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diff --git a/44964-0.txt b/44964-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dcc8cf4 --- /dev/null +++ b/44964-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3655 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44964 *** + + BATTLES + OF THE + CIVIL WAR + + BY + T. E. VINEYARD + + [Illustration] + + SPENCER, W. VA. + 1914 + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1914 + BY + T. E. VINEYARD + + HAMMOND PRESS + W. B. CONKEY COMPANY + CHICAGO + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN 9 + BATTLE OF SHILOH 14 + BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES 19 + THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND 25 + BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN 36 + SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN 40 + BATTLE OF ANTIETAM 46 + BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO 56 + BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG 62 + BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE 71 + SIEGE OF VICKSBURG 79 + BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG 86 + BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA 104 + BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY RIDGE 109 + BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS 114 + BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE 120 + BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR 125 + SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA 129 + BATTLE OF CLOYD MOUNTAIN 136 + THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG 142 + THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX 149 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE 16 + GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT 32 + JOHN BROWN ON HIS WAY TO THE GALLOWS 48 + BATTLEFIELD OF FIRST BULL RUN 64 + BATTLE OF ANTIETAM 96 + BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG 112 + DEDICATING THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG 128 + BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE 144 + + + + +AUTHOR'S PREFACE + + +In all history of this American Republic, or perhaps any other nation, +there was no conflict that was so terrible as our Civil war. Napoleon's +efforts to bring into reality his dream of universal empire would not +compare with it. + +I have endeavored in this book to describe in detail the chief points +that were enacted on the most important battlefields of that War. As +those who participated in that War are now fast passing away, and the +time will soon be here when they will only be remembered by their +deeds of valor on these battlefields, I deem it only fit and proper +that those in all walks of life should know more of these battles in +detail and of those who participated in them. I think you will get this +information from this book, as it is written specially with this view. +It should specially appeal to teachers and students who can use it in +a supplementary way in connection with the study of history of this +period. + +I now commend this book to you, and trust that it may be the means of +giving you more light on this the greatest civil war of all time, and +that it may help to lengthen in the minds of the American people their +remembrance of those who participated in it. + + + + +FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN + + +At the beginning of July, 1861, the Federals had 30,000 men encamped +along the Potomac near the heights of Arlington under the general +command of General Winfield Scott, who was a veteran of the war of +1812, as well as the Mexican war, but who was at this time aged and +infirm, and remained in Washington, and Brigadier-General Irvin +McDowell was in immediate command of the army. Another 20,000 men lay +at Martinsburg under General Patterson who like Scott was a veteran of +the war of 1812 and of the Mexican war. + +At Manassas Junction, about thirty miles from Washington, lay the +Confederate army under Brigadier-General Beauregard. General Joseph E. +Johnston was in command of 9,000 men in the Shenandoah Valley. Johnston +and Beauregard, as well as McDowell, had with Scott and Patterson +battled at the gates of Mexico. + +General Scott gave orders to McDowell to move against Beauregard and +on the 16th day of July the army, with waving banners and lively hopes +of victory, and with "On to Richmond" as their battle cry, moved on +Manassas. General McDowell brought his army to a halt at Centreville +within seven miles of Manassas. Beauregard was apprised of the coming +of the Federals. The stream of Bull Run, from which the first great +battle of the war derived its name, flowed between the two armies. +Patterson failed to detain Johnston in the valley, and General Johnston +reached Manassas with his army on the afternoon of the 20th. General +Longstreet was also there, who some months later played a distinctive +part in the struggle at Gettysburg and in the death grapple of Lee and +Grant in the wilderness. + +McDowell, after resting his troops for two days at Centreville, thought +the time for an engagement was now at hand, so on Sunday, July 21st, +at half-past two in the morning, the men were roused for the coming +conflict. Their dream of easy victory had already received a rude +shock, for on their second day at Centreville a skirmish between two +minor divisions of the opposing armies resulted in the defeat of the +Union forces with some loss. + +Ambrose E. Burnside and William T. Sherman were at this time +subordinate officers under General McDowell. Burnside, who figured +later in the far more disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, and Sherman, +distinguished for his march to the sea. + +The Union plan was that General Tyler should lead his division +westward and cross Bull Run at the Stone Bridge about four miles from +Centreville, and the remainder of the army under Hunter and Heintzelman +was to make a circuit of several miles through a dense wood and cross +Bull Run at Sudley's Ford. The plan was to attack the Confederate left +wing. The march to Sudley's Ford was slower than expected and it was +almost noon before this division of the army reached the field near +Stone Bridge. + +General Tyler early in the day opened fire at Stone Bridge on the +Confederates under General Evans, but merely kept up a desultory fire. +As the morning wore away the Confederates suddenly discovered clouds +of dust rising above the treetops along the Warrenton turnpike, which +told them that the main Federal army was on them. Evans quickly turned +about and made ready for battle and waited calmly for the approach of +the enemy. Presently there was a glimmer of sunlight reflected from +burnished steel among the trees and Colonel Burnside led the Federal +army from the woods and without delay the battle began and raged +furiously. + +Meanwhile Generals Beauregard and Johnston were at Manassas, about four +miles from the scene of battle, with part of the Confederate army, and +had been planning an attack on the Federal left, but on hearing the +roar of the cannon and the rattle of the musketry became convinced that +the Federals were making their main attack on the Confederate left, +and both galloped at full speed to the scene of battle, after leaving +orders to the remainder of the army to be brought up to reënforce the +small force of Confederates who were trying to hold back the Federals. +They arrived on the field at the moment when General Bee's brigade +was being driven back. General Bee, in trying to rally his men, +called their attention to the fact that Thos. J. Jackson's brigade was +standing like a stone wall, and it was here that Jackson won his name +of "Stonewall." + +The battle raged furiously until 3 o'clock. The chief object was to +get possession of Henry's Hill. Beauregard, like McDowell on the other +side, led his men in the thickest of the battle. His horse was killed +by a bursting shell, but he mounted another and continued. At about +2 o'clock the Confederates were driven from the field and McDowell +thought he had won the victory, but General Kirby Smith had arrived +from Manassas with the remainder of the Confederate army and was now +on the field, after a double-quick march for four miles under a hot +July sun. Beauregard determined to make another effort and ordered +his troops forward with fresh courage. When the Union army saw the +Confederates again approaching, supported by fresh troops, their +courage failed and they began to retreat. McDowell tried in vain +to rally his men, the Confederates pressed on, the retreat of the +Federals became a panic. He again tried to rally his men and make a +stand at Centreville but to no avail, the troops refused to listen +to his commands. Some of the troops did not stop until they reached +Washington, and the first great battle of the Civil war was now over. + +The Federal force engaged was about 19,000 men, of which the loss in +killed, wounded and missing was about 3,000. + +The Confederates had about 18,000 men on the field, and their total +loss in killed, wounded and missing was about 2,000. McDowell and +Beauregard, the opposing commanders, were old-time friends, having been +in the same class at West Point. + +It was in this battle that Captain Ricketts was severely wounded and +left on the field, and was carried a prisoner to Richmond by the +Confederates. + +To commemorate the success of the Southern arms at Bull Run the +Confederate congress voted a day of Thanksgiving. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF SHILOH + + +Many battles had been fought in America, but they were all skirmishes +compared with Shiloh. Napoleon fought but few battles on the Continent +of Europe that were more destructive of human life. + +In the beginning of April, 1862, General Albert Sidney Johnston was in +command of 40,000 Confederate soldiers at Corinth, Miss., about twenty +miles from Pittsburgh Landing, on the Tennessee River; the next in +command was General Beauregard, who had fought at Bull Run, and had +come to reënforce Johnston; General Bragg, of Buena Vista fame, was +there, to whom, at Buena Vista, General Taylor had given the famous +command, "A little more grape, Captain Bragg." General Leonidas Polk +was with Johnston also. He was called the "Fighting Bishop," for he had +been a bishop in the church after leaving West Point. + +Meanwhile the Union army was gathering at Pittsburgh Landing, under the +command of General Grant, and by April 5th numbered 40,000 men. Grant's +plan was to attack the Confederates at Corinth, within a few days, and +at this time was little expecting an immediate battle, and had left his +army in command of his subordinate officers, and on the night of the +5th was some miles down the Tennessee from where his army was encamped. + +In the meantime Johnston was moving on the Federals at Pittsburgh +Landing, and on the night of April 5th encamped within a mile of the +Federal lines. + +At the break of day Sunday, April 6th, the Confederate battle-lines +moved from the woods on the surrounding hills, and the greatest battle +yet fought in the Western Hemisphere was at hand. + +General Grant was at breakfast when he heard the roar of the cannon, +and made haste by boat to take charge of his army. + +General Hardee led the first Confederate attack against the outlying +division of the Federals under General Benjamin Prentiss, of West +Virginia. Very soon a Confederate attack was made all along the Federal +line, led by Bragg, Polk and Breckinridge. A determined stand was made +by the Federal division under General W. T. Sherman, but was finally +pushed back after inflicting great slaughter to the Confederates. About +two and a half miles from the Landing, in a grove of trees, stood a log +church, known to the country people as Shiloh, at which they gathered +on Sunday to worship, but on this particular Sunday the demon of war +reigned supreme, and it goes without saying that the regular service on +this fateful Sunday was dispensed with. About this church the battle +raged furiously. Near the same was a dense undergrowth, which was +held by General Prentiss until late in the afternoon of the 6th, when +his entire division was surrounded and compelled to surrender, after +repulsing the Confederate attack time after time with great slaughter. +This spot has since been known as the "Hornet's Nest." + +It was near this place that General Albert Sidney Johnston received his +death wound while leading his troops, and in his death the Confederates +suffered irreparable loss. He was struck in the leg by a minie ball, +and if surgical attention had been given him at once his life would +have been saved. + +It is the belief of many that the death of Johnston changed the result +at Shiloh. Beauregard succeeded to the command and continued the +battle. The utter rout of Grant's army was saved only by the gunboats +in the river. Beauregard gave orders to suspend operations until +morning. + +[Illustration: GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE] + +The Confederates were left in charge of the field on the first day and +were in good hope of victory. But ere long their hopes were mingled +with fear, for Beauregard had been expecting General Van Dorn with +20,000 men to reënforce him, but he had not arrived. On the other hand, +Generals Buell and Wallace arrived during the night with 25,000 fresh +troops to reënforce Grant. Everyone knew the battle would be renewed +at the dawn of day. At the break of day, April 7th, all was astir on +the field of Shiloh, and the dawn was greeted with the roar of the +cannon and the rattle of the musketry. + +The Confederates were at a great disadvantage as Van Dorn had not +arrived, and they were confronted by Grant's overwhelming numbers. +Shiloh church was again the storm center, and was used by Beauregard as +his headquarters. + +During the afternoon Beauregard became convinced that the battle +was lost, and ordered a retreat, which was skillfully made, for he +maintained a front firing-line, and the Federals did not suspect his +retreat for some time. + +The Federals were left in possession of the field, while Beauregard's +troops were wading through mud on their way to Corinth. + +Nothing yet on the American continent had ever been witnessed by any +human being that would equal the agony and woe that was endured on this +retreat; the road was almost impassable, and the Confederate army, +extending along this road for six to eight miles, was struggling along +through a downpour of rain, which, ere long, as night hovered over +them, turned to hail and sleet. There were wagons loaded with wounded, +whose wounds had not yet been attended. The wounded that died on the +way were left by the wayside. + +Some days after the battle Beauregard reported to his government at +Richmond as follows: "This army is more confident of ultimate success +than before its encounter with the enemy." + +In his address to his soldiers he said: "You have done your duty. Your +countrymen are proud of your deeds on the bloody field of Shiloh: +Confident of the ultimate result of your valor." + +The two days at Shiloh were astonishing to the American people. Bull +Run was a skirmish in comparison with Shiloh. The loss on each side was +more than 10,000 men. General Grant said that after the battle there +was an open field so covered with dead that it would have been possible +to walk across it in any direction stepping on dead bodies without the +foot touching the ground. + +This proved a great victory for the Federals, as it left them in full +possession along the Tennessee and in the surrounding country. + + + + +THE BATTLES OF FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES + + +After the battle of Bull Run the Union army was broken up and +unorganized. General George B. McClellan was called to Washington to +take charge of the army, and in the beginning days of 1862 he found +himself in command of 200,000 men. He set about to organize this army +and fit them for service. Presently public opinion grew restless, and +the North became tired of "All's Quiet Along the Potomac." + +About the middle of March McClellan moved a large portion of his army +on transports down the Potomac to Fortress Monroe. On April 5th he +moved up the Peninsula toward Richmond. He met with a Confederate force +under General Magruder near Yorktown, who fell back on Williamsburg as +the Union army advanced. At Williamsburg he met a large Confederate +force under General J. E. B. Stuart, D. H. Hill and Jubal Early. The +Confederates were finally dislodged and forced to retreat by the +advance divisions of McClellan's army under Hooker, Kearny and Hancock, +who occupied Williamsburg. + +The Union army continued their march, and on May 16th reached White +House, the ancestral home of the Lees, which is twenty-four miles from +Richmond. On every side were fields of grain, and were it not for the +presence of 100,000 men, there was the promise of a full harvest. + +Great confusion reigned at the Confederate capital on hearing of the +advance of McClellan's army. The Confederate army, known as the Army +of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston, +was arrayed against McClellan's army, known as the Army of the Potomac. +And thus was arrayed against each other two of the greatest and best +equipped armies that had ever confronted each other on the field of +battle. It was now imminent that this would be the beginning of a +series of battles between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of +Northern Virginia, ending three years thereafter at Appomattox, where +the veterans in gray layed down their arms, in honor, to those in blue. + +Between these two armies lay the Chickahominy River, which at this time +was overflowing its banks on account of recent heavy rains. McClellan +ordered his army forward May 20th, and a large division under General +Naglee succeeded in crossing the river, and took up a position on the +south side of the stream. General McClellan, however, was expecting to +be reënforced by McDowell from Fredericksburg with 40,000 men. + +General Johnston, discovering the divided condition of McClellan's +army, believed that the time had arrived to give battle. At this time +"Stonewall" Jackson, with his army, was in the Valley of Virginia, and +was seriously threatening Washington. The authorities at Washington +deemed it necessary to recall McDowell and thus prevent him from +reënforcing McClellan, which proved to be a very serious disappointment +to him. McClellan ordered two divisions of his army to advance. One, +commanded by General Casey, stationed itself at Fair Oaks farm, and the +other, under General Couch, entrenched itself at the cross-roads near +Seven Pines, which derives its name from a clump of pine trees, from +which the battle fought here derives its name. + +No sooner had these positions been taken than they began to entrench +themselves and throw out their picket lines, for the advance division +of the Confederates could plainly be seen through the timber lines. + +On May 30th Johnston gave orders for his army to be ready to advance +at daybreak, but during the night a very heavy rain fell and delayed +operations until late in the morning of May 31st. About nine o'clock, +however, the forces of Longstreet and Hill were ready to move, and +advanced rapidly through the woods on the outlying division of the +Federals, who made a stubborn defense, driving back the Confederates +time after time at the point of the bayonet, and the last time pressing +them back to the woods. Here they were met by a furious musketry fire +by fresh men from Longstreet's division or infantry. They quickly gave +way, and retreated in confusion back to their entrenchments near Fair +Oaks farm. Here the Federals took a stubborn stand, but were presently +dislodged with great slaughter by an enfilading fire from the brigades +of Rains and Rhodes, who had come up on each side. + +The Federals fell back to Seven Pines, where Couch's division was +stationed. Their situation was growing critical, although they were +making a determined stand and had been reënforced by Heintzelman's +division. In the meantime Hill had been reënforced by a brigade of +Longstreet's division and was making a fierce attack on the Federals. +The Confederates were further reënforced by the division of General +G. W. Smith. The battle raged furiously until late in the evening, +when the Federals fell back a distance of about two miles within their +entrenchments along the river. + +While this battle was being fought, another at Fair Oaks Station, only +a short distance away, was also being fought, in which General Joseph +E. Johnston was seriously wounded by a bursting shell, and was carried +from the field. He was succeeded in command by General Robert E. Lee, +who was afterwards made the commander in chief of all the Southern +forces, although the immediate command fell upon G. W. Smith. + +Early Sunday morning, June 1st, the battle was renewed and the attack +was again made by the Confederates, led by General Smith, supported +by Longstreet, but they were pushed back with great slaughter. The +Union lines were also broken and a brief lull ensued. Both sides were +gathering themselves for another onslaught. Presently the Federals were +reënforced by the division of General Hooker. They marched upon the +field in double quick time, and were met by a withering artillery fire. +Both attacking divisions were ordered forward with fixed bayonets. The +Confederates finally gave way and fell back toward Richmond, and the +Federals again withdrew to their entrenchment along the river. + +It is thought by many that McClellan's failure to follow up the +Confederates proved to be the final failure of his Peninsula campaign, +for it gave the Confederates time to readjust their army under their +new commander. + +The forest paths were strewn with the dead and dying. Many of the +wounded were compelled to lie in the hot sun for hours before help +could reach them. Many of the Federal wounded were placed upon cars and +taken across the Chickahominy. The Confederate wounded were carried to +Richmond, which was only seven miles away. And many of the Confederate +dead at Seven Pines were buried in the Holly Wood cemetery at Richmond, +where there are 16,000 Confederate dead. At Oak Wood cemetery, which is +near by, there is another 16,000, which makes 32,000 buried at Richmond. + +At this time the defense of Washington was giving McClellan, as +well as other Federal authorities, considerable concern, for Jackson +with his army had previously taken possession of Winchester and was +advancing down the valley. The Federals opposed to Jackson were +commanded by Generals Shields and Banks. Jackson made an attack on +Shields' army at Kernstown and drove the Federals back, but presently +fell back to wait reënforcements under Ewell. The Federals were +reënforced by General Fremont. Jackson's activity in the valley +caused the president to fear that his goal was Washington. The two +armies fought a series of battles in the valley, namely: Front +Royal, Strausburg, Newtown and Port Republic, the last-named being +the far more important and destructive to life. These were a series +of victories for Jackson, for he drove the Federals from place to +place, and 3,000 of Banks' men fell into his hands as prisoners. Banks +retreated across the Potomac and Jackson joined Lee before Richmond. + +Jackson's activity and strategy in the movement of his army surprised +both the North and the South. Banks reported to the government at +Washington that "Jackson aimed at nothing less than the capture of our +entire force." + + + + +THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES + + +Early in the summer of 1862, General Lee proceeded to increase his +fighting force so as to make it more nearly equal in number to that of +McClellan, and to that end every man that could be spared from other +sections in the South was called to Richmond. Numerous intrenchments +were thrown up along the roads and in the fields about Richmond, thus +giving it the appearance of a fortified camp. General Lee, in an +address to his troops, said that the army had made its last retreat. + +Each army at this time numbered in the neighborhood of 100,000 men. + +Meanwhile, McClellan's army was acclimating itself to a Virginia +summer, and now that the sweltering heat of June was coming on, the +swamps about their camps were fountains of disease, which began to tell +on the health of the men. The hospitals were crowded, and the death +rate was appalling. + +McClellan proceeded to transfer all his men to the south side of the +Chickahominy River, excepting the corps of Franklin and Porter, which +were left on the north side of the river to await reënforcements under +General McCall, which arrived about the middle of June. + +General Lee sent a division of his cavalry, under the command of J. +E. B. Stuart, to encircle the army of McClellan. Stuart started in the +direction of Fredericksburg June 12th, as if to reënforce Jackson, and +the first night bivouacked in the pine woods of Hanover county. Then, +turning to the east, he soon came upon a Union force, drawn up in +columns of four, ready to dispute the passage of the road, and which +fell back in confusion as the Confederates advanced. Stuart pushed on +and fell upon a company of Federal infantry at Tunstall's Station, +which surrendered at once. The Confederates quickly turned about, +crossed the Chickahominy River and joined Lee's army before Richmond, +thus giving Lee the desired information of the position of McClellan's +army. + +Meanwhile, General "Stonewall" Jackson with his army was making haste +to join Lee's army, and on June 25th reached Ashland, in striking +distance of the Army of the Potomac. + +McClellan was pushing his men forward to begin the siege of Richmond. +His advance guard was within four miles of the Confederate capital, and +his fond hope was that within a few days at most his artillery would be +belching forth its sheets of fire and lead into the beleaguered city. + +In front of the Union camp was a strip of pine woodland, full of ponds +and marshes. The Union soldiers pressed through this thicket, met the +Confederate pickets among the trees and drove them back. Upon emerging +into the open the Federal troops found it filled with rifle pits, +earth works, and redoubts. At once they were met with a steady and +incessant fire, which continued nearly all day, and at times almost +reached the magnitude of a battle. This is sometimes called the second +battle of Fair Oaks, and was the prelude of the Seven Days' battles. + +The extreme right of the Union line, under command of General Porter, +lay near Mechanicsville, on the Upper Chickahominy. It was strongly +entrenched and was almost impregnable to an attack from the front. +Before sunrise, June 26th, the Confederates were at the Chickahominy +bridge awaiting the arrival of Jackson, but for once Jackson was behind +time. The morning hours came and went. Noon came and Jackson had not +arrived. About the middle of the afternoon, General A. P. Hill, growing +impatient, crossed the river at Meadow bridge, and at Mechanicsville +was joined by the divisions of Longstreet and D. H. Hill. Driving the +Union outpost to cover, the Confederates swept across the low approach +to Beaver Dam Creek through a murderous fire from the batteries on +the cliff, but were finally repulsed with severe loss. Later in the +afternoon relief was sent Hill, who again attempted to force the +Union position at Ellerson's Mill. From across the open fields, and +in full view of the defenders of the cliff, the Confederates moved +down the slope in full range of the Federal batteries, but the fire +was reserved by the Federals. As the approaching columns reached the +stream the shells came screaming through the air from every waiting +field-piece. Volley after volley of musketry was poured into the ranks +of the Southerners. The hillside was soon covered by the victims of +the gallant charge. As darkness hovered over them there were no signs +of the cessation of the combat. It was nine o'clock when Hill finally +drew back his shattered forces to await the coming of the morning. The +Forty-fourth Georgia regiment suffered the loss of all of its officers, +and thereby was unable to re-form its broken ranks. Both armies now +prepared for another day of conflict. + +McClellan became convinced that Jackson was really approaching with a +large force, and decided to change his base to the James River, leaving +Porter with the Fifth corps on the banks of the Chickahominy, to +prevent Jackson from interrupting this gigantic movement. It involved +marching an army of 100,000 men, with a train of 5,000 heavily loaded +wagons, and many siege-guns, together with 3,000 cattle to be driven +across the marshy peninsula. + +On the night of the 26th, McCall's division was directed to fall back +to the bridges across the Chickahominy near Gaines' Mill, and there +make a stand, for the purpose of holding back the Confederates. Just +before daylight the operations of moving the troops began. + +The Confederates were equally alert, and opened a heavy fire upon the +retreating columns. The Union force under McCall, by being skillfully +handled, succeeded in reaching their new position on the Chickahominy +heights, and on the morning of the new day made ready for action. The +selection of this ground had been well made; they occupied a series of +heights fronted on the west by a cycle shaped stream. The land beyond +was an open country, through which a creek meandered sluggishly, and +beyond this a densely tangled undergrowth. Around the Union position +also were many patches of woods, affording cover for the reserves. + +To protect the Federals, trees had been felled along their front, out +of which barriers, protected by rails and knapsacks, were erected. + +Jackson's forces had united with those of Longstreet and the two Hills, +and were advancing with grim determination of victory. + +It was two o'clock, on June 28th, when General A. P. Hill swung his +division into line for the attack. He was unsupported by the other +divisions, which had not yet arrived on the field. His columns moved +rapidly toward the Union front, and was met by a hailstorm of lead from +Porter's artillery, which sent messages of death to the approaching +lines of gray. + +The Confederate front recoiled from the incessant outpour of grape, +canister and shell. The repulse threw the Confederates into great +confusion. Many left the field in disorder. Others threw themselves on +the ground to escape the withering fire, while some held their places. + +The Federals were reënforced by General Slocum's division of Franklin's +corps. + +Lee ordered a general attack upon the entire Union front. +Reënforcements were brought up to take the place of the shattered +regiments. The troops moved forward in the face of a heavy fire and +pressed up the hillside against the Union line at fearful sacrifice. It +was a death grapple for the mastery of the field. + +At this time General Lee observed Hood of Jackson's corps coming down +the road bringing his brigade into the fight. Riding forward to meet +him, Lee directed that he should try to break the Union line. Hood, in +addressing his troops, said that no man should fire until ordered, then +started for the Union breastwork 800 yards away. They moved rapidly +across the open under a shower of shot and shell. At every step the +ranks grew thinner and thinner. They quickened their pace as they +passed down the slope and across the creek. Not a shot had they fired. +With the wing of death hovering over all, they fixed bayonets and, +dashing up the hill into the Federals' line, with a shout they plunged +through the felled timber and over the breastworks. The Union line +had been pierced and was giving way, and the retreat was threatening +to develop into a general rout. But the Federals at this moment were +reënforced by the brigades of French and Meagher of Sumner's corps. +This stopped the pursuit and, as night was at hand, the Southern +soldiers withdrew. The battle of Gaines' Mill was then over. + +General Lee believed that McClellan would retreat down the Peninsula, +but on June 29th, this being the next day after the battle of Gaines' +Mill, he became convinced that the Federals were moving towards the +James River. Longstreet and A. P. Hill were again ordered to take up +the pursuit of the Federals. + +McClellan had left Sumner to guard his retreating columns. Sumner +followed up in the rear of the Federals and brought his men to a halt +at what is known as the "Peach Orchard," near Savage's Station, and +successfully resisted the spirited fire of musketry and artillery +of the Confederates. On this same Sunday evening he was attacked by +General Magruder with a large force, who was following close on the +heels of the Army of the Potomac. Magruder brought his artillery into +action, but failed to dislodge the Federals. He then charged the Union +breastworks and was met with a vigorous fire, and the battle raged +over the entire field. Both sides stood their ground until darkness +closed the contest. The battle of Savage's Station was now over. Before +midnight Sumner had withdrawn his forces and was following after the +wagon trains of McClellan. + +The Confederates were pursuing McClellan in two columns, one led by +Jackson and the other by Longstreet. The division under Longstreet came +upon the Federals at Glendale, where they were guarding the right flank +of the retreat. The Federals were attacked by a part of Longstreet's +division led by General McCall, but was repulsed with great loss. +Longstreet ordered a general attack. One Alabama brigade charged +across the field in the face of the Union batteries. The men had to go +a distance of 600 yards. The batteries let loose grape and canister, +while volley after volley of musketry sent its death-dealing messages +among the Southerners. But nothing except grim death itself could check +their impetuous charge. Pausing for an instant, they delivered a volley +of musketry and attempted to seize the guns. Bayonets were crossed and +men engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle. Darkness closed on the fearful +scene, yet the fighting continued. The Federals finally withdrew from +the field to follow up their retreating columns. + +There fell into the hands of the Confederates a field hospital, filled +with the wounded, gathered from the fields of Gaines' Mill, Savage's +Station and Glendale. These wounded were taken charge of as prisoners, +along with their attending physicians. This proved to be a great burden +to the Confederates, as they were taxed to their utmost caring for +their own wounded. + +By this series of engagements McClellan was enabled to reach Malvern +Hill, on the James River, with his army intact. By noon on July 1st +his last division had reached its position. The Confederates, led by +Longstreet, were close on his trail, and were soon brought up to the +Union outposts. + +[Illustration: GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT] + +Malvern Hill, a plateau a mile and a half long and half a mile wide, +with its top bare of woods, commanded a view of the country over +which the Confederates must approach. Around the summit of this hill +McClellan had placed tier after tier of batteries, arranged like an +amphitheater. On the top were placed several heavy siege guns, his +left flank being protected by the gunboats in the river. The morning +and early afternoon were occupied by several Confederate attacks, +sometimes formidable in their nature, but Lee planned for no general +move until he could bring up a force which he thought sufficient to +attack the strong position of the Federals. The Confederates had orders +to advance, when a signal shout was given by the men of Armistead's +brigade. The attack was made late in the afternoon by General D. H. +Hill, and was gallantly done, but no army could have withstood the +fire from the batteries of McClellan as they were massed upon Malvern +Hill. All during the evening brigade after brigade tried to force the +Union lines. They were forced to breast one of the most devastating +storms of lead and canister to which an assaulting army has ever been +subjected. The round shot and grape cut through the branches of the +trees. Column after column of Southern soldiers rushed upon the death +dealing cannon, only to be mowed down. Their thin lines rallied again +and again to the charge, but to no avail. McClellan's batteries still +hurled their missiles of death. The field below was covered with the +dead, as mute pleaders in the cause of peace. The heavy shells from the +gunboats on the river shrieked through the timber and great limbs were +torn from the trees as they hurtled by. Darkness was falling over the +combatants. It was nine o'clock before the guns ceased firing, and only +an occasional shot rang out over the gory field of Malvern Hill. + +The next day the Confederates, looking up through the drenching rain to +where had stood the grim batteries and lines of blue, saw only deserted +ramparts. The Federal army had retreated during the night to Harrison's +Landing, where it remained until August. + +President Lincoln became convinced that the operations from the James +River as a base were impracticable, and orders were issued for the army +to be withdrawn from the peninsula. + +The net result of the Seven Days' Battles was a disappointment to the +South, as the Southern public believed that McClellan should not have +been allowed to reach the James River with his army intact, although +the siege of Richmond had been raised. + +Generals McClellan, Jackson, A. P. Hill, G. W. Smith, Joseph E. +Johnston and Lee, as well as other commanding officers of this series +of battles about Richmond, had been great friends. Some of them had +attended school together at West Point, and many of them had enjoyed +each other's fellowship while members of the Aztec Club in the City +of Mexico, which was an organization of American officers, while for +a few months they were in the Mexican capital at the close of the +Mexican war. General Franklin Pierce was president of the club, who was +afterwards President of the United States. + +Generals McClellan and Joseph E. Johnston were special friends even +after the war, and in a conversation with McClellan Johnston remarked +"You never know what is in a man until you try to lick him." + + + + +THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN + + +After the failure of McClellan's Peninsula campaign General John Pope +was called from the West to Washington to take charge of the Union +forces, and arrived in June, 1862. A new army was made up from the +respective divisions of McDowell, Banks and Fremont, which was to be +known as the Army of Virginia. General Pope at first refused to take +command of this army, for the reason that McDowell, Banks and Fremont +were superior officers in rank to himself, but was prevailed upon +to take the command, which he did, and in an address to his army he +ended with the statement, "My headquarters will be in the saddle." +When this was shown to General Lee, he grimly commented, "Perhaps his +headquarters will be where his hindquarters ought to be." + +Fremont refused to serve under Pope, whom he considered his junior, and +resigned. His corps was assigned to General Sigel. + +Pope's idea was to draw Lee's army away from following that of +McClellan down the peninsula, and advanced from Washington with +Gordonsville as his objective point. This place, being at the junction +of a railroad, was a base of supplies for the Southern army. + +The sagacious Lee had divined his intentions and sent Stonewall Jackson +and Ewell to occupy this town. Ewell arrived in advance of Jackson, and +held the town. Jackson, coming up later, took full command of the army. + +On July 27th, A. P. Hill also joined him with his corps, which brought +their strength up to about 25,000 men. + +The Union army now occupied that portion of the country around Culpeper +Court House. Pope soon found that his brilliant success in the West was +not like measuring swords with the Confederate generals in Virginia. + +On August 6th Pope began his general advance on Gordonsville. Jackson, +being informed of his advance, immediately set his army in motion for +Culpeper Court House, hoping to crush the Army of Virginia before it +reached the neighborhood of Gordonsville, so as to nowise interrupt +their base of supplies. Jackson succeeded in crossing the Rapidan River +and took a strong position two miles beyond on Cedar Mountain, which +is a foothill of the Blue Ridge. From its summit could be seen vast +stretches of quiet farm lands, which had borne their annual harvest +since the days of the Cavaliers. Its slopes were covered with forests, +which merged into waving grain fields and pasture lands, dotted here +and there with rural homes. It was on these slopes that one of the most +severe short battles of the war was fought. + +Jackson placed Ewell's batteries on the slope about 200 feet above the +valley, and General Winder took a strong position on the left. + +General Pope well knew that the whole North was eagerly watching his +movements, and resolved to make an attack, as he must strike somewhere, +and do it soon--and here was his chance. He sent Banks, with 8,000 men, +to make the attack against the Southerners in their strong position on +the mountain side. + +Banks advanced against the enemy on the afternoon of August 9th. He +advanced through open fields in full range of the Confederate cannon, +which presently opened with roar of thunder. The men, heedless of all +danger, pressed on up the slope, but were suddenly met by a brigade +of Ewell's division, and a brief deadly encounter took place. The +Confederate lines began to waver, and no doubt would have been routed +but for the timely aid of two brigades which rallied to their support. +Meanwhile the Union batteries had been wheeled into position and their +roar answered that of the Confederates on the hill. For three hours +the battle continued with utmost fury. The fields were strewn with the +dead and dying, who fell to rise no more. At length, as the shades of +evening were settling over the gory field, Banks began to withdraw +his troops, but left 2,000 of his brave men--one-fourth of his whole +army--dead or dying along the hillside. The Confederate losses were +about 1,300. On account of the peculiar situation of the armies during +the battle, their wounded could not be taken charge of, who suffered +terribly from thirst and lack of attention as the sultry day gave way +to a close, oppressive night. For two days the armies faced each other +across the valley, then quietly withdrew. + +Pope's first battle, as leader of the Army of Virginia, had resulted +in neither victory nor defeat. This battle was a prelude to a far more +disastrous battle to be fought a few days later at Bull Run. + + + + +SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN + + +The three weeks intervening between the battles of Cedar Mountain and +Second Bull Run were spent in heavy skirmishing and getting position +for a decisive battle. General Pope's headquarters was at Culpeper +Court House, but he had left much of his personal baggage and private +papers at Catlett's Station, on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, +while his vast store of supplies was at Manassas Junction. + +Pope was expecting to be reënforced by McClellan, but they had not yet +arrived. Meanwhile Lee had sent Longstreet with his corps to reënforce +Jackson, and followed up later himself. Longstreet reached Gordonsville +on the 13th day of August. + +Lee observed that Pope's position was weak at Culpeper and determined +to attack him without delay and gave orders for his army to cross the +Rapidan. Pope knew that his position at Culpeper was weak and fell back +to a stronger position behind the Rappahannock. + +Lee hoped to attack the Army of Virginia before it could be reënforced +by McClellan, but, on account of heavy rains, which raised the streams, +he was somewhat delayed until Pope had been reënforced by a part of +Burnside's corps, under General Reno, and later was also reënforced by +Generals Kearny and Reynolds with their divisions of the Army of the +Potomac. + +Lee sent the dauntless cavalry leader J. E. B. Stuart to make a raid +around the Union army. Stuart crossed the Rappahannock with 1,500 +mounted men, as bold as himself. After riding all day, and on the night +of the 22d, in the midst of a torrential rainstorm, while the darkness +was so intense that every man was guided by the tread of his brother +horseman, Stuart fell upon the Federals at Catlett's Station, capturing +200 prisoners and scattering the remaining troops in the darkness. +He seized Pope's dispatch-book, with his plans and private papers, +took several hundred horses and destroyed a large number of wagons +loaded with supplies. Among his trophies was a fine uniform cloak and +hat, which were the personal belongings of General Pope. These were +exchanged later for General Stuart's plumed hat, which he had left +behind when surprised by a party of Federals. + +Stuart's raid proved a serious misfortune for Pope's army. But Lee had +far greater things in store. He resolved to send Jackson to Pope's rear +with a large force, Jackson led his army westward, which was shielded +by woods and low hills of the Blue Ridge. He passed through a quiet +rural community. The majority of the country folk had never seen an +army before, though it is true that for many days they had heard the +roar of the cannon from the valley of the Rapidan. + +General Lee, in the meantime, had kept Longstreet in front of Pope's +army to make daily demonstrations, to divert Pope's attention from +Jackson's movements and lead him to believe that he was to be attacked +in front. + +Jackson suddenly, on August 26th, emerged from the Bull Run Mountains +and marshaled his clans on the plains of Manassas. + +Pope was astonished to find Jackson in his rear, and hastened with +all speed with his forces toward Manassas Junction, where he had vast +stores of provisions and munitions of war, but he was too late to save +them. They had been taken by General Stuart in advance of Jackson's +army. This was a serious loss to Pope. The spoils of the capture were +great, including 300 prisoners, 125 horses, ten locomotives, seven long +trains of provisions, and vast stores and munitions of war. Pope was +moving against Jackson with a far larger army, and was expecting to +be reënforced from the Army of the Potomac, while on the other hand, +Longstreet was hastening to reënforce Jackson, but had not arrived. + +Pope, hoping to crush Jackson's army before he could be reënforced by +Longstreet, sent a force to interpose Longstreet at Thoughfare Gap. +Jackson was not to be caught in a trap. He moved from Manassas Junction +to the old battlefield of Bull Run. + +Late in the afternoon of the 29th he encountered King's division of +McDowell's corps, near the village of Groveton, and a sharp fight was +opened and kept up until after dark. + +On the following day, August 29th, the first day's battle was fought. +Pope was still hopeful of crushing Jackson's army before the arrival of +Longstreet, and ordered a general advance across Bull Run. + +Ere long a loud shout arose from Jackson's men that told too well +of the arrival of Longstreet. Far away on the hills could be seen +the marching columns of Longstreet, who had passed through the gap +in safety and was now rushing upon the field. Pope had lost the +opportunity of fighting the army of his opponent in sections. + +The field was almost the same that the opposing armies had occupied the +year before, when the first great battle of the war was fought, and +many of them were the same men. + +The two armies faced each other in a line five miles long. Late in +the afternoon, the regiments, under Kearny and Hooker, charged the +Confederate left, which was swept back and rolled upon the center. But +presently General Hood, with his famous Texan brigade, rushed forward +in a wild, irresistible dash, pressed the Federals back and captured +several prisoners. + +Darkness closed over the scene and the two armies rested on their arms +until morning. + +Over the gory field lay multitudes of men who would dream of +battlefields no more. + +Lee and Pope each believed that the other would withdraw his army +during the night, and each was surprised in the morning to find his +opponent on the field. It was quite certain that on this day, August +30th, there would be a decisive battle, in which one army would be +victor and the other defeated. Both armies were in full force, the +Confederates with over 50,000 men, whose left wing was commanded by +Jackson and the right by Longstreet, and the Union army with about +65,000 men, whose left wing was commanded by Porter and the right by +Keno. + +In the early hours of the morning the hills echoed with the firing +of artillery. Porter made an infantry attack in the forenoon, and +was pressed back in great confusion by superior numbers. One attack +after another followed. In the afternoon a large part of the Union +army made a desperate attack on the Confederate left, under Jackson, +but their lines were swept by an enfilading fire from the batteries +of Longstreet. Ghastly gaps were cut in the Federal ranks, and they +fell back, but rallied again and again to the attack, each time to be +mowed down by Longstreet's artillery. At length Longstreet's whole line +rushed forward and the Union front began to waver. General Lee ordered +a general advance. Pope retreated across Bull Run, leaving several +thousand prisoners in the hands of the Confederates. + +Pope led his army back to the entrenchments at Washington, while +Jackson and Stuart followed close on the heels of his army, and he was +compelled to make several stands in battle on his retreat, in one of +which General Kearny was killed. + + + + +BATTLE OF ANTIETAM + + +After Pope's disastrous defeat at Second Bull Run he begged to be +relieved of the command of the army. He gave as one of the causes of +his defeat that General Fitz John Porter had disobeyed orders. General +Porter's explanation to the Court Marshal failed to convince it and he +was dismissed from the service. + +The Army of Virginia and that of the Potomac being united, the command +was handed to the "Little Napoleon" of Peninsula fame, George B. +McClellan. + +The South was overjoyed with its victory at Bull Run--twice it had +unfurled its banner in triumph on this battlefield--twice its army +had stood on the road that leads to Washington, only by some strange +destiny of war to fail to enter it on the wave of victory. + +This subject, "The Battle of Antietam," is considered one of the +turning points of the war, for it was after this battle that President +Lincoln issued his emancipation proclamation, although it is said that +he had it prepared for some time but on account of the continued defeat +of his armies in Virginia he could not see his way clear to declare it +until after the battle of Antietam. + +Lee's army, 50,000 strong, crossed the Potomac and concentrated around +Frederick, Md., only about forty miles from Washington. When it +became known that Lee was advancing into Maryland and was threatening +Washington, McClellan pushed his forces forward to encounter the +invaders. The people of the vicinity, and even at Harrisburg, +Baltimore and Philadelphia, were filled with consternation. Their +fear was intensified by the memory of Second Bull Run, a few weeks +before, and by the fact that at this time General Bragg was marching +northward across Kentucky with a great army, threatening Louisville and +Cincinnati. + +Lee sent Jackson against the Union forces at Harper's Ferry, which is +at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, at which place +there were stored valuable stores and munitions of war. This place was +made famous by John Brown's raid a few years before. + +Jackson reached the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry on the morning of +the 13th, and captured the town with but little opposition on the +morning of the 15th. There were turned over to him 11,500 prisoners, +seventy-three guns, 13,000 small arms, 200 wagons, and a large store of +supplies. In this enterprise Lee had achieved an important and valuable +success. + +Longstreet, who had advanced to Hagerstown, probably with the intention +of invading Pennsylvania, was hastily recalled and sent to reënforce +D. H. Hill, who was being severely pushed at Boonsborough Gap by +McClellan. The defense of this path had been very necessary to Lee, +but, after a desperate conflict, the Union army succeeded in forcing +its way through, this being the first set-back to Lee's invasion, and +he conceived at once that a great battle was at hand and began to +concentrate his forces. + +Jackson was marching with all haste to Sharpsburg, near by Antietam +Creek, having left A. P. Hill to receive the surrender at Harper's +Ferry, and on the morning of the 16th the whole army, with the +exception of the force of A. P. Hill, left at Harper's Ferry, was +concentrated behind Antietam Creek. + +McClellan's army reached the opposite side of the stream on the same +day. + +The bulk of the Confederate forces, under Longstreet and D. H. Hill, +stood along the range of heights between Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek, +with Longstreet on the right and Hill on the left, and Hood's division +on the Hagerstown road north of Miller's farm, and near that point, in +the rear, Jackson's exhausted troops were in reserve. + +His lines, stretching from the Hagerstown road towards the Potomac, +were protected by Stuart's cavalry. General Lee had his headquarters in +a tent on a hill near Sharpsburg, where the National Cemetery now is, +and from that point he overlooked much of the country that was made a +battlefield the next day. + +[Illustration: JOHN BROWN ON HIS WAY TO THE GALLOWS] + +Antietam Creek was spanned by four stone bridges, which were strongly +guarded. + +McClellan made his headquarters at the fine brick mansion of Philip +Pry, about two miles east of Antietam. His army was posted in front on +each side, one wing under Sumner and the other under Hooker. Farther +down the stream, and not far from bridge No. 3, Burnside's corps was +posted. McClellan's artillery was planted on the hills in front of +Sumner and Hooker. This was the general position of the contending +armies on the 16th. + +This was a day of intense anxiety and unrest in the valley of the +Antietam. The people, who had lived in the farm houses that dotted +the golden autumn landscape in this hitherto quiet community, had +now abandoned their homes and given place to the gathering thousands +who were marching to the stern command of the officers. It was a day +of maneuvering and getting position preparatory to the coming mighty +conflict. + +The two great armies now lay facing each other in a grand double line +three miles in length. At one point they were so near together that the +pickets could hear each other tread. It would require no prophet to +foretell what would happen on the morrow. + +On the night of the 16th few officers found relief from anxiety, and it +goes without saying that many a soldier on this particular night, with +his mind on the battle which was to be fought on the morrow, did not +close his eyes in slumber. + +Beautiful and clear the morning broke over the Maryland hills on the +fateful 17th of September, 1862. The sunlight had not yet touched +the crowned hilltops when artillery fire announced the opening of the +battle. The contest was opened by Hooker with about 8,000 men. He made +a vigorous attack on the Confederate left, commanded by Jackson, and +was supported by Doubleday on the right, and Meade on the left. He had +not gone far before the glint of the rising sun disclosed the bayonet +points of a large Confederate force standing in a cornfield in his +immediate front. This was a part of Jackson's corps, who had arrived +during the morning of the 16th from the capture of Harper's Ferry, and +had been posted in this position to surprise Hooker in his advance. The +outcome was a terrible surprise to the Confederates. Hooker's batteries +hurried into action and opened with canister on the cornfield. Hooker's +object was to push the Confederates back through a line of woods and +seize the Hagerstown road and the woods beyond in the vicinity of the +Dunker church. Around this church on this fateful day the demon of war +reigned supreme, and near this church stood the fine mansion of a Mr. +Mumma, which was fired by a retreating column of Confederate troops and +burned throughout the entire engagement. The Federal batteries on the +east side of the Antietam poured an enfilading fire on Jackson that +galled him very much. The Confederates stood bravely against this fire +and made a determined resistance. Back, and still further back, were +Jackson's men driven across the field, every stalk of corn in which was +cut down by the shot and shell as closely as a knife could have done +it. On the ground the fallen lay in rows, precisely as they had stood +in the ranks. The Confederates were driven from the cornfield into a +patch of woods. Hooker now advanced his center under Meade to seize the +Hagerstown road and the woods beyond. They were met by a murderous fire +from Jackson, who had just been reënforced by Hood's refreshed troops, +who fell heavily upon Meade in the cornfield. Hooker called upon +Doubleday for aid, and a brigade was forwarded at double-quick across +the cornfield in the face of a terrible storm of shot and shell. The +Federals were further reënforced by Mansfield's corps, and while his +divisions were deploying this veteran commander was mortally wounded. +General Williams succeeded to the command of his corps, who pushed on +across the open fields and seized a part of the woods on the Hagerstown +road. At the same time Greene's division took position to the left +of the Dunker church. This was on high ground and was the key to the +Confederate left wing. But Greene's troops were exposed to a galling +fire from the division of D. H. Hill and he called for reënforcements. +General Sumner sent Sedgwick's division across the creek to reënforce +Greene. His troops advanced straight towards the conflict. They found +General Hooker severely wounded in the foot, which became so painful +that he was carried off the field and left his troops in the command of +Sumner. A sharp artillery fire was turned on Sedgwick before he reached +the woods, west of the Hagerstown Pike, but once in the shelter of the +thick trees he passed in safety to the western edge. Here the division +found itself in an ambush. + +The Confederates had been heavily reënforced by several brigades under +Walker and McLaws, having just arrived from Harper's Ferry, and had not +only blocked the front but had worked around to the rear of Sedgwick, +who was wounded in the awful slaughter that followed, but he and Sumner +finally extricated their men after severe loss. The Federals were +now reënforced by Franklin's fresh troops and were able to hold the +cornfield and part of the woods over which the conflict had raged till +the ground was saturated with blood. + +Sedgwick was twice wounded and carried from the field. The command of +his division involved on General Howard. + +It was now about noon and the battle had been raging since early in +the morning. Another deadly conflict was in progress near the center. +Sumner's corps had crossed the stream and made a desperate assault on +the Confederates under D. H. Hill, stationed to the south of where the +battle had previously raged and along a sunken road, since known as +"Bloody Lane." The fighting here was of a most desperate character and +continued nearly four hours. The Federal advance was led by Generals +French and Richardson, who captured a few flags and several prisoners, +but failed to carry the heights along which the Confederates were +posted. Richardson was mortally wounded while leading a charge and was +succeeded by General Hancock, but his men finally captured Bloody Lane +with the 300 living men who remained to defend it. + +The final Federal charge was made at this point by Colonel Barlow, who +displayed the utmost bravery, where he won a brigadier-generalship. +He was later wounded and carried off the field. The Confederates had +fought desperately to hold their position at Bloody Lane, and when +it was captured it was filled with dead bodies. It was now after one +o'clock and the firing ceased for the day on the Union right and center. + +General Burnside was in command of the Federal left wing and had +remained inactive for some hours after the battle had begun at the +other end of the line, having finally received orders from McClellan +to cross the stone bridge, since known as Burnside's Bridge, and drive +the Confederates out of their strong position. The Confederates at +this bridge were commanded by General Toombs, who had orders from +General Lee to hold the bridge at all hazards. They were behind strong +breastworks and rifle pits, which commanded the bridge with both a +direct and enfilading fire. General Robert Toombs had been a former +United States senator and a member of Jefferson Davis' cabinet. Perhaps +the most notable event of his life was the holding of the Burnside +Bridge at Antietam for three hours against the fearful onslaughts of +the Federals. Burnside's chief officer at this time was General Jacob +D. Cox, afterwards governor of Ohio, who succeeded General Reno, killed +at South Mountain or Boonsborough Gap. On General Cox fell the task of +capturing the stone bridge. + +The Confederates had been weakened at this point by the sending of +Walker to the support of Jackson, where, as we have noticed, he took +part in the deadly assault upon Sedgwick's division. + +Toombs, with his small force, had a hard task of defending the bridge, +notwithstanding his advantage of position. McClellan sent several +urgent orders to General Burnside to cross the bridge at all hazards. +Burnside forwarded these to Cox and in the fear that the latter would +not be able to carry the bridge by a direct front attack, he sent +General Rodman with a division to cross the creek at a ford below. This +was accomplished after much difficulty. One assault after another was +made upon the bridge in rapid succession, which was at length carried +at the cost of 500 men. Burnside charged up the hill and drove the +Confederates almost to Sharpsburg. The fighting along the Sharpsburg +road might have resulted in the Confederates' disaster and the capture +of General Lee's headquarters had it not been for the timely arrival +of A. P. Hill's division, which emerged out of a cloud of dust on the +Harper's Ferry road and came upon the field at double quick, and, under +a heavy fire of artillery, charged upon Burnside's columns and after +severe fighting, in which General Rodman was mortally wounded, drove +the Federals back almost to the bridge. The pursuit was checked by the +Federal artillery on the eastern side of the stream. Darkness closed +the conflict. + +Lee had counted on the arrival of A. P. Hill in time to help hold the +Federals in check at the bridge, but he was late and came up just in +time to save the army from disastrous defeat. + +With the gloom of that night ended the conflict known as Antietam. + +For fourteen hours more than 100,000 men, with 500 pieces of artillery, +had engaged in Titanic conflict. As the battle's smoke rose and +cleared away the scene presented was one to make the stoutest heart +shudder. There lay upon the ground, scattered for three miles over the +valleys and hills, and in the improvised hospitals, more than 20,000 +men. + +Horace Greeley was probably right when he said that this was the +bloodiest day in American history. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO + + +The fall months of 1862 had been spent by Generals Bragg and Buell in +racing across Kentucky, each at the head of a large army. Buell had +saved Louisville from the hands of the Confederates, while on the other +hand Bragg had succeeded in carrying away a large amount of plunder and +supplies for his army which he had gathered from the country through +which he passed, and of which his army was in great need. + +The authorities at Washington became impatient with Buell on account +of his permitting the Confederate army to escape intact, and decided +to relieve him of the command of the army, which was handed to General +W. S. Rosecrans, who had won considerable distinction by his victories +at Corinth and other engagements in the West. The Union army was now +designated as the Army of the Cumberland. + +Bragg was concentrating his army at Murfreesboro, in central Tennessee, +which was near Stone's River, a tributary of the Cumberland River. + +On the last days of December General Bragg was advised of the Federals' +advance from Nashville, which is about thirty miles from Murfreesboro, +and he lost no time in taking position and getting his army into +well-drawn battle lines. His left wing under General Hardee, the +center Polk, and his right wing under Breckenridge, his cavalry +division was commanded by Generals Wheeler, Forrest and Morgan. His +lines were three miles in length. On December 30th the Federals came up +from Nashville and took position directly opposite in a parallel line. +The Federal left was commanded by Thos. L. Crittenden, whose brother +was a commander in the Confederate army, and were sons of a famous +United States senator from Kentucky. The Federal center was in command +of General George H. Thomas, and the right wing under General McCook. +Rosecrans had under his command about 43,000 men, while the strength of +the Confederates was about 38,000. + +The two armies bivouacked within musket range of each other, and the +camp-fires of each were clearly seen by the other, as they shown +through the groves of trees. + +It was plain to be seen that a deadly combat would begin with the +coming of the morning. + +Rosecrans had planned to attack the Confederate right under +Breckinridge, while on the other hand Bragg had planned to attack the +Federal left under McCook, and to seize the Nashville turnpike and +thereby cut off Rosecrans' retreat. Neither, of course, knew of the +other's plan. + +At the break of day, on December 31st, the Confederate left moved +forward in a magnificent battle-line, about a mile in length and two +columns deep. At the same time the Confederate artillery opened with +their cannon. The Federals were astonished at so fierce and sudden a +charge and were ill prepared. Before McCook could arrange them several +batteries were overpowered and several heavy guns fell into the hands +of the Confederates. The Union troops fell back in confusion and seemed +to have no power to check the impetuous charge of the onrushing foe. +Only one division, under General Philip H. Sheridan, held its ground. +Sill's brigade of Sheridan's division drove the Confederates in front +of its back to their entrenchments, but in this charge the brave +commander lost his life. + +While the battle raged with tremendous fury on the Union right, +Rosecrans was three miles away, throwing his left across the river. +Hearing the terrific roar of the cannon and rattle of the musketry, +he hastened to attack Breckinridge, hoping to draw a portion of the +Confederate force away from the attack on his right. Ere long the +sound of battle was coming nearer, and he rightly divined that his +right wing was being rapidly driven upon his center by the dashing +soldiers of the South. He ordered McCook to dispute every inch of the +ground; but McCook's command was torn to pieces except the division +of Sheridan, which stood firm against the overwhelming numbers, which +stand attracted the attention of the country and brought military +fame to Sheridan. He checked the onrushing foe at the point of the +bayonet, and re-formed his lines under a heavy fire. Rosecrans ordered +up the reserves to the support of the Union center and right. Here for +two hours longer the battle raged with unabated fury. Three times the +Confederate left and center were thrown against the Union lines, but +failed to break them. At length it was discovered that the ammunition +was exhausted in Sheridan's division and he withdrew in good order to a +plain near the Nashville road. The Confederates' advance was checked by +the division of Thomas. + +It was now in the afternoon, and still the battle raged in the woods +and on the hills about Murfreesboro. + +The Federal right and center had been forced back to Stone's River, +while Bragg's right was on the same stream close to the Federal line. + +In the meantime Rosecrans had massed his artillery on a hill +overlooking the field. He had also re-formed his broken lines, and +had called 12,000 fresh troops from his left into action. The battle +re-opened with utmost fury, and the ranks of both armies were torn with +grape and canister and bursting shells. + +General Breckinridge brought all of his division excepting one brigade +into the action. They had for some time been inactive and were +refreshed by a short rest. The Confederates now began a vigorous attack +upon the Federal columns, but were swept by a raking artillery fire. +They rallied again to the attack, but their ranks were again swept by +Rosecrans' artillery and the assault was abandoned. + +Darkness was now drawing over the scene of battle, and the firing +abated slowly and died away. It had been a bloody day, the dead and +dying lay upon the field and in the hospitals in great numbers, and +with the awful gloom and suffering of that night ended the first day's +battle at Murfreesboro. + +The next day was the first of the new year, and both armies remained +inactive during the entire day, except to quietly prepare to renew the +conflict on the morrow. The renewal of the battle on January 2d was +fully expected, but there was but little fighting until late in the +afternoon. Rosecrans had sent General Van Cleve across the river to +occupy an elevation from which he could shell the town of Murfreesboro. + +Bragg sent Breckinridge to dislodge this division, which he did with +splendid effect. But Breckinridge's men became exposed to the raking +fire of the Federal artillery across the stream and retreated to a +place of safety with a loss of 1,700 men killed and wounded. + +The next day brought no further conflict. On the night of January +3d General Bragg began to move his army away to winter quarters at +Shelbyville. + +Murfreesboro was one of the great battles of the war, and, except at +Antietam, had not thus far been surpassed. The losses were about 13,000 +to the Federals, and about 10,000 to the Confederates. Both sides +claimed the victory--the South because of Bragg's decided success on +the first day; the North because of Breckinridge's fearful repulse +on the last day's battle, and of Bragg's retiring in the night and +refusing to fight again. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG + + +The silent city of military graves at Fredericksburg is a memorial of +one of the bloodiest battles of the war. General McClellan failed to +follow up the retreating Southern army after the battle of Antietam, +and thereby lost favor with the authorities at Washington, and was +relieved of the command of the army, which was handed to General +Ambrose E. Burnside, who took command of the Army of the Potomac on +November 9, 1862, and on the following day McClellan took leave of his +troops. + +Burnside changed the whole plan of the campaign and decided to move +on Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River. His army moved forward +in three divisions, under Sumner, Hooker and Franklin. They were +delayed several days in crossing the river, due to the failure of +the arrival of the pontoon bridges. A council of war was held on the +night of December 10th, in which the officers were opposed to the +plan of battle, but Burnside was determined to carry out his original +plan immediately. After two days of skirmishing with the Confederate +sharpshooters he succeeded in getting his army across the river on the +morning of December 13th. + +General Lee had by this time entrenched his army on the hills +surrounding Fredericksburg. His line stretched for five miles along the +range of hills, surrounding the town on all sides save the east, where +the river flows. The strongest position of the Confederates was on +Marye's Heights, in the rear of the town. Along the foot of this hill +was a stone wall about four feet high, bounding the eastern side of the +Telegraph road, being depressed a few feet below the surface of the +stone wall, and thus it formed a breastwork for the Confederate troops. +Behind this wall a strong Confederate force was concealed, while higher +up the hill in several ranks the main army was posted. The right wing +of the Confederate army, consisting of about 30,000 men, commanded +by "Stonewall" Jackson, was posted on an elevation near Hamilton's +crossing of the Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad. The left wing +was posted on Marye's Heights, and was commanded by the redoubtable +Longstreet. The Southern forces numbered about 75,000 men. + +The town proper and the adjoining valleys had been occupied for two +days by the Federal troops, marching to and fro and making ready for +a decisive conflict, which required no prophet to foretell was near +at hand. Franklin's division of 40,000 men was strengthened by a part +of Hooker's division and was ordered to make the first attack on the +Confederate right, under Jackson. Sumner's division was also reënforced +from Hooker's division and was formed for an assault against the +Confederates, posted on Marye's Heights. + +From the position taken by the Confederate forces their cannons and +field artillery poured shot and shell into the town of Fredericksburg. +Every house became a target, though deserted except by a few +venturesome riflemen. There was scarcely a house that escaped. Ruined, +battered and bloody Fredericksburg three times was a Federal hospital +and its back yards became little cemeteries. + +All this magnificent battle formation had been effected under cover +of a dense fog, and when it lifted on that fateful Saturday there was +revealed a scene of truly military grandeur. Concealed by the curtain +of nature, the Southern army had entrenched itself most advantageously +upon the hills, and the Union force massed in strength below, lay +within cannon shot of their foe. The Union army totaled 113,000 men. + +[Illustration: BATTLEFIELD OF FIRST BULL RUN] + +When the fog lifted in the forenoon of December 13th, Franklin's +division was revealed in full strength marching and counter-marching in +preparation of the coming conflict. Officers in new uniforms, thousands +of bayonets gleaming in the sunshine, champing steeds, rattling +gun-carriages whisking artillery into proper range, formed a scene of +magnificent grandeur, which excited the admiration of all, even the +Confederates. This maneuver has been called the grandest military scene +of the war, yet after all this show, Burnside's subordinate officers +were unanimous in their belief in the rashness of the undertaking. It +is said by historians that the Army of the Potomac never went down +to battle with less alacrity than on this day at Fredericksburg. + +The advance began about the middle of the forenoon on Jackson's right, +which was made by the divisions led by Generals Meade, Doubleday +and Gibbon, who endeavored to seize one of the opposing heights on +Jackson's extreme right. The advance was made in three lines of battle, +which were guarded in front and on each flank by Jackson, whose +artillery swept the field by both a front and an enfilading fire as +the attacking columns advanced. And as the divisions approached within +range Jackson's left poured a deadly fire of musketry upon them, which +mowed down brave men in the Union lines in swaths, leaving broad gaps +where men had stood. + +On the Federal columns came, only to be swept again and again by this +murderous fire, but were at length repulsed. + +The Confederate lines were broken only once by a part of Meade's +division, which captured a few flags and several prisoners. The lost +ground was soon recovered by the Confederates. Some of the charges +made by the Federals in this engagement were heroic in the extreme. +In one advance knapsacks were unslung and bayonets fixed; a brigade +marched across a plowed field and passed through broken lines of other +brigades, which were retiring in confusion from the leaden storm. In +every instance the Federals were driven back in shattered columns. + +The dead and wounded lay in heaps. Soldiers were fleeing and officers +were galloping to and fro, urging their lines forward. + +At length they received orders to retreat, and in retiring from the +field the destruction was almost as great as during the assault. Most +of the wounded were brought from the field after the engagement, but +the dead were left where they fell. + +During this engagement General George D. Bayard was mortally wounded by +a shot that had severed the sword-belt of a subordinate officer who was +standing by. + +While Franklin's division was engaged with the Confederate right, +Sumner's division was engaged in a terrific assault upon the works of +Marye's Heights, which was the stronghold of the Confederate forces. +Their position was almost impregnable, consisting of earthworks, wood +and stone barricades, running along the sunken road near the foot of +the hill. The Federals were not apprised of the sunken road nor of the +Confederate force concealed behind the stone wall, under General Cobb. +When the Federals advanced up the road they were harassed by shot and +shell at every step, but came dashing on in line notwithstanding the +terrific fire which poured upon them. The Irish brigade of Hancock's +division, under General Meagher, made a wonderful charge, the Irish +soldiers moved steadily up the ridge until within a few yards of the +sunken road, from which the unexpected fire mowed them down. When they +returned from the assault but 250 out of 1,200 men reported under arms +from the field, and all these were needed to care for their wounded +comrades. This brigade, as we will notice later, distinguished itself +at Gettysburg and other engagements. It lost more men in killed and +wounded than any regiment that left the State of New York. When +returning to be mustered out in 1865, it had only forty-seven men out +of 950 that enlisted four years before on first leaving for the front. + +Sumner sent column after column against this strong position, but +they were repulsed with great slaughter. The approach was completely +commanded by the Confederate batteries. + +Not only was the Confederate fire disastrous upon the approaching +columns, but it also inflicted great damage upon the masses of the +Federal army, and it is said that in front of Marye's house, which was +in the center where the charge was made, the Federals fell three deep +in one of the bravest and bloodiest charges of the war. + +Six times did the Federals, raked by the deadly fire of Washington's +artillery, advance to within 100 yards of the sunken road, only to be +driven back by the rapid fire of the Confederate infantry concealed +there. The Confederates' effective and successful work in this battle +was not alone due to their strong position, but also to the skill and +generalship of the leaders, and the courage and well-directed aim of +their cannoneers and infantry. + +The whole plain was covered with men, the living men running here and +there, their broken lines closing up and the wounded being carried to +the rear. + +The point and method of attack made by Sumner was anticipated by the +Confederates, and careful preparation had been made to meet it. + +As the Federal columns advanced without hurrah or battle-cry, their +entire lines were swept by a heavy artillery fire, which poured +canister and shell and solid shot into their ranks from the front +and on both sides with frightful results. The ground was so thickly +strewn with dead bodies as seriously to impede the movements of renewed +attack. These repeated assaults in such good order caused some fear on +the part of General Lee that they might eventually break his lines, and +he conveyed his anxiety to General Longstreet, but his fears proved +groundless. + +General Cobb, who had so gallantly defended the Confederate position at +the sunken road, against the onslaughts of the Federals, fell mortally +wounded and was carried from the field. + +His command was handed to Kershaw, who took his place in this desperate +struggle. The onrushing Federals fell almost in battalions; the dead +and wounded lay in heaps. Late in the day the dead bodies, which had +become frozen from the extreme cold, were placed in front of the +soldiers as a protection to shield the living. + +The steadiness of the Union troops and the silent and determined +heroism of the rank and file in these repeated but hopeless assaults +upon the Confederate works were marvelous indeed, and will go down in +history as a monument to the memory of those who were engaged in this +terrible conflict. + +After these disastrous attempts to carry the works of the Confederate +left it was night; the Federals had retired; hope was abandoned, and it +was seen that the day was lost for the Union forces. The shattered Army +of the Potomac sought to gather and care for the wounded. The beautiful +Fredericksburg of a few days before now had put on a different +appearance. Ancestral homes were turned into hospitals. The charming +drives and stately groves, and the pleasure grounds of the colonial +days, were not filled with grand carriages and gay parties, but with +war horses, soldiers and other military equipments, and had put on the +gloom that follows in the wake of a defeated army after a great battle. + +The plan of Burnside had ended in failure. In his report of the battle +to Washington he gave reasons for the issue, and in a manly way took +the responsibility upon himself and most highly commended his officers +and men. + +President Lincoln's verdict of this battle is reverse to the unanimous +opinions of the historians. In his reply to Burnside's report of the +battle he says, "Although you were not successful, the attempt was not +an error, nor the failure other than accident." + +After the battle the wounded lay on the field in their agony, exposed +to the freezing cold for forty-eight hours before they were cared for. +Many were burned by the long dead grass becoming ignited by the cannon +fire. + +The scene witnessed was dreadful and heart-rending. The Union loss was +about 12,000, and the Confederates less than half that number. The +Union army was withdrawn across the river under the cover of darkness, +and the battle of Fredericksburg had passed into history. + +Burnside, at his own request, was relieved of the command of the Army +of the Potomac, which was handed to General Joseph Hooker. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE + + +After the battle of Fredericksburg the Union army went into winter +quarters at Falmouth, only a few miles away, while the Confederates +took up their encampment for the winter at Fredericksburg. + +General Joseph Hooker, who was popularly known as "Fighting Joe +Hooker," had succeeded General Burnside in command of the Army of +the Potomac, which numbered about 130,000 men, while that of the +Confederates numbered about 60,000. + +Hooker conceived the idea to divide his army and leave Sedgwick with +about 40,000 men to make a feint upon the Confederates, stationed about +Fredericksburg, and himself with the remainder of the army to move +around Lee's army and take a position at Chancellorsville, a small +place in a wilderness country only a few miles from Fredericksburg, +and by doing this, take Lee by surprise. These plans of Hooker have +been considered by war historians as being well laid if they had been +carried out. Lee was on the alert, and had heard of Hooker's plans, +and was not to be caught in the trap. Lee, paying little attention to +Sedgwick, east of Fredericksburg, had turned to face Hooker. By rapid +night marches he met Hooker's army before it reached its destination. +His advance columns were pushed back by the Federals, who succeeded +in taking the position which was assigned to them, Meade on the left +and Slocum on the right, with adequate support in the rear. All was in +readiness and had favorable positions when, to the amazement of all the +officers, Hooker ordered the whole army to fall back to the position it +had occupied the day before, thereby leaving the advantage with Lee, +who moved his forces up to the positions which the Federals evacuated +and began feeling the Federal lines with some cannonading during the +evening of May 1st. + +The Confederates were in extreme danger, having one large army in +their front and another almost as large as theirs in their rear near +Fredericksburg. But Lee decided to make one great and decisive blow +at Hooker in front. During the night of May 1st Lee held council with +"Stonewall" Jackson and accepted a plan laid out by him for Jackson to +take part of the army and move around through the dense wood and rough +country and fall upon the right flank of the enemy. + +Early on the morning of May 2d the cannonading began its death-song and +the infantry was brought into action. Before long Jackson began, with a +portion of the army, to move off the field, and Hooker, observing this, +believed that Lee's army was in full retreat on Richmond. This movement +proved to be the undoing of Hooker's army, as Jackson was making +for his right flank. It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when +Jackson broke from the woods in a charge upon the unsuspecting troops +of Hooker's right which was under Howard. + +The approach of Jackson's forces was first intimated to the Federals by +the bending of shrubbery, the stampede of rabbits and squirrels, and +the flocks of birds in wild flight from the woods. First appeared a few +skirmishers, then the rattling of musketry and the incessant roar of +cannon. On the Confederates came in their impetuous charge. The charge +was so unexpected and terrific that they carried everything before +them. The Federal lines were swept as by tidal waves and rolled up like +a scroll. + +This crowning and final stroke of Jackson's military genius was the +result of his own carefully worked-out plan, which had been approved by +Lee. + +General Hooker was spending the evening at his headquarters at the +Chancellor House, rejoicing, as he thought, that Jackson was in full +retreat and everything appeared to be going well. Presently the roar of +battle became louder and louder on his right and an officer came up at +full speed to notify him that his right was being fiercely attacked, +was giving away, and would soon be in utter rout. Hooker made haste to +the scene of battle and passed through brigade after brigade of his +forces in retreat and confusion. + +He was successful in having Berry re-form his division and charge +the Confederates with fixed bayonets, which partly stopped the +Confederates' advance. This gave the Federal artillery a few minutes +to prepare itself for action. They finally succeeded in stopping the +Confederate advance. + +The mighty turmoil was silenced as darkness gathered. The two hostile +forces were concealed in the darkness watching each other. Finally, at +midnight, the order, "Forward!" was given in subdued tones to Sickle's +corps. They stealthily advanced upon the Confederate position and at +heavy loss gained the position sought for. + +Between Hooker's and Sedgwick's divisions of the army stood the +Confederate army flushed with the victory of the day, immediately +in front of Sedgwick was Fredericksburg, beyond which loomed +Marye's Heights, strongly guarded by Washington's artillery of the +Confederates. These Heights were the battleground of a few months +before when Burnside tried in vain to drive the Confederates from their +crest. + +Shortly after midnight Sedgwick began his march against Marye's Heights +that was fraught with peril and death. At the foot of the slope were +the stone wall and the sunken road, which was the battleground of +a few months before in the battle of Fredericksburg. The crest and +slopes bristled with Confederate cannon and musket. Sedgwick made his +attack directly upon the stone wall in the face of a terrible storm of +artillery and musketry. The first assault failed, but the second met +with more success, as they succeeded in driving the Confederates from +their strong position at the point of the bayonet by their overwhelming +numbers. Sedgwick pushed on to attack Lee in the rear, but Lee was +aware of his advance and dispatched General Early with a strong force +to hold him in check and thus prevent his juncture with Hooker's army +at Chancellorsville. Lee's army and that of Hooker's had been engaged +since early morning in deadly combat. + +While this engagement was at its height General Hooker, while leaning +against a pillar on the porch of the Chancellor House, was stunned +and felled to the ground and for some time it was thought that he was +killed. This was done by a cannon ball, which shattered the pillar +against which he was leaning. This injury incapacitated Hooker from +active service the balance of the day and he gave orders for his army +to retire, which was reluctantly done by his subordinate officers. When +his columns began to retire from the field the Confederates increased +their artillery fire, which played upon the retreating columns in blue. +This fire marked the doom of the old Chancellor House, where Hooker +had headquarters. The brick walls were pierced through by cannon balls +and shells exploded in the upper rooms, setting the building on fire. +Fragments of the demolished chimneys rained down upon the wounded in +the lower rooms. + +During the entire day's battle there were nineteen women and children, +including some slaves, in the cellar where they had taken refuge. They +were all removed before the complete destruction of the house by fire. + +The long, deep trenches, full of Federal and Confederate dead, told the +awful story of Chancellorsville. This scene will never be forgotten by +the survivors of the battle. This was one of the greatest battles yet +fought on the American Continent, and has gone down in history as being +one of the greatest of modern times. + +The Union loss was about 17,000, while that of the Confederates was +about 13,000. + +Late in the evening of the first day's battle General "Stonewall" +Jackson was mortally wounded, in which the South suffered incalculable +loss. After his brilliant flank march and the evening attack on +Hooker's army had been driven home, at half-past eight, Jackson had +ridden beyond his lines to reconnoiter for the final advance. By the +sudden fire of musketry in his front, he discovered that he was within +the enemy's lines. His party, suddenly turning back and riding at full +speed, was mistook by his own men for the enemy, and his men, firing +a volley of musketry, killed and wounded several of Jackson's party +and mortally wounded Jackson by two shots in the left arm and one in +his right hand. He was taken from his horse by the officers who were +with him, among whom was A. P. Hill. It was found that there was no +immediate conveyance for him to be carried within his lines. Presently +the enemy discovered the commotion and mistaking it as an advance of +the Confederate lines, began to shell the immediate vicinity with grape +and canister, which necessitated the party with Jackson to lie down to +escape the shower of lead which poured over them. The scene about them +was an awful one. The air was pierced by the shrieks of shells and the +cries of the wounded. Finally a stretcher was secured and Jackson was +carried to the rear. One of the bearers was shot down and his place was +taken by another. During the turmoil General W. D. Pender was met, who +expressed the fear that his lines must fall back. General Jackson, in a +clear voice, "You must hold your ground, General Pender; you must hold +your ground to the last, sir." This was his last order to a subordinate +officer. + +It was first thought that Jackson's wounds would not prove fatal, but +he developed pneumonia and gradually grew worse, and on the morning +of May 10th it was apparent that he had only a few hours to live; at +times he was unconscious and his mind apparently wandered on previous +battlefields. During one of his unconscious moments he suddenly cried +out, "Order A. P. Hill to prepare for action. Pass the infantry to the +front!" + +He then became silent and weak, and his last words were: "Let us cross +over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." + +When Lee heard that Jackson had fallen he said: "Any victory would +be dear at such a price." It is thought by many that the result at +Gettysburg would have been different had "The Great Flanker" lived to +have been there. Henderson, the British war historian, said the fame of +"Stonewall" Jackson is no longer the exclusive property of Virginia and +the South; it has become the birthright of every man privileged to call +himself an American. + + + + +THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG + + +Vicksburg, often called "The Gibraltar of the West," is situated on the +east bank of the Mississippi River, where the river makes a great bend +and the east bank of the same makes up from the river in a bluff about +200 feet. + +Here at Vicksburg about 100,000 men and a powerful fleet of many +gunboats and ironclads for forty days and nights fought to decide +whether the Confederate states should be cut in twain; whether the +great river should flow free to the gulf. + +The Confederate cannon, situated on the high bluff along the river +front at Vicksburg, commanded the waterway for miles in either +direction, while the obstacles in the way of a land approach were +almost equally insurmountable. + +The object of the Federal army was to gain control of the entire course +of the river that it might, in the language of President Lincoln, "Roll +unvexed to the sea," and to separate the Confederate states so as to +hinder them from getting supplies and men for their armies from the +southwest. + +The great problem of the Federals was how to get control of Vicksburg. +This great question was left to General Grant to work out. + +In June, 1862, the Confederates, under General Van Dorn, numbering +15,000 men, occupied and fortified Vicksburg. Van Dorn was a man of +great energy. In a short time he had hundreds of men at work planting +batteries, digging rifle-pits, mounting heavy guns and building +bomb-proof magazines. All through the summer the work progressed and by +the coming of winter the city was a veritable Gibraltar. + +In the last days of June the combined fleet, under Farragut and Porter, +arrived below the Confederate stronghold. They had on board about +3,000 troops and a large supply of implements required in digging +trenches. The engineers conceived the idea of cutting a new channel +for the Mississippi through a neck of land on the Louisiana side +opposite Vicksburg and thereby change the course of the river and leave +Vicksburg high and dry. + +While General Williams was engaged in the task of diverting the mighty +river across the peninsula Farragut stormed the Confederate batteries +with his fleet, but failed to silence Vicksburg's cannon guards. +He then determined to dash past the fortifications with his fleet, +trusting to the speed of his vessels and the stoutness of their armor +to survive the tremendous cannonade that would fall upon them. + +Early on the morning of June 28th his vessels moved forward and after +several hours of terrific bombardment with the loss of three vessels, +passed through the raging inferno to the waters above Vicksburg. + +Williams and his men, including 1,000 negroes, labored hard to complete +the canal, but a sudden rise in the river swept away the barriers with +a terrific roar and many days of labor went for naught. This plan was +at length abandoned and they all returned with the fleet during the +last days of July to Baton Rouge, and Vicksburg was no more molested +until the next spring. + +In October General John C. Pemberton, a Philadelphian by birth, +succeeded Van Dorn in command of the Confederate forces at Vicksburg. +General Grant planned to divide the army of the Tennessee, Sherman +taking part of it from Memphis down the Mississippi on transports +while he would move overland with the rest of the army and coöperate +with Sherman before Vicksburg. But the whole plan proved a failure, +through the energies of Van Dorn and others of the Confederate army in +destroying the Federal lines of communication. + +Sherman, however, with an army of about 32,000 men, left Memphis on +December 20th, and landed a few days later some miles above Vicksburg, +and on the 29th made a daring attack on the Confederate lines at +Chickasaw Bayou, and suffered a decisive repulse with a loss of 2,000 +men. + +Sherman now found the northern pathway to Vicksburg impassable and +withdrew his men to the river, and, to make up triple disaster to the +Federals, General Nathan Forest, one of the brilliant Confederate +cavalry leaders, with 2,500 horsemen, dashed through the country west +of Grant's army, tore up many miles of railroad and destroyed all +telegraph lines and thus cut off all communication of the Federals. + +In the meantime General Van Dorn pounced upon Holly Springs, capturing +the guard of 1,500 men and burning Grant's great store of supplies, +estimated to be worth a million and a half dollars, thus leaving Grant +without supplies, and for many days without communication with the +outside world. It was not until about the middle of January that he +heard, through Washington, of the defeat of Sherman at Chickasaw Bayou. + +Grant changed his plan of attack and decided to move his army below +Vicksburg and approach the city from the south. Another plan was to cut +a channel through the peninsula opposite Vicksburg and again try the +project of changing the bed of the Mississippi so as to leave Vicksburg +some miles inland. For six weeks thousands of men worked on this ditch; +early in March the river began to rise and on the morning of the 8th it +broke through the embankments and the men had to run for their lives. +Many horses were drowned and great numbers of implements submerged. The +"Father of waters" had put a decisive veto on the project, and the same +was abandoned. + +On the night of April 16th Porter ran past the batteries of Vicksburg +with his fleet after days of preparation. They left their station +near the mouth of the Yazoo about nine o'clock. Suddenly the flash of +musketry fire pierced the darkness. A storm of shot and shell was +rained upon the passing vessels. The water of the river was lashed +into foam by the shot and shell from the batteries. The gunboats +answered with their cannon. The air was filled with flying missiles. +The transport, Henry Clay, caught fire and burned to the water's edge. +By three in the morning the fleet was below the city and ready to +coöperate with Grant's army. + +Grant's army at that time numbered about 43,000 men, and he decided +to make a campaign into the interior of Mississippi while waiting for +General Banks from Baton Rouge to join him. The Confederate army under +Pemberton numbered about 40,000, and about 15,000 more Confederates +were at Jackson, Miss., under command of General Joseph E. Johnston. +It was against Johnston's army that Grant decided to move. Johnston, +on being attacked by Grant, fell back from Jackson and took a position +on Champion's Hill, where a hard battle was fought in which the +Confederates were greatly outnumbered and gave way in confusion. +Part of Pemberton's army had arrived and was engaged in this battle. +Pemberton retreated towards Vicksburg, closely followed by Grant, and +several short engagements between the two armies took place on the +road to Vicksburg. The Federal army now invested the city, occupying +the surrounding hills. Around the doomed city gleamed the thousands +of bayonets of the Union army. The city was filled with soldiers and +the citizens of the country who had fled there for refuge and were now +penned in. + +On May 22d Grant ordered a grand assault by his whole army. The troops, +flushed with their victories of the last few days, were eager for +the attack. It is said that his columns were made up with his taller +soldiers in front and the second in stature in the next line, and so on +down, so as to save exposure to the fire of the enemy. + +At the appointed time the order was passed down the line to move +forward, and the columns leaped from their hiding places and started +on their disastrous march in the face of a murderous fire from the +defenders of the city, only to be mowed down by the sweeping fire +from the Confederate batteries. Others came, crawling over the bodies +of their fallen comrades, but at every charge they were met by the +missiles of death. Thus it continued hour after hour until the coming +of darkness. The assault had failed and the Union forces retired within +their entrenchments before the city. This is considered as one of the +most brave and disastrous assaults of the war. + +The army now settled down to the wearisome siege, and for six weeks +they encircled the city with trenches, approaching nearer and nearer +to the defending walls. One by one the defending batteries were +silenced. On the afternoon of June 25th a redoubt of the Confederate +works was blown up with a mine. When the same exploded the Federals +began to dash into the opening, only to meet with a withering fire +from an interior parapet which the Confederates had constructed in the +anticipation of this event. + +Grant was constantly receiving reënforcements, and before the end of +the siege his army numbered 70,000. + +Day and night the roar of artillery continued without ceasing. +Shrieking shells from Porter's fleet rose in grand curves, either +bursting in midair or on the streets of the city, spreading havoc in +all directions. + +The people of the city burrowed into the ground for safety, their +walls of clay being shaken by the roaring battles that raged above the +ground. The supply of food became scarcer day by day, and by the end of +June the entire city was in a complete famine. They had been living for +several days upon corn meal, beans and mule meat, and were now facing +their last enemy, death by starvation. + +At ten o'clock on the morning of July 3d the firing ceased and a +strange quietness rested over all. Pemberton had opened negotiations +with Grant for the capitulation of the city. It is strange to say that +on this very day the final chapter at Gettysburg was being written. + +On the following morning Pemberton marched his 30,000 men out of the +city and surrendered them as prisoners of war. They were released on +parole. + +This was the largest army ever surrendered at one time. + + + + +BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG + + +Our colonial fathers from North and South fought together when they +brought this republic into being, defended it together in the war of +1812, and triumphed together when they carried the Stars and Stripes +into the heritage of the Montezumas. The final and crucial test of +the republic's strength and durability was the combat on the field +of battle in the war between the states. The battle of Gettysburg is +conceded to be the turning point in that war. Abraham Lincoln said in +his Gettysburg address, in November, 1863: "This nation, conceived +in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created +equal, is now engaged in a great civil war, testing whether this +nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." + +The great question of that day was the question of state rights and +relationship between state and federal government. + +It had now come to the point where it could not be determined in the +councils of peace, although the illustrious Henry Clay and other +statesmen of his day had been the means of successfully deferring from +time to time this crisis for almost a half century. + +Gettysburg is a small, quiet town among the hills of Adams county, +in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in 1863 contained about 1,500 +inhabitants. It had been founded by James Gettys in about 1780. He +probably never dreamed that his name, thus given to the village, would +become famous in history for all time. + +The hills around Gettysburg are little more than general swells of +ground, and many of them were covered with timber when the legions of +the North and South fought out the destinies of the republic on those +memorable July days in 1863. + +Lee's army was flushed with the victories of Fredericksburg and +Chancellorsville, and public opinion was demanding an invasion of the +North. + +Lee crossed the Potomac early in June, after leaving General Stuart +with his cavalry and a part of Hill's corps to prevent Hooker from +pursuing. He began to concentrate his army around Hagerstown, Md., +and prepare for a campaign in Pennsylvania. His army was organized +into three corps under the respective commands of Longstreet, Ewell +and A. P. Hill. Lee had driven his army so as to enter Pennsylvania +by different routes, and to assess the towns along the way with large +sums of money. In the latter part of June Lee was startled by the +information that Stuart had failed to detain Hooker, and that the +Federals were in hot pursuit. He soon conceived that the two armies +must soon come together in a mighty death struggle, which meant that a +great battle must be fought, a greater battle than this western world +has heretofore known, which is claimed by historians as being one of +the decisive battles of the world. + +The Army of the Potomac had changed leaders, and George Gordon Meade +was now its commander, having succeeded Hooker on June 28th. Thus +for the third time the Army of the Potomac in ten months had a new +commander. + +The two great armies were scattered over portions of Maryland and +southern Pennsylvania. Both were marching northward along parallel +lines, the Federals endeavoring to stay between Lee's army and +Washington. It was plain that they must soon come together in a +gigantic conflict; but just where the shock of battle was to take place +was yet unknown. + +Meade sent General Buford in advance with 4,000 cavalry to intercept +the Confederate advance guard. + +On the night of June 30th Buford encamped on a hill a mile west from +Gettysburg, and here on the following morning the great battle had its +beginning. + +On the morning of July 1st the two armies were still well scattered, +the extremes forty miles apart. General Reynolds, with two corps of the +Union army was but a few miles away and was hastening to Gettysburg, +while Longstreet and Hill were approaching from the west, with Hill's +corps several miles in advance. + +Buford opened battle against the advance division of Hill's corps +under General Heth. Reynolds soon joined and the first day's battle was +now in full progress. General Reynolds, while placing his troops in +line of battle early in the day, received a death shot in the head by +a Confederate sharpshooter. This was a great loss to the Federals, as +he was one of the bravest and most able generals in the Union army. No +casualty of the war brought more widespread mourning to the North than +the death of General John F. Reynolds. But even this calamity did not +stay the fury of the battle. + +Early in the afternoon the Federals were heavily reënforced, and A. +P. Hill had arrived on the field with the balance of his corps, and +the roar of battle was unceasing. About the middle of the afternoon a +breeze lifted the smoke from the field and revealed that the Federals +were falling back towards Gettysburg. They were hard pressed by the +Confederates and were pushed back through the town with the loss of +many prisoners. The Federals took a position on Cemetery Hill and the +first day's battle was over. + +If the Confederates had known the disorganized condition of the Federal +troops, they might have pursued and captured a large part of the army. + +It is thought by many that if "Stonewall" Jackson had lived to be +there that at this particular time is where he would have delivered +his crushing blow to the Federals and no doubt would have changed the +final result of the battle. Meade was still some miles from the field, +but on hearing of the death of Reynolds sent General Hancock to take +command until he himself should arrive. + +The Union loss on the first day was severe. A great commander had +fallen and they had suffered the fearful loss of 10,000 men. + +Hancock arrived late in the afternoon, after riding at full speed. +His presence brought an air of confidence, and his promise of heavy +reënforcements all tended to inspire renewed hope in the ranks of the +discouraged army. + +Meade reached the scene late at night and chose to make this field the +place of a general engagement. Lee had come to the same decision, and +both called on their outlying legions to make all possible speed to +Gettysburg. The night was spent in the marshaling of troops, getting +position, planting artillery, and bands playing at intervals on the +arrival of new divisions on the field. + +General Gordon says that during the night the sound of axes and the +falling of trees in the Federal entrenchments could plainly be heard, +and that he became convinced during the night that by morning they +would be so well fortified on Cemetery Hill that their position would +be almost impregnable, and that he succeeded in getting a council of +officers during the night to take under advisement a night attack on +the enemy, but was told that General Lee had given orders that no +further attack should be made until Longstreet arrived, and he had not +yet arrived. + +The dawn of July 2d broke into a beautiful summer day. Both armies +hesitated to begin the battle and remained inactive until in the +afternoon. + +The fighting on that day was confined chiefly to the two extremes, +leaving the center inactive. Longstreet commanded the Confederate right +and the Union left was commanded by General Daniel E. Sickles, whose +division lay directly opposite that of Longstreet. The Confederate +left was commanded by General Richard Ewell, who succeeded to the +command of this division after the death of "Stonewall" Jackson at +Chancellorsville. While the Federal right, stationed on Culp's Hill was +commanded by General Slocum. + +Between these armies was a hollow into which the anxious farmers had +driven and penned large numbers of cattle, which they thought would +be a place of safety, and could not conceive that any battle could +affect this place of refuge, but when the battle began and the stream +of shells was directed against Round Top this place of refuge became a +raging inferno of bursting shells. + +There was a gate at the entrance of the local cemetery at Gettysburg +that had written on it this sign: "All persons found using firearms +in these grounds will be prosecuted with the utmost rigor of the +law." Many a soldier must have smiled at these words, for this gateway +became the very center of the crudest use of firearms yet seen on this +"terrestrial ball." + +The plan of General Meade was to have General Sickles connect his +division with that of Hancock and extend southward near the base of +the Round Tops. Sickles found this ground, in his opinion, low and +disadvantageous and advanced his division to higher ground in front, +placing his men along the Emmettsburg road and back toward the Trostle +farm and the wheat-field, thus forming an angle at the peach orchard, +thus leaving this division alone in its position far in advance of the +other Federal lines. This position taken by Sickles was in disobedience +of orders from General Meade, and was considered by Meade, as well as +President Lincoln, as being a great mistake, but General Sickles always +maintained that he did right, and that his position was well taken. + +Longstreet was quick to see this apparent mistake and marched his +troops along Sickles' front entirely overlapping the left wing of the +Union army. Lee gave orders to Longstreet to make a general attack, +and the boom of his cannon announced the beginning of the second day's +battle. The Union forces answered quickly with their batteries and the +fight extended from the peach orchard along the whole line to the base +of Little Round Top. The musketry opened all along the line until there +was one continuous roar. Longstreet swept forward in a line or battle +a mile and a half long. He pressed back the Union forces and for a time +it looked as though the Federals would be routed in utter confusion. + +At the extreme left, near the Trostle house, was stationed John Biglow, +in command of a Massachusetts battery, with orders to hold his position +at all hazards. He defended his position well, but was finally routed +with great loss by overwhelming numbers. This attack was made by +Longstreet again and again, and was one of the bloodiest spots on the +field at Gettysburg. + +The most desperate struggle of the day was to get possession of Little +Round Top, which was the key to the whole battleground west and south +of Cemetery Ridge. General Longstreet sent General Hood with his +division to occupy it. The Federals, under General Warren, defended +this position and were charged on by General Hood's division with fixed +bayonets time after time, which finally became a hand-to-hand conflict, +but the Confederates were pressed down the hillside at the point of +the bayonet, and thus was ended one of the most severe hand-to-hand +conflicts yet known. + +Little Round Top was saved to the Union army, but the cost was +appalling. The hill was covered with hundreds of the slain. Many of the +Confederate sharpshooters had taken position among the crevasses of the +rocks in the Devil's Den, where they could overlook the position on +Little Round Top, and their unerring aim spread death among the Federal +officers. General Weed was mortally wounded, and, as General Hazlett +was stooping to receive his last message, a sharpshooter's bullet laid +him dead across the body of his chief. + +During this attack, and for some time thereafter, the battle continued +in the valley below, where many thousands were engaged. Longstreet and +Sickles were engaged in a determined conflict, and it was apparent to +all engaged that a decisive battle was being fought, and they were +making a determined effort. Sickles' line was being pressed back to +the base of the hill. His leg was shattered by a bursting shell, while +scores of his officers and thousands of his men lay on the field +to dream of battlefields no more. The coming of darkness ended the +struggle. This valley has been rightly called the "Valley of Death." + +While this battle was going on in this part of the field another was +being fought at the other extreme end of the lines. General Ewell was +making an attack on Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, held by Slocum, +who had been weakened by the sending of a large portion of his corps +to the assistance of General Sickles. Ewell had three divisions, two +of which were commanded by Generals Early and Johnston. Early made +the attack on Cemetery Hill, but was repulsed after a bloody and +desperate hand-to-hand fight. Johnston's attack on Culp's Hill was +more successful, but was at length repulsed after the Federals had been +heavily reënforced. + +Thus closed the second day's battle of Gettysburg. The harvest of +death had been great. The Federal loss during the two days was about +20,000 men; the Confederate loss was nearly as great. The Confederates +had gained an apparent advantage on Culp's Hill, but the Union lines, +except as to this point, were unbroken. + +On the night of July 2d Lee held council of war with his generals +and decided to make a grand assault on Meade's center the following +day. Against this decision Longstreet protested in vain, but Lee was +encouraged by the arrival of Pickett's division and Stuart's cavalry, +which had not yet been engaged. Meade had held council with his +officers, and had come to a like decision to defend. + +That night a brilliant July moon shed its luster upon the ghastly +field, over which thousands of men lay unable to rise. With many their +last battle was over, but there were great numbers of wounded who were +calling for the kindly touch of a helping hand. Nor did they call +wholly in vain. They were carried to the improvised hospitals where +they were given attention. The dead were buried in unknown graves soon +to be forgotten except by their loving mothers. + +All through the night the Confederates were massing their artillery +along Seminary Ridge. The disabled horses were being replaced by +others. The ammunition was being replenished, and all was being made +ready for their work of destruction on the morrow. + +The Federals were diligently laboring in the moonlight arranging their +batteries on Cemetery Hill. The coming of morning revealed the two +parallel lines of cannon which signified too well the story of what the +day would bring forth. + +On the first day of July, 1863, Pickett's division was encamped near +Chambersburg, Penn., about twenty miles from Gettysburg. + +This division was composed of three brigades, commanded by Armistead, +Garnett and Kemper. They had no intimation that they would be called on +to take part in the battle that was going on at Gettysburg. They had +been following up as the rear guard of the Army of Northern Virginia. + +[Illustration: BATTLE OF ANTIETAM] + +The men were quietly sleeping after a most fatiguing march, and many no +doubt dreaming of their homes along the Atlantic and Chesapeake, and +others of their beautiful mountains and beautiful valleys, and in their +dreams, perhaps, felt the warm kiss of their loved ones. All at once +the long roll was sounded, and these visions vanished as they awoke and +realized that grim war was still rampant. The division was ordered, +about 1 A. M. on the morning of July 2d, to pack up and make ready to +march, and while doing this it was rumored along the lines that Hood's +division of Texans had been repulsed in charging Cemetery Heights at +Gettysburg with frightful loss, and that it was the intention of +General Lee that their division should charge the strong position as a +forlorn hope. + +About 3 A. M., on July 2d, the division began to move towards +Gettysburg and marched as rapidly as circumstances would permit, as +the roads were blocked with wagons, artillery, and the wounded of both +armies. At length it arrived at about two o'clock in the evening within +two miles of Gettysburg and immediately went into camp. While they +were doing so a courier rode up and informed the officers that McLaws' +division of Georgians had just made a charge on Cemetery Heights and +had been repulsed with great slaughter. This division, together with +Hood's and Pickett's, made up Longstreet's corps, and it seemed that +each of his divisions was to have the honor of making an assault on +Cemetery Heights. General Pickett now informed his men that he had +orders to hurl his division against this position on the next day +unless the artillery should succeed in dislodging the enemy. + +On the following day this division took position in line of battle +directly behind the Confederate artillery line on Seminary Ridge, with +a line of timber between, and had orders to lie down. General Lee +had massed in front of the division about 120 pieces of artillery, +and they were to open on Cemetery Heights and endeavor if possible +to dislodge the enemy. This cannonading began about noon, and was +answered by the enemy with a hundred pieces. A more terrific fire has +never been witnessed by man than occurred there on that July afternoon. +The earth was shaken by its roar, such as probably the younger Pliny +mentioned in his description of the eruption of Vesuvius when Pompeii +and Herculaneum were destroyed. The sky was black with smoke, and livid +with the flame belching from the mouth of the cannon. + +During all this cannonading Pickett's division was lying awaiting it to +cease. Round shot whistled through the trees, shells burst over their +heads, dealing destruction within their ranks. The shot and shell from +their enemy's guns that passed over the artillery invariably fell in +the ranks of Pickett's division, which seemed doomed to destruction +without even the opportunity of firing a gun. While this cannonading +was going on, General Armistead and the other brigade commanders +passed along in front of their respective commands informing their +men that unless the artillery succeeded in dislodging the enemy from +Cemetery Heights, they were to charge this position. Although this +had been tried by the respective divisions of McLaw and Hood, and in +each instance had been repulsed with great slaughter, yet they seemed +determined to win for Virginia and the Confederate states a name +which would be handed down to posterity in honor, and which would be +spoken of in pride by not only Virginia but by all America. In this +particular they succeeded, for not only have their foes accorded them +a crown of laurels, but England spoke words of praise for these men, +whose Anglo-Saxon blood nerved them to such a deed. + +All at once the terrible cannonading ceased, and the stillness of +death prevailed. General Pickett rode along the line informing his men +that the artillery had not succeeded in driving the enemy from their +strong position. Word was passed down the line from the right that +they were to charge. All were on their feet in a moment and ready; not +a sound was heard; not a shot was fired from any part of the field. +The command, "Forward!" was given, and in five minutes they had passed +through the strip of woods that lay between them and the artillery, and +as they emerged from the cover and passed through the artillery line +the artillerymen raised their hats and cheered them on their way. They +also passed through Lane's brigade of Wilcox's division, whose men were +waiting for orders to support the charge. General Garnett was leading +the center, General Kemper on the right, and General Armistead was +leading the left of the division with a swarm of skirmishers in front. +The smoke had cleared away and revealed the long line of the Federal +position on Cemetery Heights, which was about a mile distant. + +When the Federals observed the advance of Pickett's division, which +they had anticipated, they opened fire, which at first ranged over the +advancing columns, but before they had marched half the distance they +began to get range on them. The Confederate lines advanced steadily +and in full confidence. A band on the extreme right continued to play +"Dixie," "The Girl I Left Behind Me," and other familiar airs of the +day. The division was marching directly towards Hancock's position, +this objective point having been given Pickett by General Lee, but +after passing through Wilcox's division in waiting Pickett caused each +of his three brigades to make a half-wheel to the left. This, being +well executed, was attended with some loss of time. + +The Federal artillery soon began its death work of destruction. +Pickett's division had been quite near this grim monster before, +but on this occasion he seemed to be pressing on them steadily and +closely, which was enough to make the bravest quail under his ghastly +appearance. The Federals seem to have exhausted their ammunition in +some places in the artillery lines. This being discovered by Pickett, +gave him courage, and he caused his division to move up quickly. +Crossing several fields inclosed by strong fences, he at length reached +the base of the elevation. He once more changed his direction by a +half-wheel to the right, halting to rectify his lines. His division +pushed on, but great gaps were being cut in his lines by the grape and +canister from the Federal artillery, causing such wide openings that +the division had to be halted and dressed first to the right and then +to the left, obliquing and filling up the lines. They were now in close +range of the Federal lines and were being fired upon from behind a +stone wall, and their ranks were fast melting away. + + "Death was upon every breeze, + And lurked in every flower." + +The division pressed on. Round shot, shell, canister and rifle balls +were poured into them at close range from the front, and a battery on +Round Top raked the line from the right. + +Pickett was expecting to be supported by Pettigrew's brigade on the +left, and Lane's brigade on the right. Those brigades, however, were +coming up, but were being met by such strong opposition that they were +entirely outdistanced and fell back finally with Pickett's retreat, +thus leaving Pickett with his three brigades alone in front. The +Confederate ranks were thinning as far as eye could see. Garnett was +killed leading his brigade, his being in the lead. Kemper, coming up +next to the distance of sixty yards behind, brought his brigade to a +halt to give Armistead time to come up for the last and final charge. + +They were fired upon by the enemy, posted along the edge of the woods. +This murderous fire almost disorganized them. Armistead, urging his men +forward with his hat on his sword, holding it up as a guide, crossed +over the Union breastworks, and for a time the Confederates seemed +to gain some advantage, but were presently surrounded by overwhelming +numbers. General Armistead was mortally wounded, and nearly all the +other officers of the division were either killed or wounded. + +Pickett, seeing the hopelessness of the charge, ordered a retreat of +his shattered lines. + +Out of 4,800 men that followed Pickett, scarcely 1,200 to 1,300 got +back into the Confederate lines. Out of eighteen field officers and +four generals, Pickett and one lieutenant colonel alone remained +unharmed. + +Pickett's division, together with the supporting brigades under Lane +and Pettigrew, numbered about 14,000 men. Where General Armistead fell +is considered to be the highest point, figuratively speaking, that was +reached by the Southern Confederacy. + +Pickett's charge will be remembered by all future Americans as the +English remember that of the Light Brigade, and the French that of the +old guard under Marshal Ney at Waterloo. + +The battle of Gettysburg was now over. The loss was about 50,000 men, +which was about equally divided between the two armies. + +General Lee decided to lead his army back to Virginia. The Confederates +were much discouraged, for on this same day Vicksburg had been +surrendered to General Grant. + +All through the night of July 3d Lee's army was making ready to march +and at the break of day A. P. Hill swung his corps into line of march +through a downpour of rain. The next to follow was Longstreet's corps, +which followed close upon A. P. Hill, and the last to leave was Ewell's +corps, and the retreat was covered by Stuart's cavalry. + +General Hood had with him 4,000 prisoners. The wounded were carried +with the retreat in wagons and other ways of conveyance, and were under +the charge of General Imboden. + + + + +BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA + + +This battle derives its name from Chickamauga Creek, which is but +a few miles from Chattanooga, Tenn., and is considered one of the +greatest battles of modern times. It was exceeded in our Civil war only +by Gettysburg and the Wilderness; compares with Waterloo, and twice +bloodier than Wagram or Austerlitz. General D. H. Hill said that he had +never seen the Federal dead lie so thickly on the ground save in front +of the sunken wall at Fredericksburg. The late General John B. Gordon, +whose pen was never weary of writing the praises of the Confederate +soldiers, said that in his opinion the battle of Chickamauga was even +greater than that of Gettysburg, but it is thought that he was somewhat +partial to Chickamauga, having been reared there, and when a boy fished +in Chickamauga Creek, and had ridden behind his father over the country +which was later made a great battlefield. + +General Braxton Bragg was in command of the Confederate army, known as +the Army of the Tennessee, which was concentrated around Chattanooga. + +General Rosecrans was in command of the Federal army, known as the +Army of the Cumberland. It was made up of three corps under Generals +Crittenden, Thomas and McCook. They began to advance on Chattanooga and +endanger Bragg's line of communication. + +On September 8th Bragg abandoned Chattanooga and fell back toward +Rome, Ga. The Federals took possession of the city of Chattanooga. +Rosecrans, believing that Bragg was in full retreat, ordered Crittenden +to pursue. Meanwhile Bragg was concentrating his forces near Lafayette, +about twenty-five miles from Chattanooga. He was joined by Generals +S. B. Buckner and Breckinridge. General Longstreet was hastening from +Virginia with about 12,000 men from Lee's army to join him, the men +being fresh from the field of Gettysburg. + +Rosecrans' army was somewhat divided, as he was not expecting a +general battle. Bragg was quick to grasp this opportunity of making +a general assault on the Union forces while they were divided. The +attack was made on the 13th of September by General Polk, but from +some misapprehension of orders he did not move in time, and thus gave +Rosecrans time to unite his forces, thus losing Bragg this opportunity +of breaking up the Army of the Cumberland. + +The Federal forces under Crittenden now took position at Gordon's +Mills, on the left bank of Chickamauga Creek, and the remainder of +their troops were within supporting distance, and were under the +command of Thomas and McCook, the total Union strength being estimated +at about 60,000 men. + +The Confederate army lay on the east side of the stream, and was under +the immediate command of Generals Polk, D. H. Hill and Buckner. + +On the 18th Longstreet arrived with his troops. Thus the two mighty +armies were now face to face. + +Bragg endeavored to flank the Federal left and thus intervene +between it and Chattanooga, and on the morning of September 19th the +Confederates, under General Polk, made a grand assault upon the Federal +left, under General Thomas. Meanwhile the Federal right was being +heavily pressed by General Hood, commanding Longstreet's corps. This +was kept up the entire day and when darkness came the Federals had been +forced back from the creek, but the result was indecisive. + +During the night preparations were made for the renewal of the battle +on the next morning, which was Sunday, September 20th. + +It is strange to say that some of the greatest battles of the war were +fought on Sunday. + +General Longstreet now took command of his troops which had arrived, +but part of his corps did not arrive in time for the battle, having +been delayed on trains that were behind time. This brought their +strength up to equal that of the Federals. + +General Thomas had taken position on Snodgrass Hill, and was +anticipating a Confederate attack, which was made late in the morning +by General Polk, who was supported by Generals Breckinridge and +Patrick Cleburne, the last-named being an Irishman formerly from the +County of Cork. + +This assault was made time after time with desperate loss to both +sides. At length, by some misunderstanding of orders, one of the +Federal divisions under General Wood withdrew from its position. By +this movement a large opening was made in the center of their battle +line. + +This was quickly taken advantage of by three divisions of the +Confederates, which rushed in with an impetus that was irresistible. + +General Hood, one of the Confederate division commanders, was severely +wounded in this movement with a minie ball, and was carried from the +field. + +The Federals under Wood, Sheridan and Van Cleve were driven from the +field. General Longstreet now assumed chief command, and here gave a +fine exhibition of his military genius. He succeeded in separating the +two wings of the opposing army. The right wing already being in full +retreat, he wheeled and compelled the further withdrawal of Federal +troops in order to save being surrounded. The retreating Federals fled +in confusion toward Chattanooga, after suffering the loss of several +thousand prisoners and forty pieces of artillery. + +The Confederates now concentrated their attack upon Thomas, who had +taken position on a ridge. They were led by the indomitable Longstreet, +but were repulsed and hurled back with fearful slaughter. The +Confederates were endeavoring to flank Thomas' division by sending +Hinzman to the left and Kershaw with his divisions to get in the rear. +The fighting grew fiercer and at intervals was hand-to-hand, and +continued the entire afternoon. + +This attack on Thomas is considered one of the heaviest made on +a single point during the war. General Thomas, in his stand at +Chickamauga, won for himself the name "The Rock of Chickamauga." He was +one of the bravest and most able generals in the Union army, being a +Virginian by birth. + +Under the cover of darkness Thomas withdrew his army in good order to +Rossville, and the following day joined Rosecrans in Chattanooga. + +This battle is generally considered a Confederate victory, but left +the Federal army in possession of Chattanooga. The personal daring and +courage displayed in the ranks of both armies has never been excelled +on any battlefield. + +The total loss exceeded 30,000 men, which was probably divided about +equal. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY RIDGE + + +After the battle of Chickamauga, Rosecrans' army was cooped up in +Chattanooga, and his sources of supplies were entirely cut off by +Bragg, except from the north of Chattanooga, by which he received his +supplies over mountainous wagon roads, and, on account of heavy rains +which fell during October, the roads became almost impassable. These +trains were attacked by Confederate cavalry under General Forest, and +in one day 300 wagons were destroyed and about 1,800 mules were either +killed or captured. One soldier said "the mud was so deep that we could +not travel by the road, but we got along pretty well by stepping from +mule to mule as they lay dead by the way." Starvation threatened the +camp, and the army must be relieved. + +Vigorous measures were now taken. General Grant was now made commander +of the western armies. He had about 80,000 men in addition to +Burnside's force at Knoxville. The Confederates had about 60,000. +General Sherman was directed to reënforce Grant at Chattanooga from +Vicksburg and transported his forces by boat to Memphis, and from there +marched overland. + +The authorities at Washington also determined to reënforce Rosecrans +from the Army of the Potomac, and 23,000 men, under General Hooker, +were transported by rail to Chattanooga. This brought the Army of the +Cumberland to numbers far exceeding those of the Confederates. The +immediate command of all the Federal forces was given to General Thomas +until such time as General Grant should arrive. Grant telegraphed to +Thomas to hold Chattanooga at all hazards. Thomas replied, "I will do +so till we starve." + +The first and great question of the Federals was to relieve their line +of supplies. General Hooker was sent with a portion of his troops +against a strong position taken by some Confederates in Lookout +Valley, and, after a short but decisive battle succeeded in driving +the Confederates back, which left him in possession of the immediate +country, and thus opened up a route to Brown's Ferry, over which a +route for abundant supplies was at once available. This relieved the +Army of the Cumberland of its perilous position. + +Thomas was being reënforced from all sides; Hooker was already on the +ground; Sherman was advancing rapidly from Memphis, while Burnside's +forces at Knoxville offered protection for the left flank of the +Federal army. + +General Bragg had his forces in a line extending a distance of +twelve miles across to Missionary Ridge, and was strengthened by +entrenchments throughout the lowlands. He determined to attack +Burnside at Knoxville, and dispatched Longstreet over his protest with +20,000 men to do this, thus weakening his extended lines. This has +been considered a very great mistake of Bragg, as his total force was +much less than had opposed Rosecrans at Chickamauga. Grant had now +arrived and had assumed command of the entire Federal forces, and had +planned to attack Bragg on November 24th, but on receiving information, +which proved to be unreliable, that Bragg was preparing to retreat, he +decided to make the attack on the 23d, and ordered Thomas to advance +upon Bragg's center. This attack took the Confederates by surprise. +After some severe fighting, they fell back more than a mile and left +the Federals in command of some advantageous positions, thus ending the +first day's battle. + +Preparations were made during the night for a general engagement the +next day. + +Sherman was in command of the left wing, while Thomas held the center, +and Hooker the right, and they had planned to sever communications +between Bragg and Longstreet, and thus keep the Confederate army +divided. + +Early on the 24th Sherman moved against the Confederate right, and +with little opposition occupied the northern end of Missionary Ridge. +The Confederates, after discovering this advantageous position taken +by Sherman, fought desperately in the afternoon to regain it, but were +finally repulsed. + +While this was going on, General Hooker, with a division of Sherman's +army, was making a desperate struggle for the capture of Lookout +Mountain, whose rugged crests towered above the clouds. This mountain +was ably defended by the Confederates, but they were finally pushed +back by overwhelming numbers and made their final stand within the +breastworks about the Craven house, but were finally dislodged from +this place and retired within their entrenchments in the valley. + +This has been termed "The Battle in the Clouds." + +[Illustration: BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG] + +On the morning of the 25th preparations were made for the final battle +on Missionary Ridge. The attack was made by General Sherman, and it +seemed that the Confederates must recede from the terrific onslaught, +but they succeeded, after a stubborn struggle, in repulsing the +Federals at this particular time, and they were pushed back by General +Hardy, who captured several hundred prisoners. The Federals, quickly +re-forming their lines, renewed the assault and, after waiting for +Hooker to bring up his division, Grant ordered a general advance, +and the battle was now on in earnest. Bragg opened on them from the +crest of Missionary Ridge with fifty pieces of artillery and a line +of musketry. Even this did not stop the impetuous charge. The first +line of entrenchments of the Confederates was carried with little +opposition, and, as the Confederates retired through other brigades, +the confusion was great, and the retreat became almost a rout. + +Had it not been for a division of North Carolinan soldiers under Major +Weaver, who succeeded in rallying his troops, and was successful in +holding the Federals in check, the retreat would have become a rout of +the entire Confederate army. + +This gave the Confederates a little time to rally their lines, and they +were able to retire from the field in good order. + +The battle was now over, and the field was left in possession of the +Federals, Bragg retiring with his army into Georgia. + + + + +BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS + + +This was one of the great battles of modern times, being second only +to Gettysburg in our Civil war. Napoleon never fought a battle on +the Continent of Europe that was equal to the Wilderness. It was +three times bloodier than Austerlitz, after which battle it is said +Napoleon's triumphant march from Freize to Paris was more grand than +Queen Elizabeth's tour of England after the defeat of the Spanish +Armada. + +The Battle of the Wilderness, together with Spottsylvania, is thought +to be more destructive to the Federal forces than both Antietam and +Gettysburg combined. + +On Lee's sudden departure from Gettysburg there were many stragglers +left behind, who were taken prisoners by the Federals. Some of them +were not aware that the army had gone; others, on account of slight +wounds and sickness, were not able to keep up with the army. + +Lee succeeded in crossing the Potomac above Harper's Ferry about the +middle of July with but little opposition from the Federals, and led +his army across the Rapidan, and there entrenched himself to dispute +the Federals under General Meade, who had by this time succeeded in +crossing the Potomac and was moving upon Culpeper Court House, at +which place he concentrated his forces. There was but little fighting +done during the remainder of the year, except an unsuccessful cavalry +expedition under Kilpatrick, who sought to take Richmond by surprise. + +During the early months of 1864 the authorities at Washington became +discouraged with General Meade's management of the Army of the Potomac. +They thought that he should have destroyed Lee's army on its retreat +from Gettysburg; while it is now conceded that Meade's management +was good, and that he did all that any general could have done under +the circumstances. General Grant had come into great favor in the +North on account of his successive victories in the West, and it was +decided to give Grant command of all the Federal forces, with the rank +of lieutenant-general. This high grade in command had been held only +by Generals Washington and Scott, thus bringing together two great +generals. One the idol of the North: the other of the South. Cæsar said +he would rather be first man in a village in Gaul than second in Rome. + +Grant found under his command in the Army of the Potomac 140,000 men. + +Lee found under his command scarcely 60,000 men, but that spirit +burned in the breast of his soldiers notwithstanding their defeat at +Gettysburg and their loss of Vicksburg, that many hard battles would be +fought before the heel of the invader should tread upon the streets of +their cherished capital, Richmond. + +Grant determined to move upon Richmond and by doing so began with the +Wilderness a series of battles which are unequaled in history. + +Grant's army was divided into three corps, commanded by Hancock, Warren +and Sedgwick. Sheridan was in command of the cavalry. Burnside was in +command of another division of the army, protecting the Orange and +Alexandria railroad. + +Lee's army consisted of three corps of infantry, commanded by +Longstreet, Ewell and A. P. Hill, and the cavalry by Stuart. A notable +fact in the organization of the Confederate army was the few changes +made in commanders. + +Early on the morning of May 4th Grant's army began crossing the Rapidan +below Lee's entrenchments. This being anticipated by Lee, he at once +prepared to set his own army in motion and throw himself across the +path of his foe. Both armies were now near Chancellorsville, in a +wilderness country, where a great battle had been fought the year +before. This country was covered by underbrush and ragged foliage, +with scrub pine, and dotted here and there with small clearings. This +wilderness country was pierced by a few roads leading from the fords +of the river. The Federals had advanced up these roads as far as the +Wilderness Tavern, in which General Grant established his headquarters. + +This wilderness country was entered by two roads from the southwest +known as the "Old Orange Turnpike" and the "Orange Plank Road." Along +these two roads the Confederates moved their army to meet the advancing +hosts of the Federals, General Ewell leading his corps along the +turnpike and A. P. Hill along the plank road. General Longstreet was +hastening up from Gordonsville, and it was very evident that a great +battle was near at hand. + +On the morning of May 5th Ewell came in contact with Warren's corps at +a cross-road near Parker's store, and this meeting precipitated the +beginning of the great battle. + +About this time it became known to General Grant that A. P. Hill was +advancing by the plank road, and he ordered Sedgwick to entrench and +prepare to receive the attack from A. P. Hill. Hill came up very soon, +and the battle began in earnest. The musketry fire was continued with +great severity until late in the evening without a decided advantage to +either side. The loss was great and the Federals had suffered the loss +of General Hays, who had been shot through the head. The Confederates +had suffered the loss of General John M. Jones. + +This ended the first day's struggle, and during the night both armies +entrenched themselves directly in each other's front. + +Early on the morning of May 6th the Federals were reënforced by +Burnside's corps, and A. P. Hill by that of Longstreet. + +General Grant issued orders for a general attack all along the line, +and soon the battle was raging along the five-mile front, which became +a hand-to-hand contest. Artillery played but little force in this +battle, on account of the dense growth of timber and underbrush, and it +was chiefly a battle of musketry. + +The branches were cut from the trees by the leaden missiles, and +saplings were mowed down as grass by a scythe. + +The Confederates were finally driven back and seemed on the verge of a +panic. At this moment General Lee rode through the lines to the front +and called on his soldiers to follow him. This instantly gave courage +to his army, which rallied and began to push the Federals back. General +Lee was called back by his own men: "General Lee to the rear! General +Lee to the rear!" This brave act on the part of General Lee, and the +arrival of Longstreet, restored order and courage in the ranks, and +they soon regained their lost position. + +General Longstreet, while riding with Generals Kershaw and Jenkins, at +the head of Jenkins' brigade, were mistaken for the enemy by their own +men and fired on, and when the smoke lifted Longstreet and Jenkins were +down--Longstreet seriously wounded, and Jenkins killed outright. This +was a serious loss to the Confederacy, as they had suffered the loss of +one general and had incapacitated another from service. A similar thing +had occurred a year before at Chancellorsville when General Jackson was +mortally wounded. + +The fighting continued the rest of the day, the advantage being first +with one side and then the other. + +Darkness ended the two days' undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, one +of the greatest struggles in history. + +It was Grant's first measure of arms with General Lee. While Grant had +been defeated in his plan to pass around Lee to Richmond, yet he had +made a new record for the Army of the Potomac. + +The loss of the Federals in killed and wounded was about 17,000, while +that of the Confederates was about 12,000. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE + + +General John B. Gordon said that Spottsylvania furnished the longest +roll of incessant musketry; the most splendid exhibition of heroism and +personal daring by large numbers who, standing in the freshly spilled +blood of their comrades, faced for so long a period and at so short a +range the flaming rifles as they heralded the decrees of death during +the entire war. Such examples of heroism, shown by both armies in that +hand-to-hand struggle at Spottsylvania Court House, will not be lost to +the Republic. + +After the undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant again tried to +get his army between that of Lee and Richmond, and on the afternoon +of May 7th began to move his army in the direction of Spottsylvania +Court House. Lee had anticipated this movement on the part of Grant, +and began at once to devise plans to throw his army across the path of +his adversary. He therefore ordered General Anderson, who was now in +command of Longstreet's corps, Longstreet having been wounded in the +Battle of the Wilderness, to march by a shorter route to Spottsylvania +Court House, hoping to reach the same before it was occupied by the +troops of Grant. This movement was begun by Anderson on the night of +May 7th. General Ewell was ordered to follow up Anderson's corps. +This he did by taking a longer and more indirect route. When the +Federals, under Warren, reached Todd's Tavern they found their cavalry +in terrible conflict with Fitzhugh Lee's division of the Confederate +cavalry. Fitzhugh Lee was reënforced by the advance division of +Anderson's corps, which by this time had come up. General Warren was +finally repulsed and fell back, thus giving the Confederates possession +of Spottsylvania Court House which was gained only by the timely +arrival of Anderson's corps. + +The Federals tried again and again throughout the day to break the +Confederate lines, but were repulsed in every attack. Thus Lee had +again blocked the path of Grant. + +Both armies began to entrench themselves, as it was very evident +that a great battle was near at hand. The Confederates formed their +entrenchments in the shape of a huge V, forming a salient angle against +the center of the Federal line. This particular place has since been +known as the "Bloody Angle." The Confederate left was commanded by +Anderson, the center by Ewell, the right by Early, who was temporarily +in command of A. P. Hill's corps, on account of Hill's sickness. The +Federal left was commanded by Burnside, the center by Sedgwick and +Warren, and the right by Hancock. + +May 9th was spent by both armies in getting position and by some +fighting between the outlying divisions of the armies. In one of these +skirmishes General Sedgwick was killed by a sharpshooter's ball. He was +succeeded in command by H. G. Wright. His death was a great loss to the +Federal forces. + +On the next day General Grant ordered a general attack on the +Confederate line. This attack was led by General Warren, whose progress +was very slow owing to the dense thickets of low cedar and the walls +of abatis, which were thrown in their way by the Confederates. This +advance of General Warren was met by a heavy artillery and musket fire +from Longstreet's corps, under command of Anderson. Warren's troops +came on notwithstanding the heavy fire from all sides. Some of his +soldiers even crossed over the breastworks and were either killed or +taken prisoners by the Confederates. The Federals finally retreated +with heavy loss. + +Grant now thought it best to attack the Confederate lines in front of +Wright's corps. This was done late in the evening by several divisions +under Upton. He advanced quickly through a terrible fire and gained the +entrenchments, where they had a terrible hand-to-hand conflict with +bayonets fixed. The Confederates were overpowered by numbers and gave +way and fell back to their second line of entrenchments. For this brave +act, Upton was made a brigadier-general. The Confederates, however, +were reënforced, and Upton retired from the position which he had +gained. + +The battle was yet indecisive and both armies had suffered great loss. +Owing to the heavy rains, the armies lay inactive on the 11th. It was +during this battle that Grant sent a message to Washington saying that +he would fight it out on this line if it took all summer. + +Grant, in the meantime, had sent General Sheridan with his cavalry to +threaten Richmond. + +He was closely followed by General Stuart, and on May 11th they fought +a hard battle at Yellow Tavern, in which General Stuart was killed. His +death was a severe loss to the Confederacy. His experience as a cavalry +leader, obtained on many battlefields, was such that his place could +not be filled. A large statue has been erected to his memory in the +Hollywood cemetery at Richmond, on which is recorded his feats of valor +on many fields. + +Grant decided on another attack on the Confederate lines at +Spottsylvania on May 12th, the objective point being the sharp angle +in Lee's entrenchments. This had been anticipated by General Lee, +and he had been making ready. This attack was made at daybreak by +General Hancock's corps. It was the most severe and the most bloody +hand-to-hand conflict of the entire battle. The attack was received +by General Johnston's brigade of Ewell's corps, which was finally +overpowered and captured. This was the "Old Stonewall Brigade." This +was a serious loss to Lee's army. + +The Federals pushed on to the Confederates' second entrenchments, but +were here repulsed by fresh troops under General Gordon. General Lee +himself rode up with Gordon, but was forced back again by the cry of +his own men: "General Lee to the rear!" + +The fighting was kept up all day along the line. The trenches had to +be cleared frequently of the dead to give room for the living. The +slaughter continued until late in the night and was undecisive. The +Confederates finally fell back within their entrenchments. + +General Grant was deeply moved by the terrible loss of life at the +"Bloody Angle." + +The total loss to the Federals exceeded 18,000; the Confederates, about +9,000. Grant found that no ordinary methods of war would overcome the +Army of Northern Virginia, and that his only hope was in the long +drawn-out campaign with larger numbers. For the next five days short +battles were fought at intervals between the outlying divisions of the +armies. + +Grant's army still moved to the southeast, with Lee following close +along in their front, always ready to dispute any move that the Army of +the Potomac should make toward Richmond. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR + + +With this battle terminated the Wilderness campaign, and was one over +which Grant expressed regret, and said that Cold Harbor was the only +battle that he ever fought that he would not fight over again, and he +always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was made. + +The Federal commander had failed in his plan to pass around Lee to +Richmond, and now saw that he must cross the James River and make +Petersburg his objective point. + +Early on the morning of May 26, 1864, Grant set his army in motion +toward Cold Harbor. The next day Lee moved his army by a shorter route +over the telegraph road to the Virginia Central railroad. The two +armies were stretched across this low country parallel to each other +and at times they came in contact. + +On the 31st day of May, General Sheridan reached Cold Harbor. He had +orders from Meade that he should hold this place at all hazards until +the main army should arrive. Both armies had received reënforcements. +The Confederates were reënforced by Breckinridge from western Virginia, +and by Pickett from North Carolina. The Federals were reënforced from +the army of General Butler from down the James River. Thus Grant's +army was brought up to more than 100,000 men, and Lee's to about 75,000. + +On May 31st Sheridan fought a severe battle with Fitzhugh Lee at +Cold Harbor, but it was undecisive. On the next morning the Federal +army arrived on the field and immediately took position. They were +confronted by Longstreet's corps and that of A. P. Hill, and the +divisions of Hoke and Breckinridge. Late in the evening the Federals +made a fierce attack on the Confederate position and the Confederate +lines were broken in many places, but before night they had succeeded +in regaining some of their position. + +It was well known to both armies that this battle would decide +Grant's last chance to get between Lee and Richmond, and preparations +were made the next day for a decisive battle on the morrow. The +Federals were reënforced during the night of June 2d by Hancock's +and Burnside's corps. The Confederates, being on the defensive, had +orders from General Lee to rest on their arms and be ready to receive +a fierce assault which he was anticipating from the Federals. It goes +without saying that the Confederate soldiers under such orders on +this particular night, and on account of the apparent danger of their +position, did not close their eyes in sleep. The Federals were faced by +Ewell's, A. P. Hill's and Longstreet's corps, the latter being under +the command of Anderson, as Longstreet was severely wounded in the +Battle of the Wilderness. + +Both armies lay very close to each other, and Lee's position was +exceptionally strong, as it must be approached through swampy ground, +and his batteries were set in position to give both a front and an +enfilading fire. Yet Grant determined to make a general attack on the +Confederate lines, and passed word to his corps commanders to make +ready to execute the same at about five o'clock on the morning of June +3d. + +This order was carried out, and they had marshaled their soldiers +in large numbers into lines ten columns deep, and at the appointed +hour began with a determined step to move toward the Confederate +entrenchments. The silence of the early morning was broken by the +Confederate batteries and their musketry that raked the open country +over which the Federals were advancing, which made the same appear as +a fiery furnace. The columns of blue were swept by this fierce fire, +which mowed them down in great numbers. They succeeded in crossing +into the Confederate entrenchments in a few places and engaged in +hand-to-hand combat, but the Confederates had orders to hold their +position at all hazards, and the Federal leaders soon found it was +impossible to stand the raking fire from the Confederate batteries +and ordered a retreat, and in doing so they took with them a few +hundred prisoners. Thus the field was left in the possession of the +Confederates. + +This battle is said to have lasted but twenty minutes, and during this +short time Grant lost 10,000 men. This is said to be the greatest loss +in the shortest time during the entire war. + +With this battle ended the series of battles beginning with that of the +Wilderness, all having been fought within a month, and nothing like it +has yet been known to warfare. + +Grant's entire loss in all these engagements in killed, wounded and +missing was about 55,000 men, and that of the Confederates much less. +If Lee's loss had been equal to that of Grant's, his army would have +been almost annihilated. + +[Illustration: DEDICATING THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG] + +The soldiers, either living or dead, who stood in the dense columns of +blue and marched across that shell swept field toward the Confederate +entrenchments, and those who stood in the Confederate ranks and +successfully repulsed that awful onslaught of the Federals on that +bright June morning at Cold Harbor, for these reasons are possessed of +a rich heritage which their posterity should be proud to receive. + + + + +SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA + + +General Sherman was given command of the Western army, which was +to operate against Joseph E. Johnston, who was in command of the +Confederate army in the West. Johnston was reckoned second to Lee in +military genius. Sherman found under his command 120,000 men, while +that of Johnston's army numbered about 75,000. The Federals were +concentrated around Chattanooga, while the Confederates were massed at +Dalton, where they had been in winter quarters. + +Sherman moved his army on May 6, 1864, against Johnston, and thus the +beginning of Sherman's march to the sea and a series of battles fought, +viz.: Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and the Battle of +Atlanta. + +Sherman's army was divided into three divisions commanded by Generals +McPherson, Schofield and Thomas. His army was in good spirits and +seemed anxious for the opportunity to move forward, after a long +wearisome winter in camp, and rejoiced at the journey before them, +though their mission was to be one of strife and bloodshed. + +General Johnston had succeeded General Bragg in command of this +Confederate army, which was now divided into two corps, commanded by +Generals Hood and Hardee. He was later reënforced by General Polk. + +On account of the strong position occupied by Johnston at Dalton +Sherman thought best to refrain from attacking him there and moved +round to the right of the Confederate army to Resaca. + +When Johnston discovered this movement on the part of the Federals he +quickly evacuated Dalton and moved with all speed to Resaca, which +place he succeeded in reaching before it was occupied by the Federals. +On his way to Resaca his cavalry, under General Wheeler, fought a +desperate battle with that of the Federals, under General McCook, in +which Wheeler was successful. + +The Confederates were strongly entrenched at Resaca by the time +Sherman's army came up. + +On May 14th Sherman ordered a general attack on the Confederate +stronghold, which was done by Thomas' division and a part of +Schofield's. This attack was received by Hood's corps. There was +desperate fighting and the advantage first lay with one and then +the other, when at length the Federals were reënforced by General +Hooker, and the Confederates fell back to the second line of their +entrenchments. + +There was terrible fighting on the next day during which the outworks +were captured by General Butterfield, but he was unable to hold his +position gained on account of the raking fire from Hardee's corps, +which galled him very much. + +During the night Johnston withdrew his army from Resaca toward Atlanta, +and was closely followed by Sherman, who sent a part of his army under +General Davis to capture Rome, a small town in Georgia, where there was +quite a number of iron factories. + +This he did, and destroyed the factories, which were a serious loss to +the Confederates, for they were used for the manufacture of cannon and +other munitions of war. + +Johnston brought his army to a halt at Adairsville, at which place he +had fully decided to give battle to Sherman, and had so informed his +officers. After skirmishing with the enemy for some time he suddenly +changed his mind and withdrew his army to Cassville, where he took +a strong position and issued a spirited address to his army, and +had fully decided to give battle to Sherman, but, on account of his +superior numbers, Sherman had been able to turn the right flank of the +Confederate army. + +On the advice of Hood and Polk, Johnston again withdrew his army from +its position and took a much stronger position a few miles south on +Kenesaw Mountain. + +On account of these several retreats, gave rise to a cause of a great +deal of dissent among his soldiers, as well as the inhabitants of the +country through which he passed, which left them in the hands of the +enemy, but it is conceded that Johnston did the best he could, as his +army was inferior to that of Sherman both in numbers and equipment, +and he was waiting for an opportunity to catch Sherman's army divided, +or to get a strong position which would help him in repulsing any +attack made by Sherman. This strong position he found at Kenesaw +Mountain, and here made ready for battle in earnest. + +A few days prior to this, while Johnston's army was retiring from its +former position at Cassville, they became engaged with a division of +the Federal army at Pine Mountain, in which battle General Polk was +killed by a cannon ball. This was a serious loss to the Confederacy. +He was a graduate of West Point; but after being graduated he took +work with the Episcopal church as bishop, but at the outbreak of the +war he entered the Confederate army and served with distinction. Only +a short time before his death it is reported that he administered the +ordinance of baptism to Generals Johnston and Hood. It is said that he +was rebuked by some of his church for taking up arms. He replied that +he felt as a man plowing in a field and was called by his neighbor to +help extinguish the flames from his house which was on fire, and after +the fire would go back to work. He was succeeded in command by General +Loring. + +Sherman decided to attack Johnston at Kenesaw Mountain, this being +anticipated by Johnston and, on account of his strong position, met +with his approval. This desperate battle was fought on the 27th day +of June. Sherman's army advanced against the strong Confederate +works again and again during the day, but every charge was repulsed, +the mountainside being swept by the musketry and artillery of the +Confederates. Sherman's loss in this battle was more than 3,000 men, +while that of the Confederates was less than 1,000. + +Sherman was convinced that his success did not lay in attacking his +antagonist in a strong position, and turned upon Johnston's right and +attempted to pass around him to Atlanta in the same manner in which +Grant was trying to pass around Lee to Richmond. + +Sherman succeeded in drawing Johnston away from Kenesaw Mountain, and +Johnston withdrew his army by shorter roads within the entrenchments +before Atlanta, which was immediately confronted by the Federal +hosts. This was a critical time for Sherman, as the North was in a +presidential campaign in which it appeared that the success of the war +party depended upon his capture of Atlanta; and on the other hand it +was a critical time for the Confederates, for the loss of Atlanta would +mean the loss of their iron foundries, where they manufactured most of +their munitions of war, and besides would divide their country in two +divisions again as Grant's capture of Vicksburg had divided it before. + +General Johnston was removed from command of the army for the reasons +assigned by the Confederate government that he had failed to arrest +the advance of the enemy to the vicinity of Atlanta, and that he had +expressed no confidence that he could defeat or repel Sherman, and for +these reasons he was relieved and the same was handed to General Hood. +It was said that when General Johnston received this information he +informed General Hardee, who was with him, of the information received. +Hardee replied, "I don't believe it." In answer Johnston said, "A thing +may be unbelievable and a fact." + +The removal of Johnston from the command is thought to have been a +great mistake on the part of the Confederate Government, as his tactics +had been in this campaign on the defensive on account of his inferior +numbers and equipment to that of Sherman, while that of Hood was on the +aggressive, and he maintained the idea of attacking Sherman's army, +which proved to be the loss of Atlanta for the Confederacy. + +Hood found himself in command of about 60,000 men, and on July 20th +offered battle which was fierce and a decided loss to the Confederates, +in which they were repulsed on every hand, but not without hard +fighting and much loss to the Federals, for General Hood had the +reputation of being a fearless, aggressive commander. This was known as +the Battle of Peach Tree Creek. + +Two days later, on July 22d, the Battle of Atlanta was fought, this +being the greatest engagement of the entire campaign. + +The Federals had closed in upon Atlanta and had succeeded in capturing +some out entrenchments, but on the 22d was a general engagement of all +the army, the attack being made by Hood to recapture some of his lost +positions. In this engagement General McPherson was killed, which was a +great blow to the Union army. General Logan succeeded to his command. + +The Confederates achieved considerable success, but the Federals were +presently reënforced, and Hood withdrew within the defenses of Atlanta. +Again on the 28th the Federals were attacked by General Hardee and a +fierce battle was fought at Ezra Church, in which the Confederates were +defeated with heavy loss. + +Sherman determined on besieging the city and if possible destroy the +line of supplies for Hood's army. This he succeeded in doing late in +August by destroying the Macon and Western railroad. + +Hood determined to attack the Federals and sent General Hardee to make +an attack near Jonesboro, while he himself should attack Sherman's +right flank. These attacks failed, thus necessitating the evacuation +of Atlanta, which he did on September 2d, after destroying all the +supplies he could not take with him. + +Hood kept his army between that of Sherman's and Andersonville, at +which place there were confined many thousands of Federal prisoners. +With the fall of Atlanta practically ended the points of interest of +Sherman's march to the sea. + +The command of Hood's army was later given back to General Joseph E. +Johnston. + + + + +BATTLE OF CLOYD MOUNTAIN + + +In the early spring of 1864 the command of the Union forces in the +Shenandoah Valley was given to General Hunter, who made ready to march +upon Lynchburg, with the object of taking possession of the city and to +capture large stores of provisions and munitions of war which belonged +to the Confederates and were stored at Lynchburg. He also laid waste +to the country over which his army passed so as to render the same of +little value as a source for supplies to the Confederacy. + +A division of his army under General Crooks fought a desperate battle +on the 9th day of May, 1864, with the Confederates, commanded by +General Jenkins, at Cloyd's farm, near Dublin depot, in southwestern +Virginia. This was one of the most severe short engagements of the +entire war, in which General Jenkins was killed and the total loss to +the Confederates in killed and wounded and missing was about 900, and +that of the Federals somewhat less. During this short engagement the +grim monster Death was on every side, and whose threatening shrieks +howled in the air around them. + +Hunter's main army finally reached the vicinity of Lynchburg on the +17th day of June, after fighting a battle with Imboden and McCausland +a few miles away from Lynchburg, the Confederates falling back within +the breastworks which they had hastily thrown up. The city was defended +by a portion of Breckinridge's division, but their numbers were far +inferior to that of the Federals, who had by this time arrived before +the city. Hunter halted his army and brought up his artillery and did +some cannonading, but went into camp with the expectation of taking +the city without much opposition the next morning. It is thought that +he could have easily taken the city on the evening of his arrival, +but during the night General Gordon arrived with his division and the +Confederates were reënforced by other arrivals next morning from the +army of General Early, then on its way to the Shenandoah Valley. On the +morning of the 18th General Hunter found Lynchburg full of Confederate +soldiers, and more arriving on every train, which on the arrival the +bands playing could plainly be heard by the Federal soldiers as they +came upon the field. Hunter soon found, in his opinion, the capture +of Lynchburg an impossibility, and his raid was to terminate in a +dismal failure. During the 18th there was some cannonading and several +skirmishes between the cavalry of the two contending armies. + +On the night of the 19th he broke camp and marched away to the +westward. Why he retreated without giving battle was not understood. +General Gordon said that in his opinion that conscience was harrowing +General Hunter and causing him to see an avenger wrapped in every gray +jacket before him. The Confederates took up the pursuit of Hunter's +retreating army, but Hunter succeeded in getting back across the +mountains into western Virginia, after hard marches over mountain roads +with little or no supplies for his army, and with a large amount of +straggling. + +General Lee dispatched General Early with an army of 20,000 men to +threaten Washington, in the hope of drawing part of Grant's army away +from before Richmond. Early was to go by the way of Shenandoah Valley. +This route was given him partly in order to help defend Lynchburg and +to get supplies for his army in the valley. He reached Winchester on +the 3d of July, and moved rapidly down the valley and crossed into +Maryland, and was at Hagerstown on the 6th. He turned about and moved +boldly upon Washington. He met and defeated General Wallace on the +Monocacy on July 9th, and on the next day he was within six miles of +the capitol at Washington. An immediate assault might have given him +possession of the city, which was weakly defended, but he delayed for +a day, and in the meantime two divisions under General Wright from +Grant's army from before Petersburg arrived and Early was forced to +retreat, after spending the 12th in threatening the city. This was +considered one of the boldest raids of the entire war. + +This attack on Washington by General Early created considerable +excitement in the city, for no other Confederate army had ever been so +near to the capital before. The government employees of all kinds, the +sailors from the navy yard, and the convalescents from the hospitals, +were all rushed out to the forts around the city. Even President +Lincoln himself went out to the defenses of the city. + +Early recrossed the Potomac at Snickers' Ferry on the 18th. Here he was +overtaken by the pursuing Federals, at which place a battle was fought +in which Early was the victor. He fought another battle at Winchester +with General Averell's cavalry. + +Grant decided to give the command of the army in the Shenandoah to +General Philip H. Sheridan, to whom he gave instructions to drive the +Confederates out of the valley once for all, and to destroy all growing +crops and everything that would be of any advantage to the Confederacy +in the way of supplies for their army or otherwise. This he finally +did, and Sheridan afterwards said that he believed a crow could fly +over the entire valley without getting even a mouthful to eat. + +September found the two armies near Winchester, and on the 19th +a severe battle was fought which was kept up the entire day, the +advantage being first with one side and then the other. Finally the +Confederates, being outnumbered, retreated back through Winchester. +This was a bloody day, in which the loss of the Federals was about +5,000, and that of the Confederates about 4,000. + +The next day the Confederates were overtaken at Fisher's Hill, at +which place Early was making preparations for a great battle, which +engagement did not occur until the 22d. This engagement proved to +be disastrous to Early, his army being flanked by the Federals with +superior numbers. He began a stubborn retreat, which finally became a +rout. He was closely followed up by the Federals, and fought several +small engagements on his retreat. + +On about the middle of October he received reënforcements from +Longstreet, and on the 19th he attacked Sheridan's army at Cedar Creek, +under the immediate command of General Wright, Sheridan having gone +to Washington, but returned in time to take part in the battle. This +took place about twenty miles from Winchester, the attack being made by +General Gordon, who fell upon General Sheridan's men while they were +yet sleeping early in the morning. Gordon was immediately supported +by the army; Early himself came up to the attack. The Federals were +completely surprised and retreated, which became a rout, leaving their +entire camp equipment, together with some prisoners, in the hands of +the Confederates. The Confederates thought they had gained a signal +victory, and gave up the pursuit of the retreating Federals, and turned +their attention to pillaging the Federal camp. + +General Sheridan was on his way from Winchester to his army +headquarters at Cedar Creek when he heard the roar of the cannon which +convinced him that a great battle was being fought. He at once made +haste to take charge of his army, this being Sheridan's famous ride. +He first met stragglers of his army, and then passed through brigade +after brigade of his retreating army, which so blocked the highway +that he was compelled to leave the same and take to the fields. He +at length succeeded in stopping the retreat and turned it into an +attacking column. In this retreat were two divisions commanded by two +future presidents, viz.: President Hayes and McKinley. This attack +on the Confederates completely surprised them, and they were utterly +routed and so badly defeated that Early's army was never completely +reorganized, this being the last principal engagement in the Shenandoah +Valley. + +Previous to these battles in the valley, Early had dispatched General +McCausland with his division of cavalry to go into Pennsylvania to levy +large sums of money on the towns in reprisal for Hunter's depredations +in the Shenandoah Valley. This cavalry party burned the town of +Chambersburg. + + + + +THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG + + +After the battle of Cold Harbor Grant remained a few days trying to +find a weak place in the Confederate lines. This he abandoned and +resolved to move his army across the James and to Petersburg, which +place is about twenty miles from Richmond, and was defended by General +Beauregard with a small division of the Confederate army. + +Petersburg was at the junction of three railroads, and was a place +of great importance to the Confederacy, as all the supplies of Lee's +army, as well as to Richmond, came by the way of Petersburg, and for +these reasons General Grant resolved to destroy the railroads, and if +possible to capture the city, and thus destroy the Confederates' source +of supplies. + +These conditions being well known to Lee, he resolved to defend +Petersburg, and to save it from capture if possible, and thus began the +greatest struggle of its kind known in modern times. + +The advance divisions of Grant's army, under Hancock and W. F. Smith, +appeared before Petersburg June 15, 1864. Beauregard managed to hold +the entrenchments with his small force until Lee's main army arrived, +which came by a shorter route than the one which the Federals had +taken. Both armies were in full force before Petersburg by the evening +of the 18th, and the great struggle had now begun. The Confederate +entrenchments extended for thirty miles, and the whole country was a +network of fortifications. Grant at once began to extend his lines of +entrenchments, and thus the two armies were pitted against each other +for their last great struggle, the army of General Grant numbering more +than 100,000 men, while that of General Lee was about half that number. + +General Grant turned his attention to trying to destroy the railroads, +and made several attempts with much hard fighting to do so. But this, +having been anticipated by General Lee, he had given to A. P. Hill +the defense and the protection of the railroads, which was his source +of supplies. They were ably protected by General Hill, and Grant's +attacking parties in every instance were repulsed, and these plans were +at length abandoned by him for the present. + +The two armies lay facing each other before Petersburg the entire +summer and fall, with several small engagements during the summer and a +few very severe ones. + +A severe cavalry engagement was fought at Trevilian Station, north of +Richmond, on June 11th, between the Confederates, commanded by Generals +Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee, and the Federals, commanded by General +Sheridan. + +During the latter days of July the Federals were engaged in digging +a mammoth tunnel, beginning in the rear of their entrenchments and +to extend under the Confederate fortifications before Petersburg, at +the completion of which they expected to fill the same with large +quantities of gunpowder which was to be exploded and was expected to +blow up the Confederate fortifications. + +Of all the schemes employed by either army this was the greatest, and +one in which Grant had great faith, and the progress of which was +watched with great anxiety. The Confederates were apprised of this +undertaking, and had made ready by placing several batteries within +their lines so that the fire from the same would sweep the opening +which would be made by the blowing up of the "crater." At a few minutes +past five on the morning of July 30th this mine was exploded, which +was a sight to behold. The Federal troops who were in waiting to march +through the opening were somewhat delayed from the shock and horror of +the explosion, but at length marched in the opening in great numbers, +and by this time the Confederate batteries were brought into action, +which so horribly swept their ranks, and they were charged by General +Mahone with several divisions of Georgia troops, and the Federal loss +became so great, and their ranks in so much confusion, that they were +ordered to retire within their entrenchments, thus bringing to a dismal +failure the capture of Petersburg by this plan. + +[Illustration: BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE] + +During the last days of August Grant renewed his plan to destroy the +Weldon railroad. This task was given to General Warren, with a large +force who, after fighting several hard battles with the dashing Mahone, +whose numbers were greatly inferior to that of Warren, and from his +reputation for strategy it is thought that he was very worthy to wear +the mantle of "Stonewall" Jackson, the Federals succeeded in destroying +this railroad in several places. + +Grant continued to extend his lines, and by the end of October he was +very near the Southside railroad, and on the 27th fought a desperate +battle with A. P. Hill at Hatcher's Run, in which the Federals were +defeated and retired within their entrenchments before Petersburg, this +being the last engagement of importance until the coming spring. + +The suffering and privation endured by Lee's army during the winter of +1864 and 1865, while they lay within the defenses of Petersburg and +Richmond with scant clothing and food, can scarcely be imagined by +anyone excepting those who were there. Their numbers were depleted by +sickness and other causes so by the coming of spring Lee had within his +ranks less than 50,000 men. + +Lee's lines had been extended until they were so thin that there was +danger of breaking. A. P. Hill held the right, Gordon and Anderson the +center, and Longstreet the left. Late in February Grant's army was +reënforced by General Sheridan from the valley, and in the last days +of March it was further reënforced from General Butler's army from down +the James River. + +General Lee began to see the position that he was in with his army +against superior numbers and equipment, and felt that he must sooner +or later evacuate Petersburg, and began to plan a junction of his army +with General Johnston's in North Carolina. + +General Grant anticipated this plan of Lee's and began to extend his +lines westward so if possible to cut off Lee's chances of retreat. + +Lee determined to make a bold attack on Grant's right, the objective +point being Fort Stedman. This plan was given to General Gordon to be +carried out, which he gallantly did, and captured the fort, but was +unable to hold the same, and retired within the Confederate lines. +His attack and capture of Fort Stedman was carefully planned and well +supported by the main Confederate army. + +The battle at Fort Stedman did not interfere with Grant's plan in +extending his lines along the front of the Confederate army, under +General Warren. Lee had sent General Anderson to hold the road over +which he would retreat in the event he was compelled to evacuate +Petersburg. + +On the 31st a large Confederate force was at Dinwiddie Court House, and +during that night they took a strong position at Five Forks, and here +on April 1st a hard battle was fought, the Federals being commanded by +Generals Sheridan and Warren. The Confederates were finally defeated +with a loss of 5,000 prisoners. + +The Confederates' defeat at Five Forks was a great blow to Lee, and he +immediately began preparations for the evacuation of Petersburg and +Richmond. + +On the night of April 1st Grant began his attack all along his lines, +which he kept up the entire night. His cannon threw shells into the +doomed city, and at dawn on April 2d the assault began. The Federal +troops went forward in an impetuous charge through a storm of grape and +canister which was poured into their ranks. The Confederates fell back +within their inner breastworks and the Federals pushed on the left as +far as Hatcher's Run, where they had a severe engagement in which the +Confederate General Pegram was killed, and another engagement near the +Southside railroad in which General A. P. Hill was killed. His death +was an irreparable loss to the Confederacy. He was one of their able +corps commanders, and had been in all the principal engagements in the +East. He played a distinctive part in the Seven Days' Battles before +Richmond; his timely arrival on the field saved Lee's army from utter +rout at Antietam Creek and turned defeat into partial victory; he was a +great favorite of "Stonewall" Jackson, and took a distinctive part in +the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, in which last-named +battle he was near by when "Stonewall" Jackson was mortally wounded; +with his corps was first on the field at Gettysburg; his corps received +the first onslaught of the Federals at the Battle of the Wilderness; +was too sick to command his corps at Spottsylvania Court House, which +was temporarily commanded by General Early; played a distinctive part +at Cold Harbor, and here at Petersburg, on Sunday, April 2d, the end. +He was buried in the cemetery at Petersburg on the night of April 2d, +while the whole country was being lit up by bursting shells and the +hurrying and noise of the progress of a great battle. + +On Sunday morning, April 2d, General Lee notified the authorities +at Richmond that he must evacuate Petersburg at once, and to notify +President Davis of the situation. President Davis was at St. Paul's +Church with several of his cabinet listening to a sermon by Dr. +Minnegerode, speaking of a supper before Gethsemane. The sexton walked +up the isle and handed the President the message, which he read, and +quietly retired from the church, this being noticeable on account of it +being somewhat out of the ordinary, although they were accustomed to +the roar of the cannon at Petersburg. However, it was soon known that +Petersburg and Richmond were soon to be evacuated, and the service was +dismissed at the church without further announcement. + +The city of Richmond was in a state of excitement as the officers +of the government departed from the city on their way to Danville, +and during the night the arsenals were set on fire by the evacuating +troops. The flames spread to a large portion of the city, which was +burned. The next day the city was taken charge of by the Federals. + + + + +THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX + + +We are now to the closing scenes of the greatest civil war of modern +times. + +Lee evacuated Petersburg early on the third morning of April, 1865, and +retreated toward Amelia Court House. + +With the evacuation of Petersburg also fell the city of Richmond. For +nine months Lee's invincible forces had kept a foe more than twice +their numbers from invading their capital. + +Lee had ordered supplies for his army to Amelia Court House, for which +they were in sore need, as they had been on little or no rations for +several days, but by some mistake of orders the train of supplies had +been sent on to Richmond. This serious mistake was a crushing blow to +Lee's army, for when his troops reached Amelia Court House and found no +supplies, which had been promised them, their hopes sank within them. +Lee, as well as his officers, had come to realize that the end of the +great war could not be far distant. + +Grant's army was hastening in pursuit of that of Lee's, Grant had sent +General Sheridan to flank around Lee's army and get in his front, so if +possible to cut off his chance of escape. + +Lee had intended to concentrate his forces at Amelia Court House, +but his whole army did not come up until the evening of the 5th, and +on the discovery of his inadequate supplies he began the march anew +toward Farmville, dividing his army so as to secure supplies from the +country over which he passed. In the afternoon of April 6th Lee's army +was overtaken by the Federals and a hard battle was fought at Sailor's +Creek, in which General Richard Ewell, who was on the rear of Lee's +army, was captured with his entire corps, numbering about 6,000 men. + +Lee's main army reached Farmville on the night of the 6th of April, +where they received their first rations within two days, and near +which place a hard battle was fought, in which the Confederates, under +General Mahone, gained a temporary victory. + +The retreat was again renewed in the hope of breaking through the +Federal lines, which were rapidly enveloping around them. During these +marches the soldiers were so worn out from hunger, fatigue, and lack of +sufficient clothing in the early spring weather, that there was much +straggling from the army, and many had thrown their arms away until +scarcely one-third of Lee's army was equipped for battle. + +Lee's army reached Appomattox Court House late in the evening of April +8th, and here found the Federals in their front, and were compelled +to stop and prepare for battle. General Lee and his officers held a +council of war that night and decided to make a desperate effort to cut +through the Federal lines the next morning. This task was assigned to +General Gordon. + +On Sunday, the 9th, Gordon made a fierce attack upon the Federals in +his front, but was finally repulsed by overwhelming numbers, and sent +word to General Lee that he could do nothing further unless he was +heavily supported from Longstreet's corps. + +With the repulse of Gordon on that morning sank Lee's last hope of +breaking through the Federal lines, and he said there is nothing to do +but see Grant. + +Grant had proposed to Lee at Farmville, on the evening of the 7th, +terms for the surrender of Lee's army, to which Lee replied that as +much as he desired peace, yet the time certainly had not arrived for +the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. + +After the repulse of Gordon, on April 9th, Lee soon arranged a meeting +with Grant and a truce was ordered pending negotiations for the +surrender of Lee's army. This meeting took place at the house of Wilmer +McLean at Appomattox Court House, at which place the terms were finally +agreed upon by the two world famous commanders and were put in writing +in the form of a letter from General Grant to General Lee, and the +acceptance of the terms were written by Lee to Grant in the same form. + +It is interesting to know that Wilmer McLean had lived on the +battlefield of Bull Run during the progress of the first battle fought +there, and after the battle moved to Appomattox Court House, and at +his house was negotiated the terms of the surrender of Lee's army, thus +around his premises was fought the first and the last great battle of +the war. + +The Confederate officers were allowed to retain their side arms, and +the Confederate soldiers to retain their horses. This was a welcome +concession. + +Lee's army numbered less than 28,000 men, which he surrendered. Of +these less than one-third were bearing arms on the day of surrender. + +The Confederate soldiers for some time did not realize that +negotiations for their surrender was on and were expecting and seemed +to be anxious for another battle with General Sheridan in their front, +and were greatly surprised on learning of the negotiations that had +been completed for their surrender. + +It was at once apparent to all that the great war was practically ended. + +On the next day the surrender of the army was completed, and when +Lee made his farewell address to his soldiers, who had so faithfully +defended their faith in the Confederacy in all the hard battles in +which they had been engaged, and especially since the Wilderness +campaign, and in the defense of Petersburg and Richmond in the closing +days, where their endurance was the greatest, and had now come down to +the closing scenes at Appomattox, they were all deeply moved. General +Lee, in broken accents, admonished them to be as brave citizens as +they had been soldiers. + +Thus practically ended the greatest civil war in history. Soon after +Lee's surrender the other Confederate forces arranged for their +surrender in quick succession. + +It had been a long, bloody and devastating war, and it is said that +there were more Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout alone than the +number with Lee's army at the surrender. + +The war closed on a spectacle of ruin the greatest yet known in +America. While the smoke had cleared away, and the roar of the cannon +had ceased, yet there could be heard the wailing of mothers, widows and +orphans throughout both North and South, which is the greatest costs of +so great and devastating war. + +The Southern states lay prostrate; their resources gone; their fields +desolate; their cities ruined; the fruits of the toil of generations +all swept to destruction. + +The total number of Union soldiers engaged were about a million and a +half. Of this number, 275,000 were either killed in battle, died of +mortal wounds or from disease in camp, and the loss to the Confederates +was approximately the same. In both armies about 400,000 were disabled +for life, thus making a grand total loss of about a million able-bodied +men to the country. + +At the close of the war over 60,000 Confederate prisoners were +released. The records of the war department shows that 220,000 +Confederates were made prisoners in the war. This includes, of course, +the surrender of the armies at the close. Of this number 25,000 died +of wounds and disease during their captivity. The estimated number of +Union captives were about 200,000, of whom 40,000 died in captivity. + + +THE END + + + + +Transcribers' Notes: + + +Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant +preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. + +Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced +quotation marks retained. + +Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. + +Page 42: "Thoughfare Gap" should be "Thoroughfare Gap". + +Page 46: "Court Marshal" was printed that way. + +Page 57: "as they shown through the groves" was printed that way. + +Page 58: "in front of its back" probably should be "it". + +Page 93: "John Biglow" may be a misprint for "John Bigelow". + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Battles of the Civil War, by Thomas Elbert Vineyard + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44964 *** |