NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
3 3433 08180550 3
u
THE Civil
War
By ELI
by Campaigns
G.
FOSTER
Author op " Reference Manual and Outlines op U. AND ''Foster's Historical Chart''
Crane
&
Company, Publishers
ToPEKA, Kansas
1899^
S.
History,"
the: t"I£W Y')RK
PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOP.
LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS 1923 L R
Copyright 1899, by
Crane & Company, Topeka, Kansas.
TABLE OF CONTENTS. Pages. 1.
Causes of the Civil
2.
Opening Events of
War tlie War
7-28 29- 35
War
36- oU
3.
Naval
4.
Coast Operations
5(>-
5.
War
57- 68
in
Missouri
56
68-81
6.
Grant's Campaign in the West
7.
The Opening
8.
Bragg's Invasion of Kentucky
101-117
9.
Chattanooga
117-131
of the Mississippi River
82-103
10.
Sherman's March
to Atlanta
131-148
11.
Sherman's March to the Sea
149-164
12.
-NlcClellan's
13.
Pope's Campaign
14.
From Antietam
15.
Chancellorsville
197-202
16.
Gettysburg
203-211
Peninsular Campaign
to
165-179 180-188
Fredericksburg
189-196
17.
Grant's Overland Campaign
211-226
18.
Sheridan and Early
226-234
in
the Shenandoah Valley
19.
Peace Commission, and Surrender of Lee
20.
Outskirt
21.
Financial Measures
22.
Cost of the
Movements
234-248
248-252 252-262
War — National Debt—
Closing Events
262-271
LIST OF MAPS. Campaigns
in
Missouri
6(.)
Henry and Donelson (frant's Campaign in the West P'orts
7()
74
Island No. 10
84
(3)
4
CONTENTS. 92
Grant at Vicksburg Campaigns of Buell and Bragg
106
Morgan's Raid
113
Chattanooga
1
Sherman's March to the Sea, and Hood's Retreat
142
The Army of the Potomac Lee's Campaign in Virginia
203
Battle of Gettysburg
204
27
IHS
INTRODUCTION. Many Nearly
oood
all
liistorios
of
of them devote
and campaigns,
—
tlie
Civil
much
War
have heon written.
space to the details of battles
a most excellent
tliini^
for those
who wish to The who wish a
devote their time to a comprehensive study of the war.
following chapters have been prepared for those
more condensed account of the important
The
facts have been diligently collected
ard Avorks, and are presented in a
events.
from leading stand-
new form.
Instead of treat-
ing the subject chronologically, as works generally do, the author
The movements
has Avritten entirely by campaigns.
army have been
of one
fully treated before the discussion of another
method of treatment will Indeed, this method of presentation of the subject to young men and young women in the school-room has resulted in awakening increased interest in the study of the great war, and has been the means of preventing many confusions that would otherwise occur and it has made the time spent in the study of the war more fruitful has commenced.
It is
hoped that
this
be found both interesting and profitable.
;
in result.
•
The military campaign maps tracing
the
movements of the
armies are entirely original, and have been prepared expressly for this volume. A careful study of the maps " Grant's Campaign in the West," " Campaigns of Buell and Bragg,'' " Sherman's March to the Sea," and the " Army of the Potomac,"
and definite idea of the great War. The maps locating the battles and have been copied from larger works. All fanciful pic-
will aid greatly in giving a clear
theaters of the Civil sieges
(5)
6
INTKHDUCTION.
tures have beon a voider]
;
only maps intended to simplify the
study of battles, eampaipis, and the great movements of the armies, have been inserted.
Rnt
movements of the Too great Those who desire this phase
attention lias "been paid to the
little
various corps of the armies upon the field of battle. detail has been purposely avoided.
war are referred to the comprehensive works. minor events have been barely mentioned, some omitted entirely. The war was full of dramatic incidents. Books might be written, and in fact have been written, upon them. My aim is to present here only the main facts of the war, with now and again an incident appended to enliven and embellish the study of the movements of these ponderous armies in
of the
]\Iany interesting
their Titanic struggles.
hoped that the omission of technical terms and the use of the campaign methods of treatment, illustrated by the miliIt is
tary campaign maps, will be the
means of
subject that even the casual student the various
But to the
campaigns of the war in
little
attention
is
so simplifying the
may gain a clear idea the minimum of time.
generally paid
l)y
of
the average person
study of the sources of revenue, without which govern-
ments cannot
The chapter on
exist.
provide revenue for the war
is
the financial measures to
inserted to sup]:)ly at least an
outline on the subject, and should elicit a
more careful study
of
the financial question.
If the book finds
its
way
the time to read nor the
into the
means
hands of those who have not
to i)rocure the
numerous
excellent
comprehensive works on the Civil War, and aids in promoting a better understanding of this great epoch in the history of our !N^ation, the
mission of the author in writing the work will be
fully attained.
ELI ToPEKA, Kansas.
G.
FOSTER.
THE
-
Gi\ IL
WAR BY CHAPTER
CAMPAIGNS. I.
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR. Slavery and States' Rights were the two causes of the Civil
War
They came before
in the United States.
the people in a
variety of forms, which, in spite of repeated compromises, only
widened the sentiments between the North and South. ]\Iissouri
Compromise was
The
the first of a series of enactments and
struggles between the two sections on the subject of Slavery.
The
election of
Abraham Lincoln on
a platform opposed to the
extension of slavery was the last of the series, which grew more bitter
and antagonistic until
it
culminated in the firing upoji
Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861.
The first
Nullification Act of South Carolina, in 1832,
was the
serious manifestation of the doctrine of States' Rights,
which ended,
finally, in the secession
States and precipitated the great
State Rigiits.
—Different
ordinances of the Southern
American
vicAvs
conflict.
were held by statesmen
"from the very beginning of our national history as to the nature of the bond which held the States together.
by one
class of statesmen that the
It
was maintained
Union was a league
or con-
federation, which might be dissolved at the will of any of the (7)
THE CIVIL
8 States.
Under
WAR
RY CAMPAIGNS.
this theory a failure
on the part of the General
to protect the rights, expressed or assumed, of any
Government
from
of the States, entirely released these States
and restored them
the Union,
to their
obligations to
former position of
sep-
arate sovereign States.
Another
Federal Union con-
class of statesmen held that the
stituted a nation, with a strong central government, no- State could secede
the others.
from the Union without the consent of
from
^^'hich
tain material questions
no serious
conflict arose until cer-
came before the people
Chief among these were those which related to
The South, which was engaged
demanded
of its wealth tion.
When
free trade.
tariff
and
slavery.
The ^orth, which derived much
from manufacturing
among
for solution.
entirely in agricultural indus-
industries, called for protec-
the Tariff Act of 1832 became a law,
tense opposition
it
caused
cede from the Union to enforce the law.
Andrew Jackson ;
if
the Federal
se-
Government should endeavor
The prompt and vigorous
action of President
in sending troops to the rebellious State, re-
and Clay's compromise measure the following year
pacified the leaders for a time.
They however did not abandon
the principle of secession, but only shifted issue, in
in-
the people of the South, and led South
Carolina to declare the act null and void, and to threaten to
stored order
all
These were the different constructions placed upon
the Constitution,
tries,
and that
which they had scored a
it
from the
victory, to the
tariff
much compro-
mised and yet uncompromising issue of slavery extension.
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR.
9
Differences between the North and the South.
who
people
settled these
two sections were entirely different in
thought, habit, and customs.
Tnongh
the Puritans,
secution of
who
fled
Cavaliers,
England
who were
their king.
different classes,
The North was
from the oppression and
The
loyal to both the State
The Puritans belonged
The
religious per-
to the
and the religion of middle
and
class,
—and
nobility,
and came
—the
came
The Cavaliers belonged
homes for themselves.
to the aristocracy
by
early settlers of the South were the
yoemanry, the pride and support of England, establish
settled
in search of freedom and a purer system
and worship.
of faith
They sprung from
were of English origin.
all
— The
to
largely
in search of wealth.
representatives of these two classes of society impressed
themselves upon the development of the respective sections in
which they for a
and moulded the customs and institutions
settled,
more varied
class of settlers
who followed them.
The
character of the settlers in the North, as well as the nature of the soil tates.
and climate, tended toward the cultivation of small
But
the early settlers of the South brought with
from England the idea of large
estates,
was strongly imbued with the love of
for equal opportunities for
all.
manufacturing sprung up, and tion
them
which climate and the
introduction of African slavery aided to perpetuate. section
es-
liberty
The one
and a desire
Free schools were established, cities multiplied.
The
other sec-
became agricultural, and educational advantages were con-
fined to the wealthy.
This contrast in the character of the peo-
ple, the difference in the industries of the
two
sections,
and the
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
10
and
different conditions of climate profitable in the
section could
soil,
making
become slaveholding States and another free
Growtji of Slavery.
— Slavery
was introduced
was continued, and
States.
in the col-
The importation
onies in 1619, at Jamestown, Virginia. slaves
more
slave labor
Sonth than in the N^orth, show how easily one
at the close of the
War
Kevolutionary
numbered 600,000, while there were
the slaves in the States
about 50,000 free persons of color distributed through the
Europe
onies.
in her greed for gain
colonial policy that her
in the
South than
slaves, tliough they
in the N^orth.
1760
The colony
greater.
There
were more com-
In vain had the Virginia
House of Burgesses protested against the slave trade."
col-
had woven slavery in her
home revenues might be
was not a colony without
mon
of
inhumanity of the
^^
of South Carolina passed an act in
prohil)iting the importation of slaves, but the British gov-
ernment refused
to sanction
to place restrictions
The invention
it.
upon the
of the
Otiier colonies
had endeavored
trade, but without success.
cotton-gin by
Eli
Whitney (1793)
greatly stimulated the
demand
importation of slaves.
Before the invention of the cotton-gin,
for negroes and increased the
the process of separating the seed tedious,
and expensive.
By
from the cotton was
could accomplish the work of several hundred hands. vation of cotton was greatly extended, which slave labor in the South,
the value of slaves.
slow,
the use of this machine, one person
made
a
The
culti-
demand
for
where cotton was grown, and increased
The number
of slaves increased rapidly
even tliough restrictions were placed upon slave
traffic,
and
for-
THE CAUSER OF THE CIVIL WAR. eign importation prohibited by Jaw in 1808.
War
began,
tlie
number
considered slavery an
regard
When
the Civil
of slaves in the United States was about
Soutliern opinion, whicli in the early colonial day
4,000,000.
to
11
it
evil,
gradually changed.
and
as a great moral, social
stitution ordained
Many had come
political good,
— an
in-
by Providence for civilizing and educating
the black race.
MovEiNiENTs TOWARD Fkeedom OF THE Slaves. ing of the Civil
than in
all
War
there were
more
slaves in the
These were
other countries combined.
the States south of Pennsylvania
All
river.
it.
Vermont took
the
1777; Pennsylvania followed, in 1780; and eventually
other Northern States followed in abolishing slavery or pro-
all
viding measures to effect ish
it
was
New
its
gradual abolition.
is
countries.
last to abol-
the " land of the free," slavery clung
with greater tenacity than
soil
The
Jersey, in 1804.
Though America its
confined to
slaves, either before the
adoption of the Constitution or soon after lead, in
the Open-
United States all
and of the Ohio
Northern States had freed their
the
—At
it
did to that of European
Great J3ritain gave freedom
to the slaves in
Immediate emancipation of the
onies in 1838.
to
her
col-
slaves of the
French Government was decreed in 1848.
Other
European powers followed the example of Great Britain.
Many
colonies of the
of the South- American republics provided for the abolition of
—Mexico
slavery
Washington in
own
slaves.
as early as 1829.
his will provided for the emancipation of his
John Adams believed
that slavery should be " ex-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
12 tirpatrrl
from the United
holder, declared,
for
mj
Jefferson, himself a slave-
Statos."
when speaking
of this institution, " I tremble
country when I remember that
God
is
Patrick
just."
Henry, Franklin, Hamilton and Madison opposed the principle of slavery.
Most of the wisest and
best
men
of the time, both North and
South, looked forward with confidence and hope to the speedy abolition of an institution so averse to the principles of Christianity
and
so dangerous to the interests of society
The I^orthwest Territory, Organized
1787.
and the
state.
—In 17S7
country including the present States of Ohio, Indiana,
the
Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin was organized into a Territory, which
was called the Northwest Territory. to this region
by the insertion of
this
Freedom was guaranteed famous clause
:
" Neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in this Territory,
otherwise than in punishment of crimes." clause
This anti-slavery
was submitted three years before, by Jefferson, for the
government not only of the Northwest Territory, but that south of the Ohio
river.
The
for the territory south of the
States
also for
slavery provision was rejected
Ohio river; and
later,
four slave
—Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi —were
formed out of
it;
while the territory to the north of the Ohio
was permanently attached
to the principles of
Missouri Compromise of 1820.
—In 1803
freedom.
the boundaries of
the United States were extended to include that vast region west of the Mississippi river to the
Kocky Mountains, known
as the
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR. Louisiana Territory.
Of
the various States afterward formed
out of this region, Missouri was the to the Union. til
is
The main
State was whether
it
13
first to
apply for admission
question concerning the admission of
should he free or slave.
Before the abolition of slavery in the
^N'orth
and the admission
of the free States north of the Ohio, slavery had not become a
Many
sectional affair.
in the South during the Kevolutionary
period believed in the gradual emancipation of the slaves.
But
sentiment had undergone a change; their chief concern became the perpetuation of the institution.
drawn on slavery
definitely
history of slavery
as
an
Sectional lines were beiiig issue.
was instituted when Missouri
mission to the Union as a State, in 1819. ored to extend slavery to
The
it.
A new
new
ap]3lied for ad-
The South endeav-
territory, while the rTorth
discuRsi(m was long and acrimonious.
Tt
begiiniliig of the great political struggle out of
Civil
epoch in the
opposed
was the
real
which came the
War.
The famous Missouri Compromise provided: 1.
That Missouri should be admitted
to the
Union
as a slave
"
State. 2.
That slavery or involuntary servitude, except
as a punish-
ment^ of crime, should be prohibited in the remaining part of the Louisiana Purchase lying north of latitude 36 degrees 30
minutes, which formed the southern boundary of Missouri. 3.
No
provision was
made
relative to the admission of the
Territories south of this line; but as slavery already existed there, they
were
tacitly
surrendered to the slave-power.
THE CIVIL
14
Maine was admitted free
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
as a free State,
on the principle that one
and one slave State should be admitted
The compromise from which
so
much was
The Southern people continued
ing.
at the
same time.
expected
settled' noth-
and
to act as if
to feel
thej had been lilndered in the exercise of their rights.
Mexican Wak,
1845-48.
— Ifexico declared
of Spain in 1821, and established a republic.
itself
independent
In 1829 the Pres-
ident of ^fexico ]jroclaimed the abolition of slavery within the
Texas refused
limits of his territory.
to
comply.
The
slave-
power of the United States sent money, supplies and arms
to
Texas, and aided in stirring up a revolution with the express
purpose of annexing more slave States to the Union. ton,
in
former Governor of Tennessee, headed the
1836 Texas became
Sam Hous-
revolutioii,
a Republic, independent of Mexico.
and
The
next year she applied for admission to the Union, but opposition in the
House and Senate, exposing the duplicity with which
the
Jackson administration had acted toward Mexico, for the time silenced the agitators for annexation. until another effort
was made
joint resolution annexing
nature,
March
1,
1845.
to
It
was not
long, however,
extend the slave territory.
Texas received the President's
It also pledged the faith of the
A sig-
United
States to permit
new
exceeding four.
Texas thus became a full-fledged State in the
States to be formed of this territory, not
Union, and President Polk sent troops to occupy the territory
between the rivers claimed as her
soil.
now comprising
and Rio Grande, which Mexico
Is^ueces
In the war which followed, the territory ^
the States and Territories of California, Ne-
15
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR.
New
vada, Utah, Arizona,
and Wyoming, was ceded
The
Mexico, and a portion of Colorado
to the
United
CoMPiio^riSE of 1850 (the
California applied for admission to
This created a
menace
among
stir
States.
Omnibus Bill). tlie
Union
as a free State.
the slavehohling States.
harmony and unity again appeared.
to
—In 1850 The angry
The primary
ohject in annexing Texas and conducting the ^AFexican the acquisition of slave territory.
ing slavery from
all
was voted down.
as a slave State,
With
igan as a free State.
same
though
bill for
its
exclud-
With
the admission of
came the admission
of .Mich
the admission of I(jwa as a free
State, the equipoise of slavery
the
The Wilmot Proviso,
territory acquired as a result of the war,
after hitter discussion
Arkansas in 1836
War was
was maintained hy providing
in
the admission of Florida as a slave State,
population was not near the number recjuired for the
admission of States. that of slave Texas.
The admission
of free Wisconsin balanced
The admission of California as a free
State would disturb the equilibrium between the free and slave States,
the
and give
to the
Mexican War
waged.
were
A
rife.
and defeat the object for which
great political struggle ensued.
passed,
bill it
came forward with
was stripped of provision
benefits of it
had been
Threats of secession
Fiery and impassioned eloquence
the midst of which. Clay
The
North the most substantial
his
filled the air, in
compromise
after provision, until,
bill.
when
provided for the territorial government of Utah, and
nothing more.
up one by one
The
rejected provisions were afterward taken
as a special order of business,
and passed with but
THE OIVIL WAR BY 0AMPAIGN8.
16
little
change from the original
created.
The following were
The Omnibus
bill.
its
California should be admitted as a free State.
2.
ISTew States not exceeding four
re-
might be formed out of
of each State were to decide for themselves
The people
whether such State should be free or 3.
was
provisions
1.
Texas.
Bill
slave.
New
Texas should be paid $10,000,000 for her claim on
Mexico. 4.
Utah and l^ew Mexico should be organized
as Territories
without mention of slavery. 5.
Slave trade should be prohibited in the District of Co-
lumbia. 6.
Slaves escaping from their masters into free States should
be arrested and retu rned to them.
The
last clause is called the
" Fugitive Slave Law," the pass-
age of which caused intense opposition in the North. liberty laws officers
were passed by Northern
from giving
aid in the arrest
Personal
States, prohibiting state
and return of any
slave.
Counsel was provided for the arrested negroes, and the practical operation of the fugitive slave act annulled.
The passage
Whig
of
tlie
Omnibus
Bill
was the death-knell of the
party; and instead of pacifying the feelings of the cou
tending elements,
and greater
it
contained in
its
provisions the seeds for
new
conflicts.
The Kansas-Nebraska Douglas introduced a of two Territories,
bill
known
Bill, 1854.
—In
1854 Stephen A.
which provided for the organization as
Kansas and Nebraska.
The
peo-
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVJL WAR.
17
pie of these Territories were to decide for themselves whethei'
the States should
cpme
into the
tually repealed the Missouri
freedom
to this section,
thirteen original States ritories,
Union
free or slave.
It vir-
Compromise, which guaranteed
and a territory nearly as large as the
was opened
to slavery.
Of
the
two Ter-
Kansas was the more southerly, therefore the more
fa-
vorably situated for the planting of the institution of slavery.
Kansas
became the battle-ground for the contending
tlius
Great preparations were made
elements of freedom and slavery.
Pro-
both North and South fur the setth^ment of the State. slavery societies,
known
as
Blue Lodges and Socnal Bands, were
formed from the South. Pro-slavery immigrants puured into the
new Territory from Missouri.
The Emigrant Aid Society was
formed by Eli Thayer, of Worcester, Mass.
By means
of
it
and
similar societies, a stream of anti-slavery emigrants was sent
Kansas.
At
the elections, a great
many Missourians
crossed the
border, intimidated election officers, and cast thousands of legal votes for the pro-slavery candidates,
large majority of all votes cast.
The
who
to
il-
thus received a
anti-slavery settlers,
who
liad cast a
majority of legal votes, repudiated the election, and
chose
own
tlieir
officers.
the opposing parties of for
With two
rival Legishitures,
supremacy, matters soon drifted into
'I'erritory.
'Jlie
and with
freedom and slavery bitterly contending civil
war
in the
new
burning of houses, sacking of towns, and the
taking of life continued for sevei^al years.
awakt^ned the conscience of
many
This bloody drama
persons to the real intent and
purposes of the slave-power. Altliough the pro-slavery party had
THE CIVIL
IS
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
the moral and material support of the President
State to the
was
finally
Union
won
to the cause of
freedom, and was admitted
in 1861.
Dred Scott Decision, who was taken by Missouri
and cabinet, the
1857.
—Dred
his master. Dr.
to the free State of Illinois
Scott
was
a negro slave,
Emerson, from the State of ;
thence he was taken to Fort
From
Snelling, near the present site of St. Paul.
the latter
which he married with his master's consent, he was
place, in
taken back to Missouri in 1838, where with his wife and children
he was sold to John F. A. Sanford. liberty of himself
free State
Dred
Scott sued for the
and family; alleging that his residence in a
and in a Territory from which slavery was excluded by
An
action
was decided in
Scott's
the Missouri Compromise, established his freedom. for trespass, brought in a St. Louis court, favor,
The
which was reversed by the Supreme Court of the
case
was then taken
represented both sides. terest only,
to the
The
Federal court.
Able counsel
case ceased to be of a personal in-
and assumed national importance
constitutional principles between the slavery parties.
State.
as a contest for
and anti-slavery
Both the Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United
States decided against the freedom of Scott. cision, the court afiirmed that
of slave ancestry,
was
'^
In the
no negro, slave or
free,
final de-
who was
entitled to sue in the courts of the United
States."
After denying
its
own
jurisdiction of the case, the court
passed upon the merits, and proceeded to discuss the constitutionality of the points
which were of
interest to the opposing
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR. It declared the Missouri
parties.
tit)nal; tliat
19
Comproinise was unconstitu-
slave-owners could carry their slaves into any of the
Territories, and tliat the people of those Territories could not
lawfully hinder them; that a negro was not a citizen, and by
terms of the Constitution could not become a citizen of the
United
States.
A
mandate was issued directing the
dismissed for want of jurisdiction. grace of his master,
By
tliat
infamous of
where, and slavery
majority of
whom
of the North in a
Supreme Court,
all its
made
ing the institution,
as
Scott soon obtained, by
freedom which the courts
this decision of the
the most
Dred
suit to be
(honied him.
wliicli is
considered
decisions, slaves could be taken any-
national.
Instead, however, of extend-
was the intention of the judges (a
were from slave States),
it
united the people
more determined opposition
to tlie extension
of slavery.
Anti-Slavery Publications.
— The opinions on
the slavery
question separated the people of the North and South. effort
on the part of the South
to
The
extend the institution was the
source of the most bitter friction between the two sections.
A
majority of the people of the North at the time of the Missouri
Compromise had not thought
of abolisliing slavery in the South-
ern States; in fact, this was not their intention at the beginning of the Civil
however,
War.
who
at
tion of slavery.
The
There were some inspired souls an early date devoted
Some
in the
tlieir talents to
North,
the aboli-
of the most prominent deserve mention.
press and the platform were used with great effect to arouse
the public conscience to a realization of the great national wrong.
TIIK CIVIL
20
The "
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
Liberator/' a weekly journal published by William
Lloyd Garrison, then a youth of twenty-six, appeared in Boston
The
in 1831.
paper
spirit of the
is
indicated by his words in
the first issue: ^'
and
I will be as harsh as truth,
On
tice.
this subject, I
with moderation.
—
ocate
do not wish to speak or think or write ISTo
—I
I
!
am
—I
will not equiv-
will not retreat a single inch
was dragged through the
;
in earnest
— and
heard!"
around his body desist
!
I will not excuse
I will be
He
ISTo
as unconiproinisiiig as jus-
but he
Boston with a rope
he Avas threatened with death
;
still
streets of
if
he did not
continued to publish his paper and to organize
abolition societies, until the great
wrong he
assailed
was
eradi-
cated.
Frederick Douglass, a runaway slave from Maryland, edited the " ISTorth Star
''
at Kochester,
New
York.
Kev. Elijah P. Lovejoy attempted to establish a religious and anti-slavery paper, first at St. Louis, Mo.,
and then
1835-37.
Three times in one year a pro-slavery
his press.
While engaged in
slavery
was
mob
attacked him.
setting
it
up
at Alton, 111.,
mob
destroyed
a fourth time, a pro-
While defending
his property, he
killed.
anti-slavery poet, whose burning
John G. Whittier, the Quaker lyrics flew across the country
slavery,
and moulded sentiment against
narrowly escaped death
at the
hands of a mob at Con-
cord, N. H., in 1836, while attending an anti-slavery meeting.
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR.
Of
the literary forces that aided in directing sentiment against
sTavery, the
most weighty was the book " Uncle Tom^s Cabin,"
written by Mvi>. Harriet Beecher Stowe. serial
in
tlie
^'
book honses were afraid their Sonthern trade.
A
to
pnl^lisli
new house
it
in
the most popular novels ever written.
lest
it
The
great
shonld
liurt
Boston published
it,
in
and became one of
Whittier wrote to Garri-
^'What a glorious work Harriet Beecher Stowe has wrought
Thanks
to the Fugitive Slave
Law.
law had never been enacted, for
Tom's Cabin.' " at
attention.
little
It at once attracted great attention,
1852.
:
It first appeared as a
National Era/' an anti-slavery newspaper at
Washington, D. C, bnt attracted
son
21
home and
The
abroad.
sale of the
it
Better for slavery that that
gave the occasion for
'
book was almost without
Its greatest success,
however, was
its
Uncle limit,
moral
weight in unifying and antagonizing the Northern conscience to the iniquities of the slave-power.
" The Impending Crisis of the South " was an argument against slavery on moral and economic grounds.
Its author,
Hinton Rowan Helper, was one of the non-slaveholders of the South,
who pleaded
for the rights of his class.
The book
at the
time created quite a strong sensation.
The coublant
The mails were regularly searched
mosities. postoffices,
burned.
discussion and agitation aroused fears and aniin
many Southern
and any anti-slavery literature was taken out and
"Abolitionist " became the severest term of reproach in
the South.
The churches became
violently agitated over the
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
22 burning
issue.
Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian denomina-
tions separated, ISTorth
From
and South, on the subject of slavery.
the influence of platform, pulpit, society, and press, ar-
rayed against the encroaching steps of slavery tory formally dedicated to freedom, there
upon
came
the terri-
a cr^^stallized
sentiment expressed in the principles of the Itcpublican party in its platform of 1856.
Ais'ti-Slavery Parties.
—In 1840
a national ticket in the field.
James G. Birney was nominated,
but received only a small vote.
more than G2,0U0
votes on the
the " Liberty Party " put
Four years
same
ticket.
the abolition of slavery in the District of
national territory.
he received
later
The party favored Columbia and
in a!!
It favored the repeal of the Fugitive Slave
Law, favored the prohibition of slavery in new Territories and
new
States,
was opposed
the annexation of Texas.
to the internal slave trade,
and opposed
Its adherents joined fortunes
with the
Free-Soil party in 1848.
The
'^
Free-Soil party " was organized by bolting
Democrats, wdio held advanced views on It
tlie
Whigs and
slavery question.
was joined by the followers of the old Liberty party.
some of
its
Among
leaders were Charles Francis Adams, Salmon P.
Chase, Charles Sunnier, William H. Seward, John P. Hale,
John A. Dix,
The
aiul
Henry Wilson.
Presidential candidates in 1848 and 1852 received a
considerable popular vote, but not sufficient to carry the electors in
any
State.
It advocated non-interference with slavery
where
it
already
23
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR. existed, but
opposed
all
any more slave
tion of
compromises with slavery, or the formaterritory, or the admission of
any slave
State.
The Refublican Party.
— The constant and
resolute aggres-
sions of the slave-power called forth an equally aggressivp freesoil
movement
Whigs, Wilmot-Proviso Demo-
in the North.
and the Free-Soilers united
crats,
form
to
new
vent the spread of slavery into
a
new
party, to pre-
The various
territory.
elements opposed to slavery were thus skillfully and smoothly
John
kneaded into the new Eepublican party. the first candidate for President. votes;
He
Buchanan, 174; and Fillmore,
C.
Fremont was
received 114 electoral
8.
This formidable vote
might well have carried dismay into the pro-slavery columns.
The
election of
South
little
Buchanan on
a pro-slavery platform gave the
ground for complaint, but
have shown,
as events
afforded them an opportunity to prepare for Avar.
Through
it
the
treachery of the Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, and the indifference of the administration at Washington, large
of arms,
When
ammunition and the time
were transferred
to the South.
came to choose a President, the people were
divided into four parties.
ham
stores
amounts
The Republicans nominated Abra-
Tincoln on the platform that there was no law for slavery
in Territories,
was bound ritory.
and no power
to enact one,
to prohibit it in or exclude it
and that Congress
from
all
John C. Breckinridge was nominated by
Federal
ter-
the Southern
Democracy, on a platform distinctly favoring the extension of slavery.
Stephen A. Douglas was nominated by the Northern
THE
24
WAR BY
CIVir.
CAMPAIGNS.
Democracy, on a platform wliich would leave the people free to decide the slavery question i'or themselves in
each Territory.
The Constitntional Union party nominated John Touni^ssee, on
the
platform: "
tliis
Union of the
'J'lie
Bell,
Constitution of the conntry,
The
and the enforcement of the laws."
States,
In the
popular vote decided against the extension of slavery.
180
electoral college, Lincoln received
of
votes,
Breckinridge 72,
Bell 39, and Douglas 12.
The
slavery qnestion was the issue in the campaigTi.
John Brown's ist.
He moved
to
Baii>, 1859.
Kansas
— John Brown was an
in 1855, in time to
become a conspic-
uons figure in the thrilling scenes of that State. sons had settled near
up the canse
umphed
Osawatomie the year
of freedom.
abolition-
before,
Five of his
and
took
all
Slavery would no doubt have
over legal and legislative
skill,
tri-
had not the sword been
thrown into the balance by such bold and resolute men as Brown. After peace had been restored in Kansas, he conceived the idea Settling on a small
of freeing the slaves of the South.
farm
near Harper's Kerry, he began secretly to collect material for executing his designs.
He
Avith
twenty-one associates appeared
before Harper's Ferry on the night of October 16th, 1859, and easily overpowered the guards
mory
there, belonging, to the
create an uprising
among
and took possession of the
United
the slaves,
States.
He
ar-
expected to
arm them with
the guns
stored there and liberate the negroes of the South.
Between forty and in the
armory by him.
fifty citizens
Some
slaves
were captured and confined
were
liberated.
The people
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR.
25
of the town, ariiiinc; IlioiiisoKcs, iiindo an attack on the insnr'J'hc
-i>'Pii1s.
arrived.
U.
Tlio
8.
Marino, ooniinandofl by
militia comnioncod
Brown's men were his
men
to
Iiol)ort
(/ol.
pour
two of wliom were his
killed,
escaped, and the rest were captured.
E. Lee,
Thirteen of
in.
sons.
Brown
Two
of
himself
was dangerously wounded.
He
was
S2)ccdilj tried before a
cuted on December erratic ity
scheme
2,
ISnO.
TTis execution for this wild
reflects little credit
and generosity of the
that Jefferson Davis
Virginia court, and was exe-
and
upon the elements of human-
officers of
Virginia,
when we consider
and his followers suffered no such fate for
conducting the stupendous campaign of the great Rebellion.
Brown people.
died a martyr to the cause of liberating an enslaved
His
spirit
was present in many a
battle
which followed,
and many a regiment was stirred by the words of the popular
war song "John Brown's body But
Secession. elected.
his soul is
—As soon
lies
a-moulderiug in the grave,
marching on." as it
became known that Lincoln was
South Carolina called a convention to consider an ordi-
nance of secession, which ^vas unanimously passed on December 20, 1860. to
Commissioners were sent
to the other cotton States
urge them to follow in the same course. President Buchanan gave encouragement to the Southern
cause by his vacillating action.
His message
to
Congress in
December, 1860, Avhich was strongly disunion in character, contained these words: "After
much
serious
reflection,
I have
26
thp: civil
war by
campaigns.
arrived at the conclusion that no power has been delegated to
Congress, or to any other department of the Federal Govern-
ment, to coerce a State into submission which
is
withdraw or has withdraAvn from the Union." have profited by Jackson's vigorous measures
attempting to
He
might well
a third of a cen-
tury before, when South Carolina threatened to secede. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Texas,
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, withdrew from the
Union
in the
order named.
Four
Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky
slave States
— did not
—Delaware,
secede.
In
these,
sentiment was divided between the E'orth and the South, with the preponderance in favor of the former.
The ordinances
of secession were followed quickly by the seiz
ure of the United States forts, arsenals and custom-houses in
tlie
seceding States, and by the formation of a Confederate Govern-
The
ment.
capital w^as located at
Montgomery, Alabama.
ferson Davis was chosen President and Alexander
Vice-President.
Southern
officers
H. Stephens
resigned their places in the
Congress and the Cabinet, and in the
The
Jef-
Army and Navy.
constitution of the Confederate States
was
a close pattern
of that from whose banner they had withdrawn, except that
made
slavery the corner-stone of the
new
it
system, and forbade a
protective tariff.
Crittendp:n Compromise, December, 1860. mittee,
composed of men of different
sections of the country,
made
politics
—A Senate com-
and from
different
up
a scheme
a last effort to patch
by which slavery and freedom might work out
their ambitions
THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR. together. 'of the
The
patriotic
John
J. Crittenden,
27
who was
a
member
committee from Kentucky, submitted the scheme.
It of-
fered guaranties against arbitrary abolition of slavery by Congress in the slave States, or in places once within their limits,
such as forts and navy-yards.
It restrained Federal interfer-
ence with the interstate transportation of slaves.
United States
to
violence prevented their return.
bound the
advised Northern States
It
But
to repeal their personal liberty laws.
to establish,
It
provide payment for fugitive slaves when local
its
main feature was
by constitutional amendment, the Missouri Com-
promise line (36° 30'), running east and west across the continent, as a
permanent barrier between the free and slave
States.
All efforts to reconcile the conflicting opinions proved futile.
The
vital points
South
were rejected by members from the
Inauguration of Lincoln, March coln
was inaugurated March
field, 111., to
4,
of the capitals
and
his
—Abraham Linhome
in Spring-
lie delivered addresses to the people cities
of the States through
Baltimore was not only a slaveholding
but Avas infested with a large fierce in their
1861.
was everywhere received with
and other large
which he passed.
4,
From
1861.
Ilarrisburg, Pa., he
demonstrations of loyalty.
and
JSTorth
alike.
number
of persons
denunciation of Lincoln and
which he represented.
who were tlie
city,
loud
principles
Frequent reports were heard that a
plan had been concocted for the assassination of the dent as he passed through the
city.
new
Presi-
His friends persuaded him
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
28 to
go to Washington on a special train, in advance of the one on
which his passage had been announced. Lincoln's inangnral address was an able state paper.
an admirable
effort to
It
was
cahn the ardor of the South for disunion,
compromising any of the principles of the party which
Avithont
had elected him.
Tlie following detached sentences will express
Lincoln's views on some of the leading issues of that hour:
"I
have no purpose, directly or indirectly,
the institution of slavery in any of the States where ^^
The power confided
me
it exists.'^
will be used to hold, occupy
and places belonging
possess the property ^'
in
to the
Union be
and
Government."
I shall take care, as the Constitution expressly enjoins
me, that the laws of the
with
to interfere
upon
faithfully executed, in all
States." ^'
^o
State,
upon
its
ovm mere motion, can
lawfully get out
of the Union."
" In your hands, in mine, is the
my
dissatisfied fellow-countrymen,
momentous
issue of civil war.
and not
The Government
will not assail you."
The
olive-branch of peace was accepted by the conspirators
as a challenge to war.
CHAPTER
11.
OPENING EVENTS OF THE WAR. Capture of Fort Sumter, April
13, 1801.
—The seceding
States at once began to seize all forts, arsenals, and national
property of every description for the use of the Confederacy.
Major Anderson, of the U. trie
Army, was occupying Fort Moul-
S.
Fearing an attack by the
with a force of but ten men.
secessionists in Charleston, he
withdrew
his coniniand, on the
night of December 26, 1800, to Fort Sumter, situated on an island in the harbor, a stronger position than the one
Fort Moultrie was immediately occupied by
had abandoned.
The
the authorities of Charleston. batteries erected,
fort
was strengtliened and
and preparations begun for the reduction of
The
Fort Sumter.
which he
national authorities instructed
Major An-
derson not to interfere with this hostile proceeding. in January, an
imarmed
vessel, the
When
within
upon from the Confederate
batter-
troops and supplies to reinforce Fort Sumter. sight of the fort ies,
and was
Government
it
was
fired
obh'ged to turn back. to
'No effort was
abandoned the Federal
service.
off"
the
flag.
The
officers
had
Gen. Beauregard was placed in
of their forces at Charleston.
from Charleston were cut federates.
made by
avenge this insult to the national
Confederates organized an army, most of whose
command
Early
Star of the West, carried
All supplies of food
from Major Anderson by the Con-
The National Government began (29)
to
make prepara-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
30
tions to replenish the supply of food, without
which the fort
would soon have been starved into capitulation.
Gen. Beaure-
gard was instructed to demand the surrender of Sumter, and in case of refusal, to reduce
The powerful opened
it,
batteries
it.
which had been thrown up
upon the
fire
thirty-four hours.
all
around
The bombardment continued
fort.
Anderson made a
spirited defense, but
was
compelled to surrender after his ammunition was nearly expended, provisions consumed, magazine surrounded by flames,
and other damage wrought
to the fort.
The surrender was made
on the 13th day of ApriL
The next day for
New
Not
a
the fort
York.
man was
killed on either side during the engagement.
But while preparing took
its
was evacuated, and the troops embarked
to salute the
lowered
flag, as
the garrison
departure, a premature explosion occurred, which killed
one Federal soldier and wounded three others.
The joy
of the
South was complete, on receiving the news of the surrender of Fort Sumter.
Call for Troops, April Fort Sumter dispelled slavery question. ciliation.
all
15, 1801.
upon
by the military seizure of the
Lincoln accepted the issue of war thus forced
upon the country.
On
April 15th he issued a
troops, to serve for three months,
assemble July
of the attack
Hitherto the President had hoped for recon-
War was commenced
national fort.
—News
hopes for peaceful solution of the
4th in extra session.
call for
75,000
and summoned (vongress
News
of the fall of
to
Sumter
31
OPENING EVENTS OF THE WAR.
awakened sentiments of the most enthusiastic loyalty in the ^vforthern States, and the response to the President's call was
prompt and
Within two weeks, 300,000 men offered
patriotic.
themselves to preserve the Union and defend the
The
loyal
liberal appropriations for the public defense.
Be-
whole ^orth became a great camp
made
States
The
flag.
of preparation.
fore the lapse of forty-eight hours, a Massachusetts regiment,
armed and equipped, was on
its
way
to
Washington.
Pennsyl-
vania volunteers reached that city on the 18th, and soon troops
were on their way
The
to the capital
authorities at
from
all
l^orthern States.
Montgomery were no
less active.
The
call
for additional troops was responded to with great enthusiasm.
Only seven of the Southern call for troops.
and Tennessee
After
this,
States
had seceded before Lincoln's
Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas
cast their fortunes with the Confederacy.
Confederate capital was moved to
Kichmond,
The
as soon as Vir-
ginia seceded from the Union.
On
the 19th of April, the anniversary of the battle of Lexing-
ton, as the
Sixth Massachusetts Regiment was on
Baltimore,
was attacked by
it
and wounded eleven and
The
others.
wounding
a
its
way through
mob, which killed three soldiers
troops fired into the mob, killing
Intense excitement prevailed.
several.
Other troops, yet unarmed, were
assailed.
Baltimore was
vir-
tually in control of the secessionists, but the approach of General Butler's
command, and
brought the rebellious city to Col. Ellsworth, in
the gathering courage of Unionists its senses.
command
of the ^N'ew
York Fire Zouaves,
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
32
moved down
shall
and took
it
to Alexandria.
No
resistance
was met
Seeing a Confederate flag waving from the Mar-
at this point.
House
Potomac
the
in Alexandria, he stepped in with four of his
down.
the hotel-keeper,
Passiwg down
who
sliot
suffered a like fate, for
stairs,
men
he was met by eTackson,
Ellsworth dead on the spot.
Jackson
he was instantly shot by one of
Ells-
worth's men.
Events in West Virginia.
— The northwestern
State of Virginia, comprising one-third of
many
years been at variance with
tions arising
was afforded
part of the
area,
had for
rest of the State on ques-
th(i
from the institution of
seceded, an opportunity
its
slavery.
When
Virginia
this portion of the State to
separate itself from the dominating influence of slavery.
Ac-
cordingly, the people of that section called a convention, dis-
avowed the
act of secession, established a loyal government,
took steps to be admitted to the
Union
and
as a separate State called
West Virginia.
Movements were
at once set
on foot to protect the new-born
State in her efforts to aid the Union.
Gen. George B. McClellan
was placed in command of a Federal force, with Gen. Rosecrans as his second.
W.
S.
The Confederates were defeated
at
Philippi and at llich Mountain, and practically lost in
the
State.
These events, thougli
must be regarded as merely a prelnde
at the
all
power
time important,
to the first great battle,
which was soon to be fought. After these successes in West Viriiinin and the Union defeat at Bull
Run, Gen. McCkllan was promoted
to the
command
of
OPENING EVENTS OF THE WAR. the
Army
E.
Lee,
of the Potomac, and Rosecrans left to confront Robert
who was
sent to retrieve Confederate losses in that
Great results had been expected from Lee's presence, but
State.
after several
minor engagements in which he exhibited none of
which characterized his
that vigor
ferred to other
later campaigns, he
was
trans-
fields.
Battle of Bult. to
33
Rut^,
July
21, 1861.
— The South prepared
prevent the advance of the Union troops into Virginia.
from
eral Beanregard, fresh
Gen-
his glories at Fort Sumter, led a
strong Confederate column to Manassas Junction, and posted
behind Bull
Run
it
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, retreating
creek.
from Harper's Ferry, took a position cooperate with Gen. Beauregard.
at
Tliis
Winchester, ready to line of defense
was
extended to the Potomac.
Gen. Winfield Scott, the hero of the Mexican War, was General-in-chief of the
Union
forces.
to take the field for active service.
placed in
command
movement. Johnston.
hastily
Gen. Irwin McDowell was
which commenced the forward
by the Union troops and strongly
of both sides consisted of
brought
together
tempting an advance. calling for the !
and infirm
The Union General Robert Patterson confronted
and
Gen. Scott argued for time to
mond
too old
Arlington Heights, Lee's old home, opposite Wash-
ington, w^as seized
The armies
of the army,
He was
raw
militia
without drill the
and volunteers,
military
new
fortified.
experience.
recruits before at-
Northern newspapers were impatiently
movement
of the army.
The
cry,
"On
to Rich-
" was taken up by Congressmen and Senators.
The
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
34
pressure on the Government became too strong to be resisted.
Secretary Salmon P. Chase was the champion in the cabinet of the intense feeling in the
^orth for a prompt and vigorous
campaign. Public sentiment became to
the
it,
ates
had
irresistible,
command
The Confeder-
about 30,000 men.
Patterson was
directed to prevent Johnston's of their comrades at Bull
On
in doing.
in response
strong.
army advanced, about 35,000 at their
and
Run,
army from going a task
the 18th of July the
to the rescue
which he did not succeed
Union advance found
a
Confederate force at Blackburn's ford, on Bull Run, and after a sharp conflict the Federals fell back to Centreville.
On
the
21st they resumed their march, and fought the Battle of Bull
Run,
or
Manassas Junction.
10:30 in the morning. left,
hoping
to drive it
The
conflict
opened at about
McDowell bore heavily on from the stone bridge,
to
the enemy's
make himself
master of Manassas Gap, and to prevent the junction of Johnston's reinforcements. ston's
men had
He
did not
know
enemy had been driven back some
that 8,000 of John-
By
arrived the day before.
distance,
three o'clock the
when
the remaining
brigade of Johnston's army, under the immediate
Gen. Kirby Smith, arrived by
rail.
command
of
Cheer after cheer burst from
the Confederate forces as their fresh ranks rushed to the front.
The Union columns
broke, rushed
forts to re-form
them were
in confusion to
Washington.
down
of no avail
:
the hillside, and all ef-
the retreat
was continued
The three-months men, whose term
of enlistment had expired, went home.
A
shadow of gloom was
OPENING EVENTS OF THE WAR. cast
upon the North
;
3.">
the spirit of triumph and confidence
upon
the South.
The Confederates did not attempt an
active pursuit.
Their
army was much demoralized, not
in a condition to engage in a
campaign against the defenses
Washington.
ates lost about 2,000 killed
was about 3,000, taught the lesson the
war would be
at
and wounded,
The Confeder-
wliile the
Union
loss
many of whom were prisoners. The disaster so many in the ISTorth needed to know that
—
long, bloody,
and
costly.
At once movements
were put on foot for a gigantic struggle by both rival governments.
CHAPTEK
III.
NAVAL WAR. Brief History of the Growth of T^aval Science before
THE Civil War. but
little
—Until
progress.
been for the
last
Sliips
were essentially the same as they had
two hundred years, and naval warfare was con-
ducted on the same principle. place, but
made
the year 1840, naval science had
A
few improvements had taken
none of any great importance.
The introduction of
steam as a motive power in 1840 marked the beginning of a new era.
The next
thirty years witnessed great improvement.
ing-vessels wei-e
abandoned for the improved steamers.
ram again came
into use as a powerful
weapon of
The Greeks and Romans had used a ram on great eifect.
When
engine of warfare
Sail-
The
destruction.
their galleys with
sailing-vessels superseded the galleys, this
The introduction
fell into disuse.
of steam
again revived the use of the ram, with greatly increased power.
The manufacture caliber
of guns had undergone a great change.
was increased.
Their
Breech-loading and rifling came into use.
Greater range, accuracy and penetration were obtained. sides of vessels, hitherto unprotected,
iron
plate,
which was gradually improved
were armored with fact, 'I'he
solid
masses of
The
were shielded by two-inch
steel,
until
the vessels
22 inches thick.
In
the whole system of naval tactics underwent a change.
improvement began with the introduction of steam (36)
as a
NAVAL WAR. motive power, but only reached
its
87
culmination in the
trials
and
'emergencies of the Civil War.
The
of 1861.
IN'avy
navy was not
—At
the outbreak of the Rebellion onr
in a condition to render the eifective assistance
whicli the occasion
the service of the
demanded.
Government
I'he total at the
number
of vessels in
time was ninety.
Fifty of
these were sailing ships, and, splendid as they had been in their
day, they had
Forty were propelled
useless.
^lost of these were in foreign ports, or laid
by steam.
navy yards. those of the ers.
now become almost Only eight
vessels
home squadron
;
More than two hundred
up
in the
were ready for immediate use
and only four of these were steamofficers
resigned their commissions"
•and hastened to join their fortunes Avith the Southern States.
The Government began
the
work of
collecting a great navy.
Six hundred vessels were demanded at once for blockading the
Southern coast and for operating against Confederate privateers. Six screw-frigates, constructed in 1855, commanding the admiration of naval liance of the
men
at
Government.
home and abroad, were They proved
of
little
the chief re-
value, howevet*,
because they w^ere unable to enter the shallow waters of the
Southern
coast.
The
vessels in foreign ports
were called home.
Those in the navy yards were soon made available. chant marines, tho'ugh of limited
facilities,
The mer-
afforded an oppor-
tunity for improvising a naval force.
The South entered upon
the
war without any navy, and with
limited resources for creating one.
from England, acting contrary
Had
it
not been for the aid
to the rights of a neutral nation.
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
38 hilt little
would have been done
flamap^e
North, and
little
to the
of the
resistance offered to the naval force of the
Union.
The Confederate government
cutters
and lighthouse-tenders, belonging
but these were of
commerce
little
value.
seized several revenueto the
United States;
The Merrimac, which was sunk
on the abandonment of Norfolk, was raised by Confederates,
and for a time threatened much harm.
Object of the Navy.
— The navy with
had a weighty task imposed upon
may
objects 1.
very beginning.
to blockade the entire coast of the
States, a distance of nearly three 2.
at the
limited resources Its
be included under several heads:
was
It
it
its
Confederate
thousand miles.
It was to aid in the opening of the Mississippi river and
its
tributaries. 3.
It
was
Chesapeake 4.
It
was
to acquire control of all to the
bays and sounds from the
Rio Grande.
to protect the
commerce of the United
States, de-
stroy or capture all Confederate cruisers and blockade-runners. 5.
It
seaports,
was expected and
to capture all forts along the coast
to aid in the
and
movements and campaigns of the
armies within cooperating distance along the coast.
Abandonment of Norfolk, April located about twelve miles
by the Federals
in the early spring of 1861.
of one of the principal
there were four
21,
war
1801.
— Norfolk,
from Fortress Monroe, was abandoned It
navy yards of the Nation,
vessels lying there,
was the
At
this
seat
time
which could have been
39
NAVAL WAR. in a short time.
prepared for sea Merriniac,
made
after
wliich,
sncli liavoc at
beini;'
One
of these
converted
Hampton Koads.
was the
into
an
There were
friiG,ate
ironclad,
also several
The inhabitants
old vessels of no great vahie in the yards.
of
Norfolk and vicinity had become very hostile toward the Government.
Many
of the officers were disloyal to the Union.
Doubts
and indecision characterized the minds of those who were
And
loyal.
without any good reason, the ships and buildings were fired
and destroyed, and Norfolk abandoned on the 21st of April.
The
Union was the
greatest misfortune to the
1,200 fine guns, which were used to federates from the Potomac
>
man
the forts of the Con-
the Mississippi.
for the guns taken at Norfolk
loss of at least
Had
it
not been
and Pensacola, the Confederates
could not have armed their fortifications for at least a year after the opening of hostilities.
The destruction
of the navy
yards seems to have been the result of a panic, for there was
no imminent danger
to
warrant
this action.
After remaining in possession of the Confederates about one year, Norfolk
was evacuated by them
that which led to the departure of the
Tjie Blockade.
— The
first
Avith as little reason as
Union
authority.
order for the blockade of the
Southern ports was issued by President Lincoln April 19, 1861.
The blockade was
a military
the breaking-out of the
measure of great importance.
war the South was
destitute of ships,
machine-shops, rolling-mills, and gun factories. the other hand,
At
England, on
was both capable and desirous of furnishing
arms, munitions of war, ships, and clothing, in exchange for the
40
TIIK
IVIL
(
raw cotton grown in the
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
Without
Sontli.
this
commercial
in-
tercourse between Great Britain and the Confederacy, the Con-
federate cause wouhl be greatly weakened, and
England
manufactories of
of
ships
available
All
every
descri])tion
source were drafted into service for the
blockading the coast
The to
from the Chesapeake
imposed upon
it,
cient,
task of
Rio Grande.
to the
first
fully equal
became in time entirely
some blockade-runners escaped the
It is true,
effi-
Southern ports from foreign
and virtually sealed the
commerce.
of the
and from every
momentous
force thus hastily gathered, though not at
the task
many
closed.
vigi-
lance of our vessels and carried on a contraband trade with the
South.
Blockade-Runnees.
— With
the blockade of
Southern
tlie
ports the price of cotton in the South fell to eight cents a pound,
while in England
it
Commerce
rose to fifty cents per pound.
between the two countries became a profitable business to those
who succeeded
runners " were constructed. of great speed, which hulls Avere only a coal,
Regular
in running the blockade.
few
which made but
blockade-
They were long, low steam
drew but
little
feet out of water. little
'^
smoke.
vessels
depth of water.
They burned
Theii-
anthracite
Their trips were made
be-
tween the Confederate States and ^Nassau, the capital of the Ba-
hama
islands,
carried on
which was the center from which Great
commerce with the South.
carried the cotton to Nassau and the
Britaii;
The blockade-runners
West
Indies,
where
it
taken upon vessels headed for England, while they returned
wa^ witli
NAVAL WAR. tlie
cnrc^oos of "Briiisii ^'oods to food
and
;«riiiios
('(piii) tlio
41
and
tho Roiithern
clotlio
Aj^pearing
Suntlioni troops.
off the coast
on a dark night, they would make a dash past the blockading
and land their cargo in a Confederate
vessels,
During the war, 355
port.
of these vessels were sunk, l)urnod, or
otherwise destroyed, and 1,119 vessels were captured,
Government
of which wore ociiiippod by the
The
poses.
total
many
for blockading pur-
of vessels taken and destroyed was
number
1,504, valued in a low estimate, at $30,000,000.
CoNFEDEKATE Crui«ees. armed
They
—
were a
Tlioso cruisors
vessels sent out to destroy the
class
of
commerce of the Xorth.
were called " commerce destroyers," and cruised the seas,
generally the higlnvays of commerce, in search of the Union
merchantmen, ^vhich were
to be
which they could take their
prizes.
into their hands,
The adventures
it
was
on
set
fire
tho ])orts of tho cruisers had no
Their own
When
constituted their courts of admiralty. fell
all
The Confederate
world when the war opened. ])orts to
found in
officers
merchantman
a
and burned.
of these cruisers began with the escape of the
Sumter, which ran the l)lockade at the mouth of the Mississippi in
June, 18G1, and entered upon a memorable career.
'.inder
the
command
'"amous as the
of Captain
commander
tiont sent several vessels in
'ral
was
Semmes, who afterward became
of the Alabama.
After the Sumter had taken
was fast enough
Slie
many
prizes, the Federal Gov^ern-
search of her, but only one of these
to overtake her if siglited.
cruisers were on his track. Captain
Finding that Fed-
Semmes
left the
Carib-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
42
bean son and crossed the Atlantic. terminated at Gibraltar.
Two
Federal gnnboats were watching
commander was nnable
for her; her
and thns the Snmter was
Captain Semmes and some of his
later
was wrecked
officers
vessel,
1861.
at Gibraltar, while
went
to Southhampton,
— The
a blockade-runner,
China.
San Jacinto, commanded
by Captain Wilkes, was one of the vessels in search of ter.
While
at
coal,
with which to renew their
off the coast of
Trent Affair,
Tiip]
np
The Sumter afterward became
depredations.
and
pnrchase any more
to
finally laid
England, in search of a better
career of the Snmtcr
'J1ie
tlie
Sum-
Havana Captain Wilkes learned that two Conway to arrange, if j)ossible, for the
federate envoys were on their
recognition of the Confederate States.
They were Mr. John
Slidell, a
prominent Southern lawyer,
and Mr. James IMnrray Mason, the author of the Fugitive Slave
Law, chosen Britain.
to represent the
Confederacy
France and Great
Escaping from Charleston on a dark night in a small
they arrived at Havana.
vessel,
at
There they boarded the British
mail-steamer Trent, and set out for Europe.
determined to intercept them.
When
Captain Wilkes
the Trent arrived in the
Bahanui C^hannel, where he had been on the Avatch for
her, he
stopped the vessel, boarded her, seized the Confederate envoys
Nov.
8,
carried Jacinto.
1861, over the protests of the English captain, and
them and
their secretaries as prisoners on board the
The prisoners were taken
to Massachusetts,
and there
confined in one of the forts of Boston harbor.
No
law would sanction the seizure of the envoys.
It
had not
43
NAVAL WAR. been
lonf>-
SGarcli vessels
resisted
it
had da mod
sinrc Eno'lnnd l>el(>ni;iiii;'
War
in the
np the claim
i
siipprisod
tlio
ri,c:ht
of 1812.
England had formally given Great
Webstcr-Ashl>nrton Treaty, 1842.
in the
to
to another nation, and the United States
Britain denonneed this act of Wilkes with great vehemence,
demanded
the surrender of ]\ressrs.
apology from the United States.
extended a vote of thanks the traitors
coln
i)revailed. ^'
said he.
We
But
what we have
January
1,
We
shall
and an
of Representatives
Captain Wilk(>s for his arrest of
War seemed imminent
and the Xorth. '^
The House
Slidell
and Mason, and public clamor heartily
Slidell
approved his course. i>ritain
to
Mason and
between Great
the wiser councils of
Abraham
Lin-
cannot abandon our own principles,"
have
to give these
men up and
apologize for
Accordingly the envoys Avere released,
done.''
1862, and set sail for Europe.
Public feeling raved a great deal on both
sides.
The English
public believed that the
American statesmen had yielded only
avoid an open rupture,
Avliile
land had
made an
offensive
the
left,
was
By
settled without
the return of the envoys
an appeal to arms, but
it
for a time, an impression of hatred on botli sides, which
was intensified by the sympathy manifested by the ruling of
force.
rejoicing over anticipated trouble
between the ^^orth and England. the whole trouble
Americans believed that Eng-
and unwarranted display of
The Confederates had been
to
England for the Southern
The
Florida.
Confederacy.
cause.
—Great Britain became
Her
class
the naval base of the
ship-builders were preparing a privateer
44
THE CIVIL WAR BT CAMPAIGNS.
'
Nearly
as fast as they could work.
navy for the Confederacy
all
the Confederate vessels of any service were constructed in English
dockyards.
The
first
was the Florida,
The Florida was
Oreto.
tination,
tlie
built at Birkenhead, nominally for the
and warned the British government against
The Florida
flag,
called in her early history
The American minister had learned her
use of Italy.
go.
commerce
privateer which hccame formidable to the
of the North
sailed for
real des-
letting her
Nassau (Bahamas) under the British
with every preparation for the reception of guns and
munitions of war, which were brought on another taken to Grand
Key
The British
cruiser.
had burnt thirteen
use as Confederate cruisers.
and
vessels,
flag
was
Within three
hauled down and the Confederate flag hoisted. slie
and
(an uninhabitable island of the Bahamas),
and equipped for the work of a
months
vessel,
taken
two
for
After roving the sea for more
than two years, she was captured by the United States cruiser
Wachusett in the neutral harbor of Bahia, Brazil.
had permission to coal
and for
and opened She
Avas
to
remain in the harbor for forty-eight
The Wachusett crashed
repairs.
fire
upon
towed out
Both
her,
to sea.
liours
into the Florida
which compelled her
The capture
vessels
to surrender.
of the Florida
was
a
violation of the rights of neutral nations.
The Government
disavoAved the act of Collins,
the Wachusett, and offered apologies to Brazil.
crew were
to be returned to ]3ahia, but she
foreseen accident," near
Hampton Koads.
commander The
vessel
was sunk by an
of
and ''un-
45
NAVAL WAR.
The
Alai'.a^ia.
bama was by
— Of
all
the Confederate cruisers, the Ala-
She was built
far the most famous.
at
Birkenhead,
near Liverpool, by the house of Laird, expressly for Confederate service.
Wliilie
" 290."
It
federate
under process of construction she was called the
was not until she had put
flai>',
to sea
and hoisted the Con-
and Captain Semmes appeared on her deck in
full
Southern uniform, that she took the name Alabama.
During her career she captured Tier plan
was always the same.
sixty-six
Northern
Hoisting the British
(hM'oying lier intended victim within reach, she raise the
vessel.
Hastening
made prisoner by
tlie
An
Ameri-
night the burning flames of a
off in the
to rescue the
and
would suddenly
Confederate colors, and capture her prize.
can captain saw far
vessels.
flag,
crew of the burning ship, he was
Alabama, which
still
remained
in the
same
waters as the ship which he had burned.
The Alabama
did not do mueli fighting.
Only twice did she engage
mercliant vessels that could not fight. in
any
conflict.
The
first
She preyed upon
time was with the Hatteras, a small
blockading ship, which was sunk in a short time.
encounter took place
off the coast
The second
of Cherbourg, France,
June
19,
18G4, with the United States warship Kearsarge, whose
size
and armament were about equal
Alabama was completely
of her crew killed and wounded. the Kearsarge
to
her own.
shattered, and
In an hour the
went down with many
I^o one
was
killed
on board
—though three men were wounded, one
mortally.
Captain Semmes and thirty-eight others were picked up by the British ship Deerhound, that had been hovering around to wit-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
46
Instead of communicating with Captain John
ness the battle.
Win slow,
A.
of the Kearsarge, after the rescue, the Deerhouncl
pursued a hasty ror to
England.
flight to
The
destruction of the "ter-
American commerce" caused great rejoicing
but the escape of her
commander
in the N^orth,
took from the victory a reason
for the ha])piest a]:>plause.
^Ferrimac and ^Ionitor, Battle between,
March
1862.
9,
After the aljundonnient of Xorfolk by the Federals, the Confederates took possession of the navy yard, and began to
use of what had not been consumed by the flames.
was the frigate Merrimac.
ships burned hull
and engines and
was
sel
and rebuilt
raised,
Among
The lower part
as
an ironclad.
Her
the
of her
The
were practically unhurt.
boilers
make
ves-
sloping sides
were covered with a double coating of iron plates, each two
A
inches thick. to the
bow of
cast-iron
ram
projecting four feet was attached
the vessel, which was rechristened the Virginia,
by the Confederates.
The news the
of the consti'uction of this formidable ironclad led
Government
to exert
season to meet the
sponding
efforts
latter vessel
movements of the Merrimac.
were made by the Confederates
completed
vessels of the
peake.
first
every effort to complete the Monitor in
first,
to
make
Corre-
have the
upon the wooden
United States which were blockading the Chesa-
This extra effort resulted in preparing the ^ferrimac
for use one day in advance of her
In the harbor
Union
a raid
to
off
Fortress
frigates Minnesota,
little
Monroe
Roanoke,
St.
antagonist. at that time,
were the
Lawrence, and several
47
NAVAL WAR. gimboats.
Off [N'ewport News, seven miles above, which was
strongly fortified by a Federal garrison, were anchored the frigate Congress ried
and the sloop Cumberland.
These vessels
car-
heavy batteries and were excellent vessels of their kind, but
were not calculated he could not be
to
harmed by
the Merrimao, on the 8th into the midst of the struction.
Realizing that
stand against an ironclad. these
war
vessels, the
commander
Union
vessels
and began the work of
de-
Steering straight for the Cumberland and Congress,
made
he struck the former vessel in the side at right angles, and a great opening into which the water poured. of the
of
day of March, 1862, steamed leisurely
Cumberland continued the unequal
heroism as was ever seen in naval
battle.
The brave crew
contest with as
much
Driven from the lower
deck by the water, they continued to operate the pivot guns on
went down with
the upper deck, until the vessel flying.
The Congress grounded
;
colors
still
and, in her helpless condition,
she was compelled to surrender, and was consigned to the flames
by the Confederates.
The ebb
tide
and approaching night
pre-
vented the Merrimac from making an attack on the remaining
Union to
vessels, so she retired to
SewelFs Point, a few miles away,
anchor for the night, with the expectation of completing the
work
in the morning.
It is probably
no exaggeration
to say that
the Confederate ironclad could have destroyed all the vessels at that
reach,
At of
wooden
time in the Federal navy, had they been within
and unsupported by fort or monitor. 9 p. M. the
Monitor made
gloom pervaded the
fleet.
its
appearance.
The pygmy
An atmosphere
aspect of the ^^cheese-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
48
box," as the jMonitor was called, did not inspire
among
those
who had
and the Congress.
9,
The
Minnesota.
On Sunday
Merrimac moved from anchor
the
confidence
She took a station amid wreck and
near the Minnesota, which Avas aground.
March
much
seen the destruction of the Cumberland
to
Monitor moved forward
little
while the wooden vessels turned and
fled.
clads in place of the vulnerable
to
The vessel
conflict
was
long, furious,
and
was very seriously injured.
the
meet
her,
Then commenced one
and introduced a
wooden
morning,
attack
of the greatest naval combats recorded in history. tionized the navies of the world,
disaster,
It revolu-
class of iron-
vessels.
at close quarters
;
neither
The Merrimac withdrew,
however, to I^Torfolk in a leaking condition, while the Monitor
remained in possession of the
James
river,
field.
The former guarded
the
On
the
the latter protected the
Chesapeake.
evacuation of ISTorfolk by the Confederates, in May, 18G2, the
Merrimac was destroyed. sea whil(^ on her
way
The Monitor went down
to Charleston,
in a storm at
and only a few of her crew
were saved.
The Monitor was designed by Captain John
He
was a native of Sweden.
served in the
Ericsson, Avho
army and navy
of
that country, pursued the profession of an engineer in England,
and came
to
America
in
1839. The Monitor consisted of a
small iron Indl 124 feet long, 34 feet wide. hull
was a boat-shaped
raft,
top of the deck there was
On
the top of the
covered with iron plates.
mounted
On
the
a turret, 20 feet in diameter
and nine feet high, covered with eight one-inch iron plates
riv-
49
NAVAL WAR. eted together.
She carriod two ll-inph
.^-nns,
which, as the
turret revolved, could be used to fire iu any direction.
The
Merrimac carried ten guns.
The Monitor was when news
of the
bnilt at
forini(1al)l('-
received, her construction ironclad.
The voyage
Agaiii and again she
Roads
—4
lit
to
meet
tlie
was
Confederate
Chesapeake was a tempestuous one.
was ahnost sunk, but booming cannons
up by the burning C
in time to
for coast defense, but
cliaracter of tlie Mcn-riniac
was hastened
to the
in wliicli she lioard the
the sky
^ew York
after an exciting trip, at a distance, slie
and saw
entered TTamptun
end the (h^structive career of the Merrimac.
CHAPTEK
IV.
COAST OPERATIONS. Hatteras Inlet Surrendered, August
29,
1861.
Benjamin F. Butler and Commodore Stringham were Fortress
sent
from
Monroe with sealed orders, on an expedition against Butler was in
Hatteras Inlet.
command
of the land forces, and
Stringham directed the naval expedition. a series of
Inlet
—Gen.
This was the
movements against the Southern
commanded
coast.
first of
Hatteras
the entrance to Pamlico Sound, whose waters
became a favorite rendezvous for traders engaged in blockaderunning.
The
Inlet
The bombardment
was defended bj Forts Hatteras and Clark.
of these
was commenced August
28, 1861,
and renewed the next day, when the Confederates hoisted the white
flag.
The
secrecy of the expedition had been so well kept,
that for several days the blockade-runners, seeking Confederate shelter, fell
an easy prey to the Union troops who had taken
possession of the forts.
The 615
prisoners
hands were taken to 'New York harbor.
Hawkins and Weber were
who
fell into
Union
The commands
left to garrison the forts,
o:f
and Gen
Butler returned to the N'orth and commenced the organization of an expedition directed against ISTew Orleans.
Confederate Attack upon Fort Pickens, October, 1861. At the breaking-out of the war, Pensacola was seized b}^ the Confederates without a struggle. (50)
Lieutenant Slenuner was
COAST OPERATIONS.
51
ordered to surrender Fort Pickens, on Santa Kosa Island, com-
manding
the
main entrance
to
Pensacola harbor.
was saved
of this
officer,
fall of
Fort Sumter, reinforcements were sent
of Pensacola.
the fort
to the
Union.
By
the fidelity
Soon after the to the defenses
Gen. Braxton Bragg assembled a formidable
force there during the early part of the war, and threatened an
attack
upon Fort Pickens.
Confederate force
and, crossing the bay,
movement was
Finally after months of delay a
Pensacola on the night of Oct.
left
made an
9,
18G1,
The
upon Fort Pickens.
attack
unsuccessful, and the invaders were driven from
the island.
Expedition against Port Royal and the Sea Islands,
October and November, 1861.
— On
October 29th a naval
and military expedition numbering 10,000 men
Roads for the Southern
coast.
left
Thomas W. Sherman
Hampton (not Will-
iam T. Sherman) commanded the land forces and Commodore S.
F.
Dupont was
sage, in
in
command
of the
which four transports were
arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina. ton Head, lina,
was captured by the
fleet,
was abandoned by the enemy.
After a stormy pas-
fleet.
lost
and two disabled, they Fort Walker, on Hil-
and Beaufort, South Caro-
By
the combined efforts of
the fleet and army, the whole chain of islaRds which coast of South Carolina
and Georgia
The Fall of Roanoke
Island, 1862.
naval force, against Roanoke Island, out early in the year 1862.
fell into
form
the
Federal possession.
—Another land
ISTorth Carolina,
was
and
fitted
Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside and
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
52
Com.
M. Goldsborough were
L.
many
Much
command
of the 12,000
delay was occasioned bj the fact that
of the transports were of too great draft to permit a
passage through the shallow waters of the Sound. afforded the
At
men
Gen. H. A. Wise commanded the Con-
sent on this expedition.
federate forces.
in
enemy an opportunity
to strengthen the fortress.
length, after the loss of several vessels,
and wrecked by a storm, an entrance
The Confederate
effected.
The
and destroyed.
to
which were grounded
Pamlico Sound was
was pursued
fleet
forts of
to Elizabeth City,
Roanoke Island were taken, Feb.
The Union men
7th and 8th, after some desperate fighting.
waded waist-deep through the batteries.
tempted
a
pond of water that protected one
The Confederates abandoned
to retreat, but
pelled to surrender.
This delay
their
work and
of at-
were overtaken, and 2,500 were com-
The Federal
loss
was 50
killed
and 250
wounded. Edenton, Wintom, and yielded to
Union
tant seaports of
many
authority.
of the settlements on the
Newborn, one of the most impor-
North Carolina, was taken March 14th,
vigorous defense.
Beaufort yielded without resistance.
Macon, after a bombardment, surrendered April 25th. the whole of the coast of
of the victors. ate ports
The
Sound
North Carolina thus lay
chief result
at the
after a
Fort
Nearly
mercy
was the closing of the Confeder-
and the suppression of their commerce.
Gen. Burnside's forces were eventually taken, for the most part, to Alexandria, to aid Gen.
Lee.
Gen. John G. Foster was
Pope left in
in his
campaign against
command
of the depart-
53
COAST OrERATTONS. inent of
North Carolina, with barely
sufficient forces to hold the
points which had been taken.
Soon after the recovery of Port Royal and the adjacent ands, Gen.
Quincy A. Gillmore was
Fort Pulaski, on Cockspur Island.
day and a
move
directed to
After a bombardment of a
half, the fort surrendered, April 11, 1862.
Hunter, who succeeded to
isl-
against
the command of Sherman, on
Gen.
May
9th proclaimed South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to be
under martial law, and the slaves of these States declaration was overruled
by President Lincoln,
free.
as
This
was Fre-
mont's proclamation in Missouri.
Gen. Wright in Florida, March, 1862.
—While Gillmore
was before Fort Pulaski, Commodore Dupont and Gen. H. G.
Wright were making conquests in Florida. Jacksonville,
Augustine,
w^ere
abandoned by the enemy
forces.
Pensacola was evacuated,
and other places
on the approach of the Union
St.
and everything of a combustible character was burned before the departure of Gen. Jones,
A strong Union
commander.
sentiment was manifest in the State after the
departure of the 10,000
A
its
men who
joined the Confederate army.
convention was called to assemble at Jacksonville, April 10,
1862, to organize a Union State Government. those
who were engaged
draw
his forces
tion
was
called.
in
it.
To
the dismay of
Gen. Wright prepared to with-
two days before the day on which the conven-
In consequence, the Union feeling made
little
manifestation, and the Confederate supremacy was maintained to the close of the war.
the civil war by campaigns.
54
Expedition into ruary, 1862.
New Mexico
by the Confederates, Feb-
— The Confederate Gen.
Sibley led an expedition,
early in 1862, against the Federal forts of forts being
the
lip
under the command
New
Kio Grande with considerable physical
defeated Canby's regulars in several combats.
Mexico, these
He
of Gen. Canby.
advanced
and
difficulty,
He
found that
he could not maintain himself in that desert region
;
so he
abandoned Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and other places he had taken, and condncted a disastrous retreat.
Movement against Charleston,
1863.
— Charleston
mained in undisputed possession of the Confederates
The engagements
spring of 1863.
re-
until the
of the turret monitor led to
the belief that a fleet of these could force a passage through
Accordingly, in April, Admiral Dupont
Charleston harbor.
and Gen. Hunter led a experiment.
The
fleet
of seven of these ironclads in the
vessels carried
32 guns; the opposing forts
possessed an aggregate of 300 guns. structions were placed in the harbor.
trated
upon the
vessels compelled
them
Torpedoes and other
The heavy to return.
fire
One
ob-
concenof
them
was sunk after being struck 99 times, of which 19 were below the water-line.
All the rest were more or less damaged.
forts suffered but little
now abandoned, and and adjoining
damage.
The
All effort to pass them was
operations were directed against the harbor
islands.
Gen. Hunter was superseded by Gen.
Q. A. Gillmore, and Admiral John A. Dahlgren soon relieved
Admiral Dupont. set
Gen. Gillmore and Admiral Dahlgren at once
on foot upcrations louking
to a systematic
campaign against
65
COAST OPERATIONS.
Fort Sumter and Charleston. Island in July, and the
as they left
treacherous sands.
made upon
it,
on Morris
effected
enemy was driven
Several fnrious assaults were
Union arms,
A landing was
Fort WagTier.
to
at great cost to the
1,500 dead and wounded upon the
The Confederate
garrison, however, evac-
uated the island in September.
The army and and the other
Many
the fleet opened fire
shells w^ere
upon Charleston, Sumter,
Fort Sumter was practically demolished.
forts.
thrown into the
city of Charleston,
buildings greatly injured by the slow
and many
bombardment which was
Further operations were
kept up to the end of the year.
sus-
pended, and Charleston remained in possession of the enemy until the approach of
Sherman's victorious hosts in the spring
of 1865.
Mobile Bay, Summer of 1864.
—Mobile was
the only sea-
port of importance on the coast of the eastern part of the Gulf.
There were several channels in the bay, the entrances
to
which
were protected by Forts Morgan, Gaines, and Powell.
The
coast
was of such
a character as to
make
blockade-runninc^ easv.
and many blockade-runners escaped the vigilance of the ading
fleet
city of
by passing along the shallow waters of the
coast.
Mobile became an important rendezvous for their
After the
fall of
The
traflic.
Vicksburg, Farragut was directed, in June,
1864, to prepare his vessels for an attack on Mobile bay. dition to the forts the bay Avhich
block-
was defended by four
In ad-
vessels,
was the ironclad Tennessee, the most formidable
ever built by the Confederates.
been placed in the Avater.
Torpedoes and obstructi
-
one
o'''oon-
v^^^
State
rebellion,
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
56
Farragut arranged his fourteen wooden
vessels,
two abreast,
lashed them together, supported on their flanks by four moni-
to
the forts every
As they neared
tors.
bear upon the approaching
The concentrated forts,
fleot
from the
fire
that could be brought
gun
thundpred
vessels
fortli its echoes.
was directed toward the
and many of the gunners were either killed or driven
The monitor Tecumseh,
cover.
in the lead,
to
was struck by a
this single loss, the fleet succeeded in
torpedo and sunk.
Except
passing the forts
and obstructions without serious damage.
No
sooner was the combat with the forts at an end,
one began with the Tennessee.
fleet.
vessels
from the Union
She was pounded by the guns from the monitors, and
rammed
at full speed
until her case left
new
Stoaming from the protection
Morgan, she was met by the
of Fort
tlian a
by the larger
became
hopeless.
vessels, in a terrific struggle,
She raised the white
flag
Five thousand troops
Farragut in control of Mobile bay.
under General Gordon Granger had already been landed rear of Fort Gaines, which surrendered
Morgan on
the 23d.
and
to the
Augnst Tth; and Fort
'No immediate attempt was
made
for the
capture of ]\robilo city, for the surrender of the forts served the
purpose of the Government,
—
to close the
bay
to blockade-run-
ners.
Operations were again resumed, in the spring of 1865, by
General Canby and Admiral Thatcher, and after a month the defenses held by General Taylor were taken, April 12, 1865, ^
the
Union Army entered the
city,
ignorant of the fact that
^rmy had surrendered three days before, set
on
f Ov
CHAPTER
WAR
V.
IN MISSOURI.
The Oroantzation of thh Armies,
l^Gl.
— In Missouri,
in several slave States, a majority of the people
The Legislature refused
to pass
were
as
loyal.
an ordinance of secession, but
in-
vested the Governor, Claiborne F. Jackson, with despotic power.
He was
determined
to take the State out of the
used every means at his federacy.
He
established
command
in the interests of the
camps of instruction
One near
of the State.
St.
Union, and
Lonis he named
Con-
in different parts
Camp
Jackson.
About twelve hundred men stationed here and armed by the Confederate Government were surprised on the morning of
May
10, 1861,
surrounded by Captain Nathaniel Lyon with
6,000 men, and the whole garrison was compelled to surrender.
A mob
following Lyon's
upon them.
men heaped
One regiment
insult
finally fired
and then violence
upon the
assailants,
killing twenty-two persons.
Governor Jackson was active in carrying out his designs Jefferson City.
He
at
called for 50,000 State militia to repel
Federal invasions, and divided the State into nine military districts.
who was appointed commander
Sterling Price,
the State forces, urged officers
commanding
of
in the districts to
make
haste to organize the militia, and assemble them at Boon-
ville
and Lexington.
A
Confederate force entered the State
from Arkansas and Texas
to assist in the (57)
work of
rebellion.
58
THE CIVIL
WAR BY
BooNviLLE AND Carthage. sembled at
tlie
He
City, he
the l^th of June,
tAvo or three
engagement,
fled
men
command
of Colonel
They were dispersed
Colonel Franz Sigel, a veteran
to
Boonville, where
after
a
toward the southwest, through
Warsaw, receiving reinforcements
patched Avith 1,500
adherents at Boon-
Lyon reached
assembled.
and
Louis to Jefferson
St.
fled to his
command
time for prepa-
little
thousand men, under the
Marmaduke were sharp
Louis under the
gave the enemy
found the Governor had
On
some
St.
troops were being as-
Steaming up the Missouri from
ration.
ville.
—Union
Federal arsenal at
of General Lyon.
CAMPAIGNS.
as they went.
German
farther south.
had been
officer,
He
dis-
had pushed on near
Carthage, hoping to prevent a junction between Jackson and
some other forces which ing to him.
A
his Confederate brigadiers
spirited
engagement took
place,
were hurry-
July
5th, in
which the flanking cavalry of the enemy compelled Sigel retreat to his
baggage
trains.
greater than the Federal.
The Confederate
loss
to
was much
Jackson's forces were greatly aug-
mented during the night and morning by the arrival of Price with his Arkansas and Texas troops.
numbered, continued his retreat
Sigel, thus greatly out-
to Springfield, Avhere
General
Lyon joined and outranked him.
The
State convention reassembled at Jefferson City July
20th, and by a vote of 52 to 28 declared the offices of Governor,
Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, and of legislators, vacant because of the acts of "treason of those acts
opposed
to the
officials.
Their
Federal Government Avere declared null and
WAR void.
59
IN MISSOURI.
were elected and inaugurated, who admin-
IsTew officers
istered the affairs of the State.
Wilson's Creek, August C.
Fremont was appointed
Department July Efforts were
1^61.
—Major General
command
to the
Louis until the
St.
it
necessary to send
to strike a
blow
aid to that
Lyon
deter-
at Wilson's Creek,
from uniting.
enemy numbered
numbered 5,500, while the
Even with this disparity of numbers he August 10th.
u'as twice
wounded, once in the head In a
;
His
12,000.
upon the foe
fell
This
battle,
his horse
en-
next to
Lyon
Bull Rim, was the most important of the year 1861.
under him.
A
Spring, in which he had the advan-
tage; but he could not prevent the columns
camped
Lyon, hut the all
before they could perfect a junction.
Dug
skirmish occurred at
force
2.^th.
the Confederate troops were forming, and
advancing upon General Lyon in two columns.
mined
John
of the Western
to obtain reinforcements for
Run made
Meantime
quarter.
0,
but did not reach
9,
made
disaster at Bull
3
was shot from
final charge, as the Colonel of the
Second
Kansas regiment lay severely wounded. General Lyon headed the column, calling out "
At that moment a
Come
bullet struck
heroic leader fell mortally
him
wounded
;
men
!
I will lead you."
in the breast, and the
but the enemy was driven
field.
Sigel,
who
repulse.
With
the loss of their leader, and in the face
from the
met a
on, brave
assaulted the Confederate rear, had
of a great disparity of numbers, the
Union
troops, having
made
an effective assault, retreated from the contest, as the enemy
were again forming
to
renew the
battle.
The Confederates
60
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
WAR
MISSOURI.
IN
claimed the victory, as they held the
61
field
and took
six guns, but
they had been so severely punished that no pursuit was
Each army had
tempted.
more than a thousand
lost
at-
in killed,
wounded, and missing.
Major Sturgis assumed command
of the
Union
troops,
and
conducted the retreat.
The Fall of Lexington,
Mo., Sept. 20, 1861.
—General
Price moved from Wilson's Creek battle-field northward to Lexington,
where Colonel James A. Mulligan was garrisoned with
a force
numbering 3,500.
Mulligan did not succeed.
The attempt by Fremont
to reinforce
The water-supply was
cut off from
the beleaguered troops, who, with parched lips, repelled repeated
The enemy constructed movable breastworks
assaults.
of hemp,
which they rolled before them as they advanced toward the
Union
troops.
With
18,000.
opened a
Price had increased his forces until they reached this
terrific
number he appeared before Lexington and
fire
upon the
answered with determined hausted
all
Union
garrison, which
The Federal
ammunition, consumed
without water for days. the
spirit.
little
all rations,
troops had ex-
and had been
Finally, after three days of fighting,
Union troops were compelled
to yield to
an unconditional
surrender, September 20, 1861.
Movement of Officers and Armies. St.
— Fremont
at once left
Louis with the intention of attacking Price, but that
officer
retreated after the capture of Col. Mulligan, to the southwest
part of the State, where he was rejoined by Gen. McCulloch,
who had
separated from
him
after the battle of Wilson's Creek.
THE CIVIL
62
WAR BY
Fremont proclaimed martial law promised freedom
CAMPAIGNS.
in Missouri,
to the slaves of all persons
August
31,
and
who should
take
up arms against the United States Government. that this proclamation States, especially
It
was feared
would lead many Unionists in the border
Kentucky,
to side
with the Confederacy,
indorsed by the N^ational administration.
if
President Lincoln
issued an order modifying Fremont's proclamation so as to restrict it to the slaves
who were
actually engaged in rebellion
by the direction or persuasion of their masters. After organizing
liis
army, now numbering 30, 000, Fremont
marched toward Springfield in pursuit of the tween his army and the 2d of lieved
Fremont of
his
The removal
efficient service
A
command of
Fremont
caused
affair, as
But on
Scott arrived, which re-
and placed Gen. Hunter in for the purpose of securing
much complaint
in Missouri
throughout the country among the anti-slavery men.
an unfortunate
battle be-
Price forces became imminent.
November an order from Gen.
his place.
more
tlie
foe.
and
It proved
Gen. Hunter with a force superior in
number and
discipline to his opponents, retreated to Rolla with-
out a battle.
The campaign, inaugurated with great expense,
was
a flat failure,
and the southwest part of the State was
abandoned, for the time, to Confederate pillage and guerrilla outrages.
Gen. Hunter was superseded in the
command
of the Depart-
ment of Missouri by Henry W. Halleck, on the 12th
of
Novem-
ber, 1861.
Gen. Price pushed his force northward unresisted.
He
en-
WAR
tered and occupied Springfield,
Warsaw,
and
established
63
IN MISSOURI.
Lexington,
Osceola,
burned
supremacy over the
Confederate
greater portion of the southern and western parts of the State.
At length Gen. Pope, who had conducted
a successful
now
against the guerrillas in northern Missouri, but
mand
moved
of the central district of the State,
A
enemy.
campaign in com-
against the
detachment of Pope's forces, under Jefferson
Davis, surprised the enemy's
camp
at Milford, near
burg, and took over 1,000 prisoners and
C
Warrens-
much baggage and
sup-
Before Price had time to concentrate his forces, he had
plies.
been so roughly handled that he retreated rapidly southward
through Springfield and across the Arkansas
line.
Gen. Pope was then sent with a land force to cooperate with
Commodore Foote
He
No. 10. tion
but
in the reduction of 'New
which soon placed him in a position in which he showed little ability as
a
commander
of a great army.
Battle of Pea Eidge, IVIarch ber,
Madrid and Island
had thus commenced the building of that reputa-
Gen.
R. Curtis was placed in
S.
troops in southwestern Missouri.
pursuit of Price, tains,
7-8, 1862.
Arkansas.
who
He
retreated before
—Late
command
in
Decem-
of E'ational
advanced from Rolla
him
to the
in
Boston Moun-
Gen. Albert Pike, with a number of Cherokee
Indians and Gen. Benj. McCulloch in
command
of a division
of Texas and Arkansas troops, joined the forces of Price, in-
creasing
them
sent to take
had but
to about
command
little
20,000; and Gen. Earl
Yan Dorn was
of the whole Confederate force.
Curtis
more than one-half the force which opposed him.
THE CIVIL
64
Van Dorn
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
resolved to give battle, and
lie fell
upon the advance
division of Federal troops at Bentonville, under Gen.
who by
Sigel,
succeeded in conducting a masterly retreat until reinforced
Then, in a severe engagement March 7th
main body.
t':e
ami sth, the Confederates were driven to the ravines, and finally put to rout.
The National
the Federals the battle of ates
I']lk
Pea Kidge (named by
Horn), was over 1,300
The Confederate
loss
engagement, called by
loss in this
killed,
the Confeder-
wounded, and missing.
was heavy, but the numbers are unknown.
GcERKiLLA Warfare.
—No
important military operations
were undertaken in Missouri and Arkansas for some time after tlje
engagement
I'artlier
at
Pea Eidge.
The more important
East drained the resources of
withdrawal of the troops from
were called
to Tennessee,
around Corinth.
West, and led to a
tlie
this State.
Van Dorn and
Price
and partici]jated in the engagement
Curtis sent a large part of his
in the siege of Corinth,
events
and led the
rest in a
army
march
to assist
across the
State of Arkansas to Helena, on the Mississippi.
The withdrawal
of these forces encouraged the formation of
They became very numerous
guerrilla bands.
in the interior of
Missouri, Avhere they carried on a desperate and sanguinary guerrilla warfare. J.
M.
Schofield,
The encounters were many and
who was
left in
command
his rolls, of
service by July, ISGi!.
whom
Gen.
in Missouri, organ-
ized the loyal citizens into a State militia.
names on
fierce.
He
had 50,000
20,000 were ready for effective
WAR
65
IN MISSOURI.
The Confederate Gen. Hindman gathered Arkansas in the
armed and
fall of the
determined to engage in
him
at Prairie Grove, in
much
a force
commanded by
who was
a general
The opportunity was
battle.
afforded
December, where he was defeated by
smaller than his own, under Generals Blunt and
The
Herron.
His troops were poorly
year 1862.
disciplined, but
a large force in
losses
were about equal on each
side.
The Con-
federates retreated south to the protecting barriers of the Bos-
ton Mountains.
QuANTRELL Kaid After the
fall of
ON"
Lawrence,
Vicksburg,
Aug.
many Confederate
homes in Missouri.
to their
Katt.,
A
21, 1863.
soldiers returned
season of renewed activity was
Imparted to the guerrilla bands that continued to roam about in their plundering excursions.
rages of the
One
of the most atrocious out-
war was committed by one
the notorious Quantrell,
who had
ening various Kansas towns.
for
of these bands led by
some weeks been
threat-
Assembling about 300 picked and
well-mounted followers, at a place of rendezvous near the State line,
and
skillfully avoiding several detaeliments sent in pursuit
of him, he crossed into Kansas, and pushed directly for
He
rence.
August
21.
Law-
entered the defenseless city in the early morning of Stores and
banks were robbed,
185 buildings
burned, and 150 to 200 inhabitants murdered in cold blood.
The work was completed
in three or four hours
ders were on the retreat, pursued so closely that of the
—5
band were
killed.
and the marau-
more than 100
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
66
Confederate Reverses.
—Gen. Holmes's
attack on Helena,
Ark., was gallantly repulsed by Gen. Prentiss July
Confederate Gen.
January
Marmaduke met
8tli; at Hartsville,
4tli
;
and the
reverses at Springfield, Mo.,
January llth; and
at
Cape Girar-
deau, April 26tli, 1863.
Price's Last Raid in Missouri, 1864.
—The
last
important
operation in the West was a raid conducted by Gen. Sterling
R. Price through Arkansas and Missouri. called the " Price Raid."
In the West
Several engagements between his
and Federal authority occurred in Arkansas.
raiders
it is
Price
then, organizing his forces to the
number
three divisions, entered Missouri
and ravaged the State for two
months
— September and October.
At
of about 15,000, into
Pilot
Knob he
attacked
a small Federal force, which, after administering severe pun-
ishment to him from behind intrenchments, was forced to treat.
The
Rolla,
and Jefferson, and for a week or more they seemed
re-
raiders at once threatened the depots at St. Louis, to
have their own way. Gen.
W.
S.
Rosecrans,
now
in
command
of the Department
of the Missouri at St. Louis, sent Pleasonton's cavalry and the
Kansas militia under Blunt and Curtis, veterans.
Engagements occurred
Independence, flight
and Westport.
southward.
They
to cope
with Price's
at St. Louis, Jefferson City,
The marauders were put
crossed into
to
Kansas near West Point,
Mo., closely pursued in their southern movement by the Union troops.
There was an engagement
at the crossing of the
Marais
des Cygnes (called the Osage, farther down-stream) river, and
WAR
Oi
IN MISSOURI.
on Oct. 25th the Confederates were overtaken, and the ive battle of
county. ers,
Mine Creek was fought on Kansas
The enemy
lost
soil,
decis-
in Linn
nine pieces of artillery, and 800 prison-
among whom were Generals Marmaduke,
mons, the latter being mortally wounded. of the Confederate army,
was
killed.
Cabell,
and Slem-
General Graham,
The pursuit was
also
con-
ducted with such vigor that the enemy abandoned the project of attacking Fort Scott, fled from Kansas, and soon after departed
from the State of Missouri with
his forces greatly demoralized,
and his army reduced by captures and dispersions
to
perhaps
5,000 men.
Most of the noted souri,
guerrilla bands followed Price out of Mis-
and their raids and depredations came
to
an end.
These operations, of a secondary nature, bore to the general strategy of the
little
main campaigns.
relation
Their chief
importance consisted in the moral weight added to the Federal cause by the preservation of national authority in this section,
and in the protection of the rights of loyal
citizens.
CHAPTEK
VI.
GRANT'S CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST. Bei.mont, Grant's First Battle, IsTovember Gen. Ulysses
down
Grant,
S.
who was
Mississippi
the
command
in
men
with 3,000
1861.
of Cairo,
moved
for a demonstration
against Belmont, Mo., opposite Colnmbus. boats accompanied the transports.
7,
Two Union
These engaged the batteries
of Colnmbus, while the troops landed on the Missouri
Xov.
7,
After a spirited
1861.
gun-
conflict, the troops
side,
fought their
way through
the abatis surrounding Belmont, and succeeded in
driving the
enemy over
the bluff to the bank of the river.
Heavy reinforcements were from
troops off pel
them
their gunboats,
to surrender.
way back
their
sent
from Columbus
to cut Grant's
and with superior numbers com-
His exhausted troops valiantly fought
Confederate loss was more than 600, while the Union
much
loss
was
less.
Battle eral
The
to the boats, and re-embarked for Cairo.
o'f
Mill Springs, January
Grant was preparing
Donelson, General Thomas,
move
to
19, 1862.
—While Gen-
against Forts
who commanded
the
Henry and
Union
forces
in eastern Tennessee, began operations against the extreme east
of the Confederate line of defense.
was
at the
forces.
His principal camp was
on the Cumberland
river, in a thinly settled
head of the enemy's
at Mill Springs,
Gen. Felix K. Zollicofler
(68)
ORANt's C^AMl'AKrN
and poorly
supplies up the river
69
WKST.
One small steamboat brought
region.
riiltivatorl
TIIK
IN
from Nashville,
to feed the
army, which
numbered 5,000 men. Gen. Geo. B. Crittenden joined Zollicoffer, and superseded
him
in
command.
to anticipate
ments
it,
Fearing an attack from Thomas, he resolved
and
sallied forth to surprise several
Union
The Confederates were
at Logan's Crossroads.
The Union
defeated Jan. 19, 1862. Gen. Zollicoffer was killed. loss
was 250
to the
The engagement
enemy's 500.
by the Confederates Fishing Creek;
w^as called
by the Federals,
Mill
Crittenden withdrew his troops
Springs or Logan's Crossroads. across the
regi-
utterly
Cumberland, abandoning eastern Kentucky.
In the early part of January, Gen. James A. Garfield defeated the Confederates,
burg,
commanded by General Marshall,
at Preston-
—A few miles south
of the Ken-
Ky.
Fort Henry, Feb. tucky
line,
6,
1862.
the Tennessee and
Cumberland
within eleven miles of each other. erected Fort Henry, on the east
manding
and Fort Donelson, on the
west bank of the Cumberland, controlling
were expected
To Gen.
forts,
approach
The Confederates had
bank of the Tennessee, com-
the passage of that stream,
road connected the two
rivers
its
waters.
A
dirt
by means of which the garrisons
to support each other if assailed.
Grant, vdth the aid of
Commodore Foote and
his
seven gunboats, was assigned, by order of Gen. Halleck, the task of taking these forts.
Leaving Cairo with some 15,000 troops
on steam transports, they moved up the Ohio and Tennessee to
70
BY CAMPAIGNS. THE CIVIL WAR
71 within four miles of Fort Henry. the
main
force under Gen. J. A.
occupy the road leading
The
troops were landed, and
McClernand moved south
Fort Donelson.
to
steamed up the river and commenced a
In
the fort. silenced,
less
and the
bombardment
fierce
all
command,
fort compelled to surrender.
of his troops under Col. to
Gen. Tilghman, previously
Fort Donelson, a portion of
about one hundred
sent
Heiman, who was second
whom
men who remained
in
were overtaken
by McClernand's cavalry, and twenty captured.
man and
of
than two hours the guns of the enemy were
Confederate commander at Fort Henry, had nearly
to
Commodore Foote
Gen. Tilgh-
in the fort, sur-
rendered Feb. 6th, 1862, while the rest escaped to Fort Donelson.
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, perhaps the most promising of the Southern
officers,
was in command in the West, with head-
quarters at Bowling Green.
Gen. Buell lay in Johnston's front.
Stjreender of Fort Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862. Clellan was the
Army
still
engaged in
drilling, organizing
of the Potomac, the
active operations.
army
in the
—While Mc-
and disciplining
West commenced
After the capture of Fort Henry, Grant preIt
was here that Grant earned
his first laurels as a staunch soldier.
Fort Donelson was strongly
pared to invest Fort Donelson.
fortified
and garrisoned.
The reinforcement from Fort Henry
increased the numbers to about 21,000 men.
From
his victory
on the Tennessee, Grant moved against Fort Donelson with 15,000 troops, and appeared before dore Foote steamed
down
it
on Feb. 12th.
the Tennessee and
up
Commo-
the Ohio and
Cumberland, and appeared before Fort Donelson with his gun-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
72
boats and transports on the evening of Feb. 13th, bringing
more
than 10,000 reinforcements.
The gunboats had done
so well at Fort
again permitted to open the assanlt.
Henry
that they were
They did
so the next
day, but, after desperate fighting, they were forced to retire
from the range of the
Two
fort.
and others were badly damaged. a vigorous
movement against
severe fighting.
out had failed.
An
effort
of
tlio
vessels
The land
the place.
forces then began
For two days there was
by the Confederates
The Union
were disabled
to cut their
lines w^ere closing in
way
upon them.
The weather, which was pleasant and mild when the campaign commenced, became inclement and
cold.
Rain began
to fall,
followed by snow, which was accompanied by intense cold. suffering on either side
was fearful and
The
almost universal, as
the soldiers lay in their snow-clad beds without fire or tent.
Great preparations were made by the Union forces for a concentrated attack on the morning of the 16th.
The
of the Confederate situation brought a letter
from Gen. Buck-
ner asking for terms of surrender.
hopelessness
Gen. Grant replied in these
words " No terms, except an uncondiiinnal and immediate surrender,
can he accepted.
I propose
to
move immediately upon
the
same day (Sunday) un-
your ivories"
The garrison was surrendered conditionally.
The capture included about 15,000 men, 65
cannon, and 1,T60 small arms.
The Confederates had
lost
about
grant's campaign in the west.
73
2,500 in killed, wounded, and missing, while Grant's loss was 2,041.
Gen. John B. Floyd was
had been Secretary of
in
War
lie
turned the
at
to surrender the
resigned in favor of Gen. Pillow,
command
He
Fort Donelson.
under Buchanan, and was under Fearing
indictment at Washington. himself,
command
who
command
for like reason
Both Floyd and
over to Gen. Buckner.
Pillow escaped up the river on two Confederate steamers, and left
ers
Buckner
to surrender the garrison.
Floyd
own
with men, estimated at 3,000, of his
caped with him to cavalry.
ISTashville.
The conduct
filled the
brigade,
steam-
who
Col, Forrest also escaped, with
of Floyd in deserting his troops
a par with his treachery as Secretary of
South with arms and ammunition.
War
For
es-
800
was on
in supplying the
his conduct at Fort
Donelson he was reprimanded by Jefferson Davis, and dismissed
from
service.
The It
victory
was of great importance
opened up two navigable
rivers,
and
to the iNTational arms.
enemy no
left the
federate lines, extending
Columbus on the
west,
from Bowling Green on the
had
to be
fense was selected, along the
abandoned.
strong-
The whole Con-
hold in Kentucky and northern Tennessee.
A
new
Charleston & Memphis
east to
line of de-
Railroad.
As Grant marched toward Fort Donelson, Gen. Buell moved against Gen. Johnston, whose forces at Bowling Green were greatly diminished by the detachment sent to Gen. Floyd at
Donelson.
Bowling Green was evacuated by Johnston, who
re-
march south
to
treated to Nashville,
and soon continued
his
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
74 Corinth, Miss. ville,
and
Buell moved forward, took possession of
established his headquarters there, while his
l^asli-
army was
quartered around the city.
Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, April 1862.
— The Confederate
line of defense
6-7,
was bounded by Mem-
phis on the west, Chattanooga on the east, with Shiloh in the center.
Gen. Halleck was placed in
command
of all of the armies of
the Mississippi Valley early in 1862, with headquarters at St.
They embraced
Louis.
the
Army
of the Ohio, afterward called
Army of the Cumberland, under Army of the Tennessee, under Gen. U.
Gen. D. C. Buell; the
the
S.
John Pope;
the Mississippi, under Gen.
Southwest Missouri, under Gen.
Grant and
;
the
the
Army Army
of
of
R. Curtis.
S.
Gen. Grant's victorious army, after a brief rest at Port Donelson, crossed to the Tennessee,
and prepared for a new move-
ment against the Confederates^ who were now concentrating
While adopting vigorous measures for the execution
Corinth. of the
movement upon
along the
the center of the
Memphis & Charleston
to
Gen. C. P. Smith, March
Grant was relieved of obedience.
liis
him
The temporary change
at
of
com-
commanders did not
movement
Savannah in
to turn over his
because of supposed dis-
ports arrived, and the troops were taken
and disembarked
line of defense
1862.
4,
command
tard the preparation for the
new
Railroad, Grant received an
order from Gen. Halleck, instructing
mand
at
of the army.
Trans-
up the Tennessee
safety.
The
re-
illness of
river,
Gen.
^
Gosling C^ttnJ^
bdi^^nOo£i_
^HAU.r^Ljnd,n,
ditO.
ALA
e
vN'Csnr.
^.'Bt,(C
ricoeiv
LIBRARY
couxo/ rioNx
GRANTS CAMPAIGN
IN
TRE WEST.
75
Smith, which resulted in his death, and the discovery that Grant
had not been guilty of disobedience, reshlted in reinstating him to his
the
former command, March 13th.
army
time was
ing,
expected from
Henry and
Public gaze was now concentrated upon
Donolson.
Grant,
Much was
that had gained the signal victory at Forts
lost.
it.
Gen. Buell was orderpd from Nashville
who moved
his troops
from Savannah
to
No
to join
Pittsburg Land-
nine miles farther up the river.
Buell at the same time sent Gen. O. M. Mitchell southward, with instructions to destroy as
He
ton Railroad as possible.
much
of the
Memphis &
Charles-
passed through Shelbyville, and
on the 11th of April he surprised and captured Huntsvillp,
where he destroyed a large amount of supplies and railroad
He moved
stock.
tpution to
Decatur and Tuscumbia.
move eastward
the machine-shops to retire
to
to
It
was
Chattanooga and Rome,
and foundries there; but he was compelled
before the superior force of Gen. Kirby Smith.
he joined the
command
Bragg, when this
his in-
to destroy
officer
Later
of Gen. Buell in his campaign against
conducted his invasion of Kentucky.
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston had collected an army of 45,000
men around men
in
Gen.
Lew
Corinth.
and around
Grant's force numbered about 40,000 Sliiloh.
Five thousand of these, undnr
Wallace, did not arrive on the scene of conflict until
at the close of the first day's action.
Gen. Buell was approach-
ing with a force of 20,000 to cooperate with Grant.
Price and
Van Dorn were
on their
Gens.
way from Missouri with
large force to swell Johnston's numbers.
a
76
THE
As
early as the
An
the pickets.
3rl
riVTI,
WAR BY
of April there
attack
CAMrATGNS.
had been skirmishins: among
upon the Union army was not expected,
'No defenses had been erected, on the theory that the
however.
army would move upon Corinth
to attack the
enemy
Johnston, however, determined to strike a
Buell should arrive.
blow before reinforcements could come to Grant. lently forth pickets, ing,
as soon as
from Corinth
Moving
si-
few miles of the Federal
to within a
he encamped for the night, and early on Sunday morn-
April 6th, his army came like an avalanche upon the Union
pickets,
who were driven back
was upon the main body. ent. lilies
The fell
Soon the enemy
in confusion.
Grant was
not, for the
moment,
troops were not prepared for the onslaught.
The
Beauregard, Bragg and
back, and were re-formed.
Hardee were
pres-
able seconds to Johnston.
Sherman, McClernand,
McDowell, Prentiss, and on the second day Lew Wallace and Buell, rendered their best service to Grant.
Prentiss was surrounded, and compelled to surrender with
2,200 men. the day.
The Union army had been badly
iSTot less
than 5,000
of the river, resisting every
again by the statement, "
The
lines fell
the afternoon,
men were huddled under effort to
back from one position
is
ravine in front of the
left,
this
all
cut to pieces."
to another until late in
when they were formed along In
the bank
bring them out to lines
Our regiment
of the bluff along the river.
shattered during
new
the slopes and crest
position, wdth a deep
with a raging river behind the army,
arrayed in a semi-circle they beat back the march of the then
triumphant army.
The gunboats Tyler and Lexington swept
77
grant's campaign in the west. the ravine,
which extended
to the river,
Here
the Confederate columns.
the
and hnrled
enemy made
shells into
the last des-
perate effort to take the ITnion batteries and to capture the troops or drive
them
Every
into the river.
The
effort failed.
ravine became a death-trap, and was soon filled with the bodies (»f
The onward march
the dead and wounded.
They had
was stopped.
erates
Gen. Johnston was
during the day.
lost heavily
Gen.
killed.
of the Confed-
Lew Wallace
arrived
5,000 effectives, after the firing had ceased for the day. forces arrived,
and were ferried across the river during the
upon the Union
With
field.
the early light of the
Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, Johnston's army,
made
morning the
confiict
who succeeded
little
old log church,
to the
it
overpowered, and driven from the
The Union
left a
field,
killed,
was 1,728
8,012 wounded, 959 missing.
were prisoners.
Corinth Evacuated, May
30.
—Gen.
Pittsburg Landing April 11, and took
The way
all
in vain. be-
The enemy was
8,408 wounded, and 2,885
whom
person.
was
back to the place which
missing, most of killed,
of
few days before.
was 1,754
loss
command
which constituted Shiloh, again
a conspicuous object in the battle-field.
he had so stealthily
was resumed.
a desperate attempt to hold his ground.
His decimated troops responded nobly, but
came
Buell's
Twenty-five thousand fresh troops were thus brought
night.
The
with
in which Grant
Shiloh was not satisfactory to him.
The Confederate
Halleck
command
loss
arrived
of the
had conducted the
army
at in
battle of
Grant was given a
sort of
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
78
second command, without any real duty.
Pope's army of
000 men arrived a few days
from the capture
30,-
of
Other accessions from various quarters increased
Island 'Ro. 10. Halleck's
later, fresh
army
Great preparations were
100,000 men.
to
once begun to move against the
enemy
at Corinth,
at
where Beaure-
gard had strongly fortified himself after his defeat at Shiloh. Corinth was then an insignificant village, about twenty-two miles southwest of Pittsburg Landing, by the nearest wagonroad, or nineteen miles as the bird
importance to the fact that
two great railroad systems phis
&
it
—
It
flies.
was located
the Mobile
owed
its
military
at the intersection of
&
Ohio and the Mem-
Charleston.
Beauregard's army was reinforced by the troops from Missouri under^ Price and sliort
Van Dorn, and by
time before evacuated
New
Orleans.
the troops that
had
a
His force now num-
bered more than 50,000 men.
The forward movement
of Halleck's
Corinth was commenced on April 30th. siege
from the
start
:
position
The movement was
to
a
slowly but gradually the troops advanced,
always behind intrenchments.
marching
army from Shiloh
in
Finally, Halleck's troops reached a
fifteen miles.
from which
Three weeks were consumed
assault
was
practicable.
Beauregard
held out as long as possible, without attacking the besieging
columns, and
when
his position
Corinth and retreated barren victory.
to
became untenable he abandoned
Tupelo.
Halleck won a bloodless but
His troops took possession of Corinth
May
79
grant's campaign in the west.
and commenced erecting
30th,
fortifications
on an elaborate
scale.
Gen. Bnell was detached on the 10th of June, and sent
to-
\vard Chattanooga to oppose Gen. Bragg, who succeeded Beaure-
gard in the Corinth.
command
In order
of the Confederate
army driven from
many
to strengthen Buell,
of the best and
most experienced soldiers were taken from Corinth and placed
under him.
The Union
division which continued at Corinth
remained comparatively inactive from June
Some important changes were soon
for a
Army
new
of the
Potomac led the
Washington
to
reverses
authorities to look around
He was
Halleck was
accordingly
summoned
assume the responsible position of commander
of all the forces in the United States.
command
The
officers.
general-in-chief in place of McClellan.
looked upon as the coming man. to
September.
to take place in the distri-
bution of the troops and in the change of of the
to
of his old army, while
Grant succeeded
Pope was ordered
to the
to Virginia,
and Rosecrans was placed in command of Pope's forces under Gen. Grant.
luKA, Sept. 19.
—Generals Price and Van Dorn were
confront the Union troops under Gen. Grant.
left to
Perceiving the
reduced condition of the Federal army, they began maneuvering for the possession of Corinth.
Price moved northeasterly,
apparently with the view of joining Bragg in his Kentucky campaign, expecting thus to
Dom
draw Grant from Corinth while Van
would move forward and occupy the
place.
Price took
possession of luka, driving out a small Federal force stationed
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
80 there.
Gen. Rosecrans was sent by a southern route to attack
Price at luka, while Gen. Ord went by a northern route to intercept the retreat.
Bad
roads and imperfect
maps
of the
country prevented a simultaneous attack.
Eosecrans's division
enemy near luka, and
in an engagement in
of 9,000 met the
which each side
lost
about eight hundred
made
he succeeded
iu
During the night the Con-
defeating the force under Price. federates
men
and formed a junction with Van
their escape,
Dorn. Gen. Grant had counted on the destruction of Price's army.
As
it
was, luka was a victory without
much
gain.
Rosecrans
returned to Corinth after this engagement, and Grant moved
The enemy under Van Dorn,
his headquarters to Jackson.
having failed in the attempt to get possession of Corinth by strategy, determined to take
it
by
assault,
and recover northern
Mississippi to the Confederacy.
Batti^e of Corinth, October 3-4, 1862.
under his command
—Gen. Grant had
at various points about forty-eight thousan*]
Of these, 7,000 were under Sherman at Memphis, 12,000 under Ord at Bolivar, 23,000 under Rosecrans at Corinth, and men.
6,000 at Grant's headquarters in Jackson.
While occupying a position tacked by Generals Price and
at Corinth,
Van Dorn,
federate force numbering 38,000 men.
in
On
Rosecrans was
command
at-
of a Con-
the 3d, the engage-
ment consisted of skirmishing, and fragmentary charges and repulses on both sides, with the advantage in favor of the Confederates.
The next day witnessed
a ferocious struggle.
The
grant's campaign in the west.
enemy made
three furious attempts to capture Robinette's bat-
which had already
tery,
81
inflicted
heavy damage upon them.
Each time they were repulsed with great
In the third
loss.
charge the Confederate banner was twice placed on the parapet
and twice shot away.
Rogers of the Second Texas sprang
Col.
upon the embankment with he and five others
The
from Corinth
On
who followed him
defeat of the
In an instant
colors in his hand. fell,
enemy became
mortally wounded.
They
complete.
retired
in disorder.
the 5th the retreating foe
was struck by Hurlbut and Ord, about ten miles from Corinth.
at the crossing of
Hatchie
They
thrown into confusion, but by maneuvering
they
Avere again
made good
The Union The enemy
their escape.
loss
lost
river,
was 2,359
in killed,
wounded, and missing.
about three thousand killed and wounded,
be-
sides 2,225 prisoners.
Soon after his defeat
at Corinth,
Van Dorn was
by Gen. Pemberton, and Rosecrans was promoted
mand.
to
superseded
BuelPs com-
Gen. Grant began preparations to move upon the only
maining stronghold of the enemy in the Southwest
re-
—Vicksburg.
CHAPTER
VII.
THE OPENING OF THE
MISSISSIPPI.
—
The Confederate Line of Defense moves South. When the Civil War commenced, the Mississippi, from the mouth of the
Ohio
Every
to the Gulf, fell into the
effort
was exerted by them
As
highway.
cial
before
tlie
to
commer-
to retain this great
the Confederate line of defense fell back
advancing columns of Grant's victorious veterans,
from Donelson Corinth
hands of the Confederates.
to Shiloh,
Vicksburg, so
from Shiloh
to Corinth,
and from
places on the upper Mississippi
all
dwindled and faded away before the combined movement of the land and naval forces. elson
came the abandonment
defeat at Shiloh
evacuation of
New
With
the fall of Forts
of
Columbus with the Confederate ;
came the surrender
of Island No. 10
;
with the
Corinth came the abandonment of Fort Pillow.
Orleans and Vicksburg were the only places on the river
that offered serious resistance to the
places above Vicksburg were
of defense
doned, or 'ing
Henry and Don-
Union
weakened
forces.
All other
as the Confederate line
was pushed southward, and thus they were aban-
fell
an easy prey
to the assailing forces.
The
follow-
pages in this chapter will narrate the events of the struggle
for the opening of the " Father of Waters.''
Columbus Abandoned, March
4,
1862.
— Commodore Foote
collected a flotilla at Cairo, apparently for use at Nashville. (82)
THE OPENING OF THE
When
all
83
MISSISSIPPI.
was ready, he drifted down the Mississippi
bus, followed
to
Colum-
by troops on transports under Gen. William T.
Sherman, while a supporting force moved overland from Paducah, under Gen. Cullum.
Columbus, Ky., was a Confederate stronghold, commanding the navigation of the Mississippi.
pal bishop of Louisiana,
Union
city before the
was
in
Gen. Leonidas Polk, Episco-
He
command. and
troops arrived,
abandoned the
fell
back to the
stronger defenses of Island iNo. 10.
Fall of 'Nbw Madrid (March 14) and Island (April the
— The
7).
mouth
of the
islands of the Mississippi are
Ohio river down
ISTo.
10
numbered from
to the Gulf.
Island 'No. 10
lay in a sharp bend in the Mississippi, about thirty miles below
Columbus, Miss.
ISTew
Madrid, on the Missouri
side, is a
few
miles farther down-stream, though on account of the great bend in the river
it lies
The opening
northwest of the island.
of the Mississippi
of the Federals.
To
resist this
strongly fortified Island
ISTo.
was one of the objective points purpose the Confederates had
10.
Forty guns had been mounted.
Gen. Beauregard was in command, but he 5th,
and transferred his command
to
left for
Corinth, April
Gen. Makall.
Gen. John Pope, who commanded in eastern Missouri, appeared before
New Madrid
with some 20,000 men, while Com-
modore Foote was preparing a the north. to
command
10,
He
fleet to assail
Island No. 10 from
intrenclied three regiments at Point Pleasant,
the passage of the river directly back of Island No.
and sent
to Cairo for large siege
guns
to
bombard
New
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
84 Madrid.
Gen.
doned the place
McCown, at
seeing the danger of capture, aban-
night during a heavy thunder-storm, and
re-
.^LpOPES HEAOQOAftTEBi
(New
SLAWD NO.
/Q moved in
liis
troops to
Ishmd Xo.
10, leaving
most of their equipage
camp.
About Poote
tlie
left
time of the surrender of
Cairo with a
fleet of
for the purpose of aiding Gen.
Xew
Madrid, Commodore
seven ironclads and other boats
Pope
in his attack
on Island
THE OPENING OF THE
85
MISSISSIPPI.
Commodore Foote bombarded the Confederate works many days without any damage to them. Gen. Pope wished
No. 10.
to
approach the enemy from the improtected south.
not take his troops across the river, as his boats were the island.
He
He
could
all
above
conceived the plan of digging a canal across the
loop of the river, so as to be able to take his transports below the
enemy's batteries and convey his troops across to the Kentucky
The canal was dug through James bayou, a swampy penin-
side.
sula
formed by the bend of the
and
fifty feet wide.
trict,
much
The
It
was twelve miles long
About ten miles was through
a timber dis-
of which had to be sawed under the surface of the
The remarkable
water.
river.
feat
was accomplished in nineteen days.
transports passed through the canal to a point below the
island, while
two of Foote's ironclads ran past the
batteries.
Pope's troops crossed the river, took Tiptonville, and closed the only avenue of escape for the beleaguered troops, as the
and flooded lands Entirely cut
off
swampy
to the east precluded retreat in that direction.
from
retreat or succor, the whole Confederate
force on the mainland and on the island, 7,000 in number, sur-
rendered April 7th,
—
the day on which the battle of Shiloh was
fought Island
IN'o.
10 has since disappeared.
wearing at the upper end, has
little
by
The little
water, constantly
swept
it
entirely
away.
Surrender of tempt
to
from the
!N"ew
Orleans, April
29, 1862.
—The
at-
open the Mississippi was not confined to the operations north.
Early in the year 1862, a combined land and
TFE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
86
naval force was prepared to the south.
For
Island, which
is
this
move
mouth
est
command in
the
fleet,
and Gen-
charge of the land forces.
Orleans was the largest Southern
outbreak of the war of 170,000.
export trade, prior to
Commo-
of the Mississippi river.
Benjamin F. Butler was placed
at the
Orleans from
purpose forces were congregated at Ship
dore David Farragut was chosen to
New
New
located in the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 miles
north and east of the
eral
against
with a population
city,
It possessed the great-
the war, of any city
in the world.
It
contained the resources of modern warfare, having workshops
where machinery of the most powerful kind could be
built,
and
having artisans capable of building ships, casting guns, and
making small arms. States as
Its people
any in the South.
were as
The
city is
above the mouth of the Mississippi. side,
and Fort
St.
hostile to the
United
one hundred miles
Fort Jackson on the west
Philip on the east side of the river, guarded
the approaches to the city.
Immense wealth abundance by directed raised
New
in coin
and produce was furnished in great
Orleans to support the military operations
from Richmond.
Regiment
after regiment
and equipped here, and dispatched
to
had been
meet the pressing
exigencies on the Potomac, the Tennessee, and the upper Mississippi.
When
the hour of peril
came
to
New
Orleans, only a
small military force, poorly drilled, remained to defend the city.
Gen. Mansfield Lovell was in forces stationed here.
He
command
of the Confederate
exhausted every energy to defend and
THE OPENING OF THE protect the city.
ened, and
all
Forts
St.
87
MISSISSIPPI.
Philip and Jackson were strength-
the land approaches to the city were fortified and
guarded.
The
was ohstnirtrd by strongly braced
river
A
live-oaks.
piles
and green
strong chain was extended across the river within
range of tbo guns of the
mantled vessels and a large drift toward the
Union
fleet
dis-
Fire-rafts were prepared, to
raft.
and ignite the
Farragnt with his powerful land forces of 14,000 under
was supported by eight
It
forts.
vessels.
of 47 vessels, carrying the
fleet
Bn tier, steamed np
The
the river.
mortars and gnnboats approached within range of the forts and
opened
fire
npon them.
kept up an unremitting shells
fenses.
For fire,
six
days and nights the mortars
mainly upon Fort Jackson; 16,800
were thrown without much
effect
upon the enemy's
de-
Finally, Farragut determined to run past the forts.
Captain Bell was sent on the night of the 20th of April with
two gunboats on the dangerous mission of making an opening in the chain obstruction, for the passage of the fire
of Fort Jackson was concentrated
was successfully separated near the large opening
made
waiting below.
At
to
left
from the
sunken hulks, amid burning fleet
bank, and a sufficiently fleet,
morning of April
attempt to pass the forts was begun. face of a terrific fire
upon them, but the cable
admit the passage of the
3 :30 in the
The whole
fleet.
On
which was
24, the bold
they steamed, in the
forts, past the chain,
rafts,
through
encountering the Confederate
of fifteen vessels, two of which were ironclads.
The
fleet
kept up a continuous rain of shot and shell upon the forts as
it
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
88
It captured or destroyed every Confederate
passed bj them. vessel,
and accomplished the mission for which
the loss of but a single vessel.
it set
Thus was achieved
naval warfare which had no precedent, and which
out with a feat in
is still
with-
out a parallel except the one furnished by Farragut himself at
Mobile, two years later, and the one furnished by Deiwey at
Manila, which, though not entirely similar, was in some respects
more remarkable
Commodore
in results.
Porter,
gut was forcing his
who kept up
way up
the mortar-fire while Farra-
the stream, says
"No
grander or more beautiful sight could have been realized than From silence, disturbed now and then by the slow fire of the mortars, the phantom-like movement of the vessels giving no sound, an increased roar of heavy guns began, while the mortars burst forth in rapid bombardment, as the fleet drew near the enemy's works. Vessel after vessel added her guns to those already at work, until the very earth seemed to shake from the reverberations. A burning raft added its lurid glare to the scene, and the fiery attacks of the mortar-shells, as they passed through the darkness aloft, and sometimes bursting in midair, gave the impression that heaven itself had joined in the general strife. The succeeding silence was almost as sudden. From the weighing of the anchors, one hour and ten minutes saw the vessels by the forts, and Farragut on his way to New Orleans, the prize staked upon the fierce game of war just ended." the scenes of that night.
—
—
Gen. Lovell, who was in
down
He
command
at
'New Orleans, came
the river to observe events, and narrowly escaped capture.
hastened to the city and withdrew his soldiers on the even-
ing of the 24th, leaving the town at the mercy of the Union
When news
reached
New
Orleans that the Confederate
had been destroyed and the triumphant the city, a strange scene followed.
fleet
fleet.
flotilla
was approaching
Hopeless panic seized the
THE OPENING OF THE fjoofl
people of the city, and
ruffiaTis,
MISSISSIPPI.
89
cut-throats
and thngs went
about pillaging houses, shops, and stores.
heaped in the cotton were
streets
and burned.
consumed by the
Public materials were
Twelve thousand bales of
The mob swayed back and
flames.
forth in the streets, hooting, yelling, cursing,
and urging the
people to resist the landing of the Federals.
Farragut appeared before 'New Orleans on the 25th of April,
and demanded the surrender of the less to control
city.
The mayor was power-
the mob, and could not surrender the city while
were swayed by their passions.
the people
But on the 29th
the militia landed and took possession of the public buildings.
The
worked St.
had surrendered the day before.
forts his
way through bayous and bays
Philip, landing his
ground reached. contest,
the
men from
Gen. Butler had
in the rear of Fort
row-boats on the
first
firm
Realizing the uselessness of protracting the
enemy surrendered
Gen. Butler took military
the forts to Captain Porter.
command
of JSTew Orleans, and in-
augurated stringent methods for cleansing and pacifying the unclean and turbulent
city.
Almost one-half of the population
of the city were of foreign birth.
A large number of the poorer
element belonged to a dangerous and desperate
was hanged for tearing down the National over the mint by one of Farragut's healthful effect
The
victory at
New
officers.
upon the turbulent and
total loss to the
Union
flag
Severity
class.
Wm.
alone would answer in controlling them.
B.
Mumford
which was raised This event had a
lawless.
forces in achieving the brilliant
Orleans was 40 killed and 177 wounded.
the civil
90
war by
campaigns.
Baton Rouge, Natchez, and the First Attack on YicksBURG, 1862.
—After New Orleans had been secured and handed
over to Gen. Butler, Farragut pushed up the Mississippi, taking
Baton Rouge, Natchez, and every town of any importance far as Vicksburg.
upon
On June
as
28th a general attack was made
Farragut succeeded in running the batteries
this city.
with two frigates and six gunboats, and bombarded the enemy's
works from above; but them.
little
was produced upon
or no effect
The bombardment was continued
at intervals,
while
General Williams was attempting to cut a canal across the isthmus formed by the bend of the river, and while an application to Gen. Halleck at Corinth
army
to aid the
fleet.
was pending, for a corps of
The work
of the canal, the
first
his
of three
attempts, proved unsuccessful, and no troops were sent to aid
Farragut.
The
siege of Vicksburg
was abandoned by order
from Washington, and Farragut dropped down the the greater part of his
fleet.
Gen. Williams with his soldiers
returned to Baton Rouge in time to repulse an attack that place,
August
5th,
river with
made upon
by the Confederates under Gen.
J. C.
Breckinridge.
Fort Pillow Evacuated, May brilliant victory of
a Federal fleet
10.
—Not
Commodore Farragut
under Com. H.
before
long after the
New
Orleans,
C. Davis prepared to attack Fort
Pillow, located on the Mississippi in the vicinity of
Memphis.
enemy evacuated
the place,
P)Ut
May
on the approach of the 10th.
fleet,
the
THE OPENING OF THE
Memphis Taken, June ceeded with his
fleet
1862.
6,
The
when
met
fleets
titndes
npon the Disaster
Their entire
levee,
blnfi^,
came
fleet
A
thickly
Davis pro-
formidable Confed-
commanded by Commodore Ave in {ho morninc:,
at half-past
The
the engai;'ement beoan.
battle.
— Commodore
toward Memphis.
erate flotilla awaited his approach,
Montgomery.
91
MISSISSIPPI.
inhabitants swa nncd
and honse-roofs, npon the
in
mnl-
to witness the
vessels of the
enemy.
was either captured or destroyed in an hour
and a half after the beginning of the engagement, with the exception of the flagship bled her to escape.
men the
killed
Van Dorn, whose
The enemy's
was heavy
loss
and wounded; while Col.
superior speed ena-
Ellet, jr.,
—nearly
commander
Union rams, was the only man wounded on
fleet.
He
100 of
the Federal
died afterward from exhaustion and from the effect
of the wound.
The Queen
West was
of the
the only Federal
vessel severely injured.
Commodore Davis then
took possession of the city, and the
supremacy of the Federal Government was again established in one of the chief
The ultimate
towns of Tennessee.
effect of this victory
effectively clearing the Mississippi
was
great.
It assisted in
from the presence of the
{)owerful Confederate gunboats.
With
the single exception of Vicksburg, every other strong-
hold of the foe had been taken.
The conquest
of Vicksburg
alone Avas necessary to open the channel of the great highway of the West, eracy.
and sever one of the leading
arteries of the Confed-
THE CIVIL
92
Secoxd Movemej^t
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
agaia^st Vicksbukg,
December, 1862.
Vicksburg, located on the Mississii)^!! river about luidw^iy be-
tween
its
mouth and Cairo,
Avas tlie natural center
and chief
stronghold of the slaveholding States in the West after the
fall
Vktt^slbiuiirg'.
of
Xew
Orleans.
Its natural strength
manding the navigation appreciated
;
and
it
and importance as com-
of the ^Mississippi
Avas so fortified
river
were early
and garrisoned as
to
make
the storming of the works a dangerous task and the capture of
THE OPKNTNG OF THE it
93
MISSISSIPPI.
The naval demonstration
well-nigh impossible.
against Vicks-
burg after the victory at 'New Orleans, had proved a
failure.
After Halleck was promoted and transferred to Washington,
Grant was put in command of the
command was extended
FTis
He had
of Mississippi. at Forts
district of
western Tennessee.
Oct. 16, 18G2, to include the State
gradually driven the enemy southward
Henry and Donelson,
now commenced preparations
for an active campaign against
Gen. John C. Pemberton in his front, with the hope of mately taking Vicksburg.
Pemberton had established
quarters at Jackson, Mississippi, while In
Van Dorn,
command, occupied the Confederate front
Grant moved
his
He
Shiloh, Corinth, and luka.
at
ulti-
his head-
second to him
Holly Springs.
own headquarters from Jackson,
Tenn., to La-
grange, and arranged with Rear Admiral Porter to convey Sher-
man's men from Memphis with nearly 60,000
He pushed ford.
He
to Vicksburg.
men by way
of the Mobile
himself moved
& Ohio
Railroad.
through Grand Junction and Holly Springs to Ox-
While
at the latter place
preparing to move on Jackson
and Vicksburg, Van Dorn struck a damaging blow communications.
Col. R. C.
Murphy was
left in
to Grant's
command
of
Holly Springs, which had been the temporary depot of arms, munitions and provisions for the Union army. iously surrendered the place 20, 1862, to a
with a
less
invaders. lief
and men under
band of Confederate
number
of
men
his
He
ignomin-
command
Dec.
raiders, while other places
in garrison valiantly repelled the
Grant had dispatched 4,000 men by
rail for the re-
of Holly Springs, but they arrived only a few hours after
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
94
enemy had
the
departed.
Col.
service in a stinging order
Murphy was
dismissed from
by Gen. Grant.
Thus by the cowardice or perversity of one man, were not
men
only 2,000
surrendered, and several million dollars' worth
of property sacrificed, but the fair promise of an important
By
expedition was blighted.
He
completely paralyzed. tion, to
move westward
A
river to Vicksburg.
man
decided to fall back to Grand Junc-
Memphis, and
to
to
descend by the
courier was at once sent to notify Sher
of this disaster.
The day had
the loss of his stores Grant was
left
after the
Holly Springs surrender, Gen. Sherman
Memphis with
the right
nessee, about 30,000 strong,
wing of the Army of the Ten-
and passed down the Mississippi,
on transports, and twelve miles up the Yazoo.
Debarking
his
men, he commenced an assault upon the defenses of Vicksburg
from the north.
Grant's recoil from Oxford was
Sherman, as Grant's courier failed
unknown
to reach his destination,
to
and
the Confederates under Gen. Pemberton, previously confront-
now
ing Grant,
faced about and concentrated their energies in
opposition to Sherman, tion of the
ments,
all
Dorn and
main body.
to
engage the atten-
Expeditious as were Sherman's move-
of the Confederate forces, with the exception of his cavalry,
Vicksburg is
who expected Grant
about 200
is
were on hand
to receive
built on a range of bluffs
feet,
him.
whose average height
and quite precipitous from Vicksburg
Haines Bluff, a distance of about thirteen or fourteen
Beyond the
Van
bluffs there is
to
miles.
low ground of swamps and bayous,
THE OPENING OF THE the chief of which
structed an abatis bluffs
is
and
rifle-trenches
and then ascend the abrupt
to pass
bluffs,
The
Coming
through the low
though
Sherman's army was uniquely Western.
a
con-
at the
time he
on the expedition he had not realized the seriousness of
the obstacles afforded by the character of the
for a
rifle-pits.
hostile batteries.
from the north, Sherman was compelled
set out
The enemy had
Chickasaw Bayou.
and dotted the swamps with
frowned with
lands,
96
MISSISSIPPI.
soil.
They were
figliting
Western advantage, and entered into the campaign with
grim determination
to carry the approaches to Vicksburg.
Admiral Porter, in command of the Union and hearty cooperation were too great about 2,000
The news
to
to the
be overcome.
men were
lost,
land forces.
An
assault
fleet,
gave prompt
The impediments was made, in which
including prisoners and wounded.
come overland, the consequent
of Grant's failure to
concentration of about 40,000 Confederates to oppose his troops,
and the strong
fortification of the
enemy, induced Sherman
abandon the undertaking for the time. ther attempt to capture the place disastrous loss of
Jan.
2,
life.
He
would
He knew
to
that any fur-
result in a useless
and
accordingly embarked with his troops
for Milliken's Bend.
While on the point of
leaving.
Gen. John A. McClernand, Sherman's senior, arrived and took
command.
He
acquiesced in Sherman's plans for the return
expedition, and at once began active measures for the reduction
of Fort
Hindman,
called also "
The Post
of Arkansas," fifty
miles from the Mississippi, where a French settlement had been
made
in 1685.
After a gallant defense, the fort
fell into
the
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
96
The 5,000
hands of Gen. McClernand. St.
Louis, and the
Union
forces,
prisoners were sent to
pursuant to the order of Gen.
Grant, returned to Milliken's Bend.
Third and Final Movement against Vicksburg, 1803. Gen. Grant, having reorganized and refitted his army at phis, descended the river with his troops in transports to
Young's
Here was the head
Point, nine miles above Vicksburg.
Memof the
canal project commenced and abandoned some months before
by Gen. Williams.
By means transports
A
river.
The heavy
Gen. Grant concluded to complete the canal.
of this he expected to isolate Vicksburg, and take his
down below large
He
by passing with lakes,
of
rains flooded the district,
impossible, and induced
dertaking.
men men were employed at
the city to convey his
number
had
making work
Grant permanently
to
at the canal
abandon the un-
also attempted to flank the Confederates
his transports through a
and connecting streams
to a point
network of bayous,
below Vicksburg; but
he found the impediments too great to accomplish
The
across the this work.
this.
character of the Confederate defense and the nature of
the country convinced Gen. Grant that Vicksburg could not be successfully assailed
Yazoo
from above unless he had
river, for whicli
He now
full control of the
he had persistently but vainly struggled.
decided on an entirely
new
line of operations.
In pur-
suance with this plan he recalled the various expeditions looking to the control of the
Yazoo
valley.
He
set out
from Milliken's
Bend, marched down on the west side of the river low Vicksburg, intending
to a point be-
to cross the river in transports,
and
THE OPENING OF THE assail the
enemy from
had intended
to do.
97
MISSISSIPPI.
the east, instead of from the west as ho
In the meantime Commodore Porter,
suggestion of Gen. Grant, had
made
at the
preparations to run the
Vicksburg batteries with his ironclads and transports.
The
ironclads passed without harm, but of the nine transports
tempting
one was
to pass the batteries,
to the water's edge,
set
on
fire
one was disabled and sunk, while the rest
passed with comparatively
little
Grierson's Cavalry Raid.
damage.
—Grant determined
to retaliate
for the destructive cavalry raids of Morgan, Forrest, and
Dorn.
Col. B.
at-
and burned
H. Grierson,
starting
Van
from Lagrange, Tenn.,
with a brigade of 1,700 cavalry, swept rapidly southward through Mississippi and Louisiana, and entered Baton Bouge in sixteen days, after
having traveled 600 miles, destroyed much
property, and captured and paroled some prisoners.
Grant's Movement upon Yicksburg prom the South,
April to July, 1863. a naval attack
—On
the 29th of April Grant directed
upon Grand Gulf, which was gallantly made by
Admiral Porter with
his
gunboat
fleet.
But
as
no decided ad-
vantage could be gained, owing to the elevated position of the
Confederate batteries, the attack was soon abandoned.
Learn-
ing that there was a good road leading from Bruinsburg to Port
Gibson in the rear of Grand Gulf, Grant placed his transports and crossed the river at Bruinsburg.
marched seventy miles on the west
side of the river, over
roads, scarcely above the river-line.
—7
men
on
His army had
muddy
Grant crossed the river
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
98
They did not carry
with 10,000 men, April 30th. a wagon.
brush.
a tent or take
It has been said that Grant's only baggage
Other divisions followed soon
after.
They did not march
they left the river.
On
was a
the 3d of
J.
E. Johnston was in supreme
federate forces west of the Alleghanies. tanooga, but
became
came
to the relief of
May
directly on Vicksburg,
but pushed inland to cut off communications with the
Gen.
tooth-
command
He
city.
of
all
had been
Pemberton when
Con-
at Chat-
his situation
Pemberton's troops, about 50,000 in
critical.
all,
were stationed from Haines Bluff on the north to Grand Gulf on the south, and to Jackson and Granada on the
east.
As
Grant advanced toward Port Gibson, the enemy was encountered and defeated
Gulf
fell as
May
1st in quite a severe battle.
Grand
a result of this engagement.
Sherman, who was conducting a feint against the enemy's works in the north, was ordered to join Grant's
forces, while
Grant changed his base of supplies from Bruinsburg Gulf.
Grant then continued
his
countering no obstacles until near
to
Grand
march toward Jackson,
en-
Raymond, where he met and
(May 12th). At Jackson defeated (May 14th), and driven
defeated two of the enemy's brigades the Confederates were again
from the
city.
The Confederate main body, numbering 25,000 men, under Gen. Pemberton, marched out from Vicksburg to meet Grant's invading army.
At Champion Hills they were defeated with
considerable
May
loss.
16th,
and retreated toward the works of
Vicksburg, pursued by the Union troops.
Making
a stand near
THE OPENING OF THE
the Big Black river, the Confederates again
(Maj
99
MISSISSIPPI.
met with defeat
17th), and then fell back to the friendly shelter within
the fortifications of Vicksburg.
An
immediate assault on the land defenses of Vicksburg was
determined upon by Grant, who apprehended an attack on his
by Johnston, strongly reinforced from Bragg's army.
rear
Accordingly, a general assault was
made on
the afternoon of
Afay 19th, which resulted in no advantage to the Union troops.
The next two days were devoted
to
bringing up and distributing
provisions and to a preparation for a
The
assault
upon the
more determined
attack.
well-fortified defenses of the Confederates
was made with great
spirit,
but resulted in the decimation of
The
the ranks as they advanced.
troops were finally recalled
from the advanced and imperiled positions which they had taken,
and
hold.
The Union
settled
down loss
to the siege of the
was about 3,000
Confederate strong-
killed
and wounded
in
this wasteful assault.
Siege of Vicksburg, and Surrender on July Vicksburg was now completely invested.
4,
1863.
Porter's gunboats
prevented escape by water, or succor from the Louisiana side.
And
Grant, keeping a sharp lookout for Johnston in the rear,
commenced digging a force not at
much
Champion
his
way
superior in
in the hospital, sick or nioii
number
to that
Hills and the Big Black.
short of both provisions and
Grant's
into Vicksburg
were
in
with
Pemberton was notably ;
;
east,
which he had beaten
ammunition 6,000 of
wounded
good
from the
his hopes of relief
spirits, and, since the
his
men were
were slender.
day of the un-
94696
THE CIVIL WAB BY CAMPAIGNS.
100 lucky assault,
lie
Mines were
had received reinforcements.
sprung under Confederate
forts,
advance of the Union army as
and breastworks thrown up gradually worked
it
its
in
way
But while the troops were digging mines
toward Vicksburg.
from without, famine
silently at
work within the Confederate
ranks was more persuasive than bullet-shot or saber-cut. Finally, after forty-five days of siege, Pemberton, hopeless of relief, flag,
and
at the
and surrendered
As a enemy
end of his resources, hung out the white his
result of this
lost
prisoners,
army and
the city on the 4th of July.
campaign in and about Vicksburg the
about 10,000
men
killed
and wounded, and 37,000
which includes those taken before the
siege.
Gen. Grant reports his losses in this memorable campaign,
from the day he landed der, at
945
killed,
at
Bruinsburg until that of the surren-
7,095 wounded, and 537 missing.
This was by far the most disastrous blow to the Confederacy
had yet been given.
that
"No other campaign of the
this in brilliancy of conception
war exceeds
and in successful prosecution.
Gen. Johnston had been using every exertion to raise an army strong enough to fall upon the rear of Grant's the siege of Vicksburg. to hold
man the
Johnston in check.
JSTot
being able to meet Gen. Sher-
in a pitched battle, Johnston began operating
Big Black
river,
down along
with the probable intention of forming a
before this could be attempted,
famished army.
raise
Gen. Sherman was sent with a force
junction with Pemberton, and of cutting a
But
army and
way
out for him.
Pemberton surrendered
his
Gen. Johnston, hearing of the surrender of the
THE OPENING OF THE
101
MISSISSIPPI.
Confodorate army, marched eastward, pursued by Sherman, to Jackson, where a small engagement occurred.
During the night
ho hurried across the Pearl river, and continued his retreat
through Brandon to Morton.
On June
6th a force of Confederates from Arkansas
an unsuccessful attempt to the fall of
9,000
men
to take Milliken's
Bend.
made
Just prior
Port Hudson, Confederate General Holmes with
tried to take Helena, held
by General Prentiss with
a force less than one-half as large as that of his assailant, but failed.
Sherman pursued Johnston's army realizing that the
enemy had
position about Vicksburg. in
many
as far as
Brandon, but
escaped, he returned to his old
Thus ended one
of the greatest,
respects most important campaigTis of the Civil
Surrender of Port Hudson, July N'athaniel P.
8,
1863.
and
War.
—General
Banks assumed command of the department of
the Gulf, Dec. 11, 1862, with a force of 30,000; but he sent detail after detail until his available troops to operate against
Port Hudson was only 14,000. with Gen. Grant in his
efforts to
He
was expected
to cooperate
open the Mississippi and expel
the Confederates bearing arms in T^ouisiana and Texas.
Gen.
Gardner was in command of Port Hudson, with a force equal He was well fortified. Two spirited to that under Banks. attacks were
made upon
and June 14th. settled
down
the Confederate defenses, on
May
27th
Banks, having gained no permanent advantage,
to the
employment of the same methods for the
reduction of the place as Grant was using at Vicksburg, namely,
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
102 digging his
way
to the hreastworks of the
enemy, and reducing
the efficient defense by cutting off all supplies
About
Gen. Banks's army. in
and
succor.
2,500 of the enemy's cavalry were in the rear of
Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, at Jackson, was
danger of swooping down at any moment.
forcements from Alabama and Georgia siege
Fresh rein-
sufficient to raise the
Gen. K. E. Lee, so recently
might be expected.
torious at Chancellorsville,
might send a
by
relief corps
rail to
In vain the garrison looked for reinforcements.
Gardner.
ammunition for small arms was gradually expended, twenty rounds per
man remained; and
but
little
and mules were
vic-
The
until but
more for the and served
artillery.
The meat gave
as food.
Rats were cooked and eaten, and pronounced
good as
squirrels.
troops, the
out,
killed
as
Considering the enervated condition of the
enemy made
Suddenly, on July
a gallant defense.
6th, the Union batteries shook the heavens with tremendous salutes, while cheer after cheer
from behind the works, and from
the gunboats, rolled to the hills, reverberating the good tidings that Vicksburg
the
had surrendered.
Confederacy made
it
The news
folly to resist
any
of this disaster to
longer.
Gen. Gard-
ner accordingly opened negotiations with Banks, and under the
terms of capitulation the garrison became prisoners of war July 9th.
The Union
troops took possession of the city.
The
loss to
Banks's army in this campaign of forty days was about 3,000 men. The number of prisoners taken at the Port was 6,408, but the number captured in the whole campaign was 10,584
men, besides many guns, arms,
etc.
THE OPENING OF THE
103
MISSISSIPPI.
Gen. Banks, after his victorj at Port Hudson, led an expedition of 6,000 into
Texas by way of the Rio Grande.
taking Brownsville and Point Isabel, and leaving Gen. in
command With
at the
former place, he returned
the fall of Vicksburg and Port
puted navigation of the Mississippi. hostilities
were conducted on
points of the
open
it
to the close of the
tional authority.
local
the undis-
and partisan
One
of the objective
The great
river remained
after this.
war was accomplished.
Dana
to ISTew Orleans.
Hudson came Only
After
war, in undisputed possession of Na-
CHAPTER
VIII.
BRAGG'S INVASION OF KENTUCKY. Movement to Chattanooga,
1862.
—The Confederate
vet-
erans that had confronted Grant at Shiloh and Corinth
efforts
were directed
tanooga on the
east,
to the defense of
two strongholds
The
and Vicksburg on the west.
the struggle for possession of the latter place
Gen. Braxton Bragg,
given.
re-
After the fall of these places the enemy's
treated to Tnpelo.
now
erate armies west of the mountains,
events of
have already been
command
in
—Chat-
of the Confed-
abandoned his position
at
Tupelo, and moved his troops via the Mobile railroad to Chattanooga.
His army had been increased by conscription
45,000 men, and was organized
in.
three corps, under Hardee,
Gen. Buell
Bishop Polk, and Kirby Smith, respectively.
Corinth on the 10th of June for Chattanooga by
Memphis & Charleston by the enemy.
by
The rebuilding
this delay,
way
left
of the
Kailroad, which had been destroyed of the road under instructions
from Gen. Halleck consumed much profited
to
time.
The Confederates
and on the 29th of July they entered
Chattanooga before the arrival of the Union army, and established headquarters there.
Invasion of Kentucky, 1862-63. ceived the bold plan of carrying the lan's
—The Confederates
war farther
north.
campaign before Eichmond had proved a (104)
con-
McClel-
failure,
and
BRAGG 'S INVASION OF KENTUCKY. led to the invasion of
Lee's
tncky.
movement
He
north,
Maryland by Lee.
Bragg
105
Simultaneous with
started on his invasion of
Ken-
had been assured that many Kentuckians were
iiwaiting an opportunity to join the Southern cause.
He
ex-
pected a general uprising in favor of the Confederacy to attend his
march
north,
and hoped
finally to recover
Tennessee and
west Kentucky from ITational authority. Louisville with
its
immense resources was the immediate
object of his gigantic raid, though Cincinnati
be within his purview.
to
was thought
Buell supposed that Bragg would
To
endeavor to get possession of Nashville.
avoid
concentrated the bulk of his forces at Murfreesboro.
was doing
this,
Bragg
also
stole
.a
march on him, and
this,
Buell
While he set out for
Louisville.
Gen. Kieby Smith at Kichmond, Ky., August
As Grant was conducting driving the
enemy
his magnificent
29, 1862.
campaign in the West,
farther and farther south, portions of Ken-
tucky and Tennessee became exposed to the Confederate raiders,
—Morgan,
Forrest, and other chieftains
who overran
the
State. Gen. Kirby Smith, who played an important part in the Battle of Bull Kun, uniting these bands, marched forward from
Knoxville as the advance guard of Bragg's army.
through Big Creek
Gap
of the
Cumberland mountains, he
pushed rapidly northward through London
Here he encountered, August Gen. Nelson.
In the
battle
were badly defeated, with a
Passing
16, 1862, a
to
Richmond, Ky.
Union force under
which followed, the Federal troops loss of several
thousand prisoners.
THE OTVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
106
himself was killed.
N'elsoii
Smith found
little
whose
making vigorous to
efforts to receive
Frankfort and Lexington to
March to
BuELii's
Hichmond,
was within one day's march of Cincinnati,
under the direction of Gen.
citizens,
at
opposition at Lexington, Frankfort, Paris,
He
and Cynthiana.
Aftfer his success
Lew
Wallace, were
him, when he again
effect a junction
fell
hack
with Bragg.
Louisville, September, 1862.
—When
Buell discovered that the true object of the Confederates was
and not Nashville,
Louisville, to indicate,
he
set
as their first
movements seemed
He
out on a great race for that place.
left a
garrison at ISTashville, and by forced marches he succeeded in
reaching Louisville, Sept. 25th, his competitor,
in advance of
who had been delayed on account
bridge at Bardstown. forcements.
—about one day
At
of a burnt
Louisville Buell received large rein-
Most were in the shape of raw
troops, but
some
were veterans sent up the Mississippi and Ohio from Grant's army.
His
forces
had thus' been augmented, until they num-
bered 100,000 men.
Battle of Perryville, Oct.
8,
1862.
—Buell had
failed to
gain possession of Chattanooga, and permitted Bragg to invade the State of Kentucky.
His delays were very
authorities at Washington.
part of September relieving
Thomas was appointed nanimous with the
distasteful to the
Orders were issued in the
him
of the
to succeed him.
command But
latter
of the army.
this able
and mag-
soldier pleaded earnestly for the retention of Buell,
effect that the
order was suspended and Buell retained.
T'frj
Cam [pa og Eli ELL
mi
5 of
&
lB)IRA(fi(G
^ouf'o- o-^ Un/oin y^rmcf shoujn
/,
^minf
i
n ^cccr.
.,
af/ldrrod'iiurS ujhard
..
i-^
>•
"
drt^QCf'S
>,
^
..
.
>
May c/n//Zt/
.^
J
ALA.
107
BRAGG 'S INVASION OF KENTUCKY. This vpmindor of
tlic
dosirrs of the FrHrral
kpuprl Riioll to a (ioiormination to
authorities awa-
He
meet the enemy.
accord-
ingly set out to find his oppmiont.
Bragg
(ren. (
in his
march north passed through
Glasgow, and Munfordsvillc,
'arthage,
Bishop Polk temporarily in to
command
to
Pineville,
Bardstown.
of the troops,
Leaving
Bragg went
Frankfort, which had been occupied by Smith's command, to
witness the inangnration of Richard
(rovernor of the State.
The booming
Hawes
Confederate
as
of cannon announeed the
near presence of Union troops, and cut short the inaugural address of the pretended Governor,
who was
obliged to seek safety
Buell moved forward to attack the
by a hasty departure. enemj^,
now
retreat,
and Buell came upon Hardee's division
Bragg commenced a slow
posted at Bardstown.
Polk soon joined Hardee and both division of Buell's army.
The
fell
enemy decamped, and
The Union
the night the
loss in this battle in
3,300, while the Confed-
was about 2,500.
The Federal army did not pursue The
But during
wounded and missing was about
erate loss
during the day
retreated to Harrodsburg, where they
were joined by Kirby Smith. killed,
heavily upon McCook's
battle continued
of October 8th, Avith great severity.
at Perryville.
battle
was
little
better than a
cided advantage had been gained. to reach Louisville,
the retreating
army
drawn engagement. Bragg had, of
and now he was made
at once.
'No de-
course, failed
to retreat southward,
but in no great fear of disaster to his troops.
His
retreat
was
conducted through Cumberland Gap, and ended at Chattanooga.
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
108
He
succeeded in carrying
visions, clothing,
off
hundreds of wagon-loads of pro-
He
and other necessaries for the army.
drove
with him thousands of beeves, horses, and mules, and carried
away an immense amount
of groceries and domestic goods
gathered from the stores of Lexington, Frankfort, Danville, and other places.
In consequence of Bucll's
sIoav pursuit,
Bragg was permitted
conduct a safe retreat without having been attacked more
to
than once in a period of five months.
Gen. Halleck desired
Buell to undertake a campaign in eastern Tennessee, pied by the enemy.
Buell believed
it
occu-
still
utterly impossible to
supply the army with food, at places remote from the railroad.
The
project
was abandoned, and the Union troops again
con-
centrated at Kashville.
The Federal Government, much displeased with the
inac-
and dilatory movements of Buell, removed him from the
tivity
command,
Gen. Rosecrans, who had figured
Oct. 30th, 1862.
prominently at Corinth and Inka, superseded him.
The
result of the
Kentucky campaign was no more
satisfac-
tory to the Confederate government than to the National authority.
them.
Both
Scarcely had Bragg reached Chattanooga,
He moved
ordered to move northward again. to
and neither obtained
sides expected decisive results,
when he was
his headquarters
Tullahoma, and then to Murfreesboro.
Battle of Murfreesboro, December Gen. Rosecrans on assuming (hereafter to be
known
command
as the
Army
31,
of the
of the
January
Army
2,
1863.
of the Ohio
Cumberland) found
109
BKAGG's invasion of KENTUCKY.
it
greatly demoralized by long marches and indecisive results.
Of
the 100,000
authority.
]\rost
—
the mnster-rolls, 26,482 were absent by
of those, but not nearly
or in other words,
had
The two armies
that he
at will, stripping posts
in
inferior
and Morgan,
and supply
trains.
lay watching each other, the one at Nashville,
Murf reesboro. Kosecrans had given
would remain in winter quarters
sent a strong cavalry detachment under to
sick or
effective force
efficiency to the troops of Forrest
who rod© around the other at
His
deserted.
His cavalry was
numbered about 65,000 men.
number and
were
all,
in the hospitals; 6,484 were absent without au-
wounded and thority,
men on
work upon the supply
trains
the impression
Bragg
at l^ashville.
Morgan and Forrest
and break the Union communica-
tions.
Kosecrans was busily engaged in collecting a supply of
food.
Suddenly, on the 26th of December, he broke camp and
His march was commenced in the
moved forward.
Confederates had celebrated Christmas with
Murfreesboro. vance.
rain.
The
much gayety
at
Their outposts retreated before the Union ad-
Their cavalry, supported by some militia, skirmished
with the advancing patriots.
The immediate
object
was the
defeat of Bragg's army, and the ultimate object was to get possession of Chattanooga.
The Union
eve of battle numbered 43,000 strong.
was reported by Bragg as high as 62,000
as 38,000,
by some
troops present on the
The Confederate army
though their number
is
placed
authorities.
Gen. Bragg had placed his army along the bluffs of Stone river,
near Murfreesboro.
Here, on the
last
day of the year,
110
THE CIVIL
WAR
BT CAMPAIGNS.
commenced one of the most sanguinary
battles of the
war
called the battle of Murfreesboro, or Stone river.
Rosecrans' plan of battle was to throw his left under Crit-
tenden across Stone river, and assail the Confederate right in force while his
own
riously enough,
Bragg had planned
right should stand on the defensive.
same
precisely the
Cu-
tactics.
He
placed his right on the defensive, and sent his left to crush
the
Union
first
right.
Under such circumstances
army moving
on a vigorous attack upon the opposing forces would carry
While Rosecrans'
the day. battle,
his right
left
was furiously
was crossing the river assailed,
that two batteries were taken before a
He
Rosecrans' aggressive movement.
for the purpose of saving his right.
driven back.
and
open
so unexpectedly
gun could be
Rosecrans re-formed his
had
to
fired.
withdraw
The Union lines.
posted on a knoll surrounded by a plain.
The
His
his left
troops were artillery
was
Against this new line
Confederates dashed themselves desperately but vainly.
Four times
the hitherto victorious
great
But
loss.
the result of the
army was hurled back with
first
day's conflict was, on the
whole, decidedly in favor of the Confederates. one-half of the ground on which the in the morning, and
guns.
They had taken
Union army had encamped
had seized twenty-eight of the Union large
The enemy's cavalry had committed much havoc upon
Rosecrans' baggage and supply trains, and the Union lost
to
The onslaught paralyzed
Confederate success was decisive.
the
the
army had
heavily in killed and wounded.
Many
a general would have calculated at the close of the day
Ill
how
Gen. Rosecrans, however,
best to get back to Nashville.
took stock of his ammnnition, and found that he had sufficient left
The
for another battle.
position to
assault of the
enemy upon
which Rosecrans' army had retreated in the
the
after-
noon, had demonstrated his ability to hold his ground here.
Giving orders
to issue all the
ammunition, and marshalling his
down with
troops for every advantage, he lay the arrival of ITew Year's
holiday
unless
quietly
Day.
He
army
had expected
Bragg should
Both armies maintained
conflict.
his
desire
their
to
to
to await
keep the
renew the
respective positions
throughout the day, with only an occasional artillery duel or a
random skirmish encounter.
On
Jan. 2d the Confederates opened
mence from center and
batteries
At
left.
fire
with great vehe-
which they had planted before the Union first
their strength
was overwhelming, but
reinforcements being thrown upon them, they were hurled
back in disorder, with heavy oners.
Darkness had now
loss in killed,
set in,
wounded and
pris-
which prevented Rosecrans
pressing the advantage he had gained.
A
pouring rain next day
softened the earth, and impeded the movements of the artillery.
Gen. Bragg however concluded to leave, and commenced the
movement
as stealthily as possible, near midnight.
ered up his men and guns pickets
knew nothing
He
gath-
so cautiously that even the Federal
of his
movements
until daylight next
morning, Sunday, the 4th.
The manner
in which the operations
Union army were
upon the rear of the
resisted reflected little credit
on the
skill
and
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
112
energy of those who commanded. oners, mostly stragglers
and
CAMPAIGNS.
About two thousand
fugitives,
pris-
were taken by the Con-
and a large amount of baggage and army trains was
federates,
taken or destroyed, which no doubt greatly impaired Rosecrans' ability to
pursue successfully the retreating
foe.
Rosecrans made no movement in pursuit of the Confederates
In his
until the next day.
that the enemy's infantry
Sunday but owing ;
plies,
and the
official
report he says
:
"
We
learned
had reached Shelby ville by 12 m. on
to the impracticability of bringing
loss of 557' artillery horses,
up
sup-
pursuit was deemed
inadvisable."
Rosecrans reported his losses at 1,533
Bragg reported
and 3,000 prisoners.
whom
killed,
wounded
7,000,
his losses at 10,000, of
9,000 were killed and wounded.
The Union
losses
were
some greater than those of the Confederates, but the great aster of the first
the second,
dis-
day was turned into a dearly purchased victory
by the gallantry, obstinacy and heroism of Rosecrans
and his men.
Among
those
who
Union army
figured prominently in the
were Gen. McCook, in command of the Union right division; Gen. Thomas, in in
command
command
of the
Bragg retreated remained inactive
of the center
;
and Gen. Crittenden,
left.
to Shelbyville at
and Tullahoma.
Murfreesboro until
Rosecrans
late in the
summer
of 1863.
Morgan's Raid into Indiana and Ohio, 1862.
—While Gen.
Rosecrans at Murfreesboro was accumulating wagons, muni-
BRAGG 'S INVASION OF KENTFCKY.
—8
113
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
114
and supplies for an advance against Gen. Bragg's army
tions
confronting
him
at
Shelby ville, the noted and generally suc-
cessful cavalry leader, Gen.
for a
John H. Morgan, was preparing
more extended and daring cavalry raid than he had yet Setting out from Sparta, east and a
little
north
of Murfreesboro, June 27, 1862, Morgan crossed the
Cum-
undertaken.
berland river at Burkesville with a force of 2,028 effectives, and four guns.
Columbia was partially sacked by
contrary to orders.
his subordinates,
Col. Moore, hastily intrenching himself
with a force of 200 men, by constructing an abatis, at Green
on the "glorious Fourth.''
river, valiantly repelled the invaders
After attacking Lebanon, which was gallantly defended by Col.
Hanson with 400 men
him
to surrender.
He ville,
until the
town was
fired,
compelling
Gen. Morgan moved to Shepardsville.
struck the Ohio at Brandenburg, forty miles below Louisand, seizing three steamboats, crossed to the Indiana side.
During
Kentucky he had increased
his progress through
command, by the addition
of
Kentucky sympathizers,
to
his
4,000
troops and ten guns.
Morgan sped inland through Corydon and Palmyra Ind.,
where he captured 350 "
Home
Guards."
to
Salem,
Passing on in
zigzag lines in an easterly direction through Vienna, tearing up railroads, cutting telegraphs,
burning
factories,
dismay among the inhabitants, he passed
and inciting
Versailles, Harrison,
and within seven miles of Cincinnati; then by Williamsburg, Sardinia, Piketon, and Jackson.
He
struck the Ohio at Buffing-
ton Island, not far below Parker sburg, whence he expected an
115 easy escape throngli the poor and thinly settled region of West
Virginia and eastern Kentucky, to the more congenial shades of southwestern Virginia.
and kitchens
as they
His troops
levied on granaries, barns
marched, bnt the pursuit was so
times along the route that they found comparatively
warm
at
time
little
for predatory mischief.
There had been some skirmishes from day raiders were too strong for
to day,
but the
any force that could be assembled
on the instant, while their route could not be foreseen; and
tlieii-
movements were too rapid for the pursuing forces, over roads on which bridges had been destroyed and obstacles cast to impede the progress of the pursuers. Gen. Hobson, who had been following from the Cumberland river,
arrived at Brandenburg just after the last boat whi(*h
aided in conveying Morgan's troops across the Ohio had appeared.
He
dis-
had foreseen that Morgan would again return
the Ohio, and sent
to
at once to Louisville to have the river
patrolled by gunboats.
As soon
as
it
became evident that he
was making for Pomeroy or Gallipolis with intent
to cross, the
inhabitants felled trees across the roads, and imposed obstacles to
a
impede the
celerity of their progress.
The weary
raiders struck the Ohio just at daylight, at a ford
little
above Pomeroy.
Preparations for crossing the river
were hastily made, but a volley of musketry upon companies attempting to
down
cross, followed
tlie
advance
by the roar of cannon
the river from the gunboats, and supplemented by the
appearance of three heavy columns of infantry at the
bluflFs
and
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
116
in the rear and on their right, put the fugitives to flight.
They
left their
guns and wagons; dismounted men and the sick and
wounded
to the
number
of 600 were taken prisoners, while the
up along the
rest took a precipitous flight
river in pursuit of an
avenue of escape. Passing up the river about fourteen miles to Belleville, Mor-
gan and his remaining men had fairly begun,
at 3 p. m., to
their horses across (330 having gotten away),
command
Hobson and Shackleford,
in
were again upon them.
The gunboats
now remained
when Generals
of a division of pursuers, also appeared, bringing
As
several regiments to share in the hunt. fighting, all that
swim
there
was no hope
(over 1,000), excepting
in
Morgan
and a few adherents who escaped, capitulated without further resistance.
Morgan, now stripped of
his
guns and wagons and miscella-
neous plunder which he had collected, passed inland with the
remnant of cross the
his force to
Ohio
McArthur, making a forlorn attempt
They then passed
at Marietta.
thence to 'New Lisbon.
Here they were driven
and surrounded by the home guards and their track.
to Eastport,
a high
blufl'
their pursuers, ever on
'
Gen. Morgan and several of his bus,
to
to
officers
and confined in the penitentiary.
like those of ordinary felons, for
signed, nor does
it
appear by
not by the Government.
they were confined in
ISTo
cells.
were taken
to
Colum-
Their heads were shaved,
which no reason has been
whom
it
was ordered,
—
as-
certainly
labor was required of them, but
Seven of them, including Morgan,
BRAGG's invasion of KENTUCKY.
dn^
their
waj
out and escaped.
Morgan and Captain Hines,
after changino- their clotlies, proceeded at once to
knew wonld
on the train, which they carried by
it
depot, got
tlie
start at 1 a. m.,
and were
very near Cincinnati, when they put on the brakes
at the rear of the train, checking its speed,
ran to the Ohio river.
and went
117
at
They were
and jumped
off
and
ferried across to Kentucky,
once to a house where shelter and refreshments
awaited them.
Morgan made
his
way through Kentucky and Tennessee
northern Georgia, losing his companion by the way.
went
to
to
Thence he
Richmond, where he was received in great ovation, and
again entered the Confederate service in east Tennessee, where
he was killed the next year,
—thus ending
a daring and brilliant
career which was directed against the perpetuity of the Union.
CHAPTEIl
TX.
CHATTANOOGA. Campaign Against Chattanooga, 1863. remained in Murfreesboro until
late in
June.
—Gen.
Rosecrans
His supplies had
been mainly drawn from Louisville, through a semi-hostile country, over a single railroad.
every depot, bridge, or
by the enemy's raiders. proven by past
It required a
His cavalry was no match,
ex2:>eriences,
as
had been
partisans as Morgan,
Though Rosecrans'
and Wheeler.
at
for the Confederate horse, com-
manded by such vigorous and audacious Forrest,
heavy guard
them from destruction
trestle, to protect
best efforts were
given to the strengthening of his cavalry, he could hardly obtain horses fast
enough
to replace those destroyed
by the enemy
or w^orn out by service.
Bragg had 18,000 infantry under Bishop Polk
at Shelbyville,
strongly intrenched and formidably fortified behind five miles
of earthworks.
Eighteen miles back of
this,
in a
mountain
region traversed by bad roads, was another intrenched camp, at
Tullahoma.
Hardee's corps of 12,000 was at Wartrace,
right of Shelbyville. ville
to the
Besides these, Bragg had troops at Knox-
Perhaps 40,000 was the number he
and Chattanooga.
could concentrate upon the field of battle, while Rosecrans had not less than 60,000.
If
Bragg
fell
back, destroying railroads
and bridges, he would be strengthened (118)
;
while Rosecrans would
CHATTANOOGA.
119
be compellerl to extend and protect his commiinif^ations, and thns his available force for battle would be reduced.
Gen. Rosecrans began his advance on June 24th, and, in a series of brilliant flank
enemy from
movements, succeeded in dislodging the
his intrenched
camp
at
Tullahoma and Shelbvville
and in nine davs, without any serious engagement, he
ha'l
cleared middle Tennessee of the Confederate army, at a cose of
barely 560 men.
The Confederates
lost as
wounded, besides 1,634 prisoners who the
Union
many
killed
fell into the
and
hands of
troops.
Bragg retreated toward Chattanooga, a Confederate hold, the key to eastern Tennessee
strong-
and northern Georgia.
Hav-
ing obtained a fair start while Rosecrans was preparing to fight,
and having the use of a railroad whereon to transport his guns
and supplies, Bragg easily made good his
flight over the
Cum-
berland mountains and across the Tennessee river at Bridgeport,
where he destroyed the railroad bridge behind him. Kosecrans was expected by the authorities at Washington follow
him
sharply.
to
Considerable delay occurred from the
time he commenced his movement in pursuit of the fugitives until he appeared before Chattanooga.
rugged and
had
left in that
the
Union army.
had been repaired
sterile region
To supply men and
that mountainous district
Bragg's devouring host
was no easy
to Stevenson,
no vestige of food for
beasts with subsistence in task.
After the railroad
and the East Tennessee road
to
Bridgeport, and a considerable quantity of supplies accumulated at
Stevenson, the
army moved on
tow^ard Chattanooga.
It
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
120
crossed the Tennessee river at Bridgeport and Shell
September
8th,
Mound on
and the several corps pushed forward across
high and steep mountains, to concentrate at Trenton, Ga., in the valley of Lookout creek, which rnns northeasterly into the Ten-
nessee just below Chattanooga.
Gen. Bragg was in a quandary.
He
could hold Chatfanooga
against an assault by Rosecrans' larger army, but if his com-
from
his rear
would be only a
munications should be cut
off
question of time wlicn his
army would be starved
To
tion.
it
into capitula-
up
divide his forces, or to remain cooped
tanooga, w^ere both suicidal.
in Chat-
To abandon Chattanooga was
to
evacuate the only remaining Confederate stronghold in Ten-
He
nessee.
his army, it
was
chose the latter, evacuated Chattanooga, and saved
—what Pemberton attempted Bragg
too late.
his divisions along the
to
do at Vicksburg when
retired southward into Georgia, posting
highway from Gordon's Mill
to Lafayette,
facing Pigeon Mountain, through whose passes the Union
was expected
to
come from McLamore's Cave.
army
Gen. Critten-
den of Eosecrans' army took peaceful possession of Chattanooga, and, stationing a garrison there, pursued the the East
of the
Gap
Chickamauga creek
Union army
to
enemy up along
Binggold and Dalton.
The
should, according to f)lans, pass through
of Pigeon Mountain, and swoop
down upon
the
rest
Dug
enemy
at
Lafayette.
Concentration of Confederate 1863.
—While
in the
these preparations and
Union camp, Bragg was
Troops,
September,
movements were going on
silently collecting
around La-
CHATTANOOGA. fayett-T
121
most nn morons and ofFootivo army west of the
tho
Alleghanies, which had ever yet snpported the Confederate
Gen. Buckner had been called from Knoxville, aban-
canse.
doning eastern Tennessee to Burnside; Johnston sent a strong division under
Walker from the region of the Mississippi; and
Lee, having satisfied himself that
Richmond was
in no danger
from Meade, dispatched Longstrect's heavy corps of veteran troops
from the TJapidan.
All available troops that conld be
gleaned in Georgia were sent to the front.
Rosecrans estimated
Bragg's entire force as thus strengthened at 92,000 excess over his
own
forces.
ness of estimates, there erate force
is
Making scarcely
all
—a
great
allowance for incorrect-
any doubt that the Confed-
outnumbered the Federal.
Rosecrans, believing that the Confederates were on the retreat
toward Rome, separated his divisions for the purpose of cepting the retreat and of crushing the
umns,
—
the
same
tactics
enemy between
which proved fatal
to
inter-
his col-
Hooker's army
at Chancellorsville.
Whatever may have been Bragg's intention before he received the reinforcement, he afterwards determined to meet his adver-
sary in battle.
Rosecrans had not been informed, as he should have been, by
Meade sent
or Halleck at Washington, that a heavy corps had been
from Lee's army, probably
contrary, Gen. Halleck
had reported ing Lee.
to
him
to reinforce Bragg.
On
the
had informed Rosecrans that deserters
that a part of Bragg's
army was
reinforc-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
122
Battle of Ohickamauga, September 19
20, 1863.
—Gen.
Rosecrans by this time was aware that the situation had become serious,
and began a concentration of his army, which numbered
55,000 strong, while the Confederate army
was estimated by
The
battle
now
confronting his
the best authority at Y0,000.
opened on the morning of September 10th, by Gen.
Bragg's attempt to gain possession of the road to Chattanooga,
The Confederates had
continued during the day.
and
it
less
suffered a greater loss of
men
thus far and had gained no
ground for which the Federal army contended. soldiers
were clearly outnumbered
brigade had been under heavy
;
and now they
fire
But felt
the
Union
it.
Every
during the day, while the
Confederates had several yet in reserve.
Rosecrans had no
reinforcements at hand, and could not expect any. federate brigades, fresh
doubt-
Five Con-
from Virginia, came up during
the
and were placed where the experience of the day showed
night,
they were most needed.
command regiment. plined,
Gen. Longstreet came up and took
of their right wing.
The two
He
was himself worth a whole
armies, equally brave, equally well disci-
and equally well handled, but unequal in number, lay
facing each other for the inevitable conflict on the morrow.
A
fog having obstructed the operations of the armies, the
conflict
opened
late
next morning, Sunday, September 20th,
and raged with great fury during that day. defenders of the
Union made a valiant and
Though
the gallant
persistent effort to
drive off the foe, they were assailed with equal valor and fortitude,
and
finally driven
from the
field of action.
Rosecrans
CHATTANOOGA.
123
retreaterl to Chattanoo^'a
and intrrncborl his army Gen. Bragg followed next
behind the formidable fortifications.
Mountain and Mission-
day, taking quiet possession of Lookout
ary Ridge, whence he looked
down
into the coveted stronghold,
never again destined to fall into Confederate hands.
Gen. Bragg has been assailed by the Confederates for not pursuing the Union army into C^hattanoDga on the evening of the 20th.
But human
emlii ranee has a limit.
His men had
been marching their hardest and fighting their best for two days, with scarcely a pause.
Bragg
He
had
lost two-fifths of his
army.
The darkness
of the
in his official report tersely says:
''
night and the density of the forest rendered further
uncertain and dangerous;
ground
it
had
movement
and the army bivouacked on the
so gallantly won.''
Gen. Thomas did not retreat to Chattanooga, but stopped at Rossville with 25,000
upon the former
men
to intercept the
advance of the enemy
It seems as though
place.
Bragg might have
improved his victory by dislodging the Union troops ville,
at Ross-
and by driving them into Chattanooga.
Gen. Longstreet, seeing the army in full
Bragg
urged Gen.
order a general advance in pursuit of their adversary,
to
just as Gen.
Pleasonton, after the battle of Gettysburg, had
urged Gen. Meade to do,
The Federal in killed
retreat,
it is
effect.
losses in battle are officially stated at
and Avounded.
adds that
— and with the same
Mr. Greeley in
16,351
his '^American Conflict"
perfectly safe to increase this
number by
strag-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
124 s:\evs
and imperfect returns
18,000, of
whom
to 20,000.
admits a
Bragj2^
16,000 mnst have been killed and wounded.
Gen. Bragg had won an unmistakable victory, but
had ended with the he had
His arms had
battle-field.
lost the strategic
of Chattanooga.
loss of
When
point of the campaign,
its
fruits
triumjilied, but
—the
possession
he advanced in force and appeared be-
fore the Federal fortifications, not even the fiercest fire-eater
was
ready to storm the defense behind which Rosecrans stood, ready to
repeat the lesson he gave Price and
Yan Dorn
at Corinth.
He
Bragg could not carry the coveted stronghold by storm. was urged to move across the Tennessee and advance
He
ville..
in this.
His recent reinforcements, constituting half
had come by
rail,
artillery horses
ble river
had
without wagon or horse.
had been
lost
to be crossed
culties sufficient to bring
weak
all
his
army,
One-third of his
field of battle.
A
formida-
movement was pregnant with
diffi-
apparent ruin to the army.
in its present state to
Union army
in Chattanooga too
meet him in open
battle,
he com-
the undisputed navigation of the river, and controlled
the railroads radiating
to be
on the
the other hand, with the
manded
army
without pontoons, railroads had been
destroyed, and the offensive
On
to ISTash-
perceived the folly and probable ruin of his
from
that city.
Union supplies had
brought in wagons over mountain roads of inconceivable
badness.
Forage and food were very
scarce,
and for a time the
troops were put on short allowance, while thousands of horses starved, or were
worked
to death in
wagoning supplies over
tlie
125
CHATTANOOGA.
So Bragg
mountains.
down
settled
expecting to starve the Union
army
to the siege of
Chattanooga,
into capitulation.
While Eosecrans was cooped up in Chattanooga, he October 19, an order relieving him of the
command
received,
of the army.
Gen. George H. Thomas succeeded him.
Expedition for the Relief of Eastern Tennessee, Sum-
mer OF
mand
18 03.
of
tlie
—Burnside, who had been
Army
the Depai'tment of
of the tlie
relieved of the com-
Potomac and placed
at the
Ohio, proceeded through Kentucky for
the liberation of the crushed and suffering loyal eastern Tennessee.
of 20,000
menced
men
Ills
at
head of
people of
In July and August he collected an army
Camp
Nelson, near Richmond, Ky., and com-
march on Knoxville,
moved cm Chattauooga.
at the
He met
same time that Rosecrans
with
little
At
resistance.
passes where a regiment and battery might have temporarily repelled a corps, not a shot fedei'ates
at all points
was
which
unexpected and misconstrued.
fired.
tlie
The
flight of the
Con-
Union army touched was
Burnside believed that the
cent National ti'iumph at Vicksburg, Port
Hudson and
re-
Gettys-
burg had disheartened the enemy, and collapsed the Rebellion in that region.
This was a mistake: Buckner was simply withdrawing his force liave
from
east Tennessee to reinforce Bragg.
This should
been discovered, and averted or counteracted by the addi-
tion of Burnside's forces to Rosecrans'
army.
have been under the orders of Rosecrans, superior except llalleck,
who
Burnside should but he had no
failed to concentrate forces at the
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
126
time concentration was needed.
who
orders to Burnside,
Rosecrans could not give any
in turn had no idea of the former's
danger, which in fact was not in line of his prescribed duty.
He
His
proceeded for the recovery of eastern Tennessee.
ap-
pearance was hailed with delight by the Unionists who had been forced into Confederate service, or into a manifestation of
Southern
under penalty of death.
allegiance
TvTational flags
now waved from many
plies of food, unsolicited,
a house.
and cheers and
Long-hidden
Bounteous sup-
rejoicings,
welcomed
the return of l^ational authority and protection.
While the army of the Cumberland remained quietly
in
Chattanooga, the Confederates conceived the idea of sending a force
under Longstreet for the recovery of Knoxville, recently
taken by Burnside.
Advancing
estimated at 7,000, he Philadelphia, Ky.
fell
silently
and rapidly wi^i a force
upon and captured the outposts of
The enemy advanced through
don, and Campbell's Station.
intrenchments in Tvnoxville.
Lenoir, Lon-
Gen. Burnside retreated
to his
Longstreet pursued him, and on
N"ovember 17th commenced a siege on the
city.
Shelling and
skirmishing served to break the uKjnotony for ten days.
On
arrival of reinforcements, Longstreet delivered an assault
the works, and
met a
repulse.
While these events were occurring Gen. Bragg met
a disastrous defeat
under Gen. Grant; and a under Gen. Sherman
the
upon
relief corps
in
and around Knoxville,
from the combined forces was sent from
(
to raise the siege of Knoxville,
'liattanooga
which was
CHATTANOOGA.
127
128
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
promptly done.
When
Longstreet heard of Sherman's approach,
moved rapidly eastward
he
The Union
to Knssellville,
entire loss in this side
enemy was two
while that of the
Va.
campaign was about 1,000,
or three times as great.
Concentration of Union Forces at Chattanooga, October AND November, 1863. alarmed to
save
— Gen. Halleck became thoroughly
at the peril of Rosecrans'
it
from the defeat
at
army
at Chattanooga, too late
Chickamauga, but just in time
to
prevent starvation forcing an unwilling capitulation.
Gen. Halleck telegraphed to Burnside at Knoxville, Hurlbnt Lit
Memphis, and Grant
at Vicksburg, to
move
troops to the sup
Before Burnside made his appearance
port of Rosecrans.
at
Chattanooga, Bragg had defeated Rosecrans, and sent a force to operate against him.
Grant was
sick at
reach of the telegram; and Sherman,
Vicksburg, did not receive but's corps
was put
in
it
until
it
New
who
was
motion eastward.
Orleans, out of
represented
him
Gen. Halleck, learning
Chickamauga and not hearing from Grant
of the reverse at
at
Hurl-
a fcAv days old.
or
Sherman, on September 23d dispatched about 20,000 men, under the
command
line of
of Gen. Hooker, to Tennessee to hold Rosecrans'
communication from Nashville
were sent by
rail
nati, Louisville,
They
to Bridgeport.
from Washington through Wheeling, Cincin-
and Nashville,
to the Tennessee.
Gen. Hooker
concentrated his forces at Bridgeport, preparing to dispute with
Bragg the right as
to use the river
and the highway along
an avenue for the transportation of supplies
troops inclosed at Chattanooga.
its
to the
bank
Union
129
CHATTANOOGA.
The road
across the
moimtains used for
a most laborious and difficult task
mated that not service,
army
less
and that
it
this
upon the
purpose imposed
troops.
It is esti-
than 10,000 horses were used up in this
would have been impossible
to
supply our
a week longer, by reason of the exhaustion of the horses,
and the increasing'badness of the roads caused by autunm
rains.
Gen. Bragg had sent a large force of cavalry under Wheeler
In the
across the Tennessee river to cut off Thomas's supplies.
Sequatchie valley he captured or burned from 700 to 1,000
wagons with
He
supplies.
next struck McMinnville, in the
men and
heart of Tennessee, where he captured 600
He
quantity of supplies. this raid,
he
and attacked in several sharp engagements, in which
about two thousand men, killed and captured.
lost
Union
a large
was pursued by Union cavalry in
loss
must have been
The
greater, while the property destroyed
was worth millions. Gen. Grant was placed in
command
trated around Chattanooga.
hold on
till
we
all
all
forces
now
concen-
assumed nominal command
at
Gen. Thomas
to
Telegraphing to
Louisville, Oct. 18, 1863.
hold Chattanooga at
He
of
hazards, he received the answer, " I will
starve,"
and proceeded
at
once to the scene of
action.
Gen. Sherman reported 15.
The
to
Gen. Grant at Chattanooga T^ov.
troops which he had brought from Vicksburg as rein-
forcements were speedily arranged to aid in the final assault
upon the enemy's stronghold.
the civil
130
war by
campaigns.
Attack upon Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, ISTovEMBER 24-25, 1863. vision
made
— On November 24 Gen. Hooker's
a brilliant assault on Lookout Mountain, upon
which the enemy had
fortified itself.
forward in the face of a
them from and his
terrific fire,
their rifle-pits.
ledges, crests
men
di-
The
summit without
pressed
enemy before
the mountains, over boulders
and chasms, they went.
to be halted
the mountain.
On up
men
Hooker's
driving the
Hooker had ordered
and re-formed on reaching the summit of tide of victory carried
them on over the
had taken many prisoners
halting, until they
and driven the remainder down the precipitous eastern declivity of the mountain,
when darkness
victorious army.
The enemy passed
arrested the progress of the across Chattanooga valley
and concentrated their forces on Missionary Ridge, posting front behind breastworks erected by the
Union troops
their
after the
sanguinary battle of Chickamauga.
The next morning Hooker moved down Lookout Mountain and began assault
to cooperate
with Sherman and Thomas in the
upon Missionary Ridge.
As
vanced, two abreast, with the whole distance, the
Union skirmishers
army
ad-
in easy supporting
enemy, seized with panic, abandoned the works
at the foot of the hill
closely
the
final
and retreated precipitately
pursued by their conquering adversary.
In
to the crest, less
than an
hour the victorious troops had taken the summit of the ridge.
The Union
troops seized the abandoned and yet-smoking guns
of the enemy, and turned
The
fall of the
them upon
their panic-stricken owners.
night ended the pursuit of the retreating foe
CHATTANOOGA.
131
bj the Federal troops, but next day Hooker resumed pursuit as far as Ringgold,
where he remained until Dec. 1st
Immediately after the battle Gen. Sherman went relief of Burnside,
who was
shut
pelled Longstreet to raise the siege
Gen. Grant estimated his
757
killed,
Bragg's
the
in Knoxville, and com-
and decamp.
loss in the series of struggles at
4,529 wounded, 330 missing; loss in killed
since his fighting
whole, his
up
to
total, 5,6
1
C.
and wounded was comparatively
army was weakened by
the struggle and
light,
On
was mainly behind breastworks. its
the
results
by about 10,000 men, and Chattanooga remained in undisputed possession of the
Union
troops.
CHAPTEE
X.
SHERMAN'S MARCH ON ATI^ANTA. Sherman's March on Atlanta, 1864. was promoted all
to the
rank of Lieutenant-General, commanding
W.
the forces of the Union, Gen.
to the
command
—When Gen. Grant
T.
Sherman was assigned
of the military division of the Mississippi, com-
prising the Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, the
He
Tennessee, and the Arkansas. 4th, 1864, at
received the order
Memphis, and proceeded
March
to ITashville at once,
where he met Gen. Grant, who unfolded his plans in most trusted subordinate, and discussed
full to his
at length the great
campaigns soon to be inaugurated against Eichmond and Atlanta.
These campaigns were to begin simultaneously on the
Eapidan and on the Tennessee.
They were
vigorously that neither of the Confederate
to be pressed so
main armies could
spare any troops to reinforce the other, as they had done at
Chattanooga to the discomfiture of Gen. Eosecrans.
When it
Gen. Sherman received final instructions from Grant,
was decided that the campaign should be inaugurated in the
beginning of May.
Sherman
left his
winter quarters around Chattanooga, with an
army now augmented but in cavalry
it
Accordingly, with the opening of May,
to nearly 100,000.
was superior
to the one
(132)
In every other way
which confronted
it.
133
Sherman's march on Atlanta.
As Sherman advanced
into Georgia, the necessity of maintain-
ing his communications greatly reduced the force in front,
which was probably T0,000.
Johnston had about 50,000, but
was in time considerably reinforced.
The country from Chattanooga ular.
to Atlanta is
rough and
irreg-
There are rugged mountains and deep narrow ravines,
and broad valleys traversed by two considerable
rivers,
suc-
ceeded again by a rugged mountain region with narrow and
bad roads. Gen. Bragg was relieved of the
command
of the
Army
of the
Tennessee in December, and called to Richmond, where he acted for a time as military adviser for Mr. Davis.
Johnston,
who had been wounded
Gen.
J.
E.
in the battle of Seven Pines,
and afterward commanded the Confederate forces in Mississippi,
was transferred
to his
headquarters at Dalton.
command
Dec. 18, 1864, with
Johnston's position at Dalton was
covered by an impassable mountain.
Sherman preferred not
hazard an engagement by an attack upon this position.
Thomas was feigning an flanked the
Gap. he
fell
attack
upon the
to
While
McPherson
front,
enemy by moving on Resaca through Snake Creek
Johnston was compelled to evacuate his stronghold, and rapidly back to Resaca.
The Union
Dalton on the heels of the departing
foe,
troops occupied
and pressed sharply
toward Resaca.
Sherman's
tactics
were uniform through
this
though they varied in detail as exigencies arose.
campaign,
He
marched
with his center upon the enemy, while he sent a right or
left
THE CIVIL
134
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
flanking party where the nature of the country afforded best
opportunities for success.
Johnston avoided an engagement unless advantages were
Sherman by
strongly in his favor.
Each
Johnston from his stronghold. in
bringing about a
skillful
Johnston hoped
conflict.
upon Sherman's troops and crush them
movements
to bring the
and then defeat him.
The
well Sherman succeeded.
to be able to fall
after they
into the heart of the Confederate country. flank
maneuvers forced
strove to gain an advantage
had moved
Sherman hoped, by
enemy from behind earthworks,
result of the
campaign shows how
His marches on Atlanta stand
in
glaring contrast with those bloody conflicts between Grant and
Lee in the Overland Campaign.
A
second flanking movement w^as sent out by
right, to turn
Johnston out of Resaca.
Sherman's
This was met by an
The enemy
attack
upon Hooker and Schofield
met a
repulse,
less.
Johnston retreated, and attempted to make a stand at
and
lost
Adairsville against the
still
about 3,000.
Union
main body he continued
in his front.
Sherman's
is
was some
center, but on the approach of the
his retreat to Cassville
TJpon being pressed here, he again retreated to the country
loss
again mountainous.
He
A
and Kingston. 11
a toon a,
where
doubtless had expected
to fight in earnest here.
Another flanking movement by Sherman far Dallas, brought an engagement at J^ew to 28, four miles north of Dallas.
and Sherman 2,400.
to the right,
on
Hope Church, May 25
The Confederates
lost
3,000
Sherman's march on Atlanta.
135
Johnston meantime had been gathering his detachments and
army numbered
receiving reinforcements, until his fell
62,000.
He
back to Marietta, with Bush Mountain on his right, Kene-
saw Mountain on
his center,
and Pine Mountain on
his left.
There were skirmishes between the opposing forces for a of days.
On
Sherman
says
Sherman ordered an
the 27th of June, :
series
assault.
" I ordered an assault with the full cooperation
of
my
as
good and true
great lieutenants, Thomas, McPherson, and Schofield,
we
cause; but of 630.
men
as ever lived
failed, losing
Still,
3,000
and died for their country's
men
to the Confederate loss
the result was, that within three days Johnston
abandoned the strongest possible position, and was in treat for the Chattahoochie river.
mished with
his rear at
We
were on his
Smyrna Church on
full re-
heels, skir-
the 4th day of July,
and saw him fairly across the Chattahoochie on the 10th, covered and protected by the best seen,
line of field intrenchments I
prepared long in advance.
.
.
We
.
have ever
had advanced into
the enemy's country 120 miles, with a single track of railroad,
which had
to bring clothings
requisite for 100,000
ammunition, everything
food,
men and 25,000
animals.
The
city of
Atlanta, the gate city, opening the interior of the important State of Georgia,
was
in sight; its protecting
but not defeated, and onward
we had
army was shaken
to go."
Gen. Johnston, too weak in force to take the offensive, conducted
a
masterly retreat.
slaughter his
men
works, flanked the
Gen.
Sherman, too shrewd
in useless assault
enemy from
upon strongly
his stronghold, as he
to
fortified
watched
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
136
opport.imitios to inflict piinisliiiiciit
ment from Chattanooga
Atlanta consisted of a series of
to
re-
on the part of Johnston and flank movements on the part
treats
of Sherman, during which a
Dalton,
Resaca,
number
Adairsville,
of engagements took place.
Kingston,
Cassville,
Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochie
Pass,
mark
Thus the move-
upon him.
river,
Allatoona
and Atlanta,
the successive retreats of Johnston.
The Defeat of Hood and the Fall of Atlanta, tember
2,
1864.
—The
Sep-
" retreating policy " of Johnston was
not approved by the authorities at Richmond, and Gen. John
R. Hood, an
officer of
great reputation for energy and impet-
uous bravery, was appointed of
to
With
succeed him.
commanders came a change
this
of policy, by which
vahiable service was rendered to the Federal cause.
had not been able
and generally in
to
change a most
Johnston
prevent Sherman's persistent, determined,
skillful advance.
He
had
lost
two months by a defensive campaign.
about 15,000
He
had
men
settled to
the defense of Atlanta Avith the Chattahoochie river to his left
and Peach creek on his
mand.
right,
when Gen. Hood assumed com-
About 51,000 men were turned over
to the
new com-
mander, who proceeded to bring them into deadly action at once.
Sherman, after crossing the Chattahoochie river and Peach creek,
met
was vehemently
assailed,
while
Sherman estimated
wounded, and prisoners,
July 19, by Hood's army, which
The Union
a disastrous repulse.
loss
was about 1,500,
the loss of his opponent in killed,
at
about 5,000.
Sherman's march on Atlanta. Grn.
Hood
fell
hack
to
137
within a couple of miles of Atlanta,
behind the strong line of defense consisting of redonbts, abatis,
and
rifle-pits,
constructed
behind his works, he
made
in
1863.
Leaving a small force
a long night
march with
his
main
body, expecting to fall npon the Union left and to crush the successive divisions before thej could support one another.
Gen. Hardee struck an unexpected blow at Smith's division of Blair's corps.
Gen. McPherson, while riding in fancied
security through the woods to the rear of that division, w^as shot
dead as he gave an order to
fill
up
a gap into which the Confed-
erates w^ere pouring like a torrent.
But
surprised and taken.
and when the
first
after
McMurry's battery was
Sherman massed
his forces,
shock of surprise had disappeared, the
triumphant beginning of the enemy's assault was turned into defeat,
and then a rout
The Union 3,722, of
to his defenses.
loss in this
whom
stubborn contest of July 22d was
The Confederate
1,000 were prisoners.
loss
during the day as estimated by Gen. Sherman was 8,000, of
whom
1,000 were prisoners.
Gen. Stoneman was dispatched with 5,000 cavalry on a raid against the railroads in Hood's rear.
He
was
to be joined at
Lovejoy by a division under Gen. A. O. McCook, numbering 4,000.
Stoneman did not arrive
McCook's
force, being confronted
at the appointed time;
by militia brought from Mis-
sissippi to aid in the defense of Atlanta,
the Confederate cavalry,
and
was compelled
and being pursued by
to flee for safety, after
having destroyed a considerable quantity of Hood's supplies.
THE OIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
138 Gen.
Howard
succeeded to the
command
of
Army
tlie
Tennessee on the death of Gen. McPherson.
Gen. Hooker,
considering himself disparaged, was relieved from the
extreme
and Gen. Slocum succeeded him.
of the Tennessee
was now shifted from Sherman's
left to his
extreme right, in a movement to flank Hood Gen.
out of Atlanta by cutting the railroad in the rear. detected the movement, but not until the Federal Bufficient
time to hastily construct a breastwork of
army
his forces
Hood
army had
rails
Hood, expecting
before being assailed by the enemy. the
command
request,
of his corps at his
The Army
own
of the
and
to catch
in disorder, or at least unprepared, hurriedly brought
from the west of Atlanta, and impetuously charged
upon the Union
forces,
July 28th.
swept down by a murderous
fire as
But
the Confederates were
they approached, and were
Again and again they were re-formed and led
driven back.
the assault, only to have their brave ranks decimated vigilant opponents.
Finally the foolish assault
by
the Confederate loss at 5,000, while his
was only 600
Hood admits
Hood
;
but
men
to
their
own
a loss of 1,500 only.
divided his forces to guard his communications
from Kilpatrick's cavalry raid. his
to
was abandoned.
Sherman estimated
Gen.
logs
Jonesborough,
He
while
sent
he
Hardee with half
of
remained at Atlanta.
Several engagements occurred between Hardee's and Howard's divisions, to the discomfiture of the former.
On
the night before Sept. 1st, ominous soimds indicated to
Sherman, who was about twenty miles away, that something
momentous was happening
at Atlanta.
Supposition pointed to
139 the truth, that
Hood, completely outgeneraled, and
was hlowing up the magazines, burning
end,
ing to leave Atlanta with the
little
at his wit's
and prepar-
stores,
he could carry with him,
deprived as he was of the use of the railroads.
Sherman occupied Atlanta
Gen.
Sept.
Establishing
2d.
headquarters in the city, he ordered the removal of the remaining inhabitants to the North or to the South as each preferred.
This order was. considered an act of great inhumanity and cruelty,
by the Confederate
a
but in truth
prompted by nobility of
of kindness,
people in
officers;
spirit
it
was a deed
toward a helpless
region which was stripped of food and every avenue
for furnishing an
immediate supply.
Every one who could
shoulder a musket or drive a team had been conscripted into the
Tonfederate army. dries
which had done good service
dpstroyed by left
All the machine-shops, factories and foun-
Hood
to the
Confederates had been
before leaving Atlanta.
adjacent country, whoever might perish.
sums
great
even
Nonfood had been
by his army in Atlanta, and none could be sent from the
if it
starve
for the
Government
had been at
It
would have
to feed these helpless people,
all practicable.
To
would have been cruel and barbarous.
let
them stay and
THe order
removal was therefore wise, provident, and humane.
moval was effected quietly, to
a
cost
at E'ational cost.
for the
The
Those preferring
go South, numbering 2,035 persons, were taken in wagon
camp
called "
Rough and Ready."
North were taken by
rail to
re-
Those who preferred
to
to
go
Chattanooga.
Gen. Grant, speaking of Sherman's memorable march to At-
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
140 lanta, sajs
The campaign had
^^ :
was one of the most little if
CAMPAIGNS.
There was but
history.
anything in the whole campaign, now that
criticize at all,
and nothing
ble alike to the general
h^d executed
it.
and
lasted about four months,
memorable in
to criticize severely.
who commanded and
Sherman had on
It
the
it is
over, to
was
credita-
army which
campaign some
this
bright,
wide-awake division and brigade commanders whose alertness
added a host
to the efficiency of his
The news
command.
Sherman's success reached the North instantaneously, and the country all aglow.
It
was followed
campaign in the Shenandoah Valley
;
of set
by Sheridan's
later
and these two campaigns
probably had more effect in settling the Presidential election of the following INTovember, than all the speeches,
and
all
all
the bonfires,
the parading with banners and bands of music in the
JN-orth."
In the campaign from
May
7th to September
1st,
the Con-
federate loss in killed and wounded, as recorded in the
War
Sherman took 13,000
pris-
Records, was 22,400 oners.
The Union
;
besides these,
losses
during the same period of time were
nearly 32,000 men.
Hood's
March
ISTorth,
September, 1864.
supplying any large army with food task of supplying Sherman's
tremely
difficult,
territory,
army on
—The
this
task of
But
the
campaign was
ex-
momentous.
is
passing as he did into the heart of the hostile
through mountainous
districts,
over bad wagon-roads,
with but a single railroad connecting him with the North.
141 ISTashville, his
principal depot of supplies, was 130 miles
from Chattanooga, which
The
way
road by tlie
is
supplies were brought
away
more than 100 miles from Atlanta. from Louisville over a
single rail-
of Nashville and Chattanooga, to Atlanta.
All
bridges, trestles and culverts along the railroad had to be
guarded from the depredations of the enemy's cavalry and from the vandalism of a hostile population.
^
Gen. Hood, after being driven from Atlanta, decided
to take
Being reinforced,
advantage of Sherman's long line of supplies.
he moved around Atlanta, and pushing rapidly north, he began tearing
up the
railroad,
breaking down the telegraph, and
He
threatening Sherman's line of communication. to
A
be able to draw the Union army from Georgia.
of Hood's army, under Gen. French, marching Dallas, attacked Allatoona, Oct. 5, 1864, which
expected division
up through
was defended
men under Gen. John M. Corse. Gen. French command about 5,000 men, who furiously assaulted
by about 2,000
had in
his
Gen. Corse and
the works, but were repeatedly driven back.
men
valiantly held out until aid came.
This brave commander
himself was wounded in the face, and 707 of his
more than one-third of
his
men
—were
whole number
—being
killed
or
wounded.
While the
battle
was raging. Gen. Sherman stood on Kenesaw
Mountain, eighteen miles south, and, by means of signal
flags,
conveyed from peak to peak, over the heads of the enemy, the glad tidings of approaching aid in the famous message which
WAR
THE CIVIL
142
BY CAMPAIGNS.
has been perpetuated in the well-known song, "
TTolri the
Fort,"
by P. P. Bliss: "
Ho
my comrades,
see the signal sky Reinforcements now approaching Victory is nigh." !
Waving
Chorus— "Hold the
in the
I
fort," etc.
Gen. Sherman pursued the enemy through Rome, Resaea, Villanow, Lafayette, to Gaylesville, Alabama. of a
week he became convinced that
After the lapse
his adversary
draw him out of Georgia, and refused
oi'ing to
who would not cumbered
as
fight,
Hood
and
whom
was endeav-
to follow
he could not overtake,
him
—uninHe
was, without any heavy wagon-trains.
directed Stanley with the Fourth corps and Schofield with the
Twenty-third to march to Chattanooga and thence report Nashville, to Thomas, 28, to
who had been
meet the retreating
dispatched thither Sept.
foe.
After Sherman had become assured that
enough
to
at
Thomas was
strong
meet Hood's army, which now consisted of 35,000
infantry and 10,000 cavalry, he turned his
army southward.
Gathering up his garrison, and sending some to Chattanooga tu aid in the
mills
at
defense of Tennessee, destroying foundries and
Rome, cutting
drawing around him
loose
all his
preparations for the great "
from
all
forces,
Sherman made
to the Sea,"
which became a
remaining
March
communications, and
potent factor in hastening the downfall of the Rebellion.
Hood's Tennessee Campaign, November to December,
1864.^Gen. Geo. H. Thomas had been detached from
the
main
/
-
I
y
'''L'i^H,;
143
Sherman's march on Atlanta.
army
in Georgixi, and given
command
of the
Army
of
tlie
Ten-
nessee with the widest discretionary powers in the conduct of the
campaign against Tlood.
Gen. Grant, in his camp before
Richmond, could hardly believe that Hood was moving on Nash''
ville,
which/' as he said, " seemed to be leading to his certain
doom." Gen. Hood was reinforced by part of Gen. Dick Taylor's
army from
His entire force thus augmented was
the South.
near 55,000 men.
Gen. Thomas had as
Hood
Memphis, stationed
at various posts
chiefly fragments of regiments
bridges, etc. all
to
that
command
as
from Knoxville
to
many men now under
had, and probably more, counting
To abandon
all
his
They were
and depots.
and brigades guarding supplies,
these points might involve the loss of
had been gained in the campaign in Tennessee.
abandon them greatly reduced the available force
Not
to actively
Excluding those guarding posts and depots, he
oppose Hood.
had no more than 30,000 men. Gen. Forrest, leading a large body of cavalry, preluded
Hood's advance. suddenly
fell
Crossing the Tennessee near Waterloo, he
upon and took Athens, Alabama, (September
invested by 600 colored troops.
23,)
Skirmishing heavily at Pulaski
and Tullahoma, he passed through Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, and Lawrenceburg. done
He
crossed the Tennessee safely, after having
much damage and captured
He moved
to Corinth
and thence
about one thousand prisoners. to Johnsonville,
where some
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
144
sharp fighting ensued, and then set
upon
Hood
off to join
in his inarch
^N'ashville.
Gen.
Hood
did not attempt to cross the Tennessee while
Sherman remained Decatur,
Hood
at Kingston.
After making a feint on
passed on to Tuscumhia and then to Florence.
After hearing that Sherman had cut loose from his base at Atlanta and started southward on his " Great March,"
made preparations his shattered record
for a
by a
'Nov. 17, the division of
])ank of the Tennessee, at
movement
Hood
into Tennessee to retrieve
brilliant stroke against
On
Thomas.
Hood's army stationed on the
south
Florence, effected a crossing, and
out with the rest on their march into Tennessee.
set
Passing
through
Waynesboro, Lawrenceburg, Columbia, and Spring
Hill,
army moved toward
Ill's
l^ashville.
Gen. Thomas had been apprised of the departure of Gen.
Sherman from Atlanta, and, relying upon
his
own
resources,
he began a campaign against the approaching foe, which
re-
sulted in the destruction of Hood's army.
Gen. Thomas, keeping a firm front, gradually Nashville, gathered strength as he retreated.
fell
back toward
On
the 30th of
November Gen.
Schofield halted a few miles south of Franklin
and threw up a
slight breastwork, intending to stop while his
wagon-trains, which blocked the road for gotten across the
Franklin
bend of the
is
Harpeth
many
miles, should be
river.
situated eighteen miles south of "N'ashville, in a
river,
the line of the
which forms a rude square when united with
Union
defenses.
Gen. Schofield's
command
Sherman's march on Atlanta. iiuiiibered
145
whom had
about 20,000 men, a part of
already
crossed the stream to guard the trains and the flanks of the
Union
position.
The number
that confronted the Confederate
advance was not much above 10,000. so
impetuous and heavy
tliey
The enemy's charge was
that, scarcely
checked by the outworks,
broke through the Union center, took eight guns, and
planted their flag in triumph on the
and
valiant
enemy
Union breastworks.
But
a
by Opdycke's brigade drove the
brilliant charge
back, recovered all that
had been
and took a number
lost,
of prisoners.
All efforts to retake the lost breastworks by the
enemy proved
vain,
and assault after assault was repulsed with
great loss to the assailants. ten o'clock at night.
A
were well on their way
drew out of
The
little
conflict
continued until about
after midnight, after the trains
Union men
to Kashville, the
their defenses,
and by noon next day the
quietly
sleepless
heroes were safe within the defenses at JSTashville.
In the report of the
Thomas
battle Gen.
1,033 wounded, and 1,104 missing, prisoners.
He
—nearly
gives 189 killed, all
of the latter
reported the enemy's loss at 1,750 killed, 3,800
wounded, and 702 prisoners;
Gen.
total, 6,252.
Hood admits
a loss of only 4,500.
Assault on Nashville, Dec.
Thomas had encountered
Hood With
settled
down
;
—Hitherto,
but
Gen.
when on Dec.
2
before Nashville, the case became reversed.
and casualties and hardships of an
and unseasonable campaign, his numbers were reduced
to about forty thousand.
— 10
1864.
considerable odds
his losses at Franklin,
offensive
15,
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
146
Gen. Thomas had received Gen. A. J. Smith's
men from
Missouri, 5,000 of Sherman's
Gen.
command from
Chattanooga, under
B. Steedman, and the garrison at Kashville and other
J.
reinforcements, until his try clearly inferior to
army numbered
outnumbered that of Hood's, but that
confronting him.
He
His infan-
55,000.
his cavalry
paused
few thousand more men before challenging Hood
to
was
mount
a
to a decided
conflict.
Gen. Grant, now General-in-chief of perplexed at the threatening dangers of
army
the Federal forces,
strong Confederate
in the heart of Tennessee, left his
He
inspect affairs in the West.
commander
command
camp on
the
James
became convinced that
to
his
Sheridan in the Shenandoah
Tennessee, like
in
Valley, needed no supervision. diate
all tlie
He
returned to his
for the prosecution of his
own imme-
momentous campaign
against Lee and Richmond.
Gen.
Hood
established his lines south of ISTashville, a part of
which were within
A
six
hundred yards of the Union
center.
week of cold weather ensued, wherein both armies became
inactive.
Hood's men, poorly clad and sheltered, suffered more
than the Union men. ened. Gen.
Thomas
When
at length the
temperature
issued orders, Dec. 14th, for a general ad-
vance upon the Confederate lines the next day. broke auspiciously
Union
troops.
mination.
;
The
The
soft-
a dense fog concealed the assault
The morning
movements of the
was made with great vigor and
close of the first
deter-
day found 16 of the enemy's
guns, 1,200 prisoners and 40 wagons in possession of the
Union
Sherman's march on Atlanta. troops, while its losses
had been
Never had men fought
light.
with greater alacrity and more steadiness.
were completely routed,
Confederates ended.
He
began a disorderly
147
The next day
the
and Hood's invasion
flight south, his
army
utterly
demoralized.
In the two-days battle Thomas had taken 4,462 prisoners, including 287
officers,
The next day
small arms, and 53 gims.
the cavalry under Wilson pursued the retreating
They made
foe vigorously.
defend the crossing to
many
at the
a stand at Franklin, attempting to
Harpeth
river,
but they were foi'ced
decamp, leaving behind 1,800 of their wounded in the
and 200 of ours formerly taken, besides 400 prisoners.
hospital,
Another stand was made by the enemy's rear guard four miles south of Franklin, but
Eain
Wilson's cavalry.
became raging
rivers.
it
fell
was soon routed and dispersed by almost incessantly, until the brooks
Hood
destroyed the bridges, after cross-
ing them, making pursuit very
difficult.
After several partial
engagements, he succeeded in making his escape with the rem-
The pursuit was continued
nant of his army. ington, Ala.
When
see at Bainbridge,
Gen. Forrest,
Hood
at
Hood had
Thomas ordered
who had been
crossed the Tennes-
a halt.
sent on a cavalry raid, rejoined
Columbia.
Brig. Gen. Lyon, ville,
learning that
as far as Lex-
who had been
sent
by Hood while
at l^ash-
with 800 cavalry to tear up the Louisville railroad, had
his entire
command
destroyed or taken prisoners.
After surren-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
148
dering, he escaped in the darkness
by seizing a
pistol
and
shooting a sentinel.
Hood's army had almost ceased to it
its
was stationed
command In
this
at Tupelo, Miss.,
at his
own
lost in killed,
men, which was
less
7,
and privates. amnesty
He
of
relieved of
1864, to Jan. 20, 1865, Gen.
than one-half the
to the lowest rank,
^^
wounded and missing about 10,000
had taken as prisoners nearly 1,000
down
What remained
request," Jan. 23, 1865.
campaign, from Sept.
Thomas had
exist.
when Hood was
loss of the
officers,
enemy.
He
from Major General
and 10,895 non-commissioned
officers
had administered the oath of submission and
to 2,207 deserters,
and exchanged 1,332 men, and had
taken a large number of small arms and large guns.
CHAPTER XL SHERMAN'S GRKAT MARCH TO THE SEA. Sherman's Great March to the Sea, 1864. man's army, which
set
out for the
^^
—Gen.
Great March
Sher-
" through
the heart of the Confederacy, nurahered about 60,000 infantry
and 5,500 cavalry.
After concentrating these around
Rome
and Kensington, Ga., and destroying everything which might be used to his injury by the enemy, he sent his parting messages,
and
set off,
Nov. 11th, on his memorable march
command movpd forward
His
to the sea.
in two grand wings, the right led by
Gen. O. O. Howard, comprising the Fifteenth Corps under Gen. P. J. Osterhaus and the Seventeenth under Gen. Frank P. Blair; the left by Gen.
Henry W. Slocum, comprising
the
Fourteenth Corps under Gen. Jeff C. Davis and the Twentieth
under Gen. A.
S.
Williams.
Gen. Judson Kilpatrick led the
cavalry, which careered in front and on either flank of the
infantry, so as to screen, as far as possible, the the
army from
Atlanta,
the detection of the enemy.
movements of
Moving rapidly
Howard pased through ]McDonough,
to
Monticello, and
Gordon; while Slocum advanced by Covington, Madison and Eaton
to Milledgeville.
ries as they sition.
They destroyed
railroads
advanced, meeting thus far with very
Each subordinate commander was
and
facto-
little
oppo-
instructed to live on
the country so far as possible, and save the twenty days' bread (149)
WAR BY
150
THE CIVIL
qnd forty days'
hoof, coffee
?ontained in the wagons.
CAMPAIGNS.
and sugar, and three days' forage,
The cavalry made
Macon,
a dash on
driving off the (Confederate cavalry, hnt was nnable to carry
enemy's infantry was posted.
ihe woi'ks behind wliich the
At Millen, on Bonville to
men
Ontral Kailroad, half-way from Sander-
the
Savannah, was
a
To
to liberate them.
this
end he sent Kilpatrick
his cavalry far to his left, so as to
the
But
TTnion
Sherman intended
unspeakable privations and hardships.
to
Many
great prison camp.
that had been captnred w^ere confined here, and subjected
army was making
for
w^ith
most of
convey an impression that
Augusta rather than for the
coast.
Millen was reached on the
this failed of the desired end.
3d of December, but the prisoners had previously been removed.
Destruction of Railroads. right
and
left as the
— The
army moved
railroads were destroyed
south.
Bridges were burned
and culverts destroyed, while the track was torn up for long distances,
and the
would form a
pile
and then
To do
this rapidly, the soldiers
line along the road, and, with
placed under the
would
rails twisted.
rails,
up the
ties,
crowbar and poles
pry up long distances at a time. place the rails across
set fire to the ties.
In
this
Others
them lengthwise,
manner
the rails w^ere
heated in the middle more than at the ends, and Avere easily twdsted so as not to be of any further use.
were carried
to the nearest trees,
others piled
up the
ties;
of the rails
and bent around them as bands
ornamenting the trees of Georgia. rails,
Some
Some crews
some carried the
tore
up the
rails,
while
161 others twisted them: so the
work progressed methodirally and
rapidly with the movernents of the army.
Supplying the Army.
army was very
— The organization
for snpplying the
Eaeh hrigade fnrnished a company
complete.
to
gather supplies of forage and provisions for the
to
which
it
belonged.
Pillaging was strictly forbidden, but
everything in the shape of food for taken.
These foraging parties
popularly called
command
—
man
or
*'
or forage for beast
bummers,"
— went out for miles on
as they
was
were
either side of the army.
Starting in advance of the organization to Avhich they belonged,
and gathering great quantities of provisions, they returned the line of march, till
his
where each stood guard over his
own brigade came
along,
when
brigade commissary and quartermaster. in the
morning they were generally on
them returned
the
When foot,
in the evening without being
which were turned
in for the use of the
column was not permitted
of the forage.
to
to the
they started out
but scarcely any of
mounted on
army.
to be interrupted
Everything had
pile of food
was turned over
it
tx)
The
horses,
progress of
by the reception
be loaded upon the wagons
as
they moved.
The South runaway to
prior to the Rebellion kept bloodhounds to pursue
slaves
and escaped convicts, and now they were used
capture escaped prisoners.
Orders were issued
these animals as they were found.
to kill all of
The imagination
of the
troops converted every species of dog into the bloodhound, so that even the poodle
advancing blue-coats.
had no
lease
on
life in the
presence of the
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
152 Alarisi
South and ITorth.
— Sherman's
Georgia caused groat alarm in the Soutli, and
day.
to
through
some extent in
If words and hlnster could avail against heavy
the T^orth. battalions,
march
Sherman's army wonld have been annihilated in a
As he moved southward,
nounced and the people more
consternation became
and added
the military colleges
more
pro-
Cadets were taken from
frantic.
to the
ranks of the militia.
Convicts were released from jails under a promise to serve in the Confederate army.
The Legislature
of Georgia passed an
act levying the population en ma^sse into military service,
and
then fled in great confusion as Sherman's hosts neared the State capital.
Hardee,
All efforts to check the advancing columns were futile.
Wayne and Wheeler
around the Union
collected
flanks, the
some forces that hovered
most serious of which was the
cavalry under Wheeler, whose presence and skirmishes caused
some annoyance, but no detention. to
The
foragers were compelled
defend themselves frequently from the scattered forces of the
enemy, but the casualties were small. Southern newspapers, commenting on Sherman's troops, depicted
them
as in the
most deplorable condition, saying that they
were greatly demoralized, and aimlessly wandering around, with the hope of reaching the seacoast to come under the protection of the
North.
Union gunboats.
Some
of these papers reached the
This news caused Lincoln some alarm, as he had not
heard from Sherman since he had cut loose from Atlanta.
It
produced much mental distress among the friends and relatives of those
who were
serving under Sherman's banners.
The
con-
153 firlence
which Grant and Lincoln had
in
Sherman's ability
served to bridge over the period of suspense consequent upon the
absence of any definite and authentic news from or about him.
Capture of Savannah, December, 1864.
—The
receipt of
the folloAvinc" loloc^rain by President Lincoln on the 22d of De-
cember dispelled
much joy
in the
all
donbt as to Sherman's safety, and caused
North " I beg :
to present to
you
as a
Christmas
Savannah, with 150 guns and plenty of ammu-
gift the city of
nition; also about 2,500 bales of cotton."
'No events of special note occurred on the to
This place was found
Savannah.
to be intrenched
soned by 10,000 troops nnder Gen. Hardee. at once to invest the place,
December.
march from Millen
Sherman proceeded
which was commenced on the 10th of
Starting Avith some troops to open communication
with the Union
fleet in
the lower harbor, he encountered Fort
McAllister, which was soon taken by an assault
The
made by Gen.
Communications were then opened with the
Hazen's division. fleet.
and garri-
hearts of the
men were made
glad by the message
that a vessel bearing the accumulated mail for the
army was
there with supplies, which the troops were supposed to need.
Sherman returned on the
15th, to complete arrangements for an
effective siege of that place. to be complete,
that he
he
When
the investment
summoned Hardee
was not completely
invested,
and refused
During the dark and windy night of December
made
his escape
bridge,
was supposed
to surrender,
who
replied
to surrender.
20th,
Hardee
by crossing the Savannah river on a pontoon
and marching up the causeway road toward Charleston.
154
THE CIVIL
The next mornirig found city before the
Bnt
refitting
of
it
army
in possession of the
had fairly commenced.
army was beyond
Sherman remained
his
CAMPAIGNB.
the National
bombardment
the Confederate
pursuit; so Gen.
and
WAR BY
the reach of immediate
in the city a month, resting
army, preparatory to resuming his march
through the Carolinas.
The
which was accomplished
in six
march of 255
miles,
weeks of time, was 63
killed,
loss in the
245 wounded, and 149 missing.
It resulted in the conquest of
Georgia, the capture of 1,328 prisoners and 167 seizing of a vast
amount
g^iiis,
the
etc.,
and
of provisions, cattle, horses,
the destruction of millions of dollars' worth of shops, foundries
and railroads Avhich had helped support the Rebellion.
The promise
of freedom to the slaves, which should follow the
triumph of the Union cause, brought a swarm of negroes in search of information and to satisfy their curiosity, to the rear of Sherman's army, notwithstanding every effort had been used
by Sherman and his at
Many
march
to
abandoned by the Confederates when Gen.
W. Sherman and Commodore
S. F.
Dupont
expedition against them in the fall of 1861.
ment upon
its
of these were assigned to the lands on the Sea
Islands, which were
Thos.
induce them to remain quietly
About 10,000 accompanied the army on
home.
the sea.
officers to
directed an
From
the settle-
these islands developed, after the close of the war, one
of the chief sources of em2:)loynicnt for the Freedman's
Aid
Bureau.
Sherman's March throitgh the Carotjnar, Spring of 1865.
—Gen. Grant had planned
to take
Sherman and
his
army
155 from Savannah
On
Sherman.
James
to the
army on
tions for the removal of the
around Richmond.
Seeing that
collect the transports for his
snggested.
river by water, and so informed
receipt of this letter, he at once began prepara-
it
transports to aid Grant
wonld take a long time
marching north through the Carolinas.
cepted and approved the plan, as snccessfnl,
many
to
60,000 men and their eqnipage, he
it
contained,
if
Grant
ac-
only partially
By
features of embarrassment to the foe.
marching north, living upon the country
would
as he went, he
be able to devastate the sources of supplies for the Confederate
army.
The
trans-Mississippi region had long ago been cut
Sheridan had desolated the Shenandoah Valley. of the seaports had
become more stringent.
her ability to render
much
off.
The blockade
Ge/)rgia had lost
assistance or furnish
many
supplies.
Outside of Virginia, which had already been heavily drained of
its
resources,
North and South Carolina alone remained
To
sources for supplies in any quantity.
as
destroy their ability
furnish food and munitions to Lee at Richmond, would
to
render his position untenable.
Obstacles to be Encountered.
army northward was much more ^^
March
to the Sea."
difficult for
of
south.
many
difficult
the
of the
and dangerous than the
and on highways between them,
any but a large force
But
movement
In the march southward the army moved
parallel with the rivers,
ment
— The
to obstruct or retard his
march north would
streams, some of
them
a bridge and prevent the
so
rivers.
army from
it
was
move-
necessitate the crossing
A single man could
burn
crossing for a couple of
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
156 hours.
Gen. Josoph E. Johnston had been placed in
of Hood's decimated forces, to which were added
garrisons and levies.
He
appeared
in the field
all
command available
prepared to
pute the northward movement of his old antagonist.
dis-
Lee was
seeking to slip awaj from Grant at Richmonri, and, with the aid
He
of Johnston, fall upon SherniMu and crush him.
was
to
march through a country that naturally furnished fewer provisions than the region through
which he had previously passed,
and those were more completely exhausted, being near the of greatest action.
And
seat
had become of such great
the territory
importance to the very existence of the Confederate army, that the most desperate efforts to save
it
were
to be expected.
a caution that admirably balanced his boldness,
ranged
have the
to
fleet
cooperate with
With
Sherman
him along
ar-
the coast,
keeping watch of his movements, and establishing places where supplies could be reached,
and refuge taken
Capture of Columbia, February of January, turning over the city of Foster,
who was
Sherman
in
command
in case of necessity.
lY, 1865.
Savannah
to
Gen. John G.
of the coast in that vicinity. Gen.
issued his orders on the 19th for the
whole army.
—On the 18th
movement
of his
The Seventeenth Corps under Gen. F. P. Blair
had previously been taken by water
to Pocotaligo,
which was
about forty miles north of Savannah, for the purpose of threat-
ening Charleston.
The
left
wing moved up along the Savannah
river, concen-
trating at Robertsville, twenty miles west of Pocotaligo.
man was
Sher-
thus pursuing his favorite strategy of dividing the
157 enemy's forces, and drawing attention from his own designs, so as to prevent a concentration of forces to resist
him
army on
expected to leave Savannah with his whole
in the
He
inhospitable region through which his course lay.
had
the 15th of
January, at the time the Seventeenth Corps was transported to Pocotaligo, but incessant rains and floods caused a delay of a
By
fortnight.
the
first
of February
pleted for the final march, the left
preparations were com-
all
wing threatening Augusta
He
and the right demonstrating against Charleston.
had sent
out rumors representing both places as his objective points.
Augusta, containing apprehension of a
many Confederate
visit
from Sherman.
of secession, in a State that
public
mind
was
in painful
Charleston, the hotbed so
much
to
prepare the
of the South to rebel and secede, was fearful of
direful results.
the
had done
stores,
Indeed, a feeling was entertained throughout
North that a heavy hand should be
laid
upon
this city,
and
nothing but the magnificent results that followed Sherman's
march deterred the radical portion of the people of the ITorth from condemning the movements because Charleston had been left out.
Sherman, however, chose
to
move on a
route directly
between the two places which had been threatened with some ostentation,
and struck directly for Columbia, which he entered
February 17th.
There was almost constant skirmishing on the
road between the cavalry of the opposing forces.
was
lost
in rebuilding bridges
impede the progress of the army.
Some time
which had been destroyed
to
The march was without much
incident until he entered Columbia, which
was found
to be
on
THE CIVIL WAR BT CAMPAIGNS.
158
The main
fire.
at
forces of Confederates
had been concentrated
Augusta and Charleston in anticipation of an
but a small force under Gen.
Columbia; but he
fled
Before leaving the
Wade Hampton was
Gen.
Hampton had
into the streets
ordered
and burned.
up everywhere and the ropes and bagging
piled
was in progress, which blew
storm was in progress.
the
Bales were
A
cut.
as
storm
though a snow-
Sherman had given orders
for the de-
and machine-shops; but before
struction of arsenals
all
tufts of cotton against houses, into
and around the town, which soon looked
trees,
defend
left to
on the approach of Sherman's army.
city,
moved
cotton to be
assault, so that
this
was
done, the burning cotton, blown in every direction, had set fire to
As soon
the city.
made
as
Sherman entered
to extinguish the flames,
3 A. M.,
the city, every effort was
which continued from dusk until
and rendered homeless between 4,000 and 5,000 people.
It is reasonably certain that
Hampton burned
his
own
city,
not with malicious intent, but through the folly of filling the streets
with burning cotton.
Sherman destroyed the arsenal purposely, and der, shot
and
He
shell
were taken
to the river
tons of pow-
and sunk
in deep
also destroyed the factory
which made the Confed-
erate paper money, large quantities of
which were carried away
water.
by the Union
soldiers.
The Fall of Charleston, February of
Columbia involved the
Sumter and
its
defenses.
fall
18, 1865.
— The
fall
of Charleston, including Fort
Hardee, realizing his isolated condi-
tion after the capture of Columbia, evacuated the city so
famous
159
Sherman's great march to the sea.
.
in war,
on the
leave as
18tli of
little as
February.
He
was resolved, however,
possible for the use of his adversary.
to
Before
the retirement of Hardee's troops, every building, warehouse
and shed stored with cotton was that purpose.
The horrors
fired
by a guard detailed for
of the conflagration were heightened
A
by a terrible catastrophe.
spark accidentally ignited the
powder in the depot of the Northwestern Railroad, where hirge quantity
was
shaking the city
stored.
A
from one end
in a second a whirling
tremendous explosion occurred, to the other.
The building was
mass of ruins, enveloped in a tremendous
volume of flame and smoke. lost
a
in that fiery furnace.
About two hundred
From
lives
were
the depot the fire spread
rapidly to the adjoining buildings, and consumed a considerable portion of the town before the flames could be subdued.
The
destruction of all public property had been as complete as Har-
make
dee could
it.
Hardee with 12,000 men made haste
to cross the
Santee and
Peedee rivers before Sherman could turn upon and crush him.
But Sherman, having other him.
plans, did not attempt to intercept
Gen. Foster took possession of the city with the National
troops.
While
at
tion to the
Leaving
Columbia, Sherman learned of Johnston's restora-
cummand
this place
of the Confederate
army
in the Carolinas.
on the 20th, Sherman's army moved toward
Fayetteville, the right
wing going through Cheraw and the
through Lancaster and Sneedsboro.
He
left
reached Fayetteville
on the 11th of March without much opposition or any special
THE CIVIL
160
On
incident.
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
the 15th he left Fayetteville for Goldsboro, at
which place Gen. Schofield was preparing while Gen. Terry,
came
who had
to reinforce
him;
recently taken Fort Fisher, also
to his aid.
Sherman was compelled
move with
to
greater caution than he
had hitherto done, as a formidable army was being concentrated to
oppose him.
Hardee from Charleston, Beauregard from near
Columbia, Chatham from Tennessee, Bragg with forces drawn
from the eastern defenses of North Carolina, and Wheeler^s and Hampton's cavalry,
command
—
all
united under the able and wary
of Gen. J. E. Johnston,
—made up
a body of not less
than 40,000 men.
Fort Fisher Taken, January mouth of Cape
the
15, 1865.
ton.
This port was of great importance
as
formed the principal
it
runners,
—Fort Fisher,
at
Fear river, guarded the entrance to Wilming-
who brought such
inlet,
to the Confederates,
at this time,
for blockade-
supplies and munitions from abroad
as could not be produced by the South.
Foreign governments,
particularly England, were threatening to cease to recognize the
blockade unless the United States should
The
make
it
more
effective.
capture of this fort does not form part of Sherman's
military campaign in his " Great March," but one of the numer-
ous auxiliary movements directed by Gen. Grant in support of the two leading campaigns,
—
"
The Siege
Petersburg " and " Sherman's March."
of
Richmond and
In addition
to reasons
already named, the possession of Fort Fisher would compel the
abandonment of Wilmington, open a new
h'ne of base of supplies
161
Sherman's great march to the sea.
for Sherman, and afford a place of retreat to the protection of
Union
the
case a sufficient Confederate force could be
fleet in
collected to destroy
Sherman's supremacy in his march through
the Carolinas.
The army and navy cooperated The navy was
Fisher.
military (6,500)
whom we
last
boat, fitted
it
command
Commodore Porter
of
exploded
it.
seaward face of the
New
Orleans.
He
procured an old gun-
it
up
it
close to the
Butler expected the shock to demolish the fort,
but
it
did not deface
poured a rapid and well-aimed
fire
of Butler's troops under Weitzel
gunboats.
the
so as to look like a blockade-runner, loaded
with 250 tons of gunpowder, and, running fort,
;
was commanded by Gen. B. F. Butler, of
heard in
up
in
in the attempt to reduce Fort
They captured a small
it.
The navy then
upon the works.
A
division
was landed under cover of garrison, and learned that
Gen. Hoke had arrived with 6,000 troops from Kichmond. Believing the capture of the fort impossible, Weitzel so reported to
Gen. Butler, who decided to abandon
against
it,
all
demonstrations
and accordingly withdrew his troops from the penin-
sula, greatly to the disgust of the navy.
The chagrin Butler's action sent the
in the
was
North was great over
so unsatisfactory to
same troops back under a
this failure,
Grant that he
different
attempt.
Gen. A. H. Terry was selected to
The works were very
extensive,
a desperate effort to defend them.
— 11
at once
commander, with
1,500 reinforcements to offset those which the ceived.
and
enemy had
command
re-
the second
and the enemy made
The land and naval
forces
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
162
made
a combined attack.
Terry's
men pushed from
traverse to
traverse until the works were finally taken, Jan. 15th, including
169 guns, 2,083 prisoners, with ammunition and small arms. SuRREiSTDER OF Schofield
was
He
when he
received the order
was directed
erate with Gen.
22,
1865.
on the Tennessee, preparing
at Clifton,
Eastport, Miss., the East.
WiLMINGTON, FEBRUARY
Sherman
to take
in his
men
to
go to
summoning him
to
Wilmington, and then coop-
campaign against the Confed-
erate forces being assembled under Gen. Johnston.
Gen. Terry with 8,000
Gcu.
He
found
about two miles above the
but too weak to advance against the Confederates, strongly intrenched at Fort Anderson.
fort,
who were
Schofield brought about
12,000 men, and at once commenced active operation against the enemy,
who
w^ere defeated in several engagements.
mington was taken on the 22d of February.
Wil-
The Confederate
commanded by Bragg and Hoke, withdrew to unite with Johnston's army, while Schofield and Terry moved to Goldsboro forces,
to reinforce
Sherman.
Sherman's Final Campaign, 1865. five
—At Averysboro,
thirty-
miles south of Raleigh, the left wing of Sherman's
army
suddenly came upon Hardee's forces, intrenched across his path.
They were however driven toward Goldsboro. assailed
back,
and the march continued
At Benton ville, March
by the entire
19th,
Slocum was
Confederate army under Johnston, who
expected to crush the left wing before the remaining forces could come to their aid.
Slocum withstood
six assaults
from
SHERMAN
GREAT MARCH TO THE
S
Johnston's army, inflicting heavy loss upon
Night
fell
163
SE^.
with his
it
without giving Johnston any ground.
artillery.
During
the
night reinforcements arrived, and both armies fortified them-
Howard
Gen. Slocum awaited the arrival of
morrow.
selves for the
Gen.
with the entire right of Sherman's army, while
Gen. Schofield was improving this delay to get possession of Goldsboro in the enemy's rear, and Gen. 'JVrry was advancing Neuse, at Cox's bridge, some ten miles higher up.
to the
Johnston had taken so precipitately
tlie
coward Raleigh as
as well as his severely
But
alarm, and during the night retreated
wounded.
to leave his pickets behind,
This was the
last battle
by the army confronting Sherman's.
The Union
1,600 killed, wounded, and missing.
The Confederate
loss
fought
was about loss
was
about 2,300.
No to
further resistance being made, vSherman's
Goldsboro, where
it
rested
army moved on
and was re-clad; while Sherman,
after a brief visit with Gens. Scofield and Terry, trip
to
etc.,
and returned
Goldsboro on the 30th.
Johnston's Surrender, April was quiescent of
a hasty
City Point (March 27th), where he met in council
President Lincoln, Generals Grant, Meade, to
made
at Goldsboro, he
was
He
Richmond and Petersburg.
ment against Johnston, who
still
26, 1865.
—While
electrified to
Sherman
hear of the
fall
immediately began a move-
lay at Smithfield, but
retreated to Raleigh, thence to Greensboro.
who now
Sherman pursued
the Confederates to Raleigh.
The opposing armies were
in these places
—one
at
Greens-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
164
boro, the other at Raleigh
reached them.
The
—when
the news of Lee's surrender
decline of the Confederate cause brought
overtures of peace from Johnston, which led to his surrender,
April 26th, 1865, on the same terms as had been granted to Lee.
The surrender of last
La.,
being the
the Confederate armies soon followed, the
all
command
of Gen. E. Kirby Smith, at Shreveport,
on the 26th of May.
men were
Under Johnston's command, 36,817
paroled, and 52,453 in Georgia
Anniversary of Fort Sumter.
and Morida.
— The
14th day of April,
1865, was the anniversary of the surrender of Fort Sumter by
Major Anderson large
number
Port Royal
to
Gen. Beauregard.
of loyal citizens,
ter.
The
to Charleston
and
to witness the raising, over the ruins of the historic
when Beauregard
flag
first
had been hauled down four opened
fire
upon Fort Sum-
had been thoughtfully preserved for the purpose.
Henry Ward Beecher casion.
was celebrated by a
who went down
fortress, of the identical flag that
years before
It
delivered the principal address on this oc-
The whole country was aglow with
loyal rejoicing
and
congratulations over the surrender of Lee, which occurred April 9th,
and the establishment of
which
fired the first
gun
[N'ational authority over the site
of the Rebellion.
CHAPTER
XII.
McCLEIjI^AN'S PENINSUX.AR CAMPAIGN. Organization of the Army, 1861. battle of Bull
—Immediately
The army became
and Northeastern Virginia was formed.
known
as the
Army
of the Potomac.
Gen. George B. McClellan
was summoned by telegraph from West Virginia
mand
of
it.
after the
Run, the new military department of Washington
The change was
officially
to take com-
announced July 25, 1861.
The army around Washington was reduced by
desertions, defeat,
and by the expiration of the time of the three-months men,
General-in-chief until
November
he was placed on the retired
1st,
list,
when, by his own request,
and McClellan was named
Gen. McClellan at once commenced
supersede him.
zation of the great
army authorized by Congress.
after regiment flocked into Washington.
and
drilled,
to
the organi-
Regiment
The troops were armed
with a full knowledge of the perils and hardships
and privations ber,
to
Gen. Winfield Scott nominally remained
about 50,000 men.
By the the Army
to be encountered.
when Congress
assembled,
beginning of Decemof the
Potomac had
—In
the spring of
reached 185,000 men.
Different Routes Toward Richmond. 1862,
when
the
Army
of the
Potomac was
to be
put in motion
for the capture of Richmond, Lincoln and McClellan did not
agree as to what route should bo taken. (165)
There were several
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
166
ways by which the Union army could be furnished
different
with food and supplies while moving against Richmond.
One,
by railroad through Gordonville: this was the longest route, and most
difficult to
Potomac
to
The
guard.
supplies could be taken
down
Aquia Creek via Fredericksburg, then by
the
rail to
This route possessed the advantage of placing the
Richmond.
Union army
in
a
position
defend the National capital.
to
Another route was that down the Chesapeake bay, ascending either the
York
James
or the
river,
and establishing a base on
one or the other at some convenient point. tated a division of the
against a sudden attack
army
to
move
wished to
army
Washington
in order to protect
upon
it.
directly against the
move dowm
This plan necessi-
The President wished enemy
the
McClellan
overland.
Lincoln finally
the bay on transports.
yielded to McClellan's plan, on condition that a sufficient force
should be left for the protection of Washington.
Down the Army
River to Yorktown, April, 1862.
of the Potomac,
— The
great
numbering 155,000, in command of
Gen. McClellan, embarked at Alexandria in April, and was taken
down
The ultimate
the
Potomac
in transi)orts to Fortress Monroe.
objects were, the destruction of the Confederate^
arm}^ and the capture of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.
The Confederates had
erected
numerous breastworks extend-
ing across the peninsula which separates the rivers,
defended by 20,000
The main body was centered
men at
under Gen.
York
and.
J. B.
Magruder.
James
Yorktown, a place already
cele-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAO.
167
brated in the annals of history by the decisive victory of
ington over Cornwallis.
Yorktown was defended by
Wash-
a system
McClellan, after some preliminary
of extensive fortifications.
skirmishing, began erecting a system of opposing works.
inforcements
arrived
to
the
swell
number
Re-
Confederate
of
troops already assembled at
Yorktown
Johnston and Lee arrived.
Every preparation was made
to
defend the place to the utmost extremity.
t<>
McClellan in the
meantime was making coextensive preparations for
He
Generals
60,000.
its assault.
ordered big guns to be brought from Washington, and per-
fected his plans for a protracted siege
upon the
place.
When
everything Avas in readiness, after a delay of a month, to the great surprise of McClellan and the ISTation the Confederates
abandoned Yorktown and retreated toward Richmond.
The evacuation the war.
ern
army
of
Yorktown
is
one of the singular events of
It
was evidently the original intention of the South-
to
meet the Federals in
It is probable that the
battle at this fortified town.
most potent factor in inducing the Con-
federates to change their plans
was that they might encounter
the Federals at a safe distance
from the Federal gunboats on
the
York
river.
The painful
lesson taught
them
at Pittsburg
Landing had not yet been forgotten.
The Battle of Williamsburg, May erals
5,
1862.
—-The
Fed-
began a vigorous pursuit, without stopping in the deserted
camp.
On
the afternoon of
May
4th the Federal advance en-
countered the Confederate rear guard near Williamsburg.
The
next day the engagement took place
The
all
along the
lines.
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
168 contest brilliant
during
continued
and
S2)irited
the
attack
CAMPAIGNS.
Gen. Hancock began a
day.
upon the enemy's
resistance gradually Aveakened, until finally retreated, leaving nearly
the
Union
forces
700 dead upon the
was 300
Their
left.
broke
they
The
field.
and
loss to
and over 800 wounded.
killed
In the afternoon of the Gth of May, 20,000 men commanded by Gen. William B. Franklin arrived in transports Point, on the
McClellan.
York
river, for the
They were attacked next morning by
the Confederate forces,
who were
at
West
purpose of uniting with Gen. a division of
repulsed. After the conclusion
of this engagement Franklin speedily united his forces with
Army
Gen. IMcClellan's, and the
of the
Potomac continued
its
advance upon Richmond.
As McClellan approached Richmond, little
several skirmishes of
consequence took place along the banks of the Chicka-
hominy.
It appeared as though
made upon Richmond.
an immediate attack Avould be
Great panic prevailed
The Confederate Congress
in
But
hastily adjourned.
the
city.
at this junc-
ture McClellan discovered a large body of Confederates at
Hanover Court House, who threatened rail
his
communication by
with White House Landing, and intercepted the approach
of Gen. Irvin McDowell, to join McClellan.
who was
It also
to
come with 40,000 troops
maintained communication between
the Confederate authorities at
Richmond and Fredericksburg.
McClellan discerned the necessity of driving the Confederates
from
this place.
Porter.
The
task
was intrusted
to
Gen. Fitz John
After a spirited assault the Confederates were driven
THE ARMT OF THE POTOMAC.
169
and Hanover Court House was taken by tho
from the
fiolrl,
Federals,
with a loss of 53 killed and 326 wounded.
enemy's
The
was somewhat
loss
chief military strength of the Confederacy was concen-
trated in the vicinity of
summoned
Richmond;
command.
to
Their ablest generals were
Preparations for a conflict more
than any that had hitherto taken place were made.
sal
The
greater.
McDowell was
to cooperate
Banks was
Gen.
with McClellan against Richmond,
by marcliing due south by way of Fredericksburg. thaniel P.
colos-
Gen. Na-
to proceed to Winchester, through the
Shenandoah Valley, by Strasburg, toward Staunton.
Stonewall Jackson's Campaign 1862.
—Gen.
in
the Shenandoah,
McClellan was anxiously awaiting the arrival of
McDowell's 40,000 troops.
His
last orders at
night were that
McDowell's signals should be reported to him without delay.
The wisdom
of Gen. Johnston foresaw disaster for
To prevent
probable union of these Federal forces. his object. to
move
him it
in the
became
Gen. T. J. ("Stonewall") Jackson was directed
against the
Union
forces in the
threaten Washington, and thus prevent
Shenandoah Valley,
McDowell from joining
McClellan in his campaign against Richmond.
A
portion of Banks's
tered Jackson's
them
to flight.
army under Gen.
command
at Winchester,
March
Banks pursued the retreating
and unvarying success as far as Strasburg. verse overtook him. original
Shields had encoun23,
and put
forces with steady
Here
a sudden re-
His army had been reduced one-half of the
number by demands made upon
it
for troops for other
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
170 fields.
Gen. Jackson had been reinforced by Ewell's division,
which reached him
May
Discerning the advantage he thus
1st.
had, he descended like an avalanche with his 15,000
Banks, driving liim down the valley. captured a garrison of 700 men. ley after Banks,
men upon
At Front Royal, Jackson
He
tlion Inirriod
down
the val-
to within a few miles of Harper's Ferry. Banks
succeeded in making his escape across the Potomac.
memorable
where for
five
most spirited of which
prevailed
Win-
Avas at
hours the Union army, numbering 5,000,
withstood the attack of threefold their number. sternation
this
retreat of fifty-three miles in forty-eight hours, sev-
eral conflicts took place, the chester,
Tn
at
The President
Washington.
upon the governors of the ISTorthern States the defense of the National capital.
General con-
He
to
called
send militia for
took military possession
McDoweirs advance from Fredericksburg
of the railroads.
unite with IMcdellan was at once countermanded.
to
He was
ordered up the Shenandoah Valley with 20,000 men, in face of protests
and Fremont son,
Banks
at
Harper's Ferry
Franklin were also directed
to
move on Jack-
from himself and McClellan.
who by
at
time had become alarmed for his own safety,
this
and commenced a precipitous
him
as he went.
retreat,
burning bridges behind
Several engagements took place between the
retreating forces of Jackson and his pursuers under
and Shields.
By
a skillful
ceeded in reaching Richmond.
fought in the campaign,
it
Fremont
and masterly retreat Jackson
While there was no great
suc-
battle
bore an important part in the Mc-
Clellan peninsular campaign,
for by
means of 15,000 men
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Jackson succeeded
171
in neutralizing a force of 60,000,
and pre-
\ented heavy reinforcements from joining McClellan when they
were most needed.
Fair Oaks,
May
31,
and Seven Pines, Tune
While these stirring events
\vere
1,
1862.
going on in the Shenandoah
Valley, Gen. ]\lcClellan sent a corps comprising two divisions of about 20,000 to the south side of the Chickahominy, at a place called Fair Oaks, located about eight miles east of Rich-
mond. troops
General Johnston planned "^vith
to attack
and defeat these
a superiority of numbers, before reinforcements
could be brought to them.
hominy creek
Heavy
rains converted the Chicka-
into a raging current, flooded the
the roads impassable, so that a relief expedition
swamps, made
was well-nigh
impossible.
The Confederates suddenly and unexpectedly made an impetuous charge upon the Federal ranks on Saturday morning,
May
31.
The regiment
pletely demoralized,
numbers of
sent to support the pickets were com-
and carried exaggerated reports of the
their assailants.
The advancing
vast
forces were im-
peded in their progress by a determined stand of Federals
at
a rail fence; but as the ranks of the Confederates became deci-
mated, new troops from the rear came forward. a half hours the 8,000 troops their
number
The Federal conflict
For three and
under Gen. Casey held three times
in check, inflicting terrible destruction
upon them.
troops fought heroically, but after a desperate
were forced back toward the Chickahominy.
the afternoon the arrival of Sumner's troops aided in
Late
in
stemming
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
172
march of the enemy, and
the victorious
in saving the Federal
close of the
day found the Confed-
erates in possession of the Federal camp.
During the night im-
forces
from
portant forces
total rout.
The
reinforcements
was
The
arrived.
Federal
spirit of the
The next morning
raised, as their ranks filled up.
(Sunday, June 1st) the Confederate advance was met by a vigorous and resolute stand by the Federals.
pushed forward upon the yielding
The Federals
lines of the foe, until they
occupied a position a mile in advance of that held at the begin-
Thus the misfortunes
ning of the day's engagement. defeat of the
first
The guns and ammuni-
victory on the second at Seven Pines.
by the Confederates the day before were not
tion captured
recovered, as they
killed,
had been taken
The Federal
the first day.
890
loss
into
Richmond
at the close of
during the two-days battle was
3,627 wounded, and 1,222 missing.
report of Gen. J. E. Johnston gives his total
and wounded and missing
The people
of the
Oaks was retrieved by the
day's battle of Fair
in the
The
number
official
in killed
as 6,697.
North expected that an immediate advance
would be made upon Richmond by McClellan after the of Seven Pines. suit
It is quite probable
that if
battle
an immediate pur-
had been ordered and an advance made upon Richmond,
the result
would have been disastrous
difficulty of
such a movement
of McClellan's
army had
is
to the
apparent.
enemy.
the
Only a small portion
crossed the Chickahominy.
the day after the battle of Fair
But
A
freshet
Oaks swept away the two or
three bridges that had been constructed over the stream.
Rich-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
mond was
173
protected by eight fortifications and defended by
more than 50,000 men.
Operations intended to overcome such
formidable defenses, when combined with heroic conduct, had to be
conducted on a
phm
wliose
magnitude was greater than
the obstacles to be overcome.
In accordance with maxims controlling Gen. McClellan, he proceeded to select his camp and erect fortifications, intrenching from Mechanicsville on his right to White his left,
Oak Swamp on
embracing a front of about four miles, mostly parallel Portions of the immense
with the Confederates.
view of the spires of Richmond.
The heart
army were
in
of the Rebellion
lay before them.
In the battle of Fair Oaks Gen. J. E. Johnston, the Confederate General-in-chief,
was severely wounded, and Robert E.
Lee was called by the master
spirits of the Rebellion to lead
their hosts to battle.
Concentration Clellan was
Confederate
of
Eorces.
making extensive preparations
—While
Mc-
for the siege of
Richmond, Gen. Lee was exerting every energy for a massive concentration of a formidable army.
A
large portion of the
troops so mysteriously withdrawn at Corinth by Beauregard, ap-
peared before Richmond.
from the Shenandoah. the vicinity of
Gen.
J.
About 100,000 men were assembled
Richmond
E. B. Stuart
the Federal army.
He
Gen. Jackson's force was summoned in
to aid in its defense.
made gained
a circuitous cavalry raid around
much
valuable information, cap-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
174 tured
many
prisoners,
and destroyed about $7,000,000
wortli
of supplies, returning in safety to the Confederate fold.
The sudden apparition
of Jackson's forces, the dangerou;^
condition of the Federal base of supplies at the failure of ^FcDowell to
duced him
come
White House, and
to the aid of
McClellan, in
to recede from Richmond, and change his base from
White Tlouse on the York river
Harrison's Landing on the
to
James. McClet.i.ax's Ketreat and Seven Days' Battle,
July
ro
for the
2,
18G2.
— Orders were
movement
June 2G
Jum
received on the 24th of
of the troops toward Harrison's Landing'.
This affoi'ded an o])portunity for the .lefensive to the offensive policy, in
enemy
to
change from the
which was inaugurated that
remarkable series of engagements lasting a whole week with such destructive fury, and
known
in
history as the
^^
Seven
Days' Battle." Battle of MprJianirsville,
June the Confederate
June 26, 1S6!2.—On
forces issued in
camps before Richmond, and commenced the
Union army.
Stoneman's cavalry
and soon extended chanicsville.
The
attack
a bold assault
in the vicinity of
Hanover Court House, Me-
Reinforcements were brought several times durLate in the day a furious cavalry
charge was met by Federal horse, and driven back. till
upon
was directed against General
to the troops posted in the vicinity of
ing the day by both sides.
continued
the 26th of
vast numbers from the
The
conflict
half-past nine o'clock, with little advantage to
either party, but the field of battle
remained in possession of
THE ARMY Of THE POTOMAO. the
Union
forces.
the entire corps of
Gen. Fitz John Porter was in
command
Union troops engaged dnring the day.
was ably assisted by Generals
Thns
175
He
Morrell, and Griffin.
^AreCall,
at the close of the first day, the
enemy had gained
They had merely made
but were not disheartened.
of
nothing, a begin-
ning of the gigantic enterprise which they had undertaken, and
were resolute
in the prosecutiun, as the
days following demon-
strated.
Battle of Gainps's Mill,
McClellan gave orders
camp
to
June
27.
—During
the night Gen.
Gen. Porter for the removal of the
equipage, stores and ammunition to the
troops were also ordered to
move forward.
James
The
river.
While these move-
ments were progressing, the Confederates were receiving reinforcements, and preparing for another assault.
The
early
dawn
next day, June 27, beheld 60,000 Confederate troops ready fur battle.
Gen. Porter had received orders
two miles beyond Gaines's Mill.
movement erals,
a retreat
from
battle,
who were prepared
to
remove
his troops
The enemy supposing
this
followed and overtook the Fed-
to receive them.
bloody battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27th.
Here
The
resulted the
battle
began
at
eleven o'clock, and raged during the rest of the day with the
usual vicissitudes which characterize engagements in which vast
numbers of brave men contend
for the mastery, with equal de-
grees of valor and fortitude.
The enemy had repeatedly
tempted to force the
Union men
between the mill and bridge. it.
With desperate energy
into the low,
They almost succeeded the
Federal
at-
marshy ground
troops,
in doing
numbering
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
176
27,000, succeeded in holding their ground and in defending the
bridge across the Chickahominy sides
were heavy
The shades
:
Lee's
till
night.
The
losses
on both
was 7,700, and McClellan's was 7,000.
of niglit settled over the field of carnage and deatli,
and put an end
to the desperate conflict
on the north side of
the Chickahominy.
Battle of Savage's Station,
June
29.
—During the night most
of the Federal troops and baggage trains were
removed
to the
south side of the Chickahominy, and thus they gained some ad-
vantage over the pursuing enemy.
After
all
the troops had
crossed the stream, bridges were destroyed to prevent pursuit.
The Union army withdrew gagement took place on tities
No
as far as Savage's Station.
this day, but
en-
during the night vast quan-
of commissary stores, ammunition and hospital supplies
means of removal
for which there were no
at hand,
Four
stroyed by orders of Gen. McClellan.
car-loads of
munition were run into the Chickahominy to prevent into the
hands of the enemy.
The
were
its
de-
am-
falling
hospital at Savage's Station,
containing 2,500 sick and wounded, with surgeons and attendants,
had
to be
abandoned.
These
men
fell into
the hands of the
enemy, but were treated with humanity.
On the morning of the An engagement flict
29th, the troops continued their march.
The main
took place at Peach Orchard.
for the day occurred at Savage's Station.
at 5 p. M.
and lasted until 9 o'clock at night.
It
con-
commenced
At midnight Mc-
Clellan gave orders to fall back rapidly from Savage's Station to
White Oak Swamp,
as the Confederates were endeavoring to in-
177
THE ARMY OF THE POTOAIAC tercept their retrogade
movement.
.
And now
the hitherto vol-
untary march of the Federals degenerated into a
flight,
pursued
by the enemy. Battle of Glendale or Fraziers
Oak Swamp
Farm, June 30,— At Wliite
Glendale, White federates).
Oak Swamp
(or Frazier's
Farm,
as
by the Con-
McClellan directed the lines to be held until the
trains could reach a place of safety on the James,
army could be concentrated fatiguing battles
to
enjoy
a
brief
where the after
rest
the
and marches through which they were passing
after which, he expected to
The
known
another desperate engagement took place,
renew the advance on Kichmond.
reached Malvern Hill by 4
last of the trains
remained for the troops
ground
to hold their
m.
p.
till
It then
night,
when
they could march to the stronger position on Malvern Hill.
The
fighting began between 12
and
1 o'clock
very severe, and extended along the whole erate artillery inflicted serious loss
but he held his ground
till
night.
Oak Swamp Crossing were enemy's attack
from the
rear,
upon Franklin's command,
Their attempts
unsuccessful.
to
—12
Slocum
witlistood the
Charles City road.
McCall's division was the left and Sedgwick field.
In-
were made upon Kearny, Porter, Sumner and
The
firing continued until after dark.
the night all the remaining corps of the
drawn
to cross Whit(^
and together drove the foe from the
effectual assaults
Heintzelman.
The Confed-
line.
Hooker came up from
at the
forced back, but
(June 30), was
Malvern
Hill.
During
Union array were with-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
178
Battle of Malvern Hill, July
1.
—The
morning of July
found the Union army posted on Malvern Hill, rising tlie
with transports and vessels of
all descriptions.
arranged with plateau above. Porter,
tier after tier of
corps of
The
Army
there with their broken
of the Potomac.
was commanded by Generals Lee,
hill
The
1st.
was continued
fight
The enemy
Hill, Longstreet, !Afagruder,
and Jackson. They opened a spirited engagement
at night.
was
Generals Keyes, Slocum, Franklin, Sumner,
once splendid
Tuesday, July
hill
Federal batteries, rising to the
Kearny and Heintzelman were tlie
1
an
which was crowded
amphitheater and overlooking
river,
like
Three times the determined foe
at four o'clock,
until ten o'clock
tried to capture the
and drive the Federals down, but each time they were driven
back with frightful carnage by the combined
fire
of artillery
and musketry.
Thus ended Days' Battle.
the battle of
Malvern
Thus ended the
last assault
Seven
by the Confederates
in the " Peninsular
upon the troops of the Union
Thus terminated one
Hill, the last of the
Campaign."
of the most extraordinary cami^aigns which
has ever occurred in the blood-stained annals of ancient or mod-
ern warfare.
'We
loss
on both sides was appalling.
the seven days' 0])eration, the Clellan's loss
enemy
lost over
During
20,000 men
;
Mc-
was abont 1G,000.
McClellan moved his troops
to
Harrison T^andlng, a strip of
land along the north bank of the James river,
five
miles long,
with several good wharves for the discharge of cargoes, situated eight miles
from Malvern
Hill.
Being naturally well adapted
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
179
for defense, the vigorous use of the spade soon
nable against
all attacks.
The enemy had
made
it
inflicted
impregterrible
punisliment upon the Union forces, but had themselves received such calamitous reception that they withdrew from the
In It
effect,
the Peninsular
Campaign was
conflict.
a complete failure.
had not only failed in the capture of Richmond, but Mc-
Clellan was compelled to change his base of operations, was
forced to take the defensive, and retreat, in the series of battles.
Frnmense quantities of stores had been captured or destroyed by the Confederates, and the Union army was cooped up on
Harrison Landing.
Richmond being
relieved
from immediate
peril of attack,
Lee
headed his army toward the North, to crush the Federals under
Pope and threaten Washington.
OTTAPTEK
XTTT.
POPE'S CAMPAIGN. '
The Organization of the Army of Richmond induced
reverses around
more strenuous
Virginia.
Union, and
an offensive campaign against the Confederates.
made hy
recent
the President to put forth
efforts to strengthen the
a levy of 300,000 troops,
— The to
He
resume
called for
and preparations were immediately
the various States to comply with the requisition.
Gen. Henry
W. Halleck was summoned
Washington, and
to
invited to assume the duties and discharge the functions of General-in-chief of
tlie
land forces of the United States.
The order
was dated July 11, 1802, but he did not take command the 23d.
A
new army,
comprising
ized,
Dowell.
The
tliree
tlie
troo])S
Porter were sent in
called the
Western
command Pope
of Virginia,
tlie
latter part of
August
was
to reinforce this
Gen. Jolm Pope was summoned from
successes, elune 2Gtli,
1802, to assume the chief
new department.
Fremont, regarding Gen.
of the
as his junior, accordingly tendered his resignation,
was accepted, and Gen. Sigel was assigned
Army
was organ-
corps of Fremont, Banks, and Mc-
under Generals Sumner, Burnside and
newly organized army. his
Army
of Virginia
to cover
until
now nundjcred more than
which
to his corps.
40,000.
Its
The duty
Washington, defend Maryland and the lower Shen-
andoah Valley, and hnally
to
threaten
(180)
Pichmond from
the
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. and there unite in
nortli,
The
tliat o]\y.
tlie oi')eratioiis
181
of ^McClellan against
failnre of McOlellan before
Richmond and
Lee's
North compelled, a revision of these
snbse(|ncnt invasion of the designs.
Cedar Mountain, August
9,
1862.
—Gen. Pope was ordered
Kappahannuck and threaten Gordonsville.
to cross the
From
the base of the Blue Kidge mountains he expected to be able to
defend the approaches to Washington, to flank the columns which
might be sent
to the
for an aggressive
Shenandoah Vallej, while he was preparing
movement toward Richmond.
Gen. Lee
or-
dered Jackson with his veteran troops and Ewell with his division to Gordonsville to oppose Gen. Pope's advance. division soon folloAved,
25,000
men
in the vicinity
had already advanced
A. P. Hill's
increasing the Confederate forces to of
Gordonsville.
Pope's
On
Cnlpeper Court House.
to
the 9th of
August a Union division met the Confederates near
A
Mountain.
furious engagement occurred.
forces
Cedar
The enemy was
strongly posted, and was assailed by a force less than one-half of
its
The Confederates had
own.
in numbers,
and in the
result.
the advantage in position,
Pope then began
a concentration
of his forces, and expected the next day to operate son's base,
and compel him
night, however, Jackson
to fight
The Union
crossed the Rapidan.
against 1,300 for the enemy. suit of the fugitives,
was moving
it
on equal terms.
withdrew from losses
upon Jack-
During
the
and
re-
his position,
were
about
2,400
While Pope's cavalry was in pur-
was discovered that Lee's whole army
in that direction,
and near
at hand.
The pursuit
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
182
was discontinued, and a retreat
Rappahannock com-
the
to
menced.
Lee began lieved that
his nortliward
Richmond was
threatening Washington the called
from the capital
]\fcClellan
movement August
13th, as he be-
and that by
in no great danger,
Army
Potomac would be
of the
re-
city of the Confederacy.
was ordered
army
to transfer his
Army
and Alexandria, and both the
Acqnia creek
to
Army
of Virginia and the
command
of Pope.
Mc-
Clellan evacuated the peninsula on the iTtli of August.
Lee
of the
Potomac were placed under
was determined
to strike the
the
army under Pope before
it
should
Gen. Pope, who had ex-
be reinforced by McClellan's hosts.
pected to renew the battle against Jackson in the vicinity of (^^edar
Mountain, now realized that his only hope of success lay
in fighting a series of retreating battles against
arrival of the
rear of the ceive aid
x\rmy of the Potomac.
Rappahannock, August
and
to
took position to the
17, to be better able to re-
oppose the invading army.
All efforts of Gen. erate forces
He
Lee until the
Pope and
his
army
to prevent the
from crossing the Rappahannock
and elsewhere were of no
avail.
at
Confed-
Waterloo bridge
The main purpose
of the resist-
ance by the Union troops at the stream was to gain time and enable Gen. McClellan to reach the scene of action with the
Army
of the Potomac.
During the night of the 21st the Confederates threw pontoon bridges over the stream, and crossed in great numbers.
The
following day the batteries of both armies along the river con-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. tinner! to exoliango shots. iiiipui'tanee,
Tlicso skirmishes, of p;reater or less
were preliminary
to the
more
decisive engagements
soon to take place. While they progressed, bridges burned,
183
much property
many were
slain,
destroyed, and desolation spread
over the face of the country.
Second Battle of Bull Run, Aug.
21)
and
30, 1862.
mysterious delay characterized the movements of the the Potomac,
—
Army
and Gen. Pope was ultimately compelled
to
of
meet
the whole military strength of the Confederacy in Virginia,
without the aid of the main Union army.
The operations
of the Confederate generals were skillful and
While Lee was engaging the attention of Pope,
complicated.
When
Gen. Jackson was reaching for a position in his rear.
Pope discovered
the intention of the Confederate generals, he
hastened toward Manassas Junction, and directed McDowell
and Sigel
to
proceed with their troops to Gainesville, and Ileintz-
elman and Peno
to proceed to
Greenwich.
Gen. Lee sent Jackson toward Pope's right wing him.
to flank
Passing through 'J'hornughfare Gap, he occupied a posi-
tion to the rear of Pope's army.
Gen. Pope, seeing the isolated
position of Jackson's army, determined to " bag " and capture
him.
But
the
Army
him, his plans failed.
of the
Potomac not promptly reinforcing
An engagement
took place in which the
Pope took
possession of Manassas,
Federals had the advantage.
and effected a consolidation of ber,
Thursday night, August
cisive battle of the
his troops, about 60,000 in
28.
war was about
It
num-
was thought that the
to be fought.
de-
This great bat-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
184
was
tie
roniinoiK'((l at
The Confederate
the
was favorable
engagement an opportunity
son's forces, Avho ter,
numbered not far from 100,000 men.
forces
Tlie first day's battle
on Friday, August 20th, 1862.
dayliij^-lit
and
were seeking
to the Federals.
Avas afforded to
to
surround Jack-
break through the Union cen-
Gen. Pope had planned
with Lee.
to forui a junction
During
to crush or capture Jackson's division, but Gen. Porter failed
to execute the orders sent to
The second day was
him, and the plan failed.
disastrous to the
Union army.
whelming host of the enemy bore down upon the
When
with irresistible power.
ni_;ht
over-
came Gen. Pope ordered
The order was promptly
a retreat to Centerville.
The
Union troops
executed.
At Centerville reinforcements under Franklin and Sumner rived
from McClellan's
sent a
day
different.
Army
earlier, the result of the conflict
It
suffered by both,
made
forces next day.
ar-
these been
might have been
was expected that Lee would follow up
by an attack of the Union
fortli,
Had
of the Potomac.
But
his victory
the heavy losses
and the great exertion which both had put
a sliort interval of delay
and repose necessary.
The
Federal army bivouacked at Centerville, awaiting further move-
ments of the enemy.
On
the first of September the Confederates were massing
forces for the purpose of attacking the Federal wagon-trains.
Gen. Pope sent a division of troops to attack them. conflict took place terville.
A
fierce
near Chantilly, three miles distant from Cen-
The enemy was
troops returned to camp.
repulsed, after which the Federal
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
The in'r^ht
rotroat of
185
whole Federal army was resumed on the
tlio
of September 1st, toward Wasliiiigton, and on the 3d the
i;rand armies of Virginia
and the Potomac had arrived
in their
old quarters, protected by thirty forts, which sheltered the Federal capital.
Thns ended
the
campaign of Gen. Pope
had yet taken
the most disastrons to the Federal canse that
The Union
place. loss
loss
one of
in Virginia,
was about 14,000 and the Confederate
about 9,000.
The
battle of Chantilly cost the
—Generals
Philip
Union army two
Kearny and Isaac
former was devotedly loved by his
He
enemy.
was
On
soldiers,
The
and feared by the
fiercest
and thickest of the
the battle-field, taking his SAvord in his only hand,
the reins in his teeth, he
had often
forward, unattended by any of his
ened the safety of the Federal
hands of the enemy.
was sent into the Union
lines,
led his troops in the most
In
desperate and irresistible charges.
into the
Ingalls Stevens.
and in every engagement he
a stranger to fear,
was seen moving majestically in the combat.
able officers
this
staff,
lines,
and
engagement he rode
into a fell
gap that
mortally wounded,
The next morning bearing with
it
threat-
a flag of truce
the remains of the
deceased hero.
He
had served with distinction in the Mexican War, fought
as a volunteer in the
French army in Algeria and the Crimea,
and led the patriotic troops of 'New Jersey in the memorable " Peninsular
The
Campaign."
failure of Gen.
Pope
to successfully
check the advance of
186
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
the ronfodoratr
army north
witliout the
Lee, to
Army
is
due
to tlie fact that his
of the Potomac, were much
less
numbers,
than those of
and the nnion of the two armies was not perfected in time
Pope was completely
meet the advance of Lee's army.
out-
and the splendid marching
generaled by the sa«iacity of Lee
capacity of Jackson; bnt he was brave, and loyal, and wlien he fouglit
it
He
was with a will beyond his discretion.
failed to
divine the movements of his foe, and in consequence was not able to fight to the best purpose.
Pope to
attributed his defeat to the failure of Fitz
John Porter
obey his orders to attack Longstreet on August 29th. After the return of the troops to the works around Washing-
ton,
Gen. Pope tendered his resignation of the
Army to
of Virginia
and the
Army
command
of the Potomac, and requested
He
be transferred to some other post of duty.
diately appointed to the
of the
command
was imme-
of the department of the
Northwest, in which lay the territory of the revolted Indian tribes.
Before leaving Washington, Gen. against several
obeying orders.
officers,
chief of
Pope preferred charges
whom was
The charges were
Gen. Porter, for
dis-
investigated at a later period
by a court-martial convened in Washington.
It
was proven
in
the trial that Porter entertained a personal hostilit}^ to Pope,
and had sent telegrams ridiculing the order and management, rjen.
him.
Porter was found guilty of the charges preferred against
The finding was approved by
the President, Jan. 21,
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 1803.
187
Porter was cashiered, and dismissed from service, and
" forever disqualified
from holding any
office
of profit or trust
under the Government of the United States." of officers retried him, and an entirely
npon the
case.
Army from
It
act
disaster on the 29th of Angnst."
gress, Porter once again received a
States
new
was shown that Porter's
Army, and
in
In 1878 a board light '^
was thrown
saved the Union
By
commission
an act of Con-
United
to the
1886 he was placed on the retired
list.
— The
re-
markable successes which the Confederates had achieved
in
Lee's Invasion of Maryland, September, 1862.
Virginia inspired them with confidence, and aggressive.
He
made them more
Lee, accordingly, began the invasion of Maryland.
passed through Leesburg, crossing the Potomac about forty
miles above Washington.
On
army com-
the 6th the advance
manded by Gen. Jackson reached Frederick, and took of that town.
Such Federal property
they retained or destroyed.
possession
as fell into their
The property
of individuals
hands
was not
be molested, in accordance with a proclamation issued by
to
Gen. Jackson when he entered the State.
Lee imagined a strong disunion sentiment was slumbering the breasts of the people of Maryland, his
army
to the
in their midst
Government.
would
and that the presence of
start active
and open resistance
In his proclamation Lee endeavored
convince the people of that State that they had suffered
numerable wrongs
at the
in
to in-
hands of the National Government,
and tendered his services and those of
his
army
to assist in
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
188 rocovorini]:
tlioir
*'
inalienable riglits "
Confederate army received
from
the citizens of
little
Maryland.
as
freemen.
"But the
sympathy and cooperation
The army marched through
^riddletown, Boonsboro, Williamsport, and reached Hagerstown
September
9th.
WEST VDRaONDA
P<5+5r5biir:^-
A ^
C
A>ff^CLDF**/^
H
00^
M«adaS <3ran+'3
L.ir
I
p
^^t'V --OU
...J
CHAPTEE
XIV.
FROM ANTIETAM TO FRKDERICKSBURG. South Mountain, Sept. instated to
tlie
command
14, 18G2.
of the
resignation of Gen. Pope.
Army
—Gen. McClellan was of the
Potomac
after the
Leaving troops for the defense of
Washington, he put his army in motion in pursuit of Lee. loyalty of the people of lan's
army induced Lee
Maryland and the approach to
re-
move south with
The
of McClel-
the intention of cross-
ing the Potomac at Williamsport and Harper's Perry. Gen. McClellan placed his for
Lee
The
army
to retreat left
ner's it
it
was impossible
without giving battle.
wing of the Federal army pursued the enemy
South Mountain.
The Union
in such a position that
Here was a stubborn and bloody
forces succeeded in dislodging the
contest.
enemy from Tur-
and Crampton's Gaps, and took possession of the
field as
was abandoned under the friendly covering of the night.
engagement was called the
battle of
to
This
South Mountain by the
Federals, and the battle of Boonsboro by the Confederates.
The Union erate loss as
loss
many
was about two thousand, and the Confedin killed
and wounded, besides 1,500
pris-
oners.
The Union army had forced tains,
a passage through the
moun-
but Lee had gained time to concentrate his scattered
forces. (189)
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
190
The Fall of Harper's Ferry,
Sept. 15, 1862.
had the exultant news of the victory of fully realized,
when
all
Soiitli
— Scarcely
Mountain been
joy was dispelled by the sad tidings of
the disastrous defeat of the
Union
forces at Harper's Ferry.
This famous; place, so often the scene of conflict and disaster in
had been intrusted
the progress of the war,
When
Miles,
Army
of
McClellan was reinstated
to the
the Potomac, he recommended
11,000 troops at Harper's Ferry, ruled him,
— and
prisoners of
l)iit
to Col.
Dixon
command
IT.
of the
the withdrawal of the
Halleck unwisely over-
soon they were withdrawn as Confederate
war
Lee sent Stonewall Jackson with 20,000 men against Harper's Ferry.
Skirmishing commenced on the afternoon of the
12th of Se])tember, and continued until
During the progress of the
15th.
reinforced.
Monday, September
conflict, the
enemy had been
In vain had Col. Miles, on Sunday, implored fur
The
had been threaten(Ml for
a
week,
but adequate precaution had not been exercised to save
it
to the
I'einforcements.
Nation. tion
At
plae<^
8 o'clock on
was cxhansted.
Monday morning
(^ol.
^liles
the Federal
ammuni-
immediately called a council of
war, which dt'tei'mined to capitulate, as further resistance would lead to a needless loss of life.
Previous
to the snrrender, all the
cavalry, abont two thonsand in nnnd)er, succeeded in cutting their
way through
escape.
the (Confederate works, and in
making
their
After capitulation had been proposed, but before
terms had been agreed upon,
(^ol.
its
Miles was mortally wounded
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
bj one of the bursting
191
which continued
shells
to fall
from the
enemy's cannon.
Battle of Antietam, Sept. the enejny at
17, 1862.
— After
the defeat of
South Mountain, they continued their retreat
toward the Potomac.
Lee halted when he reached the heights
between the village of Sharpsburg and Antietam creek; here he
Jackson returned with his
concentrated his scattered corps.
wearied troops flushed with the victory at Harper's Ferry, and all
prepared for the impending
conflict.
McClellan reconnoitered the Confederate position on the 15tli of
September, and the next day he developed his plan of
attack.
Hooker occupied the
side the left,
and Meade the
right of the
center.
creek late in the afternoon.
Union army. Burn-
Hooker crossed Antietam
Scarcely more than a skirmish
ensued before darkness came.
Early on the morning of the
17tli of
September the
conflict
began.
General Hooker's division opened the engagement.
assault
became furious.
compelled to leave the
Hooker was seriously wounded, and
field.
Gen. Sumner took his command.
Four times the ground he contended for was times retaken.
were
The operations
as vigorous as those of
o'clock Gen.
The
lost,
and four
of Burnside on the left wine'
Hooker on
McClellan sent word
to
the right.
Burnside
to
At four
advance and
get possession of the enemy's batteries in front of him, at
hazards.
After a spirited engagement the
hill
was taken, but
all
as
no reinforcements were sent to him by McClellan, who had 15,000 reserves in the rear, he was unable
to
hold what he had
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
192
augmented forces of the
g'ained against the
He
foe.
was driven
The Union advance
back to a position in front of the bridge.
was impetuous, the Confederate defense was as obstinate.
The
The protracted
strug-
artillery in the center did effective work.
gle
had nearly exhausted both
sides.
At length darkness
de-
scended upon the horrible scene, and closed the conflict of the day.
On
field;
on the other, the Union troops retained the position of
enemy had not been driven from
the one hand, the
original assault, expecting to
But on
the
morning of the 19th, when Mcthe river, they discovered that
Lee had quietly moved
off across the
leaving his dead and desperately
The Union
Both armies
conflict.
moved toward
rested on the ISth. Clellan's cavalry
renew the
loss
was 12,469
Potomac during the
wounded on
as reported
the
by
placed the aggregate in killed,
The
field.
relieved
Lee
commanders
wounded and missing
at 13,533.
was a victory for the Union army.
effect of this battle
ISTorth
night,
^McClellan.
reported his loss at 10,000, while his division
The
the
was saved from further invasion, and Washington
from imminent danger.
Gen. Lee dispatched Stuart, the noted cavalry leader, on raid into Pennsylvania with 1,500 horse.
McClellan's
army October
at Williamsport, he
9th to 12th.
as
much booty
stores, destroyed property,
as his troopers could carry.
He
and again joined the ranks of Lee's army.
for-
and took
The Union
alry went in pursuit of them, but they succeeded in escape,
a circuit of
Crossing the Potomac
proceeded as far as Chambersburg.
aged the country, plundered
away
He made
a
making
cav-
their
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
193
The Confederate army under Lee passed down doah Valley.
army
liic
His own headquarters were
at Berrysville,
He had been
in the vicinity of Winchester.
by the troops from West Virginia.
the Slienan-
and
reinforced
McOlellan, after a delay at
Antietam, moved southeast of the mountains, and located his headquarters at Salem.
was evident that the future plans of the commanding gen-
It
erals of the
time.
two armies were incomplete and undevelo]jed
at this
Reconnoitering expeditions were sent out to ascertain the
plans of the opposing armies.
Several skirmishes occurred, pro-
Winter was
ductive of no decisive results.
fast approaching;
almost two months had elapsed since the battle of Antietam,
and nothing of importance had taken faction existed with the tardy
pursued the enemy. ton,
On
manner
in
an order was conveyed
to
him by Gen. Buckingham as
commander
the Potomac, and had been superseded
He was
dissatis-
which McClellan had
the 5th of November, while at Warren-
had been relieved of the duties
Burnside.
General
place.
of the
of
by Gen. Ambrose E.
ordered to report at Trenton,
McClellan held the devotion of his
that he
Army
oiRcers,
'N. J.
and the whole
body of the army were enthusiastic in their affection for him. Burnside himself would gladly have served under McClellan, but he had no alternative except to disobey orders tantly assumed
command
of the
Army
of the
;
so
he reluc-
Potomac and Mc-
Clellan took his departure on Nov. 10th.
Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec.
13,
1862.
— The
move-
ment of the army toward Fredericksburg was commenced on
— 13
a
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
194
direct line for conducting operations against
was now
contemplated.
Eichmond, whicli
As Burnside moved from Warrenton
along the north bank of the Rappahanock, Lee
movement along
By
the south bank.
made
a parallel
forced marches the Con-
federate army succeeded in occupying Fredericksburg in ad-
vance of the Union army, and at once proceeded to fortify their
By
front.
!N'ov.
2bth the Federal army was concentrated at
on the north side of the stream, across from
Falmouth, which
is
Fredericksburg.
The next day Burnside demanded the
Lee had assembled an army
der of the city, which was refused. of about 90,000 men,
—opposed by
surren-
a force of 120,000.
Finally, preparations for the crossing of the river were com-
menced on the 11th of December.
Those constructing the pon-
toon bridges, being exposed to a deadly
fire
from the Confederate
sharpshooters, were three times driven back. Volunteers charged
upon the sharpshooters, and drove them away, bridges were completed, and the
out any
On
army passed
after
which the
over the river with-
obstruction.
the 13th of
December began the
battle of Fredericksburg. to fortify
obstinate and bloody
The enemy had exerted every energy
themselves with impregnable defenses.
tion of the
army was posted behind
The Federal
troops
made
A
large por-
a stone wall four feet high.
a valiant and determined effort to
Again and again they
drive the foe from their defenses.
charged upon the enemy's works, but each time they were driven
back with frightful slaughter.
Of
all
the Federal troops en-
gaged, those under Franklin alone had gained an advantage.
THE AKMY OF THE POTOMAC.
At length
it
became evident that
195
an.y further
attempt to take
the heights would be futile, and result in a continuation of the
The
troops were compelled to retire
their heroism,
and took a position beyond the
reckless destruction of
from the scene of
life.
range of the batteries of the unconquerable 'No fighting of 14th.
foe.
any importance took place on Sunday, the
Some skirmishing occurred on
During the
the next day.
following night, Burnside withdrew his forces across the Rap-
pahannock
former position.
to their
The Federal
loss
in
this
wounded, 3,234 missing. 5,000.
The
battle
was 1,128
The Confederate
killed,
loss
9,105
was about
great disparity of Federal loss was due to the
superior advantages of position and protection enjoyed by the
Confederates, and to their vast
number
of guns brought into
action.
Burnside wished to repeat the assault on the 14th, but the firm protests of his officers against such suicidal madness in-
duced him
to give
way
in his desires.
Lee was blamed for not leaving his defenses demoralization of the left his
Army
of the Potomac.
to
complete the
For Lee
to have
works before the defeat of Burnside, would have been
to invite defeat;
and for him
to
have assailed the Union army
Falmouth, would have been a repetition of
in their defenses at
Burnside's blunders.
The the
usefulness of Burnside as
Potomac was
at
an end.
commander
Officers
he had misjudged in ordering an
and
of the
Army
of
soldiers alike felt that
assault
upon the strong
de-
196
THE CIVIL
fenses of Fredericksburg.
of this
command by
WAR BY At
his
CAMPAIGNS.
own
request he was relieved
the President, and Joseph
appointed to succeed him.
Hooker arrived
at
Hooker was
Falmouth on the
new
duties.
Army
of the
26th of January to assume the responsibilities of his
A
period of several months elapsed before the
Potomac again met the
enemy
in battle.
CHAPTEE
XV.
CHANCEIjIiORS VII^LE
The Battle of Chancelloesville, May 1-3, 1863. When Gen. Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac, and
its spirit
efficiency
at the rate of
were
soldiers
low ebb.
Desertions occurred
The number absent from
200 a day.
ments as shown by the
at a
was 2,922
rolls
and non-commissioned
or detached on duty; but
officers
many had
—
officers
their regi-
and 81,964
in hospitals, on leave,
deserted.
The frequent
audacious Confederate cavalry raids during the winter indicated the confidence and elation of the enemy, and the apathy
born of despair, of the Federals.
The Union army, though
still
greater in numbers, was probably at this time no match on equal
terms for
mined
its
foe.
better disciplined, self-confident
and more
Hooker very properly devoted two months
deter-
to organ-
izing his army, disciplining his troops, and exalting the spirits
of his men.
His energy and resources were
time he had at his efficiency to
command an army
any ever seen on
McClellan commanded in the
As
equal in numbers and
this continent, save that
first
three months of 1861.
infantry numbered 100,000; artillery, 13,000.
such, that in a short
which
The
10,000; and cavalry,
horses and feed were both scarce in the South,
there was not and never had been a Confederate cavalry force that could stand against the one at Hooker's (197)
command.
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
198
Stoneman was dispatched up tbe north nock April 27th, 1863, with
side of the
Hugh
Alexandria Kailroad; to strike Fitz
Eappahan-
above the Orange
orders to cross
Lee's cavalry, near
Oulpeper Court House, capture Gordonsville, and cut
communication with Kichmond burg
& Richmond
The next
off
Lee's
by destroying the Fredericks-
Railroad, telegraph lines and bridges.
day, April 28th,
lery in motion
Hooker
set his
infantry and
artil-
from Falmouth for a campaign against Lee.
Howard's and Slocum's corps crossed the Rappahannock Kelly's Ford, and the
and
then
&
moved
Rapidan
toward
at
Germania
at
Mills, next day,
Chancellorsville.
Meade's
corps
Couch
crossed
with his corps at the United States Ford, on pontoons.
These
rrossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, lower down.
movements had been masked by a feint of crossing below Fredericksburg.
Reynolds's, Sickles's and Sedg^vick's corps, how-
ever, did cross
some distance below Fredericksburg,
had been forded above.
river
Thus
signal success in seizing the fords "N'ever
did a general feel
far.
Gen. Hooker had
and crossing the streams.
more sanguine
great and crushing defeat to his opponent.
of administering a
" I have Lee's
in one
hand and Richmond in the other," was
remark
as
sion
after the
army
his exultant
he rode up to the single but capacious (at once man-
and tavern) house that then, with
its
appendages, consti-
tuted Chancellorsville.
Leaving a small force for the defense of Fredericksburg,
Lee pushed his main army,
at least
50,000 strong, down the
Gordonsville, road to a point half-way to Chancellorsville.
THE ARMY OF THE TOTOMAO.
Hooker had guard
left
the stores;
men below
Gen. Gibbons in
199
command
of Falmouth, to
and Sedgwick had his own corps of 22,000
Fredericksburg, leaving the Union forces
And
70,000 in the vicinity of Chancellorsville. fought, on the 1st, tles
of the war.
here was
2d and 3d of May, one of the bloodiest bat-
Hooker had planned
ericksburg, while Sedgwick, in to
about
move from below; and
to
move from above Fred-
command
thus,
of the other wing,
was
by a simultaneous movement,
crush the foe between them.
Gen. Hooker had been obliged to leave behind him most of his heavier guns.
and
thickets,
of which
He was
which were traversed by narrow roads, every inch
was familiar
Hooker and
enveloped in a labyrinth of woods
his
men.
to the Confederates,
His ignorance
and unknown
of the region of
woods
to
pre-
vented Hooker from bringing most of his troops into action at
any one time.
While Pleasonton's
artillery
was supporting
Sickles's infan-
try to arrest the impetuous charge of 25,000 troops under Stone-
wall Jackson, night descended the contest.
upon the
In front of these batteries
scene, but did not
fell
end
Stonewall Jackson.*
Mortally wounded in a dense wood, shrouded by the gloom of night, while
men were
falling all
around him from the grape
*"Gen. Jackson rode ahead
of his skirmishers, and exposed himself and dangerous fire of the Confederate sharpshooters, posted in the timber. It was now between 9 and 10 o'clock at night the little body of horsemen was taken for Federal cavalry, and the regiments on the right and left fired a volley into them, with the most lamentable results. Several of his staff were killed. Gen. Jackson received one ball
to a close
;
THE CIVIL
200
WAR BY
and canister of the Union guns,
it
mine whether Jackson was shot by
CAMPAIGNS.
may seem his
own
difficult to deter-
or by
Union men.
The
best authority substantiates the theory that his
were
inflicted
His
loss
wounds
by his own men.
was the greatest the Confederates had yet sustained
in the fall of a single
man, though Albert Sidney Johnston had
military talent of a high order.
was unexcelled by any
officer.
Jackson's power over his It
was
justified
men
by his sound-
ness of judgment, as well as by his intrepidity of spirit.
His
attacks were soundly planned, and the opposing forces well calculated.
He
refused to sacrifice the lives of his
endeavors, with the same spirit that led
him
men
in vain
in his most brilliant
charges.
While Gen. Hooker was leaning against a cellorsville pillar,
pillar of the
Chan-
house watching the battle, a cannon-ball struck the
hurling him to the floor insensible.
At
this very
moment
Gen. Sickles was committing great havoc upon the Confederate lines,
but as his cartridges were running low, he sent twice to
arm, shattering the bone and severing an artery; a second passed through the same arm below the elbow; a third passed through the palm of his hand. He fell from his horse, and was caught by Captain Wormly, to whom he said, 'All my wounds are by my own men.' "The firing was responded to by the Federals, wiio made a sudden advance and actually charged over Jackson's body. He was not discovered, however; and after the Federals were driven back he was rescued. One of the litter-bearers was shot down, and Jackson fell from the shoulders of the men, receiving a severe contusion, and injuring He was taken to the hospital, and died eight days after. His his side. remains were taken to Lexington, Va., his own home." [From the Life of Stonewall Jackson By a Virginian. 1 in his left
;
—
:
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
Hooker
But
for assistance.
and Couch, who was next
in rank,
Had
to fall back.
believes victory would
gained
have been
After Lee had dealt
By
his.
t/>
the
lint
army was without to
Hooker
noon,
coiniii;iiid.
Sickles, he
inflicted
pre-
a head. at
the
Leaving Hooker inactive from thf
upon him, he turned upon
to the river,
his
them crush the enemy, had
own
failed.
at concerted action of a great
new
his
and next day across
Hooker's plan of having Sedgwick
army simultaneously with
re-
Hooker's forces
he learned that Sedgwick had carried
crowding him back
now learned
and he was
to Sickles,
telling bloAv
a
heights of Fredericksburg.
blow already
not assuiucd thr respon-
Iiarl
and assumed
consciousness
lyinc: iiiW)nspioiis,
a corps been sent
cious hour had passed while the
Cliancellorsville,
Hookor was
no aid was sent
sibility of cnuiniand,
compelled
as
201
foe,
it.
upon the rear of Lee's
fall
attack in front, and between
How
army from
hazardous an attempt distant points,
was not
for the first time.
After Sickles was
toward Hooker, v^ho
ofit
of the way, Lee turned his whole force
w^as quietly sitting
structed defenses at Chancellorsville.
behind his hastily con-
But
the
enemy had been
marching and fighting until they were exhausted, ami were slaughtered in their reckless assault on our batteries on Sunday,
May
3d; and Lee was not willing to repeat the attack.
passed with but
little
The dav
skirmishing, and during the night Hooker
recrossed the river to his old camping-grounds at Falmouth.
This defeat cost the Union army in killed and wounded, 17,107 men, and two generals,
—Berry
and Whipple.
The
THE CIVIL
202 Confederate
WAR BY
loss is variously
CAMPAIGNS.
estimated at from 12,000 to 18,000
men, and Generals Paxton and Jackson son,
whose presence was
The operations advised, feeble,
like
magic
inefficient.
^^
Stonewall " Jack-
to his troops.
of the cavalry under
and
—
Stoneman had been
ill-
If his forces had been kept
together he could have severed all communications between Lee
and Eichmond,
isolating
him from
position precarious and dangerous.
supplies,
and rendered
his
Dissipating his forces as
he did, he was too weak to meet the enemy, and kept running
from them instead of running
after them,
and gave
his expedi-
tion the appearance of a furtive raid on smokehouses roosts, rather
and hen-
than that of a great military movement of a stu-
pendous war.
Thus ended the campaign serious disaster that the
at Chancellorsville,
Army
within a period of six months.
of the
The
—
the second
Potomac had sustained
hearts of the people of the
South beat in exultation as they beheld the ascendency of the Southern arms.
Gloom and depression 'pervaded
the
homes of
the loyal people in the l^orth, while the Southern sympathizers
became clamorous for a termination of basis of independence of the South.
hostilities
upon the
-^^^,1 't9^
I
r,.«fv«^t
^ C
K
_
Q
r^i
>^
5ta«dfn»n
'^i^/r
^^n. 'f^a^,
'^Uij
Af.^^
CHAPTER
XVI.
GETTYSBURG. Lee's Second Invasion of the North, June and July, 1863.
—After
the battle of Chancellorsville the two opposing
armies occupied exactly the same positions which they did some
days after the battle of Antietam,
—Hooker
Lee across the river at Fredericksburg.
men by
20,000
Falmouth and
expiration of their term of service.
had been depleted after the sanguinary ville.
at
Hooker
lost
some
His army
battle of Chancellors-
Gen. Lee's forces had been reinforced by the hasty return
of Longstreet
from
his sterile demonstration before Suffolk,
and
by drafts upon every quarter from which a regiment could be secured.
Gen. Lee, with probably a superiority of numbers, for a temporary period, after a month of rest and waiting set his army in
motion up along the south bank of the Rappahannock, concentrating forces at Culpeper Court House.
second invasion of the North. Valley, on
alarm, organized two
and
called
new
then began his
Passing down the Shenandoah
June 14 he defeated R. H. Milroy
and took about 4,000 prisoners.
vania,
And
at Winchester,
The Government had taken
the
military departments in Pennsyl-
on the nearest States for a large number of
militia. (203)
20-J-
THE CIVIL
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Gen. Hooker began to marcli
watching
its passes,
Washington on the
205
nortli
along the Blue Ridge,
through Dumfries
to Centerville, covering
right.
Meantime our cavulrv
onton was constantly confronted by that of
I.
uixlcr l^lcas-
re iuhIci- Stuart,
and nearly every day witnessed some skiniiishinn
al
thr
passes of the mountains.
The Confederates Chambersburg,
Potomac
at
crossed the Potomac, taking possession of
Carlisle,
and York.
Gen. Hooker crossed the
Edwards Ferry, and advanced
to Frederick.
His
army, being strengthened by 15,000 men from the defenses of
Washington, numbered about 100,000, while about equal in It
was very imperative that a force
sufficiently strong should
With
be concentrated to repel the invaders. view. Gen.
army was
Lite's
size.
Hooker desired the troops
this
purpose in
stationed at
Maryland
Heights opposite Harper's Ferry to be withdrawn from that point. to the
Gen. Halleck, General-in-chief
at
Washington, objected
withdrawal of the troops, and instructed Hooker
to
defend
the place on the left and Washington on the right, and meet the
invading army.
After communicating with Halleck, and receiv-
ing his instruction, Hooker sent the following resignation
Sandy Hook, June
27, 1863.
Maj. Gen. H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief Your original instruction required me to cover Harper's Ferry and Washington. I have now imposed upon me, in addition, an enemy in front, of more than my numbers. I beg to be understood, respectfully but firmly, that I am unable to comply with this condition, with the means at my disposal, and earnestly request that I may at once be relieved from the position I occui)y. Joseph Hooker, Maj. Gen. :
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
206
Halleck never had been favorable
He
of this army.
of McClellan, and
had prevented had opposed
Hooker
to
as
commander
his selection as the successor
his selection after the defeat of
Biirnside,
and now very naturally improved the opportunity
aiforded.
The next day Hooker was
at Frederick,
relieved of the
command
and the army was placed under the command of
Gen. G. G. Meade, who was advised that he might do what he pleased with the ^Maryland Heights
men
;
while Couch and his
militia at Harrisburg, estimated at 20,000,
were
also placed
under his orders.
Such a change of commanders on the eve of a great
battle for
no more urgent reasons has but few parallels in history.
Hooker was loved and
ever his faults,
who knew
less of
would have
cast
Meade.
What-
trusted by his soldiers,
If they had been consulted, they
an overwhelming majority vote in favor of
Hooker. Batti^e of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. the Confederate
army occupied
upon the town for $100,000 in and at
clothing.
Y^ork
cash,
Lee had hastened
and
—Gen.
Ewell of
June 28th, and
levied
a vast quantity of food
to concentrate his
whole army
Gettysburg when he heard that the Union army had crossed
the Potomac.
Meade had
fixed a line along
fifteen miles southeast of Gettysburg, as
whereon
to
Pipe creek, some
advantageous ground
meet the foe; but an unexpected encounter precipi-
tated the grand collision,
and brought on the great
battle of
Gettysburg.
On
July 1st Gen. Buford marched upon Gettysburg, where
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
207
he encountered the van of the Confederate army, under Gen.
Heth, of Hill's corps, and drove them back upon their division,
whom
by
our troops were in turn repelled.
F. Reynolds, in
command
and while he went forward
wounded by
And now
he
to reconnoiter,
mortally
fell
a Confederate sharpsliooter.
began a rapid concentration of
had been greatly outnumbered
troops
While Gen. John
of two corps, was rapidly coming up,
west of the village July
1st,
They were
Gettysburg. of the village.
engagement north
and were driven
rallied
fearing reinforcements had come,
into
on Cemetery
The Confederates did not
—
During the afternoon and night
The Union
forces.
in the
and through
Hill, just south
press the advantage,
as indeed they had.
the entire Confederate
army
and the entire Union army, save one corps which arrived on the forenoon of the 2d, had been concentrated along the ridges at Gettysburg, facing each other at distances of from one to two miles.
The next day, July
2d,
was spent in skirmishes and prepara-
tion for battle, until about three o'clock, assault
was made upon the front and flank of
who had advanced from
A
heavy
general
Sickles's corps,
Meade had
instructed
him
to
desperate struggle ensued, but he was forced back with
loss to
Round Top, which
vehemence and determination. carried
ifierce
one-half to three-fourths of a mile
nearer the Confederate line than do.
when a
it,
the
enemy
They
assailed with great
at one time
had nearly
but when reinforcements were thrown upon their
front, they in turn
were driven
to the ridge
from which
Sickles
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
208
had been expelled, and
When
to
which he shonld not have advanced.
night closed on the 2d day of July, the Confederates felt
Their
encouraged and confident. so
loss,
though great, was not
heavy as Meade's. After several sharp conflicts on Friday, July 3d, there was
a pause while the
and posting
its
enemy was making
supreme
batteries for one
decide the terrible contest.
At
its
disposition of troops effort,
which was
length, at one o'clock, 115 heavy
guns from Hill's and Longstreet's front concentered a fire
upon Cemetery
Hill, the center
Meade's headquarters. to the
enemy.
our guns had become heated, to cool
and,
Meade gave
waged.
fit
reply
Finding
orders to cease firing,
enemy's infantry emerged from behind the batter-
moving swiftly forward, supported by the
confident of victory,
summate tlieir
artillery duel
had been
them; and believing that the Union guns had been
silenced, the ies,
of the hill
About 100 Union guns made
For two hours the
terrific
and key of the position of
A little behind the crest
the Federal army.
to
made one determined,
effort to drive the valiant
On
stronghold.
they came
reserves,
desperate and con-
defenders of the Union from
—
Pickett's splendid division,
the flower and pride of their army, in the lead, in that famous
but fatal charge. centrated upon like
Grape and canister and musket-ball were
snow before a summer's sun.
They gathered up
con-
Their lines melted away
the advancing foe. It
was a
their broken fragments
fruitless sacrifice.
and retreated
in
defeat.
Gen. Meade, though not brilliant and daring in his exploits,
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
was wise and
The
able.
209
Confcflorate batteries were strongly
He had Had he
posted on Seminary Ridge; his on Cemetery Kidge.
fought a defensive battle and
won
a decisive victory.
assailed Lee's batteries, the result miglit liavc hcfii ditfcn'iit.
Had Lee
assailed Bnrnside on the heiglits of Fahnouth, he
doubt would have met a similar defeat.
Meade's
mediately.
did not follow the retreating Confederate
His ammunition had becctme
that Lee's
fourth of his
The
intre*nched in a stronger positirm than
at Gettysburg.
Meade know
army
Lee's
assail
to
army
rest of the
wounded on
lay dead or
army were worn out with battle.
army im-
He
scarce.
the field of battle.
the desperate struggle
Only one brigade, standing
at ease,
If he had pressed
constituted the reserve, not brought into use.
victory by an immediate attack upon Seminary Ridge,
forces
might have met a repulse.
nut
Xearly one-
was more completely exhausted.
during the two-days
his
ii<>
Burnside chose rather
his
These are the reasons Meade
did not immediately pursue the retreating foe.
The
Army
evolntion of events after of the
Potomac showed
Meade
took
that he had
command
made
of the
a mistake in
not bringing the Maryland Heights and Couch's troops from
Harrisburg, within aiding distance as a general engagement
became imminent.
They were placed
at his disposal.
With
French's 11,000 from Maryland Heights and Couch's 15,000 or 20,000 at TTarrisburg, his force would have been sufficient to intercept the retreat of Lee,
and administer
a
crushing punishment upon the Confederate army.
— 14
much more
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
210
The Union army
lost
2,834 killed, 13,709 wounded, 6,643
missing (mainly taken prisoners)
The Confederates
;
total,
lost 2'2,500 killed
23,186.
and wounded, besides
about 6,000 prisoners.
During the 2d and 3d the cavalry of both armies kept hovering around the flank of the adversary, with occasional collisions.
At
the close of the battle, Gen. Pleasonton, in
command
of the
cavalry, being satisfied of the demoralization of the
enemy and
Meade
to order a
of the depletion of his ammunition, urged
general advance.
He
chose, however, not to do this.
On
the
4th an advance division of Gen. Couch's militia, about four
thousand strong, arrived as reinforcements
When Meade became retreat,
to the
Union army.
convinced that the enemy was in full
on the 5th he ordered Gen. Sedgwick's Sixth Corps
follow on the track of the fugitives.
to
Reinforcements were soon
sent to the aid of Sedgwick, but he chose rather to hover around their rear, watching them, than to bring about a general en-
gagement.
Gen. Lee recrossed the Potomac at Falling Water and Williarnsport.
Owing
at these places
to the fact that the
Meade
by Lee
to overtake
which enabled the pursuing forces
them while they were
for the reconstruction of the bridge which
A
left
had been taken by Gen. French, a delay occurred
in the retreat of Lee's army,
of
weak guard
council of the corps
commanders
sider the expediency of an attack
collecting material
had been destroyed.
called
by Meade
to con-
upon Lee's army, next morn-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. ing, decided against it.
it
bj a vote of
tliree in
211
favor and five at^ainst
While Meade agreed with the minority,
lie
did not wisli to
take the responsibility of overruling the majority. the 13th, Lee's
army
Tlie
ni^ilit
crossed the Potomac, and contimicd
of its
marcli sonth, with occasional skirmishes between the opposing forces.
CHAPTEK
XVII.
GRANT'S OVERLAND CAMPAIGN. Lieut. Gen. U.
OF the N'orth,
S.
Grant
March
Command of at.l the Armies 1864. On the 29th of February, in
—
12,
1864, Congress revived the grade of Lieutenant-General,
rank
liitlierto
a
accorded only to George Washington (Gen. Scott
being such only
b}^
brevet), and authorizing the President to
command
assign the officer of that rank to
Major-General Ulysses
the United States.
of all the armies of
Grant,
S.
who had
achieved a series of brilliant victories in the West, was chosen to this
command, receiving
eral on the 9th of
the
Army
March
following.*
visit to
fect plans for a simultaneous
West toward Atlanta, and Richmond, he returned headquarters in the liad done.
to
field,
Sherman
movement
the
Army
Brandy
the 10th he visited
Brandy
in the
West
to per-
Potomac toward
Station,
and established
his
instead of at Washington as Ilalleck
of the Potomac, which
*He was nominated
Station,
of the armies in the
of the
Gen. Meade retained immediate
command
had been reorganized and
dated from five corps into three,
mand
On
of the Potomac, with headquarters at
and after making a flying
Army
commission of Lieutenant-Gen-
his
to the rank,
commanded
March
of all the armies on the 12th of March.
(212)
1,
1864,
of the consoli-
respectively by
and assumed com-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Generals Wiiifiold
S.
Hancock
and John Sedgwick (6th).
George
(2ci),
was
It
i:)osted
Warron
S.
(5tli),
statiniuMl in the viV-inity of
Army
Cnlpeper Court Honse; while Lee's ginia was
213
of Northern Vir-
along the Kapidan from Earnett's Ford to
Morton's Ford, a distance of eighteen or twenty miles.
Gen.
Bnrnside, commanding the Ninth Corps in Maryland, crossed the
Potomac and joined Meade's army, thongh
his cf>r])s
was not
formally incorporated into the
Army
the crossing of the Rapidan.
Gen. Halleck was announced as
relieved
from
his
command
at his
of the
own
Potomac
nntil after
and assigned
request,
to
duty in Washington as " Chief of Staff to the Army.''
On
the very day that
south, General
set
out on his
''
Great March "
Grant with an army of more than 100,000 men
commenced the
''
Great Overland Campaign " against General
The order
Lee and Richmond.
was issued
Sherman
May
for the
and the army
2d,
lowing, crossing the
set in
movement motion
Rapidan on Lee's right
at
at
of the
army
midnight
fol-
Germania and
Ely's Fords.
The advantage
of this
movement was found
established an easy avenue of
in the fact that
communications
for
it
snjiplies,
keeping the army near navigable waters, connected with Washington and other depots of supplies.
No
protecting force would
be necessary to cover these short land routes from rivers to the
army.
The
objection consisted in the character of the country to
the south of the Rapidan, through which the a distance of fifteen or twenty miles,
obliged to fight the
first battle.
army had
and in which
it
to
march
would be
,
214
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
CAMPAIGNS.
The Battle of the Wilderness, May ''
Wilderness," which
land,
now
is
growth.
and over
was an almost impenetrable under-
numerous wood
roads, etc.
alry were of
a
forest,
Several good roads crossed the Wilderness.
these there were
In
little
command
Besides
roads, connecting mines, farms,
and cav-
this labyrinth, nnnd^ers, artillery
account
of the roads,
;
— The
of broken table-
hist
seamed with ravines, and covered with
a very large part of its extent
main
5-6, 1864.
but local knowledge of the ground,
and advantage of
were of
position,
prime importance. Gen. Grant had expected, by moving his army to be able to pass
But
unmolested.
through this wilderness
open country
Lee, alert and vigilant, discovered Grant's
Moving
movement.
to the
at midnight,
his
army eastward
to
meet the TTnion
ad-
vance, he formed his lines of battle in the Wilderness some six
miles east of his strong defenses on a safe refuge in case of disaster.
edly to the
Union Generals on
the
Mine Kun, which The
battle
morning of
proffered
opened unexpect-
May
5th,
and con-
tinued for two days with persistent and desperate fighting.
Gen.
Lee had intrenched the whole front of his army, behind which he was willing to receive an attack but from Avhich he Avas not desirous of advancing.
As
the battle in the Wilderness
was not
of Grant's choosing, but wholly Lee's, Grant resolved to resume his march,
centrate his
and accordingly moved southward, aiming
army on
Court House.
the high
ground around
to con-
Spottsylvania
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
The Union were 2,265
On
the
216
losses in this terrible conflict in the Wilrlorness
killed,
Union
10,2^0 wounded, and 2,902 missing.
side Gen.
James
S.
Wadsworth was
and
killed,
Webb
Gens. Hancock (slightly), Getty, Gregg, Owen, Bartlett,
and Carroll wonnded. Lee's loss was no donbt considerably less than Grant's, as he
was fighting on the defensive most of the time, and. of Ewell and Hill, well intrenched.
was
severe, as their
places
were
it
estimate,
Gens.
at 8,000.
killed.
own
Sam
in the case
JN^evertheless,
which
is
their loss
the lowest made,
Jones and Albert G. Jenkins
x\mong the wounded were Gens. Longstreet
(dis-
abled for months), Pickett, Pegram, and Hunter.
Spottsylvania Court House, evening of
May
left of Lee,
7th,
Grant commenced
toward Richmond.
a
8-12, 1864.
— On
the
night movement to the
This brought Lee's army
for-
Several spirited conflicts resulted in the march south-
ward.
ward between the opposing
On
May
the 9th the
forces.
Union troops were concentrated around
sylvania Court House, confronted by the ginia under Lee. of his
Army
Spotr-
of !N'orth Vir-
AVhile placing his guns, and bantering some
men who winced
at flying bullets.
Gen. Sedgwick was
instantly killed by a Confederate sharpshooter in a time of com-
parative quiet.
next day,
when
Gen. H. G. Wright succeeded
to his
command
a general engagement took place with no decisive
results.
Gen. Grant next morning the following pithy bulletin
dis])atclied to tlie
Wnr
TV'pnrtmont
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
216
"We have this
time
Our
is
Headquarters in tfte Field, May 11, now ended the sixth day of heavy fighting. much in our favor.
1^64
— 8 a. m.
The
result to
have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy. I think enemy must be greater. have taken 5,000 prisoner by battle, whilst he has taken few from losses
the loss of the
We
us but stragglers. I propone to fight
H
summer. U. S. Grant, Lientenant-General Conimanding the Armies of out on this line if
The next day was spent
density.
ward
takes all
the
U.S.
in reconnoitering, skirmishing,
The afternoon and night were
getting ready for battle.
When morning
it
and
rainy.
came, the rain gave place to a fog of intense
Under cover
of this fog. Gen.
the (Confederates in two lines.
Hancock advanced
to-
Before him was a salient
angle of earthworks protecting the foe, behind which Gen. Ed-
ward Johnson's division of EwelFs corps noiselessly sweeping over the rugged
vening betw^een the two
lines, the
the very earthworks unobserved.
rested.
and wooded
Swiftly and sj^ace inter-
Union troops pressed up
to
Dashing with a thundering
cheer over the front and flank of the enemy's works, and surprising the foe in his trenches, they captured Gen.
Johnson, Brig. Gen. Geo. oners,
prise
who were
was
over,
IT.
Stewart,^' and about 3,000 pris-
sent to the rear.
and their
Stewart and Hancock
Edward
After the Confederates' sur-
rally to this point
was complete, one of
w^ere old army friends before the opening of AVhen Stewart was brought before Hancock as a prisoner, the latter extended his hand and very cordially inquired, "How are you, Stewart?'' Stewart haughtily re])lied, "I am General Stewart, of the Confederate Army, and, under the circumstances, I decline to take your hand." "And under any other circumstances, General, I should not have offered it," was the prompt and fit response of the victor.
the war.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
217
the most reiiiarkal^lc conflicts ever recoil led in history ensued.
Charge followed
clia
Five desperate assaults by Lee upon lowed, but without success.
men
'Jdie
succession.
in
llic
captured works
rapi
same breastworks.
Five dreadful assaults bv the enemy were
Hancock was unable
all
to
refxdled
with
advance any far-
J\ain set in about noon, but the fighting continued until
ther.
midnight, Avhen Lee's army was withdrawn from the
and
fol-
fought hand-to-hand, with
their banners planted on opposite sides of the
frightful carnage, l)ut
the annals of
!••;('
immediately in front of Hancock's.
fortified a line
The Union army resumed mond.
As
it
its
march next day toward Rich-
moved southward, new
Port Koyal, and later
at
bases were established at
White House, on the York
river.
base on the north of the Rapidan was abandoned for a at Fredericksburg,
conflict,
and that
White House,
at
army made
Richmond.
successive marches toward
Toward
new one
Fredericksburg for the one
at
Port Royal, and this one for the one
Sheridan's Raid
The
Richiniond, INFay, 1804.
at
as the
—Gen.
Sheridan, with the better part of his cavalry led by .Merritt,
Wilson, and Gregg, was on
Richmond.
May
9th dispatched on a raid toward
Moving southward, and destroying
railroads, stores,
and supplies, he met the Confederate cavalry under Gen.
J. E.
B. Stuart at Yellow Tavern, a few miles north of Richmond.
Gen. Stuart and Brig.
Gen.
J.
B.
Gordon were mortally
wounded, and their force driven toward Ashland, leaving the road to Richmond open.
The outer works
capital were taken, but the inner
of the Confederate
works could not be taken with
218 the force at the
WAR BY
THE CTVIL
Army
hand
CAMPAIGNS.
and Sheridan moved north, and again joined
;
of the Potomac, after an absence of little
two weeks, in season
to take part in the
more than
bloody battle of Cold
Harbor.
Genekal Butler's Movement Against Richmond AND June, 1864.
—Gen. Butler, commanding
was sent
menace Richmond from that
roe,
to
same time Grant began his infantry
and
artillery,
25,000 strong.
May Mon-
at Fortress
direction, at the
Embarking
Overland Campaign.
his
in
Gen.
Butler
pro-
ceeded up the James river, and then passed southward by land to
within three miles of
Petersburg.
summoned from Charleston that
section,
to
from Washington
Beauregard was
Gen.
,with all the available forces from
oppose Gen. Butler's demonstration. to tlie effect that
N'ews
Lee could not long withstand
the advance of Grant's vicorious army, led Butler north to participate in the expected speedy capture of
Richmond.
Gen.
Beauregard was not long in following the Union army toward
Richmond, and suddenly made a desperate attack upon resulted in a loss of about four thousand
men
to
it,
Gen. Butler's
army, and almost an equal number to the Confederates.
was some fighting along the front of the
lines
-which
There
from the 17th
to
the 21st, with considerable loss on each side, but Avith no decisive results.
North Anna, May Grant was moving
his
south, he ordered Gen.
the available troops,
23-26,
1864.— On
the 22d of
May, while
army from Spottsylvania Court House Smith of Butler's command
some 10,000 in number,
to
bring
to join the
all
Army
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. of the Potomac.
Gon. Beaiiroonrrl
rpcoivrrl
210 from Oon. Lrr a
Hke ordrr for troops, which was complird with.
army
harl
behin
1
Gen.
House Rut
hoen diminished he settled down
Aftor
IJiitlcr's
to a policy df inHction
intrenchments.
Grant's to "N'orth
flankinc^
Anna was admirably
this mo\(')ii(Mit
held by Lee,
Richmond.
advance from
who
V.nrt
C
execnted, without nnv
was readily detected fi'om the
liitrh
loss.
mi-oiukI
possessed the best and most direct ronte to
Gen. Grant was compelled
Anna
river,
it
found
to
make
When
detour eastward, over inferior roads.
reached Nortli
Spnttsylvjiiiia
its
a
the
considerable
Union army
old anta,2:onist planted
across the stream in an admirable position, and prepared to dis-
pute any further advance.
Hancock, Warren and Wright
ef-
fected a passage of the river with little difficulty, but Burnside
was driven back when he attempted river between the right
and
left
to
push his corps across the
wings of the Union army.
Real-
izing that Lee's position, with his left resting on Little river and his right protected
by
a
swamp and
his front strongly fortitied,
was almost imjiregnable, Grant,^' after deliberate and careful
*An incident in Grant's march, told by him: *'I was seated on the porch of a fine plantation house, waiting for Burnside's corps to pass. Meade and his staff, besides my own staff, were with me. The lady of the house, a Mrs. Tyler, and an elderly lady were ])resent. Burtiside, seeing me, came up on the porch, his big spurs and saber rattling as he walked. He touched his hat politely to the ladies, and said he supposed they had never seen so many live Yankees before. The elderly Many more.' lady spoke up promf)tly, saying, 'Oh, yes, I have. 'Where?' said Burnside. 'In Richmond.' Prisoners, of course, was
understood."
220
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
CAMPAIGNS.
May
reconnoissance, caiitiouslj witlirlrcw his armj, the front of the enemy's lines, recrossed
eastward for a distance, again
down
tlie
from
pnshing Passing
for llichmond.
set srnitli
Pamunkey, which he crossed
to tlie
26,
river, and,
at llanovertown, he
pushed on for the Chickahominy.
Cold Harbor, June
1-12, 1864.
—Gen.
the shorter route, again intrenched his the
movement southward
had sho\vn his aversion
Now
army
so as to intercept
of the Potomac.
to sacrificing the lives of his
Grant
men
Anna, while another avenue toward Richmond was
N^orth
him
Army
of the
Lee, marching by
at
o23en.
he believed that the great object of the campaign required disregard the advantages of position possessed by the for-
to
tified
enemy.
Gen.
W.
F. Smith, with 10,000
from Butler's command, arrived took post on the
Union
right.
men
detached
in the latter part of ^lay,
and
Gen. Meade gave orders for an
advance with a view to forcing a passage of the Chickahominy.
On
the afternoon of the 2d of
June an
assault
was made upon
who were driven
the advance
lines of the Confederates,
second
line,
which
Meade
resolved that the Confederate lines should be broken on
the
Avas
much
stronger than the
first.
to their
Grant and
morrow.
Before sunrise on June 3d the whole Union front moved
ward bravely, firmly and swiftly foe.
They were
re^julsed,
for-
to a valiant assault of the
however,
with
terrible
slaughter.
Greeley says:
"Twenty minutes after the first shot was fired, 10,000 of onr men were stretched writhing on the sod, or still and calm in death; while
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
221
the enemy's loss was little more than 1,000. And when, some hours later, orders were sent by Gen. INIeade to each corps commander to renew the assault at once, without regard to any other, the men .^imply and unanimously refused to obey."
The of
and aromid Cold Harbor was abont 13,000,
total loss at
whom
1,700 were killed, 9,000 wounded, and abnut l\:UIO
There
missing.
May
27th of
to
no record of the Confederate
is
12th of Jnne, but
it is
loss
from the
estimated at abont three
or fonr thousand killed, wounded, and missing.
Gen. Lee, overestimating the
effect of the repulse
upon the
morale of our men, hazarded a night attack upon the hastily constructed defenses of the Federal front, but he was repulsed
On
at every point.
the Gth an armistice of two hours,
from
four to six o'clock, was agreed upon for the removal of the
wounded lying between
the armies, and for the burial
<»f
the
dead.
Grant now decided right,
south.
move
to cross the
Chickahominy far
across the James, and attack
Kichmond from
This exposure of the Federal capital favor among
little
who had
and reasonable repugnance
that
would open the way
The Army of the
James
of the
to
June
authorities at Washington,
in
12th.
The Overland Campaign
movement down
the
any movement
motion for the passage
Gen. Grant's movement fr(jm Rapidan called "
to
Washington.
Potomac was put
river on
the
to a possible attack
from Lee met with a settled
to Lee's
to
Cold Harbor
is
" in contrast to McClellan's
Potomac and Chesapeake two years
before.
222
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
CAMPAIGNS. #
March upon Petersburg, June, was
crossiiii^
to take
1864.
— While Gen. Grant
the James, he ordered Butler to attempt speedily
Petersburg with the corps of Gen. Smith, which had
been returned to him from the
Army
of the Potomac.
It be-
came known that the van of Lee's army under A. P. Hill was already south of Pichmond. Petersburg,
tlio
liead of sloop navigation
twenty-two miles south of Richmond,
river,
on the Appomattox is
the focus of all
railroads excepting one connecting the Confederate capital with
the south and southwest.
It
and could have been taken
movement against
orous
was poorly defended
if
it.
at this time,
Gen. Smith had conducted a vig-
But
inaction and hesitancy per-
mitted the opportunity to capture the place to pass by. the night of
June 15th many
of Lee's veterans found rest and
The next day
shelter behind the works.
the Confederate
in the vicinity of the
The mainly the
same
Army
of the
enemy had not
Potomac had arrived
places.
despei'ate struggle for Petersburg to that city.
Army
Richmond and
of Virginia had taken refuge in and around
Petersburg, while most of the
During
had drawn the enemy
Gen. Grant, believing that a large part of yet arrived, ordered a general assault upon
Petersburg on the 18th.
The
assault
was not a
success.
The Federal
troops were re-
pulsed with heavy losses and a few prisoners.
The enemy,
sheltered behind their works, bore but light hjss. It
had now been established that Petersburg could not be
carried by direct assault, no matter what force might be hurled
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. against
it.
mond was siege
From
that day the siege of Petersburg and
resolved upon, and the regular
was begun.
His cavalry was
ing off his attacks.
gain the southern capital. to
the heavy drains
in ward-
sent on various expedi-
would be threatened, and then another
The Confederate
away from day
Ki(;li-
work of conducting the
Grant kept Lee constantly occupied
tions; one point of line
attacked.
223
chieftain repelled
But he witnessed
day faster than
it
all
his
attempts tn
army
wejiii!iii
could be reinforced, while
upon the Union ranks could be replenished by
frequent reinforcements.
Tn vain did Lee try
to
break through
the lines of his antagonist, or to divert his attention by raids
threatening Washington. closer
He
only beheld the Union lines press
and firmer around his dwindling and weakening army,
as it lay intrenched
and besieged
The Mine Explosion, July
in the
30,
Confederate capital.
1864.
—Gen.
Burnside's
corps held a position directly in front of Petersburg, where a fort projected in
advance of the Confederate
tended within 150 yards of the Union
lines.
lines,
Under
and
a mine had been run frum a convenient ravine within our
which was entirely screened from the enemy's observation. the 30th of July the
mine was
fired,
ex-
this fort lines,
On
annihilating the fort and
destroying the garrison of 300 men, leaving a gigantic hollow of loose earth, 150 by 60 feet, and twenty-five or thirty feet deep.
The Union guns opened
all
along the front upon the
astonished enemy, and a strong storming party was ordered to press through the gap thus formed.
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
224
Gen. Grant speaks of the mine affair as follows: '^
There had been some delay on the
vancing, bnt some
and
carrying the
left,
rifle-pits as
and right in ad-
left
and tnrn
of the troops did get in
to the right
I expected they wonld do.
" I'here had been great consternation in Petersbnrg, as
were well aware, to explode.
rnmored mine that we were going
alxnit the
We
.
.
.
we
had learned throngh a deserter who
had come in that the people had very wild rnmors abont what
was going tersbnrg
;
They
on.
somewhat based expected that
and
left
moved the
said
we had nndermined
that they were resting
my
when
would
flee
]:)roniptly,
npon
calculations
to realize the true situation.
would
We
be.
hour before musketry-firing,
men
in the crater.
artillery to play
got '^
could see the
f'ffort
was
It
just
with-
was half an
was an hour before the enemy got it
was nine
to help in expelling
failure.
captured, — and
all
due
o'clock before
Lee
our troops. It cost us 4,000
men,
to the inefficiency
on
command(M% and the incompetency of the
the part of the corps
commander
It
men running
any amount, was opened upon
was a stupendous
mostly, however,
division
It
to
upon them, and
up reinforcements
The
to the right
could get in and strengthen themselves before
out any ap])arent object except to get away.
our
and
this state of feeling,
mine was exploded the troops
the
I
in all directions, and that our troops, if they
enemy had come
as I expected it
the whole of Pe-
npon a slumbering volcano.
wlio
Embarrassments.
was sent
—Gen.
wanted reinforcements.
He
to lead the assault."
Sherman, who was
was willing
at
to take the
Atlanta,
raw troops
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. being raised in the N'ortliwest.
225
Grant kept watch
(^jn-
tliat
federate reinforcements should not be sent from Viriiinia, to
Sherman from
7nove against that Gen.
Kirby Smith,
river forces,
might
held ready to hold
command
It
was
feartnl
of the trans-"Mi8sissipi)i
go against Sherman; but a force was
also
him
in
his north or east.
in check.
In the midst of these embar-
rassments, Halleck informed Gi'ant that there was an organized
scheme on foot in the North
to resist the draft;
he suggested
that troops might be required to put the rising down,
vised him, at the
same time, "
and ad-
and not go too
to take in his sail
fast."
Wei.don Railroad Taken, August
18, 1864.
— While Sher-
idan was conducting a telling campaign against Early in the
Shenandoah Valley, Grant was active before Richmond and Petersburg.
He
ordered a demonstration against
Richmond on
the south side of the James, August 14th, to prevent
forcements from being sent to Early.
The
more
rein-
threat'r^ning position
was maintained for a number of days, with more or mishing, and some tolerably hard fighting.
less skir-
Instructions had
been given to prevent anything like a general battle unless there should be opportunities for a decided success.
This demonstration against Richmond caused Lee
draw many of Gen. Warren
his troops to capture
to with-
from Petersburg.
Grant then ordered
Weldon Railroad,
a road of great im-
portance to the enemy, as the avenues for bringing Confederate supplies to the
army were already being nmch
was evident that the capture and maintenance of
— 15
contracted. this road
It
would
226
THE CIVIL
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
The movement was made
bring about some desperate fighting.
on the morning of August 18th.
was
the road
carried, the
ments sent to hold
it.
new
After some heavy fighting
position fortified,
and reinforce-
Lee made repeated attempts
to dislodge
Warren's corps, but without success, and with heavy
The
cost to the
possession of the
Union army
in the entire
movement
losses.
for the
Weldon Railroad was about 4,550 men
killed,
wounded, and missing, most of them prisoners ; while Lee's
loss
was some less than half that number.
Ream^s Station, August
against Richmond, the rear of
moved rapidly toward the Weldon road
Warren.
Striking
His
it
commenced tearing up the
a considerable portion of
When
—Hancock, who had been
from the north of the James in the demonstration
recalled
21, he
21, 1864.
it,
in
near Ream's Station, August road.
After having destroyed
he was vigorously attacked by Hill.
night came, Hancock withdrew from Ream's Station.
was 2,400 (1,700 prisoners) out of 8,000, and
loss
was but
Hill's
little less.
This disaster did not loosen Warren's hold upon the Weldon Railroad.
He
had. made his position impregnable, and Lee
was
compelled to see one of his important lines of communication pass from him.
This closed the active operations around Richmond for the winter.
There were frequent skirmishes among the pickets, but
no serious battle took place between the contending forces until the following spring.
CHAPTER
XVIII.
8HEKIDAN AND EARL.Y IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, 1864. Sigel's
Defeat at ISTewmarket, May
15, 1864.
—-Grant's
comprehensive plan of campaign embraced not only the Overland Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, and Butler's
movement toward Richmond, but rected up the
was under Gen.
Sigel,
Sigel accordingly
and the
latter
moved up
movements
the cooperative
Shenandoah and Kanawha
under Gen. Crook.
the valley on
May
10,000 men, and was met near Newmarket by
army
di-
The former
valleys.
of equal force under Breckinridge.
1,
1864, with
a Confederate
army was
Sigel's
de-
feated with a loss of 700 men, and driven back to Cedar creek,
near Strasburg.
Gen. Crook moved from Charlestown, with a force of about eight thousand men, at the
same time Sigel
left
Winchester;
but by dividing his forces he was compelled to retreat from the
enemy, and missed an opportunity
to
strike
a
telling
blow
against him.
Gen. Grant
Hunter
rel levied
in his place.
Sigel of
command,
The pressure upon Gen.
and
named
Gen.
Lee's forces led to
the withdrawal of Breckinridge, with the better part of his forces, for the defense of Riclimond, while left in
command
of the remaining forces. (227)
W.
E. Jones was
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
228
March on Lynchburg, June met
at
fifteen
Jones was
Piedmont.
18, 1864.
killed, his
—The
army
two armies
routed,
and about
Hunter
hundred prisoners taken, and 3,000 small arms.
advanced
to Staunton,
Averill, bringing his
where he
numbers up
Hunter was ordered
by Crook and
w^as reinforced
20,000 men.
to
Blue Ridge and take Lynch-
to cross the
burg, the chief city in the western part of Virginia, situated
and populous region.
in a rich
the Confederates, as
it
had
It
at that
was
of great importance to
time extensive manufactories,
was located on the James river and canal, and in unbroken road communication with
Richmond and Petersburg on
hand and the farther South on the a considerable force
the attack
Gen. Lee dispatched
other.
from Richmond under Gen. Early
Early arrived
relief of the city.
at
rail-
the one
to the
Lynchburg the day before
was commenced, June 18th.
Hunter's ammunition
ran low, while great numbers were rallying to overwhelm him
he had no choice but to retreat, closely pursued as far as Salem.
Hunter marched north
into
West Virginia, over an
exhausted and desolated region, living on the country as he went.
The
loss of horses
was compelled
to
and the suffering of his men were
make
a circuitous
to escape severe punisliment, rivers,
time,
Early's er's failure
his
army
He
by way of the Kanawha and Ohio
and by Parkersburg and Grafton.
and rendered
great.
and harassing movement,
This took a long
of no service until
Movement on Washington, July,
its
return.
1864.
—Hunt-
before Lynchburg, followed by his circuitous march
to return to the contested soil of Virginia, left the
Shenandoah
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
229
Valley in possession of Early, and Washington open to a possible raid.
Early took advantage of
the forces ho rmilrl muster, he
all
Summoning
this weakness.
marched toward the National
Capital.
Gen.
Lew
Wallace, in
moved forward
enemy
the
at
command
in the face of
Monocacy.
of a small force at Baltimore,
overwhelming numbers, and met
While he did not expect
victory, he succeeded in delaying the advance
Grant,
Meade
learning of the gravity of the situation,
to dispatch
Wright's corps
The J^ineteenth Corps, arriving from Louisiana
Army
directed
its
way
of the Potomac,
was
Monroe, on
Both these corps arrived
directed to Washington.
at
Washing-
ton on the 11th, the day on which Early arrived before the
The
troops in defense of Washington
now numbered
city.
40,000,
while those of Early, reduced to about 15,000 men, beat a treat.
er's
a
Washington.
to the relief of
at Fortress
to reinforce the
gain
to
upon Washington.
re-
Gen. Wright pursued feebly through Leesburg and Snick-
Gap
to the
Shenandoah, where his advance was attacked
and driven back with a burg, turned his
loss of 500.
command
Wright retreated
to Lees-
over to Crook, and returned to Wash-
ington.
Grant, deceived by advices that Early was returning to Lynch-
burg and Bichmondj ordered the Sixth and to be returned
by water
command
of the depleted forces
through Harper's Eerry
Corps
to Petersburg, so as to strike a telling
blow against Lee before Early's return. in
jSTineteenth
to
Crook,
who was
on the Potomac,
left
moved
Winchester, supposing there was
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
230
nothing there to stop
liini.
close at hand, and, falling
mand own
pell iiicU to
loss
Early had not gone south, hnt was
upon Crook's
Martinsburg, with a
much
being
CAMPAIGNS.
loss of
1,200 men, his
less.
Early was undisputed master of that region. north, the people of
com-
force, drove his
As he moved
Maryland and sonthern Pennsylvania were
thrown into consternation.
McClausland was sent on a sweeping raid northward. ing through Carlisle, and entering Chambersburg, he
Pass-
demanded
$100,000 in gold or $500,000 in currency, under penalty of conflagration.
The money not being
town was
and two-thirds of
fired,
it
instantly produced, the
destroyed.
The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps,
Avhich
farther south than Georgetown, were recalled
had proceeded no
from
their south-
ern destination and sent to Harper's Eerry, where they joined
Crook with part of Hunter's long-expected infantry on the very day Chambersburg was burned.
The whole
force started in a
delusive pursuit of Early's army.
Sheridan in Command in the Shenandoah, August 18H4.
—News
of the disaster to the
Union cause
7,
lead to the ap-
pointment of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan to operate against the invading forces.
He
was placed in command of the newly
organized " Middle Department," composed of the late depart-
ments of West Virginia, Washington, and Susquehanna, and two divisions of cavalry which were sent to him by Grant. Sheridan's whole force
now numbered
about 30,000 men, and
Early confronted him with about 20,000.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
231
Grant informs us that when Sheridan was appointed (August
7,
1864)
new command, but two words of instruction They were, " Go in " and Sheridan wont in.
to the
—
were necessary.
Sheridan met Early Sept. 13, at the crossing of Opoquan creek.
The enemy was
strongly posted behind his fortifications,
but his forces were separated, having sent two divisions to tinsburg for the destruction of the Baltimore
& Ohio
A
the
well-planned and vigorous assault
upon
drove them in utter rout through Winchester. in this battle
was fully 3,000, while the foe
Mar
Railroad.
Confederates
The Union
lost
3,000
loss
in pris-
oners alone.
Early
fell
back
to Fisher's Hill, eight
Chester, taking post in
what was regarded
position in the valley.
Pursuing
two days quan. severe,
was
later,
His
was
light,
so sharp that
ton,
Early was compelled
Ope
The pursuit
to leave the valley
and
Sheridan pursued him as far as Staun
and swept the valley on
tions addressed
at
while that of the enemy was morp
prisoners and 16 guns were taken.
take to the mountains.
Win
Sheridan attacked him
and gained a more decisive victory than
loss
— 1,100
closely,
miles south of
as the very strongest
his return pursuant to the instrnr-
by Gen. Grant
to
Gen. Hunter on August 5th.
Sweeping the Shenandoah Valley, September and October, 1864.
—All
the grain and forage not already appropri-
ated to the needs of one or the other of the armies which fre-
quently chased up and
down
the fertile valley, were gathered
up, or, with the barns and mills which held them, consigned to the torch.
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
232
The
follcnvin^
is
an extract from the report sent by Gen. Sher-
idan to Gen. Grant:
"Woodstock, Va.,
...
Oct.
7,
1864—9
p. m.
have dpstroyed over 2,000 barns filled with wheat and hay and farming implements, over 70 mills filled with flonr and wheat; have driven in front of the army over 4,000 head of stock, and have killed and issued to the troops not less than 3,000 ''Lt.Gni. V. 8. Grant:
I
sheep.
"This destruction embraces the I;uray valley and Little Fort valley, main valley. "A large number of horses have been obtained, a proper estimate of which I cannot now^ make. "Lt. John E. Meigs, my engineering 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 papers from commanders who have been
as well as the
hitherto in that valley. " The people here are getting sick of the war.
been living
in
great abundance.
The excuse that whatever
Heretofore, they have
..."
for the devastation of the valley
was
left there
wonld be used
was the certainty enemy's
to feed the
armies and facilitate raids and incursions on the Union posts.
The Confederates had (Jhambersburg.
established a precedent in
They threatened
to
burn
tlie
New York
Sheridan's raid through the Shenandoah Valley. atrocity
was actually attempted a few weeks
were statipned throughout the to
city,
In
ments were sent
to Early.
fact, the
who simultaneously
little
set fire
Each
fire
damage had been done.
Battt.e of Cki>ar Crkek, October 19, 1S64.
He
city after
Emissaries
later.
the large hotels wherein they had taken lodgings.
was quickly extinguished, after but
burning of
—Reinforce-
advanced down the valley, and
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. thoroughly oroanizrrl his Fisher's Hill.
Whrn Early
233
forc^os in thn forpst-soropnorl
oamp noar
Shoridnii had boon siiminoiipd to Washington.
brcanio aware of his adversary's absence, he de-
cided to attempt to retrieve his shattered fortunes.
from
his
camp
at night,
climbing up and down steep with canteens
left in
hills,
camp
lest
muskets and make a noise. fell
upon the Union forces
Union ranks. the defenses,
attack
'J'he
paths,
over almost impassable ground,
they shonld
clattei-
against their
Karly suddenly and nnexju-ctedly in
camp
at
Cedar Creek
All Avas amazement
of October 19th.
Tssning
army moved over rngged
liis
was
a
the
I
and confusion
dawn the
in
The enemy swept over
furious.
and after a brief but ineffectual resistance SherGen. Wright, who was
idan's troops were put to flight.
porary command, made great effort to stem the ebbing
in
tem-
tide,
and
eventually succeeded in arresting the retreat of most of his men.
Sheridan, having left Washington on the 18th, reached Win-
The next morning,
chester that night.
command, ominous sounds
as he started to join his
of battle were wafted to his ears,
and men came running from the front in panic, of disaster.
Sending the cavalry
at
telling the story
Winchester across the
val-
ley to stop the stragglers, he at once hastened to the scene of action,
and addressed the fugitives
We
other way, boys!
going to lick them stored.
the
The
flight
army placed
as he
met them:
^'
are going back to our camps!
out of their boots!"
was ended.
in position.
Face the
We
Confidence was
are re-
Intrenchments were erected, and
A
furious assault was
made by
the Confederates, but they were repulsed by one o'clock.
At
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
234
three o'clock the order tire line
was given
On
advance."
to the
they went in
Union
troops,
determined charge upon
a
The famished
they had gained, in great disorder and utter rout.
down
en-
them hack over the ground
the hitherto exultant foe, driving
infantry sank
The
''
in their recovered quarters to shiver through
the night, as the rations
and cooks that were there in the morn-
ing had long since paid tribute to the enemy, or found shelter in
Winchester.
The Union
loss
The Confederate
was ahont three thousand loss
was heavier, including 1,500 prisoners,
23 guns (not counting 23 guns ing,
in the donble battle.
lost
by the Federals in the morn-
and recovered at night), besides small arms, wagons,
etc.
This battle praetieally closed the campaign in the ShenanSeveral small cavalry skirmishes occurred after
doah Valley. this.
Early's
army was
practically destroyed.
Sheridan says, more men
killed,
infantry and a
forces,
little
had
lost,
as
wounded and captured, than
he (Sheridan) had commanded from
mained of Early's
He
first to last.
What
re-
with the exception of one division of
was sent
cavalry,
to
Eiehmonrl.
After the
withdrawal of the Confederate forces most of the Union troops
were sent
to reinforce the arm}^ of the
Potomac.
This victory, snatched from the jaws of defeat, aifords one of the rare instances in which an
morning
is
more thoroughly
inforced in the
The
battle of
army thoroughly defeated
victorions in the evening, being re-
meantime by a
single
man.
Cedar Creek has been dedicated
to all lovers of
poetry, in the popular poem, " Sheridan's Hide.'' by
Buchanan Read.
in the
Thomas
CHAPTEK PKACF. COMMISSIONS,
XIX.
AND SURRKNDER OF
Peace Commissions of July, 1864. forts
were made during July, 1864,
— Two
io
open
T.KF.
unRuccrssfiil pftlip
door
to
the
termination of hostilities between the Xorth and the South.
One
of these originated with certain
Confederates,
C^anada, viz.: Messrs. Clement C. Clay, of Alahaiua;
Holcombe, of Virginia; and Geo. N. Sanders.
if full
protec-
Horace Greeley was appointed a
were guaranteed them.
commissioner
go to Niagara to meet the gentlemen, and
to
in
Tliey agreed to
proceed to Washington in the interests of peace, tion
then
James P.
in-
augurate proceedings which might lead to the restoration of peace, the
abandonment of
whole Union.
IN'othing,
slavery,
and the preser\ation of the
however, came of the interview.
Another irregular and wholly clandestine negotiation had been at the same time in progress at Pichmond, results.
Mr.
J.
w^ith similar
Rev. Col. James F. Jaques, Seventy-third
R. Gilmore, of
New
Illinois,
York, had, with President Lincoln's
knowledge but not with his formal permission, paid
Richmond on
a peace errand.
A
discussion occurred between these
The Confederate stating that he
came; and now
long, familiar
men and
a visit to
and earnest
President Davis.
chief presented his ultimatum, which, after
had tried it
with
to avert war, read as follows:
must go on
until the last
(235)
man
"
War
of this gener-
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
236
ation falls in his tracks fight
our
battle,
We
qoveriimpnt.
seize his
and
musket and
you acknovApdge our right
We
are not fighting for slarery.
for independence ;
The
and his children
unless
that or extermination
we
to
self-
are fighting
will have."
was fighting not
knowledge of the fact that the South
only against the abolition of slavery but against the Union, was
worth a great deal
to the
Union cause
in the N"orth.
Factions
war were by
hitherto opposed to the continuation of the
this
proclamation rallied to the support of a vigorous prosecution of
war measures.
Hampton Roads Peace Commission, February, ISTegotiations for the termination of hostilities
February, 1865.
foot, in
1865.
were again
set
on
Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-Presi-
dent of the Confederate States;
John A. Campbell, Assistant
War; and Robert M.
T. Hunter, a Confederate Sen-
Secretary of ator
from Virginia, were permitted
to pass Grant's lines before
Petersburg, and proceeded to Fortress Monroe.
by Secretary Seward and President Lincoln.
They were met But
as the com-
missioners were not authorized to concede the reunion of the States,
and
as the President
the meeting
would not
treat on
any other
basis,
was of short duration, and the parties separated
without accomplishing anything.
The Confederate Gloom and the departure of the Peace tive quiet.
It
own
—The winter
Commission was spent
was one of gloom and despair
as they beheld their ejBfort to
Despair.
after
in compara-
to the Confederates
numbers diminish in spite of every
increase them, and witnessed their adversaries tighten-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. iiig tlieir
tions
237
hold, wliicli would inevitably crush them.
Their deser-
were nnineruns, not only among" those who were with Lee
around Richmond, but throughout the whole Confederacy. the eleventh
hour they attempted
to recruit their depleted rank-
by freeing and arming such slaves only as were deemed military service.
men between
Tliey had already conscripted
sixty, calling
Now
the ages of eighteen and turty-five.
them junior
reserves,
fur
lit
all able-budie
passed a law conscripting the boys from fourteen calling
At
and the men from
they
to eighteen,
forty-five to
them senior reserves.*
South of Lee was Sherman, moving with unimpeded progress.
West
of
him was Stoneman's cavalry
his victorious
division,
army which had overwhelmed Hood.
him was Sheridan with 10,000 cavalry to destroy the
and Thomas with
remnant
of Early's force.
ISTurth of
at Winchester, ready
And
in his front stood
Gen. Grant with a force outnumbering his two ready to lock him in the embrace of death.
to
one,
and
The number
of
Confederate desertions indicated that they had lost hope and
had become despondent.
Many
plication to be sent ISTorth, until
the
war was
over,
in the
South were making ap-
where they might
when they
find
employment
would return to their
Southern homes.
Sheridan Opens the Campaign, March, 1865.
— Setting
out from Winchester un the 27th of February, Sheridan began
*Gen. Butler, in alluding to their conscription, remarked that were thus " robbing tlie cradle and the grave."
tliey
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
288
a magnificent cavalry raid, aimed at
communications
him
the liberty of joining
with the ing
generally*.
Army
His instructions from Grant
Sherman
down through Staunton with fell
routed, left of
a force of 10,000
upon Early
intrenched at Waynesboro.
Pass-
mounted
head of some 2,500
at the
His force was almost instantly
and 1,600 prisoners taken.
Tn
fact,
there
was
little
Early's force excepting himself, who, perceiving the drift
of the battle, absented himself, and found refuge in
neighboring houses or in the woods. peai-ance in public
last ap-
life.
Lynchburg had taken
the warning, and received reinforce-
While
so as to
make them unfordable with pontoon
destroyed the
some of the
This was Early's
ments.
the continuous spring rains flooded the streams
James
river canal,
trains,
negroes had joined his
command,
Sheridan
and tore up the Lynchburg
Railroad as far west as Amherst Court House.
Some 2,000
assisting considerably in the
tearing-up of the railroad and in the canal.
left
to the south, or uniting
of the Potomac, as conditions might arise.
men, on March 2d he
men
Lynchburg and the enemy's
\V(jrk
of destroying the
Passing through Columbia, he reached White House on
March 19 and
after resting here, he passed
and reported
Gen. Grant for orders before Petersburg on the
;
to
down
to the
James,
27th, in time to take part in the reduction of the Confederate capital.
Lkk's Attack upon Fort Stedman,
March
25,
1865.
Foreseeing the speedy downfall of the Confederate cause, unless a telling blow should be struck against
some part of the
encir-
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
239
cling armies, and an avenue of escape opened, Lee resolved to
anticipate Grant's initiative
Union
lines.
army
attack upon the
This attack was made upon Fort Stedman, nearly
east of Petersburg,
Grant's
movement by an
where
success
its
would have probably cut
in two, and opened a door for a successful with-
drawal of the Confederate army southward by the most direct route, to unite
with Johnstou, in an endeavor tu overpower
Sherman.
The
assault
was made by Gen. John B. Gordon, early on the
morning of March 25th, and Fort Stedman with three uous batteries was taken by surprise. l^ee
had massed in the rear
contig-
The 20,000 men whom
as support
had failed
to
respond
promptly, for some cause, and the forts were promptly retaken,
and
all
who
the Confederate troops
in number, were taken prisoners.
entered them, about 4,000
In
short, it
was the " Mine
Explosion " repeated, with points of disaster reversed.
from prisoners, the
loss to
Aside
each side was about 2,500.
Meade, perceiving the depleted ranks of the enemy in
Gen.
his front,
in a spirited attack captured the strongly intrenched picket line.
Lee thus, instead of freeing himself from Grant's grip, had only tightened
it
by his
Five Fokks, April for a final campaign,
army. left
assault.
1,
1865.
—Grant prepared arrangements
which resulted in the capture of Lee's
The determined advance was commenced by
on the 29th of ^larch.
To
the
Union
the flanking of the enemy's right
was now imposed the additional task of intercepting and cluding Lee's withdrawal to A^orth Carolina.
Hence, the
pre-
strat-
THE CIVIL
240
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
egj of making a sinmltaiieoiis attack upon the right and
enemy was abandoned, and
flanks of the
three divisions of the
Army of the James were withdraAvn from the bank where they had
river,
left
of the
James
menaced Richmond, and were
so long
to join the troops facing Petersburg.
brought over
Gen. Lee, alive
under Longstreet
withdrew the
to his peril, left
works
to protect the
rest of his infantry
some eight thousand men at
Richmond, and
through rain and mire,
hastily to the
support of his endangered right.
command
of the cavalry, held the extreme
near Five Forks.
Gen. Warren was ordered to
Gen. Sheridan, in
Union
left,
support the cavalry, and placed under Sheridan's command.
Sheridan succeeded planned
to
make an
in
advancing up
assault
upon Five Forks by the middle of
the afternoon of April 1st.
Warren was slow
officer to
relieving Wai'ren of the
charge of his corps.
his
was made
Sheridan then issued an order
command and
The
placing Gen. Griffin in
troops were then brought up, and the
in brilliant order, completely
enemy's right, and forcing him
some
moving
Finally he went himself in search of
report to him.
him, but could not find him.
field.
in
Sheridan sent messenger after messenger, directing that
troops.
assault
from which he
to a point
About four thousand
in great
prisoners,
demolishing the
disorder
many
from
the
small arms and
artillery fell into Sheridan's hands, while he lost during
the day abont one thousand men.
Grant says: place.
"Here
a desperate hand-to-hand conflict took
The men of the two sides were too
close to fire, but used
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. their g\m% as clubs.
.
.
241
Lee's losses irmst have been fear-
.
In one place a tree eighteen inches in diameter was cut
ful.
down by
much
very
All the trees between the lines were
niusket-balls.
cut to pieces
three o'clock in the
by the
and musketry.
artillery
morning before the
It
fighting ceased.
was
Some
of our troops liad been under fire twenty hours."
Battle of Petersburg, and Abandonment of Kichmond. Grant ordered the guns opened upon the works of Petersburg
from right upon
tlie
to left,
scene.
even though darkness
The
liad
already fallen
lurid light and the roaring sound pro-
claimed the signal victory just achieved, and predicted more decisive triumphs near at hand.
The next morning (Sunday,
April 2d) the outer works of Petersburg were carried.
made
frantic efforts to recover his lost ground, but
with lieavy
loss.
erate battle,
the day.
Gen. A. P.
the hero of
ITill,
was repulsed
many
a Confed-
was mortally wounded while reconnoitering during
Though Petersburg was
saw he could not hold 10,000 men.
Lee
To
it
much
still
longer.
in his possession, Lee
His
losses
had exceeded
hold out any longer was to insure the capture
or destruction of his entire army.
At 10:30 A.M. he telegraphed
mond *'
to Jefferson
Davis in Kich-
these words:
My
lines are
Richmond must
broken in three places.
be
evacuated this evening."
The message found Mr. Davis, was handed him amid awful ately
silence.
went quietly and soberly out
— 16
at 11 a. m., in church.
He
read
— never,
it,
It
and immedi-
never to return as
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
'242
President of the Confederacy.
whole assemblage
feJt
ITot a
word was spoken; but the
that the missive contained words of
doom.
The news
of the
impending
crisis soon
passed from lip to
The calm and peaceful Sabbath day was soon changed of clamor and excitement. streets
became
filled
lip.
into one
" Suddenly, as if by magic, the
by men, walking as though for a wager, and
behind them excited negroes with trunks and luggage of every description." erate
Hundreds
money were
were rolled into the streets
of thousands of dollars of Confed-
destroyed. street,
Hundreds
of barrels of liquor
and the ends knocked
with the fiery liquid.
in,
flooding the
Gen. Ewell ordered the four prin
cipal tobacco warehouses to be fired.
The flames spread
to other
parts of the city. Pollard vividly depicts the scene that followed,
thus
"Morning broke upon a scene such as those who witnessed it can never forget. The roar of an immense conflagration sounded in their ears tongues of flame leaped from street to street and in this baleful glare were to be seen, as of demons, the figures of busy plunderers, moving, pushing, rioting, through the black smoke, and into the open street, bearing away every conceivable sort of plunder. "The scene at the Commissary depot, at the head of the dock, beggared description. Hundreds of government wagons were loaded with bacon, flour, and whisky, and driven off in hot haste to join the retreating army. Thronging about the depot were hundreds of men, women and children, black and white, provided with capacious bags, baskets, tubs, buckets, tin pans, and aprons; cursing, pushing, and crowding; awaiting the throwing open of the doors and the order for eacih to help ;
;
himself.
"About sunrise the doors were opened to the populace, and a rush that almost seemed to carry the building off of its foundations was made, and hundreds of thousands of pounds of bacon, flour, etc., were soon swept away by the clamorous crowd."
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
On Monday morning resisted by
any
The
loss
must
the Union troops occnpicd the city, un-
The
force.
possible, but not until it luive
243
extinguished as soon as
fire ^vas
had burned the very heart of Richmond.
been millions, as fully one-third of the city
Libby Prison and Castle Thunder remained
was consumed. unharmed.
About one tliousand prisoners were taken, besides 5,000 and wounded who were
left in the liospitals.
Petersburg was of course abandoned
Richmond.
ISTo
abandonment of
sick
explosions nor this city.
simidtaneously with attended
conflagrations
So noiselessly was
it
Union pickets within a stone's-throw knew not
the
done, that the
that the
enemy
was making the move.
The Retkeat of a junction
Lee.
(len.
witli
— Lee hoped
flohnston,
to
be able to escape, form
and crush Sherman's army
before reinforcements could arrive.
The once formidable Army
of Virginia,
now reduced by
desertions and heavy losses, mainly in prisoners, to 35,000 men,
was concentrated
at
rapidly westward to
(
Uiesterfield (^ourt
House, and then moved
Amelia (\)urt House, where Lee expected
supplies which he had previously ordered to that place for his
famishing army.
ment
here, as
They were destined
to
meet with disappoint-
an order from Kichmond summoned the train
that city to aid in bringing
away
the fugitives; and
it
to
was taken
without unloading the supplies intended for the army.
Gen.
in pursuit of the retreating Confederate
army.
Grant was soon
Sheridan's cavalry, striving to head
off the flight of the fugitives,
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
'244
formed the van of the pursuing
army followed
moving
in close pursuit,
Lee's aruiy to the south of
it,
The
rest of Grant's
in parallel lines with
attacking vigorously whenever any
came within
of the hostile forces
portion
forces.
fighting distance.
of these engagements were sharply contested, and, as the
Some
The
fought without breastworks, the losses were heavy.
men
seventy miles from Richmond
There were
of blood.
Deep
to
collisions
Appomattox was at
Deatonsville,
Jetersville,
creek, Sailor's creek, Paine's Crossroads,
a long trail
aud Fanuvllle.
The most important of these was at Sailor's creek, a small utary of the Appomattox running northward into ter,
it,
trib-
where Cus-
supported by Crook, broke through the Confedei-ate
lines,
capturing 400 wagons, 16 guns, and many prisoners. Ewell's corps, following the train, were thus cut rest of Lee's
the
a deadly fire
was opened upon
Ewell's veterans, thus inclosed between the cavalry and
the Sixth Corps, without a chance of escape, threw
arms and surrendered. ers,
from the
army, and were held in check until the arrival of
Union Sixth Corps, when
them.
oti'
amtjng
whom
down
their
Seven thousand men were made prison-
were Ewell himself and four other generals.
Surrender of Lee, at Appomattox Court House, April 9,
1865.
— The remainder of the army continued
ing the night of the 6th, and reached
morning of
the 7th,
where they
its
Farm vi lie
(»btained
two days'
retreat dur-
early on the rations,
and
The approach
of the
Federal troops, near noon, again set the Confederates in
motion
stopped to rest and prepare their food.
in a vain
endeavor
to escape the inevitable fate
awaiting them.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
245
wook
Arrivinf): at A])pninfittox Cnjirt Ilonso, April Otli, a t.ho
day thoy had
set
out
Riclniintid, thoy
t'rniri
disinoiintod (\i\alrv arross tlioir paths, and
supplies whirh they had exprctcd had hcen
The Army
of
unaware of
Virginia,
fmnid
froiu
Slici'idan*.-
four trains of
tho.
(•a))t,urod.
tlio
prosonro
of
tho
Fodoral infanti'y, oxpocting to break through the eohnnn of cavalry
blocked
\\Jii(di
its
way, made
its
last ehar^e.
moval of SlieiMuan's cavalry by his orders, after a ment,
disclrised
to the astonished
The
re-
shai'p enci^age-
CVmfederates a solid line oi
bhie-coated infantry and glittering steel as i^heridan and his
troops passed hurriedly around the enemy's
left,
prejiared to
Hope was changed
charge the confused, reeling masses.
into
despair, and the Confederate general, yielding to the fiat of fate, sent a
white
flag
waving
to
Gen. Custer.
Hostilities were
suspended, with the assurance that negotiations for the surrender of the ('OntVderate erals
Avere then
pending between Gen-
Grant and Lee.
Grant had
first
of the 7th, but then.
army
demanded Lee's surrender on
Lee refused
to consider
the afternoon
any terms of surrender
Several notes had been interchanged by them, and on the
9th the two connnanders met in the house of Mr. the surrender of the Confederate
Morale of the Armies.
—Of
army
McLean,
wlicre
took place.
the proud
army which defeated
Bull Kun, and drove McClellan from before
McDowell
at
Kichmond,
suffered a backset at Antietam, shattered Burnside's
hosts at Fredericksburg, ville,
trinmphed over Hooker
valiantly though unsuccessfully
met Meade
at Chancellorsat Gettysburg,
THE CIVIL WAR
246
and
baffled
land
(
T?Y
CAMPAIGNS.
Grant's bounteous resources for a time in the " Over-
'amj-jaign " in the Wilderness, at Spottsjlvania,
on the
North Anna, at Cold Harbor, and before Petersburg and Richmond, but a mere wreck remained on the day of the renrler.
After the
fall of
Richmond
final snr-
the morale of the National
troops had greatly improved, while that of the Confederate
Each day witnessed
was more than correspondingly depressed.
the depletion of the Confederate ranks on this
When Lee men
treat.
only 28,1356
memorable
re-
finally
surrendered at Appomattox, there were
left to
be paroled.
Of
this
number not more
than 10,000 were able to carry their arms on this hopeless and almost foodless
flight.
Nineteen thousand one hundred and
thirty-two Confederates Avere captured from March 29th up to the date of the surrender at Appomattox, which does not include
the great
number
of killed,
wounded and missing during
the
series of conflicts
which marked the headlong and disastrous
flight of the foe.
The number
two dates, including those
at
of cannon taken between these
Appomattox, was recorded
Grant's Generous Terms.
—In accordance with
at 689.
the terms
of surrender, the officers were required to give their individual ])H
roles not
the
again to take up arms against the Government of
United States until properly exchanged
and regimental commander signed a their to
commands.
The arms,
;
and each company
like parole for the
artillery
were permitted
of
and public property were
be packed, stacked, and turned over to the proper
Officers
men
to retain their side-arms.
claiming a horse was permitted to " take
it
home,
Each
officers.
soldier
to be used for
ARMY OF THE
TFTE
PriTOMAO.
247
The starving ronfodonitos woro immprliately
plowing."
their captors.
Each
officer
and man was permitted
fpd bv
to retnrn to
his liome, not to he distnrbed by the Tnitod States anthority so
long as
might
lie
observed the parole and the hiws in force where he
reside.
The exceeding generosity
of these terms to an
had fonght so stnbbornly against to
many
^vllo
remembered the
its ad versa
by a desire
to
was
a
Grant's behavior was marked
spare the feelings of his great opponent.
theatrical display.
snrprise
nnconditional snn-ender " at
'^
Fort Donelsoii and at Vicksbnrg.
was no
i-y,
army which
There
His troops were not paraded with
The humiliated and defeated
banners flying and bands i)laying.
troops were not marched before the lines of their captors to stack arms.
ITe did not
on snch occasions.
demand
Lee's sword, as was cnstomary
Cheering, the firing of salutes, and other
demonstrations of exultation over the victory, were promptly stopped.
Even
Pollard, the Southern historian, in
^'
The Lost Cause,"
pays a high tribute of respect to Grant on this occasion, in these words:
"Indeed, this Fedpral commander, in the closing scenes of the conbehaved with a magnanimity and decorum that must ever be remembered to his credit, even by those who disputed his reputation in other respects, and denied his claims to great generalship. He had with remarkable facility accorded honorable and liberal terms to a vanquished army. He did nothing to dramatize the surrender; he made no triumphal entry into Kichmond he avoided all those displays so dear to the Northern heart; he spared everything that might wound the feelings or imply the humiliation of a vanquished foe. There were no no shows: he received the surindecent exultations; no sensations test,
;
'
'
;
248
THE CIVIL
WAR
BY CAMPAIGNS.
render of his adversary with every courteous recognition due an honorable enemy, and conducted the closing scenes with as much simplicity as possible."
President Lincoln arrived at City Point, March 24th, and
was
communication with Grant from that date until
in constant
the surrender of the Confederate army.
He was
mainly at City
Point, but, accompanied by Admiral Porter, he went to Gen. Weitzel's headquarters, in the house so recently and suddenly
abandoned by Jefferson Davis.
He was
crowd of blacks became
welcome and
so great to
had
cipator, that a military force
the streets.
He
attended by
]\Irs.
him through days
later,
recognized, and the bless their
to be called to clear a
repeated his visit to
eman-
way
for
Richmond two
Lincohi, Vice-President Johnson,
He
and several United States Senators.
returned to Washington
on the day of Lee's surrender, which was considered the close of the war.
As soon
as Tree's surrender
became known. Secretary Stanton
telegraphed an order to the lieadquarters of every
army and
de-
partment, and to every fort and arsenal in the United States, to fire
a salute of 200 guns in celebration of the event.
he dispatclied
^' :
tory with which
Thanks be
He
to
To Grant
Almighty God for the great
vic-
has this day crowned you and the gallant
armies under your command.
The
tlianks of this department,
and of the Government, and of the people of the United States their reverence to
and honor have been deserved
you and the brave and gallant
army
for
all
time."
officers
—
will be rendered
and soldiers of your
CHAPTER XX. OUTSKIUT MOVKMENTS. The
Civil
War
During
lasted four joars.
tins
time 2,265
engagements took place between the Union and Confederate These
troops.
conflicts
ranged in importance from the
insigniti-
cant raid, skirmish, or fight, to the decisive battle of Gettysburg, in which the loss of life was Hp})alliiig.
The average number
engagements for each week from the beginning hostilities
Union
was
loss
eleven.
The
total
was 100 or more in
number
to the close of
of battles in which the
wounded
killed,
of
or missing, was
330.
In the preceding chapters the more important movements, battles,
Many
and operations of the main armies, have been described.
outskirt
movements were conducted.
Only the more im-
portant can receive even a passing notice, to bring them within the compass of this volume.
Gen. Banks, while in
command
the plan of directing an expedition
His of
New
of
up the Eed
objects were, the capture of Shreveport
Kirby Smith's army.
strong
fleet
of ironclads,
To was
this end,
to
Orleans, conceived
the river.
a
embark 10,000 men from Sher-
Banks was
men, and meet Smith's force
1864.
Admiral Porter, with
man's old army at Vicksburg, under Gen. A.
move up
river,
and the dispersion
to
at
(249)
J.
Smith, and
march overland with 15,000
Alexandria.
Gen. Steele was
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
250 to
march from
Rock
Little
Rhreveport with the bulk of his
to
Arkansas troops. Fort DeRnssy was captured ^larch 14th; Alexanrlria the 16th witliont a struggle.
way
to
Sabine Crossroads,
fell
on
The Union forces pushed
their
occasional skirmishes,
when
Avith
advance Avas suddenly attacked and precipitately routed
their
by Confederate forces numbering not
less
The Union
2,000.
than 20,000 men,
The Federal
under Kirby Smith and Dick Taylor.
loss
was
troops retreated to Pleasant Uil], where
Here
they Avere reinforced.
enemy
the
fiercely attacked
them
next day, April 9th, but he was defeated and driven from the
In the Avhole campaigTi the Union
held.
and missing was 5,000 Gen. Banks decided conduct a retreat.
its
the Confederate loss Avas
;
to give
up
had
It
all
or
Red
river ex-
resources and available forces would have succeeded
properly managed.
in the repulse of the fleet
On
his
way back
had proceeded up the
Crossroads compelled
The
if
after the victory of Pleas-
Cane
river resulted
enemy.
its
but the reverse of Sabine
riA^er,
return.
not float the larger vessels. falling.
less.
the promise of success, and
ant Hill, a sharp attack on Banks's rear at
The
wounded
the expedition, and began to
The Shreveport movement
pedition Avas a failure. with
loss in killed,
The
The high
vessels ran aground.
river, Avhen low, Avould
Avater of spring Avas fast
The
fleet Avas
much annoyed
by the Confederate sharj^shooters and batteries along the shores. 'J'he
some
attacking foe Avas driven loss.
The grounded
away from
vessels
were
the river-banks with
set afloat
with considera-
OUTSKIRT MOVEMENTS.
Thr
rlifficnlty.
hlf^
pass over
iiot
ontiro floot would fertile brain,
bad l)ppomo so low
river
bolow Aloxandria.
falls
tlio
bo,
251
dostrovorl.
C^ol.
that vosspIs could
sccinrd us if-tho
It
Hailoy, an on^inorr of
planned the const rnet ion of dams, by means of
which the passage over the
falls
was made
in safety.
Alexandria was burned by accident on the
enemy naturally claimed \\
that the city
retreat,
but the
was willfully destroyed
a desire for revenge.
ith
AbfMit the time of Banks's advance to xMexanrlria, Cien. Steele left Little
Red
Rock, Arkansas,
river expedition.
Avith
enemy, and endangered
his
supply-wagons were taken.
retreat, Steele
Steele's
A
army.
When
large
a
number
of his
on the Saline
Smith attacked the Union
men
muuber
of
he learned of Banks's
began his backward movement.
enemy took
kins's Ferry,
to cooperate in the
Banks's disaster had greatly emboldened
the
the
an army
At Marks Mills
When
prisoners.
river, a large force
forces, April 30, but
at Jen-
under Kirby
met a
repulse.
Steele, after having suffered severely, finally reached Little
Rock.
A
Union expedition,
(xillmore,
diate
was sent
command
to
fitted
out at South Carolina by Cron.
reclaim Florida.
of Gen.
It
was under the imme-
Truman Seymore.
lie advanced to
Jacksonville, Fla., with 600 men, and then to Olustec, where
he met a disastrous defeat by an bers to his own.
enemy much
This w^as February 20, 1864.
inferior in
num-
In a short time
both opposing forces were called to participate in the absorbing events around Richmond.
THE CIVIL WAR RY CAMPAIGNS.
252
An
attempt,
was marie
in the early part of l\farch, 1864,
by
Gen. Jndson Kilpatrick at the head of a cavalry force, to penetrate the defenses at
Richmond and
confined in Libby prison.
Much damage was
expedition of 4,000
npon the enemy's railroads and
New Orleans. An effort on the
Wm.
The
failed.
against Sabine Pass, La., in
fleet, failed.
and captured by the enemy. to
Richmond
men
September, 1863, under Gen. boats from Farragut's
Union prisoners
Ulrich Dahlgren was killed.
C'ol.
inflicted
bridges, but the attempt to enter
An
Jiberate the
B. Franklin, aided by gun-
Two
gunboats were disabled
rest of the exj^edition returned
part of the Confederates to recover Fort
Donelson, early in February, 1863, was unsuccessful.
In April, 1863, Col. Streight with about 1,600 men on a raid into northern Georgia. to
surrender to Gen. Forrest in
Many
of the outskirt
the chapters on
'^
War
set out
At Cedar Bluff he was forced
command
of a body of cavalry.
movements have been enumerated under in Missouri,'' " Coast Operations," or in
connection with the main campaigns.
Many
others might be
alluded to here, but the students of history in search of details of the
minor events are referred
to the
numerous works
on a more comprehensive plan than this one.
preparcLJ
CHAPTEK
XXT.
FINANCIAL MEASURES TO PKOVIDE KKVENUE EOK THE Civile WAR. Empty Treasury at the
Opentncj of the Civji. War.
During President Buclianan's
aJiiiiiiistraliou, in
time of
the I'esuiirces of the (iovernment wei'e imt siitticient tu
The National debt
expenditures.
UOO from July the
tliurized
and
re(*eipts,
1st,
issue
on
1857, to July of Treasury
February
Sth
—
peac.-e,
the
iiiet4
increased mure than $;j(;,UUU,-
1800.
1st,
notes
to
meet the
authorized
it
$25,000,000 of bonds, bearing interest at C
had an-
('oiigress
deficit
in
issue
of
the
payable
pei* cent.,
within not less than ten nor more than twenty years.
The
Sec-
retary of the Treasury was able to place only $18,-1:15,000 of
bonds, and this at an average discount of 10.97 per cent.
When
Lincoln became President he found an empty treasury,
the credit of the N^ation gone, and a public debt
amounting
about $80,000,000, with daily revenues insutticient expenditures. closed
its
i\mong the
final
session on the 4th of
acts
to
to
meet the
of the (Congress
which
March, 1861, was one which
pro-
vided for a loan of $10,000,000 in bonds, or the issue of a like
sum
in
Tieasury
notes.
The
Prc^sident
was empowered
to issue
Treasury notes for any part of loans previously authorized but not obtained.
amount
Under
this
statute,
notes
were issued
to
the
of $12,896,o50, payable in sixty days after date, and (253)
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
254
$22,468,100, payable in two to obtain revenue, aside
j^ears.
This was the
from regular incomes,
to
initial step
meet the
ex-
penditures of the Government, which soon became enormons.
Power to Raise Money. the power: (1) " '^
excises''; (2)
States ";
()!)
To
— The Constitution
levy and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and
To borrow money on
To apportion
''
gives Congress
taxes
the credit of the United
among
the several States ac-
cording to their population."
The
chief dependence of the United States for revenue had
The expenses
always been upon customs.
of the (jrovcrnment
during the years 18615 and 1864 amounted entire expenditures of the
to
more than the
its
foundation up
Government from
War.
to the time of the opening of the (-ivil
This enormous
financial drain taxed the resources of the nation, a
and called for
more varied and comprehensive system of revenue than had
yet been inaugurated in our financial system.
This system was
not the product of a single act of legislation, but of a series of acts
which grew out of pressing needs of the hour,
to
meet the
expenditures of the Government and for the preservation of T^ational credit.
Customs notes,
It included six sources of revenue,
duties, internal revenue, non-interest-bearing
interest-bearing Treasury
^N'ational
was
issues,
Treasury
and the
banking system.
Customs Duties. tariff
bond
notes,
namely:
went into
a radical
effect
— The April
Morrilt. Tariff. 1st,
1861.
change in policy from the
It
was
tariff
a
— The high
Morrill
tariff,
and
laws of 1846 and
FINANCIAL MEASURES. 1857, which were the lowest ever in force. tariff,
255
Under
the IVfon-ill
imposts which liad averaged ahoiit 19 per cent, on dutiahle
articles
and 15 per
cent,
on the
were changed
total imports,
to
36 per cent, on dntialde articles and to 28 per cent, on total imports.
At
the special session of Congress, called hy Pi*(^sid
Lincoln July
4,
1861, the schednle of dntiahle articles was
extended, and the rates increased.
On December
5th, 1861.
It
hecame a law Angnst
war measure,
24, as a
the duties on
and sugar were increased, and the duties were again
tea, coffee
increased by the tariff act of July 14, 1862.
Non-Interest-Bearing Treasury Notes. clude the
''
demand
old ''
backs," the
notes," the
'^
fractional currency,"
— These notes
in-
legal tenders " or " green-
and the
'^
National bank
notes."
"
Legal Tenders " or
ing the issue of 25, 1862.
'^
^'
Greenbacks."— The law
It provided for the issue of
notes, to be " lawful
debts, public
money and
$150,000,000 in these
legal tender in
payment
and private, except duties on imports and
on bonds and notes of the United States."
finally agreed
of all
interest
There was nuich
opposition to the legal-tender feature of the
bill
authoriz-
legal-tender " Treasury notes passed February
upon on the ground of extreme
bill,
but
necessity.
provided for the exchange of these notes for
it
was
The
six-pcr-c«^nt.
bonds, redeemable at the pleasure of the United Stat*^s after five years.
This provision was repealed the next year.
The
smallest note issued under this act was five dollars, but in a
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
256
CAMPAIGNS.
later act the limit
was reduced
to one-dollar notes.
amonnt authorized
to be issued
was
The
total
$-1:50,000,000.
These notes depreciated in value until July, 1864, when they wei-e
worth only 35 cents on the
value, but fluctuated
from time
to
They again
dollar.
rose in
time until the passage of the
specie-resumption act of January, 1875, which provided that the legal-tender notes should be redeemed in coin after 1,
1879.
January
After the passage of this act they rose to face value,
beeanse they were interchangeable for gold.
The
act of
1878
required that these notes, when redeemed, should be reissued.
There were $346,081,010 of the legal tenders or greenbacks (a
name
given them from the green color on their backs) in use,
Oct. 1, 1897.
Some
discussion has been going on relative to
the retir(Miient of these
message
to
these notes
notes.
President McKinley, in his
Congress in December, 1897, recommended that
when once redeemed should
not be reissued without
the receipt of gold for them.
Fractional Currency. 1861, the evident fact
— The
tliat
issue
of
demand
notes
in
Congress must continue to issue
paper money, and the vast expenditures of the Government with but a small amount of coin in the country (estimated then at
$210,000,000), led the State banks
ment, Dec. 30, 1861. similar financial policy. circulation.
The
Tlie
to
suspend specie pay-
Government was soon forced
to a
All gold and silver disappeared from
3, 5, 10,
25 and 50 cents silver-pieces, which
had been employed as change, were no longer to be found in use.
When
these passed out of circulation, the people
were
left with-
FINANCIAL MEASURES.
257
out any denominations less than the dollar
could be found anywhere.
Some kinds
N'ewspapers, car fare,
paralyzed.
No
bill.
chanfjo
of business were almost
etc.,
were paid
stamps and " token " pieces of copper and brass
in
jxtstage
tliat ])ass!'d as
cent-pieces.
Fractional notes were issued by private firms, and various expedients were resorted to for the payment of small debts. act
was passed July
stamps
in
1,
1802, for the use of
payment of fractional parts
and other
pnstaii,e
The
of a dollar.
Assistant
Treasurer made these stamps exchangeable for United .notes, in
sums of not
less
than
five dollars.
$50,000,000 of fractional currency was issued, of 5, 10, 25,
and 50-cent
Government
as old
bills.
These notes
and worn notes were
An
Statt^s
Tn
]\Iarch, 1S0'>,
in
denominations
wert^ i-eissued
by the
n^turnt^il to the
Treas-
ury.
Since the restoration of fractional silver
commerce, the
5,
to the
10, 25, and 5()-cent ])a]ier note
channels of is
as great a
novelty as the silver chanoe was during- the war. T)E:NrAND IN'oTEs.
— One
of the provisions of the act of July
17, 18G1, authorized the issue of $50,000,000 in notes of not less
than ten dollars nor of more than
fifty,
beai-ing interest at a
rate of 8.36 per cent., payable in one year; or they were p.\y\-
BLE ON DEMAND wiTnoUT INTEREST.
Tlicv Were to be exchangc^l
for coin, or to be used
by the Government
salaries or other dues,
and were caUeil demand notes because
thev were redeenuible in gold on the ing them.
— 17
demand
in the jiayment of
of the person hold-
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
i258
Internai. Revenue.
— On
CAMPAIGNS.
the first of July, 1862, the bill
''
to
provide internal revenue to support the Government and to pay
on the public debt
interest
''
was signed by the President.
It
was one of the most complete systems of taxation ever devised Spirituous and malt liquors and tobacco
by any government.
Manufactures of various kinds were taxed
were heavily taxed.
Banks, insurance, railroads and telegraph com-
3 per cent.
and in fact
panies,
The butcher paid 30 hog,
and
other corporations had to pay tribute.
all
cents for every beef, 10 cents for every
Carriages, billiard
5 cents for every sheep slaughtered.
tables, yachts, gold and silver ware, and
luxury were taxed.
other articles of
all
Every profession and
calling, except the
ministry of religion, was included. Almost everything a person ate,
drank, wore, bought, sold, or owned, was taxed.
So com-
prehensive was the law that thirty printed pages of royal octavo
and more than 20,000 words were used
In 1861 a
bill passed,
be apportioned
was assigned
Each
Union.
among
to
the
State
to express the provisions.
levying a direct tax of $20,000,000 to
the States, of which States
which did not secede from the
was allowed 15 per
of collecting her quota.
sum $12,000,000
cent, for the
expense
All the loyal States and Territories
except Delaware and Colorado assumed the payment of the
The
bill
income
tax,
of 1861, levying a direct tax, provided also for an
—
the first ever levied by our general Grovernment.
The tax was 3 per ers
cent, for residents
and 5 per
on the excess of income over $800.
effect it
tax.
was repealed by the
act of
cent, for foreign-
Before this act wTiit into
July
1,
1862, which placed a
FINANCIAL MEASURES.
259
tax of 3 per cent, on the excess of $G00 up to $10,000, and a tax of 5 per cent, on the excess of $10,000.
[March
in 1808.
3cl,
a five-per-cent. tax
'I'lie
1805, the law was
on
np
iii(M)incs
to
left at $
law went into
so as to place
aiiicii(l(Ml
$5,000
effect
(ex<'ii»pti<»n
being-
on the excess of $5,000
in-
come.
In March, 1867, the exemption was raised
uniform rate of and 10 per
5 per cent,
cent,
to $2,000,
This law was passed
per cent.
The
Three
rates.
$1,000 was increased
was substituted
later the exeinjjtinii
yeai's
and the
]-ate
was reduced
to continue in efl'ect for
under the law was
last levy
$1,000, and a
to
fur the 5 p(M- cent,
in 1871,
and the
of
to
2h
one year.
last tax
was
collected in 1874.
The income and the
total
tax collected in the year ISGl was $20,294,733,
amount
collected
from 1863
to
ls74 inclusive was
$346,908,740.
Issuing Boxds.
ment
to
— Bonds are written promises by the Govern-
pay a specified sum of money
to the holder, at the
end
of a certain period of time, with interest at a giv^en rate, payable
semi-annually or quarterly.
Government bonds
are prepared
and then sold under certain regulations, at the best rates the
Government can command. Bonds have been since issue
its
issued
from time
to
time by
formation, but the Civil Wai*
them
in vast sums.
$100, $500, $1,000,
etc.
They
One
made
tlie
Government
it
necessary to
w(M-e in
denominations of $50,
billion
one Imndrcd and nine
million dollars' worth of bonds were issued between July
1st,
THE CIVIL
260
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
1861, and August 31, 1865 (when our debt was greatest), and the
money was used
were known as
^^
issue of 10-40s,
for
Most of the bonds issued
war purposes.
5-20s."
An
act
was passed authorizing the
and other denominations; but these were not
popuhir, and comparatively few were taken.
I^s^terest-Bearixg Treasury Xotes.
under
vari
the time
— These
notes passed
names, depending upon the rate of interest and
f(U" wliicli
Secretary Chase, making a
they were issued.
summary
of the Treasury operations in 1861, says:
were paid
to creditors, or
dates, in
exchanged for coin
at par, at different to the
July and August, six-per-cent. two-years notes,
amount of $14,019,036.
There was borrowed
same months, upon sixty-days
six-])er-ceiit.
$12,877,750; there was borrowed gust,
There
^'
at
at par in the
notes, the
sum
par, on the 19th of
under three-years seven-thirty bonds, $50,000,000."
last issue is
popularly
known
as
*'
By
seven-thirties."
it
of
AuThis
certain
banks furnished $50,000,000 in coin, and received in payment three-year notes bearing interest at 7.30 per cent., convertible in six-])er-cent. twenty-year bonds.
of interest-l)earing notes
By
1866, the whole amount
was $577,000,000.
Nattoxae BANKiNCr SvsTEM.
— Auothcr
of our financial system during the Civil
important feature
War was
tion of the National Banking system, whicli, with cation, has continued in use to the ])resent.
February, 1863. as follows:
The
Arguments
the inauguralittle
modifi-
TIk^ bill passed in
in su])port of tlie
l)ill
were given
banks would furnish a mai'ket for bonds; thev
FINANCIAL MEASURES.
would absorb
tlio
261 and that without
rircnlatidii of State hanks,
harsh measures; they wouhl create a citniinunity of interest
between the stockholders of the banks, the crnnient, wliere there i<»ns
and
now
existed a ijreat contrariety of o|»in-
di\'ersity of interests;
a(h'(|natc
aii'ainst counterfeiting-;
estahh'slie(l
;md the Gov-
peoj)lo,
tlie
safeonards wnuld be
curi-ency
wouM
l)e
uni-
form, and take the place of the notes of 1,(J00 l)anks, ditfering-
in
and whose notes were easily imitated and altered; that
styh",
while^ the notes of one-sixtli of the existinfi; banks terfeited, l,8(il kinds of imitations
were
had been coun-
afloat, o,()oO alterations
extant, in addition to 1,685 spurious notes, in wliich hardly
any
care had been taken to sbow any resemblance to the genuine.
The
act of
June
3d, 1864,
was a substitute for the
act of
February 25, 1863, and provides for a Bureau of (^urrency the Treasury Department, at the head of which
is
in
a ('onii>troller.
In the United States Bank, the GovernuKMit was a large stockholder, and the officers of the Treasury practically directed the operations of the bank,
and sometimes accommodated
politi-
cal friends on easy terms, rendering legitimate banking impossible.
Under
the National
a shareholder,
Banking system
and takes no part
in the
the
Government
management
is
not
of the banks,
except to see that the laws controlling them are complied with.
Under
the-
system of multiform State banks, the notes were of
varying value at different times and in different places. disastrous financial influences of the
War
In the
of 1812, a large ma-
jority of these banks were wrecked, their notes never redeemed,
and a great financial
loss entailed
by the people.
Under
the
262
THE CIVIL
WAR BY
CAMPAIGNS.
present system the bank notes are of nniform vahie throughout the Nation, and no bill-holder ran suffer loss.
The
was
at first limited to $354,-
among
the States and Territories
circulation of the banks
000,000, and was distributed
according to wealth and population conjointly. this jorovision has
not less than
iiv'e,
made banking with a
repeal of
Any company numbering not less than $50,000, may
free.
ca])ital of
form a banking association.
The
The company must purchase
United States bonds, and deposit them with the Treasurer of the United States.
On
receipt of these the Treasurer causes to be
printed for the bank an amount of national bank notes in such
denominations as the authorities of the bank
amount
stock
is
but the
of notes shall not exceed nine-tenths of the bonds pur-
The amount
chased.
may name,
varies
from 60 per
cent. Avhen the capital
$3,000,000 or more, to 90 per cent, when not over half
a million.
The bank
chased, and loans the
receives interest on the bonds
money printed by
as the deprtsits of its patrons.
the
it
has pur-
Government
It is required to
as well
maintain a
reserve fund in gold and silver coin equal to about 20 per cent,
of
its
capital.
By
this provision the holders of the national
bank notes may convert them into the bank that issued them.
per cent, of
fund
is
its profits
coin,
by presenting them
It is also required to set apart
10
each year as a sur])lus fund, until such
equal to 20 per cent, of the capital stock of the bank.
This surplus provides a means to make good any losses that occur.
to
may
CHAPTER
XXII.
COST OF THE WAR.— NATIONAL. DEBT.— CliOSING EVENTS. Cost of the War. of the bers).
—The
IsTational Debt.
— At
the close
war the National debt was $2,800,000,000 (round num-
Hundreds
of millions of dollars were expended out of
the revenues of the this, the
Government
as the
war
Besides
progressed.
incidental losses were innumerable in kind and incal-
culable in amount. States, cities,
There were heavy
and towns, amounting
Other nations have made costly
to
by
expenditures
the
about $458,000,000.
sacrifices in the struggle for
their existence, or in pursuit of their ambitions
;
but none has
expended, in the same length of time, an amount equal to that
expended during the Civil AVar by our
The amount mated that
of the Confeflerate debt
if all the
the close of
it,
at the
The
all
Government.
unknown.
It
is esti-
expenditures during the war and debts
at
including the destruction of property, could be
added, ISTorth and South, resenting
ISTational is
it
would be equivalent
to the
sum
rep-
values in the United States as they were estimated
beginning of the war. total
expenditures of Great Britain during the French
Revolution and the career of Napoleon, covering a period of twenty-three years, was $4,850,000,000, but the combined ex-
penditures of any four years did not equal the amount spent by the United States in the
same leugth of time. (263)
Tiie one
grand
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
264
CAMPAIGNS.
feature of this lavish oxpeiulitiire of wealtli hy our that
is,
it
Government
was directed and enforced bv the people
The fonrteenth aincndment
themselves".
Constitution provides that
to the
the validity of the pnhlic debt shall not be questioned, and on the other shall
hand that neither the United States nor any State
pay any debt or oblioation that has been incurred
The Confederate debt
insurrection against the United States.
was void
in aid of
the interpretation of this clause, and was so recog-
l)y
nized Xorth and South under the terms of the reconstruction of the Southern States.
Loss OF Life. their
money
—Willing
as Avere the people to contribute of
to the suppression of the Rebellion, still
did they respond to the call to arms.
men during
for
the war; the
The term
December, 1864.
loyal
the
States the
Of
war
were made
April 15, ISHl, the
last in
In the
to three years in others.
Government
this uund)er,
calls
of service varied in ditferent calls,
from three months in some
men.
first,
Twelve
more readilv
called for
more than 2,750,000
about 103,000 had not responded when
closed, but about
120,000
'^
emergency men " were
fur-
nished by the States at the time of Morgan's raid and during the
men
summer
of 1863,
which would make the actual number of
in the service greater than the
number
of
men
called for.
This number does not represent the number of different individuals engaged, as
many men
enlisted
counted each time they enlisted. in service at
any one time was
were on the muster-rolls, of
The
more than greatest
in April, 1865,
whom
once,
and were
number
of
men
when 1,000,516
650,000 were in actual service.
CLOSING EVENTS.
Of
265
tlioso wlio f^'cwo thoir livos to ])i'o.sorvp tlip
were killed
ease and other causes; I'lie
number
not kn(twn, bnt into service battle,
wounds,
in battle, 4:^,000 died of
men
of it is
who
making
dis-
ot'
a total of about 340,0(10.
enlistinc; in the (V)nfederate srrvice
certain that every availal)l('
did not voluntarily
including those
rnion, riT.OoO 2)50, 0(mi
who
man was
4'hc tnnnlx'r
<;-o.
is
drafted in
kill('(|
died of wounds and disease, was
probably as great as that of the North, C\\i'TURE
OF Jefferson
Confederate army began
Journeying by this place, set
rail
up
mation designed
Astounded Avheels
T)a\ts.
—
its
at the
news of Lee's surrender,
and retreated
C,
officers
to
as the (nty.
he haltecl at
a stii-ring ]n-ocla-
his
government took
Greensboro, South Carolina, where an-
The imminent danger
of Johnston's
a failing
army
cause in motion.
Passing through Salisbury and
Yorkville and Abbeyville, S.
C,
to
^\r.
John
IF.
Postmaster-General), his military
encamped near of
May
sister,
(Ja.,
Mi*.
the
Davis
]xeagan (late Confederate
stafl',
Irwinsville, Ga., he
C^harlotte,
Washington,
gradually abandoned the sinking craft, until
was attended only by
her
l\
a
time in wagons and on horseback, as the railroad south
this
had been destroyed.
dawn
to Danville,
government, and issued
again set the tottering government of
IST.
April
took
to revive the failing spirits of his C(>nfederates.
other halt w^as made.
—
Davis
hasty flight from the doomed
from Kichmond
his
Jeffer.-on
Richmond on Sunday,
hasty departure from
and his family.
While
was surprised on the early
11th by the Union cavalry, and himself, his wife,
and his children, and a small body of
escort,
were
266
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
His family were taken by water
taken prisoners.
and there
He was
set at liberty.
kept in confinement for two treason by trict of
a
CAMPAIGNS.
grand jury
Mr. Davis was indicted for
United States conrt for the
Virginia, on the 13th of
long abolitionist. in the general
He was
May, 1867.
on bail in the amount of $100,000. nelius Vanderbilt,
Horace Greeley, and Gerrit Smith
His
trial
—a
life-
never occurred, and he was included After his
died in Tiew Orleans, Dec.
Death of Lincoln.— The
dis-
company
charge, he became president of a life insurance
He
dis-
liberated
His bondsmen were Cor-
amnesty proclamation in 1868.
Memphis, Tenn.
Savannah^
taken to Fortress Monroe, and
.years.
in the
to
6,
in
1889.
14th day of April was the fourth
anniversary of the surrender of Fort Sumter to the Confederates
The whole country was aglow with
by Major Anderson.
rejoicings and congratulations at the overthroAv of the Rebellion
and the return of peace. had assembled
at
A
large
Fort Sumter to witness the raising of the
tered flag over the historic site at the
time of the
crowd of prominent persons
first
from which
bombardment of the
it
fort.
In the midst
of these rejoicings a terrible calamity befell the l^ation, cast a
tat-
had been lowered
gloom over the triumphant scenes of a closing
which
contest.
President Lincoln, while seeking relaxation from the
many
weighty cares which he had borne, attended Ford's Theater, in
Washington.
Here he was
and, without
word or warning, an
behind the play, and
left ear of the
fired a
stealthily
approached from the rear, assassin placed his pistol
President as he was intent upon the
mortal shot.
President Lincoln had held a
CLOSING EVENTS. cabinet
niPPtinf;'
207
during the day, and li>tened
an
to
apr'oiint.
was given by Gen. Grant, who
the snrroiidcr of ].re as it
jnst arrived fi'oni A))pomattox,
and by
liis
own
of
liad
son, Capt. Robt.
Lincoln,
who was on Grant's
render.
President Lincoln had invited Gen. Grant and wife to
accompany himself and wife took his departure from
who were attending
dren,
The
The play was
The name
only other
man
!
to visit his chib
at Burlington,
Our American
(So be
New
Jersey.
Good Friday,
Cousin.''
was John Wilkes Booth, an
actor,
Being intercepted by ^Fajor Rathbone, the
wound
in his
arm with
front of the box, Booth exclaimed,
"
Grant
in the box besides the President, the assassin
inflicted a serious to the
''
of the assassin
of Baltimore birth.
nis
during the day
scliool
assassination occurred on the evening of
April 14.
to the sur-
the theater, but (Jen.
to
city
tlie
and an eye-witness
staff
it
always
to tyrants.)
railing in the front of the box,
He
a dagger. '^
Rushing
Sic semper tyran-
placed his hand on the
and leaped over
it
on to the corner
of the stage; but as he jumped, the spur on one of his heels
caught in an American flag draped across the front of the railing,
and he
his flight,
fell,
spraining his ankle, which greatly impeded
and afforded a clue
to his pursuers.
He
was
finally
hunted down by soldiers and shot in a barn in Virginia.
The dying President was
carried to a house across the street,
where he expired the next morning, and Vice-President Andrew
Johnson became chief executive.
Pord's Theater, in which the
shocking event occurred, has been remodeled in the interior, and is
now (1899) used by
the
Government
for claim ofhces of the
268
WAR BY
THE CIVIL
The house
Pension Department.
CAMPAIGNS. in
which Lincoln
has
rlierl
recently been purchased by the National Government, nml both l)uiMin,ii's
arc iiuiiibcrcd aiiion^' the ])laces
ol"
interest
which
at-
tract tlic attention of tourists in Washinf^ton.
The funeral
train ))assed over the
had taken from
home
his
if
in
the country,
the light of the Nation had gone out.
buried amid the mourning of the Avhole Nation, at
near Springfield, dedicated to his
May
4:th,
memory
life,
in 1874.
details, his
and
nature,
made him
was
Ridge,
of spirit and purity
are an ins2)iration to the youth of the land.
powerful grasp of
human
lie
Oak
it
where an imposing monument was
His gentlemanly manner, magnanimity of private
Washing-
the sorroNVful crowds that j[>athered
and even along the track
at every station,
seemed as
in Spring-field, Illinois, to
To
ton, four velars before.
same route which Lincoln
his
unerring
logic, his
His
perception of
comprehension of weighty problems
a specially fitted agent of Providence to reign as
supreme executive during the tumultuous scenes of the Civil
War.
Mustering Out. turning from the "
Grand Review
commenced on
— The field,
armies of Sherman and ^Feade,
were brought
Washington for a
to
" by the President and his cabinet.
the 23d of
May, and
lasted
sight,
and a
The
streets
The
White
ITouse.
proIt
fitting close to the turbulent scenes
of the four years of bloody conflict.
decorated.
The review
two days.
cession passed a grand stand in front of the
was an impressive
re-
The
city
was elaborately
were crowded with throngs of
visitors,
CLOSING EVENTS.
who had come
269
and Stripes were waving from every house and
The men in the march were well-drilled, well dressed and well fed for
Stars
store.
and
well-discijjliiKMl
orderly soldiers, inured to hardships, and
They were
The
to witness the scenes of tlie occasion.
for
fit
army
any duty.
life,
but their
bronzed faces and tattered and smoky battle-flags told the story of their past experience.
Tlionghts of the abolition of slavery, the snppression of Rebellion, the preservation of the Union, the "
tlie
welcome home "
of friends and relatives, and the return to peaceful pursuits of life, all fill
the
mingled with the shouts and rejoicing of the
Grant was
the hearts of the soldiers with ecstatic joy.
commander who had never taken
gut, the hero of
failing
Xew
a ste])
sjjectators to
backward
;
there, Fui-i'a-
Orleans, was there; the aggressive an
Sherman, the patient and adamantine Thomas, the
in-
trepid and genial Hancock, the fiery Sheridan, the brave and
impulsive ^Feade, the brilliant Custer, and hosts of others of lesser
rank but of equal merit, were there.
Yet amid sorrow.
all
of the festivities and rejoicings there
was much
Three hundred and forty thousand of those wlio bad
taken up arms had long since laid them roll of the
down
to joiu the mnster-
Eternal One. A^early every participant had
one foi'ever silent on the
were missing. patriotic son,
John
who
F.
field of battle,
some
left
^laiiy well-known faces
lleynolds, l-^ciinsylvania's \'aliant
fell in tlie battle
aii«l
of Gettysburg; the gallant,
dashing and inimitable Philip H. Kearny, who
lost his
lif(^
wliile
penetrating the Confederate lines at Chantilly; the courageous
THE CIVIL WAR BY CAMPAIGNS.
270
and sagacious James B. McPliorsoii, who was killed as Hood was driven from Atlanta; the zealous and venerable
who gave
worth,
who
fell a
S.
Wads-
his life to stem an adverse tide in the l)attle of
and intrepid John Sedg-
the Wilderness; the simple, inflexible
wick,
James
victim to Confederate sharpshooters while he was
directing the placing of artillery in front of Spottsylvania Court
House
;
—
these,
and many other
on the
left silent
field
officers of
high rank
who were
of battle, were not permitted to witness
the exultant close of the w^ar, or participate in the final
grand
review.
Words who gave
fail to express the
their services,
Union
tion of the
of these tion
men
and some their
No
of the States.
patriotic leaders
lives, for
the preserva-
tribute of respect in honor
can be too highly colored.
They deserve
the affec-
and the admiration of posterity for
of the people
Their names should be reverently held in
generations. ory,
homage due the
all
mem-
and their deeds should be cherished as a rich legacy to a
great nation.
!N^o
monuments
commemoration of
erected in
too costly or too
grand can be
their services to their country.
Their works will shine forth with lustre after shafts of marble
and granite
shall
As we pay our lant
men who
crumble
to dust.
highest respects to the distinguished and gal-
directed the
ati'airs
of the Nation and CMmducted
the stupendous campaigns of the great Civil
forget the
rendered.
man who
He
it
Nation he helped
is
War, we must not
stood behind the gun, and the services he that forever deserves the gratitude of the
to save.
He
had
to
endure the severest hard-
271
CONCLUSION. ships and face the greatest dangers.
He
had
to bear the heat
and burden of the day, endure long, fatiguing marches, and
to
be exposed to the inclemency of an uncertain and ever-varying climate.
His
duty was obedience.
first
front, while the general's to dare.
dangers.
He
had
was
to the rear.
to face perilous
The private
His place was
He
had
to the
to do,
and
emergencies and impending
soldier looked into the cannon's
mouth
and faced musket and bayonet, while his general heard them only as they sounded their reverberations from the distance as the tide of battle
stood
swayed back and
forth.
The
private soldier
amid the desolating scenes of rapacious carnage
as his
comrades were falling thick and fast around him, while his
commander generally
stood
away from immediate danger
view and direct the contending forces arrayed in deadly
The
to
conflict.
private soldier endured all without the expectation of re-
ward or the hope of immortalizing a name.
His
spirit
was
suffused with patriotism as fervid as any that ever graced the
pages of history, poetry,
fiction, or song.
His name
is legion,
and though no towering monument marks the place where he rests, his valor
and devotion
to
country will consecrate the spot
as hallowed ground.
All honor to the gallant and patriotic heroes, both privates and officers
!
Green be the graves where they
resting-place of the brave ties
and
true.
and heartaches of the long and
sleep.
Calm
be the
Forgotten be the animosibitter strife.
Unsullied be
the banner they fought to protect, and sacred be the trust com-
mitted to our hands.
INDEX. Pages.
166, 182
Aequia Creek
134
Adairsville
Alabama
45 32, 166, 182
Alexandria Allatoona Pass Amelia Court House Anderson Fort Anderson Robert
136, 141
243 162
,
29
,
Antietam
191-193
Anti-slavery parties Anti-slavery publications
22-24
Appomattox Court House
244, 245
19-22
Arlington Heights
Army Army Army Army Army Army Army
of the
33
Cumberland
74, 108, 126, 132
74
of the Mississippi of the
Ohio
of the
Potomac
74, 108, 132
165-248
Southwest Missouri of the Tennessee
74
of
74, 132, 143
of Virginia
180, 182, 186
Athens
143
136-140
Atlanta
Averysboro
162
Bailey, Colonel
251
Baltimore Banks, Nathaniel P Bartlett, General Baton Rouge Beaufort Beauregard, P. T Beecher, Henry Ward Bell, Captain Bell,
31
101-103, 169, 249
215
90 51, 52 29, 33, 76, 77-79. 83, 218
164
87
John
— 18
24 (273)
INDEX.
274
68
lU'lmont
.64
Beiitonville (Ark.)
Rentonville (N. C.)
162
Berry, General Big Black river
201
Frank P
149
Blair,
Bliss, P.
99
P
142
Blockade Blockade-runners Blue Lodges Blunt, General
39
40 17
65,66 259
Bonds
58
Boonville
Bowling Green Bragg. Braxton Brandy Station Breckinridge, John C Brown, John .
.
.
Brownsville
75, 79, 103-117, 133
212
..23,90,227 24, 25
193
Buckner, General
Benjamin F
,
97, 98
Buckingham Buell, D. C Buford, General Bull Run Burnside, Ambrose
51
103
Bruinsburg
Butler,
69, 73
•.
72, 73, 121, 125 71, 74, 79, 104-108
206 33-35, 59, 183
E
51, 52, 125, 193-196, 213, 223
86-89, 161, 218, 222
Cairo
69
Call for troops
30
Canby General ,
Carlisle
54, 56
205
Carolinas
154
Carroll General ,
215
Carthage Casey, General
171
Cassville
134
Caval iers
Cedar Bluff Cedar Creek Cedar Mountain
58
9
252 232 181
INDEX.
275
Cemetery Ridge
207
Centreville
34, 184
Chambersburg Champion Hill
205, 230
98 197-202
Chancellorsville
Chantilly Charleston Chase, Salmon
184 29, 54, 55, 157-160, 164
P
34
Chattanooga
79, 104, 118-131
Chesterfield Court
House
Chickamauga City Point Cold Harbor
Columbia Columbus Compromise
243 122-124 163, 248
220 156 68, 73, 82
of 1850
15, 16
Confederate cruisers Congress, The
41
47
Constitutional Union party
Corinth Corse, General Cost of war Couch, General Crittenden Compromise Crittenden, George B Crook, General Cullum, General
24 74, 77-79, 80, 81
141
263 206, 209 26, 27 69, 110
227. 229
83
Cumberland, The
R
Curtis, S.
47 63, 64, 74
Custer, General
244, 245
Customs duties
254
Dahlgren Admiral Dalton Dana, General Davis, H. C, Commodore
54
,
Davis, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson Deatonsville
Demand
of
103 90,
92
26, 71, 265
C
notes
Department
133
63, 149, 241
244 257
Northwest Virginia
165
INDEX.
27G
125
Department of the Oliio Department of Washington DeKussy, Fort
135
250 258 69-74
Direct tax Donelson, Fort Douglas, Stephen A Douglass, Frederick Dug Spring
Dupont,
S.
F
23
20 59 51, 53, 54, 154
Early, General
"
228-234
Elk Horn
64 91
Ellet, Colonel
31,32
Ellsworth, Colonel Emigrant Aid Society
17
Ericsson Jolm ,
Ewell, General
170, 181.
2(J6,
48 215, 244
Fair Oaks
171
Falmouth
194, 203
Farmville Farragut, David Fisher, Fort Finances Five Forks Florence
244 55, 56, 86-89
160
253 239 144
Florida,
The Floyd, John B
43, 44
Foote, Commodore Forrest, General
69, 82
Fort Donelson Fort Henry Fortress Monroe Foster, John G. Fractional currency Frankfort Franklin Franklin, William B
23, 73
105, 143, 252 69, 70, 71, 252
69, 70
46, 166,218 52, 53, 156
256 107
144 168,
252
Farm
177
Fredericksburg
193-196, 203
Frazier's
Freedom
of slaves
11
277
INDEX. Free-Soil party
22
Fremont, John C
23, 59, 61, 170
French, General Front Royal Fugitive slave law
141,209 170 16
Gaines. Fort Gaines's Mill
55 175
Gardner, General Garfield
101-103
James A
.
69
Garrison William Lloyd Georgia Legislature Getty, General
20
,
152
215
Gettysburg Gibbons, General Gillmore, General Gillmore, Quincy A Glendale Goldsborough, L.
203-211 199
257 53, 54
177
M
Gordon John B Gordon, J. B. (not General John
52, 160, 163
239
,
Gordonsville
Gordon)
217 181
Grand Gulf Granger, Gordon Grant, U. S Great Britain Greeley Horace ,
Greenbacks Greensboro Gregg, General Grierson, B.
B.
H
General ... Guerrilla warfare Griffin,
Halleck, General
Hampton Roads Hampton AVade ,
Hancock, Winfield S Hanover Court House Hanson, Colonel Hardee, General
97, 98
56 68-81, 93-101, 128-132, 163, 212-248 40, 43
266 255 163 215, 217
97 175
64 69, 74, 77-81, 121, 128, 205, 213
49 158 168, 213, 215, 219
168 1J4 76, 105, 118, 137, 153, 158
INDEX.
278
1^
Harper's Ferry
Harpeth river Harrison Landing Hawes, Richard Hazen, General Heiman, Colonel Heintzelman, General Helper, Hinton Rowan Henry. Fort Herron General
_
^i"^
i"4, 179 1<^7
1^3 71 1"7
-1 69, 70
65
,
207
Heth, General
178, 207, 215, 222, 241
P Hindman, Fort Hindman. General Hobson General Hill, A.
95 65 115
,
161
Hoke, General Holly Springs Holmes, General
93 66, 101
136-148
Hood, John R Hooker, J. E Howard, 0.0 Hunter, General Hurlbut, General
128, 130, 138, 177, 191, 197-202
138, 149, 163, 198
53, 54, 215, 227 81, 128
258
Income tax
66
Independence Interest-bearing treasury notes
260
Internal revenue
258 265
Irwinsville
Island No. 10
83, 85
Iiika
79,
Jackson, Battle of Jackson, Camp Jackson Claiborne F Jackson Fort Jackson, T. J. Stonewall Jacksonville Jefferson City Jenkins, Albert G Jenkins's Ferry
98
57 '.
,
57 86
,
(
80
)
169, 181-187, 190, 199
53
58 215 251
INDEX.
279
.Tetersville
244
Johnston, Albert Sidney Johnson, Edward Johnston, Joseph E Jones, Sam Jones,
71, 73-77
33-35, 98,
227 Bill
16-18 177, 185
45
Kenesaw Mountain Kentucky, Invasion Keyes, General Kilpatrick, Judson Kingston
135, 141
of
104-117 178 138, 149, 252
134
Knoxville
125
Lawrence Kan.)
65
(
Lee, Fitzhugh
198
Lee, Robert E Legal tenders Lexington (Mo.) Libby Prison Liberty party Lincoln, Abraham Logan's Oross-Roads Longstreet
167, 173-248
255 57, 59,61
243, 252
22 23, 27, 31, 39. 43, 153, 163, 165, 248, 253, 266
69 121, 122, 178, 215,240
Lookout Mountain
123, 130, 131
264
life
Louisville
105, 106
Lovejoy, Elijah Lovell, Mansfield
Lynchburg Lyon General Confederate ,
(
Lyon, Nathaniel
Macon, Fort Magruder, General Malvern Hill Manassas Junction Marietta
216 132-136, 156, 164, 167-173 215
W. E
Kansas-Nebraska Kearny, Phil Kearsarge
Loss of
IfM),
20 86
228,238 147
)
;
57, 58,59
52 166, 178
'l78 33, 183
135
INDEX.
280
251
Marks Mills Marmaduke, General
58, 66, 67
69
Marshall, General
187
Maryland Maryland Heights Mason James Murray
205
McAllister, Fort
153
42
.
175, 177
McCall. General McCausland, General McClellan, George B :S[cClernand,
MpCook, A.
230 32, 165-193
John A .
71,95 107, 137
,
84
McCown, General
61,63
McCulloch, Colonel McDowell, Irwin
33. 76. 168, 183
McLean. Mr
245 129
McMinnville McPherson, General Meade, G. G
133, 137 191. 198, 203-212, 220
174
Mechanicsville
Memphis
91
Merrimac
46-49 217
Merritt, General
,
96
Mexican "War Miles, Dixon H
190
Milford Millen
150
14
63
Bend
Milliken's
Mill Spring
Milroy, R.
'.
H
203
Mine Creek Mine explosion Minnesota, The
67
223 48
Missionary Ridge Mississippi,
Opening
123, 130
of
Missouri Missouri Compromise Mitchell,
CM
95,96 68
82-103 57-67 12-14, 19
75
Mobi le Bay Monitor
55 46-49
Montgomery
26, 31
INDEX.
281
Montgomery. Commodore
91
Moore, Colonel Morgan Fort Morgan. John H Morrell, General
114
55
,
105, 112-117
175
Merrill tariff
254
Morris Island Moultrie Fort Mulligan, Colonel James
55 29
,
Mumford, William Murfreesboro
61
B
89 108-112
Murphy, R. C
93
Mustering out
268
Nftshville
73. 74. 141.
Nassau Natchez
145-148 40, 44
90 260-262
National banking system National debt
253, 263
Naval war Nelson General
36-49 105
,
Newbern New Hope Church New Madrid New Market New Mexico
New
52 134 83, 84
,
227
54 85-89
Orleans
Newport News Norfolk
North Anna Northwest Territory Objects of the navy Olustee
Omnibus
47 38,
bill
Opdycke, General Ord, General
39,48 218 12
38 251 15, 16
145 80, 8
Osterhaus, P. G Owen, General
215
Paine's Crossroads
244
Pamlico Sound
149
52
INDEX.
282 Robert Peace Commissions Pea Ridge Pegram, General Pemberlon, General Pensacola Perry ville Petersburg Patterson
,
33
235-236 63, 64
215 81, 93-101
39, 51,53
106 218, 222-248
Philippi
32
Pickens, Fort Pickett, General
51
Piedmont
208, 215
228
Pike, Albert
63
Pillow, Fort
90
Pillow, General
73
206
Pipe Creek Pittsburg Landing Pleasant Hill Pleasonton, General Pocotaligo Point Isabel Polk, Bishop Pope, John
63, 74, 78, 79, 83-85, 181-187
Commodore
88, 95, 97, 161, 248
Porter,
Porter, Fitz John
Port Gibson Port Hudson Port Royal Prairie
Grove
Prentiss, General Price, Sterling
Pulaski Pulaski, Fort Puritans
Quantrell raid
74-77 250 66, 123, 199,210
156 103 104, 107, 118
168, 175, 177
98
101-103 51, 164,217
65 66, 75, 101 57, 61, 64, 66, 67, 75,79
143
53 9 65
Railroads, Destruction of
150
Raleigh
163
Rapidan
213
Raymond
98
283
INDEX. Read, Thomas Buchanan Keagan, John H
265
Keam's Station
226
234
Republican party Resaca
23 133, 134
Revenue
253
Reynolds, John
F
198. 207
Richmond
31, 165, 218,
Rich Mountain
32
Roanoke Island Rosecrans,
W.
221-248 51, 52
32. 66, 79, 80, 108-117
S
Sabine Cross-Roads Sabine Pass
250
252
Creek San Jacinto Savage Station Savannah
244
Sailor's
42 176
153
M
64, 142-145, 160-162
Scott, Winfield
33, 165
Schofield, G. Scott,
Dred
18, 19
Sea Islands
51
Secession
25, 26
Sedgwick, General
"
198-201, 213, 215
Seminary Ridge
209
Semmes, Captain
41, 45, 104
Seven Days' Battle Seven Pines Seymore, Truman Shenandoah Valley Sheridan, Philip
H
Sherman, Thomas Sherman, W. T Shields, General
Shiloh Ship Island
Shreveport Sibley General Sickles, General ,
Sigel,
Franz
Slavery
174-179 172 251 169, 193, 203, 230-234
217, 227-234,238
W
51, 154 76, 80, 83, 94, 101, ^28-131,
132-164 169
74-77 86 249, 250
54 198-201, 207 58, 59, 183, 227
10
INDEX.
284 Slid.'ll.
>l(X'iiin.
John
42
Henry
W
149, 162, 163, 177,198.
^mith. A. J Smith. Kirby Smith. W. F South Mountain Spottsylvania Court House Stanley, General State rights Stedman, Fort
Steedman, J. B Steele. General Stephens, Alexander
Sturgis,
B
Major
Sumner, General Sumter, Fort Sumter, The Supplying the army St. Louis St. Philip
Taylor, Dick Taylor, General
Terry, General
189
215 142 8
238 146 249, 251
H
Stoneman, General Stowe, Harriet Beecher Stuart, J. E.
218,220, 222
7.
Stevens, Isaac Ingalls Stewart, George H
Streight, Colonel
146, 249
34, 75, 105, 164, 249, 250
26 185
216 137, 174,198
21
252 173. 192,217
61 171, 191 29. 30, 55, 158, 164
41 151
66 86 143, 250
56 160, 161
Thacher, Admiral Thayer. Eli
56
The Alabama The Florida The Navy of 1861 The Sumter Thomas, George H Thoroughfare Gap
45
17
43, 44
37 41 68, 106, 123-131, 142-148
183
Tilghman, General
71
Tiptonville
85
285
INDEX.
255 *
Treasury notes Trent affair
'
"
42, 43
'
"
'
TuUahx)ma Tupelo
143 104,
US
^
266
Vanderbilt, Cornelius Van Dorn Earl Vickshurg, first attack Vicksburg, second attack Yicksburg, third attack
.63, 64, 75, 79, 81
90
'
,
•
92 96-101
*
44
""
Wachusett Wadsworth, James 8
215
"
'
55
"
'
Wagner Fort
51
,
•
•
Walker, Fort Wallace, Lew Warren, George S
'
"
'
"
'
'
^^^ „^^ 106,229
'
013, 219, 225, 240
193
Warrenton Washington
170
215 '
Webb, General Weldon Railroad W^est Indies
"
'
'
225
40 •
"
66
Westport
32, 33
West Virginia
'
129
'
Wheeler, General Whipple, General
201
'
^1". 238
White House White House Landing White Oak Swamp
168, 174 '
'
'
jyg I77
'
10
'
'
Whitney, Eli Whittier, John G Wilderness Wilkes, Captain
20
"
'
214
42
' '
9^ 95, 149
'
Williams, A. S
167 '
'
'
Williamsburg Wilmington
162 '
15
Wilmot Proviso
217 '
Wilson, General Wilson's Creek
Winchester
"
'
59
"
-231,
233,234
INDEX.
286 Wise, H. A Wright, II.
52 53, 215, 219, 229, 233
(t
York York river Yorktown Zollicoffer, F.
205 '
217 166
K
68, 69
THE NEW REF This book
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