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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 4668 ***
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
+
+WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+BY F. COLBURN ADAMS, CAPT.,
+
+AUTHOR OF THE "STORY OF TROOPER," AND OTHER BOOKS.
+
+NEW YORK:
+
+1867
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY publisher gives it as his opinion that a great many persons will
+be offended at what I have said in this work. He thinks, also, that
+"quite a number" of our great generals will be seriously disturbed
+in their dignity on seeing what liberties my artist has taken with
+them. Such opinions as these are rather too common with publishers
+in this country, who generally take very narrow views as to what
+public men think and do. This work was not written to offend, but to
+amuse and instruct little people. I have too much respect for our
+great generals to believe that they will feel offended at what I
+have said of them. Some of our little generals may perhaps take
+exception to the positions my artist has assigned them, and feel
+disposed to make war on him. But there will be nothing new in this,
+inasmuch as any close observer of the war must have seen that these
+little generals were always more fierce in making war on writers and
+artists than courageous in facing the enemy. That the Siege of
+Washington was the most remarkable military event history has any
+account of, is very well understood among those who participated in
+it. I must beg the reader, then, not to place false judgment on the
+pleasantry introduced here and there, since I have recorded, with
+great care and correctness, all the military movements, that took
+place during that memorable occasion.
+
+F. COLBURN ADAMS.
+
+WASHINGTON, D. C., January 15, 1867.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I.-WASHINGTON A REMARKABLE CITY
+II.-GOING TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFICULTIES
+III.-THE FORTS AROUND WASHINGTON
+IV.-COMING HOME AFTER THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN
+V.-BRAVE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
+VI.-NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN
+VII.-POPE DID IT
+VIII.-HOW GENERAL POPE CAME TO TOWN
+IX.-BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD
+X.-THE GENERAL THAT FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORVILLE
+XI.-HANGING IN THE BALANCE
+XII.-ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH
+XIII.-THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES THE FIELD
+XIV.-THE WAY GENERAL EARLY CAME TO TAKE THE CITY
+XV.-A REBEL GENERAL BROUGHT TO GRIEF
+XVI.-THE DISTINGUISHED STATESMAN WHO ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF
+  REBELLION WITH GREEN SPECTACLES ON
+
+
+
+
+
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON.
+
+A TRUE AND AUTHENTIC STORY, WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+WASHINGTON AS A REMARKABLE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU, my son, have heard, and perhaps read, how Rome was once saved
+by a goose. There were, as you know, my son, a great many geese
+abroad during the siege of Washington; but it was not through any
+act of theirs that the city was saved. As I love you dearly, my son,
+so is it my first desire to instruct you correctly on all subjects
+in which the good of our great country is concerned. Before
+concluding my history of this remarkable siege, I shall prove to
+your satisfaction that Washington was saved, and the fate of the
+nation determined, by a barrel of whisky.
+
+Let me say to you, my son, that the siege of Washington, however
+much people abroad may laugh at it, was one of the most
+extraordinary events in the history of modern warfare. It took place
+in the year of our Lord, 1864; and there is no other event in the
+war of the great rebellion to compare with it. You will, therefore,
+my son, understand why it is that the history of an event of so much
+importance should be written only by an impartial historian--one who
+has courage enough to tell the truth, and no official friends to
+serve at the expense of honor. I must tell you, also, my son, that
+the great military problem of this siege has afforded a subject of
+deep study for our engineers, from General Delafield downward, who
+have puzzled their wits over it without finding a solution.
+
+Should we be unfortunate enough to have another great war, and the
+nation again be compelled to give itself up to the profession of
+arms, the conduct of this siege would afford us an excellent
+example, as well as a profitable key to the art of war, as
+understood by our War Department in the said year of our Lord, 1864.
+This, then, is another reason why this great military event should
+be faithfully rendered. I will also add, my son, that though I may
+fail to instruct you after the manner and style of the most profound
+historian of our day, I will at least make my account of this great
+siege so plain and simple that you will comprehend it in all its
+multiplicity of parts.
+
+But first let me tell you a few things about Washington, the capital
+city of this great nation. You, my son, may have seen one hundred
+other cities, and yet it will remind you of none of them. It is very
+elongated, and spreads over a great deal of ground, apparently for
+personal inconvenience. Indeed, my son, it has the appearance of
+having been dropped down late of a Saturday night by some eccentric
+gentleman who had a large quantity of architectural odds and ends on
+hand, and had no other use for them. It has been famous always for
+its acute angles and broad avenues. The former, I have heard more
+than one person say, were skillfully arranged by a very
+accommodating French engineer, for the special benefit of persons
+who went home late of nights and were liable to get confused on the
+way. The population is rather a curious one, and may be classified
+as the distinct and indistinct, the settled and unsettled. The
+census report, a remarkably unreliable account, has it that they
+number "some" sixty thousand. A large proportion of this settled and
+unsettled population is of such variety of color as to render it
+almost impossible to define the nice proportions of blood it is so
+strongly mixed with. On this point, my son, you must not be too
+particular, but accept it as your father does, as a proof that the
+races, whom we are told can never be got to live in harmony
+together, have, to say the least, gone very extensively into a
+system which gives strength to the belief that it could be done. The
+French call this the commingling system, and their philosophers
+argue from it, and with much force, that it is impossible to
+establish the question as to what kind of blood the best society is
+based upon. For myself, I feel that we can with safety accept these
+French philosophers as good authority in such matters. You will also
+find among the population of Washington natives of nearly every
+country on the face of the globe. These speak no end of tongues,
+follow all manner of professions and occupations, and what is most
+valuable, preserve that delightful diversity for which what is
+called the "old society" has always been famous. Picturesque hills
+encircle the city at a distance, and a beautiful river flows past on
+its way to the sea. The city has many fathers and few friends. These
+fathers, while in an ornamental mood, built a grand canal into the
+very bowels of the city, after the manner of Venice, that commerce
+might be encouraged, and such persons as had a passion for moonlight
+and gondolas could gratify it. But the people were not given to
+sailing in gondolas, so this famous canal was diverted from the
+object for which it was originally intended. It is now used as a
+tomb where deceased animals of a domestic nature are carefully
+deposited. The old inhabitants regard this tomb with a reverence I
+never could understand clearly, even though I had sought for a cause
+in their instinctive opposition to all and every manner of reform.
+Indeed, the fathers of the city regard this grand canal as
+performing a very humane part, inasmuch as it supplies an excellent
+and very convenient burial-place for their domestic animals, and
+increases the practice of a large number of doctors. The city
+fathers, I am informed, find some consolation in the fact that other
+canals have performed equally humane services.
+
+And it came to pass, my son, that there was a great war in all the
+land; and greater than was ever known before in any other land. Thus
+Washington became the centre of our anxieties and our thoughts. The
+people of the North, and the people of the West, and the people of
+the South, who constituted the people of one great nation, had long
+held different opinions as to the right of making merchandise of
+men, of women, and of little children. Yes, my son, it was at last
+claimed to be in accordance with Christianity to doom these people
+to a life at once hopeless and miserable. As you grow up, my son,
+and begin to think and act for yourself, you will think it very
+strange that such a great national crime as this should have existed
+in a land so blessed with the fruits of a ripe civilization. And it
+will be a cause of wonder to you that a society based upon such an
+abomination did not sooner break down under the burden of its
+wrongs. And yet you must always bear in mind, my son, that men do
+not view great crimes alike, and that even good and great men differ
+as to what constitutes national rights and national wrongs. It is
+said that great nations have gone to decline because their people
+became blind with pride, and refused to think right. A nation is
+always safe while its people think right; but you must teach the
+children right before you can have the people think right. Education
+and association had much to do in training the thoughts of men in
+the South into wrong channels. Taking this view of the subject you
+may find much to forgive in a political system that seems wrong in
+your eyes and right in the eyes of its supporters. Indeed, my son, I
+would enjoin you to treat with a reasonable amount of deference the
+arguments advanced by those who differ with you on questions of
+public policy, and also to remember that right and reason are your
+strongest weapons. Never get angry with your opponent, never use
+language that will cause you a regret; and if you cannot convince by
+the moral force of your argument, abandon the undertaking. And
+whatever else you do to advance your material prosperity, never let
+it be said of you that you advocated a great political wrong merely
+because it was popular and brought you the applause of the
+unthinking. You cannot do so with a clear conscience; and what is
+life without it?
+
+I have, unwittingly, my son, wandered away from my subject. The
+people of the South forgot all the great principles which govern
+humanity for humanity's good; they were betrayed into wrong doing by
+false friends, and made blind by their own prosperity. And they even
+forgot that God was their truest and best guardian, and to Him they
+must look for that care and protection which shall last forever.
+But, my son, I would enjoin you to bear these people no ill will,
+and remember how much better it is in the sight of God to deal with
+the erring in the spirit of forgiveness. They were a brave and a
+gallant people, who fought in the belief that they were right, and
+with a heroism worthy of a good cause. It is only the meanest nature
+that has no respect for the courage and gallantry of an enemy--that
+cannot find in it something to admire. It was the selfishness, my
+son, which slavery begat in these people, that perverted their
+natures, and caused them to forget God.
+
+Yes, my son, it was the curse of slavery that corrupted the hearts
+and turned the heads of these people; that found them requesting the
+race they had made suffer so long in bondage, to be thankful that
+their sufferings were no worse. I never could, my son, see why any
+human being, who had been made the victim of the greatest outrage
+against his rights, should be thankful. The Church might, and did,
+attempt to sanctify this greatest of crimes; but that did not change
+the character of the cruelty and injustice. It will, no doubt, seem
+strange to you that ministers of the Gospel should be found the
+defenders of crime. And yet slavery found its ablest defenders in
+the pulpit of the South. I am afraid it always will be so, for even
+now we see ministers of the Gospel more ready to hang out false
+lights to lead their people into darkness, than to give them that
+truth and instruction they so much need. But you must not let the
+thought of this lessen your respect for the Church. Examine with
+great care until you have found out in what true Christianity
+consists; and when you have, practice accordingly to the extent of
+your ability. Never forget that it was the preaching of popular
+errors that cost the nation so much blood and treasure, so much
+sorrow and distress. That bishops should put aside their lawn, and
+gird on the sword--that they should lead men to war and death,
+instead of the baptismal, and all to perpetuate the sorrows of an
+oppressed race, is, my son, only another proof that error may gain a
+victory over truth in the hearts and feelings of the best of us.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+WE GO TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFERENCES.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE let me present you, my son, with an exact portrait of the
+distinguished general who is commonly accepted as striking the first
+blow of this war. He was kindly educated at the expense of the
+nation, and was first among its enemies. For a time his fame ran
+high enough, and timid people were inclined to give him the
+character of a monster. But it turned out in time that he was a very
+peaceable gentleman, and not so much of a terrible warrior, after
+all.
+
+But I want to tell you, my son, how it was that the people of this
+great nation took to swords and cannon, to settle their differences
+of opinion.
+
+The people of the great North, and the people of the great West,
+were educated to a very different way of thinking on the question of
+slavery; and differed with the people of the South as to what
+constituted a national blessing. They were willing, for the sake of
+peace, to tolerate slavery, as a great evil it were dangerous to
+attempt to remove; but it was too much to ask them to accept it as a
+great national blessing. These people were energetic, thrifty,
+lovers of right and justice, and had grown rich and powerful by
+their own industry. They could not see why the whole people of so
+great a nation as ours should be required to bow down and worship
+what the rest of the civilized world had stigmatized as the greatest
+scourge of mankind. Seeing the power this great wrong was obtaining
+over the nation, as well as the danger it was causing us by
+corrupting the minds of the people, they consulted together and
+elected a President after their own way of thinking. And this so
+offended the people of the South, who were a brave people, and quick
+to anger, that they gathered together from all parts of their
+country, gave up their peaceful pursuits, and went to war for what
+they called their independence. But I always found, my son, that
+independence was an abused phrase, much on the tongues of these
+people. Indeed their idea of independence extended only to giving
+one class the full and exclusive right to enslave the other. The
+Southern idea of independence was so shaped as to contain the very
+worst features of a despotism. But you must look with forgiveness on
+these people, my son, and seek to forget many of those acts of
+vindictiveness which characterized them during the war.
+
+At the same time, my son, you must not lose sight of the lesson
+which the result of this war teaches. Let it be a guide to your own
+actions that these people went to war to tear down what they could
+not build up, to destroy a Government the world had come to respect
+and admire, and under which they had found a safe refuge and a
+tolerance for their institution of slavery. But the edifice they
+sought to build up crumbled to the ground, and they are now left
+without even a safe refuge for their pride. Yes, my son, these
+people scorned the example of the Christian world, went to war in
+defense of a great crime, and ceased only when they had destroyed
+themselves.
+
+I have been thus serious while instructing you as to how the war
+began, because I am aware that a very large number of writers will
+tell you that it began in a very different manner. If the account I
+may hereafter give of what took place at the siege may be less
+serious, you must charge it to my love for the truth of history.
+Indeed much that occurred during that remarkable military event, was
+not of so serious a nature as is generally conceded by an
+intelligent public. Unless, then, it be written down as it occurred,
+we shall not convey a faithful picture of it to the public.
+
+Now that the war spirit was full to the brim, the people of the
+South gathered in great numbers on the plains of Manassas. They were
+earnest, serious, and even savage in their intentions; and they
+brought with them their powder and shot-guns, and a large quantity
+of whisky. They also brought with them a great number of negroes,
+who were to build the forts, and do all work it would not become a
+gentleman to do. And while this work was progressing, the
+"gentlemen" soldiers of the South were to talk very loudly and
+courageously, and invite all the Yankees round about to come out and
+get whipped. These people resolved themselves into a great and
+powerful army, with Peter Beauregard, the French gentleman of whom I
+have before spoken, for its commander. This gentleman was somewhat
+eccentric, and much given to saying things, the true meaning of
+which he did not understand. A waggish friend of mine once told me
+that this Mr. Beauregard was educated for an apothecary at West
+Point, a place where young gentlemen are instructed in the various
+ways of getting a living honestly. Being very skillful in the use of
+mortars, he was held by Mr. Davis as a most proper person to command
+a southern army, inasmuch as he could give the Yankees all the
+physic they wanted in the shortest time. And as it is always
+expected that a great general will say a great many things that are
+neither sensible nor wise, and which afford politicians an excellent
+opportunity of picking them to pieces, he is a wise general who
+issues his orders and keeps his lips sealed on politics. I say this,
+my son, because it is popularly understood that a general who knows
+his business bears the same relations to a politician that pepper
+does to the stomach.
+
+And it came to pass that the people of the North and the people of
+the West became seriously alarmed at the capers Mr. Beauregard and
+his men were cutting at Manassas. Indeed, many false reports were
+circulated concerning the great power of this Mr. Beauregard; and
+our people began to give way to their fears, and to declare that he
+might enter the capital any dark night and capture or send the
+Government on a traveling expedition. The aged gentlemen at the head
+of our Government shook their heads discouragingly, and declared
+there was no safety in going to bed at night while Mr. Beauregard
+was so near a neighbor. The honest farmers in the country round
+about were also very much alarmed at the unruly conduct of Mr.
+Beauregard's men, who carried off their pigs and chickens, and eat
+up all their vegetables. They also made a great noise, and planted
+guns on all the adjacent hills, a proceeding the honest farmers did
+not fully comprehend. Then these unruly men became very defiant,
+felt like fighting the world, and, in the honest belief that they
+could do it, invited all the rest of the nation to come out and get
+whipped. Yes, my son, and to show what confidence they had in
+themselves, they said we might bring "five for one;" and for that
+matter, all Germany and all Ireland. It was considered wisdom with
+them to say nothing about England and France. Those two peaceably
+inclined nations might, at some future day, be disposed to step in
+and help them out--in a quiet way. It was not so much humanity as a
+matter of profitable trade with these two great nations, and if
+things should take a successful turn, they might see the confederacy
+in a strong light, and give it material as well as moral help,
+notwithstanding it had slavery for its foundation. In short, these
+Southern gentlemen acted on the wise axiom, that it will not do to
+make enemies in a direction where you may need friends and
+assistance.
+
+Now, my son, the eccentric French gentleman, of whom I have spoken
+as capable of administering physic enough to settle the question
+with the Yankees, soon became an object of great admiration with his
+noisy people. And this so pleased him, that he came in time to
+admire himself, and to firmly believe in his own mind that the world
+had no greater warrior. Self-confidence, my son, is one of the most
+necessary things in war. I have sometimes thought that this element
+of an army's strength was not fully understood. It was at least not
+understood by us when the war began. If it had been, a much less
+number of our people would have shared Mr. Beauregard's opinion of
+himself. As it was, our timid people so magnified his proportions as
+to see danger in his very shadow. But then, my son, we were very
+innocent of the practical part of war when the great rebellion
+began; and this innocence led us into the very grave error of giving
+our adversary more than his proper dimensions. It was this that led
+the Northern mind to over-measure Mr. Beauregard.
+
+I have always had a good deal of sympathy for Mr. Beauregard, and
+never believed him anything but a pleasant, harmless gentleman, who
+got into bad company by mere accident. Nor do I believe he ever had
+any more serious design on the capital of the nation than to look at
+it longingly from a distance, and perhaps a desire now and then to
+enjoy the hospitality of some old friend. That he would have played
+the ruthless invader, if he had got into the city, no reflecting
+mind ever believed. But then there were people ready enough to
+believe anything in those days--even to believe that there was truth
+to be found in the stories told by Mr. Detective Baker.
+
+It was natural enough that Mr. Beauregard should amuse his soldiers
+by telling them romantic stories of the pleasant days he had spent
+in Washington, as well as the great value of what it contained. It
+was necessary also that he should ascertain how far the Government
+at Washington could be frightened, and what were the best means to
+that end. You must know, my son, that a Frenchman regards it as one
+of the first principles in war to find out how far you can frighten
+your adversary before proceeding to fight him. This will account for
+a good deal that Mr. Beauregard said and did while at Manassas, and
+which, at the time, was somewhat unintelligible.
+
+As we were not sure, however, as to what the real intentions of Mr.
+Beauregard and his master were, it was concluded that we could
+better preserve our respect for them, as well as the peace of mind
+of our own people, by applying the proper means to keep them at a
+respectful distance outside. Indeed the capital contained a great
+many things which would be extremely useful to an ambitious
+gentleman resolved on setting up a government of his own, and with
+the machinery all working according to his own way of thinking. And
+as the honest intentions of these ambitious men (I refer to Mr.
+Beauregard and his master) were no more to be trusted than their
+loyalty, we set our engineers to work building a cordon of forts,
+such as the world had never seen before, and supposed to be strong
+enough to keep all our enemies out. And these forts were mounted
+with such reasoning powers as the largest cannon in the world were
+capable of.
+
+Among the things in Washington so very desirable to a gentleman
+about to set up a government of his own was the White House. Mr.
+Davis had long regarded this pleasant looking old mansion as a
+desirable residence for a gentleman born to rule over a people. Once
+comfortably seated in this pleasant mansion, a wonderful change
+would be worked in the political opinions of those whose minds were
+in doubt. Considered as master of the situation, his friends in the
+North would increase fourfold. And there was no knowing the turn
+respect for him abroad might take. A gentleman quietly settled down
+in the White House, if only for four years, is sure to have a large
+increase in the number of his friends, all ready either to accept
+his favors or sound his virtues. Even slavery, that had scourged
+mankind for so many generations, would have found a great increase
+of friends and admirers if Mr. Davis had made a home in the White
+House; so prone is weak human nature to bow to power. Indeed, I am
+not so sure that, with such a turn in our political affairs, those
+preachers who had been asserting the divine origin of slavery would
+not then have proclaimed that God himself was its great protector--a
+blasphemy the Christian Church will some day be ashamed of.
+
+In addition to the White House being a desirable residence for Mr.
+Davis, there were those fine public buildings so much admired by
+strangers. They were just what Mr. Davis and his friends wanted in
+starting a new government, and would come in very handy. With
+Washington in his possession, and our worthy President and his
+Cabinet locked up in the arsenal, or sent on a traveling expedition
+into a colder climate for the benefit of their health, Mr. Davis's
+new enterprise would become a fixture in the history of nations. And
+there was a time when Mr. Davis could, with the means in his power,
+have accomplished all these things.
+
+The arsenal, too, was full of gunpowder, of great guns, of valuable
+military stores and equipments. And these were just such things as a
+gentleman resolved to be a ruler and have a government according to
+his own way of thinking would stand most in need of. In short, the
+powder and big guns might be needed as a means of convincing those
+who differed with him that his opinions must be respected. This is a
+queer world, my son, and man is the strangest and most
+uncontrollable animal in it. Mr. Davis understood this as well as
+any gentleman within my knowledge. And if he had kept as keen an eye
+on his finances as he had on his political fortune, it would have
+been much better for him. He knew that if he could show to the world
+that his new government was sound financially, and likely to
+continue so, his prospects would be bright indeed. And with
+Washington, and what Washington contained, in his possession, he
+could set up his claim to the confidence of the financial world with
+more than ordinary pretensions.
+
+It was indeed said (but I think in a strain of slander) that Mr.
+Beauregard looked with an air of great condescension on our noble
+Treasury building, and promised his fighting followers a share of
+its contents as soon as it came into his master's possession. Indeed
+it was said that Mr. Beauregard promised his men that when they got
+Washington they should have luxuries for rations, and fight with
+their pockets filled with silver and gold. And with their
+expectations firmly fixed on a specie basis, who could doubt as to
+what the result would be? This was the golden prize Mr. Davis hoped
+to win with Washington. And with it he saw, or rather thought he
+saw, England extending to him the right hand of fellowship, and the
+Emperor of France making him one of his very best bows, and thanking
+him for the liberty he had taken with the freedom of a people.
+
+These, then, my son, are some of the reasons why we concluded to
+close the gates of Washington against Mr. Davis and his rebellious
+people, and to keep them closed by raising a cordon of strong forts
+around the city.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+CONCERNING THE DISTINGUISHED OFFICER WHO BUILT THE FORTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I HAVE thought it no more than right, my son, to present you with a
+pleasant, but very exact picture of the distinguished officer of
+engineers, to whose skill we are indebted for the forts that more
+than once saved Washington. I do this out of respect to the truth of
+history, and from an apprehension that there are others, perhaps,
+higher in rank, who may lay claim to the honor, at some future day.
+I have also presented you with a more extended and complete portrait
+of him in the frontispiece of this work. He appears here in his
+usually calm, meditative mood, with his pipe and Professor Mahan's
+last great work on fortifications. He is, I must tell you, my son, a
+man of large brain, and generous nature, fond of his joke, and very
+fertile in the art of rearing earthworks. In figure he is
+Falstaffian, and when on his rounds among the fortifications wears
+immense canvas-legged boots, and a hat with a high crown and
+extremely broad brim. Indeed, his figure is what may be called
+formidable, and there would be no mistaking him were you to meet him
+on the road. And, notwithstanding his peaceable disposition, and his
+scrupulous regard for the rights of others, the farmers round about
+Washington regard him with fear and trembling. In short, my son, his
+approach near a farm house is sure to send all the children
+scampering with fear. And even the curs and other domestic animals,
+seem to have an instinctive knowledge that his visits portend no
+good to their master's domicil. It is curious to see those domestic
+animals how they bark and snap, and then shrink away at his
+approach, uttering signs of their dislike. In truth, my son, he has
+a bad reputation among these worthy farmers, whose farms he quietly
+takes possession of, and then indulges in his favorite amusement of
+building forts on them. In this way many an honest farmer has
+suddenly found himself dispossessed of his property, and his means
+of getting an honest living; thereby bringing great distress on his
+family. To remonstrate would be useless. He must submit to the fate
+of war, and look to Heaven for redress. Now it is by no means
+pleasant for a quietly-disposed farmer to have his home turned
+suddenly into a fortress, and his acres made a camping ground for
+soldiers, who are not the most desirable guests, even under the best
+of circumstances. But the farmer lays all his sorrows at the door of
+our distinguished engineer, forgetting that he is only carrying out
+the orders of his superiors. Thus it was that he got a bad
+reputation, just as General Gilmore got a bad reputation with the
+people of Charleston, and South Carolina generally, for throwing
+shells into their city.
+
+While, then, our distinguished engineer progressed in his work of
+building forts, with a view to saving the city, the people of the
+North, and the people of the great West, seeing that war was upon us
+in all its stern reality, were much agitated as to what was best to
+be done. They were a peaceable, prospering people, and much attached
+to the Government that had conferred so many blessings on them. But
+the fire of their patriotism had already been kindled; and they went
+wisely to work adding fuel to it. The trumpet of war had sounded
+over the land, their gallant militiamen came together, boldly and
+earnestly. And these they sent to Washington, by regiments, to quiet
+the fears of the people, and save the nation.
+
+Now these gallant militiamen were very full of courage, and their
+courage increased as their numbers multiplied in the capital, and
+they sent word to Mr. Beauregard and his men that they would be out
+there soon and thrash him out of Manassas. Some of these gallant men
+came for thirty days, others for ninety, our wise rulers being
+satisfied in their own mind that the latter number of days would be
+quite enough to finish up the small job of putting down the
+rebellion. These militiamen wore gay and many-colored uniforms, and
+had the fat of the land for rations. They were the nation's favored
+guests, and every man was set down for a gentleman and a hero, who
+would as soon shed his blood for his country as eat his breakfast.
+And these gallant militiamen were organized into a grand army, so
+full of pomp and circumstance, that we were sure the enemy would run
+away as soon as he saw it coming. But in order to make the thing
+safe beyond peradventure, we gave the command of this grand army to
+General McDowell, a man of solid parts, a gentleman, and a
+soldier. Our wise political rulers at that time held to the idea
+that a gentleman who had seen service must be a great general. Hence
+it was that General McDowell, being a gentleman and a scholar, and
+ready enough to square his political sentiments with the predominant
+ideas, was accepted as just the soldier who would lead our gallant
+militiamen to victory, and never think of running from the enemy.
+Indeed, according to our military politicians, we were to get no end
+of glory through General McDowell's success. And Mr. Beauregard was
+to be driven back to his master, bag and baggage.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE BATTLE OF BULL-RUN, AND HOW IT ENDED.
+
+
+
+
+
+I CONSIDER it of the greatest importance, my son, to present you
+with an exact portrait of the very distinguished general who led our
+gallant militiamen to battle at Bull-Run, and followed them home
+without gaining a victory. Greater battles than this of Bull-Run
+have been fought, as well in modern as in ancient times; but it is
+my honest opinion that it has never had its equal in the small
+number killed and wounded, as compared to the very large number that
+got frightened and ran away. But I shall speak of this more
+particularly hereafter.
+
+When the bold McDowell had got the courage of our gallant militiamen
+well up, and was sure they would look the enemy right in the eye,
+and give him powder and shot to his heart's content, he led them
+forth with such pomp and pageantry as had never been seen before.
+Yes, my son, our gallant militiamen marched forth on the morning of
+the 21st of July, 1861, every man a hero, and every man intent on
+fighting the battle according to his own peculiar notions of how a
+great and glorious victory ought to be gained. There was great
+blowing of bugles, beating of drums, playing of bands, and
+fluttering of colors; all of which told Mr. Beauregard to put in his
+powder, that we were coming, and in earnest. The nation went into a
+very fever of joy. Several of our grave Congressmen got up their
+courage, put pistols in their pockets, and went forth with the army
+to set our brave boys a noble example by their presence on the
+field. Indeed, many otherwise reflecting persons looked forward to
+this great clash of arms as a grand entertainment, which was to wind
+up with a feast, to which the vanquished enemy was to be invited.
+And to that end they went amply provided with provisions and good
+wines. In truth, my son, there was a strong rear guard, made up of
+Congressmen, editors, and distinguished citizens, all going to see
+the battle, in wagons well-filled with luxuries. This was a new
+feature in the history of war, and quiet people along the road
+wondered at the sight.
+
+The morning was hot and sultry, and the air was misty with dust
+clouds. Our brave boys, who were not up to long marches, had a hard
+time of it. But they were full of patriotism, and bore up under it
+with great fortitude. Meeting the enemy near Bull-Run, we gave him
+battle. That is, we pitched into him and he pitched into us, the
+fight becoming general and extending over a great deal of ground.
+Then the fighting became so mixed up and confused that it was
+difficult to tell on which side victory was smiling. Indeed, neither
+general could tell how things were going. For a long time both
+armies kept at a respectful distance, under the evident apprehension
+that somebody would get injured. In short, there was a great deal of
+good ammunition wasted, and a great deal of wild and harmless firing
+done. And just as we were about to proclaim a great victory over the
+enemy--for many far-sighted persons declared they could see Mr.
+Beauregard and his men with the toes of their boots turned towards
+Richmond--a strange chapter of accidents occurred and changed the
+whole scene. A number of our brave boys got killed, a greater number
+got hurt, and a still greater number got frightened and thought it
+high time to look to their own safety. A backward movement, not
+ordered by our gallant general, began, and this soon resolved itself
+into a grand race for Washington, where, it was thought, shelter and
+safety were to be found behind its forts. What caused this sudden
+backward movement still remains an undecided question. It was first
+noticed among a regiment of brave Pennsylvanians, who had been
+homesick for several days, and wanting to go home, started for that
+purpose. The example of these gallant fellows was soon followed by
+our Congressmen, editors, and citizens generally, each leaving his
+stock of luxuries, and, indeed, everything he had, as a
+peace-offering to the enemy, and resolved not to be outdone in the
+race, especially in a case where it was made so clear that
+discretion was the better part of valor. Indeed, these distinguished
+non-fighting gentlemen proved themselves remarkably fleet of foot,
+and not to be outdone in a race where personal safety was at stake.
+But the worst of it was that their example was at once imitated by a
+regiment of fierce Zouaves, from New York, who firmly believed, when
+they went out to meet the enemy, that they were more than a match
+for him. It is reported that these fierce Zouaves became very much
+alarmed, and did some of the very best running of the day, under the
+apprehension that they were followed by not less than a troop of
+savage horsemen, better known as the black-horse cavalrymen, whose
+sabres they had no taste for. But I have always been of opinion, my
+son, that these fierce Zouaves were so intent on making the best
+speed they were capable of, that they never looked behind them to
+see if these savage horsemen were men of buckram or real substances.
+I have also heard it intimated that the good speed made by these
+red-legged heroes was owing to the fact that they had left their
+courage at home, and were returning to get it. Another very
+plausible theory I have heard advanced by an Englishman, who had
+very profound ideas as to how war should be carried on and battles
+fought. He very gravely told me (adding that he had undoubted
+authority for his statement), that what set the gallant Zouaves to
+scampering was this: There were a large number among them who had a
+weakness for office-holding. Knowing this, a mischievous member
+started the report that there was a vacancy in the New York
+Custom-house. The fellow could not have done a more rash act, for it
+sent them all scampering off the battle-field, each in the hope of
+being first to gain the prize. Her Majesty's sagacious subject
+contended that this sufficiently accounted for the good speed made
+in retreat by that gallant regiment, and also for its leaving more
+firearms than dead men on the field.
+
+Indeed, my son, each man ran for his life, the excitement increasing
+at every step, until the race became general; and in this way it was
+kept up until our grand army of gallant militiamen reached the
+forts, when they breathed freer and felt safe. This was a dark day
+for Washington and the nation, which became bowed down with sorrow
+and disappointment. The brave general followed his army into
+Washington; and I have heard it intimated that he boasted of having
+the most fleet-footed divisions history had any account of.
+
+You will see, my son, that forts have a moral as well as a material
+effect. The enemy might, had he known our forlorn condition, have
+followed up his victory and marched into Washington with flying
+colors. He was probably restrained by his fears of what we might
+have in store for him when he reached the forts. As to the
+provisions for the feast, we left them for the enemy to enjoy, which
+he did with many thanks to us for the bounty, his own fare being
+very scanty. And now, my son, I shall leave to my artist the task of
+giving you an exact picture of our army as it appeared on its way to
+Washington after the battle of Bull-Run.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+
+
+
+THE wise men of Washington agreed that McDowell was not the general
+we took him for, so we sent for George B. McClellan, who had been
+whipping the rebels up in Northern Virginia. We felt sure that he
+was the man who would whip the rebels for us, and gain us victories;
+who would dispel the gloom hanging over the land, and bring us
+plenty of sunshine. Indeed, my son, the nation began to feel very
+happy in the possession of such a man; for, according to the
+newspapers, he had displayed remarkable military traits when only a
+boy, such as great attention to the study of maps, and the making of
+little dirt piles. It was also added that while yet a youth he was
+very obedient to his father, and affectionately fond of his mother.
+And these excellent traits of character, in one so young, it was
+held by our wise men, must, when improved and enlarged by manhood,
+make the man, who had given his mind to the study of arms a great
+general. So, my son, you see what an opportunity there is before
+you.
+
+Well, George came to us flush from the field of his glories, and we
+proceeded at once to make him a hero before he had made us an army.
+The nation recovered from its disappointment, the sky brightened,
+the people began to send into the capital troops of a different
+sort, and the general we had put our faith in went to work making an
+army--the grand old Army of the Potomac. Now, my son, it was no small
+job to make an army, and when you have made it to so improve its
+drill and discipline that it will stand firm and fight well. It is
+just as necessary, my son, to harden the constitution of a new army
+as it is to so sharpen its digestion that it will relish the
+coarsest of fare. And you can do neither of these things in a day.
+You must also cultivate and improve the courage of a new army. And
+this can only be done by experience in the field. General George
+taught his army to do all these things, and do them well. And the
+nation felt grateful to him for what he was doing, and sang songs in
+his praise. And the army respected and loved General George. And
+General George loved and was proud of his army. The sky of our hopes
+brightened then, and the nation rejoiced and felt strong again. We
+all felt that when spring came Mr. Beauregard and his men would be
+driven to the wall; that we should march on and take Richmond; and
+that General George was just the man to do it all for us.
+
+Then an evil hour came. The nation got in an impatient mood. And
+while General George was hardening the constitution of his army on
+the banks of the Potomac, a great many restless, discontented, and
+evil-disposed persons sprang up, declared that he was no general at
+all, and that to command armies was the business of politicians, not
+soldiers. During war every nation has its mischievous men, who, to
+create notoriety for themselves, make war in their own way on the
+great soldiers who are struggling to preserve its honor. These men
+were our misfortune. They proceeded to make war on General George,
+to persecute him, and to destroy his usefulness with the army. These
+men affected to know a great deal about war; but I noticed, my son,
+that they were very unwilling to shoulder a musket and face the
+enemy. They wanted General George to move on in the middle of
+winter, drive Mr. Beauregard out of Manassas, and take Richmond. And
+all this while the mud was so deep that he could not drag his wagons
+through it. George very sensibly refused to destroy his army in this
+way. Indeed, he foresaw that to follow their advice would be to
+bring the nation to grief a second time. This increased the
+discontent and opposition of his enemies, who regarded it a great
+grievance that a general would not follow their advice.
+
+But George was not to be driven into the mud by a set of meddlesome
+civilians, who knew nothing about war. And to show them that he was
+not, he kept his army quiet, on the banks of the Potomac, all
+winter. And in this position he contemplated Mr. Beauregard, and Mr.
+Beauregard contemplated him, separated by twenty miles of mud. We
+had not got our war eyes open then, my son. In truth, we had but a
+very imperfect idea of what an amount of resistance a resolute and
+determined foe, standing on the defensive, can offer.
+
+When it was spring, and the birds had come back to us, and the
+prospect looked bright and cheering, and the hopes of the nation ran
+high, George mounted his horse, and, picking up his army, moved out
+in the direction of Richmond, taking the overland route. He sent
+word to Mr Beauregard to wait until he came and he would thrash him
+out of Manassas. But Mr. Beauregard was not inclined to accommodate
+George with a fight at that particular point, where his elbows were
+so exposed, and stepped quietly out by the back door before George
+got there. In short, all George saw of Mr. Beauregard and his men
+was the tails of their coats and the heels of their boots, away in
+the shadowy distance. People said Mr. Beauregard did not do the
+clean thing to slip away in such a manner. And there were those who
+scolded General George for letting him get off in this shabby way;
+but how he was to prevent it I never could see. Mr. Beauregard was
+kind enough to leave us an army of log houses, and his smouldering
+camp fires, around which a number of sooty negroes were grouped,
+shivering and forlorn. And these were all we had to be thankful to
+him for.
+
+A great storm arose while we were at Manassas. Snow, rain, and hail
+fell, the wind blew cold and piercing, and the face of the country
+became melancholy. And the army became melancholy, and sick, for it
+was stuck in the mud, and was suffering for something to eat, though
+so near Washington. And the poor animals got sick, and began dying,
+for there was nothing for them to eat. There was no following Mr.
+Beauregard to Richmond over such a muddy road, which looked very
+long then, and very dangerous. George was put to his wits to know
+what to do next. There was no persuading Mr. Beauregard to stop long
+enough to let us strike him square in the stomach, so George hit
+upon a great plan, whereby wonders were to be worked in the art of
+strategy. He conceived the grand idea of taking his army to sea,
+avoiding the mud, and after enjoying a pleasant voyage, finding a
+shorter and better road to Richmond. We all know at what a
+disadvantage you can take a man when you get in his rear. George
+felt that if he could take advantage of this on an enlarged plan he
+could have Mr. Beauregard just where he wanted him. That is, if he
+could get in his rear before he got to Richmond, he would have him
+and his men hived, and could give them a good thrashing, and then
+step quietly in and take the city. But it is not so easy a matter to
+get in the rear of a gentleman who keeps his eyes open. Nor, my son,
+have I ever before heard that it was wise in a great general to
+perform a feat in grand circle sailing to gain an advantage over an
+adversary who occupied the same roads with him. But George made up
+his mind that he knew better than all of us, so he took his army to
+sea, became a great navigator as well as a general, and sailed for
+the Peninsula, where some good friend had told him there were finer
+weather and harder roads.
+
+The greatest of generals, my son, are liable to disappointment. They
+may drive the enemy, and win victories; but they cannot control the
+elements. That was what bothered George. It was all very pleasant to
+give his army an airing at sea, but when he was safely landed on the
+Peninsula, he found himself further from Richmond than when he
+started. Instead of mud he found dangerous quicksands, into which
+his army plunged and sank almost out of sight. And there was no
+better weather on the Peninsula than at Manassas. His cavalrymen,
+when they had got their sea-legs off, and mounted, cut a sorry
+figure in the quicksand. And his artillery sunk above its boots.
+Indeed it was with the greatest difficulty his army could be kept on
+the surface. There was no getting a firm understanding.
+
+When George had got his army "all ashore," he set out on his grand
+journey to Richmond. But when he had waded for twenty miles or so
+through quicksands, he halted before a little old town called
+Yorktown. Now the old women along the road told George that he had
+better have nothing to do with Yorktown, that Yorktown was not much
+account anyhow, and not worth spending much powder on. They told him
+also that although Mr. Beauregard had not been seen, there was one
+General Johnson, who had just come to town with a large army; and
+had made no end of sand heaps, and put mighty big guns on them. That
+he would not find it so easy to get into Yorktown while General
+Johnson sat smoking his pipe behind them big sand heaps. And so it
+proved.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who sat behind the
+great sand heaps at Yorktown, smoking his pipe, and gave our George
+so much trouble. George and he had been old friends and playmates at
+school, where they had played pitch and toss in a harmless way. So
+it is natural to suppose they knew each other's game perfectly well.
+George took the hint given him by the old women along the road, and
+when he got to Yorktown he saw clear enough that his old friend
+Johnston was playing a game of brag with his big sand hills. And to
+show Mr. Johnston that he was not to be outdone in that line of art,
+George, when he had settled his army down in the soft ground, went
+to work satisfying the nation that he could build just as big sand
+heaps as any other general. In short, my son, George found himself
+in a worse predicament than he was in at Manassas, for his friend
+Johnston had a large army, and stronger works than Mr. Beauregard
+left behind him. So his army laid down its guns, and took up the
+spade, and went largely into the ditching and dyking business. He
+made sand heaps bigger than Mr. Johnston's, and stretched them all
+the way across the Peninsula, so that there was no getting on either
+side of him. And when he had done this he mounted them with the
+biggest cannon, which he intended to fire when he got them all up;
+so as to make a magnificent display of substantial fire-works, and
+in that way frighten Mr. Johnston out of town. So careful was George
+not to do his old friend any bodily injury before he got all his
+guns mounted, that he would only exchange compliments with him at
+morning and evening, when few shells would be tossed backward and
+forward, just to preserve what was called the etiquette of war. I
+have sometimes thought these compliments were exchanged with the
+very best of motives, intended only to change the monotony of camp
+life with a little excitement.
+
+When George and his army had toiled hard for nearly a month, had
+thrown up a whole mountain of sand hills, and kept on crying for
+more soldiers, and had got almost all his guns mounted; and was just
+ready to bring Yorktown down about Mr. Johnston's ears, with a grand
+display of substantial fireworks, that general made up his mind not
+to be served in that way. Nor would he accommodate George by waiting
+to see his grand display of fireworks. No, my son, he was not the
+man to be caught at a disadvantage, or waste powder unnecessarily.
+Some kind friend informed him of George's intentions, so he packed
+up his baggage one night, and moved himself off, leaving Yorktown
+and his sand hills as a legacy to George, who was very much
+disappointed at being treated so shabbily by his old friend and
+playmate.
+
+People said General Johnston was a cunning fox, and not to be caught
+in any trap our George could set. But George, like the Irishman, had
+a deal of pluck, and a big heart, and, above both, a great deal of
+chivalry. Now he was anxious that his old friend should not go away
+so shabbily, but come back, and either breakfast with him or
+accommodate him with a fight. So he sent his rough-riders after him,
+and they proceeded at a rapid pace, and came up with him on the
+outskirts of Williamsburg, where General Johnston prepared to fight
+rather than come to breakfast. There both armies came together, and
+a great battle was fought, which lasted two days. There was
+desperate fighting on both sides, and a great many were killed and
+wounded, and a great many more so badly frightened that they kept
+out of the fight, which they held to be a proof of their wisdom.
+
+We gained a great victory over the rebels at Williamsburg, and made
+them feel so ashamed of themselves that they resumed their march
+backwards on the road to Richmond. And this battle and this victory
+attached our good Union soldiers more closely to General George.
+Indeed, my son, they loved him, and looked up to him as a dutiful
+child does to a kind father. They marched up the Peninsula singing
+his praises. And now, my son, let me enjoin you that whenever you
+hear the names of Generals Hancock and Kearney mentioned, respect
+and revere them, for never was American valor more beautifully
+illustrated than by those generals on the field at Williamsburg.
+
+Then General George sent the right wing of his grand army, under
+General Franklin, by water, to West Point, where he fought a battle
+with General Johnston's rear-guard, and gained another victory. Then
+both armies moved leisurely along, up the Peninsula, in a manner not
+to make the marching uncomfortable. It rained a great deal, and the
+roads were bad, and the enemy resolved not to be hurried. And our
+Government, which was not so wise in war matters then as it got to
+be in time, was not disposed to do anything that might change
+General Johnston's resolution. In fine, our Government seemed to
+have quite as big a quarrel with General George as it had with the
+rebels, and the politicians held it of more importance to destroy
+our own general than the rebel army. The Government was just as fair
+as fair could be in making promises to General George. But then the
+Government seemed to have a short memory, and forgot its promises
+almost as soon as it had made them. It promised to send General
+McDowell, who was not far away, to help George fight the rebels and
+take Richmond. But the Government forgot to do so; and instead, kept
+that gallant officer looking from the hills of Fredericksburg, to
+see if the rebels were coming in that direction. To tell you the
+truth, my son, our Government was so afraid that the rebels would
+turn short around and take Washington, and make prisoners of its
+cabinet officers, that it made "look-out generals" of so many brave
+officers, who had troops under their command, that it had none to
+send General George to assist in taking Richmond. It may however, be
+a consolation to us to know that this would not have been the first
+time, in the history of the world, that fear had cost a great nation
+its fortunes and its glories.
+
+General George marched leisurely along with his brave army until he
+came within four miles of Richmond, where there was a great swamp
+called the Chickahominy. The name of this swamp will be long
+remembered by our brave soldiers of the Army of the Potomac. The
+rain fell like a deluge, and flooded it; and it gave out deadly
+fevers, which brought death and tribulation on our army. And in this
+swamp our army fought the battle of Fair Oaks, and gained another
+grand victory over the enemy. But we had no means of following up
+this victory, and so its effect was lost to us. Then our army
+settled down into this deadly swamp, and wondered and waited for
+nearly a month, until our men got heart-sick and fever-stricken. We
+watched the enemy on the hills beyond; and the enemy watched us in
+the swamp. And we waited until the enemy had brought all his forces
+up into Richmond, and General Lee, his best general, had taken
+command. Things began to look desperate with our George, and he
+began thinking how he should get safely out of the swamp and change
+his base. How was he to fight Mr. Lee with all his strength, when
+the strength we ought to have sent him was kept at a safe distance
+looking on? George saw that the glories of Williamsburg, of West
+Point, of Hanover Court House, and of Fair Oaks would have to be
+thrown away because the wisdom of the nation would not send us aid.
+
+This, my son, was the day of our tribulation. The people were
+strong, and the army represented the people. I wish, my son, that I
+could say also that the Government was strong. But the army, if it
+was sick, had not lost its courage, nor its love for the general who
+commanded it.
+
+General Lee then came out with his strong and powerful army and
+fought us at Gaines's Mill, where he beat us after a desperate
+battle. We might as well confess that we were beaten, and badly
+beaten, in that battle; and that we had to make the best we could of
+our defeat, and get across the Chickahominy Swamp as quick as we
+could, and turn our backs on it forever, for we had filled it with
+the graves of our brave soldiers. George was sanguine, had great
+confidence in the endurance of his army, and looked forward to the
+future with faith and hope. He did not want to acknowledge that he
+was beaten at Gaines's Mill; but the nation made up its mind that he
+was. Indeed, the nation could not comprehend the principle of
+generalship that claimed a victory, and at the same time made a
+change of base necessary in the face of an advancing enemy. But
+George got his army safe across the Chickahominy, though in some
+confusion, and instead of driving the enemy to the wall, as he had
+promised us he would do, the enemy began driving him to the James
+River.
+
+Like the Irishman who had twice got his head broken, but was
+unwilling to say he was beaten, George continued to show General Lee
+that our army was still full of pluck.
+
+So he turned round and thrashed the enemy right soundly at Savage's
+Station, at White Oak Swamp, and at Malvern Hill--just to show that
+he could do it. These are places, my son, you shall read of in
+history. And the glories of the battles fought at them shall become
+brighter and brighter as we contemplate them; and new lustre will
+shed on the names of the officers who fought them, and set such
+noble examples of courage to their men. It was George's misfortune
+that he fought these battles and gained these victories while his
+army was moving backward instead of forward--while seeking a place of
+safety instead of driving the enemy to seek one. This makes a great
+difference with the public, which does not generally study the rules
+of strategy, and does not like to see an army fall back after it has
+gained what its commander claims to be a great victory.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+POPE DID IT.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, you have an exact portrait of the great general who
+was brought to Washington to command all our armies, and to keep us
+from making any more military mistakes. He is presented to you just
+as he sat in his easy chair, confounding the rules of war and
+bringing confusion on the army. This great general, though he had
+never fought a battle, except on paper, brought with him from the
+West a new and much enlarged plan for taking Richmond.
+
+General George was on the banks of the James River, with his army,
+pointing with his sword toward Richmond, as the heart of the
+rebellion, and offering to take it for us if we would only send him
+twenty-five thousand fresh men, which very reasonable proposal we
+declined. Indeed the general we had placed in the easy chair at
+Washington, over George, declared it as his solemn conviction that
+Richmond was not to be taken in any such way. That an army so near
+Richmond could not take it with advantage. That objective points
+must be reached over the right road, not the wrong one. That General
+George, having taken his army to Richmond over the wrong road, must
+bring it back over the same wrong road, and then proceed on his
+travels over the right road. That Richmond, unless approached over
+the right road could not be taken in the right way. That General
+George had deceived us, inasmuch as his plan had too much strategy
+in it, and not enough straight lines. That Richmond, to be taken in
+the right way, must be taken by a new general, with a new army, and
+according to new ideas. That it was better to keep Washington from
+being taken than to take Richmond, though we had a large army
+knocking at its gates. This was the military logic of our new
+Commander-in-Chief. And this was the great Commander-in-Chief who
+was to conduct the war for us on enlarged principles and keep the
+nation safe against blunders.
+
+This great general, then, when he had got comfortably settled in his
+easy chair, must needs show the people what faith he had in his new
+plan. So he ordered little George to pack up his baggage, stop
+knocking at the enemy's back door, and bring his army back to
+Washington on transports. Of course the rebels were very thankful to
+him for this act of kindness, as it evinced a disposition to conduct
+the war for their benefit. With General George and his army on their
+way to Washington by ship, Richmond was no longer besieged. And then
+the rebel army was at liberty to go where it pleased. And it very
+soon pleased General Lee to march it against Washington at a rapid
+pace, and over the shortest road. We had an army at sea, and a
+number of others we did not know just exactly where. So things
+military began to get so confused that the people did not understand
+them. They were requested to be patient, however, and patient they
+had to be.
+
+Well, my son, we brought the scattered battalions we had on their
+front together at the forts, and soon formed a good fighting army.
+But where was the new general to lead it to victory for us? The
+government cast about it for a man, and at last fixed its eye on
+Pope. He was the shining star among generals, the man to take the
+buckrum out of the rebels for us. And it was said of this great
+general that he possessed uncommon virtues. His friends laid
+numerous feats of valor at his door, and the whole history of war
+was ransacked to find another such a hero. He had captured Islands,
+whipped rebel armies (I have forgotten how many), and bagged
+invisible prisoners enough to satisfy a Napoleon. This great
+general, too, was remarkable for his modesty; and he was also a man
+of strict veracity. Yes, my son, considering the times, he was a
+rare example of a man who never boasts of his achievements, nor
+claims a feather that belongs to another man's cap. Such were the
+virtues of this great general.
+
+Well, my son, we sent for him to come to Washington and take care of
+us, and he came.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+HOW THE NEW GENERAL CAME TO TOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY artist has drawn you an exact picture of the manner in which this
+great general entered the capital of the nation. The skies
+brightened, and the country felt safe again at the thought of having
+such a hero. Children laughed and gamboled, and said the rebels
+would get it now Pope had come to town. Dogs ran out, and barked,
+and snapped for joy. The crowd pressed forward to look at him, and
+policemen, for once, had enough to do. Fair women waived
+handkerchiefs and threw him kisses. And many were they who marvelled
+that so great a soldier had remained so long undiscovered. You see,
+my son, we are a people much given to excitement, and when we get to
+heaping honors on a man we do it without mercy. Hence it pleased us
+much when we saw Pope come to town amidst the beating of drums and
+the blowing of horns. That was the way he came.
+
+I have spoken of this great general's modesty, my son. It will also
+be necessary for me to inform you that he introduced a new idea in
+war, one worthy of being added to the regulations, and that was that
+every general should be his own trumpeter, as well as keep a number
+of trumpeters in his employ.
+
+Then Pope went out to see and have a talk with his army. He also
+published a grand order to his soldiers, which will stand as a great
+curiosity in our war literature, as long as the history of the
+rebellion, for its wisdom astonished the people. He told them the
+war had been carried on after a strange fashion, which he intended
+should be changed. He enjoined them, in a word, neither to look to
+the right nor the left, but to keep straight ahead, with their steel
+sharp and their powder dry. And when they got near enough to the
+enemy to see the color of his eye, then deliver their lead right
+square into his stomach. That was the way war must be carried on.
+Our army must look only to the front, keep its eye open, and forget
+that there was such a thing as its rear.
+
+This was highly encouraging to those politicians who said our army
+must get to Richmond over the shortest road. After what I have said,
+my son, you will not fail to see what a great general this Pope was.
+Great generals were not generally generous enough to intrust the
+care of their rear to the enemy. But this was not all. He
+established his headquarters in the saddle, and told his soldiers
+they would always find him there. My opinion has always been, though
+I have never had much to do with war, that the general who
+establishes his headquarters in the saddle, was not always to be
+found when you wanted him. In short, the saddle is a very uncertain
+locality, and very difficult to find when you have information to
+convey, and orders to receive; both of which may be necessary during
+a battle. I rode an hour once to find a general whose headquarters
+were in the saddle, and did n't find him after all.
+
+When, then, this great general had shown us how the rebels were to
+be whipped, he went out to take command of his army. And again there
+was great blowing of horns and beating of drums. And when he had got
+his headquarters firmly established in the saddle, he invited the
+enemy to come forward and get whipped. And the enemy came forward in
+all their strength,--fierce and earnest, and a great and bloody
+battle was fought on the plains of Manassas. And when they had
+fought for three days General Pope declared his new method of
+carrying on the war was a great success; that he had got the rebels
+just where he wanted them, and would have them all in his trap for
+us to-morrow. We all threw up our caps and felt so happy at this
+good news. But our hopes were dashed to the ground again, and it
+turned out that our Pope had made a slight mistake. It was the
+rebels who had got him just where they wanted. The saddle was not a
+good place from which to see what the enemy were doing. And as Pope
+had given no heed to his rear, General Lee very wisely took the
+responsibility of giving that important position his attention.
+
+When, then, to-morrow came, our general, who was to give the rebels
+such a whipping for us, found them in his rear, on his flank,
+everywhere but where he wanted them. The very natural result of this
+was that his army resolved itself into a state of confusion, and in
+that manner came scampering back on Washington, leaving its
+commander to take care of himself, which he did, though with the
+loss of his wardrobe. It has been hinted that he returned to
+Washington a much wiser general than when he left it.
+
+The nation was again brought to grief, and fear and disorder reigned
+in Washington. People were heard to say that Pope had made a
+prodigious failure, and was not the general we took him for, or he
+never would have let his army run away from him in this way. Others
+declared he had opened the gates of the city to the enemy, and
+invited him to walk in. And it was not with feelings of
+encouragement that they saw gunboats move up and take position where
+they could check the enemy's approach. Never did general lose his
+laurels so quickly. Indeed, my son, when he returned to Washington,
+with little else than his saddle, there was not a dog to bark him a
+welcome, nor a chambermaid to wave a napkin in his honor.
+
+Timid people fancied every hour of the day that they could see the
+rebel army deploying over the hills of Arlington, and loud calls
+were made for a general who could save us. But we had something
+better than a mere general to save us. We had the grim and silent
+strength of the forts. And these the enemy dare not approach. Their
+effect on the enemy was manifest and he turned aside from them, and
+passed up into Maryland, victorious and defiant.
+
+I ought to tell you, my son, that while Pope was illustrating the
+beauties of his new plan at the front, and bringing confusion on our
+arms, General George arrived with his good old army of the Potomac,
+which still loved him, still worshipped him as its hero. And just
+when he was most needed, to save Pope from his disaster, the
+government relieved him of his command, as if to increase the
+confusion already prevailing. The army felt this as a slight offered
+to itself, and called loudly for the restoration of its favorite
+general. And then the general, whose portrait I have placed at the
+head of a previous chapter, and who sat in his easy chair in
+Washington, and brought our armies to grief, called loudly for
+General George to come and help him out of his trouble. This, you
+will see, my son, was first tying a man's hands, and then asking him
+to come and help whip a giant.
+
+Yes, my son, there was toil and trouble enough in Washington just
+then; and the errors our wise men had committed were like witches
+rising up and haunting them. It is said that the little bell-ringer
+of the State Department had his traps packed up, and ready to move;
+and that fear had made the burly man in the War Department civil.
+Newly recruited volunteers, well fed, well clothed, and fresh
+looking, were marching into the city with colors flying and drums
+beating. The militia, which had come to Washington to do ornamental
+duty for thirty days, were marching home with colors flying and
+drums beating. Neither of these could give us relief in our trouble.
+The nation had only the good old army of the Potomac to lean upon in
+this its day of trouble. And how few of us, my son, think of this
+matter properly, or are willing to give the brave men, who composed
+that army, credit for what they had done. Like the English, we are
+an exacting people, and inclined to ask too much of those who fight
+our battles. Some of our public men were for forgetting what those
+sun-scorched, ragged, and fever-stricken heroes had done for us on
+the Peninsula, and even for wiping out their record of heroism.
+
+I confess it was to me a sad and touching sight to see these
+soldiers, who had served their country so well, who had suffered in
+swamps, and fought and defeated the enemy, treated with what seemed
+to me criminal indifference in the very capital they had returned to
+save. They muttered their discontent at the loss of their favorite
+commander, but were ready again to go forth, struggle with the
+enemy, and fight for the life of the nation. But not a voice was
+raised by the government to thank them for what they had done, not a
+cheer to welcome their return. You must know, my son, that the
+government was dumb with fear. The ghost of its errors so haunted it
+that its lips were sealed. The people looked on and saw it, in its
+very feebleness, asking for stronger hands to come and help it out
+of its trouble.
+
+There was, my son, but one army and one general that could save the
+nation then. General George was that man, and the army was the good
+old Army of the Potomac. And the government, as if to confess its
+folly in the past, restored General George to his army. And there
+was great rejoicing over the land when this good news went forth to
+the people. And the army took more heart, and rejoiced also; and
+great was its rejoicing. The soldiers had confidence in him, and
+knew he could lead them to victory. Then he placed himself at their
+head and marched out in pursuit of the enemy, who was advancing
+triumphantly into the North. And who among us can tell what changes
+there would have been in our political and social condition had not
+the advance of this bold and triumphant enemy been checked by some
+strong hand? I have often thought, my son, that if the people of a
+republic were as ready to credit great men with the good they really
+do, as they are to search their characters for faults, we should
+have less pretenders and a better government.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A BRIGHTER PROSPECT.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU have here an exact picture of the brave Franklin, who commanded
+the gallant old Sixth Corps, which deserves a bright place in the
+history of the Army of the Potomac.
+
+When Pope had finished his job for us, and shown us what a hero he
+was, the government, in the exercise of its wisdom, sent him into
+the far West to fight the Indians, where he could, with propriety,
+establish his headquarters in the saddle.
+
+Franklin, who had been relieved of his command, for no one exactly
+knew what, was now restored to it, to the great joy of the old Sixth
+Corps. Soldiers fight better under a general they know and have
+confidence in; and they are the best judges as to who is the most
+competent to lead them. Franklin and his gallant corps fell in with
+the enemy, posted in a strong position on the South Mountain, at
+Crampton's Gap, and after a fierce fight, drove him from it and over
+into the valley, sometimes charging up the steeps with the bayonet.
+This was quite an important success, my son, since it checked the
+enemy's advance, and caused him to fall back on the plains of
+Antietam, and form his army in line of battle. Indeed, he so far
+mistook this movement as to believe it an attempt to get in his
+rear.
+
+This gleam of success, gained by Franklin, inspired the nation with
+new hope. Yes, my son, and it cheered the hearts of our brave
+soldiers, restored their strength, and gave them new confidence.
+Then General George formed his army in line on the plains of
+Antietam, and a great and bloody battle was fought, and the rebel
+army beaten and put to flight. Pay no heed, my son, to what the
+prejudiced may say of this battle. It was one of the greatest
+battles fought during the war. All honor to the brave soldiers who
+fought it. Our troops, too, were handled with great skill, and the
+world never saw better generalship than our George displayed. Yes,
+my son, Antietam was our Waterloo, fought at a time when the nation
+needed a victory most; and the general who fought it ought never to
+be forgotten by his country. When, then, George had gained this
+victory for us, had beaten and driven the enemy from all his
+positions, and caused the nation to rejoice, he halted to give his
+brave soldiers rest and repair damages. His losses were great, and
+he had compassion on his soldiers, for many of them were without
+shoes and had little raiment. In truth, my son, these brave, abused,
+and war-worn soldiers had only the well-worn shoes and clothes they
+had made the campaign of the Peninsula in.
+
+George pleaded the necessity of his soldiers as a reason for his
+delay, and very justly. But this pleased neither the government nor
+the politicians whose bitterest prejudices seemed to control it.
+These gentlemen urged that he follow the enemy at once and capture
+him, a piece of strategy not so easily accomplished as many think.
+In short, we were in no position to follow the enemy until we got
+shoes and raiment for our brave soldiers. Nor could we have added
+much to our success by following General Lee and his men, who had an
+open country before them, until we were well prepared to engage them
+in another battle. When, however, George got his army ready, he
+moved directly on the enemy, and his soldiers were in the best of
+spirits, for we had got General Lee and his men in a position where
+he would be compelled to fight another battle, with the advantages
+in our favor. Now I don't say, my son, that George would have won
+this battle, but by fighting it he would have exposed the enemy's
+real weakness, and placed him in a very bad position. But the
+government, as if more willing to promote the prejudices of
+politicians than to preserve the honor of our arms, resolved not to
+let George fight another battle. Yes, my son, it removed him from
+his command, and that, too, when he was close up with the enemy, and
+was expecting every day to engage him in battle. I do not remember
+that history records another instance where the commander of an
+army, that had just gained a great victory, was so disgraced by his
+own government.
+
+The enemy could not have inflicted a more severe blow on our brave
+army than was done by this act of our own government. A feeling of
+disappointment and sorrow ran through the ranks, and the brave men
+who had fought under and loved their commander, wept at the
+injustice that took him away from them. It will, in time, be made
+clear, my son, that the government committed a great crime against
+our army by this act. It cannot be wisdom to remove a commander, so
+popular with his army as George B. McClellan was, especially when
+that army was on the eve of a battle. Such an act is sure to excite
+dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction destroys discipline. Nor should
+such a commander be removed at so critical a time unless the
+government were prepared to fill his place with one of equal, if not
+superior capacity. A general, to hope for success, must have the
+confidence and respect of his troops. To remove one who has, and
+fill his place with one who has not, is a crime than which none can
+be greater. It is a crime against the brave men whose lives are at
+the risk of the capacity of their commander. Our government
+committed this crime when it gave the command of the army of the
+Potomac to General Burnside. That general was the best judge of what
+he could do, and freely confessed his incapacity for so high a
+command. But the government was not to be put off by this confession
+of weakness on the part of a general, preferring to reward him for
+his honesty, and make no account of his capacity. I accept this, my
+son, as the only reason why General Burnside was given so high a
+command. As for his capacity as a general, he gave us a proof of
+that when he let the rebels fall back, and get well fortified at
+Fredericksburg. To show, however, what a general could do by
+attempting impossibilities, he sent the brave army of the Potomac to
+be slaughtered by an enemy covered with stone walls. I tell you, my
+son, it was a dark day for the nation when that was done. It
+multiplied our misfortunes, gave a deeper wound to our grief and
+sorrow, and brought disgrace on our arms.
+
+I will pass over these misfortunes as lightly, my son, as possible,
+hoping only that they will serve us as a warning in the future.
+Having buried Burnside deep under the misfortunes of his own
+incapacity, the question again came up, where shall we find a
+general to do up these rebels for us, and gain us a little victory?
+The great Grant was doing wonders for us in the West. He was bold,
+earnest, and brave. And this was the secret of his success. But in
+the East we were sorely troubled for some one who could do
+something.
+
+General Hooker was brave and bold. But, my son, he had such a
+weakness for blowing his own trumpet. Yes, he could blow it as loud
+and as long as any trumpeter you ever listened to--Pope excepted. He
+had declared of himself that he was just the man to lead our army to
+victory, and give the enemy a sound thrashing. It was true, this
+general had been very insubordinate. He had said a number of things,
+neither wise nor polite, of his superiors. And he had set an example
+to his soldiers not inclined to improve their discipline. As,
+however, he had declared himself the man to lead our army to
+victory, and the government wanted just such a man, it took the
+general at his word, and gave him the command.
+
+There were some people, my son, unkind enough to say, and say
+boldly, that the government did this strange act more to show its
+appreciation of insubordination than out of respect to his capacity
+to discharge successfully the duties of his high position. When,
+however, the general had talked himself into the very best opinion
+of himself, he went to work nursing his grand army into good order.
+Yes, my son, the old army of the Potomac was a grand army, and
+General Hooker declared it was the finest on the face of the globe.
+And he nursed it into good order on the left bank of the
+Rappahannock, from December, 1862, to early April, 1863. The general
+could get up of a morning, and enjoy a look at his old friend Lee,
+quietly domiciled on the opposite bank. And General Lee could get up
+of a morning, and do the same. Both generals regarded this as a very
+harmless and pleasant way of spending the winter, while carrying on
+the war. They would, at times, it is true, exchange compliments of a
+belligerent nature. But this was only to give a lively turn to the
+state of affairs around Fredericksburg. They were, I can assure you,
+my son, not intended to harm any one.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+CHANCELLORVILLE, AND THE CURIOUS FIGHT WE HAD THERE.
+
+
+
+
+
+I AM sure my friends will all be anxious to see a portrait of the
+great general who fought the great battle of Chancellorville. And my
+artist has been particularly careful to present them with a good
+one.
+
+Chancellorville was a strangely fought battle, my son; I have
+various good reasons for saying this, but, perhaps, it is best that
+as little as possible be said concerning them.
+
+When spring came, and the roads were dry, and the robins had begun
+to sing in the trees, and the buds to put forth, General Hooker
+began to feel strong, and full of battle. He said to his officers
+that they must get their courage up, and be ready for a big fight,
+every one in his own way. And to his men he said, that they must
+have plenty of powder in their pouches, and not be afraid to use it.
+A general to be successful, my son, must have confidence in himself.
+General Hooker had confidence in himself, and felt that he could
+whip the rebels out of their boots any fine morning. Hence it was,
+that feeling in a fighting humor one morning in early April, he
+picked up his army, and, crossing the stream, went in pursuit of the
+enemy. He found the enemy posted in the woods near Chancellorville,
+where he engaged him in a fierce and desperate battle. But the
+general's plan, if he had any, soon got out of his head, and it
+became apparent that he was fighting the battle in so strange a
+manner that no one could understand it. In truth, the general set
+aside the established rules of war early in the battle, and went
+back to first principles. These give every man the right to fight in
+his own way, and is beautifully illustrated in an army fighting
+without orders. I am told, my son, on very good authority, that
+these "first principles," as applied to fighting battles, never were
+better developed than at Chancellorville. I am afraid, my son, we
+shall never get a complete and accurate history of that
+extraordinary battle, for the reason that no historian will be found
+capable of describing it. It is certain that the battle had not
+raged long when our army was in a state of uncertainty and
+confusion. Sometimes the fight was between different brigades or
+divisions of our own troops, who were as often brought face to face.
+The enemy liked this, for it helped him to fight the battle without
+reinforcements, and saved him a deal of trouble and loss. When we
+had got a great many men killed in this way, and a great many more
+severely hurt, the great question arose as to who had won the
+battle, and who got whipped. There can be little doubt as to the
+impression made on General Lee's mind on this point. General Hooker
+was sure he had gained a great victory, and yet he was not so sure.
+I say he was not so sure, since he found it necessary, before
+settling the question, to withdraw his army to his old quarters on
+the other side of the river. It is clear that the general's
+reflections would be less disturbed in his old quarters, and, with a
+river separating him from the enemy, he could form a more correct
+judgment as to whether he had beaten the enemy, or the enemy had
+beaten him. Feeling, however, that it would not do to let it get out
+that the enemy had beaten him, he resolved that it must be true that
+he had beaten the enemy. This was about the most accommodating
+settlement he could arrive at. But, accepting this in good faith, I
+never could see the necessity for our haste to get back to our old
+quarters on the hills, notwithstanding the general's friends said it
+looked like rain, and he was anxious to get his army over before the
+shower came on. I have noticed, also, that the rebel army, when
+beaten, generally fell back in the direction of Richmond. In this
+instance, however, he held his positions, beat his drums, blew his
+horns, fluttered his flags, and was altogether the most defiant of
+vanquished enemies. I noticed, also, that this vanquished enemy
+packed his knapsacks, put his ammunition in order, and marched off,
+not backwards, in the direction of Richmond, but forward, in the
+direction of the North.
+
+Yes, my son, the enemy marched defiantly into Pennsylvania, and sent
+the peaceable Dutchmen in that remote part of the country into a
+state of great alarm. And this I accept as the best proof that the
+rebels were not beaten at Chancellorville. I am sure, also, that
+General Hooker had sufficient reason to share this opinion with me.
+He always had the rebels just where he wanted them, and yet I
+observed that he failed to bring them to a stand before they got on
+the free soil of Pennsylvania. Every honest Dutchman in the State
+was convinced in his own mind that General Hooker, if he had been
+the general he ought to be, should have driven the enemy into some
+remote corner of Virginia, and kept him there.
+
+The military atmosphere was still full of confusion and uncertainty.
+And things seemed getting worse every day. Strange as it may seem,
+the government continued making extensive efforts to further the
+object of the rebel general. Fortunately for the nation, our wise
+rulers waked up one morning fully convinced that General Lee was in
+earnest, that he was already on the free soil of a northern State,
+with a favorable prospect for making a settlement there. The
+government also suddenly discovered that General Hooker, although a
+brave soldier and all that, was not the man to command a great army.
+So the government relieved him and sent him into elegant retirement,
+a custom very common at that time.
+
+Then the government appointed General Meade to the command of the
+grand old army of the Potomac. Of this general little had been
+known. Still, the nation felt relieved at the change. Now, General
+Meade was a polished gentleman, a brave and good soldier, who had
+fought on the Peninsula under McClellan and commanded the
+Pennsylvania Reserves. To place a new general in command of an army
+at a time when that army is in face of the enemy and expects every
+minute to engage him in battle, is one of the most dangerous
+experiments a government can indulge in. It is also one well
+calculated to test to their utmost the qualities of the general
+placed so suddenly in command.
+
+It was the 1st of July, 1863, General Meade took command of the Army
+of the Potomac, and posted it in order of battle on the hills and
+plains around Gettysburg. There the two armies stood, the Union and
+the Rebel, than whom there was none braver, awaiting for the signal
+for the clash of arms. Then a great battle began and lasted three
+days. And there was desperate fighting and great valor displayed on
+both sides, and the field was strewn with the dead and wounded. And
+the battle of Gettysburg was a great battle, and the Union army of
+patriots gained a great and glorious victory over the rebels. Yes,
+my son, and what was more, we celebrated it on the 4th of July. And
+the people of the North were glad of heart, and rejoiced
+exceedingly, and sang praises to General Meade, for he had fought
+the battle well and won his country's gratitude.
+
+Still, my son, we hesitated, and failed to take advantage of our
+success. In truth, we let the rebel army re-cross the Potomac at its
+leisure, although we might have given it serious trouble had we
+pressed it at once. Indeed, there were a great number of people who
+expected General Meade to either drive the rebel army into the
+Potomac or capture it. But military men know that capturing a large
+army, though it may have been beaten in battle, is not so easy a
+matter. And even a victorious army, after fighting so great a
+battle, needs rest and time to improve its shattered condition.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+HANGING IN THE BALANCE.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who fought the
+great battle of Gettysburg. When he had rested his army a sufficient
+time he began moving in pursuit of the enemy. The rebel general fell
+back into old Virginia, taking his time as he went along, and being
+in no temper to hasten his steps. In short, we followed him back
+timidly to Orange Court House, where he made a settlement for the
+winter. There was a good deal of small fighting done during the
+autumn and winter, but neither side seemed to gain any advantage.
+The fate of war hung in the balance. If we gained an advantage one
+day, the enemy would do something to offset it on the next. This
+state of things was a source of great grief to the nation. The
+people wanted something more positive for the great amount of life
+and treasure they were wasting. They called for more earnestness and
+more resolution on the part of our generals, and a better system of
+carrying on the war on the part of the authorities at Washington.
+So, my son, the people's impatience was at length heeded, and when
+spring came (I mean the spring of 1864), and the people were weary
+of the war, and demanded a change in the policy of conducting it, so
+that an end be put to it as speedily as possible, the government
+began to wake up to its duty. We had fought battles for two years
+and hung the nation in mourning, and still Washington was as often
+in danger as Richmond. Indeed, the fortune of war seemed in favor of
+Richmond. Then the government began to see that if we would gain
+victories our armies must be commanded by soldiers, not politicians.
+
+Yes, my son, the people were excited to joy when the government
+changed its military policy, and the great General Grant was brought
+to Washington and placed in command of all our armies. The sun of
+our hopes brightened then, for the people had confidence in that
+general. He had whipped the rebels so well for us in the West, and
+he had gained for us so many glorious victories.
+
+And now, my son, we come to this remarkable siege of Washington. I
+say remarkable, for it is destined to stand on the pages of military
+history without anything to compare with it. Not that it was as
+bloody, or that the city was as obstinately attacked and defended as
+heroically, as some other cities that have been besieged, in ancient
+as well as modern times. But you must know that sieges, like
+battles, derive their great importance and all that makes them
+remembered hereafter, not so much from the amount of blood that has
+been shed during them, not so much from the impetuosity of the
+attacks made or the heroic defences, as from the manner in which
+they affect the fate of nations. Some sieges are remarkable for one
+thing, some another. The siege of Washington was more remarkable for
+the manner in which the city was defended than the manner in which
+it was attacked. No fields were fertilized with carnage, nor banners
+bathed in blood.
+
+You, remember, my son, the tale of storied Troy, with all its "pomp
+and circumstance of glorious war." But, my son, it has never seemed
+to me more interesting than the passage of Thermopylæ. Nor will
+Agamemnon live in history after Leonidas is forgotten. And yet these
+events in ancient war were small compared with the battles our Grant
+fought. His deeds will brighten as you read of them in history, and
+become greater than them all.
+
+And now, my son, let us hie to the siege of Washington. Washington
+was besieged and Washington was saved; and the history of its
+salvation must not perish. Rome, you know, was saved by the cackling
+of a goose. And when I tell you that Washington, the capital city of
+this great nation was saved by the too free use of a barrel of
+whisky, you must not be surprised. When its great circle of
+fortifications, now bristling with cannon, and filled with busy
+soldiers, shall become so many grassy mounds, their history must
+still live to excite the patriotism of those who come after us.
+
+Remember, my son, that had Washington fallen the nation had
+perished. To this remarkable siege, then, and its results, let all
+the succeeding glories of this great Republic be attributed.
+
+As I have told you before, my son, after the first battle of
+Manassas, when our militia did such good running, there was nothing
+to prevent the rebels from entering and capturing it but the few
+hastily constructed forts, or têtes de pont, on the Virginia side.
+Nor could these have offered any resistance worth naming. Our
+demoralized troops, however, never halted until they got safe inside
+of them. And but for these forts, weak as they were, the city would
+have fallen. When General McClellan assumed command, he saw at once
+the necessity of properly fortifying the city. And the nation ought
+never to forget him for his decision. Experienced engineers, with
+large gangs of laborers, were set to work throwing up these huge
+masses of earthwork. To this was added the labor of a large number
+of the troops of the Army of the Potomac, during its organization in
+the autumn and winter of 1861 and 1862. When, therefore, the army
+moved for the Peninsula in the spring of 1862, the city was so
+strongly fortified that it was considered safe by General McClellan
+and his corps commanders. That is, my son, if its forts were
+properly garrisoned, and there was a working force of forty thousand
+men. But nothing was safe against the fears of a timid
+administration.
+
+But forts, my son, however strong, are only inert masses. They
+cannot fight themselves; and to give them strength and action they
+require to be properly and fully garrisoned. And the troops in them
+require to be properly instructed in all their duties. Now, my son,
+it was a question with the government, which was very timid at that
+time, whether General George had left, in and around Washington, a
+force sufficient to make the city perfectly safe when he started on
+his memorable campaign. It is the opinion of nearly all our best
+military men that he did. But the politicians got frightened, the
+government got frightened, and the political generals got
+frightened. And all the frightened people got their heads together;
+and they made the President and Secretary of War believe just as
+they believed--that Washington had been "unarmed," and that
+Washington was in danger. Yes, my son, our good-hearted President,
+who was no coward, was sorely troubled about the safety of
+Washington. And his Secretary of War was also much troubled, as was
+common with him on the appearance of danger. And the "Chief of
+Staff" was also in trouble, and went to issuing orders, of a
+memorable kind, few of which were understood, much less obeyed. The
+result of all this was that there was great conflict of action. I
+have no better name to call it by, my son. Hence it was, my son,
+that our good President halted McDowell, and McDowell's corps. And
+both looked on from a distance while General George was fighting
+desperate battles with the enemy. This was the way the War
+Department carried on the war at that time. Now, my son, it is my
+purpose to so instruct you that you will know the whole truth
+concerning the way the war was carried on.
+
+The detention of General McDowell and his corps, while it
+illustrated the great anxiety of the President and Secretary of War
+for the safety of Washington, caused the failure of the campaign on
+the Peninsula. All the sophistry in the world, my son, cannot change
+that decision.
+
+General George, with his army, was driven to the James River, and as
+the enemy, then at Richmond, was between him and General Pope, and
+might strike either at his pleasure, the government's fears about
+Washington so increased that General George was finally recalled
+from the James, to save the capital. The result was, as I have told
+you before, that General Pope was driven back with the wreck of his
+army to the very gates of the capital, and General George arrived
+barely in time to save it. Yes, my son, General George, not only so
+saved the capital, but extricated the government and the Chief of
+Staff out of the difficulties they had brought on themselves.
+
+When, then, the victorious rebel army turned aside from the
+fortifications of Washington, and marched triumphantly into
+Maryland, strong garrisons were left in the forts, and more troops
+were poured into the city to insure its safety. It was, indeed,
+resolved by the government, which began now to profit by experience,
+and by the fact that the capital of the nation had twice been placed
+in extreme peril, that for the future, come what might, it should at
+least be made secure. Experienced officers of rank were placed in
+command of the defenses, north as well as south of the Potomac. The
+troops were drilled constantly, and soon became good artillerists.
+They were also instructed in and soon became efficient in the art of
+defending forts. They studied well, and became familiar with the
+ground in their front; and, what was more than all, they knew their
+guns, and how to fight them. I have been very particular concerning
+these things, my son, because I desire to impress you with their
+future importance.
+
+But alas for the instability of human resolutions! Washington was to
+be exposed, after all.
+
+You will remember, my son, how everybody was seized with admiration
+at the ease with which the great General Grant picked up the Army of
+the Potomac, and moved off with it against the rebels. That was in
+the month of May, 1864. It was then that the army moved against
+Richmond for the last time: that is, not to return to us until it
+had captured that rebel stronghold.
+
+Grant had not gone far when he met a more stubborn resistance than
+he had expected, fought a number of desperate and bloody battles,
+and lost a great many men. Fight and move forward, was his motto, so
+he resolved not to turn his face towards Washington and his back
+towards Richmond, as others had done before him. The terrible waste
+of human life that followed his battles, found him in want of
+recruits. No reserves of any consequence had been organized, and the
+government were sorely troubled to find men to fill the thinned
+ranks of our heroic army. Where were these men to be got from in
+time to be of service?
+
+Think of it, my son, we had 25,000 instructed artillerists in the
+forts around Washington. Here was a temptation hard to be resisted.
+These men could do good service in the field as infantry; and, in an
+evil hour, it was decided to send them to Grant's army for that
+purpose.
+
+Then the great question arose, how were their places to be supplied?
+How were the forts to be defended, in case of attack, without them?
+It would not do to strip the defenses of all troops, and leave the
+forts without garrisons. If we did, the enemy would surely find it
+out, for Washington was full of his spies, and we should come to
+grief. The President, the cabinet, and all the generals, had
+resolved, from the first, that that this must never be done, under
+any contingency.
+
+But what, at the time, was considered a happy thought, seized on the
+government. I have said a happy thought, my son, but it was a very
+unwise one. Let the future historian record it, for it is recorded
+in the dispatches, as well as in the acts of the government.
+
+Yes, my son, it was resolved, first, that Richmond should fall in an
+hundred days, or at least during the summer; second, that to insure
+the fall of Richmond within that time, the experienced troops, then
+in the fortifications of Washington, should be sent to the Army of
+the Potomac; third, that to replace these and other garrisons, a
+call should be made on some of the States for 100,000 militiamen, to
+serve for one hundred days. To the end of developing this grand
+idea, all the old artillery regiments were sent away to Grant. And
+their places were filled by an equal number of "hundred days' men,"
+nice and fresh, fresh and green, mostly from the State of Ohio.
+
+I have no doubt, my son, that it will seem strange to you, as it
+will to all intelligent readers hereafter, that raw troops should
+have been called to defend the capital in the fourth year of a great
+war. But the War Department carried on the war according to this
+method then. The result is not just now very pleasant to
+contemplate; but it was what ordinary foresight might have
+predicted. Our error was the enemy's opportunity, and he quickly
+proceeded to take advantage of it. Washington was in danger, and
+Washington might have been captured with but little trouble had the
+enemy sent the right man to command his troops. How near it came
+being lost, and how accidentally it was saved, I shall record
+hereafter, for the benefit of the future historian.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH.
+
+
+
+
+
+I KNOW you will be anxious to see a portrait of the distinguished
+general who was first assigned to the defense of Washington during
+the siege. And here I have presented you with a very clever one.
+This general, McDowell McCook, chanced to be in the city, when the
+government, becoming alarmed, placed him in command, and sent him
+out to defend the capital. This was unfortunate for the poor
+gentleman, and he at once became alarmed at finding himself in such
+a position, and so near the War Department. The poor man knew
+nothing of the defenses, much less of the roads. And to make the
+matter worse he had no troops to command. What was a general to do
+under such circumstances? Although this distinguished general had
+seen some service, and served his country well in the West, he was
+in no way qualified to fill the position now assigned him. And I am
+inclined to accept this as a reason why the government selected him.
+
+But before I proceed further, my son, I must instruct you as to what
+happened in the Shenandoah Valley just about this time, and which,
+of right, should constitute a part of the siege of Washington. The
+troops in the valley had been commanded by no less than four
+unfortunate generals. Patterson, Banks, Milroy, and Siegel, the last
+from Germany. Of the many misfortunes of these generals, the
+historian who comes after me will give you a more enlarged account
+than I have time or space to do at present. Heaven knows, they were
+manifold.
+
+When, then, Grant moved against the enemy with the Army of the
+Potomac, General Franz Siegel was put at the head of a column at
+Winchester, and marched up the valley with a great flourish of
+trumpets. This German general was in high feather then, and declared
+he would drive the rebels before him, like so many chickens, and
+never stop until he got them all cooped up in Richmond. But the
+rebels were not inclined to submit to this cooping process. Indeed,
+they soon discovered that this General Franz Siegel was not so much
+of a general after all, and that he had an eccentric way of moving
+his troops. So when he had driven them, as he supposed, to
+Newmarket, they turned upon him in a very angry manner, gave him
+battle, defeated him, and forced him back in disorder. This was
+unfortunate for Siegel, and more unfortunate for his German
+admirers, who declared him to be the greatest general of modern
+times. But he had fought this battle so badly that the government
+for once made up its mind that it would be wisdom not to let him try
+his hand at another.
+
+Major-General David Hunter was fixed upon as the right man to reform
+Siegel's disordered army and correct his mistakes. Hunter had
+patriotism enough, and no man doubted his courage. He was earnest in
+the defense of right, even zealous in the cause of his country, and
+quick in the punishment of traitors, with whom he was not in very
+high favor. The general took command of this disordered army, and so
+managed as to get a little discipline and some degree of order into
+it. Now, it has always seemed to me, my son, that you could put a
+general to no more severe trial than to place him at the head of an
+army demoralized by the inefficiency of his predecessor and expect
+him to fight battles and gain victories. And yet General Hunter did
+this and to the satisfaction of the country. Had he been less active
+with the torch, his reward in history would have been much higher.
+
+Well, my son, the general marched with his army, and reorganized it
+as he marched. And he met the enemy, and he fought him, and fought
+him well, and whipped him well, and drove him back up the valley, to
+the very gates of Lynchburg. But there, my son, he stopped. His
+supplies had given out, and the enemy had detached a large force,
+and sent it to reinforce the rebel army at Lynchburg. Our great
+Chief of Staff at Washington had promised that this should not be
+done, without timely notice being sent to Hunter. But it was done,
+and done without any notice being sent by the Chief of Staff, whose
+spies were found wanting when most needed. General Sheridan, too,
+was detached from the Army of the Potomac with two brigades of
+cavalry, and sent to form a junction with and succor Hunter. But the
+Chief of Staff failed to send Hunter any information concerning this
+movement, and hence Hunter was kept in ignorance of its design.
+Sheridan was driven back before superior numbers, and failed to
+carry out the plan of his instructions. Had Hunter received
+information of this movement, he would not only have saved Sheridan
+from defeat, but, having formed a junction with him near
+Charlottesville, could leave beaten the enemy and gone where he
+pleased. So much for what the Chief of Staff ought to have done but
+did not do.
+
+Of course the gates of Lynchburg were swung wide open, and there was
+nothing for the famous Early, who commanded the rebel hosts, to do,
+but to come out and brush Hunter away from before them. And he did
+this, and more than this. He cut Hunter's communications, and sent
+him flying over a different road, to the Ohio River, in search of
+supplies.
+
+And it was now, my son, that the veritable Jubal, known to his old
+classmates at West Point as the late Mr. Early, saw the road open,
+and the great prize before him. Scorning, as it were, to pursue
+Hunter, he marched directly for Washington by the most direct road.
+
+It was early in July, then, when General Early, at the head of his
+rebel hosts, reached and crossed the Potomac. And this movement sent
+the people of Washington into a state of great alarm. The southern
+sympathizers at the capital were in high feather at the prospect of
+Washington being captured by their friends, the rebels. Magnificent
+stories were set afloat, the government got into a state of great
+confusion, and timid people went about shaking their heads, and
+wondering what the War Department was doing. Everybody wanted to do
+something, and yet nobody knew what to do. The Chief of Staff sat in
+his easy chair, and issued orders by the dozen. The Secretary of War
+ran about excited, and issued orders that conflicted with everybody
+else's orders. The President, not to be behind either of them,
+issued orders that agreed with none of them. The great wonder is,
+that some one of these high officials, so much given to issuing war
+orders, did not issue a proclamation, warning Mr. Early that it
+would not be comfortable for him to bring his rebels this way.
+
+I am not prepared to say what effect such a notice would have had on
+Mr. Early, who turned his column in this direction, and, marching
+with great rapidity, was in a few days on the banks of the Monocacy.
+And, as if to increase our alarm, he sent that festive young
+trooper, Harry Gilmore, galloping down into Maryland, where his old
+friends received him with open arms, and entertained him
+sumptuously. Never was hero so entertained by his friends. And when
+this bold trooper had enjoyed the trip, and shared the hospitality
+of his friends as much as pleased him, he went to work disturbing
+our military arrangements. Yes, my son, he captured one of our
+railroad trains on its way to New York, and all the passengers in
+it. And, what was worse than all, there was one of our most
+distinguished major-generals in it, and he was made a prisoner of
+war by this bold trooper. Thus he cut our communication with the
+North. He did all this, and walked away leisurely and unmolested.
+Although his Maryland friends set him up for a great hero, I
+confess, as there was no one to oppose him, not to see in what his
+heroism consisted.
+
+As you may naturally suppose, my son, these little affairs increased
+our alarm greatly. Our authorities, generally, went into a state of
+perspiration; and would have sent for General Grant and his army to
+come back and protect us, but for the fear that that general would
+not read the order correctly. In short, they had already become
+convinced that Grant was not the man to turn back when there was
+anything to be made by going ahead. Then our high officials called
+on the North for help, but called in vain. The North was not
+inclined to share the fears of our high officials, and had been too
+often sent for to come and take care of Washington.
+
+It was common with us, then, to keep a lot of third-rate troops
+scattered around Baltimore; and over Maryland. These were hastily
+got together, and placed under the command of that famous warrior
+Lew Wallace. The administration was sure, now, that Mr. Early would
+get whipped, and that the capital would be saved. There were,
+however, a few unbelieving people who shook their heads, and were
+heard to say that General Wallace was not the soldier to drive Mr.
+Early and his men into the Potomac.
+
+I must do the general the credit, however, to say, that he marched
+out boldly enough, and engaged Early and his men in battle as soon
+as he met him. And although he had pluck enough, he was no match for
+the rebel, who brushed him away before him, and sent his scattered
+columns flying back into Baltimore, in great distress. Perhaps the
+only sensible man surprised at this state of things was General
+Wallace himself.
+
+When those who come after us, my son, shall read of this, it will
+seem very strange that the fate of Washington, the capital of this
+great and powerful nation, should have depended on a battle between
+General Lew Wallace, and his undisciplined troops, on the one side,
+and Jubal Early and his stonewall troops on the other. And all this
+in the fourth year of the war.
+
+Now this battle, if it can be dignified with the name, was fought on
+Saturday, the 9th of July. General Early took no further notice of
+General Wallace, but started at once for the defenses of Washington.
+And there was nothing to oppose him until he reached them; and
+nothing then but some cannon, and some men who did not know how to
+fire them.
+
+When it got rumored round that the late General Early was not only
+aiming to besiege Washington, but was not far away from the
+defenses, there was considerable of a stir made in official circles.
+Timid people tried to keep their courage up in various ways. Heroes,
+who had never been out of Washington, now talked like very heroes;
+and it was intimated that the Treasury Guard would come out, and
+take the field. Those who had no taste for fighting, and they were
+many, found it very uncomfortable, because there was no way of
+getting out of the city.
+
+During the war, my son, I frequently noticed that when a battle was
+going on at the front there was sure to be a large number of heroes
+in uniform doing promenade duty on the Avenue. Their number seemed
+to have increased prodigiously just at this time. It was noticed
+also that they walked at a more rapid pace than usual, did an
+uncommon amount of eating and drinking, and had a large number of
+friends they were always ready to discuss the last battle with. I
+suppose this was all for the purpose of showing the amount of
+courage they had.
+
+They were ready enough to go to the front to-day if somebody would
+only show them the way.
+
+It was now the morning of the 10th of July; and a bright breezy
+morning it was. The symptoms of the siege now took a positive form
+and became really alarming. These symptoms were manifested in a
+singular manner at two prominent points of the defenses. A
+dilapidated and very much distressed mule, his ears erect and his
+tail askance, galloped down the road into Tenallytown, making a
+noise so hideous that the quiet inhabitants ran out in a state of
+great alarm. They then went to packing up their household goods,
+their tubs, tables, chairs, and crockery, and getting them ready for
+removal to a place of safety. In addition to this, the unruly animal
+sent terror into the very hearts of a number of cavalrymen who were
+out picketing the distant hills. These gallant troopers put spurs to
+their horses and never stopped until they got safely into
+Georgetown, where they circulated numerous stories concerning Mr.
+Early and his men, who, they declared, had driven them in.
+
+The other remarkable manifestation took place at Brightwood, a
+sleepy little town composed of four houses and a lamp-post, and
+situated not far from the city, on the Fourteenth-street road. A
+distressed cow came bellowing into this town just at daylight, with
+her head and tail erect, and driving the pickets before her. The
+antics of this otherwise kindly animal caused a great scattering
+among the gallant defenders of Fort Stevens. Indeed, I have good
+authority for saying that they evacuated that stronghold more
+suddenly than had ever been done before, scampering down the
+Fourteenth-street road at a rapid pace.
+
+In short, my son, they mistook this wayward animal for Early's
+advance guard, and came to the very wise conclusion that a fort was
+not a pleasant place to stay in when an enemy outside was throwing
+shells into it.
+
+The good people of Brightwood betook themselves to packing up their
+traps, and pondering over the question as to whether they had been
+disloyal enough during the war to claim Mr. Early as a friend when
+he arrived. It was a trying time with the good people of Brightwood.
+
+When, however, the gallant defenders of the defenses found that it
+was only a cow that had so disturbed them, they went boldly back to
+their guns, and were as full of courage as could be for the rest of
+the day.
+
+As the morning wore on, the evidences of trouble outside increased.
+Scattering contrabands, some with bundles on their backs, some with
+chairs, buckets and wash-tubs on their heads, others with the family
+table on their heads. There was an interesting group of three--two
+male and one female member of the African family. One of the former
+had brought his banjo, the other his fiddle. The female had a tub
+well down on her head. These poor frightened people came trotting
+into the city over the Tenallytown and Brightwood roads, seeking a
+place of safety inside of the forts.
+
+Then the roads became blocked with all manner of rickety vehicles,
+many of them of the most primitive description, filled with the
+families and furniture of peaceable farmers, who had left their
+homes in fear of the approaching rebels. A more grotesque picture
+than was presented by this anxious train it is impossible to
+conceive.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE GOVERNMENT GETS AGITATED, AND THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES
+THE FIELD.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is a portrait of General Auger, a dashing, handsome
+officer, and a courteous gentleman. He commanded the department of
+Washington during the memorable siege I am describing.
+
+As I have said before, my son, as soon as it was known that General
+Wallace had been driven back on Baltimore in search of rations, and
+General Early was close upon Washington, the government waked up to
+the fact that the capital was in danger, and began to take measures
+for its defense. Our good President, believing, in the honesty of
+his heart, that his presence at the front would do good, took the
+field. And the Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff went to
+issuing orders that no one seemed to obey. Indeed, their orders only
+increased the confusion that had already taken possession of
+everything military. The regular officers in command of the troops
+in the fortifications, and who knew the location and details of the
+forts as well as the roads leading to them, were superseded by
+strangers, ignorant of all these things, and even of what their
+commands consisted.
+
+Why this was, my son, I cannot explain. Perhaps the Secretary of War
+will, when he gets his historian, at $2,500 a year, to write a
+national history of the war. Some malicious people said the
+Secretary of War had two reasons for this: the first, to show his
+contempt for military science; the second, because he wanted to show
+what fools some of these strange generals were. I have also heard it
+intimated that the reason why some of these strange generals were
+assigned to such important posts at such a moment of peril to the
+nation, was because they were of sufficient consequence to be made
+victims. And as it was always necessary to have a victim to cover up
+and excuse the blundering of high officials, these men would come in
+handy enough. But I never considered this a good excuse for thus
+superseding the officers, the only officers who really knew how to
+defend the city.
+
+It was not surprising, however, that, with such an opportunity for
+gaining distinction as the defense of the capital of the nation,
+major and brigadier-generals should spring up as by magic. Their
+number was truly marvelous. Nor was it strange that they should all
+want to be heroes. It was a little queer, however, that they should
+all be in the city just at this time, and seemingly without
+employment. Each, on application, was assigned to an important
+command, though but few of them knew the road to the forts, and
+fewer still what they were going to command when they got there.
+
+The alarm and confusion continued to increase as General Early and
+his rebel hosts approached. And now the great question arose as to
+who was to be regarded as responsible for the safety of the city?
+Was it the President, the Secretary of War, or the great Chief of
+Staff? people inquired. No, it could be neither of these, for the
+President, though frequently seen at the front, seemed only a
+pleasant observer, and gave no orders to the troops. The Secretary
+of War and Chief of Staff were issuing orders, as I have before
+described, and assigning strange generals to commands. It could not
+be General Auger, for the War Department seemed to have forgotten
+him, and he remained quietly in command of the department. The
+Military Governor was discharging the active duties of his office,
+and so it could not be him. Some persons said General Haskins was
+the man. He had been in charge of the defenses north of the Potomac,
+and knew them well. But it could not be him, for he had been
+superseded by General Hardin; and General McDowell McCook ranked
+both of them; and, as I have before informed you, was placed in
+command and sent out to see to General Early.
+
+This, my son, was very hard on General McCook, who found himself in
+a predicament he would willingly have escaped from. It is no more
+than right, my son, that I should give you an account of how this
+general went to the field, and what he found when he got there.
+
+Provided with a pocket full of orders, the general mounted his horse
+late on Saturday afternoon and set out for the front, over the
+Fourteenth-street road. The corpulent engineer I have described in
+the early part of this history was assigned to General McCook for
+duty; and this officer, and two sorry-looking orderlies, were all
+that bore him company. The corpulent engineer alone knew the
+military roads, and the location of the forts, which was very
+fortunate. As they advanced over the road beyond Meridian Hill, they
+overtook several straggling generals, each proceeding to the front
+with a pocket full of orders, and generally accompanied by a single
+orderly. Two or three of these generals seemed quite at a loss as to
+where they were going, or what they were to command. I have thus
+explained this matter to you, my son, to show you what a nice way
+our war authorities had of producing confusion.
+
+When the general and his staff, which I have described above, were
+well nigh Brightwood, he halted to inquire, of the alarmed negroes
+and straggling citizens who were wending their way into the city,
+what news they had of the enemy outside. But no trustworthy
+information could he get from any of them. They all knew that
+General Early was coming; and that they had left just before he had
+got to where they lived. This sort of information was not exactly
+the kind a general would consider it safe to base his plan of
+operations on. Nor was the general any more fortunate in getting
+information concerning the enemy from a number of squads of cavalry,
+whose business it seemed to be to ride excitedly to the front and
+then ride excitedly back again. Indeed, the whole business of these
+doughty troopers, it seemed to me, was to increase the alarm and
+confusion.
+
+It was nearly sundown, the weather was hot and oppressive, and the
+general was full of troubles. The worst of these was that he could
+not find the troops he was sent to command. Nor could he get any
+tidings concerning General Early and his rebels. Hence it was that
+he concluded, and very naturally, that the enemy would not be within
+sight of the defenses until morning, and that the city would at
+least be safe until that time without any more of his generalship.
+
+He therefore went into camp for the night, pitching his headquarters
+in a clump of wood near Rock Creek, and not far from Crystal Spring.
+And here let me record that the general had not even a camp guard.
+To make the matter worse, there was no forage for the horses, and
+nothing for supper. Never was general so much to be pitied. The two
+orderlies, however, were willing fellows, and soon had a fire
+lighted. They then proceeded to a neighboring house, and got
+refreshments for the general, without which he must have gone hungry
+to bed.
+
+As the night advanced, the discomforts of the situation increased.
+In short, it may as well be confessed, the general's headquarters
+were besieged long before midnight, and that sleep was a thing not
+to be enjoyed. You may have made up your mind that the besiegers
+were an advance guard of the rebels; but they were not. They were
+nothing less than an army of fierce musquitoes, who made such a
+persistent attack on the general and his staff as to make his
+position almost untenable. In truth, they so harassed the corpulent
+engineer, in rear and flank, that he mounted his horse and returned
+to the city, where he spent a comfortable night at Willard's Hotel,
+and went back in the morning refreshed. My authority for this is the
+distinguished engineer himself.
+
+A little after midnight, the two orderlies became seriously alarmed
+(I ought to mention that one was recently from Cork, and the other
+from Kerry), and reported to the general that a conversation was
+being carried on in an unknown language by two persons in the woods
+beyond, and whom they verily believed to be spies of the enemy. The
+general was not a little perplexed at this intelligence, for the
+better informed orderly declared, that while one shouted in very bad
+Irish, the other seemed to answer him in Dutch. The general listened
+attentively for a minute or more, when the noise was again heard. It
+turned out, however, that the intruders were only a pair of owls,
+who had perched in some trees near by, and were exchanging hootings
+for their own entertainment.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE KIND OF REINFORCEMENTS WE HAD TO DEFEND THE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS is an exact portrait of General Jubal A. Early, who was sent to
+capture Washington, but arrived a little too late.
+
+There was great excitement in the city during Sunday, the 10th of
+July, and strange stories were set afloat concerning the arrival of
+General Early, and his rebel army. There was also great excitement
+in and around the forts north of the city. The hundred-day men did
+not feel themselves safe in the forts, and those outside were making
+a desperate effort to keep their courage up.
+
+We had heroes enough in the city, but the great question was, how we
+were to get them organized, provisioned, armed, and sent to the
+front in time to be of service. The District militia, which we have
+all heard so much of and seen so little, was not enrolled, and, of
+course, could not be made available. It was said there would be some
+desperate fighting done if the Treasury Guard only got to the front.
+This valuable body of distinguished heroes was composed of nice
+young men, who wore fine linen and patent leather boots, and in
+appearance were unexceptionable.
+
+It was a trying time for the nation, my son, and the young men of
+this Treasury Guard felt that they had a duty to perform in
+defending the capital, and must perform it with courage. There was
+one little drawback, however, to their conduct as soldiers; and that
+was, that each man wanted to go to the front encumbered with a
+carpet bag, filled with sandwiches and clean shirts. Aside from
+this, let me say, the guard was got in order for marching, and their
+gallant commander, Colonel Floyd A. Willett, made a speech, in which
+he declared there was not a chicken-hearted man in his ranks. And
+when it marched for the front, which it did with drums beating, its
+gallant colonel at its head, and Corporal Spinner, of Company B,
+bringing up the rear, there was many a tear shed and handkerchief
+waved by the pretty female clerks of the Department. Many of these
+damsels had more than a friendly interest in these young heroes, who
+they averred would never come back, but whiten the battle-field with
+their bones.
+
+As the War Department has not yet condescended to give us a report
+in detail of the defense of Washington, I cannot inform you, my son,
+of the heroic part performed by this distinguished body of nice
+young men. There was a rumor that they returned to the city, after
+the siege, in a very hungry condition; but had been so saving of
+their powder and lead as not to waste a single round.
+
+Now, our quartermaster-general was not to be beaten by any of them
+when there was a chance for glory. Seeing the Treasury Guard march
+off with so much courage and determination, the general mounted his
+war horse, and assembled a whole brigade of his employees, as
+gallant fellows as ever took the field, notwithstanding little could
+be said of their discipline or soldierly appearance. This gallant
+brigade was called the Bushwhackers, in contradistinction to the
+Beef-eaters of the War Department. There was no mistaking this
+brigade, for it was armed with muskets and bill-hooks. As it moved
+off for the front, as it did with no very regular step, there was a
+sight seldom seen. How else could it be, with our gallant
+quartermaster-general at its head, and General Rucker bringing up
+the rear! After a rapid march of four miles, the brigade reached the
+front; and as no enemy was in sight, and there was no use for their
+powder, the men went energetically to work, and did good service in
+clearing away the bushes in front of the forts, so that our gallant
+defenders could have an unobstructed view of the rebels as soon as
+they made their appearance. This was a very happy thought; one for
+which the quartermaster-general deserved the brevet he afterwards
+got.
+
+You will see by this, my son, that we were fast getting our gallant
+defenders to the front. And now all that was needed to afford them
+an opportunity to show themselves heroes was General Early and his
+army of rebels.
+
+I must also inform you that Provost-Marshal Todd, Captain and A. D.
+C., had got a company of his men to the front, lying in ambush for
+the rebels.
+
+There was still another, and equally important force to be added to
+our defenders. This was a brigade of what was called Ancient
+Mariners, got together by that solid old salt, Admiral Goldsborough.
+The admiral was brim-full of pluck, and his name had become famous
+for not fighting the rebels afloat. Here was an opportunity to give
+them a broadside or two ashore, and the admiral was not the man to
+let it slip through his fingers. Indeed, he sounded his war trumpet
+as quick as any of them, and when he had piped his Ancient Mariners
+to arms, he told them that God and their country demanded them to do
+their duty.
+
+"Aye, aye!" responded the Ancient Mariners; "we will do it, we
+will."
+
+When the gallant admiral had got his "Ancient Mariners" ready to
+march, armed with cutlass and various other well-known weapons, he
+placed himself at their head and moved out to meet the enemy. His
+manner of doing this, however, was somewhat novel, and deserves to
+be described here. You must know, my son, that the admiral was of a
+very rotund figure, and, although well enough at home on the
+quarter-deck, was not accustomed to the saddle. His weight was,
+indeed, such as to preclude the idea of his being a skilled
+horseman. It was, therefore, necessary that he go to the field in
+some more comfortable as well as becoming manner. Thereupon a
+carriage and four was provided, and in this stately manner the
+gallant admiral proceeded to the front, at the head of his strange
+command. I may add also, my son, that the movement of this force
+afforded no little amusement to the numerous urchins that followed
+it. On reaching the front, it took up a strong position, and made
+ready to give the enemy a broadside whenever he made his appearance.
+Some mischievous person reported that it was the intention of these
+"Ancient Mariners" to support the cavalry, in the event of its being
+attacked. Having brought them to the front, however, we must leave
+them there, the quartermaster with his spy-glass keeping a sharp
+look out for any stray craft that might appear in the offing.
+
+I have been thus minute in describing these forces, in order that
+you may form a just estimate of what General McDowell McCook had to
+command.
+
+Sunday passed away, and there was no appearance of General Early and
+his army. Still the excitement in the city had not abated. Our good
+President, I must tell you, was out along the lines nearly all day,
+with the apparent purpose of encouraging the feeble garrisons in the
+forts.
+
+Early on Monday morning (the 11th of July, 1864), the smoke and dust
+of the rebel column rose in the distance, and was clearly seen from
+the defenses. News of this soon spread about, and our cavalry got
+more and more excited, and went galloping out and then came
+galloping in at an increased rate of speed.
+
+Then the enemy's long, thin line of skirmishers debouched into the
+fields, like specter figures in a panorama. Next his artillery was
+seen moving to the right and left, and apparently taking up
+positions on the distant hills. These were followed by his hungry
+troopers, very dirty and forlorn, and looking like shadowy figures
+just issuing from a desert of dust. The movements of these rebels in
+the distance gave new features to the face of the siege. General
+McDowell McCook was seen to ride rapidly over the field, followed by
+his two orderlies. Generals Meigs and Rucker urged on their
+Bushwhackers, who went to work with renewed energy clearing up the
+forest. The "Ancient Mariners" whetted their cutlasses, and
+continued to exhaust their ordnance, a large stock of which they had
+brought to the field in the shape of tobacco. And the Treasury Guard
+stopped eating sandwiches and looked to their ammunition. In fine,
+our gallant defenders went to getting their courage up in various
+ways. Our good President (may his memory never die!) took up a
+position near Fort Stevens, as if to encourage the hundred-day men
+to stand by their guns and keep their pluck warm.
+
+A little after noon there was a material change in the situation.
+The enemy's advance skirmishers made their appearance within range
+of Fort Stevens and began a miscellaneous firing. Then our own
+cannon opened, and their echoes over the hills first sounded the
+alarm and awakened the people of the city from their dream of
+security. There were as yet no really efficient troops to send to
+defend the point of attack. The people knew that between them and
+the enemy there were strong and heavily armed forts; and in these
+they placed their trust. They did not, however, reflect that these
+forts, without proper garrisons, were only so many inert masses,
+incapable of resisting for one hour the vigorous assault of an
+enemy. But it was very different with the military authorities. As
+the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon increased during
+Monday evening and night, they knew that the city was in peril, and
+their anxiety for its safety increased. They knew that the forts
+were not properly garrisoned. They knew that communication with the
+North was cut off, that no reinforcements from that quarter could be
+relied on. Further, that although reinforcements from General
+Grant's army had been ordered up from the James River, they had not
+had time to arrive.
+
+Such was our situation on that memorable Monday night. Yes, my son,
+such was the feeble condition of the defenses when General Early and
+his rebel army came in sight of the dome of the Capitol. We all
+looked confidently for an attack in force on Tuesday morning. Had it
+been made by a column of ten thousand men, led by a bold and
+determined commander, capable of infusing his own impulse into their
+movements, they might, feebly garrisoned as the forts were at that
+moment (with no support between or behind them), have treated our
+defenses with contempt, and marched into the city.
+
+Yes, my son, they could have marched almost unmolested between any
+two of the forts, entered the city, seized the Arsenal, the Capitol,
+the Treasury, and other public buildings, and enjoyed a bounteous
+breakfast at the expense of our citizens. And when they had done
+this, they might have enforced a legitimate surrender of the city,
+together with the defenses on both sides of the river.
+
+But General Jubal A. Early was not the man for such an enterprise.
+Washington was at his mercy, but fortunately for us he did not know
+it, and let the opportunity slip. Even had he known it, I am of
+opinion that he lacked the nerve to grasp the advantages of the
+opportunity. On that Tuesday morning, Early was at Silver Springs,
+enjoying the luxuries of a spacious headquarters, and within sight
+of the grand old dome of the Capitol. What strange emotions the
+sight of this dome must have excited in his bosom, what
+reminiscences of happier days passed under its shadow must have
+seared his thoughts as they passed in review, he alone can describe.
+Perhaps it was the contemplation of those happier days that stayed
+his hand and made him hesitate to grasp the prize at his feet.
+
+No, my son, Jubal A. Early was of too phlegmatic a temperament for
+such an undertaking. He was slow in every thing but name. And, as I
+have informed you before, so notoriously cautious and slow was he to
+act, even when a youth at West Point, that he gained the sobriquet
+of "The Late Early," by which he is known at this day by his
+intimate friends.
+
+How sad it is for us, to-day, to contemplate that the safety of
+Washington, the capital of this great country, should have depended
+on the temperament of a general. Let the future historian do this
+subject justice and elaborate it as it deserves. And let him
+portray, if he can, the consequences of the rebel flag greeting the
+rays of the rising sun on that morning victoriously from the dome of
+the Capitol.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+HOW THE REBEL GENERALS DEPORTED THEMSELVES.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS history would not be complete, my son, without a portrait of
+General John C. Breckinridge. This general accompanied General
+Early, in command of a division, and was extremely useful as a
+subordinate, since he knew Washington and all its surroundings, and
+had many friends in the city, whose respect and hospitality he had
+enjoyed. What curious emotions must have excited his breast when he
+saw the dome of that building where he had sat as a Senator, and by
+his talents and deportment secured the respect and confidence of the
+nation, I will leave the reader to imagine. Who but himself can
+describe his thoughts when he recurred to that scene in the Senate
+Chamber, when he raised the voice of prophecy and foreshadowed the
+traitor's reward? Was there a pang in the thought that he was
+himself reaping the bitterest fruit of that reward?
+
+Never forget, my son, how terrible is the penalty that attaches to
+treason. But now I must ask you to reaccompany me to another part of
+the field, that we may see what is going on there. The attack made
+on our defenses by the rebels was of the feeblest kind. Why this
+was, some of our officers could not understand. It was evidently
+made in doubt of the result, and indicated forcibly enough that
+something was wrong at the rebel headquarters. We want now to see
+what that was.
+
+While the booming of cannon and the rattle of small arms was going
+on in the vicinity of Fort Stevens, without any very serious damage
+to either side (for I may mention here that the rebels kept at a
+respectful distance from the forts), Generals Early, Ewell, and
+Breckinridge were enjoying themselves on the sumptuous fare found at
+Silver Springs and other neighboring plantations. In short, it is
+asserted that these generals had been short of rations for some
+days, and were very hungry when they reached the outskirts of
+Washington. It is also asserted that they took themselves to
+feasting and making merry with their friends; so much so that they
+had all the cellars and larders of the houses round about examined
+for bounties to supply their table. And to such an extent was this
+feasting and merrymaking carried, that General Early quite forgot
+that he was sent to capture Washington, and indeed set such a bad
+example to his subordinates as to destroy all discipline.
+
+There were two great events in this remarkable siege, my son, and I
+must tell you what they were. If I do not, you will not get a clear
+idea of how the siege was carried on by the rebels. The generals
+(rebel) had not tasted fresh beef for several days, and had a sharp
+appetite which their commissaries were inclined to gratify. Now,
+there was on the plantation of Mr. George Riggs, near where these
+generals had their headquarters, a celebrated Alderney bull, much
+valued by its owner. Here was a temptation not to be resisted by
+these commissaries, who had the animal led to slaughter and served
+up for their masters. Yes, my son, these generals and their staffs
+banqueted on Mr. Riggs's bull, and were honest enough to confess
+that they had rarely fared so sumptuously. This is one of the great
+events. Now to the other. A number of general officers (choice
+spirits), imitating the example set by their bold superiors, went
+out on a forage of their own, and coming to the house of the Hon.
+Montgomery Blair, put it under a close examination, especially the
+cellar and larder, which was supposed to be well stored with the
+choicest. They were disappointed, however, to find that the cellar
+contained little wine, and were about setting the honorable owner
+down for a disciple of temperance, when they came upon a barrel of
+rare old Bourbon whisky.
+
+This discovery caused great rejoicing, the news of it spread far and
+wide among the officers, and not an order was obeyed for the rest of
+the day. So you will see, my son, that while the superior generals
+and their staffs were banqueting on Mr. Riggs's bull, the field
+officers were besieging their brains with Mr. Blair's choice whisky.
+The city was perfectly safe while this state of revelry existed. And
+I feel, my son, that you will agree with me that Mr. Blair deserves
+well of his country for supplying his cellar with this remarkable
+weapon of defense. Let the future historian bear in mind that the
+War Department can claim no credit for the safety of Washington. The
+credit of saving Washington belongs exclusively to Mr. Riggs's bull
+and Mr. Montgomery Blair's barrel of whisky. They furnished the
+feast that stole away the brains of General Early's officers, and
+caused the delay that saved the city.
+
+In fine, my son, I have good military authority for saying that
+these rebel officers, after their wisdom had been carried away by
+the whisky, put on ladies' dresses and so conducted themselves that
+General Early, in order to get them out, and put a stop to the
+riotous proceedings, was compelled to apply the torch to the house
+of Mr. Blair. Let this sad result be a warning to all generals, sent
+to either threaten or capture the capital of a nation.
+
+Have I not satisfied you, my son, that Mr. Davis sent the wrong man
+to take Washington? A more sanguine general, knowing that he had
+been sent from Richmond to threaten and, if possible, capture
+Washington, and having come so far and routed all the troops sent to
+oppose him, and arrived within sight of the coveted prize, at a time
+when he must have known the weakness of the defenses, would have
+risked an attack in force and would have succeeded. I say he would
+have succeeded; for, by all the rules of war, the capital ought to
+have fallen. Let it be remembered also, that during that memorable
+Tuesday, when the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon
+from Fort Stevens were calling patriotic citizens to the front to do
+their duty, the engineer-in-chief and other of the high officials of
+the War Department were busy packing up the records of their
+offices, preparatory to their removal to the gunboats.
+
+The attack, which had been so confidently expected on Tuesday
+morning, did not take place. General Early and his officers still
+continued their riotous proceedings near Silver Springs, while his
+advance line kept our gallant defenders in a state of intense
+excitement and activity. As hour after hour wore away, however, the
+anxiety of our people increased, in fear of what might happen.
+
+Then late in the afternoon news came that the brave old Sixth
+Corps--a terror to rebels everywhere--had arrived. This sent a thrill
+of joy into many a heart, and shout after shout went up along the
+line as its cross came in sight. Yes, the old Sixth Corps, with
+General Wright, had come once more. It was a proud sight to see
+these men deploy into line of battle, in front of Fort Stevens,
+their war-worn colors fluttering in the breeze, with that cross so
+well known to the rebel hosts.
+
+The siege was raised. The rebels recognized that cross, and, knowing
+what it betokened, fell back rapidly before it, and prepared for a
+hasty retreat. Confidence was restored to the people. The President
+thanked the troops and went home in the very best humor. The
+Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff stopped issuing orders; and
+the quartermaster's bushwhackers hung up their bill-hooks. The major
+and brigadier-generals went to congratulating each other on the part
+they had taken in the defense. At two o'clock on Wednesday morning,
+an advance was ordered with the two divisions of the Sixth Corps;
+but when the skirmish line took possession of Silver Springs, there
+was not a rebel in arms to be seen. General Early had made good
+speed during the night, and was making the best of his way across
+the Potomac, and home to his master.
+
+Thus ended the most remarkable siege history has any account of.
+
+And now, my son, I cannot close this history without a few words on
+the character and conduct of Mr. Jefferson Davis, to whose ambition
+this siege of our capital was due. It has been said by several of
+his friends, who have access to the newspapers, that he went into
+this war not only very reluctantly, but with green spectacles on.
+Willing as I am to deal generously with him, and to forgive him each
+and every one of his sins, and to send him out into the world to
+seek atonement for them, I cannot share this opinion. And for the
+reason that I happened to know Mr. Davis in the summer of 1850, when
+he was the moving spirit of a convention of "Fire-Eaters," that
+assembled together at Nashville, Tenn. And I have a slight
+recollection of a speech he made on that occasion, in which
+separation by arms was urged, and no love for the Union advanced. I
+remember also that that speech was rewarded with hisses,
+notwithstanding the strong dis-union element of the convention. His
+dislike of the Union and plan for separating the nation, it is well
+known, had been the besetting sin of his brain for twenty years.
+How, then, he could have engaged in this gigantic rebellion with
+green spectacles on, I cannot just exactly see. It was the ignorant,
+unreasoning masses of the South who were led into the rebellion with
+green spectacles on, not men like Mr. Davis. But, my son, never
+strike a man when he is down; that is the work of cowards. Let us
+give Mr. Davis credit for such virtues as he had, and for the manner
+in which he exerted them in keeping life and strength in the
+government he attempted to set up. In connection with the rebellion,
+we had to deal with Mr. Davis more in his character as a soldier
+than a statesman. Mr. Davis was undoubtedly an able soldier. He was
+the head and front, the very life and soul of the men in the South.
+Born to those qualities of pride, self-esteem, and self-will, all
+of which produce confidence in the possessor, he grew up feeling
+himself superior, as he was, to the ordinary men of his age. He
+inherited at the same time great fixedness of purpose and
+determination; and so prominent were these traits of his character,
+that they impressed every one who came in contact with him.
+
+These, my son, were the attributes that gave wings to the man's
+ambition and found him aspiring to one of the high places in the
+temple of fame. The nation gave him a thorough military education at
+West Point, and he afterwards learned the practical duties of a
+soldier in the Black Hawk war. On the return of peace, he resigned
+and sought distinction in political life. He had succeeded in
+reaching the House of Representatives when the war with Mexico broke
+out, and he resigned and again went to the field. And,
+notwithstanding what has been said to the contrary, he won great
+distinction in this war. Military men everywhere did him justice.
+The "Mississippi Rifles" will be remembered as long as the battle of
+Buena Vista.
+
+At the close of the war he again relinquished the sword, and was
+sent to the United States Senate, where he was made chairman of the
+Committee on Military Affairs. His highest ambition was to shine as
+a statesman. He afterwards served four years as Secretary of War,
+and then returned to the Senate, where the rebellion found him
+elevated to the chairmanship of the Committee of Military Affairs.
+His education, his services in the army, his position as Secretary
+of War, and in the Senate, enabled him to become thoroughly
+acquainted with our army, with its customs, its laws, its material,
+its wants, and, above all, the character of its officers. He was,
+perhaps, better acquainted with these things than any other man in
+the United States. Nor was he deficient in knowledge of the
+character of leading, public men at the North and West. What he had
+not studied well, however, was the character and the patriotism of
+the people of those sections of our country.
+
+It was the ripe fruit of this knowledge, then, that Mr. Davis
+applied in each department of the rebel government; and it was this
+that made him of such incalculable value to the rebellion. We have
+seen and even admired the power with which he wielded the scanty
+resources of the South. And we have seen the wisdom which he
+displayed from the very first in the section of his generals. With
+rare exceptions, he put the right man in the right place. He knew
+the importance of placing soldiers in command, when soldiers' duty
+was to be performed. It would have been fortunate for us if we had
+exercised similar wisdom. When the rebellion began, there was no man
+in the South to have taken the place of Mr. Davis. It is not too
+much to say that had he remained loyal to his country, and been
+elevated to the command of our armies when the war began, he would
+have quickly crushed out the rebellion. With his grasp of mind, and
+his iron will, he would have so wielded the great resources of the
+North and West, that the rebellion would have been crushed in a year
+from its birth. And this was the man our authorities at Washington
+supposed would not, or could not, attack the capital after it had
+been stripped of its proper garrison. Let the truth be told: Davis
+was not the man to let such a blunder go unnoticed.
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 4668 ***
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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
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+Title: Siege of Washington, D.C.
+
+Author: F. Colburn Adams
+
+Release Date: November, 2003  [Etext #4668]
+[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
+[This file was first posted on February 26, 2002]
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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+******This file should be named 4668.txt or 4668.zip******
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+This etext was created by Charles Aldarondo (Aldarondo@yahoo.com).
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
+
+WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+BY F. COLBURN ADAMS, CAPT.,
+
+AUTHOR OF THE "STORY OF TROOPER," AND OTHER BOOKS.
+
+NEW YORK:
+
+1867
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY publisher gives it as his opinion that a great many persons will
+be offended at what I have said in this work. He thinks, also, that
+"quite a number" of our great generals will be seriously disturbed
+in their dignity on seeing what liberties my artist has taken with
+them. Such opinions as these are rather too common with publishers
+in this country, who generally take very narrow views as to what
+public men think and do. This work was not written to offend, but to
+amuse and instruct little people. I have too much respect for our
+great generals to believe that they will feel offended at what I
+have said of them. Some of our little generals may perhaps take
+exception to the positions my artist has assigned them, and feel
+disposed to make war on him. But there will be nothing new in this,
+inasmuch as any close observer of the war must have seen that these
+little generals were always more fierce in making war on writers and
+artists than courageous in facing the enemy. That the Siege of
+Washington was the most remarkable military event history has any
+account of, is very well understood among those who participated in
+it. I must beg the reader, then, not to place false judgment on the
+pleasantry introduced here and there, since I have recorded, with
+great care and correctness, all the military movements, that took
+place during that memorable occasion.
+
+F. COLBURN ADAMS.
+
+WASHINGTON, D. C., January 15, 1867.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I.-WASHINGTON A REMARKABLE CITY
+II.-GOING TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFICULTIES
+III.-THE FORTS AROUND WASHINGTON
+IV.-COMING HOME AFTER THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN
+V.-BRAVE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
+VI.-NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN
+VII.-POPE DID IT
+VIII.-HOW GENERAL POPE CAME TO TOWN
+IX.-BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD
+X.-THE GENERAL THAT FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORVILLE
+XI.-HANGING IN THE BALANCE
+XII.-ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH
+XIII.-THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES THE FIELD
+XIV.-THE WAY GENERAL EARLY CAME TO TAKE THE CITY
+XV.-A REBEL GENERAL BROUGHT TO GRIEF
+XVI.-THE DISTINGUISHED STATESMAN WHO ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF
+  REBELLION WITH GREEN SPECTACLES ON
+
+
+
+
+
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON.
+
+A TRUE AND AUTHENTIC STORY, WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+WASHINGTON AS A REMARKABLE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU, my son, have heard, and perhaps read, how Rome was once saved
+by a goose. There were, as you know, my son, a great many geese
+abroad during the siege of Washington; but it was not through any
+act of theirs that the city was saved. As I love you dearly, my son,
+so is it my first desire to instruct you correctly on all subjects
+in which the good of our great country is concerned. Before
+concluding my history of this remarkable siege, I shall prove to
+your satisfaction that Washington was saved, and the fate of the
+nation determined, by a barrel of whisky.
+
+Let me say to you, my son, that the siege of Washington, however
+much people abroad may laugh at it, was one of the most
+extraordinary events in the history of modern warfare. It took place
+in the year of our Lord, 1864; and there is no other event in the
+war of the great rebellion to compare with it. You will, therefore,
+my son, understand why it is that the history of an event of so much
+importance should be written only by an impartial historian--one who
+has courage enough to tell the truth, and no official friends to
+serve at the expense of honor. I must tell you, also, my son, that
+the great military problem of this siege has afforded a subject of
+deep study for our engineers, from General Delafield downward, who
+have puzzled their wits over it without finding a solution.
+
+Should we be unfortunate enough to have another great war, and the
+nation again be compelled to give itself up to the profession of
+arms, the conduct of this siege would afford us an excellent
+example, as well as a profitable key to the art of war, as
+understood by our War Department in the said year of our Lord, 1864.
+This, then, is another reason why this great military event should
+be faithfully rendered. I will also add, my son, that though I may
+fail to instruct you after the manner and style of the most profound
+historian of our day, I will at least make my account of this great
+siege so plain and simple that you will comprehend it in all its
+multiplicity of parts.
+
+But first let me tell you a few things about Washington, the capital
+city of this great nation. You, my son, may have seen one hundred
+other cities, and yet it will remind you of none of them. It is very
+elongated, and spreads over a great deal of ground, apparently for
+personal inconvenience. Indeed, my son, it has the appearance of
+having been dropped down late of a Saturday night by some eccentric
+gentleman who had a large quantity of architectural odds and ends on
+hand, and had no other use for them. It has been famous always for
+its acute angles and broad avenues. The former, I have heard more
+than one person say, were skillfully arranged by a very
+accommodating French engineer, for the special benefit of persons
+who went home late of nights and were liable to get confused on the
+way. The population is rather a curious one, and may be classified
+as the distinct and indistinct, the settled and unsettled. The
+census report, a remarkably unreliable account, has it that they
+number "some" sixty thousand. A large proportion of this settled and
+unsettled population is of such variety of color as to render it
+almost impossible to define the nice proportions of blood it is so
+strongly mixed with. On this point, my son, you must not be too
+particular, but accept it as your father does, as a proof that the
+races, whom we are told can never be got to live in harmony
+together, have, to say the least, gone very extensively into a
+system which gives strength to the belief that it could be done. The
+French call this the commingling system, and their philosophers
+argue from it, and with much force, that it is impossible to
+establish the question as to what kind of blood the best society is
+based upon. For myself, I feel that we can with safety accept these
+French philosophers as good authority in such matters. You will also
+find among the population of Washington natives of nearly every
+country on the face of the globe. These speak no end of tongues,
+follow all manner of professions and occupations, and what is most
+valuable, preserve that delightful diversity for which what is
+called the "old society" has always been famous. Picturesque hills
+encircle the city at a distance, and a beautiful river flows past on
+its way to the sea. The city has many fathers and few friends. These
+fathers, while in an ornamental mood, built a grand canal into the
+very bowels of the city, after the manner of Venice, that commerce
+might be encouraged, and such persons as had a passion for moonlight
+and gondolas could gratify it. But the people were not given to
+sailing in gondolas, so this famous canal was diverted from the
+object for which it was originally intended. It is now used as a
+tomb where deceased animals of a domestic nature are carefully
+deposited. The old inhabitants regard this tomb with a reverence I
+never could understand clearly, even though I had sought for a cause
+in their instinctive opposition to all and every manner of reform.
+Indeed, the fathers of the city regard this grand canal as
+performing a very humane part, inasmuch as it supplies an excellent
+and very convenient burial-place for their domestic animals, and
+increases the practice of a large number of doctors. The city
+fathers, I am informed, find some consolation in the fact that other
+canals have performed equally humane services.
+
+And it came to pass, my son, that there was a great war in all the
+land; and greater than was ever known before in any other land. Thus
+Washington became the centre of our anxieties and our thoughts. The
+people of the North, and the people of the West, and the people of
+the South, who constituted the people of one great nation, had long
+held different opinions as to the right of making merchandise of
+men, of women, and of little children. Yes, my son, it was at last
+claimed to be in accordance with Christianity to doom these people
+to a life at once hopeless and miserable. As you grow up, my son,
+and begin to think and act for yourself, you will think it very
+strange that such a great national crime as this should have existed
+in a land so blessed with the fruits of a ripe civilization. And it
+will be a cause of wonder to you that a society based upon such an
+abomination did not sooner break down under the burden of its
+wrongs. And yet you must always bear in mind, my son, that men do
+not view great crimes alike, and that even good and great men differ
+as to what constitutes national rights and national wrongs. It is
+said that great nations have gone to decline because their people
+became blind with pride, and refused to think right. A nation is
+always safe while its people think right; but you must teach the
+children right before you can have the people think right. Education
+and association had much to do in training the thoughts of men in
+the South into wrong channels. Taking this view of the subject you
+may find much to forgive in a political system that seems wrong in
+your eyes and right in the eyes of its supporters. Indeed, my son, I
+would enjoin you to treat with a reasonable amount of deference the
+arguments advanced by those who differ with you on questions of
+public policy, and also to remember that right and reason are your
+strongest weapons. Never get angry with your opponent, never use
+language that will cause you a regret; and if you cannot convince by
+the moral force of your argument, abandon the undertaking. And
+whatever else you do to advance your material prosperity, never let
+it be said of you that you advocated a great political wrong merely
+because it was popular and brought you the applause of the
+unthinking. You cannot do so with a clear conscience; and what is
+life without it?
+
+I have, unwittingly, my son, wandered away from my subject. The
+people of the South forgot all the great principles which govern
+humanity for humanity's good; they were betrayed into wrong doing by
+false friends, and made blind by their own prosperity. And they even
+forgot that God was their truest and best guardian, and to Him they
+must look for that care and protection which shall last forever.
+But, my son, I would enjoin you to bear these people no ill will,
+and remember how much better it is in the sight of God to deal with
+the erring in the spirit of forgiveness. They were a brave and a
+gallant people, who fought in the belief that they were right, and
+with a heroism worthy of a good cause. It is only the meanest nature
+that has no respect for the courage and gallantry of an enemy--that
+cannot find in it something to admire. It was the selfishness, my
+son, which slavery begat in these people, that perverted their
+natures, and caused them to forget God.
+
+Yes, my son, it was the curse of slavery that corrupted the hearts
+and turned the heads of these people; that found them requesting the
+race they had made suffer so long in bondage, to be thankful that
+their sufferings were no worse. I never could, my son, see why any
+human being, who had been made the victim of the greatest outrage
+against his rights, should be thankful. The Church might, and did,
+attempt to sanctify this greatest of crimes; but that did not change
+the character of the cruelty and injustice. It will, no doubt, seem
+strange to you that ministers of the Gospel should be found the
+defenders of crime. And yet slavery found its ablest defenders in
+the pulpit of the South. I am afraid it always will be so, for even
+now we see ministers of the Gospel more ready to hang out false
+lights to lead their people into darkness, than to give them that
+truth and instruction they so much need. But you must not let the
+thought of this lessen your respect for the Church. Examine with
+great care until you have found out in what true Christianity
+consists; and when you have, practice accordingly to the extent of
+your ability. Never forget that it was the preaching of popular
+errors that cost the nation so much blood and treasure, so much
+sorrow and distress. That bishops should put aside their lawn, and
+gird on the sword--that they should lead men to war and death,
+instead of the baptismal, and all to perpetuate the sorrows of an
+oppressed race, is, my son, only another proof that error may gain a
+victory over truth in the hearts and feelings of the best of us.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+WE GO TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFERENCES.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE let me present you, my son, with an exact portrait of the
+distinguished general who is commonly accepted as striking the first
+blow of this war. He was kindly educated at the expense of the
+nation, and was first among its enemies. For a time his fame ran
+high enough, and timid people were inclined to give him the
+character of a monster. But it turned out in time that he was a very
+peaceable gentleman, and not so much of a terrible warrior, after
+all.
+
+But I want to tell you, my son, how it was that the people of this
+great nation took to swords and cannon, to settle their differences
+of opinion.
+
+The people of the great North, and the people of the great West,
+were educated to a very different way of thinking on the question of
+slavery; and differed with the people of the South as to what
+constituted a national blessing. They were willing, for the sake of
+peace, to tolerate slavery, as a great evil it were dangerous to
+attempt to remove; but it was too much to ask them to accept it as a
+great national blessing. These people were energetic, thrifty,
+lovers of right and justice, and had grown rich and powerful by
+their own industry. They could not see why the whole people of so
+great a nation as ours should be required to bow down and worship
+what the rest of the civilized world had stigmatized as the greatest
+scourge of mankind. Seeing the power this great wrong was obtaining
+over the nation, as well as the danger it was causing us by
+corrupting the minds of the people, they consulted together and
+elected a President after their own way of thinking. And this so
+offended the people of the South, who were a brave people, and quick
+to anger, that they gathered together from all parts of their
+country, gave up their peaceful pursuits, and went to war for what
+they called their independence. But I always found, my son, that
+independence was an abused phrase, much on the tongues of these
+people. Indeed their idea of independence extended only to giving
+one class the full and exclusive right to enslave the other. The
+Southern idea of independence was so shaped as to contain the very
+worst features of a despotism. But you must look with forgiveness on
+these people, my son, and seek to forget many of those acts of
+vindictiveness which characterized them during the war.
+
+At the same time, my son, you must not lose sight of the lesson
+which the result of this war teaches. Let it be a guide to your own
+actions that these people went to war to tear down what they could
+not build up, to destroy a Government the world had come to respect
+and admire, and under which they had found a safe refuge and a
+tolerance for their institution of slavery. But the edifice they
+sought to build up crumbled to the ground, and they are now left
+without even a safe refuge for their pride. Yes, my son, these
+people scorned the example of the Christian world, went to war in
+defense of a great crime, and ceased only when they had destroyed
+themselves.
+
+I have been thus serious while instructing you as to how the war
+began, because I am aware that a very large number of writers will
+tell you that it began in a very different manner. If the account I
+may hereafter give of what took place at the siege may be less
+serious, you must charge it to my love for the truth of history.
+Indeed much that occurred during that remarkable military event, was
+not of so serious a nature as is generally conceded by an
+intelligent public. Unless, then, it be written down as it occurred,
+we shall not convey a faithful picture of it to the public.
+
+Now that the war spirit was full to the brim, the people of the
+South gathered in great numbers on the plains of Manassas. They were
+earnest, serious, and even savage in their intentions; and they
+brought with them their powder and shot-guns, and a large quantity
+of whisky. They also brought with them a great number of negroes,
+who were to build the forts, and do all work it would not become a
+gentleman to do. And while this work was progressing, the
+"gentlemen" soldiers of the South were to talk very loudly and
+courageously, and invite all the Yankees round about to come out and
+get whipped. These people resolved themselves into a great and
+powerful army, with Peter Beauregard, the French gentleman of whom I
+have before spoken, for its commander. This gentleman was somewhat
+eccentric, and much given to saying things, the true meaning of
+which he did not understand. A waggish friend of mine once told me
+that this Mr. Beauregard was educated for an apothecary at West
+Point, a place where young gentlemen are instructed in the various
+ways of getting a living honestly. Being very skillful in the use of
+mortars, he was held by Mr. Davis as a most proper person to command
+a southern army, inasmuch as he could give the Yankees all the
+physic they wanted in the shortest time. And as it is always
+expected that a great general will say a great many things that are
+neither sensible nor wise, and which afford politicians an excellent
+opportunity of picking them to pieces, he is a wise general who
+issues his orders and keeps his lips sealed on politics. I say this,
+my son, because it is popularly understood that a general who knows
+his business bears the same relations to a politician that pepper
+does to the stomach.
+
+And it came to pass that the people of the North and the people of
+the West became seriously alarmed at the capers Mr. Beauregard and
+his men were cutting at Manassas. Indeed, many false reports were
+circulated concerning the great power of this Mr. Beauregard; and
+our people began to give way to their fears, and to declare that he
+might enter the capital any dark night and capture or send the
+Government on a traveling expedition. The aged gentlemen at the head
+of our Government shook their heads discouragingly, and declared
+there was no safety in going to bed at night while Mr. Beauregard
+was so near a neighbor. The honest farmers in the country round
+about were also very much alarmed at the unruly conduct of Mr.
+Beauregard's men, who carried off their pigs and chickens, and eat
+up all their vegetables. They also made a great noise, and planted
+guns on all the adjacent hills, a proceeding the honest farmers did
+not fully comprehend. Then these unruly men became very defiant,
+felt like fighting the world, and, in the honest belief that they
+could do it, invited all the rest of the nation to come out and get
+whipped. Yes, my son, and to show what confidence they had in
+themselves, they said we might bring "five for one;" and for that
+matter, all Germany and all Ireland. It was considered wisdom with
+them to say nothing about England and France. Those two peaceably
+inclined nations might, at some future day, be disposed to step in
+and help them out--in a quiet way. It was not so much humanity as a
+matter of profitable trade with these two great nations, and if
+things should take a successful turn, they might see the confederacy
+in a strong light, and give it material as well as moral help,
+notwithstanding it had slavery for its foundation. In short, these
+Southern gentlemen acted on the wise axiom, that it will not do to
+make enemies in a direction where you may need friends and
+assistance.
+
+Now, my son, the eccentric French gentleman, of whom I have spoken
+as capable of administering physic enough to settle the question
+with the Yankees, soon became an object of great admiration with his
+noisy people. And this so pleased him, that he came in time to
+admire himself, and to firmly believe in his own mind that the world
+had no greater warrior. Self-confidence, my son, is one of the most
+necessary things in war. I have sometimes thought that this element
+of an army's strength was not fully understood. It was at least not
+understood by us when the war began. If it had been, a much less
+number of our people would have shared Mr. Beauregard's opinion of
+himself. As it was, our timid people so magnified his proportions as
+to see danger in his very shadow. But then, my son, we were very
+innocent of the practical part of war when the great rebellion
+began; and this innocence led us into the very grave error of giving
+our adversary more than his proper dimensions. It was this that led
+the Northern mind to over-measure Mr. Beauregard.
+
+I have always had a good deal of sympathy for Mr. Beauregard, and
+never believed him anything but a pleasant, harmless gentleman, who
+got into bad company by mere accident. Nor do I believe he ever had
+any more serious design on the capital of the nation than to look at
+it longingly from a distance, and perhaps a desire now and then to
+enjoy the hospitality of some old friend. That he would have played
+the ruthless invader, if he had got into the city, no reflecting
+mind ever believed. But then there were people ready enough to
+believe anything in those days--even to believe that there was truth
+to be found in the stories told by Mr. Detective Baker.
+
+It was natural enough that Mr. Beauregard should amuse his soldiers
+by telling them romantic stories of the pleasant days he had spent
+in Washington, as well as the great value of what it contained. It
+was necessary also that he should ascertain how far the Government
+at Washington could be frightened, and what were the best means to
+that end. You must know, my son, that a Frenchman regards it as one
+of the first principles in war to find out how far you can frighten
+your adversary before proceeding to fight him. This will account for
+a good deal that Mr. Beauregard said and did while at Manassas, and
+which, at the time, was somewhat unintelligible.
+
+As we were not sure, however, as to what the real intentions of Mr.
+Beauregard and his master were, it was concluded that we could
+better preserve our respect for them, as well as the peace of mind
+of our own people, by applying the proper means to keep them at a
+respectful distance outside. Indeed the capital contained a great
+many things which would be extremely useful to an ambitious
+gentleman resolved on setting up a government of his own, and with
+the machinery all working according to his own way of thinking. And
+as the honest intentions of these ambitious men (I refer to Mr.
+Beauregard and his master) were no more to be trusted than their
+loyalty, we set our engineers to work building a cordon of forts,
+such as the world had never seen before, and supposed to be strong
+enough to keep all our enemies out. And these forts were mounted
+with such reasoning powers as the largest cannon in the world were
+capable of.
+
+Among the things in Washington so very desirable to a gentleman
+about to set up a government of his own was the White House. Mr.
+Davis had long regarded this pleasant looking old mansion as a
+desirable residence for a gentleman born to rule over a people. Once
+comfortably seated in this pleasant mansion, a wonderful change
+would be worked in the political opinions of those whose minds were
+in doubt. Considered as master of the situation, his friends in the
+North would increase fourfold. And there was no knowing the turn
+respect for him abroad might take. A gentleman quietly settled down
+in the White House, if only for four years, is sure to have a large
+increase in the number of his friends, all ready either to accept
+his favors or sound his virtues. Even slavery, that had scourged
+mankind for so many generations, would have found a great increase
+of friends and admirers if Mr. Davis had made a home in the White
+House; so prone is weak human nature to bow to power. Indeed, I am
+not so sure that, with such a turn in our political affairs, those
+preachers who had been asserting the divine origin of slavery would
+not then have proclaimed that God himself was its great protector--a
+blasphemy the Christian Church will some day be ashamed of.
+
+In addition to the White House being a desirable residence for Mr.
+Davis, there were those fine public buildings so much admired by
+strangers. They were just what Mr. Davis and his friends wanted in
+starting a new government, and would come in very handy. With
+Washington in his possession, and our worthy President and his
+Cabinet locked up in the arsenal, or sent on a traveling expedition
+into a colder climate for the benefit of their health, Mr. Davis's
+new enterprise would become a fixture in the history of nations. And
+there was a time when Mr. Davis could, with the means in his power,
+have accomplished all these things.
+
+The arsenal, too, was full of gunpowder, of great guns, of valuable
+military stores and equipments. And these were just such things as a
+gentleman resolved to be a ruler and have a government according to
+his own way of thinking would stand most in need of. In short, the
+powder and big guns might be needed as a means of convincing those
+who differed with him that his opinions must be respected. This is a
+queer world, my son, and man is the strangest and most
+uncontrollable animal in it. Mr. Davis understood this as well as
+any gentleman within my knowledge. And if he had kept as keen an eye
+on his finances as he had on his political fortune, it would have
+been much better for him. He knew that if he could show to the world
+that his new government was sound financially, and likely to
+continue so, his prospects would be bright indeed. And with
+Washington, and what Washington contained, in his possession, he
+could set up his claim to the confidence of the financial world with
+more than ordinary pretensions.
+
+It was indeed said (but I think in a strain of slander) that Mr.
+Beauregard looked with an air of great condescension on our noble
+Treasury building, and promised his fighting followers a share of
+its contents as soon as it came into his master's possession. Indeed
+it was said that Mr. Beauregard promised his men that when they got
+Washington they should have luxuries for rations, and fight with
+their pockets filled with silver and gold. And with their
+expectations firmly fixed on a specie basis, who could doubt as to
+what the result would be? This was the golden prize Mr. Davis hoped
+to win with Washington. And with it he saw, or rather thought he
+saw, England extending to him the right hand of fellowship, and the
+Emperor of France making him one of his very best bows, and thanking
+him for the liberty he had taken with the freedom of a people.
+
+These, then, my son, are some of the reasons why we concluded to
+close the gates of Washington against Mr. Davis and his rebellious
+people, and to keep them closed by raising a cordon of strong forts
+around the city.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+CONCERNING THE DISTINGUISHED OFFICER WHO BUILT THE FORTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I HAVE thought it no more than right, my son, to present you with a
+pleasant, but very exact picture of the distinguished officer of
+engineers, to whose skill we are indebted for the forts that more
+than once saved Washington. I do this out of respect to the truth of
+history, and from an apprehension that there are others, perhaps,
+higher in rank, who may lay claim to the honor, at some future day.
+I have also presented you with a more extended and complete portrait
+of him in the frontispiece of this work. He appears here in his
+usually calm, meditative mood, with his pipe and Professor Mahan's
+last great work on fortifications. He is, I must tell you, my son, a
+man of large brain, and generous nature, fond of his joke, and very
+fertile in the art of rearing earthworks. In figure he is
+Falstaffian, and when on his rounds among the fortifications wears
+immense canvas-legged boots, and a hat with a high crown and
+extremely broad brim. Indeed, his figure is what may be called
+formidable, and there would be no mistaking him were you to meet him
+on the road. And, notwithstanding his peaceable disposition, and his
+scrupulous regard for the rights of others, the farmers round about
+Washington regard him with fear and trembling. In short, my son, his
+approach near a farm house is sure to send all the children
+scampering with fear. And even the curs and other domestic animals,
+seem to have an instinctive knowledge that his visits portend no
+good to their master's domicil. It is curious to see those domestic
+animals how they bark and snap, and then shrink away at his
+approach, uttering signs of their dislike. In truth, my son, he has
+a bad reputation among these worthy farmers, whose farms he quietly
+takes possession of, and then indulges in his favorite amusement of
+building forts on them. In this way many an honest farmer has
+suddenly found himself dispossessed of his property, and his means
+of getting an honest living; thereby bringing great distress on his
+family. To remonstrate would be useless. He must submit to the fate
+of war, and look to Heaven for redress. Now it is by no means
+pleasant for a quietly-disposed farmer to have his home turned
+suddenly into a fortress, and his acres made a camping ground for
+soldiers, who are not the most desirable guests, even under the best
+of circumstances. But the farmer lays all his sorrows at the door of
+our distinguished engineer, forgetting that he is only carrying out
+the orders of his superiors. Thus it was that he got a bad
+reputation, just as General Gilmore got a bad reputation with the
+people of Charleston, and South Carolina generally, for throwing
+shells into their city.
+
+While, then, our distinguished engineer progressed in his work of
+building forts, with a view to saving the city, the people of the
+North, and the people of the great West, seeing that war was upon us
+in all its stern reality, were much agitated as to what was best to
+be done. They were a peaceable, prospering people, and much attached
+to the Government that had conferred so many blessings on them. But
+the fire of their patriotism had already been kindled; and they went
+wisely to work adding fuel to it. The trumpet of war had sounded
+over the land, their gallant militiamen came together, boldly and
+earnestly. And these they sent to Washington, by regiments, to quiet
+the fears of the people, and save the nation.
+
+Now these gallant militiamen were very full of courage, and their
+courage increased as their numbers multiplied in the capital, and
+they sent word to Mr. Beauregard and his men that they would be out
+there soon and thrash him out of Manassas. Some of these gallant men
+came for thirty days, others for ninety, our wise rulers being
+satisfied in their own mind that the latter number of days would be
+quite enough to finish up the small job of putting down the
+rebellion. These militiamen wore gay and many-colored uniforms, and
+had the fat of the land for rations. They were the nation's favored
+guests, and every man was set down for a gentleman and a hero, who
+would as soon shed his blood for his country as eat his breakfast.
+And these gallant militiamen were organized into a grand army, so
+full of pomp and circumstance, that we were sure the enemy would run
+away as soon as he saw it coming. But in order to make the thing
+safe beyond peradventure, we gave the command of this grand army to
+General McDowell, a man of solid parts, a gentleman, and a
+soldier. Our wise political rulers at that time held to the idea
+that a gentleman who had seen service must be a great general. Hence
+it was that General McDowell, being a gentleman and a scholar, and
+ready enough to square his political sentiments with the predominant
+ideas, was accepted as just the soldier who would lead our gallant
+militiamen to victory, and never think of running from the enemy.
+Indeed, according to our military politicians, we were to get no end
+of glory through General McDowell's success. And Mr. Beauregard was
+to be driven back to his master, bag and baggage.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE BATTLE OF BULL-RUN, AND HOW IT ENDED.
+
+
+
+
+
+I CONSIDER it of the greatest importance, my son, to present you
+with an exact portrait of the very distinguished general who led our
+gallant militiamen to battle at Bull-Run, and followed them home
+without gaining a victory. Greater battles than this of Bull-Run
+have been fought, as well in modern as in ancient times; but it is
+my honest opinion that it has never had its equal in the small
+number killed and wounded, as compared to the very large number that
+got frightened and ran away. But I shall speak of this more
+particularly hereafter.
+
+When the bold McDowell had got the courage of our gallant militiamen
+well up, and was sure they would look the enemy right in the eye,
+and give him powder and shot to his heart's content, he led them
+forth with such pomp and pageantry as had never been seen before.
+Yes, my son, our gallant militiamen marched forth on the morning of
+the 21st of July, 1861, every man a hero, and every man intent on
+fighting the battle according to his own peculiar notions of how a
+great and glorious victory ought to be gained. There was great
+blowing of bugles, beating of drums, playing of bands, and
+fluttering of colors; all of which told Mr. Beauregard to put in his
+powder, that we were coming, and in earnest. The nation went into a
+very fever of joy. Several of our grave Congressmen got up their
+courage, put pistols in their pockets, and went forth with the army
+to set our brave boys a noble example by their presence on the
+field. Indeed, many otherwise reflecting persons looked forward to
+this great clash of arms as a grand entertainment, which was to wind
+up with a feast, to which the vanquished enemy was to be invited.
+And to that end they went amply provided with provisions and good
+wines. In truth, my son, there was a strong rear guard, made up of
+Congressmen, editors, and distinguished citizens, all going to see
+the battle, in wagons well-filled with luxuries. This was a new
+feature in the history of war, and quiet people along the road
+wondered at the sight.
+
+The morning was hot and sultry, and the air was misty with dust
+clouds. Our brave boys, who were not up to long marches, had a hard
+time of it. But they were full of patriotism, and bore up under it
+with great fortitude. Meeting the enemy near Bull-Run, we gave him
+battle. That is, we pitched into him and he pitched into us, the
+fight becoming general and extending over a great deal of ground.
+Then the fighting became so mixed up and confused that it was
+difficult to tell on which side victory was smiling. Indeed, neither
+general could tell how things were going. For a long time both
+armies kept at a respectful distance, under the evident apprehension
+that somebody would get injured. In short, there was a great deal of
+good ammunition wasted, and a great deal of wild and harmless firing
+done. And just as we were about to proclaim a great victory over the
+enemy--for many far-sighted persons declared they could see Mr.
+Beauregard and his men with the toes of their boots turned towards
+Richmond--a strange chapter of accidents occurred and changed the
+whole scene. A number of our brave boys got killed, a greater number
+got hurt, and a still greater number got frightened and thought it
+high time to look to their own safety. A backward movement, not
+ordered by our gallant general, began, and this soon resolved itself
+into a grand race for Washington, where, it was thought, shelter and
+safety were to be found behind its forts. What caused this sudden
+backward movement still remains an undecided question. It was first
+noticed among a regiment of brave Pennsylvanians, who had been
+homesick for several days, and wanting to go home, started for that
+purpose. The example of these gallant fellows was soon followed by
+our Congressmen, editors, and citizens generally, each leaving his
+stock of luxuries, and, indeed, everything he had, as a
+peace-offering to the enemy, and resolved not to be outdone in the
+race, especially in a case where it was made so clear that
+discretion was the better part of valor. Indeed, these distinguished
+non-fighting gentlemen proved themselves remarkably fleet of foot,
+and not to be outdone in a race where personal safety was at stake.
+But the worst of it was that their example was at once imitated by a
+regiment of fierce Zouaves, from New York, who firmly believed, when
+they went out to meet the enemy, that they were more than a match
+for him. It is reported that these fierce Zouaves became very much
+alarmed, and did some of the very best running of the day, under the
+apprehension that they were followed by not less than a troop of
+savage horsemen, better known as the black-horse cavalrymen, whose
+sabres they had no taste for. But I have always been of opinion, my
+son, that these fierce Zouaves were so intent on making the best
+speed they were capable of, that they never looked behind them to
+see if these savage horsemen were men of buckram or real substances.
+I have also heard it intimated that the good speed made by these
+red-legged heroes was owing to the fact that they had left their
+courage at home, and were returning to get it. Another very
+plausible theory I have heard advanced by an Englishman, who had
+very profound ideas as to how war should be carried on and battles
+fought. He very gravely told me (adding that he had undoubted
+authority for his statement), that what set the gallant Zouaves to
+scampering was this: There were a large number among them who had a
+weakness for office-holding. Knowing this, a mischievous member
+started the report that there was a vacancy in the New York
+Custom-house. The fellow could not have done a more rash act, for it
+sent them all scampering off the battle-field, each in the hope of
+being first to gain the prize. Her Majesty's sagacious subject
+contended that this sufficiently accounted for the good speed made
+in retreat by that gallant regiment, and also for its leaving more
+firearms than dead men on the field.
+
+Indeed, my son, each man ran for his life, the excitement increasing
+at every step, until the race became general; and in this way it was
+kept up until our grand army of gallant militiamen reached the
+forts, when they breathed freer and felt safe. This was a dark day
+for Washington and the nation, which became bowed down with sorrow
+and disappointment. The brave general followed his army into
+Washington; and I have heard it intimated that he boasted of having
+the most fleet-footed divisions history had any account of.
+
+You will see, my son, that forts have a moral as well as a material
+effect. The enemy might, had he known our forlorn condition, have
+followed up his victory and marched into Washington with flying
+colors. He was probably restrained by his fears of what we might
+have in store for him when he reached the forts. As to the
+provisions for the feast, we left them for the enemy to enjoy, which
+he did with many thanks to us for the bounty, his own fare being
+very scanty. And now, my son, I shall leave to my artist the task of
+giving you an exact picture of our army as it appeared on its way to
+Washington after the battle of Bull-Run.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+
+
+
+THE wise men of Washington agreed that McDowell was not the general
+we took him for, so we sent for George B. McClellan, who had been
+whipping the rebels up in Northern Virginia. We felt sure that he
+was the man who would whip the rebels for us, and gain us victories;
+who would dispel the gloom hanging over the land, and bring us
+plenty of sunshine. Indeed, my son, the nation began to feel very
+happy in the possession of such a man; for, according to the
+newspapers, he had displayed remarkable military traits when only a
+boy, such as great attention to the study of maps, and the making of
+little dirt piles. It was also added that while yet a youth he was
+very obedient to his father, and affectionately fond of his mother.
+And these excellent traits of character, in one so young, it was
+held by our wise men, must, when improved and enlarged by manhood,
+make the man, who had given his mind to the study of arms a great
+general. So, my son, you see what an opportunity there is before
+you.
+
+Well, George came to us flush from the field of his glories, and we
+proceeded at once to make him a hero before he had made us an army.
+The nation recovered from its disappointment, the sky brightened,
+the people began to send into the capital troops of a different
+sort, and the general we had put our faith in went to work making an
+army--the grand old Army of the Potomac. Now, my son, it was no small
+job to make an army, and when you have made it to so improve its
+drill and discipline that it will stand firm and fight well. It is
+just as necessary, my son, to harden the constitution of a new army
+as it is to so sharpen its digestion that it will relish the
+coarsest of fare. And you can do neither of these things in a day.
+You must also cultivate and improve the courage of a new army. And
+this can only be done by experience in the field. General George
+taught his army to do all these things, and do them well. And the
+nation felt grateful to him for what he was doing, and sang songs in
+his praise. And the army respected and loved General George. And
+General George loved and was proud of his army. The sky of our hopes
+brightened then, and the nation rejoiced and felt strong again. We
+all felt that when spring came Mr. Beauregard and his men would be
+driven to the wall; that we should march on and take Richmond; and
+that General George was just the man to do it all for us.
+
+Then an evil hour came. The nation got in an impatient mood. And
+while General George was hardening the constitution of his army on
+the banks of the Potomac, a great many restless, discontented, and
+evil-disposed persons sprang up, declared that he was no general at
+all, and that to command armies was the business of politicians, not
+soldiers. During war every nation has its mischievous men, who, to
+create notoriety for themselves, make war in their own way on the
+great soldiers who are struggling to preserve its honor. These men
+were our misfortune. They proceeded to make war on General George,
+to persecute him, and to destroy his usefulness with the army. These
+men affected to know a great deal about war; but I noticed, my son,
+that they were very unwilling to shoulder a musket and face the
+enemy. They wanted General George to move on in the middle of
+winter, drive Mr. Beauregard out of Manassas, and take Richmond. And
+all this while the mud was so deep that he could not drag his wagons
+through it. George very sensibly refused to destroy his army in this
+way. Indeed, he foresaw that to follow their advice would be to
+bring the nation to grief a second time. This increased the
+discontent and opposition of his enemies, who regarded it a great
+grievance that a general would not follow their advice.
+
+But George was not to be driven into the mud by a set of meddlesome
+civilians, who knew nothing about war. And to show them that he was
+not, he kept his army quiet, on the banks of the Potomac, all
+winter. And in this position he contemplated Mr. Beauregard, and Mr.
+Beauregard contemplated him, separated by twenty miles of mud. We
+had not got our war eyes open then, my son. In truth, we had but a
+very imperfect idea of what an amount of resistance a resolute and
+determined foe, standing on the defensive, can offer.
+
+When it was spring, and the birds had come back to us, and the
+prospect looked bright and cheering, and the hopes of the nation ran
+high, George mounted his horse, and, picking up his army, moved out
+in the direction of Richmond, taking the overland route. He sent
+word to Mr Beauregard to wait until he came and he would thrash him
+out of Manassas. But Mr. Beauregard was not inclined to accommodate
+George with a fight at that particular point, where his elbows were
+so exposed, and stepped quietly out by the back door before George
+got there. In short, all George saw of Mr. Beauregard and his men
+was the tails of their coats and the heels of their boots, away in
+the shadowy distance. People said Mr. Beauregard did not do the
+clean thing to slip away in such a manner. And there were those who
+scolded General George for letting him get off in this shabby way;
+but how he was to prevent it I never could see. Mr. Beauregard was
+kind enough to leave us an army of log houses, and his smouldering
+camp fires, around which a number of sooty negroes were grouped,
+shivering and forlorn. And these were all we had to be thankful to
+him for.
+
+A great storm arose while we were at Manassas. Snow, rain, and hail
+fell, the wind blew cold and piercing, and the face of the country
+became melancholy. And the army became melancholy, and sick, for it
+was stuck in the mud, and was suffering for something to eat, though
+so near Washington. And the poor animals got sick, and began dying,
+for there was nothing for them to eat. There was no following Mr.
+Beauregard to Richmond over such a muddy road, which looked very
+long then, and very dangerous. George was put to his wits to know
+what to do next. There was no persuading Mr. Beauregard to stop long
+enough to let us strike him square in the stomach, so George hit
+upon a great plan, whereby wonders were to be worked in the art of
+strategy. He conceived the grand idea of taking his army to sea,
+avoiding the mud, and after enjoying a pleasant voyage, finding a
+shorter and better road to Richmond. We all know at what a
+disadvantage you can take a man when you get in his rear. George
+felt that if he could take advantage of this on an enlarged plan he
+could have Mr. Beauregard just where he wanted him. That is, if he
+could get in his rear before he got to Richmond, he would have him
+and his men hived, and could give them a good thrashing, and then
+step quietly in and take the city. But it is not so easy a matter to
+get in the rear of a gentleman who keeps his eyes open. Nor, my son,
+have I ever before heard that it was wise in a great general to
+perform a feat in grand circle sailing to gain an advantage over an
+adversary who occupied the same roads with him. But George made up
+his mind that he knew better than all of us, so he took his army to
+sea, became a great navigator as well as a general, and sailed for
+the Peninsula, where some good friend had told him there were finer
+weather and harder roads.
+
+The greatest of generals, my son, are liable to disappointment. They
+may drive the enemy, and win victories; but they cannot control the
+elements. That was what bothered George. It was all very pleasant to
+give his army an airing at sea, but when he was safely landed on the
+Peninsula, he found himself further from Richmond than when he
+started. Instead of mud he found dangerous quicksands, into which
+his army plunged and sank almost out of sight. And there was no
+better weather on the Peninsula than at Manassas. His cavalrymen,
+when they had got their sea-legs off, and mounted, cut a sorry
+figure in the quicksand. And his artillery sunk above its boots.
+Indeed it was with the greatest difficulty his army could be kept on
+the surface. There was no getting a firm understanding.
+
+When George had got his army "all ashore," he set out on his grand
+journey to Richmond. But when he had waded for twenty miles or so
+through quicksands, he halted before a little old town called
+Yorktown. Now the old women along the road told George that he had
+better have nothing to do with Yorktown, that Yorktown was not much
+account anyhow, and not worth spending much powder on. They told him
+also that although Mr. Beauregard had not been seen, there was one
+General Johnson, who had just come to town with a large army; and
+had made no end of sand heaps, and put mighty big guns on them. That
+he would not find it so easy to get into Yorktown while General
+Johnson sat smoking his pipe behind them big sand heaps. And so it
+proved.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who sat behind the
+great sand heaps at Yorktown, smoking his pipe, and gave our George
+so much trouble. George and he had been old friends and playmates at
+school, where they had played pitch and toss in a harmless way. So
+it is natural to suppose they knew each other's game perfectly well.
+George took the hint given him by the old women along the road, and
+when he got to Yorktown he saw clear enough that his old friend
+Johnston was playing a game of brag with his big sand hills. And to
+show Mr. Johnston that he was not to be outdone in that line of art,
+George, when he had settled his army down in the soft ground, went
+to work satisfying the nation that he could build just as big sand
+heaps as any other general. In short, my son, George found himself
+in a worse predicament than he was in at Manassas, for his friend
+Johnston had a large army, and stronger works than Mr. Beauregard
+left behind him. So his army laid down its guns, and took up the
+spade, and went largely into the ditching and dyking business. He
+made sand heaps bigger than Mr. Johnston's, and stretched them all
+the way across the Peninsula, so that there was no getting on either
+side of him. And when he had done this he mounted them with the
+biggest cannon, which he intended to fire when he got them all up;
+so as to make a magnificent display of substantial fire-works, and
+in that way frighten Mr. Johnston out of town. So careful was George
+not to do his old friend any bodily injury before he got all his
+guns mounted, that he would only exchange compliments with him at
+morning and evening, when few shells would be tossed backward and
+forward, just to preserve what was called the etiquette of war. I
+have sometimes thought these compliments were exchanged with the
+very best of motives, intended only to change the monotony of camp
+life with a little excitement.
+
+When George and his army had toiled hard for nearly a month, had
+thrown up a whole mountain of sand hills, and kept on crying for
+more soldiers, and had got almost all his guns mounted; and was just
+ready to bring Yorktown down about Mr. Johnston's ears, with a grand
+display of substantial fireworks, that general made up his mind not
+to be served in that way. Nor would he accommodate George by waiting
+to see his grand display of fireworks. No, my son, he was not the
+man to be caught at a disadvantage, or waste powder unnecessarily.
+Some kind friend informed him of George's intentions, so he packed
+up his baggage one night, and moved himself off, leaving Yorktown
+and his sand hills as a legacy to George, who was very much
+disappointed at being treated so shabbily by his old friend and
+playmate.
+
+People said General Johnston was a cunning fox, and not to be caught
+in any trap our George could set. But George, like the Irishman, had
+a deal of pluck, and a big heart, and, above both, a great deal of
+chivalry. Now he was anxious that his old friend should not go away
+so shabbily, but come back, and either breakfast with him or
+accommodate him with a fight. So he sent his rough-riders after him,
+and they proceeded at a rapid pace, and came up with him on the
+outskirts of Williamsburg, where General Johnston prepared to fight
+rather than come to breakfast. There both armies came together, and
+a great battle was fought, which lasted two days. There was
+desperate fighting on both sides, and a great many were killed and
+wounded, and a great many more so badly frightened that they kept
+out of the fight, which they held to be a proof of their wisdom.
+
+We gained a great victory over the rebels at Williamsburg, and made
+them feel so ashamed of themselves that they resumed their march
+backwards on the road to Richmond. And this battle and this victory
+attached our good Union soldiers more closely to General George.
+Indeed, my son, they loved him, and looked up to him as a dutiful
+child does to a kind father. They marched up the Peninsula singing
+his praises. And now, my son, let me enjoin you that whenever you
+hear the names of Generals Hancock and Kearney mentioned, respect
+and revere them, for never was American valor more beautifully
+illustrated than by those generals on the field at Williamsburg.
+
+Then General George sent the right wing of his grand army, under
+General Franklin, by water, to West Point, where he fought a battle
+with General Johnston's rear-guard, and gained another victory. Then
+both armies moved leisurely along, up the Peninsula, in a manner not
+to make the marching uncomfortable. It rained a great deal, and the
+roads were bad, and the enemy resolved not to be hurried. And our
+Government, which was not so wise in war matters then as it got to
+be in time, was not disposed to do anything that might change
+General Johnston's resolution. In fine, our Government seemed to
+have quite as big a quarrel with General George as it had with the
+rebels, and the politicians held it of more importance to destroy
+our own general than the rebel army. The Government was just as fair
+as fair could be in making promises to General George. But then the
+Government seemed to have a short memory, and forgot its promises
+almost as soon as it had made them. It promised to send General
+McDowell, who was not far away, to help George fight the rebels and
+take Richmond. But the Government forgot to do so; and instead, kept
+that gallant officer looking from the hills of Fredericksburg, to
+see if the rebels were coming in that direction. To tell you the
+truth, my son, our Government was so afraid that the rebels would
+turn short around and take Washington, and make prisoners of its
+cabinet officers, that it made "look-out generals" of so many brave
+officers, who had troops under their command, that it had none to
+send General George to assist in taking Richmond. It may however, be
+a consolation to us to know that this would not have been the first
+time, in the history of the world, that fear had cost a great nation
+its fortunes and its glories.
+
+General George marched leisurely along with his brave army until he
+came within four miles of Richmond, where there was a great swamp
+called the Chickahominy. The name of this swamp will be long
+remembered by our brave soldiers of the Army of the Potomac. The
+rain fell like a deluge, and flooded it; and it gave out deadly
+fevers, which brought death and tribulation on our army. And in this
+swamp our army fought the battle of Fair Oaks, and gained another
+grand victory over the enemy. But we had no means of following up
+this victory, and so its effect was lost to us. Then our army
+settled down into this deadly swamp, and wondered and waited for
+nearly a month, until our men got heart-sick and fever-stricken. We
+watched the enemy on the hills beyond; and the enemy watched us in
+the swamp. And we waited until the enemy had brought all his forces
+up into Richmond, and General Lee, his best general, had taken
+command. Things began to look desperate with our George, and he
+began thinking how he should get safely out of the swamp and change
+his base. How was he to fight Mr. Lee with all his strength, when
+the strength we ought to have sent him was kept at a safe distance
+looking on? George saw that the glories of Williamsburg, of West
+Point, of Hanover Court House, and of Fair Oaks would have to be
+thrown away because the wisdom of the nation would not send us aid.
+
+This, my son, was the day of our tribulation. The people were
+strong, and the army represented the people. I wish, my son, that I
+could say also that the Government was strong. But the army, if it
+was sick, had not lost its courage, nor its love for the general who
+commanded it.
+
+General Lee then came out with his strong and powerful army and
+fought us at Gaines's Mill, where he beat us after a desperate
+battle. We might as well confess that we were beaten, and badly
+beaten, in that battle; and that we had to make the best we could of
+our defeat, and get across the Chickahominy Swamp as quick as we
+could, and turn our backs on it forever, for we had filled it with
+the graves of our brave soldiers. George was sanguine, had great
+confidence in the endurance of his army, and looked forward to the
+future with faith and hope. He did not want to acknowledge that he
+was beaten at Gaines's Mill; but the nation made up its mind that he
+was. Indeed, the nation could not comprehend the principle of
+generalship that claimed a victory, and at the same time made a
+change of base necessary in the face of an advancing enemy. But
+George got his army safe across the Chickahominy, though in some
+confusion, and instead of driving the enemy to the wall, as he had
+promised us he would do, the enemy began driving him to the James
+River.
+
+Like the Irishman who had twice got his head broken, but was
+unwilling to say he was beaten, George continued to show General Lee
+that our army was still full of pluck.
+
+So he turned round and thrashed the enemy right soundly at Savage's
+Station, at White Oak Swamp, and at Malvern Hill--just to show that
+he could do it. These are places, my son, you shall read of in
+history. And the glories of the battles fought at them shall become
+brighter and brighter as we contemplate them; and new lustre will
+shed on the names of the officers who fought them, and set such
+noble examples of courage to their men. It was George's misfortune
+that he fought these battles and gained these victories while his
+army was moving backward instead of forward--while seeking a place of
+safety instead of driving the enemy to seek one. This makes a great
+difference with the public, which does not generally study the rules
+of strategy, and does not like to see an army fall back after it has
+gained what its commander claims to be a great victory.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+POPE DID IT.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, you have an exact portrait of the great general who
+was brought to Washington to command all our armies, and to keep us
+from making any more military mistakes. He is presented to you just
+as he sat in his easy chair, confounding the rules of war and
+bringing confusion on the army. This great general, though he had
+never fought a battle, except on paper, brought with him from the
+West a new and much enlarged plan for taking Richmond.
+
+General George was on the banks of the James River, with his army,
+pointing with his sword toward Richmond, as the heart of the
+rebellion, and offering to take it for us if we would only send him
+twenty-five thousand fresh men, which very reasonable proposal we
+declined. Indeed the general we had placed in the easy chair at
+Washington, over George, declared it as his solemn conviction that
+Richmond was not to be taken in any such way. That an army so near
+Richmond could not take it with advantage. That objective points
+must be reached over the right road, not the wrong one. That General
+George, having taken his army to Richmond over the wrong road, must
+bring it back over the same wrong road, and then proceed on his
+travels over the right road. That Richmond, unless approached over
+the right road could not be taken in the right way. That General
+George had deceived us, inasmuch as his plan had too much strategy
+in it, and not enough straight lines. That Richmond, to be taken in
+the right way, must be taken by a new general, with a new army, and
+according to new ideas. That it was better to keep Washington from
+being taken than to take Richmond, though we had a large army
+knocking at its gates. This was the military logic of our new
+Commander-in-Chief. And this was the great Commander-in-Chief who
+was to conduct the war for us on enlarged principles and keep the
+nation safe against blunders.
+
+This great general, then, when he had got comfortably settled in his
+easy chair, must needs show the people what faith he had in his new
+plan. So he ordered little George to pack up his baggage, stop
+knocking at the enemy's back door, and bring his army back to
+Washington on transports. Of course the rebels were very thankful to
+him for this act of kindness, as it evinced a disposition to conduct
+the war for their benefit. With General George and his army on their
+way to Washington by ship, Richmond was no longer besieged. And then
+the rebel army was at liberty to go where it pleased. And it very
+soon pleased General Lee to march it against Washington at a rapid
+pace, and over the shortest road. We had an army at sea, and a
+number of others we did not know just exactly where. So things
+military began to get so confused that the people did not understand
+them. They were requested to be patient, however, and patient they
+had to be.
+
+Well, my son, we brought the scattered battalions we had on their
+front together at the forts, and soon formed a good fighting army.
+But where was the new general to lead it to victory for us? The
+government cast about it for a man, and at last fixed its eye on
+Pope. He was the shining star among generals, the man to take the
+buckrum out of the rebels for us. And it was said of this great
+general that he possessed uncommon virtues. His friends laid
+numerous feats of valor at his door, and the whole history of war
+was ransacked to find another such a hero. He had captured Islands,
+whipped rebel armies (I have forgotten how many), and bagged
+invisible prisoners enough to satisfy a Napoleon. This great
+general, too, was remarkable for his modesty; and he was also a man
+of strict veracity. Yes, my son, considering the times, he was a
+rare example of a man who never boasts of his achievements, nor
+claims a feather that belongs to another man's cap. Such were the
+virtues of this great general.
+
+Well, my son, we sent for him to come to Washington and take care of
+us, and he came.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+HOW THE NEW GENERAL CAME TO TOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY artist has drawn you an exact picture of the manner in which this
+great general entered the capital of the nation. The skies
+brightened, and the country felt safe again at the thought of having
+such a hero. Children laughed and gamboled, and said the rebels
+would get it now Pope had come to town. Dogs ran out, and barked,
+and snapped for joy. The crowd pressed forward to look at him, and
+policemen, for once, had enough to do. Fair women waived
+handkerchiefs and threw him kisses. And many were they who marvelled
+that so great a soldier had remained so long undiscovered. You see,
+my son, we are a people much given to excitement, and when we get to
+heaping honors on a man we do it without mercy. Hence it pleased us
+much when we saw Pope come to town amidst the beating of drums and
+the blowing of horns. That was the way he came.
+
+I have spoken of this great general's modesty, my son. It will also
+be necessary for me to inform you that he introduced a new idea in
+war, one worthy of being added to the regulations, and that was that
+every general should be his own trumpeter, as well as keep a number
+of trumpeters in his employ.
+
+Then Pope went out to see and have a talk with his army. He also
+published a grand order to his soldiers, which will stand as a great
+curiosity in our war literature, as long as the history of the
+rebellion, for its wisdom astonished the people. He told them the
+war had been carried on after a strange fashion, which he intended
+should be changed. He enjoined them, in a word, neither to look to
+the right nor the left, but to keep straight ahead, with their steel
+sharp and their powder dry. And when they got near enough to the
+enemy to see the color of his eye, then deliver their lead right
+square into his stomach. That was the way war must be carried on.
+Our army must look only to the front, keep its eye open, and forget
+that there was such a thing as its rear.
+
+This was highly encouraging to those politicians who said our army
+must get to Richmond over the shortest road. After what I have said,
+my son, you will not fail to see what a great general this Pope was.
+Great generals were not generally generous enough to intrust the
+care of their rear to the enemy. But this was not all. He
+established his headquarters in the saddle, and told his soldiers
+they would always find him there. My opinion has always been, though
+I have never had much to do with war, that the general who
+establishes his headquarters in the saddle, was not always to be
+found when you wanted him. In short, the saddle is a very uncertain
+locality, and very difficult to find when you have information to
+convey, and orders to receive; both of which may be necessary during
+a battle. I rode an hour once to find a general whose headquarters
+were in the saddle, and did n't find him after all.
+
+When, then, this great general had shown us how the rebels were to
+be whipped, he went out to take command of his army. And again there
+was great blowing of horns and beating of drums. And when he had got
+his headquarters firmly established in the saddle, he invited the
+enemy to come forward and get whipped. And the enemy came forward in
+all their strength,--fierce and earnest, and a great and bloody
+battle was fought on the plains of Manassas. And when they had
+fought for three days General Pope declared his new method of
+carrying on the war was a great success; that he had got the rebels
+just where he wanted them, and would have them all in his trap for
+us to-morrow. We all threw up our caps and felt so happy at this
+good news. But our hopes were dashed to the ground again, and it
+turned out that our Pope had made a slight mistake. It was the
+rebels who had got him just where they wanted. The saddle was not a
+good place from which to see what the enemy were doing. And as Pope
+had given no heed to his rear, General Lee very wisely took the
+responsibility of giving that important position his attention.
+
+When, then, to-morrow came, our general, who was to give the rebels
+such a whipping for us, found them in his rear, on his flank,
+everywhere but where he wanted them. The very natural result of this
+was that his army resolved itself into a state of confusion, and in
+that manner came scampering back on Washington, leaving its
+commander to take care of himself, which he did, though with the
+loss of his wardrobe. It has been hinted that he returned to
+Washington a much wiser general than when he left it.
+
+The nation was again brought to grief, and fear and disorder reigned
+in Washington. People were heard to say that Pope had made a
+prodigious failure, and was not the general we took him for, or he
+never would have let his army run away from him in this way. Others
+declared he had opened the gates of the city to the enemy, and
+invited him to walk in. And it was not with feelings of
+encouragement that they saw gunboats move up and take position where
+they could check the enemy's approach. Never did general lose his
+laurels so quickly. Indeed, my son, when he returned to Washington,
+with little else than his saddle, there was not a dog to bark him a
+welcome, nor a chambermaid to wave a napkin in his honor.
+
+Timid people fancied every hour of the day that they could see the
+rebel army deploying over the hills of Arlington, and loud calls
+were made for a general who could save us. But we had something
+better than a mere general to save us. We had the grim and silent
+strength of the forts. And these the enemy dare not approach. Their
+effect on the enemy was manifest and he turned aside from them, and
+passed up into Maryland, victorious and defiant.
+
+I ought to tell you, my son, that while Pope was illustrating the
+beauties of his new plan at the front, and bringing confusion on our
+arms, General George arrived with his good old army of the Potomac,
+which still loved him, still worshipped him as its hero. And just
+when he was most needed, to save Pope from his disaster, the
+government relieved him of his command, as if to increase the
+confusion already prevailing. The army felt this as a slight offered
+to itself, and called loudly for the restoration of its favorite
+general. And then the general, whose portrait I have placed at the
+head of a previous chapter, and who sat in his easy chair in
+Washington, and brought our armies to grief, called loudly for
+General George to come and help him out of his trouble. This, you
+will see, my son, was first tying a man's hands, and then asking him
+to come and help whip a giant.
+
+Yes, my son, there was toil and trouble enough in Washington just
+then; and the errors our wise men had committed were like witches
+rising up and haunting them. It is said that the little bell-ringer
+of the State Department had his traps packed up, and ready to move;
+and that fear had made the burly man in the War Department civil.
+Newly recruited volunteers, well fed, well clothed, and fresh
+looking, were marching into the city with colors flying and drums
+beating. The militia, which had come to Washington to do ornamental
+duty for thirty days, were marching home with colors flying and
+drums beating. Neither of these could give us relief in our trouble.
+The nation had only the good old army of the Potomac to lean upon in
+this its day of trouble. And how few of us, my son, think of this
+matter properly, or are willing to give the brave men, who composed
+that army, credit for what they had done. Like the English, we are
+an exacting people, and inclined to ask too much of those who fight
+our battles. Some of our public men were for forgetting what those
+sun-scorched, ragged, and fever-stricken heroes had done for us on
+the Peninsula, and even for wiping out their record of heroism.
+
+I confess it was to me a sad and touching sight to see these
+soldiers, who had served their country so well, who had suffered in
+swamps, and fought and defeated the enemy, treated with what seemed
+to me criminal indifference in the very capital they had returned to
+save. They muttered their discontent at the loss of their favorite
+commander, but were ready again to go forth, struggle with the
+enemy, and fight for the life of the nation. But not a voice was
+raised by the government to thank them for what they had done, not a
+cheer to welcome their return. You must know, my son, that the
+government was dumb with fear. The ghost of its errors so haunted it
+that its lips were sealed. The people looked on and saw it, in its
+very feebleness, asking for stronger hands to come and help it out
+of its trouble.
+
+There was, my son, but one army and one general that could save the
+nation then. General George was that man, and the army was the good
+old Army of the Potomac. And the government, as if to confess its
+folly in the past, restored General George to his army. And there
+was great rejoicing over the land when this good news went forth to
+the people. And the army took more heart, and rejoiced also; and
+great was its rejoicing. The soldiers had confidence in him, and
+knew he could lead them to victory. Then he placed himself at their
+head and marched out in pursuit of the enemy, who was advancing
+triumphantly into the North. And who among us can tell what changes
+there would have been in our political and social condition had not
+the advance of this bold and triumphant enemy been checked by some
+strong hand? I have often thought, my son, that if the people of a
+republic were as ready to credit great men with the good they really
+do, as they are to search their characters for faults, we should
+have less pretenders and a better government.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A BRIGHTER PROSPECT.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU have here an exact picture of the brave Franklin, who commanded
+the gallant old Sixth Corps, which deserves a bright place in the
+history of the Army of the Potomac.
+
+When Pope had finished his job for us, and shown us what a hero he
+was, the government, in the exercise of its wisdom, sent him into
+the far West to fight the Indians, where he could, with propriety,
+establish his headquarters in the saddle.
+
+Franklin, who had been relieved of his command, for no one exactly
+knew what, was now restored to it, to the great joy of the old Sixth
+Corps. Soldiers fight better under a general they know and have
+confidence in; and they are the best judges as to who is the most
+competent to lead them. Franklin and his gallant corps fell in with
+the enemy, posted in a strong position on the South Mountain, at
+Crampton's Gap, and after a fierce fight, drove him from it and over
+into the valley, sometimes charging up the steeps with the bayonet.
+This was quite an important success, my son, since it checked the
+enemy's advance, and caused him to fall back on the plains of
+Antietam, and form his army in line of battle. Indeed, he so far
+mistook this movement as to believe it an attempt to get in his
+rear.
+
+This gleam of success, gained by Franklin, inspired the nation with
+new hope. Yes, my son, and it cheered the hearts of our brave
+soldiers, restored their strength, and gave them new confidence.
+Then General George formed his army in line on the plains of
+Antietam, and a great and bloody battle was fought, and the rebel
+army beaten and put to flight. Pay no heed, my son, to what the
+prejudiced may say of this battle. It was one of the greatest
+battles fought during the war. All honor to the brave soldiers who
+fought it. Our troops, too, were handled with great skill, and the
+world never saw better generalship than our George displayed. Yes,
+my son, Antietam was our Waterloo, fought at a time when the nation
+needed a victory most; and the general who fought it ought never to
+be forgotten by his country. When, then, George had gained this
+victory for us, had beaten and driven the enemy from all his
+positions, and caused the nation to rejoice, he halted to give his
+brave soldiers rest and repair damages. His losses were great, and
+he had compassion on his soldiers, for many of them were without
+shoes and had little raiment. In truth, my son, these brave, abused,
+and war-worn soldiers had only the well-worn shoes and clothes they
+had made the campaign of the Peninsula in.
+
+George pleaded the necessity of his soldiers as a reason for his
+delay, and very justly. But this pleased neither the government nor
+the politicians whose bitterest prejudices seemed to control it.
+These gentlemen urged that he follow the enemy at once and capture
+him, a piece of strategy not so easily accomplished as many think.
+In short, we were in no position to follow the enemy until we got
+shoes and raiment for our brave soldiers. Nor could we have added
+much to our success by following General Lee and his men, who had an
+open country before them, until we were well prepared to engage them
+in another battle. When, however, George got his army ready, he
+moved directly on the enemy, and his soldiers were in the best of
+spirits, for we had got General Lee and his men in a position where
+he would be compelled to fight another battle, with the advantages
+in our favor. Now I don't say, my son, that George would have won
+this battle, but by fighting it he would have exposed the enemy's
+real weakness, and placed him in a very bad position. But the
+government, as if more willing to promote the prejudices of
+politicians than to preserve the honor of our arms, resolved not to
+let George fight another battle. Yes, my son, it removed him from
+his command, and that, too, when he was close up with the enemy, and
+was expecting every day to engage him in battle. I do not remember
+that history records another instance where the commander of an
+army, that had just gained a great victory, was so disgraced by his
+own government.
+
+The enemy could not have inflicted a more severe blow on our brave
+army than was done by this act of our own government. A feeling of
+disappointment and sorrow ran through the ranks, and the brave men
+who had fought under and loved their commander, wept at the
+injustice that took him away from them. It will, in time, be made
+clear, my son, that the government committed a great crime against
+our army by this act. It cannot be wisdom to remove a commander, so
+popular with his army as George B. McClellan was, especially when
+that army was on the eve of a battle. Such an act is sure to excite
+dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction destroys discipline. Nor should
+such a commander be removed at so critical a time unless the
+government were prepared to fill his place with one of equal, if not
+superior capacity. A general, to hope for success, must have the
+confidence and respect of his troops. To remove one who has, and
+fill his place with one who has not, is a crime than which none can
+be greater. It is a crime against the brave men whose lives are at
+the risk of the capacity of their commander. Our government
+committed this crime when it gave the command of the army of the
+Potomac to General Burnside. That general was the best judge of what
+he could do, and freely confessed his incapacity for so high a
+command. But the government was not to be put off by this confession
+of weakness on the part of a general, preferring to reward him for
+his honesty, and make no account of his capacity. I accept this, my
+son, as the only reason why General Burnside was given so high a
+command. As for his capacity as a general, he gave us a proof of
+that when he let the rebels fall back, and get well fortified at
+Fredericksburg. To show, however, what a general could do by
+attempting impossibilities, he sent the brave army of the Potomac to
+be slaughtered by an enemy covered with stone walls. I tell you, my
+son, it was a dark day for the nation when that was done. It
+multiplied our misfortunes, gave a deeper wound to our grief and
+sorrow, and brought disgrace on our arms.
+
+I will pass over these misfortunes as lightly, my son, as possible,
+hoping only that they will serve us as a warning in the future.
+Having buried Burnside deep under the misfortunes of his own
+incapacity, the question again came up, where shall we find a
+general to do up these rebels for us, and gain us a little victory?
+The great Grant was doing wonders for us in the West. He was bold,
+earnest, and brave. And this was the secret of his success. But in
+the East we were sorely troubled for some one who could do
+something.
+
+General Hooker was brave and bold. But, my son, he had such a
+weakness for blowing his own trumpet. Yes, he could blow it as loud
+and as long as any trumpeter you ever listened to--Pope excepted. He
+had declared of himself that he was just the man to lead our army to
+victory, and give the enemy a sound thrashing. It was true, this
+general had been very insubordinate. He had said a number of things,
+neither wise nor polite, of his superiors. And he had set an example
+to his soldiers not inclined to improve their discipline. As,
+however, he had declared himself the man to lead our army to
+victory, and the government wanted just such a man, it took the
+general at his word, and gave him the command.
+
+There were some people, my son, unkind enough to say, and say
+boldly, that the government did this strange act more to show its
+appreciation of insubordination than out of respect to his capacity
+to discharge successfully the duties of his high position. When,
+however, the general had talked himself into the very best opinion
+of himself, he went to work nursing his grand army into good order.
+Yes, my son, the old army of the Potomac was a grand army, and
+General Hooker declared it was the finest on the face of the globe.
+And he nursed it into good order on the left bank of the
+Rappahannock, from December, 1862, to early April, 1863. The general
+could get up of a morning, and enjoy a look at his old friend Lee,
+quietly domiciled on the opposite bank. And General Lee could get up
+of a morning, and do the same. Both generals regarded this as a very
+harmless and pleasant way of spending the winter, while carrying on
+the war. They would, at times, it is true, exchange compliments of a
+belligerent nature. But this was only to give a lively turn to the
+state of affairs around Fredericksburg. They were, I can assure you,
+my son, not intended to harm any one.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+CHANCELLORVILLE, AND THE CURIOUS FIGHT WE HAD THERE.
+
+
+
+
+
+I AM sure my friends will all be anxious to see a portrait of the
+great general who fought the great battle of Chancellorville. And my
+artist has been particularly careful to present them with a good
+one.
+
+Chancellorville was a strangely fought battle, my son; I have
+various good reasons for saying this, but, perhaps, it is best that
+as little as possible be said concerning them.
+
+When spring came, and the roads were dry, and the robins had begun
+to sing in the trees, and the buds to put forth, General Hooker
+began to feel strong, and full of battle. He said to his officers
+that they must get their courage up, and be ready for a big fight,
+every one in his own way. And to his men he said, that they must
+have plenty of powder in their pouches, and not be afraid to use it.
+A general to be successful, my son, must have confidence in himself.
+General Hooker had confidence in himself, and felt that he could
+whip the rebels out of their boots any fine morning. Hence it was,
+that feeling in a fighting humor one morning in early April, he
+picked up his army, and, crossing the stream, went in pursuit of the
+enemy. He found the enemy posted in the woods near Chancellorville,
+where he engaged him in a fierce and desperate battle. But the
+general's plan, if he had any, soon got out of his head, and it
+became apparent that he was fighting the battle in so strange a
+manner that no one could understand it. In truth, the general set
+aside the established rules of war early in the battle, and went
+back to first principles. These give every man the right to fight in
+his own way, and is beautifully illustrated in an army fighting
+without orders. I am told, my son, on very good authority, that
+these "first principles," as applied to fighting battles, never were
+better developed than at Chancellorville. I am afraid, my son, we
+shall never get a complete and accurate history of that
+extraordinary battle, for the reason that no historian will be found
+capable of describing it. It is certain that the battle had not
+raged long when our army was in a state of uncertainty and
+confusion. Sometimes the fight was between different brigades or
+divisions of our own troops, who were as often brought face to face.
+The enemy liked this, for it helped him to fight the battle without
+reinforcements, and saved him a deal of trouble and loss. When we
+had got a great many men killed in this way, and a great many more
+severely hurt, the great question arose as to who had won the
+battle, and who got whipped. There can be little doubt as to the
+impression made on General Lee's mind on this point. General Hooker
+was sure he had gained a great victory, and yet he was not so sure.
+I say he was not so sure, since he found it necessary, before
+settling the question, to withdraw his army to his old quarters on
+the other side of the river. It is clear that the general's
+reflections would be less disturbed in his old quarters, and, with a
+river separating him from the enemy, he could form a more correct
+judgment as to whether he had beaten the enemy, or the enemy had
+beaten him. Feeling, however, that it would not do to let it get out
+that the enemy had beaten him, he resolved that it must be true that
+he had beaten the enemy. This was about the most accommodating
+settlement he could arrive at. But, accepting this in good faith, I
+never could see the necessity for our haste to get back to our old
+quarters on the hills, notwithstanding the general's friends said it
+looked like rain, and he was anxious to get his army over before the
+shower came on. I have noticed, also, that the rebel army, when
+beaten, generally fell back in the direction of Richmond. In this
+instance, however, he held his positions, beat his drums, blew his
+horns, fluttered his flags, and was altogether the most defiant of
+vanquished enemies. I noticed, also, that this vanquished enemy
+packed his knapsacks, put his ammunition in order, and marched off,
+not backwards, in the direction of Richmond, but forward, in the
+direction of the North.
+
+Yes, my son, the enemy marched defiantly into Pennsylvania, and sent
+the peaceable Dutchmen in that remote part of the country into a
+state of great alarm. And this I accept as the best proof that the
+rebels were not beaten at Chancellorville. I am sure, also, that
+General Hooker had sufficient reason to share this opinion with me.
+He always had the rebels just where he wanted them, and yet I
+observed that he failed to bring them to a stand before they got on
+the free soil of Pennsylvania. Every honest Dutchman in the State
+was convinced in his own mind that General Hooker, if he had been
+the general he ought to be, should have driven the enemy into some
+remote corner of Virginia, and kept him there.
+
+The military atmosphere was still full of confusion and uncertainty.
+And things seemed getting worse every day. Strange as it may seem,
+the government continued making extensive efforts to further the
+object of the rebel general. Fortunately for the nation, our wise
+rulers waked up one morning fully convinced that General Lee was in
+earnest, that he was already on the free soil of a northern State,
+with a favorable prospect for making a settlement there. The
+government also suddenly discovered that General Hooker, although a
+brave soldier and all that, was not the man to command a great army.
+So the government relieved him and sent him into elegant retirement,
+a custom very common at that time.
+
+Then the government appointed General Meade to the command of the
+grand old army of the Potomac. Of this general little had been
+known. Still, the nation felt relieved at the change. Now, General
+Meade was a polished gentleman, a brave and good soldier, who had
+fought on the Peninsula under McClellan and commanded the
+Pennsylvania Reserves. To place a new general in command of an army
+at a time when that army is in face of the enemy and expects every
+minute to engage him in battle, is one of the most dangerous
+experiments a government can indulge in. It is also one well
+calculated to test to their utmost the qualities of the general
+placed so suddenly in command.
+
+It was the 1st of July, 1863, General Meade took command of the Army
+of the Potomac, and posted it in order of battle on the hills and
+plains around Gettysburg. There the two armies stood, the Union and
+the Rebel, than whom there was none braver, awaiting for the signal
+for the clash of arms. Then a great battle began and lasted three
+days. And there was desperate fighting and great valor displayed on
+both sides, and the field was strewn with the dead and wounded. And
+the battle of Gettysburg was a great battle, and the Union army of
+patriots gained a great and glorious victory over the rebels. Yes,
+my son, and what was more, we celebrated it on the 4th of July. And
+the people of the North were glad of heart, and rejoiced
+exceedingly, and sang praises to General Meade, for he had fought
+the battle well and won his country's gratitude.
+
+Still, my son, we hesitated, and failed to take advantage of our
+success. In truth, we let the rebel army re-cross the Potomac at its
+leisure, although we might have given it serious trouble had we
+pressed it at once. Indeed, there were a great number of people who
+expected General Meade to either drive the rebel army into the
+Potomac or capture it. But military men know that capturing a large
+army, though it may have been beaten in battle, is not so easy a
+matter. And even a victorious army, after fighting so great a
+battle, needs rest and time to improve its shattered condition.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+HANGING IN THE BALANCE.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who fought the
+great battle of Gettysburg. When he had rested his army a sufficient
+time he began moving in pursuit of the enemy. The rebel general fell
+back into old Virginia, taking his time as he went along, and being
+in no temper to hasten his steps. In short, we followed him back
+timidly to Orange Court House, where he made a settlement for the
+winter. There was a good deal of small fighting done during the
+autumn and winter, but neither side seemed to gain any advantage.
+The fate of war hung in the balance. If we gained an advantage one
+day, the enemy would do something to offset it on the next. This
+state of things was a source of great grief to the nation. The
+people wanted something more positive for the great amount of life
+and treasure they were wasting. They called for more earnestness and
+more resolution on the part of our generals, and a better system of
+carrying on the war on the part of the authorities at Washington.
+So, my son, the people's impatience was at length heeded, and when
+spring came (I mean the spring of 1864), and the people were weary
+of the war, and demanded a change in the policy of conducting it, so
+that an end be put to it as speedily as possible, the government
+began to wake up to its duty. We had fought battles for two years
+and hung the nation in mourning, and still Washington was as often
+in danger as Richmond. Indeed, the fortune of war seemed in favor of
+Richmond. Then the government began to see that if we would gain
+victories our armies must be commanded by soldiers, not politicians.
+
+Yes, my son, the people were excited to joy when the government
+changed its military policy, and the great General Grant was brought
+to Washington and placed in command of all our armies. The sun of
+our hopes brightened then, for the people had confidence in that
+general. He had whipped the rebels so well for us in the West, and
+he had gained for us so many glorious victories.
+
+And now, my son, we come to this remarkable siege of Washington. I
+say remarkable, for it is destined to stand on the pages of military
+history without anything to compare with it. Not that it was as
+bloody, or that the city was as obstinately attacked and defended as
+heroically, as some other cities that have been besieged, in ancient
+as well as modern times. But you must know that sieges, like
+battles, derive their great importance and all that makes them
+remembered hereafter, not so much from the amount of blood that has
+been shed during them, not so much from the impetuosity of the
+attacks made or the heroic defences, as from the manner in which
+they affect the fate of nations. Some sieges are remarkable for one
+thing, some another. The siege of Washington was more remarkable for
+the manner in which the city was defended than the manner in which
+it was attacked. No fields were fertilized with carnage, nor banners
+bathed in blood.
+
+You, remember, my son, the tale of storied Troy, with all its "pomp
+and circumstance of glorious war." But, my son, it has never seemed
+to me more interesting than the passage of Thermopyl‘. Nor will
+Agamemnon live in history after Leonidas is forgotten. And yet these
+events in ancient war were small compared with the battles our Grant
+fought. His deeds will brighten as you read of them in history, and
+become greater than them all.
+
+And now, my son, let us hie to the siege of Washington. Washington
+was besieged and Washington was saved; and the history of its
+salvation must not perish. Rome, you know, was saved by the cackling
+of a goose. And when I tell you that Washington, the capital city of
+this great nation was saved by the too free use of a barrel of
+whisky, you must not be surprised. When its great circle of
+fortifications, now bristling with cannon, and filled with busy
+soldiers, shall become so many grassy mounds, their history must
+still live to excite the patriotism of those who come after us.
+
+Remember, my son, that had Washington fallen the nation had
+perished. To this remarkable siege, then, and its results, let all
+the succeeding glories of this great Republic be attributed.
+
+As I have told you before, my son, after the first battle of
+Manassas, when our militia did such good running, there was nothing
+to prevent the rebels from entering and capturing it but the few
+hastily constructed forts, or tˆtes de pont, on the Virginia side.
+Nor could these have offered any resistance worth naming. Our
+demoralized troops, however, never halted until they got safe inside
+of them. And but for these forts, weak as they were, the city would
+have fallen. When General McClellan assumed command, he saw at once
+the necessity of properly fortifying the city. And the nation ought
+never to forget him for his decision. Experienced engineers, with
+large gangs of laborers, were set to work throwing up these huge
+masses of earthwork. To this was added the labor of a large number
+of the troops of the Army of the Potomac, during its organization in
+the autumn and winter of 1861 and 1862. When, therefore, the army
+moved for the Peninsula in the spring of 1862, the city was so
+strongly fortified that it was considered safe by General McClellan
+and his corps commanders. That is, my son, if its forts were
+properly garrisoned, and there was a working force of forty thousand
+men. But nothing was safe against the fears of a timid
+administration.
+
+But forts, my son, however strong, are only inert masses. They
+cannot fight themselves; and to give them strength and action they
+require to be properly and fully garrisoned. And the troops in them
+require to be properly instructed in all their duties. Now, my son,
+it was a question with the government, which was very timid at that
+time, whether General George had left, in and around Washington, a
+force sufficient to make the city perfectly safe when he started on
+his memorable campaign. It is the opinion of nearly all our best
+military men that he did. But the politicians got frightened, the
+government got frightened, and the political generals got
+frightened. And all the frightened people got their heads together;
+and they made the President and Secretary of War believe just as
+they believed--that Washington had been "unarmed," and that
+Washington was in danger. Yes, my son, our good-hearted President,
+who was no coward, was sorely troubled about the safety of
+Washington. And his Secretary of War was also much troubled, as was
+common with him on the appearance of danger. And the "Chief of
+Staff" was also in trouble, and went to issuing orders, of a
+memorable kind, few of which were understood, much less obeyed. The
+result of all this was that there was great conflict of action. I
+have no better name to call it by, my son. Hence it was, my son,
+that our good President halted McDowell, and McDowell's corps. And
+both looked on from a distance while General George was fighting
+desperate battles with the enemy. This was the way the War
+Department carried on the war at that time. Now, my son, it is my
+purpose to so instruct you that you will know the whole truth
+concerning the way the war was carried on.
+
+The detention of General McDowell and his corps, while it
+illustrated the great anxiety of the President and Secretary of War
+for the safety of Washington, caused the failure of the campaign on
+the Peninsula. All the sophistry in the world, my son, cannot change
+that decision.
+
+General George, with his army, was driven to the James River, and as
+the enemy, then at Richmond, was between him and General Pope, and
+might strike either at his pleasure, the government's fears about
+Washington so increased that General George was finally recalled
+from the James, to save the capital. The result was, as I have told
+you before, that General Pope was driven back with the wreck of his
+army to the very gates of the capital, and General George arrived
+barely in time to save it. Yes, my son, General George, not only so
+saved the capital, but extricated the government and the Chief of
+Staff out of the difficulties they had brought on themselves.
+
+When, then, the victorious rebel army turned aside from the
+fortifications of Washington, and marched triumphantly into
+Maryland, strong garrisons were left in the forts, and more troops
+were poured into the city to insure its safety. It was, indeed,
+resolved by the government, which began now to profit by experience,
+and by the fact that the capital of the nation had twice been placed
+in extreme peril, that for the future, come what might, it should at
+least be made secure. Experienced officers of rank were placed in
+command of the defenses, north as well as south of the Potomac. The
+troops were drilled constantly, and soon became good artillerists.
+They were also instructed in and soon became efficient in the art of
+defending forts. They studied well, and became familiar with the
+ground in their front; and, what was more than all, they knew their
+guns, and how to fight them. I have been very particular concerning
+these things, my son, because I desire to impress you with their
+future importance.
+
+But alas for the instability of human resolutions! Washington was to
+be exposed, after all.
+
+You will remember, my son, how everybody was seized with admiration
+at the ease with which the great General Grant picked up the Army of
+the Potomac, and moved off with it against the rebels. That was in
+the month of May, 1864. It was then that the army moved against
+Richmond for the last time: that is, not to return to us until it
+had captured that rebel stronghold.
+
+Grant had not gone far when he met a more stubborn resistance than
+he had expected, fought a number of desperate and bloody battles,
+and lost a great many men. Fight and move forward, was his motto, so
+he resolved not to turn his face towards Washington and his back
+towards Richmond, as others had done before him. The terrible waste
+of human life that followed his battles, found him in want of
+recruits. No reserves of any consequence had been organized, and the
+government were sorely troubled to find men to fill the thinned
+ranks of our heroic army. Where were these men to be got from in
+time to be of service?
+
+Think of it, my son, we had 25,000 instructed artillerists in the
+forts around Washington. Here was a temptation hard to be resisted.
+These men could do good service in the field as infantry; and, in an
+evil hour, it was decided to send them to Grant's army for that
+purpose.
+
+Then the great question arose, how were their places to be supplied?
+How were the forts to be defended, in case of attack, without them?
+It would not do to strip the defenses of all troops, and leave the
+forts without garrisons. If we did, the enemy would surely find it
+out, for Washington was full of his spies, and we should come to
+grief. The President, the cabinet, and all the generals, had
+resolved, from the first, that that this must never be done, under
+any contingency.
+
+But what, at the time, was considered a happy thought, seized on the
+government. I have said a happy thought, my son, but it was a very
+unwise one. Let the future historian record it, for it is recorded
+in the dispatches, as well as in the acts of the government.
+
+Yes, my son, it was resolved, first, that Richmond should fall in an
+hundred days, or at least during the summer; second, that to insure
+the fall of Richmond within that time, the experienced troops, then
+in the fortifications of Washington, should be sent to the Army of
+the Potomac; third, that to replace these and other garrisons, a
+call should be made on some of the States for 100,000 militiamen, to
+serve for one hundred days. To the end of developing this grand
+idea, all the old artillery regiments were sent away to Grant. And
+their places were filled by an equal number of "hundred days' men,"
+nice and fresh, fresh and green, mostly from the State of Ohio.
+
+I have no doubt, my son, that it will seem strange to you, as it
+will to all intelligent readers hereafter, that raw troops should
+have been called to defend the capital in the fourth year of a great
+war. But the War Department carried on the war according to this
+method then. The result is not just now very pleasant to
+contemplate; but it was what ordinary foresight might have
+predicted. Our error was the enemy's opportunity, and he quickly
+proceeded to take advantage of it. Washington was in danger, and
+Washington might have been captured with but little trouble had the
+enemy sent the right man to command his troops. How near it came
+being lost, and how accidentally it was saved, I shall record
+hereafter, for the benefit of the future historian.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH.
+
+
+
+
+
+I KNOW you will be anxious to see a portrait of the distinguished
+general who was first assigned to the defense of Washington during
+the siege. And here I have presented you with a very clever one.
+This general, McDowell McCook, chanced to be in the city, when the
+government, becoming alarmed, placed him in command, and sent him
+out to defend the capital. This was unfortunate for the poor
+gentleman, and he at once became alarmed at finding himself in such
+a position, and so near the War Department. The poor man knew
+nothing of the defenses, much less of the roads. And to make the
+matter worse he had no troops to command. What was a general to do
+under such circumstances? Although this distinguished general had
+seen some service, and served his country well in the West, he was
+in no way qualified to fill the position now assigned him. And I am
+inclined to accept this as a reason why the government selected him.
+
+But before I proceed further, my son, I must instruct you as to what
+happened in the Shenandoah Valley just about this time, and which,
+of right, should constitute a part of the siege of Washington. The
+troops in the valley had been commanded by no less than four
+unfortunate generals. Patterson, Banks, Milroy, and Siegel, the last
+from Germany. Of the many misfortunes of these generals, the
+historian who comes after me will give you a more enlarged account
+than I have time or space to do at present. Heaven knows, they were
+manifold.
+
+When, then, Grant moved against the enemy with the Army of the
+Potomac, General Franz Siegel was put at the head of a column at
+Winchester, and marched up the valley with a great flourish of
+trumpets. This German general was in high feather then, and declared
+he would drive the rebels before him, like so many chickens, and
+never stop until he got them all cooped up in Richmond. But the
+rebels were not inclined to submit to this cooping process. Indeed,
+they soon discovered that this General Franz Siegel was not so much
+of a general after all, and that he had an eccentric way of moving
+his troops. So when he had driven them, as he supposed, to
+Newmarket, they turned upon him in a very angry manner, gave him
+battle, defeated him, and forced him back in disorder. This was
+unfortunate for Siegel, and more unfortunate for his German
+admirers, who declared him to be the greatest general of modern
+times. But he had fought this battle so badly that the government
+for once made up its mind that it would be wisdom not to let him try
+his hand at another.
+
+Major-General David Hunter was fixed upon as the right man to reform
+Siegel's disordered army and correct his mistakes. Hunter had
+patriotism enough, and no man doubted his courage. He was earnest in
+the defense of right, even zealous in the cause of his country, and
+quick in the punishment of traitors, with whom he was not in very
+high favor. The general took command of this disordered army, and so
+managed as to get a little discipline and some degree of order into
+it. Now, it has always seemed to me, my son, that you could put a
+general to no more severe trial than to place him at the head of an
+army demoralized by the inefficiency of his predecessor and expect
+him to fight battles and gain victories. And yet General Hunter did
+this and to the satisfaction of the country. Had he been less active
+with the torch, his reward in history would have been much higher.
+
+Well, my son, the general marched with his army, and reorganized it
+as he marched. And he met the enemy, and he fought him, and fought
+him well, and whipped him well, and drove him back up the valley, to
+the very gates of Lynchburg. But there, my son, he stopped. His
+supplies had given out, and the enemy had detached a large force,
+and sent it to reinforce the rebel army at Lynchburg. Our great
+Chief of Staff at Washington had promised that this should not be
+done, without timely notice being sent to Hunter. But it was done,
+and done without any notice being sent by the Chief of Staff, whose
+spies were found wanting when most needed. General Sheridan, too,
+was detached from the Army of the Potomac with two brigades of
+cavalry, and sent to form a junction with and succor Hunter. But the
+Chief of Staff failed to send Hunter any information concerning this
+movement, and hence Hunter was kept in ignorance of its design.
+Sheridan was driven back before superior numbers, and failed to
+carry out the plan of his instructions. Had Hunter received
+information of this movement, he would not only have saved Sheridan
+from defeat, but, having formed a junction with him near
+Charlottesville, could leave beaten the enemy and gone where he
+pleased. So much for what the Chief of Staff ought to have done but
+did not do.
+
+Of course the gates of Lynchburg were swung wide open, and there was
+nothing for the famous Early, who commanded the rebel hosts, to do,
+but to come out and brush Hunter away from before them. And he did
+this, and more than this. He cut Hunter's communications, and sent
+him flying over a different road, to the Ohio River, in search of
+supplies.
+
+And it was now, my son, that the veritable Jubal, known to his old
+classmates at West Point as the late Mr. Early, saw the road open,
+and the great prize before him. Scorning, as it were, to pursue
+Hunter, he marched directly for Washington by the most direct road.
+
+It was early in July, then, when General Early, at the head of his
+rebel hosts, reached and crossed the Potomac. And this movement sent
+the people of Washington into a state of great alarm. The southern
+sympathizers at the capital were in high feather at the prospect of
+Washington being captured by their friends, the rebels. Magnificent
+stories were set afloat, the government got into a state of great
+confusion, and timid people went about shaking their heads, and
+wondering what the War Department was doing. Everybody wanted to do
+something, and yet nobody knew what to do. The Chief of Staff sat in
+his easy chair, and issued orders by the dozen. The Secretary of War
+ran about excited, and issued orders that conflicted with everybody
+else's orders. The President, not to be behind either of them,
+issued orders that agreed with none of them. The great wonder is,
+that some one of these high officials, so much given to issuing war
+orders, did not issue a proclamation, warning Mr. Early that it
+would not be comfortable for him to bring his rebels this way.
+
+I am not prepared to say what effect such a notice would have had on
+Mr. Early, who turned his column in this direction, and, marching
+with great rapidity, was in a few days on the banks of the Monocacy.
+And, as if to increase our alarm, he sent that festive young
+trooper, Harry Gilmore, galloping down into Maryland, where his old
+friends received him with open arms, and entertained him
+sumptuously. Never was hero so entertained by his friends. And when
+this bold trooper had enjoyed the trip, and shared the hospitality
+of his friends as much as pleased him, he went to work disturbing
+our military arrangements. Yes, my son, he captured one of our
+railroad trains on its way to New York, and all the passengers in
+it. And, what was worse than all, there was one of our most
+distinguished major-generals in it, and he was made a prisoner of
+war by this bold trooper. Thus he cut our communication with the
+North. He did all this, and walked away leisurely and unmolested.
+Although his Maryland friends set him up for a great hero, I
+confess, as there was no one to oppose him, not to see in what his
+heroism consisted.
+
+As you may naturally suppose, my son, these little affairs increased
+our alarm greatly. Our authorities, generally, went into a state of
+perspiration; and would have sent for General Grant and his army to
+come back and protect us, but for the fear that that general would
+not read the order correctly. In short, they had already become
+convinced that Grant was not the man to turn back when there was
+anything to be made by going ahead. Then our high officials called
+on the North for help, but called in vain. The North was not
+inclined to share the fears of our high officials, and had been too
+often sent for to come and take care of Washington.
+
+It was common with us, then, to keep a lot of third-rate troops
+scattered around Baltimore; and over Maryland. These were hastily
+got together, and placed under the command of that famous warrior
+Lew Wallace. The administration was sure, now, that Mr. Early would
+get whipped, and that the capital would be saved. There were,
+however, a few unbelieving people who shook their heads, and were
+heard to say that General Wallace was not the soldier to drive Mr.
+Early and his men into the Potomac.
+
+I must do the general the credit, however, to say, that he marched
+out boldly enough, and engaged Early and his men in battle as soon
+as he met him. And although he had pluck enough, he was no match for
+the rebel, who brushed him away before him, and sent his scattered
+columns flying back into Baltimore, in great distress. Perhaps the
+only sensible man surprised at this state of things was General
+Wallace himself.
+
+When those who come after us, my son, shall read of this, it will
+seem very strange that the fate of Washington, the capital of this
+great and powerful nation, should have depended on a battle between
+General Lew Wallace, and his undisciplined troops, on the one side,
+and Jubal Early and his stonewall troops on the other. And all this
+in the fourth year of the war.
+
+Now this battle, if it can be dignified with the name, was fought on
+Saturday, the 9th of July. General Early took no further notice of
+General Wallace, but started at once for the defenses of Washington.
+And there was nothing to oppose him until he reached them; and
+nothing then but some cannon, and some men who did not know how to
+fire them.
+
+When it got rumored round that the late General Early was not only
+aiming to besiege Washington, but was not far away from the
+defenses, there was considerable of a stir made in official circles.
+Timid people tried to keep their courage up in various ways. Heroes,
+who had never been out of Washington, now talked like very heroes;
+and it was intimated that the Treasury Guard would come out, and
+take the field. Those who had no taste for fighting, and they were
+many, found it very uncomfortable, because there was no way of
+getting out of the city.
+
+During the war, my son, I frequently noticed that when a battle was
+going on at the front there was sure to be a large number of heroes
+in uniform doing promenade duty on the Avenue. Their number seemed
+to have increased prodigiously just at this time. It was noticed
+also that they walked at a more rapid pace than usual, did an
+uncommon amount of eating and drinking, and had a large number of
+friends they were always ready to discuss the last battle with. I
+suppose this was all for the purpose of showing the amount of
+courage they had.
+
+They were ready enough to go to the front to-day if somebody would
+only show them the way.
+
+It was now the morning of the 10th of July; and a bright breezy
+morning it was. The symptoms of the siege now took a positive form
+and became really alarming. These symptoms were manifested in a
+singular manner at two prominent points of the defenses. A
+dilapidated and very much distressed mule, his ears erect and his
+tail askance, galloped down the road into Tenallytown, making a
+noise so hideous that the quiet inhabitants ran out in a state of
+great alarm. They then went to packing up their household goods,
+their tubs, tables, chairs, and crockery, and getting them ready for
+removal to a place of safety. In addition to this, the unruly animal
+sent terror into the very hearts of a number of cavalrymen who were
+out picketing the distant hills. These gallant troopers put spurs to
+their horses and never stopped until they got safely into
+Georgetown, where they circulated numerous stories concerning Mr.
+Early and his men, who, they declared, had driven them in.
+
+The other remarkable manifestation took place at Brightwood, a
+sleepy little town composed of four houses and a lamp-post, and
+situated not far from the city, on the Fourteenth-street road. A
+distressed cow came bellowing into this town just at daylight, with
+her head and tail erect, and driving the pickets before her. The
+antics of this otherwise kindly animal caused a great scattering
+among the gallant defenders of Fort Stevens. Indeed, I have good
+authority for saying that they evacuated that stronghold more
+suddenly than had ever been done before, scampering down the
+Fourteenth-street road at a rapid pace.
+
+In short, my son, they mistook this wayward animal for Early's
+advance guard, and came to the very wise conclusion that a fort was
+not a pleasant place to stay in when an enemy outside was throwing
+shells into it.
+
+The good people of Brightwood betook themselves to packing up their
+traps, and pondering over the question as to whether they had been
+disloyal enough during the war to claim Mr. Early as a friend when
+he arrived. It was a trying time with the good people of Brightwood.
+
+When, however, the gallant defenders of the defenses found that it
+was only a cow that had so disturbed them, they went boldly back to
+their guns, and were as full of courage as could be for the rest of
+the day.
+
+As the morning wore on, the evidences of trouble outside increased.
+Scattering contrabands, some with bundles on their backs, some with
+chairs, buckets and wash-tubs on their heads, others with the family
+table on their heads. There was an interesting group of three--two
+male and one female member of the African family. One of the former
+had brought his banjo, the other his fiddle. The female had a tub
+well down on her head. These poor frightened people came trotting
+into the city over the Tenallytown and Brightwood roads, seeking a
+place of safety inside of the forts.
+
+Then the roads became blocked with all manner of rickety vehicles,
+many of them of the most primitive description, filled with the
+families and furniture of peaceable farmers, who had left their
+homes in fear of the approaching rebels. A more grotesque picture
+than was presented by this anxious train it is impossible to
+conceive.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE GOVERNMENT GETS AGITATED, AND THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES
+THE FIELD.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is a portrait of General Auger, a dashing, handsome
+officer, and a courteous gentleman. He commanded the department of
+Washington during the memorable siege I am describing.
+
+As I have said before, my son, as soon as it was known that General
+Wallace had been driven back on Baltimore in search of rations, and
+General Early was close upon Washington, the government waked up to
+the fact that the capital was in danger, and began to take measures
+for its defense. Our good President, believing, in the honesty of
+his heart, that his presence at the front would do good, took the
+field. And the Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff went to
+issuing orders that no one seemed to obey. Indeed, their orders only
+increased the confusion that had already taken possession of
+everything military. The regular officers in command of the troops
+in the fortifications, and who knew the location and details of the
+forts as well as the roads leading to them, were superseded by
+strangers, ignorant of all these things, and even of what their
+commands consisted.
+
+Why this was, my son, I cannot explain. Perhaps the Secretary of War
+will, when he gets his historian, at $2,500 a year, to write a
+national history of the war. Some malicious people said the
+Secretary of War had two reasons for this: the first, to show his
+contempt for military science; the second, because he wanted to show
+what fools some of these strange generals were. I have also heard it
+intimated that the reason why some of these strange generals were
+assigned to such important posts at such a moment of peril to the
+nation, was because they were of sufficient consequence to be made
+victims. And as it was always necessary to have a victim to cover up
+and excuse the blundering of high officials, these men would come in
+handy enough. But I never considered this a good excuse for thus
+superseding the officers, the only officers who really knew how to
+defend the city.
+
+It was not surprising, however, that, with such an opportunity for
+gaining distinction as the defense of the capital of the nation,
+major and brigadier-generals should spring up as by magic. Their
+number was truly marvelous. Nor was it strange that they should all
+want to be heroes. It was a little queer, however, that they should
+all be in the city just at this time, and seemingly without
+employment. Each, on application, was assigned to an important
+command, though but few of them knew the road to the forts, and
+fewer still what they were going to command when they got there.
+
+The alarm and confusion continued to increase as General Early and
+his rebel hosts approached. And now the great question arose as to
+who was to be regarded as responsible for the safety of the city?
+Was it the President, the Secretary of War, or the great Chief of
+Staff? people inquired. No, it could be neither of these, for the
+President, though frequently seen at the front, seemed only a
+pleasant observer, and gave no orders to the troops. The Secretary
+of War and Chief of Staff were issuing orders, as I have before
+described, and assigning strange generals to commands. It could not
+be General Auger, for the War Department seemed to have forgotten
+him, and he remained quietly in command of the department. The
+Military Governor was discharging the active duties of his office,
+and so it could not be him. Some persons said General Haskins was
+the man. He had been in charge of the defenses north of the Potomac,
+and knew them well. But it could not be him, for he had been
+superseded by General Hardin; and General McDowell McCook ranked
+both of them; and, as I have before informed you, was placed in
+command and sent out to see to General Early.
+
+This, my son, was very hard on General McCook, who found himself in
+a predicament he would willingly have escaped from. It is no more
+than right, my son, that I should give you an account of how this
+general went to the field, and what he found when he got there.
+
+Provided with a pocket full of orders, the general mounted his horse
+late on Saturday afternoon and set out for the front, over the
+Fourteenth-street road. The corpulent engineer I have described in
+the early part of this history was assigned to General McCook for
+duty; and this officer, and two sorry-looking orderlies, were all
+that bore him company. The corpulent engineer alone knew the
+military roads, and the location of the forts, which was very
+fortunate. As they advanced over the road beyond Meridian Hill, they
+overtook several straggling generals, each proceeding to the front
+with a pocket full of orders, and generally accompanied by a single
+orderly. Two or three of these generals seemed quite at a loss as to
+where they were going, or what they were to command. I have thus
+explained this matter to you, my son, to show you what a nice way
+our war authorities had of producing confusion.
+
+When the general and his staff, which I have described above, were
+well nigh Brightwood, he halted to inquire, of the alarmed negroes
+and straggling citizens who were wending their way into the city,
+what news they had of the enemy outside. But no trustworthy
+information could he get from any of them. They all knew that
+General Early was coming; and that they had left just before he had
+got to where they lived. This sort of information was not exactly
+the kind a general would consider it safe to base his plan of
+operations on. Nor was the general any more fortunate in getting
+information concerning the enemy from a number of squads of cavalry,
+whose business it seemed to be to ride excitedly to the front and
+then ride excitedly back again. Indeed, the whole business of these
+doughty troopers, it seemed to me, was to increase the alarm and
+confusion.
+
+It was nearly sundown, the weather was hot and oppressive, and the
+general was full of troubles. The worst of these was that he could
+not find the troops he was sent to command. Nor could he get any
+tidings concerning General Early and his rebels. Hence it was that
+he concluded, and very naturally, that the enemy would not be within
+sight of the defenses until morning, and that the city would at
+least be safe until that time without any more of his generalship.
+
+He therefore went into camp for the night, pitching his headquarters
+in a clump of wood near Rock Creek, and not far from Crystal Spring.
+And here let me record that the general had not even a camp guard.
+To make the matter worse, there was no forage for the horses, and
+nothing for supper. Never was general so much to be pitied. The two
+orderlies, however, were willing fellows, and soon had a fire
+lighted. They then proceeded to a neighboring house, and got
+refreshments for the general, without which he must have gone hungry
+to bed.
+
+As the night advanced, the discomforts of the situation increased.
+In short, it may as well be confessed, the general's headquarters
+were besieged long before midnight, and that sleep was a thing not
+to be enjoyed. You may have made up your mind that the besiegers
+were an advance guard of the rebels; but they were not. They were
+nothing less than an army of fierce musquitoes, who made such a
+persistent attack on the general and his staff as to make his
+position almost untenable. In truth, they so harassed the corpulent
+engineer, in rear and flank, that he mounted his horse and returned
+to the city, where he spent a comfortable night at Willard's Hotel,
+and went back in the morning refreshed. My authority for this is the
+distinguished engineer himself.
+
+A little after midnight, the two orderlies became seriously alarmed
+(I ought to mention that one was recently from Cork, and the other
+from Kerry), and reported to the general that a conversation was
+being carried on in an unknown language by two persons in the woods
+beyond, and whom they verily believed to be spies of the enemy. The
+general was not a little perplexed at this intelligence, for the
+better informed orderly declared, that while one shouted in very bad
+Irish, the other seemed to answer him in Dutch. The general listened
+attentively for a minute or more, when the noise was again heard. It
+turned out, however, that the intruders were only a pair of owls,
+who had perched in some trees near by, and were exchanging hootings
+for their own entertainment.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE KIND OF REINFORCEMENTS WE HAD TO DEFEND THE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS is an exact portrait of General Jubal A. Early, who was sent to
+capture Washington, but arrived a little too late.
+
+There was great excitement in the city during Sunday, the 10th of
+July, and strange stories were set afloat concerning the arrival of
+General Early, and his rebel army. There was also great excitement
+in and around the forts north of the city. The hundred-day men did
+not feel themselves safe in the forts, and those outside were making
+a desperate effort to keep their courage up.
+
+We had heroes enough in the city, but the great question was, how we
+were to get them organized, provisioned, armed, and sent to the
+front in time to be of service. The District militia, which we have
+all heard so much of and seen so little, was not enrolled, and, of
+course, could not be made available. It was said there would be some
+desperate fighting done if the Treasury Guard only got to the front.
+This valuable body of distinguished heroes was composed of nice
+young men, who wore fine linen and patent leather boots, and in
+appearance were unexceptionable.
+
+It was a trying time for the nation, my son, and the young men of
+this Treasury Guard felt that they had a duty to perform in
+defending the capital, and must perform it with courage. There was
+one little drawback, however, to their conduct as soldiers; and that
+was, that each man wanted to go to the front encumbered with a
+carpet bag, filled with sandwiches and clean shirts. Aside from
+this, let me say, the guard was got in order for marching, and their
+gallant commander, Colonel Floyd A. Willett, made a speech, in which
+he declared there was not a chicken-hearted man in his ranks. And
+when it marched for the front, which it did with drums beating, its
+gallant colonel at its head, and Corporal Spinner, of Company B,
+bringing up the rear, there was many a tear shed and handkerchief
+waved by the pretty female clerks of the Department. Many of these
+damsels had more than a friendly interest in these young heroes, who
+they averred would never come back, but whiten the battle-field with
+their bones.
+
+As the War Department has not yet condescended to give us a report
+in detail of the defense of Washington, I cannot inform you, my son,
+of the heroic part performed by this distinguished body of nice
+young men. There was a rumor that they returned to the city, after
+the siege, in a very hungry condition; but had been so saving of
+their powder and lead as not to waste a single round.
+
+Now, our quartermaster-general was not to be beaten by any of them
+when there was a chance for glory. Seeing the Treasury Guard march
+off with so much courage and determination, the general mounted his
+war horse, and assembled a whole brigade of his employees, as
+gallant fellows as ever took the field, notwithstanding little could
+be said of their discipline or soldierly appearance. This gallant
+brigade was called the Bushwhackers, in contradistinction to the
+Beef-eaters of the War Department. There was no mistaking this
+brigade, for it was armed with muskets and bill-hooks. As it moved
+off for the front, as it did with no very regular step, there was a
+sight seldom seen. How else could it be, with our gallant
+quartermaster-general at its head, and General Rucker bringing up
+the rear! After a rapid march of four miles, the brigade reached the
+front; and as no enemy was in sight, and there was no use for their
+powder, the men went energetically to work, and did good service in
+clearing away the bushes in front of the forts, so that our gallant
+defenders could have an unobstructed view of the rebels as soon as
+they made their appearance. This was a very happy thought; one for
+which the quartermaster-general deserved the brevet he afterwards
+got.
+
+You will see by this, my son, that we were fast getting our gallant
+defenders to the front. And now all that was needed to afford them
+an opportunity to show themselves heroes was General Early and his
+army of rebels.
+
+I must also inform you that Provost-Marshal Todd, Captain and A. D.
+C., had got a company of his men to the front, lying in ambush for
+the rebels.
+
+There was still another, and equally important force to be added to
+our defenders. This was a brigade of what was called Ancient
+Mariners, got together by that solid old salt, Admiral Goldsborough.
+The admiral was brim-full of pluck, and his name had become famous
+for not fighting the rebels afloat. Here was an opportunity to give
+them a broadside or two ashore, and the admiral was not the man to
+let it slip through his fingers. Indeed, he sounded his war trumpet
+as quick as any of them, and when he had piped his Ancient Mariners
+to arms, he told them that God and their country demanded them to do
+their duty.
+
+"Aye, aye!" responded the Ancient Mariners; "we will do it, we
+will."
+
+When the gallant admiral had got his "Ancient Mariners" ready to
+march, armed with cutlass and various other well-known weapons, he
+placed himself at their head and moved out to meet the enemy. His
+manner of doing this, however, was somewhat novel, and deserves to
+be described here. You must know, my son, that the admiral was of a
+very rotund figure, and, although well enough at home on the
+quarter-deck, was not accustomed to the saddle. His weight was,
+indeed, such as to preclude the idea of his being a skilled
+horseman. It was, therefore, necessary that he go to the field in
+some more comfortable as well as becoming manner. Thereupon a
+carriage and four was provided, and in this stately manner the
+gallant admiral proceeded to the front, at the head of his strange
+command. I may add also, my son, that the movement of this force
+afforded no little amusement to the numerous urchins that followed
+it. On reaching the front, it took up a strong position, and made
+ready to give the enemy a broadside whenever he made his appearance.
+Some mischievous person reported that it was the intention of these
+"Ancient Mariners" to support the cavalry, in the event of its being
+attacked. Having brought them to the front, however, we must leave
+them there, the quartermaster with his spy-glass keeping a sharp
+look out for any stray craft that might appear in the offing.
+
+I have been thus minute in describing these forces, in order that
+you may form a just estimate of what General McDowell McCook had to
+command.
+
+Sunday passed away, and there was no appearance of General Early and
+his army. Still the excitement in the city had not abated. Our good
+President, I must tell you, was out along the lines nearly all day,
+with the apparent purpose of encouraging the feeble garrisons in the
+forts.
+
+Early on Monday morning (the 11th of July, 1864), the smoke and dust
+of the rebel column rose in the distance, and was clearly seen from
+the defenses. News of this soon spread about, and our cavalry got
+more and more excited, and went galloping out and then came
+galloping in at an increased rate of speed.
+
+Then the enemy's long, thin line of skirmishers debouched into the
+fields, like specter figures in a panorama. Next his artillery was
+seen moving to the right and left, and apparently taking up
+positions on the distant hills. These were followed by his hungry
+troopers, very dirty and forlorn, and looking like shadowy figures
+just issuing from a desert of dust. The movements of these rebels in
+the distance gave new features to the face of the siege. General
+McDowell McCook was seen to ride rapidly over the field, followed by
+his two orderlies. Generals Meigs and Rucker urged on their
+Bushwhackers, who went to work with renewed energy clearing up the
+forest. The "Ancient Mariners" whetted their cutlasses, and
+continued to exhaust their ordnance, a large stock of which they had
+brought to the field in the shape of tobacco. And the Treasury Guard
+stopped eating sandwiches and looked to their ammunition. In fine,
+our gallant defenders went to getting their courage up in various
+ways. Our good President (may his memory never die!) took up a
+position near Fort Stevens, as if to encourage the hundred-day men
+to stand by their guns and keep their pluck warm.
+
+A little after noon there was a material change in the situation.
+The enemy's advance skirmishers made their appearance within range
+of Fort Stevens and began a miscellaneous firing. Then our own
+cannon opened, and their echoes over the hills first sounded the
+alarm and awakened the people of the city from their dream of
+security. There were as yet no really efficient troops to send to
+defend the point of attack. The people knew that between them and
+the enemy there were strong and heavily armed forts; and in these
+they placed their trust. They did not, however, reflect that these
+forts, without proper garrisons, were only so many inert masses,
+incapable of resisting for one hour the vigorous assault of an
+enemy. But it was very different with the military authorities. As
+the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon increased during
+Monday evening and night, they knew that the city was in peril, and
+their anxiety for its safety increased. They knew that the forts
+were not properly garrisoned. They knew that communication with the
+North was cut off, that no reinforcements from that quarter could be
+relied on. Further, that although reinforcements from General
+Grant's army had been ordered up from the James River, they had not
+had time to arrive.
+
+Such was our situation on that memorable Monday night. Yes, my son,
+such was the feeble condition of the defenses when General Early and
+his rebel army came in sight of the dome of the Capitol. We all
+looked confidently for an attack in force on Tuesday morning. Had it
+been made by a column of ten thousand men, led by a bold and
+determined commander, capable of infusing his own impulse into their
+movements, they might, feebly garrisoned as the forts were at that
+moment (with no support between or behind them), have treated our
+defenses with contempt, and marched into the city.
+
+Yes, my son, they could have marched almost unmolested between any
+two of the forts, entered the city, seized the Arsenal, the Capitol,
+the Treasury, and other public buildings, and enjoyed a bounteous
+breakfast at the expense of our citizens. And when they had done
+this, they might have enforced a legitimate surrender of the city,
+together with the defenses on both sides of the river.
+
+But General Jubal A. Early was not the man for such an enterprise.
+Washington was at his mercy, but fortunately for us he did not know
+it, and let the opportunity slip. Even had he known it, I am of
+opinion that he lacked the nerve to grasp the advantages of the
+opportunity. On that Tuesday morning, Early was at Silver Springs,
+enjoying the luxuries of a spacious headquarters, and within sight
+of the grand old dome of the Capitol. What strange emotions the
+sight of this dome must have excited in his bosom, what
+reminiscences of happier days passed under its shadow must have
+seared his thoughts as they passed in review, he alone can describe.
+Perhaps it was the contemplation of those happier days that stayed
+his hand and made him hesitate to grasp the prize at his feet.
+
+No, my son, Jubal A. Early was of too phlegmatic a temperament for
+such an undertaking. He was slow in every thing but name. And, as I
+have informed you before, so notoriously cautious and slow was he to
+act, even when a youth at West Point, that he gained the sobriquet
+of "The Late Early," by which he is known at this day by his
+intimate friends.
+
+How sad it is for us, to-day, to contemplate that the safety of
+Washington, the capital of this great country, should have depended
+on the temperament of a general. Let the future historian do this
+subject justice and elaborate it as it deserves. And let him
+portray, if he can, the consequences of the rebel flag greeting the
+rays of the rising sun on that morning victoriously from the dome of
+the Capitol.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+HOW THE REBEL GENERALS DEPORTED THEMSELVES.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS history would not be complete, my son, without a portrait of
+General John C. Breckinridge. This general accompanied General
+Early, in command of a division, and was extremely useful as a
+subordinate, since he knew Washington and all its surroundings, and
+had many friends in the city, whose respect and hospitality he had
+enjoyed. What curious emotions must have excited his breast when he
+saw the dome of that building where he had sat as a Senator, and by
+his talents and deportment secured the respect and confidence of the
+nation, I will leave the reader to imagine. Who but himself can
+describe his thoughts when he recurred to that scene in the Senate
+Chamber, when he raised the voice of prophecy and foreshadowed the
+traitor's reward? Was there a pang in the thought that he was
+himself reaping the bitterest fruit of that reward?
+
+Never forget, my son, how terrible is the penalty that attaches to
+treason. But now I must ask you to reaccompany me to another part of
+the field, that we may see what is going on there. The attack made
+on our defenses by the rebels was of the feeblest kind. Why this
+was, some of our officers could not understand. It was evidently
+made in doubt of the result, and indicated forcibly enough that
+something was wrong at the rebel headquarters. We want now to see
+what that was.
+
+While the booming of cannon and the rattle of small arms was going
+on in the vicinity of Fort Stevens, without any very serious damage
+to either side (for I may mention here that the rebels kept at a
+respectful distance from the forts), Generals Early, Ewell, and
+Breckinridge were enjoying themselves on the sumptuous fare found at
+Silver Springs and other neighboring plantations. In short, it is
+asserted that these generals had been short of rations for some
+days, and were very hungry when they reached the outskirts of
+Washington. It is also asserted that they took themselves to
+feasting and making merry with their friends; so much so that they
+had all the cellars and larders of the houses round about examined
+for bounties to supply their table. And to such an extent was this
+feasting and merrymaking carried, that General Early quite forgot
+that he was sent to capture Washington, and indeed set such a bad
+example to his subordinates as to destroy all discipline.
+
+There were two great events in this remarkable siege, my son, and I
+must tell you what they were. If I do not, you will not get a clear
+idea of how the siege was carried on by the rebels. The generals
+(rebel) had not tasted fresh beef for several days, and had a sharp
+appetite which their commissaries were inclined to gratify. Now,
+there was on the plantation of Mr. George Riggs, near where these
+generals had their headquarters, a celebrated Alderney bull, much
+valued by its owner. Here was a temptation not to be resisted by
+these commissaries, who had the animal led to slaughter and served
+up for their masters. Yes, my son, these generals and their staffs
+banqueted on Mr. Riggs's bull, and were honest enough to confess
+that they had rarely fared so sumptuously. This is one of the great
+events. Now to the other. A number of general officers (choice
+spirits), imitating the example set by their bold superiors, went
+out on a forage of their own, and coming to the house of the Hon.
+Montgomery Blair, put it under a close examination, especially the
+cellar and larder, which was supposed to be well stored with the
+choicest. They were disappointed, however, to find that the cellar
+contained little wine, and were about setting the honorable owner
+down for a disciple of temperance, when they came upon a barrel of
+rare old Bourbon whisky.
+
+This discovery caused great rejoicing, the news of it spread far and
+wide among the officers, and not an order was obeyed for the rest of
+the day. So you will see, my son, that while the superior generals
+and their staffs were banqueting on Mr. Riggs's bull, the field
+officers were besieging their brains with Mr. Blair's choice whisky.
+The city was perfectly safe while this state of revelry existed. And
+I feel, my son, that you will agree with me that Mr. Blair deserves
+well of his country for supplying his cellar with this remarkable
+weapon of defense. Let the future historian bear in mind that the
+War Department can claim no credit for the safety of Washington. The
+credit of saving Washington belongs exclusively to Mr. Riggs's bull
+and Mr. Montgomery Blair's barrel of whisky. They furnished the
+feast that stole away the brains of General Early's officers, and
+caused the delay that saved the city.
+
+In fine, my son, I have good military authority for saying that
+these rebel officers, after their wisdom had been carried away by
+the whisky, put on ladies' dresses and so conducted themselves that
+General Early, in order to get them out, and put a stop to the
+riotous proceedings, was compelled to apply the torch to the house
+of Mr. Blair. Let this sad result be a warning to all generals, sent
+to either threaten or capture the capital of a nation.
+
+Have I not satisfied you, my son, that Mr. Davis sent the wrong man
+to take Washington? A more sanguine general, knowing that he had
+been sent from Richmond to threaten and, if possible, capture
+Washington, and having come so far and routed all the troops sent to
+oppose him, and arrived within sight of the coveted prize, at a time
+when he must have known the weakness of the defenses, would have
+risked an attack in force and would have succeeded. I say he would
+have succeeded; for, by all the rules of war, the capital ought to
+have fallen. Let it be remembered also, that during that memorable
+Tuesday, when the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon
+from Fort Stevens were calling patriotic citizens to the front to do
+their duty, the engineer-in-chief and other of the high officials of
+the War Department were busy packing up the records of their
+offices, preparatory to their removal to the gunboats.
+
+The attack, which had been so confidently expected on Tuesday
+morning, did not take place. General Early and his officers still
+continued their riotous proceedings near Silver Springs, while his
+advance line kept our gallant defenders in a state of intense
+excitement and activity. As hour after hour wore away, however, the
+anxiety of our people increased, in fear of what might happen.
+
+Then late in the afternoon news came that the brave old Sixth
+Corps--a terror to rebels everywhere--had arrived. This sent a thrill
+of joy into many a heart, and shout after shout went up along the
+line as its cross came in sight. Yes, the old Sixth Corps, with
+General Wright, had come once more. It was a proud sight to see
+these men deploy into line of battle, in front of Fort Stevens,
+their war-worn colors fluttering in the breeze, with that cross so
+well known to the rebel hosts.
+
+The siege was raised. The rebels recognized that cross, and, knowing
+what it betokened, fell back rapidly before it, and prepared for a
+hasty retreat. Confidence was restored to the people. The President
+thanked the troops and went home in the very best humor. The
+Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff stopped issuing orders; and
+the quartermaster's bushwhackers hung up their bill-hooks. The major
+and brigadier-generals went to congratulating each other on the part
+they had taken in the defense. At two o'clock on Wednesday morning,
+an advance was ordered with the two divisions of the Sixth Corps;
+but when the skirmish line took possession of Silver Springs, there
+was not a rebel in arms to be seen. General Early had made good
+speed during the night, and was making the best of his way across
+the Potomac, and home to his master.
+
+Thus ended the most remarkable siege history has any account of.
+
+And now, my son, I cannot close this history without a few words on
+the character and conduct of Mr. Jefferson Davis, to whose ambition
+this siege of our capital was due. It has been said by several of
+his friends, who have access to the newspapers, that he went into
+this war not only very reluctantly, but with green spectacles on.
+Willing as I am to deal generously with him, and to forgive him each
+and every one of his sins, and to send him out into the world to
+seek atonement for them, I cannot share this opinion. And for the
+reason that I happened to know Mr. Davis in the summer of 1850, when
+he was the moving spirit of a convention of "Fire-Eaters," that
+assembled together at Nashville, Tenn. And I have a slight
+recollection of a speech he made on that occasion, in which
+separation by arms was urged, and no love for the Union advanced. I
+remember also that that speech was rewarded with hisses,
+notwithstanding the strong dis-union element of the convention. His
+dislike of the Union and plan for separating the nation, it is well
+known, had been the besetting sin of his brain for twenty years.
+How, then, he could have engaged in this gigantic rebellion with
+green spectacles on, I cannot just exactly see. It was the ignorant,
+unreasoning masses of the South who were led into the rebellion with
+green spectacles on, not men like Mr. Davis. But, my son, never
+strike a man when he is down; that is the work of cowards. Let us
+give Mr. Davis credit for such virtues as he had, and for the manner
+in which he exerted them in keeping life and strength in the
+government he attempted to set up. In connection with the rebellion,
+we had to deal with Mr. Davis more in his character as a soldier
+than a statesman. Mr. Davis was undoubtedly an able soldier. He was
+the head and front, the very life and soul of the men in the South.
+Born to those qualities of pride, self-esteem, and self-will, all
+of which produce confidence in the possessor, he grew up feeling
+himself superior, as he was, to the ordinary men of his age. He
+inherited at the same time great fixedness of purpose and
+determination; and so prominent were these traits of his character,
+that they impressed every one who came in contact with him.
+
+These, my son, were the attributes that gave wings to the man's
+ambition and found him aspiring to one of the high places in the
+temple of fame. The nation gave him a thorough military education at
+West Point, and he afterwards learned the practical duties of a
+soldier in the Black Hawk war. On the return of peace, he resigned
+and sought distinction in political life. He had succeeded in
+reaching the House of Representatives when the war with Mexico broke
+out, and he resigned and again went to the field. And,
+notwithstanding what has been said to the contrary, he won great
+distinction in this war. Military men everywhere did him justice.
+The "Mississippi Rifles" will be remembered as long as the battle of
+Buena Vista.
+
+At the close of the war he again relinquished the sword, and was
+sent to the United States Senate, where he was made chairman of the
+Committee on Military Affairs. His highest ambition was to shine as
+a statesman. He afterwards served four years as Secretary of War,
+and then returned to the Senate, where the rebellion found him
+elevated to the chairmanship of the Committee of Military Affairs.
+His education, his services in the army, his position as Secretary
+of War, and in the Senate, enabled him to become thoroughly
+acquainted with our army, with its customs, its laws, its material,
+its wants, and, above all, the character of its officers. He was,
+perhaps, better acquainted with these things than any other man in
+the United States. Nor was he deficient in knowledge of the
+character of leading, public men at the North and West. What he had
+not studied well, however, was the character and the patriotism of
+the people of those sections of our country.
+
+It was the ripe fruit of this knowledge, then, that Mr. Davis
+applied in each department of the rebel government; and it was this
+that made him of such incalculable value to the rebellion. We have
+seen and even admired the power with which he wielded the scanty
+resources of the South. And we have seen the wisdom which he
+displayed from the very first in the section of his generals. With
+rare exceptions, he put the right man in the right place. He knew
+the importance of placing soldiers in command, when soldiers' duty
+was to be performed. It would have been fortunate for us if we had
+exercised similar wisdom. When the rebellion began, there was no man
+in the South to have taken the place of Mr. Davis. It is not too
+much to say that had he remained loyal to his country, and been
+elevated to the command of our armies when the war began, he would
+have quickly crushed out the rebellion. With his grasp of mind, and
+his iron will, he would have so wielded the great resources of the
+North and West, that the rebellion would have been crushed in a year
+from its birth. And this was the man our authorities at Washington
+supposed would not, or could not, attack the capital after it had
+been stripped of its proper garrison. Let the truth be told: Davis
+was not the man to let such a blunder go unnoticed.
+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+******This file should be named sgedc10.txt or sgedc10.zip******
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, sgedc11.txt
+VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, sgedc10a.txt
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+by F. Colburn Adams
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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+
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+Title: Siege of Washington, D.C.
+
+Author: F. Colburn Adams
+
+Release Date: November, 2003  [Etext #4668]
+[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
+[This file was first posted on February 26, 2002]
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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+******This file should be named 4668.txt or 4668.zip******
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+Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
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+This etext was created by Charles Aldarondo (Aldarondo@yahoo.com).
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
+
+WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+BY F. COLBURN ADAMS, CAPT.,
+
+AUTHOR OF THE "STORY OF TROOPER," AND OTHER BOOKS.
+
+NEW YORK:
+
+1867
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY publisher gives it as his opinion that a great many persons will
+be offended at what I have said in this work. He thinks, also, that
+"quite a number" of our great generals will be seriously disturbed
+in their dignity on seeing what liberties my artist has taken with
+them. Such opinions as these are rather too common with publishers
+in this country, who generally take very narrow views as to what
+public men think and do. This work was not written to offend, but to
+amuse and instruct little people. I have too much respect for our
+great generals to believe that they will feel offended at what I
+have said of them. Some of our little generals may perhaps take
+exception to the positions my artist has assigned them, and feel
+disposed to make war on him. But there will be nothing new in this,
+inasmuch as any close observer of the war must have seen that these
+little generals were always more fierce in making war on writers and
+artists than courageous in facing the enemy. That the Siege of
+Washington was the most remarkable military event history has any
+account of, is very well understood among those who participated in
+it. I must beg the reader, then, not to place false judgment on the
+pleasantry introduced here and there, since I have recorded, with
+great care and correctness, all the military movements, that took
+place during that memorable occasion.
+
+F. COLBURN ADAMS.
+
+WASHINGTON, D. C., January 15, 1867.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I.-WASHINGTON A REMARKABLE CITY
+II.-GOING TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFICULTIES
+III.-THE FORTS AROUND WASHINGTON
+IV.-COMING HOME AFTER THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN
+V.-BRAVE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
+VI.-NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN
+VII.-POPE DID IT
+VIII.-HOW GENERAL POPE CAME TO TOWN
+IX.-BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD
+X.-THE GENERAL THAT FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORVILLE
+XI.-HANGING IN THE BALANCE
+XII.-ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH
+XIII.-THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES THE FIELD
+XIV.-THE WAY GENERAL EARLY CAME TO TAKE THE CITY
+XV.-A REBEL GENERAL BROUGHT TO GRIEF
+XVI.-THE DISTINGUISHED STATESMAN WHO ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF
+  REBELLION WITH GREEN SPECTACLES ON
+
+
+
+
+
+
+SIEGE OF WASHINGTON.
+
+A TRUE AND AUTHENTIC STORY, WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+WASHINGTON AS A REMARKABLE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU, my son, have heard, and perhaps read, how Rome was once saved
+by a goose. There were, as you know, my son, a great many geese
+abroad during the siege of Washington; but it was not through any
+act of theirs that the city was saved. As I love you dearly, my son,
+so is it my first desire to instruct you correctly on all subjects
+in which the good of our great country is concerned. Before
+concluding my history of this remarkable siege, I shall prove to
+your satisfaction that Washington was saved, and the fate of the
+nation determined, by a barrel of whisky.
+
+Let me say to you, my son, that the siege of Washington, however
+much people abroad may laugh at it, was one of the most
+extraordinary events in the history of modern warfare. It took place
+in the year of our Lord, 1864; and there is no other event in the
+war of the great rebellion to compare with it. You will, therefore,
+my son, understand why it is that the history of an event of so much
+importance should be written only by an impartial historian--one who
+has courage enough to tell the truth, and no official friends to
+serve at the expense of honor. I must tell you, also, my son, that
+the great military problem of this siege has afforded a subject of
+deep study for our engineers, from General Delafield downward, who
+have puzzled their wits over it without finding a solution.
+
+Should we be unfortunate enough to have another great war, and the
+nation again be compelled to give itself up to the profession of
+arms, the conduct of this siege would afford us an excellent
+example, as well as a profitable key to the art of war, as
+understood by our War Department in the said year of our Lord, 1864.
+This, then, is another reason why this great military event should
+be faithfully rendered. I will also add, my son, that though I may
+fail to instruct you after the manner and style of the most profound
+historian of our day, I will at least make my account of this great
+siege so plain and simple that you will comprehend it in all its
+multiplicity of parts.
+
+But first let me tell you a few things about Washington, the capital
+city of this great nation. You, my son, may have seen one hundred
+other cities, and yet it will remind you of none of them. It is very
+elongated, and spreads over a great deal of ground, apparently for
+personal inconvenience. Indeed, my son, it has the appearance of
+having been dropped down late of a Saturday night by some eccentric
+gentleman who had a large quantity of architectural odds and ends on
+hand, and had no other use for them. It has been famous always for
+its acute angles and broad avenues. The former, I have heard more
+than one person say, were skillfully arranged by a very
+accommodating French engineer, for the special benefit of persons
+who went home late of nights and were liable to get confused on the
+way. The population is rather a curious one, and may be classified
+as the distinct and indistinct, the settled and unsettled. The
+census report, a remarkably unreliable account, has it that they
+number "some" sixty thousand. A large proportion of this settled and
+unsettled population is of such variety of color as to render it
+almost impossible to define the nice proportions of blood it is so
+strongly mixed with. On this point, my son, you must not be too
+particular, but accept it as your father does, as a proof that the
+races, whom we are told can never be got to live in harmony
+together, have, to say the least, gone very extensively into a
+system which gives strength to the belief that it could be done. The
+French call this the commingling system, and their philosophers
+argue from it, and with much force, that it is impossible to
+establish the question as to what kind of blood the best society is
+based upon. For myself, I feel that we can with safety accept these
+French philosophers as good authority in such matters. You will also
+find among the population of Washington natives of nearly every
+country on the face of the globe. These speak no end of tongues,
+follow all manner of professions and occupations, and what is most
+valuable, preserve that delightful diversity for which what is
+called the "old society" has always been famous. Picturesque hills
+encircle the city at a distance, and a beautiful river flows past on
+its way to the sea. The city has many fathers and few friends. These
+fathers, while in an ornamental mood, built a grand canal into the
+very bowels of the city, after the manner of Venice, that commerce
+might be encouraged, and such persons as had a passion for moonlight
+and gondolas could gratify it. But the people were not given to
+sailing in gondolas, so this famous canal was diverted from the
+object for which it was originally intended. It is now used as a
+tomb where deceased animals of a domestic nature are carefully
+deposited. The old inhabitants regard this tomb with a reverence I
+never could understand clearly, even though I had sought for a cause
+in their instinctive opposition to all and every manner of reform.
+Indeed, the fathers of the city regard this grand canal as
+performing a very humane part, inasmuch as it supplies an excellent
+and very convenient burial-place for their domestic animals, and
+increases the practice of a large number of doctors. The city
+fathers, I am informed, find some consolation in the fact that other
+canals have performed equally humane services.
+
+And it came to pass, my son, that there was a great war in all the
+land; and greater than was ever known before in any other land. Thus
+Washington became the centre of our anxieties and our thoughts. The
+people of the North, and the people of the West, and the people of
+the South, who constituted the people of one great nation, had long
+held different opinions as to the right of making merchandise of
+men, of women, and of little children. Yes, my son, it was at last
+claimed to be in accordance with Christianity to doom these people
+to a life at once hopeless and miserable. As you grow up, my son,
+and begin to think and act for yourself, you will think it very
+strange that such a great national crime as this should have existed
+in a land so blessed with the fruits of a ripe civilization. And it
+will be a cause of wonder to you that a society based upon such an
+abomination did not sooner break down under the burden of its
+wrongs. And yet you must always bear in mind, my son, that men do
+not view great crimes alike, and that even good and great men differ
+as to what constitutes national rights and national wrongs. It is
+said that great nations have gone to decline because their people
+became blind with pride, and refused to think right. A nation is
+always safe while its people think right; but you must teach the
+children right before you can have the people think right. Education
+and association had much to do in training the thoughts of men in
+the South into wrong channels. Taking this view of the subject you
+may find much to forgive in a political system that seems wrong in
+your eyes and right in the eyes of its supporters. Indeed, my son, I
+would enjoin you to treat with a reasonable amount of deference the
+arguments advanced by those who differ with you on questions of
+public policy, and also to remember that right and reason are your
+strongest weapons. Never get angry with your opponent, never use
+language that will cause you a regret; and if you cannot convince by
+the moral force of your argument, abandon the undertaking. And
+whatever else you do to advance your material prosperity, never let
+it be said of you that you advocated a great political wrong merely
+because it was popular and brought you the applause of the
+unthinking. You cannot do so with a clear conscience; and what is
+life without it?
+
+I have, unwittingly, my son, wandered away from my subject. The
+people of the South forgot all the great principles which govern
+humanity for humanity's good; they were betrayed into wrong doing by
+false friends, and made blind by their own prosperity. And they even
+forgot that God was their truest and best guardian, and to Him they
+must look for that care and protection which shall last forever.
+But, my son, I would enjoin you to bear these people no ill will,
+and remember how much better it is in the sight of God to deal with
+the erring in the spirit of forgiveness. They were a brave and a
+gallant people, who fought in the belief that they were right, and
+with a heroism worthy of a good cause. It is only the meanest nature
+that has no respect for the courage and gallantry of an enemy--that
+cannot find in it something to admire. It was the selfishness, my
+son, which slavery begat in these people, that perverted their
+natures, and caused them to forget God.
+
+Yes, my son, it was the curse of slavery that corrupted the hearts
+and turned the heads of these people; that found them requesting the
+race they had made suffer so long in bondage, to be thankful that
+their sufferings were no worse. I never could, my son, see why any
+human being, who had been made the victim of the greatest outrage
+against his rights, should be thankful. The Church might, and did,
+attempt to sanctify this greatest of crimes; but that did not change
+the character of the cruelty and injustice. It will, no doubt, seem
+strange to you that ministers of the Gospel should be found the
+defenders of crime. And yet slavery found its ablest defenders in
+the pulpit of the South. I am afraid it always will be so, for even
+now we see ministers of the Gospel more ready to hang out false
+lights to lead their people into darkness, than to give them that
+truth and instruction they so much need. But you must not let the
+thought of this lessen your respect for the Church. Examine with
+great care until you have found out in what true Christianity
+consists; and when you have, practice accordingly to the extent of
+your ability. Never forget that it was the preaching of popular
+errors that cost the nation so much blood and treasure, so much
+sorrow and distress. That bishops should put aside their lawn, and
+gird on the sword--that they should lead men to war and death,
+instead of the baptismal, and all to perpetuate the sorrows of an
+oppressed race, is, my son, only another proof that error may gain a
+victory over truth in the hearts and feelings of the best of us.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+WE GO TO WAR TO SETTLE OUR DIFFERENCES.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE let me present you, my son, with an exact portrait of the
+distinguished general who is commonly accepted as striking the first
+blow of this war. He was kindly educated at the expense of the
+nation, and was first among its enemies. For a time his fame ran
+high enough, and timid people were inclined to give him the
+character of a monster. But it turned out in time that he was a very
+peaceable gentleman, and not so much of a terrible warrior, after
+all.
+
+But I want to tell you, my son, how it was that the people of this
+great nation took to swords and cannon, to settle their differences
+of opinion.
+
+The people of the great North, and the people of the great West,
+were educated to a very different way of thinking on the question of
+slavery; and differed with the people of the South as to what
+constituted a national blessing. They were willing, for the sake of
+peace, to tolerate slavery, as a great evil it were dangerous to
+attempt to remove; but it was too much to ask them to accept it as a
+great national blessing. These people were energetic, thrifty,
+lovers of right and justice, and had grown rich and powerful by
+their own industry. They could not see why the whole people of so
+great a nation as ours should be required to bow down and worship
+what the rest of the civilized world had stigmatized as the greatest
+scourge of mankind. Seeing the power this great wrong was obtaining
+over the nation, as well as the danger it was causing us by
+corrupting the minds of the people, they consulted together and
+elected a President after their own way of thinking. And this so
+offended the people of the South, who were a brave people, and quick
+to anger, that they gathered together from all parts of their
+country, gave up their peaceful pursuits, and went to war for what
+they called their independence. But I always found, my son, that
+independence was an abused phrase, much on the tongues of these
+people. Indeed their idea of independence extended only to giving
+one class the full and exclusive right to enslave the other. The
+Southern idea of independence was so shaped as to contain the very
+worst features of a despotism. But you must look with forgiveness on
+these people, my son, and seek to forget many of those acts of
+vindictiveness which characterized them during the war.
+
+At the same time, my son, you must not lose sight of the lesson
+which the result of this war teaches. Let it be a guide to your own
+actions that these people went to war to tear down what they could
+not build up, to destroy a Government the world had come to respect
+and admire, and under which they had found a safe refuge and a
+tolerance for their institution of slavery. But the edifice they
+sought to build up crumbled to the ground, and they are now left
+without even a safe refuge for their pride. Yes, my son, these
+people scorned the example of the Christian world, went to war in
+defense of a great crime, and ceased only when they had destroyed
+themselves.
+
+I have been thus serious while instructing you as to how the war
+began, because I am aware that a very large number of writers will
+tell you that it began in a very different manner. If the account I
+may hereafter give of what took place at the siege may be less
+serious, you must charge it to my love for the truth of history.
+Indeed much that occurred during that remarkable military event, was
+not of so serious a nature as is generally conceded by an
+intelligent public. Unless, then, it be written down as it occurred,
+we shall not convey a faithful picture of it to the public.
+
+Now that the war spirit was full to the brim, the people of the
+South gathered in great numbers on the plains of Manassas. They were
+earnest, serious, and even savage in their intentions; and they
+brought with them their powder and shot-guns, and a large quantity
+of whisky. They also brought with them a great number of negroes,
+who were to build the forts, and do all work it would not become a
+gentleman to do. And while this work was progressing, the
+"gentlemen" soldiers of the South were to talk very loudly and
+courageously, and invite all the Yankees round about to come out and
+get whipped. These people resolved themselves into a great and
+powerful army, with Peter Beauregard, the French gentleman of whom I
+have before spoken, for its commander. This gentleman was somewhat
+eccentric, and much given to saying things, the true meaning of
+which he did not understand. A waggish friend of mine once told me
+that this Mr. Beauregard was educated for an apothecary at West
+Point, a place where young gentlemen are instructed in the various
+ways of getting a living honestly. Being very skillful in the use of
+mortars, he was held by Mr. Davis as a most proper person to command
+a southern army, inasmuch as he could give the Yankees all the
+physic they wanted in the shortest time. And as it is always
+expected that a great general will say a great many things that are
+neither sensible nor wise, and which afford politicians an excellent
+opportunity of picking them to pieces, he is a wise general who
+issues his orders and keeps his lips sealed on politics. I say this,
+my son, because it is popularly understood that a general who knows
+his business bears the same relations to a politician that pepper
+does to the stomach.
+
+And it came to pass that the people of the North and the people of
+the West became seriously alarmed at the capers Mr. Beauregard and
+his men were cutting at Manassas. Indeed, many false reports were
+circulated concerning the great power of this Mr. Beauregard; and
+our people began to give way to their fears, and to declare that he
+might enter the capital any dark night and capture or send the
+Government on a traveling expedition. The aged gentlemen at the head
+of our Government shook their heads discouragingly, and declared
+there was no safety in going to bed at night while Mr. Beauregard
+was so near a neighbor. The honest farmers in the country round
+about were also very much alarmed at the unruly conduct of Mr.
+Beauregard's men, who carried off their pigs and chickens, and eat
+up all their vegetables. They also made a great noise, and planted
+guns on all the adjacent hills, a proceeding the honest farmers did
+not fully comprehend. Then these unruly men became very defiant,
+felt like fighting the world, and, in the honest belief that they
+could do it, invited all the rest of the nation to come out and get
+whipped. Yes, my son, and to show what confidence they had in
+themselves, they said we might bring "five for one;" and for that
+matter, all Germany and all Ireland. It was considered wisdom with
+them to say nothing about England and France. Those two peaceably
+inclined nations might, at some future day, be disposed to step in
+and help them out--in a quiet way. It was not so much humanity as a
+matter of profitable trade with these two great nations, and if
+things should take a successful turn, they might see the confederacy
+in a strong light, and give it material as well as moral help,
+notwithstanding it had slavery for its foundation. In short, these
+Southern gentlemen acted on the wise axiom, that it will not do to
+make enemies in a direction where you may need friends and
+assistance.
+
+Now, my son, the eccentric French gentleman, of whom I have spoken
+as capable of administering physic enough to settle the question
+with the Yankees, soon became an object of great admiration with his
+noisy people. And this so pleased him, that he came in time to
+admire himself, and to firmly believe in his own mind that the world
+had no greater warrior. Self-confidence, my son, is one of the most
+necessary things in war. I have sometimes thought that this element
+of an army's strength was not fully understood. It was at least not
+understood by us when the war began. If it had been, a much less
+number of our people would have shared Mr. Beauregard's opinion of
+himself. As it was, our timid people so magnified his proportions as
+to see danger in his very shadow. But then, my son, we were very
+innocent of the practical part of war when the great rebellion
+began; and this innocence led us into the very grave error of giving
+our adversary more than his proper dimensions. It was this that led
+the Northern mind to over-measure Mr. Beauregard.
+
+I have always had a good deal of sympathy for Mr. Beauregard, and
+never believed him anything but a pleasant, harmless gentleman, who
+got into bad company by mere accident. Nor do I believe he ever had
+any more serious design on the capital of the nation than to look at
+it longingly from a distance, and perhaps a desire now and then to
+enjoy the hospitality of some old friend. That he would have played
+the ruthless invader, if he had got into the city, no reflecting
+mind ever believed. But then there were people ready enough to
+believe anything in those days--even to believe that there was truth
+to be found in the stories told by Mr. Detective Baker.
+
+It was natural enough that Mr. Beauregard should amuse his soldiers
+by telling them romantic stories of the pleasant days he had spent
+in Washington, as well as the great value of what it contained. It
+was necessary also that he should ascertain how far the Government
+at Washington could be frightened, and what were the best means to
+that end. You must know, my son, that a Frenchman regards it as one
+of the first principles in war to find out how far you can frighten
+your adversary before proceeding to fight him. This will account for
+a good deal that Mr. Beauregard said and did while at Manassas, and
+which, at the time, was somewhat unintelligible.
+
+As we were not sure, however, as to what the real intentions of Mr.
+Beauregard and his master were, it was concluded that we could
+better preserve our respect for them, as well as the peace of mind
+of our own people, by applying the proper means to keep them at a
+respectful distance outside. Indeed the capital contained a great
+many things which would be extremely useful to an ambitious
+gentleman resolved on setting up a government of his own, and with
+the machinery all working according to his own way of thinking. And
+as the honest intentions of these ambitious men (I refer to Mr.
+Beauregard and his master) were no more to be trusted than their
+loyalty, we set our engineers to work building a cordon of forts,
+such as the world had never seen before, and supposed to be strong
+enough to keep all our enemies out. And these forts were mounted
+with such reasoning powers as the largest cannon in the world were
+capable of.
+
+Among the things in Washington so very desirable to a gentleman
+about to set up a government of his own was the White House. Mr.
+Davis had long regarded this pleasant looking old mansion as a
+desirable residence for a gentleman born to rule over a people. Once
+comfortably seated in this pleasant mansion, a wonderful change
+would be worked in the political opinions of those whose minds were
+in doubt. Considered as master of the situation, his friends in the
+North would increase fourfold. And there was no knowing the turn
+respect for him abroad might take. A gentleman quietly settled down
+in the White House, if only for four years, is sure to have a large
+increase in the number of his friends, all ready either to accept
+his favors or sound his virtues. Even slavery, that had scourged
+mankind for so many generations, would have found a great increase
+of friends and admirers if Mr. Davis had made a home in the White
+House; so prone is weak human nature to bow to power. Indeed, I am
+not so sure that, with such a turn in our political affairs, those
+preachers who had been asserting the divine origin of slavery would
+not then have proclaimed that God himself was its great protector--a
+blasphemy the Christian Church will some day be ashamed of.
+
+In addition to the White House being a desirable residence for Mr.
+Davis, there were those fine public buildings so much admired by
+strangers. They were just what Mr. Davis and his friends wanted in
+starting a new government, and would come in very handy. With
+Washington in his possession, and our worthy President and his
+Cabinet locked up in the arsenal, or sent on a traveling expedition
+into a colder climate for the benefit of their health, Mr. Davis's
+new enterprise would become a fixture in the history of nations. And
+there was a time when Mr. Davis could, with the means in his power,
+have accomplished all these things.
+
+The arsenal, too, was full of gunpowder, of great guns, of valuable
+military stores and equipments. And these were just such things as a
+gentleman resolved to be a ruler and have a government according to
+his own way of thinking would stand most in need of. In short, the
+powder and big guns might be needed as a means of convincing those
+who differed with him that his opinions must be respected. This is a
+queer world, my son, and man is the strangest and most
+uncontrollable animal in it. Mr. Davis understood this as well as
+any gentleman within my knowledge. And if he had kept as keen an eye
+on his finances as he had on his political fortune, it would have
+been much better for him. He knew that if he could show to the world
+that his new government was sound financially, and likely to
+continue so, his prospects would be bright indeed. And with
+Washington, and what Washington contained, in his possession, he
+could set up his claim to the confidence of the financial world with
+more than ordinary pretensions.
+
+It was indeed said (but I think in a strain of slander) that Mr.
+Beauregard looked with an air of great condescension on our noble
+Treasury building, and promised his fighting followers a share of
+its contents as soon as it came into his master's possession. Indeed
+it was said that Mr. Beauregard promised his men that when they got
+Washington they should have luxuries for rations, and fight with
+their pockets filled with silver and gold. And with their
+expectations firmly fixed on a specie basis, who could doubt as to
+what the result would be? This was the golden prize Mr. Davis hoped
+to win with Washington. And with it he saw, or rather thought he
+saw, England extending to him the right hand of fellowship, and the
+Emperor of France making him one of his very best bows, and thanking
+him for the liberty he had taken with the freedom of a people.
+
+These, then, my son, are some of the reasons why we concluded to
+close the gates of Washington against Mr. Davis and his rebellious
+people, and to keep them closed by raising a cordon of strong forts
+around the city.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+CONCERNING THE DISTINGUISHED OFFICER WHO BUILT THE FORTS.
+
+
+
+
+
+I HAVE thought it no more than right, my son, to present you with a
+pleasant, but very exact picture of the distinguished officer of
+engineers, to whose skill we are indebted for the forts that more
+than once saved Washington. I do this out of respect to the truth of
+history, and from an apprehension that there are others, perhaps,
+higher in rank, who may lay claim to the honor, at some future day.
+I have also presented you with a more extended and complete portrait
+of him in the frontispiece of this work. He appears here in his
+usually calm, meditative mood, with his pipe and Professor Mahan's
+last great work on fortifications. He is, I must tell you, my son, a
+man of large brain, and generous nature, fond of his joke, and very
+fertile in the art of rearing earthworks. In figure he is
+Falstaffian, and when on his rounds among the fortifications wears
+immense canvas-legged boots, and a hat with a high crown and
+extremely broad brim. Indeed, his figure is what may be called
+formidable, and there would be no mistaking him were you to meet him
+on the road. And, notwithstanding his peaceable disposition, and his
+scrupulous regard for the rights of others, the farmers round about
+Washington regard him with fear and trembling. In short, my son, his
+approach near a farm house is sure to send all the children
+scampering with fear. And even the curs and other domestic animals,
+seem to have an instinctive knowledge that his visits portend no
+good to their master's domicil. It is curious to see those domestic
+animals how they bark and snap, and then shrink away at his
+approach, uttering signs of their dislike. In truth, my son, he has
+a bad reputation among these worthy farmers, whose farms he quietly
+takes possession of, and then indulges in his favorite amusement of
+building forts on them. In this way many an honest farmer has
+suddenly found himself dispossessed of his property, and his means
+of getting an honest living; thereby bringing great distress on his
+family. To remonstrate would be useless. He must submit to the fate
+of war, and look to Heaven for redress. Now it is by no means
+pleasant for a quietly-disposed farmer to have his home turned
+suddenly into a fortress, and his acres made a camping ground for
+soldiers, who are not the most desirable guests, even under the best
+of circumstances. But the farmer lays all his sorrows at the door of
+our distinguished engineer, forgetting that he is only carrying out
+the orders of his superiors. Thus it was that he got a bad
+reputation, just as General Gilmore got a bad reputation with the
+people of Charleston, and South Carolina generally, for throwing
+shells into their city.
+
+While, then, our distinguished engineer progressed in his work of
+building forts, with a view to saving the city, the people of the
+North, and the people of the great West, seeing that war was upon us
+in all its stern reality, were much agitated as to what was best to
+be done. They were a peaceable, prospering people, and much attached
+to the Government that had conferred so many blessings on them. But
+the fire of their patriotism had already been kindled; and they went
+wisely to work adding fuel to it. The trumpet of war had sounded
+over the land, their gallant militiamen came together, boldly and
+earnestly. And these they sent to Washington, by regiments, to quiet
+the fears of the people, and save the nation.
+
+Now these gallant militiamen were very full of courage, and their
+courage increased as their numbers multiplied in the capital, and
+they sent word to Mr. Beauregard and his men that they would be out
+there soon and thrash him out of Manassas. Some of these gallant men
+came for thirty days, others for ninety, our wise rulers being
+satisfied in their own mind that the latter number of days would be
+quite enough to finish up the small job of putting down the
+rebellion. These militiamen wore gay and many-colored uniforms, and
+had the fat of the land for rations. They were the nation's favored
+guests, and every man was set down for a gentleman and a hero, who
+would as soon shed his blood for his country as eat his breakfast.
+And these gallant militiamen were organized into a grand army, so
+full of pomp and circumstance, that we were sure the enemy would run
+away as soon as he saw it coming. But in order to make the thing
+safe beyond peradventure, we gave the command of this grand army to
+General McDowell, a man of solid parts, a gentleman, and a
+soldier. Our wise political rulers at that time held to the idea
+that a gentleman who had seen service must be a great general. Hence
+it was that General McDowell, being a gentleman and a scholar, and
+ready enough to square his political sentiments with the predominant
+ideas, was accepted as just the soldier who would lead our gallant
+militiamen to victory, and never think of running from the enemy.
+Indeed, according to our military politicians, we were to get no end
+of glory through General McDowell's success. And Mr. Beauregard was
+to be driven back to his master, bag and baggage.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE BATTLE OF BULL-RUN, AND HOW IT ENDED.
+
+
+
+
+
+I CONSIDER it of the greatest importance, my son, to present you
+with an exact portrait of the very distinguished general who led our
+gallant militiamen to battle at Bull-Run, and followed them home
+without gaining a victory. Greater battles than this of Bull-Run
+have been fought, as well in modern as in ancient times; but it is
+my honest opinion that it has never had its equal in the small
+number killed and wounded, as compared to the very large number that
+got frightened and ran away. But I shall speak of this more
+particularly hereafter.
+
+When the bold McDowell had got the courage of our gallant militiamen
+well up, and was sure they would look the enemy right in the eye,
+and give him powder and shot to his heart's content, he led them
+forth with such pomp and pageantry as had never been seen before.
+Yes, my son, our gallant militiamen marched forth on the morning of
+the 21st of July, 1861, every man a hero, and every man intent on
+fighting the battle according to his own peculiar notions of how a
+great and glorious victory ought to be gained. There was great
+blowing of bugles, beating of drums, playing of bands, and
+fluttering of colors; all of which told Mr. Beauregard to put in his
+powder, that we were coming, and in earnest. The nation went into a
+very fever of joy. Several of our grave Congressmen got up their
+courage, put pistols in their pockets, and went forth with the army
+to set our brave boys a noble example by their presence on the
+field. Indeed, many otherwise reflecting persons looked forward to
+this great clash of arms as a grand entertainment, which was to wind
+up with a feast, to which the vanquished enemy was to be invited.
+And to that end they went amply provided with provisions and good
+wines. In truth, my son, there was a strong rear guard, made up of
+Congressmen, editors, and distinguished citizens, all going to see
+the battle, in wagons well-filled with luxuries. This was a new
+feature in the history of war, and quiet people along the road
+wondered at the sight.
+
+The morning was hot and sultry, and the air was misty with dust
+clouds. Our brave boys, who were not up to long marches, had a hard
+time of it. But they were full of patriotism, and bore up under it
+with great fortitude. Meeting the enemy near Bull-Run, we gave him
+battle. That is, we pitched into him and he pitched into us, the
+fight becoming general and extending over a great deal of ground.
+Then the fighting became so mixed up and confused that it was
+difficult to tell on which side victory was smiling. Indeed, neither
+general could tell how things were going. For a long time both
+armies kept at a respectful distance, under the evident apprehension
+that somebody would get injured. In short, there was a great deal of
+good ammunition wasted, and a great deal of wild and harmless firing
+done. And just as we were about to proclaim a great victory over the
+enemy--for many far-sighted persons declared they could see Mr.
+Beauregard and his men with the toes of their boots turned towards
+Richmond--a strange chapter of accidents occurred and changed the
+whole scene. A number of our brave boys got killed, a greater number
+got hurt, and a still greater number got frightened and thought it
+high time to look to their own safety. A backward movement, not
+ordered by our gallant general, began, and this soon resolved itself
+into a grand race for Washington, where, it was thought, shelter and
+safety were to be found behind its forts. What caused this sudden
+backward movement still remains an undecided question. It was first
+noticed among a regiment of brave Pennsylvanians, who had been
+homesick for several days, and wanting to go home, started for that
+purpose. The example of these gallant fellows was soon followed by
+our Congressmen, editors, and citizens generally, each leaving his
+stock of luxuries, and, indeed, everything he had, as a
+peace-offering to the enemy, and resolved not to be outdone in the
+race, especially in a case where it was made so clear that
+discretion was the better part of valor. Indeed, these distinguished
+non-fighting gentlemen proved themselves remarkably fleet of foot,
+and not to be outdone in a race where personal safety was at stake.
+But the worst of it was that their example was at once imitated by a
+regiment of fierce Zouaves, from New York, who firmly believed, when
+they went out to meet the enemy, that they were more than a match
+for him. It is reported that these fierce Zouaves became very much
+alarmed, and did some of the very best running of the day, under the
+apprehension that they were followed by not less than a troop of
+savage horsemen, better known as the black-horse cavalrymen, whose
+sabres they had no taste for. But I have always been of opinion, my
+son, that these fierce Zouaves were so intent on making the best
+speed they were capable of, that they never looked behind them to
+see if these savage horsemen were men of buckram or real substances.
+I have also heard it intimated that the good speed made by these
+red-legged heroes was owing to the fact that they had left their
+courage at home, and were returning to get it. Another very
+plausible theory I have heard advanced by an Englishman, who had
+very profound ideas as to how war should be carried on and battles
+fought. He very gravely told me (adding that he had undoubted
+authority for his statement), that what set the gallant Zouaves to
+scampering was this: There were a large number among them who had a
+weakness for office-holding. Knowing this, a mischievous member
+started the report that there was a vacancy in the New York
+Custom-house. The fellow could not have done a more rash act, for it
+sent them all scampering off the battle-field, each in the hope of
+being first to gain the prize. Her Majesty's sagacious subject
+contended that this sufficiently accounted for the good speed made
+in retreat by that gallant regiment, and also for its leaving more
+firearms than dead men on the field.
+
+Indeed, my son, each man ran for his life, the excitement increasing
+at every step, until the race became general; and in this way it was
+kept up until our grand army of gallant militiamen reached the
+forts, when they breathed freer and felt safe. This was a dark day
+for Washington and the nation, which became bowed down with sorrow
+and disappointment. The brave general followed his army into
+Washington; and I have heard it intimated that he boasted of having
+the most fleet-footed divisions history had any account of.
+
+You will see, my son, that forts have a moral as well as a material
+effect. The enemy might, had he known our forlorn condition, have
+followed up his victory and marched into Washington with flying
+colors. He was probably restrained by his fears of what we might
+have in store for him when he reached the forts. As to the
+provisions for the feast, we left them for the enemy to enjoy, which
+he did with many thanks to us for the bounty, his own fare being
+very scanty. And now, my son, I shall leave to my artist the task of
+giving you an exact picture of our army as it appeared on its way to
+Washington after the battle of Bull-Run.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+
+
+
+THE wise men of Washington agreed that McDowell was not the general
+we took him for, so we sent for George B. McClellan, who had been
+whipping the rebels up in Northern Virginia. We felt sure that he
+was the man who would whip the rebels for us, and gain us victories;
+who would dispel the gloom hanging over the land, and bring us
+plenty of sunshine. Indeed, my son, the nation began to feel very
+happy in the possession of such a man; for, according to the
+newspapers, he had displayed remarkable military traits when only a
+boy, such as great attention to the study of maps, and the making of
+little dirt piles. It was also added that while yet a youth he was
+very obedient to his father, and affectionately fond of his mother.
+And these excellent traits of character, in one so young, it was
+held by our wise men, must, when improved and enlarged by manhood,
+make the man, who had given his mind to the study of arms a great
+general. So, my son, you see what an opportunity there is before
+you.
+
+Well, George came to us flush from the field of his glories, and we
+proceeded at once to make him a hero before he had made us an army.
+The nation recovered from its disappointment, the sky brightened,
+the people began to send into the capital troops of a different
+sort, and the general we had put our faith in went to work making an
+army--the grand old Army of the Potomac. Now, my son, it was no small
+job to make an army, and when you have made it to so improve its
+drill and discipline that it will stand firm and fight well. It is
+just as necessary, my son, to harden the constitution of a new army
+as it is to so sharpen its digestion that it will relish the
+coarsest of fare. And you can do neither of these things in a day.
+You must also cultivate and improve the courage of a new army. And
+this can only be done by experience in the field. General George
+taught his army to do all these things, and do them well. And the
+nation felt grateful to him for what he was doing, and sang songs in
+his praise. And the army respected and loved General George. And
+General George loved and was proud of his army. The sky of our hopes
+brightened then, and the nation rejoiced and felt strong again. We
+all felt that when spring came Mr. Beauregard and his men would be
+driven to the wall; that we should march on and take Richmond; and
+that General George was just the man to do it all for us.
+
+Then an evil hour came. The nation got in an impatient mood. And
+while General George was hardening the constitution of his army on
+the banks of the Potomac, a great many restless, discontented, and
+evil-disposed persons sprang up, declared that he was no general at
+all, and that to command armies was the business of politicians, not
+soldiers. During war every nation has its mischievous men, who, to
+create notoriety for themselves, make war in their own way on the
+great soldiers who are struggling to preserve its honor. These men
+were our misfortune. They proceeded to make war on General George,
+to persecute him, and to destroy his usefulness with the army. These
+men affected to know a great deal about war; but I noticed, my son,
+that they were very unwilling to shoulder a musket and face the
+enemy. They wanted General George to move on in the middle of
+winter, drive Mr. Beauregard out of Manassas, and take Richmond. And
+all this while the mud was so deep that he could not drag his wagons
+through it. George very sensibly refused to destroy his army in this
+way. Indeed, he foresaw that to follow their advice would be to
+bring the nation to grief a second time. This increased the
+discontent and opposition of his enemies, who regarded it a great
+grievance that a general would not follow their advice.
+
+But George was not to be driven into the mud by a set of meddlesome
+civilians, who knew nothing about war. And to show them that he was
+not, he kept his army quiet, on the banks of the Potomac, all
+winter. And in this position he contemplated Mr. Beauregard, and Mr.
+Beauregard contemplated him, separated by twenty miles of mud. We
+had not got our war eyes open then, my son. In truth, we had but a
+very imperfect idea of what an amount of resistance a resolute and
+determined foe, standing on the defensive, can offer.
+
+When it was spring, and the birds had come back to us, and the
+prospect looked bright and cheering, and the hopes of the nation ran
+high, George mounted his horse, and, picking up his army, moved out
+in the direction of Richmond, taking the overland route. He sent
+word to Mr Beauregard to wait until he came and he would thrash him
+out of Manassas. But Mr. Beauregard was not inclined to accommodate
+George with a fight at that particular point, where his elbows were
+so exposed, and stepped quietly out by the back door before George
+got there. In short, all George saw of Mr. Beauregard and his men
+was the tails of their coats and the heels of their boots, away in
+the shadowy distance. People said Mr. Beauregard did not do the
+clean thing to slip away in such a manner. And there were those who
+scolded General George for letting him get off in this shabby way;
+but how he was to prevent it I never could see. Mr. Beauregard was
+kind enough to leave us an army of log houses, and his smouldering
+camp fires, around which a number of sooty negroes were grouped,
+shivering and forlorn. And these were all we had to be thankful to
+him for.
+
+A great storm arose while we were at Manassas. Snow, rain, and hail
+fell, the wind blew cold and piercing, and the face of the country
+became melancholy. And the army became melancholy, and sick, for it
+was stuck in the mud, and was suffering for something to eat, though
+so near Washington. And the poor animals got sick, and began dying,
+for there was nothing for them to eat. There was no following Mr.
+Beauregard to Richmond over such a muddy road, which looked very
+long then, and very dangerous. George was put to his wits to know
+what to do next. There was no persuading Mr. Beauregard to stop long
+enough to let us strike him square in the stomach, so George hit
+upon a great plan, whereby wonders were to be worked in the art of
+strategy. He conceived the grand idea of taking his army to sea,
+avoiding the mud, and after enjoying a pleasant voyage, finding a
+shorter and better road to Richmond. We all know at what a
+disadvantage you can take a man when you get in his rear. George
+felt that if he could take advantage of this on an enlarged plan he
+could have Mr. Beauregard just where he wanted him. That is, if he
+could get in his rear before he got to Richmond, he would have him
+and his men hived, and could give them a good thrashing, and then
+step quietly in and take the city. But it is not so easy a matter to
+get in the rear of a gentleman who keeps his eyes open. Nor, my son,
+have I ever before heard that it was wise in a great general to
+perform a feat in grand circle sailing to gain an advantage over an
+adversary who occupied the same roads with him. But George made up
+his mind that he knew better than all of us, so he took his army to
+sea, became a great navigator as well as a general, and sailed for
+the Peninsula, where some good friend had told him there were finer
+weather and harder roads.
+
+The greatest of generals, my son, are liable to disappointment. They
+may drive the enemy, and win victories; but they cannot control the
+elements. That was what bothered George. It was all very pleasant to
+give his army an airing at sea, but when he was safely landed on the
+Peninsula, he found himself further from Richmond than when he
+started. Instead of mud he found dangerous quicksands, into which
+his army plunged and sank almost out of sight. And there was no
+better weather on the Peninsula than at Manassas. His cavalrymen,
+when they had got their sea-legs off, and mounted, cut a sorry
+figure in the quicksand. And his artillery sunk above its boots.
+Indeed it was with the greatest difficulty his army could be kept on
+the surface. There was no getting a firm understanding.
+
+When George had got his army "all ashore," he set out on his grand
+journey to Richmond. But when he had waded for twenty miles or so
+through quicksands, he halted before a little old town called
+Yorktown. Now the old women along the road told George that he had
+better have nothing to do with Yorktown, that Yorktown was not much
+account anyhow, and not worth spending much powder on. They told him
+also that although Mr. Beauregard had not been seen, there was one
+General Johnson, who had just come to town with a large army; and
+had made no end of sand heaps, and put mighty big guns on them. That
+he would not find it so easy to get into Yorktown while General
+Johnson sat smoking his pipe behind them big sand heaps. And so it
+proved.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+NOBODY HOME AT YORKTOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who sat behind the
+great sand heaps at Yorktown, smoking his pipe, and gave our George
+so much trouble. George and he had been old friends and playmates at
+school, where they had played pitch and toss in a harmless way. So
+it is natural to suppose they knew each other's game perfectly well.
+George took the hint given him by the old women along the road, and
+when he got to Yorktown he saw clear enough that his old friend
+Johnston was playing a game of brag with his big sand hills. And to
+show Mr. Johnston that he was not to be outdone in that line of art,
+George, when he had settled his army down in the soft ground, went
+to work satisfying the nation that he could build just as big sand
+heaps as any other general. In short, my son, George found himself
+in a worse predicament than he was in at Manassas, for his friend
+Johnston had a large army, and stronger works than Mr. Beauregard
+left behind him. So his army laid down its guns, and took up the
+spade, and went largely into the ditching and dyking business. He
+made sand heaps bigger than Mr. Johnston's, and stretched them all
+the way across the Peninsula, so that there was no getting on either
+side of him. And when he had done this he mounted them with the
+biggest cannon, which he intended to fire when he got them all up;
+so as to make a magnificent display of substantial fire-works, and
+in that way frighten Mr. Johnston out of town. So careful was George
+not to do his old friend any bodily injury before he got all his
+guns mounted, that he would only exchange compliments with him at
+morning and evening, when few shells would be tossed backward and
+forward, just to preserve what was called the etiquette of war. I
+have sometimes thought these compliments were exchanged with the
+very best of motives, intended only to change the monotony of camp
+life with a little excitement.
+
+When George and his army had toiled hard for nearly a month, had
+thrown up a whole mountain of sand hills, and kept on crying for
+more soldiers, and had got almost all his guns mounted; and was just
+ready to bring Yorktown down about Mr. Johnston's ears, with a grand
+display of substantial fireworks, that general made up his mind not
+to be served in that way. Nor would he accommodate George by waiting
+to see his grand display of fireworks. No, my son, he was not the
+man to be caught at a disadvantage, or waste powder unnecessarily.
+Some kind friend informed him of George's intentions, so he packed
+up his baggage one night, and moved himself off, leaving Yorktown
+and his sand hills as a legacy to George, who was very much
+disappointed at being treated so shabbily by his old friend and
+playmate.
+
+People said General Johnston was a cunning fox, and not to be caught
+in any trap our George could set. But George, like the Irishman, had
+a deal of pluck, and a big heart, and, above both, a great deal of
+chivalry. Now he was anxious that his old friend should not go away
+so shabbily, but come back, and either breakfast with him or
+accommodate him with a fight. So he sent his rough-riders after him,
+and they proceeded at a rapid pace, and came up with him on the
+outskirts of Williamsburg, where General Johnston prepared to fight
+rather than come to breakfast. There both armies came together, and
+a great battle was fought, which lasted two days. There was
+desperate fighting on both sides, and a great many were killed and
+wounded, and a great many more so badly frightened that they kept
+out of the fight, which they held to be a proof of their wisdom.
+
+We gained a great victory over the rebels at Williamsburg, and made
+them feel so ashamed of themselves that they resumed their march
+backwards on the road to Richmond. And this battle and this victory
+attached our good Union soldiers more closely to General George.
+Indeed, my son, they loved him, and looked up to him as a dutiful
+child does to a kind father. They marched up the Peninsula singing
+his praises. And now, my son, let me enjoin you that whenever you
+hear the names of Generals Hancock and Kearney mentioned, respect
+and revere them, for never was American valor more beautifully
+illustrated than by those generals on the field at Williamsburg.
+
+Then General George sent the right wing of his grand army, under
+General Franklin, by water, to West Point, where he fought a battle
+with General Johnston's rear-guard, and gained another victory. Then
+both armies moved leisurely along, up the Peninsula, in a manner not
+to make the marching uncomfortable. It rained a great deal, and the
+roads were bad, and the enemy resolved not to be hurried. And our
+Government, which was not so wise in war matters then as it got to
+be in time, was not disposed to do anything that might change
+General Johnston's resolution. In fine, our Government seemed to
+have quite as big a quarrel with General George as it had with the
+rebels, and the politicians held it of more importance to destroy
+our own general than the rebel army. The Government was just as fair
+as fair could be in making promises to General George. But then the
+Government seemed to have a short memory, and forgot its promises
+almost as soon as it had made them. It promised to send General
+McDowell, who was not far away, to help George fight the rebels and
+take Richmond. But the Government forgot to do so; and instead, kept
+that gallant officer looking from the hills of Fredericksburg, to
+see if the rebels were coming in that direction. To tell you the
+truth, my son, our Government was so afraid that the rebels would
+turn short around and take Washington, and make prisoners of its
+cabinet officers, that it made "look-out generals" of so many brave
+officers, who had troops under their command, that it had none to
+send General George to assist in taking Richmond. It may however, be
+a consolation to us to know that this would not have been the first
+time, in the history of the world, that fear had cost a great nation
+its fortunes and its glories.
+
+General George marched leisurely along with his brave army until he
+came within four miles of Richmond, where there was a great swamp
+called the Chickahominy. The name of this swamp will be long
+remembered by our brave soldiers of the Army of the Potomac. The
+rain fell like a deluge, and flooded it; and it gave out deadly
+fevers, which brought death and tribulation on our army. And in this
+swamp our army fought the battle of Fair Oaks, and gained another
+grand victory over the enemy. But we had no means of following up
+this victory, and so its effect was lost to us. Then our army
+settled down into this deadly swamp, and wondered and waited for
+nearly a month, until our men got heart-sick and fever-stricken. We
+watched the enemy on the hills beyond; and the enemy watched us in
+the swamp. And we waited until the enemy had brought all his forces
+up into Richmond, and General Lee, his best general, had taken
+command. Things began to look desperate with our George, and he
+began thinking how he should get safely out of the swamp and change
+his base. How was he to fight Mr. Lee with all his strength, when
+the strength we ought to have sent him was kept at a safe distance
+looking on? George saw that the glories of Williamsburg, of West
+Point, of Hanover Court House, and of Fair Oaks would have to be
+thrown away because the wisdom of the nation would not send us aid.
+
+This, my son, was the day of our tribulation. The people were
+strong, and the army represented the people. I wish, my son, that I
+could say also that the Government was strong. But the army, if it
+was sick, had not lost its courage, nor its love for the general who
+commanded it.
+
+General Lee then came out with his strong and powerful army and
+fought us at Gaines's Mill, where he beat us after a desperate
+battle. We might as well confess that we were beaten, and badly
+beaten, in that battle; and that we had to make the best we could of
+our defeat, and get across the Chickahominy Swamp as quick as we
+could, and turn our backs on it forever, for we had filled it with
+the graves of our brave soldiers. George was sanguine, had great
+confidence in the endurance of his army, and looked forward to the
+future with faith and hope. He did not want to acknowledge that he
+was beaten at Gaines's Mill; but the nation made up its mind that he
+was. Indeed, the nation could not comprehend the principle of
+generalship that claimed a victory, and at the same time made a
+change of base necessary in the face of an advancing enemy. But
+George got his army safe across the Chickahominy, though in some
+confusion, and instead of driving the enemy to the wall, as he had
+promised us he would do, the enemy began driving him to the James
+River.
+
+Like the Irishman who had twice got his head broken, but was
+unwilling to say he was beaten, George continued to show General Lee
+that our army was still full of pluck.
+
+So he turned round and thrashed the enemy right soundly at Savage's
+Station, at White Oak Swamp, and at Malvern Hill--just to show that
+he could do it. These are places, my son, you shall read of in
+history. And the glories of the battles fought at them shall become
+brighter and brighter as we contemplate them; and new lustre will
+shed on the names of the officers who fought them, and set such
+noble examples of courage to their men. It was George's misfortune
+that he fought these battles and gained these victories while his
+army was moving backward instead of forward--while seeking a place of
+safety instead of driving the enemy to seek one. This makes a great
+difference with the public, which does not generally study the rules
+of strategy, and does not like to see an army fall back after it has
+gained what its commander claims to be a great victory.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+POPE DID IT.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, you have an exact portrait of the great general who
+was brought to Washington to command all our armies, and to keep us
+from making any more military mistakes. He is presented to you just
+as he sat in his easy chair, confounding the rules of war and
+bringing confusion on the army. This great general, though he had
+never fought a battle, except on paper, brought with him from the
+West a new and much enlarged plan for taking Richmond.
+
+General George was on the banks of the James River, with his army,
+pointing with his sword toward Richmond, as the heart of the
+rebellion, and offering to take it for us if we would only send him
+twenty-five thousand fresh men, which very reasonable proposal we
+declined. Indeed the general we had placed in the easy chair at
+Washington, over George, declared it as his solemn conviction that
+Richmond was not to be taken in any such way. That an army so near
+Richmond could not take it with advantage. That objective points
+must be reached over the right road, not the wrong one. That General
+George, having taken his army to Richmond over the wrong road, must
+bring it back over the same wrong road, and then proceed on his
+travels over the right road. That Richmond, unless approached over
+the right road could not be taken in the right way. That General
+George had deceived us, inasmuch as his plan had too much strategy
+in it, and not enough straight lines. That Richmond, to be taken in
+the right way, must be taken by a new general, with a new army, and
+according to new ideas. That it was better to keep Washington from
+being taken than to take Richmond, though we had a large army
+knocking at its gates. This was the military logic of our new
+Commander-in-Chief. And this was the great Commander-in-Chief who
+was to conduct the war for us on enlarged principles and keep the
+nation safe against blunders.
+
+This great general, then, when he had got comfortably settled in his
+easy chair, must needs show the people what faith he had in his new
+plan. So he ordered little George to pack up his baggage, stop
+knocking at the enemy's back door, and bring his army back to
+Washington on transports. Of course the rebels were very thankful to
+him for this act of kindness, as it evinced a disposition to conduct
+the war for their benefit. With General George and his army on their
+way to Washington by ship, Richmond was no longer besieged. And then
+the rebel army was at liberty to go where it pleased. And it very
+soon pleased General Lee to march it against Washington at a rapid
+pace, and over the shortest road. We had an army at sea, and a
+number of others we did not know just exactly where. So things
+military began to get so confused that the people did not understand
+them. They were requested to be patient, however, and patient they
+had to be.
+
+Well, my son, we brought the scattered battalions we had on their
+front together at the forts, and soon formed a good fighting army.
+But where was the new general to lead it to victory for us? The
+government cast about it for a man, and at last fixed its eye on
+Pope. He was the shining star among generals, the man to take the
+buckrum out of the rebels for us. And it was said of this great
+general that he possessed uncommon virtues. His friends laid
+numerous feats of valor at his door, and the whole history of war
+was ransacked to find another such a hero. He had captured Islands,
+whipped rebel armies (I have forgotten how many), and bagged
+invisible prisoners enough to satisfy a Napoleon. This great
+general, too, was remarkable for his modesty; and he was also a man
+of strict veracity. Yes, my son, considering the times, he was a
+rare example of a man who never boasts of his achievements, nor
+claims a feather that belongs to another man's cap. Such were the
+virtues of this great general.
+
+Well, my son, we sent for him to come to Washington and take care of
+us, and he came.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+HOW THE NEW GENERAL CAME TO TOWN.
+
+
+
+
+
+MY artist has drawn you an exact picture of the manner in which this
+great general entered the capital of the nation. The skies
+brightened, and the country felt safe again at the thought of having
+such a hero. Children laughed and gamboled, and said the rebels
+would get it now Pope had come to town. Dogs ran out, and barked,
+and snapped for joy. The crowd pressed forward to look at him, and
+policemen, for once, had enough to do. Fair women waived
+handkerchiefs and threw him kisses. And many were they who marvelled
+that so great a soldier had remained so long undiscovered. You see,
+my son, we are a people much given to excitement, and when we get to
+heaping honors on a man we do it without mercy. Hence it pleased us
+much when we saw Pope come to town amidst the beating of drums and
+the blowing of horns. That was the way he came.
+
+I have spoken of this great general's modesty, my son. It will also
+be necessary for me to inform you that he introduced a new idea in
+war, one worthy of being added to the regulations, and that was that
+every general should be his own trumpeter, as well as keep a number
+of trumpeters in his employ.
+
+Then Pope went out to see and have a talk with his army. He also
+published a grand order to his soldiers, which will stand as a great
+curiosity in our war literature, as long as the history of the
+rebellion, for its wisdom astonished the people. He told them the
+war had been carried on after a strange fashion, which he intended
+should be changed. He enjoined them, in a word, neither to look to
+the right nor the left, but to keep straight ahead, with their steel
+sharp and their powder dry. And when they got near enough to the
+enemy to see the color of his eye, then deliver their lead right
+square into his stomach. That was the way war must be carried on.
+Our army must look only to the front, keep its eye open, and forget
+that there was such a thing as its rear.
+
+This was highly encouraging to those politicians who said our army
+must get to Richmond over the shortest road. After what I have said,
+my son, you will not fail to see what a great general this Pope was.
+Great generals were not generally generous enough to intrust the
+care of their rear to the enemy. But this was not all. He
+established his headquarters in the saddle, and told his soldiers
+they would always find him there. My opinion has always been, though
+I have never had much to do with war, that the general who
+establishes his headquarters in the saddle, was not always to be
+found when you wanted him. In short, the saddle is a very uncertain
+locality, and very difficult to find when you have information to
+convey, and orders to receive; both of which may be necessary during
+a battle. I rode an hour once to find a general whose headquarters
+were in the saddle, and did n't find him after all.
+
+When, then, this great general had shown us how the rebels were to
+be whipped, he went out to take command of his army. And again there
+was great blowing of horns and beating of drums. And when he had got
+his headquarters firmly established in the saddle, he invited the
+enemy to come forward and get whipped. And the enemy came forward in
+all their strength,--fierce and earnest, and a great and bloody
+battle was fought on the plains of Manassas. And when they had
+fought for three days General Pope declared his new method of
+carrying on the war was a great success; that he had got the rebels
+just where he wanted them, and would have them all in his trap for
+us to-morrow. We all threw up our caps and felt so happy at this
+good news. But our hopes were dashed to the ground again, and it
+turned out that our Pope had made a slight mistake. It was the
+rebels who had got him just where they wanted. The saddle was not a
+good place from which to see what the enemy were doing. And as Pope
+had given no heed to his rear, General Lee very wisely took the
+responsibility of giving that important position his attention.
+
+When, then, to-morrow came, our general, who was to give the rebels
+such a whipping for us, found them in his rear, on his flank,
+everywhere but where he wanted them. The very natural result of this
+was that his army resolved itself into a state of confusion, and in
+that manner came scampering back on Washington, leaving its
+commander to take care of himself, which he did, though with the
+loss of his wardrobe. It has been hinted that he returned to
+Washington a much wiser general than when he left it.
+
+The nation was again brought to grief, and fear and disorder reigned
+in Washington. People were heard to say that Pope had made a
+prodigious failure, and was not the general we took him for, or he
+never would have let his army run away from him in this way. Others
+declared he had opened the gates of the city to the enemy, and
+invited him to walk in. And it was not with feelings of
+encouragement that they saw gunboats move up and take position where
+they could check the enemy's approach. Never did general lose his
+laurels so quickly. Indeed, my son, when he returned to Washington,
+with little else than his saddle, there was not a dog to bark him a
+welcome, nor a chambermaid to wave a napkin in his honor.
+
+Timid people fancied every hour of the day that they could see the
+rebel army deploying over the hills of Arlington, and loud calls
+were made for a general who could save us. But we had something
+better than a mere general to save us. We had the grim and silent
+strength of the forts. And these the enemy dare not approach. Their
+effect on the enemy was manifest and he turned aside from them, and
+passed up into Maryland, victorious and defiant.
+
+I ought to tell you, my son, that while Pope was illustrating the
+beauties of his new plan at the front, and bringing confusion on our
+arms, General George arrived with his good old army of the Potomac,
+which still loved him, still worshipped him as its hero. And just
+when he was most needed, to save Pope from his disaster, the
+government relieved him of his command, as if to increase the
+confusion already prevailing. The army felt this as a slight offered
+to itself, and called loudly for the restoration of its favorite
+general. And then the general, whose portrait I have placed at the
+head of a previous chapter, and who sat in his easy chair in
+Washington, and brought our armies to grief, called loudly for
+General George to come and help him out of his trouble. This, you
+will see, my son, was first tying a man's hands, and then asking him
+to come and help whip a giant.
+
+Yes, my son, there was toil and trouble enough in Washington just
+then; and the errors our wise men had committed were like witches
+rising up and haunting them. It is said that the little bell-ringer
+of the State Department had his traps packed up, and ready to move;
+and that fear had made the burly man in the War Department civil.
+Newly recruited volunteers, well fed, well clothed, and fresh
+looking, were marching into the city with colors flying and drums
+beating. The militia, which had come to Washington to do ornamental
+duty for thirty days, were marching home with colors flying and
+drums beating. Neither of these could give us relief in our trouble.
+The nation had only the good old army of the Potomac to lean upon in
+this its day of trouble. And how few of us, my son, think of this
+matter properly, or are willing to give the brave men, who composed
+that army, credit for what they had done. Like the English, we are
+an exacting people, and inclined to ask too much of those who fight
+our battles. Some of our public men were for forgetting what those
+sun-scorched, ragged, and fever-stricken heroes had done for us on
+the Peninsula, and even for wiping out their record of heroism.
+
+I confess it was to me a sad and touching sight to see these
+soldiers, who had served their country so well, who had suffered in
+swamps, and fought and defeated the enemy, treated with what seemed
+to me criminal indifference in the very capital they had returned to
+save. They muttered their discontent at the loss of their favorite
+commander, but were ready again to go forth, struggle with the
+enemy, and fight for the life of the nation. But not a voice was
+raised by the government to thank them for what they had done, not a
+cheer to welcome their return. You must know, my son, that the
+government was dumb with fear. The ghost of its errors so haunted it
+that its lips were sealed. The people looked on and saw it, in its
+very feebleness, asking for stronger hands to come and help it out
+of its trouble.
+
+There was, my son, but one army and one general that could save the
+nation then. General George was that man, and the army was the good
+old Army of the Potomac. And the government, as if to confess its
+folly in the past, restored General George to his army. And there
+was great rejoicing over the land when this good news went forth to
+the people. And the army took more heart, and rejoiced also; and
+great was its rejoicing. The soldiers had confidence in him, and
+knew he could lead them to victory. Then he placed himself at their
+head and marched out in pursuit of the enemy, who was advancing
+triumphantly into the North. And who among us can tell what changes
+there would have been in our political and social condition had not
+the advance of this bold and triumphant enemy been checked by some
+strong hand? I have often thought, my son, that if the people of a
+republic were as ready to credit great men with the good they really
+do, as they are to search their characters for faults, we should
+have less pretenders and a better government.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A BRIGHTER PROSPECT.
+
+
+
+
+
+YOU have here an exact picture of the brave Franklin, who commanded
+the gallant old Sixth Corps, which deserves a bright place in the
+history of the Army of the Potomac.
+
+When Pope had finished his job for us, and shown us what a hero he
+was, the government, in the exercise of its wisdom, sent him into
+the far West to fight the Indians, where he could, with propriety,
+establish his headquarters in the saddle.
+
+Franklin, who had been relieved of his command, for no one exactly
+knew what, was now restored to it, to the great joy of the old Sixth
+Corps. Soldiers fight better under a general they know and have
+confidence in; and they are the best judges as to who is the most
+competent to lead them. Franklin and his gallant corps fell in with
+the enemy, posted in a strong position on the South Mountain, at
+Crampton's Gap, and after a fierce fight, drove him from it and over
+into the valley, sometimes charging up the steeps with the bayonet.
+This was quite an important success, my son, since it checked the
+enemy's advance, and caused him to fall back on the plains of
+Antietam, and form his army in line of battle. Indeed, he so far
+mistook this movement as to believe it an attempt to get in his
+rear.
+
+This gleam of success, gained by Franklin, inspired the nation with
+new hope. Yes, my son, and it cheered the hearts of our brave
+soldiers, restored their strength, and gave them new confidence.
+Then General George formed his army in line on the plains of
+Antietam, and a great and bloody battle was fought, and the rebel
+army beaten and put to flight. Pay no heed, my son, to what the
+prejudiced may say of this battle. It was one of the greatest
+battles fought during the war. All honor to the brave soldiers who
+fought it. Our troops, too, were handled with great skill, and the
+world never saw better generalship than our George displayed. Yes,
+my son, Antietam was our Waterloo, fought at a time when the nation
+needed a victory most; and the general who fought it ought never to
+be forgotten by his country. When, then, George had gained this
+victory for us, had beaten and driven the enemy from all his
+positions, and caused the nation to rejoice, he halted to give his
+brave soldiers rest and repair damages. His losses were great, and
+he had compassion on his soldiers, for many of them were without
+shoes and had little raiment. In truth, my son, these brave, abused,
+and war-worn soldiers had only the well-worn shoes and clothes they
+had made the campaign of the Peninsula in.
+
+George pleaded the necessity of his soldiers as a reason for his
+delay, and very justly. But this pleased neither the government nor
+the politicians whose bitterest prejudices seemed to control it.
+These gentlemen urged that he follow the enemy at once and capture
+him, a piece of strategy not so easily accomplished as many think.
+In short, we were in no position to follow the enemy until we got
+shoes and raiment for our brave soldiers. Nor could we have added
+much to our success by following General Lee and his men, who had an
+open country before them, until we were well prepared to engage them
+in another battle. When, however, George got his army ready, he
+moved directly on the enemy, and his soldiers were in the best of
+spirits, for we had got General Lee and his men in a position where
+he would be compelled to fight another battle, with the advantages
+in our favor. Now I don't say, my son, that George would have won
+this battle, but by fighting it he would have exposed the enemy's
+real weakness, and placed him in a very bad position. But the
+government, as if more willing to promote the prejudices of
+politicians than to preserve the honor of our arms, resolved not to
+let George fight another battle. Yes, my son, it removed him from
+his command, and that, too, when he was close up with the enemy, and
+was expecting every day to engage him in battle. I do not remember
+that history records another instance where the commander of an
+army, that had just gained a great victory, was so disgraced by his
+own government.
+
+The enemy could not have inflicted a more severe blow on our brave
+army than was done by this act of our own government. A feeling of
+disappointment and sorrow ran through the ranks, and the brave men
+who had fought under and loved their commander, wept at the
+injustice that took him away from them. It will, in time, be made
+clear, my son, that the government committed a great crime against
+our army by this act. It cannot be wisdom to remove a commander, so
+popular with his army as George B. McClellan was, especially when
+that army was on the eve of a battle. Such an act is sure to excite
+dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction destroys discipline. Nor should
+such a commander be removed at so critical a time unless the
+government were prepared to fill his place with one of equal, if not
+superior capacity. A general, to hope for success, must have the
+confidence and respect of his troops. To remove one who has, and
+fill his place with one who has not, is a crime than which none can
+be greater. It is a crime against the brave men whose lives are at
+the risk of the capacity of their commander. Our government
+committed this crime when it gave the command of the army of the
+Potomac to General Burnside. That general was the best judge of what
+he could do, and freely confessed his incapacity for so high a
+command. But the government was not to be put off by this confession
+of weakness on the part of a general, preferring to reward him for
+his honesty, and make no account of his capacity. I accept this, my
+son, as the only reason why General Burnside was given so high a
+command. As for his capacity as a general, he gave us a proof of
+that when he let the rebels fall back, and get well fortified at
+Fredericksburg. To show, however, what a general could do by
+attempting impossibilities, he sent the brave army of the Potomac to
+be slaughtered by an enemy covered with stone walls. I tell you, my
+son, it was a dark day for the nation when that was done. It
+multiplied our misfortunes, gave a deeper wound to our grief and
+sorrow, and brought disgrace on our arms.
+
+I will pass over these misfortunes as lightly, my son, as possible,
+hoping only that they will serve us as a warning in the future.
+Having buried Burnside deep under the misfortunes of his own
+incapacity, the question again came up, where shall we find a
+general to do up these rebels for us, and gain us a little victory?
+The great Grant was doing wonders for us in the West. He was bold,
+earnest, and brave. And this was the secret of his success. But in
+the East we were sorely troubled for some one who could do
+something.
+
+General Hooker was brave and bold. But, my son, he had such a
+weakness for blowing his own trumpet. Yes, he could blow it as loud
+and as long as any trumpeter you ever listened to--Pope excepted. He
+had declared of himself that he was just the man to lead our army to
+victory, and give the enemy a sound thrashing. It was true, this
+general had been very insubordinate. He had said a number of things,
+neither wise nor polite, of his superiors. And he had set an example
+to his soldiers not inclined to improve their discipline. As,
+however, he had declared himself the man to lead our army to
+victory, and the government wanted just such a man, it took the
+general at his word, and gave him the command.
+
+There were some people, my son, unkind enough to say, and say
+boldly, that the government did this strange act more to show its
+appreciation of insubordination than out of respect to his capacity
+to discharge successfully the duties of his high position. When,
+however, the general had talked himself into the very best opinion
+of himself, he went to work nursing his grand army into good order.
+Yes, my son, the old army of the Potomac was a grand army, and
+General Hooker declared it was the finest on the face of the globe.
+And he nursed it into good order on the left bank of the
+Rappahannock, from December, 1862, to early April, 1863. The general
+could get up of a morning, and enjoy a look at his old friend Lee,
+quietly domiciled on the opposite bank. And General Lee could get up
+of a morning, and do the same. Both generals regarded this as a very
+harmless and pleasant way of spending the winter, while carrying on
+the war. They would, at times, it is true, exchange compliments of a
+belligerent nature. But this was only to give a lively turn to the
+state of affairs around Fredericksburg. They were, I can assure you,
+my son, not intended to harm any one.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+CHANCELLORVILLE, AND THE CURIOUS FIGHT WE HAD THERE.
+
+
+
+
+
+I AM sure my friends will all be anxious to see a portrait of the
+great general who fought the great battle of Chancellorville. And my
+artist has been particularly careful to present them with a good
+one.
+
+Chancellorville was a strangely fought battle, my son; I have
+various good reasons for saying this, but, perhaps, it is best that
+as little as possible be said concerning them.
+
+When spring came, and the roads were dry, and the robins had begun
+to sing in the trees, and the buds to put forth, General Hooker
+began to feel strong, and full of battle. He said to his officers
+that they must get their courage up, and be ready for a big fight,
+every one in his own way. And to his men he said, that they must
+have plenty of powder in their pouches, and not be afraid to use it.
+A general to be successful, my son, must have confidence in himself.
+General Hooker had confidence in himself, and felt that he could
+whip the rebels out of their boots any fine morning. Hence it was,
+that feeling in a fighting humor one morning in early April, he
+picked up his army, and, crossing the stream, went in pursuit of the
+enemy. He found the enemy posted in the woods near Chancellorville,
+where he engaged him in a fierce and desperate battle. But the
+general's plan, if he had any, soon got out of his head, and it
+became apparent that he was fighting the battle in so strange a
+manner that no one could understand it. In truth, the general set
+aside the established rules of war early in the battle, and went
+back to first principles. These give every man the right to fight in
+his own way, and is beautifully illustrated in an army fighting
+without orders. I am told, my son, on very good authority, that
+these "first principles," as applied to fighting battles, never were
+better developed than at Chancellorville. I am afraid, my son, we
+shall never get a complete and accurate history of that
+extraordinary battle, for the reason that no historian will be found
+capable of describing it. It is certain that the battle had not
+raged long when our army was in a state of uncertainty and
+confusion. Sometimes the fight was between different brigades or
+divisions of our own troops, who were as often brought face to face.
+The enemy liked this, for it helped him to fight the battle without
+reinforcements, and saved him a deal of trouble and loss. When we
+had got a great many men killed in this way, and a great many more
+severely hurt, the great question arose as to who had won the
+battle, and who got whipped. There can be little doubt as to the
+impression made on General Lee's mind on this point. General Hooker
+was sure he had gained a great victory, and yet he was not so sure.
+I say he was not so sure, since he found it necessary, before
+settling the question, to withdraw his army to his old quarters on
+the other side of the river. It is clear that the general's
+reflections would be less disturbed in his old quarters, and, with a
+river separating him from the enemy, he could form a more correct
+judgment as to whether he had beaten the enemy, or the enemy had
+beaten him. Feeling, however, that it would not do to let it get out
+that the enemy had beaten him, he resolved that it must be true that
+he had beaten the enemy. This was about the most accommodating
+settlement he could arrive at. But, accepting this in good faith, I
+never could see the necessity for our haste to get back to our old
+quarters on the hills, notwithstanding the general's friends said it
+looked like rain, and he was anxious to get his army over before the
+shower came on. I have noticed, also, that the rebel army, when
+beaten, generally fell back in the direction of Richmond. In this
+instance, however, he held his positions, beat his drums, blew his
+horns, fluttered his flags, and was altogether the most defiant of
+vanquished enemies. I noticed, also, that this vanquished enemy
+packed his knapsacks, put his ammunition in order, and marched off,
+not backwards, in the direction of Richmond, but forward, in the
+direction of the North.
+
+Yes, my son, the enemy marched defiantly into Pennsylvania, and sent
+the peaceable Dutchmen in that remote part of the country into a
+state of great alarm. And this I accept as the best proof that the
+rebels were not beaten at Chancellorville. I am sure, also, that
+General Hooker had sufficient reason to share this opinion with me.
+He always had the rebels just where he wanted them, and yet I
+observed that he failed to bring them to a stand before they got on
+the free soil of Pennsylvania. Every honest Dutchman in the State
+was convinced in his own mind that General Hooker, if he had been
+the general he ought to be, should have driven the enemy into some
+remote corner of Virginia, and kept him there.
+
+The military atmosphere was still full of confusion and uncertainty.
+And things seemed getting worse every day. Strange as it may seem,
+the government continued making extensive efforts to further the
+object of the rebel general. Fortunately for the nation, our wise
+rulers waked up one morning fully convinced that General Lee was in
+earnest, that he was already on the free soil of a northern State,
+with a favorable prospect for making a settlement there. The
+government also suddenly discovered that General Hooker, although a
+brave soldier and all that, was not the man to command a great army.
+So the government relieved him and sent him into elegant retirement,
+a custom very common at that time.
+
+Then the government appointed General Meade to the command of the
+grand old army of the Potomac. Of this general little had been
+known. Still, the nation felt relieved at the change. Now, General
+Meade was a polished gentleman, a brave and good soldier, who had
+fought on the Peninsula under McClellan and commanded the
+Pennsylvania Reserves. To place a new general in command of an army
+at a time when that army is in face of the enemy and expects every
+minute to engage him in battle, is one of the most dangerous
+experiments a government can indulge in. It is also one well
+calculated to test to their utmost the qualities of the general
+placed so suddenly in command.
+
+It was the 1st of July, 1863, General Meade took command of the Army
+of the Potomac, and posted it in order of battle on the hills and
+plains around Gettysburg. There the two armies stood, the Union and
+the Rebel, than whom there was none braver, awaiting for the signal
+for the clash of arms. Then a great battle began and lasted three
+days. And there was desperate fighting and great valor displayed on
+both sides, and the field was strewn with the dead and wounded. And
+the battle of Gettysburg was a great battle, and the Union army of
+patriots gained a great and glorious victory over the rebels. Yes,
+my son, and what was more, we celebrated it on the 4th of July. And
+the people of the North were glad of heart, and rejoiced
+exceedingly, and sang praises to General Meade, for he had fought
+the battle well and won his country's gratitude.
+
+Still, my son, we hesitated, and failed to take advantage of our
+success. In truth, we let the rebel army re-cross the Potomac at its
+leisure, although we might have given it serious trouble had we
+pressed it at once. Indeed, there were a great number of people who
+expected General Meade to either drive the rebel army into the
+Potomac or capture it. But military men know that capturing a large
+army, though it may have been beaten in battle, is not so easy a
+matter. And even a victorious army, after fighting so great a
+battle, needs rest and time to improve its shattered condition.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+HANGING IN THE BALANCE.
+
+
+
+
+
+HERE, my son, is an exact portrait of the general who fought the
+great battle of Gettysburg. When he had rested his army a sufficient
+time he began moving in pursuit of the enemy. The rebel general fell
+back into old Virginia, taking his time as he went along, and being
+in no temper to hasten his steps. In short, we followed him back
+timidly to Orange Court House, where he made a settlement for the
+winter. There was a good deal of small fighting done during the
+autumn and winter, but neither side seemed to gain any advantage.
+The fate of war hung in the balance. If we gained an advantage one
+day, the enemy would do something to offset it on the next. This
+state of things was a source of great grief to the nation. The
+people wanted something more positive for the great amount of life
+and treasure they were wasting. They called for more earnestness and
+more resolution on the part of our generals, and a better system of
+carrying on the war on the part of the authorities at Washington.
+So, my son, the people's impatience was at length heeded, and when
+spring came (I mean the spring of 1864), and the people were weary
+of the war, and demanded a change in the policy of conducting it, so
+that an end be put to it as speedily as possible, the government
+began to wake up to its duty. We had fought battles for two years
+and hung the nation in mourning, and still Washington was as often
+in danger as Richmond. Indeed, the fortune of war seemed in favor of
+Richmond. Then the government began to see that if we would gain
+victories our armies must be commanded by soldiers, not politicians.
+
+Yes, my son, the people were excited to joy when the government
+changed its military policy, and the great General Grant was brought
+to Washington and placed in command of all our armies. The sun of
+our hopes brightened then, for the people had confidence in that
+general. He had whipped the rebels so well for us in the West, and
+he had gained for us so many glorious victories.
+
+And now, my son, we come to this remarkable siege of Washington. I
+say remarkable, for it is destined to stand on the pages of military
+history without anything to compare with it. Not that it was as
+bloody, or that the city was as obstinately attacked and defended as
+heroically, as some other cities that have been besieged, in ancient
+as well as modern times. But you must know that sieges, like
+battles, derive their great importance and all that makes them
+remembered hereafter, not so much from the amount of blood that has
+been shed during them, not so much from the impetuosity of the
+attacks made or the heroic defences, as from the manner in which
+they affect the fate of nations. Some sieges are remarkable for one
+thing, some another. The siege of Washington was more remarkable for
+the manner in which the city was defended than the manner in which
+it was attacked. No fields were fertilized with carnage, nor banners
+bathed in blood.
+
+You, remember, my son, the tale of storied Troy, with all its "pomp
+and circumstance of glorious war." But, my son, it has never seemed
+to me more interesting than the passage of Thermopylæ. Nor will
+Agamemnon live in history after Leonidas is forgotten. And yet these
+events in ancient war were small compared with the battles our Grant
+fought. His deeds will brighten as you read of them in history, and
+become greater than them all.
+
+And now, my son, let us hie to the siege of Washington. Washington
+was besieged and Washington was saved; and the history of its
+salvation must not perish. Rome, you know, was saved by the cackling
+of a goose. And when I tell you that Washington, the capital city of
+this great nation was saved by the too free use of a barrel of
+whisky, you must not be surprised. When its great circle of
+fortifications, now bristling with cannon, and filled with busy
+soldiers, shall become so many grassy mounds, their history must
+still live to excite the patriotism of those who come after us.
+
+Remember, my son, that had Washington fallen the nation had
+perished. To this remarkable siege, then, and its results, let all
+the succeeding glories of this great Republic be attributed.
+
+As I have told you before, my son, after the first battle of
+Manassas, when our militia did such good running, there was nothing
+to prevent the rebels from entering and capturing it but the few
+hastily constructed forts, or têtes de pont, on the Virginia side.
+Nor could these have offered any resistance worth naming. Our
+demoralized troops, however, never halted until they got safe inside
+of them. And but for these forts, weak as they were, the city would
+have fallen. When General McClellan assumed command, he saw at once
+the necessity of properly fortifying the city. And the nation ought
+never to forget him for his decision. Experienced engineers, with
+large gangs of laborers, were set to work throwing up these huge
+masses of earthwork. To this was added the labor of a large number
+of the troops of the Army of the Potomac, during its organization in
+the autumn and winter of 1861 and 1862. When, therefore, the army
+moved for the Peninsula in the spring of 1862, the city was so
+strongly fortified that it was considered safe by General McClellan
+and his corps commanders. That is, my son, if its forts were
+properly garrisoned, and there was a working force of forty thousand
+men. But nothing was safe against the fears of a timid
+administration.
+
+But forts, my son, however strong, are only inert masses. They
+cannot fight themselves; and to give them strength and action they
+require to be properly and fully garrisoned. And the troops in them
+require to be properly instructed in all their duties. Now, my son,
+it was a question with the government, which was very timid at that
+time, whether General George had left, in and around Washington, a
+force sufficient to make the city perfectly safe when he started on
+his memorable campaign. It is the opinion of nearly all our best
+military men that he did. But the politicians got frightened, the
+government got frightened, and the political generals got
+frightened. And all the frightened people got their heads together;
+and they made the President and Secretary of War believe just as
+they believed--that Washington had been "unarmed," and that
+Washington was in danger. Yes, my son, our good-hearted President,
+who was no coward, was sorely troubled about the safety of
+Washington. And his Secretary of War was also much troubled, as was
+common with him on the appearance of danger. And the "Chief of
+Staff" was also in trouble, and went to issuing orders, of a
+memorable kind, few of which were understood, much less obeyed. The
+result of all this was that there was great conflict of action. I
+have no better name to call it by, my son. Hence it was, my son,
+that our good President halted McDowell, and McDowell's corps. And
+both looked on from a distance while General George was fighting
+desperate battles with the enemy. This was the way the War
+Department carried on the war at that time. Now, my son, it is my
+purpose to so instruct you that you will know the whole truth
+concerning the way the war was carried on.
+
+The detention of General McDowell and his corps, while it
+illustrated the great anxiety of the President and Secretary of War
+for the safety of Washington, caused the failure of the campaign on
+the Peninsula. All the sophistry in the world, my son, cannot change
+that decision.
+
+General George, with his army, was driven to the James River, and as
+the enemy, then at Richmond, was between him and General Pope, and
+might strike either at his pleasure, the government's fears about
+Washington so increased that General George was finally recalled
+from the James, to save the capital. The result was, as I have told
+you before, that General Pope was driven back with the wreck of his
+army to the very gates of the capital, and General George arrived
+barely in time to save it. Yes, my son, General George, not only so
+saved the capital, but extricated the government and the Chief of
+Staff out of the difficulties they had brought on themselves.
+
+When, then, the victorious rebel army turned aside from the
+fortifications of Washington, and marched triumphantly into
+Maryland, strong garrisons were left in the forts, and more troops
+were poured into the city to insure its safety. It was, indeed,
+resolved by the government, which began now to profit by experience,
+and by the fact that the capital of the nation had twice been placed
+in extreme peril, that for the future, come what might, it should at
+least be made secure. Experienced officers of rank were placed in
+command of the defenses, north as well as south of the Potomac. The
+troops were drilled constantly, and soon became good artillerists.
+They were also instructed in and soon became efficient in the art of
+defending forts. They studied well, and became familiar with the
+ground in their front; and, what was more than all, they knew their
+guns, and how to fight them. I have been very particular concerning
+these things, my son, because I desire to impress you with their
+future importance.
+
+But alas for the instability of human resolutions! Washington was to
+be exposed, after all.
+
+You will remember, my son, how everybody was seized with admiration
+at the ease with which the great General Grant picked up the Army of
+the Potomac, and moved off with it against the rebels. That was in
+the month of May, 1864. It was then that the army moved against
+Richmond for the last time: that is, not to return to us until it
+had captured that rebel stronghold.
+
+Grant had not gone far when he met a more stubborn resistance than
+he had expected, fought a number of desperate and bloody battles,
+and lost a great many men. Fight and move forward, was his motto, so
+he resolved not to turn his face towards Washington and his back
+towards Richmond, as others had done before him. The terrible waste
+of human life that followed his battles, found him in want of
+recruits. No reserves of any consequence had been organized, and the
+government were sorely troubled to find men to fill the thinned
+ranks of our heroic army. Where were these men to be got from in
+time to be of service?
+
+Think of it, my son, we had 25,000 instructed artillerists in the
+forts around Washington. Here was a temptation hard to be resisted.
+These men could do good service in the field as infantry; and, in an
+evil hour, it was decided to send them to Grant's army for that
+purpose.
+
+Then the great question arose, how were their places to be supplied?
+How were the forts to be defended, in case of attack, without them?
+It would not do to strip the defenses of all troops, and leave the
+forts without garrisons. If we did, the enemy would surely find it
+out, for Washington was full of his spies, and we should come to
+grief. The President, the cabinet, and all the generals, had
+resolved, from the first, that that this must never be done, under
+any contingency.
+
+But what, at the time, was considered a happy thought, seized on the
+government. I have said a happy thought, my son, but it was a very
+unwise one. Let the future historian record it, for it is recorded
+in the dispatches, as well as in the acts of the government.
+
+Yes, my son, it was resolved, first, that Richmond should fall in an
+hundred days, or at least during the summer; second, that to insure
+the fall of Richmond within that time, the experienced troops, then
+in the fortifications of Washington, should be sent to the Army of
+the Potomac; third, that to replace these and other garrisons, a
+call should be made on some of the States for 100,000 militiamen, to
+serve for one hundred days. To the end of developing this grand
+idea, all the old artillery regiments were sent away to Grant. And
+their places were filled by an equal number of "hundred days' men,"
+nice and fresh, fresh and green, mostly from the State of Ohio.
+
+I have no doubt, my son, that it will seem strange to you, as it
+will to all intelligent readers hereafter, that raw troops should
+have been called to defend the capital in the fourth year of a great
+war. But the War Department carried on the war according to this
+method then. The result is not just now very pleasant to
+contemplate; but it was what ordinary foresight might have
+predicted. Our error was the enemy's opportunity, and he quickly
+proceeded to take advantage of it. Washington was in danger, and
+Washington might have been captured with but little trouble had the
+enemy sent the right man to command his troops. How near it came
+being lost, and how accidentally it was saved, I shall record
+hereafter, for the benefit of the future historian.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+ALARMING SYMPTOMS OF THE ENEMY'S APPROACH.
+
+
+
+
+
+I KNOW you will be anxious to see a portrait of the distinguished
+general who was first assigned to the defense of Washington during
+the siege. And here I have presented you with a very clever one.
+This general, McDowell McCook, chanced to be in the city, when the
+government, becoming alarmed, placed him in command, and sent him
+out to defend the capital. This was unfortunate for the poor
+gentleman, and he at once became alarmed at finding himself in such
+a position, and so near the War Department. The poor man knew
+nothing of the defenses, much less of the roads. And to make the
+matter worse he had no troops to command. What was a general to do
+under such circumstances? Although this distinguished general had
+seen some service, and served his country well in the West, he was
+in no way qualified to fill the position now assigned him. And I am
+inclined to accept this as a reason why the government selected him.
+
+But before I proceed further, my son, I must instruct you as to what
+happened in the Shenandoah Valley just about this time, and which,
+of right, should constitute a part of the siege of Washington. The
+troops in the valley had been commanded by no less than four
+unfortunate generals. Patterson, Banks, Milroy, and Siegel, the last
+from Germany. Of the many misfortunes of these generals, the
+historian who comes after me will give you a more enlarged account
+than I have time or space to do at present. Heaven knows, they were
+manifold.
+
+When, then, Grant moved against the enemy with the Army of the
+Potomac, General Franz Siegel was put at the head of a column at
+Winchester, and marched up the valley with a great flourish of
+trumpets. This German general was in high feather then, and declared
+he would drive the rebels before him, like so many chickens, and
+never stop until he got them all cooped up in Richmond. But the
+rebels were not inclined to submit to this cooping process. Indeed,
+they soon discovered that this General Franz Siegel was not so much
+of a general after all, and that he had an eccentric way of moving
+his troops. So when he had driven them, as he supposed, to
+Newmarket, they turned upon him in a very angry manner, gave him
+battle, defeated him, and forced him back in disorder. This was
+unfortunate for Siegel, and more unfortunate for his German
+admirers, who declared him to be the greatest general of modern
+times. But he had fought this battle so badly that the government
+for once made up its mind that it would be wisdom not to let him try
+his hand at another.
+
+Major-General David Hunter was fixed upon as the right man to reform
+Siegel's disordered army and correct his mistakes. Hunter had
+patriotism enough, and no man doubted his courage. He was earnest in
+the defense of right, even zealous in the cause of his country, and
+quick in the punishment of traitors, with whom he was not in very
+high favor. The general took command of this disordered army, and so
+managed as to get a little discipline and some degree of order into
+it. Now, it has always seemed to me, my son, that you could put a
+general to no more severe trial than to place him at the head of an
+army demoralized by the inefficiency of his predecessor and expect
+him to fight battles and gain victories. And yet General Hunter did
+this and to the satisfaction of the country. Had he been less active
+with the torch, his reward in history would have been much higher.
+
+Well, my son, the general marched with his army, and reorganized it
+as he marched. And he met the enemy, and he fought him, and fought
+him well, and whipped him well, and drove him back up the valley, to
+the very gates of Lynchburg. But there, my son, he stopped. His
+supplies had given out, and the enemy had detached a large force,
+and sent it to reinforce the rebel army at Lynchburg. Our great
+Chief of Staff at Washington had promised that this should not be
+done, without timely notice being sent to Hunter. But it was done,
+and done without any notice being sent by the Chief of Staff, whose
+spies were found wanting when most needed. General Sheridan, too,
+was detached from the Army of the Potomac with two brigades of
+cavalry, and sent to form a junction with and succor Hunter. But the
+Chief of Staff failed to send Hunter any information concerning this
+movement, and hence Hunter was kept in ignorance of its design.
+Sheridan was driven back before superior numbers, and failed to
+carry out the plan of his instructions. Had Hunter received
+information of this movement, he would not only have saved Sheridan
+from defeat, but, having formed a junction with him near
+Charlottesville, could leave beaten the enemy and gone where he
+pleased. So much for what the Chief of Staff ought to have done but
+did not do.
+
+Of course the gates of Lynchburg were swung wide open, and there was
+nothing for the famous Early, who commanded the rebel hosts, to do,
+but to come out and brush Hunter away from before them. And he did
+this, and more than this. He cut Hunter's communications, and sent
+him flying over a different road, to the Ohio River, in search of
+supplies.
+
+And it was now, my son, that the veritable Jubal, known to his old
+classmates at West Point as the late Mr. Early, saw the road open,
+and the great prize before him. Scorning, as it were, to pursue
+Hunter, he marched directly for Washington by the most direct road.
+
+It was early in July, then, when General Early, at the head of his
+rebel hosts, reached and crossed the Potomac. And this movement sent
+the people of Washington into a state of great alarm. The southern
+sympathizers at the capital were in high feather at the prospect of
+Washington being captured by their friends, the rebels. Magnificent
+stories were set afloat, the government got into a state of great
+confusion, and timid people went about shaking their heads, and
+wondering what the War Department was doing. Everybody wanted to do
+something, and yet nobody knew what to do. The Chief of Staff sat in
+his easy chair, and issued orders by the dozen. The Secretary of War
+ran about excited, and issued orders that conflicted with everybody
+else's orders. The President, not to be behind either of them,
+issued orders that agreed with none of them. The great wonder is,
+that some one of these high officials, so much given to issuing war
+orders, did not issue a proclamation, warning Mr. Early that it
+would not be comfortable for him to bring his rebels this way.
+
+I am not prepared to say what effect such a notice would have had on
+Mr. Early, who turned his column in this direction, and, marching
+with great rapidity, was in a few days on the banks of the Monocacy.
+And, as if to increase our alarm, he sent that festive young
+trooper, Harry Gilmore, galloping down into Maryland, where his old
+friends received him with open arms, and entertained him
+sumptuously. Never was hero so entertained by his friends. And when
+this bold trooper had enjoyed the trip, and shared the hospitality
+of his friends as much as pleased him, he went to work disturbing
+our military arrangements. Yes, my son, he captured one of our
+railroad trains on its way to New York, and all the passengers in
+it. And, what was worse than all, there was one of our most
+distinguished major-generals in it, and he was made a prisoner of
+war by this bold trooper. Thus he cut our communication with the
+North. He did all this, and walked away leisurely and unmolested.
+Although his Maryland friends set him up for a great hero, I
+confess, as there was no one to oppose him, not to see in what his
+heroism consisted.
+
+As you may naturally suppose, my son, these little affairs increased
+our alarm greatly. Our authorities, generally, went into a state of
+perspiration; and would have sent for General Grant and his army to
+come back and protect us, but for the fear that that general would
+not read the order correctly. In short, they had already become
+convinced that Grant was not the man to turn back when there was
+anything to be made by going ahead. Then our high officials called
+on the North for help, but called in vain. The North was not
+inclined to share the fears of our high officials, and had been too
+often sent for to come and take care of Washington.
+
+It was common with us, then, to keep a lot of third-rate troops
+scattered around Baltimore; and over Maryland. These were hastily
+got together, and placed under the command of that famous warrior
+Lew Wallace. The administration was sure, now, that Mr. Early would
+get whipped, and that the capital would be saved. There were,
+however, a few unbelieving people who shook their heads, and were
+heard to say that General Wallace was not the soldier to drive Mr.
+Early and his men into the Potomac.
+
+I must do the general the credit, however, to say, that he marched
+out boldly enough, and engaged Early and his men in battle as soon
+as he met him. And although he had pluck enough, he was no match for
+the rebel, who brushed him away before him, and sent his scattered
+columns flying back into Baltimore, in great distress. Perhaps the
+only sensible man surprised at this state of things was General
+Wallace himself.
+
+When those who come after us, my son, shall read of this, it will
+seem very strange that the fate of Washington, the capital of this
+great and powerful nation, should have depended on a battle between
+General Lew Wallace, and his undisciplined troops, on the one side,
+and Jubal Early and his stonewall troops on the other. And all this
+in the fourth year of the war.
+
+Now this battle, if it can be dignified with the name, was fought on
+Saturday, the 9th of July. General Early took no further notice of
+General Wallace, but started at once for the defenses of Washington.
+And there was nothing to oppose him until he reached them; and
+nothing then but some cannon, and some men who did not know how to
+fire them.
+
+When it got rumored round that the late General Early was not only
+aiming to besiege Washington, but was not far away from the
+defenses, there was considerable of a stir made in official circles.
+Timid people tried to keep their courage up in various ways. Heroes,
+who had never been out of Washington, now talked like very heroes;
+and it was intimated that the Treasury Guard would come out, and
+take the field. Those who had no taste for fighting, and they were
+many, found it very uncomfortable, because there was no way of
+getting out of the city.
+
+During the war, my son, I frequently noticed that when a battle was
+going on at the front there was sure to be a large number of heroes
+in uniform doing promenade duty on the Avenue. Their number seemed
+to have increased prodigiously just at this time. It was noticed
+also that they walked at a more rapid pace than usual, did an
+uncommon amount of eating and drinking, and had a large number of
+friends they were always ready to discuss the last battle with. I
+suppose this was all for the purpose of showing the amount of
+courage they had.
+
+They were ready enough to go to the front to-day if somebody would
+only show them the way.
+
+It was now the morning of the 10th of July; and a bright breezy
+morning it was. The symptoms of the siege now took a positive form
+and became really alarming. These symptoms were manifested in a
+singular manner at two prominent points of the defenses. A
+dilapidated and very much distressed mule, his ears erect and his
+tail askance, galloped down the road into Tenallytown, making a
+noise so hideous that the quiet inhabitants ran out in a state of
+great alarm. They then went to packing up their household goods,
+their tubs, tables, chairs, and crockery, and getting them ready for
+removal to a place of safety. In addition to this, the unruly animal
+sent terror into the very hearts of a number of cavalrymen who were
+out picketing the distant hills. These gallant troopers put spurs to
+their horses and never stopped until they got safely into
+Georgetown, where they circulated numerous stories concerning Mr.
+Early and his men, who, they declared, had driven them in.
+
+The other remarkable manifestation took place at Brightwood, a
+sleepy little town composed of four houses and a lamp-post, and
+situated not far from the city, on the Fourteenth-street road. A
+distressed cow came bellowing into this town just at daylight, with
+her head and tail erect, and driving the pickets before her. The
+antics of this otherwise kindly animal caused a great scattering
+among the gallant defenders of Fort Stevens. Indeed, I have good
+authority for saying that they evacuated that stronghold more
+suddenly than had ever been done before, scampering down the
+Fourteenth-street road at a rapid pace.
+
+In short, my son, they mistook this wayward animal for Early's
+advance guard, and came to the very wise conclusion that a fort was
+not a pleasant place to stay in when an enemy outside was throwing
+shells into it.
+
+The good people of Brightwood betook themselves to packing up their
+traps, and pondering over the question as to whether they had been
+disloyal enough during the war to claim Mr. Early as a friend when
+he arrived. It was a trying time with the good people of Brightwood.
+
+When, however, the gallant defenders of the defenses found that it
+was only a cow that had so disturbed them, they went boldly back to
+their guns, and were as full of courage as could be for the rest of
+the day.
+
+As the morning wore on, the evidences of trouble outside increased.
+Scattering contrabands, some with bundles on their backs, some with
+chairs, buckets and wash-tubs on their heads, others with the family
+table on their heads. There was an interesting group of three--two
+male and one female member of the African family. One of the former
+had brought his banjo, the other his fiddle. The female had a tub
+well down on her head. These poor frightened people came trotting
+into the city over the Tenallytown and Brightwood roads, seeking a
+place of safety inside of the forts.
+
+Then the roads became blocked with all manner of rickety vehicles,
+many of them of the most primitive description, filled with the
+families and furniture of peaceable farmers, who had left their
+homes in fear of the approaching rebels. A more grotesque picture
+than was presented by this anxious train it is impossible to
+conceive.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE GOVERNMENT GETS AGITATED, AND THE GREAT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TAKES
+THE FIELD.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS, my son, is a portrait of General Auger, a dashing, handsome
+officer, and a courteous gentleman. He commanded the department of
+Washington during the memorable siege I am describing.
+
+As I have said before, my son, as soon as it was known that General
+Wallace had been driven back on Baltimore in search of rations, and
+General Early was close upon Washington, the government waked up to
+the fact that the capital was in danger, and began to take measures
+for its defense. Our good President, believing, in the honesty of
+his heart, that his presence at the front would do good, took the
+field. And the Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff went to
+issuing orders that no one seemed to obey. Indeed, their orders only
+increased the confusion that had already taken possession of
+everything military. The regular officers in command of the troops
+in the fortifications, and who knew the location and details of the
+forts as well as the roads leading to them, were superseded by
+strangers, ignorant of all these things, and even of what their
+commands consisted.
+
+Why this was, my son, I cannot explain. Perhaps the Secretary of War
+will, when he gets his historian, at $2,500 a year, to write a
+national history of the war. Some malicious people said the
+Secretary of War had two reasons for this: the first, to show his
+contempt for military science; the second, because he wanted to show
+what fools some of these strange generals were. I have also heard it
+intimated that the reason why some of these strange generals were
+assigned to such important posts at such a moment of peril to the
+nation, was because they were of sufficient consequence to be made
+victims. And as it was always necessary to have a victim to cover up
+and excuse the blundering of high officials, these men would come in
+handy enough. But I never considered this a good excuse for thus
+superseding the officers, the only officers who really knew how to
+defend the city.
+
+It was not surprising, however, that, with such an opportunity for
+gaining distinction as the defense of the capital of the nation,
+major and brigadier-generals should spring up as by magic. Their
+number was truly marvelous. Nor was it strange that they should all
+want to be heroes. It was a little queer, however, that they should
+all be in the city just at this time, and seemingly without
+employment. Each, on application, was assigned to an important
+command, though but few of them knew the road to the forts, and
+fewer still what they were going to command when they got there.
+
+The alarm and confusion continued to increase as General Early and
+his rebel hosts approached. And now the great question arose as to
+who was to be regarded as responsible for the safety of the city?
+Was it the President, the Secretary of War, or the great Chief of
+Staff? people inquired. No, it could be neither of these, for the
+President, though frequently seen at the front, seemed only a
+pleasant observer, and gave no orders to the troops. The Secretary
+of War and Chief of Staff were issuing orders, as I have before
+described, and assigning strange generals to commands. It could not
+be General Auger, for the War Department seemed to have forgotten
+him, and he remained quietly in command of the department. The
+Military Governor was discharging the active duties of his office,
+and so it could not be him. Some persons said General Haskins was
+the man. He had been in charge of the defenses north of the Potomac,
+and knew them well. But it could not be him, for he had been
+superseded by General Hardin; and General McDowell McCook ranked
+both of them; and, as I have before informed you, was placed in
+command and sent out to see to General Early.
+
+This, my son, was very hard on General McCook, who found himself in
+a predicament he would willingly have escaped from. It is no more
+than right, my son, that I should give you an account of how this
+general went to the field, and what he found when he got there.
+
+Provided with a pocket full of orders, the general mounted his horse
+late on Saturday afternoon and set out for the front, over the
+Fourteenth-street road. The corpulent engineer I have described in
+the early part of this history was assigned to General McCook for
+duty; and this officer, and two sorry-looking orderlies, were all
+that bore him company. The corpulent engineer alone knew the
+military roads, and the location of the forts, which was very
+fortunate. As they advanced over the road beyond Meridian Hill, they
+overtook several straggling generals, each proceeding to the front
+with a pocket full of orders, and generally accompanied by a single
+orderly. Two or three of these generals seemed quite at a loss as to
+where they were going, or what they were to command. I have thus
+explained this matter to you, my son, to show you what a nice way
+our war authorities had of producing confusion.
+
+When the general and his staff, which I have described above, were
+well nigh Brightwood, he halted to inquire, of the alarmed negroes
+and straggling citizens who were wending their way into the city,
+what news they had of the enemy outside. But no trustworthy
+information could he get from any of them. They all knew that
+General Early was coming; and that they had left just before he had
+got to where they lived. This sort of information was not exactly
+the kind a general would consider it safe to base his plan of
+operations on. Nor was the general any more fortunate in getting
+information concerning the enemy from a number of squads of cavalry,
+whose business it seemed to be to ride excitedly to the front and
+then ride excitedly back again. Indeed, the whole business of these
+doughty troopers, it seemed to me, was to increase the alarm and
+confusion.
+
+It was nearly sundown, the weather was hot and oppressive, and the
+general was full of troubles. The worst of these was that he could
+not find the troops he was sent to command. Nor could he get any
+tidings concerning General Early and his rebels. Hence it was that
+he concluded, and very naturally, that the enemy would not be within
+sight of the defenses until morning, and that the city would at
+least be safe until that time without any more of his generalship.
+
+He therefore went into camp for the night, pitching his headquarters
+in a clump of wood near Rock Creek, and not far from Crystal Spring.
+And here let me record that the general had not even a camp guard.
+To make the matter worse, there was no forage for the horses, and
+nothing for supper. Never was general so much to be pitied. The two
+orderlies, however, were willing fellows, and soon had a fire
+lighted. They then proceeded to a neighboring house, and got
+refreshments for the general, without which he must have gone hungry
+to bed.
+
+As the night advanced, the discomforts of the situation increased.
+In short, it may as well be confessed, the general's headquarters
+were besieged long before midnight, and that sleep was a thing not
+to be enjoyed. You may have made up your mind that the besiegers
+were an advance guard of the rebels; but they were not. They were
+nothing less than an army of fierce musquitoes, who made such a
+persistent attack on the general and his staff as to make his
+position almost untenable. In truth, they so harassed the corpulent
+engineer, in rear and flank, that he mounted his horse and returned
+to the city, where he spent a comfortable night at Willard's Hotel,
+and went back in the morning refreshed. My authority for this is the
+distinguished engineer himself.
+
+A little after midnight, the two orderlies became seriously alarmed
+(I ought to mention that one was recently from Cork, and the other
+from Kerry), and reported to the general that a conversation was
+being carried on in an unknown language by two persons in the woods
+beyond, and whom they verily believed to be spies of the enemy. The
+general was not a little perplexed at this intelligence, for the
+better informed orderly declared, that while one shouted in very bad
+Irish, the other seemed to answer him in Dutch. The general listened
+attentively for a minute or more, when the noise was again heard. It
+turned out, however, that the intruders were only a pair of owls,
+who had perched in some trees near by, and were exchanging hootings
+for their own entertainment.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE KIND OF REINFORCEMENTS WE HAD TO DEFEND THE CITY.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS is an exact portrait of General Jubal A. Early, who was sent to
+capture Washington, but arrived a little too late.
+
+There was great excitement in the city during Sunday, the 10th of
+July, and strange stories were set afloat concerning the arrival of
+General Early, and his rebel army. There was also great excitement
+in and around the forts north of the city. The hundred-day men did
+not feel themselves safe in the forts, and those outside were making
+a desperate effort to keep their courage up.
+
+We had heroes enough in the city, but the great question was, how we
+were to get them organized, provisioned, armed, and sent to the
+front in time to be of service. The District militia, which we have
+all heard so much of and seen so little, was not enrolled, and, of
+course, could not be made available. It was said there would be some
+desperate fighting done if the Treasury Guard only got to the front.
+This valuable body of distinguished heroes was composed of nice
+young men, who wore fine linen and patent leather boots, and in
+appearance were unexceptionable.
+
+It was a trying time for the nation, my son, and the young men of
+this Treasury Guard felt that they had a duty to perform in
+defending the capital, and must perform it with courage. There was
+one little drawback, however, to their conduct as soldiers; and that
+was, that each man wanted to go to the front encumbered with a
+carpet bag, filled with sandwiches and clean shirts. Aside from
+this, let me say, the guard was got in order for marching, and their
+gallant commander, Colonel Floyd A. Willett, made a speech, in which
+he declared there was not a chicken-hearted man in his ranks. And
+when it marched for the front, which it did with drums beating, its
+gallant colonel at its head, and Corporal Spinner, of Company B,
+bringing up the rear, there was many a tear shed and handkerchief
+waved by the pretty female clerks of the Department. Many of these
+damsels had more than a friendly interest in these young heroes, who
+they averred would never come back, but whiten the battle-field with
+their bones.
+
+As the War Department has not yet condescended to give us a report
+in detail of the defense of Washington, I cannot inform you, my son,
+of the heroic part performed by this distinguished body of nice
+young men. There was a rumor that they returned to the city, after
+the siege, in a very hungry condition; but had been so saving of
+their powder and lead as not to waste a single round.
+
+Now, our quartermaster-general was not to be beaten by any of them
+when there was a chance for glory. Seeing the Treasury Guard march
+off with so much courage and determination, the general mounted his
+war horse, and assembled a whole brigade of his employees, as
+gallant fellows as ever took the field, notwithstanding little could
+be said of their discipline or soldierly appearance. This gallant
+brigade was called the Bushwhackers, in contradistinction to the
+Beef-eaters of the War Department. There was no mistaking this
+brigade, for it was armed with muskets and bill-hooks. As it moved
+off for the front, as it did with no very regular step, there was a
+sight seldom seen. How else could it be, with our gallant
+quartermaster-general at its head, and General Rucker bringing up
+the rear! After a rapid march of four miles, the brigade reached the
+front; and as no enemy was in sight, and there was no use for their
+powder, the men went energetically to work, and did good service in
+clearing away the bushes in front of the forts, so that our gallant
+defenders could have an unobstructed view of the rebels as soon as
+they made their appearance. This was a very happy thought; one for
+which the quartermaster-general deserved the brevet he afterwards
+got.
+
+You will see by this, my son, that we were fast getting our gallant
+defenders to the front. And now all that was needed to afford them
+an opportunity to show themselves heroes was General Early and his
+army of rebels.
+
+I must also inform you that Provost-Marshal Todd, Captain and A. D.
+C., had got a company of his men to the front, lying in ambush for
+the rebels.
+
+There was still another, and equally important force to be added to
+our defenders. This was a brigade of what was called Ancient
+Mariners, got together by that solid old salt, Admiral Goldsborough.
+The admiral was brim-full of pluck, and his name had become famous
+for not fighting the rebels afloat. Here was an opportunity to give
+them a broadside or two ashore, and the admiral was not the man to
+let it slip through his fingers. Indeed, he sounded his war trumpet
+as quick as any of them, and when he had piped his Ancient Mariners
+to arms, he told them that God and their country demanded them to do
+their duty.
+
+"Aye, aye!" responded the Ancient Mariners; "we will do it, we
+will."
+
+When the gallant admiral had got his "Ancient Mariners" ready to
+march, armed with cutlass and various other well-known weapons, he
+placed himself at their head and moved out to meet the enemy. His
+manner of doing this, however, was somewhat novel, and deserves to
+be described here. You must know, my son, that the admiral was of a
+very rotund figure, and, although well enough at home on the
+quarter-deck, was not accustomed to the saddle. His weight was,
+indeed, such as to preclude the idea of his being a skilled
+horseman. It was, therefore, necessary that he go to the field in
+some more comfortable as well as becoming manner. Thereupon a
+carriage and four was provided, and in this stately manner the
+gallant admiral proceeded to the front, at the head of his strange
+command. I may add also, my son, that the movement of this force
+afforded no little amusement to the numerous urchins that followed
+it. On reaching the front, it took up a strong position, and made
+ready to give the enemy a broadside whenever he made his appearance.
+Some mischievous person reported that it was the intention of these
+"Ancient Mariners" to support the cavalry, in the event of its being
+attacked. Having brought them to the front, however, we must leave
+them there, the quartermaster with his spy-glass keeping a sharp
+look out for any stray craft that might appear in the offing.
+
+I have been thus minute in describing these forces, in order that
+you may form a just estimate of what General McDowell McCook had to
+command.
+
+Sunday passed away, and there was no appearance of General Early and
+his army. Still the excitement in the city had not abated. Our good
+President, I must tell you, was out along the lines nearly all day,
+with the apparent purpose of encouraging the feeble garrisons in the
+forts.
+
+Early on Monday morning (the 11th of July, 1864), the smoke and dust
+of the rebel column rose in the distance, and was clearly seen from
+the defenses. News of this soon spread about, and our cavalry got
+more and more excited, and went galloping out and then came
+galloping in at an increased rate of speed.
+
+Then the enemy's long, thin line of skirmishers debouched into the
+fields, like specter figures in a panorama. Next his artillery was
+seen moving to the right and left, and apparently taking up
+positions on the distant hills. These were followed by his hungry
+troopers, very dirty and forlorn, and looking like shadowy figures
+just issuing from a desert of dust. The movements of these rebels in
+the distance gave new features to the face of the siege. General
+McDowell McCook was seen to ride rapidly over the field, followed by
+his two orderlies. Generals Meigs and Rucker urged on their
+Bushwhackers, who went to work with renewed energy clearing up the
+forest. The "Ancient Mariners" whetted their cutlasses, and
+continued to exhaust their ordnance, a large stock of which they had
+brought to the field in the shape of tobacco. And the Treasury Guard
+stopped eating sandwiches and looked to their ammunition. In fine,
+our gallant defenders went to getting their courage up in various
+ways. Our good President (may his memory never die!) took up a
+position near Fort Stevens, as if to encourage the hundred-day men
+to stand by their guns and keep their pluck warm.
+
+A little after noon there was a material change in the situation.
+The enemy's advance skirmishers made their appearance within range
+of Fort Stevens and began a miscellaneous firing. Then our own
+cannon opened, and their echoes over the hills first sounded the
+alarm and awakened the people of the city from their dream of
+security. There were as yet no really efficient troops to send to
+defend the point of attack. The people knew that between them and
+the enemy there were strong and heavily armed forts; and in these
+they placed their trust. They did not, however, reflect that these
+forts, without proper garrisons, were only so many inert masses,
+incapable of resisting for one hour the vigorous assault of an
+enemy. But it was very different with the military authorities. As
+the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon increased during
+Monday evening and night, they knew that the city was in peril, and
+their anxiety for its safety increased. They knew that the forts
+were not properly garrisoned. They knew that communication with the
+North was cut off, that no reinforcements from that quarter could be
+relied on. Further, that although reinforcements from General
+Grant's army had been ordered up from the James River, they had not
+had time to arrive.
+
+Such was our situation on that memorable Monday night. Yes, my son,
+such was the feeble condition of the defenses when General Early and
+his rebel army came in sight of the dome of the Capitol. We all
+looked confidently for an attack in force on Tuesday morning. Had it
+been made by a column of ten thousand men, led by a bold and
+determined commander, capable of infusing his own impulse into their
+movements, they might, feebly garrisoned as the forts were at that
+moment (with no support between or behind them), have treated our
+defenses with contempt, and marched into the city.
+
+Yes, my son, they could have marched almost unmolested between any
+two of the forts, entered the city, seized the Arsenal, the Capitol,
+the Treasury, and other public buildings, and enjoyed a bounteous
+breakfast at the expense of our citizens. And when they had done
+this, they might have enforced a legitimate surrender of the city,
+together with the defenses on both sides of the river.
+
+But General Jubal A. Early was not the man for such an enterprise.
+Washington was at his mercy, but fortunately for us he did not know
+it, and let the opportunity slip. Even had he known it, I am of
+opinion that he lacked the nerve to grasp the advantages of the
+opportunity. On that Tuesday morning, Early was at Silver Springs,
+enjoying the luxuries of a spacious headquarters, and within sight
+of the grand old dome of the Capitol. What strange emotions the
+sight of this dome must have excited in his bosom, what
+reminiscences of happier days passed under its shadow must have
+seared his thoughts as they passed in review, he alone can describe.
+Perhaps it was the contemplation of those happier days that stayed
+his hand and made him hesitate to grasp the prize at his feet.
+
+No, my son, Jubal A. Early was of too phlegmatic a temperament for
+such an undertaking. He was slow in every thing but name. And, as I
+have informed you before, so notoriously cautious and slow was he to
+act, even when a youth at West Point, that he gained the sobriquet
+of "The Late Early," by which he is known at this day by his
+intimate friends.
+
+How sad it is for us, to-day, to contemplate that the safety of
+Washington, the capital of this great country, should have depended
+on the temperament of a general. Let the future historian do this
+subject justice and elaborate it as it deserves. And let him
+portray, if he can, the consequences of the rebel flag greeting the
+rays of the rising sun on that morning victoriously from the dome of
+the Capitol.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+HOW THE REBEL GENERALS DEPORTED THEMSELVES.
+
+
+
+
+
+THIS history would not be complete, my son, without a portrait of
+General John C. Breckinridge. This general accompanied General
+Early, in command of a division, and was extremely useful as a
+subordinate, since he knew Washington and all its surroundings, and
+had many friends in the city, whose respect and hospitality he had
+enjoyed. What curious emotions must have excited his breast when he
+saw the dome of that building where he had sat as a Senator, and by
+his talents and deportment secured the respect and confidence of the
+nation, I will leave the reader to imagine. Who but himself can
+describe his thoughts when he recurred to that scene in the Senate
+Chamber, when he raised the voice of prophecy and foreshadowed the
+traitor's reward? Was there a pang in the thought that he was
+himself reaping the bitterest fruit of that reward?
+
+Never forget, my son, how terrible is the penalty that attaches to
+treason. But now I must ask you to reaccompany me to another part of
+the field, that we may see what is going on there. The attack made
+on our defenses by the rebels was of the feeblest kind. Why this
+was, some of our officers could not understand. It was evidently
+made in doubt of the result, and indicated forcibly enough that
+something was wrong at the rebel headquarters. We want now to see
+what that was.
+
+While the booming of cannon and the rattle of small arms was going
+on in the vicinity of Fort Stevens, without any very serious damage
+to either side (for I may mention here that the rebels kept at a
+respectful distance from the forts), Generals Early, Ewell, and
+Breckinridge were enjoying themselves on the sumptuous fare found at
+Silver Springs and other neighboring plantations. In short, it is
+asserted that these generals had been short of rations for some
+days, and were very hungry when they reached the outskirts of
+Washington. It is also asserted that they took themselves to
+feasting and making merry with their friends; so much so that they
+had all the cellars and larders of the houses round about examined
+for bounties to supply their table. And to such an extent was this
+feasting and merrymaking carried, that General Early quite forgot
+that he was sent to capture Washington, and indeed set such a bad
+example to his subordinates as to destroy all discipline.
+
+There were two great events in this remarkable siege, my son, and I
+must tell you what they were. If I do not, you will not get a clear
+idea of how the siege was carried on by the rebels. The generals
+(rebel) had not tasted fresh beef for several days, and had a sharp
+appetite which their commissaries were inclined to gratify. Now,
+there was on the plantation of Mr. George Riggs, near where these
+generals had their headquarters, a celebrated Alderney bull, much
+valued by its owner. Here was a temptation not to be resisted by
+these commissaries, who had the animal led to slaughter and served
+up for their masters. Yes, my son, these generals and their staffs
+banqueted on Mr. Riggs's bull, and were honest enough to confess
+that they had rarely fared so sumptuously. This is one of the great
+events. Now to the other. A number of general officers (choice
+spirits), imitating the example set by their bold superiors, went
+out on a forage of their own, and coming to the house of the Hon.
+Montgomery Blair, put it under a close examination, especially the
+cellar and larder, which was supposed to be well stored with the
+choicest. They were disappointed, however, to find that the cellar
+contained little wine, and were about setting the honorable owner
+down for a disciple of temperance, when they came upon a barrel of
+rare old Bourbon whisky.
+
+This discovery caused great rejoicing, the news of it spread far and
+wide among the officers, and not an order was obeyed for the rest of
+the day. So you will see, my son, that while the superior generals
+and their staffs were banqueting on Mr. Riggs's bull, the field
+officers were besieging their brains with Mr. Blair's choice whisky.
+The city was perfectly safe while this state of revelry existed. And
+I feel, my son, that you will agree with me that Mr. Blair deserves
+well of his country for supplying his cellar with this remarkable
+weapon of defense. Let the future historian bear in mind that the
+War Department can claim no credit for the safety of Washington. The
+credit of saving Washington belongs exclusively to Mr. Riggs's bull
+and Mr. Montgomery Blair's barrel of whisky. They furnished the
+feast that stole away the brains of General Early's officers, and
+caused the delay that saved the city.
+
+In fine, my son, I have good military authority for saying that
+these rebel officers, after their wisdom had been carried away by
+the whisky, put on ladies' dresses and so conducted themselves that
+General Early, in order to get them out, and put a stop to the
+riotous proceedings, was compelled to apply the torch to the house
+of Mr. Blair. Let this sad result be a warning to all generals, sent
+to either threaten or capture the capital of a nation.
+
+Have I not satisfied you, my son, that Mr. Davis sent the wrong man
+to take Washington? A more sanguine general, knowing that he had
+been sent from Richmond to threaten and, if possible, capture
+Washington, and having come so far and routed all the troops sent to
+oppose him, and arrived within sight of the coveted prize, at a time
+when he must have known the weakness of the defenses, would have
+risked an attack in force and would have succeeded. I say he would
+have succeeded; for, by all the rules of war, the capital ought to
+have fallen. Let it be remembered also, that during that memorable
+Tuesday, when the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon
+from Fort Stevens were calling patriotic citizens to the front to do
+their duty, the engineer-in-chief and other of the high officials of
+the War Department were busy packing up the records of their
+offices, preparatory to their removal to the gunboats.
+
+The attack, which had been so confidently expected on Tuesday
+morning, did not take place. General Early and his officers still
+continued their riotous proceedings near Silver Springs, while his
+advance line kept our gallant defenders in a state of intense
+excitement and activity. As hour after hour wore away, however, the
+anxiety of our people increased, in fear of what might happen.
+
+Then late in the afternoon news came that the brave old Sixth
+Corps--a terror to rebels everywhere--had arrived. This sent a thrill
+of joy into many a heart, and shout after shout went up along the
+line as its cross came in sight. Yes, the old Sixth Corps, with
+General Wright, had come once more. It was a proud sight to see
+these men deploy into line of battle, in front of Fort Stevens,
+their war-worn colors fluttering in the breeze, with that cross so
+well known to the rebel hosts.
+
+The siege was raised. The rebels recognized that cross, and, knowing
+what it betokened, fell back rapidly before it, and prepared for a
+hasty retreat. Confidence was restored to the people. The President
+thanked the troops and went home in the very best humor. The
+Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff stopped issuing orders; and
+the quartermaster's bushwhackers hung up their bill-hooks. The major
+and brigadier-generals went to congratulating each other on the part
+they had taken in the defense. At two o'clock on Wednesday morning,
+an advance was ordered with the two divisions of the Sixth Corps;
+but when the skirmish line took possession of Silver Springs, there
+was not a rebel in arms to be seen. General Early had made good
+speed during the night, and was making the best of his way across
+the Potomac, and home to his master.
+
+Thus ended the most remarkable siege history has any account of.
+
+And now, my son, I cannot close this history without a few words on
+the character and conduct of Mr. Jefferson Davis, to whose ambition
+this siege of our capital was due. It has been said by several of
+his friends, who have access to the newspapers, that he went into
+this war not only very reluctantly, but with green spectacles on.
+Willing as I am to deal generously with him, and to forgive him each
+and every one of his sins, and to send him out into the world to
+seek atonement for them, I cannot share this opinion. And for the
+reason that I happened to know Mr. Davis in the summer of 1850, when
+he was the moving spirit of a convention of "Fire-Eaters," that
+assembled together at Nashville, Tenn. And I have a slight
+recollection of a speech he made on that occasion, in which
+separation by arms was urged, and no love for the Union advanced. I
+remember also that that speech was rewarded with hisses,
+notwithstanding the strong dis-union element of the convention. His
+dislike of the Union and plan for separating the nation, it is well
+known, had been the besetting sin of his brain for twenty years.
+How, then, he could have engaged in this gigantic rebellion with
+green spectacles on, I cannot just exactly see. It was the ignorant,
+unreasoning masses of the South who were led into the rebellion with
+green spectacles on, not men like Mr. Davis. But, my son, never
+strike a man when he is down; that is the work of cowards. Let us
+give Mr. Davis credit for such virtues as he had, and for the manner
+in which he exerted them in keeping life and strength in the
+government he attempted to set up. In connection with the rebellion,
+we had to deal with Mr. Davis more in his character as a soldier
+than a statesman. Mr. Davis was undoubtedly an able soldier. He was
+the head and front, the very life and soul of the men in the South.
+Born to those qualities of pride, self-esteem, and self-will, all
+of which produce confidence in the possessor, he grew up feeling
+himself superior, as he was, to the ordinary men of his age. He
+inherited at the same time great fixedness of purpose and
+determination; and so prominent were these traits of his character,
+that they impressed every one who came in contact with him.
+
+These, my son, were the attributes that gave wings to the man's
+ambition and found him aspiring to one of the high places in the
+temple of fame. The nation gave him a thorough military education at
+West Point, and he afterwards learned the practical duties of a
+soldier in the Black Hawk war. On the return of peace, he resigned
+and sought distinction in political life. He had succeeded in
+reaching the House of Representatives when the war with Mexico broke
+out, and he resigned and again went to the field. And,
+notwithstanding what has been said to the contrary, he won great
+distinction in this war. Military men everywhere did him justice.
+The "Mississippi Rifles" will be remembered as long as the battle of
+Buena Vista.
+
+At the close of the war he again relinquished the sword, and was
+sent to the United States Senate, where he was made chairman of the
+Committee on Military Affairs. His highest ambition was to shine as
+a statesman. He afterwards served four years as Secretary of War,
+and then returned to the Senate, where the rebellion found him
+elevated to the chairmanship of the Committee of Military Affairs.
+His education, his services in the army, his position as Secretary
+of War, and in the Senate, enabled him to become thoroughly
+acquainted with our army, with its customs, its laws, its material,
+its wants, and, above all, the character of its officers. He was,
+perhaps, better acquainted with these things than any other man in
+the United States. Nor was he deficient in knowledge of the
+character of leading, public men at the North and West. What he had
+not studied well, however, was the character and the patriotism of
+the people of those sections of our country.
+
+It was the ripe fruit of this knowledge, then, that Mr. Davis
+applied in each department of the rebel government; and it was this
+that made him of such incalculable value to the rebellion. We have
+seen and even admired the power with which he wielded the scanty
+resources of the South. And we have seen the wisdom which he
+displayed from the very first in the section of his generals. With
+rare exceptions, he put the right man in the right place. He knew
+the importance of placing soldiers in command, when soldiers' duty
+was to be performed. It would have been fortunate for us if we had
+exercised similar wisdom. When the rebellion began, there was no man
+in the South to have taken the place of Mr. Davis. It is not too
+much to say that had he remained loyal to his country, and been
+elevated to the command of our armies when the war began, he would
+have quickly crushed out the rebellion. With his grasp of mind, and
+his iron will, he would have so wielded the great resources of the
+North and West, that the rebellion would have been crushed in a year
+from its birth. And this was the man our authorities at Washington
+supposed would not, or could not, attack the capital after it had
+been stripped of its proper garrison. Let the truth be told: Davis
+was not the man to let such a blunder go unnoticed.
+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+******This file should be named sgedc10.txt or sgedc10.zip******
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, sgedc11.txt
+VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, sgedc10a.txt
+
+This etext was created by Charles Aldarondo (Aldarondo@yahoo.com).
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+End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Siege of Washington, D.C.
+by F. Colburn Adams
+
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