the immediate capture of Petersburg.
"The instructions to General Butler were verbal, and
were for him to send General Smith immediately, that night,
with all the troops he could give him without sacrificing the
position he then held. I told him that I would return at
once to the Army of the Potomac, hasten its crossing, and




ï~~396

GRANT'S STATEMENT.

throw it forward to Petersburg, by divisons, as rapidly as it
could be done; that we could reinforce our armies more
rapidly there than the enemy could bring troops against us.
General Smith got off as directed, and confronted 'the enemy's pickets near Petersburg, before daylight next morning,
but, for some reason, that I have never been able to satisfactorily understand, did not get ready to assault his main
lines until near sundown.  Then, with a part of his command only, he made the assault, and carried the lines northeast of Petersburg, from the Appomattox River, for a distance of two and a half miles, capturing fifteen pieces of
artillery, and three hundred prisoners. This was about seven
o'clock, p. m. Between the lines thus captured and Peters:
burg, there were no other works, and there was no evidence
that the enemy had reinforced Petersburg with a single
brigade from any source. The night was clear-the moon
shining brightly-and favorable to further operations. General Hancock, with two divisions of the Second Corps,
reached General Smith just after dark, and offered the service of these troops as he (Smith) might wish, waiving rank
to the named Commander, who he naturally supposed knew
best the position of affairs, and what to do with the troops.
But, instead of taking these troops, and pushing at once
into Petersburg, he requested General Hancock to relieve a
part of his line in the captured works, which was done before
midnight.
"By the time I arrived the next morning, the enemy was
in force. An attack was ordered to be made at six o'clock
that evening, by the troops under Smith, and the Second
and Ninth Corps. It required until that time for the Ninth
Corps to get up and into position. The attack was made
as ordered, and the fighting continued, with but little intermission, until six o'clock the next morning, and resulted in
our carrying the advance and some of the main works of the




ï~~BUTLER'S FAILURE.

397

enemy to the right (our left) of those previously captured
by General Smith, several pieces of artillery, and over four
hundred prisoners."
It seems that this sudden victory was gained by the skirmish line alone, which, at a single bound, captured thirteen
redoubts, sixteen guns and several colors, with three or four
hundred prisoners. The colored troops took three of the
redoubts, and six of the guns.
As soon as Lee was made aware of the danger threatening
Petersburg, he had the garrison reinforced with the troops
nearest it; in doinig which, he weakened the force on the
railroad in front of Butler. The latter informed of this, immediately sent out a few thousand men, under Terry, who
succeeded in reaching the road, and tore up the track for
three or four miles, but was in turn driven back by Longstreet's Corps.
For not holding this important road, gained thus a second
time, Butler again receives the lash of the Lieutenant-General. He says"As soon as I was apprised of the advantage thus gained,
to retain it I ordered two divisions of the Sixth Corps,
General Wright commanding, that were embarking at Wilcox's Landing, under orders for City Point, to report to General Butler, at Bermuda Hundred, of which General Butler
was notified, and the importance of holding a position in
advance of his present line, urged upon him.
"About two o'clock in the afternoon, General Butler was
forced back to the line the enemy had withdrawn from in
the morning. General Wright, with his two divisions, joined
General Butler on the forenoon of the 17th; the latter still
holding, with a strong picket line, the enemy's works. But
instead of putting these divisions into the enemy's works to
hold them, he permitted them to halt and rest some distance
in the rear of his own line. Between four and five o'clockin




ï~~398

LAST ASSAULT.

the afternoon, the enemy attacked and drove in his pickets,
and re-occupied his old line.
"On the night of the 20th, and morning of the 21st, a
lodgment was effected by General Butler, with one brigade
of infantry, on the north bank of the James, at Deep Bottom, and connected the pontoon bridge with Bermuda Hundred."
On Thursday, the assault was made on the rebel lines, and
no permanent success gained. The next morning, Friday,
at daylight, Burnside, with Miles' division of the Second
Corps, made an attack on the right of the enemy's line, capturing three redoubts, and five hundred and fifty prisoners.
The Second Corps was then thrown forward, and struggled
nobly to gain the works, but failed.
On the right, Neill's division of the Sixth Corps, and Martindale's of the Eighteenth, pushed the enemy handsomely,
for some distance, but gained no material advantage. We
had lost, probably, six thousand men during these two days,
which showed that the fighting had been very severe.
This was the condition of things when Grant arrived at
the scene of action. The result thus far, of his grand coup
de-main, was most deplorable. Two lines, however, of the
enemy's works had been captured, and so, on Saturday, he
resolved to carry the third and last, by general assault.
Three times during the day did the gallant battalions move
steadily up in the face of a deadly fire, and were swept
down by thousands, but each time failed to gain the coveted
position.
Grant succeeded in occupying and holding a ridge that
completely commanded Petersburg, into which he could
hurl his shells, but the "Cockade City," as it was called, was
of no consequence whatever, so long as the rebels held the
heights beyond. The city lay in a hollow, with two ridges
on either side, frowning with hostile batteries, and dark with




ï~~A SAD CAMPAIGN.

399

earth works. Hence, the place was commanded by both
parties, and, therefore, could be occupied by neither till the
strong works on one or the other side were carried.
It was now very plain that the campaign had ended for
the present, and a second one, of siege operations chiefly,
was to commence.
It must be confessed that the sum total of this frightful
campaign, of a month and a half, was anything but satisfactory. As Grant said, no material advantage had been
gained. Nearly a hundred thousand men had disappeared in
its progress, and now, at the end of the long marches and
bloody battles, he found himself twice as far from Richmond
as he was when on the Chickahominy. The distance, however, was a small matter-the obstacles that intervened between him and the coveted prize were well-nigh insurmountable. Assault after assault, the determined character of which
was attested by the ghastly piles of dead, had been made in
vain, and that, too, while the works were incomplete and,
comparatively, weakly garrisoned. But Lee's army was now
well up, and, as at Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, lay behind the strong works.
The prospect, at this time, was enough to discourage any
heart less resolute than Grant's. He had failed, at the outset, in the effort to get a decisive battle out of Lee. That
of the Wilderness was only a drawn one. He had been
repulsed at Spottsylvania with terrible loss. The same calamity had overtaken him at Cold Harbor. Sigel had failed
in the Shenandoah Valley. Butler had twice lamentably
failed in front of Bermuda Hundred. Smith and Gillmore
had both failed; and to crown the climax, his last grand
assault had failed, and the anxious inquiry arose, "What is
next to be done?" Besides all this, those who had, at the
outset, condemned the campaign across the country, now
pointed to the result as the fulfillment of their prophecies.




ï~~400

WISDOM OF GRANT.

Some of the English papers called him the great butcher,
and the rebel press tauntingly asked why he did not take
his army by transports to the James, instead of dragging it
through rivers of blood across the country. It was said,
and truly, that he could have put his army where it now was,
without the loss of a man, had he adopted McClellan's course.
It was said, moreover, and with equal truth, that he had
lost two to one of the enemy in this long and bloody march,
and, sadder than all and incapable of contradiction, he had
not won a single decisive battle, but on the contrary, from
the Wilderness to Petersburg, had been repulsed in every
attack.
This seemed a gloomy summing up of the campaign, and,
at first sight, conclusive that it was wrong throughout.
There could be, apparently, no dispute that he erred egregiously in not following McClellan's plan of operations
against the rebel Capital. Yet, after events showed that
such a conclusion was entirely false, and fully vindicated the
wonderful sagacity and sound judgment of the LieutenantGeneral. He was not responsible for the condition in which
two years of mismanagement had placed things. When McClellan undertook the Peninsula campaign, Richmond, from
Hanover to Petersburg, was poorly fortified, so that when
threatened on this long line, the Confederate Government
was compelled to call in all its troops for the defense of its
Capital. Hence, McClellan's declaration that Washington
was best defended at Richmond, was true.
But matters were now reversed--the rebels, admonished
of their danger in this direction, had, for the last two years,
been erecting elaborate defenses, and guarding every point,
so that there could be no strategy that did not involve hard
fighting and terrible losses. Besides, the stren.h of the
works around Richmond enabled a comparatively small
force to hold the place, so that a portion of the army could




ï~~GRANT'S COURSE VINDICATED.

-401

operate against Washington, or threaten Maryland and Pennsylvania by way of the Shenandoah Valley. This was actually done, and, as we said, after events abundantly vindicated
the wisdom of Grant's course.
- Granting that we lost nearly one hundred thousand men,
from May to July, and Lee but fifty thousand, yet Grant
ieceived reinforcements to the full amount of his losses, and
sat down before Petersburg with an army as large, in fact
larger than the one with which he crossed the Rapidan, so
that he was as strong as though, at the outset, he had transferred his army by water to Petersburg. Notwithstanding
this, Lee was able to hold his works and yet dispatch twenty
thousand men, under Early, to ravage the Shenandoah Valley, thunder at the very gates of the Capital, and sever its
great line of communication with the North-in short, spread
such ruin and consternation that, though the Nineteenth
Corps opportunely arrived from New Orleans, Grant was
compelled to detach one of his own veteran Corps to the
defense of Washington.
Now, if the fifty thousand men strewing the fields and
crowding the hospitals, along the track of Lee's army, from
the Wilderness to Petersburg, had been alive, to have swelled that twenty thousand, under Early, to seventy thousand
men, what force would Grant have been compelled to send
back to the National Capital? In other words, if twenty
thousand rebels required the presence there of two Corps,
how many Corps would seventy thousand men have required?
The answer is very obvious. The whole army would have
been recalled-the siege of Richmond raised, and the campaign have proved a failure.
Hence the course which Grant took was the only one that
cold bring success. True, it required frightful slaughter,
but it was a saving of life in the end. Lee could not replenish his army as fast as we could ours.




ï~~402            HIS SOUND JUDGMENT.
Grant's perseverance in the course he marked out, was
not, as many supposed, the result of obstinacy, but of sound
judgment, which subsequent events fully confirmed. He
had reduced Lee so that he could not dispatch sufficient
troops up the Shenandoah Valley to make him loose his
death-grip on Richmond, and had effected it in the only way
possible.




ï~~CHAPTER XXIX.

DIFFICULTIES OF GRANT'S POSITION-HIS PLAN TO SEVER THE COMMUNICATIONS OF RICHMOND-SHERIDAN' 8 EXPEDITION-HUNTER'S--AVERILL'S AND
CROOK'S-THE ENEMY DEFEATED AT STAUNTON-HUNTER AT LYNCHBURGHIS DISASTROUS RETREAT-THE ENEMY IN POSSESSION OF THE SHENANDOAH
VALLEY-WILSON'S EXPEDITION--DEFEAT OF THE SECOND AND SIXTH CORPS
NEAR THE WELDON RAILROAD-A GLOOMY PROSPECT-OPERATIONS ALONG
THE ATLANTIC COAST-CAPTURE OF THE WATER WITCH----FEDERAL OFFICERS
PLACED UNDER FIRE AT C]ARLESTON--MR. LINCOLN RENOMINATED FOR
PRESIDENT-OPENING OF THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
THE problem now left for Grant to solve, was one of the
most difficult ever presented to a Commander. As
before remarked, every part of his great plan had failed,
except the killing of a certain number of the enemy. Getting his army on the James was not accomplishing anything
of moment, because it could have been placed there at any
time by transports. Richmond was neither invested, nor
even approached-at least, it was no nearer than Butler's
Army of the James, as it was called, had been to it for a
long time. To dig his way from five to twelve miles to the
rebel Capital, was a process too long to be attempted until
every other measure had failed.
In carrying out his siege operations, therefore, it was
plain that the first step to be taken was to sever the communications which united Richmond with the other parts of the
Confederacy.
The Peninsula was in our possession, but this only shut
the rebel Capital off from the sea. There were four channels
of communication, with the interior, which Grant did not




ï~~404

THE WORK BEFORE GRANT.

control. First, the railroad to Fredericksburg, connected with
which was the railroad to Gordonsville, running south to the
James River. Second, the James River canal, running along
the James River, which, though but little spoken of by the
Northern press, was the great channel for the transportation
of provisions of all kinds to Richmond. Third, the railroad
running south-west to Danville. Fourth, the Weldon railroad running directly south.
So long as any one of these channels of communication
was left open, Richmond could not be regarded as invested;
hence it was necessary that they all should be severed. This
was the herculean task which Grant had assigned himself.
To have captured Petersburg, and thus hold the Weldon
road, and be in striking distance of the South-side road connecting with the Danville road, would have simplified it
much. But the failure to do this, complicated matters
greatly, and increased the magnitude of the work before him.
If he had succeeded, as he anticipated, in getting possession of the communications south of Richmond, and holding
them by his army, the failure to destroy the other lines
would not have been so disastrous-but he failed in every
direction. Sheridan, whom he had sent off, before he left Cold
Harbor, failed to accomplish the object of his expedition;
while Hunter, in the moment of victory, and just as he seemed
about to seize Lynchburg, had to flee over the mountains.
Hence, new expeditions had to be started, and other efforts
made to carry out the great plan.
As before remarked, Sheridan started off a few days previous to the evacution of Cold Harbor, to break up the Virginia Central railroad-the first of the channels of communication above mentioned-and, if possible, co-operate with
Hunter, in the neighborhood of Lynchburg. He crossed the
Pamunkey on the 7th and meeting with no resistance, moved
rapidly forward, and on the 10th crossed the North Anna,




ï~~SHERIDAN'S RAID.

405

and encamped at Buck Child's, about three miles from the
Trevillian Station.
His intention was, he says, "To break the railroad at this
station, march through Mechanicsville, cut the Gordonsville
and Charlottesville railroad, near Lyndsay's House, and
then to march on Charlottesville; but, on our arrival at
Buck Child's, I found the enemy's cavalry in my immediate
front.
"On the morning of the 11th, General Torbert, with his
division, and Colonel Gregg, of General Gregg's division,
attacked the enemy. After an obstinate contest they drove
him from successive lines of breastworks, through an almost
impassable forest; back on Trevillian Station.
"In the meantime, General Curtis was ordered, with his
brigade, to proceed by a country road so as to reach the
station in the rear of the enemy's cavalry. On his arrival
at this point, the enemy broke into a complete rout, leaving his dead, and nearly all his wounded, in our hands;
also, twenty officers, five hundred men, and three hundred
horses."
That night he encamped at Trevillian Station, aid on the
morning of the 12th, commenced destroying the railroad up
to Louisa Court-House. He was occupied in this work until
three o'clock in the afternoon. But the enemy, in the meantime, had not been idle, and Sheridan suddenly found himself confronted by a large force, protected by rifle-pits. He
at once advanced to give battle, but a careful reconnoissance
showed that the enemy's works were too strong to be carrie4 by assault. On the right, however, the bugles sounded
the charge, and a portion of his troops entered the works
but were quickly driven out.
Night, at length, closed the contest. The next day trains
of cars, bearing rebel reinforcements, came down to prevent
the capture of Gordonsville, and Sheridan was compelled,




ï~~406

REPEATED FAILURES.

reluctantly, to wheel about and fall back toward the White
House. Wade Hampton followed him, though at a respectful
distance.
At the Pamunkey, the rebel leader made a detour and
attacked Sheridan's trains at the White House, but Abercrombie, commanding there, maintained his ground until
Sheridan came up, when the enemy was driven off. Resting
his command here a short time, he started with all his trains
and guns, for the James River, to join Grant.
Hampton followed, and attacked him on the Chickahominy, but without obtaining any advantage. On the 24th,
near Charles City Court-House, he again attacked him, and
made a desperate effort to capture his trains. A sharp contest followed, and the rear-guard was badly cut up; but
Grant sending a brigade of infantry to Sheridan's relief, he
was able to get off with all his guns and trains, though he
lost some five hundred men. The next day he crossed the
James, under cover of the gun-boats, and joined the main
army.
The success of the expedition was very much magnified
at the time, for, notwithstanding Sheridan beat the enemy
in every encounter, it was a total failure as a part of Grant's
great plan.  Gordonsville was not reached, and the few
miles of railroad destroyed were easily repaired, so that this
line of communication remained to Lee. Butler's movement
against the Richmond and Petersburg road, as we have seen,
had failed, and Kaitz's raid, on the Danville road, inflicted
no permanent injury. Transient success, but ultimate failure, characterized, also, Hunter's expedition. When he was
ordered to supersede Sigel, he hastened to Cedar Creek,
where the demoralized army lay, and found two thousand of
the troops without shoes, and one thousand without arms,
they having thrown them away in their flight.
Re-organizing the command and receiving reinforcements,




ï~~AVERILL'S RAID.

407

he moved forward upon Staunton, and the day before Sheridan started on his raid with the intention of co-operating
with him, had a severe battle with the rebels, under General
Jones, and defeated him utterly, capturing fifteen hundred
prisoners, and several guns. The next day, he was joined
by Averill, who had been raiding in South-western Virginia,
on the line of the Lynchburg and East Tennessee railroad:
This Commander started simultaneously with Sheridan; one
object of his expedition being to make a diversion in favor
of General Crook, who was operating on the Virginia and
East Tennessee road, and who succeeded in breaking it up
and destroying a vast amount of stores.
Averill moving rapidly, from point to point, destroyed
stores and trains, and spread terror and consternation on
every side. He, at length, met Morgan with a force estimated at five thousand men, at Cave Mountain Gap, five miles
from Wytheville.
The rebels were strongly intrenched, and it was evident
that their position could not be forced.
"Scarcely had the rebels, thus impregnably ensconced,
been revealed in front, ere two heavy lines of skirmishers,
strongly supported, were discovered rapidly advancing, and
in splendid style, over a clearing, and upon our right flank.
The two discoveries were almost simultaneous.  General
Averill at once took in the perilous situation; to retreat was
ruin, to advance certain destruction, to surrender was never
thought of. Nothing was to be done but to hold his ground,
make desperate, stubborn resistance, and during it to await
the cover of the night.
"The gallant Colonel Schoonmaker, commanding the Second brigade, was, with the Fourteenth Pennsylvania and
First Virginia, (mounted,) hurriedly thrown out across to
the right of the road on a rise, there to meet the approaching columns, which they nobly did, receiving the fire of the
56




ï~~408

4A GALLANT DEFENSE.

enemy-presenting a front of twice their own-at close
range, and returning it so rapidly, and with such deadly
effect, that repeated attempts to charge upon them failed.
Colonel Schoonmaker made no attempt to advance, but held
his position under a constant fire for one hour, when, upon
a threatened flank movement on his right, by the rebel cavalry, General Averill ordered him to fall back across the
road, and on the right of the second column, which had
been formed there, consisting of the Thirty-fourth Ohio and
Second and Third Virginia, all dismounted, under the command of Brigadier-General Duffie. He had suffered consid..
erably, and was compelled to leave his dead and badly
wounded on the line where they had fallen. The movement
was made leisurely, and in excellent order. It was greeted
with exultant shouts by the rebels, who pressed rapidly forward as far as the abandoned line, but the now united columns, presenting a solid and unflinching front, delivered
with rapidity and withering precision a fire which prevented
further advance, and temporarily staggered into confusion
the opposing ranks.
"From the outset of the fight, both columns, while holding in check the vastly superior force in front, were subjected, at easy musketry range, to the cross-fire of the infantry
and artillery at the Gap. The terrible position of General
Averill's command, no description can convey the correct
idea of. They were on a cleared section with a force double
their own to the left, and another double their own to the
front, with no cover of hills or woods to fall back to, and
with but the one thing to do-to maintain their position
under the heavy and continuous fire of shot and shell. The
gallantry of General Averill and his Staff shone conspicuously during the terrific ordeal, as did that of every officer
and man in his command. Not one was seen to falter. ' The
Second Virginia, on the left of the second column, and in




ï~~AVERILL WOUNDED.

409

close range of the Gap, constantly under murderous fire,
extorted the admiration of the enemy, and won that of its
own command by its splendid conduct. It was firm as a
rock; every movement was executed with the ease and precision of a dress-parade, and the moral effect of its splendid
bearing infused the strength of another regiment. On the
field, as in general orders, it received from General Averill
the warmest praise.
"General Averill was constantly at the front of the first
column, and on its falling back, at the front of the command, encouraging and stimulating it to the noble heroism
displayed by his own fearless exposure and dauntless courage. About midway of the fight, he was struck in the middle of the forehead by a musket ball, which, glancing passed
off over the left eye, inflicting a deep wound; with the
blood flowing profusely, his face undistinguishable from gore,
he continued in his saddle until, by weakness, he was compelled to retire to the rear. Here the blood was staunched,
the wound dressed, and, after a few moments' rest, he was
again in the saddle and at the front, there remaining until
the close of the fight."
When night closed the contest, Averill withdrew, leaving
his dead and wounded in the hands of the enemy.
"When Walker Mountain was reached, it was found that
there was but a bridle-path over it, and the wearied men
dismounting, dragged themselves and their jaded horses up
the steep ascent. The advance reached the top at midnight,
and here the guide irrecoverably lost his way. To continue
in the pitchy darkness was impossible. The order was given
to halt, and the worn-out men and horses, stretched in single
file from- base to summit, on the. precipitous, rocky mountain's side, lay down to rest.
"Singularly enough, yet confirmatory of the terrible punishment the enemy had received, they were not disturbed,




ï~~410.

THE RETREAT.

and at daylight were on the march again. The mountain was
passed, and a forced march made, during the day, of thirtytwo miles, to Dublin. Here was a sad disappointment, for,
though the good work of destruction which General Crook
had done, was seen, yet he was not met. Remaining over
night, an early march was made of seven miles to New River;
it was greatly swollen, but was crossed with the loss of two
men, four horses, and destruction of all the ammunition, and
ten miles further on, the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
was struck at Christiansburg. Some scattering rebel forces
were found here, but were charged on and driven through
and beyond the town, giving no after trouble.
"The depot here, stored with large amounts of flour,
bacon and forage, was burned, the telegraph office instrument and wires destroyed, the railroad torn up and the rails
rendered useless, and the bridge, two miles below, burned.
Two field-pieces were captured in the village. The command occupied the town over night, moving nineteen miles
to Gap Mountain the next morning, where fifteen hundred
rebels, under Colonel (or General) W. E. Jackson, were
found strongly posted in a gap, and strengthened by two
pieces of artillery.
"General Averill's command was now entirely without
ammunition. What little was left, after the battle at Cave
Mountain, had been destroyed while crossing New River. A
fight, therefore, was hopeless. So, by a strategic and hasty
movement, he turned the enemy's left flank, seeking a bridlepath over the mountain, and thence to Sinking Creek Valley,
twelve miles distant; Jackson making no pursuit. On the
next day, the 14th, he pushed on twenty-nine miles toward
Union, and, within five miles thereof, fell in with the rearguard of General Crook's command. It was a gladdening
sight and hailed vociferously."
The two commands now joined Hunter. The latter, after




ï~~HUNTER'S DEFEAT.

411

the battle near Staunton, occupied the town. Destroying here a vast amount of property, he advanced with his
force, now about seventeen thousand strong, to Lexington,
which was held by McCausland. The latter finding himself
threatened in flank and rear, evacuated the place, and Hunter marched in and sat down, to wait the arrival of Sheridan
from Gordonsville, which point, we have seen, he was unable
to reach.
Receiving no tidings from him, he moved forward toward
Lynchburg, the grand end of his expedition. If he could
reach and hold this place, one very important part of Grant's
plan would be carried out, and the supplies for Richmond
sadly interfered with.
On his arrival before the town, he found it too strong to
be carried by assault; but on the 18th, the very day the
Army of the Potomac was moving against Petersburg, he
made an attempt to capture it, but was repulsed. Sheridan
having failed to destroy the Virginia Central road, Lee was
able to transport troops rapidly from Richmond and its
vicinity to the point of danger, and hurried off Ewell's
Corps, with a part of Hill's and Breckenridge's command.
Hunter, at this time, was fifteen days' march from his base
of supplies, and hence depended, for subsistence, on the
country. Advised of the approach of this formidable force,
he, on the 19th, commenced to retreat down the Valley. He
had not proceeded far, however, when he found himself so
closely pressed by the enemy that escape, in this direction,
was hopeless. He, therefore, hastily abandoned a great part
of his trains and guns, and struck across the mountains to
Kanawha Valley, from whence he designed to return by the
way of the Ohio River.
Thus, of course, Grant lost the use of these troops for several weeks. Hunter not only failed to accomplish the object
of his expedition, but being compelled to flee over the




ï~~412

WILSON' S AND KAUTZ'S RAIb.

mountains, he left the Shenandoah Valley as defenseless as
though his entire army had been captured.
The enemy, now between twenty and thirty thousand
strong, marched down it, unopposed, sending consternation
into Washington. The failure of Hunter was another sad
blow to Grant, whom fate seemed determined to try to the
uttermost. Though disappointed, he did not blame him as
he did Butler, yet says:"Had General Hunter moved by way of Charlottesville,
instead of Lexington, as his instructions contemplated, he
would have been in a position to have covered the Shenandoah Valley against the enemy, should the force he met have
seemed to endanger it. If it did not, he would have been
within easy distance of the James River canal, on the main
line of communication between Lynchburg and the force
sent for its defense. I have never taken exception to the
operations of General Hunter, and I am not now disposed to
find fault with him, for I have no doubt he acted within what
he conceived to be the spirit of his instructions and the interests of the service. The prompitude of his movements and
his gallantry should entitle him to the' conimendation of his
country."
The effort, by Sheridan and Hunter, to destroy, permanently, the enemy's communications, north and. west, having
failed, it was hoped that success would crown Grant's measures to sever those farther south. While the latter was fleeing over the mountains to the Kanawha Valley, a strong
cavalry expedition was sent out against the Weldon and
Danville railroad-the success and result of which; Grant
sums up in a few words. He says;"On the 22nd, General Wilson, with his own division of
cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, and General Kautz's
division of cavalry of the Army of the James, moved against
the enemy's railroads south of Richmond.  Striking the




ï~~WILSON'S" AND KAUTZ 'S RAID.

413

Weldon railroad, at Ream's Station, destroying the depot
and several miles of the road and the South-side road-about
fifteen miles from Petersburg, to near Nottoway Station,
where he met and defeated a force of the enemy's cavalry;
he reached Burksville Station, on the afternoon of the 23d,
and from there destroyed the Danville railroad to Roanoke
bridge, a distance of twenty-five miles, where he found the
enemy in force, and in a position from which he could not dislodge him. He then commenced his return march, and on
the 28th met the enemy's cavalry in force at the Weldon railroad crossing of Stony Creek, where he had a severe but not
decisive engagement. Thence he made a detour from his
left, with a view of reaching Ream's Station, (supposing it
to be in our possession.) At this place he was met by the
enemy's cavalry supported by infantry, and forced to retire
with the loss of his artillery and trains. In this last encounter, General Kautz, with a part of his command, became
separated, and made his way into our lines. General Wilson, with the remainder of his force, sicceeded in crossing
the Nottoway River, and coming in safely on our left.and
rear. The damage to the enemy, in this expedition, more
than compensated for the losses sustained by us. It severed all.connection by railroad, with Richmond, for several
weeks."
It is possible that the damage sustained by the enemy
would "compensate" for our loss, though we apprehend that,
on a careful estimate, the balance remaining in our favor
would be hardly worth mentioning. The evil done was soon
remedied, and Grant learned what Sherman found out at
Atlanta, that the breaking up of railroads, by cavalry, in.
flicted only temporary inconvenience. They must be held to
be of permanent service.
A more serious movement was made at this time against
the Weldon railroad, by the Second Corps and Griffin's divis..




ï~~414

A REPULSE.

ion of the Fifth, with this latter Corps itself in reserve. The
Second Corps moved to the left, on Monday night, and the
next day, the 22nd, marched rapidly southward until it came
upon the enemy at the Jerusalem plank road. An engagement followed, when the Corps fell back into position for
the night. The Sixth Corps now came up and formed on its
left, when a consultation was held between the Commanders,
and it was resolved to attack the enemy at day-break next
morning. There being some misunderstanding with regard
to orders, the two Corps did not move forward in unison, but
independent of each other.
Barlow, with his immortal brigades, dashed into the
woods, in his front, and pressing on, soon opened a gap between his left and the right of the Sixth Corps. Having
advanced far enough, he was about to intrench himself when
he was startled by a heavy firing on his flank and rear. Hill
moving up his Corps to check our advance perceived the fatal
gap in our lines, and quick as thought, dashed into ita whole division driving like a storm through it. Struck in
flank, Barlow's division was rolled up like a piece of paper,
and several hundred men taken prisoners. Mott's flank being
now uncovered, he, also, was compelled to fall back with
heavy loss. Gibbon's turn came next, and his whole line of
intrenchments was carried, and the army seemed about to
break in utter rout.
But Miles' reserve division coming up opportunely, Gibbon
rallied his division on it, and the enemy being apparently
exhausted by his own efforts, the two Corps were enabled to
form a new line of battle. The order for the whole line to
advance was then given, when the enemy slowly retreated.
The army proceeded, however, but a short distance, when
it halted and passed the night in intrenching, while the rebels intrenched on the other side of the railroad.
Our loss in this engagement was probably two thousand,




ï~~FAILURE ALL AROUND.

415

while four guns and several stand of colors were left in the
enemy's hands.
On Thursday, Wright, having ascertained that the enemy
was weak on the extreme left, sent three Vermont regiments
to occupy the railroad there. Before they reached their
destination, however, they were furiously attacked and driven
in confusion back to the main body, losing many prisoners.
Flushed with success, the rebels now came down with loud
yells on our whole line, and compelled it to withdraw to the
cover of breastworks.
For the balance of the month, nothing more was done at
this point, and the two armies seemed once more at a deadlock.
Grant had now felt his way all around Richmond, but
could find no entrance to the rebel Capital. Every expedition to sever its communications had succeeded in inflicting
only temporary damage, and, to an ordinary observer, nothing more could be done. Not a gleam of success lightened
the dismal prospect; and added to all, came the news that
the enemy was thundering down the Shenandoah Valley.
Nothing, however, could shake the iron resolution of Grant,
and he cast about for some new mode of reaching the enemy, while his artillery kept pounding away on the rebel
intrenchments.
While the month of June was thus closing without witnessing any material success to the Army of the Potomac,
Sherman had met his first repulse at Kenesaw and was burying his dead in the mountains of Georgia. In other parts
of the West, the enemy was active, and the country was
infested with guerilla parties. Marmaduke was operating
along the Mississippi, and Shelby on the Arkansas.
The defeat of Sturgis in Mississippi, with the loss of
twelve guns-the surrender of Hobson at Cynthiana, with
fifteen hundred men, and the raid of Morgan through Ken



ï~~416

CAPTURE OF THE WAITER WITCH.

tucky, had no effect on Sherman's grand movement. The
defeat of the latter at Mount Sterling, by Burbridge, reflected
great credit on the -latter.
Nothing, of especial interest, occurred along the Atlantic
coast, during the month, except the capture of the Water
Witch, by the rebels, and the placing of Federal officers under our own fire at Charleston.
The Water Witch, attached to the Fernandina, in Ossabaw
Sound, was captured early on the morning of the 3rd of
June. The night had been dark and squally, so that an
object could not be seen twice the ship's length, except by
the flashes of lightning. About two o'clock in the morning,
the officer of the deck saw, by the uncertain light, a boat
ahead, filled with men, and hailed it. The reply was, '' Who
the h-ll are you hailing?" followed by a volley of musketry. He immediately sprung his rattle, when from six
other launches, which now swept out of the gloom, arose
loud yells of defiance. The next moment, wrathful visages
were seen, by the vivid flashes of lightning, peering over
the railing, as the enemy climbed swiftly on board. Pendegrast, the Commander,. was by this time on deck, and to his
inquiry, "What is the matter," received the reply, "Rebels,
rebels," from the rebels themselves.  Instantly shouting,
"Call all hands to repel boarders," "slip the chain and. start
the engine," he sprang to his state-room for his arms. When
he reached the deck again, a motley crowd was struggling
upon it, cursing and firing-the flashes of fire-arms and
flashes of lightning mixing strangely in the turbulent scene.
Making his way to the hurricane-deck, he was struck by,
cutlass and fell, for a moment, insensible. Recovering himself, he leaped upon the hurricane-deck, and rang the bell for
the engineer to go ahead, hoping to swamp the boats alongside; but the engine made only a single revolution, and then
stopped.




ï~~A BARBAROUS ACT.

417

In the darkness and suddenness of the attack, no time was
given to organize any resistance, and it was a short hand-tohand fight. Most of the crew seemed paralyzed with fear,
and.made but feeble defense, and the rebels soon had entire
possession of the vessel.
That a vessel, occupying the position she "did, should be
taken by surprise, argued, in the eyes of the Department,
great criminality on the part of the Commander, and he had
to bear the weight of its indignation.
The rebel Commander, in Charleston, indignant at our
bombardment of the place, thought he would put a stop to
it by placing fifty of our officers, some of them Major-Generals, in confinement, at a point reached by our fire. The
following correspondence explains this diabolical act:"  HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
-   GEORGIA AND FLORIDA.
CHARLESTON, June 13, 1864.
GENERAL:-Five Generals and forty-five Field Officers, of the United
States Army, all of them prisoners of war, have been sent to the city for safe
keeping. They have been turned over to Brigadier-General Ripley, commanding the First Military District of this department, who will see that they
are provided with commodious quarters in a part of the city occupied by noncombatants, the majority of whom are women and children.
It is proper, however, that I. should inform you that it is a part of the
city which has been for many months exposed, day and night, to the fire of
your guns.
your guns.  Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed,)        SAMUEL JONES, Major-General Commanding.
Major-General J. G. FoSTIER, Commanding United States Forces on coast
of S. C., C. S." '
"HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.
HILTON  tHAD, S. C., June 16, 1864.
Major-General SAMUEL JOxns, Commanding Confederate Forces, Department
of South Carolina, Georgia-and Florida:GENERAL:-I have to acknowledge ie receipt, this day, of your communication, of the 13th instant, informing me that five Generals and forty-five
Field Officers, of the United States Army, prisoners of war, have been sent
to Charleston for safe keeping; that they have been turned over to Brigadier



ï~~418

RETALIATION.

General Ripley, with instructions to see that they are provided with quarters
in a part of the city occupied by non-combatants, the majority of which latter, you state, are women and children. You add that you deem it proper
to inform me that it is a part of the city which has been, for many months,
exposed to the fire of our guns.
Many months since, Major-General Q. A. Gillmore, United States Army,
notified General Beauregard, then commanding at Charleston, that the city
would be bombarded. This notice was given that non-combatants might be
removed, and thus women and children spared from harm: General Beauregard, in a communication to General Gillmore, dated August 22, 1863,
informed him that the non-combatant population of Charleston would be
removed with all possible celerity. Thatwomen and children have been since
retained by you, in a part of the city which has been for many months expo.
sed to fire, is a matter decided by your own sense of humanity.
I must, however, protest against your action, in thus placing defenseless
prisoners of war in a position exposed to constant bombardment. It is an
indefensible act of cruelty, and can be designed only to prevent a continuance of our fire upon Charleston. That city is a depot for military supplies.
It contains not merely arsenals, but also foundries and factories for the man,
ufacture of munitions of war. In its ship-yards, several armed iron-clads
have already been completed, while others are still upon the stocks in course
of construction. Its wharves and the banks of the rivers, on both sides of
the city, are lined with batteries. To destroy these means of continuing the
war is, therefore, our object and duty. You seek to defeat this effort, not by
means known to honorable warfare, but by placing unarmed and defenseless
prisoners under fire.
I have forwarded your communication to the President, with the request
that he will place in my custody an equal number of prisoners, of the like
grades, to be kept by me in positions exposed to the fire of your guns, so long
as you continue the course stated in your communication.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed,)            J. G. FOSTER, Major-General Commanding."
Foster's request was complied with, and the rebels were
soon glad to abandon this barbarous mode of carrying on
war, and to propose an exchange of prisoners.
Outside of military operations, nothing caused so much
excitement, this month, as the re-nomination of Mr. Lincoln
by the Republican party, as the candidate for the Presidency,
in the election to come off in the ensuing Fall.
The two great political parties were organizing for a political campaign which was to.e almost as bitter and deadly
as that which was carried on in the field.




ï~~CHAPTER XXX.
BUILDING AND FITTING OUT OF THE ALABAMA IN AN ENGLISH PORT-COMPLAINT BY OUR GOVERNMENT-THE TWO YEARS' CRUISE-RETURNS TO CHERBOURG, FRANCE-BLOCKADED BY WINSLOW-SEMMES CHALLENGES WINSLOW-MORNING OF THE COMBAT-SPECTATORS COMING DOWN FROM PARIS
TO WITNESS IT-THE ALABAMA STEAMS OUT OF THE HARBOR-THE COMBATLUDICROUS BY-PLAY ON THE KEARSARGE-SUPERIOR FIRING OF THE FEDERAL SHIP-SURRENDER OF THE ALABAMA IN A SINKING STATE-PICKING
UP OF THE CREW AND CAPTAIN BY THE ENGLISH YACHT DEERHOUND-THE
DEERHOUND SAILS OFF WITH THE PRISONERS TO SOUTHAMPTON-SEMMES'
REPORT QF THE FIGHT-HIS SLANDERS AND FALSEHOODS-THE TWO VESSELS COMPARED-DEFENSE OF THE COMMANDER OF THE ENGLISH YACHTEXCITEMENT IN EUROPE OVER THE ENGAGEMENT-WINSLOW AND THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
THE KEARSARGE AND ALABAMA.
UT while the month of June was pregnant with such
great events in our own borders, there occurred a seafight on the other side of the Atlantic, that will ever occupy
a prominent place in our naval history. On Sunday, the
19th of June, the same Sabbath that followed the last grand
assault on Petersburg, and while we were gathering up our
wounded, and burying our dead, that fell in front of the
rebel works, and while Sherman was lying at the base of
Kenesaw Mountain, preparing to storm its impregnable defense', the Kearsarge and Alabama were engaged in mortal
combat, off the quiet port of Cherbourg, in France.     The
Alabama, with other vessels, had been built by private enterprise, in.England, ostensibly for neutral powers, or commercial purposes, but, after clearing the English coast, took




ï~~420

THE ALABAMA.

in their armaments and crews, and hoisting the Confederate
flag, preyed upon our commerce.
The Alabama was a powerful steamer, a swift sailer, and
carrying guns of the heaviest kind. She had been a bold,
successful cruiser for two years, though she had carefully
avoided a contest with our war vessels, except in the single
instance, when she attacked and sunk the Hatteras, which was
no match for her, off Galveston harbor. Standing fearlessly
along the track of our commerce, on the Atlantic, she had
made the ocean lurid with the flames of burning merchantmen. Our fastest vessels had been sent in search of her, and
the Vanderbilt had steamed half-way round the globe in the
vain effort to capture her.
Down the coast of the Eastern Continent, around the Cape
of Good Hope, into the Indian Ocean, she had proudly
flaunted her hated flag, and destroyed our merchantmen.
She with others, had well-nigh driven our ships from the
ocean, so that our commerce was carried on almost entirely
in foreign bottoms.
Her launch from an English dock-yard, had caused the
most serious complaints to be made, by our Government,
against Great Britain; such conduct being denounced as a
breach of neutrality. The discussion of the question is not
ended yet, and though the steamer lies at the bottom of the
sea, she may, in the end, be the cause of the gravest difficulties between the two nations.
Unable to carry her prizes into any port, she plundered
them of what she needed, sparing some, on the captains' giving bonds to pay a certain sum of money after the establishment of Southern independence, and burning the rest on
the high seas. She had been the terror of our commerce, as
far as the Indian Ocean, from which she had just returned and
entered the port of Cherbourg for repairs. Captain Winslow,
commanding the Kearsarge, had long been in search of her,




ï~~CHALLENGE OF SEMMES.

421

and the moment he heard of her arrival, set sail, and lay off
the mouth of the harbor, for the purpose of following her to
sea when she again left port, and forcing her to a combat.
On the 14th, Semmes sent Captain Winslow the following
challenge:"CONFEDERATE STATES' STEAMER ALABAMA,
CHERBOURG, June 14, 1864..
Sm--I hear that you were informed by the United States Consul that the
Kearsarge was to come to this port solely for the prisoners landed by me,
and that she was to depart in twenty-four hours. I desire you to say to the
United States Consul that my intehtion is to fight the Kearsarge as soon as
I can make the necessary arrangements. I hope these will not detain me
more than till to-morrow evening, or after to-nmorrow morning, at the farthest. I beg she will not depart before I am ready to go out.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient Servant,
R. SEMMES, Captain.
He very much mistook the Commander of the Kearsarge,
if he supposed it was necessary to send a challenge to get a
fight out of him.   He had come to Cherbourg for no other
purpose, and intended, by no means, to leave till he could
follow the bold corsair out on the deep, and there sink him,
or be sunk himself.
The Sabbath morning, of the 19th of June, broke in all the
loveliness of early Summer over the rippling sea. A gentle
breeze drifted lazily in from   the ocean, and the sun, half
shorn of his brightness, looked down through a hazy atmosphere, on the town and port, and revealed the Kearsarge
gently swaying to the easy swell, as she lay three miles off the
entrance, watching the movements of her antagonist.      News
of the expected fight had spread to Paris, and, in the morning, an excursion train came down from       the French Capital loaded with passengers, eager to witness the combat.
The boatmen of the port swarmed like hackmen around
the terminus of the railway, offering the services of their
boats to those who wished "to see a genuine naval battle,




ï~~422

BEFORE THE COMBAT.

that was to come off during the day."  A photographer,
with all his apparatus and materials, perched himself on a
church tower, to take an impression of the contest. Spectators swarmed upon every spot, commanding a view of the
harbor and sea beyond, while boats flew about in every direction as on a great holiday.
The bells of the churches of Cherbourg had not yet done
pealing, when the rebel steamer cast off her fastenings and
began to steam slowly out of port. Semmes had taken the
precaution to send ashore sixty chronometers that he had
taken from his prizes, his money, and bills of ransomed vessels; thus showing that he was fully aware of the desperate
character of the conflict that awaited him. As the steamer
slowly drifted past the end of the mole, crowded with human
beings, a great shout rent the air, and " God speed you,"
rolled over the waters. The next moment the drums were
heard beating to quarters.
The iron-plated frigate, Couronne, accompanied her to
the limit of the French waters, while the English yacht,
Deerhound, followed in her wake out to sea. This was about
half-past ten, and Winslow, as soon as he descried his adversary approaching, turned his ship's head seaward, to avoid
the question of jurisdiction, and to draw the Alabama so far
off that, in case of being disabled, she could not get back
into port, and thus escape capture. The Alabama followed
after, till the former was about seven miles from shore, when
Winslow turned short about, and steered straight for the
privateer, intending to run her down. The latter immediately sheered off and slowed her engines, presenting her
starboard battery to her enemy. While the Kearsarge was
still a mile off, there suddenly came sharp puffs of smoke
from the side of the Alabama, followed by the heavy, dull
reports of the guns that rolled heavily away over the shud=
dering waters.




ï~~THE COMBAT.

423

The ponderous shell and shot flew over the Kearsarge
and cut up her rigging, but did no serious damage. Winslow made no reply, but ordered the engineer to put on more
speed, and the gallant steamer rolled the foam away from
her bows as she dashed silently forward to a close deathgrapple with her antagonist. In two minutes came another
broadside-and then another; yet not a gun of the Kearsarge replied. Coming head on to the rebel steamer as she
lay with her broadside to, she was in great danger of being
raked, and so when about a half a mile distant, Winslow
sheered in order to bring his' own broadside to bear-and
the battle commenced.
The firing now was rapid and incessant, and the two
guns of the Kearsarge, carrying eleven-inch shell, sent their
ponderous missiles with terrible accuracy into the hull of
the Alabama. Winslow, fearing that his antagonist might
after a while make again for the shore, ordered a full head
of steam on, with directions to run under the stern of the
Alabama and rake her. Semmes, however, discovered his
design and sheered off so -as to keep his broadside bearing
on his antagonist. Hence the two vessels kept moving in
independent circles round a common, yet ever changing
centre. Sailing at the rate of nearly eight miles an hour,
they thus swung steadily around each other, wrapped in
the smoke of their own guns-the Alabama getting deadly
blows from the calm. and accurate firing of the Kearsarge,
while the latter received no material injury for nearly
twenty minutes. At length a sixty-eight pound Blakely
shell passed through the starboard bulwarks, below the
main rigging, and exploded on the quarter-deck, wounding
three of the crew of-the pivot gun, and among them a seaman named William Gowin, who, though suffering acutely,
wore a smile on his face as he was brought to the surgeon.
"It is all right," said he; "I am satisfied, for we are whips 7




ï~~424

A NOBLE SAILOR.

ping the Alabama;" adding "I willingly will lose my leg
or life, if necessary."
In the meantime the fight went on, and as the heavy
broadsides shook the deck, he would comfort his two
wounded comrades by telling them that "victory was certain;" and as ever and anon the cheers of the guns' crews
on deck were borne to his ears, as they saw a shot planted
in a vital part of the Alabama, he would wave his hand
over his head, and with a smile lighting his pallid features, give a faint, answering cheer. His heroic spirit kept
in this buoyant state till long after the victory, and he
passed away, reiterating again and again as the sands of life
ran low, "I am willing to die, for. we have won a glorious
victory."
Winslow fought his ship as coolly as though engaged in a
simple manoeuvre, telling the officers not to let the men fire
too rapidly, but take deliberate aim. "Point," said he,
"the heavy guns below rather than above the water line,
and sweep the decks with the lighter ones."
In addition to her regular and effective armament, the
Kearsarge had a twelve-pounder boat-howitzer, which was
totally useless in the fight. This was put in charge -of two old
quartermasters, "the two Dromios" of the ship, with orders
not to fire until directed to do so. But those rollicking old
salts had no idea of remaining idle while their messmates
were stripped to such deadly work, and having, as they said,
all the fun. So without waiting for orders, when the heavy
guns began to thunder over the sea, they loaded and fired
their solitary howitzer as though the fate of the combat
depended on their activity. Though perfectly aware of the
harmlessness of their shots, they peppered away with all
the gravity of men in dead-earnest, pausing between each
discharge to curse and swear at each other in the most
approved man-of-war style. Standing thus apart and firing




ï~~A SERIOUS FARCE.

425

their pop-gun in any direction with the most perfect gravity,
and then pausing to abuse each other roundly, while the
enemy's heavy shells were screaming and bursting above
and around them, they made such an exceedingly ludicrous
by-play, that the crew burst into peals of laughter. The
officers, seeing in what excellent humor for cool fighting
this farce kept the men, and amused at the mock earnestness and droll abusive language of these old weather-beaten
favorites of the ship, did not interfere with them, and they
kept on firing till they had exhausted the entire box of
ammunition.
In the meantime the vessels, moving steadily in their respective circles, kept pouring in their heavy broadsides; the
Alabama firing twice to the Kearsarge once; yet, so bad
was her gunnery that out of over three huidred shots only
twenty hit her antagonist, and only some fourteen of these
pierced her hull--not killing a single man, and wounding
but three. On the other hand, the slow and accurate firing
of the Kearsarge told with terrible effect on the enemy.
One shot alone killed and wounded eighteen men. Her two
hundred pound shells, pierced the rebel ship at the water
line, and bursting within, opened huge gaps, through which
the water poured in torrents. The rudder of the latter was
soon rendered useless, and by the time the vessels had made
seven complete circles, report was made to Captain Semmes
that his ship was sinking. He immediately hoisted sail, and
ordered all steam on, hoping to be able to reach the French
coast; but, finding the steamer fast settling in the water, he
hauled down his colors and dispatched a boat to the Kearsarge to state that he had surrendered. In the meantime,
he lowered the boats that had not been shot away, to receive
the sick and wounded; but before all could be got off, the
stern of the steamer sunk deep in the sea, lifting her bow
into the air as though making a last effort to escape destruc



ï~~426

SINKING OF THE ALABAMA.

tion,-ner mainmast breaking short off in the struggle-and
then with one heavy lurch she went to the bottom. The
parted waves closed with a loud splash above her form, as
with all her guns, and some of her brave defenders she disappeared from sight forever. Thus perished this terror of the
seas, after a fight of only an hour and two minutes. Amid the
foam that tossed above the spot where she went down, appeared a mass of human heads struggling for life, and among
the strong swimmers was Captain Semmes himself. The
Yacht Deerhound having now approached within hailing
distance of the Kearsarge, Winslow begged the Commander
to go to the assistance of the drowning men, as he had but
two boats. The latter did so, picking up Semmes and many
of the crew, and carried them, together with the officer who
had surrendered the ship, to Southampton.
Semmes in his report, by implication, charges Capt.
Winslow with inhumanity. He not only declares that he
fired on him after he struck his flag, butsays: "There was
no appearance of any boat coming to me from the enemy
after my ship went down. Ultimately, the steam yacht
Deerhound, owned by a gentleman of Lancashire, England,
Mr. John Lancaster, who was himself on board, steamed up
in the midst of my drowning men and rescued a number of
both officers and men from the water. About this time the
Kearsarge sent one, and then tardily another."
Now Mr. Lancaster, who was evidently hand and glove
with the rebel Commander, contradicts this statement. His
log book says, "At half past twelve, we observed the
Alabama to be disabled, and in a sinking state. We immediately made toward her, and in passing the Kearsarge
were requested to assist in saving the Alabama's crew." And
again, in a published letter, he says, "when we passed the
Kearsarge, the captain cried out, 'For God's sake do what
you can to save them.' " It was unquestionably very morti




ï~~ALABAMA AND KEARSARGE.

427

fying to Semmes to lose his ship; but that is no reason
why he should endeavor to slander a gallant opponent.
Again he says, "the enemy was heavier than myself, both
in ship, and battery, and crew; but I did not know till the
action was over that she was also iron-clad." This assertion
is not borne out by the following figures:
Alabama.          Kearsarge.
Length over all,         220 feet,        214 1-4
Length on water line,    210  "           198 1-2
Beam,                   32  "           33
Depth,,17  "           16
Horse power-two engines, 300-each,        400 h. p.
Tonniage,            1,150             1,031
Thus much as to the size and tonnage of the two ships.
The armament of the Alabama was one seven-inch riflegun; one eight-inch smooth bore sixty-eight pounder; six
thirty-two pounders.
That of the Kearsarge was two eleven-inch smooth bores;
one thirty pounder rifle; four thirty-two pounders.
It will be seen by these figures, that the Alabama was the
larger ship, and had one more gun' than the Kearsarge,
although the weight of the latter's broadside was the greater. The simple truth is, two more equally matched ships
could not well be found. The "iron plating," wiich Captain
Semmes makes so 'much of was simply some spare chain
cable hung over the sides of the vessel midships, and boxed
over with planking. This had been done a year before,
and was well known in every port where she had since
tbuched. Semmes was also aware of it, for he spoke about
it some days previous to the fight, saying, "that the chains
were only attached together with rope-yarn, and would
drop into the water when struck with the first shot."' If




ï~~428

YACHT DEERHOUND.

Capt. Semmes wishes his character as a fighter to be judged
by his reputation as a man of veracity, we fear his capture
and firing of helpless merchantmen will furnish his greatest
laurels..
In speaking of the conduct of the Deerhound, Captain
Winslow says: "I could not believe that the commander of
that vessel could be guilty of so disgraceful an act as taking
our prisoners off, and, therefore, toolkno means to prevent
it." The act of Mr. Lancaster was so generally condemned
on both sides of the water, that this gentleman deemed it
incumbent on him to make a public defense.
He says, "I had the earnest request of Captain Winslow
to rescue as many of the men as were in the water, as I
could lay hold of, but that request was not coupled with any
stipulation to the effect that I should deliver up the rescued
men to him as his prisoners. If it had been, I should have
decliied the task, because I should have deemed it dishonorable-that is, inconsistent with my notions of honor-to
lend my yacht and crew for the. purpose of rescuing those
brave men from drowning, only to hand them over to their
enemies for imprisonment, ill-treatment, and, perhaps, exe-.
cution."
Now, there are several things to be noticed in this curious
portion of his defense: First, a falsehood in the expression
of fear that they might be delivered over "to execution."
The war had been going on for over two years, and our Government had, at the very outset, in the first capture of a
privateer, decided that the crews of such vessels should be
treated as prisoners of war. In the second place, we are called
upon to admire this gentleman's peculiar "notions of honor,"
which would have prevented him from "rescuing those
brave men" from death, t5 hand them over as "prisoners,"
to a nation, distinguished for its humane treatment of the
captured.




ï~~LANCASTER S ENGLISH LOGIC.

429

One would think that a proper sense of "honor" would
prompt a man to give the poor fellows, at least, the choice
of being rescued, or of drowning. We are quite sure the
spent swimmers did not take his view of the case, as they
cried for help, and struck out toward the boats. His logic,
however, is more peculiar than his "notions of honor," or his
veracity. He says that Captain Winslow accompanied his
request to help save the sinking crew, "with no stipulation to
the effect that I should deliver up the rescued men to him as
prisoners." That is to say, because Captain Winslow did not
wait to draw up a contract that he should deliver into his
hands men that had already given themselves up as prisoners
of war,: there was no obligation resting on him to do so. To
see the full beauty of this logic, let us suppose it had been
property, not prisoners of war, floating on the sea; and Captain Winslow had requested the Commander of the yacht to
assist him in saving it. By Mr. Lancaster's code of morals,
after he had loaded his vessel down with a choice assortment, he would have steered away for Southampton with
his spoils, and when called to account for them, have replied
that Captain Winslow made "no stipulation with me to deliver
up his goods." His high notions of honor would have compelled him to keep them-in other words, turn thief because
"no stipulation" was made that he should not be one.
After clearing himself, as he supposes, from all blame, by
this extraordinary defense, he says, that "the hero's (Captain Winslow's) forbearance," for not bringing him to, with
a shot, when making off with the prisoners, may be "imagined in the reflection that such a performance as that of Captain Wilkes, who dragged two ' enemies,' or ' rebels,' from
an English ship, would not bear repetition."  Our fear, on
the contrary, is, that such conduct, on the part of a member of "The Royal Yacht Squadron," will not "bear repetition."




ï~~430

EXCITEMENT IN EUROPE.

This novel engagement, in which such heavy metal was
thrown, caused much excitement in Europe. That the Kearsarge, without ever coming nearer than a quarter of a mile
of her antagonist-a vessel of.war heavier, even, than herself-should sink her in one hour, was a warning to the
English Admiralty which, it was urged, they had better not
disregard. There was not an eleven-inch gun in the English
navy, yet the Kearsarge had two of these, throwing metal
of two hundred pounds weight.   Said one writer in the
English press:"When the Kearsarge was recently at Cork, the Commander of her Majesty's ship, Hawke, was instructed by the
Admiralty to report as to the construction and fitting up of
the American cruiser, and more particularly as to her armament. He replied that the Kearsarge had no more effective
guns than the ordinary sixty-eight pounder of the British
navy.  The Kearsarge is fitted up with a special contrivance for raising and lowering her great guns, so that they
may be mounted on deck, or kept snugly below, as occasion
requires.
"It is a curious speculation whether, when the Commander of the Hawke visited the vessel, a smart 'Yankee trick'
was played upon him by this contrivance, or whether he
made an actual blunder as to the armament."
Captain Winslow paroled his prisoners, which brought on
him the condemnation of the Navy Department. In one
letter to him, Mr. Welles says that it is reported, in the English papers, that he "has paroled the foreign pirates captured in the Alabama," and adds, "I trust you have not
committed this error of judgment." In another, he says,
"in paroling the prisoners, however, you have committed a
grave error."
This is a fair specimen of the wise blunders constantly
committed by our Navy Department; the head of which




ï~~LETTER OF CAPTAIN WINSLOW.

431

changes with every Administration, and who receives his
appointment without reference to his knowledge of naval
matters, but solely on political grounds. A serious war with
one of the great maritime nations of Europe, will work a
change, we apprehend, in this respect, and give us, at least,
something in the Navy to correspond with Lieutenant-General in the Army.
The following reply of Captain Winslow, exhibits the vast
difference between theoretical and practical knowledge:-=
"I beg the Department will consider the circumstances in
which this vessel was placed at the termination of the action
with the Alabama. The berth-deck, contracted as it is, with
insufficient storage for our own men, was covered with bedding of the wounded, the quarter-deck was similarly crowded,
and the forward part of the ship, on the spar-deck, was filled
with prisoners under guard.
"The ship was damaged both in rigging and hull. A
shot had entered the stern-post, raising the transom-frame,
and binding the rudder so hard as to require four men at
the helm. It was, therefore, important that an examination
should be made of the damages sustained. On our arrival
at Cherbourg, I received information from our Consul at
London, that the Florida was in the Channel, on the French
coast, and, at the same time, information came that the
Yeddo was out, and the Rappahannock was expected to follow; and, in addition to this, that the St. Louis had sailed
for' Madeira.
"The Kearsarge had been acting alone and independently for the last nine months, and I was not aware that any
f our cruisers had been ordered in the Channel. It became,
therefore, in my mind, of the utmost importance that the
Kearsarge should at once be put in a state to meet these
vessels, and protect our commerce. This could not be done
with prisoners on board equaling the half of our crew, and




ï~~432              A GOOD REASON.
the room occupied by the wounded taken to the exclusion
of our own men; to have kept them would have required a
quarter-watch as guards, and the ship would have been
wholly ineffective, as a man-of-war, to meet this emergency
which threatened.
"Under these circumstances, and without an American
vessel in port by which any arrangement could be made for
transhipping the prisoners outside, I felt it my duty to
parole them."




ï~~CHAPTER XXXI.
MR. CHASE'S RESIGNATION-WANT OF A FINANCIAL SYSTEM-LOW STATE OF
PUBLIC CREDIT WHEN HE ENTERED ON THE DUTIES OF HIS OFFICE-ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURES FOR 1862---ISSUES OF FIVE-TWENTY BONDS AND
TREASURY NOTES-FIRST LOAN MADE IN NEW YORK-LOAN TAKEN BY THE
BANKS OF PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK AND BOSTON-SALE OF BONDS, &C.CUSTOMS TO BE PAID IN GOLD-SUSPENSION OF THE BANKS-STATEMENT OF
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES-PUBLIC DEBT AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAROPENING OF THE YEAR, 1863-AN EXCISE LAW RESOLVED UPON---RAISING
OF MONEY IN THE MEANTIME-ISSUE OF PAPER MONEY-NATIONAL BANKING
LAW-ITS EFFECT IN NEW YORK-GOLD BILL-STATEMENT OF REVENUE AND
EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR-PUBLIC DEBT-MR. FESSENDEN SUCCEEDS MR.
CHASE-CONDITION OF THE TREASURY AND MEANS AT ITS DISPOSAL PUBLIC
DEBT WHEN HE RESIGNED IN MARCH, 1865.
OUTLINE OF OUR FINANCIAL HISTORY DURING THE WAR.
HE first day of the month of July, 1864, was signalized
by an event in the political field, that caused almost as
much sensation as the news of the proposed invasion of the
rebels. This was the announcement of the resignation of Mr.
Chase, as Secretary of the Treasury
In a war of the magnitude of the one in which we were
engaged, the question of finance was really the vital one;
for all knew that money would give out before men would.
Mr. Chase had never perfected and carried out any financial
system whatever; his system had been one of expedients,
based on the assumption that the war was always just on the
eve of closing, and that it was only necessary to raise money
on the public credit to meet a present emergency. In short,
the Government appeared, in the eyes of the world, very




ï~~434:

RESIGNATION OF MR. CHASE.

much like a shaky railroad company, willing to mortgage
its present property and future prospects, to get over present difficulties; or that of a heavy operator, who is willing
to make any sacrifices, if he cfn only be tided over a dangerous crisis.
Still, in the new and unexpected condition of things, in
which the Secretary of the Treasury found himself-the sudden and frightful call on the Government for money, and in
our want of credit in the foreign market, it was hard to see
what other course could be pursued. Fabulous sums were
needed to carry on the gigantic war into which we had
been forced, and there seemed no way to raise them except
by the system of expedients which was adopted. The resignation of the Secretary of the Treasury, therefore, in the
very crisis of our affairs, created a profound sensation, and
various causes were assigned for it-some asserting that despair of meeting the enormous demands of the Government,
was the motive-others, that personal disagreement with
the President, in the matter of appointments; others, still,
that he was a candidate for the Presidency, and could not
support his successful rival; and still, others, that it was
in consequence of the repeal of the "Gold Bill," as it was
called.
Although the present work was designed to be only a history of the more important military events of the war, yet
a brief account of the financial measures, by which it was
carried on, seems necessary to its completeness.
As the financial policy was not changed, on the resignation of Mr. Chase, and Mr. Fessenden, who succeeded
him, simply completed what was already begun, a history of
our finances, under the former, is.the history of them during
the war.
Some faint idea of the difficulties that beset Mr. Chase's
path, at the outset, may be gathered from the fact, that in




ï~~PUBLIC LOANS.

435

the December previous to his inauguration into office, Howell Cobb, Mr. Buchanan's Secretary of the Treasury, put into
the. market five million dollars of treasury notes, payable
in one year, and received bids for only a half a million, at
twelve per cent.
If such was the credit of the Government, and such the
difficulty in raising a small sum of money when war was
threatened, one, can imagine the prospect before the new
Secretary, when war, the end of which no one could see, had
actually commenced, and when, according to his own estimate, not five millions of dollars, but three hundred and nineteen millions, would be needed the first yeai to meet the
wants of the Government.!Congress, which adjourned the first week in August, 1861,
passed an act authorizing him to borrow two hundred and
fifty million dollars by the issue of bonds not to be redeemed
for twenty years, and bearing a no greater- interest than
seven per cent.; also to issue fifty million dollars in seven
and three-tenths per cent. treasury notes, payable in three
years, and of United States notes without interest, and payable on demand. A direct tax of twenty million dollars was
also ordered to be levied while the customs were increaed
Of this, one hundred and eighty million dollars were appropriated to the Army, thirty millions to the Navy, and three
millions to purchase and hire vessels.
It was an easy matter to authorize the Secretary to borrow money by the issue of interest-bearing bonds, and
treasury demand -notes, but it was another thing to find
lenders. If it had been a foreign war in which we were
engaged, we could have borrowed an unlimited amount of
money abroad; but, in a war, which, in the eyes of other
nations would end in the total disruption of the Government, not a dollar could be obtained. It-must be raised at
home or not at all, and obviously, to obtain the enormous




ï~~436

FIRST LOAN TAKEN.

sums that would be needed, the only course to be pursued
was the one adopted by the Emperor of France,-viz.:
make it a people's loan, by distributing it in small sums over
the entire country. This could be done only through agencies established at every important point, to receive subscriptions. But it would take some time to get the machinery
in complete working order and prepare the Seven and threetenths treasury notes. in the meantime money was needed,
and the Secretary therefore resorted to a temporary loan of
five million dollars for sixty days, giving the Twenty-years'
bonds as collateral security. This was taken up in a few
hours in, New York. He then visited the three great commercial cities on our Northern sea-board---Philadelphia, New
York and Boston---and after -a frank interview with the
heavy capitalists, succeeded in getting the Banks to take fifty
million dollars of the Seven-thirties at par; of which New
York alone took more than two-thirds. It was left optional
with the Banks to take two more issues to the same amount.
The various agencies established were very successful, so
that thirty-eight millions of the fifty millions of dollars were
taken up. The Banks then took the second issue of fifty
million dollars, bearing date October 1st, 1861.  In the
meantime the demand notes, as they were called, were put
in circulation, and a vast amount of State loans thrown upon
the market, which so diverted the investment by the people
in the treasury notes that the Banks refused to take the
third issue of fifty million dollars, preferring the Twentyyears' six per cent. stock at a discount, that made it equivalent to a seven per cent. stock at par.
On the 1st of January, 1862, only a little over fifty mil.
lion dollars of the treasury notes had been subscribed for,
outside of the Banks, while twenty-four million dollars of
demand notes had been issued, and fifty millions of Twentyyears' stock-though this sum had not been realized. Two




ï~~SUSPENSION OF THE BANKS.

437

years' six per cent. notes to the amount of fourteen million,
nineteen thousand, three hundred and forty dollars and sixtysix cents had also been issued, and nearly thirteen million
dollars had been borrowed on sixty days six per cent. notesmaking in all one hundred and ninety-seven million, two
hundred and forty-two thousand, five hundred and eightyeight dollars and fourteen cents.
The tax of twenty million dollars gave us no revenue.
It was apportioned to the several States, but of course was
collectable only in the loyal ones; and in most cases as the
amount they had already furnished in equipping the national
troops equaled the amount of the tax, they were given credit
for it, so that' the only effect of the tax was to pay a debt
which might have been deferred. In the firm belief that
the war would. be a short one, the Government had expended its wealth with an extravagance never before witnessed in any nation, and which, if persisted in for any
length of time, whatever other national resources we might
possess, threatened to end the war by national bankruptcy.
In the beginning of the year 1862, fifty million dollars
of paper. money had been set afloat, redeemable in coin,
and receivable for customs. Government stocks were at
a discount, and in the general panic and upheaving, the
Banks, utterly indifferent to the laws under which they had
been organized, suspended specie payment, and yet went on
doing business as before. The increase of the army, and the
lavish expenditures had raised the expenses of the Government to about 'two million dollars per day; and yet the first
step had not yet been' struck toward putting down the rebellion. The Army of the Potomac lay in front of Washington---the Mississippi was closed nearly up to the Ohio, and the
lines of the enemy, with scarcely a break, extended along the
southern border of the Northern States from Missouri to the
Atlantic.




ï~~438

INTERNAL TAXATION.

The financial prospect under these circumstances was
appalling, and the question, "Where is all the money needed,
to come from?" was one which might well stagger any Secretary of the Treasury, Congress might authorize loans, but
who would take them, unless they could see some certain
method adopted by which the interest would be paid. Direct
taxation to the amount needed was not to be thought of, for
the Constitution required that a direct tax should be laid
according to population, which, as between.the Eastern and
Western States would be grossly unjust. It was very plain
to men familiar with the financial history of Governments,
that we must fall back on some system of internal taxation.
But the excise laws of England were odious to our people,
and regarded i s fit only for an oppressive Government, and
hence the party in power feared to enact them, lest it should
be overthrown in the next election. Besides, the perfection of a system of internal revenue required time, while
the Government was in pressing need of money, for it was
heavily in arrears, both to the army and t6 contractors.
Still hugging the miserable delusion that the war would
be over in a few months, Congress cast about for some way
to raise enough for immediate wants, thinking that if these
were once met, the danger would be over, and then the Government could gather up the raveled ends of its financial
schemes, and once more bring order out of chaos.
The only method of immediate relief, therefore, seemed
to be the issue of paper money-the last desperate resort of
Governments on the verge of bankruptcy. So in the last of
February the Secretary was authorized to issue one hundred
and fifty millions of dollars in notes, in such denominations
as he chose, down to five dollars. But knowing that paper
money depreciated just in proportion to the amount issued,
Congress saw that the public loan would not be taken if the
interest was payable in paper, for a seven per cent. stock




ï~~DUTIES PAID IN COIN.

039

might actually turn out by this depreciation to be worth no
more than an ordinary two or three per cent. stock, and it
therefore enacted that the interest on the public debt should
be paid in coin. This, of course furnished a strong inducement
to invest in public securities, for the more paper depreciated
the higher coin would go, and hence the higher the rate of
interest would be. But the next question was, "Where shall
the Government get this coin?"  To go into the market and
buy it, would stimulate speculation so that it could be obtained only at ruinous rates. It was therefore decreed that all
customs should be paid in coin. This was in effect enacting
over again the old protective tariff; for importers being
compelled to go into market and buy their gold, its rise
would be inevitable. Practically, therefore, the duties
would be increased indefinitely, causing a corresponding
rise in the price of goods. This of course would stimulate
home manufacture. As from the embargo of 1812, and the,protective tariff afterward, New England was made a manufacturing country, so now, by this practically high tariff all
her machinery was set in full motion.
Another ingenious device was adopted for obtaining
money for present use. The war had locked up a vast
amount of wealth ordinarily invested in trade. But the
holders, like every body else, believed the war was to be a
short one, and therefore preferred that their capital should
lie idle for a while, so that with peace it could be employed
again in the more remunerative way of trade and commerce,
than by being invested in Government securities at a fixed
rate of interest. To get hold of this, the Secretary of the
Treasury was authorized to receive twenty-five millio dollars
on deposit to be paid on ten days' notice, and to bear interest
at the rate of five per cent. per annum, payable in gold.
The bait took, and the whole amount was so quickly taken,
that Congress authorized the reception of one hundred mil58




ï~~440

PUBLIC DEBT,

lion dollars, interest payable in paper. Fruitful in all kinds
of shifts, it also authorized the Secretary to issue certificates
of indebtedness to the public creditors, bearing interest of
six per cent.--at first payable in gold, but afterward in
paper.
The Department had had for use during the year, two hundred and thirty-five million dollars-all but ten millions
granted by the tariff law-being in seven and three-tenths
three years' bonds, legal tender, and certificates of deposit.
It had besides, one year six per cent. certificates to issue to
any amount it chose.
The debt at the close of the fiscal year, as ascertained,
was five hundred and fourteen million, two hundred and
eleven thousand, three hundred and seventy-one dollars,
while gold was at ten peer cent. premium. There should be
added to this, however, probably over a million dollars of
arrears not yet audited. On this debt, twenty-two million dollars of interest in gold was to be paid. It had now become
very evident that the war was not to be terminated speedfly, and hence that these various expedients to raise money
for present emergencies would not answer. No matter 'how
unpopular a system of internal taxation might be for the
party in power, it must be resorted to or the war be abandoned for want of means to carry it on. Congress therefore
resolved to pass an excise law that should tax the entire
industry of the country, and levy a tax on all incomes over
six hundred dollars. We had taunted England with her
oppressive taxation, saying that the poor man was taxed
even for the light of heaven, and after his eyes had closed
on thablight forever, the very nails in his coffin were taxed,
little dreaming that our boasted Republic would so soon follow her example.
But there was no help for it. Under this law stamp-du



ï~~EXCISE LAW.

441.

ties were to be paid on all transactions and legal demands,
and a three per cent. tax on all manufactures.
Such a law was something entirely new to our legislators,
and it required time to perfect it-besides, the income tax
was not to be collected till June of 1863. In the meantime,
money must be had, for the Secretary had estimated that
the expenditures, for the fiscal year of 1863, would be six
hundred and ninety-three million, three hundred and forty-six thousand, three hundred and twenty-one dollars,
independent of the public debt of ninety-five million, two
hundred and twelve thousand, four hundred and fifty-six
dollars.
This, however, was an under-estimate, for the military
necessity, which soon after required the calling out of six
hundred. thousand men, swelled these expenditures so that
Congress, instead of making an appropriation to meet the
Secretary's estimate of nearly seven hundred million dollars,
made one of eight hundred and eighty-two million, two
hundred and thirty-eight thousand, and eight hundred do1 -lars. To raise this amount, it authorized the issue of five
hundred million dollars of six per cent. stock, redeemable in
five to twenty years, and also an issue of notes for one hundred million dollars, which could be exchanged at par for
the stock, making in all seven hundred million dollars. To
make up the balance, the Secretary was empowered to issue
fractional notes, under a dollar, to any amount.
This, apparently, reckless issue of Government paper, created general distrust, and gold, which only reached, the year
before at any one time, one hundred and thirty-six and onehalf per cent., touched, this year, one hundred and seventytwo aaid one-half per cent. To keep up the public credit, it
was ordered that the Five-twenty bonds should not be sold
at less than market value, while the holders of Government
notes were allowed to exchange them for the bonds at par.




ï~~442

NEW ISSUES.

When Congress again met, the debt was stated to amount
to fourteen hundred million dollars, without computing the
enormous arrears that could only be guessed at, and which
somehow must be met. In the beginning of the actual
year the Secretary was authorized to issue one hundred million dollars of paper money, in order to meet the present
obligations of the Government. He now asked Congress to
amend the law respecting the sale of the Five-twenty bonds,
fixing July as the limit, beyond which Government notes
could not be converted into them at par. A law was also
passed authorizing five hundred million dollars six per cent.
stock to be issued, redeemable within forty years, but not
till after ten-also, the issue of four hundred million dollars
of notes, as low as ten dollars, to be legal tenders, bearing
six per cent. interest in paper, and redeemable in three years.
To these were added one hundred and fifty million dollars
more, into which the smaller interest-bearing notes could be
converted.
The unbounded license given to the Secretary to issue
fractional paper currency was now taken away, and the
amount fixed at fifty million dollars.
This enormous issue of paper bewildered the public, and
it seemed as though nothing short of a miracle could save
the nation from hopeless bankruptcy. Abroad, there was
not the slightest doubt that we were rushing headlong into
financial ruin.
Another law was passed which caused great excitement,
completely revolutionizing the whole banking system of the
country. This was the NATIONAL BANKING LAw, authorizing
Banks, in all the States, secured in Government stocks, to
circulate notes redeemable in Government paper. This circulation was limited to three hundred millions of dollars,
based on the same amount of Government securities. But
there were already more Banks in the country than the wants




ï~~NATIONAL BANKS.

443

of the community required, and it was plain that these must
he converted into National Banks, or be killed, or the system would fail of success. The change could be easily made,
for it was only necessary to change the securities which they
held into Government securities.
But many of the States preferred their own  king system, especially the great State of New York, whli compelled its Banks, in the main, to be secured by the State stocks.
It had so perfected its banking system, that should every
Bank in the State fail, its notes would be redeemed dollar
for dollar. Besides, by making its own stock the basis of
banking, it enhanced the value of it, so that whenever it
wished to make a loan, the Banks not only took all the stock
with avidity, but the competition was so great to secure it,
that it was always at a large premium-its six per cent.
stock, having a long time to run, going, in some instances,
as high as seventeen per cent. above par. Thus its banking system not only made loans easy, but caused them to
be taken at a premium that materially lessened the interest. To change it, therefore, was to depreciate at once
the value of its own securities. This depreciation would,
also, cause a great loss to the Banks, for the stocks held by
them could not bring, in the market, the prices they had
paid for them. Hence, in every way the law was distasteful
to the State.
To force the State Banks to change into National Banks,
Congress passed a law taxing their notes'ten per cent. As
it had long ago been decided that Government securities
were not taxable, the States could not retaliate by taxing the National Banks-at least, it was very questionable
whether any State legislation could offset this discrimination.
against the State Banks, and so the latter gradually converted themselves into National Banks.   This, of course,




ï~~444    EIGHTEEN.HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR,
required the absorption of a large amount of Government
securities.
But, independent of its being a present benefit, this system, if let alone by new administrations, will be a lasting
one, by giving us a uniform currency throughout the country; a d. deratum acknowledged by every business man.
Under he agencies and commissions authorized by the
Treasury Department, the sale of the Five-twenties went
briskly on, and the Secretary extended the limit in order to
dispose of the whole. The deposits on five per cent. certificates filled up the limit of one hundred millions of dollars,
so that for the last three months of the fiscal year, ending
with June, the Treasury was well supplied.
Gold fell nearly a half, goods went down, and in the very
midst of our troubles, everything seemed about to revive.
At its close the debt was one thousand and ninety-eight
million, seven hundred and ninety-three thousand, one
hundred and eighty-one dollars, without reckoning in the
arrears, amounting probably to two hundred millions more.
The interest on the funded debt was forty-two million, two
hundred and seventy-eight thousand and two dollars, and
seventy-three cents. Unfunded, one hundred and eighty
millions of dollars.
At the beginning of the fiscal year of 1864, there were
over four hundred and eleven million dollars of outstanding
legal tender money. The constant forcing of paper issues on
the market depreciated necessarily its value, and again raised
the price of gold. Still the financial resources of the country
had been developed in a manner that astonished the most
hopeful, showing an amount of available wealth never
dreamed of before. Our unparalleled prosperity for so
many years had induced an extravagant, expensive mode of
living, so that the extraction of these vast sums from the




ï~~EXPENDITURES.

4 5

people produced comparatively little suffering-it demanded
only the practice of a wholesome economy.
The total revenue from all sources this fiscal year was
one hundred and eleven million, three hundred and ninety.
nine thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six dollars. Added
to this, we borrowed seven hundred and seventy-six million,
six hundred and eighty-two thousand, three hundred and
sixty-one dollars; making in all eight hundred and eightyeight aillion, eighty-two thousand, one hundred and
twenty-eight dollars with which to meet an expenditure of
eight hundred and ninety-five million, seven hundred and
ninety-six thousand' six hundred and thirty dollars. It
was impossible to estimate very closely the expenditures of
the year 1864, for the constant depreciation%f paper brought
up the price of every thing the Government would have to
buy. It was plain that the taxes would not meet it, and
therefore the Government must go on borrowing. The Secretary stopped in January the sale of the Five-twenty bonds.
Having previously issued fifteen million dollars more of legal
tender notes, he now, with the stoppage of the sale of these
bonds issued one hundred and fifty million dollars more of
these notes, bearing interest.
In the meantime, the amount of customs largely exceeded
the estimate, so that after paying the interest on the public
debt a surplus of gold was left, which by law was to be ap.
plied to the purchase of one per cent. of the public debt as
a sinking fund.
This whole surplus was eventually sold in the market, and
the premium obtained credited to the Government. It seemed a very discreditable thing for the Government to go into
the market to speculate on its own depreciated paper, but
the object was to bring down the price of gold, which speoulators were forcing up to a ruinous rate. But the most
remarkable effort to bring down the price of gold this year,




ï~~446

THE GOLD BILL.

t-remarkable from the enormous 'advance it produced, was
what was called the "Gold Bill." Congress having passed a
resolution increasing the duties on imported goods fifty per
cent., for sixty days, to take effect on the 28th of April,
large entries of goods were made, which increased the
demand for gold, and hence caused it to advance in price.
To stop its farther advance, the" Gold Bill" was concocted,
which forbade any one to sell exchange for specie at more
than ten days time, and no where except over the counter
of the individual banker. This law was odious not only as
infringing on personal rights, but it crippled bankers, by
making them afraid to act as their business relations required. It besides, exposed them to informers, who were
ready to make bmplaints on any pretense, as half the fine
would go to them. Moreover, the short term fixed by the
law for which a contract for exchange might run, interfered
sadly with the ordinary shipping business done in New York
for the West. Fifteen or sixteen days were required to
complete arrangements between even Chicago and New
York, hence foreign exchanges were at a dead stand-still.
If, for instance, certified checks could not be used, it was
difficult to see how ordinary business could be carried on.
It is true that the Solicitor of the:Treasury finally gave it as
his opinion that the Act did not require the "formal delivery of the notes in currency by the buyer to the seller," for
the amount of gold or bullion purchased on the day in which
the contract was made, but that a bona-fide check for the
amount in United States notes or currency was valid payment, and also, that although the law "prohibits contracts for
the purchase or sale and delivery of foreign exchange,
except on conditions of immediate payment in full of the
agreed price thereof on the day of delivery in United States
notes, or national currency," yet, "that a payment for exbnuge in gold coin of the United States was a legal and




ï~~MR. FESSENDEN.

441

valid payment;" thus relieving bankers from their greatest
fears. Still gold went steadily up, till at the close of the
fiscal year it stood at two hundred and ninety. On the last
day of the fiscal year this absurd bill was repealed, and the
same day Mr. Chase resigned and Mr. Fessenden took his
place.
The total receipts of this year, from receipts of customs,
loans, taxes and every source, were two hundred and sixty
million, six hundred and thirty-two thousand, seven hundred
and fifty-seven dollars, while the expenses, and interest on
this debt, amounted to eight hundred and sixty-five million,
two hundred and thirty-four thousand and eighty-seven dollars.  The revenue, therefore, fell short six hundred and,
four million, six hundred and one thousand, three hundred
and seventy dollars of meeting the expenditures. This
enormous balance was borrowed as we have seen, on bonds of
various kinds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, fractional
currency, &c., the whole amount so borrowed being seven hundred and thirty million, six hundred and forty two thousand,
four hundred and ten dollars and ninety-seven cents; of
which, one hundred and twelve million, five hundred and
twenty-seven thousand, five hundred and twenty-six dollars
and five cents were expended in repayment of the public
debt, leaving over six hundred and eighteen millions to be
applied to the expenditures. The receipts from customs
this year, reached the large sum of one hundred and two
million, three hundred and sixteen thousand, one hundred
and fifty-three dollars, while the interest to be paid in coin
was only fifty-three million, six hundred and eighty-five
thousand, four hundred and twenty-one dollars, leaving over
forty-eight and a half millions in gold in the public treasury,
which, as we previously stated, was sold, and a premium of
over nineteen million dollars obtained, and put down as
miscellaneous receipts.




ï~~14:8

Â~S 'UBLI  D;EBT.

When, in 1864 Mr. Fessenden came into office, he found.
as we have seen, the Government paper worth only thirty:
five cents on the dollar, with customs falling off. But the tax
law had been revised and now promised to furnish a larger
amount of money than before, while a five per cent. extra
income tax was levied on the incomes of the year before,
which of course would increase the amount of revenues.
There were nearly nineteen million dollars in the Treasury,
when he accepted the office of Secretary, while under laws
previously passed, he had a right to borrow, first, thirty-two
million, four hundred and fifty-nine thousand, seven hundred
dollars-that portion of the seventy-five million dollars
advertised before the close of the former fiscal year, and
which had not been awarded to bidders-and also one hun.
dred and twenty-seven million, six hundred and three
thousand, five hundred and twenty dollars, the amount
which had not been subscribed for, and paid under the Act
of March 3d, 1864, besides four hundred million dollars
under an Act passed the last day of the fiscal year. A little
over sixty-two million dollars of treasury notes had been re
deemed and canceled, which he had authority to replace,
so that altogether the available resources in the hands of
the new Secretary amounted to six hundred and forty-one
million, one hundred and twenty-seven thousand, two hundred and thirteen dollars and seventy-one cents. Of course
he could not do otherwise than follow on in the track of his
predecessor.
Our bonds now began to sell abroad, which obviated very
much the issue of legal tender notes.
Mr. Fessenden continued in office until March, 1865, when
the war was drawing to a close, at which time the public
debt was twenty-four hundred and twenty.-three million,
four hundred and thirty-seven thousand and one dollars.




ï~~THE PUBLIC DEBT.                  449
It had increased at the rate of two and a half million dollars
a day since he took charge of the Treasury Department.
From what revenues we are to establish a sinking fund to
pay off this enormous debt, it does not yet appear. Of course
when the tax for paying the interest, now levied on the
North, shall be distributed in proper proportion over the
South, the burden will be lightened; but this generation,
we fear, will look in vain for any material diminution of the
debt. Still, returning prosperity may develop resources of
which we are now ignorant.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXII.
ALARM PRODUCED BY EARLY'S INVASION-SIGEL'S RETREAT-WEBER ABAU
DONS HARPER' S BFERRY--THE PIRATE FLORIDA ON OUR COAST-THE REBELS
CROSS THE POTOMAC AND OCCUPY HAGERSTOWN---IIEGIRA OF THE PEOPLEMILITIA CALLED OUT-GENERAL WALLACE GIVES BATTLE AT MONOCACY--
RETREATS-ALARM IN BALTIMORE-RAILROAD CUT BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND
PHILADELPHIA-GENERAL FRANKLIN TAKEN PRISONER-GOVERNOR BRADFORD'S HOUSE BURNED-THE MAIN ARMY MOVES ON WASHINGTON-SKIRMISHING IN FRONT OF FORT SI VEN-ARRIVAL OF THE NINETEENTH AND
SIXTH CORPS-THE REBELS RETREAT-PURSUIT BY WRIGHT-ESCAPE OF THE
INVADERS-AVERILL AND CROOK AND DUFFIE ENGAGE A PORTION OF THE
ENEMY-COMPELLED TO RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC-THE REBEL MCCAUSLAND ADVANCES TO CHAMBERSBURG AND BURNS IT--ATTACKED IN HI
RETREAT AND HIS FORCES SCATTERED AMONG THE MOUNTAINS-EARLY PREPARES TO REMAIN IN THE SHENANDOAH YALLEY-GRANT VISITS HUNTERHIS LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS-SHERIDAN PUT IN HIS PLACE-POLITICAL
EVENTS-FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND TROOPS CALLED FOR-PEACE NF*OTIATIONS-JACQUES AND KIRK-GREELY JEWETT, SANDERS AND OTHERS--- TO
WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,"-ABSURDITY OF THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
ALTHOUGH the months of May and June, both West
and East, had been crowded with events of a magnitude and national interest, hitherto unknown in our history,
yet the month of July saw Washington in a state of excitement scarcely equaled since the disastrous battle of Bull
Run in July, 1861; while in Maryland and Pennsylvania,
the alarm and consternation of the year before, on the invasion of Lee, were repeated over again.
The disappearance of Hunter from the Valley of the Shenandoah, as before remarked, was the signal for a new invasion of Maryland. On the 2nd, it was announced that the




ï~~EARLY' S INVASION.

4 51

enemy was approaching Martinsburg, on his way to the Potomac. On the 3rd, Sigel, in command there, retreated
across the river, at Shepardstown, with his immense trains,
and Weber, in command of Harper's Ferry, also crossed over
and occupiedMaryland Heights. Frederick City was thrown
into consternation, the public stores were removed, and the
streets thronged with people bearing their goods with them,
fleeing to a place of safety. On the 6th, Hagerstown was
occupied by the enemy, who was found not to be on a mere
raid, for his force was altogether too large for such a purpose. The roads were now thronged with refugees, some
with vehicles of every kind pressed intb service, to carry
their little possessions toward Baltimore; others, on foot,
driving their cattle before them--all filled with terror, and
circulating the most extravagant reports of the number and
blood-thirstiness of the enemy. The region around Hagerstown became depopulated, and a universal hegira of the
inhabitants seemed about to take place.
There were no troops, or scarcely none, to oppose this sudden invasion. The enormous losses of Grant had caused him
to call forward the troops in the neighborhood of Washington and Baltimore, even in the garrisons over the Potomac;
and Early, for the time being, had a clear field. On the 6th,
he moved a strong column toward Frederick City. General
Wallace, with Rickett's division, and such troops as he could
gather, most of them new and undisciplined, moved out
from Baltimore to arrest his progress, and met him in force,
on the Monocacy, near where the.,railroad bridge crosses it,
and gave him battle. After a severe loss, Wallace was compelled to retreat.
In the meantime, the President had called on New York,
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, for their quotas of militia,
and the scenes of the Summer previous were enacted over
again. Railroads and steamboats groaned under the weight




ï~~452

WASHINGTON THREATENED.

of troops hurrying on toward Washington, and it was feared
by many that the consternation there would compel the President to demand the presence of Grant's army around the
National Capital, and the war once more be transferred to
the neighborhood of the Potomac.
The Mayor of Baltimore called on the citizens to man the
fortifications, as the enemy was marching on the city. "Come
as leagues, or come in military companies, only come in
crowds, and come quickly," he said, and the drum and fife
rang through the streets, to call out volunteers to meet the
pressing danger. Fortunately, immediately after the failure
of the Red River expedition, Grant had ordered home the
Nineteenth Army Corps, which now began to arrive at
Hampton Roads, and was immediately hurried on.to Washington. Hunter, the Commander of the Shenandoah Department, with his army, being unavailable at present, Grant also
dispatched the Sixth Army Corps, under Wright, to assist in
repelling the invasion, and two divisions followed fast on the
heels of the Nineteenth Corps.
Early having swept Wallace from his path, moved rapidly
down on Washington, by the Washington and Frederick
turnpike. In the meantime, a body of rebel cavalry, under
Gillmore, pushed on toward Baltimore, and striking the railroad between that city and Philadelphia, captured a train, and
setting it on fire, run it upon Gunpowder bridge, destroying
for a time, direct communication between Washington and
the North. Major-General Franklin, just from New Orleans,
was on board, and being pointed out by a rebel sympathizer,
was taken prisoner. He, however, afterward managed to
escape while his guard were asleep. A rebel squad boldly
pushed to the suburbs of Baltimore, and burned the house of
Governor Bradford, in retaliation, they said, for the burning,
by our forces, of the dwelling of Governor Letcher, of Virginia. Other detachments wandered hither and thither unmo



ï~~RETREAT OF THE REBELS.

453

lested, collecting forage and supplies for the army, and levying contributions on the inhabitants. The main army, however, which had grown, by popular rumor, from four or five
thousand to forty thousand, pressed rapidly toward Washington, hoping to take it by surprise before the weakened
garrisons could be reinforced. Five miles from the city and
two miles from the fortifications, it drove in, on Sunday
night, our pickets, and, next morning, the skirmishers were
in rifle-shot of Fort Stevens,\ three miles from Georgetown.
Firing continued here all the forenoon, and, by two o'clock,
the sharp-shooters, under cover of the houses, had advanced
to within thirty or forty rods of the fort. During the afternoon, the main column arrived and showed a strong line in
front of it. From appearances, it was conjectured that a
general assault would take place next morning. The skirmishing had been heavy the latter part of the day, our
loss reaching nearly three hundred. The Sixth happily
arrived just in time to save the fort. The rebels, doubtless,
learned of the sudden reinforcement of the garrison, by this
veteran Corps, and that night retreated-their chief conquest
being some papers taken from the residence of Francis P.
Blair in the vicinity.
Grant understanding the exact condition of things, telegraphed to Washington to have General Wright placed in
command of all the troops in the field, operating against the
enemy, and directed him to move at once outside of his
trenches, and "push Early to the last moment."
With the retreat of the rebel army, the cavalry that had
threatened Baltimore, and carried consternation even to Annapolis, began to fall back to the main body.
Although Wright pushed on after Early, the latter was
able to cross the Potomac, near Poolesville, with his immense
plunder--vast herds of cattle being not the least conspicuous figure in the moving caravan.




ï~~454

CAVALRY ATTACK.

In the midst of these excitirng events, came the startling
news that the rebel privateer Florida was on our coast, and
had captured five vessels. War vessels were immediately
sent in pursuit of this daring cruiser, which seemed to vie
in the boldness of his movements with the presumptuous
invaders that were pressing up to the very gates of the
Capital.
General Wright, in pursuing Early, whose force it was
pretty well understood was about twenty thousand men,
crossed the Potomac at Edward's Ferry and advanced
toward Leesburg,.where Rickett's division, which had
parted frog the corps, to aid Wallace, joined it. Four days
after, a portion of Crook's cavalry, under Duffie, captured a
part of the rebel trains near Snicker's Gap. Crook, with the
main body, coming up, was repulsed, and the following day
Duffie was roughly handled by Breckenridge, at Island
Ford, on the Shenandoah, losing three hundred men. As
the enemy moved on toward Winchester, Averill near this
place had an engagement with a rebel division, defeating it
with heavy loss and capturing four guns. Crook and Averill
now joined their forces, and Early, finding himself closely
pressed by this large body of cavalry, rapidly concentrated
a large force, which on the 24th fell with such fury on the
Union cavalry, that it was compelled with severe loss to
retreat, and recrossed the Potomac, leaving the southern
shore in possession of the rebels, from Williamsport to
Shepardstown. The latter occupied Martinsburg, and again
commenced to tear up the Baltimore and Ohio railroad track,
which had suffered so severely in every advance of the rebels to the Potomac.
Hunter had now got back with his shattered army, and
once more confronted his old enemy that chased him over
the mountains from Lynchburg. On the 30th McCausland
with a body of cavalry recr'ossed the Potomac, and, moving




ï~~GRANT'S INSTRUCTIONS TO HUNTER.

455

rapidly upon Chambersburg, demanded a ransom of half a
million of dollars from the inhabitants, which they refusing
to  pay, he fired the town, destroying a vast amount of
property.     Retreating toward Cumberland, the force was
met and defeated by General Kelley, and scattered among
the mountains of Western Virginia.        The rebels now     held
the Shenandoah Valley,'and evidently meant to hold it till
the crops were harvested, for Early had made a requisition
on the inhabitants for a large amount of grain.
Communications between Hunter, whose forces were concentrated on the      onocacy, and Grant at City Point, were
very uncertain, and movements would often take.place in
the interim' materially changing the aspect of affairs, so that
orders given to day, might 'by the time they reached Hunter
be such as Grant woul not give. He, therefore, left City
Point on the 4th to visit him, and see for himself what was
best to be done.    On reaching Hunter's head-quarters, and
consulting   with him, he gave him        the following instructions"MoNocAcY BRIDGE, Md., August 5, 1864-8 r. M.
GENERAL:-Concentrate all your available force without delay in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, leaving only such railroad guards and garrisons
for public property as may be necessary. ' Use, in this. concentrating, the
railroads, if by doing so time can be saved. From Harper's Ferry, if it is
found that the enemy has 'moved north of the Potomac in large force, push
north, following him and attacking him wherever found; follow him if
driven south of the Potomac, as long as it is safe to do so. If it is ascertained that the enemy has but a small force north of the Potomac, then push
south with the main force, detaching under a competent commander.a sufficient force to look after the r.aiders, and drive-them to their homes. In detaching such a force, the brigade of c avalry now ez oute from Washington
via Rockville may be taken into account.
There are now on their way to. join you.three other brigades of the best
cavalry, numbering at least five thousand men and horses. These will be instructed, in the absence of further orders, to joinyou on the south side of the.
Potomac. One brigade will probably start to-morrow. In pushing up the
Shenandoah Valley, where it is expected you will have to go first or last, it is
desirable that nothing should be left to invite the enemy to return. Take alL
provisicns, forage, and stock wanted for the use of your command: such' as
cannot be consumed destroy. It is not desirable that the buildings should
be destroyed--they should rather be protected-but the people should: be'




ï~~456

SHERIDAN RELIEVES HUNTER.

informed that so long as an army can subsist among them, recurrences of
these raids must be expected, and we are determined to stop them at all hazards.
Bear in mind the object is to drive the enemy south, and to do this you
want to keep him always in sight. Be guided in your course by the course
he takes.
Make your own arrangements for supplies of all kinds, giving regular
vouchers for such as may be taken from-loyal citizens in the country through
which you march:
whichou G  arR     TU.S. GRANT, Lieutenrant-General.
Major General D. EuNT.R"
The troops were immediately put in motion, and the
advance reached Halltown that night.- Grant, however, had
no intention of leaving Hunter in command of the Department.   He felt that he needed a different kind of a manone who would require no -instructions, and no watching;
and, though he speaks in as delicate a manner as possible of
Hunter's removal, saying, that in "his conversation with him
the latter expressed his willingness to be relieved from command," yet that conversation was evidently of a character
to leave no room for choice, for two days before Grant left
City Point, he sent on Sheridan to report to Halleck, for the
sole purpose of taking Hunter's place.   Carrying out this
purpose, he immediately telegraphed to Washington to have
Sheridan come on by the morning train, to assume command
of all the forces designed to operate against Early.    He
arrived on the morning of the 8th, and had a consultation
with the Lieutenant-General in relation to military matters
in that section, after which the latter returned to City Point.
On the 11th, the Middle Department, the Departments of
West Virginia, Washington, and Susquehanna were constituted into the "Middle Military Division," and Mayor General Sheridan was assigned to temporary command of the
same, and the Shenandoah Valley, the scene of so many disasters was to enter on a new history.
The army around Petersburg this month, parched with heat,
and suffering for want of water, lay comparatively quiet.




ï~~THE MINE.

457

The month closed, however, with another desperate attempt to carry Pebersburg by assault. A part of Butler's
army had been thrown across the James River, on the north
side, so that Grant's lines extended at this time over twenty
miles. - A strong fort ciowned an eminence in front of Burnside's Corps, (the Ninth,) which it was thought, if once carried, would let the assaulting columns intothe very heart of
the enemy's works. It was, therefore, determined to undermine this and blow it up, and in the terror and confusion
of the explosion, to charge through, and take the rebel
works in' flank and rear.
The mine that was to lift it, like an earthquake, from its
firm foundations, was commenced at the distance of five
hundred feet, in the sides of a ravine. It was said that the
plan originated with Lieutenant-Colonel Pleasants, of the
Forty-eighth Pennsylvania regiment, which was composed
chiefly of miners.
A gallery like one leading to a coal mine, was constructed
about four and a half feet high, and four feet wide, ending
at a point directly under the fort, and twenty feet below it.
When, as ascertained by actna/, scientific measurement, this
subterranean arch-way got directly beneath the fort, two
wings were sent out, to the right and left, extending under
the entire structure. It was a work of great labor, but, in
the latter part of the month, was finished, and eight tons of
powder placedin.th.e subterranean gallery to which was
attached a fuse that led outside.
The plan was to-have assaulting columns, which in the confusion of the explosion and under cover of a horrible fire of
nearly a hundred pieces of artillery, would open simultaneous with the explosion, rush in and occupy a crest beyond,
that completely commanded the enemy's defenses.
The 30th was fixed:for the.explosion of the mine. To
give however a greater chance of success, Grant determined




ï~~458

A FEINT.

to make a strong demonstration against the enemy, on the
north side of the James, as though he contemplated an
advance on Richmond in that direction, and thus draw off
the rebel force from the real point of attack. In carrying out
this plan, Grant says, ' that on the night of the 26th of July,
the Second Corps, and two divisions of the Cavalry Corps, and
Kautz's cavalry, were crossed to the north bank of the James
River, and joined the force General Butler had there. On
the 27th, the enemy was drivel from his intrenched position, with the loss of four pieces of artillery. On the 28th,
our lines were extended from Deep Bottom to New Market
road, but in getting this position were attacked by the
enemy in heavy force.   The fighting lasted for several
hours, resulting in considerable loss to both sides. The first
object of this move having failed, by reason of the very
large force thrown there by the enemy, I determined to
take advantage of the diversion made, by assaulting Petersburg before he could get his force back there. One division of the Second Corps was withdrawn on the night of the
28th, and moved during the night to the rear of the Eightteenth Corps, to relieve that Corps in the line, that it might
be foot-loose in the assault to be made.  The other two
divisions of the Second Corps and Sheridan's cavalry were
crossed over on the night of the 29th, and moved in front
of Petersburg."
The 30th being, as before stated, fixed upon for the explosion of the mine, a little after midnight, on the 29th, the
Ninth Corps, which was to make the assault, was drawn up
and closely massed in front of it, to rush in the moment it
took place. Half-past three o'clock in the morning was the
hour fixed upon for lighting the train, and as it approached,
the troops were greatly excited. But three o'clock passed,
and all remained quiet as before. The waiting troops looked
on each other in mute inquiry, and the gunners standing




ï~~THE EXPLOSION.

459

beside their loaded pieces, wondered at the delay. The
fuse had gone out in the gallery, and for an hour the mighty
host watched and waited in vain. Daylight in the meantime
had broadened in the East, revealing every orbject distinctly,
and the rebel flag was seen waving listlessly above the unsuspecting garrison.
The fuse was now again lighted, and just as the sun burst
in blazing splendor above the horizon, the explosion took
place; but it being so deeps underground, the heaving and
trembling of the earth was felt before any sound was heard.
The next moment, the fort rose into the air in fragments,
and mingled with great clods of earth, guns, caissons and
limbers, was seen a cloud of human forms tossing in the air.
The mighty mass rose like the jet from some huge fountain,
and when it reached its highest elevation, balanced a moment in space, and then fell back with a dull, heavy, thunder sound, in wreck to the earth.
A crater, a hundred feet long, and fifty feet wide, and
twenty feet deep, appeared where the six-gun fort had been,
over which hung a cloud of mingled dust and smoke like a
great pall. The next moment, came the roar of a gun, and
then another and another, till a hundred cannon along our line
were playing upon the rebel batteries. The bugles rang out,
the drums beat, and in dashed Ledlie's division-Marshall's
brigade leading the advance. Though taken wholly by surprise, the rebels rallied with wonderful quickness, and in a
short time, from right and left, their artillery was in full
play on the storming party, that, with loud cheers, charged
on a run over the intervening space. The Fourteenth New
York heavy artillery first entered the gap, followed by Marshall's second brigade, which went pellmell into the smoking crater, from the bottom of which protruded half buried
limbs and mangled bodies of men.
To the right and left, Hartranft's and Griffin's brigades




ï~~460

THE REPULSE.

spread out, enveloping the flanking rifle-pits, and, for a moment, success seemed certain. But instead of pushing on, the
troops began to digout the wounded and the captured guns,
and throw up breastworks to protect themselves from the
enemy's shells. This gave the rebel gunners time to train
their guns with fearful accuracy on the spot, and by the
time the troops were re-formed and ready to push on, a fire
awaited them, before which nothing human could stand.
Still undaunted, the Corps in three divisions-Ledlie in the
centre, Potter on the right, and Wilcox on the left-moved
swiftly forward; Marshall again leading, followed close by
the gallant Bartlett. They breasted the horrible fire until
they reached the side of the coveted crest, when they halted.
From every redoubt, salient,, and earthwork, shot and shell
and canister came in one ceaseless stream, and the shattered
Corps, after swaying a moment in the vain effort to breast
it, recoiled bleeding, to the crater they had just left. Fer.,
rero's colored division was now sent in to do what white
troops had failed to accomplish, but though they charged
gallantly, it was madniess to expect them to succeed where
veteran  soldiers, under such leaders as Griffin, Marshall,
and Bartlett,-failed. Recoiling, they only helped to swell
the confusion, as they plunged headlong amid the ruins for
shelter.
The enemy now concentrated his fire on this single spot,
and swept the space in rear of it, so frightfully, that an
orderly retreat over it was out of the question. Unable to
advance, cooped up in the crater, over which swept an incessant storm of shot and shell, the position of the troops was
most distressing. But little order could be maintained, and
the men in squads began to flee back to our lines. About
noon, a general retreat was ordered, but a portion preferred
to remain in the fort, and left alone were soon after charged




ï~~BURNSID-E RELIEVED.

431

upon and captured. Among the prisoners was General Bartlett, with most of his Staff.
Our loss in this fruitless assault, was about four thousand,
while that of the enemy was not over fourteen hundred,
two hundred of whom were supposed to have perished in the
blowing up of the fort. The next day was a gloomy Sabbath, and we sent in a flag of truce to obtain permission to
bury our dead, but, through some informality, it was not
granted until next day.
The Army of the Potomnac seemed doomed to useless
butcheries, and this one like others that preceded it, caused
intense excitement throughout the country. The blame fell
now on this Commander, and now on that, but Burnside had
to bear the brunt of it, and in the end was relieved from
his command to await an investigation.  This ended his
military career. It is not so easy to  x the blame on one
person.
The great error, however, seems to have been the neglect
to have the storming force consist of picked regiments and
brigades from the whole army.
Along the coast but little was done. Farragut was getting ready for his grand attack on Mobile, while our batteries kept playing on Charleston. An- attempt was made
by our land forces ai iron-clads to get possession of James
Island, _but failed.. In the politicalworld, the chief events were the adjournment of Congress, after 'perfecting the- income-tax bill, and
the organization of the two great parties for the coming
political campaign.- Perhaps the most important event outside of operations in the field, was the proclamation of the
President, calling for five hundred thousand additional
troops. This requisition for half -a million of men, right on
the top of Grant's campaign, looked as if the war had only
just begun, and filled the timid with alarm.




ï~~462

PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION.

This call for troops, which        we give below, shows no
timidity on the part of the President, but if possible, a more
fired determination than ever to put down, at all cost, the
wicked rebellion.
"WASHinGTOn, July 18, 1864,
By the President of the United States of America:
A PROCLAMATION,
WHEREAS, by the Act, approved July 4, 1864, entitled 'An Act further
to regulate-and provide for the enrolling arid calling out the National forces,
and for other purposes,' it is provided that the President of the United
States may, at his discretion, at any time hereafter, call for any number of
men as volunteers, for the respective terms of one, two, and three years, for
military service, and 'that in case the quota, or any part thereof, of any
town, township, ward of a city, precinct, or election district, or of a county,
not so subdivided, shall not be filled within the space of fifty days after such
call, then the President shall immediately order a draft, for one year, to fill
such quota, or any part thereof, which may be unfilled.'
AND WHEREAS, the new enrollment heretofore ordered is so far completed
as that the afore-mentioned Act of Congress may now be put in operation for
recruiting and keeping up the strength of the armies in the field, for garrisons and such military operations as may be required for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion and restoring the authority of the United States Government in the insurgent States;
Now, therefore, I, ABRAHAM LINcoLN, President of the United States, do
issue this, my call for five hundred thousand volunteers for the military service, provided, nevertheless,-that all credits which may be established under
section eight, of the aforesaid Act, on account of persons who have entered
the naval service during the present rebellion, and by credits for men furnished to the military service in excess of calls heretofore made for volunteers, will be accepted under the call for one, two or three years, as they may
elect, and will be entitled to the bounty provided by law for the period of
service for which they enlist.
And I hereby proclaim, order and direct, that immediately after the fifth
day of September, 1864, being fifty days from the date of this call, a draft
for troops, to serve for one year, shall be held in every town, township, ward
of a city, precinct, election district, or a county, not so subdivided, to fill
the quota which shall be assigned to it under this scale, or any part thereof,
which may be unfilled by volunteers on the said fifth day of September,
1864.
Done at the City of Washington, this 18th day of July, in the year of
our Lord, 1864, and of the Independence of the United States,
the eighty-ninth.
[L S.]     In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused
the seal of the United States to be affixed.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

By the President,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."




ï~~BOUNTIES FOR RECRUITS.

463

The promptness with which the country responded to the
call, would have reflected the highest credit on its patriotism, but for the manner in which that response was made.
Instead of the bone and sinew of the land stepping forward
to sustain the Government in its last great effort, every man
seemed desirous to shirk personal-responsibility, and nontax-payers, or men of small means, in the various towns,
voted away fabulous sums for bounties to get recruits from
anywhere and every-where, and of all conditions, to fill up
their quotas--often forcing on the Government the halt, the
lame, and the blind, and at the best, mere mercenaries, who
would enlist for the enormous bounties, but without any intention of risking their lives in battle.
Getting such men away, after they had enlisted, became
a regular business, so that, of the five hundred thousand
called for, not more than half ever reached the field, and
probably not half of those, the front. At all events, one
hundred and fifty thousand strong-bodied, patriotic, willing
men, would have been worth more than the whole half-million proved to be. Nor was this the worst of it. The country got saddled with a debt, in the shape of bounties, that
bore heavily on its industry. Had the war been prolonged
another year, the North would, unquestionably, have broken
down under this false and ruinous system.
The month, inoreover, was distinguished for peace negotiations-ludicrous, except from the importance of the personages, on one side or the'other, engaged in them. Colonel
Jacques, of Illinois, a Methodist clergyman who had enlisted in the army, and a Mr. Kirke, by some extraordinary
process, appointed themselves peace ambassadors to Richmond, and though clothed with nio authority, were permitted to pass through our lines to the -rebel Capital, where
they actually had an interview with the rebel President and
Members of his Cabinet, and talked over, with the gravity




ï~~464

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

of two potentates, the momentous question of peace, and
the duties of the=two Governments.
What motive Davis could have had for seriously entering
into such a discussion with these unauthorized, unknown and
uninfluential men, runless that he wished to give utterance to
views that might help the peace-party N orth, it is difficult
to conjecture. That a fighting parson, ranking no higher
than a colonel, and an obscure individual spoken lightly
of among business men at home, should by any management,
have got into this position, will remain one of the curious
things of the war.
The other attempt was equally absurd, though dignified
by the employment of a littlemore political machinery.
Early in July, Horace Greeley, of The New York Tribune,
received a letter from W. Cornell Jewett-a political adventurer, who had acquired at home and abroad a certain
doubtful notoriety--stating that some prominent rebels then
residing in Canada, desired to have an interview with him at
Niagara Falls, respecting terms of peace. It was flattering
to Mr. Greeley, to he thus selected out among ~all the distinguished men of the country as the proper person to
influence the President, and stand in- the great gap that
divided the North and South. Fully impressed with the
responsibility thus laid upon him, he addressed a letter to
the: President, and vouchsafed to state conditions of peace,
which he thought the President might safely adopt.
A  few days after, the.notorious rebel agent, George
N. Saunders, informed Mr. Greeley that Clement C. Clay,
of Alabama, Professor Holcomb, of Virginia, and himself
were ready, the "noment they could be assured of their
personal safety, to proceed at once to Washington and enter
on their momentous mission.
To this Mr. Greeley replied, that if they were "duly accredited from Richmond, as the bearer of propositions looking to




ï~~TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

A5

the establishment of peace," &c., that he was "authorized
by the President of the United Mtates to tender them his
safe-conduct on the journey proposed," and that he would
accompany them "at the earliest time convenient" to them.
That accredited ambassadors for peace should fear to come
to the head of a Christian Nation, in this enlightened age,
without having a promise that their heads should not be cut
off, was certainly very extraordinary, and not very complimentary to Mr. Lincoln's civilization.
To this offer, these gentleman replied that there had been
some misapprehension, as they were not accredited from
Richmond as the bearers of dispatches, but,; being in the
confidential employment of the Confederate Government,
familiar with its wishes, views, &c., they had no doubt if the
rebel President was aware of what they had done, that they
would be at once accredited, &c.   On the reception,of this
statement, Mr. Greeley telegraphed to Washington for further information, and received the following extraordinary
document"EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 18th, 1864.
To whom it may Concern:Any proposition which embraces the restoration of peace, the integrity of the whole Union, and the abandonment of Slavery, and comes by
and with an authority that can control the armies now at war against the
United States, will be received and considered by the Executive Government
of the United States, and will be met by liberal terms, on substantial and
collateral points, and the bearer or bearers thereof, shall have safe-conduct
both ways.
Signed,            ABRAHAM LINCOLN."
This was certainly a very safe circular, but not one that
should have proceeded from the Executive Mansion, for it
cannot be regarded as a serious act---it must have been
either a political move to disarm the peace-party, or a
somewhat grave joke, which would put an end to Mr. Greeley's importunity, and, at the same time, throw  a shell into
this self-constituted embassy.  Viewed in this light, it was,




ï~~466        FAILURE OF A POOR.SCHEME.
perhaps, a good stroke of policy. Though correspondence
and lengthy statements followed this denouement, the whole
thing collapsed].and was heard of no more.
It was very plain to the President, and to every man of
common sense, that if Jefferson Davis wanted peace on the
only terms the North would accept it, he would not have to
go around by way of Canada, to commence negotiations.
The two Capitals were close to each other, and no such farce
as this was needed to bring the conflicting powers face to
face, if both were desirous of peace.
Personal notoriety and political effect were, doubtless, the
motives that prompted these gentlemen to undertake this
self-imposed task.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXIII.
FORTS MORGAN AND GAINES-DEFENSES OF MOBILE BAY-A LAND FORCE
UNDER GENERAL GRANGER SENT TO CO-OPERATE WITH FARRAGUT'--ARRIVAL OF THE TECUMSEH--FARRAGUT READY TO RUN TI EREBEL BATTERIES-o
MORNING OF THE BATTLE--THIE SHIPS LASHED TWO TOGETHER-THE BROOKLYN TO LEAD THE FLEET AGAINST FARRAGUT'S WISHES--THE FIRST GUNTIE BROOKLYN  EARI OGTORPEDOES-BACKS AND AWAITS THE FLEETFARRAGOT LASHED IN lE- MAIN-TOP, SEEING THE DELAY TA ES THE LEAD
JUST AS THE TECOUMSEH GOES DOWN--HE SENDS A BOAT TO SAVE THE BURVIVORS--STEAMS ATRAD-ENTERS THE BAY-ATTACKED BY REBEL OtUNBOATS-_-THE SELMA CAPTURED BY THE METACOMET-THE REBEL RAM TENNESSEE ATTACKS THE FLEET-THE COMBAT-SURRENDER OF THE RAM-THE
TECUMSEH-A BRAVE ENSIGN-GALLANT DEEDS AND GALLANT MEN--SURRENDER OF FORTS POWELL AND GAINES-SIEGE AND BOMBARDMENT OF
FORT MORGAN--ITS SURRENDER-DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT OF ITS COMMANDER AND OFFICERS-MOBILE NOT TAKEN-CAPTURE OF THE PRiVATEER
GEORGIA.
FARRAGUT ENTERS MOBILE BAY.
THE beginning of August was made memorable by one
_   of the most gallant naval achievements on record.
Farragut, who had been lying for a long time, outside of
Mobile harbor, the entrance to which was defended by two
forts--Morgan and Gaines-determined, the moment that
the iron-clads which he had asked for arrived, to force his
way inside, when he knew they must surrender., The former fort, located on a long spur of land, commanded the
two channels to the east, while the latter commanded the
western one. Beyond these, toward the city, the channel
was obstructed by piles driven deep into the mud.     Several
rebel steamers were also in the bay, and a formidable iron



ï~~468

MORNING OF THE BATTLE.

clad ram, named the Tennessee. In July, a land force,
under General Granger, was sent from New Orleans to assist
Farragut in.takin  the forts. On the first of August, General Granger visited him on the Hartford, and after a consultation, it was debcdkd that a.combined movement of the
fleet and army should be made on the 4th.
The Tecumseh had arrived at Pensacola on the 1st, and
Captain Craven, the Commander, had informed the Admiral that he would be ready in four days for any service. He
was delayed, however, in getting aboard coal, so that Farragut, to his mortification, could not keep his engagement
with Granger. The latter, however, asdie said, "was up to
time," and landed his troops (some four or five thousand in
number) on Dauphin Island, in rear of Fort Gaines. That
evening, the Tecumseh came steaming up from Pensacola,
and Farragut at once prepared to force the entrance to the
harbor.
The morning of the 5th dawned warm and hazy-a light
south-wvest breeze came drifting across the Gulf, raising_ a
gentle swell, on which the fleet rocked lazily, and all was
peaceful as though no preparations were afoot to change the
quiet scene into one of tumult, terror and death. But just
as the half-veiled sun. was sending his dim beams aslant the
sea, the drum on the flag-ship was heard beating to quarters,
and soon every ship was cleared for action.
At a quarter before six, the whole fleet was moving steadily forward toward the entrance tothe bay, where, every Commander knew, slumbered a volcanowhose earthquake throes
would make land and sea tremble. There were twelve wooden
vessels in all, and four iron-clads. The latter already inside
the bar, were ordered to take up a position between the
wooden vessels and For" Morgan, to keep down the fire of
the water-battery and the parapet guns of the fort, as well




ï~~ARRANGEMENT (F THE FLEET.

4.:9

as to engage the rebel ram, Tennessee, waiting to pounce
down on the fleet.
The wooden vessels were lashed two abreast. The Brook
lyn, Captain James Alden, led the fleet, with the Octorara,
Lieutenant-Command=er C.. Greene, on theport sidenext came the flag-ship Hartford, Captain Percival Drayton,
with the Metacomet, Lieutenant-Commander J. E. Jouett;
followed by the Richmond, Captain T. A. Jenkins, with the
Fort Royal, Lieutena t-Commander, B. Gherardi; Lackawanna, Captain J. B. Marchandwith the Seminole, Commander E. Donaldson; Monongahela, Commander J. H. Strong,
with the Kennebec, Lierant -Commander W. P. McCann;
Ossipee, Comiande r. E.leRoy, with the Itasca, Lieu-.tenant-Corimander George Brown; Oneida, Commander J.
1,. M Mulany, with theo -Galena, Lieutenant-Commander C..
H. Welles.
-The Brooklyn, with. her consort, took the lead, much
against Farragut's wishes.: He yielded, however, to this
arrangement at the earnest request of the Commanders, who
represented. that the-: Brooklyn had four chase guns to the
Hartford's one; and also an ingenious machine for picking up
torpedoes with which they believed the channel to be lined.
They stated,.. moreover,..thatl in their judgment, the.flag-ship,
on whose movements and signals, everything depended,
ought not to be,so much expose4 as she -Would be at the
he.d of the fleet_.
AlthoughFarragu  yielded to their nited petitions, he
demurred, saying that "exposure was one of the penalties
of rank in the snavr"  d, moreover, that it made but little
difference where-the l.ag',ship was, as it would always be the
main target of the eemy's fire.
The fleet steame4 slho~wly on, and at a quarter to seven,
the_ Teeumseh fired the first gun  Twenty minutes later, the
fort opened her fire, to which the Brooklyn replied with her




ï~~470

THE BATTLE.

two one hundred-pounder Parrott rifles, on the bow-and
the battle commenced. The rebel ram and iron-clads lying
under the protection of the fort, added their fire to the guns
of the latter, all playing, almost exclusively, on the wooden
vessels. Farragut stood lashed in the main-top, so that he.
could overlook the fleet, and have a clear view of the whole
field of action.
The Brooklyn, for a while, gallantly led the fleet, but as
she entered the narrow channel, some suspicious looking
buoys ahead, indicating torpedoes, caused her to stop, which
of course, at once brought to a halt, the vessels that were
crowding after. Farragut, from his high perch, saw with
alarm this unexpected arrest of the onward movement right
under the terrible fire that was raining on the advance yeseels, and looking anxiously around, saw, with amazement,
the turrets of the Tecumseh disappearing under the: water,
as she went down with her gallant crew. In an instant, his
determination was taken, and regretting that he had not
originally followed his own judgment and led the fleet, he
steamed rapidly ahead, and his glorious signal flew where
he wanted it, in advance. Ordering the Metacomet to send
a boat to save any of the survivors of the ill-fated Tecumseh, who might be struggling in the water, he swept fearlessly onward.
Wrapped in the smoke of his own guns, he pressed on
into the fire, followed by the ships, "their officers," he heroically says, "believing they were going to a noble death,
with their Commander-in-Chief." Shot and shell crashed
through the wooden sides of his vessel yet his flag still flew,
and those astern ever and anon caught glimpses of his signal through the rifts of smoke, still beckoning them on
He too saw the buoys that had caused the Brooklyn to hesitate and back water, and knew that torpedoes were lining




ï~~PASSAGE OF THE FORTS.

471

the bottom of the channel beneath him, but this was no time
to hesitate.
He "determined," he says, "to take the chances of their
explosion," and still kept on, his gallant crew expecting
every moment to feel the vessel lift beneath them, yet working their guns as coolly as though standing on solid ground,
and, meanwhile, pouring in such terrific broadsides that the
rebel batteries fired wildly, or were silent. At ten minutes
before eight, he was past the fort, when suddenly the rebel
ram dashed out to run his vessel down, firing as it came on.
Taking no notice of the monster, except to return the fire,
he steamed ahead toward the rebel gun-boats, Morgan,
Gaines and Selma, which poured a raking fire into him.
The latter especially cut down his crew fearfully, and spread
ruin and destruction over his deck.
Not being able to return the fire, he cast off the VIetacomet, with orders to go after these boats. Seeing the vessel
approaching, the latter retreated up the bay, firing as they
fled. The Gaines soon took refuge under the guns of the
fort, but was so injured that she had to be run ashore and
burned-the Morgan hauled off and left the Selma to her
fate, which soon after struck her flag.
The other vessels gallantly following in the wake of their
noble Commander, one after another swept past the hostile
batteries and passed up the bay, their crews loudly cheering, and were signaled by Farragut to come to anchor. But
the officers had hardly commenced clearing their decks, and
caring for the wounded, when the rebel ram was seen boldly
standing out from under the guns of the fort, and bearing
down, with the evident intention of engaging the whole
fleet. If she had waited till dark this would not have been
such an act of temerity, for with her perfect knowledge of
the bay, and in the confusion that would have prevailed in
the fleet in a nocturnal fight, she might have run: down.
60




ï~~472

THE RAM TENNESSEE.

many vessels-at least, made sad havoc before her progress
could have been arrested.
The moment it was reported to Farragut that the ram
was standing toward the fleet, he signaled the vessels to
run her down, and ordered up the anchor of his own
ship, and directed the pilot, with a full head of steam on, to
carry the Hartford straight against the iron-clad structure,
hoping, by the concussion, though his own bows should be
crushed in the shock, to stave in its mailed sides. The Monongahela, Commander Strong, first struck the ram, carrying away her iron prow and cut-water. The Lackawanna
came next and struck with such force that her stern was cut
and crushed for the distance of three feet above the water's
edge, to five feet below. The only effect on the ram, however, of this tremendous blow, was to give her a heavy list.
As the Hartford came down, the ram sheered so that it was
a glancing blow.
Deadened in her headway, as she rasped along the ironplating, the flag-ship fell along side, and at once poured in,
at a  distance of not more than eigl or ten feet, her broadside of nine-inch solid balls, sent with a charge of thirteen
pounds of powder. The heavy shot, hurled with this awful
force, and in such close proximity, fell on the mailed sides
of the ram with a power that seemed irresistible, and yet,
apparently, had no more effect than if they had been mere
India-rubber balls.
On the other hand, the shot and shell from the Tennessee
pierced the Hartford as though her sides were mere pasteboard-one one-hundred-and-fifty. pound shell, fired with the
muzzle of the monster gun almost touching the sides of the
ship, exploded inside, killing and wounding several menthe fragments going through the spar and berth-decks, "even
going through the launch and into the hold where were the
wounded."




ï~~CAPTURE OF THE RAM.

473

The Hartford now stood off, and though her bow was
badly crushed, began to make a circuit, in order to come
down again on the ram, when the Lackawanna, which was
driving, with a full head of steam, straight on the monster,
struck the flag-ship instead, a little forward of the mizzenmast, and cut her down to within two feet of the water.
The monitors, in the meantime, poured in their fire-the
Chickasaw got under the monster's stern, while the Manhattan sent a fifteen-inch shell through the iron plating.
"At this time," says Farragut, "she was sore beset-the
Chickasaw was pounding away at her stern, the Ossipee
was approaching her at full speed, and the Monongahela and
Lackawanna, and this ship, were bearing down on her, determined on her destruction. Her smoke-stack had been shot
away, her steering chains were gone, compelling a resort to
her relieving tackles, and several of her port shutteirs were
jammed. Indeed, from the time the Hartford struck her,
until her surrender, she never fired a gun. As the Ossipee,
Commander LeRoy, was about to strike her, she hoisted the
white flag, and that vessel immediately stopped her engine,
though not in time to avoid a glancing blow."
This ended the fight, and at ten minutes past ten Farragut
again brought his shattered vessels to anchor, within four
miles of Fort Mogan. Admiral Buchanan, the Commander
of the ram, was wounded in the leg, which afterward had
to be amputated; and some eight or ten of his crew were
killed or wounded.
The killed and wounded on board the fleet, amounted to
two hundred and twenty-two. Only fifty-two were killed,
of which number twenty-five,  early half, were killed on
board the flag-ship-showing that the enemy's fire was con
centrated on this vessel, and that she bore the brunt of
the conflict.
The loss of the Tecumseh, with her gallant Commander




ï~~474

A GALLANT ENSIGN.

and crew, nearly all of whom went to the bottom with her,
chastened somewhat the joy of this great victory. Craven
was in the turret when the torpedo exploded beneath his
ship. He saw the buoys that marked the line along which
the torpedoes lay, and endeavored to carry the vessel betgen two, but just as it got in range, the explosion took
place, almost lifting the iron-clad from the water, and blowing a great opening in the bottom, through which the water
rushed in such a deluge that she went down before those
below had time to get on deck.
Acting-Ensign Henry C. Nields had charge of the boat,
sent by Farragut to rescue any survivors that might be
struggling in the water, and right gallantly did this noble,
young officer perform the perilous duty, with which he was
intrusted. Sitting in the stern of the open boat, he gave
his orders as coolly as his great Commander could have
done, and the rowers bent steadily to their oars, while shot
were striking and shells bursting momentarily, on every side
of them.
A boat was never carried through a more terrible fire,
and it rained an iron tempest on the spot where the ill-fated
monitor had gone down; but the fearless ensign rowed
calmly through it, picking up the few swimmers that were
struggling in the water, and succeeded in rescuing ten within
six hundred yards of the fort. Farragut, from the main-top,
saw with pride how steadily he entered the horrible fire, and
afterward asked that he might be promoted.
The only other vessel lost was the steamer Philippi, which
followed the fleet in against orders, and being struck by a
shot, was run ashore by her Commander and deserted, when
the rebels burnt her.
There were many cases of individual heroism-indeed, all
were heroes-there was no flinching any where, although
every captain knew that the probabilities were against his




ï~~A NOBLE PILOT.

475

being able to save his ship. Of his Flag-Lieutenant, J. Crittenden Watson, who stood on the poop during the entire
action, attending to the signals, Farragut says, "He is a
scion worthy the noble stock he sprung from."
"The last of my Staff," he says, "to whom I would call
the attention of the Department, is not the least in importance.  I mean Pilot Martin Freeman. He has been my
great reliance in all difficulties, in his line of duty. During
the action, he was in the maintop, piloting the ships into
the bay. He was cool and brave throughout, never losing
his self-possession. This man was captured early in the war,
in a fine fishing smack, which he owned, and though he protested that he had no interest in the war, and only asked
for the privilege of fishing for the fleet, yet his services
were too valuable to the captors, as a pilot, not to be secured. He was appointed a first-class pilot, and has served
us with zeal and fidelity, and has lost his vessel, which went
to pieces on Ship Island. I commend him to the Department." 1
Indeed, every man on the flag-ship was worthy of his
Commander. Drayton, the Flag-Captain, says:
"Of the crew, I can hardly say too much. They were,
most of them, persons who had never been in action, and
yet I cannot hear of a case where any one attempted to
leave his quarters, or showed anything but the sternest determination to fight it out. There might, perhaps, have
been a little excuse, had such a disposition been exhibited,
when it is considered that a great part of four guns' crews
were, at different times, swept away almost entirely by as
many shells. In every case however the killed and wounded
were quietly removed; the injury at the guns made good,
and in a few moments, except from the traces of blood, nothing could lead one to suppose that any thing out of the ordinary routine had happened."




ï~~476

HEROIC SAILORS.

Kimberly, the executive officer of the ship, said, "nothing could be more noble than the spirit displayed by our
wounded and dying, who cheered and smiled, in their
agony, seemingly contented at the sacrifice of their lives for
the victory vouchsafed to their country. Such men are
heroes."
No higher commendation could be passed on a ship's crew,
and yet all the Commanders spoke in the same strain of their
own crews.
In one case, a rifle-shell burst between two guns on the
Hartford, killing and wounding fifteen men.  They presented a terrific sight, as they lay scattered, mangled and
bleeding on deck. One of them, Charles Melville, was taken
down to the surgeon, but almost immediately appeared on
deck again, and though scarcely able to stand, refused to
go below, and bravely worked at his gun till the close of
the action.
"Thomas Fitzpatrick, Captain of Number One gun, was
struck, several times in the face by splinters, and had his gun
disabled by a shell. In a few minutes he had his gun in
working order again, with new truck breeching, side-tackle,
&c., his wounded below, the deck clear, and was fighting
his gun as before, setting a splendid example to the remainder of the crew."
James R. Garrison, coal-heaver, had his great toe shot off,
but dressing the wound himself, returned to his station, and
remained there till struck in the breast, when he was carried
below. Thomas O'Connel, though sick, and scarcely able to
stand, took his station and kept it till his right hand was
shot away. James E. Sterling, coal-heaver on board the
Brooklyn, continued to pass shell after he was wounded, and
until hit a second time and completely disabled. Alexander Mack, Captain of top, was wounded and sent below, but
immediately returned and took charge of his gun, working




ï~~SURRENDER OF FORT GAINES.

477

it until he received two more wounds. Others left a sickbed to fight, and each seemed to vie with the other to set an
example of gallant daring.
The Hartford was struck twenty times, and fired nearly
two hundred and fifty shot and shell. The Brooklyn picked
out eleven hundred pounds of iron from her wood-work
after the battle was over.
Farragut exhibited great foresight in the plan he adopted
in passing the, fort. By lashing two ships together, he saw if
one got disabled, she would not drift about and disorder the
line, for her consort could take her along-neither would
any vessel be left helpless under the fire of the batteries.
The night after the battle Fort Powell was evacuated, the
rebels blowing it up, but all the guns fell into our hands.
The next afternoon, the Chickasaw went down and shelled
Fort Gaines, and the following morning, Colonel Anderson,
the Commander, sent a note to Farragut, stating that he
knew he could not hold the fort, if the fleet opened upon it,
and offered to surrender it-asking for terms. Farragut,
after communicating with General Granger, on Dauphin
Island, replied,
"First, The unconditional surrender of yourself and the
garrison of Fort Gaines, with all of the public property within
its limits.
"Second, The treatment which is in conformity with the
custom of the most civilized nations toward prisoners of war.
"Third, Private property, with the exception of arms, will
be respected."
These terms were accepted, and at a quarter to ten, the
rebel flag came down and the Stars and Stripes went up,
amid the prolonged and vociferous cheering of the fleet.
Fort Morgan, however, still held out, and Granger at once
commenced his siege operations against it landward, and on
Sunday evening, the 21st, announced to Farragut that he




ï~~478

A FIERCE BOMBARDMENT.

was ready to open with his batteries upon it. The latter
immediately ordered the monitors and vessels to move up,
and be ready next morning at daylight, to commence the
bombardment, in conjunction with the land batteries, and
at the same time, landed four nine-inch guns, and placed
them in battery under the Commanding-Lieutenant, H. B.
Tyson.
Everything being ready at daylight the signal was given,
and from land and water, --the bombardment commenced.
As the sun rose in the East, his beams fell on a scene as terrific as that which they lighted up on the morning of the
8th, when Farragut steamed boldly into Mobile Bay. Gun
answered gun, and shell crossed shell in their fiery tracks,
mingling their explosions with the roar of cannon, and combining to make that summer morning one long to be remembered.
As Farragut said, "a more magnificent fire has rarely
been kept up." All day long it rained a steady, horrible
tempest f iron, on that solitary fort. As the beams of the
rising sun fell on a tossing, sulphurous cloud-covering land
and water-so now his departing rays cast a lurid light on
the heaving masses of vapor, that shut out half the terrors
of the scene.
* Just as twilight began to creep over the deep, the citadel
of the fort took fire, and Granger seeing the flames burst
forth, ordered all the batteries to re-double their fire to prevent their extinguishment. The enemy finding that the fire
had got under uncontrollable headway, flooded the magazine,
and threw large quantities of powder into the wells- to prevent an explosion.
A fierce bombardment was kept up all night, ribbing the
darkness with ghastly seams of light, as shell after shell,
with scarcely a moment's intermission, dropped inside the
rebel works. At six in the morning, a dull, heavy explo



ï~~DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT.

479

sion was heard in the fort, and half an hour afterward, a
white flag was seen to emerge from it. General Page, the
Commander, offered to surrender the fort, and asked the
terms of capitulation.  Unconditional surrender at two
o'clock that day, was the reply, which the rebel General was
forced to accept.
In his indignation and mortification, however, he determined to lessen as much as possible the value of the victory,
for after the surrender, Farragut says, "It was discovered,
on an examination of the interior, that most of the guns were
spiked, and many of the gun-carriages wantonly injured, and
arms, ammunition, provisions, &c., destroyed; and that there
was every reason to. believe that this had been done after
the white flag had been raised. It was also discovered that
General Page, and several of his officers, had no swords to
deliver up, and further, that some of those which were surrendered, had been broken."
He contrasts this conduct with that of Colonel Anderson,
of Fort Gaines, who "from the moment he raised the white
flag, scrupulously kept every thing intact, and in that condition delivered it over; whilst General Page and his officers,
with a childish spitefulness, destroyed the guns which they
said they would defend to the last, but which they never
defended at all, or threw away, or broke those weapons
which they 'had not the manliness to use against their enemies; for Fort Morgan never fired a gun after the commencement of the bombardment, and the advanced pickets
were repeatedly on the glacis."
There never was a more striking illustration of the ease
with which a mean and dishonorable Commander may increase
his disgrace, by the attempt to lessen it, than this. These few
sarcastic words of Farragut, who knew how to admire a brave
and honorable foe, will stick to General Page as long as the
history of the country endures.




ï~~480          CAPTURE OF THE GEORGIA.
Though the outer defenses of Mobile were now all taken,
the city was as far as ever from falling into our hands. The
water was too shallow to allow the approach of our vessels
to within shelling distance, and though Farragut used every
device to reach the place, it soon became evident that it
could be taken only by a land force.
In the latter part of this month, the Niagara captured off
the coast of Europe, the Japan, or Georgia, a noted rebel
privateer, though at the time of her seizure, she was sailing
under English colors, and chartered to the Portuguese Government.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXIV.

GRANT'S CEASELESS ACTIVITY-BLOWING UP OF AN ORDNANCE BOAT-DUTCH
GAP CANAL-WARREN'S FIGHT FOR THE WELDON RAILROAD-BATTLE AT
REAM'S STATION-DEFEAT OF HANCOCK'S CORPS-MEADE'S DISPATCHESSHERIDAN'S OPERATIONS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY-PURSUIT OF EARLYCAPTURE OF OUR TRAINS BY MOSBY-RETREAT OF SHERIDAN-HIS POSITION
AT BOLIVAR HEIGHTS-A SECOND ADVANCE-TAKES POSITION AT BERRYSVILLE-UNSATISFACTORY CAMPAIGN-DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE COUNTRYGRANT'S EXPLANATION OF THE WHOLE MATTER-THE PERMISSION TO "GO
IN -SHERIDAN MOVES IN EARNEST-BATTLES OF OPEQUAN CREEK AND
FISHER'S HILL-TOTAL ROUT OF THE ENEMY-EARLY TAKES A NEW POSITION AT BROWN'S GAP-SHERIDAN FALLS BACK.
THE month of August, which gave such laurels to the
navy under Farragut, at Mobile, and saw Sherman's
gallant army virtually in possession of Atlanta, witnessed no
triumphs of the Army of the Potomac. It brought instead
what seemed to be the heritage of this sadly tried, but noble
army-terrible fighting, heavy losses, but no success. Grant,
though apparently at a dead-lock with the enemy in front
of Petersburg, did not sit down in idleness. He kept the
heavens, around Lee, constantly muttering thunder-notes of
alarm, and almost every day the bolt threatened to fall in
one direction or another.   Indefatigable, untiring, and exhaustless in resources, no sooner did one thing or measure
fail, than he tried another. He was the most unsleeping,
merciless antagonist that an enemy ever had to deal with,
and Lee soon discovered that he never could calculate on a
moment's repose. At the very time when he thought his
enemy exhausted, and would naturally seek rest, the greatest energy would be put forth.




ï~~482

DUTCH GAP CANAL.

The rebels, taught wisdom by the mine that destroyed
one of their forts, began to countermine, and on the 5th,
sprung a mine in front of the Eighteenth Corps, where they
supposed we were running one of our own, but it produced
no effect. One of our own ordnance boats, however, blew
up five days after, at City Point, killing and wounding two
hundred men.
Butler now commenced the famous Dutch Gap canal,
which, like the one he dug around Vicksburg, was expected
to work wonders. The James River, just below Fort Darling, makes an immense bend, inclosing a peninsula, called
Farrar Island, the neck of which, where it joins the mainland, is only a half a mile across, while it is six miles around
it by the stream. It was prosecuted under the constant fire
of the enemy, but, like the Vicksburg canal, was useless
labor.
At this time, Grant says, "reports from various sources
led me to believe that the enemy had detached three divisions from Petersburg to reinforce Early in the Shenandoah
Valley. I therefore sent the Second Corps, and Gregg's
division of cavalry, of the Army of the Potomac, and a force
of General Butler's army, on the night of the 13th of
August, to threaten Richmond from the north side of the
James, to prevent him from sending troops away, and, if
possible, to draw back those sent. In this move we captured
six pieces of artillery and several hundred prisoners, detained
troops that were under marching orders, and ascertained
that but one disvision, (Kershaw's,) of the three reputed
detached, had gone.
"The enemy having withdrawn heavily from Petersburg
to resist this movement, the Fifth Corps, General Warren
commanding, was moved out on the 18th, and took possession of the Weldon railroad."
Here he was attacked furiously, the next day, by Hill,




ï~~ATTACK ON HANCOCK.

483

with two divisions, and a portion of our army was overwhelmed; and for a time, a second disaster at this point,
seemed inevitable. But the gallant Fifth Corps succeeded
in rallying, and, by a desperate charge, retrieved its ground,
driving the rebels in confusion, and capturing many prisoners. Night, at length, closed the conflict. Our loss, this day,
was between three and four thousand-that of the enemy,
in killed and wounded, prdbably about the same as ours,
though he took many more prisoners than we.
A few days after, the rebels again attacked Warren's position, but this time they were handsomely repulsed, with
heavy loss-Generals Saunders and Lamar being among the
killed. Warren now pushed his lines toward Petersburg,
while the Second Corps, which had in the meantime arrived.
began to tear up the railroad in rear of him.
At Ream's Station, this gallant Corps of Hancock, on the
25th, suffered a severe repulse. The rebels, under Hill, at
about half-past three in the afternoon, suddenly emerged
froh the woods, in front of Miles and Gibbon, and with
fixed bayonets and loud cheers, swept swiftly over the intervening space. Four batteries at once concentrated their
fire on the column, and shot and shell and canister tore
through it with awful destruction. Yet, through it, and
through the steady fire of musketry, that swept without cessation the close formations, they kept on till within twenty
paces of our line, when, unable to breast the fiery sleet any
longer, they recoiled. Undismayed, they not long after
repeated the desperate charge, but with similar results.
They then brought up their batteries, and played furiously
on our lines for nearly a half an hour, when the firing suddenly ceased, and with loud yells, and without firing a shot,
they again sprang forward-crossed the interval that separated them from our lines, reached the breastworks, mounted




ï~~484

HANCOCK'S DEFEAT.

them with deafening shouts, and forced Miles back, capturing several guns.
A part of Gibbon's men, a half a mile distant, were hurried over, to check the disaster, when his own line was
attacked in turn by the dismounted rebel cavalry, under
Wade Hampton, and his works carried. The enemy now
pressed his advantage on all sides. Our troops fought desperately-some regiments beirig almost annihilated- but
could not arrest the onset; and as night came on, Hancock
withdrew his Corps, and left Ream's Station in possession
of the enemy. In this disastrous conflict, we lost thirty-five
hundred men, seven colors, and five guns.
The loss, however, had not been all on one side, as is evident from the two dispatches sent from Meade to Grant.
In the first he says that a safeguard left on the battle field
until after daylight next morning reported that "at that time
the enemy had all disappeared, leaving their dead on the
field unburied. This shows how severely they were punished, and doubtless hearing of the arrival of reinforcements, they feared the results of to-day if they remained."
In the second he says, "since sending my last dispatch, I
have conversed with the safeguard referred to.  He did
not leave the field until after sunrise. At that time nearly
all the enemy had left, moving toward Petersburg.  He
says they abandoned not only their dead, but wounded also.
He conversed with an officer, who said that their losses
were greater than ever before during the war. The safeguard says that he was over the field, and it was covered
with the enemy's dead and wounded. He has seen a great
many battle fields, but never such a sight. Nearly all the
enemy's and all our wounded were brought off but our
dead were unburied. I have instructed General Gregg to
make an effort to send a party to the field to bury our dead."
There can be no doubt that the enemy in their desperate




ï~~THE BATTLE FIELD.

485

charges through the concentrated fire of our batteries, and
into the very faces of such veterans as composed Hancock's
Corps, must have suffered terribly. Still General Meade's
dispatches bear the marks of an effort to put the best possible face on a very bad business. When the results of a
desperate battle are made to depend on the statements of a
single individual, who has been over the field, they should
be received with many grains of allowance. One would infer from these dispatches that the battle field was so entirely
ours that a single safeguard could roam over it unmolested,
making such observations as he liked. But if this were the
fact, it seems rather strange that the Chief of cavalry should
be "instructed to make an effort to send a party to the field
and bury our dead." The fact is the battle put the rebels
in possession of the Weldon railroad at Ream's Stationwhich was only ten miles from Petersburg--up to Yellow Tavern, while Warren held some four miles of it further north.
This ended all active operations on the part of Grant for
several weeks. In the meantime the country was expecting
great things from Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. He
had under him the Sixth, Eighth and part of the Nineteenth
Corps of infantry, and the troops that composed the old
Army of the Kanawha under Crook, and Torbett's and
Averill's divisions of cavalry, with Kelley's command, and
Lowell's brigade, to which in a few days was added the
second cavalry division of Wilson, from the Army of the
Potomac. To meet this force Early had about twenty thousand men, who, previous to Sheridan's assumption of command, seemed to be principally engaged in thrashing out
grain.
On the 10th of August, Sheridan moved his forces up the
Valley, when the enemy retired toward Strasburg. Occasional skirmishing, and once a partial engagement took
place, but without any decisive result except to delay our




ï~~486

SHERIDAN' S OPERATIONS.

progress, and inflict on us more or less loss. At Newtown, Early made another stand in order to cover the pas-.
sage of his trains, and repulsed a charge of our cavalry.
Still falling back, he evacuated Winchester, and on the 13th
encamped at Cedar Creek, three miles north of Strasburg.
Two days after, he withdrew his skirmishers from the place
and took position on Fisher's Hill, which completely commanded the town. Sheridan in pushing on, had passed
several gaps in the Blue Ridge, which he had not sufficient
force to guard. Through one of these,-Snicker's GapMosby suddenly rushed, pouncing on the supply train at
Berrysville, seized and burned seventy-five wagons, captured two hundred prisoners, two hundred beef cattle, and
nearly six hundred horses and mules, besides a large quantity of stores.
This of course, compelled Sheridan to retreat in turn. In
doing this, he with his flanking cavalry destroyed every
thing that could feed the enemy, except the live stock
which he drove before him as he fell back toward the Potomac. Houses of suspected persons were burned, in retaliation of Mosby's murderous conduct, by some cavalry-men
who in turn were attacked by the rebels and deliberately
murdered. Again retaliation was resorted to by Sheridan,
and the heavens were darkened by the smoking, burning
buildings.
Falling back through Winchester, which had been so often
successively occupied by rebel and Union troops, Sheridan
took position near Charlestown where he was attacked by
Early, who inflicted severe punishment on Wilson's cavalry.
The Sixth Corps bore the brunt of the conflict, which lasted
from two hours before noon till dark. The Corps then fell back
to Bolivar Heights, where Sheridan posted his army, with
his right on the Potomac, and his left on the Shenandoah,
near Harper's Ferry, his head-quarters being at Halltown.




ï~~y by/I




ï~~


ï~~UNSATISFACTORY CAMPAIGN.

487

The two armies lay confronting each other here for several days, when Early once more fell back up the Valley.
As soon as Sheridan was informed of this he again started in
pursuit. On the morning of the 28th he advanced in line
of battle toward Charlestown, the cavalry leading the advance. Passing through this place, the army moved forward to its old battle ground of the week before, and
halted. The next morning Merritt made a vigorous attack
on the rebel cavalry, driving it through the town of Smithfield, and beyond Opequan Creek, where he was brought
to a halt by the rebel infantry. Some skirmishing followed,
when Sheridan fell back upon Charlestown. But on the 3d
of September he again put his army in motion, and near
Berrysville was attacked by the rebels, whom he repulsed.
He then commenced throwing up breastworks, and, having
secured his position, remained quietly in it for two weeks,
doing nothing except to make reconnoissances with his
cavalry.
After nearly a month's operations, to leave off where he
begun, was a sorry summing up of the campaign for Sheridan, and a sad disappointment to the country, which had
expected so much from the well-known enterprise and daring of the man. It seemed very evident, either that Sheridan was incompetent to fill the place he occupied, or that
Grant refused to give him the men he needed to carry out
his orders. This indecision and apparent fear of risking a
battle were wholly unaccountable to the public, and much to
the chagrin of those who were tired of seeing Early roaming up and down the Shenandoah Valley at his leisure. It
turns out, however, that Grant, not Sheridan was in fault
for this state of things, and the former in his report gives
the reasons that governed him. He says:
"His operations during the month of August and the
fore part of September were both of an offensive and de61




ï~~488

A SHORT ORDER.

fensive character, resulting in many severe skirmishes, principally by the cavalry, in which we were generally successful; but no general engagement took place.   The two
armies lay in such a position the enemy on the west bank
of the Opequan Creek, covering Winchester, and our forces
in front of Berrysville-that either could bring on a battle
at any time. Defeat to us would lay open to the enemy the
States of Maryland and Pennsylvania for long distances, before another army could be interposed to check him. Under these circumstances, I hesitated about allowing the initiative to be taken. Finally the use of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which
were both obstructed by the enemy, became so indispensably necessary to us, and the importance of relieving Pennsylvania and Maryland from continuously-threatened invasion so great, that I determined the risk should be taken.
But fearing to telegraph the order for an attack without
knowing more than I did of General Sheridan's feelings as
to what would be the probable result, I left City Point on
the 15th of September to visit him at his head-quarters, to
decide, after conference with him, what should be done. I
met him at Charlestown, and he pointed out so distinctly
how each army lay; what he could do the moment he was
authorized, and expressed such confidence of success, that I
saw there were but two words of instructions necessaryGo in! "
This permission was all that Sheridan wanted. The Fabian policy under which he had been compelled to act irritated him, and he constantly felt like a caged lion. Now he
was a free man once more, and it needed no spirit of prophecy in one who knew him, to foretell that bloody work was
at hand.
Grant after hearing Sheridan's plans and approving them,
asked if he could get ready to move by the following Tues



ï~~A GREAT VICTORY.

489

day. "Yes," replied the latter, "by Monday;" and before
daylight that morning the army was in motion. By three
o'clock in the afternoon it was drawn up in line of battle in
front of the rebel position, at Opequan Creek, and as soon as
the cavalry, under Torbert, arrived at the desired pbint on
the extreme rebel right, Sheridan ordered a general advance. The artillery opened along the whole line-the columns moved steadily forward, and Early soon discovered
that Sheridan was at last in earnest. His position, however,
was a strong one, and he stubbornly held it until Averill's
and Merritt's bugles were heard on his right, as the firm-set
squadrons bore fiercely down. Rolled up before the impetuous charge, the rebel line at length crumbled into fragments, and the whole army broke in utter confusion, and
streamed on toward Winchester and through it, halting only
when it reached Fisher's Hill thirty miles beyond.
Early left his wounded and dead in our hands, and nearly
three thousand prisoners, together with five pieces of artillery, and nine battle flags. Several rebel Generals were
killed, while on our side, we had to lament the death of
the gallant Russell, commanding a division of the Sixth
Corps. The dispatch announcing this glorious victory, closed
thus: " We have just sent them whirling through Winchester, and we are after them to-morrow. This army behaved
splendidly. I am sending forward all the medical supplies,
subsistence stores, and ambulances."
Following up Early vigorously, Sheridan, on the 21st,
found himself in front of his strong position, at Fisher's
Hill. Skillfully disposing his forces, he closed so suddenly,
and with such fury on the enemy, that they broke, and fled
in disorder toward Woodstock. Eleven hundred prisoners
and sixteen pieces of artillery fell into our hands here, while
the road, for miles, was strewed with abandoned wagons,
knapsacks, muskets, and everything that impeded the head



ï~~490

THE PURSUIT.

long flight. Sheridan pushed on to Woodstock, where he
halted to get his supplies up.
Averill, however, kept up the pursuit to Mount Jackson,
twenty-five miles south of Strasburg. Here Early rallied his
disorde'red battalions, and once more turned at bay. 'But,
on Sheridan's arrival, he again retreated, though stubbornly
contesting every inch of ground, and, at last, made a determined stand in Brown's Gap, on the Blue Ridge, eight miles
south-east of Port Republic. Sheridan pursued as far as
this place and halted. In the meantime, Torbert, with his
cavalry, moved on Staunton and Waynesboro', destroying
bridges, Government property, and everything that could
be of benefit to the enemy.
Early's position, at Brown's Gap, was too strong to be
carried by assault, while it seriously threatened Sheridan's
flank, should he attempt to march on Lynchburg-the goal
of all the expeditions up the Shenandoah Valley. it was
hard to abandon this coveted prize; but he saw that, unless
Early could be driven from Brown's Gap, it would be madness to advance farther. Besides, his supplies in the rear
were in danger of being cut off by Mosby, and he, therefore,
resolved to fall back.
In killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing, Early must
have lost, in those two battles and the retreat, nearly half of
his army.
While Sheridan was thus sweeping the enemy from his
path in the Valley of the Shenandoah, Grant, who, under
the most adverse circumstances, still always found some
means of assailing the enemy, made a sudden movement
north of the James-the object and result of which he thus
sums up"By the 12th of September, a branch railroad was completed from the City Point and Petersburg railroad to the




ï~~A SUDDEN MOVEMENT.

491

Weldon railroad, enabling us to supply, without difficulty,
in all weather, the army in front of Petersburg.
"The extension of our lines across the Weldon railroad,
compelled the enemy to so extend his that it seemed he
could have but few troops north of the James for the defense of Richmond. On the night of the 28th,. the Tenth
Corps, Major-General Birney, and the Eighteenth Corps,
Major-General Ord commanding, of General Butler's army,
were crossed to the north side of the James, and advanced
on the morning of the 29th, carrying the very strong fortifications and intrenchments below Chapin's Farm, known as
Fort Harrison, capturing fifteen pieces of artillery, and the
New Market road and intrenchments. This success was followed up by a gallant assault upon Fort Gillmore, immediately in front of the Chapin Farm fortifications, in which we
were repulsed with heavy loss. Kautz's cavalry was pushed
forward on the' road to the right of this, supported by
infantry, and reached the enemy's inner line, but was unable
to get further. The position captured from the enemy, was
so threatening to Richmond that I determined to hold it.
The enemy made several desperate attempts to dislodge us,
all of which were unsuccessful, and for which he paid dearly.
On the morning of the 30th, General Meade sent out a
reconnoissance, with a view to attacking the enemy's line,
if it was found sufficiently weakened by withdrawal of troops
to the north side. In this reconnoissance we captured and
held the enemy's works, near Poplar Spring Church. In
the afternoon, troops moving to get to the left of the point
gained, were attacked by the enemy in heavy force, and
compelled to fall back until supported by the forces holding
the captured works. O0ur cavalry under Gregg was also
attacked, but repulsed the enemy with great loss."
The enemy made a raid during this month, (on the 19th,)
which, from its daring and success, caused some mortifica



ï~~492               A DARING RAID.
tion and excitement. Two thousand cattle, which had been
brought on for the use of the Army of the Potomac, were
feeding near Coggin's Point, on the James River, guarded
by two regiments of cavalry, on which Wade Hampton, with
W. F. H. Lee's cavalry division and two other brigades,
suddenly pounced and carried off the whole, together with
several prisoners.
Starting from Ream's Station, this force had passed around
our extreme left, and got in the rear of the army, and yet
with such secrecy and celerity did it move, that though hotly
pursued, it succeeded in reaching the rebel lines again with
all its booty.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXV.
RAVAGING OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY-SHERIDAN'S DISPATCH-HIS NEW
POSITION-LEAVES THE ARMY FOR WASHINGTON-EARLY RESOLVES TO
MAKE A NIGHT ATTACK-SECRECY OF HIS MARCH-ROUT OF THE ARMY
OF WESTERN VIRGINIA AND OF THE NINETEENTH CORPS-RETREAT OF THE
WHOLE ARMY-SHERIDAN AT WINCHESTER-HIS APPROACH TO THE FIELD
-HIS SUDDEN ARRIVAL AND STIRRING APPEALS-FORMS A NEW LINE OF
BATTLE-REPULSE OF THE ENEMY-ADVANCE OF HIS LINE-THE ENEMY'S
POSITION CARRIED-COMPLETE OVERTHROW OF THE REBEL ARMY-THE
PURSUIT-A SUPPERLESS ARMY-ENTHUSIASM OF OFFICERS AND MENTHE GENERALSHIP AND PERSONAL POWER OF SHERIDAN-THE REBELS
ABANDON THE VALLEY-HATCHER'S RUN-GRANT FAILS TO TURN THE REBEL
RIGHT-BUTLER'S DEMONSTRATION NORTH OF THE JAMES-DESTRUCTION OF
THE RAM ALBEMARLE BY LIEUTENANT CUSHING-THE REBELS IN CANADARAID ON ST. ALBANS, VERMONT.
SHERIDAN        when he fell back from the pursuit of Early
took position on the north side of Cedar Creek, near
Strasburg. But in his advance and retreat he had ravaged
the country with a ruthlessness that reminds one of the old,
barbaric wars. How much of this destruction of private
property is chargeable to the Secretary of War, from whom
he received his orders, and how much to himself, we are unable to say, but it is a lasting disgrace to its authors whoever they were. The following is his own account of what he
did, and the reasons which actuated him:
"WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA, October 7, 1864---9 P. M.
Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT:
I have the honor to report my command at this point to-night. I commenced moving back from Port Republic, Mount Crawford, Bridgewater,
and Harrisonburg yesterday morning. The grain and forage in advance of
these points had previously been destroyed. In moving back to this point




ï~~494

WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION.

the whole country from the Blue Ridge to the North Mountain has been
made entirely untenable for a rebel army. I have destroyed over two thousand barns filled with wheat, and hay, and farming implements, over seventy
mills filled with flour and wheat; have driven in front of the army over four
thousand head of stock, and have killed and issued to the troops not less
than three thousand sheep. This destruction embraces the Luray Valley
and Little Fort Valley, as well as the main Valley. A large number of
horses have been obtained, a proper estimate of which I cannot now make.
Lieutenant John R. Meigs, my engineer officer, was murdered beyond Harrisonburg, near Dayton. For this atrocious act all the houses within an
area of five miles were burned. Since I came into the Valley from Harper's
Ferry, every train, every small party, and every straggler has been bushwhacked by the people, many of whom have protection-passes from commanders who have been hitherto in that Valley. The people here are getting sick of the war. Heretofore they have had no reason to complain, because they have been living in great abundance. I have not been followed
by the enemy to this point, with the exception of a small force of the rebel
cavalry that showed themselves some distance behind my rear-guard to-day.
A party of one hundred of the Eighth Ohio cavalry, which I had stationed
at the bridge over the North Shenandoah, near Mount Jackson, was attacked
by McNeil with seventeen men, while they were asleep, and the whole party
dispersed or captured. I think they will all turn up. I learn that fifty-six
of them had reached Winchester. McNeil was mortally wounded, and fell
into our hands. This was fortunate, as he was the most daring and dangerous of all the bushwhackers in this section of the country.
(Signed)            P. II. SHERIDAN, Major General."
This is a sad record for one to make of himself, in this
age of civilized    warfare.   The burning by      wholesale, of
barns and mills, because the hay and grain in them might
be seized by the rebels, would by the same logic justify an
invading army at all times for "razing every house, and
burning every blade of grass" on the line of its march.
"War," Sherman said, "is necessarily cruel;" but to mitigate its severity as much as possible, it has been established
as a rule of civilized warfare, that private property shall
be respected, except when it is needed for the sustenance
of the army, or where the owners are convicted of open
hostility.  For a General to justify such wholesale destruction of property, and thereby inflict suffering and want on
women and children, on the ground that the enemy would
rob them if he did not, is not only a violation of the rules
of civilized warfare, but very miserable logic.




ï~~BARBARIC LOGIC.

495

This mode of reasoning was far better carried out by the
ancient barbarians, who killed the children of their enemies,
lest they should grow up to be warriors, and the mothers,
lest they should give birth to heroes. The ravages of war
have their limit without reference to consequences, and civilized nations have fixed that limit. "To make a solitude and
call it peace," was in the old dark, rude times the motto, but
it does not belong to this age. The massacre of all the
young men just entering the age that would render them
subject to military duty, would injure an enemy far more
than the burning of barns, and mills, and houses, but we
suspect that but few would justify it. Because some wretch
murdered a man, to burn all the houses-many of them containing helpless widows, "within an area of five miles" is a
wilder sort of justice than any man of sound judgment, or
an educated conscience will approve. That punishment was
deserved and severity needed in many cases, no one will
doubt, but if they could not be meted out with some discrimination, they had better have been let alone. England
did nothing half so bad as this in our Revolution.
During his retreat, Sheridan was attacked on the 9th of
October, by the rebel General Rosser with a large body of
cavalry, but defeated him, taking three hundred and fifty
prisoners, and eleven pieces of artillery-keeping him, as
the bformer said, "on the jump" for twenty-six miles.
Sheridan, now thinking that the enemy was too severely
punished to molest him for the present, left the army for a
short visit to Washington.
BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK, OR MIDDLETOWN.
The army at this time was posted on three moderate hills,
extending for three miles across the country, each one a
little back of the other.
The first and foremost one, some four or five miles north




ï~~496

A NIGHT MARCH.

of Fisher's Hill, was held by the army of West Virginia
under Crook; the second, half a mile to the rear of this, by
the Nineteenth Corps, under Emory, the turnpike running
between them. The third and last, still farther back was
occupied by the Sixth Corps, with Torbert's superb cavalry
covering its right flank. Early, who had been reinforced
by twelve thousand men, heard that Sheridan was in Washington, and at once resolved to attack the army before his
return. On the night of the 18th, he crossed the mountains
which separate the branches of the Shenandoah, and forded
the north fork, marching in five columns. There was a
dense fog at the time, wrapping everything in impenetrable
darkness; but Early knew the ground thoroughly, and with
trusty guides was in no danger of being misled. He ordered all the men to leave their canteens behind, lest their
clanking against the shanks of the bayonets should be heard
by our pickets and give the alarm. His march was to be
noiseless, and he directed that all the orders should be given
in a low tone, for although the movement was to be made
with an army of between twenty and thirty thousand men,
it must be with the utmost secrecy. Discovery would be
fatal.
The whole enterprise was hazardous beyond expression.
He, however, moved off toward our left, unperceived,
though about two o'clock in the morning, some of the pickets on duty reported that they heard a heavy, muffled tramp
and rustling through the underbrush, as though a multitude
was marching along the front.  This information caused
some precautions to be taken, but no reconnoissance was
sent out. The truth is, a serious attack by Early was not
dreamed of, and the main army slumbered on wholly unsuspicious of danger.
All this time, the steady columns were sweeping on
through the gloom, now pushing through the dripping trees,




ï~~A SURPRISE.

497

and now fording a stream-skirting our position for milestill at length, an hour before day-break, the rebel troops,
shivering with cold, stood within six hundred yards of our
camps.
Crook had ordered a reconnoissance to be made on this
morning, and the force was preparing to march, when there
suddenly burst through the fog, a deafening yell from ten
thousand throats, and then came the blaze and crash of
musketry. The surprise was complete and the panic frightful. The roll of drums, bugle calls, and shouts of officers,
arose on every side, and the troops rushed frantically to
arms, but before any line of battle could be formed, the
shouting, clamorous rebels were upon them. Without a moment's check or hindrance, they swept like a billow, up and
over the hill, and over the breastworks. A brief struggle
of five minutes at the latter, and theia the Army of Western
Virginia became a herd of fugitives, fleeing in wild disorder
back toward the second hill, a half a mile in the rear, where
lay the Nineteenth Corps.
A few regiments wheeled and tried to make a stand, but
were borne swiftly back before the impetuous flood. The
Nineteenth Corps, having a little time to prepare for the
shock, attempted to arrest the progress of the enemy, but
the latter sweeping down the road, got in its rear, and it
soon broke and fled toward the hill, on which the Sixth
Corps lay. The batteries which had been captured, were
now turned upon us, and enfiladed our entire line. Wright
at once formed a new line of battle, and attempted to check
the frightful rush of the fugitives.
The force of the onset seemed now very much spent, for
the rebels began to advance with more caution, and bring
forward their artillery. Besides, the rich plunder of two
camps was too tempting a prize for the half-starved troops




ï~~498

THE RETREAT.

of Early, and they left their ranks in crowds, and began to
pillage.
Had Wright known this, it is possible that he might have
made a successful stand where he was, but the rebels having
possession of the turnpike.. that led toward Winchester, he
feared that his communications would be severed, and therefore fell back toward Middletown. He had repulsed, in the
meantime, a tremendous charge of the enemy, which gave
him breathing space, and enabled him to cover the immense
crowd of fugitives that darkened all the fields and the highway in the rear. Amid the roar of artillery, incessant volleys of musketry, and shouts and yells of the pursuers, were
heard the cries and screams of teamsters as they endeavored
to get off with the heavy trains.
The rebels still assailing our left flank, kept up a murderous fire, shaking it terribly, so that Merritt and Custer, with
two divisions of cavalry, were sent over to check them,
when a severe contest followed in the wooded fields, near
Middletown. Strengthened by our captured artillery, they
brought their overwhelming batteries to bear on our exhausted columns, and so shattered the hard-pressed left,
that only a short stand could be made at Middletown, and
the army passed through it toward Newtown, five miles
in the rear. On the heights around the former place, Early
planted his batteries, which poured in a terrible fire on the
uncovered army, as it slowly fell back along the highway,
and across the fields.
Sheridan, on his way back to the army, had slept at Winchester, twenty miles distant, the night before. In the morning, little dreaming of the terror reigning in his camp in
front, he sat down to his breakfast, and after it was finished,
he mounted his horse and with his escort rode leisulrely forward. His noble army had then been struggling on the brink
of destruction, for four long hours. As it fell back, and he




ï~~SHERIDAN AROUSED.

499

rode forward, and the enemy began to open with his numerous artillery, the deep vibrations that made the earth tremble, caused him to look up in surprise. Still, he felt no
uneasiness, for he was confident that if Early had attacked
his strong position at Cedar Creek, he would be terribly
beaten.
But as the thunder of the guns grew louder and more
continuous, and was evidently rolling back toward him, his
practised ear told him too well that a heavy battle was raging in front, and that his army was retreating. Startled
from his composure, as the terrible truth flashed over him,
he dashed the spurs into his horse, and was soon far ahead
of his escort, tearing madly along the road. Soon he met
camp-followers and fugitives from the field, who declared
that all was lost.
What! his noble army, that only a few weeks before he
had led twice to victory, broken, shattered, gone! In a
moment, the lion in his nature was roused, and instead of
being overwhelmed at the disaster, he rose above it-it
shall not be so, he mentally exclaimed. As the cloud of
fugitives deepened, he shouted-as he drove on and swung
his cap over his head-" Face the other way, boys, face the
other way; we are going back to our camps; we are going
to lick them out of their boots."
The frightened stragglers paused and shouted, as they saw
their gallant Chieftain fly past, and even the wounded, lying
along the road-side, cheered him. With his face blazing
with excitement, and his horse covered with foam, he suddenly appeared in front of his astonished army, and at once
ordered the retreat to stop. The enemy had paused in his
pursuit, so that our army was, at this time, out of the range
of his guns, which enabled Sheridan to take measures to
arrest the fugitives and bring them back, and in a short time
he had a new line of battle formed.




ï~~500

FIRST REPULSE OF THE ENEMY.

Then, for two hours, he rode backward and forward
along the front, now looking over the ground, and now encouraging the men. "Boys," said he, "if I had been here,
this never should have happened. I tell you it never should
have happened. And now we are going back to our camps.
We are going to get a twist on them. We are going to lick
them out of their boots."
Shouts and cheers followed him, and though they had
eaten nothing since the night before, and been fighting for
five hours, the excited soldiers felt a new strength infused
into them by the confident bearing and language of their
heroic Commander.
At length the rebel army was seen advancing across the
autumnal fields, moving straight on the position held by the
Nineteenth Corps. Sheridan sent word to Emory to stop
them at all hazards. He did so, after a severe but short
contest, in which.General Bidwell was killed, and Grover
wounded.
Emory immediately dispatched an aid to Sheridan with
the news that the enemy was repulsed. "That's good, that's
good," laughed Sheridan. "Thank God for that. Now,
then, tell General Emory if they attack him again to go after
them, and follow them up, and to sock it into them, and to
give them the devil."  And, with almost every word, bringing his right hand down into the palm of his left with a
sharp blow, he added, " We'll get the tightest twist on
them yet you ever saw-we'll have all those camps and cannon back again."
Whether aware of Sheridan's arrival, or astounded at the
new and formidable line of battle that appeared before him,
while a large part of his own army was rioting amid the
the camps, at all events, Early at once abandoned the offensive and fell back, and began 'to throw up breastworksevidently designing to hold the position till next day, which




ï~~THE ADVANCE.

501

by all ordinary rules, should be the earliest moment that our
hungry, exhausted, and discomfited army could be ready to
make any movement. But Sheridan had no intention of
waiting till his army was thoroughly re-organized and recruited. Right then and there, he was determined to wipe
out the stigma of this disgraceful defeat, and make the same
dispatch that carried the news of the overthrow of his army,
carry also the thrilling tidings of its glorious victory.
At half past three, the orders were given for a general
advance-the drums rolled along the line, the bugles pealed
out, and, heralded by the deep-mouthed cannon, the steady
battalions moved forward. It was a magnificent sight-the
solid advance of that, but just now, fugitive host. Emerging from the woods that had concealed it, the army swung
boldly out into the open field, and moved swiftly forward
toward the enemy's position. In an instant, the rebel batteries opened, followed by a tremendous volley of musketry. The steady lines were rent before it, and fell suddenly back.
The sight roused Sheridan almost to frenzy, and galloping
amid the broken ranks, he, by his thrilling appeals, and
almost superhuman efforts, restored order, and although his
few remaining cannon could make but a feeble response to
the overwhelming batteries of the enemy, he ordered the
advance to be resumed.
" The next moment, came a prolonged roar of musketry,
mingled with the long-drawn yell of our charge-then the
artillery ceased-the musketry died into spattering bursts,
and over all the yell triumphant. Every thing on the first
line, the stone walls, the advanced crest, the tangled wood,
and the half-finished breastworks, had been carried." But
the rebels, from a new position, opened with their artillery,
and shot and shell crashed through our ranks. Sheridan,
heedless of the storm, dashed along the front-giving all his




ï~~502

THE VICTORY.

orders to division and corps commanders in person; for in
this fearful crisis, he would trust no subordinates. His eyes
flashed fire, and his countenance wore a confident expression, while his short, emphatic appeals rung like a buglecall to his excited troops, who responded with a shout, as
through the thickets, over the stone-walls and ridges, they
went with a thrilling cheer. The astonished enemy turned
and fled in confusion over the fields.
As they streamed down into the Middletown meadows,
Sheridan saw that the time for the cavalry had come, and
ordered a charge. The bugles pealed forth their stirring
notes, and the dashing squadrons of Custer and Merritt came
down like a clattering tempest on the right and left, doubling up the rebel flanks, and cleaving a terrible path
through the broken ranks.    Back to, and through our
camps, which they had swept like a whirlwind in the morning, the panic-stricken rebels went, pellmell, leaving all the
artillery they had captured, and much of their own, and
strewing the way with muskets, clothing, knapsacks, and
every thing that could impede their flight. The infantry
were too tired to continue the pursuit, but the cavalry kept
it up, driving them through Strasburg to Fisher's Hill, and
beyond, to Woodstock, sixteen miles distant.
The wearied troops stacked their arms in their pillaged
camps, "and slept that night as they had fought that day,
without food;" yet ever and anon, as reports would come in
from the pursuing cavalry, announcing the capture of guns
and prisoners, loud cheers would be sent up. Notwithstanding the dead and wounded lay every where, and the field
presented a ghastly spectacle, nothing could check the wild
excitement and enthusiasm of officers and men at their great,
unexpected victory.
This, in some respects, was one of the most remarkable
battles in history. Other lost fields have been won, but




ï~~SHERIDAN'S POWER.

503

rarely by the presence of a single man. Marengo was lost
to Napoleon, but won again by the arrival of the gallant
Desaix, with his fresh column. Shiloh was lost to Grant,
but won again by the opportune arrival of Buell, with his
trained battalions; but here a lost battle was won by the
arrival of Sheridan alone. By the power of his single
presence as he dashed along the shattered lines, and the
magic of his voice, as, now gay and confident, and now
stern and terrible, he strengthened the discouraged, or awed
the timid, and recalled the fugitives, he was able to reorganize the broken ranks almost under the guns of the enemy.
He not only dissipated despair, and restored confidence, but
breathed into the army enthusiasm, and daring, and positive
strength, so that after hours of defeat and terrible losses in
men and artillery, it not merely made a successful stand,
but broke into a furious offensive, and charging the victorious enemy behind his intrenchments, drove him in utter
rout from the field. This single battle, if he had fought
no other, would stamp Sheridan as a great Commander.
It could be truly said of him as Carlyle said of Cromwell:
"He was a strong man in the high places of the field, and
hope shone in him like a pillar of fire, when it had gone out
in all other men."
Our loss in this battle amounted to over six thousand
men, while that of the enemy was not probably much over
a third as great-thus showing under what immense disadvantage Sheridan snatched victory from the very jaws of
defeat. After this there was some skirmishing and cavalry
engagements in the Valley of the Shenandoah, but it was
finally abandoned by the enemy, and in six weeks the Sixth
Corps returned to the army before Richmond.
Soon after this great victory, Grant made another attempt
to get nearer Richmond, by operating heavily on the enemy's
right flank as he had done before. The movement was
62




ï~~504

HATCHER'S RUN.

kept a profound secret, and several days were spent in preparation for it. The sick, together with the baggage and
commissary stores, were sent to City Point, where the gun;
boats could protect them, and three days' rations and forage
were issued to the cavalry, and four days' rations to the infantry. The long line of intrenchments were almost denuded
of men, and it looked as though the army did not intend to
return. The point of attack was Hatcher's Run-the termination of the enemy's works on his right-and to render it
more successful, Butler at the same time was to make a demonstration on the north side of the James, in order to draw
off the rebel force in that direction. But, like all the other
movements hitherto made around Richmond and Petersburg, this also proved a sad failure. We will not give a
detailed account of the causes that prevented success. The
whole movement, and its results are thus summed up by
General Grant.
"On the 27th the Army of the Potomac, leaving only sufficient to hold its fortified line, moved by the enemy's right
flank. The Second Corps, followed by two divisions of the
Fifth Corps, with the cavalry in advance and covering our
left flank, forced a passage of Hatcher's Run, and moved up
the south side of it toward the South-side railroad, until
the Second Corps and part of the cavalry reached the Boydton plank road, where it crosses Hatcher's Run. At this
point we were six miles distant from the South-side railroad,
which I had hoped by this movement to reach and hold.
But finding that we had not reached the end of the enemy's
fortifications, and no place presenting itself for a successful
assault by which he might be doubled up and shortened, I
determined to withdraw to within our fortified line. Orders
were given accordingly. Immediately upon receiving a report that General Warren had connected with General Hancock, I returned to my head-quarters. Soon after I left, the




ï~~ANOTHER FAILURE.

505

enemy moved out across Hatcher's Run, in the gap between
Generals Hancock and Warren, which was not closed as reported, and made a desperate attack on General Hancock's
right and rear. General Hancock immediately faced his
corps to meet it, and after a bloody combat, drove the enemy within his works, and withdrew that night to his old position.
"In support of this movement General Butler made a demonstration on the north side of the James, and attacked the
enemy on the Williamsburg road, and also on the York
River railroad. In the former he was unsuccessful; in the
latter he succeeded in carrying a work which was afterward abandoned, and his forces withdrawn to their former
positions.
"From this time forward the operations in front of Petersburg and Richmond until the spring campaign of 1865,
were confined to the defense and extension of our lines, and
to offensive movements for crippling the enemy's lines of
communication, and to prevent his detaching any considerable force to send south."
The night before this grand movement took place, a
most daring expedition was successfully carried out by a
young lieutenant in the navy, on the Roanoke River. The
Ram Albemarle, since its fight with our fleet, had lain at
Plymouth, carefully guarded and protected. The Navy Department, wishing to get rid of this monster, had sent, the
Summer previous, Lieutenant W. B. Cushing to New York
with full powers to make all necessary preparations for the
perilous undertaking of effecting her destruction. Having
at length constructed a torpedo boat, he returned with it to
the Sound, and on the night of the 27th of October proceeded with it, in his steam launch up the river. Thirteen
officers and men composed the entire crew, all of wlhom felt
that the chance of their return was more than doubtful. It




ï~~506

LIEUTENANT CUSHING.

was eight miles from the mouth of the river to where
the ram lay, while the stream, which would not average
over two hundred yards in width, was lined the whole way
with pickets. About a mile below the ram, lay the wreck
of the Southfield, which the former had destroyed, surrounded by schooners. The night was dark, and so cautiously did Cushing move that he was undiscovered by the
pickets on shore, and passed within twenty yards of the
Southfield, unnoticed by those on guard there. Having
now got close to the ram, which by a light on shore
could be seen, made fast to the wharf, he ordered on a full
head of steam and pressed forward. As he steamed past
the vessel he saw she was surrounded by a pen of logs
thirty feet wide, placed there to prevent any such attack as
the one he was now making. Performing a complete circle
so as to come squarely down, he sent the launch's bows
full against the pen of logs. The rebels had however discovered his approach, and opened on him with a terrible
fire.  Many were struck. "The bullets," says Cushing,
"struck my clothing three times, and the air seemed full of
them. In a moment we had struck the logs, just abreast of
the quarter port, breasting them in some feet, and our bows
resting on them. The torpedo boom was then lowered, and
by a vigorous pull I succeeded in driving the torpedo under
the overhang and exploded it, at the same time that the Albemarle's gun was fired. A shot seemed to go crashing
through my boat and a dense mass of water rushed in from
the torpedo, filling the launch and completely disabling
her." He was now within fifteen feet of the ram, from the
deck of which an incessant stream of fire fell into his gallant
little band. Seeing his hopeless condition, the enemy hailed
him and ordered him to surrender. The young hero sent
back his stern refusal, and took unflinchingly the desolating fire.




ï~~THE ALBEMARLE SUNK.

507

Seeing, by the light of their own fire, that he was fast
going to the bottom, they again hailed him, demanding his
surrender. Again he refused, and coolly taking off his coat
and shoes, he told the men to save themselves as they best
could, and sprang into the river, and struck out for the middle of the stream. He then swam with the current, and
when a half a mile below the ram, came upon Acting-Master's-mate Woodman, very much exhausted, and nobly tried
to get him ashore but was unable to do so, and had to see
him sink by his side, when he again turned for the shore.
He had barely strength to reach it, but not enough to crawl
up the bank, and so lay until near daylight, when he crept
into a swamp close to the fort.
After he had rested awhile, he arose and traveled for
several hours through the swamp, until he came to its termination, when he plunged into another, and, at length,
reached a creek, in which he found a skiff belonging to the
picket of the enemy. Capturing this, he pulled out into the
stream, and by eleven o'clock, was once more safe among
his friends. A more daring, gallant deed is scarcely to be
found in the records of our glorious navy.
Secretary Welles sent him a complimentary letter, and
the country rung with his praises. He had done his work
well, for this much-dreaded ram, blown up by the torpedo,
sunk at her moorings. Only one, besides himself, escaped,
of all this gallant crew-the rest being killed, captured, or
drowned.
During this month, also, an event occured on our Northern frontier, which caused the most intense excitement
throughout the country. The Canadian Provinces from the
commencement of the war, had been the resort of rebel
refugees, who were constantly organizing plots against the
Federal Government. One was set on foot the year before,
to release twenty-five hundred rebel prisoners on Johnson's




ï~~508

RAID INTO VERMONT.

Island, in Lake Erie, who, with rebels in Canada, were to
burn Buffalo and other Lake cities, but it was discovered ir,
time, and hence abandoned. So also in September, of this
year, John Y. Beall, a rebel officer, captured and destroyed
two steamboats on the lakes.
On the 19th of this month, forty armed men, headed by
one Young, suddenly rode into the village of St. Albans,
Vermont, fifteen miles from the Canadian frontier, and robbing the Bank of two hundred thousand dollars, escaped
in safety. They fired upon the panic-stricken inhabitants,
mortally wounding one.
They were afterward seized and tried in Canada, but
were all finally discharged. The Bank recovered a part of its
money, but no concessions were made to our Government
for this violation of its territory, which caused it to adopt
measures that interrupted, for a time, the usual communications between the Provinces and the States.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXVI.

OPERATIONS WEST DURING THE AUTUMN-IN ARKANSAS, KANSAS, AND MISSOURI-PRICE, STEELE, AND ROSECRANS-CAPTURE OF ATHENS BY FORREST-HIS FARTHER OPERATIONS-GENERAL BURBRIDGE SENT TO DESTROY
THE SALT-WORKS AT SALTVILLE, VIRGINIA-SHERMAN AT ATLANTA-DAVIS
IN GEORGIA-HOOD AGAIN TAKES THE FIELD-FALLS. ON SHERMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS-GALLANT DEFENSE BY CORSE, OF ALLATOON4--PURSUIT OF
MOOD--THOMAS AT NASHVILLE-SHERMAN PREPARES FOR HIS GEORGIA
CAMPAIGN-ROME BURNED-DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY-BURNING OF ATLANTA.
A  LTHOUGH during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn
of 1864, the two great campaigns of Sherman and
Grant occupied almost the undivided attention of the country, still, as we have seen, in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, hostilities were kept
up, though they apparently had no direct bearing on the
final result.
Those minor events of the East we have already traced
till nearly the close of Autumn. The military operations
outside of Sherman's army, during the months of September
and October, West, are thus summed up by Grant:"About the last of August, it being reported that the
rebel General Price, with a force of about ten thousand
men, had reached Jacksonport, on his way to invade Missouri, General A. J. Smith's command, then en route from
Memphis to join Sherman, was ordered to Missouri.   A cavalry force was also, at the same time, sent from Memphis,
under command of Colonel Winslow. This made General
Rosecrans' forces superior to those of Price, and no doubt




ï~~510

FORREST IN TENNESSEE.

was entertained he would be able to check Price and drive
him back, while the forces of General Steele, in Arkansas,
would cut off his retreat. On the 26th day of September,
Price attacked Pilot Knob and forced the garrison to retreat, and thence moved north to the Missouri River, and
continued up that river toward Kansas. General Curtis,
commanding the Depjartment of Kansas, immediately collected such forces as he could to repel the invasion of Kansas, while General Rosecrans' cavalry was operating in
his rear.
"The enemy was brought to battle on the Big Blue and
defeated, with the loss of nearly all his artillery and trains,
and a large number of prisoners. He made a precipitate
retreat to Northern Arkansas. The impunity with which
Price was enabled to roam over the State of Missouri, for a
long time, and the incalculable mischief done by him, shows
to how little purpose a superior force may be used. There
is no reason why General Rosecrans should not have concentrated his forces, and beaten and driven Price before the latter reached Pilot Knob.
"September 20th, the enemy's cavalry, under Forrest,
crossed the Tennessee, near Waterloo, Alabama, and on the
23rd attacked the garrison at Athens, consisting of six hundred men, which capitulated on the 24th. Soon after the
surrender, two regiments of reinforcements arrived, and
after a severe fight were compelled to surrender. Forrest
destroyed the railroad westward, captured the garrison at
Sulphur Branch trestle, skirmished with the garrison at Pulaski on the 27th, and on the same day cut the Nashville and
Chattanooga railroad, near Tullahoma and Dechard.  On
the morning of the 30th, one column of Forrest's command,
under Buford, appeared before Huntsville and summoned
the surrender of the garrison. Receiving an answer in the
negative, he remained in the vicinity of the place until




ï~~DAVIS IN  GEORGIA.

511

next morning, when he again summoned its surrender and
received the same reply as on the night before. He withdrew in the direction of Athens, which place had been regarrisoned, and attacked it on the afternoon of the 1st of
October, but without success. On the morning of the 2nd,
he renewed his attack, but was handsomely repulsed.
"Another column under Forrest, appeared before Columbia, on the morning of the 1st, but did not make an attack.
On the morning of the 3rd, he moved toward Mount Pleasant. While these operations were going on, every exertion
was made by General Thomas to destroy the forces under
Forrest, before he could recross the Tennessee, but he was
unable to prevent his escape to Corinth, Mississippi.
"In September, an expedition, under General Burbridge,
was sent to destroy the salt-works at Saltville, Virginia. He
met the enemy on the 2nd of October, about three miles and
a half from Saltville, and drove him into his strongly intrenched position around the salt-works, from which he was
unable to dislodge him. During the night he withdrew his
command and returned to Kentucky."
The interest, however, in these various expeditions and
movements was more local than general. East, as has been
stated, with the failure at Hatcher's Run, in October, closed,
for the Autumn, all movements of importance with the Army
of the Potomac. It was evidently at a dead-lock with the
enemy.
It was not so, however, with the other great army encamped at Atlanta. The fall of this place which threatened
to bisect again the Southern Confederacy, caused the most
intense feeling South, and Davis hastened from his Capital
to Georgia to still the clamors of the disaffected, and raise
the courage of the desponding. He made violent speeches,
in which he seemed to lose both his reason and temper,
using language that can hardly be accounted for, except on




ï~~512

HOOD IN MOTION.

the ground of temporary insanity, arising from some cause
or other. Still with his aid, Hood was reinforced with forty
thousand militia, and by the last of September, declared
himself ready to move. Unable to cope with Sherman in
the open field, he resolved to throw himself on his long line
of communications, and compel him to fall back to Chattanooga.
Moving rapidly, he broke up the railroad in various
places. Beyond Allatoona, nearly to Dallas, he had it pretty
much all his own way, so that during the entire month of
October, Sherman was cut off from Chattanooga. The foresight of the latter, in making Allatoona a secondary base,
was now apparent.    If it could be taken, his army would
be in a perilous position. This Hood knew, and dispatched a
whole rebel division, under French, to capture it. Sherman,
aware of his designs, sent a signal from the distant Kenesaw
Mountains to General Corse, who was in command of Rome,
to take his brigade, and move with the utmost speed to
Allatoona, and hold it against all opposition, until he himself could arrive with help.
Pushing forward by railroad, this gallant officer reached
the place with about two thousand men before French did,
and at once made his dispositions to defend it to the last.
As soon as the rebel General, with his overwhelming force,
arrived, he sent the following message to Corse:" AROUND ALLATOONA, October 5, 1864.
Commanding Officer U. S. Forces, Allatoona:
SIR,-I have placed the forces under my command in such positions,
that you are surrounded, and to avoid a needless effusion of blood, I call on
you to surrender your forces at once, and unconditionally. Five minutes
will be allowed you to decide. Should you accede to this, you will be
treated in the most honorable manner as prisoners of war.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully yours,
S. G. FRENCH,
Major-General Commanding Forces C. S."




ï~~A CURT MESSAGE.

513

To this peremptory order, backed by an entire division,
the gallant Corse replied in the following droll, yet curt
language:---
" HEAD-QUARTERS FOURTH DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
ALLATOONA, GA., 8.30 A. M., October 5, 1864.
Major-General S. G. French,.C. S. Army, etc.:
Your communication demanding surrender of my command, I acknowledge the receipt of, and respectfully reply that we are prepared for the
"needless effusion of blood," whenever it is agreeable to you.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN M. CORSE,
Brigadier-General Commanding Forces U. S."
Corse had but little time to arrange his defense, as he
reached the.place that very morning, a little after midnight.
Sherman, in his dispatch, says of Corse, in the desperate
engagement that followed-" his description of the defense
is so graphic that it leaves nothing for me to add." We
agree with him, and therefore let him tell his own story.
"I had hardly issued the incipient orders, when the storm
broke in all its fury on the Thirty-ninth Iowa and Seventh
Illinois. Young's brigade of Texans, one thousand nine
hundred strong, had gained the west end of the ridge, and
moved with great impetuosity along its crest, till they
struck Rowett's command, where they received a severe
check; but undaunted, they came again and again. Rowett, reinforced by the Ninety-third Illinois, and aided by
the gallant Redfield, encouraged me to hope we were safe
here, when I observed a brigade of the enemy, under General Sears, moving from the north, its left extending across
the railroad. I rushed to the two companies of the Ninetythird Illinois, which were on the brink of the cut running
north from the redoubt and parallel with the railroad-they
having been reinforced by the retreating pickets-and urged
them to hold on to the spur; but it was of no avail.    The




ï~~514

A DESPERATE BATTLE.

enemy's line of battle swept us like so much chaff, ana
struck the Thirty-ninth Iowa in flank, threatening to engulf
our little band without further ado. Fortunately for us,
Colonel Tourtellotte's fire caught Sears in flank, and broke
him so badly as to enable me to get a staff-officer over the
cut, with orders to bring the Fiftieth Illinois over to reinforce Rowett, who had lost very heavily. However, before
the regiment sent for could arrive, Sears and Young both
rallied, and made their assaults in front and on the flank
with so much vigor and in such force, as to break Rowett's
line, and had not the Thirty-ninth Iowa fought with the desperation it did, I never would have been able to get a man
back into the redoubt. As it was, their hand-to-hand conflict and stubborn stand broke the enemy to that extent, he
must stop and re-form, before undertaking the assault on the
fort. Under cover of the blow they gave the enemy, the
Seventh and Ninety-third Illinois, and what remained of the
Thirty-ninth Iowa, fell back into the fort.
The fighting up to this time (about eleven A. M.) was of a
most extraordinary character. Attacked from the north,
from the west, and from the south, these three regiments,
Thirty-ninth Iowa, Seventh and Ninety-third Illinois, held
Young's and a portion of Sears's and Cockeral's brigades at
bay for nearly two hours and a half. The gallant Colonel
Redfield, of the Thirty-ninth Iowa, fell shot in four places,
and the extraordinary valor of the men and officers of this
regiment, and of the Seventh Illinois, saved to us Allatoona.
So completely disorganized was the. enemy, that no regular
assault could be made on the fort, till I had the trenches all
filled, and the parapets lined with men.
The Twelfth Illinois, and Fiftieth Illinois arriving from
the east hill, enabled us to occupy every foot of trench and
keep up a line of fire that, as long as our ammunition lasted,
would render our little fort impregnable."




ï~~THE VICTORY.

515

But the ammunition gave out, and a brave fellow, whose
name he forgot, crossed over to another fort under the
enemy's fire, and brought back an armful and thebfight
went on.
Sherman, anxious about Allatoona, hastened forward, and
about ten o'clock reached the top of the Kenesaw, eighteen
miles distant. He says, "I could see the smoke of battle,
and hear the faint sound of artillery."  He immediately
pushed forward a brigade, and flew his signal telling Corse
that help was coming. But this heroic Commander had too
much on his hands to be looking out for signals. He knew,
without them, that Sherman was hurrying forward troops to
his relief as fast as they could march.
The fight was kept up, and the smoke of battle wrapped
the combatants, while far away on the serene heights of
Kenesaw stood Sherman flying his signals and watching
through his glass to see if they were answered. For a long
time they waved unheeded, but at last an answer came, and
he knew then that while Corse lived, the rebel force would
never have Allatoona. At three o'clock in the afternoon,
the rebel General gave it up-for, repulsed in every attack,
he saw he was only increasing his piles of dead, and ordered
his bugles to sound retreat.
Sherman, hurrying forward his army, passed through Allatoona to Kingston, which he reached on the 6th, and at
once reinforced Resaca-before which Hood had appeared
and demanded its surrender-and pushed forward toward
the same point with the main army. The succeeding movements, until the pursuit was abandoned, and Hood left to
move north, while he prepared his Georgia campaign, are
best described in his own language. He says:
"Arriving at Resaca on the evening of the fourteenth, I
determined to strike Hood in flank, or force him to battle,
and directed the Army of the Tennessee, General Howard,




ï~~'16

SHERMAN'S MOVEMENTS.

to move to Snake Creek Gap, which was held by the enemy,
whilst General Stanley, with the Fourth and Fourteenth
Corps, moved by Tilton across the mountains to the rear of
Snake Creek Gap, in the neighborhood of Villanow.
"The Army of the Tennessee found the enemy occupying
our old lines in the Snake Creek Gap, and on the 15th skirmished for the purpose of holding him there until Stanley
could get to his rear. But the enemy gave way about
noon, and was followed through the Gap, escaping before
General Stanley had reached the further end of the Pass.
The next day, the sixteenth, the armies moved directly toward Lafayette, with a view to cut off Hood's retreat.
We found him intrenched in Ship's Gap, but The leading
division (Wood's) of the Fifteenth Corps rapidly carried the
advanced posts held by two companies of a South Carolina
regiment, making them prisoners. The remaining eight
companies escaped to the main body near Lafayette. The
next morning we passed over into the Valley of the Chattooga, the Army of the Tennessee moving in pursuit by Lafayette and Alpine, toward Blue Pond; the Army of the
Cumberland by Summerville and Mellville Post-Office to
Gaylesville; and the Army of the Ohio and Garrard's cavalry from Villanow, Dirttown Valley, and Goover's Gap to
Gaylesville. Hood, however, was little encumbered with
trains, and marched with great rapidity, and had succeeded
in getting into the narrow gorge formed by the Lookout
Range abutting-against the Coosa River, in the neighborhood of Gadsden. He evidently wanted to avoid a fight.
"On the nineteenth, all the armies were grouped about
Gaylesville, in the rich Valley of the Chattooga, abounding
in corn and meat, and I determined to passe in my pursuit
of the enemy, to watch his movements and live on the
country. I hoped that Hood would turn toward Guntersville and Bridgeport. The Army of the Tennessee was




ï~~A BOLD DETERMINATION.

517

posted near Little River, with instructions to feel forward
in support of the cavalry, which was ordered to watch Hood
in the neighborhood of Will's Valley, and to give me the
earliest notice possible of his turning northward. The Army
of the Ohio was posted at Cedar Bluff, with orders to lay a
pontoon across the Coosa, and to feel forward to centre, and
down in the direction of Blue Mountain. The Army of the
Cumberland was held in reserve at Gaylesville; and all the
troops Were instructed to draw heavily for supplies from the
surrounding country. In the meantime communications
were opened to Rome, and a heavy force set to work in repairing the damages done to our railroads. Atlanta was
abundantly supplied with provisions, but forage was scarce;
and General Slocum was instructed to send strong foraging
parties out in the direction of South River, and collect all
the corn and fodder possible, and to put his own trains in
good condition for further service.
"Hood's movements and strategy had demonstrated that he
had an army capable of endangering at all times my communications, but unable to meet me in open fight. To follow him would simply amount to being decoyed away from
Georgia, with little prospect of overtaking and overwhelming him. To remain on the defensive, would have been bad
policy for an army of so great value as the one I then commanded; and I was forced to adopt a course more fruitful
in results than the naked one of following him to the Southwest. I had previously submitted to the Commander-inChief a general plan, which amounted substantially to the
destruction of Atlanta and the railroad back to Chattanooga,
and sallying forth from Atlanta through the heart of Georgia, to capture one or more of the great Atlantic seaports.
This I renewed from Gaylesville, modified somewhat by the
change of events.
"On the twenty-sixth of October, satisfied that Hood had




ï~~518

THOMAS AT NASHVILLE.

moved westward from Gadsden across Sand Mountain, I detached the Fourth Corps, Major-General Stanley, and ordered him to proceed to Chattanooga and report to MajorGeneral Thomas at Nashville."
Thomas had been sent on from Atlanta to take charge of
all the troops in the State, and those en route to reinforce
the army, and Sherman says:"Subsequently, on the 30th of October, I also detached
the Twenty-third Corps, Major-General Schofield, with the
same destination; and delegated to Major-General Thomas
full power over all the troops subject to my command, except the four Corps with which I designed to move into
Georgia. This gave him the two divisions under A. J. Smith,
then in Missouri, but en route for Tennessee, the two Corps
named, and all the garrisons in Tennessee, as also all the cavalry of my Military Division, except one division under Brigadier-General Kilpatrick, which was ordered to rendezvous
at Marietta."
General Wilson had been sent from the Army of the Potomac to take charge of his cavalry, and he ordered him
also to report to Nashville with all the dismounted detachments, and collect, equip, and organize all the cavalry in
Tennessee and Kentucky and report to Thomas.
"These forces I judged would enable General Thomas to
defend the railroad from Chattanooga back, including Nashville and Decatur, and give him an army with which he could
successfullly cope with Hood, should the latter cross the Tennessee northward.
"By the 1st of November, Hood's army had moved from
Gadsden, and made its appearance in the neighborhood of
Decatur, where a feint was made; he then passed on to
Tuscumbia, and laid a pontoon-bridge opposite Florence. I
then began my preparations for the march through Georgia,
having received the sanction of the Commander-inChief for




ï~~BURNING OF ROME.

519

carrying into effect my plan, the details of which were explained to all my corps commanders and heads of staff
departments, with strict injunctions of secrecy. I had also
communicated full details to General Thomas, and had informed him, I would not leave the neighborhood of Kingston until he felt perfectly confident that he was entirely prepared to cope with Hood, should he carry into effect his
threatened invasion of Tennessee and Kentucky. I estimated Hood's force at thirty-five thousand infantry, and ten
thousand cavalry."
Sherman then moved his army by easy marches back to
the neighborhood of Smyrna camping ground, sent all surplus artillery and baggage to Chattanooga, put Kilpatrick's cavalry force in the best possible condition, ordered
Corse, at Rome, to burn 'every thing there that could be of
service to the enemy, and, at the same time, destroyed all
the railroads in and around Atlanta, and finally ordered all
the garrisons north of Kingston to fall back to Chattanooga,
taking with them the public property and railroad stock,
and the rails from Resaca, saving the latter for future use.
He thus rapidly and effectually cut himself clear from the
outer world, and stripped himself for the race.
Rome was first burned; and a thousand bales of cotton,
two flour mills, two tanneries, a foundery, machine shops,
store-houses, and bridges, were set on fire, making a fearful
conflagration. The soldiers seeing the work of destruction
commenced, applied the torch to the private dwellings, and
soon the flames leaped and roared thi ugh the murky atmosphere, lighting up the nightly heavens with a lurid glare,
and flooding field and mountain in flame.
A few days after, Atlanta shared the same fate. The
Michigan engineers were detailed to effect its destruction.
A foundery, worth a half a million of dollars, was first in a
blaze, then an oil refinery, followed by a freight ware-house,
63




ï~~520

BURNING OF ATLANTA.

in which were stored several bales of cotton. The depot,
turning-tables, freight sheds, and stores around, were soon a
fiery mass. The heart was burning out of beautiful Atlanta.
"The few people that had remained in the city, fled,
scared by the conflagration and the dread of violence.
"The Atlanta Hotel, Washington Hall, and all the square
around the railroad depot, were soon in one sheet of flame.
Drug stores, dry goods' stores, hotels, negro marts, theatres,
and grog-shops, were all now feeding the fiery element.
Worn-out wagons and camp equipage were piled up in the
depot, and added to the fury of the flames.
"A stone ware-house was blown up by a mine. Quartermasters ran away, leaving large stores behind. The men
plunged into the houses, broke windows and doors with their
muskets, dragging out armfuls of clothes, tobacco, and whiskey which was more welcome than all the rest. The men
dressed themselves in new clothes, and then flung the rest
into the fire.
"The streets were now in one fierce sheet of flame; houses
were falling on all sides, and fiery flakes of cinders were
whirled about. Occasionally shells exploded, and excited
men rushed through the choking atmosphere, and hurried
away from the city of ruins.
"At a distance the city seemed overshadowed by a cloud
of black smoke, through which, now and then, darted a
gushing flame of fire, or projectiles hurled from the burning ruin.
"The sun looked, through the hazy cloud, like a blood-red
ball of fire; and the air, for miles around, felt oppressive
and intolerable. The Tyre of the South was laid in ashes,
and the 'Gate City' was a thing of the past."*
On the 12th of November, Sherman stood detached from

* Captain Conynghamn.




ï~~SHERMAN READY TO START.              521
all its communications ready to move. His army "was composed of four Corps: the Fifteenth and Seventeenth, constituting the right wing, under Major-General O. O. Howard; the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, constituting the
left wing, under Major-General H. W. Slocum, making an
aggregate strength of sixty thousand infantry, with one
cavalry division of five thousand and five hundred men,
under Brigadier-General Judson Kilpatrick, and the artillery reduced to the minimum, one gun per one thousand
men.
"The whole force was moved rapidly, and grouped about
Atlanta on the 14th of November."




ï~~CHAPTER XXXVII.

SHERMAN PREPARES TO MARCH-ORDERS RESPECTING FORAGING PARTIESDIVISION OF THE ARMY-SLOCUM'S WING-HOWARD'S WING-KILPATRICK' S
CAVALRY-MARCH OF THE FORMER-PILLAGE OF MADISON-SLOCUM ENTERS MILLEDGEVILLI--MARCH OF THE RIGHT WING-THE ENEMY AT LOVEJOY'S--KILPATRICK'S CAVALRY-MACON LEFT IN THE REAR-SHERMAN ENTERS MILLEDGEVILLE AND OCCUPIES THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE-THE SOLDIERS ORGANIZE A LEGISLATURE-REBELS REPULSED AT GRISWOLDVILLEKILPATRICK DRIVES WHEELER BEFORE HIM AND THREATENS AUGUSTA-THE
ARMY AT MILLEN-MARCH TO SAVANNAH-CAPTURE OF FORT MO ALLISTER
BY HAZEN-SAVANNAH INVESTED-HARDEE SUMMONED TO SURRENDERSHERMAN STARTS FOR PORT ROYAL-THE CITY EVACUATED-SHERMAN7S DISPATCH TO THE PRESIDENT-REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.
N preparing for his march across the State of Georgia,
Sherman gave stringent rules for the conduct of his
troops.  Of necessity, they must live off the country.   He.
therefore, issued the following order:"The army will forage liberally on the country during
the march. To this end, each brigade Commander will
organize a good and efficient foraging party, under command of one or more discreet officers. To regular foraging
parties must be intrusted the gathering of provisions and
forage at any distance from the roads traveled.
"As for horses, mules, wagons, &c., the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit. Foraging
parties may also take mules or horses to replace the jaded
animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or brigades."
This order shows that Sherman possessed the right spirit,
and desired that his army should not behave like banditti.




ï~~FORAGING  PARTIES.

523.

Every brigade and regiment had its organized foraging
party, which was to forage under established rules, and be
under the command of one or more discreet officers. It was
also ordered,"Soldiers shall not enter the dwellings of the inhabitants
or commit any trespass; but, during the halt or camp, they
may be permitted to gather turnips, potatoes and other vegetables, and drive in stock in front of their camps."
Officers were also directed "to leave with each family a
reasonable portion for their maintenance."
These were humane regulations, and shed as much lustre
on Sherman's character, as his great victories. But who,
familiar with the history of invading armies, does not know
what foraging in the enemy's country means.   Foraging
parties are usually joined by every servant and idler about
the camps, who, in the various expeditions, scatter over the
country, enter houses and strip the inmates of jewelry, and
every thing valuable that they possess, and often commit
violence of the grossest kind. Sherman's army formed no
exception to this rule.
Says an officer, who commanded in the expedition, in
speaking of these lawless hangers-on:-" In most instances,
they burned down houses to cover their depredations, and
in some cases, took the lives of their victims, as they would
not reveal concealed treasures. These gangs spread like
locusts over the country. In all cases where the foraging
parties were under the command of a respectable officer,
they acted with propriety, simply taking what provisions
and necessaries they needed. They might as well have
stripped the place, though, for soon came the bummers, and
commenced a scene of ruin and pillage. Boxes were bui
open; clothes dragged about; the finest silks, belonging to
the planters' ladies, carried off to adorn some negro wenches
around camp; pictures, books, furniture, all tossed about




ï~~524

SHERMAN'S START FOR THE SEA.

and torn in pieces.  Though these wretches were acting
against military orders, there was no one to complain. The
planter and his family were thankful if they escaped with
their lives."
When about to start, Sherman wrote to Admiral Porter,
on the Atlantic coast, that he might be "looking out for him
about Christmas, from Hilton Head to Savannah," and to
his wife, "this is my last letter from here; you will only hear
of me hereafter through rebel sources."
The four Corps, as before stated, were divided into two
wings-the right, consisting of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth, was commanded by Howard; and the left, composed
of the Fourteenth and Twentieth, by Slocum. There was
no general train of supplies for the army, but each Corps
had its own, distributed among the brigades and regiments,
the whole amounting to about two thousand wagons.
The march, when practicable, was to be by four parallel
roads, to commence every morning at seven o'clock, and to
average fifteen miles a day.  Howard, with the right wing,
was to follow the Georgia Central railroad, running in a
south-westerly direction, through Macon and Milledgeville,
to Savannah; while Slocum, with the left wing, would
march along the railroad running due east to Augusta-both
roads to be destroyed as the armies advanced. Two divisions of cavalry, under Kilpatrick, covered the flanks of the
columns. It was a hundred and seventy miles to Augusta,
by the railroad along which Slocum marched, and two
hundred and ninety-one to Savannah, by that which Howard took.
Slocum, moving out on different roads, and destroying the
rail track as he advanced, pushed on through Decatur, Stone
Mountain, Social Circle, Rutledge, and Madion-filling the
inhabitants with consternation, especially at the latter place.
While the depot and railroad track were being destroyed




ï~~MADISON PILLAGED.

525

here, together with two hundred bales of cotton, the stragglers entered the place and pillaged unchecked. Stores
were burst open-houses entered, and plates and valuables
carried off, while mirrors and pianos were ruthlessly smashed.
Wine-cellars were broken into, and the liquors drank till
soldiers were seen reeling along the streets. All the stores
were gutted and the contents scattered around; even a mil.
liner's shop was entered and sacked, and the ribbons and
flowers put in the caps of the soldiers.
This disgraceful scene continued until the head of Slocurm's column entered the place, when it was quickly brought
to a close, and a guard placed over what was left of the
town.
From Madison, the division of Geary marched on the Oconee River, while a body of cavalry crossed it and advanced
to Greenboro', sixty-four miles from Augusta. From this
place, however, it turned directly south toward Milledgeville. The Fourteenth Corps wheeled in the same direction
before it reached the town, marching toward the same point,
and last, Geary, farther to the east, took the same direction,
moving down the west bank of the Oconee.
On the 21st, Slocum entered Milledgeville, the State Capital, one day ahead of Howard. The latter moved directly
on Macon, covered by Kilpatrick's cavalry.  Some three
thousand militia were found at Lovejoy's, but a single charge
of Kilpatrick served to scatter them. At Bear Creek, he
encountered Wheeler's cavalry and forced it back to Macon.
Howard followed leisurely, destroying the railroad behind
him, until he arrived within a few miles of the place. A
large army was concentrated here, defended by breastworks, well mounted with artillery, for the enemy never
doubted that Sherman intended to lay siege to this place.
He however had no such intention. He had apparently forgotten the old, well-established military maxim, "never to




ï~~526

THE ARMY AT MILLEDGEVILLE,

leave a fortified place of the enemy in your rear," and designed to pass it without halting.
Wishing to get across the Ocmulgee without opposition,
and strike the railroad again beyond the town, he sent Kilpatrick over the river with a large force of cavalry, who
came down on the place from the east-driving in the rebel
pickets, and charging up to the very earthworks of the enemy. His daring and vigorous movements kept the garrison
in a state of constant alarm, and while the rebel army was
listening to the sound of his bugles, Howard quietly slipped
across the river to Griswoldville, ten miles beyond. Leaving here a part of the Fifteenth Corps to protect his rear,
the latter pushed on to Milledgeville, which, as we have said,
he reached the next day after Howard entered it. Sherman
took up his head-quarters in the Governor's house, but found
it completely stripped of furniture. This, however, was of
little consequence to one who had often made the earth his
couch, and spreading a couple of blankets on the floor,
slept in State.
The Georgia Legislature was in session when the news
of the approach of our army was received, and at once
adjourned in great terror.  The soldiers took possession
of the State House, and organized a Legislature of their
own-winding up their hilarious proceedings by having a
soldier appear at the door, shouting "the Yankees are coming," when the uproarious, laughing crowd rushed at once
for the door.
In the meantime the rebel leaders at Macon, enraged at
finding themselves so completely outwitted, made a furious
attack with three brigades of militia, on the force left at
Griswoldville, but were repulsed with a loss of a thousand men.
Having rested his now united army at Milledgeville, and
stored forty days' rations in his wagons, Sherman once more




ï~~SHERMAN AT MILLEN.

527

turned the head of his columns toward the sea. At Sandersville, Wheeler made a stand, but after a brief action fell
back to Waynesboro, only thirty miles south of Augusta,
whither Kilpatrick followed him. Wheeler now attacked
in turn, but was repulsed with a loss of two hundred men.
The inhabitants of Augusta were alarmed at the near approach of Kilpatrick to the city, and entertained no doubt,
that it was the point aimed at by Sherman. But while
the cavalry swarmed the country in its vicinity, concealing the movements of the army, the latter was marching
rapidly on Millen, located on the railroad that connects Augusta and Savannah. Here Sherman again halted for several
days, while the cavalry scoured the country in every direction. Whether he intended to march north on Augusta, or
south on Savannah, the rebel commanders could not tell,
and hence the forces at these places remained separate.
From this position Sherman looked back in his track, and
saw the Georgia railroad destroyed for a hundred miles, and
the Georgia road for more than sixty.
He had hitherto completely deceived the enemy as to the
point he was aiming at, but concealment was now no longer
possible. Sherman, however, felt no vacillation as to his
course, and when his columns were well closed up, and sufficient provisions stored in his wagons, he on the 2nd of December, swung his noble army on Millen as on a pivot, and in six
grand columns by as many different roads, swept down on Savannah, leaving Augusta as he had Macon, far in his rear.
The face of the country, through which his line of march
now lay, was totally different from the one he had hitherto
traversed. Through richly cultivated fields and plantations,
and past thriving towns, and peaceful country villages,
where every luxury abounded, the army had for weeks been
marching, but now it entered on long stretches of pine forests, whose dark green branches swayed with a ceaseless




ï~~528

SAVANNAH REACHED.

murmur over the soldiers' heads. A river on either side
rolled its flood toward the Atlantic, whither the heads of
his columns were pressing, protecting both his flanks-thus
performing the duty which had hitherto devolved on Kilpatrick's cavalry. This force now marched in front and
rear, awakening the echoes of the pine forest with their
bugle calls, and lighting up its green arcades with the flashing
weapons of the bold riders. It was a strange, yet magnificent spectacle, this mighty army moving unmolested through
a hostile country, its bands making the woods resonant with
their thrilling strains, and the gay battalions streaking them
with the long lines of light from their camp-fires by night.
Thus, day after day, the army swept on for more than
eighty miles to Savannah. About ten miles from the city,
the left wing struck the Charleston railroad, when it came
upon the skirmishers of Hardee, who was in command of
the troops that held the place. As the right wing approached the outer line of the enemy's works, Sherman
heard the deep, heavy thunder of cannon booming.over the
swamps and forests from Ossabaw Sound, where our fleet lay;
and knew them to be signal guns for him, should he be approaching the coast. On the 9th he answered them by
sending Colonel Duncan down the Ogeechee, who, three days
after, stepped on board one of Dahlgren's vessels, and thus
put the army once more in communication with the outer
world.
Sherman now began to close gradually but steadily in
upon the city. But he had no siege guns, for only field
artillery could be taken in the long and difficult march
across the State of Georgia. The former he must get up from
the fleet in Ossabaw Sound, or the city could not be taken.
But Fort McAllister, that had twice repulsed an attack by our
iron-clads, commanded the entrance of the Ogeechee River,
effectually preventing the ascent of our vessels. Its cap



ï~~FORT MC ALLISTER.

529

ture, therefore was indispensable to success. It is singular
that the enemy did not see this and strengthen its garrison
and defenses landward. But thinking the great danger was
from the fleet, they left a garrison of less than three hundred men to hold it.
Sherman, aware of this, resolved by one bold stroke to
seize it, and the gallant Hazen was selected with his tried
division to carry it by assault. This division, the second,
was Sherman's old division of the Fifteenth Corps, which
was the corps he spoke so proudly of after the battle of
Missionary Ridge. When he sent word to this old favorite
division that he expected them to take Fort McAllister,
they were as delighted, says an officer, as though "he had
sent them a wagon load of brandy."
On the 12th Sherman sent for Hazen, and told him what
he wanted him to do. In a half-hour this gallant officer
was off with his division, and by night reached King's bridge,
ten miles from the fort. The next morning he kept on till
within a mile of it, when he halted. Selecting nine regiments with which to make the assault, he moved them forward to within six hundred yards of the works. The fort
stood on the right bank of the Ogeechee, just where the
firm land and sea-marsh join. Between him and it, stretched
an open space more than a third of a mile wide, planted
thick with torpedoes, and swept by artillery, across which
in broad daylight, the storming force must march before
they could reach the ramparts. These were surrounded
by a heavy abattis, and beyond it was a deep ditch, along
which were driven high, strong palisades. Sherman was well
aware of the desperate nature of the undertaking, and designed
to have the fleet co-operate in the attack, so as to draw off a
part of the hostile force from Hazen. He had gone down the
river with Howard, and was at this time standing on the top of
a rice-mill, three miles off, on the opposite side of the stream,




ï~~530

PREPARING FOR THE ASSAULT.

anxiously watching for the appearance of the expected gunboat, for he had not heard from the fleet since Colonel Duncan set off to communicate with it. At length he saw the
smoke of a steamer seaward and exclaimed, "See, Howard,
there is the gunboat." In a short time its signal waved, "Is
fort McAllister ours?" "No," was the answering signal from
the rice-mill. "Can you assist?"  "Yes," was the reply,
"what shall we do?"  The thunder of guns from the fort
announcing that the struggle had commenced, rendered a
reply unnecessary.
Hazen had sent forward some sharp-shooters to within
two hundred yards of the fort to clear the parapets, while
he got his lines in position. This was attended with a good
deal of difficulty on the right, where the marsh was soft,
and crossed by a lagoon, and caused Hazen much solicitude.
He saw this signal flying from the top of the rice-mill, three
miles away, " The fort must be taken at all hazards, to-night/!"
and yet the sun was then almost touching the rim of the
western horizon. He knew that Sherman and Howard
were both watching him through their glasses, that Savannah was the stake at issue, and hence could not but feel the
fearful responsibility under which he was to fight the coming battle. His anxiety was depicted on his grave countenance, yet every lineament was fixed and stern as fate itself.
At length he saw his line in position, when he called the
nearest bugler to him, and ordered him to sound the "Attention."  The prolonged warning notes swept along the
waiting line, and died in faint echoes over the sea. "Sound
it again," he exclaimed, and again the well known strain
stirred every heart, and called the foe to the ramparts.
"Sound it again," cried Hazen in sterner accents, and for
the third time the appealing notes swept in soft cadences
over the plain, making each soldier clutch his musket with




ï~~THE ASSAULT.

531

a firmer grasp. Now, shouted Hiazen, in tones that made
the bugler start, "Sound the forward."
The shrill, rapid notes shook the excited line as a sudden wind-gust the tree-tops, and the next moment, with a
loud and ringing sheer, it bounded forward. In an instant,
the guns of the fort opened, sweeping all the level space the
brave fellows must traverse, with a horrible fire. Breasting
this without flinching, they came upon torpedoes, buried in
the sand, that exploded to their tread, sending men, mangled and torn, into the air. Heedless of these, as of the fire
in front, they kept unhesitatingly on their terrible way,
moving on the double-quick, until, at length, they reached
the abattis.  Pulling this apart by main strength, they
stormed through it and reached the ditch. Seizing the
strong palisades here, they wrenched them fiercely out, and
making a gap, poured through it with loud shouts, and
mounted the parapets.
Sherman stood on the rice-mill watching all this, through
his glass, with emotions that can but faintly be imagined.
As the blue line swept steadily onward, he exclaimed "How
grandly they advance! not a waver! "  With his eye still
glued to that unwavering line, he, in a few seconds, again
exclaimed, "Look, Howard! see that flag in the advance;
how steadily it moves! not a man falters. Grand, grand!"
After a short pause, he cried, "The flag still goes forward;
there is no flinching there." But in a few seconds, he said,
in an altered tone, "Look, it has halted! They waver."
But as the smoke lifted a moment, he almost shouted, "No,
it's the parapet. There they go, again, right over it! See,
there is a flag on the works! another! another! It's ours!
The fort is ours."
The firing ceased; the rebel flag came down; the Stars
and Stripes went up; the glass dropped, and a smile lighted
up his features, for he well knew what a shout was going




ï~~532.

THE VICTORY.

up from those smoking, bloody ramparts-and exclaiming,
" Savannah is ours," he seized a slip of paper, and wrote a
dispatch to the Government, closing with, "I regard Savannah as already gained." Calling one of his aids, he said,
"Captain, have a boat ready, I must go over there." Swift
rowers were soon pulling him across the river, and, just at
dark, he walked into the fort-his face aglow with enthusiasm-and seizing Hazen by the hand, overwhelmed him
with praises, as well he might, for Hazen had captured
Savannah for him, and thus made his Georgia campaign the
decisive movement of the war.
Sherman now communicated with the fleet, and going on
board the Admiral's flag-ship-the Harvest Moon-arranged
with General Foster to send some siege ordnance from Hilton Head. After consulting with Dahlgren he returned to
his lines at Savannah.
The reports of the division Commanders on the condition
of things, made him determine, the moment the siege guns
arrived from Port Royal, to assault the enemy's works. A
number of thirty-pounder Parrott guns having reached
King's bridge, he, on the 17th, sent in a formal demand
for the surrender of the city, which Hardee rejected. He
now made further reconnoissances, and ordered Slocum to
get in position siege guns, and make every thing ready for
the final assault at the earliest moment. He also established
a division of troops, under Foster, on the neck between the
Coosawhatchie and Tullifinney Rivers, where his artillery
could reach the railroad, and then started for Port Royal,
in person, to get reinforcements for him, so that he could
assault and carry the railroad, and thus obtain possession
of the Union.Causeway, from the direction of Port Royal
This was the plank road on the South Carolina shore, which
once occupied, would complete the "investment of Savannah."




ï~~SURRENDER OF SAVANNAH.

533

He put to sea on the night of the 20th, but a gale of wind
arising, it was deemed impossible to get over the Ossabaw
Bar, and the vessel (the Harvest Moon) ran into the Tybee
to make the passage through the inland channel into Warsaw
Sound, and thence through Romney Marsh. But the ship,
caught in the ebb-tide, could not make the passage, and
Dahlgren took him in his -tug toward Vernon River. To
his surprise, Sherman received, on the way, a message from
his Adjutant, Captain Dayton, stating that Savannah was
evacuated, and our troops already in possession of the
enemy's lines. He immediately hurried back, and on the
morning of the 22nd, rode into the City of Savannah.
The surrender of the place was made to Geary, who was
placed in command of the city. Sherman sent the following
terse dispatch to the President:-" I beg to present you, as
a Christmas gift, the City of Savannah, with one hundred
and fifty guns, and plenty of ammunition, and about twentyfive thousand bales of cotton." There proved to be thirtyeight thousand bales.  Three steamers were also captured, besides locomotives, cars, &c., and eight hundred
prisoners.
Thus ended this wonderful campaign, the success of
which very few believed in. With an army of sixty or seventy thousand men, to swing entirely loose from his base,
and move, for weeks, through a hostile country, depending
solely on forage for supplies, was one of the boldest movements in military history.
The Southern press said, scornfully, that he was marching
to the "paradise of fools," and the European journals, almost
without exception, predicted a total failure.
At the North, his success was considered very doubtful.
Even Grant, in reply to Sherman's request to be allowed to
undertake the enterprise, said, "If you were to cut loose, I
do not believe you would meet Hood's army, but would be




ï~~534         WEAKNESS OF THE SOUTH.
bushwhacked by all the old men, little boys, and such railroad guards as are still left at home."
That march could not have been made through one of the
Northern States, but slavery, which the South boasted was
an element of strength in war, because it allowed all the
whites to enter the army and yet secured the cultivation of
the soil, was found, in an invasion, to be an element of fatal
weakness. The working population, in a free State, would
have hung around the flanks of such an invading army "like
lightning around the edge of a thunder-cloud," but in the
South, that population was all 6n the side of the invadersin short, an element of strength to us.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXVIII.

N OYEMBER-DECEMBER, 1864.
EXPEDITION FROM VICKSBURG-GRIERSON'S EXPEDITION-BRECKENRIDGE Il
EAST TENNESSEE-STONEMAN SENT AGAINST HIM-ROUT OF THE ENEMYDESTRUCTION OF WYTHEVILLE AND THE SALT WORKS AT SALTVILLE-HOOD
ADVANCES AGAINST NASHVILLE-SCHOFIELD FALLS BACK BEFORE HIMBATTLE OF FRANKLIN-SIEGE OF NASHVILLE-IMPATIENCE OF GRANTBATTLE OF NASHVILLE-RETREAT OF HOOD-OPERATIONS AROUND MURFREESBORO'-CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN-EVENTS EAST-PLOT TO BURN THE
CITY OF NEW YORK-ARREST AND EXECUTION OF REBEL OFFICERS-WARREN'S EXPEDITION-FIRST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE FORT FISHER-CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT FROM PLYMOUTH-LOSS OF THE OTSEGO.
UT while, during the months of November and December, Sherman's army was leisurely making its way
toward Savannah, "two expeditions, one from Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, and one from Vicksburg, Mississippi, were started
by General Canby to cut the enemy's line of communication
with Mobile and detain troops in that field. General Foster, commanding Department of the South, also sent an expedition, via Broad River, to destroy the railroad between
Charleston and Savannah. The expedition from Vicksburg,
under command of Brevet Brigadier-General E. D. Osband,
(Colonel of Third United States colored cavalry,) captured,
on the 27th of November, and destroyed the Mississippi
Central railroad bridge and trestle-work over the Big Black
River, near Canton, thirty miles of the road, and two locomotives, besides large amounts of stores. The expedition
from Baton Rouge was without favorable results.
"A cavalry expedition, under Brevet Major-General Grierson, started from Memphis on the 21st of December. On
64




ï~~536

EAST TENNESSEE.

the 25th, he surprised and captured Forrest's dismounted
camp at Verona, Mississippi, on the Mobile and Ohio railroad; destroyed the railroad, sixteen cars loaded with
wagons and pontoons for Hood's army, four thousand new
English carbines, and large amounts of public stores. On
the morning of the 28th, he attacked and captured a force
of the enemy at Egypt, and destroyed a train of fourteen
cars; thence turning to the south-west, he struck the Mississippi Central railroad at Winona, destroyed the factories and
large amounts of stores at Bankston, and the machine-shops
and public property at Grenada, arriving at Vicksburg January 5th.
"During these operations in Middle Tennessee, the enemy
with a force under General Breckenridge, entered East Tennessee. On the 13th of November, he attacked General
Gillem, near Morristown, capturing his artillery and several
hundred prisoners. Gillem, with what was left of his command, retreated to Knoxville. Following up his success,
Breckenridge moved to near Knoxville, but withdrew on
the 18th, followed by General Ammen. Under the directions 'of General Thomas, General Stoneman concentrated
the commands of Generals Burbridge and Gillem near Bean's
Station, to operate against Breckenridge and destroy or
drive him into Virginia, destroy the salt works at Saltville,
and the railroad into Virginia, as far as he could go without
endangering his command.
" On the 12th of December he commenced his movement,
capturing and dispersing the enemy's forces wherever he
met them. On the 16th he struck the enemy, under Vaughn,
at Marion, completely routing and pursuing him to Wytheville, capturing all his artillery, trains, and one hundred and
ninety-eight prisoners; and destroyed Wytheville, with its
stores and supplies, and the extensive lead works near there.
IReturning to Marion, he met a force, under Breckenridge,




ï~~SCHOFIELD AND HOOD.

537

consisting, among other troops, of the garrison of Saltville,
that had started in pursuit. He at once made arrangements
to attack it the next morning; but morning found Breckenridge gone. He then moved directly to Saltville, and destroyed the extensive salt works at that place, a large amount
of stores, and captured eight pieces of artillery. Having
thus successfully executed his instructions, he returned General Burbridge to Lexington, and General Gillem to Knoxville."
These, however, were minor movements-the great interest centered around Hood's army, which Sherman had left
behind him. When the former found himself north of the
Tennessee, and his pursuer back to Atlanta, his surprise was
complete. He knew that it would be useless to turn about
and attempt to overtake him, and so he determined to advance
north and attack Nashville.
Schofield, with the Fourth and Twenty-third Corps, was
directed to keep the field and check, as much as possible,
his advance, so as to give Thomas time to concentrate his
troops. Steedman, at this, time, held Chattanooga, Bridgeport, and that line of railroad.
After Hood crossed the Tennessee River, Schofield fell
back across Duck River, where he made a stand, but the
former pressed him so severely that he had to retreat. Setting fire to his own pontoon bridge, he marched swiftly for
Franklin, eighteen miles from Nashville, for he knew if he did
not cross Harpeth River first, his army would be hopelessly
cut off. Hood was aware of this, and strained every nerve
to reach the river before him.
Schofield's immense train crippled him sadly, and at one
time it was doubtful if he could save it. It was a life and
death race, but he won it nobly.   Once over the river,
where, if defeated, he could fall back on Nashville, he
resolved to deal his powerful adversary one blow before




ï~~538

BATTLE OF FRANKLIN.

retreating farther; and hastily throwing up breastworks, he
calmly awaited his approach. Hood, confident of success,
boldly advanced to the attack, on the last day of November, and the battle of Franklin commenced.   Throwing
himself, with his accustomed impetuosity, on the centre
of Schofield's position, he carried it, and Wagner, who commanded here, was forced back, losing two guns. He, however, rallied his men, and charging back, re-took his guns,
and captured a whole brigade.
In spite of Cox, Wagner, Opdyke, and Stanley, Hood, at
last, got possession of the first line of works, though at a terrible sacrifice of life. But just at sunset, when Cox and
Stanley, with their re-formed lines, advanced to drive back
the enemy, the struggle became terrible, and assumed a sayage ferocity. The rebels, though the canister and grape of
the close batteries cut frightful lanes through their ranks,
refused to yield an inch of the ground they had so gallantly
won, and a gladiatorial contest followed, in which the combatants stood face to face, thrusting their bayonets into each
other's bosoms-and with clubbed muskets, and demoniacal
yells, fought in the deepening twilight, more like savages
than civilized men.
Darkness, at length, closed on this strange battle, and
Hood was at last compelled to give it up and retire from
the captured works-to mourn over the loss of over six
thousand men, and six general officers killed, six wounded,
and one captured. Our loss was only twenty-three hundred,
yet Schofield having done all that he intended to do-dealt
his adversary a blow that severely crippled him-fell back
that night to Nashville, leaving him in possession of the battle field.
On the same day that Schofield reached Nashville, A. J.
Smith, with his command, arrived in transports from St.
Louis, together with Steedman. with five thousand men and




ï~~POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES.

539

a brigade of colored troops from Chattanooga. The latter
barely got through, for after the battle of Franklin, Hood at
once advanced his lines around the city, and effectually cut
off all communications. south.
The rebel army occupied a series of hills, some four or
five miles out of Nashville, while Thomas lay behind defensive works, erected on a similar range of hills near the city.
Hood's only chance of success was in a sudden assault; but
the moment he sat down before the place, in a regular siege,
his doom was sealed.
The people were at once set to work on the fortifications,
and two lines of works, exterior and interior, were constructed at a distance from the city, varying from one to two
miles, with forts, redoubts, and rifle-pits, at every available
point, until the range of hills, occupied by our forces, was a
perfect net-work of fortifications.
Early in December, Thomas opened on the enemy with
artillery, but designed to act only on the defensive until his
preparations were complete. In the meantime, eight gunboats, with the iron-clad Neosho, came up the Cumberland,
and were quite able to take care of the rebel batteries in
that direction. Hood evidently designed to isolate Nashville as Sherman did Atlanta, by cutting its communications,
yet it was not so clear how this was to be done with our gunboats patrolling the river.
Thomas was at length ready to take the field, but expecting to defeat his adversary, he wanted a cavalry force with
which to follow up his victory, and make an utter end of
him, and so telegraphed to the Secretary of War. The latter immediately directed Wilson, the chief of cavalry, to
seize and impress all serviceable horses that could be found
in Tennessee and Kentucky.
In the meantime, Grant became nervous over Thomas'
delay, and telegraphed to him to move at once. The latter




ï~~540

GRANT'S IMPATIENCE.

replied that he was not ready, and requested Grant, if he
was dissatisfied with his course, to appoint a Commander in
his place, and he would cheerfully serve under him. Grant
sent back word that he had more confidence in him than in
any'other man, and that he might take his own time-still,
he wanted to know the reasons of his delay.
Thomas not thinking it prudent to give them, lest they
should leak out on the way, kept silent. This did not tend
to lessen Grant's solicitude, and he says,"I grew very impatient over, as it appeared to me, the
unnecessary delay. This impatience was increased, upon
learning that the enemy had sent a force of cavalry across
the Cumberland into Kentucky. I feared Hood would cross
his whole army, and give us great trouble there. After
urging upon General Thomas the necessity of immediately
assuming the offensive, I started West to superintend matters there in person. Reaching Washington City, I received
General Thomas' dispatch, announcing his attack upon the
enemy, and the result, as far as the battle had progressed.
I was delighted.  All fears and apprehensions were dispelled."
It was strange that Grant did not feel that it was perfectly
safe to let Thomas have his own way, as Sherman did when
he placed his reputation in his keeping, and turned his back
on Atlanta.
Near the middle of December, Thomas finding that he
had all the cavalry that he could expect, though not all he
wanted, resolved to attack Hood behind his works. But
just then came a cold snap, glazing the hills with ice, so that
neither men nor animals could keep upon their feet, and the,
advance was delayed until there should come a thaw. In a
day or two the weather changed, and on the night of the
14th, Thomas gave orders to be ready to attack at daylight
b.ext morning. His plan was to make a feint on Hood's




ï~~FIRST DAY'S BATTLE.

541

right flank, and then fall with sudden, overwhelming power
on his left, and roll it back on the centre. A. J. Smith was
stationed on the right, with the Sixteenth Corps, and at
day-break moved forward-Wilson's cavalry keeping on his
right along the river shore, while Wood, with the Fourth
Corps, closed in on his left. Schofield, with the Twentythird Corps, came in on Wood's left as a reserve. Three
Corps were thus concentrated on the rebel left.
Far away, on our left, Steedman, commanding a mixed
body of troops, was directed to push out a heavy force of
skirmishers before daylight, and threaten the rebel right.
He did so, and driving in the enemy's pickets, followed
close on their heels, until he came upon a battery, planted
behind a deep railroad cut, which the troops could not get
over, and hence were forced to retire. Hood, aroused
at early dawn by the heavy firing on his extreme right,
called to horse, but before he had time to ascertain the true
state of things there, down on his left came the two Corps
of Smith and Wood.
So sudden and awful was the onset, that only a feeble
resistance could be offered, and the rebel line crumbled
swiftly before it, and in a twinkling the left was hurled, in
confusion, back on the centre. "This let the cavalry loose,
and now Wilson swept round and past the right like a thunderbolt, and hung like an avenging cloud on the flank
and rear of the rebels, as they fell suddenly back on their
centre."
Aroused to the imminent peril that threatened him,
Hood now ordered over troops from his right to stay the
reversed tide of battle-and from all the heights around
Nashville, could be seen the hurrying lines of infantry and
artillery sweeping to the rescue.
But though his left was gone, the position he held in the
centre was a strong one; high hills-covered with breast



ï~~542

HiOOD'S NEW POSITION.

works, lined with rifle-pits, and fringed with abattis, beyond
which frowned heavy batteries-commanded all the open
country below. Smith paused before this formidable barrier, and began to reconnoitre. Wood and Schofield now
came up, and all day long, Hood's intrenchments were swept
by a fierce artillery fire, while here and there the infantry
attempted to find a weak spot in his lines. But no impression was made on the strong position which the enemy occupied, and no particular advantage gained, except the possession of a battery, which was carried by a gallant rush.
Still, the results of the whole day footed up well-two thousand prisoners captured, with sixteen pieces of artillery.
As the day declined, and darkness began to creep over
the landscape, Thomas, who saw that no more could be
done that night, ordered the firing to cease, and turning his
horse's head, rode off to Nashville to telegraph his success to
Washington.
Just as he was leaving the field he remarked to an officer,
in his quiet way, "So far I think we have done pretty well.
Unless Hood decamps to-night, to-morrow Steedman will
double up his right, Wood will hold his centre, Smith and
Schofield again strike his left, while the cavalry work away
at his rear."
That night Hood took up a new and strong position, two
miles in rear of his first, by which his lines were shortened
from six miles to three. Thomas, carrying out his original
plan, ordered Steedman to move at daylight against the
enemy's right as before, while Wood advanced over the
deserted works straight on the centre. Their orders, however, were merely to feel the hostile line and wait till Smith
and Schofield broke with the thunder-crash of the day before
on the rebel left. But the latter, too, were directed simply to
hold their ground, until the cavalry which had been sent in a
wide circuit to the rear, could be heard from.




ï~~SECOND DAY' S BATTLE.

543

Hood had again committed the mistake that he did at
Atlanta, when he sent off all his cavalry to cut Sherman's
communications, leaving that Commander to place his army
where his own would be effectually destroyed. He possessed a fine body of cavalry, under Forrest, superior in number to that of Thomas, but he had sent it down the Cumberland after our transports, and back to Murfreesboro', to
waste its energies in dashing against our strong defenses.
Thomas was aware of this, and hence had no fear that it
would interfere with his movements.
It was a long time, however, before our cavalry was
heard from. It had made a wide detour to prevent the
movement from being detected, so that noon came without
any thing of importance being done. There had been heavy
artillery firing all the forenoon, and Hood Was evidently
momentarily expecting an attack.  Smith and Schofield
chafed under the inaction, and sent to Thomas for permission to assault, but he firmly refused. The short winter's
day wore on, and night threatened to come before any thing
was accomplished. But Thomas remained imperturbable as
ever, amid all the impatience and excitement around him.
At length, about four o'clock, a prolonged fire of rifles and
carbines, that swept around the rebel flank, and crept up
along Hood's rear, told him that the hour had come. His
blue eye flashed with sudden inspiration, and turning to his
aids, he said, "Now tell Generals Schofield and Smith to
advance."
The aids dashed off to deliver the order, but before they
reached these impatient Generals, the latter were already advancing. With leveled bayonets and loud, defiant shouts, the
columns moved straight on and over the rebel works. Wood,
in the centre, at once advanced and came upon a strong
fort which commanded the Franklin pike, and aided by
Steedman on the left, with his colored troops, attempted to




ï~~544

A GALLANT CHARGE.

carry it. At first, the assaulting columns were repulsed with
fearful slaughter, but the troops rallied when they heard the
shouts of Wood's and Schofield's battalions, as, storming over
the hostile batteries, they scaled the bald hill in their front,
and again moved with loud cheers against the fort, and captured it, with nine pieces of artillery.
A gentle rain was falling, and not a breeze stirred the
leafless branches of the dripping trees, while this whirlwind
of death was sweeping the heights. Borne back at every
point, the enemy abandoned their batteries, and throwing
away every thing that could impede their flight, sped in dismay over the country.
Said a captured Brigadier-General, in speaking of the last
charge, " Why, Sir, it was the most wonderful thing I ever
witnessed. I saw your men coming and held my fire-a full
brigade, too-until they were in close range, could almost
see the whites of their eyes, and then poured my volley right
into their faces. I supposed, of course, that when the smoke
lifted, your line would be broken and your men gone. But
it is surprising, Sir, it never even staggered them. Why,
they did not even come forward on a run. But right along,
cool as fate, your line swung up the hill, and your men
walked right up to and over my works and around my brigade, before we knew that they were upon us. It was astonishing, Sir, such fighting."
Over five thousand prisoners, one Major-General, three
Brigadiers, and more than two hundred commissioned officers were captured, not to mention the killed and wounded.
Forty pieces of artillery were taken, with any quantity of
small arms, battle-flags, &c.
Thus, in two days, Thomas had taken some eight thousand prisoners, and between fifty and sixty pieces of artillery.
As on the day before, so now, night put an end to the




ï~~THE PURSUIT.

545

conflict, and our army bivouacked on the field, while the
demoralized rebel army retreated through the darkness to
Harpeth River. At daylight, the next morning, the Fourth
Corps, with the cavalry, commenced the pursuit. On the
night of the 19th, Hood crossed Duck River and took up
the bridge.
Thomas, in his report, says, "the pontoon train coming
up to Rutherford's Creek about noon, of the 21st, a bridge
was laid during the afternoon, and General Smith's troops
were able to cross. The weather had changed from dismal
rain to bitter cold, very materially retarding the work in
laying the bridge, as the regiment of colored trops, to whom
the duty was intrusted, seemed unmanned by the cold, and
totally unequal to the occasion."
This caused a serious delay, but a whole day was lost in
a manner not mentioned in any report. The pontoon train
took the wrong road, when it left Nashville, and had been
gone a part of a day before the mistake was discovered. At
Columbia, Forrest's cavalry, that had been operating against
Murfreesboro', joined the army, and formed a strong rearguard for it.
Hood now saw the folly of dividing his forces, for Bates'
division of Cheatham's Corps, with which Forrest had been
sent against Murfreesboro', was repulsed in its attack on the
first block house five miles north of the place, and afterward with another division, and twenty-five hundred of
Forrest's cavalry, was driven from before Fort Rosecrans,
which was under the command of Rousseau. Attacked in
their position by Milroy with seven regiments, the rebels
were defeated, with a loss of over four hundred men. Although Buford, with his cavalry, entered the town the same
day, he was speedily driven out, so that Hood had weakened
his army to no purpose-and now the whole, once more united, fled back toward Alabama.




ï~~546

REBEL PLOTS AT THE NORTH.

Thomas kept up the pursuit, though the roads were terrible; but he succeeded in inflicting only slight loss on the
enemy.
On the last of the month, Hood crossed the Tennessee,
when it was abandoned, and the campaign ended.
This virtually closed the war in the Valley of the Mississippi. Thomas had done his work well and thoroughly, and
vindicated the high opinion of Sherman, and nobly fulfilled
the trust that had been imposed on him.
But while the months of November and December brought
such glorious victories to our armies West and South, the
Army of the Potomac won only the laurels due to patient
endurance.
Among the minor events of November, was the attempt
to burn the City of New York. The diabolical plot originated in Canada, among the rebel refugees there, and was
attempted to be put in execution on the night of the 25th
of the month. Intrusted to bungling hands, it failed of
success, though the fires were started in various buildings.
Captain Robert A. Kennedy, of the rebel service, was afterward arrested, at the West, for complicity in it, and tried
and executed at Fort Lafayette the following Spring.
Beall, the rebel officer, who in September destroyed two
steamboats on the Lakes, was arrested in December, near
Suspension Bridge, for attempting to throw a train of cars
off the railroad track, and in February was also hung on
Governor's Island.
On the 20th of the month, the country was startled by a
Proclamation of the President, calling for three hundred
thousand more troops. Up to this time, two and a half millions of men had been called for, either for permanent or
temporary service, though nothing like this number ever
entered the field.
Although the army around Petersburg was engaged in no




ï~~EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT FISHER.

547

battles while such stirring events were transpiring West and
South, it was not idle. On the 7th of December, General
Warren, with twenty thousand men, moved south toward
Hatcher's Run, and in two days reached Bellefield Station,
on the M.herrin River, forty miles from Petersburg, where
he destroyed the rebel works, depot, &c. The next day he
commenced his return march, destroying every thing in his
line of march, and twenty miles of the Weldon railroad.
The most important event, however, of the month, connected with the Army of the Potomac, was the attempt to
capture Fort Fisher, which commanded the entrance to
Cape Fear River.
Wilmington, at this time, was the most important seaport
left to the South, for through it she got most of her supplies,
and from which she sent out blockade-runners, loaded with
cotton and other products. The blockade had been only
partially maintained here, and it was deemed very important
by the Navy Department that it should be taken. Besides,
it was a point of great strategic importance.
As there has been much dispute respecting the cause of
the failure of the first attempt to capture the fort, and a
direct issue made between the Commanders of the naval and
land forces, on questions of fact, we prefer to let General
Grant give the history of the affair himself.
"To secure the possession of this land required the co-operation of a land force, which I agreed to furnish. Immediately
commenced the assemblage in Hampton Roads, under Admiral D. D. Porter, of the most formidable armada ever collected for concentration upon one given point. This necessarily attracted the attention of the enemy, as well as that
6f the loyal North; and through the imprudence of the
public press, and very likely of officers of both branches of
service, the exact object ofthe expedition became a subject
of common discussion in the newspapers both North and




ï~~548

BUTLER'S ORDERS.

South.    The enemy, thus warned prepared to meet it.       This
caused a postponement of the expedition until the latter
part of November, when, being again called upon by Hon.
G. V. Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, I agreed to
furnish the men required at once, and went myself, in company with Major-General Butler, to Hampton Roads, where
we had a conference with Admiral Porter as to the force required and the time of starting. A force of six thousand,
five hundred men was regarded as sufficient. The time of
starting was not definitely arranged, but it was thought all
would be ready by the 6th of December, if not before.
Learning on the 30th of November that Bragg had gone to
Georgia, taking with him most of the forces about Wilmington, I deemed it of the utmost importance that the expedition should reach its destination before the return of Bragg,
and directed General Butler to make all arrangements for
the departure of Major-General Weitzel, who had been designated to command the land forces, so that the navy might
not be detained one moment.
"On the 6th of December the following instructions were
given:
"CITY POINT, Va., Dec. 6, 1864.
"GENERAL:-The first object of the expedition under General Weitzel is to
close to the enemy the port of Wilmington. If successful in this, the
second will be to capture Wilmington itself. There are reasonable grounds
to hope for success, if advantage can be taken of the absence of the greater
part of the enemy's forces now looking after Sherman in Georgia. The directions you have given for the numbers and equipment of the expedition
are all right except in the unimportant matter of where they embark, and the
amount of intrenching tools to be taken. The object of the expedition will
be gained by effecting a landing on the main land between Cape Fear River
and the Atlantic, north of the north entrance to the river. Should such
landing be effected whilst the enemy still holds Fort Fisher and the batteries
guarding the entrance to the river, then the troops should intrench themselves, and, by co-operating with the navy, effect the reduction and capture
of those places. These in our hands, the navy could enter the harbor, and
the port of Wilmington would be sealed. Should Fort Fisher and the point
of land on which it is built fall into the lands of our troops immediately on
landing, then it will be worth the attempt to capture Wilmington by a




ï~~GRANT ON BUTLER.

549

forced march and surprise. If time is consumed in gaining the first object
of the expedition, the second will become a matter of after consideration.
"The details for execution are intrusted to you and the officer immediately
in command of the troops.
"Should the troops under General Weitzel fail to effect a landing at or
near Fort Fisher they will be returned to the armies operating against Richmond without delay.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.
Major General B. F. Butler.
"General Butler commanding the army from which the
troops were taken for this enterprise, and the territory
within which they were to operate, military courtesy required that all orders and instructions should go through
him.   They were so sent; but General Weitzel has since
officially informed me that he never received the foregoing
instructions, nor was he aware of their existence until he read
General Butler's published official report of the Fort Fisher
failure, with my endorsement and papers accompanying it.
I had no idea of General Butler's accompanying the expedition until the evening before it got off from Bermuda Hundred, and then did not dream but that General Weitzel had
received all the instructions, and would be in command. I
rather formed the idea that General Butler was actuated by
a desire to witness the effect of the explosion of the powder-boat. The expedition was detained several days at
Hampton Roads, awaiting the loading of the powder-boat.
"The importance of getting the Wilmington expedition
off without any delay, with or without the powder-boat, had
been urged upon General Butler, and he advised' to so notify
Admiral Porter.
"The expedition finally got off on the 13th of December,
and arrived at the place of rendezvous, off New Inlet, near
Fort Fisher, on the evening of the 15th.    Admiral Porter
arrived on the evening of the 18th, having put in at Beaufort to get ammunition for the monitors. The sea becoming
rough, making it difficult to land troops, and the supply of




ï~~550

BUTLER'S POWDER-BOAT.

water and coal being about exhausted, the transport fleet
put back to Beaufort to replenish; this, with the state of the
weather, delayed the return to the place of rendezvous until
the 24th. The powder-boat was exploded on the morning
of the 24th, before the return of General Butler from Beaufort; but it would seem from the notice taken of it in the
Southern newspapers, that the enemy were never enlightened as to the object of the explosion until they were informed by the Northern press.
"On the 25th a landing was effected without opposition,
and a reconnoissance, under Brevet Brigadier General Curtis,
pushed up toward the Fort. But before receiving a full
report of the result of this reconnoissance, General Butler,
in direct violation of the instructions given, ordered the reembarkation of the troops and the return of the expedition.
"The re-embarkation was accomplished by the morning
of the 27th."
The powder-boat was Butler's device, he having read of
the effects of the explosion of a large amount of powder in
England. It was placed under the command of Commander
A. C. Rhind, who, with Lieutenant S. W. Preston, Engineer
A. T. E. Mullen, and Acting Master's Mate Paul Boyden,
and seven men undertook the perilous task of towing it in.
Having anchored it within four hundred yards of the fort,
he set fire to the fuse that was to explode it, and, hastening back to the Wilderness, steamed away twelve miles
to avoid the effects of the explosion. The whole fleet lay
off at this safe distance. The object was to explode the
magazine of the fort, and blow it and the garrison together
into the air. It proved however quite a harmless affair,
but the bombardment that followed was one of the most
terrific ever witnessed.
The fleet of Porter consisted of seventy-three vessels,
carrying in all six hundred and fifty-five guns, some of them




ï~~A GUNBOAT SUNK.

551

of the largest calibre. For two days it was kept up, completely silencing the fort, which Porter insists could easily
have been taken by a man of any enterprise.
There. is one short sentence in Grant's report, which for
keen sarcasm, and quiet humor cannot be surpassed. In
speaking of his ignorance that Butler was to command the
expedition he says, " I had rather formed the idea that General Butler was actuated by a desire to witness the effect of the
explosion of the powder-boat."
This ended the extraordinary military career of General
Butler, for soon after he was superseded by Ord.
As a co-operative movement in this expedition, General
Palmer sent off a force from Plymouth, which proceeded
up the Roanoke River beyond Jamestown, but not being
sustained by the gunboats that were kept back by the torpedoes in the river, it effected nothing of importance. In
the fore part of the month the gunboat Otsego was sunk in
the river by one of these torpedoes.
65




ï~~CHAPTER XXXIX.

JANUARY, 1865.
GUERRILLAS-PEACE RUMORS-RELIEF FOR THE DESTITUTE IN SAVANNAHGRANT PLANS A SECOND EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT FISHER-TERRY COMMANDS IT-THE BOMBARDMENT-THE ASSAULT AND VICTORY-EVACUATION
OF OTHER FORTS IN THE VICINITY-THOMAS ARMY BROKEN UP-SMITH'S
COMMAND SENT TO JOIN CANBY-SCHOFIELD S CORPS ORDERED EASTNORTH CAROLINA MADE A SEPARATE MILITARY DEPARTMENT-NARROW ESCAPE OF TIHE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-PEACE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED
BY DAVIS-THEIR INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY OF
STATE-EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS-SOUTHERN PRISON LIFE-INHUMANITY
OF THE SOUTH-ANDERSONVILLE PRISON-CAPTAIN WIRZ2 THE COMMANDANT, TRIED AT WASHINGTON AND HUNG.
HE beginning of the year 1865 exhibited no active milS  itary movements in any part of the country.      Guerrillas still swarmed in Kentucky, and other border Statesthe steamer Venango was burned by them, on the Mississippi, and the more desperate the cause of the Confederacy
became, the more vindictive and ferocious seemed their
conduct.
Peace rumors were afloat, which acquired importance
from the repeated visits of Francis P. Blair, Senior, to Richmond.
The destitution of the people of Savannah, called forth
the sympathies of the citizens of New York, and provisions and supplies, of various kinds, were furnished for their
relief.
But under all this apparent quietness, the most important
preparations were going on. Not only was Sherman getting
ready for his northern march, but Grant, indignant at the
failure of the expedition against Fort Fisher, was quietly




ï~~A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE..

553

preparing for a second and more serious attempt to capture
it. His movements were all so secretly made, that the public journals got no hint of his intentions until his work was
accomplished.
Still, we must confess that we cannot see the wisdom of
this second expedition. When Sherman reached Savannah,
Grant directed him to place his army on transports and join
him at City Point, in order to aid him in his projected operations against Riichmond. But after the defeat of Hood by
Thomas, he changed his plans, and wrote to Sherman, asking him what, under the circumstances, he thought it best
to do. The latter replied, that he would, at once, come to
him by sea if he desired, but that he had expected to march
to Columbia, South Carolina, and thence to Raleigh, where
he would report to him.
Grant says:-" The confidence he manifested in this letter
of being able to march up and join me, pleased me, and,
without waiting for a reply to my letter of the 18th, I directed him, on the 28th of December, to make preparations to
start, as he proposed, without delay, to break up the railroads in North and South Carolina, and join the armies operating against Richmond as soon as he could."
Now, this order was sent the day after the re-embarkation
of the troops that, under the first expedition, were to assault
Fort Fisher. Hence, Grant was perfectly aware of Sherman's plan to march north to Raleigh, and was so confident
of its practicability that he approved of it. But he also
knew that if Sherman succeeded in carrying out that plan,
Fort Fisher and Wilmington would fall of themselves. No
one knew better than he, that the enemy could no more
hold Wilmington, with Sherman marching on Raleigh or
Goldsboro', than he could Charleston, with him marching on
Columbia.
Before he reached even Fayetteville,.these places would




ï~~554

TERRY'S EXPEDITION.

be evacuated, or the garrisons hopelessly cut off; hence, to
our apprehension, it would have been just as wise to have
sacrificed the lives of our soldiers in an attack on Charleston, at this time, as on Wilmington. A glance at the map
will make this plain, and any one will see that nothing between Sherman's line of march and the sea could be held by
the rebels.
The original plan of attempting to capture Fort Fisher
was not Grant's, but it having failed, he determined that it
should be carried out. Taking the same troops that Butler
had, with the addition of only a small brigade numbering
about fifteen hundred men, he placed them under General
Terry, also a civilian Commander, with orders similar to
those which he had given to the former, or rather to Weitzel. In neither case did he direct that an assault on the fort
should be made-he left this entirely "to the discretion of
the commanding officer."
The expedition sailed from Fortress Monroe on the 6th
of January, "arriving on the rendezvous off Beaufort on the
8th, where, owing to the difficulties of the weather, it lay
until the morning of the 12th, when it got under way, and
reached its destination that evening." The next morning,
the disembarkation of the troops commenced, and by three
o'clock was completed without loss. The next day a reconnoissance was made to within five hundred yards of the fort,
"and a small advance work taken possession of, and turned
into a defensive line against any attempt that might be made
from the fort."
The third day, Sunday, was fixed upon for the assault,
but, in the meantime, the fleet had kept up a terrible fire
upon the fort. It attacked in three columns. The first, led
by the Brooklyn, numbered one hundred and sixteen guns;
the second, by the Minnesota, one hundred and seventy-six
guns; while the third, composed of gunboats, numbered




ï~~ASSAULT ON FORT FISHER.

555

one hundred and twenty-three-in all, over four hundred
guns, that played with fearful precision on the hostile works.
When the firing was most rapid, shells fell at the rate of four
every second.
Under this horrible fire, guns were dismounted, embrasures blown open, and traverses disappeared with amazing
rapidity.
A force of marines and sailors, numbering about two
thousand, was to assault from the sea-side, at the same time
that the columns of Terry advanced from the land-side. For
three hours previous to the assault, the four hundred guns
of the fleet were worked to their utmost capacity, till the
ponderous shells fell thick as hailstones from heaven, on the
doomed fort-driving the garrison to the casemates. The
parapets were twenty-five feet thick, and twenty feet high,
and surrounded by a strong palisade. About two hundred
yards in advance of this, was strung a line of torpedoes,
eighty-five feet apart-each one containing a hundred pounds
of powder, and all connected by wires. Fortunately, the
shells from the fleet had cut the wires leading to those that
lay in the path of the assaulting columns. The shells, also,
broke down a part of the palisade, so that they had almost
a clear sweep to the ramparts-though in some places they
had to be cut away or beaten down.
At length, every thing being ready, at three o'clock the
signal was given, and the three brigades-the first led by
Curtis, the second by Pennypacker, and the third by Belldashed forward, following one another about three hundred
yards apart, making, in their final rush, for the west end on
the land-side. As they started, Porter ran up his signal
which set all the steam-whistles shrieking. This was the
signal to change the fire of the fleet from the fort, and concentrate it on the batteries to the left and above, to avoid
hitting our own troops.   The smoke hanging over the




ï~~556

THE VICTORY.

mighty armada, out of which arose the shriek of countless
steam-whistles, and came incessant explosions too quick to
count-the volcano that opened from the fort, as with loud
cheers those gallant brigades drove on, combined to make
that Sabbath afternoon one of the most terrific the earth
ever, witnessed. On the sea-side, the marines and sailors
dashed gallantly forward, but were swept like chaff before
the wind, from the ramparts. Terry's troops, however,
boldly mounted those in their front, when a fearful hand to
hand conflict followed. Soon the high parapets swallowed
up the combatants, but the work of death went on within.
Shouts and curses, mingled with volleys of musketry, made
the interior of that fort a pandemonium-but our troops, bent
on victory, won their way steadily from traverse to traverse
in spite of the desperate opposition of the enemy.
The wintry sun went down on the strange scene, and
darkness closed around the combatants. Fighting in the
fitful light of the flashes of musketry, and of the flaming
shells streaking the sky above them, they drove the garrison
back step by step, until at last, at half past nine the fort was
cleared. A long, loud shout arose from the bosom of the
bloody and trampled works, and then Terry's signal torches
flamed from the summit, announcing to Porter that the place
was won. The firing ceased, and rockets were immediately
sent up from the flagship, signaling to the fleet the glorious
news, when cheer after cheer rung over the water, ship
answering ship in the darkness-the shouts being echoed
back from the fort, till land and sea shook with the wild
huzzas. About midnight, General Whitney, and Colonel
Lamb, the Commanders, with the garrison, eighteen hundred
in number, surrendered. Seventy-three guns fell into our
hands, besides the camp equipage and stores.
Our loss was six hundred and forty-six in killed and
wounded, while that of the enemy was only four hundred.




ï~~A NARROW ESCAPE.

557

Unfortunately, in the morning the magazine blew up, killing
and wounding several hundred more. Among our officers
who fell in the assault were Colonels Bell and Moore, and
Lieutenant Colonel Lyman, killed, and Colonels Curtis, Pennypacker and Lieutenant Colonel Coan, wounded. In the fleet
the loss of which in the assault was about two hundred,
Lieutenants Preston and Porter were killed, and Lamson and
Bache, wounded. The other forts in the vicinity, one after another, with eighty-three cannon now fell into our hands, the
garrisons retiring to Wilmington.
In the meantime Thomas' army being no longer needed
in Tennessee, was broken up; and A. J. Smith's command,
with a division of cavalry, ordered to report to General
Canby, while Schofield's Corps was brought east and sent to
Fort Fisher, and Newbern. North Carolina was created a
separate military department, and placed under the latter,
with orders to report to General Sherman.
But while we were rejoicing in our victories on the Cape
Fear River, a disaster came very near befalling the Army
of the Potomac, that would speedily have wiped out its
remembrance. Knowing that our war vessels were nearly
all away at the former place, the rebels on the night of the
24th sent four iron-clads down the James River, with the intention of severing the armies on the two sides of the stream,
and, reaching City Point to destroy the communications of
the army. A heavy rebel force in the meantime, was
massed north of the James, to fall on our army there the moment success was announced. The signal of this was to be the
burning of.a high tower at City Point, erected by us for the
purpose of overlooking the enemy's lines. The iron-clads
broke through the obstructions at Dutch Gap canal-passed
Fort Brady-drove back the only vessel we had stationed
in the river, and bid fair to reach City Point. The utmost




ï~~558

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

consternation prevailed along our lines, and officers were
seen galloping.off in every direction. Fortunately the
vessels grounded and one of them was blown up, and the other
destroyed-so that the well-laid scheme totally failed.
In the Court of Inquiry summoned to investigate this
affair, every officer but General Grant that was examined
as a witness, testified, that had the rebel iron-clads reached
City Point, the siege of Petersburg and Richmond would
have been raised, as not another pound of provisions could
have been got to the army. Grant, on the contrary, said he
had provisions enough on hand, that with great economy
might last two weeks, and he thought in that time the Government would have succeeded in re-opening his communications. Thus it will be seen even on Grant's testimony, that
his salvation would have depended alone on outside help, and
not on any thing that he could do. The country never
dreamed how narrow was our escape, and how much depended on a few, more or less inches of water.
The close of the month was made memorable by the arrival at Fortress Monroe of Alexander H. Stevens, Vice
President of the Confederacy, R. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia
and J. A. Campbell, of Alabama, as Peace Commissioners
from  Jefferson Davis.  President Lincoln and Secretary
Seward met them two or three days after, on board a
steamer, and had an informal interview. The rebel commissioners wished a postponement of the question of sepation, and proposed a cessation of hostilities and the resumption of intercourse between the two sections, to see what
time and the subsidence of passion might effect. But Mr.
Lincoln mildly yet firmly insisted on a complete restoration
of the national authority every where, as the first condition
to a cessation of hostilities, and hence the interview broke
up without any beneficial results.




ï~~EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.

559

Nothing awakened more indignation at the North in the
progress of the war than the treatment of our prisoners by
the South, which during this Winter reached its climax. As
stated in the previous volume, for more than a year after the
war commenced we would consent to no cartel with the
rebels, as it recognized them as belligerents-but finally, in
the Summer of 1862 one was agreed upon, in which it. was
stipulated that prisoners should be exchanged man for man,
and the excess, on either side, be paroled until regularly
exchanged.
At that time the balance was greatly against us, and
hence the cartel worked in our favor. But the introduction
of colored regiments into our army, the soldiers of which the
rebel authorities refused to place on the same footing as
white ones, brought on an acrimonious correspondence
between the Commissioners, Meredith and Ould; the latter
insisting that the provisions of the original cartel should be
carried out, and exchanges resumed, and the other refusing
to consent to any exchange unless stipulations were made in
regard to the colored soldiers. Besides, the prisoners captured at Vicksburg and Port Hudson, had turned the balance in our favor by nearly thirty thousand, whom we were
afraid to release on parole, having no confidence in the good
faith of the Confederate Government. Hence, no regular
system of exchanges could be agreed upon. General Butler endeavored, while commanding at Fortress Montroe, to
establish one, but failed.
At length, the whole subject assumed a character disgraceful to both Governments. The rebel Government had
so treated Union prisoners that they were utterly worthless
for active service, if exchanged, while it was sadly in need
of soldiers for its rapidly diminishing army, and hence proposed to exchange officer for officer, and man for man, as
far as it could be done. To this proposition, our Commis



ï~~560

TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS.

sioner refused to accede, giving various reasons for his refusal, but they failed to satisfy the people who were becoming
clamorous on the subject.
The real fact was, the Secretary of War saw that while
we could raise an indefinite number of men, the South was
exhausted, and he had no idea of reinforcing its armies with
thirty or forty thousand able-bodied men, and getting in return the same number of emaciated, half-starved, enfeebled
soldiers, that would not be fit for duty till the war was over,
if ever. His motives, unquestionably, were right, and he
thought that he was doing his country a service by keeping
the rebel army reduced in this way. Doubtless, too, he
thought this course would be a saving of life in the end, but
it was cruel as the grave.
There are certain things to be done and to be left undone,
without regard to consequences. A ruler may think it the
quickest way to end a war, to massacre all the young men
fit to bear arms, that he can capture, but the end sought to
be obtained can never justify the use of such means. A
powerful nation, in war with a weaker one, might think that
the shortest way to end the struggle, would be to hoist the
black flag and give no quarter, and judge rightly, too; but
the whole civilized world would cry out against the barbarous
act. And yet these measures have their excuses, but no
course can be justified, that, for a probable good, allows
brave soldiers, who have nobly struggled to sustain their
Government, to languish and die in prison.
There is no class of men, whose interests and welfare
should be so dear to the Government, as its soldiers captured in battle. So the country felt, and the pressure became at length so great on the Administration, that it was
compelled to turn over the whole matter to General Grant.
With his strong, practical common sense, and his love of the




ï~~SOUTHERN CRUELTY.

561

soldier, he did not long hesitate respecting the course he
ought to adopt.. Not the injustice and wickedness of the South, nor the
advantages that might accrue to it, could deter him from
acting humanely to our own soldiers, and exchanging man
for man as long as it could be done.
The exchange of prisoners, under his wise administration,
became very active, and as the emaciated, dying, half-idiotic
forms of humanity, that had once been brave American
soldiers, reached our lines, the barbaric, diabolical system
practised in Southern prisons became painfully apparent.
It was vain for the rebel authorities to say that their own
soldiers lacked food, and that the inhabitants were starving,
and that our prisoners only shared the common fate. Making
all due allowance for the scarcity of provisions in the South,
the treatment of our prisoners indicated a depth of moral
degradation and a savage hate, that will be a disgrace to
Southern civilization as long as time endures. If such inhumanity and fiendish cruelty were the result of Slavery, it
would need no deeper damnation.
We cannot go over the sickening details of Southern
prison-life.  Men left to perish with the scurvy-slowly
eaten up with maggots-shot without excuse, and tortured,
apparently, for mere love of cruelty, make up a picture from
which the heart of any but a Fejee would turn with loathing and abhorrence.
The principal prisons, South, were Andersonville and Millen, Georgia; Columbia, Florence, and Charleston, South
Carolina; Tyler, Texas; Salisbury, North Carolina; Cahawba, Alabama; Danville, Virginia; and Libby, Pemberton, Castle Thunder,. and Belle Isle, Richmond. Of these,
Millen, Andersonville, and the Richmond prisons, were preeminent for infamous barbarity.
It is impossibllb. tell how many perished in these various




ï~~562

ANDERSONVILLE PRISON.

prisons during the war, but some have put them as high as
seventy thousand. Over ten thousand perished in Andersonville prison alone. In the latter, although the camp was
located in the immediate neighborhood of large forests, the
captives were allowed no shelter, and the sick groaned out
their lives on the bare ground. The treatment was not the
same at every period during the war, nor the same in all
the prisons, but at Andersonville, the record of every day
and month was one of horrors. Here some twenty acres
were inclosed by a stockade, with a swamp in the centre,
where, at times, thirty thousand Union prisoners were confined. This space was dotted with holes dug by the prisoners to obtain a place of shelter. American soldiers and citizens were here compelled by their former fellow-citizens, to
burrow like wild animals in the earth.
The horrors and sufferings of this mundane hell were such
that some went mad and roamed about in helpless idiocy;
others deliberately walked across the dead-line, as it was
called, to be shot, and so get rid of their misery. Those who
attempted to escape were hunted with blood-hounds or shot
down. Many of the efforts put forth by these men to keep
up their spirits, and brace them to endure their sufferings,
were most pitiful.
The rebel officers sought to take advantage of their sufferings and make them enlist in the Confederate army, but in
most cases without success. The brave fellows, though
utterly prostrated in strength and spirits, still refused to
betray the flag under which they had fought-and so died,
unknown and unsung, yet noble martyrs for their country.
The rebel surgeons were, in most cases, humane, and remonstrated with the authorities against the cruelties perpetrated on Union prisoners.
Those who wish to read the heart-rending details of
Southern prison-life, will find them at length in the account




ï~~A CRUEL POLICY.                   563
of the trial of Captain Wirz, who was in immediate command of Andersonville prison. This wretch, who, we are
glad to know, was not born in this country, was arraigned
soon after the close of the war, before a military commission
in Washington, tried, convicted and hung.
There is no language too strong to express the enormity
of the guilt of the Southern authorities. On the other hand,
there can be no justification of a policy, on our part, that
would permit tens of thousands of brave soldiers to perish
under untold sufferings, when they might have been saved.
If the principle, laid down by Mr. Lincoln, and given on a
former page, had been carried out, a greater part of this
misery might have been prevented.




ï~~CHAPTER XL.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1865.
THE RIGHT WING OF SHERMAN'S ARMY THREATENS CHARLESTON-THE LEFT
AUGUSTA-THE ARMY DELAYED BY HEAVY FLOODS-KILPATRICK' S CAVALRY-FORCING OF THE SALKEHATCHIE-THE ENEMY DECEIVED, AND THEIR
FORCES HOPELESSLY SEPARATED-DESTRUCTION OF THE CHARLESTON AND
AUGUSTA RAILROAD-CAPTURE OF ORANGEBURG--CROSSING THE EDISTOCAPTURE OF COLUMBIA-BURNING OF THE CITY-DISTRESS OF THE INHABITANTS-BURNING OF WINNSBORO -CHARLOTTE}, N. C., THREATENED SHERMAN SUDDENLY STRIKES EAST FOR FAYETTEVILLE-CAPTURE OF CHERAWFALL OF CHARLESTON-JUNCTION OF THE TWO WINGS-CAPTURE OF FAYETTEVILLE-COMMUNICATIONS OPENED WITH SCHOFIELD AND TERRY-BATTLE OF AVERYSBORO'-BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE-OCCUPATION OF GOLDSBORO'-END OF THE CAMPAIGN-SHERMAN VISITS GRANT AT CITY POINTSPEEDY REFITTING OF THE ARMY.
CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS.
SHERMAN, having rested his army at Savannah and
completed his plans, began, in the middle of January,
to send off a part of his troops, in transports, to Beaufort,
preparatory to the commencement of his campaign through
the Carolinas.  But his army was not in motion until the first
of February.    It numbered about sixty-five thousand men,
and was divided into four Corps, with a train of four thousand five hundred vehicles, of all kinds, which, if stretched
in a single line, in marching order, would have extended
forty-five miles. Each Corps, however, had its own train,
which occupied a separate road so as to avoid crowding or
delay.
The news of his departure from Savannah filled the South
with alarm, and the North with solicitude       The question




ï~~SHERMAN' S PLAN.

565

was in every one's mouth, "Where next will this extraordinary man go?"    Some thought that he would first strike
Augusta, others, $Charleston. But he had a grander object
in view than the immediate capture of either of these places.
Standing in Savannah, he cast his eyes north five hundred
miles to Goldsboro', and determined to carry his gallant
army thither, right through the heart of two hostile States.
One standing by his side and looking forward on the route
the brave Chieftain had marked out for his columns, must
have been amazed at the mighty enterprise on which he was
about to enter.
One rebel army lay at Charleston, on his right, another at
Augusta, on his left-North Carolina swarmed with troops,
while every step he advanced took him nearer to Lee's
gathered forces at Richmond.   Large rivers were to be
crossed, swamps traversed, and battles fought, before he
could reach the goal of his wishes.
In organizing this campaign, Sherman resolved to make
Columbia his first objective point. To do this, without
being compelled to fight heavy battles, it was necessary to
keep the rebel armies at Charleston and Augusta divided.
United they could make the rivers successive lines of defense, which could not be carried without severe loss. He,
therefore, determined to threaten both places at the same
time, and thus keep the enemy at each in a state of suspense
and anxiety, and afraid to move in any direction. In carrying out this plan, he directed Slocum, with the left wing
and Kilpatrick's cavalry, to move up the Savannah River
and threaten Augusta, while Howard advancing from the
sea-coast, was to threaten Charleston.
By this adroit management he prevented the enemy from
doing the only thing that promised success-viz., the concentration of his forces on the line of the swampy Salkehatchie. Had this been done, and both Charleston and Au



ï~~566

SLOCUM'S WING.

gusta abandoned, Sherman would have had great trouble in
carrying out his plans-for supposing that he could, with
his superior strength, have forced this line, still the rebels,
by the central position they would occupy, could have fallen
back toward Columbia and made another stand on the Edisto.
If, on the other hand, he had attempted to outflank, as he
did, on the way from Chattanooga to Atlanta, his flanks
and trains would have been greatly exposed while crossing
the rivers. By trying to save too much, the rebel Commanders lost every thing, and that too without even the
honor of fighting for it.
The supplies for the right wing were completed at Pocataligo, and those for the left at Sister's Ferry. At the latter
place, Slocum and Kilpatrick were detained a long time by
a heavy flood in the river, which, overflowing its banks, covered all the surrounding country with water, so that the
inundated lowlands made the stream, at this point, three
miles wide.
It was an extraordinary flood, and as Slocum looked at
the spreading sea, and thought of his urgent orders to
advance without delay, he was filled with great anxiety, and
impatiently waited for the waters to subside. As soon, however, as the crossing could be commenced with any degree
of safety, he put his army in motion, and the columns, halfwaist deep in the water, moved rapidly over the inundated
fields.
When he reached solid ground, in order to make up for
lost time, he marched eighteen miles a day, though he was
constantly compelled to halt and re-bridge streams, and
remove trees that the enemy had felled across the road,
while the wintry rains made the march heavy, and the night
encampment cold and gloomy.
Kilpatrick in the meantime pushed on toward Augusta,
and by his daring advance caused all the rebel troops in the




ï~~THE SALKEHATCHIE FORCED.

567

vicinity to be concentrated there for its defense, leaving no
enemy for Slocum to encounter.
Howard moved from Pocataligo on the last day of the
month, leaving Hatch's division behind, in order to keep up
the appearance of marching on Charleston by the railroad
bridge over the Salkehatchie at that point. He found in his
march the roads obstructed by trees felled across it, and the
bridges over the swollen streams burned, but the pioneer
battalion removed the one, and rebuilt the other so quickly,
that the columns were scarcely compelled to halt.
A railroad runs across the state from Charleston to Augusta, and half way between the two stands Midway Station, lying due south from Columbia. Toward this point
Howard directed his columns. But he had first to cross the
Salkehatchie, which the rebels held in force, "having infantry and artillery intrenched at River and Beaufort
bridges." The Seventeenth Corps was ordered to carry
River bridge, and the Fifteenth Corps Beaufort bridge.
Mower and Giles A. Smith, with their divisions promptly
carried the former on the 3d of February "by crossing the
swamp, nearly three miles wide, with water varying from
knee to shoulder deep." Although the weather was bitter
cold, those two gallant Commanders led their divisions on
foot, wading the deep, chilly water side by side with the
soldiers, and making a lodgment below the bridge, drove
the rebel brigade that guarded it in terror toward Branchville. Our loss in this bold and brilliant movement was litile less than ninety.
The line of the Salkehatchie being thus broken, the rebels
could make no stand until they reached the Edisto at Branchville, a place lying some sixty miles out from Charleston.
The army then pushed rapidly for the railroad at Midway,
which it reached on the 7th, and at once began to tear it
up. The left wing under Slocum struck it farther up to66




ï~~568

CROSSING THE EDISTO.

ward Augusta, and also commenced the work of destrution. The rebel forces at Aiken and Augusta, on the one
hand, and those at Branchville and Charleston on the other,
were now hopelessly divided, and unable to act in concert.
Leaving the left wing still at work destroying the railroad, Sherman with the right moved north on Orangeburg.
The Seventeenth Corps crossed the South Fork of the
Edisto, at Binnaker's bridge, and marched straight on the
place, while the Fifteenth Corps crossed at Holman's bridge
and moved to Poplar Springs in support.
The rebel Commander had so long thought of nothing, and
labored for nothing, but to save Charleston, that he could
not be persuaded that it was not the chief object of Sherman's desires, and continued to lie behind his fortifications
at Branchville, to protect it. Still, he had caused the
bridge over the Edisto to be burned, and stationed a force
at the spot to oppose the passage of our army. Ford, with
the advance division, as he approached the burned bridge,
was saluted with a heavy fire of artillery, which arrested his
progress. Lower down, however, by wading to the armpits,
and often swimming, the men succeeded in launching four
pontoon boats into the water, and just as the moon was
rising, the division was got across, which, pouncing upon
the astonished rebels in flank, scattered them in confusion
through the moonlit woods. For fifteeen miles along this
river the spread-out army made demonstrations at different
points, so that the scattered enemy could do very little in
opposing the passage, except by skirmishing.
The rebel force in Orangeburg now fled north to Columbia, and this place, with a population of three thousand,
fell into our hands. A conflagration, however, was raging
at the time, which the soldiers, under the orders of Howard
and Sherman, labored hard to extinguish. The place was
set on fire by a Jew, in revenge for fifty bales of cotton




ï~~COLUMBIA REACHED.

569

belonging to him, and destroyed by the rebels. The negro
pioneers here ran riot among the ornamented grounds of the
wealthy citizens. Sherman says: "Blair was ordered to destroy the railroad effectually up to Lewisville, and to push the
enemy across the Congaree, and force him to burn the bridges,
which he did on the 14th, and, without wasting time or
labor on Branchville or Charleston, which I knew the enemy
could no longer hold, I turned all the columns straight on
Columbia." The left wing swept on in the same direction,
farther to the west, over the Edisto, and across swamps and
streams; straight through the heart of the proud, rebellious
State, the mighty columns moved with resistless power, till
on the 16th, Howard drew up on the banks of the Saluda,
in front of Columbia. An hour later the head of the advance column of the left wing appeared on the shore of the
same stream, farther to the west, and the Capital of South
Carolina lay under our guns. The Mayor surrendered the
city, and Sherman, in anticipation of it, says: "I had made
written orders to General Howard, touching the conduct of
the troops. These were to destroy absolutely all arsenals and
public property not needed for our own use, as well as all
railroads, depots, and machinery useful in war to an enemy,
but to spare all dwellings, colleges, schools, asylums, and
harmless private property. I was the first to cross the pontoon bridge, and in company with General Howard, rode
into the city. The day was clear, but a perfect tempest of
wind was raging. The brigade of Colonel Stone was already in the city, and properly posted. Citizens and soldiers were on the streets and general good order prevailed.
General Wade Hampton, who commanded the Confederate
rear-guard of cavalry, had in anticipation of our capture of
Columbia, ordered that all cotton, public and private,
should be moved into the streets and fired, to prevent our
making use of it. Bales were piled every where, the rope




ï~~570

BURNING OF THE CAPITAL.

and bagging cut, and tufts of cotton were blown about in
the wind, lodged in the trees and against houses, so as to
resemble a snow storm. Some of these piles of cotton were
burning, especially one in the very heart of the city, near
the Court-House, but the fire was partially subdued by the
labor of our soldiers." It must be remembered that the
army did not enter Columbia. The Fifteenth Corps alone
marched through, and encamped beyond on the Camden
road. The Seventeenth did not enter the place at all, while
the entire left wing and cavalry did not come within two
miles of it. A single brigade was placed within it on duty.
Sherman says:" Before one single public building had been
fired by order, the smouldering fires set by Hampton's order
were rekindled by the wind, and communicated to the buildings around. About dark they began to spread, and got beyond the control of the brigade on duty within the city.
The whole of Wood's division was brought in, but it was
found impossible to check the flames, which by midnight
had become unmanagable, and raged until about four A. M.,
when, the wind subsiding, they were got under control. I
was up nearly all night, and saw Generals Howard, Logan
and Wood, and others, laboring to save houses and to protect families, thus suddenly deprived of shelter, and of bedding, and. wearing apparel. I disclaim on the part of my
army, any agency in this fire, but, on the contrary, claim
that we saved what of Columbia remains unconsumed."
He acknowledges, what any one acquainted with armies,
would know must be inevitable-that, while the officers
and men worked hard to extinguish the flames, "others
not on duty, including the officers who had long been imprisoned there, rescued by me, may have assisted in spreading the fire, after it had begun, and may have indulged in
unconcealed joy to see the ruin of the Capital of South
Carolina."




ï~~PILLAGING PARTIES.

571

All know what soldiers and released prisoners will do in a
burning city, whether set on fire by friend or foe. The lawless and vindictive, and mercenary, will help to swell the
conflagration, and add plunder and cruelty to the destruction caused by the flames. Hence those familiar with the
history of invading armies will be prepared for the follow
ing description of an officer who was an eye-witness:
"Pillaging gangs soon fired the heart of the town, then
entered the houses, in many instances carrying off articles
of value. The flame soon burst out in all parts of the city,
and the streets were quickly crowded with helpless women
and children, some in their night-clothes. Agonized mothers, seeking their children, all affrighted and terrified, were
rushing, on all sides, from the raging flames and falling
houses. Invalids had to be dragged from their beds, and
lay exposed to the flames and smoke that swept the streets,
or to the cold of the open air in back yards.
"The scene at the convent was a sad one indeed. The
fames were fast encompassing the convent, and the sisters
and about sixty terrified young ladies huddled together on
the streets. Some of these had come from the North, previous to the war, for their education, and were not able to return. The superioress of the convent had educated General
Sherman's daughter, Minnie. He had assigned them a special guard of six men; so they felt secure, and were totally
unprepared for the dreadful scene that ensued.   Some
Christian people formed a guard around this agonized group
of ladies, and conducted them to the Park.
"I trust I shall never witness such a scene again drunken
soldiers, rushing from house to house, emptying them of
their valuables, and then firing them; negroes carrying off
piles of booty, and grinning at the good chance, and exulting, like so many demons; officers and men reveling on the




ï~~572

A SAD SPECTACLE.

wines and liquors, until the burning houses buried them in
their drunken orgies.
" I was fired at for trying to save an unfortunate man from
being murdered.
"The scene of desolation the city presented next morning
was fearful. That long street of rich stores, the fine hotels,
the court-houses, the extensive convent buildings, and last
the old Capitol, where the order of secession was passed,
with its fine library and State archives, were all in one heap
of unsightly ruins and rubbish. Splendid private residences,
lovely cottages, with their beautiful gardens, and the stately
rows of shade trees, were all withered into ashes.
"The ruins alone, without the evidences of human misery
that every-where met the view, were enough to inspire one
with feelings of deep melancholy.
"Here was desolation heightened by the agonized misery
of human sufferings.
"There lay the city wrapped in her own shroud-the tall
chimneys and blackened trunks of trees looking like so
many sepulchral monuments, and the woe-stricken people,
that listlessly wandered about the street, her pallid mourners.
"Old and young moved about seemingly without a purpose. Some mournfully contemplated the piles of rubbish,
the only remains of their late happy homesteads.
"Old men, women, and children were grouped together.
Some had piles of bedding and furniture which they saved
from the wreck; others, who were wealthy the night previous, had not now a loaf of bread to break their fast.
"Children were crying with fright and hunger; mothers
were weeping; strong men, who could not help either them
or themselves, sat bowed down, with their heads buried between their hands.
"The yards and offices of the Lunatic Asylum were
crowded with people who had fled there for protection the




ï~~DEVASTATION.

573

night previous. Its wards, too, had received new subjects,
for several had gone crazy from terror, or from having lost
their children or friends in the flames." *
Having finished his work, and leaving behind enough provisions to sustain, for some time, the homeless population
of the place, Sherman marched north toward Charlotte,
followed by a horde of negroes and refugees. The army
being spread out as much as possible, to obtain forage, it
moved over the fertile country like the locusts of Egypt.
"A garden was before them, a desert behind them."   The
steady, on-pouring columns, with their long trains, filled the
inhabitants with unbounded terror, and well they might,
for throughout the army, there reigned a feeling of intense
hatred against this traitorous, rebellious, little State--and
though plundering and violence were forbidden, in an army
spread over such a vast extent of country they could not
be prevented, and no soldier felt inclined to inform against
even a reckless camp-follower, for firing a South Carolinian's
house.
Says an officer:-"In Georgia few houses were burned;
here, few escaped; and the country was converted into one
vast bonfire. The pine forests were fired, the resin factories
were fired, the public builings and private dwellings were
fired. The middle of the finest day looked black and gloomy,
for a dense smoke arose on all sides, clouding the very
heavens. At night the tall, pine trees seemed so many huge
pillars of fire. The flames hissed and screeched, as they fed
on the fat resin and dry branches, imparting to the forests a
most fearful appearance.
" Vandalism of this kind, though not encouraged, was seldom punished. True, where every one is guilty alike, there
will be no informers; therefore the Generals knew little of
what was going on.
SCaptain Conyngham.




ï~~574

MARCHING ON FAYETTEVILLE.

" The ruined homesteads of the Palmetto State will long
be remembered. The army might safely march the darkest
night; the crackling pine woods shooting up their columns
of flame and the burning houses along the way would light
it on, while the dark clouds and pillars of smoke would safely
cover its rear."
Slocum, with the left wing, and Kilpatrick's cavalry covering his left flank, moved to Winnsboro', lying north-west
of Columbia, which the foragers set on fire before he could
arrive with his columns to prevent it.
Beauregard had fallen back on Charlotte from Columbia,
thinking that it would be the next place on which Sherman
would move. Cheatham's Corps, of Hood's old army, was
striving to make a junction with him at this place-having
marched all the way from Augusta almost parallel with Kilpatrick's cavalry.
A heavy rain storm now set in, making the roads almost
impassable, yet Sherman, for two days, pushed on toward
Charlotte-but on the 23rd the army suddenly made a grand
right-wheel, and facing the rising sun, left this place, as it
had Augusta and Charleston, far in the rear. Breasting the
pitiless storm, this noble army pushed forward toward Fayetteville-the line of march cutting the swollen rivers that a
hundred years before so obstructed Cornwallis in his pursuit
of Greene.
Kilpatrick, in the mneantime, covered this movement as
long as he could, in order to enable the army to get across
these formidable rivers without opposition. But when it was
discovered that Sherman was actually crossing the country to
Fayetteville, Hampton and Whee!er, with the rebel cavalry,
attempted to reach the place first, on which Hardee, in his
retreat from Charleston, was marching. In endeavoring to
prevent this junction, Kilpatrick undertook to hold three
roads, over any one of which he thought the enemy might




ï~~n]
Ka
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1
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ï~~


ï~~KILPATRICK SURPRISED.

575

pass. On one of them, with a small force, he lay one night,
when his camp was suddenly surprised by Hampton, and
swept like a whirlwind.
His head-quarters were carried in a twinkling, and all his
artillery captured, while he and his bold troopers were driven
into a swamp. His case now seemed hopeless, but looking
out from his hiding place, he saw that the rebels were wholly
taken up with plundering his camp, when rallying his remaining men, he charged them so suddenly and fiercely that
they were driven back in confusion. Instantly turning the
artillery on them he completed their discomfiture, and seized
with panic they fled, leaving all the captured prisoners and
artillery in his possession.
Crossing the Catawba without loss, Sherman struck for the
Pedee, at Cheraw, where the rebels made a feeble stand, but
were swept. away with a single blow, leaving twenty-five
pieces of artillery in our hands.
In the meantime the news reached the army that Charleston was evacuated, and the Union flag once more flying over
Fort Sumter.
The troops, under Hardee, commenced leaving the place
on the night of the 16th, and by next night were all gone.
At midnight, some soldiers fired the upper part of the city,
destroying the railroad depots, in which were two hundred kegs of powder, and a vast amount of cotton. The
half-starved poor of the city rushed into the burning buildings to snatch from the flames some of the rice stored in
them, when the powder exploded killing a hundred or
more.
At daylight, the rebel rams in the harbor blew up with a
terrific explosion.
The next morning, the 18th, the Mayor surrendered the
city to Gillmore, with all the surrounding forts, and the National flag floated once more over what had been the empo



ï~~576

FAYETTEVILLE REACHED.

rium of the South-now a heap of blackened ruins. Here
rebellion had been hatched fbr the purpose of degrading
that flag, and at the same time preventing all interference
with the servile condition of the black man-and behold the
result! A colored regiment, with well-set ranks, wearing the
National uniform and bearing above them that glorious flag,
marched into its streets as conquerors. Human history can
scarcely present another such a contrast, produced in the
short space of four years.
Gillmore reported four hundred and fifty pieces of cannon
captured in the various defenses of the place, before which
he had sat down in siege, five hundred and eighty-five days
before. For five hundred and forty days the city had been
under fire.
Only some ten thousand inhabitants, of the lower classes,
remained after its evacuation. Its overthrow was hailed
with unbounded delight at the North, and scarce a sigh was
heaved over its wide-spreacd desolation.
At Cheraw, the right and left wings of Sherman's army
met for the first time since leaving Savannah, and now,
together, marched on Fayetteville, which the advance columns reached on the 12th of March.
In anticipation of his arrival, he had sent trusty scouts to
Wilmington, nearly a hundred miles distant, to announce
his near approach. Our troops had entered this place about
a fortnight before. Schofield, in conjunction with Porter,
of the Navy, moved his forces up both sides of the Cape
Fear River, and advanced against Fort Anderson-the enemy's main defense on the west bank of the river-which the
garrison at once evacuated. During the following two days,
some fighting occurred, but on the 22nd of February, our
troops had possession of the place.
On the arrival of the scouts, the United States steam-tug
Davidson was started up the river, and reached Fayetteville




ï~~BATTLE OF AVERYSBORo.

577

on the same day that Sherman's columns approached it, and
was hailed by the latter with loud cheers.
A few hours later she returned with dispatches from Sherman to Terry, in command at Wilmington, and to Schofield
who had transferred his Corps to Newbern, directing them to
move at once on Goldsboro, and join him there, where he
himself expected to be in five days. He knew that he would
soon need these columns, that had been planted on the seaboard, on purpose to aid him, for he could no longer prevent
the concentration of the enemy's forces. He was aware that
Cheatham had effected a junction with Beauregard, and that
both were marching on Raleigh, and that Hardee, who had
evacuated Fayetteville at his approach, was falling back in
the same direction. These, joined by Johnston and iHoke,
with the forces from Wilmington and Newbern would make
a formidable army.
Schofield, however, had some difficulty in making his way
inland, for he was attacked on the 8th at Wise's Forks, and
driven back with severe loss. Two days after, the enemy
following up his success, attacked his intrenched position,
but was repulsed with such a heavy loss that he was compelled to retreat. On the 14th Schofield crossed the Neuse
and occupied Kinston.
The next day after this success, Sherman put his columns
in motion up tre Cape Fear River, as though his objective
point was Raleigh instead of Goldsboro on the Neuse, up
which Schofieldc was to march.
Hardee in his retreat from Fayetteville, had halted on a
narrow, swampy neck of land between Cape Fear and South
Rivers, near Averysboro, and with twenty thousand men now
occupied an intrenched position. Here Kilpatrick found him
and sent back word to Slocum. The latter, after getting his
forces well up, began to feel the enemy's lines. The ground
was so swampy that horses mired at every step, and it was




ï~~578

ATTACK ON SLOCUM.

difficult for the infantry to operate; but it was necessary that
this position should be carried-and amid torrents of rain,
and fearful gusts of wind he advanced to the attack and
drove the enemy in confusion from their works. Our loss
in the engagement was about six hundred. The rebels retreated in the night during a frightful storm, leaving one
hundred and eight dead on the field.
The next day Slocum ceased his movement on Raleigh, and
wheeling to the right, crossed South River, swollen by the
rains, and took the road to Goldsboro, whither Howard farther
to the east was marching, "wallowing along the miry roads."
On the 18th both wings were within a few miles of the
place, and Sherman, thinking there would be no more opposition to his advance, left Slocum and started across the
country to see Howard. But he had gone scarcely six miles
when he was startled by the sudden, angry roar of artillery behind him, evidently coming from the spot where
Slocum's army lay. While listening to the heavy explosions, wondering what they could mean, a staff-officer galloped up, and quieted his anxiety by saying that it was
merely an affair between Carlin's division and the rebel
cavalry, and that the latter were in full retreat. In a few
moments however, other officers arrived, who, to his surprise informed him that Slocum had suddenly found himself
confronted by the whole of Johnston's army near Bentonville. Comprehending at once the new and dangerous position of affairs, he sent back word to Slocum to stand solely
on the defensive until he could hurry up troops to his relief.
Officers immediately dashed off over the country, bearing
dispatches-one to Blair, to make a night march with his
Corps, to Falling Creek Church, and with three divisions
of the Fifteenth Corps to come up in Johnston's rear from
the direction of Cox's bridge-another to Howard, to move,
minus his wagon guard, at daylight on Bentonville.




ï~~BATTLE OF BENTONVILLE.

579

While thus engaged in dispatching his orders, other couriers arrived, from Schofield and Terry. Ordering the former to march on Goldsboro, and the latter to move to Cox's
bridge ten miles above, and establish a crossing there, he
once more gave his undivided attention to Slocum, and the
unexpected battle thus suddenly thrown upon hiin.
The latter, however, seemed to feel no uneasiness, and
choosing an admirable position, placed his artillery so as to
sweep his entire front. He then sent on Morgan's division
to establish another line about a half a mile in advance.
Against this Johnston advanced in overwhelming numbers,
and hurled it in confusion back, capturing three guns and
caissons. Slocum, seeing the heavy force opposed to him,
at once deployed the two divisions of the Fourteenth Corps,
General Davis, and hurried forward at their utmost speed
the two divisions of the Twentieth Corps, General Williams.
A line of barricades was hastily prepared, and the whole
force put strictly on the defensive. In the meantime Kilpatrick aroused by the thunder of artillery, came dashing
down the roads and massed his squadrons on the left. It
was now four o'clock in the afternoon, and Slocum had
hardly got every thing ready when the enemy came on in
one of their dashing, impetuous charges. In three massive
columns, they swept up to his frail barricades, and threatened by mere weight of numbers to carry every thing before them. Mowed down by our batteries, and the deliberate deadly volleys of the infantry, the first column recoiled,
when the second, undaunted by the repulse of the first,
charged with a cheer. But right in its path stood Davis'
Corps-that won such immortal honor on the bloody field of
Chickamauga-and stopped it with one terrible blow. The
whole fury of the attack spent itself in less than an hour,
and yet in that time the enemy had made six successive assaults, and in the last charge broke Slocum's line, but it




ï~~580

RETREAT OF JOHNSTON.

quickly rallied, and charging in turn, drove him back. So
close and desperate was the combat that many of the rebel
dead lay within our lines, and even around the head-quarters of the Generals.
That night Slocum got up his wagon train, Wvith its guard
of two divisions, and the gallant IHazen's division, with
which reinforcements he felt able to hold his ground, although Johnston, with Hoke's, Cheatham's and Hardee's
Corps, greatly outnumbered him. The next day, Howard
came up and connected.with his left. Sherman now had
his invincible army well in hand and presenting a strong
line of battle in front of the enemy's intrenched position.
Johnston had concentrated his forces rapidly, intending to
catch the army divided, and break it up in detail. Instead
of that, he suddenly found it all together, and boldly confronting him in his works. It was not, however, Sherman's
wish to bring on a battle here, unless every thing was in his
favor, and so he contented himself with pressing forward
the skirmishers, and playing with his batteries on the woods
in which the enemy lay, and threatening his strongly protected flanks.
This was the state of things on the 21st of March; on
which day Schofield entered Goldshoro', and Terry got possession of the Neuse River at Cox's bridge, ten miles above,
with a pontoon bridge across, and one brigade over. It
was a stormy day, and the rain fell in torrents, yet during it
Mower managed to work well around the enemy's flank, to
the right, and nearly reached Mill Creek bridge-the only
line of his retreat. "A noisy battle," as Sherman termed
it, followed, and in the night Johnston retreated. Our total
loss was sixteen hundred and forty-six.
Directing Howard, with the cavalry, to remain next day
on the field and bury the dead, he gave orders for the troops
to move to the various camps assigned them around Golds,




ï~~A GREAT MARCH.

581

boro'. After visiting Terry, at Cox's bridge, he rode into
the town, where he found Schofield already arrived.
The campaign was now ended, for he had reached the
point for which he had started the Autumn before. But
what an astonishing march it had been! A desolate tract of
country, forty miles wide, and between two and three hundred miles long, across the State of Georgia, and one
equally wide, and far more desolate, for nearly five hundred
miles, from Savannah to the heart of North Carolina, marked
its line of progress.
Sherman now turned over his army to Schofield, and hastened to City Point to consult with Grant respecting the
next move to be made. Here he also met the President,
who welcomed him with great cordiality.
In the meantime, Quarter-master Meigs came down, and
in a fortnight supplied twenty thousand men with shoes, and
one hundred thousand with clothing, and every thing necessary for entering on another campaign.




ï~~CHAPTER XLI.
FEBRUARY--APRIL, 1865.
1 YERVIEW BETWEEN GRANT AND SHERMAN-REVIEW OF THE MILITARY FIELD
-CANBY'S PREPARATIONS AGAINST MOBILE-STONEMAN'S ADVANCE FROM
EAST TENNESSEE-CAVALRY RAID FROM VICKSBURG--ANOTHER FROM EASTPORTI, MISSISSIPPI-SHERIDAN'S RAID UP THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND
ROUND RICHMOND TO THE WHITE HOUSE-HE REACHES THE ARMY OF THE
POTOMAC THE SAME DAY AS SHERMAN-GRANT'S PLAN TO MIOVE AROUND
THE REBEL RIGHT FLANK-REBEL ATTACK ON FORT STEADMAN-SHERMAN
RETURNS TO HIS ARMY-GRANT BEGINS HIS MOVEMENT-UNEXPECTED
SUCCESS-BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS-GRAND ASSAULT OF THE ENEMY S LINES
-EVACUATION OF PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND-LEE RETREATS TOWARD
DANVILLE-THE PURSUIT-LINCOLN AND DAVIS ON TIE DAY OF THE BATTLE-WEITZEL ENTERS RICHMOND-THE CITY FIRED BY THE REBELS-LEE
HARD PRESSED-HIS RETREAT CUT OFF-GRANT DEMANDS HIS SURRENDER
-THE CORRESPONDENCE-THE CAPITULATION-SURRENDER OF THE TROOPS
OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA-JOY OF THE NORTH OVER THE VICTORY.
THE interview between Grant and Sherman was one of
intense interest. The subject of the consultation was
no less than the manner in which the death blow should be
given to the rebellion, for the final, decisive hour both believed to be near at hand. Still, a mistake on their part at
this juncture might prove fatal-while a wise move in the
right direction would bring complete triumph. The stake
for which they were to throw, was this Great Republic, and
they might well ponder on the threshold of such a momentous event.
Sherman from the 1st of February had been locked up in
the heart of the enemy's country, and hence knew but imperfectly, either what Grant had done, or intended to" do;




ï~~STONEMAN AND CANBY.

583

but now the military map was spread out before him, and
the field of operations, both past and present, unfolded and
explained.
First, as he was starting from Savannah, Grant had directed Thomas to send General Stoneman from East Tennessee, down into South Carolina, with a cavalry force to destroy the railroads, and military resources of the country.
But before he could get away, Sherman was well-nigh
across the State doing that work himself. Grant, therefore,
on the last of February, ordered Thomas to send him, instead, with four or five thousand cavalry east, to destroy the
railroad toward Lynchburg, in which work he was now engaged. At this time Canby was preparing a movement
from Mobile Bay against Mobile, and Thomas was directed,
in order to make a diversion in his favor, to send a cavalry
force, ten thousand strong, from Eastport, Mississippi, deep
into Alabama. In the meantime another body, seven or
eight thousand strong, was to move east from Vicksburg for
the same purpose. These movements, Grant thought, with
the work done in South Carolina, were " all that would be
wanted to leave nothing for the rebellion to stand on."
Sheridan, in the meantime had completed his raid from
the Shenandoah Valley. On the 20th of February, Grant
telegraphed to him to take a cavalry force as soon as the
roads could be traveled and advance on Lynchburg, and after
destroying the railroad and canal near it, to push on if practicable, and join Sherman who was inferior to the enemy in
cavalry, and might be in great need of reinforcements to
this arm.
On the 27th of the month, with two divisions of cavalry
-in all ten thousand men-he left Winchester, and by a
rapid movement succeeded, two days after, in securing the
bridge across the middle fork of the Shenandoah at Mount
Crawford, and the next day entered Staunton. The rebel
67




ï~~584

SHERIDAN'S RAID.

troops in the Valley as before stated, had mostly been withdrawn to reinforce Lee at Richmond, yet Early was still
here with a moderate force, and on the approach of Sheridan fell back to Waynesboro and intrenched. The latter
pushed rapidly on after him, and arriving in front of his
works, without waiting even for a reconnoissance, ordered
the bugles to sound the charge. With a rush and a hurrah
the bold riders dashed over every obstacle and carried the
position like a whirlwind, capturing sixteen hundred prisoners, eleven pieces of artillery, with horses and caissons complete, two hundred loaded wagons and teams, and seventeen
battle flags.
Sending the prisoners back under an escort to Winchester, he moved on to Charlottesville, destroying the railroad
and bridges as he advanced. Reaching this place on the
3d, he halted two days to break up the railroad and bridges
toward Lynchburg and Richmond, and to wait for the arrival of his trains. This delay gave the enemy at Lynchburg time to prepare for his approach, and he abandoned the
design of capturing it.
On the 6th, he again put his force in motion, dividing it
into two columns; one of which marched to Scottsville, from
whence it moved up the James River to New Market, destroying the locks, and in many places the banks of the canal.
From this point a force was sent out to secure a bridge
across the river at Duiguidsville, but the enemy, apprised
of the movement, burned it.
The other column moved down the railroad, toward
Lynchburg, and destroyed it to within sixteen miles of
the place.
Unfortunately the spring floods had so swelled the river
that the pontoons which Sheridan had brought along would
not reach across the river, and the enemy having burned the
bridges, he was unable to get over and move south as he




ï~~GRANT'S PLAN.

585

intended, and join Sherman. Of course, nothing was now
left him to do, but either to retrace his steps, or, advancing
down the river, sweep around Richmond to the north, and
put himself in communication with Grant's army by reaching a new base at the White House. He chose the latter
course, and keeping on toward the rebel Capital, destroying
the railroad as he advanced, at length on the 10th concentrated his forces at Columbia. Here he rested one day, and
sent off trusty scouts to Grant, informing him of his plans,
and asking that supplies be sent to him at the White House.
Two days after, these scouts were brought into the Lieutenant General's presence, who immediately on receiving Sheridan's message, dispatched an infantry force to hold the
White House.
Sheridan, in the meantime, marched forward toward Richmond, sending consternation into the rebel Capital.  A
strong column was at once sent out to cut him off, but
w'heeling to the left, he crossed the North and South Anna
Rivers-burning the bridges behind him-and moving down
the north bank of the Pamunkey, reached the White House
on the 19th. Halting here to rest and refit, he marched
across to James River, and on the 27th, the very day of
Sherman's arrival, joined the Army of the Potomac.
Grant now determined to send him around the rebel left,
and reach, if possible, the South-side and Danville railroads.
As this would be the line of Lee's retreat, should he evacuate Richmond and attempt to join Johnston, who was operating against Sherman's army, it was of vital importance
that it should be destroyed. The movement was to commence on the 29th-two Corps being directed to advance
in the same direction to support him, and, if possible, turn
the rebel position at Petersburg. But two days before it
was to take place, the rebels carried by sudden assault Fort




ï~~586

FORT STEADMAN.

Steadmhan, in front of the Ninth Corps, and brought on an
unexpected battle.
Whether Lee designed this as a movement to cover his
own retreat, or hoped to break through our lines, and suddenly wheeling to the left, take our batteries in reserve,
and keeping on, cut our communications, and thus raise the
siege of Richmond, we cannot tell. At all events, it was a
bold movement, and was made so suddenly that the fort was
carried with a single bound, and its guns turned on us.
Three mortar batteries adjoining it were also taken. But
the troops on either flank held their ground, while Hartranft's
division advanced to aid Wilcox in driving the enemy out
of the captured works.
In the meantime our surrounding artillery was brought
to bear upon Fort Steadman, the fire of which became so
hot that the victors had to abandon their prize; and many
of them, afraid to recross the intervening space to their own
lines, surrendered. Our loss was nine hundred and nines
teen, while we took nineteen hundred prisoners. Meade at
once ordered the other Corps to advance and feel the enemy's line in their front. They did so, and captured and
held the rebel picket line in front of the Second and Sixth
Corps, taking eight hundred and thirty-four prisoners. Thus
the transient success of the enemy proved a sad reverse
to him.
Two days after this, as we have seen, Sherman reached
Grant, to hold the interview mentioned in the commencement of the chapter.
The events above narrated, covered the whole military
field, and Sherman when put in possession of them, comprehended the exact state of things.
It was plain to both Commanders, as before remarked,
that the time for the last, great, decided movement had
come. Even Davis could see that the crisis of the Confed



ï~~THE COMING CRISIS.

587

eracy was fast approaching. The year before, the prospect looked gloomy enough, and in its terror, the rebel. Congress had prevailed on him to make Lee Commander-inChief of all the rebel forces. But that did not increase the
army, and to do this, it was resolved to enroll the slaves.
But this measure, if ever practicable, was adopted too late.
The march of events was too rapid.   Lee's new power
gave him no new confidence. The heavens were gathering
black as midnight above him, and the thunder was muttering angrily around the entire horizon. Look which way he
would, the rebel Chieftain saw the lightning's flash. The
hand-writing was being traced on the wall.
After full deliberation on the state of affairs, and the probable movements of the enemy, it was agreed that Sherman
should return to his army, and making a feint, as if to move
up the Neuse to Raleigh, march rapidly north to the line
of the Roanoke. This would be closing the last door on
Lee, and Grant knew that the moment Sherman approached
this river, the former would evacuate Richmond.
It seems strange that Lee remained in the rebel Capital
so long as he did. But knowing how closely he was watched
by Grant, he may have feared to leave his fortificationsfor desertions having become so fearfully great, the moment
he retreated, they might and probably would be so increased
as to leave him but the remnant of an army, and, therefore,
he thought it the wisest course to wait and see if Johnston
could not stop Sherman's northward march. Grant, however, felt very uneasy, and spent many an anxious night,
fearing that the morning light would reveal Petersburg
and Richmond evacuated, and the rebel army well on the
road to Danville, to effect a junction with Johnston. He
knew if he succeeded in doing this, new combinations would
have to be formed, and a new campaign organized. He,
therefore, determined to carry out his original plan, adopted




ï~~588

THE FINAL MOVEMENT.

before the attack on Fort Steadman, and before the arrival
of Sherman.
He did not expect this to be the decided movement it
turned out to be.    But he said, "by moving out, I would
put the army in better condition for pursuit, and would, at
least, by the destruction of the Danville road, retard the
concentration of the two armies of Lee and Johnston, and
cause the enemy to abandon much material that he might
otherwise save."
He, therefore, on the night of the 27th-the very day
Sherman reached him-dispatched two divisions of Ord's
Corps, under General Gibbon, and one division of the
Twenty-fifth Corps, commanded by Birney, and McKenzie's
cavalry, to a position near Hatcher's Run, the scene of so
many bitter conflicts.
Thus it will be seen, that Grant was to repeat over again
the unsuccessful experiment so often tried, of getting around
the enemy's right flank.
The whole scope, and plan and object of this movement,
is given so much more clearly by Grant, in the following
letter of instructions to Sheridan, than any language of ours
can do, that we quote it" CITY PonTr, Va., March 28, 1865.
GENERAL:-The Fifth Army Corps will move by the Vaughn road, at three,
A. M., to-morrow morning. The Second moves at about nine, A. m., having
but about three miles to march to reach the point designated for it to take on
the right of the Fifth Corps, after the latter reaching Dinwiddie Court-House.
Move your cavalry at. as early an hour as you can, and without being confined to any particular road or roads. You may go out by the nearest roads
in rear of the Fifth Corps, pass by its left, and passing near to, or through
Dinwiddie, reach the right and rear of the enemy as soon as you can. It is
not the intention to attack the enemy in his intrenched position, but to force
him out, if possible. Should he come out and attack us, or get himself
where he can be attacked, move in with your entire force in your own way,
and with the full reliance that the army will engage or follow, as circumstances will dictate. I shall be on the field, and will probably be able-to communicate with you. Should I not do so, and you find that the enemy keeps
within his main, intrenched line, you may cut loose and push for the Dan



ï~~SHERIDAN'S MOVEMENTS.

589

ville road. If you find it practicable, I would like you to cross the Southside road, between Petersburg and Burkesville, and destroy it to some
extent. I would not advise much detention, however, until you reach the
Danville road, which I would like you to strike as near to the Appomattox
as possible. Make your destruction, on that road, as complete as possible.
You can then pass on to the South-side road, west of Burkesville, and destroy
that in like manner.
After having accomplished the destruction of the two railroads, which are
now the only avenues of supply to Lee's army, you may return to this army,
selecting your road further south, or you may go on into North Carolina and
join General Sherman. Should you select the latter course, get the information to me as early as possible, so that I may send orders to meet you at
Goldsboro'.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General."
On the morning of the 29th, the movement commenced,
and Sheridan, sweeping around the extreme rebel right,
pushed on toward Dinwiddie Court-House, which he reached
that night, while the left of the infantry line had extended nearly to the junction of the Quaker and Boydton
plank road.
Sheridan, as we have seen, was on our extreme left-next
to him came Warren, then Humphreys, Ord, Wright, and
Parke. It looked now as if Grant would succeed in get
ting well on the rebel flank, and he, therefore, sent word to
Sheridan not to cut loose to operate against the railroads,
saying, "I now feel like ending the matter, if it is possible
to do so, before going back. We will all act together as
one army here, until it is seen what can be done with the
enemy.
The next day the rain fell in torrents, turning the roads
into such beds of mud that neither artillery nor trains could
be moved. Sheridan, however, advanced toward the Five
Forks, while Warren pushed on toward the White Oak road,
where he found the enemy in force.
Finding the enemy confronting his line, no matter how
far he extended it, Grant determined to give Sheridan a
Corps of infantry, and let him cut loose from the army, and
swing independently around the rebel flank, and when this




ï~~590

SHERIDAN'S GENERALSHIP.

was done, advance with the other Corps sternly to the
assault in front.
On the morning of the 31st, Sheridan moving forward,
got possession of the Five Forks, while Warren advanced to
seize the White Oak road. The enemy, at first, retired
before the latter, but suddenly rallying, fell with such fury
on Ayers' division, which had the advance, that it was
driven back in confusion. Following up his success, he kept
on, and striking Crawford next, bore him back also on the
Third division, under Bell, where the onset was checked.
A division of the Second Corps being now sent to Warren's
support, he re-formed his broken lines, and charging in turn,
drove the enemy back with heavy loss, and gained possession of the White Oak road.
The transient success, however, of the enemy enabled him
to send a heavy force against Sheridan, which drove him out
of the Five Forks back to Dinwiddie Court-House.
"Here," says Grant, "General Sheridan displayed great
generalship. Instead of retreating with his whole command
on the main army, to tell the story of superior forces encountered, he deployed his cavalry on foot, leaving only
mounted men enough to take charge of the horses. This
compelled the enemy to deploy over a vast extent of woods
and broken country, and made his progress slow.    At
this juncture, he dispatched to me what had taken place,
and that he was dropping back slowly on Dinwiddie CourtHouse. General McKenzie's cavalry and one division of the
Fifth Corps, were immediately ordered to his assistance.
Soon after receiving a report from General Meade that Humphreys could hold our position on the Boydton road, and
that the other two divisions of the Fifth Corps could go to
Sheridan, they were so ordered at once."
At midnight, the Fifth Corps joined him, and feeling
strong enough to resume the offensive, he, in the morning,




ï~~BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS.

591

again advanced to the Five Forks-so called because here
five roads meet-three of them leading directly back to the
South-side railroad.
Driving the enemy into his intrenchments, he ordered a
general attack, which he thus describes:"The Fifth Corps, on reaching the White Oak road, made
a left wheel, and burst on the enemy's left flank and rear
like a tornado, and pushed rapidly on; orders having been
given that if the enemy was routed, there should be no halt
to re-form broken lines. As stated before, the firing of the
Fifth Corps was the signal to General Merritt to assault,
which was promptly responded to, and the works of the
enemy were soon carried at several points by our brave
cavalrymen. The enemy were driven from their strong line
of works, and completely routed; the Fifth Corps doubling
up their left flank in confusion, and the cavalry of General
Merritt dashing on to the White Oak road, capturing their
artillery and turning it upon them, and riding into their
broken ranks, so demoralized them, that they made no serious stand after their line was carried, but took to flight in
disorder. Between five and six thousand prisoners fell into
our hands, and the fugitivds were driven westward, and were
pursued until long after dark by Merritt's and McKenzie's
cavalry, for a distance of six miles."
From some unexplained cause, right in the moment of
victory, while Warren was in the front with his shouting
troops, Sheridan removed him from the command of the
Corps, and put Griffin in his place.
The report of this brilliant -victory reached Grant just
after dark, and knowing the importance of the position
gained by Sheridan, he feared that the enemy would concentrate a heavy force against him and drive him out, in
order to open the way of retreat, and he at once ordered
Miles' division of Humphreys' Corps to march rapidly to re



ï~~592

A GENERAL ASSAULT.

inforce him, and at the same time directed a heavy bombardment of the enemy's lines to be kept up all night.
At four o'clock next morning, he ordered a general assault, and the mighty army swept forward like the in-rolling
tide of the sea. Wright forced the lines in his front, and
passing through with his whole Corps, carried every thing
before him, capturing a large number of guns and several
thousand prisoners. Keeping on, followed by two divisions
of Ord, he at length met the remaining divisions of the latter that had forced the rebel lines at Hatcher's Run, when
the two corps swung together to the right, closing the enemy on that side of them in Petersburg. Humphreys then
advanced with two divisions and joined Wright on the left;
Parke carried the enemy's main line in his front, but could
not penetrate the second, while a portion of Gibbon's
Corps by a gallant charge, captured two strong works south
of Petersburg. These successes enabled Grant to shorten his
lines materially, and thus strengthen them. The battle now
raged from right to left, and the Sabbath of the 2d of April
was evidently to see the beginning of the end of the war.
The rebels fought behind their intrenchments with desperate determination-especially Hill's Corps, in their efforts to
retain possession of Fort Mahone, mounting fourteen guns.
Here Hill was killed. But now Sheridan came sweeping in
from the west on the rebel flank and rear, when the enemy
gave it up and fled in confusion, leaving in our hands his
guns and a great number of prisoners. That night both Petersburg and Richmond were evacuated.
During the battle President Lincoln was at Grant's headquarters before Petersburg, anxiously awaiting the issue of
the great contest. A few miles from him, in Richmond, Davis at the same time was attending church, and in the midst
of the services, an orderly splashed with mud, strode up the
aisle and handed him a paper. Glancing at its contents, he




ï~~LEE' S RETREAT.

593

saw that all was over, and a few hours after, he had left behind him his Capital forever, and was fleeing toward Danville.
As soon as it was known that Lee had retreated, Sheridan
wheeled about and pushed for the Danville road, followed
by Meade with the Second and Sixth Corps, while Ord, keeping near the Appomattox, moved rapidly toward Burkesville, along the South-side railroad. Lee, north of the Appomattox was moving toward the same point, and it became
a race of life and death to him. It was fifty-three miles from
Petersburg to Burkesville, where the South-side and Danville railroads intersect. The condition of the roads, and of
the troops after two days' fighting, made this one of the most
fatiguing marches of the war. In the meantime, on Monday morning, Weitzel, with that portion of the Army of the
James left under his command north of the James River,
composed in part of colored troops, marched into Richmond
with bands playing, and colors flying. The rebels had fired
the city and plundered many of the stores and shops while
evacuating. All the business part of Main Street was destroyed, together with all the bridges over the river.
Weitzel took a thousand prisoners, and found some five hundred pieces of artillery left behind.
The two armies continued to stretch forward toward
Burke's Station, but Grant this time had the inside track,
and reached it first. Sheridan, pushing forward with his accustomed energy, struck the Danville road near Jettersville,
more than half way up from Burkesville to Amelia CourtHouse, where Lee was with his shattered army. The next
night Ord reached Burkesville below him. A glance at the
map will show how desperate Lee's position had now become.
On the 6th, Sheridan ascertained that Lee, finding that he
could not advance by the railroad, was attempting to swing
around him to the west, and instantly moved out with his
cavalry to strike him in flank, followed by the Sixth Corps.




ï~~594 -
A HEAVY CAPTURE.

The Second and Fifth Corps were in Lee's rear, pressing
him so close that he had to abandon wagons and artillery.
Ord pushed forward north-west, toward Farmville, where
Lee evidently expected to strike the railroad again. Two
regiments of infantry in the lightest marching order, and a
squadron of cavalry, were hurried on in advance to destroy
the bridges there, and detain the enemy. These were placed
under General Theodore Read, who, meeting near the place,
the head of Lee's columns, gallantly attacked it, and held it
in check until he was killed and his little force overpowered.
But in the meantime Ord with the rest of the Corps arrived, when the enemy began to intrench himself.
On the same afternoon Sheridan struck the enemy farther
back, capturing sixteen pieces of artillery, and four hundred
wagons, and detained him until the Second Corps came up,
when a general attack was ordered, resulting in the capture
of six or seven thousand prisoners, and among them Generals
Ewell and Custis. Lee now moving off to the west, the pursuit was kept up till it became evident to all that his escape
was hopeless. Grant having arrived at Farmville addressed
a note to him which we give below, with the correspondence
that followed.
"April 7, 1865.
GENERAL:-The result of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in
this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of blood by asking of you the
surrender of that portion of the Confederate States Army known as the Army
of Northern Virginia.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
General R. E. LEE.
"Early on the morning of the 8th, before leaving, I received at Farmville, the following:
GENERAL:-I have received your note of this date. Though not entertaining the opinion you express on the hopelessness of further resistance on
the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to




ï~~LEE HARD PRESSED.

595

avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender.
R. E. LEE, General
Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT.
"To this I immediately replied:
April 8, 1865.
GENERAL:-Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking
the condition on which I will accept the surrender of the Army of Northern
Virginia, is just received. In reply, I would say that peace being my great
desire, there is but one condition I would insist upon, namely; that the men
and officers surrendered should be disqualified for taking up arms again
against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. I
will meet you or will designate officers to meet any officers you may name
for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia will be received.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
General R. E. LEE.
"Early on the morning of the 8th, the pursuit was resumed.
General Meade followed north of the Appomattox, and General Sheridan, with all the cavalry, pushed straight for Appomattox Station, followed by General Ord's command and
the Fifth Corps. During the day General Meade's advance
had considerable fighting with the enemy's rear-guard, but
was unable to bring on a general engagement. Late in the
evening, General Sheridan struck the railroad at Appomattox
Station, drove the enemy from there, and captured twentyfive pieces of artillery, a hospital train, and four trains of
cars loaded with supplies for Lee's army. During this day,
I accompanied General Meade's column, and about midnight
received the following communication from General Lee'--
April 8, 1865.
GENERAL:-I received at a late hour your note of to-day. In mine of
yesterday I did not intend to propose the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do
not think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender of this army,
but as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desired to
know whether your proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, therefore,
meet you with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, but as




ï~~596

CORRESPONDENCE.

far as your proposal may affect the Confederate States forces under my
command, and tend to the restoration of peace I should be pleased to meet
you at ten A. M. to-morrow, on the old stage road to Richmond, between the
picket lines of the two armies.
R. E. LEE, General.
Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT.
"Early on the morning of the 9th I returned him an answer as follows, and immediately started to join the column
south of the AppomattoxApril 9, 1865.
GENERAL:-Your note of yestQrday is received. I have no authority to
treat on the subject of peace; the meeting proposed for ten, A. M., to-day,
could lead to no good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally
anxious for peace with yourself, and the whole North entertains the same
feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By
the South laying down their arms, they will hasten that most desirable event,
save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet
destroyed. Seriously hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without
the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, &c.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
General R. EP LEE.
"On the morning of the 9th, General Ord's command and
the Fifth Corps reached Appomattox Station just as the
enemy was making a desperate effort to break through our
cavalry.   The infantry was at once thrown in.         Soon after
a white flag was received, requesting a suspension of hostilities pending negotiations for a surrender.
"Before reaching General Sheridan's head-quarters, I received the following from General Lee:April 9, 1865.
GENERAL:-I received your note of this morning, on the picket line,
whither I had come to meet you, and ascertain definitely what terms were
embraced in your proposal of yesterday, with reference to the surrender of
this army. I now ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained in
your letter of yesterday for that purpose.
R. E. LEE, General.
Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT.
"The interview was held at Appomattox Court-House,




ï~~SURRENDER OF LEE.

597

the result of which is set forth in the following correspondence:APPOMATTOX CouRT-HOUSE, Va., April 9, 1865.
GENERAL:-In accordance with the substance of my letter to you, of the
8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit: Rolls of all the officers and men to be
made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by
me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate.
The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the
Government of the United States until properly exchanged; and each company or regimental Commander sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked,
and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will
not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to his home,
not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their
paroles, and the laws in force where they may reside.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
General R. E. Len.
HEAD-QUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
April 9, 1865.
GENERAL:-T received your letter of this date, containing the terms of
the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia as proposed by you. As
they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th
instant, they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to
carry the stipulations into effect.
R. E. LEE, General.
Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT."
On the reception of the last letter, Grant hastened to the
front, where Lee was awaiting him.        They met in the parlor of a neighboring farm-house and saluted each other with
dignified courtesy. In former years they had fought side
by side, under the same flag, but for the last year, backed
by two as fine armies as ever trod a battle-field, they had
confronted each other as enemies.        Well matched, neither
had been able to obtain any decided success over the other.
As they now stood face to face, what memories must have
crowded on them, and what a different future spread out
before them!
Lee acknowledged that the terms dictated by Grant were




ï~~598

JOY OF THE NORTH.

more lenient than he had a right to expect. In killed,
wounded, and prisoners, the rebel army had been reduced,
in the last few days, full thirty thousand men, besides the
vast number that had straggled off to their homes, so that
less than twenty thousand were left to surrender.
When the news of the capitulation reached the army, loud
cheers arose on every side, which lasted for hours. There
was some disappointment, however, among the soldiers that,
after their toils and hardships, they were not allowed to
pass through the enemy's lines and witness their surrender.
But Grant, magnanimous as he is great, wishing to abate as
much as possible all ill-feeling between men, hereafter to be
citizens of the same Government, allowed the rebel troops
to return to their homes without further humiliation, on giving their parole not to take up arms against the Government,
until properly exchanged.
By a singular coincidence, as the grand assault on the
enemy's works at Petersburg took place on Sunday, so now
on Sunday, and Palm Sunday too, the capitulation was
signed.
The surrender of Lee's army was followed by that of most
of the troops in the Shenandoah Valley. Mosby surrendered his command on the 17th. Hancock, who had succeeded Sheridan, when the latter started on his last great
raid for Lynchburg, commanded here at this time.
With Lee's immediate army, were captured one hundred
and seventy pieces of artillery, which number was of course
swelled by the surrender of the other forces in Northern
Virginia.
The joy of the North was unbounded over this great
victory. Bonfires, illuminations, and the firing of cannon,
attested the universal delight, while Grant became the idol
of the Nation.




ï~~CHAPTER XLII.

APRIL-MAY, 1865.
SHERMAN REJOINS HIS ARMY-RECEIVES THE NEWS OF THE FALL OF PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND-HE MOVES ON RALEIGH-THE ARMY RECEIVES THE
NEWS OF LEE'S SURRENDER-INTERVIEW WITH JOHNSTON-THE ARMISTICEINJUSTICE OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR AND HALLECK-STONEMAN 'S RAIDASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT-HIS LAST ORDER-HIS CHARACTERFUNERAL OBSEQUIES-THE CONSPIRACY-ARREST, TRIAL, AND EXECUTION
OF THE PRISONERS-REWARDS OFFERED FOR THE CAPTURE OF DAVIS AND
OTHERS-THE MOVEMENT AGAINST MOBILE-ITS CAPTURE-WILSON' S CAVALRY EXPEDITION-RAISING THE FLAG AT FORT SUMTER-GRAND REVIEW OF
THE ARMIES OF GRANT AND SHERMAN AT WASHINGTON-CLOSING SCENESNATIONAL DEBT.
SHERMAN, when he hastened back to Goldsboro', frotm
his interview with Grant, at once made preparations
to move. He had said that he could not get ready before
the 10th of April. This, it will be noticed, was one day
after Lee surrendered.
Wholly ignorant of this great event, he, on the 10th, was
about putting his columns in motion for the Roanoke, when
he received the news of the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. This, of course, caused a change in his plans, for
with the tidings came a dispatch from Grant, dated April
5th, in which he stated the hopeless condition of Lee's army,
and added, "if you can possibly do so, push on from where
you are, and let us see if we cannot finish the job with Lee's
and Johnston's armies." Sherman at once wheeled his columns toward Raleigh, forcing the enemy back and destroying the bridges on the way.
On the 3rd day of the march, the news of the surrender
68




ï~~600

SHERMAN AND JOHNSTON.

of Lee's entire force reached the army. It spread like wildfire; from regiment to regiment, and division to division, till
one long, loud hurrah from the mighty host rent the heavens. When tired with cheering, the soldiers began to yell,
till it seemed as if pandemonium had broke loose. Sherman
seemed as much excited as the rest, and exclaimed in exulting accents, "Glory to God and our glorious Country."
That night the elated army encamped within fourteen miles
of Raleigh. The next day, Sherman entered the place,
assuring the citizens that their property should be protected.
The following day, the 15th, Johnston, who was also
informed of the overthrow of Lee, sent a letter to him, asking if some arrangement could not be made to save further
effusion of blood. Sherman replied that he was ready to
listen to any terms that he wished to propose. Johnston then
requested a personal interview, and the next day, at noon,
the- two met upon the road, and shaking hands with apparent cordiality, adjourned to a neighboring farm-house for
consultation. Johnston asked for four days' armistice, which
Sherman refused to grant, and a meeting for arranging the
terms of surrender was agreed upon for the next day.
They met at the same hour, attended by their splendidly
mounted Staffs, and courteously lifting their hats to each
other, shook hands, and then dismounted and walked together to the farm-house. Breckenridge, the rebel Secretary of War, was present at this interview, and though the
terms of surrender that were granted to Lee, Johnston
regarded as satisfactory, he thought that it would be for
the interest of all if some basis of peace was adopted. A
memorandum, looking to this, was signed by both parties,
and a suspension of hostilities was agreed upon, until it
could be submitted to the Government for its ratification or
rejection.




ï~~THE ARMISTICE.

601

Both armies were to remain in statu quo until a reply
could be received.
The following is the memorandum:
"FRST. The contending armies now in the field to maintain their statu
quo, until notice is given by the commanding General of either one to its
opponent, and reasonable time-say forty-eight hours-allowed.
SECOND. The Confederate armies, now in existence, to be disbanded and
conducted to their several State Capitals, there to deposit their arms and
public property in the State arsenals, and each officer and man to execute
and file an agreement to cease from acts of war, and abide action of both
State and Federal authority. The number of arms and munitions of war
to be reported to the Chief of Ordnance at Washington City, subject to
future action of the Congress of the United States; in the meantime, to be
used solely to maintain peace and order within the borders of the States respectively.
THIRD. The recognition by the Executive of the United States of several
State Governments, in their Officers and Legislatures, taking oath prescribed
by the Constitution of the United States, and where conflicting State Governments have resulted from the war, the legitimacy of all shall be submitted
to the Supreme Court of the United States.
FouRTH. The re-establishment of all Federal Courts in the several States,
with powers as defined by the Constitution and laws of Congress.
FirFTa. The people and inhabitants of all States to be guaranteed, so far as
the Executive can, their political rights and franchise, as well as their rights
of person and property, as defined by the Constitution of the United States
and of States respectively.
SixTa. The Executive authority of the Government of the United States
not to disturb any of the people by reason of the late war, so long as they
live in peace and quiet, and abstain from acts of armed hostility, and obey
laws in existence at any place of their residence.
In general terms, war to cease; a general amnesty, so far as the Executive
power of the United States can command, or on condition of disbandment
of the Confederate armies, and the distribution of arms, and resumption of
peaceful pursuits by officers and men as hitherto composing the said armies;
not being fully empowered by our respective principals to fillfil these terms,
we individually and officially pledge ourselves to promptly obtain necessary
authority, and to carry out the above programme,
W. T. SHERMAN,
Major-General Commanding the Army of the United States in N. C.
J. E. JOHNSTON,
General Commanding Confederate States Army in North Carolina."
This memorandum was rejected by the President and Cabinet, and Sherman was directed to resume hostilities at once,




ï~~602

STANTON VERSUS SHERMAN.

unless Johnston should accept the terms which had been
granted to Lee. Grant, in the meantime, was sent down to
take charge of affairs.
Thus far every thing was quite natural and proper. An
armistice granted for a few hours, by a General in the field,
until proposed terms of surrender by an enemy could be
submitted to the Supreme Authority, was nothing strange;
and in this case, when all the advantages of delay were with
us, perfectly right and reasonable.
The refusal of the Government to accede to the proffered
basis of agreement, on the other hand, was not only justifiable, but clearly its duty, if it thought such an agreement
prejudicial to the interests of the country.
There the matter should have ended. It was a very simple, ordinary affair altogether, and would scarcely have excited a remark, but for the absurd fuss made- over it by the
Secretary of War. He should have been content with
sending a messenger down to Sherman with the decision of
the Government. But instead of pursuing this simple, dignified course, he came out in the public newspapers with nine
different reasons why the terms were inadmissible. The first
reason was, that Sherman, as well as Johnston, knew that he
had no right to make them. This was simply false. Every
Commander in the field has a right to submit proffered terms
of peace to his Government, unless he has special instructions to the contrary.
After this extraordinary explosion of patriotism it seemed
to have dawned on the Secretary's mind, that his first grand
reason would not be accepted by any sensible man, and so
he gave to the public a telegram, which Mr. Lincoln had
formerly sent to Grant, for his guidance, in any negotiations
that he might make with Lee-implying that Sherman had
seen this telegram, and had deliberately acted in direct violation of it.




ï~~HALLECK'S INTERFERENCE.

603

Sherman, in reply to this implication, says:-" Now I was
not in possession of it, and I have reason to know that Mr.
Stanton knew I was not in possession of it."   This is
a guarded way of making one of the severest accusations
that can be brought against a man.
Halleck caught the spirit of the Secretary, and, as Chief
of Staff, immediately sent dispatches to different Commanders in Sherman's department, with directions to pay no attention to him, but to resume hostilities at once. When he
did this he knew perfectly well that the government dispatches, ordering Sherman to resume hostilities, would
reach the latter b'efore his own would those Commanders,
and hence were unnecessary, except on the supposition that
Sherman would turn traitor, and refuse to obey his Government. Indeed, the conduct of both him and Stanton can be
accounted for only on the ground, that for some reason or
other they wished to take advantage of the mere circumstances of this armistice of a few hours, to injure the character of Sherman.
In speaking of Halleck's impertinent interference with his
command, he says: "This is too much; and I turn from the
subject with feelings too strong for words." The pretext of
the Secretary of War, that the armistice would allow Davis
to get off with his fabulous amount of treasure, did well
enough while the country was lashed into the intensest excitement by the murder of the President; but viewed from
this more quiet point of view, it only awakens a smile of
ridicule. Sherman says, "' if the Secretary of War wanted
Davis caught, why not order it, instead of, by publishing
in the newspapers, putting him on his guard to hide
away and escape?  No orders or instructions to catch Davis
or his stolen treasure ever came to me; but, on the contrary,
I was led to believe that the Secretary of War rather pre



ï~~604

JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER.

ferred he should effect an escape from the country, if made
unknown' to him."
There never was an instance, when, without any provocation, a man who for long years had been periling his life on
the battle field for his country, lifting it by his genius to the
highest pinnacle of military glory, and bearing it on to a
glorious peace, was so bitterly assailed by those who should
have been the first to protect him. The whole account of
this disgraceful transaction is given in Sherman's Report, and
in all future time it will furnish a chapter in our history, that
some of the characters who figure in it will wish could
be expunged.
Johnston, when informed of the decision of our Government, surrendered his immediate command on the same
terms as those granted to Lee, together with all the rebel
forces between him and the Chattahoochee.
A great many soldiers had gone off during the armistice,
so that when on the 26th of the month, the surrender took
place, only about twenty-seven thousand men laid down their
arms. One hundred and eight pieces of artillery were given
up. Johnston's army at the time of the surrender, though
nearly fifty miles from Sherman, was in a most perilous position. Stoneman, who, as we have noticed had been sent
east from Knoxville on the 20th of March, marched rapidly
by way of Boone, North Carolina, and struck the railroad at
Wytheville, Chambersburg and Big Lick. The portion of
the column striking it at the latter place, pushed on to within
a few miles of Lynchburg, destroying the bridges on the
way, while the main force, after breaking up the road between New River, and Big Lick, turned off to Greensboro,
on the North Carolina railroad, burning the bridges between
that place and Danville, and between it and the Yadkin
River, together with depots of supplies, and capturing four
hundred prisoners. Crossing the river, Stoneman advanced




ï~~ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT.

605

on Salisbury, near which he attacked and defeated General
Gardiner, capturing fourteen pieces of artillery, and one
thousand, three hundred and sixty four prisoners. He was
now but a little over a hundred miles west of Raleigh, and
on the line by which Johnston received his supplies, and by
which he must retreat.   Burning rebel army stores here, he
destroyed fifteen miles of railroad toward Charlotte, and
then retired on Statesville. Thus it will be seen how comprehensive and complete Grant's plan was, to make this campaign a conclusive one.
But while these great victories were being achieved, and
the mighty Confederacy that had attracted the gaze of the
world was dissolving like a tower of mist, and the Nation,
elate with hope was just lifting its head from out the bloody
waves of revolution, an event occurred that thrilled the
land with an excitement which, for a time made all other
things sink into insignificance.  "The President of the United States has been assassinated in the Capital," flew on
wings of lightning over the North, making every face turn
pale with horror. The man whose inauguration had been
the signal for revolt, and who for four years had watched
and waited, and labored, and prayed for a restored Union,
was ruthlessly shot down by an assassin, just as the mountain
was being lifted from his heart and the smile of joy was
chasing away the look of care that had so long darkened his
countenance. Anxious to take the first step toward peace,
he on the 13th of April, caused the Secretary of War to issue
the following bulletin:/' WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 13, 1865-6 P. M.
This Department, after mature consideration, and consultation with the
Lieutenant-General upon the results of the recent campaigns, has come to
the following determinations, which will be carried into effect by appropriate
orders, to be immediately issued:
FiRsT. To stop all drafting and recruiting in the loyal States.
SECOND. To curtail purchases for arms, ammunition, quartermaster and




ï~~606

DEATH OF THE ASSASSIN.

commissary supplies, and reduce the expenses of the military establishment
in its several branches.
THIRD. TO reduce the number of general and staff officers to the actual
necessities of the service.
FOURTH. To remove all military restrictions upon trade and commerce, so
far as may be consistent with public safety.
As soon as these measures can be put in operation, it will be made known
by public orders.
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War."
The next night, while the President was at Ford's theatre
with his wife, seeking a 'little relaxation, a play actor by the
name of John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the
head, then leaping on the stage and brandishing a dagger, he
shouted "Sic semper tyrannis," and fled through a side door
into the street. His plans were well laid, as far as human
foresight could do it, to escape; but the mute flag of his
country, hanging over the President's box, caught his spur
as he leaped, flinging him heavily on the stage, and crippling
him so that his flight was retarded, and he was eventually
overtaken and shot while refusing to surrender.
In consequence of the intense excitement the country was
in, just previous to the murder-the victim being the President of the United States, and a man possessing one of the
kindliest and most forgiving hearts that ever beat in a human
bosom-this assassination produced the profoundest sensation
that ever shook a nation to its center.
It was altogether an extraordinary murder. There were
men South who had not only been ruined in property by
the war, but whose sons had been slain in battle or died in
prison, and whose wives and daughters had been outraged
by Federal soldiers, till they had gone mad with despair
and the desire of revenge, of whom such an act might be
expected. But the assassin had not been injured in a single
interest, and could give no shadow of excuse for the hellish deed.
Mr. Lincoln committed some grave errors of policy, for




ï~~LINCOLN'S CHARACTER.

607

he was not infallible-he had faults, for he was not perfect,
but as a man who, to use his own words, "felt malice toward
none, and had charity for all," whose highest ambition was
to do right, whose strongest desire was the peace and prosperity of his country, and "all whose faults leaned to virtue's side," he stands without a peer since Washington. His
simple, honest, kindly nature, notwithstanding the bitter
animosities that prevailed, had taken a deep hold of the National heart, and from enemies as well as friends, there arose
a cry of horror and of grief at the "deep damnation of his
taking off."
With but slender education, and no remarkable intellectual endowments, he had shown how wisely, in the stormiest
times, and amid the greatest embarrassments and difficulties,
an honest heart may cause a ruler to act. Indeed, a careful
analysis of his life will show that nearly all his mistakes arose
from not following his own judgment, but from yielding to
the crooked, selfish policy of others.
The funeral obsequies were celebrated in the Executive
Mansion on the 19th of April, when the body was taken to
the Capitol, where it lay in state until the 21st, and then
was borne back to its former home, in Springfield, Illinois.
The tolling of bells, and the draping of the land in mourning, all along the line of the road over which the body
was transported, and the crowds that thronged around
the funeral car, attested how deep and universal was the
grief.
On the same night of his murder, Mr. Seward, Secretary
of State, was attacked in his sick bed, by. an accomplice of
Booth, and dangerously wounded, before the assassin could
be driven off.
On May 10th, David E. Harrold, George A. Atzeroth,
Lewis Payne, Michael O'Laughlin, Edward Spangler, Samuel Arnold, Mary E. Surratt, and Samuel A. Mudd, who had




ï~~608

TRIAL OF THE ASSASSINS.

been arrested on suspicion, as accomplices of Booth, were
arraigned before a military tribunal, as principals or accessories to the murder. After a trial of nearly two months,
in the progress of which, the existence of a plot to murder
not only Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward, but Vice President
Johnson, General Grant, and others, was developed, Harrold, Payne, Mrs. Surratt, and Atzeroth, were found guilty
of murder, and hung in Washington on the 7th of July;
Mudd, Arnold, and O'Laughlin were sentenced to imprisonment for life, and Spangler to six years' imprisonment at
hard labor.
In a few hours after the death of Mr. Lincoln, Andrew
Johnson, Vice President, was installed into office-and so far
as the affairs of the Government were concerned, every
thing went on as though nothing had happened. While
European powers looked for a new outbreak, or an attempted assumption of military power, or at least a sudden arrest
of the wheels of Government, they saw, with amazement,
that a Republic could not only put forth the greatest efforts,
but stand, unmoved, the heaviest shocks, and the most sudden changes, of any Government on earth.
Owing to the excited state of the public mind, every fact
bearing on the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, became magnified, and it was believed that Booth was only a tool in the
hands of Jefferson Davis, and other prominent men of the
South; hence heavy rewards were offered by the new President for their arrest-one hundred thousand dollars for
Davis; twenty-five thousand dollars for Clement C. Clay,
Jacob Thompson, George N. Sanders, and Beverly Tucker;,
and ten thousand dollars for William C. Cleary, clerk of Clay.
In the meantime, Davis had fled into Georgia.
But little more remains to be told of military movements.
With the surrender of Lee and Johnston, the rebellion was
ended. But while the closing scenes were being enacted on




ï~~ADVANCE ON MOBILE.

609

the Atlantic Coast, events were transpiring on the Gulf of
Mexico which, under ordinary circumstances, would have
awakened the keenest interest. Grant designed that the
expedition against Mobile should keep a large, rebel force in
Alabama, which otherwise would reinforce Lee. Hence, as
we have seen, Canby commenced his movements against
it the 20th of March, or just as Sherman was reaching
Goldsboro.
In the meantime, vessels, drawing but little water, had
been gathered in Mobile Bay, so that the navy could co-operate with the army in the attack. A. J. Smith took his
command from Fort Gaines to Fish River, by water, where
he was joined by Granger, with the Thirteenth Corps, who
moved from Fort Morgan. In the meantime, General Steele,
with his command, struck across the country from Pensacola,
and cutting the railroad leading from Tensas to Montgomery, effected a juncture with the former.
Thus, it will be seen that the army moved up on the east
side of the bay. Two main forts prevented the passage of
the gunboats up to Mobile-the Spanish Fort, as it was
called, and Fort Blakely. It was determined to take the
first of these by a combined attack of the army and navythe latter to engage the water-batteries, while the land forces should assail the works in the rear. Siege guns were
brought up, and on the 4th of April a tremendous bombardment was opened on the fort.
On the 8th, another was ordered-to be followed by a
general assault, at five o'clock in the evening. The fire was
terrific and crushing, and for three hours it was kept up
with fearful effect, when two brigades of Carr's division
moved gallantly to the assault. Mounting the ramparts with
loud cheers, they carried some three hundred yards of the
works, when they made themselves secure, to wait for daylight to complete the conquest, but at one o'clock in the




ï~~610

ASSAULT OF FORT BLAKELY.

morning-the same Sunday that Lee surrendered to Grantthe garrison capitulated.
On this day, also, so bright in our calendar, Steele assaulted Fort Blakely, in his front. This was situated some
four miles north of the former, and twelve miles from Mobile. With the reading of the orders for the assault, to the
troops, was read also a dispatch announcing the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, and the flight of Lee. Loud shouts
rent the air at the glorious news, and gaily as though going
to a banquet, the brave fellows moved forward. Garrard's
division bore the brunt of the fight. For a-whole hour the
soldiers worked away at the obstructions, while a desolating
fire swept them, and torpedoes were almost momentarily
bursting under their feet.
At last they were cleared, and with a yell they jumped
into the ditch and scaled the works. Colonel Rinneken's
and General Gilbert's brigade turned the right of the fort
and entered it at the same time. The colored troops on the
right, under General Hawkins, behaved with great gallantry,
charging like veterans through the fire. At seven o'clock,
our flag was waving from the ramparts. Our loss in this
gallant assault, was about one thousand, while that of the
enemy was not over five hundred. Three thousand three
hundred prisoners, four thousand stand of arms, and thirtytwo pieces of artillery were captured. This secured the fall
of Mobile.
Monday and Tuesday were spent in pushing forward reconnoissances, and in the removing of torpedoes from the
river, by the navy, so that it could approach the city. The
latter was hazardous work, for the bed of the stream was
sown thick with them, while the batteries on shore kept up
a steady fire on the vessels engaged in it.
On the 12th, our columns were already in motion to com



ï~~CAPTURE OF MOBILE.

611

plete the investment of the place, when the signal came that
the enemy had evacuated it.
Our total loss before the place was two thousand soldiers,
and fifty seamen. We lost, besides two heavy iron-clads, two
tin-clads, and one transport-all destroyed by torpedoes.
Admiral Thatcher commanded the naval force, and reported
the amount of artillery captured at four hundred pieces.
We mentioned in connection with the movement of
Canby on Mobile, the raid of Wilson east from Vicksburg.
"The expedition, consisting of twelve thousand five hundred mounted men, was delayed by rains until March 22,
when it moved from Chickasaw, Alabama. On the 1st of
April, General Wilson encountered the enemy in force under
Forrest, near Ebenezer Church, drove him in confusion, captured three hundred prisoners and three guns, and destroyed
the central bridge over the Cahawba River. On the 2d he
attacked and captured the fortified city of Selma, defended
by Forrest with seven thousand men and thirty-two guns,
destroyed the arsenal, armory, naval foundry, machine shops,
vast quantities of stores, and captured three thousand prisoners. On the 4th he captured and destroyed Tuscaloosa.
On the 10th he crossed the Alabama River, and after sending
information of his operations to General Canby, marched on
Montgomery, which place he occupied on the 14th, the enemy having abandoned it. At this place many stores and
five steamboats fell into our hands. Thence a force marched
direct on Columbus, and another on West Point, both of
which places were assaulted and captured on the 16th. At
the former place we got fifteen hundred prisoners and fiftytwo field guns, destroyed two gunboats, the navy-yard, foundries, arsenal, many factories, and much other public property. At the latter place we got three hundred prisoners,
four guns, and destroyed nineteen locomotives and three
hundred cars. On the 20th he took possession of Macon,




ï~~612

CANBY'S RAID.

Georgia, with sixty field-guns, twelve hundred militia, and
five Generals, surrendered by General Howell Cobb."*
This was one of the most remarkable raids of the war;
but its success and results not being known until after the
surrender of Lee and Johnston, it excited but little interest.
Three days after the fall of Macon, Davis started in his
flight to Georgia, accompanied by his family. General Wilson at the former place, hearing of it, immediately scattered
his cavalry over the country, and at length, on the morning of
the 11th of May, succeeded in capturing him at Irwinsville.
Colonel Pritchard, of the Fourth Michigan cavalry came suddenly upon his encampment, when the rebel President attempted to make his escape, disguised as a woman. Being
detected by the heavy boots under his female apparel, he was
seized, together with Reagan his Post Master General, and
conveyed seventy miles distant to Macon, from whence he was
transferred to Fortress Monroe to await his trial for treason.
Previous to this, the Government dispatched a steamer,
with General Anderson to Fort Sumter, to raise the same
flag which just four years before, he had been compelled to
haul down at the bidding of traitors. With his own hands
he sent it aloft, amid the cheers of the spectators.
In looking over the events of this Spring, one is struck
with the remarkable unity of action, and the unvaried success of our armies in different parts of the widely extended
military field. Indeed it is seldom that a single month is
crowded with such momentous events as that of April, 1865.
Selma, Montgomery, Macon, Mobile, and Columbus, Ga., all
fell during the month-the two armies of Lee and Johnston
surrendered, and the President of the United States was assassinated. It saw the culmination and overthrow of the
Confederacy, and all that followed was but the mere picking up of the fragments.
* General Grant's Report.




ï~~THE GRAND REVIEW.

613

" On the 4th day of May, General Dick Taylor surrendered to General Canby all the remaining rebel forces east
of the Mississippi.
"A force sufficient to insure an easy triumph over the enemy under Kirby Smith, west of the Mississippi, was immediately put in motion for Texas, and Major-General Sheridan
designated for its immediate command; but on the 26th
day of May, and before they reached their destination, General Kirby Smith surrendered his entire command to MajorGeneral Canby. This surrender did not take place, however, until after the capture of the rebel President and Vice
President; and the bad faith was exhibited of first disbanding most of his army, and permitting an indiscriminate plunder of public property." *
Thus on sea and land, all resistance disappeared, with the
exception of the pirate Shenandoah, which cruised all Summer in the Pacific Ocean, capturing our vessels.   Her
career did not close till November, when she surrendered to
an English man of war in the Mersey.
As a fitting close to this long and terrible struggle which
the country had passed through, a grand review of the two
armies of Grant and Sherman took place in the National Capital on the 23d and 24th, of May in the presence of the
President and Cabinet, and foreign Ministers.  As the
bronzed and proud veterans marched up Pennsylvania Avenue, the heavens resounded with the acclamations of the
multitude, and the air was filled with bouquets of flowers that
were rained on the noble leaders. The Duke of Wellington said, when 50,000 troops were reviewed in the Champs
Elysees, after the occupation of Paris by the Allies, that it
was "a sight but once seen in a life time;" but here nearly
two hundred thousand mar'ched in an apparently endless
stream past the Presidential mansion, not conscripts forced
* General Grant's Report.




ï~~614

A SUBLIME SPECTACLE.

into the ranks, but citizens, who had voluntarily taken up
arms to defend not a monarch's rights, but their own.
Yet, sublime as was this spectacle, it sunk into insignificance before the grandeur of the one presented a few days
after, when this army, strong enough to conquer a hemisphere,
melted suddenly away into the mass of the people and was
seen no more. Its deeds of renown had filled the civilized
world, and European statesmen looked on and wondered
what disposition could be made of it, and where it would
choose to go, or what it would do. It was one of the grandest armies that ever bore on its bayonet points the destinies
of a king or a nation-a consolidation and embodiment of
power seldom witnessed; and yet, while the gaze of the
world was fixed upon it, it disappeared like a vision, and
when one looked for it he saw only peaceful citizens engaged
in their usual occupations.  The Major-General whose martial achievements had been repeated in almost every language under the sun, was seen amid his papers in his old law
office, which he had left at the call of his country-the
brave Colonel, who had led many a gallant charge, was in his
counting house, acting as though he had been absent only a
few days on business, while the veterans of the rank and file,
whose battle shout had rung over scores of bloody fields,
could only be found by name as one bent over his saw and
plane, and another swung his scythe in the harvest field, or
plied his humble toil along the streets. It was a marvelous
sight, the grandest the world ever saw. It hadbeen the people's war-the people had carried it on, and having finished
their own work, quietly laid aside the instruments with which
they had accomplished it, and again took up those of peaceful
industry. Never did a Government on earth exhibit such
stability, and assert its superiority over all other forms, as
did this republican government of ours, in the way its armies disappeared when the struggle was over.




ï~~RECONSTRUCTION.                        615
The war being ended, there now remain for the country
the great work of reconstruction and the management of
the National debt.   After the disbanding of the armies, the
sale of governmental vessels and the vast amount of army
stores and supplies of every kind, and settling up the most
important claims against the National Treasury, our public
debt, on the 1st of February, 1866, was two thousand seven
hundred and sixteen millions, eight hundred and ninety-eight
thousand, one hundred and fifty-two dollars. The following
is a condensed summary of it at that timePUBLIC DEBT OF THE UNITED STATES, FEBRUARY 1, 1866.
Original 5-20 Bonds, 1862......................$514,780,500
New  5-20 Bonds, 1864,.......................  100,000,000
New  5-20  Bonds, 1865,........................  50,590,300
Six per cent. Bonds, 1881,..................... 282,648,250
Five per cent. 10-40 Bonds,.................... 172,769,100
Old  six per cents.,............................  19,339,592
Old  five per cents.,............................  27,022,000
Total gold-bearing Bonds,................ $1,167,149,742
Seven-thirty per cent. Treasury Notes............. $830,000,000
Compound Legal Tenders.......................  180,012,141
Five per cent. Legal Tenders,.................... 8,536,900
Six per cent. Certificates,........................ 60,637,000
Deposits  on  Interest..........................  114,755,840
Six per cent. to Pacific Railroad,................  3,354,000
Total Currency Interest,.................$1,197,295,881
Greenbacks,..................................8423,902,223
Gold  Certificates,.............................  8,391,080
Fractional Currency,...........................  26,553,244
Total free of Interest,...................... 458,846,547
Less Treasury  balances,........................"107,493,348
Total,.................................$351,353,199
Past due  debt,..............................  1,099,330
Grand total of all debt,...................82,716,898,152
*On  hand  in  Coin,............................  $51,443,162
*On hand in Currency,.........................  56,050,186
Total as above............................$107,493,348
69




ï~~616

PUBLIC DEBT.

The principal changes in the statement since January 1st,
are:
Increase of Currency Deposits fromr.,...............897,257,194
To  1st of February,............................114,755,840
Increase,...............................$17,498,646
Increase of Gold Csrtificares,.....................  1,102,940
Total increase of Deposits,..................$18,601,586
Nearly balanced by increase of Cash on hand,....... 16,764,467
Difference,............................... $1,837,119
Add increase Pacific railroad Bonds,...... $352,000
Increase of Fractional Currency,........... 552,824-  904,824
Difference,................................  $2,741,943
Deduct Greenbacks reduced,........... $2,329,107
Other Items reduced,...................96.220-  2,425,327
Net increase of Public Debt...............  $316,616
Total, January  1,  1866,.....................$2,716,581,536
Total, February 1, 1866,...................... 2,716,898,152
Difference as above,......................  $316,616
The Public Debt reached its maximum on the schedule of the 31st of August last, when the total stood,................  2,757,781,190
Present total,...............................2,716,898,152
Net reduction in five months............... $40,883,038
The Public Debt stood, on the 1st of October last, at the close of the first
Quarter of the current fiscal year,............... 2,745,061,844
As against February 1, 1866................. 2,716,898,152
Decrease since October 1, 1865,............  $28,1963,602




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