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Cornell Universtty Library 
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 3 1924 030 927 002 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
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CAMPAIGNING WITH 
 GRANT 
 
ULYS8K9 8. GRANT AS LIEUTENANT-GENERAU 
 From a photograph. 
 
CAMPAIGNING WITH 
 GRANT 
 
 BY 
 
 GENERAL HOKACE POETBE, LL.D. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 THE CENTURY CO. 
 
 1906 
 
Copyright, 1897*, by 
 The Century Co. 
 
 The DeVinne Prem 
 
TO MY COMEADES OF THE UNION 
 ABMY AND NAVY, WHOSE VALOR 
 SAVED THE REPUBLIC, THIS BOOK 
 IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THE object aimed at in this narrative is to recount 
 tlie daily acts of General G-rant in the field, to de- 
 scribe minntely his personal traits and habits, and to 
 explain the motives which actuated him in important 
 crises by giving his criticisms upon events in the lan- 
 guage employed by him at the time they took place. 
 
 The chief effort of the author has been to enable 
 readers to view the Union commander near by, and to 
 bring them into such intimate contact with him that 
 they may know him as familiarly as those who served 
 by his side. It has been no part of the author's purpose 
 to give a detailed history of the campaigns referred to, 
 but to describe the military movements only so far as 
 necessary to show General Grant's intentions and plans 
 and the general results of his operations. Mention of 
 particular commands, subordinate commanders, and 
 topographical features, therefore, had to be, in large 
 measure omitted. 
 
 While serving as a personal aid to the general-in- 
 chief the author early acquired the habit of making 
 careful and elaborate notes Of everything of interest 
 which came under his observation, and these remini- 
 scences are simply a transcript of memoranda jotted 
 down at the time. 
 
 The Authob. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 FASE 
 
 Chapter I. My First Meeting with Gteneral Grant— 
 A Conference at Thomas's Headquarters— Grant's 
 Manner op Writing Despatches— Opening "the 
 Cracker Line"— Grant Saluted by the Enem^— 
 Grant's Personal Appearance 1 
 
 Chapter II. A Higher Grade Created for Grant- 
 Grant's First Meeting with Lincoln— In Command 
 
 OF ALL THE ARMIES— INTERVIEW WITH StANTON— 
 
 Grant in a Communicative Mood— At General 
 Meade's Headquarters— Grant's Narrow Escape 
 prom Capture — Grant's Enormous Responsibility — 
 Grant's Personal Staff 17 
 
 Chapter III. Preparations for a General Advance- 
 Grant's Reasons for Moving by the Left Plank— 
 His Instructions to ms Staff- Grant's Numerical 
 Strength Offset by Lee's Strategical Advantage- 
 Crossing THE Rapidan— The Headquarters Mess- 
 On the Eve of Battle— Longstreet's Estimate op 
 Grant— An Early Breakfast at Headquarters- 
 Grant AND Meade Pitch Tents in the Wilderness- 
 Grant Hears of the Death op an Old Comrade— 
 A Conference between Grant and Meade . . 35 
 
 Chapter IV. Grant's Preparations for the Second 
 Day in the Wilderness— Hancock Flushed with 
 Victory— Grant at a Critical Moment— The Crisis 
 OF THE Wilderness — Grant's Demeanor on the 
 Field— Grant's Peculiarities in Battle— Grant's 
 
XU oajBLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 FAQX 
 
 Confidence in Success— The GENEEAL-m-CHiBF as 
 Aid to a Drovee— Confusion Caused by a Night 
 Attack— Grant Admlnisters a Reprimand— Grant 
 AFTER the Battle— The Wilderness a Unique 
 Combat 56 
 
 Chapter V. Grant's Third Day in the Wilderness- 
 Hail to the Chief ! —A Night Alarm— A Midnight 
 Ride— Grant Roughs it with his Troops— Out op 
 the Wilderness— Sheridan Ordered to Crush 
 " Jeb" Stuart- a Chapter of Accidents- Grant in 
 Front of Spottsylvania— The Death op Sedgwick— 
 Arrival of Despatches— "I shall Take no Back- 
 ward Steps" 74 
 
 Chapter VI. Communicating with Burnside— Grant 
 Attacks the Enemy's Center— How a Famous Mes- 
 sage was Despatched- News from the Other 
 Armies- Preparing to Attack the "Angle"— An 
 Eventful Morning at Headquarters- Two Distin- 
 guished Prisoners— How the "Angle" was Cap- 
 tured— Scenes at the "Bloody Angle" . . .93 
 
 Chapter VII. Grant and Meade— Field Diversions- 
 Seizing Vantage-gpound— Grant and the Wounded 
 Confederate— Grant's Toilet in Camp— Important 
 Despatches— Through Rain and Mud— Grant and 
 THE Dying Soldier— Bad News . ... . . 113 
 
 Chapter VIII. Attempt to Turn the Union Right— 
 "Bill"— Grant's Unprotected Headquarters- 
 Grant AND THE VlRGINLA. LaDY— A RaCE FOR THE 
 
 North Anna— A Noonday Halt at Mrs. Tyler's . 126 
 
 Chapter IX. Grant Crosses the North Anna— Sheri- 
 dan Returns from his Raid— Meeting between 
 Grant and Burnside— Destroying a Railroad— The 
 Enemy Reinforced— A Female Oddity— Grant Re- 
 crosses THE North Anna 140 
 
TABLE OP CONTENTS XIU 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Chapter X. Grant Crosses the Pamxjnket— Mancbu- 
 
 VERTNG FOR POSITION— GrANT INTERVIEWS A PRIS- 
 ONER— REGION OF THE ToTOPOTOMOY— Grant Seizes 
 Old Cold Harbor— W. F. Smith's Troops Join the 
 Army of the Potomac— Grant Disciplines a Team- 
 ster-Grant's Fondness for Horses— Moving into 
 Position— The Halt at Bethesda Church . . 153 
 
 Chapter XI. Strength of Lee's Position at Cold 
 Harbor— Why Grant Assaulted at Cold Habbor— 
 A Notable Instance op Courage— Battle of Cold 
 HLiBBOR- After the Battle— Grant's Comments on 
 ColdHakbob— Grant's "Hammering" . . .171 
 
 Chapter XII. Grant Decides to Cross the Jambs- 
 Sufferings AT THE Front- Grant's Visitor from 
 THE Pacific Slope— An Important Mission— Dealing 
 
 WITH A LiBELER OP THE PbESS— LOSSES— GrANT RE- 
 LATES Some Anecdotes 182 
 
 Chapter XIII. The Stabt for the James— Grant's 
 Secretiveness— Steaung a March on the Enemy— 
 The Passage op the James— A Brilliant Spec- 
 tacle-General W. F. Smith's Attack on Peters- 
 burg-Donning Summer Uniform .... 194 
 
 Chapter XIV. Petersburg- Lee Mystified as to 
 Grant's Movements— A Change of Complexion— 
 Meade m Action— Condition of the Army— Grant's 
 Camp at City Point— Grant at the Mess-table . 205 
 
 Chapter XV. Lincoln's First Visit to Grant's Camp- 
 Lincoln AT the Front— Some Anecdotes by Lin- 
 coln—Movement AGAINST THE WeLDON RAILROAD— 
 
 Swapping Horses— Sheridan Returns— Where Po- 
 cahontas Saved John Smith— General James H. 
 Wilson's Raid— The Staff Enlarged . . . . 216 
 
XIV TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 PAQi: 
 
 Chapter XVI. A Disappointed Band-mastee— Hunter's 
 Raid— Early's Raid on Washington— GtRant as a 
 Writer— Grant Devotes Attention to Sherman- 
 Grant's Treatment op his Generals— Grant's Equa- 
 nimity-Grant AS A Thinker- Why Grant Never 
 Swore— Meade and Warren— Seward Visits Grant 234 
 
 Chapter XVII. Preparing the Petersburg Mine- 
 Exploding THE Mine— Grant's Adventure between 
 THE Lines— Failure op the Assault at the Minb— 
 A New Command for Sheridan— An Infernal Ma- 
 chine Exploded near Headquarters . . . 258 
 
 Chapter XVIII. The Storming op Newmarket Heights 
 —A Draft Ordered— Battle of the Weldon Rail- 
 road—Battle of Reams's Station— General Grant's 
 Family Visit Him— The Relations between Grant 
 AND Sherman— A Mission to Sherman— The Captoe 
 OP Atlanta— An Evening with General Thomas . 276 
 
 Chapter XIX. Grant Visits Sheridan— Good News 
 from Winchester— Grant under Fire at Fort 
 Harrison- Consteenation in Richmond— Secretary 
 Stanton Visits Grant— How Grant Received the 
 News prom Cedar Creek 297 
 
 Chapter XX. Grant's Narrow Escape at Hatcher's 
 Run— Discussing the March to the Sea— Why 
 Grant Never Held Councils of War— How the 
 March to the Sea was Conceiped and Executed . 309 
 
 Chapter XXI. Grant Suggests a Plan for Voting est 
 THE Field— Grant Visits New York— A Philadel- 
 phia Ovation to Grant— Grant and Lincoln in 
 Conference— Grant's Winter Quarters at City 
 Point— General Ingalls's Spotted Dog— Grant's 
 Intercourse with his Associates— Correspondence 
 WITH General Thomas 321 
 
TABLE OP CONTENTS XV 
 
 FAQE 
 
 Chapter XXII. Planning the FmsT Foet Fishee 
 Expedition— Grant's Aversion to Liars— Rebh- 
 niscenoes op Grant's Cadet Life- Grant Orders 
 Thomas to Move against Hood— Thomas Crushes 
 Hood 336 
 
 Chapter XXIII. Senator Nesmith Visits Grant- 
 Sherman Reaches the Sea-coast— Butler's Expe- 
 dition AGAINST Fort Fisher— Grant's Children at 
 City Point 354 
 
 Chapter XXIV. Capture op Fort Fisher— The Du^ch 
 Gap Canal— Grant Receives Unasked Advice— 
 Grant Relieves Butler— Sherman's Loyalty to 
 Grant— A "Good Shot"— Night Attack op the 
 Enemy's Ironclads— How Grant Became a Con- 
 firmed Smoker— Grant Offers his Purse to his 
 Enemy- Grant Receives THE "Peace Commissioners" 367 
 
 Chapter XXV. Grant Plans the Spring Campaigns— 
 The President's Son Joins Grant's Staff- Lee 
 Asks a Personal Interview— A Visionary Peace 
 Program- High Prices in Richmond— Grant Re- 
 ceives A Medal from Congress- Shaving under 
 IDiFFicuLTiES— Arrival of Sheridan's Scouts . 386 
 
 BR XXVI. Grant Draws the Net Tighter 
 AROUND-^ the- Enemy— President Lincoln's Last 
 Visit to Grant— Grant's Foresight— Attack on 
 Fort Stedman— The President Tells Some Anec- 
 dotes—Mr. Lincoln's Kjndnbss to Animals— Sheri- 
 dan's Final Orders— The President Reviews the 
 Army op the James 401 
 
 Chapter XXVII. Meeting of Grant and Sherman 
 at City Point- Amusing Colloquy between Mrs. 
 Grant and Sherman— Meeting of Sherman and 
 Sheridan— The Famous Conference aboard the 
 "River Queen"— Grant Starts on his Last Cam- 
 
XVI TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 paign—Storm-boxjnd— Grant and Sheridan Confer 
 —Grant on Warren's Front— Carrying Instruc- 
 tions TO Sheridan 417 
 
 Chapter XXVIII. The Movement against Five Forks 
 —The Battle of Five Forks— Carrying the News 
 OP Five Forks to Grant— Grant Prepares to As- 
 sault the Petersburg Lines— Capturing the Works 
 AT Petersburg— Grant Writes Despatches under 
 Fire— Capture of Forts Gregg and Whitworth 434 
 
 Chapter XXIX. Grant Enters Petersburg— Lincoln 
 AT Petersburg— In Hot Pursuit of Lee— Grant 
 Makes a Night Eide to Eeach Sheridan— Grant 
 Hurries on to Farmville— Grant at Parmvo^le- 
 Grant Opens a Correspondence with Lee— The Eide 
 TO Curdsville— Grant Suffers an Attack of Ill- 
 ness—More Correspondence with Lee . . . 449 
 
 Chapter XXX. Grant's Ride to Appomattox— How 
 Lee Reached McLean's House— Meeting between 
 Grant and Lee- Brief Discussion as to the Terms 
 OF Surrender— Drafting the Terms, and the Ac- 
 ceptance-Grant's Consideration for the Confed- 
 erate Privates— Rations for the Paroled Army 466 
 
 Chapter XXXI. After the Surrender— Grant's 
 Final Conference with Lee— The Dawn op Peace 
 —Grant Avoids a Visit to Eichmond— His Respect 
 FOR Religion— Grant's Enthusiastic Eeception at 
 Washington— His Last Interview with Lincoln- 
 John Wilkes Booth Shadows Grant— Grant's In- 
 terrupted Journey— Lincoln's Assassination . 485 
 
 Chapter XXXII. Sherman's Terms to Joseph B. John- 
 ston—The End of Hostilities- The Grand Ee- 
 viBW AT Washington— Grant's Place m Military 
 History . . . 503 
 
 Index 517 
 
LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTEATIONS 
 
 Ulysses S. Grant as Lieutenaut-qenebal I^onUspiece 
 
 FAOINO PAGE 
 
 General Grant at the Headquarters op General Thomas..*.. 4 
 View op Chattanooga and Moccasin Point from the Side op 
 
 Lookout Mountain 12 
 
 Major-general George G. Meade 24 
 
 Grant's Headquabtebs in the Wilderness 48 
 
 General Horace Porter 64 
 
 General Grant Eeconnoitering the Confederate Position at 
 
 Spottstlvania Court-house 80 
 
 Major-general John Sedgwick, Killed at Spottsyltania, in the 
 
 Wilderness Campaign, Mat 9, 1864 88 
 
 Letter op U. S. Grant t6 Major-general Halleck 104 
 
 General Grant and the Wounded Confederate 120 
 
 Major-general Henry W. Hallbck 144 
 
 Grant and his Staff at Bethesda Church 168 
 
 Map op the Confederate Positions at the North Anna and at 
 
 Cold Habbor, etc 176 
 
 Grant's Aemy Cbossing the James EnnBR 200 
 
 Map op the Petersburg and Appomattox Campaigns 224 
 
 Map of the Virginia Campaigns op 1864-65 248 
 
 General Grant Hastening to Oedke the Recall of the As- 
 saulting Column 272 
 
 W. T. Sherman 288 
 
 Grant under Fire at Fort Harrison 304 
 
 A. LmcoLN 328 
 
 Map op Operations in Middle Tennessee and North Alabama 
 
 AND Geoegia, 1863-65 344 
 
 xvii 
 
XVUl LIST OF MAPS AJUD ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACma PAQE 
 
 Majoe-geneeal Geoege H. Thomas 352 
 
 Gbaut's Winter Heabquabtees at City Point 368 
 
 GrENEBAL GtEANT'S CaBIN, PobMEELT HBADQUABTBES AT CiTT PoiNT 384 
 
 Blihu B. Washbitbne 392 
 
 President Lincoln and Gbneeal Gbant .Inspect a Body op 
 
 PEISONEBS CAPTUBED on the PETEBSBTTEa PEONT 408 
 
 p. H. Sheeidan 432 
 
 Sheeidan and his Generals Beconnoiteeing at Five Foeks 440 
 
 Visit op President Lincoln, Admiral Porter, and Tad Lincoln, 
 to General Grant at the Wallace House in Petbrsbttro. . 456 
 
 General Robert E. Lee 464 
 
 The Sopa in the McLean House 471 
 
 Table at which Lee Sat 472 
 
 Chair in which Lee Sat 473 
 
 Chaie in which Grant Sat 474 
 
 Table on which Geant Weotb the Aeticles op Sueeendee 475 
 
 Grant at Appomattox 480 
 
 TJ. S. Grant 504 
 
CAMPAIGNING WITH 
 GRANT 
 
CAMPAIGNIKG WITH 
 GRANT 
 
 CHAPTEE I 
 
 MX HEST MEETING WITH GENERAL GEANT— A CONFEEENCE 
 AT THOMAS'S HEADQUAETEES— GEANT'S MANNER OP 
 WRITING DESPATCHES— OPENING " THE CEACKEE LINE " 
 — GEANT SALUTED BY THE ENEMT— GEANT'S PEESONAL 
 APPEAEANCE 
 
 TTTTEILE sitting in my quarters in tlie little town 
 ▼ T of Chattanooga, Tennessee, about an hour 
 after nightfall, Friday, October 23, 1863, an orderly 
 brought me a message from General G-eorge H. 
 Thomas, Commander of the Army of the Cumber- 
 land, on whose staff I was serving, summoning me to 
 headquarters. A storm had been raging for two days, 
 and a chilling rain was still falling. A few minutes' 
 walk brought me to the plain wooden, one-story dwell- 
 ing occupied by the commander, which was situated 
 on Walnut street, near Fourth, and upon my arrival I 
 found him in the front room on the left side of the 
 haU, with three members of his staff and several strange 
 oflB.cers. In an arm-chair facing the fireplace was seated 
 a general officer, slight in figure and of medium stature, 
 whose face bore an expression of weariness. He was 
 
 1 
 
^ CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 carelessly dressed, and his uniform coat was unbuttoned 
 and thrown back from his chest. He held a lighted cigar 
 in his mouth, and sat in a stooping posture, with his 
 head bent slightly forward. His clothes were wet, and 
 his trousers and top-boots were spattered with mud. 
 General Thomas approached this officer, and, turning to 
 me and mentioning me by name, said, " I want to pre- 
 sent you to G-eneral Grant." Thereupon the officer seated 
 in the chair, without changing his position, glanced up, 
 extended his arm to its full length, shook hands, and 
 said in a low voice, and speaking slowly, " How do you 
 do?" This was my first meeting with the man with 
 whom I was destined afterward to spend so many of 
 the most interesting years of my life. 
 
 The strange officers present were members of General 
 Grant's staff. Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of 
 War, who had been for some time with the Army of 
 the Cumberland, had also entered the room. The next 
 morning he sent a despatch to the "War Department, 
 beginning with the words, "Grant arrived last night, 
 wet, dirty, and weU." 
 
 On the 19th of October General Grant's command had 
 been enlarged so as to cover the newly created military 
 division of the Mississippi, embracing nearly the entire 
 field of operations between the Alleghanies and the Mis- 
 sissippi River, and the Army of the Cumberland had thus 
 been placed under his control. About a month before, 
 that army, after having fought at Chickamauga one of 
 the most gallantly contested and sanguinary battles in 
 the annals of warfare, had fallen back and taken up a 
 defensive position on the south side of the Tennessee 
 River, inclosing within its lines the village of Chatta- 
 nooga. The opposing forces, under General Bragg, had 
 invested this position, and established such a close siege 
 that the lines of supply had been virtually cut off, rations 
 
CONFEKENCE AT THOMAS'S HEADQUARTERS 3 
 
 and forage were about exhausted, and almost tlie last 
 tree-stump liad been used for fuel. Most of tlie men 
 were without overcoats, and some without shoes; ten 
 thousand animals had died of starvation, and the gloom 
 and despondency had been increased by the approach of 
 cold weather and the appearance of the autumn storms. 
 
 General Grant, upon assuming the responsibilities of 
 his new command, had fully realized the critical condi- 
 tion of the Army of the Cumberland, and had set out 
 at once for its headquarters to take charge in person of 
 its future operations. On his way to the front he had 
 telegraphed General Thomas, from LouisArLUe, to hold 
 Chattanooga at all hazards, to which that intrepid sol- 
 dier made the famous reply, "I wiU hold the town till 
 we starve." 
 
 General Grant had started, the day before the inci- 
 dent I have described, from Bridgeport, a place thirty 
 mUes below Chattanooga, where the NashviUe and 
 Chattanooga Eailroad crosses the Tennessee Eiver, and 
 had ridden by way of Walden's Eidge, the only route 
 left open by which communication could be had with 
 the beleaguered town. We had been advised that he 
 was on his way, but hardly expected that he would 
 reach Chattanooga that night, considering the state of 
 the weather, the wretched condition of the roads, or 
 rather bridle-paths, over the mountain, and the severe 
 injury to his leg which had been caused by a fall of his 
 horse several weeks before, and from which he was still 
 suffering. When he arrived he had to be lifted from his 
 saddle, and was evidently experiencing much paia, as 
 his horse had slipped in coming down the mountain, 
 and had further injured the lame leg; but the general 
 showed less signs of fatigue than might have been sup- 
 posed after his hard ride of two days under such trying 
 circumstances. 
 
4 CAMPAIGNING WITH G:&ANT 
 
 As soon as General Grant had partaken of a light 
 supper immediately after his arrival, General Thomas 
 had sent for several general officers and most of .the 
 members of his staff to comfe to headquarters, and the 
 room soon contained an exceedin^y interesting group. 
 A member of General Thomas's staff quietly called that 
 officer's attention to the fact that the distinguished 
 guest's clothes were pretty wet and his boots were 
 thoroughly soaked with rain after his long ride through 
 the storm, and intimated that colds were usually no re- 
 specters of persons. General Thomas's mind had been 
 so intent upon receiving the commander, and arranging 
 for a conference of officers, that he had entirely over- 
 looked his guest's travel-stained condition ; but as soon 
 as his attention was called to it, all of his old-time Vir- 
 ginia hospitality was aroused, and he at once begged his 
 newly arrived chief to step into a bedroom and change 
 his clothes. His urgings, however, were in vain. The 
 general thanked him politely, but positively declined to 
 make any additions to his personal comfort, except to 
 light a fresh cigar. Afterward, however, he consented 
 to di'aw his chair nearer to the wood fire which was 
 burning in the ishimney-place, and to thrust his feet 
 forward to give his top-boots a chance to dry. The ex- 
 tent of his indulgence in personal comfort in the field 
 did not seem to be much greater than that of bluff old 
 Marshal Suvaroff, who, when he wished to give himself 
 over to an excess of luxury, used to go so far as to take 
 off one spur before going to bed. 
 
 At General Grant's request. General Thomas, General 
 WilUam F. Smith, his chief engineer, commonly known 
 in the army as " Baldy " Smith, and others, pointed out 
 on a large map the various positions of the troops, and 
 described the general situation. General Grant sat for 
 some time as immovable as a rock and as silent as the 
 
CONPEBENOB AT THOMAS'S HEADQUAETEES 5 
 
 spMnx, but listened attentively to all tliat was said. 
 After a while he straightened himself up in his chair, his 
 features assumed an air of animation, and in a tone of 
 voice which manifested a deep interest in the discussion, 
 he began to fire whole volleys of questions at the offi- 
 cers present. So intelligent were his inquiries, and so 
 pertinent his suggestions, that he made a profound im- 
 pression upon every one by the quickness of his per- 
 ception and the knowledge which he had already 
 acquired regarding important details of the army's con- 
 dition. His questions showed from the outset that his 
 mind was dwelling not onl^ upon the prompt opening 
 of a line of supplies, but upon taking the offensive 
 against the enemy. In this he was only manifesting 
 one of his chief military characteristics — an inborn dis- 
 like to be thrown upon the defensive. Even when he 
 had to defend a position, his method of warfare was 
 always that of the " offensive-defensive." 
 
 After talking over a plan for communicating with our 
 base of supplies, or, as he called it in his conversation, 
 "opening up the cracker line," an operation which 
 already had been projected and for which preliminary 
 steps had been taken, he turned to me as chief of ord- 
 nance of the Army of the Cumberland, and asked, " How 
 much ammunition is there on hand ? " I replied, " There 
 is barely enough here to fight one day's battle, but an 
 ample supply has been accumulated at Bridgeport to 
 await the opening of communications." 
 
 At about half-past nine o'clock he appeared to have 
 finished his search after information for the time being, 
 and turning to a table, began to write telegrams. Com- 
 munication by wire had been kept open during all the 
 siege. His first despatch was to General HaUeck, the 
 general-in-chief at Washington, and read: "Have just 
 arrived; I will write to-morrow. Please approve 
 
b CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 order placing Sherman in command of Department 
 of the Tennessee, with, headquarters in the field." 
 He had scarcely begun to exercise the authority con- 
 ferred upon him by his new promotion when his mind 
 turned to securing advancement for Sherman, who 
 had been his second in command in the Army of the 
 Tennessee. 
 
 It was more than an hour later when he retired to bed 
 in an adjoining room to get a much-needed rest. As he 
 arose and walked across the floor his lameness was very 
 perceptible. Before the company departed he had 
 made an appointment with Generals Thomas and Smith 
 and several staff-officers to accompany him the next 
 day to make a personal inspection of the lines. Early 
 on the morning of the 24th the party set out from 
 headquarters, and most of the day was spent in exam- 
 ining our lines and obtaining a view of the enemy's 
 position. At Brown's Ferry General Grant dismounted 
 and went to the river's edge on foot, and made his re- 
 connaissance of that important part of the line in fuU 
 view of the enemy's pickets on the opposite bank, but, 
 singularly enough, he was not fired upon. 
 
 Being informed that the general wished to see me that 
 evening, I went into the room he was occupying at 
 headquarters, and found two of his staff-officers seated 
 near him. As I entered he gave a slight nod of the 
 head by way of recognition, and pointing to a chair, said 
 rather bluntly, but politely, " Sit down." In reply to a 
 question which he asked, I gave him some information 
 he desired in regard to the character and location of 
 certain heavy guns which I had recently assisted in 
 putting in position on the advanced portion of our lines, 
 and the kind and amount of artillery ammunition. He 
 soon after began to write despatches, and I arose to go, 
 but resumed my seat as he said, " Sit still." My atten- 
 
MANNEK OP WEITING DESPATCHES 7 
 
 tion was soon attracted to the manner in whicli lie went 
 to work at Ms correspondence. At this time, as through- 
 out his later career, he wrote nearly aU his documents 
 with his own hand, and seldom dictated to any one even 
 the most unimportant despatch. His work was per- 
 formed swiftly and uninterruptedly, but without any 
 marked display of nervous energy. His thoughts flowed 
 as freely from his mind as the ink from his pen ; he was 
 never at a loss for an expression, and seldom interlined 
 a word or made a material correction. He sat with his 
 head bent low over the table, and when he had occasion 
 to step to another table or desk to get a paper he wanted, 
 he would glide rapidly across the room without straight- 
 ening himself, and return to his seat with his body stiLL 
 bent over at about the same angle at which he had been 
 sitting when he left his chair. Upon this occasion he 
 tossed the sheets of paper across the table as he finished 
 them, leaving them in the wildest disorder. When he 
 had completed the despatch, he gathered up the scattered 
 sheets, read them over rapidly, and arranged them in 
 their proper order. Turning to me after a time, he 
 said, " Perhaps you might like to read what I am send- 
 ing." I thanked him, and in looking over the despatches 
 I found that he was ordering up Sherman's entire force 
 from Corinth to within supporting distance, and was 
 informing HaUeck of the dispositions decided upon for 
 the opening of a line of suppHes, and assuring him that 
 everything possible would be done for the relief of Bum- 
 side in east Tennessee. Directions were also given for 
 the taking of vigorous and comprehensive steps in every 
 direction throughout his new and extensive command. 
 At a late hour, after having given further directions in 
 regard to the contemplated movement for the opening 
 of the route from Bridgeport to Chattanooga, and in the 
 mean time sending back to be foraged all the animals 
 
8 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 that could be spared, he bid those present a pleasant 
 good night, and limped ofE to his bedroom, 
 
 I cannot dwell too forcibly on the deep impression 
 made upon those who had come in contact for the first 
 time with the new commander, by the exhibition they 
 witnessed of his singular mental piowers and his rare 
 military . qualities. Coming to us crowned with the 
 laurels he had gained in the brilliant campaign of 
 Vicksburg, we naturally expected to meet a well- 
 equipped soldier, but hardly anybody was prepared to 
 find one who had the grasp, the promptness of decision, 
 and the general administrative capacity which he dis- 
 played at the very start as commander of an extensive 
 mihtary division, in which many complicated problems 
 were presented for immediate solution. 
 
 After remaining three days as Greneral Thomas's guest, 
 General Grant established his headquarters in a inodest- 
 looking two-story frame-house on the bluff near the 
 river, situated on what is now known as First street. 
 In the evening of the 26th I spent some time in the 
 front room on the left side of the hall, which he used as 
 his office, and in which several members of his staff 
 were seated with him. It was a memorable night in 
 the history of the siege, for the troops were being put 
 in motion for the hazardous attempt to open the river 
 route to our base of supplies at Bridgeport. The gen- 
 eral sat at a table, smoking, and writing despatches. 
 After finishing several telegrams and giving some direc- 
 tions to his staff, he began to describe the probabilities 
 of the chances of the expedition down the river, ex- 
 pressing a confident belief in its success. .General 
 W. F. Smith, who had been so closely identified with 
 the project, was given command of the movement. At 
 midnight he began his march down the north bank of 
 the river with 3800 men, At three o'Qlock on the inorft- 
 
OPENING "the CKAOKER LINE" 9 
 
 ing of the 27th, Hazen started silently down the stream, 
 with his pontoons carrying 1800 men ; at five he made a 
 landing at Brown's Ferry, completely surprising the 
 guard at that point, and taking most of them prisoners ; 
 at seven o'clock Smith's force had been ferried across, 
 and began to fortify a strong position; and at ten a 
 bridge had been completed. Hooker's advance, coming 
 up from Bridgeport, arrived the next afternoon, the 
 28th, at Brown's Ferry. The river was now open from 
 Bridgeport to KeUey's Ferry, and the wagon road from 
 that point to Chattanooga by way of Brown's l^erry, 
 about eight miles in length, was in our possession. The 
 success of the movement had been prompt and complete, 
 and there was now established a good line of commu- 
 nication with our base. This changed condition of 
 affairs had been accomplished within five days after 
 General Grrant's arrival at the front. 
 
 As soon as the enemy recovered from his surprise, he 
 woke up to the importance of the achievement ; Long- 
 street was despatched to retrieve, if possible, the lost 
 ground. His troops reached Wauhatchie in the night 
 of the 28th, and made an attack upon Geary's division 
 of Hooker's forces. The fight raged for about three 
 hours, but Geary succeeded in holding his grotmd 
 against greatly superior numbers. During the fight 
 Geary's teamsters had become scared, and had deserted 
 their teams, and the mules, stampeded by the sound of 
 battle raging about them, had broken loose from their 
 wagons and run away. Fortunately for their reputa- 
 tion and the safety of the command, they started toward 
 the enemy, and with heads down and tails up, with 
 trace-chains rattling and whiffletrees snapping over the 
 stumps of trees, they rushed pell-mell upon Longstreet's 
 bewildered men. Believing it to be' an impetuous charge 
 of cavalry^ his line broke and fied. The quartermaster 
 
10 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 in charge of the animals, not willing to see such distin- 
 guished services go unrewarded, sent in the following 
 communication : " I respectfully request that the mules, 
 for their gallantry in this action, may have conferred 
 upon them the brevet rank of horses." Brevets in the 
 army were being bestowed pretty freely at the time, 
 and when this recommendation was reported to General 
 Grrant he laughed heartily at the humor of the sugges- 
 tion. Our loss in the battle, including killed, wounded, 
 and missing, was only 422 men. The enemy never 
 made a further attempt to interrupt our communications. 
 
 The much-needed supplies, which had been hurried 
 forward to Bridgeport in anticipation of this movement, 
 soon reached the army, and the rejoicing among the 
 troops manifested itself in lively demonstrations of de- 
 hght. Every man now felt that he was no longer to 
 remain on the defensive, but was being supplied and 
 equipped for a forward movement against his old foe, 
 whom he had driven from the Ohio to the Cumberland, 
 and from the Cumberland to the Tennessee. 
 
 As soon as communication had been opened with our 
 base of supplies, Q-eneral Grant manifested an eagerness 
 to acquaint himself minutely with the position of the 
 enemy, with a view to taking the offensive. One morn- 
 ing he started toward our right, with several staff-officers, 
 to make a personal examination of that portion of the 
 line. When he came in sight of Chattanooga Creek, 
 which separated our pickets from those of the enemy, 
 he directed those who had accompanied him to halt and 
 remain out of sight while he advanced alone, which he 
 supposed he could do without attracting much attention. 
 The pickets were within hailing distance of one another 
 on opposite banks of the creek. They had established 
 a temporary truce oh their own responsibility, and the 
 men of each army were allowed to get water from the 
 same stream without being fired upon by those on the 
 
GRANT SALUTED BY THE ENEMY 11 
 
 other side. A sentinel of our picket-guard recognized 
 General Grrant as he approached, and gave the custom- 
 ary cry, " Turn out the guard — commanding general ! " 
 The enemy on the opposite side of the creek evidently 
 heard the words, and one of his sentinels cried out, 
 " Turn out the guard — General Grant ! " The confeder- 
 ate guard took up the joke, and promptly formed, fac- 
 ing our hue, and presented arms. The general returned 
 the salute by lifting his hat, the guard was then dis- 
 missed, and he continued his ride toward our left. We 
 knew that we were engaged in a civil war, but such 
 civility largely exceeded our expectations. 
 
 In company with General Thomas and other members 
 of his staff, I was brought iato almost daily contact with 
 General Grant, and became intensely interested in the 
 progress of the plans he was maturing for dealing with 
 the enemy at all points of the theater of war lying 
 within his command. Early in November instructions 
 came from the Secretary of War calling me to Wash- 
 ington, and in accordance therewith General Thomas 
 issued an order relieving me from duty with his army.i 
 
 I had heard through personal letters that the Secre- 
 tary wished to reorganize the Ordnance Bureau at 
 Washington, and wished my services in that connec- 
 tion on account of my long experience in that depart- 
 
 1 Headquarters, Department of this oeeasion. to express Ms apprecia- 
 
 THB Cumberland, Cpattanooga, tion of the valualsle service rendered 
 
 Tenn., November 5, 1863. \ by Captaia Porter during his connee- 
 
 General Orders, No. 261. tion vyith this army. His thorough 
 
 1. Captain Thomas G. Baylor, ord- knowledge of the duties of his posi- 
 
 nance corps, having, pursuant to tion, his good judgment and untir- 
 
 orders from the Secretary of War, ing industry, have increased the effi- 
 
 relieved Captain Horace Porter from eiency of the army, and entitle him to 
 
 duty at these headquarters, is an- the thanks of the general command- 
 
 nounced as chief of ordnance for ing. ... By command of Major- 
 
 this army, and will at once enter general George H. Thomas. 
 
 upon the discharge of bis duties. C. Goddard, Assistant Adjutant- 
 
 The general commanding takes general.— Editor. 
 
12 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 ment in the field. The order was interpreted as a 
 compliment, but was distasteftil to me for many reasons, 
 although I understood that, the assignment was to be 
 only temporary, and it Was at a season when active 
 operations in the field were usually suspended. It was 
 a subject of much regret to leave General Thomas, for 
 I had become greatly attached to him, and had acquired 
 that respect and admiration for the character of this 
 distinguished soldier which was felt by all who had ever 
 come in contact with him. " Old Pap Thomas," as we 
 all loved to call him, was more of a father than a com- 
 mander to the younger officers who served under his 
 immediate command, and he possessed their warmest 
 affections. He and his corps commanders now made a 
 written appeal to General Grant, requesting him to in- 
 tercede and endeavor to retain me in the command. In 
 the evening of the 5th of November I was sent for by 
 General Grant to come to his headquarters. On my 
 arrival, he requested me to be seated at the opposite 
 side of the table at which he sat smoking, offered me a 
 rigar, and said: "I was sorry to see the order of the 
 Secretary of "War calling you to Washington. I have 
 had some other views in mind regarding your services, 
 and I still hope that I may be able to secure the recall 
 of the order, and to have you assigned to duty with me, 
 if that would be agreeable to you." I replied eagerly, 
 " Nothing could possibly be more agreeable, and I should 
 feel most highly honored by such an assignment." He 
 went on to say, "With this step in view, I have just 
 written a letter to the general-in-chief," which he then 
 handed me to read.^ 
 
 1 Chattanooga, Tens., being relieved as chief ordnance 
 
 Nov. 5, 1863. officer in the Department of the Cum- 
 
 Maj.-GEN. H. W. Hallkck, berland, is represented by all officers 
 
 General-in-Chief of the Army. who know him as one of the most 
 
 Capt. Horace Porter, who is now meritorious wd valuable young 
 
2! 
 O 
 O 
 
 > 
 
 e 
 
 S 
 o 
 
 14 00 
 
 a a 
 
 
grant's personal appearance 13 
 
 Hardly allowing me to jB.nisli my expressions of sur- 
 prise and gratification, he continued : " Of course, you 
 wlU have to obey your present orders and proceed to 
 "Washington. I want you to take this letter with you, 
 and see that it is put into the hands of General Halleck ; 
 perhaps you wiU soon be able to rejoin me here. My 
 requests are not always complied with at headquarters, 
 but I have written pretty strongly in this case, and I 
 hope favorable action may be taken." I replied that I 
 would make my preparations at once to start East, and 
 then withdrew. The next day I called to bid the gen- 
 eral good-by, and, after taking leave of General Thomas 
 and my comrades on the staff, set out for the capital by 
 way of the new line of communication which had just 
 been opened. 
 
 A description of General Grant's personal appearance 
 at this important period of his career may not be out of 
 place here, particularly as up to that time the public 
 had received such erroneous impressions of him. There 
 were then few correct portraits of him in circulation. 
 Some of the earliest pictures purporting to be photo- 
 graphs of him had been manufactured when he was at 
 the distant front, never stopping in one place long 
 enough to be " focused." Nothing daunted, the practis- 
 ers of that art which is the chief solace of the vain had 
 photographed a burly beef-contractor, and spread the 
 pictures broadcast as representing the determined, but 
 rather robust, features of the coming hero, and it was 
 some time before the real photographs which followed 
 
 officers in the service. So far as I for duty with me. I feel the neees- 
 have heard from general officers there sityforjiist such an officer as Cap- 
 is a universal desire to see him pro- tain Porter is described to be, at 
 moted to therank of brigadier-general headquarters, and, if permitted, wUl 
 and retained here. I feel no hesita- retain him with me if assigned here 
 tion in joining in the recommenda- for duty. I am, &c., 
 tion, and ask that he may be assigned U. S. Grant, Major-general. 
 
14 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 were believed to be gemiine. False impressions of him 
 were derived, too, from the fact that he had come forth 
 from a country leather store, and was famous chiefly for 
 striking sledge-hammer blows in the field, and conduct^- 
 ing relentless pursuits of his foes through the swamps 
 of the Southwest. He was pictured in the popular mind 
 as striding about in the most approved swash-buckler 
 style of melodrama. Many of us were not a little sur- 
 prised to find in him a man of slim figure, slightly 
 stooped, five feet eight inches in height, weighing only 
 a hundred and thirty-five pounds, and of a modesty of 
 mien and gentleness of manner which seemed to fit him 
 more for the court than for the camp. His eyes were 
 dark-gray, and were the most expressive of his features. 
 Like nearly all men who speak little, he was a good lis- 
 tener ; but his face gave little indication of his thoughts, 
 and it was the expression of his eyes which furnished 
 about the only response to the speaker who conversed 
 with him. When he was about to say anything amus- 
 ing, there was always a perceptible twinkle in his eyes 
 before he began to speak, and, he often laughed heartily 
 at a witty remark or a humorous incident. His mouth, 
 like Washington's, was of the letter-box shape, the con- 
 tact of the lips forming a nearly horizontal line. This 
 feature was of a pattern in striking contrast with that 
 of Napoleon, who had a bow mouth, which looked as if 
 it had been modeled after a front view of his cocked 
 hat. The firmness with which the general's square- 
 shaped jaws were set when his features were in repose 
 was highly expressive of his force of character and the 
 strength of his will-power. His hair and beard were of 
 a chestnut-brown color. The beard was worn full, no 
 part of the face being shaved, but, like the hair, was 
 always kept closely and neatly trimmed. Like Crom- 
 
geaut's personal appearance 15 
 
 well, Lincoln, and several otlier great men in history, he 
 had a wart on his cheek. In his case it was small, and 
 located on the right side just above the line of the 
 beard. His face was not perfectly symmetrical, the left 
 eye being a very little lower than the right. His brow 
 was high, broad, and rather square, and was creased 
 with several horizontal wrinkles, which helped to em- 
 phasize the serious and somewhat careworn look which 
 was never absent from his countenance. This expres- 
 sion, however, was. in no wise an indication of his na- 
 ture, which was always buoyant, cheerful, and hopeful. 
 His voice was exceedingly musical, and one of the clear- 
 est in sound and most distinct in utterance that I have 
 ever heard. It had a singular power of penetration, and 
 sentences spoken by him in an ordinary tone in camp 
 could be heard at a distance which was surprising. His 
 gait in walking might have been called decidedly un- 
 military. He never carried his body erect, and having 
 no ear for music or rhythm, he never kept step to the 
 airs played by the bands, no matter how vigorously the 
 bass drums emphasized the accent. "When walking in 
 company there was no attempt to keep step with others. 
 In conversing he usually employed only two gestures; 
 one was the stroking of his chin beard with his left 
 hand; the other was the raising and lowering of his 
 right hand, and resting it at intervals upon his knee or 
 a table, the hand being held with the fingers close to- 
 gether and the knuckles bent, so that the back of the 
 hand and fingers formed a right angle. When not 
 pressed by any matter of importance he was often slow 
 in his movements, but when roused to activity he was 
 quick in every motion, and worked with marvelous 
 rapidity. He was civil to all who came in contact with 
 him, and never attempted to snub any one, or treat 
 
16 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 anybody with less consideration on aeeonnt of his in- 
 feriority in rank. With him there was none of the 
 puppyism so often bred by power, and none of the dog- 
 matism which Samuel Johnson characterized as puppy- 
 ism grown to maturity. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 A HIGHER GEADE CREATED FOR GRANT — GRANT'S ElEST 
 MEETING WITH LINCOLN — IN COMMAND OF ALL THE 
 ARMIES — INTERVIEW WITH STANTON — GRANT IN A 
 COMMUNICATIVE MOOD — AT GENERAL MEADE'S HEAD- 
 QUARTERS — grant's narrow ESCAPE FROM CAPTURE 
 — grant's ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY — GRANT'S PER- 
 SONAL STAFF 
 
 "TT r HEN I reached Washington I went at once to 
 T T headquarters, and endeavored to see the com- 
 mander-in-chief for the purpose of presenting General 
 G-rant's letter, but found, after two or three attempts, 
 that it would be impossible to secure an interview. I 
 therefore gave the letter to Colonel Kelton, his adjutant- 
 general, who placed it in General Halleck's hands. Not 
 only was there no action taken in regard to the request 
 which the letter contained, but its receipt was not even 
 acknowledged. This circumstance, with others of its 
 kind, made it plain that General Grant would never be 
 free to make his selection of officers, and organize his 
 forces as he desired, until he should be made general-in- 
 chief. EHhu B. Washburne, the member of Congress 
 from the Galena district in Illinois, General Grant's old 
 home, soon introduced a biU creating the grade of lieu- 
 tenant-general, and it was passed by both houses of 
 Congress, with the implied understanding that General 
 Grant was to fill the position. The highest grade in the 
 
 2 17 
 
18 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 army theretofore created during the war had been that 
 of major-general. The act became a law on February 
 26, 1864, and the nomination of General Q-rant was sent 
 to the Senate by Mr. Lincoln on the 1st of March, and 
 confirmed on the 2d. On the 3d the general was ordered 
 to Washington. I had set to work upon my duties in 
 the Ordnance Bureau, and in the mean time had received 
 several very kind messages from the general regarding 
 the chances of my returning to the field. 
 
 On the evening of March 8 the President and Mrs. 
 Lincoln gave a public reception at the White House, 
 which I attended. The President stood in the usual 
 reception-room, known as the " Blue Room," with sev- 
 eral cabinet officers near him, and shook hands cordially 
 with everybody, as the vast procession of men and 
 women passed in front of him. He was in evening 
 dress, and wore a turned-down coUar a size too large. 
 The necktie was rather broad and awkwardly tied. He 
 was more of a Hercules than an Adonis. His height of 
 six feet four inches enabled him to look over the heads 
 of most of his visitors. His form was ungainly, and 
 the movements of his long, angular arms and legs bor- 
 dered at times upon the grotesque. His eyes were gray 
 and disproportionately small. His face wore a general 
 expression of sadness, the deep lines indicating the sense 
 of responsibility which weighed upon him; but at times 
 his features lighted up with a broad smile, and there 
 was a merry twinkle in his eyes as he greeted an old 
 acquaintance and exchanged a few words with him in 
 a tone of familiarity. He had sprung from the com- 
 mon people to become one of the most uncommon of 
 men. Mrs. Lincoln occupied a position on his right. 
 For a time she stood on a line with him and took part 
 in the reception, but afterward stepped back and con- 
 versed with some of the wives of the cabinet officers 
 
GEANT'S FIEST MEETING WITH LINCOLN 19 
 
 and other personal acquaintances who were in the room. 
 At about half-past nine o'clock a sudden commotion 
 near the entrance to the room attracted general atten- 
 tion, and, upon looking in that direction, I was sur- 
 prised to see Greneral G-rant walking along modestly 
 with the rest of the crowd toward Mr. Lincoln. He 
 had arrived from the "West that evening, and had come 
 to the White House to pay his respects to the President. 
 He had been in Washington but once before, when he 
 visited it for a day soon after he had left West Point. 
 Although these two historical characters had n<ever 
 met before, Mr. Lincoln recognized the general at 
 once from the pictures he had seen of him. With a 
 face radiant with delight, he advanced rapidly two or 
 three steps toward his distinguished visitor, and cried 
 out : " Why, here is General Grant ! Well, this is a 
 great pleasure, I assure you," at the same time seizing 
 him by the hand, and shaking it for several minutes 
 with a vigor which showed the extreme cordiality of 
 the welcome. 
 
 The scene now presented was deeply impressive. 
 Standing face to face for the first time were the two 
 illustrious men whose names will always be inseparably 
 associated in connection with the war of the rebellion. 
 Grant's right hand grasped the lapel of his coat; his 
 head was bent shghtly forward, and his eyes upturned 
 toward Lincoln's face. The President, who was eight 
 inches taller, looked down with beaming countenance 
 upon his guest. Although their appearance, their train- 
 ing, and their characteristics were in striking contrast, 
 yet the two men had many traits in common, and there 
 were numerous points of resemblance in their remark- 
 able careers. Each was of humble origin, and had been 
 compelled to learn the first lessons of life in the severe 
 school of adversity. Each had risen from the people, 
 
20 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 possessed an abiding confidence in them, and always 
 retained a deep hold upon their affections. Each might 
 have said to those who were inclined to sneer at his 
 plain origin what a marshal of France, who had risen 
 from the ranks to a dukedom, said to the hereditary- 
 nobles who attempted to snub him in Vienna : " I am an 
 ancestor ; you are only descendants." In a great crisis 
 of their country's history both had entered the public 
 service from the same State. Both were conspicuous 
 for the possession of that most uncommon of all vir- 
 tues, common sense. Both despised the arts of the 
 demagogue, and shrank from posing for effect, or in- 
 dulging in mock heroics. Even when their character- 
 istics differed, they only served to supplement each 
 other, and to add a still greater strength to the cause 
 for which they strove. With hearts too great for ri- 
 valry, with souls untouched by jealousy, they lived to 
 teach the world that it is time to abandon the path of 
 ambition when it becomes so narrow that two cannot 
 walk it abreast. 
 
 The statesman and the soldier conversed for a few 
 minutes, and then the President presented his distin- 
 guished guest to Mr. Seward, The Secretary of State 
 was very demonstrative in his welcome, and after ex- 
 changing a few words, led the general to where Mrs. 
 Lincoln was standing, and presented him to her. Mrs. 
 Lincoln expressed much surprise and pleasure at the 
 meeting, and she and the general chatted together very 
 pleasantly for some minutes. The visitors had by this 
 time become so curious to catch a sight of the general 
 that their eagerness knew no bounds, and they became 
 altogether unmanageable. Mr. Seward's consummate 
 knowledge of the wiles of diplomacy now came to the 
 rescue and saved the situation. He succeeded in strug- 
 gling through the crowd with the general until they 
 
IN COMMAND OF ALL THE ABMIES 21 
 
 reached the large East Eoom, where the people could 
 circulate more freely. This, however, was only a tem- 
 porary relief. The people by this time had worked 
 themselves up to a state of uncontrollable excitement. 
 The vast throng surged and swayed and crowded until 
 alarm was felt for the safety of the ladies. Cries now 
 arose of " Grant ! Grant ! Grant ! " Then came cheer 
 after cheer. Seward, after some persuasion, induced the 
 general to stand upon a sofa, thinking the visitors would 
 be satisfied with a view of him, and retire ; but as soon 
 as they caught sight. of him their shouts were renej^ed, 
 and a rush was made to shake his Ifand. The President 
 sent word that he and the Secretary of War would await 
 the general's return in one of the smaU. drawing-rooms, 
 but it was fully an hour before he was able to make his 
 way there, and then only with the aid of several officers 
 and ushers. 
 
 The story has been circulated that at the conference 
 which then took place, or at the interview the next day, 
 the President and the Secretary of "War urged General 
 Grant to make his campaign toward Eichmond by the 
 overland route, and finally persuaded him to do so, al- 
 though he had set forth the superior advantages of the 
 -water route. There is not the slightest foundation for 
 this rumor. General Grant some time after repeated to 
 members of his staff just what had taken place, and no 
 reference whatever was made to the choice of these two 
 routes. 
 
 The next day, March 9, the general went to the White 
 House, by invitation of Mr. Lincoln, for the purpose of 
 receiving his commission from the hands of the Presi- 
 dent. Upon his return to Willard's Hotel, I called to 
 pay my respects. Cui-iosity led me to look at the hotel 
 register, and the modesty of the entry upon the book, in 
 the general's handwriting, made an impression upon me. 
 
22 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 It read simply, " U. S. Grrant and son, Galena, lU." His 
 eldest boyj Fred, accompanied him. 
 
 The act which, created the grade of lieutenant-general 
 authorized a personal staff, to consist of a chief of staff 
 with the rank of brigadier-general, four aides-de-camp, 
 and two military secretaries, each with the rank of lieu- 
 tenant-colonel. In our conversation the general re- 
 ferred to this circumstance, and offered me one of the 
 positions of aide-de-camp, which I said I would accept 
 very gladly. 
 
 The next day, the 10th, he paid a visit by rail to the 
 headquarters of the "!A.rmy of the Potomac, near Brandy 
 Station, in Virginia, about seventy miles from "Washing- 
 ton. He returned the day after, and started the same 
 night for Nashville, to meet Sherman and turn over to 
 him the command of the Military Division of the Missis- 
 sippi. While in Washington General Grant had been 
 so much an object of curiosity, and had been so continu- 
 ally surrounded by admiring crowds when he appeared 
 in the streets, and even in his hotel, that it had become 
 very irksome to him., With his simplicity and total lack 
 of personal vanity, he did not seem able to understand 
 why he should attract so much attention. The Presi- 
 dent had given him a cordial invitation to dine that" 
 evening at the White House, but he begged to be excused 
 for the reason that he would lose a whole day, which he 
 could not afford at that critical period. " Besides," he 
 added, " I have become very tired of this show business." 
 
 On the 12th the official order was issued placing Gen- 
 eral Grant in Command of all the armies of the United 
 States. 
 
 I soon learned that the Secretary of War, in spite of 
 General Grant's request to have me assigned to his staff, 
 wanted to insist upon my continuing my duties in the 
 department at Washington, and I resolved to have an 
 
INTEEVIEW WITH STANTON 23 
 
 interview with, him, and to protest against such, action. 
 The Secretary had a wide reputation for extreme 
 brusqueness in his intercourse even with his friends, 
 and seemed determined, as an officer once expressed it, 
 to administer discipline totally regardless of previous 
 acquaintance. A Frenchman once said that during the 
 Eevolution, whUe the guillotine was at work, he never 
 heard the name of .Robespierre that he did not take off 
 his hat to see whether his head was still on his shoul- 
 ders ; some of our officers were similarly inclined when 
 they heard the name of Stanton. However, I foun^ the 
 Secretary quite civil, and even patient, and, to aU ap- 
 pearances, disposed to allow my head to continue to 
 occupy the place where I was in the habit of wearing it. 
 Nevertheless, the interview ended without his having 
 yielded. I certainly received a very cold bath at his 
 hands, and to this day I never see the impress of his 
 unrelenting features upon a one-doTlar treasury note 
 without feeling a chill run down my back. 
 
 G-eneral Grant returned to the capital on March 23. 
 I went to Willard's to caU upon him that evening, and 
 encountered him on the stairs leading up to the first 
 floor. He stopped, shook hands, and greeted me with 
 the words, "How do you do, colonel?" I replied: "I 
 had hoped to be colonel by this time, owing to your 
 interposition, but what I feared has been realized. 
 Much against my wishes, the Secretary of War seems to 
 have made up his mind to keep me here." " I will see 
 him to-morrow, and urge the matter in person," an- 
 swered the general. He then invited me to accompany 
 him to his room, and in the course of a conversation 
 which f oUowed said that he had had Sheridan ordered 
 East to take command of the cavalry of the Army of the 
 Potomac. 
 
 Sheridan arrived in Washington on April 4. He had 
 
24 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 been worn down almost to a shadow by bard work and 
 exposure in tbe field; be weigbedonly a bnndred and 
 fifteen pounds, and as Ms beigbt was but five feet six 
 inches, he looked anything but formidable as a candi- 
 date for a cavalry leader. He bad met the President and 
 the officials at the War Department that day for tbe 
 first time, and it was his appearance on this occasion 
 which gave rise to a remark made to Greneral G-rant tbe 
 next time be visited the department : " The officer you 
 brought on from the West is rather a little fellow to 
 handle your cavalry." To which Grrant replied, " You 
 win find him big enough for tbe purpose before we get 
 through with him." 
 
 General G-rant bad started for tbe field on the 26tb of 
 March, and established his headquarters in the little 
 town of Culpeper Court-house in Virginia, twelve miles 
 north of the Rapidan. He visited Washington about 
 once a week to confer with tbe President and tbe Sec- 
 retary of War. 
 
 I continued my duties in the department at Washing- 
 ton till my fate should be decided, and on the 27th of 
 April I found that tbe request of tbe general-in-chief 
 had prevailed, and my appointment was officially an- 
 nounced as an aide-de-camp on bis personal staff. 
 
 The afternoon of April 29 I arrived at Culpeper, 
 and reported to him for duty. A plain brick bouse near 
 the railway-station bad been taken for headquarters, 
 and a number of tents bad been pitched in tbe yard to 
 furnish additional accommodations. 
 
 The next morning the general called for his horse, to 
 ride over to General Meade's headquarters, near Brandy 
 Station, about six mUes distant. He selected me as tbe 
 officer who was to accompany him, and we set out to- 
 gether on the trip, followed by two orderlies. He was 
 mounted upon bis large bay horse, " Cincinnati," which 
 
MAJOB-GENEKAL GEORGE G. MEADE. 
 
 From a photog^raph by Brady. 
 
GBANX m A COMMUNICATIVE MOOD 25 
 
 afterward became so well known throughout the army. 
 The animal was not called after the family of the ancient 
 warrior who beat his sword into a plowshare, but after 
 our modern city of that name. He was a half-brother 
 to " Asteroid " and " Kentucky," the famous racers, and 
 was consequently of excellent blood. Noticing the 
 agility with which the general flung himself into the 
 saddle, I remarked, " I am very glad to see that your in- 
 jured leg no longer disables you." " No," he replied ; 
 " it gives me scarcely any trouble now, although some- 
 times it feels a little numb." As we rode along he 
 began to speak of his new command, and said : " I have 
 watched the progress of the Army of the Potomac ever 
 since it was organized, and have been greatly interested 
 in reading the accounts of the splendid fightiag it has 
 done. I always thought the territory covered by its 
 operations would be the principal battle-ground of the 
 war. When I was at Cairo, in 1861, the height of my 
 ambition was to command a brigade of cavalry in this 
 army. I suppose it was my fondness for horses that 
 made me feel that I should be more at home in com- 
 mand of cavalry, and I thought that the Army of the 
 Potomac would present the best field of operations for 
 a brigade commander in that arm of the service." 
 
 He then changed the subject to Chattanooga, and in 
 speaking of that battle interjected into his descriptions 
 brief criticisms upon the services and characteristics of 
 several of the officers who had taken part in the engage- 
 ment. He continued by saying: "The difficulty is in 
 finding commanding officers possessed of sufficient 
 breadth of view and administrative ability to confine 
 their ' attention to perfecting their organizations, and 
 giving a general supervision to their commands, instead 
 of wasting their time upon details. For instance, there 
 is General G . He is a very gallant officer, but at a 
 
26 
 
 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 critical period of the battle of Chattanooga he neglected 
 to give the necessary directions to his troops, and con- 
 centrated all his efforts upon aiming and firing some 
 heavy guns, a service which could have been better per- 
 formed by any lieutenant of artillery. I had to order 
 him peremptorily to leave the battery and give his at- 
 tention to his troops." 
 
 He then spoke of his experiences with Mr. Lincoln, 
 and the very favorable impression the President had 
 made upon him. He said : " In the first interview I had 
 with the President, when no others were present, and 
 he could talk freely, he told me that he did not pretend 
 to know anything about the handling of troops, and it 
 was with the greatest reluctance that he ever interfered 
 with the movements of army commanders : but he had 
 common sense enough to know that celerity was abso- 
 lutely necessary; that while armies were sitting down 
 waiting for opportunities to turn up which might, per- 
 haps, be more favorable from a strictly military point 
 of view, the government was spending millions of dol- 
 lars every day ; that there was a limit to the sinews of 
 war, and a time might be reached when the spirits and 
 resources of the people would become exhausted. He 
 had always contended that these considerations should 
 , be taken into account, as well as purely military ques- 
 tions, and that he adopted the plan of issuing his ' ex- 
 ecutive orders ' principally for the purpose of hurrying 
 the movements of commanding generals; but that he 
 believed I knew the value of minutes, and that he was 
 not going to interfere with my operations. He said, 
 further, that he did not want to know my plans ; that 
 it was, perhaps, better that he should not know them, 
 for everybody he met was trying to find out from him 
 something about the contemplated movements, and 
 there was always a temptation 'to leak.' I have not 
 
GRANT m A COMMUNICATIVE MOOD 27 
 
 communicated my plans to him or to the Secretary of 
 War. The only suggestion the President made — and it 
 was merely a suggestion, not a definite plan — was en- 
 tirely impracticable, and it was not again referred to in 
 our conversations. He told me in our first private in- 
 terview a most amusing anecdote regarding a delegation 
 of * cross-roads wiseacres,' as he called them, who came 
 to see him one day to criticize my conduct in paroling 
 Pemberton's army after the surrender at Vicksburg, who 
 insisted that the men would violate their paroles, and in 
 less than a month confront me anew in the field, and 
 have to be whipped all over again. Said Mr. Lincoln : 
 ' I thought the best way to get rid of them was to tell 
 them the story of Sykes's dog. " Have you ever heard 
 about Sykes's yellow dog?" said I to the spokesman of 
 the delegation. He said he had n't. " "Well, I must teU 
 you about him," said I. " Sykes had a yellow dog he 
 set great store by, but there were a lot of small boys 
 around the village, and that 's always a bad thing for 
 dogs, you know. These boys did n't share Sykes's 
 views, and they were not disposed to let the dog have a 
 fair show. Even Sykes had to admit that the dog was 
 getting unpopular ; in fact, it was soon seen that a pre- 
 judice was growing up against that dog that threatened 
 to wreck all his future prospects in life. The boys, after 
 meditating how they could get the best of him, finally 
 fixed up a cartridge with a long fuse, put the cartridge 
 in a piece of meat, dropped the meat in the road in 
 front of Sykes's door, and then perched themselves "on 
 a fence a good distance off, holding the end of the fuse 
 in their hands. Then they whistled for the dog. "When 
 he came out he scented the bait, and bolted the meat, 
 cartridge and aU. The boys touched off the fuse with a 
 cigar, and in about a second a report came from that 
 dog that sounded like a clap of thunder. Sykes came 
 
28 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 bouncing out of the house, and yelled, ' What 's up 1 
 Anything busted ? ' There was no reply, except a snicker 
 from the small boys roosting on the fence ; but as Sykes 
 looked up he saw the whole air filled with pieces of yel- 
 low dog. He picked up the biggest piece he could find, 
 a portion of the back' with a part of the tail stiU hang- 
 ing to it, and after turning it round and looking it all 
 over, he said, * Well, I guess he '11 never be much account 
 again — as a dogi' And I guess Pemberton's forces will 
 never be much account again — as an army." The dele- 
 gation began looking around for their hats before I had 
 quite got to the end of the story, and I was never both- 
 ered any more after that about superseding the com- 
 mander of the Army of the Tennessee.' " 
 
 The general related this anecdote with more anima- 
 tion than he usually displayed, and with the manifesta- 
 tion of a keen sense of the humorous, and remarked 
 afterward, " But no one who does not possess the Presi- 
 dent's unequaled powers of mimicry can pretend to 
 convey an idea of the amusing manner in which he told 
 the story." 
 
 This characteristic illustration employed by the Presi- 
 dent was used afterward in a garbled form by writers, 
 in an attempt to apply it to other events. I give the 
 original version. 
 
 When we reached General Meade's camp, that officer, 
 who was sitting in his quarters, came out and greeted 
 the general-in-chief warmly, shaking hands with him 
 before he dismounted. G-eneral Meade was then forty- 
 nine years of age, of rather a spare figure, and graceful 
 in his movements. He had a full beard, which, like his 
 hair, was brown, slightly tinged with gray. He wore a 
 slouched felt hat with a conical crown and a turned- 
 down rim, which gave him a sort of Tyrolese appear- 
 ance. The two commanders entered Meade's quarters, 
 
AT GENEEAL MEADE'S HEADQUARTEES 29 
 
 sat down, lighted their cigars, and held a long interview 
 regarding the approaching campaign. I now learned 
 that, two days before, the time had been definitely- 
 named at which the opening campaign was to begin, 
 and that on the next Wednesday, May 4, the armies 
 were to move. Meade, in speaking of his troops, always 
 referred to them as " my people." During this visit I 
 had an opportunity to meet a number of old acquain- 
 tances whom I had not seen since I served with the 
 Army of the Potomac on General McCleUan's staff two 
 years before. After the interview had ended I returned 
 with the general to headquarters, riding at a brisls trot. 
 His conversation now turned upon the commander of 
 the Army of the Potomac, in the course of which he 
 remarked : " I had never met Greneral Meade since the 
 Mexican war until I visited his headquarters when I 
 came East last month. In my first interview with him 
 he talked in a manner which led me to form a very high 
 opinion of him. He referred to the changes which were 
 taking place, and said it had occurred to him that I 
 might want to make a change in the commander of the 
 Army of the Potomac, and to put in his place Sherman 
 or some other oflScer who had served with me in the 
 West, and urged me not to hesitate on his account if I 
 desired to make such an assignment. He added that 
 the success of the cause was much more important than 
 any consideration for the feelings of an individual. He 
 spoke so patriotically and unselfishly that even if I had 
 had any intention of relieving him, I should have been 
 inclined to change my mind after the manly attitude he 
 assumed in this frank interview." 
 
 This was the first long personal talk I had with the 
 general-in-chief, as our intercourse heretofore had been 
 only of an official character, and the exhibition of the 
 remarkable power he possessed as a conversationalist 
 
30 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 was a revelation. I began to learn that his reputed 
 reticence did not extend to his private intercourse, and 
 that he had the ability to impart a peculiar charm to 
 almost any topic. 
 
 That evening a large correspondence was conducted 
 in relation to the final preparations for the coming 
 movements. 
 
 A few days before, an occurrence had happened 
 which came very near depriving the armies of the ser- 
 vices of Greneral Grrant in the Virginia campaign. On 
 his return to headquarters after his last visit to the 
 President in Washington, when his special train reached 
 Warrenton Junction he saw a large cloud of dust to the 
 east of the road. Upon making inquiries of the station 
 master as to its cause, he learned that Colonel Mosby, 
 who commanded a partizan Confederate force, called by 
 his own people Mosby's " conglomerates," and who had 
 become famous for his cavalry raids, had just passed, 
 driving a detachment of our cavailry before him. If the 
 train had been a few minutes earlier, Mosby, like Chris- 
 topher Columbus upon his voyage to this country, 
 would have discovered something which he was not 
 looking for. As the train carried no guard, it would 
 not have been possible to make any defense. In such 
 case the Union commander would have reached Rich- 
 mond a year sooner than he finally arrived there, but 
 not at the head of an army. 
 
 General G-rant now held a command the magnitude 
 of which has seldom been equaled in history. His 
 troops consisted of twenty-one army-corps, and the ter- 
 ritory covered by the field of operations embraced eigh- 
 teen military departments, besides the region held by 
 the Army of the Potomac, which had never been organ- 
 ized into a department. The total number of troops 
 under his command, " present for duty, equipped," was 
 
gkant's enoemous eesponsibility 31 
 
 533,000. In all purely military questions Ms wiU was 
 at this time almost supreme, and his authority was 
 usually unquestioned. He occupied the most conspicu- 
 ous position in the nation, not excepting that of the 
 President himself, and the eyes of all the loyal people in 
 the land were turned to him appealingly as the one man 
 upon whom their hopes were centered and in whom 
 their chief faith reposed. The responsibihties imposed 
 were commensurate with the magnitude of the under- 
 taking which had been confided to him. While com- 
 manding aU the armies of the nation, he had "\|isely 
 decided to establish his headquarters with the Army of 
 the Potomac, and give his immediate supervision to the 
 operations of that force and the troops which were in- 
 tended to cooperate with it in the State of Virginia. 
 Telegraphic communication was then open with nearly 
 all the armies. 
 
 The staff consisted of fourteen officers only, and was 
 not larger than that of some division commanders. The 
 chief of staff was Brigadier-general John A. Rawlins. 
 When the war broke out he was a practising lawyer in 
 Galena, Illinois, and had gained some prominence in 
 politics as a Democrat. Alter the firing upon Fort 
 Sumter a public meeting was held in Q-alena, and Cap- 
 tain Grant, being an ex-army officer, was called upon to 
 preside. Eawlins attended the meeting, and made a 
 stirring and effective speech, declaring it to be the duty 
 of all good citizens to sink their political predilections, 
 and urging them to pledge themselves to the support of 
 the Union and the enforcement of the laws. General 
 Grant was much impressed with the vigor and logic of 
 the address, and when he was afterward assigned to the 
 command of a brigade, he appointed Rawlins on his 
 staff. He was at first aide-de-camp, afterward assistant 
 adjutant-general, and finally chief of staff. The general 
 
32 CAMPAiaNlNG WITH GRANT 
 
 had a high regard for him ofl&cially, and was warmly 
 attached to him personally. Rawlins in his youth had 
 worked on a farm, and assisted his father in burning 
 charcoal, obtaining what education he could acquire at 
 odd times in the district school and at a neighboring 
 seminary. He was frank, honest, and resolute, and 
 loyally devoted to his chief. He always had the cou- 
 rage of his convictions, and was capable of stating them 
 with great force. He was plain and simple in manner, 
 of a genial disposition, and popular with all the other 
 members of the staff. He had never served in a mili- 
 tary organization, nor made a study of the art of war ; 
 but he possessed natural executive ability of a high 
 order, and developed qualities which made him exceed- 
 ingly useful to his chief and to the service. 
 
 The rest of the staff consisted of the following 
 officers : 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel C. B. Comstock, aide-de-camp, an 
 officer of the United States corps of engineers, with a 
 well-deserved reputation for scientific attainments, who 
 had shown great efficiency while serving with General 
 Grant in the Vicksburg campaign. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel Horace Porter, aide-de-camp. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel O. E. Babcock, aide-de-camp, an 
 accomplished officer of engineers, who had gained an 
 excellent reputation in several campaigns, in which he 
 had been conspicuous for his good judgment and great 
 personal courage. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel F. T. Dent, aide-de-camp, a class- 
 mate of General Grant, and brother of Mrs. Grant. He 
 had served with credit in the Mexican war, and in 
 Scott's advance upon the city of Mexico had been 
 severely wounded, and was twice promoted for gallant 
 and meritorious conduct in battle. 
 
 The four officers just named were of the regular 
 
GEANT'S PEESONAL STAFF 33 
 
 army, and were graduates of the West Point Military- 
 Academy. 
 
 LieTitenant-eolonel Adam Badeau, military secretary, 
 who had first gone to the field as a newspaper corre- 
 spondent, and was afterward made an aide-de-camp to 
 General T. W. Sherman. He was badly wounded in the 
 foot at Port Hudson, and when convalescent was as- 
 signed to the staff of General Grant. He had had a good 
 training in literature, and was an accomplished writer 
 and scholar. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel WiUiam E. Eowley, military sec- 
 retary, was also from Galena. He entered an Ilhnois 
 regiment as a lieutenant, and after the battle of Donel- 
 son was made a captain and aide-de-camp to General 
 Grant. His gallant conduct at Shiloh, where he greatly 
 distinguished himself, commended him still more highly 
 to his commander. He resigned August 30, 1864, and 
 was succeeded by Captain Parker. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel T. S. Bowers, assistant adjutant- 
 general, was a young editor of a country newspaper in 
 Illinois when hostilities began. He raised a company 
 of volunteers for the Forty-eighth Illinois Infantry, but 
 declined the captaincy, and fought in the ranks. He 
 was detailed as a clerical assistant at General Grant's 
 headquarters in the Donelson campaign, and was soon 
 made a lieutenant, and afterward a captain and aide-de- 
 camp. His services in all the subsequent campaigns 
 were highly appreciated by his chief. 
 
 Lieutenant-colonel W. L. Duff had been for a time 
 acting chief of artillery under General Grant in the 
 West, and was now assigned to duty as assistant in- 
 spector-general. 
 
 Captain Ely S. Parker, assistant adjutant-general, 
 who was a full-blooded Indian, a grand nephew of the 
 famous Red Jacket, and reigning chief of the tribes 
 
34 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 known as the Six Nations. His Indian name was Done- 
 hogawa. Colonel Parker had received a good education, 
 and was a civil engineer employed npon the United 
 States government building in Galena at the breaking 
 out of the war. He commended himseK to General 
 Grant by his conduct in the Vicksburg campaign, and 
 was there placed on his stafE, and served in the adjutant- 
 general's department. 
 
 Captain George K, Leet, assistant adjutant-general, 
 who had come East with General Grant from the Army 
 of the Tennessee, and who was assigned to duty at the 
 headquarters of the army ia Washington, and remained 
 there during the campaign. 
 
 Captain H. W. Janes, assistant quartermaster. 
 
 Captain Peter T. Hudson, a volunteer officer from the 
 State of Iowa, had served with the general in the West, 
 and was retained as an aide-de-camp. 
 
 Lieutenant William McKee Dunn, Jr., a beardless boy 
 of nineteen, was assigned as an acting aide-de-camp to 
 General Rawlins, but performed general staff duty at 
 headquarters, and under many trying circumstances 
 proved himself as cool and gallant as the most experi- 
 enced veteran. 
 
 All the members of the staff had had abundant ex- 
 perience in the field, and were young, active, and ready 
 for any kind of hard work. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 PEEPABATIONS FOR A GENEEAL ADVANCE — GRANT'S KEA- 
 SONS FOR MOVING BY THE LEFT FLANK — HIS INSTRUC- 
 TIONS TO HIS STAFF — GRANT'S NUMERICAL STRENGTH 
 
 « 
 
 OFFSET BY LEE'S STRATEGICAL ADVANTAGE — CROSSING 
 THE RAPIDAN — THE HEADQUARTERS MESS — ON THE 
 EVE OF BATTLE — LONGSTEEET'S ESTIMATE OF GRANT — 
 AN EARLY BREAKFAST AT HEADQUARTERS — GRANT AND 
 MEADE PITCH TENTS IN THE WILDERNESS — GRANT 
 HEARS OF THE DEATH OF AN OLD COMRADE — A CON- 
 FERENCE BETWEEN GRANT AND MEADE 
 
 THE night of May 3 will always be memorable in 
 the recollection of those who assembled in the lit- 
 tle front rooni of the house occupied as headquarters at 
 Culpeper. The eight senior members of the staff seated 
 themselves that evening about their chief to receive 
 their final instructions, and participated in an intensely 
 interesting discussion of the grand campaign, which was 
 to begin the next morning with all its hopes, its uncer- 
 tainties, and its horrors. Sherman had been instructed 
 to strike Joseph E. Johnston's army in northwest 
 Georgia, and make his way to Atlanta. Banks was to 
 advance up the Red River and capture Shreveport. 
 SigeliWas ordered to make an' expedition down the val- 
 ley of Virginia, and endeavor to destroy a portion of 
 the East Tennessee, Virginia, and G-eorgia Railroad. 
 His movement was expected to keep Lee from with- 
 
 35 
 
36 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 drawing troops from the valley, and reinforcing his 
 principal army, known as the Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, Bntler was directed to move up the James 
 Eiver, and endeavor to secure Petersburg and the rail- 
 ways leading into it, and, if opportunity offered, to 
 seize Richmond itself. Burnside, with the Ninth Corps, 
 which had been moved from Annapolis into Virginia, 
 was to support the Army of the Potomac, The subse- 
 quent movements of all the forces operating in Virginia 
 were to depend largely upon the result of the first bat- 
 tles between the Army of the Potomac and the Army 
 of Northern Virginia, General Grant felt, as he after- 
 ward expressed it in his official report, that our armies 
 had acted heretofore too independently of one another 
 — " without concert, like a balky team, no two ever 
 pulling together," To obviate this, he had made up his 
 mind to launch all his armies against the Confederacy 
 at the same time, to give the enemy no rest, and to 
 allow him no opportunity to reinforce any of his armies 
 by troops which were not themselves confronted by 
 Union forces. 
 
 The general sat for some time preparing a few fi.nal 
 instructions in writing. After he had finished he turned 
 his back to the table, crossed one leg over the other, 
 lighted a fresh cigar, and began to talk of the momen- 
 tous movement which in a few hours was to begin. He 
 said: "I weighed very carefully the advantages and 
 disadvantages of moving against Lee's left and moving 
 against his right. The former promised more decisive 
 results if immediately successful, and would best prevent 
 Lee from moving north to make raids, but it would 
 deprive our army of the advantages of easy communi- 
 cation with a water base of supplies, and compel us to 
 carry such a large amount of ammunition and rations 
 in wagon-trains, and detach so many troops as train 
 
REASONS FOR MOVINa BY THE LEFT FLANK 37 
 
 guards, that I found it presented too many serious 
 difficulties ; and wlien I considered especially tlie suffer- 
 ings of the wounded in being transported long distances 
 overland, instead of beiug carried by short routes to 
 water, where they could be comfortably moved by boats, 
 I had no longer any hesitation in deciding to cross the 
 Rapidan below the position occupied by Lee's army, and 
 move by our left. This plan will also enable us to co- 
 operate better with Butler's forces, and not become 
 separated too far from them. I shall not give my at- 
 tention so much to Eichmond as to Lee's army, amd I 
 want aU commanders to feel that hostile armies, and not 
 cities, are to be their objective points." It was the 
 understanding that Lee's army was to be the objective 
 point of the Army of the Potomac, and it was to move 
 against Eichmond only in case Lee went there. To use 
 Grant's own language to Meade, " Wherever Lee goes, 
 there you wiU go also." He of course thought it likely 
 that Lee would faU back upon Eichmond in case of 
 defeat, and place himself behind its fortifications; for 
 he had said to Meade, in his instructions to him, " Should 
 a siege of Eichmond become necessary, ammunition and 
 equipments can be got from the arsenals at "Washington 
 and Fort Monroe"; and during the discussion that 
 evening he rose from his seat, stepped up to a map 
 hanging upon the wall, and with a sweep of his forefin- 
 ger indicated a line around Eichmond and Petersburg, 
 and remarked : " When my troops are there, Eichmond 
 is mine. Lee must retreat or surrender." 
 
 He then communicated verbal instructions to his 
 staff, which gave the key to his method of handhng 
 troops in actual battle, and showed the value he placed 
 upon celerity and the overcoming of delays in commu- 
 nicating orders. He said to us : "I want you to discuss 
 with me freely from time to time the details of the 
 
38 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GKANT 
 
 orders given for the conduct of a battle, and learn my 
 views as fully as possible as to what course should be 
 pursued in all the contingencies which may arise. I 
 expect to send you to the critical points of the lines to 
 keep me promptly advised of what is taking place, and 
 in cases of great emergency, when new dispositions 
 have to be made on the instant, or it becomes suddenly 
 necessary to reinforce one command by sending to its 
 aid troops from another, and there is not time to com- 
 municate with headquarters, I want you to explain my 
 views to commanders, and urge immediate action, look- 
 ing to cooperation, without waiting for specific orders 
 from me." He said he would locate his headquarters 
 near those of Meade, and communicate his instructions 
 through that officer, and through Burnside, whose com- 
 mand at this time was independent of the Army of the 
 Potomac ; but that emergencies might arise in which he 
 himself would have to give immediate direction to 
 troops when actually engaged in battle. 
 
 He never made known his plans far in advance to any 
 one. It was his invariable custom to keep his contem- 
 plated movements locked up in his own mind to avoid 
 aU possibility of their being mentioned. What im- 
 pressed every one most was the self-reliance displayed 
 in perfecting his plans, and his absolute faith in their 
 success. His calm confidence communicated itself to all 
 who listened to him, and inspired them with a feeling 
 akin to that of their chief. 
 
 The discussion did not end tiU long past midnight. 
 As usual on the eve of a battle, before the general re- 
 tired he wrote a letter to Mrs, Grant. I did not know 
 the nature of the contents of the letters to his wife 
 until after the war, when Mrs, Grant, in speaking of 
 them, said that they always contained words of cheer 
 and comfort, expressed an a^biding faith in victory, and 
 
HIS INSTKUCTIONS TO HIS STAPF 39 
 
 never failed to dwell upon the sad thought which always 
 oppressed him when he realized that many human lives 
 would have to be sacrificed, and great sufferings would 
 have to be endured by the wounded. The general's 
 letters to his wife were very frequent during a cam- 
 paign, and no pressure of official duties was ever per- 
 mitted to interrupt this correspondence. 
 
 The Eapidan separated the two hostile forces in 
 northern Virginia. Lee's headquarters were at Orange 
 Court-house, a distance of seventeen miles from Cul- 
 peper. The Army of the Potomac consisted ©f the 
 Second CorpX commanded by Hancock ; the Fifth, com- 
 manded by Warren; the Sixth, commanded by Sedg- 
 wick ; and the cavalry corps under Sheridan. Besides 
 these, there was Burn side's separate command, consist- 
 ing of the Ninth Army Corps. These troops numbered 
 in all about 116,000 present for duty, equipped. The 
 Army of Northern Virginia consisted of three infantry 
 corps, commanded respectively by Longstreet, EweU, 
 and A. P. Hill, and a cavalry corps commanded by 
 J. E. B. Stuart. Its exact strength has never been accu- 
 rately ascertained, but from the best data available it 
 has been estimated at about 70,000 present for duty, 
 equipped. General Grant, in his " Memoirs," puts the 
 number as high as 80,000. 
 
 Those familiar with military operations, and unpre- 
 judiced in their opinion, will concede that, notwithstand- 
 ing Lee's inferiority in "numbers, the advantages were, 
 nevertheless, in his favor in the approaching campaign. 
 Having interior lines, he was able to move by shorter 
 marches, and to act constantly on the defensive at a 
 period of the war when troops had learned to intrench 
 themselves with marvelous rapidity, and force the in- 
 vading army continually to assault fortified positions. 
 The task to be performed by the Union forces was that 
 
40 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 of conducting a moving siege. The field of operations, 
 with its numerous rivers and creeks difficult of approach, 
 its lack of practicable roads, its dense forests, its im- 
 passable swamps, and its trying summer climate, debil- 
 itating to Northern troops, seemed specially designed by 
 nature for purposes of defense. Lee and his officers 
 were familiar with every foot of the ground, and every 
 inhabitant was eager to give them information. His 
 army was in a friendly country, from which provisions 
 could be drawn from aU directions, and few troops had 
 to be detached to guard lines of supply. The Union 
 army, on the contrary, was unfamiliar with the coun- 
 try, was without accurate maps, could seldom secure 
 trustworthy guides, and had to detach large bodies of 
 troops from the main command to guard its long lines 
 of communication, protect its supply-trains, and con- 
 duct the wounded to points of safety. The Southern 
 Confederacy was virtually a military despotism, with a 
 soldier at the head of its government, and officers were 
 appointed in the army entirely with reference to their 
 military qualifications. Since Lee had taken command 
 he had not lost a single battle fought in the State of 
 Virginia, and the prestige of success had an effect upon 
 his troops the importance of which cannot easily be 
 over-estimated. His men were made to feel that they 
 were fighting for their homes and firesides ; the pulpit, 
 the press, and the women were making superhuman 
 efforts to "fire the Southern' heart " ; disasters were 
 concealed, temporary advantages were magnified into 
 triumphant victories, and crushing defeats were hailed 
 as blessings in disguise. In the North there was a di- 
 vided press, with much carping criticism on the part of 
 journals opposed to the war, which was fitted to dis- 
 courage the troops and destroy their confidence in their 
 leaders. There were hpgts of Spiitliern sympathizers, 
 
lee's stbategio advantage 41 
 
 constituting a foe in the rear, whose threats and overt 
 acts often necessitated the withdrawal of troops from 
 the front to hold them in check. In all the circum- 
 stances, no just military critic will claim that the ad- 
 vantage was on the side of the Union army merely 
 because it was numerically larger. 
 
 The campaign in Virginia was to begin by throwing 
 the Army of the Potomac with all celerity to the south 
 side of the Rapidan, below Lee's position. The infan- 
 try moved a little after twelve o'clock in the morning 
 of May 4. The cavalry dashed forward in a(^vance 
 under cover of the night, drove in the enemy's pickets, 
 secured G-ermanna Ford, and also Ely's Ford, six miles 
 below, and before six o'clock in the morning had laid 
 two pontoon-bridges at each place, and passed to the 
 south side of the river. Warren's corps crossed at 
 Germanna Ford, followed by Sedgwick's, while Han- 
 cock's corps made the passage at Ely's Ford. At 8 A. M. 
 the general-in-chief, with his staff, started from head- 
 quarters, and set out for Germanna Ford, following 
 Warren's troops. He was mounted upon his bay horse 
 " Cincinnati," equipped with a saddle of the Grimsley 
 pattern, which was somewhat the worse for wear, as the 
 general had used it in all his campaigns from Donelson 
 to the present time. Eawlins was on his left, and rode 
 a "clay-bank" horse he had brought from the West 
 named " General Blair," in honor of Frank P. Blair, who 
 commanded a corps in the Army of the Tennessee. 
 G-eneral Grant was dressed in a uniform coat and waist- 
 coat, the coat being unbuttoned. On his hands were a 
 pair of yellowish-brown thread gloves. He wore a pair 
 of plain top-boots, reaching to his knees, and was 
 equipped with a regulation sword, spurs, and sash. On 
 his head was a slouch hat of black felt with a plain gold 
 cord around it. His orderly carried strapped behind 
 
42 CAMPAIGNINa WITH GKANT 
 
 his saddle the general's overcoat, which was that of a 
 private soldier of cavalry. A sun as bright as the " sun 
 of Austerlitz " shone down upon the scene. Its light 
 brought out in vivid colors the beauties of the landscape 
 which lay before us, and its rays were reflected with 
 dazzling brilliancy from the brass field-pieces and the 
 white covers of the wagons as they rolled lazily along in 
 the distance. The crisp, bracing air seemed to impart 
 to all a sense of exhilaration. As far as the eye could 
 reach the troops were wending their way to the front. 
 Their war banners, bullet-riddled and battle-stained, 
 floated proudly in the morning breeze. The roads re- 
 sounded to the measured tread of the advancing columns, 
 and the deep forests were lighted by the glitter of their 
 steel. The quick, elastic step and easy, swinging gait 
 of the men, the cheery look upon their faces, and the 
 lusty shouts with which they greeted their new com- 
 mander as he passed, gave proof of the temper of their 
 metal, and the superb spirit which animated their 
 hearts. If the general's nature had been as emotional 
 as that of Napoleon, he might have been moved to utter 
 the words of the French emperor as his troops filed past 
 him in moving to the field of Waterloo : " Magnificent, 
 magnificent!" But as General Grant was neither 
 demonstrative nor communicative, he gave no expres- 
 sion whatever to his feelings, 
 
 "With the party on the way to the front rode a citizen 
 whose identity and purposes soon became an object of 
 anxious inquiry among the troops. His plain black, 
 funereal-looking citizen's clothes presented a sight not 
 often witnessed on a general's staff, and attracted no 
 little attention on the part of the soldiers, who began to 
 make audible side remarks, evincing a searching curi- 
 osity to know whether the general had brought his pri- 
 vate undertaker with him, or whether it was a parson 
 
CEOSSING THE KAPIDAN 43 
 
 who had joined headquarters so as to be on hand to 
 read the funeral service over the Southern Confederacy 
 when the boys succeeded in getting it into the " last 
 ditch." The person was Mr. E. B. Washburne, member 
 of Congress from General Grant's district, who had ar- 
 rived at headquarters a few days before, and had 
 expressed a desire to accompany the army upon the 
 opening campaign, to which the general had readily as- 
 sented. 
 
 A short time befo];e noon the general-in-chief crossed 
 one of the pontoon-bridges at Germanna Ford io the 
 south side of the Rapidan, rode to the top of the bluff 
 overlooking the river, and there dismounted, and estab- 
 lished temporary headquarters at an old farm-house with 
 Dutch gables and porch in front. It "was rather dilapi- 
 dated in appearance, and looked as if it had been de- 
 serted for some time. The only furniture it contained 
 was a table and two chairs. Meade's headquarters were 
 located close by. General Grant sat down on the steps 
 of the house, lighted a cigar, and remained silent for 
 some time, quietly watching Sedgwick's men passing 
 over the bridge. After a while he said: "Well, the 
 movement so far has been as satisfactory as could be 
 dqsired. We have succeeded in seizing the fords and. 
 crossing the river without loss or delay. Lee must by 
 this time know upon what roads we are advancing, but 
 he may not yet realize the full extent of the movement. 
 We shall probably soon get some indications as to what 
 he intends to do." 
 
 A representative of a newspaper, with whom the 
 general was acquainted, now stepped up to him and 
 said, " Genersbl Grant, about how long will it take you 
 to get to Eichmond? " The general replied at once : " I 
 will agree to be there in about four days — that is, if 
 General Lee becomes a party to the agreement; but if 
 
44 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 he objects, the trip will undoubtedly; be prolonged," 
 The correspondent looked as if he did not see just how 
 he could base any definite predictions upon this oracu- 
 lar response. 
 
 I happened to be looking over a field map at the time, 
 and, at the general's request, handed it to him. He ex- 
 amined it attentively for a few minutes, and then 
 returned it without making any remarks. The main 
 roads were pretty well represented on our maps. The 
 Germanna road runs a little east^ of south ; five mUes 
 from the Eapidan it is crossed by a road running east 
 and west, called the Orange turnpike ; a mile beyond it 
 intersects the Brock road, which runs north and south; 
 and a mile farther on the Brock road is crossed by the 
 Orange plank-road running east and west. There were 
 also some narrow cross-roads cut through the woods in 
 various places. 
 
 About one o'clock word came from Meade that our 
 signal-officers had succeeded in deciphering a message 
 sent to General Ewell, which read as follows : " "We are 
 moving. Had I not better move D. and D. toward New 
 Verdierville ? (Signed) E." The general manifested 
 considerable satisfaction at receiving this news, and re- 
 , marked: "That gives just the information I wanted. 
 It shows that Lee is drawing out from his position, and 
 is pushing across to meet us." He now called for writ- 
 ing material, and placing a book upon his knee, laid the 
 paper upon it, and wrote a despatch to Burnside at 
 Rappahannock Station, saying : " Make forced marches 
 until you reach this place. Start your troops now in 
 the rear the moment they can be got off, and require 
 them to make a night march." 
 
 A cold lunch was then eaten off a pine table in the 
 dining-room of the deserted house. Later in the after- 
 noon our tents arrived, and were pitched near the house, 
 
THE HEADQUAHTEES MESS 45 
 
 and a little before dark the " mess " sat down to dinner. 
 The table had been laid under the fly of a large tent of 
 the pattern known as the " hospital tent." Perhaps no 
 headquarters of a general in supreme command of great 
 armies ever presented so democratic an appearance. 
 AU the officers of the staff dined at the table with their 
 chief, and the style of conversation was as familiar as 
 that which occurs in the household of any private family. 
 Nothing could have been more informal or unconven- 
 tional than the manner in which the mess was con- 
 ducted. The staff-of&cers came to the table and^left it 
 at such times as their duties permitted, sometimes lin- 
 gering over a meal to indulge in conversation, at other 
 times remaining to take only a few mouthf uls in all 
 haste before starting out upon the lines. The chief ate 
 less and talked less than any other member of the staff, 
 and partook only of the plainest food. 
 
 A camp-fire of dry fence-rails had been buUt in front 
 of the general's tent, not because the evening was par- 
 ticularly cold, but for the reason that the fire lighted 
 up the scene and made the camp look more cheerful. 
 General Meade came over to headquarters after dinner, 
 and took a seat upon a folding camp-chair by our fire, 
 and he and G-eneral Grant entered into a most interesting 
 discussion of the situation and the plans for the next day. 
 The general-in-chief offered Meade a cigar. The wind 
 was blowing, and he had some diflBculty in lighting it, 
 when General Grant offered him his flint and steel, 
 which overcame the difficulty. The general always 
 carried in the field a small silver tinder-box, in which 
 there was a fiint and steel with which to strike a spark, 
 and a coil pf fuse which was easily ignited by the 
 spark and not affected by the wind. The French would 
 call it a briquet. While the two generals were talking, 
 and .a number of staff-officers sitting by listening, tele- 
 
46 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 grams were received from Washington saying that 
 Sherman had advanced in Greorgia, Butler had ascended 
 the James Eiver, and Sigel's forces were moving down 
 the valley of Virginia. These advances were in obedi- 
 ence to Greneral Grrant's previous orders. He said : " I 
 don't expect much from Sigel's movement ; it is made 
 principally for the purpose of preventing the enemy in 
 his front from withdrawing troops to reinforce Lee's 
 army. To use an expression of Mr. Lincoln's, employed 
 in my last conversation with him, when I was speaking 
 of this general policy, * If Sigel can't skin himself, he 
 can hold a leg while somebody else skins.' It is very 
 gratifying to know that Hancock and "Warren have 
 made a march to-day of over twenty miles, with scarcely 
 any stragglers from their commands." Telegrams were 
 now sent to Washington announcing the entire success 
 of the crossing of the Eapidan, and sa3dng that it would 
 be demonstrated before long whether the enemy in- 
 tended to give battle on that side of Eichmond. Meade 
 soon after retired to his headquarters, and a little while 
 before midnight General Grant entered his tent and 
 turned in for the night. Its only furniture consisted of 
 a portable cot made of a coarse canvas stretcher over a 
 light wooden frame, a tin wash-basin which stood on an 
 iron tripod,. two folding camp-chairs, and a plain pine 
 table. The general's baggage was limited to one small 
 camp trunk, which contained his underclothing, toilet 
 articles, a suit of clothes, and an extra pair of boots. 
 
 General Longstreet, then commanding a corps in Lee's 
 army, told me, several years after the war, that the 
 evening on which news was received that Grant intended 
 to give personal direction to the army which was to 
 operate against Lee, he had a conversation' on the sub- 
 ject at Lee's headquarters. An officer present talked 
 very confidently of being able to whip with all ease the 
 
LONGSTBEET'S ESTIMATE OF GRANT 47 
 
 western general who was to confront them, at wMeh 
 Longstreet said: "Do yon know Grant?" "No," the 
 officer replied. " Well, I do," continued Longstreet. " I 
 was in the corps of cadets with him at West Point for 
 three years, I was present at his wedding, I served in 
 the same army with him in Mexico, I have observed his 
 methods of warfare in the West, and I beheve I know 
 him through and through ; and I tell you that we can- 
 not afford to underrate him and the army he now com- 
 mands. We must make up our minds to get into line 
 of battle and to stay there ; for that man will fight us 
 every day and every hour till the end of this war*. In 
 order to whip him we must outmanceuver him, and hus- 
 band our strength as best we can." 
 
 After the officers at headquarters had obtained what 
 sleep they could get, they arose about daylight, feeling 
 that in all probability they would witness before night 
 either a fight or a foot-race — a fight if the armies en- 
 countered each other, a foot-race to secure good positions 
 if the armies remained apart. 
 
 G-eneral Meade had started south at dawn, moving 
 along the Grermanna road. General Grant intended to 
 remain in his present camp tUl Burnside arrived, in 
 order to give him some directions in person regarding 
 his movements. The general sat down to the breakfast- 
 table after nearly all the staff-officers had finished their 
 morning meal. While he was slowly sipping his coffee, 
 a young newspaper reporter, whose appetite, combined 
 with his spirit of enterprise, had gained a substantial 
 victory over his modesty, slipped up to the table, took 
 a seat at the farther end, and remarked, "Well, I 
 would n't mind taking a cup of something warm my- 
 self, if there 's no objection." Thereupon seizing a 
 coffee-pot, he poured out a fuU ration of that soothing 
 army beverage, and, after helping himself to some of 
 
48 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 the other dishes, proceeded to eat breakfast with an 
 appetite which had evidently been stimulated by long 
 hours of fasting. The general paid no more attention 
 to this occurrence than he would have paid to the flight 
 of a bird across his path. He scarcely looked at the 
 intruder, did not utter a word at the time, and made no 
 mention of it afterward. It was a fair sample of the 
 imperturbability of his nature as to trivial matters tak- 
 ing place about him. General Grant sent a message to 
 Meade at 8:24 a.m., saying, among other things, "If an 
 opportunity presents itself for pitching into a part of 
 Lee's army, do so without giving time for dispositions." 
 It wiU be observed from this despatch, and many others 
 which follow, that nearly aU of our commanding oflBLcers 
 in the field indulged in a certain amount of colloquial- 
 ism in their communications. Perhaps it seemed to 
 them to make the style less stilted, to give more snap to 
 their language, and express their meaning more briefly. 
 It certainly savored less of the " pomp " and more of 
 the " circumstance " of war than the correspondence of 
 European commanders. 
 
 Sheridan's cavalry had been assigned to the duty of 
 guarding the train of four thousand wagons, and feel- 
 ing out to the left for the enemy. The head of Burn- 
 side's leading division was now seen crossing the river ; 
 but as General Grant was anxious to go to the front, he 
 decided not to wait to see Bumside in person, but to 
 send him a note instead, urging him to close up as 
 rapidly as possible upon Sedgwick's corps. This com- 
 munication was despatched at 8 : 41 a. m., and the general 
 immediately after directed the staff to mount and move 
 forward with him along the Germanna road. After rid- 
 ing a mile, an officer was seen coming toward us at a 
 gallop, and was soon recognized as Colonel Hyiie of 
 Sedgwick's staff. He halted in front of General Grant 
 

 a 
 
GRANT Mt> MEADE PITCH TENTS 49 
 
 and said : " General Meade directed me to ride back and 
 meet you, and say that tlie enemy is still advancing 
 along tie turnpike, and that Warren's and Sedgwick's 
 troops are being put in position to meet him." The 
 general now started forward at an accelerated pace, and, 
 after riding four miles farther along the Germanna road, 
 came to the crossing of the Orange turnpike. Here 
 General Meade was seen standing near the roadside. 
 He came forward on foot to give General Grant the lat- 
 est information. The general now dismounted, and the 
 two officers began to discuss the situation. 
 
 It had become evident that the enemy intended to 
 give battle in the heart of the Wilderness, and it was 
 decided to establish the headquarters of both generals 
 near the place where they were holding their present 
 conference, at the junction of these two important 
 roads. As this spot became the central point from 
 which nearly all the orders of the commander were 
 issued during one of the most desperate battles in the 
 annals of history, a description of the location is impor- 
 tant, in order to give the reader a clear understand- 
 ing of the memorable events which took place in its 
 vicinity. 
 
 A little to the east of the cross-roads stood the old 
 Wilderness tavern, a deserted building surrounded by 
 a rank growth of weeds, and partly shut in by trees. 
 A few hundred yards to the west, and in the northwest 
 angle formed by the two intersecting roads, was a knoll 
 from which the old trees had been cut, and upon which 
 was a second growth of scraggy pine, scrub-oak, and 
 other timber. The knoll was high enough to afford a 
 view for some little distance, but the outlook was 
 limited in all directions by the almost impenetrable 
 forest with its interlacing trees and tangled undergrowth. 
 The ground upon which the battle was fought was in- 
 
50 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 tersected in every direction by winding rivulets, nigged 
 ravines, and ridges of mineral rock. Many excavations 
 had been made in opening iron-ore beds, leaving pits 
 bordered by ridges of earth. Trees had been felled in a 
 number of places to furnish fuel and supply sawmills. 
 The locality is weU described by its name. It was a 
 wilderness in the most forbidding sense of the word. 
 
 The headquarters wagons had followed the staff, the 
 tents were soon pitched, and a camp was established on 
 low ground at the foot of the knoll just described, be- 
 tween it and the G-ermanna road. Grant and Meade 
 had, in the mean time, taken up their positions on top 
 of the knoU and stood there talking over the situation ; 
 Warren had joined them, and had communicated the 
 latest news from his front. As soon as Q-eneral G-rant 
 learned the situation, he followed his habitual custom in 
 warfare, and, instead of waiting to be attacked, took the 
 initiative and pushed out against the enemy. Warren 
 had been directed, to move out in. force on the Orange 
 turnpike, G-etty's division of Sedgwick's corps was put 
 into position on Warren's left, and as soon as it was 
 found that the enemy was advancing on the Orange 
 plank-road, orders were sent to Hancock to hurry up 
 his troops, and take up a position on the left of Getty. 
 While these preparations were progressing. General 
 Grant lighted a cigar, sat down on the stump of a tree, 
 took out his penknife, and began to whittle a stick. He 
 kept on his brown thread gloves, and did not remove 
 them once during the entire day. Everything was 
 comparatively quiet until the hour of noon, when the 
 stOlness was suddenly broken by the sharp rattle of 
 musketry and the roar of artillery. These sounds were 
 the quick messengers which told that Warren had met 
 the enemy and begun the conflict. He encountered 
 E well's corps, and drove it nearly a mile, but was soon 
 
m THE WILDEBNESS 51 
 
 compelled to fall back and restore the connection wMch 
 had been lost between his divisions. 
 
 "Warren then had a conference with General Grant, 
 who proposed that they should ride out to the front. 
 He called for his horse, which had remained saddled, 
 and directed me and another of the aides to accompany 
 him. As General Warren was more familiar with the 
 ground, he rode ahead. He was mounted on a fine-look- 
 ing white horse, was neatly uniformed, and wore the 
 yeUow sash of a general officer. He was one of the few 
 officers who wore their sashes in a campaign, or paid 
 much attention to their dress. The party moved to the 
 front along a narrow country road bordered by a heavy 
 undergrowth of timber and bristling thickets. The in- 
 fantry were struggling with difficulty through the dense 
 woods, the wounded were lying along the roadside, fir- 
 ing still continued in front, and dense clouds of smoke 
 hung above the tops of the trees. It was the opening 
 scene of the horrors of the Wilderness. 
 
 After having learned from personal inspection the 
 exact character of the locality in which the battle was to 
 be fought, General Grant returned to headquarters, in 
 order to be able to communicate more promptly with 
 the different commands. News had been received that 
 Hill's corps of Lee's army was moving up rapidly on 
 the Orange plank-road. Grant was now becoming im- 
 patient to take the initiative against the enemy, and 
 staff-officers were sent with important orders to all parts 
 of the line. It was soon seen that the infantry would 
 have to fight it out without much aid from the artillery, 
 as it was impossible to move many batteries to the front, 
 owing to the difficult nature of the ground. Hancock, 
 with great energy, had thrown forward two of his divi- 
 sions to support Getty, who had already attacked Hill. 
 I was sent to communicate with Hancock during this 
 
52 
 
 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 part of tlie engagement. Tlie figMing had become 
 exceedingly severe on tliat part of the field. General 
 Alexander Hays, one of the most gallant officers in the 
 service, commanding one of Hancock's brigades, finding 
 that his line had broken, rushed forward to. encourage 
 his troops, and was instantly killed. Getty and Carroll 
 were severely wounded. After remaining for some time 
 with Hancock's men, I returned to headquarters to re- 
 port the situation to the general-in-chief , and carried to 
 him the sad intelligence of Hays's death. General 
 Grant was by no means a demonstrative man, but upon 
 learning the intelligence I brought, he was visibly 
 affected. He was seated upon the ground with his back 
 against a tree, still whittling pine sticks. He sat for a 
 time without uttering a word, and then, speaking in a 
 low voice, and pausing between the sentences, said: 
 " Hays and I were cadets together for three years. We 
 served for a time in the same regiment in the Mexican 
 war. He was a noble man and a gallant officer. I am 
 not surprised that he met his death at the head of his 
 troops ; it was just like him. He was a man who would 
 never follow, but would always lead in battle." 
 
 Wadsworth's division of Warren's corps was sent to 
 support Hancock ; but it encountered great difficulty in 
 working its way through the woods, and darkness set 
 in before it could get within striking distance of the 
 enemy. Sedgwick had some fighting on the right of 
 Warren, but no important results had been accomplished 
 on his front. About eight o'clock in the evening the 
 firing died away, and the troops in the immediate pres- 
 ence of the enemy lay on their arms to await the events 
 of the morning. 
 
 Sheridan had left a force in the rear sufficient to pro- 
 tect the trains, and had formed the rest of his command 
 so as to confront the enemy's cavalry, which had been 
 
OONPEEENCE BETWEEN GBANT AND MEADE 53 
 
 moved around by the right of the enemy's line. He had 
 severe fighting on our extreme left. When we sat down 
 at the mess-table at headquarters that evening, the 
 events of the day were fully discussed, and each staff- 
 officer related to the general in detail the scenes which 
 had occurred upon the particular portion of the front 
 which he had visited. Soon after we had risen from the 
 table and left the mess-tent, Meade walked over from 
 his headquarters, and he and the general-in-chief seated 
 themselves by the camp-fire, and talked over the events 
 of the day and the plans for the morrow. Mr. ^ash- 
 burne and our staff-officers made part of the group. 
 The general manifested intense anxiety in regard to re- 
 Ueving the wounded, and the medical officers and the 
 commanders of troops were urged to make every possi- 
 ble effort to find the sufferers and convey them to the 
 rear. Even in daylight it would have been a difficult 
 undertaking to penetrate the thickets and carry the 
 wounded to a place of safety, but at night it was almost 
 impossible, for every time a lantern was shown, or a 
 noise made, it was certain to attract the fire of the 
 enemy. However, those who had been slightly wounded 
 made their own way to the field-hospitals, and by dint 
 of extraordinary exertions, great numbers of the seri- 
 ously injured were brought to positions where they 
 could be cared for. 
 
 During the conversation Greneral G^rant remarked: 
 " As Burnside's corps, on our side, and Longstreet's, on 
 the other side, have not been engaged, and the troops 
 of both armies have been occupied principally in strug- 
 gling through thickets and fighting for position, to-day's 
 work has not been much of a test of strength. I feel 
 pretty well satisfied with the result of the engagement ; 
 for it is evident that Lee attempted by a bold movement 
 to strike this army in flank before it could be put into 
 
54 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GKANT 
 
 line of battle and be prepared to fight to advantage ; but 
 in this he has failed." 
 
 The plan agreed upon that night for the coming' 
 struggle was as follows : Hancock and Wadsworth were 
 to make an attack on Hill at 4:30 A.M., so as to strike 
 him if possible before Longstreet could arrive to rein- 
 force him. Burnside, who would arrive early in the 
 morning with three divisions, was to send one division 
 (Stevenson's) to Hancock, and to put the other two 
 divisions between Wadsworth and "Warren's other divi- 
 sions, and attack Hill in flank, or at least obliquely, while 
 Warren and Sedgwick were to attack along their fronts, 
 inflict all the damage they could, and keep the troops 
 opposed to them from reinforcing Hill and Longstreet. 
 Bum'feide's fourth division was to guard the wagon- 
 trains. This division was composed of colored troops, 
 and was commanded by G-eneral Ferrero. Greneral 
 Meade, through whom all orders were issued to the 
 Army of the Potomac, was of the opinion that the 
 troops could not be got into position for the attack as 
 early as haH-past four o'clock, and recommended six ; 
 but Greneral Grant objected, as he was apprehensive 
 that this might give the enemy an opportunity to take 
 the initiative. However, he agreed to postpone the time 
 till five o'clock, and the final orders were given for that 
 hour. Meade now arose, said good night, and walked 
 over to his headquarters. Before eleven o'clock the 
 general-in-chief remarked to the staff : " We shall have 
 a busy day to-morrow, and I think we had better get aU 
 the sleep we can to-night. I am a confirmed believer in 
 the restorative qualities of sleep, and always like to get 
 at least seven hours of it, though I have often been 
 compelled to put up with much less." " It is said," re- 
 marked Washburne, " that Napoleon often indulged in 
 only four hours of sleep, and stiU preserved all the 
 
CONFEKENOE BETWEEN GBANT AND MEADE 55 
 
 vigor of his mental faculties." " Well, I, for one, never 
 believed those stories," the general replied. "If the 
 truth were known, I have no doubt it would be found 
 that he made up for his short sleep at night by taking 
 naps during the day." The chief then retired to his 
 tent, and his example was followed by all the officers 
 who could be spared from duty. The marked stillness 
 which now reigned in camp formed a striking contrast 
 to the shock and din of battle which had just ceased, 
 and which was so soon to be renewed. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 grant's preparations foe the second DAT IN THE WILDER- 
 NESS — HANCOCK FLUSHED WITH VICTORY — GRANT AT A 
 CRITICAL MOMENT— THE CRISIS OF THE WILDERNESS — 
 grant's demeanor on the field — GRANT'S PECULIAR- 
 ITIES IN BATTLE — GRANT'S CONFIDENCE IN SUCCESS — 
 THE GENERAL-IN-CHIEP AS AID TO A DROVER — CONFU- 
 SION CAUSED BY A NIGHT ATTACK — GRANT ADMINISTERS 
 A REPRDVLAND — GRANT AFTER THE BATTLE — THE WIL- 
 DERNESS A UNIQUE COMBAT 
 
 AT four o'clock the next morning, May 6, we were 
 l\ awakened in our camp by the sound of Burnside's 
 men mofing along the Germanna road. They had been 
 marching since 1 a. m,, hurrying on to reach the left of 
 Warren. The members of the headquarters mess soon 
 after assembled to partake of a hasty breakfast. The 
 general made rather a singular meal preparatory to so 
 exhausting a day as that which was to follow. He took 
 a cucumber, sliced it, poured some vinegar over it, and 
 partook of nothing else except a cup of strong coffee. 
 The first thing he did after rising from the table was to 
 call for a fresh supply of cigars. His colored servant 
 "Bill" brought him two dozen. After lighting one of 
 them, he filled his pockets with the rest. He then went 
 over to the knoU, and began to walk back and forth 
 slowly upon the cleared portion of the ridge. While 
 listening for Hancock's attack on the left, we heard the 
 
 56 
 
HANCOCK FLUSHED WITH VIOTOBY 57 
 
 sound of heavy firing on the right, and found that the 
 enemy had attacked Sedgwick and Warren. Warren 
 afterward had one brigade pretty roughly handled, and 
 driven back some distance ; but no ground was perma- 
 nently lost or gained by either side on that part of the 
 line. Promptly at five o'clock the roar of battle was 
 heard in Hancock's front, and before seven he had 
 broken the enemy's line, and driven him back in con- 
 fusion more than a mile. The general now instructed 
 me to ride out to Hancock's front, inform him of the 
 progress of Burnside's movement, explain the assigtance 
 that officer was expected to render, and teU him more 
 fully the object of sending to his aid Stevenson's divi- 
 sion of Burnside's corps. 
 
 I met Hancock on the Orange plank-road, not far 
 from its junction with the Brock road, actively engaged 
 in directing his troops, and restoring the confusion in 
 their alinement caused by the desperate fighting and the 
 difficult character of the ground. AU thought of the 
 battle which raged about us was to me for a moment 
 lost in a contemplation of the dramatic scene presented 
 in the person of the knightly corps commander. He 
 had just driven the enemy a mile and a half. His face 
 was flushed with the excitement of victory, his eyes 
 were lighted by the fire of battle, his flaxen hair was 
 thrust back from his temples, his right arm was ex- 
 tended to its full length in pointing out certain'positions 
 as he gave his orders, and his commanding form towered 
 still higher as he rose in his stirrups to peer through 
 the openings in the woods. He was considered the 
 handsomest general officer in the army, and at this 
 moment he looked like a spirited portrait from the hands 
 of a master artist, with the deep brown of the dense 
 forest forming a fitting background. It was itself 
 enough to inspire the troops he led to deeds of un- 
 
58 OAMPAiaNING "WITH GBANT 
 
 matclied heroism. He had been well dubbed " Hancock 
 the Superb." This expression dated back to the field of 
 Williamsburg, At the close of that battle, General 
 McClellan sent a telegram to his wife in New York 
 announcing his victory, and as she and Hancock were 
 old friends, he added the words, " Hancock was superb." 
 The newspapers got hold of the despatch, and the 
 designation was heralded in prominent head-lines 
 throughout the entire press. The description was so ap- 
 propriate that the designation clung to him through life. 
 
 Along the line of Hancock's advance the enemy's dead 
 were everywhere visible; his wounded strewed the 
 roads ; prisoners had been captured, and battle-flags had 
 been taken: but Hancock was now compelled to halt 
 and restore the contact between his commands. Before 
 nine o'clock, however, he was pushing out again on the 
 Orange plank-road, and another fierce fight soon began. 
 
 Sheridan had become engaged in a spirited contest 
 with Stuart's cavalry on the left at Todd's tavern, in 
 which our troops were completely victorious. The 
 sound of this confiict was mistaken for a time for an 
 attack by Longstreet from that direction, and made 
 Hancock anxious to strengthen his exposed left flank. 
 His embarrassments were increased by one of those 
 singular accidents which, though trivial in themselves, 
 often turn the tide of battle, A body of infantry was 
 reported to be advancing up the Brock road, and mov- 
 ing upon Hancock's left and rear. A brigade which 
 could iU be spared was at once thrown out in that di- 
 rection to resist the threatened attack. It soon appeared 
 that the body of infantry consisted of about seven hun- 
 dred of our convalescents, who were returning to join 
 their commands. The incident, however, had caused 
 the loss of valuable time. These occurrences prevented 
 Hancock from further taking the offensive. 
 
GEANT AT A OEITIOAL MOMENT 59 
 
 After waiting for some time, and hearing nothing of 
 Burnside's contemplated assault, I told Hancock I would 
 ride over to Burnside, explain to him fully the situation 
 on the left, and urge upon him the importance of mak- 
 ing all possible haste. Upon reaching his position, I 
 found that he was meeting with many dificulties in 
 moving his men into position, and was making very 
 little progress. I explained the absolute necessity of 
 going to the relief of Hancock, and Colonel Comstock 
 and I labored vigorously to help to find some means of 
 getting the troops through the woods. Seeing the 
 difficulties in the way, I returned to Q-eneral Grant to 
 let him know the true situation, and that an early at- 
 tack from that quarter could not be depended upon. 
 
 Warren's troops were driven back on a portion of his 
 line in front of general headquarters, stragglers were 
 making their way to the rear, the enemy's shells were 
 beginning to fall on the knoll where General Grant was 
 seated on the stump of a tree, and it looked for a while 
 as if the tide of battle would sweep over that point of 
 the field. He rose slowly to his feet, and stood for a 
 time watching the scene, and mingling the smoke of his 
 cigar with the smoke of battle, without making any 
 comments. His horse was in charge of an orderly just 
 behind the hill, but he evidently had no thought of 
 mounting. An of&cer ventured to remark to him, 
 " General, would n't it be prudent to move headquarters 
 to the other side of the Germanna road till the result of 
 the present attack is known?" The general replied 
 very quietly, between the puffs of his cigar, " It strikes 
 me it would be better to order up some artillery and 
 defend the present location." Thereupon a battery was 
 brought up, and every preparation made for defense. 
 The enemy, however, was checked before he reached 
 the knoll. In this instance, as in many others, the gen- 
 
60 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 eral was true to the motto of Ms Scottisli ancestors of 
 the Grant clan : " Stand fast, Craig Ellachie." 
 
 About eleven o'clock the battle raged again with re- 
 newed fury on Hancock's front. He had been attacked 
 in front and on the flank by a sudden advance of the 
 enemy, who, concealed by the dense wood, had ap- 
 proached near at several points before opening fixe. 
 This caused some confusion among Hancock's troops, 
 who had become in great measure exhausted by their 
 fighting since five o'clock in the morning, and they were 
 now compelled to fall back to their breastworks along 
 the Brock road. The enemy pressed on to within a few 
 hundred yards of the intrenchments, but did not ven- 
 ture to assault. In this attack Longstreet was badly 
 wounded, and the Confederate general Jenkins was 
 killed, both having been accidently shot by their own 
 men. We suffered a severe loss in the death of the 
 gallant General Wadsworth. After Longstreet's re- 
 moval from the field, Lee took command of his right in 
 person, as we learned afterward, and ordered that any 
 further assault should be postponed till a later hour. 
 
 Colonel Leasure's brigade of Burnside's corps now 
 executed a movement of striking brilliancy. It had 
 been sent to Hancock^ and posted on the left of his line, 
 and was ordered by him to sweep along his front from 
 left to right. Leasure moved out promptly, facing to 
 the right, with his right flank about a hundred yards 
 from our line of breastworks, and dashed along the 
 entire front with such boldness and audacity that the 
 portions of the enemy he encountered fell back without 
 attempting to make any serious resistance. 
 
 General Grant was becoming more anxious still about 
 Burnside's attack, and I soon after galloped over to the 
 latter with instructions to move on without a moment's 
 delay, and connect with Hancock's right at all hazards. 
 
THE CBI8IS OP THE "WILDEBNESS 61 
 
 I found his troops endeavoring to obey orders as best 
 they conld, but, in struggling through underbrush and 
 swamps, all efforts to keep up their alinement were 
 futile. General Burnside, when I met him this time, 
 was dismounted and seated by the roadside. A cham- 
 pagne basket filled with lunch had been brought up, and 
 at his invitation I joined him and some of his staff in 
 sampling the attractive contents of the hamper. In 
 doing so we acted upon the recognized principle of ex- 
 perienced campaigners, who always eat a meal wherever 
 they can get it, not knowing where the next one is to 
 come from. It was called " eating for the future." 
 
 A little after noon Burnside's advance became engaged 
 for about a quarter of an hour, but did not accomplish 
 any important result. I worked my way out on foot to 
 his extreme front line at this time, to obtain a more 
 accurate knowledge of the difficulties which impeded 
 the advance of his troops, and then returned agaia to 
 headquarters to report the situation. 
 
 About half the army was now under Hancock's com- 
 mand, and it was probable that he would need stiU more 
 reinforcements, and the general-in-chief was devoting a 
 good deal of thought to our right, which had been 
 weakened. At 10:30 a.m. Sedgwick and Warren had 
 been ordered to intrench their fronts and do everything 
 possible to strengthen their positions. A portion of the 
 wagon-train guards had been ordered to report to Sedg- 
 wick for duty on his front. Every one on the right was 
 on the alert, and eager to hear particulars about the 
 fighting on the left. The various commands had been 
 advised from time to time of the events which occurred, 
 for it was G-eneral Grant's invariable custom to have 
 commanding officers on different points of the liae 
 promptly informed of what occurred at other points. 
 
 Generals Grant and Meade, after discussing the situa- 
 
62 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 tion, now decided to have Hancock and Bumside make 
 a simtdtaneous attack at 6 p, m. It was then supposed 
 that Burnside would certainly be in position by that hour 
 to unite in such an assault. I started for Hancock's 
 front to confer with him regarding this movement, and 
 just as I joined his troops, the enemy, directed by Lee 
 in person, as we afterward discovered, made a desperate 
 assault upon our line. It began at 4:15 p.m. The 
 woods in front of Hancock had now taken fire, and the 
 flames were communicated to his log breastworks and 
 abatis of slashed timber. The wind was, unfortunately, 
 blowing in our direction, and the blinding smoke was 
 driven in the faces of our men, while the fire itself swept 
 down upon them. For a time they battled heroically 
 to maintain their position, fighting both the conflagra- 
 tion and the enemy's advancing columns. At last, how- 
 ever, the breastworks became untenable, and some of 
 the troops who had displayed such brilliant qualities 
 during the entire day now fell back in confusion. The 
 enemy took advantage of the disorder, and, rushing for- 
 ward with cheers, succeeded in planting some of his 
 battle-flags upon our front line of breastworks; but 
 Hancock and aU the staff-oflScers present made strenu- 
 ous exertions to rally the men, and many of them were 
 soon brought back to the front. Greneral Carroll's bri- 
 gade was now ordered to form and retake the line of 
 intrenchments which had been lost. These gallant 
 troops, led by the intrepid Carroll in person, dashing 
 forward at a run, and cheering as they went, swept 
 everything before them, and in a few minutes were in 
 possession of the works. Both the attack and counter- 
 attack were so handsomely made that they elicited 
 praise from friend and foe alike. Some of Hancock's 
 artillery was served with great efficiency in this engage- 
 ment, and added much to the result. At five o'clock 
 
grant's demeanoe on the field 63 
 
 the enemy had been completely repulsed, and f eU back, 
 leaving a large number of his dead and wounded on the 
 field. 
 
 Burnside made an attack at half-past five, but with 
 no important results. The nature of the ground was a 
 more formidable obstruction than the enemy. Warren 
 and Sedgwick had been engaged during part of the day, 
 and had prevented the enemy in front of them from 
 withdrawing any troops, but notwithstanding their 
 gallant fighting they had substantially gained no 
 ground. 
 
 While the most critical movements were taking place. 
 General Grrant manifested no perceptible anxiety, but 
 gave his orders, and sent and received communications, 
 with a coolness and deliberation which made a marked 
 impression upon those who had been brought into con- 
 tact with him for the first time on the -field of battle. 
 His speech was never hurried, and his manner betrayed 
 no trace of excitability or even impatience. He never 
 exhibited to better advantage his peculiar ability in 
 moving troops with unparalleled speed to the critical 
 points on the line of battle where they were most 
 needed, or, as it was sometimes called,. " feeding a fight." 
 There was a spur on the heel of every order he sent, 
 and his subordinates were made to realize that in battle 
 it is the minutes which control events. He said, while 
 waiting for Burnside to get into position and attack: 
 " The only time I ever feel impatient is when I give an 
 order for an important movement of troops in the pres- 
 ence of the enemy, and am waiting for them to reach 
 their destination. Then the minutes seem like hours." 
 He rode out to important points of the line twice during 
 the day, in company with Greneral Meade and two offi- 
 cers of the staff. It was noticed that he was visibly 
 affected by his proximity to the wounded, and especially 
 
64 CAMPAIGNINa WITH GEANT 
 
 by tte sight of blood. He would turn bis face away 
 from such scenes, and show by the expression of his 
 countenance, and sometimes by a pause in his conver- 
 sation, that he felt most keenly the painful spectacle 
 presented by the field of battle. Some reference was 
 made to the subject in camp that evening, and the gen- 
 eral said: "I cannot bear the sight of suffering. The 
 night after the first day's fight at ShUoh I was sitting 
 on the ground, leaning against a tree, trying to get 
 some sleep. It soon began to rain so hard that I went 
 into a log-house near by to seek shelter ; but I found 
 the surgeons had taken possession of it, and were am- 
 putating the arms and legs of the wounded, and blood 
 was flowing in streams. I could not endure such a 
 scene, and was glad to return to the tree oulside, and 
 sit there tiU morning in the storm." I thought of this 
 remark while sitting by his bedside twenty-one years 
 afterward, when he, in the last days of his fatal illness, 
 was himself undergoing supreme physical torture. 
 
 As the general felt that he could be found more 
 readily, and could issue his orders more promptly, from 
 the central point which he had chosen for his head- 
 quarters, he remained there almost the entire day. He 
 would at times walk slowly up and down, but most of 
 the day he sat upon the stump of a tree, or on the 
 ground, with his back leaning against a tree. The 
 thread gloves remained on his hands, a lighted cigar 
 was in his mouth almost constantly, and his penknife 
 was kept in active use whittling sticks. He would pick 
 up one small twig after another, and sometimes holding 
 the small end away from him would rapidly shave it 
 down to a point ; at other times he would turn the point 
 toward him and work on it as if sharpening a lead- 
 pencil ; then he would girdle it, cut it in two, throw it 
 away, and begin on .another. We had long been accused 
 
GENERAL HORACE PORTER. 
 
 From a war-time photograph. 
 
grant's peculiakities in battle 65 
 
 of being a nation of whittlers, and tMs practice on the 
 part of STich. a conspicuous representative American 
 seemed to give color to the charge. He seldom indulged 
 in this habit in subsequent battles. The occupation 
 played sad havoc with the thread gloves, and before 
 nightfall several holes had been worn in them, from 
 which his finger-nails protruded. After that day the 
 gloves disappeared, and the general thereafter went 
 without them in camp, and wore the usual buckskin 
 gauntlets when on horseback. It was not till the Ap- 
 pomattox campaign that another pair of thread ffloves 
 was donned. There was a mystery about the use of 
 those gloves which was never entirely solved. The 
 impression was that Mrs. Grant had purchased them, 
 and handed them to the general before he started from 
 Washington, and that, either in deference to her, or 
 because he had a notion that the officers in the Eastern 
 armies were greater sticklers for dress than those in the 
 armies of the West, he wore the gloves continuously for 
 the first three days of his opening campaign in Vir- 
 ginia ; that is to say, as long as they lasted under the 
 wear and tear to which he subjected them. 
 
 His confidence was never for a moment shaken in the 
 outcome of the general engagement in the Wilderness, 
 and he never once doubted his ability to make a forward 
 movement as the result of that battle. At a critical 
 period of the day he sent instructions to have all the 
 pontoon-bridges over the Eapidan in his rear taken up, 
 except the one at Germanna Ford. A short time after 
 giving this order he called General Rawlins, Colonel Bab- 
 cock, and me to him, and asked for a map. As we sat to- 
 gether on the ground, his legs tucked under him, tailor 
 fashion, he looked over the map, and said: "I do not 
 hope to gain any very decided advantage from the fight- 
 ing in this forest. I did expect excellent results from 
 
66 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Hancock's movement early this morning, when he 
 started the enemy on the run ; but it was impossible for 
 him to see his own troops, or the true position of the 
 enemy, and the success gained could not be followed up 
 in such a country. I can certainly drive Lee back into 
 his works, but I shaU not assault him there ; he would 
 have all the advantage in such a fight. If he falls back 
 and intrenches, my notion is to move promptly toward 
 the left. This wUl, in all probability, compel him to 
 try and throw himseK between us and Eichmond, and 
 in such a movement I hope to be able to attack him in 
 a more open country, and outside of his breastworks." 
 This was the second time only that he had looked at 
 the maps since crossing the Rapidan, and it was always 
 noticeable in a campaign how seldom he consulted them, 
 compared with the constant examination of them by 
 most other prominent commanders. The explanation 
 of it is that he had an extraordinary memory as to any- 
 thing that was presented to him graphically. After 
 looking critically at a map of a locality, it seemed to 
 become photographed indelibly upon his brain, and he 
 could follow its features without referring to it again. 
 Besides, he possessed an almost intuitive knowledge of 
 topography, and never became confused as to the points 
 of the compass. He was a natural " bushwhacker," and 
 was never so much at home as when finding his way by 
 the course of streams, the contour of the hills, and the 
 general features of the country. I asked him, one day, 
 whether he had ever been deceived as to the points of 
 the compass. He said: "Only once — when I arrived 
 at Cairo, Illinois. The effect of that curious bend in 
 the river turned me completely around, and when the 
 sun came up the first morning after I got there, it seemed 
 to me that it rose directly in the west." 
 During a lull in the battle late in the afternoon. Gen- 
 
THE GENEEAL-IN-CHIEF AS AID TO A DBOVEB 67 
 
 eral Grant^ in company with two staff-ofl&cers, strolled 
 over toward tlie Germanna road. Wliile we stood on 
 tlie bank of a small rivulet, a drove of beef-cattle was 
 driven past. One of the animals strayed into the 
 stream, and had evidently made up its mind to part 
 company with its fellows and come over to our side. 
 One of the drovers yelled out to the general, who was a 
 little in advance of his officers : " I say, stranger, head 
 off that beef -critter for me, will you?" The general, 
 having always prided himself upon being a practical 
 farmer, felt as much at home in handling cattl^ as in 
 directing armies, and without changing countenance at 
 once stepped forward, threw np his hands, and shouted 
 to the animal. It stopped, took a look at him, and 
 then, as if sufficiently impressed with this show of au- 
 thority, turned back into the road. The general made 
 no comment whatever upon this incident, and seemed 
 to think no more about the salutation he had received 
 than if some one had presented arms to him. He knew, 
 of course, that the man did not recognize him. If he 
 had supposed the man was lacking in proper military 
 respect, he would perhaps have administered to him the 
 same lesson which he once taught a soldier in the 
 Twenty-first Illinois, when he commanded that regiment. 
 An officer who had served under him at the time told 
 me that Colonel Grant, as he came out of his tent one 
 morning, found a strapping big fellow posted as senti- 
 nel, who nodded his head good-naturedly, smiled blandly, 
 and said, "Howdy, colonel?" His commander cried, 
 " Hand me your piece," and upon taking it, faced the 
 soldier and came to a "present arms"; then handing 
 back the musket, he remarked, " That is the way to say 
 ' How do you do ' to your colonel." 
 
 It was now about sundown ; the storm of battle which 
 had raged with unabated fury from early dawn had 
 
68 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 been succeeded by a calm. The contemplated general 
 attack at six o'clock had been abandoned on account of 
 the assault of the enemy on Hancock's front, and the 
 difficulty of perfecting the alinements and supplying 
 the men with anufiLunition. It was felt that the day's 
 strife had ended, unless Lee should risk another attack. 
 Just then the stillness was broken by heavy volleys of 
 musketry on our extreme right, which told that Sedg- 
 wick had been assaulted, and was actually engaged with 
 the enemy. The attack against which the general-in- 
 chief dming the day had ordered every precaution to 
 be taken had now been made. Meade was at Grrant's 
 headquarters at the time. They had just left the top 
 of the knoll, and were standing in front of General 
 Grrant's tent talking to Mr. Washburne. Staff-officers 
 and couriers were soon seen galloping up to Meade's 
 headquarters, and his chief of staff, Greneral Humphreys, 
 sent word that the attack was directed against our ex- 
 treme right, and that a part of Sedgwick's line had been 
 driven back in some confusion. Generals Grant and 
 Meade, accompanied by me and 'one or two other staff- 
 officers, walked rapidly over to Meade's tent, and found 
 that the reports still coming in were bringing news of 
 increasing disaster. It was soon reported that General 
 Shaler and part, of his brigade had been captured ; then 
 that General Seymour and several hundred of his men 
 had fallen into the hands of the enemy ; afterward that 
 our right had been turned, and Ferrero's division cut 
 off and forced back upon the Eapidan. General Hum- 
 phreys, on receiving the first reports, had given prompt 
 instructions with a view to strengthening the point of 
 the line attacked. General Grant now took the matter 
 in hand with his accustomed vigor. Darkness had set 
 in, but the firing stiU continued. Aides came galloping 
 in from the right, laboring under intense excitement, 
 
CONruSION CAUSED BY A NIGHT ATTACK 69 
 
 talking -wildly, and giving the most exaggerated reports 
 of the engagement. Some declared that a large force 
 had broken and scattered Sedgwick's entire corps. 
 Others insisted that the enemy had turned our right 
 completely, and captured the wagon-train. It was as- 
 serted at one time that both Sedgwick and Wright had 
 been captured. Such tales of disaster would have been 
 enough t6 inspire serious apprehension in daylight and 
 under ordinary circumstances. In the darkness of the 
 night, in the gloom of a tangled forest, and after men's 
 nerves had been racked by the strain of a two days' 
 desperate battle, the most immovable commander might 
 have been shaken.. But it was in just such sudden 
 emergencies that General Grant was always at his best. 
 Without the change of a muscle of his face, or the 
 slightest alteration in the tones of his voice, he quietly 
 interrogated the officers who brought the reports ; then, 
 sifting out the truth from the mass of exaggerations, he 
 gave directions for relieving the situation with the 
 marvelous rapidity which was always characteristic of 
 him when directing movements in the face of an enemy. 
 Reinforcements were hurried to the point attacked, and 
 preparations made for Sedgwick's corps to take up a 
 new line, with the front and right thrown back. Gen- 
 eral Grant soon walked over to his own camp, seated 
 himself on a stool in front of his tent, lighted a fresh 
 cigar, and there continued to receive further advices 
 from the right. 
 
 A general officer c^me in from his command at this 
 juncture, and said to the general-in-chief, speaking 
 rapidly and laboring under considerable excitement: 
 " General Grant, this is a crisis that cannot be looked 
 upon too seriously. I know Lee's methods well by past 
 experience ; he will throw his whole army between us 
 and the Rapidan, and cut us off completely from our 
 
70 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GBANT 
 
 comnmnications." The general rose to Ms feet, took 
 his cigar out of his mouth, turned to the officer, and 
 replied, with a degree of animation which he seldom 
 manifested : " Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about 
 •what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to 
 think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, 
 and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the 
 same time. Go back to your command, and try to 
 think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of 
 what Lee is going to do." The officer retired rather 
 crestfallen, and without saying a word in reply. This 
 recalls a very pertinent criticism regarding his chief 
 once made in my presence by General Sherman. He 
 said : " Grant always seemed pretty certain to win when 
 he went into a fight with anything like equal numbers. 
 I believe the chief reason why he was more successful 
 than others was that while they were thinking so much 
 about what the enemy was going to do. Grant was 
 thinking aU the time about what he was going to do 
 himself." 
 
 Hancock came to headquarters about 8 p. m., and had 
 a conference with the general-in-chief and General 
 Meade. He had had a very busy day on his front, and 
 whUe he was cheery, and showed that there was still 
 plenty of fight left in him, he manifested signs of fatigue 
 after his exhausting labors. General Grant, in offering 
 biTTi a cigar, found that only one was left in his pocket. 
 Deducting the nunaber he had given away from the sup- 
 ply he had started out with in the morning showed that 
 he had smoked that day about twenty, aU very strong 
 and of formidable size. But it must be remembered 
 that it was a particularly long day. He never afterward 
 equaled that record in the use of tobacco. 
 
 The general, after having given his final orders pro- 
 viding for any emergency which might arise, entered 
 
GBANT AFTER THE BATTLE 71 
 
 his tent, and threw himself down upon his camp-bed. 
 Ten minutes thereafter an alarming report was received 
 from the right. I looked in his tent, and found him 
 sleeping as soundly and as peacefully as an infant. I 
 waked him, and communicated the report. His military 
 instincts convinced him that it was a gross exaggeration, 
 and as he had already made every provision for meet- 
 ing any renewed attempts against the right, he turned 
 over in his bed, and immediately went to sleep again. 
 Twenty-one years thereafter, as I sat by his death-bed, 
 when his suflEerings had become agonizing, and he was 
 racked by the tortures of insomnia, I recalled to him 
 that night in the Wilderness. He said : " Ah, yes ; it 
 seems strange that I, who always slept so well in the 
 field, should now pass whole nights in the quiet of this 
 peaceful house without being able to close my eyes." 
 
 It was soon ascertained that although Sedgwick's line 
 had been forced back with some loss, and Shaler and 
 Seymour had been made prisoners, only a few hundred 
 men had been captured, and the enemy had been com- 
 pelled to withdraw. General Grant had great confidence 
 in Sedgwick in such an emergency, and the event showed 
 that it was not misplaced. 
 
 The attack on our right, and its repulse, ended the 
 memorable battle of the "Wilderness. The losses were 
 found to be: killed, 2246; wounded, 12,037; missing, 
 3383; total, 17,666. The damage inflicted upon the 
 enemy is not known, but as he was the assaulting party 
 as often as the Union army, there is reason to believe 
 that the losses on the two sides were about equal. Tak- 
 ing twenty-four hours as the time actually occupied in 
 fighting, and counting the casualties in both armies, it 
 will be found that on that bloody field every minute 
 reaorded the loss of twenty-five men. 
 
 As the staff-officers threw themselves upon the 
 
72 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GKANT 
 
 ground that night, sleep came to them without coaxing. 
 They had been on the move since dawn, galloping over 
 bad roads, struggling about through forest openings, 
 jumping rivulets, wading swamps, helping to rally- 
 troops, dodging bullets, and searching for commanding 
 officers in aU sorts of unknown places. Their horses 
 had been crippled, and they themselves were weU-nigh 
 exhausted. For the small part I had been able to per- 
 form in the engagement, the general recommended me 
 for the brevet rank of major in the regular army, " for 
 gallant and nieritorious services." His recommendation 
 was afterward approved by the President. This pro- 
 motion was especially gratifying for the reason that it 
 was conferred for conduct in the first battle in which I 
 had served under the command of the general-in-chief . 
 There were features of the battle which have never 
 been matched in the annals of warfare. For two days 
 nearly 200,000 veteran troops had struggled in a death- 
 grapple, confronted at each step with almost every 
 obstacle by which nature could bar their path, and 
 groping their way through a tangled forest the impene- 
 trable gloom of which could be likened only to the 
 shadow of death. The undergrowth stayed their pro- 
 gress, the upper growth shut out the light of heaven. 
 Officers could rarely see their troops for any consider- 
 able distance, for smoke clouded the vision, and a heavy 
 sky obscured the sun. Directions were ascertained and 
 hues established by means of the pocket-compass, and 
 a change of position often presented an operation more 
 like a problem of ocean navigation than a question of 
 military manoeuvers. It was the sense of sound and of 
 touch rather than the sense of sight which guided the 
 movements. It was a battle fought with the ear, and 
 not with the eye. All circvimstances seemed to combine 
 to make the scene one of unutterable horror. At times 
 
THE WILDEBNESS A UNIQUE COMBAT 73 
 
 the -wind howled througli the tree-tops, mingling its 
 moans with the groans of the dyilig, and heavy branches 
 "were cut off by the fire of the artUlery, and fell crashing 
 upon the heads of the men, adding a new terror to bat- 
 tle. Forest fires raged; ammunition-trains exploded; 
 the dead were roasted in the conflagration ; the wounded, 
 roused by its hot breath, dragged themselves along, 
 with their torn and mangled limbs, in the mad energy 
 of despair, to escape the ravages of the flames; and 
 every bush seemed hung with shreds of blood-stained 
 clothing. It was as though Christian men had turned 
 to fiends, and hell itself had usurped the place ot earth. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 grant's THTBD day in the wilderness — HAIL TO THE 
 chief! — A NIGHT ALARM — A MIDNIGHT RIDE — GRANT 
 ROUGHS IT WITH HIS TROOPS — OUT OF THE WILDER- 
 NESS — SHERIDAN ORDERED TO CRUSH "jeb" STUART 
 — A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS — GRANT m FRONT OP 
 SPOTTSYLVANIA — THE DEATH OF SEDGWICK — ARRIVAL 
 OF DESPATCHES — "l SHALL TAKE NO BACKWARD 
 STEPS " 
 
 THE next morning, May 7, General Grant was almost 
 the first one up. He seated Mmself at the camp- 
 fire at dawn, and looked thoroughly refreshed after the 
 sound sleep he had enjoyed. In fact, a night's rest had 
 greatly reinvigorated every one. A fog, combined with 
 the smoke from the smoldering forest fires, rendered it 
 difficult for those of us who were sent to make recon- 
 naissances to see any great distance, even where there 
 were openings in the forest. A little after 6 a. m. there 
 was some artillery-firing from Warren's batteries, which 
 created an impression for a little while that the enemy 
 might be moving against him ; but he soon sent word 
 that he had been firing at some skirmishers who had 
 pushed down to a point near his intrenchments and dis- 
 charged a few shots. At 6:30 a.m. the general issued 
 his orders to prepare for a night march of the entire 
 army toward Spottsylvania Court-house, on the direct 
 road to Richmond, At 8 : 30 Burnside pushed out a 
 
 74 
 
grant's third day in the wilderness 75 
 
 skirmisliing party to feel the enemy, and found that he 
 had withdrawn from a portion of his line. Skirmishing 
 continued along parts of Warren's front till 11 A. M. In 
 fact, each army was anxious to learn promptly the 
 position and apparent intentions of the other, so as to 
 be able to act intelligently in making the next move in 
 the all-absorbing game. The enemy was found to be 
 occupying a strongly intrenched line defended by artil- 
 lery, and at an average distance from our front of nearly 
 a mile. 
 
 While sitting at the mess-table taking breakfast, I 
 asked the general-in-chief : "In all your battles* up to 
 this time, where do you think your presence upon the 
 field was most useful in the accomplishing of results ? " 
 He replied : " Well, I don't know " ; then, after a pause, 
 " perhaps at Shiloh." I said : " I think it was last night, 
 when the attack was made on our right." He did not 
 foUow up the subject, for he always spoke with great 
 reluctance about anything which was distinctly per- 
 sonal to himself. The only way in which we could ever 
 draw him out, and induce him to talk about events in 
 his military career, was to make some misstatement 
 intentionally about an occurrence. His regard for truth 
 was so great that his mind always rebelled against in- 
 accuracies, and in his desire to correct the error he 
 would go into an explanation of the facts, and in doing 
 so would often be led to talk with freedom upon the 
 subject. 
 
 An ofB.cer related to the general an incident of the 
 attack the night before, which showed that even the 
 gravest events have a comical side. In the efforts to 
 strengthen our right, a number of teamsters had been 
 ordered into the ranks and sent hurriedly to the front. 
 As they were marching past their teams, one of the men 
 was recognized by his favorite " lead " mule, who pro- 
 
76 OAMPAiaNING WITH GEAOT 
 
 ceeded to pay Ms respects to Mm in a friendly heehaw, 
 wMch. reverberated through the forest until the sound 
 bid fair to rival the report of the opening gun at Lex- 
 ington, which fired the " shot heard round the world." 
 The teamster turned to him and cried : " Oh, you better 
 not laugh, old Simon Bolivar. Before this fight 's 
 through I bet they '11 pick you up and put you into the 
 ranks, too ! " 
 
 . After leaving the breakfast-table, the general lighted 
 a cigar and took his seat on a camp-stool in front of 
 his tent. In a conversation with the staff he then began 
 to discuss the operations of the day before. He ex- 
 pressed himseK as satisfied with the result in the main, 
 saying: "While it is in one sense a drawn battle, as 
 neither side has gained or lost ground substantially 
 since the fighting began, yet we remain in possession of 
 the field, and the forces opposed to us have withdrawn 
 to a distance from our front and taken up a defensive 
 position. We cannot call the engagement a positive 
 victory, but the enemy have only twice actually reached 
 our lines in their many attacks, and have not gained a 
 single advantage. This will enable me to carry out my 
 intention of moving to the left, and compelling the 
 enemy to fight in a more open country and outside of 
 their breastworks." 
 
 An old officer who was passing by, an acquaintance 
 of the general's, now stepped up to the gi"oup. He had 
 recently been ordered in from the plains, and his wild 
 tales of red-handed slaughter in the land of the savages 
 had already made him known in the army as the 
 " Injun-slayer." An aide remarked to him, " Well, as 
 you 've been spoiling for a fight ever since you joined 
 this army, how did yesterday's set-to strike you by way 
 of a sMrmish?" "Oh," was the reply, "you had large 
 numbers engaged, and heavy losses ; but it was n't the 
 
GBANT'S THIRD DAT IN THE WILDERNESS 77 
 
 picturesque, desperate hand-to-liand fighting that you 
 see when you 're among the Injuns." " No ; but we got 
 in some pretty neat work on the white man," said the 
 aide. " Yes ; but it did n't compare with the time the 
 Nez Percys and the Shoshonee tribes had their big bat- 
 tle," continued the veteran. "Why, how was that?" 
 cried all present in a chorus. " Well, you see," explained 
 the narrator, " first the Nez Percys set up a yell louder 
 than a blast of Gabriel's trumpet, and charged straight 
 across the valley ; but the Shoshonees stood their ground 
 without budging an inch, and pretty soon they went for 
 the Nez Perces and drove 'em back again. As soon as 
 the Nez Perces could catch their breath they took an- 
 other turn at the Shoshonees, and shoved them back 
 just about where they started from. By this time the 
 ground between 'em was so covered by the killed and 
 wounded that you could n't see as much as a blade of 
 grass. But still they kept on charging back and forth 
 across that valley, and they moved so fast that when 
 their lines of battle passed me, the wind they made was 
 so strong that I had to hold my hat on with both hands, 
 and once I came mighty near being blown clear off my 
 feet." "Why, where were you aU this time?" asked 
 several voices. " Oh," said he, " I was standing on a 
 little knoU in the middle of the valley, looking on." 
 "Why," remarked an officer, "I should think they 
 would have killed you in the scrimmage." Then the 
 face of the veteran of the plains assumed an air of 
 offended innocence, and in a tone of voice which made 
 it painfuUy evident that he felt the hurt, he said, 
 " What? — the Injuns ! Lord, they aU knew me ! " The 
 general joined in the smiles which followed this bit of 
 sadly mutilated truth. Similar Munchausenisms, in- 
 dulged in from time to time by this officer, demonstrated 
 the fact that he had become so skilled in warping ve- 
 
78 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 racity that one of his lies coiild make truth look mean 
 alongside of it, and he finally grew so untrustworthy 
 that it was unsafe even to believe the contrary of what 
 he said. 
 
 At 3 p. M. despatches were received by way of Wash- 
 ington, saying that General Butler had reached the 
 junction of the James and Appomattox rivers the night 
 of the 5th, had surprised the enemy, and successfully 
 disembarked his troops, and that Sherman was moving 
 out against Johnston in Georgia, and expected that a 
 battle would be fought on the 7th. 
 
 All preparations for the night march had now been 
 completed. The wagon-trains were to move at 4 p.m., 
 so as to get a start of the infantry, and then go into park 
 and let the troops pass them. The cavalry had been 
 thrown out in advance; the infantry began the march 
 at 8 : 30 p. M. Warren was to proceed along the Brock 
 road toward Spottsylvania Court-house, moving by the 
 rear of Hancock, whose corps was to remain in its posi- 
 tion during the night to guard against a possible attack 
 by the enemy, and afterward to follow Warren. Sedg- 
 wick was to move by way of Chancellorsville and Piney 
 Branch Church. Burnside was to follow Sedgwick, and 
 to cover the trains which moved on the roads that were 
 farthest from the enemy. 
 
 Soon after dark. Generals Grant and Meade, accom- 
 panied by their staffs, after having given personal 
 supervision to the starting of the march, rode along the 
 Brock road toward Hancock's headquarters, with the 
 intention of waiting there till Warren's troops should 
 reach that point. While moving close to Hancock's 
 line, there occurred an unexpected demonstration on 
 the part of the troops, which created one of the most 
 memorable scenes of the campaign. Notwithstanding 
 the darkness of the night, the form of the commander 
 
HAIL TO THE CHIEF ! 79 
 
 was recognized, and word was passed rapidly along that 
 the chief who had led them through the mazes of the 
 Wilderness was again moving forward with his horse's 
 head turned toward Richmond. Troops know but little 
 about what is going on in a large army, except the oc- 
 currences which take place in their immediate vicinity ; 
 but tliis night ride of the general-in-chief told plainly 
 the story of success, and gave each man to understand 
 that the cry was to be " On to Richmond ! " Soldiers 
 weary and sleepy after their long battle, with stiffened 
 limbs and smarting wounds, now sprang to their feet, 
 forgetful of their pains, and rushed forward *to the 
 roadside. WUd cheers echoed through the forest, and 
 glad shouts of .triumph rent the air. Men swung their 
 hats, tossed up their arms, and pressed forward to 
 within touch of their chief, clapping their hands, and 
 speaking to him with the familiarity of comrades. 
 Pine-knots and leaves were set on fire, and lighted the 
 scene with their weird, flickering glare. The night 
 march had become a triumphal procession for the new 
 commander. The demonstration was the emphatic 
 verdict pronounced by the troops upon his first battle 
 in the East. The excitement had been imparted to the 
 horses, which soon became restive, and even the gen- 
 eral's large bay, over which he possessed ordinarily 
 such perfect control, became difficult to manage. In- 
 stead of being elated by this significant ovation, the 
 general, thoughtful only of the practical question of the 
 success of the movement, said : " This is most unfortu- 
 nate. The sound will reach the ears of the enemy, and 
 I fear it may reveal our movement." By his direction, 
 staff -officers rode forward and urged the men to keep 
 quiet so as not to attract the enemy's attention ; but the 
 demonstration did not really cease until the general 
 was out of sight. 
 
80 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 When Hancock's headquarters were reached, the 
 party remained with him for some time, awaiting the 
 arrival of the head of "Warren's troops. Hancock's 
 wound received at 'Gettysburg had not thoroughly 
 healed, and he suffered such inconvenience from it when 
 in the saddle that he had applied for permission to ride 
 in a spring ambulance while on the march and when 
 his troops were not in action. He was reclining upon 
 one of the seats of the ambulance, conversing with Gen- 
 eral Grant, who had dismounted and was sitting on the 
 ground with his back against a tree, whittling a stick, 
 when the sound of firing broke forth directly in' front. 
 Hancock sprang up, seized his sword, which was lying 
 near him, buckled it around his waist, and cried : " My 
 horse ! my horse ! " The scene was intensely dramatic, 
 and recalled vividly to the bystanders the cry of Eieh- 
 ard III on the field of Bosworth. Grant listened a 
 moment without changing his position or ceasing his 
 whittling, and then remarked: "They are not fighting; 
 the firing is aU on one side. It takes two sides to start 
 a fight." In a few minutes the firing died away, and it 
 was found that the enemy was not advancing. The 
 incident fairly illustrates the contrast in the tempera- 
 ments of these two distinguished soldiers. 
 
 At eleven o'clock word came to Grant and Meade that 
 their headquarters escorts and wagons were delaying 
 the advance of Warren's corps, and they decided to 
 move on to Todd's tavern in order to clear the way. 
 The woods were stiU on fire along parts of the main 
 road, which made it almost impassable, so that the 
 party turned out to the right into a side road. The in- 
 tention was to take the same route by which the cavalry 
 had advanced, but it was difficult to tell one road from 
 another. The night was dark, the dust was thick, the 
 guide who was directing the party became confused, and 
 
GBNEEAL GRANT KECONlfOITEBIN& THE CONFEDERATE POSITION AT 8POTTSTL- 
 VANIA COURT-HOUSE. 
 
 From a sketch made at the time by C. W. Reed. 
 
A MIDNIUHT KIDE 81 
 
 it was uncertain whether we were going in the right 
 direction or riding into the lines of the enemy. The 
 guide was for a time suspected of treachery, but he was 
 innocent of such a charge, and had only lost his bear- 
 ings. Colonel Comstock rode on in advance, and hear- 
 ing the sound of marching columns not far off on our 
 right, came back with this news, and it was decided to 
 return to the Brock road. General Grant at first de- 
 murred when it was proposed to turn back, and urged 
 the guide to try and find some cross-road leading to the 
 Brock road, to avoid retracing our steps. This was an 
 instance of his marked aversion to turning back, which 
 amounted almost to a superstition. He often put him- 
 self to the greatest personal inconvenience to avoid it. 
 When he found he was not traveling in the direction he 
 intended to take, he would try all sorts of cross-cuts, 
 ford streams, and jupip any number of fences to reach 
 another road rather than go back and take a fresh start. 
 If he had been in the place of the famous apprentice 
 boy who wandered away from London, he would never 
 have been thrice mayor of that city, for with him Bow 
 Bells would have appealed to deaf ears when they 
 chimed out, "Turn again, Whittington." The enemy 
 who encountered him never failed to feel the effect of 
 this inborn prejudice against turning back. However, 
 a slight retrograde movement became absolutely neces- 
 sary m the present instance, and the general yielded to 
 the force of circumstances. An orderly was stationed 
 at the fork of the roads to indicate the right direction 
 to Warren's troops when they should reach that point, 
 and our party proceeded to Todd's tavern, reaching 
 there soon after midnight. It was learned afterward 
 that Anderson's (Longstreet's) corps had been marching 
 parallel with us, and at a distance of less than a mile, 
 so that the apprehension felt was well founded. 
 
82 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 The general and staff bivouacked upon the ground. 
 The night was quite chilly, and a couple of fires were 
 lighted to add to our comfort. Greneral Grant lay down 
 with his officers beside one of the fires, without any 
 covering ; when asleep, an aide quietly spread an over- 
 coat over him. For about four hours we all kept turn- 
 ing over every few minutes so as to get warmed on 
 both sides, imitating with our bodies the diurnal motion 
 of the earth as it exposes its sides alternately to the 
 heat of the sun. When daylight broke it was seen that 
 a low board structure close to which the general-in- 
 chief had lain down was a pig-pen ; but its former oc- 
 cupants had disappeared, and were probably at that 
 time nourishing the stomachs of the cavalry troopers of 
 the invading army. Unfortunately, the odors of the 
 place had not taken their departure with the pigs, but 
 remained to add to the discomfort of the bivouackers. 
 Sheridan's cavalry had had a fight at this place the 
 afternoon before, in which he had defeated the opposing 
 force, and the ground in the vicinity, strewn with the 
 dead, offered ample evidence of the severity of the 
 struggle. 
 
 At dayhght on the morning of the 8th active opera- 
 tions were in progress throughout the columns. Gen- 
 eral Sheridan had ordered his cavalry to move by 
 different roads to seize the bridges crossing the Po 
 Eiver. General Meade modified these orders, and 
 directed a portion of the cavalry to move in front of 
 Warren's infantry on the Spottsylvania Court-house 
 road. The enemy were felling trees and placing other 
 obstacles in the way, in order to impede the movement, 
 and the cavalry was afterward withdrawn and the in- 
 fantry directed to open the way. 
 
 About sunrise General Grant, after taking off his coat 
 and shaking it to rid it of some of the dust in which he 
 
OUT OF THE WILDERNESS 83 
 
 had lain down, shared with the staff-officers some sol- 
 diers' rations, and then seated himself on the ground by 
 the roadside to take his morning smoke. 
 
 Soon afterward he and General Meade rode on, and 
 established their respective headquarters near Piuey 
 Branch Church, about two miles to the east of Todd's 
 tavern. It was Sunday, but the overrunning of the 
 country by contending armies had scattered the little 
 church's congregation. The temple of prayer was 
 voiceless, the tolling of its peaceful bell had given place 
 to the echo of hostile guns, and in the excitement which 
 prevailed it must be confessed that few recalled the fact 
 that it was the Sabbath day. 
 
 A drum corps in passing caught sight of the general, 
 and at once struck up a then popular negro camp-meet- 
 ing air. Every one began to laugh, and Rawlins cried, 
 "Good for the drummers!" "What's the fun?" in- 
 quired the general. " Why," was the reply, " they are 
 playing, ' Ain't I glad to get out ob de wilderness ! ' " 
 The general smiled at the ready wit of the musicians, 
 and said, " Well, with me a musical joke always requires 
 explanation. I know only two tunes: one is 'Yankee 
 Doodle,' and the other is n't." 
 
 Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, joined 
 us during the forenoon, coming from Washington by 
 way of Rappahannock Station, and remained at head- 
 quarters most of the time through the entire campaign. 
 His daily, and sometimes hourly, despatches to the War 
 Department, giving the events occurring in the field, 
 constituted a correspondence which is a rare example 
 of perspicuity, accuracy, and vividness of description. 
 
 Sheridan had been sent for by Meade to come to his 
 headquarters, and when he arrived, between eleven and 
 twelve o'clock that morning, a very acrimonious dispute 
 took place between the two generals. Meade was pos- 
 
84 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 sessed of an excitable temper which: under irritating 
 circumstances became ahnost ungovernable. He had 
 worked himself into a towering passion regarding the 
 delays encountered in the forward movement, and when 
 Sheridan appeared went at him hammer and tongs, ac- 
 cusing him of blunders, and charging him with not 
 making a proper disposition of his troops, and letting 
 the cavalry block the advance of the infantry. Sheri- 
 dan was equally fiery, and, smarting under the belief 
 that he was unjustly treated, all the hotspur in his 
 nature was aroused. He insisted that Meade had cre- 
 ated the trouble by countermanding his (Sheridan's) 
 orders, and that it was this act which had resulted in 
 mixing up his troops with the infantry, exposing to 
 great danger Wilson's division, which had advanced as 
 far as Spottsylvania Court-house, and rendering in- 
 effectual all his combinations regarding the movements 
 of the cavalry corps. Sheridan declared with great 
 warmth that he would not command the cavahy any 
 longer under such conditions, and said if he could have 
 matters his own way he would concentrate all the cav- 
 alry, move out in force against Stuart's command, and 
 whip it. His language throughout was highly spiced 
 and conspicuously italicized with expletives. General 
 Meade came over to Greneral Grant's tent immediately 
 after, and related the interview to him. The excitement 
 of the one was in singular contrast with the calmness 
 of the other. When Meade repeated the remarks made 
 by Sheridan, that he could move out with his cavalry 
 and whip Stuart, General Grant quietly observed, " Did 
 Sheridan say that? Well, he generally knows what he 
 is talking about. Let him start right out. and do it." 
 By one o'clock Sheridan had received his orders in 
 writing from Meade for the movement. Early the next 
 morning he started upon his famous raid to the vicinity 
 
SHERIDAN ORDERED TO CRUSH "jEB " STUART 85 
 
 of Ricliinond in rear of the enemy's army, and made 
 good his word. 
 
 After the interview just mentioned, the general-in- 
 chief talked for some time with officers of the staff 
 about the results of the battle of the previous days. He 
 said in this connection : " All things in this world are 
 relative. "While we were engaged in the Wilderness I 
 could not keep from thinking of the first fight I ever 
 saw — the battle of Palo Alto. As I looked at the long 
 line of battle, consisting of three thousand men, I felt 
 that General Taylor had such a fearful responsibility 
 resting upon him that I wondered how he ever had the 
 nerve to assume it ; and when, after the fight, the casu- 
 alties were reported, and the losses ascertained to be 
 nearly sixty in killed, wounded, and missing, the en- 
 gagement assumed a magnitude in my eyes which was 
 positively startling. When the news of the victory 
 reached the States, the Mvindows in every household 
 were illuminated, and it was largely instrumental in 
 making General Taylor President of the United States. 
 Now, such an affair would scarcely be deemed important 
 enough to report to headquarters." He little thought 
 at that moment that the battles then in progress would 
 be chiefly instrumental in making the commander him- 
 self .President of the United States. 
 
 The movements of the opposing armies now became 
 one of the most instructive lessons in the art of modern 
 warfare. They showed the closeness of the game played 
 by the two great masters who commanded the contend- 
 ing forces, and illustrated how thoroughly those skilled 
 fencers had carte and tierce at their fingers' ends. They 
 demonstrated, also, how far the features of a campaign 
 may be affected by accidents and errors. In the Wil- 
 derness the manoeuvers had been largely a game of 
 blindman's-buff ; they now became more like the play of 
 
86 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANX 
 
 pussy-wants-a-corner. Anderson had been ordered by 
 Lee, on the evening of May 7, to start for Spottsylvania 
 Court-house the next morning ; but Anderson, finding 
 the woods on fire, and no good place to go into camp, 
 kept his troops in motion, continued his march all 
 night, and reached Spottsylvania in the morning. The 
 cavalry which Sheridan had placed at the bridges over 
 the Po River might have greatly impeded Anderson's 
 march ; but owing to conflicting orders the movements 
 of the cavalry had been changed, and Anderson occu- 
 pied a position at Spottsylvania that morning as the 
 result of a series of accidents. When Lee found our 
 wagon-trains were moving in an easterly direction, he 
 made up his mind that our army was retreating, and 
 telegraphed on the 8th to his government at Richmond : 
 " The enemy has abandoned his position, and is moving 
 toward Fredericksburg." He sent an order the same 
 day to Eai'ly, then commanding HUl's corps, saying: 
 " Move by Todd's tavern along the Brock road as soon 
 as your front is clear of the enemy." It wDl be seen 
 that in this order he directed a corps to move by a 
 road which was then in full possession of our forces, and 
 Early did not discover this fact till he actually encoun- 
 tered Hancock's troops at Todd's tavern. Early was 
 then compelled to take another road. It was after these 
 movements that General Grrant uttered the aphorism, 
 " Accident often decides the fate of battle." 
 
 At 11 : 30 A. M. General Grant sent a telegram to Hal- 
 leck, saying : " The best of feeling prevails. . . . Route 
 to the James River . . . not yet definitely marked out." 
 In talking over the situation at headquarters, he said : 
 " It looks somewhat as if Lee intends to throw his army 
 between us and Fredericksburg, in order to cut us off 
 from our base of supplies. I would not be at all sorry 
 
GRANT IN PEONT OF SPOTTSYLVANIA 87 
 
 to have such a move made, as in that case I would be 
 in rear of Lee, and between him and Richmond." 
 
 That morning. May 8, the troops under Warren en- 
 countered those of Anderson's corps, who were in- 
 trenched near Spottsylvania. Warren attacked, but 
 was not able to make much progress, and decided to 
 strengthen his own position and wait until other troops 
 came to his assistance before giving battle. His men 
 had suffered great hardships. They had been under fire 
 for four days, and had just made a long night march to 
 reach their present position. Late in the afternoon 
 Warren and Sedgwick were ordered to attack with all 
 their forces, but it was nearly dark before the assault 
 could be made, and then only half of Sedgwick's com- 
 mand and but one of Warren's divisions participated. 
 There was no decided result from this day's fighting. 
 
 Late in the afternoon of the 8th headquarters were 
 moved south about two miles, and camp was pitched in 
 the angle formed by the intersection of the Brock road 
 with the road running south from Piney Branch Church. 
 Lee had by this time comprehended Grrant's intentions, 
 and was making all haste to throw his troops between 
 the Union army and Richmond, and take up a strong 
 defensive position. Most of the officers of the staff had 
 been in the saddle since daylight, communicating with 
 the corps commanders, designating the lines of march, 
 and urging forward the troops ; and as soon as the tents 
 were pitched that night aU who could be spared for a 
 while from duty "turned in" to catch as many winks 
 of sleep as possible. 
 
 Every one at headquarters was up at daylight the 
 next morning, prepared for another active day's work. 
 Hancock was now on the right, Warren next, then 
 Sedgwick ; Burnside was moving down to go into posi- 
 
88 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 tion on tlie extreme left. The general expressed his in- 
 tention to devote the day principally to placing all the 
 troops in position, reconnoitering the enemy's line, and 
 getting in readiness for a combined attack as soon as 
 proper preparations for it conld be made. The country 
 was more open than the Wilderness, but it still presented 
 obstacles of a most formidable nature. Four rivers run 
 in a southeasterly direction. Some early pioneer, in- 
 genious in systematic nomenclature, and who was evi- 
 dently possessed of a due regard for " helps to human 
 memory," had named the streams respectively, begin- 
 ning with the most southerly, the Mat, the Ta, the Po, 
 and the Ny, and then deployed these terms in single 
 line, closed them in until they were given a touch of the 
 elbow, and caUed the formation the Mattapony, the 
 name by which the large river is known into which the 
 four smaller ones flow. 
 
 Spottsylvania Court-house lies between the Po and 
 the Ny. While these streams are not wide, their banks 
 are steep in some places and lined by marshes in other. 
 The country is undulating, and was at that time broken 
 by alternations of cleared spaces and dense forests. In 
 the woods there was a thick tangled undergrowth of 
 hazel, dwarf pine, and scrub-oak. 
 
 A little before eight o^elock on the morning of May 9, 
 the general mounted his horse,' and directed me and two 
 other staff-ofEicers to accompany him to make an exami- 
 nation of the lines in our immediate front. This day 
 he rode a black pony called " Jeff Davis " (given that 
 name because it had been captured in Mississippi on 
 the plantation of Joe Davis, a brother of the Confeder- 
 ate president). It was turned into the quartermaster's 
 department, from which it was purchased by the gen- 
 eral on his Vicksburg campaign. He was not well at 
 that time, being aflicted with boils, and he took a fancy 
 
MAJOR-GENEHAI, JOHN SEDGWICK, KILLED AT SPOTTSTLVANIA IN THE 
 WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN, MAY 9, 1864. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
THE DEATH OF SEDGWICK 89 
 
 to the pony because it had a remarkably easy pace, 
 wMcli enabled the general to make Ms long daily rides 
 with mncli more comfort than when he used the horses 
 he usually rode. " Little Jeff " soon became a conspicu- 
 ous figure in the Virginia campaign. 
 
 We proceeded to Sedgwick's command, and the gen- 
 eral had a conference with him in regard to the part his 
 corps was to take in the contemplated attack. Both 
 officers remained mounted during the interview. The 
 gallant commander of the famous Sixth Corps seemed 
 particularly cheerful and hopeful that morning, ^nd 
 looked the picture of buoyant life and vigorous health. 
 When his chief uttered some words of compliment upon 
 his recent services, and spoke of the hardships he had 
 encountered, Sedgwick spoke lightly of the difficulties 
 experienced, and expressed every confidence in the abil- 
 ity of his troops to respond heroically to every demand 
 made upon them. When the general-in-chief left him, 
 Sedgwick started with his staff to move farther to the 
 front. Our party had ridden but a short distance to 
 the left when General Grant sent me back to Sedgwick 
 to discuss with him further a matter which it was 
 thought had not been sufficiently emphasized in their 
 conversation. While I was foUosving the road I had 
 seen him take, I heard musketry-firing ahead, and soon 
 saw the body of an offic# being borne from the field. 
 Such a sight was so common that ordinarily it would 
 have attracted no attention, but my apprehensions 
 were aroused by seeing several of General Sedgwick's 
 staff beside the body. As they came nearer I gave an 
 inquiring look. Colonel Beaumont, of the staff, cast his 
 eyes in the direction of the body, then looked at me with 
 an expression of profound sorrow, and slowly shook 
 his head. His actions told the whole sad story. His 
 heroic chief was dead. I was informed that as he was 
 
90 
 
 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 approacMng an exposed point of .the line to examine 
 the enemy's position more closely, General McMahon, 
 of his staff, reminded him that one or two oflB.eers had 
 just been struck at that spot by sharp-shooters, and 
 begged him not to advance farther. At this suggestion 
 the general only smiled, and soon after had entirely 
 forgotten the warning. Indifferent to every form of 
 danger, such an appeal made but little impression upon 
 htm. His movements led him to the position against 
 which he had been cautioned, and he had scarcely dis- 
 mounted and reached the spot on foot when a bullet 
 entered his left cheek just below the eye, and he fell 
 dead. As his lifeless form was carried by, a smile still 
 remained upon his lips. Sedgwick was essentially a 
 soldier. He had never married; the camp was his 
 home, and the members of his staff were his family. 
 He was always spoken of familiarly as " Uncle John," 
 and the news of his death f eU upon his comrades with 
 a sense of grief akin to the sorrow of a personal bereave- 
 ment. 
 
 I rode off at once to bear the sad intelligence to the 
 general-in-chief. For a few moments he could scarcely 
 realize it, and twice asked, " Is he really dead ? " The 
 shock was severe, and he could ill conceal the depth of 
 his grief. He said: "His loss to this army is greater 
 than the loss of a whole division of troops." General 
 Wright was at once placed in command of the Sixth 
 Corps. 
 
 At daylight on May 9 Burnside had moved down the 
 road from Fredericksburg, crossed the Ny, driven back 
 a force of the enemy, and finally reached a position 
 within less than two miles of Spottsylvania. By noon 
 it was found that the Confederate army occupied an 
 almost continuous line in front of Spottsylvania, in the 
 form of a semicircle, with the convex side facing north. 
 
AEEIVAL or DESPATCHES 91 
 
 The demonstrations made by Lee, and the strengthen- 
 ing of his right, revived in General Grant's mind the 
 impression that the enemy might attempt to work 
 around our left, and interpose between us and Freder- 
 icksburg ; and preparations were made in such case to 
 attack Lee's left, turn it, and throw the Union army 
 between him and Richmond. At noon a package of 
 despatches from Washington reached headquarters, and 
 were eagerly read. They announced that Sherman's 
 columns were moving successfully in northwestern 
 Georgia, that Eesaca was threatened, and that Joe 
 Johnston was steadily retreating. A report frcfln But- 
 ler, dated the 5th, stated that he had landed at City 
 Point, and reports of the 6th and 7th announced that 
 he had sent out reconnoitering parties on the Petersburg 
 Railroad, and had despatched troops to take possession 
 of it ; that he had had some hard fighting, and was then 
 intrenching, and wanted reinforcements. General 
 Grant directed the reinforcements to be sent. Sigel 
 reported that he had not yet met the enemy, and ex- 
 pected to move up the Shenandoah Valley and try to 
 connect with Crook. General Grant did not express 
 any particular gratification regarding these reports, ex- 
 cept the one from Sherman, and in fact made very few 
 comments upon them. 
 
 Hancock had crossed the Po, and was now threatening 
 Lee's left. On the morning of the 10th Hancock found 
 the enemy's line strongly intrenched, and no general 
 attack was made upon it. Lee had realized the danger 
 threatened, and had hurried troops to his left to protect 
 that flank. Grant, perceiving this, decided that Lee 
 must have weakened other portions of his line, and at 
 once determined to assault his center. 
 
 At 9 : 30 A. M. the general-in-chief sat down in his tent 
 at his little camp-table, and wrote with his own hand, as 
 
92 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 usual, a despatch to Halleck which began as follows : 
 " The enemy hold our front in very strong force, and 
 evince a strong determination to interpose between us 
 and Richmond to the last. I shall take no backward 
 steps. . . ." The last sentence, which I have italicized, 
 attracted no notice at the time on the part of those 
 who read it, but it afterward became historic and took 
 a prominent place among the general's famous sayings. 
 It was now suggested to him that it would be more 
 convenient to move our camp farther to the left, so as 
 to be near the center, where the assault was to take 
 place, and orders were giyen to establish it a little more 
 than a mile to the southeast, near the Alsop house. The 
 tents were pitched in a comfortable-looking little dell, 
 on the edge of a deep wood, and near the principal roads 
 of communication. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 COMMUNICATING WITH BURNSIDE — GRANT ATTACKS THE 
 enemy's center — HOW A FAMOUS MESSAGE WAS DE- 
 SPATCHED — NEWS FROM THE OTHER ARMIES — PRE- 
 PARING TO ATTACK THE " ANGLE" — AN EVi^TFUL 
 MORNING AT HEADQUARTERS — TWO DISTINGUISHED 
 PRISONERS — HOW THE " ANGLE" WAS CAPTURED — 
 SCENES AT THE " BLOODY ANGLE" 
 
 AT half-past ten on the morning of May 10 the gen- 
 _£a_ eral-in-chief called me to where he was standing 
 in front of his tent, spoke in much detail of what he 
 wanted Burnside to accomplish, and directed me to go 
 to that officer, explain to him fully the situation and 
 the wishes of the commander, and remain with him on 
 the left during the rest of the day. As I was mounting 
 the general added: "I had started to write a note to 
 Burnside ; just wait a moment, and I '11 finish it, and 
 you can deliver it to him." He stepped into his tent, 
 and returned in a few minutes and handed me the note. 
 I set out at once at a gallop toward our left. There 
 were two roads by which Burnside could be reached. 
 One was a circuitous route some distance in rear of our 
 lines ; the other was much shorter, but under the enemy's 
 fire for quite a distance. The latter was chosen on ac- 
 count of the time which would thereby be saved. When 
 the exposed part of the road was reached, I adopted the 
 method to which aides so often resorted when they had 
 
 93 
 
94: CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 to take the chances of getting through with a message, 
 and when those chances were not particularly promis- 
 ing — putting the horse on a run, and throwing the body 
 down along his neck on the opposite side from the 
 enemy. Although the bullets did considerable execu- 
 tion in cUpping the limbs of the trees and stirring up 
 the earth, they were considerate enough to skip me. 
 The horse was struck, but only slightly, and I succeeded 
 in reaching Burnside rather ahead of schedule time. 
 His headquarters had been established on the north 
 side of the river Ny. I explained to him that a general 
 attack was to be made in the afternoon on the enemy's 
 center by Warren's and Hancock's troops, and that he 
 was to move forward for the purpose of reconnoitering 
 Lee's extreme right, and keeping him from detaching 
 troops from his flanks to reinforce his center. If Burn- 
 side could see a chance to attack, he was to do so with 
 aU vigor, and in a general way make the best coopera- 
 tive effort that was possible. 
 
 A little while before, the heroic Stevenson, com- 
 mander of his first division, had been struck by a sharp- 
 shooter and killed. He had served with Burnside in 
 the North Carolina expedition, and the general was 
 much attached to him. He felt his loss keenly, and 
 was profuse in his expressions of grief. 
 
 The forward movement was ordered at once. Burn- 
 side was in great doubt as to whether he should con- 
 centrlite his three divisions and attack the enemy's right 
 vigorously, or demonstrate with two divisions, and 
 place the third in rear of Mott, who was on his right. 
 I felt sure that General Grant would prefer the former, 
 and urged it strenuously ; but Burnside waf so anxious 
 to have General Grant make a decision in the matter 
 himself that he sent him a note at 2:15 p. M. He did 
 not get an answer for nearly two hours. The general 
 
GEANT ATTACKS THE ENEMY's CENTER 95 
 
 said in Ms reply that it was then too late to bring up 
 the third division, and he thought that Burnside would 
 be secure in attacking as he was. 
 
 I had ridden with General Burnside to the front to 
 watch the movement. The advance soon reached a 
 point within a quarter of a mile of Spottsylvania, and 
 completely turned the right of the enemy's line ; but 
 the country was so bewildering, and the enemy so com- 
 pletely concealed from view, that it.was impossible at 
 the time to know the exact relative positions of the con- 
 tending forces. Toward dark Willcox's division had 
 constructed a line of fence-rail breastworks, and held 
 pretty securely his advanced position. 
 
 I had sent two bulletins to General Grant describing 
 the situation on the left, but the orderly who carried 
 one of the despatches never arrived, having probably 
 been kiUed, and the other did not reach the general till 
 quite late, as he was riding among the troops in front 
 of the center of the line, and it was difficult to find 
 him. I started for headquarters that evening, but 
 owing to the intense darkness, the condition of the 
 roads, and the difficulty of finding the way, did not 
 arrive till long after midnight. 
 
 The same day, May 10, had witnessed important 
 fighting on the right and center of our line. Hancock 
 moved his troops back to the north side of the Po. 
 Barlow's division, while withdrawing, became isolated, 
 and was twice assaulted, but each, time repulsed the 
 enemy. The losses on both sides were heavy. Wright 
 had formed an assaulting force of twelve regiments, 
 and placed Colonel Emory Upton in command. At 4 
 p. M. Wright, Warren, and Mott moved their commands 
 forward, and a fierce struggle ensued. Warren was re- 
 pulsed with severe loss, and Mott's attack failed; but 
 Upton's ■column swept through the enemy's line, carry- 
 
96 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 ing everytMng before it, and capturing several guns 
 and a number of prisoners. Unfortunately the troops 
 ordered to his support were so slow in reacMng bim tbat 
 he had to be withdrawn. The men had behaved so 
 handsomely, however, and manifested such a desire to 
 retake the position, that Greneral Grant had additional 
 troops brought up, and ordered another assault. Again 
 a rush was made upon the enemy's line, and again the 
 same gallantry was shown. Many of our men succeeded 
 in getting over the earthworks, but could not secure a 
 lodgment which could be held ; and as the assaults at 
 other points were not made with the dash and spirit 
 exhibited by Upton, his troops were withdrawn after 
 nightfall to a position of greater security, in which they 
 would not be isolated from the rest of the forces. He 
 was compelled to abandon his captured guns, but he 
 brought away all his prisoners. Upton had been 
 severely wounded. General Grant had obtained per- 
 mission of the government before starting from "Wash- 
 ington to promote officers on the field for conspicuous 
 acts of gallantry, and he now conferred upon Upton the 
 weU-merited grade of brigadier-general. Colonel Samuel 
 S. Carroll was also promoted to the rank of brigadier- 
 general for gallantry displayed by him in this action. 
 
 Lee had learned by this time that he must be on the 
 lookout for an attack from Grant at any hour, day or 
 night. He sent Ewell a message on the evening of the 
 10th, saying : " It will be necessary for you to reestab- 
 lish your whole line to-night. . . . Perhaps Grant wiU 
 make a night attack, as it was a favorite amusement of 
 his at Vicksburg," 
 
 While the general-in-chief was out on the lines super- 
 vising the afternoon attack, he dismounted and sat 
 down on a fallen tree to write a despatch. While thus 
 engaged a shell exploded directly in front of him. He 
 
HOW A FAMOUS MESSAGE WAS DESPATCHED 97 
 
 looked up from his paper an instant, and then, without 
 the slightest change of countenance, went on writing 
 the message. Some of the Fifth "Wisconsin wounded 
 were being carried past him at the time, and Major 
 E. R. Jones of that regiment said, and he mentions it in 
 his interesting book of reminiscences published since, 
 that one of his men made the remark : " Ulysses don't 
 scare worth a d — n." 
 
 The 11th of May gave promise of a little rest for 
 everybody, as the commander expressed his intention 
 to spend the day simply in reconnoitering for the pur- 
 pose of learning more about the character and strength 
 of the enemy's intrenehments, and discovering the 
 weakest points in his line, with a view to breaking 
 through. He sat down at the mess-table that morning, 
 and made his entire breakfast off a cup of coffee and a 
 small piece of beef cooked almost to a crisp ; for the 
 cook had by this time learned that the nearer he came 
 to burning up the beef the better the general liked it. 
 During the short time he was at the table he conversed 
 with Mr. Elihu B. Washburne, who had accompanied 
 headquarters up to this time, and who was now about 
 to return to Washington. After breakfast the general 
 lighted a cigar, seated himself on a camp-chair in front 
 of his tent, and was joined there by Mr, Washburne 
 and several members of the staff. At haK-past eight 
 o'clock the cavalry escort which was to accompany the 
 congressman was drawn up in the road near by, and all 
 present rose to bid him good-by. Turning to the chief, 
 he said : " General, I shall go to see the President and 
 the Secretary of War as soon as I reach Washington. 
 I can imagine their anxiety to know what you think of 
 the prospects of the campaign, and I know they would 
 be greatly gratified if I could cany a message from you 
 giving what encouragement you can as to the situation." 
 
98 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 The general hesitated a moment, and then replied : 
 "We are certainly making fair progress, and all the 
 fighting has been in our favor ; but the campaign prom- 
 ises to be a long one, and I am particularly anxious not 
 to say anything just now that might hold out false 
 hopes to the people " ; and then, after a pause, added, 
 " However, I wUl write a letter to Halleck, as I gener- 
 ally communicate through him, giving the general 
 situation, and you can take it with you." He stepped 
 into his tent, sat down at his field-table, and, keeping 
 his cigar in his mouth, wrote a despatch of about 
 two hundred words. In the middle of the communi- 
 cation occurred the famous words, "J propose to fight 
 it out on this line if it takes all summer.^'' When the 
 letter had been copied, he folded it and handed it to Mr. 
 Washburne, who thanked him warmly, wished him a 
 continuation of success, shook hands with him and with 
 each of the members of the staff, and at once mounted 
 his horse and rode off. The staff-officers read the re- 
 tained copy of the despatch, but neither the general 
 himself nor any one at headquarters realized the epi- 
 grammatic character of the striking sentence it con- 
 tained until the New York papers reached camp a few 
 days afterward with the words displayed in large head- 
 lines, and with conspicuous comments upon the force 
 of the expression. It was learned afterward that the 
 President was delighted to read this despatch giving 
 such fuU information as to the situation, and that he 
 had said a few days before, when asked by a member 
 of Congress what Grant was doing : " WeU, I can't tell 
 much about it. You see. Grant has gone to the Wilder- 
 ness, crawled in, drawn up the ladder, and pulled in the 
 hole after him, and I guess we 'U have to wait till he 
 comes out before we know just what he 's up to." 
 
 The general was now awaiting news from Butler and 
 
NEWS FROM THE OTHEK AEMIES 99 
 
 Sheridan witli some anxiety. While maturing his plans 
 for striking Lee, he was at the same time keeping a 
 close lookout to see that Lee was not detaching any 
 troops with the purpose of crushing Butler's or Sheri- 
 dan's forces. This day, May 11, the looked-for de- 
 spatches arrived, and their contents caused no little 
 excitement at headquarters. The general, after glanc- 
 ing over the reports hurriedly, stepped to the front of 
 his tent, and read them aloud to the staff-ofi&cers, who 
 had gathered about him, eager to learn the news from 
 the cooperating armies. Butler reported that he had a 
 strongly intrenched position at Bermuda Hundred, in 
 the angle formed by the James and Appomattox rivers ; 
 that he had cut the railroad, leaving Beauregard's troops 
 south of the break, and had completely whipped Hill's 
 force. Sheridan sent word that he had torn up ten 
 miles of the Virginia Central Railroad between Lee's 
 army and Richmond, and had destroyed a large quan- 
 tity of medical supplies and a million and a half of 
 rations. The general-in-chief expressed himself as par- 
 ticularly pleased with the destruction of the railroad in 
 rear of Lee, as it would increase the difficulty of mov- 
 ing troops suddenly between Richmond and Spottsyl- 
 vania for the purpose of reinforcing either of those 
 points. As usual, the contents of these despatches were 
 promptly communicated to G-enerals Meade and Burn- 
 side. 
 
 The result of the day's work on our front was to dis- 
 cover more definitely the character of the salient in 
 Lee's defenses on the right of his center. It was in the 
 shape of a V with a flattened apex. The ground in front 
 sloped down toward oiir position, and was in most places 
 thickly wooded. There was a clearing, however, about 
 four hundred yards in width immediately in front of 
 the apex. Several of the staff-officers were on that part 
 
100 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 of the field a great portion of the day. At three o'clock 
 in the afternoon the general had thoroughly matured 
 his plans, and sent instructions to Meade directing him 
 to move Hancock with all possible secrecy under cover 
 of night to the left of Wright, and to make a vigorous 
 assault on the "angle" at dawn the next morning. 
 Warren and Wright were ordered to hold their corps as 
 close to the enemy as possible, and to take advantage 
 of any diversion caused by this attack to push in if an 
 opportunity should present itself. A personal confer- 
 ence was held with the three corps commanders, and 
 every effort made to have a perfect understanding on 
 their part as to exactly what was required in this im- 
 portant movement. Colonels Comstock and Babcock 
 were directed to go to Burnside that afternoon, and to 
 remain with him during the movements of the next day, 
 in which he was to attack simultaneously with Han- 
 cock. The other members of the staff were sent to keep 
 in communication with the different portions of Han- 
 cock's line. The threatening sky was not propitious 
 for the movement, but in this entertainment there was 
 to be " no postponement on account of the weather," 
 and the preparations went on regardless of the lowering 
 clouds and falling rain. All those who were in the se- 
 cret anticipated a memorable field-day on the morrow. 
 
 Hancock's troops made a diflficult night march, grop- 
 ing their way through the gloom of the forests, their 
 clothing drenched with rain, and their feet ankle-deep 
 in Virginia mud. A little after midnight they reached 
 their position, and formed for the attack at a distance 
 of about twelve hundred yards from the enemy's in- 
 trenchments. 
 
 I had been out all night looking after the movements 
 of the troops which were to form the assaulting columns. 
 After they had all been placed in position I started 
 
PBEPARING TO ATTACK THE " ANGLE" 101 
 
 for headquarters, in obedience to instructions, to report 
 the situation to the general-in-chief , He counted upon 
 important results from the movement, although he ap- 
 preciated fully the difficulties to be encountered, and 
 was naturally anxious about the dispositions which were 
 being made for the attack. The condition of the coun- 
 try was such that a horseman could make but slow pro- 
 gress in moving from one point of the field to another. 
 The rain was falling in torrents, the ground was marshy, 
 the roads were narrow, and the movements of the in- 
 fantry and artillery had churned up the mud ui^til the 
 country was almost impassable. In the pitchy darkness 
 one's horse constantly ran against trees, was shoved off 
 the road by guns or wagons, and had to squeeze through 
 lines of infantry, who swore like " our army in Flan- 
 ders " when a staff-officer's horse manifested a disposi- 
 tion to crawl over them. By feeling the way for some 
 hours I reached headquarters about daylight the next 
 morning. May 12. 
 
 "When I arrived the general was up and sitting wrapped 
 in his overcoat close to a camp-fire which was strug- 
 gUng heroically to sustain its life against the assaults 
 of wind and rain. It had been decided to move head- 
 quarters a little nearer to the center of the lines, and 
 most of the camp equipage had been packed up ready 
 to start. The general seemed in excellent spirits, and 
 was even inclined to be jocose. He said to me : " "We 
 have just had our coffee, and you wiU find some left for 
 you " ; and then, taking a critical look at my drenched 
 and bespattered clothes and famished appearance, added, 
 " But perhaps you are not hungry." To disabuse the 
 chiefs mind on this score, I sent for a cup of coffee, and 
 drank it with the relish of a shipwrecked mariner, while 
 I related the incidents of the embarrassments encoun- 
 tered in Hancock's movement, and the position he had 
 
102 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 taken up. Before I had quite finislied making my re- 
 port the stillness was suddenly broken by artiUery- 
 firing, which came from the direction of Burnside's posi- 
 tion. A few minutes after came the sound of cheers 
 and the rattle of musketry from Hancock's front, telling 
 that the main assault upon the "angle" had begun. 
 No one could see a hundred yards from our position on 
 account of the dense woods, and reports from the front 
 were eagerly awaited. It was nearly an hour before 
 anything definite was received, but at 5 : 30 an officer 
 came galloping through the woods with a report from 
 Hancock saying he had captured the first hne of the 
 enemy's works. This officer was closely followed by 
 another, who reported that many prisoners had been 
 taken. Fifteen minutes later came the announcement 
 that Hancock had captured two general officers. Gen- 
 eral Grant sent Burnside this news with a message say- 
 ing, "Push on with all vigor." Wright's corps was 
 now ordered to attack on the right of Hancock. Before 
 six o'clock a message from Hancock's headquarters re- 
 ported the capture of two thousand prisoners, and a 
 quarter of an hour later Burnside sent word that he had 
 driven the enemy back two miles and a half in his front. 
 Hancock called for reinforcements, but Grant had an- 
 ticipated him and had already ordered troops to his 
 support. The scene at headquarters was now exciting 
 in the extreme. As aides galloped up one after the 
 other in quick succession with stirring bulletins, all.bear- 
 ing the glad tidings of overwhelming success, the group 
 of staff-officers standing about the camp-fire interrupted 
 their active work of receiving, receipting for, and an- 
 swering despatches by shouts and cheers which made 
 the forest ring. General Grant sat unmoved upon his 
 camp-chair, giving his constant thoughts to devising 
 methods for making the victory complete. At times 
 
AN EVENTFUL MOENING AT HEADQUARTERS 103 
 
 the smoke from the struggling camp-fire would for a 
 moment blind him,- and occasionally a gust of wind 
 would blow the cape of his greatcoat over his face, and 
 cut off his voice in the middle of a sentence. Only once 
 during the scene he rose from his seat and paced up and 
 down for about ten minutes. He made very few com- 
 ments upon the stirring events which were crowding so 
 closely upon one another until the reports came in re- 
 garding the prisoners. When the large numbers cap- 
 tured were announced, he said, with the first trace of 
 animation he had shown : " That 's the kind of news I 
 like to hear. I had hoped that a bold dash at diaylight 
 would secure a large number of prisoners. Hancock is 
 doing well." This remark was eminently characteristic 
 of the Union commander. His extreme fondness for 
 taking prisoners was manifested in every battle he 
 fought. When word was brought to him of a success on 
 any part of the line, his first and most eager question 
 was always, "Have any prisoners been taken?" The 
 love for capturing prisoners amounted to a passion with 
 him. It did not seem to arise from the fact that they 
 added so largely to the trophies of battle, and was no 
 doubt chiefly due to his tenderness of heart, which 
 prompted him to feel that it was always more humane 
 to reduce the enemy's strength by captures than by 
 slaughter. His desire in this respect was amply grati- 
 fied, for during the war it fell to his lot to capture a 
 larger number of prisoners than any general of modern 
 times. 
 
 Meade had come over to Grant's headquarters early, 
 and while they were engaged in discussing the situation, 
 about 6 :30 A. m., a horseman rode up wearing the uni- 
 form of a Confederate general. Halting near the camp- 
 fire, he dismounted and walked forward, saluting the 
 group of Union officers as he approached. His clothing 
 
104 
 
 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 was covered with mud, and a hole had been torn in the 
 crown of his felt hat, through which a tuft of hair pro- 
 truded, looking like a Sioux chiefs warlock. Meade 
 looked at him attentively for a moment, and then stepped 
 up to him, grasped him cordially by the hand, and cried, 
 "Why, how do you do, general?" and then turned to 
 the general-in-chief and said, " General Grant, this is 
 General Johnson — Edward Johnson." General Grant 
 shook hands warmly with the distinguished prisoner, 
 and exclaimed, "How do you do? It is a long time 
 since we last met." " Yes," replied Johnson ; " it is a 
 great many years, and I had not expected to meet you 
 under such circumstances." " It is one of the many sad 
 fortunes of war," answered General Grant, who offered 
 the captured officer a cigar, and then picked up a camp- 
 chair, placed it with his own hands near the fire, and 
 added, " Be seated, and we will do all in our power to 
 make you as comfortable as possible." Johnson sat 
 down, and said in a voice and with a manner which 
 showed that he was deeply touched by these manifes- 
 tations of courtesy, " Thank you, general, thank you ; 
 you are very kind." He had been in the corps of cadets 
 with General Meade, and had served in the Mexican war 
 with General Grant, but they probably would not have 
 recognized him if they had not already heard that he 
 had been made a prisoner, I had known Johnson very 
 well, and it was only four years since I had seen him. 
 We recognized each other at once, and I extended a 
 cordial greeting to him, and presented the members of 
 our staff. He was soon quite at his ease, and bore him- 
 self under the trying circumstances in a manner which 
 commanded the respect of every one present. General 
 Hancock had already provided him with a horse to make 
 his trip to the rear with the rest of the prisoners as com- 
 fortably as possible. After some pleasant fionversation 
 

 ^^■t^ ^Si-'i-^ ^--^fe*-^*^ / ^<*** *^ -^^M..%.<%«w -r »-, 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^£.^ .^t 
 
 
 i^'-Zny? /T^^'' ^1^9^ 
 
TWO DISTINGUISHED PBISONERS 105 
 
 with Grant and Meade about old times and the strange 
 chances of war, he bade us good-by, and started under 
 escort for our base of supplies. General George H, 
 Steuart was also captured, but was not sent in to gen- 
 eral headquarters on account of a scene which had been 
 brought about by an unseemly exhibition of temper on 
 his part. Hancock had known him in the old army, 
 and in his usual frank way went up to him, greeted him 
 kindly, and offered his hand. Steuart drew back, re- 
 jected the offer, and said rather haughtily, " Under the 
 present circumstances, I must decline to take your hand." 
 Hancock, who was somewhat nettled by this remjlrk, 
 replied, "Under any other circumstances, general, I 
 should not have offered it." No further attempt was 
 made to extend any courtesies to his prisoner, who was 
 left to make his way to the rear on foot with the others 
 who had been captured. 
 
 While Generals Grant and Meade were talking with 
 General Johnson by the camp-fire, a despatch came in 
 from Hancock, saying, " I have finished up Johnson, and 
 am now going into Early." General Grant passed this 
 despatch around, but did not read it aloud, as usual, out 
 of consideration for Johnson's feelings. Soon after 
 came another report that Hancock had taken three 
 thousand prisoners ; then another that he had turned 
 his captured guns upon the enemy and made a whole 
 division prisoners, including the famous Stonewall Bri- 
 gade. Burnside now reported that his right had lost 
 its connection with Hancock's corps. General Grant 
 sent him a brief, characteristic note in reply, saying, 
 " Push the enemy with all your might ; that 's the way 
 to connect." 
 
 The general-in-chief showed again upon that event- 
 ful morning the value he placed upon minutes. Aides 
 were kept riding at a full run carrying messages, and 
 
106 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 the terseness, vigor, and intensity manifested in every 
 line of his field orders were enough to spur the most 
 sluggish to prompt action. 
 
 After giving such instructions as would provide for 
 the present emergencies, the general ordered the pony 
 " JefE Davis " to be saddled, and started for the front. 
 He left an adjutant-general behind, with orders to for- 
 ward to him promptly all communications. The staff 
 rode with the general, and after a while reached a clear- 
 ing on a piece of elevated ground from which a view of 
 portions of the line could be obtained. It was found, 
 upon learning the details of the assault upon the " angle," 
 that, notwithstanding the fatigues and hardships to 
 which the troops had been subjected, they had moved 
 forward with the step of veterans, and had marched 
 half-way across the open ground which separated them 
 from the well-defended earthworks in their front with a 
 steady pace and unbroken alinement. At that point 
 they sent up cheers which rent the air, and the columns 
 dashed forward at a run, scattering the enemy's pickets 
 before them in their swift advance. A brisk fire was 
 opened by the Confederate line from a position to the 
 left, but, unheeding it, and without firing a shot, the 
 assaulting column tore away the slashed timber and 
 other obstacles in its path, and rushed like a mighty 
 torrent over the intrenchments. A desperate hand-to- 
 hand encounter now followed, in which men fought like 
 demons, using their bayonets and clubbed muskets when 
 in too close contact to load and fire. The main assault 
 fell on Johnson's division of Lee's army. Lee was led 
 to believe that there was an intention to attack his left, 
 and he had sent most of Johnson's artillery to strengthen 
 that flank. Johnson had his suspicions aroused during 
 the night that there were preparations under way for 
 attacking his front, and had induced Lee to order the 
 
HOW THE "angle" WAS CAPXUKED 107 
 
 artillery back. By a strange ooinoidenoe, it arrived just 
 as Jolinson's line was carried, and before the guns could 
 fire a shot they fell into Hancock's hands. Besides cap- 
 turing G-enerals Steuart and Johnson, he took nearly 
 four thousand prisoners, thirty pieces of artillery, sev- 
 eral thousand stands of small arms, and about thirty 
 colors. His troops swept on half a mile, driving the 
 enemy before them in confusion, and did not pause till 
 they encountered a second line of intrenchments. The 
 enemy was now driven to desperation, and every effort 
 was bent toward retaking his lost works. Eeinforce- 
 ments were rushed forward by Lee as soon as lie saw 
 the threatening condition of matters at the " angle " ; 
 and a formidable counter-movement was rapidly organ- 
 ized against Hancock. As our troops were upon un- 
 known territory, and as their formations had been thrown 
 into considerable confusion by the rapidity of their 
 movements, they withdrew slowly before the attack to 
 the main line of works they had captured, and turning 
 them against the enemy, held them successfully during 
 all the terrific struggle that followed. 
 
 By six o'clock a. m. Wright was on that portion of the 
 field, and his men were placed on the right of the "angle." 
 Scarcely had he taken up this position when the Con- 
 federates made a determined and savage attack upon 
 him ; but despite their weU-directed efforts they failed 
 to recapture the line. Wright was wounded early in 
 the fight, but refused to leave the field. Hancock had 
 placed some artillery upon high ground, and his guns 
 fired over the heads of our troops and did much execu- 
 tion in the ranks of the enemy. Warren had been di- 
 rected to make an attack before eight o'clock, in order 
 to prevent the enemy from massing troops upon the 
 center in an effort to retake the " angle," but he was slow 
 in carrying out the order. Although the instructions 
 
108 CAMPAiaNING WITH GRANT 
 
 were of tlie most positive and urgent cliaracterj he did 
 not accomplish the work expected of him. A little be- 
 fore eleven o'clock G^eneral Grrant became so anxious 
 that he directed General Meade to relieve Warren if he 
 did not attack promptly, and to put Greneral Humphreys 
 in command of his corps. General Meade concurred in 
 this course, and said that he would have relieved "Warren 
 without an order to that effect if there had been any 
 further delay. General Grant said to one or two of us 
 who were near him : " I feel sorry to be obliged to send 
 such an order in regard to Warren. He is an officer for 
 whom I had conceived a very high regard. His quick- 
 ness of perception, personal gallantry, and soldierly 
 bearing pleased me, and a few days ago I should have 
 been inclined to place him in command of the Army of 
 the Potomac in case Meade had been killed ; but I began 
 to feel, after his want of vigor in assaulting on the 8th, 
 that he was not as efficient as I had believed, and his 
 delay in attacking and the feeble character of his as- 
 saults to-day confirm me in my apprehensions." This 
 was said in a kindly spirit, but with an air of serious 
 disappointment. Longstreet's troops had continued to 
 confront Warren, knowing that to lose that part of the 
 enemy's line would expose the troops at the " angle " to 
 a flank attack, and the obstacles to a successful assault 
 were really very formidable. Warren was blamed not 
 so much for not carrying the line in his front as for de- 
 lays in making the attack. 
 
 The general now started for another part of the field, 
 and kept moving from point to point to get a close view 
 of the fighting on different parts of the line. Once or 
 twice he called for a powerful field-glass belonging to 
 Badeau. This was rather unusual, for the general never 
 carried a glass himself, and seldom used one. He was 
 exceptionally far-sighted, and generally trusted to his 
 
HOW THE "angle" WAS OAPTUBED 109 
 
 natural vision in examining tihe field. Badeau's near- 
 sightedness made him very dependent on his glass. A 
 few days before, while he was using it, a battery com- 
 mander who was passing attempted a professional joke 
 by remarking, " I say, Badeau ; can you see Richmond ? " 
 " Not quite," answered the colonel ; " though I hope to 
 some day." " Better have the barrels of your glass rifled 
 so that it will carry farther," suggested the artillerist. 
 
 Before riding far the general came to a humble'-look- 
 ing farm-house, which was within range of the enemy's 
 guns, and surrounded by wounded men, sullen-looking 
 prisoners, and terror-stricken stragglers. The fences 
 were broken, the ground was furrowed by shells ; and 
 the place presented a scene which depicted war in its 
 most repulsive aspect. An old lady and her daughter 
 were standing on the porch. When the mother was told 
 that the officer passing was the general-in-ehief, she ran 
 toward him, and with the tears running down her cheeks, 
 threw up her arms and cried, " Thank God ! thank Grod ! 
 I again behold the glorious flag of the Union, that I have 
 not laid eyes on for three long, terrible years. Thank 
 the Lord that I have at last seen the commander of the 
 Union armies ! I am proud to say that my husband 
 and my son went from here to serve in those armies, 
 but I have been cut off from all communication, and 
 can get no tidings of them. Oh, you don't know, sir, 
 what a loyal woman suffers in this land ; but the coming 
 of the Union troops makes me feel that deliverance is 
 at last at hand, and that the gates have been opened for 
 my escape from this hell." The general was so touched 
 by this impassioned speech, and felt so firmly convinced 
 that the woman was teUing the truth, that he dismounted 
 and went into the yard, and sat for a little time on the 
 porch, to learn the details of her story, and to see what 
 he could do to comfort and succor her. She gave an 
 
110 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 account of her persecutions and sufferings -wMcli would 
 have moved the sternest heart. The general, finding 
 that she was without food, ordered a supply of rations 
 to be issued to her and her daughter, and promised to 
 have, inquiries set on foot to ascertain the whereabouts 
 of her husband and son. She was profuse in her ex- 
 pressions of gratitude for these acts of kindness. Her 
 story was afterward found to be true in every particular. 
 
 I had been anxious to participate in the scenes oc- 
 curring at the " angle," and now got permission to go 
 there and look after some new movements which had 
 been ordered. Lee made five assaults, in aU, that day, 
 in a series of desperate and even reckless attempts to 
 retake his main line of earthworks; but each time his 
 men were hurled back defeated, and he had to content 
 himself in the end with throwing up a new line farther 
 in his rear. 
 
 The battle near the " angle " was probably the most 
 desperate engagement in the history of modern warfare, 
 and presented features which were absolutely appalling. 
 It was chiefly a savage hand-to-hand fight across the 
 breastworks. Eank after rank was riddled by shot and 
 shell and bayonet-thrusts, and finally sank, a mass of 
 torn and mutilated corpses; then fresh troops rushed 
 madly forward to replace the dead, and so the murder- 
 ous work went on. Gruns were run up close to the par- 
 apet, and double charges of canister played their part 
 in the bloody work. The fenee-raUs and logs in the 
 breastworks were shattered into splinters, and trees over 
 a foot and a half in diameter were cut completely in 
 two by the incessant musketry fire. A section of the 
 trunk of a stout oak-tree thus severed was afterward 
 sent to Washington, where it is still on exhibition at the 
 National Museum. We had not only shot down an 
 army, but also a forest. The opposing 'flags were in 
 
SCENES AT THE " BLOODY ANGLE" 111 
 
 places thrust against each, other, and muskets were fired 
 with, muzzle against muzzle. SkuUs were crushed with 
 clubbed muskets, and men stabbed to death with swords 
 and bayonets thrust between the logs in the parapet 
 which separated the combatants. Wild cheers, savage 
 yells, and frantic shrieks rose above the sighing of the 
 wind and the pattering of the rain, and formed a demo- 
 niacal accompaniment to the booming of the guns as 
 they hurled their missiles of death into the contending 
 ranks. Even the darkness of night and the pitiless storm 
 failed to stop the fierce contest, and the deadly strife 
 did not cease tUl after midnight. Our troops had been 
 under fire for twenty hours, but they still held the posi- 
 tion which they had so dearly purchased. 
 
 My duties carried me again to the spot the next day, 
 and the appalling sight presented was harrowing in the 
 extreme. Our own killed were scattered over a large 
 space near the " angle," while in front of the captured 
 breastworks the enemy's dead, vastly more numerous 
 than our own, were piled upon each other in some places 
 four layers deep, exhibiting every ghastly phase of mu- 
 tilation. Below the mass of fast-decaying corpses, the 
 convulsive twitching of limbs and the writhing of bodies 
 showed that there were wounded men still alive and 
 struggling to extricate themselves from their horrid en- 
 tombment. Every relief possible was afforded, but in 
 too many cases it came too late. The place was well 
 named the " Bloody Angle," 
 
 The results of the battle are best summed up in the 
 report which the general-in-chief sent to Washington. 
 At 6 : 30 p. M., May 12, he wrote to Halleck as follows : 
 " The eighth day of battle closes, leaving between three 
 and four thousand prisoners in our hands for the day's 
 work, including two general oflBcers, and over thirty 
 pieces of artillery. The enemy are obstinate, sftid seem 
 
112 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 to have found the last ditch.. We have lost no organi- 
 zation, not even that of a company, whilst we have de- 
 stroyed and captured one division (Johnson's), one bri- 
 gade (Doles's), and one regiment entire of the enemy." 
 The Confederates had suffered greatly in general officers. 
 Two had been killed, four severely wounded, and. two 
 captured. Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing was 
 less than seven thousand ; that of the enemy, between 
 nine and ten thousand, as nearly as coiJd be ascertained. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 GRANT AND MEADE — FIELD DIVERSIONS — SEIZING VANTAGE- 
 GROUND — GRANT AND THE WOUNDED CONFEDERATE 
 
 — GRANT'S TOILET IN CAMP — IMPORTANT DESfATCHES 
 
 — THROUGH RAIN AND MUD — GRANT AND THE DYING 
 SOLDIER — BAD NEWS 
 
 ON the morning of May 13 General Grant expressed 
 some anxiety as to the possibility of Lee's falling 
 back toward Eichmond without our knowing it in time to 
 follow him up closely enough to attack him, although it 
 was thought that the almost impassable condition of the 
 roads would probably prevent sueh an attempt. Skir- 
 mishers were pushed forward near enough to discover the 
 meaning of a movement of some of the organizations in 
 Lee's center, and it was found that the enemy was merely 
 taking up a new position in rear of the works which had 
 been captured from him. There was no other fighting 
 that day. The general busied himself principally with 
 inquiries about the care of the wounded and the burial 
 of the kiUed. He thought not only of the respect due 
 the gallant dead, but of proper rewards for the living 
 whose services had contributed conspicuously to the 
 victory. He wrote a communication to the Secretary 
 of War, in which he urged the following promotions : 
 Meade and Sherman to be major-generals, and Hancock 
 a brigadier-general, in the regular army; Wright and 
 Gibbon to be major-generals of volunteers ; and CarroU, 
 
 8 113 
 
114 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 Upton, and McCandless to be brigadier-generals in that 
 service. He had already promoted Upton on the field, 
 but this promotion had to be confirmed at Washington. 
 He said in his letter: "General Meade has more than 
 met my most sanguine expectations. He and Sherman 
 are the fittest officers for large commands I have come 
 in contact with." An animated discussion took place at 
 headquarters that day regarding General Meade's some- 
 what anomalous position, and the embarrassments 
 which were at times caused on the field by the necessity 
 of issuing orders through him instead of direct to, the 
 corps commanders. The general-in-chief always invited 
 the most frank and cordial interchange of views, and 
 never failed to listen patiently to the more prominent 
 members of his staff. He seldom joined in the discus- 
 sions, and usually reserved what he had to say tiU the 
 end of the argument, when he gave his views and ren- 
 dered his decision. It was now urged upon him, with 
 much force, that time was often lost in having field 
 orders pass through an intermediary, that there was 
 danger that, in transmitting orders to corps command- 
 ers, the instructions might be either so curtailed or 
 elaborated as to change their spirit ; that no matter how 
 able General Meade might be, his position was in some 
 measure a false one ; that few responsibilities were given 
 him, and yet he was charged with the duties of an army 
 commander; that if he failed the responsibility could 
 not be fixed upon him, and if he succeeded he could not 
 reap the full reward of his merits ; that, besides, he had 
 an irascible temper, and often irritated officers who 
 came in contact with him, while General Grant was 
 even-tempered, and succeeded in securing a more hearty 
 cooperation of his generals when he dealt with them 
 direct. The discussion became heated at times. 
 At the close of the arguments the general said : " I am 
 
GRANT AND MEADE 115 
 
 fully aware that some embarrassments arise from the 
 present organization, but there is more weight on the 
 other side of the question. I am commanding all the 
 armies, ^nd I cannot neglect others by giving my time 
 exclusively to the Army of the Potomac, which would 
 involve performing all the detailed duties of an army 
 commander, directing its administration, enforcing dis- 
 cipline, reviewing its court-martial proceedings, etc. I 
 have Burnside's, Butler's, and Sigel's armies to look after 
 in Virginia, to say nothing of our Western armies, and 
 I may make Sheridan's cavalry a separate command. 
 Besides, Meade has served a long time with the Army 
 of the Potomac, knows its subordinate officers thor- 
 oughly, and led it to a memorable victory at Gettysburg. 
 I have just come from the "West, and if I removed a 
 deserving Eastern man from the position of army com- 
 mander, my motives might be misunderstood, and the 
 effect be bad upon the spirits of the troops. General 
 Meade and I are in close contact on the field ; he is ca- 
 pable and perfectly subordinate, and by attending to the 
 details he relieves me of much unnecessary work, and 
 gives me more time to think and to mature my general 
 plans. I will always see that he gets full credit for what 
 he does." 
 
 This was a broad view of the situation, and one to 
 which the general mainly adhered throughout the war ; 
 but after that day he gave a closer personal direction in 
 battle to the movements of subdivisions of the armies. 
 
 General Meade manifested an excellent spirit through 
 all the embarrassments which his position at times en- 
 tailed. He usually showed his orders to General Grant 
 before i^uing them, and as their camps in this campaign 
 were seldom more than a pistol-shot distant from each 
 other, despatches from the corps commanders directed 
 to Meade generally reached the general-in-chief about 
 
116 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 the same time. In fact, when they were together, Meade 
 frequently handed despatches to his chief to read before 
 he read them himself. As Grant's combativeness dis- 
 played itself only against the enemy, and he was a man 
 with whom an associate could not quarrel without fur- 
 nishing all the provocation himself, he and Meade con- 
 tinued on the best of terms officially and personally 
 throughout this long and eventful campaign. 
 
 During the ten days of battle through which we had 
 just passed very little relief, physical or mental, had 
 been obtained ; but there was one staff-officer, a Colonel 
 
 B , who often came as bearer of messages to our 
 
 headquarters, who always managed to console himself 
 with novel-reading, and his peculiarity in this respect 
 became a standing joke among those who knew him. 
 He went about with his saddle-bags stuffed full of thrill- 
 ing romances, and was seen several times sitting on his 
 horse under a brisk fire, poring over the last pages of 
 an absorbing volume to reach the denouement of the 
 plot, and evincing a greater curiosity to find how the 
 hero and the heroine were going to be extricated from 
 the entangled dilemma into which they had been 
 plunged by the unsympathetic author than to learn the 
 result of the surrounding battle. One of his pecidiari- 
 ties was that he took it for granted that aU. the people 
 he met were perfectly familiar with his line of literature, 
 and he talked about nothing but the merits of the latest 
 novel. For the last week he had been devouring Vic- 
 tor Hugo's " Les Miserables." It was an English trans- 
 lation, for the officer had no knowledge of French. As 
 he was passing a house in rear of the " angle " he saw a 
 young lady seated on the porch, and, stopping has horse, 
 bowed to her with aU the grace of a Chesterfield, and 
 endeavored to engage her in conversation. Before he 
 had gone far he took occasion to remark : " By the way, 
 
SEIZING VANTAGE-GKOUND 117 
 
 have you seen 'Lees Miserables ' ? " anglicizing the 
 pronunciation. Her black eyes snapped with indigna- 
 tion as she tartly replied : " Don't you talk to me that 
 way ; they 're a good deal better than Grant's miserables 
 anyhow ! " This was retold so often by those who 
 heard it that, for some time after, its repetition seriously 
 endangered the colonel's peace of mind. 
 
 On the morning of the 14th it was decided to move 
 the headquarters of Generals Grant and Meade farther 
 east to a position on some high ground three quarters 
 of a mile north of the Ny River, and near the Freder- 
 icksburg and Spottsylvania Court-house road. The 
 two generals and their staff-officers rode forward on the 
 Massaponax Church road, and came to a halt and dis- 
 mounted at a house not far from the Ny Eiver. About 
 half a mUe south of that stream, at a place near the 
 Gayle house, there was a hill held by the enemy, which 
 overlooked both the Massaponax and the Fredericks- 
 burg roads, and as it commanded an important position, 
 it was decided to try to get possession of it. 
 
 Just then General Upton rode up, joined the group, 
 and addressing himself to both Generals Grant and 
 Meade, said, with his usual enthusiasm and confidence, 
 and speaking with great rapidity : " I can take that hill 
 with my brigade. I hope you will let me try it ; I 'm 
 certain I can take it." He was asked how many men he 
 had left, as his brigade had seen very hard fighting in 
 the last few days. He replied, "About eight or nine 
 hundred men." 
 
 It was soon decided to let him make the attempt, and 
 General Wright, who was supervising the movement, 
 gave Upton orders to start forward at once and seize 
 the position. Upton put his brigade in motion with his 
 usual promptness, but the regular brigade had preceded 
 him and captured the hill. Upton relieved the regular 
 
118 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 brigade and occupied the place, but his possession of 
 it was not of long duration. The enemy sent forward 
 a portion of Mahone's infantry and Chambliss's cavalry, 
 and Upton was compelled to faU back before superior 
 numbers. However, there was no intention to allow the 
 enemy to hold such an important position, and Meade 
 directed Warren to send one of his brigades to recapture' 
 it. Ayres's brigade moved forward with spirit, and the 
 position was soon retaken and held. Creneral Grrant 
 expressed to General Meade his pleasure at seeing War-' 
 ren's troops making so prompt and successful a move- 
 ment, and as both officers had censured Warren on the 
 13th, they were anxious now to give him full credit for 
 his present conduct. General Meade sent him the fol- 
 lowing despatch: "I thank you and Ayres for taking 
 the hill. It was handsomely done." General Wright 
 then moved forward two brigades to relieve Ayres. 
 This was the only fighting on that day. 
 
 While riding about the field General Grant stopped at 
 a house and expressed a desire to prepare some de- 
 spatches. A number of wounded were lying upon the 
 porch and in the rooms ; they had made their way there 
 in accordance with the usual custom of wounded men 
 to seek a house. It seems to be a natural instinct, as a 
 house conveys the idea of shelter and of home., I 
 walked with the general into a back room to see whether 
 there was a dry spot which he might take possession of 
 for a short time, to write messages and look over the 
 maps. 
 
 As we entered, there was seen sitting in the only 
 chair a Confederate corporal of infantry who had been 
 shot in the right cheek just under the eye, the ball 
 coming out near the left ear. A mass of coagulated 
 blood covered his face and neck, and he presented a 
 shocking appearance. He arose the moment we entered, 
 
GEANT AND THE WOUNDED OONEEDEKATE 119 
 
 pushed his chair forward toward the general, and said, 
 with a bow and a smile, "Here, take my chair, sir." 
 General Q-rant looked at him, and replied: "Ah, you 
 need that chair much more than I ; keep your seat. I 
 see you are badly hurt." The officer answered good- 
 naturedly : " If you folks let me go back to our lines, I 
 think I ought to be able to get a leave to go home and 
 see my girl ; but I reckon she would n't know me now." 
 The general said, " I wiU see that one of our surgeons 
 does all in his power for you " ; and soon after he told 
 one of the surgeons who was dressing the wounds of our 
 own men to do what he could for the Confederate. The 
 despatches were afterward written in another room. 
 Thirty-three years afterward I discovered that this cor- 
 poral's name was W. E. Thraxton, and that he was in 
 excellent health and living in Macon, Georgia. 
 
 The enemy had now set to work to discover the real 
 meaning of our present movements. In the afternoon 
 skirmishers pushed forward on our right, and found 
 that Warren's corps was no longer there. 
 
 In the night of the 14th Lee began to move troops to 
 his right. Grant now directed Hancock's corps to be 
 withdrawn and massed behind the center of our line, so 
 that it could be moved promptly in either direction. 
 When the general got back to camp that evening his 
 clothes were a mass of mud from head to foot, his uni- 
 form being scarcely recognizable. He sat until bedtime 
 without making any change in his dress; he never 
 seemed particularly incommoded by the travel-stained 
 condition of his outer garments, but was scrupulously 
 careful, even in the most active campaigns, about the 
 cleanliness of his linen and his person. The only chance 
 for a bath was in having a barrel sawed in two and using 
 the half of it as a sort of sitz-bath. During most of this 
 campaign the general, like the staff-officers, used this 
 
120 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 method of 'bathing, or, as our English friends would 
 say, " tubbing." Afterward he supplied himself with a 
 portable rubber bath-tub. While campaign Hfe is not a 
 good school for the cultivation of squeamishness, and 
 while the general was always ready to rough it in camp, 
 yet he was particularly modest in performing his toilet, 
 and his tent fronts were always tied close, and the most 
 perfect privacy was secured, when he was washing, or 
 changing his clothes. While thus engaged even his 
 servant was not allowed to enter his quarters. 
 
 The next day. May 15, the rain continued, and the 
 difficulties of moving became stiU greater. Important 
 despatches were received from the other armies. They 
 informed the general-in-chief that General AvereU's 
 cavalry had cut a portion of the East Tennessee Railroad, 
 and had also captured and destroyed a depot of supplies 
 in West Virginia. Butler reported that he had captured 
 some works near Drewry's Bluff, on the James Eiver. 
 The next day, the 16th, came a despatch from Sherman 
 saying that he had compelled Johnston to evacuate 
 Dalton and was pursuing him closely. Sheridan reported 
 that he had destroyed a portion of the Virginia Central 
 and the Fredericksburg railroads in Lee's rear, had. 
 kiUed General J. E. B. Stuart, completely routed his 
 cavalry, and captured a portion of the outer lines of 
 Richmond. He said he might possibly have taken 
 Richmond by assault, but, being ignorant of the opera- 
 tions of General Grant and General Butler, and knowing 
 the rapidity with which the enemy could throw troops 
 against him, he decided that it would not be wise to 
 make such an attempt. 
 
 The loss of General Stuart was a severe blow to the 
 enemy. He was their foremost cavalry leader, and one 
 in whom Lee reposed great confidence. We afterward 
 heard that he had been taken to Richmond, and had 
 
►a 
 
THEOTJGH EAIN AND MUD 121 
 
 reached there before he died ; that Jefferson Davis visited 
 his death-bed, and was greatly affected when he found 
 that there was no hope of saving the life of this accom- 
 plished oflB.cer, 
 
 The continual rain was most disheartening. On May 
 16 Grant wrote to Halleck : " We have had five days' 
 almost constant rain, without any prospect yet of its 
 clearing up. The roads have now become so impassable 
 that ambulances with wounded men can no longer run 
 between here and Fredericksburg. All offensive opera- 
 tions must necessarily cease until we can have twenty- 
 f OTir hours of dry weather. The army is in the best of 
 spirits, and feels the greatest confidence in ultimate 
 success. . . . The elements alone have suspended 
 hostilities." 
 
 In the Wilderness the army had to struggle against 
 fire and dust ; now it had to contend with rain and mud. 
 An ordinary rain, lasting for a day or two, does not 
 embarrass troops ; but when the storm continues for a 
 week it becomes one of the most serious obstacles in a 
 campaign. The men can secure no proper shelter and 
 no comfortable rest; their clothing has no chance to 
 dry ; and a tramp of a few miles through tenacious mud 
 requires as much exertion as an ordinary day's march. 
 Tents become saturated and weighted with water, and 
 draft-animals have increased loads, and heavier roads 
 over which to haul them. Dry wood cannot be found ; 
 cooking becomes difficult ; the men's spirits are affected 
 by the gloom, and even the most buoyant natures be- 
 come disheartened. It is much worse for an army act- 
 ing on the offensive, for it has more marching to do, 
 being compelled to move principally on exterior lines. 
 
 Staff-officers had to labor day and night during the 
 present campaign in making reconnaissances and in 
 cross-questioning natives, deserters, prisoners, and fugi- 
 
122 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 tive negroes, in an attempt to secure data for the pur- 
 pose of constructing local maps from day to day. As 
 soon as these were finished they were distributed to the 
 subordinate commanders. Great confusion arose from 
 the duplication of the names of houses and farms. 
 Either family names were particularly scarce in that 
 section of the State, or else the people were united by 
 close ties of relationship, and country cousins abounded 
 to a confusing extent. So many farm-houses in some 
 of the localities were occupied by people of the same 
 name that, when certain farms were designated in orders, 
 serious errors arose at times from mistaking one place 
 for another. 
 
 The weather looked a little brighter on May 17, but 
 the roads were still so heavy that no movement was 
 attempted. A few reinforcements were received at this 
 time, mainly some heavy-artiUery regiments from the 
 defenses about Washington, who had been drOled to 
 serve as infantry. On the 17th Brigadier-general R. O. 
 Tyler arrived with a division of these troops, number- 
 ing, with the Corcoran Legion, which had also joined, 
 nearly 8000 men. They were assigned to Hancock's 
 corps. 
 
 Headquarters were this day moved about a mile and 
 a quarter to the southeast, to a point not far from Mas- 
 saponax Church. We knew that the enemy had depleted 
 the troops on his left in order to strengthen his right 
 wing, and on the night of the 17th Hancock and Wright 
 were ordered to assault Lee's left the next morning, 
 directing their attack against the second line he had 
 taken up in rear of the " angle," or, as some of the troops 
 now called it, " Hell's Half -acre." The enemy's position, 
 however, had been strengthened at this point more than 
 it was supposed, and his new line of intrenchments had 
 been given a very formidable character. Our attacking 
 
GRANT AND THE DYING SOLDIBK 123 
 
 party found the ground completely swept by a heavy and 
 destructive fire of musketry and artillery, but in spite 
 of this the men moved gallantly forward and made 
 desperate attempts to carry the works. It was soon 
 demonstrated, however, that the movement could not 
 result in success, and the troops were withdrawn. 
 
 General Grant had ridden over to the right to watch 
 the progress of this attack. While he was passing a 
 spot near the roadside where there were a number of 
 wounded, one of them, who was lying close to the road- 
 side, seemed to attract his special notice. The m^n's 
 face was .beardless ; he was evidently young ; his coun- 
 tenance was strikingly handsome, and there was some- 
 thing in his appealing look which could not fail to 
 engage attention, even in the fuU tide of battle. The 
 blood was flowing from a wound in his breast, the froth 
 about his mouth was tinged with red, and his wander- 
 ing, staring eyes gave unmistakable evidence of ap- 
 proaching death. Just then a young staff-officer 
 dashed by at a full gaUop, and as his horse's hoofs struck 
 a puddle in the road, a mass of black mud was splashed 
 in the wounded man's face. He gave a piteous look, as 
 much as to say, "Could n't you let me die in peace and 
 not add to my sufferings ? " The general, whose eyes 
 were at that moment turned upon the youth, was visi- 
 bly affected. He reined in his horse, and seeing from a 
 motion he made that he was intending to dismount to 
 bestow some care upon the young man, I sprang from 
 my horse, ran to the side of the soldier, wiped his face 
 with my handkerchief, spoke to him, and examined his 
 wound ; but in a few minutes the unmistakable death- 
 rattle was heard, and I found that he had breathed his 
 last, I said to the general, who was watching the scene 
 intently, "The poor feUow is dead," remounted my 
 horse, and the party rode on. The chief had turned 
 
124 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 round twice to look after the oflloer who had splashed 
 the mud and who had passed rapidly on, as if he wished 
 to take him to task for his carelessness. There was a 
 painfully sad look upon the general's face, and he did 
 not speak for some time. While always keenly sensi- 
 tive to the sufferings of the wounded, this pitiful sight 
 seemed to affect him more than usual, 
 
 "When G-eneral Grant returned to his headquarters, 
 greatly disappointed that the attack had not succeeded, 
 he found despatches from the other armies which were 
 by no means likely to furnish consolation to him or to 
 the officers about him. Sigel had been badly. defeated 
 at New Market, and was in retreat ; Butler had been 
 driven from Drewry's Bluff, though he still held posses- 
 sion of the road to Petersburg ; and Banks had suffered 
 defeat in Louisiana, The general was in no sense de- 
 pressed by the information, and received it in a philo- 
 sophic spirit ; but he was particularly annoyed by the 
 despatches from Sigel, for two hours before he had sent 
 a message urging that officer to make his way to Staun- 
 ton to stop supplies from being sent from there to Lee's 
 army. He immediately requested Halleck to have Sigel 
 relieved and Q-eneral Hunter put in command of his 
 troops. General Canby was sent to supersede Banks ; 
 this was done by the authorities at Washington, and not 
 upon General Grant's suggestion, though the general 
 thought well of Canby and made no objection. 
 
 In commenting briefly upon the bad news. General 
 Grant said : " Lee wiU undoubtedly reinforce his army 
 largely by bringing Beauregard's troops from Eichmond, 
 now that Butler has been driven back, and will call in 
 troops from the Valley since Sigel's defeated forces have 
 retreated to Cedar Creek. Hoke's troops will be needed 
 no longer in North Carolina, and I am prepared to see 
 Lee's forces in our front materially strengthened. I 
 
BAD NEWS 125 
 
 thought the other day that they must feel pretty blue in 
 Richmond over the reports of our victories ; but as they 
 are in direct telegraphic communication with the points 
 at which the fighting took place, they were no doubt at 
 the same time aware of our defeats, of which we have 
 not learned till to-day ; so probably they did not feel as 
 badly as we imagined." 
 
 The general was not a man to waste any time over 
 occurrences of the past ; his first thoughts were always 
 to redouble his efforts to take the initiative and over- 
 come disaster by success. Now that his cooperating 
 armies had failed him, he determined upon still bolder 
 movements on the part of the troops under his immedi- 
 ate direction. As the weather was at this time more 
 promising, his first act was to sit down at his field-desk 
 and write an order providing for a general movement 
 by the left fiank toward Richmond, to begin the next 
 night. May 19. He then sent to "Washington asking the 
 -cooperation of the navy in changing our base of supplies 
 to Port Royal on the Rappahannock. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 ATTEMPT TO TUKN THE UNION EIGHT — "bILL" — GRANT'S 
 TJNPKOTECTED HEADQTJARTEKS — GRANT AND THE VIK- 
 GINU LADY — ^.A EACE FOE THE NOETH ANNA — A NOON- 
 DAY HALT AT MES. TYLEE'S 
 
 THE fact ttat a change had been made in the posi- 
 tion of onr troops, and that Hancock's corps had 
 been withdrawn from onr front and placed in rear of our 
 center, evidently made Lee suspect that some movement 
 was afoot, and he determined to send General Ewell's 
 corps to try to turn our right, and to put Early in 
 readiness to cooperate in the movement i£ it should 
 promise success. 
 
 In the afternoon of May 19, a little after five o'clock, 
 I was taking a nap in my tent, to try to make up for 
 the sleep lost the night before. Aides-de-camp in this 
 campaign were usually engaged in riding back and forth 
 during the night between headquarters and the different 
 commands, communicating instructions for the next 
 day, and had to catch their sleep in instalments. I was 
 suddenly awakened by my colored servant crying out 
 to me : " Wake up, sah, fo' God's sake ! De whole ob 
 Lee's army am in our reah ! " He was in a state of 
 feverish excitement, and his face seemed two shades 
 lighter than its ordinary hue. The black boys were not 
 to be blamed for manifesting fright, for they aU had a 
 notion that their lives would not be worth praying for 
 if they f eU into the hands of the enemy and were recog- 
 
 126 
 
ATTEMPT TO TURN OUR EIGHT 127 
 
 nized as persons who liad made their escape from sla- 
 very to serve in the Yankee army. Hearing heavy firing 
 in the direction of our rear, I put my head out of the 
 tent, and seeing the general and staff standing near 
 their horses, which had been saddled, I called for my 
 horse and hastened to join them. Upon my inquiring 
 what the matter was, the general said : " The enemy is 
 detaching a large force to turn our right. I wish you 
 would ride to the point of attack, and keep me posted 
 as to the movement, and urge upon the commanders of 
 the troops in that vicinity not only to check the advance 
 of the enemy, but to take the offensive and destroy them 
 if possible. You can say that Warren's corps will be 
 ordered to cooperate promptly." G-eneral Meade had 
 already sent urgent orders to his troops nearest the point 
 threatened. I started up the Fredericksburg road, and 
 saw a large force of infantry advancing, which proved 
 to be the troops of Ewell's corps who had crossed the 
 Ny Eiver. In the vicinity of the Harris house, about a 
 mile east of the Ny, I found General Tyler's division 
 posted on the Fredericksburg road, with Kitching's 
 brigade on his left. By Meade's direction Hancock had 
 been ordered to send a division to move at double-quick 
 to Tyler's support, and Warren's Maryland brigade 
 arrived on the ground later. The enemy had made a 
 vigorous attack on Tyler and Kitching, and the contest 
 was raging fiercely along their lines. I rode up to 
 Tyler, who was an old army friend, found him making 
 every possible disposition to check the enemy's advance, 
 and called out to him : " Tyler, you are in luck to-day^ 
 It is n't every one who has a chance to make such a 
 debut on joining an army. You are certain to knock a 
 brevet out of this day's fight." He said : " As you see, 
 my men are raw hands at this sort of work, but they are 
 behaving like veterans." 
 
128 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Hancock had arrived on the ground in person, and 
 when Birney's troops of his corps came up they were 
 put into action on Tyler's right. Crawford, of Warren's 
 corps, arrived about dark, and was put in position on 
 the left. The brunt of the attack, however, had been 
 broken by the troops upon which it first fell. Each 
 regiment of Tyler's heavy artillery was as large as some 
 of our brigades. These regiments had been thoroughly 
 drilled and disciplined in the defenses about "Washing- 
 ton, but this was their first engagement, and their new 
 uniforms and bright muskets formed a striking contrast 
 to the travel-stained clothing and dull-looking arms of 
 the other regiments. When the veterans arrived they 
 cracked no end of jokes at the expense of the new troops. 
 They would cry out to them : " How are you, heavies ? 
 Is this work heavy enough for you ? You 're doing 
 weU, my sons. If you keep on like this a couple of 
 years, you '11 learn all the tricks of the trade." They 
 were particularly anxious to get hold of the new arms 
 of the fresh troops, and when a man was shot down a 
 veteran would promptly seize his gun in exchange for 
 his own, which had become much the worse for wear in 
 the last week's rain-storms. 
 
 The fighting was exceedingly obstinate, and continued 
 until after nine o'clock ; but by that hour the enemy had 
 been driven back at all points, and forced to beat a rapid 
 retreat across the Ny. His loss in killed and wounded 
 was severe, and we captured over fotir hundred prison- 
 ers from him. We did not escape a considerable loss on 
 our side, six hundred of our men having been killed and 
 wounded. A staff-oflficer, passing over the ground after 
 dark, saw in the vicinity of the Fredericksburg road a 
 row of men stretched upon the ground, looking as if 
 they had lain down in line of battle to sleep. He started 
 to shake several of them, and cried out: "Get up! 
 
ATTEMPT TO TUEN OUR EIGHT 129 
 
 What do you mean by going to sleep at sucli a time as 
 this ? " He was shocked to find that this row consisted 
 entirely of dead bodies lying as they fell, shot down in 
 ranks with their alinement perfectly preserved. The 
 scene told with mute eloquence the story of their valor 
 and the perfection of their discipline. The brevet rank 
 predicted for Tyler was conferred upon him for his ser- 
 vices in this engagement, and it had been fairly won. 
 
 Lee had evidently intended to make Ewell's movement 
 a formidable one, for Early had received orders to coop- 
 erate in the attack if it should promise success, ai|id dur- 
 ing the afternoon he sent forward a brigade which made 
 an assault in his front. The attempt, however, was a 
 complete failure. 
 
 This attack by EweU on the 19th prevented the orders 
 previously issued for the general movement by the left 
 flank from being carried out until the night of the 20th. 
 
 The Army of the Potomac had been embarrassed by 
 having too much artillery. Finding that the country 
 through which it had to move was more difficult than 
 had been supposed, G-eneral Grant gave an order on the 
 19th to send ninety-two guns back to Washington. 
 
 The next morning, May 20, the general was later than 
 usual in making his appearance, in consequence of hav- 
 ing overslept. Finally his voice was heard eaUing from 
 his tent to his colored servant : " Bill ! Ho, Bill ! What 
 titne-is it ? " The servant ran to him, found he was still 
 in bed, and told him the hour. In scarcely more than 
 ten minutes the general appeared at the mess-table. 
 We were not surprised at the rapidity with which he had 
 dressed himself, for we had learned by this time that in 
 putting on his clothes he was as quick as a lightning- 
 change actor in a variety theater. When the officers at 
 headquarters were called up particularly early to start 
 on the march, every one did his utmost to be on time 
 
130 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 and not keep the general waiting ; but, however vigor- 
 ous tlie effort, no one could match, him in getting on his 
 clothes. There was seldom any occasion for such hur- 
 ried dressing, but with him it was a habit which con- 
 tinued through life. 
 
 Bill, the servant who waited on the general, was a 
 notable character. He was entirely a creature of acci- 
 dent. When the general was at Cairo in 1861, Bill 
 suddenly appeared one day at headquarters with two 
 other slave boys, who had just escaped from their former 
 masters in Missouri. They belonged to that class of 
 fugitive blacks who were characterized by those given 
 to artistic comparisons as " charcoal sketches from the 
 hands of the ©Id masters." Bill was of a genuine burnt- 
 cork hue, and no white blood contaminated the purity 
 of his lineage. He at once set himself to work without 
 orders, taking care of one of the aides, and by dint of 
 his force of character resisted all efforts of that officer 
 to discharge him. When any waiter was absent, or 
 even when all were present, he would turn up in the 
 headquarters mess-tent and insist on helping the general 
 at table. Then he attached himself to Colonel Boomer, 
 and forced that officer in spite of himself to submit to 
 his services. After the colonel had been killed in the 
 assault on Vicksburg, Bill suddenly put in an appear- 
 ance again at headquarters, and was found making 
 himself useful to the general, notwithstanding the pro- 
 tests of the other servants, and before long he had him- 
 self regularly entered upon the general's private pay-roU. 
 When his chief came East, Bill followed, and gradually 
 took entire charge of the general's personal comfort as 
 valet, waiter, and man of all work. He was devoted, 
 never known to be beyond call, had studied the general's 
 habits so carefully that he could always anticipate his 
 few wants, and became reaUy very useful. I had a 
 
"bill" 131 
 
 striking Ulustration one morning in front of Spottsyl- 
 vania of how devoted Bill was to the general's comfort. 
 While we were camping in the region of wood-ticks, 
 garter-snakes, and beetles, I saw Bill in front of the 
 general's tent thrusting his hand first into one of the 
 chiefs boots and then into the other. " What are you 
 doing that for, BUI ? " I asked. " Oh," he explained, " I 
 allers feels around in de gin'ral's boots afore I lets him 
 put dem on, to see dat no insec's done got into dem de 
 prev'us night." He followed in the general's shadow all 
 through his Presidential terms, then he insisted^ upon 
 attempting business in Washington, and afterward tried 
 his hand at preaching; but he had fed so long at the 
 public crib that his appetite had been spcftled for any 
 other means of sustaining life, and he finally made his 
 way into a government department as messenger, where 
 he still is and where it is hoped that his eventful life 
 may be rounded out in the quiet and comfort to which 
 his public services entitle him. He wiU not be as 
 dramatic an historical character as Napoleon's Mame- 
 luke, but in his humble way he was as faithful and 
 devoted to his chief as the famous Eoustan. 
 
 In discussing the contemplated movement to the left, 
 G-eneral Grant said on the morning of May 20: "My 
 chief anxiety now is to draw Lee out of his works and 
 fight him in the open field, instead of assaulting him 
 behind his intrenchments. The movement of Early 
 yesterday gives me some hope that Lee may at times 
 take the offensive, and thus give our troops the desired 
 opportunity." In this, however, the general was disap- 
 pointed ; for the attack of the 19th was the last offensive 
 movement in force that Lee ventured to make during 
 the entire campaign. 
 
 The series of desperate battles around Spottsylvania 
 had ended, hvA other soil was now to be stained by the 
 
132 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 Wood of fratricidal war. Torbert's cavalry division 
 began the march to the South on May 20, and as soon 
 as it was dark Hancock's corps set out for Milford Sta- 
 tion, a distance of about twenty miles, to take up a 
 position on the south bank of the Mattapony. Gruiney's 
 Station was reached the next morning, after a night 
 march of eight miles. Hancock's advance crossed the 
 Mattapony at noon and intrenched its position. At ten 
 o'clock that morning Warren had moved south, and that 
 night he reached |;he vicinity of Guiney's Station. 
 Bumside put his corps in motion as soon as the road 
 was clear of Hancock's troops, and was followed by 
 Wright. 
 
 Generals Ghrant and Meade, with their staffs, took up 
 their march on May 21, following the road taken by 
 Hancock's corps, and late in the afternoon reached 
 Guiney's Station. Our vigilant signal-of&cers, who had 
 made every effort to read the enemy's signals, now suc- 
 ceeded in deciphering an important despatch, from which 
 it was learned that Lee had discovered the movement 
 that our forces were making. Hancock was now many 
 miles in advance, and the head of Warren's corps was a 
 considerable distance in the rear. Our party, besides a 
 smaU cavalry and infantry escort, consisted entirely of 
 officers, many of them of high rank. One might have 
 said of it what Curran said of the books in his libraiy, 
 " Not numerous, but select." It was suggested by some 
 that, before pitching camp for the night, the headquar- 
 ters had better move back upon the road on which we 
 had advanced until Warren's troops should be met ; but 
 General Grant made light of the proposition and ordered 
 the camp to be established where we were, saying, "I 
 think, instead of our going back, we had better hurry 
 Warren forward." Suggestions to the general to turn 
 back fell as usual upon deaf ears. 
 
GEANT AND THE -VIEGINIA. LADY 133 
 
 While our people were putting up the tents and mak- 
 ing preparations for supper, General Grant strolled over 
 to a house near by, owned by a Mr. Chandler, and sat 
 down on the porch. I accompanied him, and took a seat 
 beside him. In a few minutes a lady came to the door, 
 and was surprised to find that the visitor was the gen- 
 eral-in-chief . He was always particularly civil to ladies, 
 and he rose to his feet at once, took off his hat, and 
 made a courteous bow. She was ladylike and polite in 
 her behavior, and she and the general soon became en- 
 gaged in a pleasant talk. Her conversation was ej^ceed- 
 ingly entertaining. She said, among other things: 
 "This house has witnessed some sad scenes. One of 
 our greatest generals died here just a year ago — Gen- 
 eral Jackson — Stone well Jackson of blessed memory." 
 " Indeed ! " remarked General Grant. " He and I were 
 at "West Point together for a year, and we served in the 
 same army in Mexico." " Then you must^ have known 
 how good and great he was," said the lady. " Oh, yes," 
 replied the general; "he was a sterUng, manly cadet, 
 and enjoyed the respect of every one who knew him. 
 He was always of a rehgious turn of mind, and a plod- 
 ding, hard-working student. His standing was at first 
 very low in his class, but by his indomitable energy he 
 managed to graduate quite high. He was a gallant sol- 
 dier and a Christian gentleman, and I can understand 
 fully the admiration your people have for him." 
 
 " They brought him here the Monday after the battle 
 of ChancellorsviUe," she continued. "You probably 
 know, sir, that he had been wounded in the left arm and 
 right hand by his own men, who fired upon him acci- 
 dentally in the night, and his arm had been amputated 
 on the field. The operation was very successful, and he 
 was getting along nicely ; but the wet applications made 
 to the wound brought on pneumonia, and it was that 
 
134 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 which, caused his death. He lingered till the next Sun- 
 day afternoon, May 10, and then he was taken from us." 
 Here the lady of the house became very much affected, 
 and almost broke down in recalling the sad event. 
 
 Our tents had by this time been pitched, and the 
 general, after taking a polite leave of his hostess, and 
 saying he would place a guard over her house to see that 
 no damage was done to her property, walked over to 
 camp, and soon after sat down with the mess to a light 
 supper. 
 
 The question has been asked why G-eneral Grant in 
 this movement left so great a distance between Han- 
 cock's corps and the rest of his army. He did it inten- 
 tionally, and under the circumstances it was unques- 
 tionably wise generalship. He was determined to try 
 by every means in his power to tempt Lee to fight out- 
 side of his intrenched hnes. He had in the battles of 
 the last two weeks thoroughly measured Lee's capacity 
 as an opponent, and he beUeved it would be difficult to 
 force him to take the offensive unless some good oppor- 
 tunity were offered. He knew that Lee, from the dis- 
 tance over which he would have to move his troops, 
 could not attack the isolated Hancock with more than 
 an army-corps. Such a force he was certain Hancock 
 could whip ; and Grant, being in close commimication 
 with the several corps, felt that he could bring up rein- 
 forcements as rapidly as the enemy, and that the chances 
 would be greatly in his favor if he could thus bring on 
 an engagement in the open field. There was no question 
 in his mind as to whipping his opponent; the only 
 problem was how to get at him. 
 
 The next morning, May 22, headquarters moved south, 
 following the line which had been taken by Hancock's 
 troops, which ran parallel with the Fredericksburg Rail- 
 road. The officers and men had never experienced a 
 
A BACE FOE THE NORTH ANNA 135 
 
 more sudden change of feelings and prospects. The 
 ■weather was pleasant, the air was invigorating, the sun 
 was shining brightly, and the roads were rapidly drying 
 up. The men had been withdrawn from the scenes of 
 their terrific struggles at Spottsylvania, and were no 
 longer conf rontingf ormidable earthworks. The features 
 of the country had also entirely changed. Though there 
 were many swamps, thickets, and streams with difficult 
 approaches, the deep gloom of the Wilderness had been 
 left behind. The country was now more open, and pre- 
 sented many clearings, and the range of visj^on was 
 largely increased. The roads were broad, the land was 
 well cultivated, and the crops were abundant. The men 
 seemed to breathe a new atmosphere, and were inspired 
 with new hope. It was again " on to Richmond," and 
 the many miles they were now gaining toward the 
 enemy's capital, and out of reach of fire, made them ex- 
 perience that buoyancy of feeling which always accom- 
 panies the prestige of success. But while the country- 
 was covered with farms and houses, there was scarcely 
 an inhabitant to be seen. Most of the able-bodied men 
 were serving in the armies, and the slaves had been 
 driven farther south. Many of the non-combatants had 
 gone away to escape the invading army, and the only 
 people encountered were women and children and old 
 and decrepit men. 
 
 The corps were now rapidly moving toward Hanover 
 Junction, which is about twenty-five miles north of 
 Eichmond. Lee, notwithstanding his superior means 
 of obtaining information, had not begun to move until 
 Hancock's corps had crossed the Mattapony at MUford. 
 He then started rapidly down the Telegraph road, and 
 as he had a shorter route than the Union forces, it ap- 
 pears that he reached Hanover Court-house at the head 
 of EweU's corps at 9 : 30 o'clock on May 22. His tele- 
 
136 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GEANX 
 
 grams and manceuvers all go to show that he was en- 
 tirely deceived in regard to Grant's movements. He 
 reported at that time : " I have learned, as yet, nothing 
 of the movements of the enemy east of the Mattapony." 
 The day before, in speaking of the position of Grant's 
 army, he said : " I fear [this] wiU secure him from attack 
 until he crosses the Pamunkey." Even after Grant had 
 crossed the Mattapony, Lee spoke of the Union forces 
 as being east of that river, and was hurrying forward 
 troops in order to prevent Grant from crossing the 
 Pamunkey, a stream formed by the junction of the 
 North Anna and the South Anna rivers, while Grant 
 was in reality moving toward the North Anna. In 
 these movements Lee was entirely outgeneraled. 
 
 On the morning of May 22 Hancock was instructed to 
 remain at MiKord during the day, while the other corps 
 were directed to move south by roads which would not 
 separate them by distances of more than four miles. It 
 appears to have been about midday of the 22d when 
 Lee obtained information, through his cavalry, of om* 
 advance toward the North Anna. Hancock could not 
 well have reached Hanover Junction before Lee, for 
 Lee's route from the right of his intrenchments on the 
 Po to Hanover Junction by the Telegraph road was 
 about twenty-eight miles, while the route of Hancock's 
 corps from Anderson's MiU to Hanover Junction via 
 Bowling Green was about thirty-four mUes ; besides, as 
 Hancock was advancing with a detached corps through 
 ail enemy's country and over unknown roads, he had to 
 move with caution. 
 
 Early in the afternoon General Grant decided to halt 
 for a couple of hours, to be in easy communication with 
 the troops that were following. He selected for the halt 
 a plantation which was beautifully situated on high 
 ground, commanding a charming view of the valley of 
 
A NOONDAY HALT AT MBS. TYLER'S 137 
 
 the Mattapony. A very comfortable house stood not 
 far from the road along wliich Burnside's corps was 
 marching. In making halts of this kind a house was 
 usually selected, for the reason that good water was 
 easily obtainable, and facilities were afforded for looking 
 at maps and conducting correspondence. Greneral Grant 
 never entered any of the houses, as they were usually 
 occupied by ladies, and he did not wish to appear to 
 invade their dwellings ; he generally sat on the porch. 
 When we reached this plantation, the escort and the 
 junior staff-officers lounged about the grounds in the 
 shade of the trees, while G-eneral Grant, accompanied by 
 two or three of us who were riding with him, dismounted, 
 and ascended the steps of the porch. A very gentle and 
 prepossessing-looking lady standing in the doorway was 
 soon joined by an older woman. General Grant bowed 
 courteously and said, "With your permission, I wiU 
 spend a few hours here." The younger lady replied 
 very civilly, " Certainly, sir." The older one exclaimed 
 abruptly, " I do hope you will not let your soldiers ruin 
 our place and carry away our property." The general 
 answered politely, "I will order a guard to keep the 
 men out of your place, and see that you are amply pro- 
 tected"; and at once gave the necessary instructions. 
 The ladies, seeing that the officer with whom they were 
 conversing was evidently one of superior rank, became 
 anxious to know who he was, and the older one stepped 
 up to me, and in a whisper asked his name. Upon being 
 told that he was General Grant, she seemed greatly sur- 
 prised, and in a rather excited manner informed the 
 other lady of the fact. The younger lady, whose name 
 was Mrs. Tyler, said that she was the wife of a colonel 
 in the Confederate army, who was serving with General 
 Joe Johnston in the West ; but she had not heard from 
 him for some time, and she was very anxious to learn 
 
138 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 througli G-eneral &rant what news he had from that 
 quarter. The general said, " Sherman is advancing 
 upon Eome, and ought to have reached that place by 
 this time." Thereupon the older lady, who proved to 
 be the mother-in-law of the younger one, said very 
 sharply: "Greneral Sherman wiU never capture that 
 place. I know aU about that country, and you have n't 
 an army that will ever take it. "We all know very well 
 that Sherman is making no headway against General 
 Johnston's army." 
 
 "We could see that she was entertaining views which 
 everywhere prevailed in the South. The authorities 
 naturally put the best face upon matters, and the news- 
 papers tried to buoy up the people with false hopes. It 
 was not surprising that the inhabitants of the remote 
 parts of the country were in ignorance of the true pro- 
 gress of the war. General Grant replied in a quiet way : 
 " General Sherman is certainly advancing rapidly in that 
 direction ; and while I do not wish to be the communi- 
 cator of news which may be unpleasant to you, I have 
 every reason to believe that Eome is by this time in his 
 possession," The older lady then assumed a bantering 
 tone, and became somewhat excited and defiant in her 
 manner ; and the younger one joined with her in scout- 
 ing the idea that Eome could ever be taken. Just then 
 a courier rode up with despatches from "Washington 
 containing a telegram from Sherman. General Grant 
 glanced over it, and then read it to the staff. It an- 
 nounced that Sherman had just captured Eome. The 
 ladies had caught the purport of the communication, 
 although it was not intended that they should hear it. 
 The wife burst into tears, and the mother-in-law was 
 much affected by the news, which was of course sad 
 tidings to both of them. 
 
 The mother then began to talk with great rapidity 
 
A NOONDAY HALT AT MRS. TYLER'S 139 
 
 and with, no little asperity, saying : " I came from Rich- 
 mond not long ago, where I lived in a honse on the 
 James River which, overlooks Belle Isle ; and I had the 
 satisfaction of looking down every day on the Yankee 
 prisoners. I saw thousands and thousands of them, and 
 before this campaign is over I want to see the whole of 
 the Yankee army in Southern prisons." 
 
 Just then Burnside rode into the yard, dismounted, 
 and joined our party on the porch. He was a man of 
 great gallantry and elegance of manner, and was always 
 excessively pohte to the gentler sex. He raised ^is hat, 
 made a profound bow to the ladies, and, as he looked at 
 his corps filing by on the road, said to the older one, 
 who was standing near him, " I don't suppose, madam, 
 that you ever saw so many Yankee soldiers before." 
 She replied instantly : " Not at liberty, sir." This was 
 such a good shot that every one was greatly amused, 
 and General Grrant joined heartily in the laugh that fol- 
 lowed at Burnside's expense. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 GKANT CEOSSES THE NOETH ANNA — SHEEIDAN EETUENS 
 FEOM HIS EAID — MEETING BETWEEN GEANT AND 
 BUENSIDE — DESTEOyiNG A EAILEOAD — THE ENEMY 
 EEINFOECED — A FEMALE ODDITY — GEANT EECEOSSES 
 THE NOETH ANNA 
 
 HAH^COCK'S corps had been fighting and marching 
 almost continuously for over a week, both day and 
 night, and the halt on May 22 was made to give a much- 
 needed rest. It was a cnrious study to watch the effect 
 which the constant exposure to fire had produced upon 
 the nervous system of the troops. Their nerves had 
 become so sensitive that the men would start at the 
 slightest sound, and dodge at the flight of a bird or the 
 sight of a pebble tossed past them. One of their 
 amusements in camp at that time was to throw stones 
 and chips past one another's heads, and raise a laugh at 
 the active dodging and bending the body low, or " jack- 
 knifing," as the men called it. This did not indicate 
 any loss of courage ; it was merely an effect produced 
 by a temporary physical condition which the men could 
 not control, and gave ample evidence of the nervous 
 strain to which they had so long been subjected. Dodg- 
 ing the head under fire is often as purely involuntary as 
 winking. I have known, in my experience, only two 
 men who could remain absolutely immovable under a 
 heavy fire, without even the twitching of a muscle. One 
 
 140 
 
GRANT OEOSSES THE NORTH ANNA 141 
 
 was a bugler in tlie cavalry, and the other was General 
 Grrant. 
 
 In the evening of the 22d the general-in-chief issued 
 written orders directing the movement of the troops for 
 the next day. The march was to begin at five o'clock in 
 the morning, and the several corps were to send out 
 cavalry and infantry in advance on aU the roads to as- 
 certain the position of the enemy. The purpose was to 
 cross the North Anna Eiver west of the Fredericksburg 
 Railroad, and to strike Lee wherever he could be found. 
 To understand the topography of the country, ii is ne- 
 cessary to explain that the North Anna and the South 
 Anna run in an easterly direction, at a distance from 
 each other of eight or ten miles in the vicinity of the 
 region in which Grant's operations took place, and unite 
 and form the Pamunkey Eiver about five miles east of 
 the line of the Fredericksburg Eailroad. This road 
 crossed the North Anna about two miles north of Han- 
 over Junction, the intersection of the Fredericksburg 
 and the Virginia Central railroads. The'Telegraph road 
 crossed the river by a wooden bridge half a mile west of 
 the railroad bridge. Farther n up the river there were 
 three fords about a mile and a half apart. Hancock 
 marched to the Telegraph-road bridge, Burnside to Ox 
 Ford, and Warren to Jericho Ford. Wright followed 
 Warren ; Burnside's corps used plantation roads which 
 ran between the main roads which had been taken by 
 the corps of Hancock and Warren. 
 
 Hancock approached the river at the Telegraph-road 
 bridge about noon. He found the enemy holding an 
 earthwork on the north side, and saw a force posted on 
 the opposite bank. Seeing the importance of gaining 
 possession of the defensive work, he determined to take 
 it by assault, and did so handsomely, some of the enemy 
 being captured, and the rest driven over the bridge, 
 
142 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 followed closely by our men. The retreating force was 
 tkrown into great confusion, and in the rush a number 
 were crowded off the bridge and drowned. 
 
 Bumside, on reaching Ox Ford, found it held by the 
 enemy strongly intrenched on the south bank of the 
 river, and no attack was made. Warren reached Jericho 
 Ford soon after noon, seized it, laid a pontoon-bridge, 
 and by 4 : 30 p. m. had moved his whole corps to the 
 south bank. At six o'clock Hill's corps attacked War- 
 ren's line before his troops were all in position, and 
 forced it back some distance ; but the enemy was soon 
 repulsed. Wright's corps was moved up to support 
 Warren, but it was not deemed necessary to send it 
 across the river until the next morning. 
 
 General Grant rode during this day, May 23, with 
 Hancock's corps. While halting in the afternoon at a 
 house not far from the river, he was told by the people 
 living there that Lee had rested for a few hours at the 
 same house the day before, and that his entire army had 
 crossed the river. On the morning of the 24th Hancock 
 crossed to the south side. Crittenden's division crossed 
 the river and joined Warren's corps. They advanced 
 against the enemy with a view of dislodging him from 
 his position at Ox Ford, but his lines were found so 
 strong that after a brief encounter our forces withdrew. 
 They had not been able to take with them any artillery. 
 That night our whole army, except one division of 
 Bumside's corps, was on the south side of the river and 
 close up to the enemy's lines. 
 
 General headquarters were established near Chester- 
 field Station on May 24. That day Sheridan returned 
 from his memorable cavalry raid, and was warmly 
 greeted by General Grant at headquarters, and heartily 
 congratulated upon his signal success. He related some 
 of the principal incidents in the raid very graphically, 
 
SHEEIDAN EETUKNS FBOM fflS BAID 143 
 
 but witli becoming modesty. In describing a particu- 
 larly hot figbt, he would become highly animated in 
 manner and dramatic in gesture ; then he would turn to 
 some ludicrous incident, laugh heartily, and seem to 
 enjoy greatly the recollection of it. It will be remem- 
 bered that he started out suddenly on May 8, passed 
 round the right of Lee's army, keeping out of reach of 
 his infantry, crossed the North Anna in the night, de- 
 stroyed ten miles of the Virginia Central Eailroad, 
 together with cars, locomotives, and a large amount of 
 arniy supplies, recaptured three hundred and seventy- 
 five of our prisoners on their way from Spottsylvania to 
 Richmond, crossed the South Anna, struck the Freder- 
 icksburg road at Ashland, and destroyed the depot, 
 many mUes of road, a train of cars, and a large supply 
 of army stores. Finding that the enemy's cavalry were 
 concentrating, he united his divisions, which had been 
 operating at different points in the work of destruction, 
 and fought a pitched battle at YeUow Tavern, about 
 seven miles north of Richmond, capturing two pieces of 
 artillery, mortally wounding the commander, J. E. B. 
 Stuart, and killing Brigadier-general James B. Gordon. 
 He then entered the advanced lines of intrenchments 
 north of Richmond, crossed the Chickahominy, and 
 reached HaxaU's Landing, on the James, where he re- 
 plenished his supplies from stores sent to him by Butler. 
 After remaining there from the 14th to the 17th of May, 
 he started on his return to the Army of the Potomac. 
 He had lost only four hundred and twenty-five men in 
 killed, wounded, and missing. One important effect of 
 Sheridan's operations was that he compelled all of the 
 enemy's cavalry to be moved against him, which left our 
 large train of four thousand wagons free from their 
 attacks. 
 General Grant at times had a pecuHar manner of 
 
144 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 teasing officers witli wliom he was on terms of intimacy, 
 and in tMs interview he began to joke with his cavalry 
 leader by saying to those who were gathered about him : 
 " Now, Sheridan evidently thinks he has been clear down 
 to the James River, and has been breaking np railroads, 
 and even getting a peep at Richmond; but probably 
 this is all imagination, or else he has been reading 
 something of the kind in the newspapers, I don't sup- 
 pose he seriously thinks that he made such a march as 
 that in two weeks." 
 
 Sheridan joined in the fun, and replied : " Well, after 
 what General Grant says, I do begin to feel doubtful as 
 to whether I have been absent at aU from the Army of 
 the Potomac." Sheridan had become well bronzed by 
 his exposure to the sun, and looked the picture of health. 
 It was seen at once that the general-in-chief did not in- 
 tend to give him or his command any rest. He told him 
 of the movements he had in contemplation, and Sheri- 
 dan saw that aU his troopers w«uld be wanted immedi- 
 ately at the front. 
 
 That evening, the 24th, General Grant issued an order, 
 which he had been considering for some time, assigning 
 Burnside's corps to the Army of the Potomac, and put- 
 ting him under the command of Meade. It was found 
 that such a consolidation would be much better for pur- 
 poses of administration, and give more unity to the 
 movements. It had been heretofore necessary to inform 
 Meade of the instructions given to Burnside, and to let 
 Bumside know of the movements that were to be under- 
 taken by Meade, in order that the commanders might 
 understand fuUy what was intended to be accomplished, 
 and be in a position to cooperate intelligently. This 
 involved much correspondence and consumed time. The 
 new order was intended to avoid this, and simplify the 
 methods which had been employed. While General 
 
MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY W. HALLECK. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
DESTEOYING A RAILROAB 145 
 
 Grant was riding past the headquarters of Bnrnside the 
 next morning, Burnside came out of his tent, and in 
 company with several of his officers came up to G-eneral 
 G-rant, who had now halted by the roadside, shook hands 
 with him, and said : " I have received the instructions 
 assigning my command to the Army of the Potomac. 
 That order is excellent ; it is a military necessity, and I 
 am glad it has been issued." This conduct of Burnside 
 gave the greatest satisfaction to the general-in-chief, and 
 he commented very favorably upon it afterward. It 
 must be recollected in this connection that Burnside was 
 senior in rank to Meade, and had commanded the Army 
 of the Potomac when Meade was a division commander 
 under him ; and the manner in which Burnside acquiesced 
 in his new assignment, and the spirit he manifested in 
 his readiness to set aside all personal aims and ambitions 
 for the public good, were among the many instances of 
 his patriotism and his absolute loyalty to the cause he 
 served. 
 
 The general headquarters were moved farther west on 
 May 25, and established on the north side of the North 
 Anna, near Quarles's Ford, at a place known as Quarles's 
 Mills. That day it became evident that Lee was going 
 to make a permanent stand between the North and the 
 South Anna. His position was found to be exceedingly 
 strong, and was somewhat similar to the one taken up 
 at Spottsylvania. The lines were shaped something like 
 the letter U, with the base resting on the river at Ox 
 Ford. It had one face turned toward Hancock, and the 
 other toward Warren. The lines were made exceed- 
 ingly formidable by means of strong earthworks with 
 heavy obstructions planted in front, and were flanked 
 on the right by an impenetrable swamp, and on the left 
 by Little River. General Grant said, in discussing the 
 situation at this time : " It now looks as if Lee's position 
 
 10 
 
146 ■ CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 were sucli that it would not be prudent to fight a battle 
 in the narrow space between these two rivers, and I 
 shaU withdraw our army from its present position, and 
 make another flank march to the left ; but I want, while 
 we are here, to destroy a portion of the Virginia Central 
 Railroad, as that is the road by which Lee is receiving 
 a large part of his supplies and reinforcements." He 
 ended the conversation by directing me to cross the 
 river and superintend this operation. 
 
 I went with a portion of Russell's division of "Wright's 
 corps, which began the work of destruction at a point 
 on the railroad about eight hundred yards from the 
 enemy's extreme left. A brigade was extended along 
 one side of the road in single rank, and at a given sig- 
 nal the men took hold of the rails, hfted up the road, 
 and turned it upside down. Then, breaking the rails 
 loose, they used them as levers in prying off the cross- 
 ties, which they piled up at different points, laid the 
 rails across them, and set fire to the ties. As soon as the 
 rails became sufficiently hot they bent in the middle by 
 their own weight ; efforts were then made to twist them 
 so as to render them still more unserviceable. Several 
 miles of railway were thus destroyed. 
 
 The reinforcements which General Grant had pre- 
 dicted would be sent to Lee's army had reached him. 
 Between 12,000 and 15,000 men arrived from the 22d to 
 the 25th of May. Breckinridge had come from the val- 
 ley of Virginia with nearly all of his forces; Pickett 
 brought a division from the vicinity of Richmond ; and 
 Hoke's brigade of Early's division had also been sent to 
 Lee from the Confederate capital. On the 22d, as soon 
 as Grant had learned the extent of the disaster ^to But- 
 ler's army on the James, he said that Butler was not 
 detaining 10,000 men in Richmond, and not even keep- 
 ing the roads south of that city broken, and he consid- 
 
THE ENEMY EEmFOBCED 147 
 
 ered it advisable to have the greater part of Butler's 
 troops join in the campaign of the Army of the Poto- 
 mac. On May 25 he telegraphed orders to Halleck, say- 
 ing : " Send Butler's forces to White House, to land on 
 the north side, and march up to join this army. The 
 James Eiver should be held to City Point, but leave 
 nothing more than is absolutely necessary to hold it, 
 acting purely on the defensive. The enemy will not 
 undertake any offensive operations there, but will con- 
 centrate everything here." At the same time he said : 
 "If Hunter can possibly get to Charlottesville and 
 Lynchburg, he should do so, living on the country. The 
 railroads and canals should be destroyed beyond the 
 possibility of repair for weeks." These instructions 
 were given in consequence of the withdrawal of Breck- 
 inridge's command, which left the valley of Virginia 
 undefended. 
 
 When I recrossed the river and returned to headquar- 
 ters in the evening, I found General Grant sitting in 
 front of his tent smoking a cigar and anxious to hear 
 the report as to the extent of the damage to the railroad. 
 About the time I finished relating to him what had 
 been accomplished, an old woman who occupied a small 
 house near by stroUed over to headquarters, apparently 
 bent upon having a friendly chat with the commander 
 of the Yankee armies. The number of questions she 
 asked showed that she was not lacking in the quality of 
 curiosity which is supposed to be common to her sex. 
 She wore an old-fashioned calico dress about six inches 
 too short, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. She 
 had a nose so sharp that it looked as if it had been 
 caught in the crack of a door, and small gray eyes that 
 twinkled and snapped as she spoke. She began by 
 nodding a familiar " How do you do ? " to the general, 
 and saying in a voice which squeaked like the high notes 
 
148 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 of an E-flat clarinet with a soft reed: "I believe you 
 command all these h'yali Yankees that are comin' down 
 h'yah and cavortin' ronnd over this whole section of 
 country." The general bowed an assent, and she con- 
 tinued : " I 'm powerful glad Q-eneral Lee has been lickin' 
 you-aU from the Eapidan cl'ah down h'yah, and that 
 now he 's got you jes wh'ah he wants you." 
 
 Then she drew up a camp-chair alongside the general, 
 seated herself on it, and finding that her remarks seemed 
 to be received good-naturedly, grew still more familiar, 
 and went on to say: "Yes, and afo' long Lee '11 be 
 a-chasin' you-aU up through Pennsylvany ag'in. Was 
 you up thah in Pennsylvany when he got aftah you-aU 
 last summer ? " The general had great difi&culty in keep- 
 ing his face straight as he replied : " Well, no ; I was n't 
 there myself. I had some business in another direction." 
 He did not explain to her that Vicksburg was at that 
 time commanding something of his attention. Said 
 she : " I notice our boys got away with lots of 'em Cones- 
 toga bosses up thah, and they brought lots of 'em back 
 with 'em. We 've got a pretty good show of 'em round 
 this section of country, and they 're jes the best draft- 
 hosses you ever see. Hope the boys 'U get up thah 
 ag'in soon, and bring back some more of 'em." 
 
 The general kept on smoking his cigar, and was 
 greatly amused by the conversation. After a little 
 while the woman went back to her house, but returned 
 later, and said : " See h'yah ; I 'm aU alone in my house, 
 and I 'm kinder skeerd. I expect them Yankee soldiers 
 of yourn 'U steal everything I have, and murder me afo' 
 morning, if you don't give me some protection." " Oh," 
 replied the general, " we wiU see that you are not hurt " ; 
 and turning to Lieutenant Dunn of the staff, he said: 
 " Dunn, you had better go and stay in the old lady's 
 house to-night. You can probably make yourself more 
 
GRANT REOROSSES THE NORTH ANNA 149 
 
 comfortable there than in camp, anyhow f and I don't 
 want her to be frightened." 
 
 Dunn followed the old woman rather reluctantly to 
 her house, and played guardian angel to her till the next 
 morning. 
 
 General Grrant had now presented to him for solution 
 a very formidable military problem. Lee's position, 
 from the strength and location of his intrenchments and 
 the defensive character of the country, was impregnable, 
 or at least it could not be carried by assault without 
 involving great loss of life. The general had tjjerefore 
 decided to withdraw, and make another movement, by 
 the left flank, in the hope of so manoeuvering as to 
 afford another opportunity of getting a chance to strike 
 Lee outside his earthworks. However, a withdrawal in 
 the face of a vigilant foe, and the crossing of a difficult 
 river within sight of the enemy, constitute one of the 
 most hazardous movements in warfare. There was the 
 possibility, also, that Lee might mass his artillery on 
 his left flank, and try to hold it by this means and with 
 a minimum of his infantry, and with the bulk of his 
 army move out on his right in an attempt to crush 
 Hancock's corps. This is exactly what Grant himseK 
 would have done under similar circumstances ; but he 
 had by this time become familiar with Lee's methods, 
 and had very little apprehension that he would take the 
 offensive. Nevertheless, Hancock was ordered to take 
 every precaution against a possible assault. The with- 
 drawal of the army was conducted with consummate 
 skiU, and furnishes an instructive lesson in warfare. In 
 the first place, the enemy had to be deceived and thrown 
 off his guard to make the movement at aU safe. For 
 this purpose "Wilson's division of cavalry was transferred 
 to the right of the army on May 25, and ordered to cross 
 the North Anna and proceed to Little Eiver on Lee's 
 
150 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 extreme left, and make a vigorous demonstration, to 
 convey tlie impression that there was a movement of the 
 army in that direction with a view to turning Lee's left. 
 This was done so effectually that Lee telegraphed to 
 Richmond the next morning : " From present indications 
 the enemy seems to contemplate a movement on our 
 left flank." During the night of the 25th the trains and 
 all of the artillery, which was in position on our right 
 wing, were quietly moved to the north bank of the river. 
 . EusseU's division of the Sixth Corps was also withdrawn 
 and moved in the rear of Burnside, and at daylight the 
 next morning halted in a place where its movements 
 could not be seen by the enemy during the day. Its 
 position in front of the enemy had been skilfully filled 
 with men from the other parts of the command, and its 
 absence was not discovered. Early in the morning of 
 May 26 instructions were issued for the withdrawal of 
 the entire army that night. After these orders had been 
 despatched, the general seated himself in front of his 
 tent for a quiet smoke. In a few minutes the old 
 woman who had had the familiar chat with him the 
 evening before rushed over to his tent in a high state of 
 excitement. Swinging her arms like the fans of a wind- 
 mill, and screaming at the top of her shriU voice, she 
 cried out : " See h'yah ; these Yankees o' yourn got into 
 my bahn last night, and stole the only hoss I had, and 
 I want you to send some of your folks out to find him 
 and bring him back." The general listened to her>story, 
 and when she had finished remarked quietly : " Madam, 
 perhaps it is one of those Conestoga horses you spoke 
 of that belong up in Pennsylvania, and some of our men 
 have made up their minds to take him back home." 
 The old lady at this remark was rather crestfallen, and 
 said with a grin : " Well, I reckon you 've got me on 
 that; but you Yankees have no business down h'yah 
 
GEANT EECBOSSES THE NORTH ANNA 151 
 
 anyhow, and I think you might get me back that hoss." 
 The general replied : " I 'm very sorry indeed that l^iis 
 has occurred, and if the army "were in camp I would send 
 you around with a guard to see whether the horse could 
 be recognized by you and recovered ; but the troops are 
 moving constantly, and it would be utterly impossible to 
 find the animal." She finally went off, shaking her fist 
 and muttering : " I 'm sart'in of one thing, anyhow : 
 General Lee '11 just dust you-aU out of this place afo' 
 you kin say scat." 
 
 The operations of the last two days had made the 
 duties of staff-oflB.cers particularly arduous, and a great 
 many of us were feeling the effects of the last week's 
 hard work and exposure, the loss of sleep, and the 
 breathing of a malarious atmosphere. In connection 
 with the renewal of the work of destroying the railroad, 
 I was sent across the river again on the 26th, and on 
 returnirig that afternoon to headquarters found myseK 
 suffering severely from fever and sick-headache. About 
 dark General Grant wished me to make another trip to 
 the extreme right, to assist in the work of withdrawing 
 the troops, as I was particularly familiar with that part 
 of the lines. Sickness is no excuse in the field, so I 
 started across the river again without making my con- 
 dition known to the general. To make matters worse, a 
 thunder-storm came up, accompanied by vivid lightning, 
 and between the fiashes the darkness was so impenetrable 
 that it was slow work finding the roads. Babcock, see- 
 ing my condition, volunteered to accompany me, so that 
 if I gave out, the orders I was carrying might still reach 
 their destination. We remained in the saddle the greater 
 part of the night. On my return to headquarters a sur- 
 geon supplied me liberally with round-shot in the form 
 of quinine pills, which were used so effectively that my 
 fever was soon forced to beat a retreat. 
 
152 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 As soon as it was dark tlie other divisions of Wright's 
 cor^s had begim the recrossing of the river. This corps 
 followed the route which had been taken by Eussell's 
 division, while Warren took a road a Httle farther to the 
 north. Burnside and Hancock next withdrew, and so 
 cautiously that their movements entirely escaped detec- 
 tion by the enemy. All the corps left strong guards in 
 their fronts, which were withdrawn at the last moment. 
 The pontoon-bridges were taken up after crossing the 
 river, and cavalry was sent to the several fords to hold 
 them after they had been abandoned by the infantry, 
 and to destroy any facilities for crossing which had been 
 neglected. The withdrawal from the North Anna had 
 now been successfully accomplished. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 GBANT CKOSSES THE PAMUNKET — MANCEUVERING FOE PO- 
 SITION — GRANT INTERVIEWS A PRISONER — REGION OF 
 THE TOTOPOTOMOY — GRANT SEIZES OLD COLD H^BOR 
 — W. F. SMITH'S TROOPS JOIN THE ARMY OP THE PO- 
 TOMAC — GRANT DISCIPLINES A TEAMSTER — GRANT'S 
 FONDNESS FOR HORSES — MOVING INTO POSITION — 
 THE HALT AT BETHESDA OHTTROH 
 
 AS soon as all tlie commands liad safely recrossed tlie 
 XjL North Anna, General Grant set out on the morn- 
 ing of May 27, and marched with the troops in the new 
 movement to the left. Sheridan, with two divisions of 
 his cavalry, had started east the afternoon of the day 
 before, and had moved rapidly to Hanovertown on the 
 Pamunkey, a distance of nearly thirty miles. 
 
 On the march the general-in-chief , as he rode by, was 
 vociferously cheered, as usual, by the troops. Every 
 movement directed by him inspired the men with new 
 confidence in his ability and his watchfulness over their 
 interests ; and not only the officers, but the rank and 
 file, understood fully that he had saved them on the 
 North Anna from the slaughter which would probably 
 have occurred if they had been thrown against Lee's 
 formidable intrenchments, and had had to fight a battle 
 with their backs to a river ; that he had skilfully with- 
 drawn them without the loss of a man or a wagon, and 
 that they were again making an advance movement. 
 
 153 
 
154 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 The soldiers by this time were getting on intimate terms 
 with their commander— in fact, becomingquite chummy. 
 One man in the ranks touched his hat as the chief rode 
 by, and asked, "Is it all right, general?" He received 
 a nod of the head in reply, and the words, " Yes, I think 
 so." Another man looked up at him, and said in an 
 earnest tone, "G-eneral, we '11 lick 'em sure pop next 
 time." These remarks were not attempts at undue 
 familiarity, but expressions of a genuine sentiment of 
 soldierly fellowship which the men had learned to en- 
 tertain toward their chief. That night general head- 
 quarters were established at Mangohick Church, about 
 twenty miles in a southeasterly direction from Quarles's 
 Ford. 
 
 The cavalry had been handled with great skill. It 
 made a feint as if to cross at Littlepage's and Taylor's 
 fords on the Pamunkey, and after dark moved rapidly 
 to Hanover Ferry, about twelve miles farther down the 
 stream, where the actual crossing took place on the 
 morning of the 27th. It was foUowed by Eussell's 
 division of infantry. The rest of the troops had made 
 a good march, and soon after midday on May 28, Wright, 
 Hancock, and Warren had crossed the river and gone 
 into position about a mile and a half beyond. Burnside 
 had reached the ferry, but remained on the north side 
 to guard the trains. General Grant had pushed on to 
 Hanover Ferry, and expressed himself as greatly pleased 
 at the success of the movement. He had abundant 
 reason to congratulate himself upon the thorough carry- 
 ing out of his instructions. In each of his three at- 
 tempts to move close to Lee's troops and cross difficult 
 rivers in his very face. Grant had been completely suc- 
 cessful, and had manoeuvered so as to accomplish a 
 most formidable task in warfare with insignificant loss. 
 
 In the operations of the last few days General Grant 
 
MANCEUVEBING FOK POSITION 155 
 
 had employed 'witli wonderful skill his chief military- 
 characteristics of quickness of thought, celerity of 
 action, and fertility of resource. While his plans were 
 always well matured, and much thought and investiga- 
 tion were expended upon perfecting them in advance, 
 yet they were sufficiently general in their nature to 
 admit readily of those changes which often have to be 
 made upon the instant in consequence of some unanti- 
 cipated movement of the enemy, or some unexpected 
 discovery in the topography of the field of operations. 
 It seemed a little singular to him that Lee, after falling 
 back behind the North Anna River, had allowed the 
 Union army to advance across that difficult stream 
 without any substantial resistance, and that, when 
 across, he had made a stand with his back to another 
 river, the South Anna, and remained there entirely 
 passive, and that three days afterward he had permitted 
 the Union army to withdraw across the North Anna, 
 under his very nose without even attacking its rear- 
 guards. It was these circumstances which made Grant 
 say at this time, and also write to the government: 
 " Lee's army is really whipped. ... A battle with them 
 outside of intrenchments cannot be had. . . ," 
 
 Our base of supplies was now transferred from Port 
 Eoyal to White House on the York River. 
 
 Before describing the personal incidents connected 
 with what is known as the Cold Harbor campaign, it is 
 important to give the reader a general idea of the char- 
 acter of the country in which the manoeuvering and 
 fighting occurred. Hanovertown, near which place our 
 army had now been concentrated, is about seventeen 
 miles in a straight line northeast from Richmond. The 
 country is crossed by two streams, Totopotomoy Creek 
 and the Chickahominy River, both running in a south- 
 easterly direction, the latter being about four miles from 
 
156 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Riclmioiid at the nearest point. Between these are a 
 number of smaller creeks and rivulets. Their banks 
 are low, and their approaches swampy and covered with 
 woods and thickets. Three main roads lead from Han- 
 overtown to Richmond. The most northerly is called 
 the Hanovertown or Shady Grove road; the second 
 route, the Mechanicsville road; the third and most 
 southerly, which runs through Old Cold Harbor, New 
 Cold Harbor, and Graines's Mill, is known as the Cold 
 Harbor road. Old Cold Harbor, half-way between Han- 
 overtown and Richmond, consisted merely of a few 
 scattered houses ; but its strategic position was impor- 
 tant for reasons which will hereafter appear. New Cold 
 Harbor was little more than the intersection of cross- 
 roads about a mile and a half west of Old Cold Harbor. 
 It was at first supposed that Cold Harbor was a corrup- 
 tion of the phrase Cool Arbor, and the shade-trees in 
 the vicinity seemed to suggest such a name ; but it was 
 ascertained afterward that the name Cold Harbor was 
 correct, that it had been taken from the places frequently 
 found along the highways of England, and means 
 "shelter without fire." 
 
 On May 28 Sheridan was pushed out toward Mechan- 
 icsville to discover the enemy's position, and after a 
 sharp fight at Haw's Shop, drove a body of the enemy 
 out of some earthworks in which it was posted. That 
 night the Ninth Corps crossed the river. Wilson's 
 cavalry division remained on the north side untU the 
 morning of the 30th to cover the crossing of the trains. 
 General headquarters had crossed the Pamunkey on the 
 pontoon-bridge in the afternoon of May 28, after a hard, 
 dusty ride, and had gone into camp on the south side. 
 In the mean time Lee had moved his entire army rapidly 
 from the North Anna, and thrown it between our army 
 and Richmond. 
 
GEANT INTEBVIEWS A PRISONER 157 
 
 On the morning of the 29th, Wright, Hancock, and 
 Warren were directed to move forward and make a 
 reconnaissance in force, which brought about some 
 spirited fighting. The movement disclosed the fact 
 that all of Lee's troops were in position on the north 
 side of the Chickahominy, and were well intrenched. 
 
 General Grrant was particularly anxious, that evening, 
 to obtain information of the enemy from some inside 
 source. Several prisoners had been taken, and one of 
 them who was disposed to be particularly talkative was 
 brought in to headquarters, it being thought that the 
 general might like to examine him in person. He was 
 a tall, slim, shock-headed, comical-looking creature, and 
 proved to be so fuU of native humor that I give the 
 portion of his conversation which afforded us the most 
 amusement. He, of course, did not know in whose 
 presence he was as he rattled ofE his quick-witted re- 
 marks. " Wbat command do you belong to ? " asked the 
 general. " I 'm in Early's corps, and I belong to a 
 No'th Ca'lina reegiment, suh," was the reply. "Oh, 
 you 're from North Carolina," remarked the general. 
 " Yes," said the prisoner, " and a good deal fa'thah from 
 it jes' now than I 'd like to be, Ood knows." " Well, 
 where were you taken, and how did you get here ? " was 
 next asked. " How did I get h'yah ! Well, when a man 
 has half a dozen o' them thah reckless and desp'rit 
 dragoons o' yourn lammin' him along the road on a 
 tight run, and waUopin' him with ' the flats o' thah 
 sabahs, he don't have no trouble gittin' h'yah." "Is 
 your whole corps in our front, and when did it arrive ? " 
 inquired the general. " WeU, now, jes' let me teU you 
 about that," said the prisoner ; " and let me begin right 
 from the sta't. I 'm not goin' to fool you, 'cause I 'm 
 fast losin' interest in this fight. I was a peaceful man, 
 and I did n't want to hurt nobody, when a conscript 
 
158 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 officah. down thah. in the ole Tar State come around, 
 and told me I 'd have to git into the ranks, and go to 
 fightin' f o' my rights. I tried to have him p'int 'em out 
 f o' me. I told him I 'd as Hef have 'em aU, but I was n't 
 strenuous about it. Then he begun to put on more airs 
 than a buckin' hoss at a county fair, and told me to 
 come right along — that the country wanted me. "Well, 
 I had noticed that our folks was losin' a good many 
 battles ; that you-all was too much for 'em ; and I got to 
 flatterin' myself that perhaps it was only right fo' me 
 to go and jine our army, jes' to kind o' even things up. 
 But matters has been goin' pretty rough with us ever 
 since, and I 'm gettin' to feel peacef uller and peacef uUer 
 every day. They 're f eedin' us half the time on crumbs, 
 and thah 's one boy in my company that 's got so thin 
 you have to throw a tent-fly over him to get up a re- 
 spectable shadow. Then they have a way of campin' 
 us alongside o' creeks not much biggah than a slate- 
 pencil ; and you have to be powerful quick about gittin' 
 what watah you want, or some thirsty cow 'U come 
 along and drink up the whole stream. I thought, from 
 aU the fuss she had made at the sta't, that South Ca'lina 
 was goin' to fight the whole wah through herself, and 
 make it a picnic for the rest of us ; but when thah 's 
 real trouble she has to get the ole Tar State to do the 
 soUd work." 
 
 " Are there any men from South Carolina in your 
 brigade?" was the next question. The answer came 
 with a serio-comic expression of countenance : " Yas ; a 
 few — in the band." The general suppressed the laugh 
 with which he was now struggling, and feeling that an 
 effbrt to get any useful information *^from the North 
 Carolinian would be a slow process, disappeared into 
 his tent to attend to some correspondence, and left the 
 prisoner to be further interviewed by the staff. " I tell 
 
GRANT INTEEVIEWS A PRfSONEE 159 
 
 you, gentlemen," went on the Confederate, " thah. 's lots 
 o' cobwebs in my tbroat, and I could talk to you-all a 
 good deal bettah if I only had a dish o' liquor. Thah 's 
 nothin' braces a man up like takin' a little o' the tangle- 
 foot." 
 
 Thereupon a canteen and cup were brought, and after 
 the man had poured out about four fingers of commis- 
 sary whisky and tossed it off as if it were water, he 
 looked considerably invigorated. " Nothin' as soothin' 
 as co'n-juice, aftah all," he continued. " I 'd like to live 
 in Kaintucky; them Kaintucky fellers say thqjr can 
 walk right into a co'n-fleld, strip off an eah, and jes' 
 squeeze a drink of whisky right out'n it." " How did 
 you happen to be picked up ? " was now asked. " Well, 
 you see, suh," he replied, " our cap'n, Jimmy Skipwo'th, 
 marched me out on the picket-line. Cap'n Jimmy 's 
 one o' them thah slack-twisted, loose-belted, toggle- 
 j'inted kind o' fellers that sends you straight out to the 
 front ; and if you don't get killed right off, why, he gets 
 all out o' patience, an' thinks you want to live f o'evah. 
 You can't get away, because he 's always keepin' tab on 
 you. When he marched us out to-day I says to him : 
 'Cap'n Jimmy, thah don't 'pear to be enough of the 
 boys a-comin' along with us. Now I tell you, when we 
 go to monkej^ln' with them Yankees we ought to have 
 plenty o' company; we don't want to feel lonesome.' 
 Well, we got thah, and went to diggin' a ditch so we 
 could flop down in it and protect our heads, and could 
 use it afterward f o' buryin' you-aU in it, ef we could get 
 hold o' you. Well, jes' then you opened lively, and 
 come at us a-whoopin' and a-careerin' Hke sin ; and ez 
 fo' me, I took a header fo' the ditch. The boys saw 
 somethin' drop, and I did n't make any effo't to pick it 
 up ag'in till the misunderstandin' was ovah. The fust 
 thing I knowed aftah that, you lighted onto me, yanked 
 
160 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 me out o' the hole, and then tnmed me ovah to some of 
 you' dragoons; and Lo'd! how they did run me into 
 you' lines ! And so h'yah I am." 
 
 After the provost-marshal's people had been told to 
 take the prisoner to the rear and treat him well, the 
 man, before moving on, said : " G^entlemen, I would like 
 mighty well to see that thah new-fangled weepon o' 
 youm that shoots like it was a whole platoon. They 
 teU me, you can load it up on Sunday and flah it off aU 
 the rest o' the week." He had derived this notion from 
 the Spencer carbine, the new magazuie-gun which fired 
 seven shots in rapid succession. After this exhibition 
 of his talent for dialogue, he was marched off to join the 
 other prisoners. 
 
 On May 30, "Wright, Hancock, and Warren engaged 
 the enemy iu their respective fronts, which led to some 
 active skirmishing, the enemy's skirmishers being in 
 most places strongly intrenched. Burnside this day 
 crossed the Totopotomoy. Early's (formerly Ewell's) 
 corps moved out with the evident intention of turning 
 our left, and made a heavy attack, but was repulsed, and 
 forced to faU back, after suffering a severe loss, partic- 
 ularly in field-officers. 
 
 About noon Grrant received word that transports 
 bringing W. F. Smith's troops from Butler's army were 
 beginning to arrive at White House; and they were 
 ordered to move forward at once, and join the Army of 
 the Potomac. Greneral Grant thought that it was not 
 improbable that the enemy woidd endeavor to throw 
 troops around our left flank, jfi. the hope of striking 
 Smith a crushing blow before we cotild detach a force 
 from the Army of the Potomac to prevent it. Sheridan 
 was directed to watch for such a movement, and an 
 infantry brigade was sent out early that morning to join 
 Smith, and march back with him so as to strengthen 
 
REaiON OP THE TOTOPOTOMOY 161 
 
 his forces. General Grant said at tlii's time : " Nothing 
 would please me better than to have the enemy make a 
 movement around our left flank. I would in that case 
 move the whole army to the right, and throw it between 
 Lee and Eichmond." But this opportunity did not 
 arise. 
 
 On May 30 the general headquarters had been estab- 
 lished in a clearing on the north side of the Shady Grrove 
 road, about a mile and three quarters west of Haw's 
 Shop. General Grant this day sent a despatch to Hal- 
 leck at "Washington saying : " I wish you would sand all 
 the pontoon-bridging you can to City Point to have it 
 ready in case it is wanted." As early as May 26 staff- 
 officers had been sent from the Army of the Potomac to 
 collect all the bridging material at command, and hold 
 it in readiness. This was done in order to be prepared 
 to cross the James Eiver, if deemed best, and attack 
 Richmond and Petersburg from the south side, and 
 carry out the views expressed by Grant in the begin- 
 ning of the Wilderness campaign as to his movements 
 in certain contingencies. 
 
 It was seen by him from the operations of the 30th 
 that the enemy was working his way southward by ex- 
 tending his right flank, with a view to securing Old 
 Cold Harbor, and holding the roads running from that 
 point toward the James River and White House. This 
 would cut off Grant's short route to the James in case 
 he should decide to cross that river, and would also com- 
 mand the principal line of communication with his base 
 at White House. Old Cold Harbor was therefore a point 
 much desired by both the contending generals, and the 
 operations of the 31st were watched with much interest 
 to see which army would secure the prize. 
 
 That morning my orders took me to the extreme left 
 in connection with the movements of the cavalry. 
 11 
 
162 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 Sheridan advanced rapidly upon Old Cold Harbor, at- 
 tacked a body of the enemy intrenched there, and after 
 a severe fight carried the position. The place, however, 
 was too important to be abandoned by the enemy with- 
 out a further struggle, and he soon returned, bringing 
 up a force so large that it appeared for a time impossi- 
 ble for Sheridan to hold his position. Finding no 
 troops advancing to his support, the only course which 
 seemed open to him was to fall back ; but just as he had 
 withdrawn he received an order to hold the place at all 
 hazards until reinforcements could reach him. With 
 his usual zeal and boldness, he now reoccupied the 
 enemy's breastworks, dismounted his men, and deter- 
 mined to make a desperate struggle to hold the position 
 against whatever force might be sent against him. 
 Darkness set in, however, before the enemy made an- 
 other assault. In anticipation of a hard fight for the 
 possession of Cold Harbor, General Grxant had ordered 
 Wright's corps to make a night march and move to 
 Sheridan's relief. Lee, discovering this, ordered Ander- 
 son's corps to Cold Harbor. On Sheridan's front dur- 
 ing the night we could distinctly hear the enemy's 
 troops making preparations for the next morning's 
 attack, and could even hear some of the commands 
 given by their officers. Soon after daylight on June 1 
 the assault began. Sheridan kept quiet tiU the attack- 
 ing party came within a short distance of his breast- 
 works, and then opened with a destructive fire, under 
 which the enemy feU back in considerable confusion. 
 He soon rallied, however, and rushed again to the as- 
 sault, but once more recoiled before Sheridan's well- 
 delivered volleys, Wright had been instructed to arrive 
 at daylight, but the night march had been exceptionally 
 difficult, and the head of his column did not appear 
 until nine o'clock. The troops were footsore and jadedj 
 
w. F. smith's troops 163 
 
 but they moved promptly into line, and relieved Sheri- 
 dan's little force, •whicli had been fighting desperately 
 against great odds for about four hours. G-rant had 
 secured Old Cold Harbor, and won the game. 
 
 Smith's corps consisted of 13,000 men. He left about 
 2500 to guard White House, and with the rest started 
 for the front, reaching there at three o'clock in the after- 
 noon of June 1. At five o'clock Wright's and Smith's 
 commands advanced and captured the earthworks in 
 their front, taking about 750 prisoners. 
 
 The enemy had made three attacks upon Warren, but 
 had been handsomely repulsed, Hancock and Burnside 
 had also been attacked, no doubt to prevent them from 
 sending troops to reinforce our left. 
 
 The enemy seemed roused to desperation in his strug- 
 gle to gain the much-coveted strategic point at Old Cold 
 Harbor, and made several savage attacks in that direc- 
 tion during the night; but they were all successfully 
 repelled. In gaining and holding the important posi- 
 tion sought, the Union army that day lost nearly 2000 
 men in kOled and in wounded; the enemy probably 
 sufEered to about the same extent. 
 
 Headquarters were moved about two miles this day, 
 June 1, to the Via House, which was half a mUe south 
 of Totopotomoy Creek on the road leading from Haw's 
 Shop to Bethesda Church. Before starting, the general's 
 servant asked whether he should saddle "Jeff Davis," 
 the horse Grant had been riding for two days. " No," 
 was the reply; "we are getting into a rather swampy 
 country, and I fear little 'JefPs' legs are not quite 
 long enough for wading through the mud. You had 
 better saddle 'Egypt.'" This horse was large in size 
 and a medium-colored bay. He was called " Egypt," not 
 because he had come from the region of the NUe, but 
 from the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in 
 
164 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 southern Illinois, a section of country named after the 
 land of the Ptolemies. 
 
 When the horse was brought up the general mounted 
 as usual in a manner peculiar to himself. He made no 
 perceptible effort, and used his hands but little to aid 
 him; he put his left foot in the stirrup, grasped the 
 horse's mane near the withers with his left hand, and 
 rose without making a spring, by simply straightening 
 the left leg till his body was high enough to enable him 
 to throw the right leg over the saddle. There was no 
 "climbing" up the animal's side, and no jerky move- 
 ments. The mounting was always done in an instant 
 and with the greatest possible ease. 
 
 Eawlins rode with the general at the head of the 
 staff. As the party turned a bend in the road near the 
 crossing of the Totopotomoy, the general came in sight 
 of a teamster whose wagon was stalled in a place where 
 it was somewhat swampy, and who was standing beside 
 his team beating his horses brutally in the face with the 
 butt-end of his whip, and swearing with a volubility 
 calculated to give a sulphurous odor to all the surround- 
 ing atmosphere. Grant's aversion to profanity and his 
 love of horses caused all the ire in his nature to be 
 aroused by the sight presented. Putting both spurs 
 into " Egypt's " flanks, he dashed toward the teamster, 
 and raising his clenched fist, called out to him : " What 
 does this conduct mean, you scoundrel ? Stop beating 
 those horses ! " The teamster looked at him, and said 
 coolly, as he delivered another blow aimed at the face 
 of the wheel-horse : " Well, who 's drivin' this team any- 
 how — you or me ? " The general was now thoroughly 
 angered, and his manner was by no means as angelic as 
 that of the celestial being who called a halt when Balaam 
 was disciplining the ass. " I '11 show you, you infernal 
 villain I " he cried, shaking his fist in the man's face. 
 
GBANT DISCIPLINES A TEAMSTEK 165 
 
 Then calling to an officer of the escort, he said : " Take 
 this man in charge, and have him tied up to a tree for 
 six hours as a punishment for his brutahty." The man 
 slunk off sullenly in charge of the escort to receive his 
 punishment, without showing any penitence for his 
 conduct. He was evidently a hardened case. Of course 
 he was not aware that the officer addressing him was 
 the general-in-chief , but he evidently knew that he was 
 an officer of high rank, as he was accompanied by a 
 staff and an escort, so that there was ho excuse for the 
 insubordinate and insolent remark. During tHe stir- 
 ring scenes of that day's battle the general twice referred 
 to the incident in vehement language, showing that the 
 recollection of it was still rankling in his mind. This 
 was the one exhibition of temper manifested by him 
 during the entire campaign, and the only one I ever 
 witnessed during my many years of service with him. 
 I remarked that night to Colonel Bowers, who had 
 served with his chief ever since the Fort Donelson cam- 
 paign : " The general to-day gave us his first exhibition 
 of anger. Did you ever see him fire up in that way in 
 his earlier campaigns ? " " Never but once," said Bow- 
 ers : " and that was in the luka campaign. One day on 
 the march he came across a straggler who Jiad stopped 
 at a house and assaulted a woman. The general sprang 
 from his horse, seized a musket from the hands of a 
 soldier, and struck the culprit over the head with it, 
 sending him sprawhng to the ground." He always had 
 a peculiar horror of such crimes. They were very rare 
 in our war, but when brought to his attention the gen- 
 eral showed no mercy to the culprit. 
 
 Grant and Meade rode along the lines that day, and 
 learned from personal observation the general fea- 
 tures of the topography. About noon they stopped at 
 Wright's headquarters, and the commander of the Sixth 
 
166 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 Corps gave the party some delicious ice-water. He had 
 found an ice-house near his headquarters, and after a 
 hot and dusty ride since daylight the cool draught was 
 gratefully relished by those whose thirst it slaked. The 
 previous winter had been unusually cold, and an abun- 
 dance of ice had formed upon the streams in Virginia. 
 The well-fiUed ice-houses found on the line of march 
 were a great boon to the woimded. Greneral Wright had 
 assumed command of the Sixth Corps at a critical pe- 
 riod of the campaign, and under very trying circum- 
 stances; but he had conducted it with such heroic 
 gallantry and marked ability that he had commended 
 himself highly to both Grant and Meade. 
 
 That night the variety of food at the headquarters 
 mess was increased by the arrival of a supply of oysters 
 received by way of White House, Shell-fish were 
 among the few dishes Which tempted the general's ap- 
 petite, and as he had been living principally on roast 
 beef and hard bread during the whole campaign, and 
 had not eaten enough of these to sustain life in an or- 
 dinary person, every one was delighted that evening, 
 when sitting down at the mess-table, to see the general 
 attack the oysters with evident relish, and make a hearty 
 meal of them. Thereafter every effort was made to get 
 a supply of that species of sea food as often as possible. 
 At the dinner-table he referred again to the brutality of 
 the teamster, saying : " If people knew how much more 
 they could get out of a horse by gentleness than by 
 harshness, they would save a great deal of trouble both 
 to the horse and the man. A horse is a particularly 
 intelligent animal; he can be made to do almost any- 
 thing if his master has intelligence enough to let him 
 know what is required. Some men, for instance, when 
 they want to lead a horse forward, turn toward him and 
 stare him in the face. He, of course, thinks they are 
 
GEANT'S FONDNESS FOE HOKSES 167 
 
 barring his way, and lie stands still. If they would turn 
 their back to him and move on he would naturally fol- 
 low. I am looking forward longingly to the time when 
 we can end this war, and I can settle down on my St. 
 Louis farm and raise horses. I love to train young colts, 
 and I will invite you all to visit me and take a hand in 
 the amusement. When old age comes on, and I get too 
 feeble to move about, I expect to derive my chief plea- 
 sure from sitting in a big arm-chair in the center of a 
 ring, — a sort of training-course, — holding a colt's lead- 
 ing-line in my hand, and watching him run arownd the 
 ring." He little foresaw that a torturing disease was to 
 cut short his life before he could realize his cherished 
 hopes of enjoying the happiness of the peaceful old age 
 which he anticipated. 
 
 No warrior was ever more anxious for peace, and aU 
 of the general's references to the pending strife evinced 
 his constant longing for the termination of the struggle 
 upon terms which would secure forever the integrity of 
 the Union. When he prepared his letter of acceptance 
 of his first nomination for the Presidency, he wrote no 
 random phrase, but expressed the genuine sentiments 
 of his heart, when he said, " Let us have peace." 
 
 The night of the 1st of June was a busy one for both 
 officers and men. Grant, eager as usual to push the 
 advantage gained, set about making such disposition of 
 the troops as would best accomplish this purpose. 
 Hancock was ordered to move after nightfall from the 
 extreme right to the extreme left of the army. The 
 night was extremely dark, especially when passing 
 through the woods, no one was familiar with the roads, 
 the heat was intense, and the dust stifling ; but notwith- 
 standing all the difficulties encountered, Hancock ar- 
 rived at Old Cold Harbor on the morning of June 2, 
 after a march of over twelve miles. As the men were 
 
168 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 greatly exhausted, however, from hunger and fatigue, 
 they had to be given an opportunity to rest and eat 
 their rations, and it was found impossible to make a 
 formidable assault until five o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Warren and Burnside were both attacked while they 
 were moving their troops, but they repeUed all assaults, 
 and- caused the enemy considerable loss. 
 
 At daylight on June 2 the headquarters were moved 
 about two miles south to a camp near Bethesda Church, 
 so as to be nearer the center of the line, which had been 
 extended toward the left. Upon reaching the church, 
 and while waiting for the arrival of the wagons and the 
 pitching of the tents, a number of important orders 
 were issued. The pews had been carried out of the 
 church and placed in the shade of the trees surrounding 
 it. The general-in-chief and his officers seated them- 
 selves in the pews, while the horses were taken to a lit- 
 tle distance in the rear. The ubiquitous photographers 
 were promptly on the ground, and they succeeded in 
 taking several fairly good views of the group. A sup- 
 ply of New York papers had just been received, and the 
 party, with the exception of the general, were soon 
 absorbed in reading the news. He was too much oc- 
 cupied at the time in thinking over his plans for the day 
 to give attention to the papers, and was content to hear 
 from the staff a summary of anything of importance 
 mentioned in the press. He was usually a diligent 
 reader of the newspapers and of aU current literature. 
 There was one New York morning journal which 
 claimed a special previous knowledge of his movements, 
 and made some very clever guesses concerning his plans. 
 He used to call this paper his " organ," and upon the 
 arrival of the mail he would generally pick it up first, 
 and remark : " Now let me see what my organ has to 
 say, and then I can j;ell better what J am going to do," 
 
GKANT AND HIS STAFK AT BETHE8DA CHURCH, 
 
 Fronv a w&r-time photograph. 
 
THE HALT AT BETHESDA OHUKCH 169 
 
 A large delegation of the Christian Commission had 
 arrived at White House, and was now moving up to- 
 ward the lines with a supply-train which carried many 
 comforts for the wounded. I saw among the number a 
 person whom I recognized as the pastor of a church 
 which I had attended some years before. He was trudg- 
 ing along like the others in his shirt-sleeves, wearing a 
 broad-brimmed slouch-hat, and was covered with Vir- 
 ginia dust. I presented him to General Grant and the 
 rest of the officers, and then brought up a number of 
 the other members of the Commission, and presented 
 them in turn. General Grant rose to his feet, shook 
 hands with them, and greeted them all with great cor- 
 diality ; then, resuming his seat, he said : " Sit down, 
 gentlemen, and rest ; you look tired after your march." 
 They thanked him, and several of them took seats in 
 the church pews near him, though, considering their 
 professional training, most of them would have doubt- 
 less felt more at home in the pulpit than in the pews. 
 The general continued by saying : " I am very glad to 
 see you coming to the army on your present mission ; 
 unfortunately, you wUl find an extensive field for your 
 work. My greatest concern in this campaign is the 
 care of the large number of wounded. Our surgeons 
 have been unremitting in their labors, and I know you 
 can be of great assistance." 
 
 The gentlemen replied : " "We have brought with us 
 everything that we thought could minister to the com- 
 fort of the wounded, and we will devote ourselves re- 
 ligiously to the work." After the general had assured 
 them that they should have all necessary transportation 
 put at their disposal, they bid him good-by, and con- 
 tinued their march. His parting words were : " Eemem- 
 ber, gentlemen, whatever instructions you may receive, 
 let your first g^xq be for the wounded," before leaving 
 
170 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 they expressed to the staff their great delight in having 
 had this unexpected chat with the commander of the 
 armies, and having been treated by him with so much 
 consideration. 
 
 The Christian Commission, as well as the Sanitary 
 Commission, was often of inestimable service to the 
 wounded, and many a gallant fellow owed his life to its 
 kindly and devoted ministerings. 
 
OHAPTEE XI 
 
 STEENGTH OF LEE'S POSITION AT COLD HARBOB — WHY GRANT 
 ASSAULTED AT COLD HARBOR — A NOTABLE INSTANCE 
 OF COITRAGE— BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR — AF|ER THE 
 BATTLE — GRANT'S COMMENTS ON COLD HARBOR — 
 GRANT'S "hammering" 
 
 1EE had manoeuvered and fought over this ground 
 i two years before, and was perfectly acquainted 
 with every detail of topography, while to Grant it was 
 entirely new. There were, however, in the Army of 
 the Potomac a great many prominent ofldcers who had 
 served with McClellan on the Peninsula, and were 
 familiar with the locality. 
 
 General Grant, as usual, had not only to give direc- 
 tion to the active movements taking place under his 
 own eye, but was compelled to bestow much thought 
 upon the cooperating armies at a distance; and the 
 double responsibility was a severe tax upon his ener- 
 gies. He expected that much would be accomplished 
 in the valley of Virginia by Hunter, now that the 
 forces opposed to him had withdrawn, and was urging 
 him to increased exertion ; but he had to communicate 
 with, him by way of "Washington, which created much 
 delay, and added greatly to the anxieties of the general- 
 in-chief . In the afternoon of the 2d, Lee became aware 
 that we were sending troops against his right, and was 
 active in moving his forces to meet an attack on that 
 
 171 
 
172 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 flank. His left now rested on Totopotomoy Creek, and 
 his right was near New Cold Harbor, and was protected 
 by an impassable swamp. A strong parapet was 
 thrown up on his right in the rear of a sunken road 
 which answered the purpose of a ditch. On the left 
 center the ground was lower and more level, but diffi- 
 cult of approach on account of swamps, ravines, and 
 thickets. Added to this were the usual obstacles of 
 heavy slashings of timber. Greneral Grant had manoeu- 
 vered skilfully with a view to compelling Lee to stretch 
 out his Une and make it as thin and weak as possible, 
 and it was at present over six miles long. 
 
 A serious problem now presented itself to General 
 Grant's mind — whether to attempt to crush Lee's army 
 on the north side of the James, with the prospect in 
 case of success of driving hitn into Richmond, capturing 
 the city perhaps without a siege, and putting the Con- 
 federate government to flight ; or to move the Union 
 army south of the James without giving battle, and 
 transfer the field of operations to the vicinity of Peters- 
 burg. It was a nice question of judgment. After 
 discussing the matter thoroughly with his principal 
 officers, and weighing all the chances, he decided to at- 
 tack Lee's army in its present position. He had suc- 
 ceeded in breaking the enemy's line at Chattanooga, 
 Spottsylvania, and other places under circumstances 
 which were not more favorable, and the results to be 
 obtained now would be so great in case of success that 
 it seemed wise to make the attempt. 
 
 The general considered the question not only from a 
 military standpoint, but he took a still broader view of 
 the situation. The expenses of the war had reached 
 nearly four million dollars a day. Many of the people 
 in the North were becoming discouraged at the pro- 
 longation of the contest. If the army were transferred 
 
WHY GEANT ASSAULTED AT COLD HABBOE 173 
 
 south of the James without fighting a battle on the 
 north side, people would be impatient at the prospect 
 of an apparently indefinite continuation of operations ; 
 and as the sickly season of summer was approaching, 
 the deaths from disease among the troops meanwhile 
 would be greater than any possible loss encountered in 
 the contemplated attack. The loss from sickness on the 
 part of the en§my would naturally be less, as his troops 
 were acclimated and ours were not. Besides, there 
 were constant rumors that if the war continued much 
 longer European powers would recognize the Confed- 
 eracy, and perhaps give it material assistance ; but this 
 consideration influenced G-rant much less than the 
 others. Delays are usually dangerous, and there was at 
 present too much at stake to admit of further loss of 
 time in ending the war, if it could be avoided. 
 
 The attack was ordered to be made at daylight on 
 the morning of June 3. The eve of battle was, as usual, 
 an anxious and tiresome night at headquarters, and 
 some changes in the detailed orders specifying the part 
 the troops were to perform in the coming action were 
 made nearly as late as midnight. Lee's position was 
 such that no turning movement was practicable, and it 
 was necessary that one of his flanks should be crushed 
 by a direct assault. An attack on the enemy's right 
 promised the better results, and Grrant had decided to 
 strike the blow there. Of course the exact strength of 
 the enemy's position could not be ascertained until de- 
 veloped by a close attack, as changes were constantly 
 being made in it, and new batteries were likely to be 
 put in position at any time. The genei;al's intention, 
 therefore, was to attack early in the morning, and 
 make a vigorous effort to break Lee's right, and if it 
 were demonstrated that the assault could not succeed 
 without too great a sacrifice of life, to desist, and have 
 
174 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 the men tkrow up cover for their protection with a view 
 of holding all the ground they had gained. Our troops 
 were disposed as follows : Hancock on the extreme left, 
 "Wright next, then Smith and "Warren, with Burnside on 
 the extreme right. 
 
 Everything was now in readiness for the memorable 
 battle of Cold Harbor. Headquarters had been moved 
 two miles farther to our left, and established near Old 
 Cold Harbor, so as to be within easy reach of the main 
 point of attack. It has been stated by inimical critics 
 that the men had become demoralized by the many 
 assaults in which they had been engaged ; that they had 
 lost much of their spirit, and were even insubordinate, 
 refusing to move against the earthworks in obedience 
 to the orders of their immediate commanders. This is 
 a gross slander upon the troops, who were as gallant and 
 subordinate as any forces in the history of modem war- 
 fare, although it is true that many of the veterans had 
 fallen, and that the recruits who replaced them were 
 inferior in fighting qualities. 
 
 In passing along on foot among the troops at the 
 extreme front that evening while transmitting some of 
 the final orders, I observed an incident which afforded 
 a° practical illustration of the deliberate and desperate 
 courage of the men. As I came near one of the regi- 
 ments which was making preparations for the next 
 morning's assault, I noticed that many of the soldiers 
 had taken off their coats, and seemed to be engaged in 
 sewing up rents in them. This exhibition of tailoring 
 seemed rather peculiar at such a moment, but upon 
 closer examination it was found that the men were 
 calmly writing their names and home addresses on slips 
 of paper, and pinning them on the backs of their coats, 
 so that their dead bodies might be recognized upon the 
 field, and their fate made known to their families at 
 
BATTLE OF COLD HAKBOR 175 
 
 home. They were veterans "who knew well from terri- 
 ble experience the danger which 9,waited them, but their 
 minds were occupied not with thoughts of shirking 
 their duty, but with preparation for the desperate work 
 of the coming morning. Such courage is more than 
 heroic — it is sublime. 
 
 At 4 : 30 A. M., June 3, Hancock, Wright, and Smith 
 moved forward promptly to the attack. Hancock's 
 troops struck a salient of the enemy's works, and after 
 a desperate struggle captured it, taking a couple of 
 hundred prisoners, three guns, and a stand of (jplors. 
 Then, turning the captured guns upon the enemy, they 
 soon drove him from that part of the line into his main 
 works, a short distance in the rear. The second line, 
 however, did not move up in time to support the first, 
 which was finally driven back and forced out of the 
 works it had captured. The men resisted stubbornly, 
 and taking advantage of the crest of a low hUl at a dis- 
 tance of fifty or sixty yards from the captured works, 
 they rapidly threw up enough cover to enable them to 
 hold, that position. Another division had rushed for- 
 ward in column to effect a lodgment, if possible, in the 
 enemy's works; but an impassable swamp divided the 
 troops, who were now subjected to a galling fire of artil- 
 lery and musketry; and although a portion of them 
 gained the enemy's intrenchments, their ranks had be- 
 come too much weakened and scattered to hold their 
 position, and they were compelled to fall back. 
 
 Wright's corps had moved forward, and carried the 
 rifle-pits in its front, and then assaulted the main hne. 
 This was too strong, however, to be captured, and our 
 troops were compelled to retire. Nevertheless, they held 
 a line, and protected it as best they could, at a distance 
 of only thirty or forty yards from the enemy. 
 
 Smith made his assault by taking advantage of a 
 
176 CAMPAlGNDSra WITH GRANT 
 
 ravine wHcli sheltered Ms troops somewhat from the 
 cross-fire of the enemy. His men drove the enemy's 
 skirmishers before them, and carried the rifle-pits with 
 great gallantry ; but the line had to be readjusted at 
 close quarters, and the same cross-fire from which 
 Wright had suffered made further advances extremely 
 hazardous. Smith now reported that his troops were so 
 cut up that there was no prospect of carrying the works 
 in his front unless the enfilading fire on his flank could 
 be silenced. Additional artillery was then sent forward 
 to try to keep down the enemy's fire. 
 
 Burnside had captured the advance rifle-pits in front 
 of Early's left, and had taken up a position close to the 
 enemy's main line. "Warren's line was long and thin, 
 and his troops, from the position they occupied, could 
 not do much in the way of assaulting. These demon- 
 strations against the enemy's left were principally to 
 keep him engaged, and prevent him from withdrawing 
 troops to reinforce his right. Warren had cooperated 
 with Burnside in driving Early from the Shady Grrove 
 road, upon which he had advanced and made an attack. 
 G-ordon had attacked Warren's center, but was hand- 
 somely repulsed. Wilson's division of cavalry, which 
 had returned from destroying the Virginia Central 
 Eailroad, moved across the Totopotomoy to Haw's Shop, 
 drove the enemy from that place, made a further ad- 
 vance, carried some rifle-pits and held them for an 
 hour, but was unable to connect with Burnside's infan- 
 try, and withdrew to Haw's Shop, 
 
 The reports received by General Grant were at first 
 favorable and encouraging, and he urged a continuance 
 of the successes gained ; but finding the strength of the 
 position greater than any one could have supposed, he 
 sent word at 7 a. m. to Q-eneral Meade, saying : " The 
 moment it becomes certain that an assault cannot sue- 
 
teATTLE 01* COLD SAftfiOR l77 
 
 ceed, suspend the offensive; but when one does suc- 
 ceed, push it vigorously, and if necessary pile in troops 
 at the successful point from wherever they can be 
 taken." Troops had again pushed forward at different 
 points of the line. General Grant had established him- 
 self at a central position, which had been made known 
 to all the commanders and staflE-oflficers, so that he 
 could at that point receive promptly all reports. Some 
 of these messages were rather contradictory, and be- 
 came stiU more conflicting as the attack proceeded. 
 His staff-oflBcers were active in bringing inforijaation 
 from every important point, but the phases of battle were 
 changing more rapidly than they could be reported. 
 
 At eleven o'clock the general rode out along the lines 
 to consult with commanding officers on the spot. 
 Hancock now reported that the position in his front 
 could not be taken. Wright stated that a lodgment 
 might be made in his front, but that nothing would be 
 gained by it unless Hancock and Smith were to ad- 
 vance at the same time. Smith thought that he might 
 be able to carry the works before him, but was not 
 sanguine. Burnside believed that he could break the 
 enemy's line in his front, but Warren on his left did not 
 agree in this opinion. 
 
 Thfe general-in-chief now felt so entirely convinced 
 tliat any more attacks upon the enemy's works would 
 not result in success that at half -past twelve o'clock he 
 wrote the following order to General Meade: "The 
 opinion of the corps commanders not being sanguine of 
 success in case an assault is ordered, you may direct a 
 suspension of farther advance for the present. Hold 
 our most advanced positions, and strengthen them. . . . 
 To aid the expedition under General Hunter, it is ne- 
 cessary that we should detain all the army now with Lee 
 until the former gets well on his way to Lynchburg. 
 n 
 
178 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 To do this effectually, it will be better to keep the 
 enemy out of the intrenchments of Richmond than to 
 have them go back there. "Wright and Hancock should 
 be ready to assault in case the enemy should break 
 through General Smith's lines, and all should be ready 
 to resist an assault." 
 
 After finishing this despatch the general discussed 
 at some length the situation, saying : " I am still of the 
 opinion I have held since leaving the North Anna, that 
 Lee will not come out and take the offensive against us ; 
 but I want to prepare for every contingency, and I am 
 particularly anxious to be able to turn the tables upon 
 the enemy in case they should, after their success this 
 morning in acting on the defensive, be tempted to make 
 a counter-attack upon our lines." 
 
 At two o'clock Grrant announced the result of the 
 engagement to Halleck. At three o'clock, while waiting 
 for news in regard to the casualties of the morning and 
 reports in detail from the corps commanders, he busied 
 himself in sending instructions in regard to Banks's 
 command in Louisiana, and adAdsed a movement against 
 Mobile. 
 
 There was a good deal of irregular firing along the 
 lines, and in the afternoon it became heavy on Burn- 
 side's right. The enemy had made an attack there, and 
 while it lasted he attempted to haul off some of his 
 batteries; but Bumside's return fire was so vigorous 
 that this attempt was prevented. In the night the 
 enemy's troops withdrew from Bumside's front, leaving 
 some of their wounded in his hands and their dead un- 
 buried. 
 
 General Grant's time was now given up almost entirely 
 to thinking of the care of the wounded. Our entire 
 loss in killed, wounded, and missing was nearly 7000. 
 Our surgeons were able to give prompt relief to the 
 
gbant's comments on cold harbor 179 
 
 "wounded wlio were recovered, as every preparation had 
 been made for this emergency, and our army was for- 
 tunately only twelve miles from a water base. Many, 
 however, were left between the lines ; and as the works 
 were close together, and the intervening ground under 
 a constant fire, it was not possible to remove a great 
 number of the wounded or to bury the dead. The 
 enemy's wounded in our hands were taken in charge by 
 our surgeons, and the same care was given to them as 
 to our own men. 
 
 That evening, when the stafE-ofl&cers had assQjnbled 
 at headquarters after much hard riding and hot work 
 during the day, the events which had occurred were 
 discussed with the commander, and plans talked over 
 for the next morning. The general said : " I regret this 
 assault more than any one I have ever ordered. I re- 
 garded it as a stern necessity, and believed that it 
 would bring compensating results ; but, as it has proved, 
 no advantages have been gained sufficient to justify the 
 heavy losses suffered. The early assault at Vicksburg, 
 while it was not successful, yet brought compensating 
 advantages ; for it taught the men that they could not 
 seize the much-coveted prize of that stronghold without 
 a siege, and it was the means of making them work 
 cheerfully and patiently afterward in the trenches, and 
 of securing the capture of the place with but little more 
 loss of life ; whereas if the assault had not been made 
 the men could not have been convinced that they could 
 not have captured the city by making a dash upon it 
 which might have saved them many months of arduous 
 labor, sickness, and fatigue." The matter was seldom 
 referred to again in conversation, for Greneral Grant, 
 with his usual habit of mind, bent all his energies to- 
 ward consummating his plans for the future. 
 
 There has been brought out recently a remarkable 
 
180 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 vindication of Grrant's judgment in ordering the assault 
 at Cold Harbor. In a lecture delivered at San Antonio, 
 Texas, April 20, 1896, by ex-United States Senator 
 John H. Reagan, who was postmaster-general in 
 Jefferson Davis's cabinet, he states that he and several 
 of the judges of the courts in Richmond rode out to 
 General Lee's headquarters, and were with him during 
 this attack. In describing the interview he says: 
 
 " He [Lee] then said to me that General Grant was 
 at that time assaulting his lines at three different places, 
 with columns of from six to eight deep. Upon this, I 
 asked him if his line should be broken what reserve he 
 had. He replied, 'Not a regiment,' and added that if 
 he should shorten his lines to make a reserve the enemy 
 would turn him, and if he should weaken his lines to 
 make a reserve they would be broken." This is a con- 
 firmation of the fact that Grant had succeeded in com- 
 pelling Lee to stretch out his line almost to the breaking- 
 point, and a proof that if our attacking columns had 
 penetrated it, Lee would have been found without 
 reserves, and the damage infl.icted upon him would have 
 been irreparable. 
 
 There were critics who were severe in their condem- 
 nation of what Grant called "hammering" and Sher- 
 man called "pounding " ; but they were found principally 
 among the stay-at-homes, and especially the men who 
 sympathized with the enemy. A soldier said one night, 
 when reading by a camp-fire an account of a call issued 
 by a disloyal newspaper at home for a public meeting 
 to protest against the continued bloodshed in this 
 campaign: "Who's shedding this blood, anyhow? 
 They better wait till we fellows down here at the front 
 hoUo, 'Enough!'" The soldiers were as anxious as 
 their commander to fight the war to a finish, and be 
 allowed to return to their families and their business. 
 
grant's "hammering" 181 
 
 Grant could have effectually stopped tlie carnage at 
 any time by witliliolding from battle. He could have 
 avoided all bloodshed by remaining north of the Rapi- 
 dan, intrenching, and not moving against his enemy : 
 but he was not placed in command of the armies for 
 that purpose. It had been demonstrated by more than 
 three years of campaigning that peace could be secured 
 only by whipping and destroying the enemy. No one 
 was more desirous of peace ; no one was possessed of a 
 heart more sensitive to every form of human suffering 
 than the commander : but he realized that paper IjuUets 
 are not effective in warfare ; he knew better than |to 
 attempt to hew rocks with a razor ; and he felt that in 
 campaigning the hardest blows bring the quickest relief. 
 He was aware that in "Wellington's armies the annual 
 loss from disease was 113 out of 1000 ; in our Mexican 
 war, 152 ; and in the Crimea, 600 ; and that in the cam- 
 paigns thus far in our own war more men had died from 
 sickness while Ijdng in camp than from shot and shell 
 in battle. He could not select his ground for fighting 
 in this continuous siege of fortified lines; for, though 
 he and his chief officers applied all their experience and 
 skill in endeavors to manceuver the enemy out of strong 
 positions before attacking him, his foe was often too 
 able and wily to fall into the trap set for him, and had 
 to be struck in positions which were far from Grant's 
 choosing. When Lee stopped fighting the cause of 
 secession was lost. If Grant had stopped fighting the 
 cause of the Union would have been lost. He was as- 
 signed one of the most appalling tasks ever intrusted to 
 a commander. He did his duty fearlessly to the bitter 
 end, and triumphed. In thirteen months after Lincoln 
 handed him his commission of lieutenant-general, and 
 intrusted to him the command of the armies, the war 
 was virtually ended. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 GBANT DECIDBS TO CROSS THE JAMES — SUEEEEINGS AT THE 
 FEONT — grant's VISITOR FROM THE PACIFIC SLOPE — 
 AN IMPORTANT MISSION — DEALING WITH A LIBELER 
 OF THE PRESS — LOSSES — GRANT RELATES SOME AN- 
 ECDOTES 
 
 THE time had now come when Grant was to carry- 
 out his alternative movement of throwing the 
 entire army south of the James River. Halleck, who 
 was rather fertile in suggestions, although few of them 
 were ever practicable, had written Grant about the ad- 
 visability of throwing his army round by the right flank, 
 taking up a line northeast of Richmond, controlling the 
 railroads leading north of Richmond, and using them to 
 supply the Union army. This view may have been 
 favored in Washington for the reason that it was 
 thought it would better protect the capital. Grant said, 
 in discussing this matter at headquarters: "We can 
 defend Washington best by keeping Lee so occupied 
 that he cannot detach enough troops to capture it. If 
 the safety of the city should really become imperiled, we 
 have water communication, and can transport a suffi- 
 cient number of troops to Washington at anytime to hold 
 it against attack. This movement proposed by Halleck 
 would separate the Army of 'the Potomac by a still 
 greater distance from Butler's army, while it would 
 leave us a long vulnerable line of communication, and 
 
 182 
 
SUPPEBING8 AT THE FRONT 183 
 
 require a large part of our effective force to properly 
 guard it. I shall prepare at once to move across tlie 
 James Eiver, and in the mean time destroy to a still 
 greater extent the railroads north of Eichmond." 
 
 On June 5, General J. G. Barnard, of the United 
 States engineer corps, was assigned to duty as chief 
 engineer at Grant's headquarters. 
 
 The general-in-chief realized that he was in a swampy 
 and sickly portion of the country. The malaria was 
 highly productive of disease, and the Chickahominy 
 fever was dreaded by all the troops who had a recollec- 
 tion of its ravages when they campaigned in that sec- 
 tion of the country two years before. The operations 
 had been so active that precautions against sickness 
 had necessarily been much neglected, and the general 
 was anxious, while giving the men some rest, to im- 
 prove the sanitary conditions. By dint of extraordinary 
 exertions the camps were well policed, and large quan- 
 tities of fresh vegetables were brought forward and 
 distributed. Cattle were received in much better con- 
 dition than those which had made long marches and 
 had furnished beef which was far from being whole- 
 some. Greater attention was demanded in the cooking 
 of the food and the procuring of better water. Dead 
 animals and offal were buried, and more stringent 
 sanitary regulations were enforced throughout the 
 entire command. 
 
 What was most distressing at this time was the con- 
 dition of affairs at the extreme front. No one who did 
 not witness the sights on those portions of the line 
 where the opposing troops were in exceptionally close 
 contact can form an idea of the sufferings experienced. 
 Staff-officers used to work their way on foot daily to 
 the advanced points, so as to be able to report with 
 accuracy these harrowing scenes. Some of the sights 
 
184 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 were not unlike those of tlie " bloody angle " at Spott- 
 sylvania. Between the lines where the heavy assaults 
 had been made there was in some places a distance of 
 thirty or forty yards completely covered by the dead and 
 wounded of both sides. The bodies of the dead were 
 festering in the sun, while the wounded were dying a 
 torturing death from starvation, thirst, and loss of blood. 
 In some places the stench became sickening. Every 
 attempt to make a change in the picket-line brought on 
 heavy firing, as both sides had become nervous from 
 long watchfulness, and the slightest movement on either 
 front led to the belief that it was the beginning of an 
 assault. In the night there was often heavy artUlery- 
 firing, sometimes accompanied by musketry, with a view 
 to deterring the other side from attacking, or occasioned 
 by false rumors of an attempt to assault. The men on 
 the advanced lines had to lie close to the ground in nar- 
 row trenches, with little water for drinking purposes, 
 except that obtained from surface drainage. They were 
 subjected to the broiling heat by day and the chilling 
 winds and fogs at night, and had to eat the rations that 
 could be got to them under the greatest imaginable dis- 
 comfort. 
 
 The staff-oflficers, in their frequent visits to the front 
 of our lines, had learned the most exposed points, and 
 in passing them usually quickened their speed so as to 
 be a shorter time under the enemy's fire. There was 
 one particularly dangerous place where a dirt road ran 
 along the foot of a knoU on the side toward the enemy. 
 A prominent citizen from the Pacific coast, whom Gen- 
 eral G-rant knew, had arrived from "Washington, and 
 was spending a few days at headquarters to see what an 
 army in the field looked like. One morning, as the 
 general was mounting with a portion of his staff to 
 make one of his frequent reconnoitering trips along the 
 
grant's visitok feom the pacific slope 185 
 
 lines, the visitor proposed to ride with Mm, but said 
 before starting : " Is there going to be much shooting 
 where you 're going, general? For I 've got a wife and 
 children waiting for me on the Pacific slope, and I 
 don't want to get pinked by the Johnny Rebs." " Well, 
 they 're not very particular over there where their shots 
 strike when they begin firing. I always advise persons 
 who have no business to transact with them to keep 
 away," replied the general. " Yes ; but I want to see as 
 much of this show as possible, now that I 've come 
 here," said the guest ; and mounting a horse whieh had 
 been ordered up for him, he rode along with the party. 
 Pretty soon some stray artillery shots flew in our direc- 
 tion, but the visitor rode on without showing any signs 
 of disturbance, except a very active ducking of the 
 head, accompanied by a running comment upon the 
 utter carelessness and waste of ammunition on the part 
 of the enemy, and the evident disposition to mow down 
 a mild-mannered and harmless civilian with as little 
 hesitation as they would the general-in-chief who was 
 crowding them with aU his armies. 
 
 After a while we came to the dangerous portion of 
 the dirt road, and the staff-officers reminded the general 
 that it was usually pretty hot there ; but he passed over 
 it at a walk without paying attention to the warning, 
 and stopped at the most exposed point to examine the 
 position in front, which seemed to him to present some 
 features of importance. A battery instantly opened, 
 and shot and shell shrieked through the air, and plowed 
 the ground in a most enlivening manner. The visitor, 
 whose head was now bobbing from one side to the other 
 like a signal-flag waving a message, cried out to the 
 commander : " See here, general ; it don't appear to me 
 that this place could have. been selected by you with 
 special reference to personal safety." The general was 
 
186 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 absorbed in his examination of the ground, and made 
 no reply for a minute or two. Then, looking at his 
 guest, who was growing red and pale by turns, and 
 rolling nearly out of his saddle in dodging to the right 
 and left, remarked with a smile: "You are giving 
 yourself a great deal of useless exercise. When you 
 hear the sound of a shot it has already passed you." 
 Just then a shell exploded close by, scattering the dirt 
 in every direction. This was too great a trial for the 
 overstrained nerves of the visitor. He turned his 
 horse's head to the rear, drove both spurs into the ani- 
 mal's flanks, and as he dashed away with the speed of a 
 John Gilpin, he cried back to us : "I have a wife and 
 family waiting for me, and I 'm pressed for time. Be- 
 sides, I 'm not much of a curiosity-seeker anyway." 
 Just then his black silk hat blew off, but he did not 
 stop to recover it, and was soon out of sight. He had 
 evidently reached a state of mind when the best of hats 
 appears to be of no special value. 
 
 That evening in camp the general perpetrated a num- 
 ber of jokes at the visitor's expense, saying to him: 
 "Well, you appear to have won that race you entered 
 your horse for this afternoon." " Yes," said the visitor ; 
 "I seem to have got in first." "Perhaps," continued 
 the general, " you felt like that soldier in one of our 
 retreats who, when asked by an officer where he was 
 going, said : ' I 'm trying to find the rear of this army, 
 but it don't appear to have any.' " " I don't know why 
 it was, but Lee seemed to have some personal grudge 
 against me," remarked the guest. " I think," said the 
 general, "it must have been that high hat which at- 
 tracted his attention." " Great Scott ! " screamed the 
 visitor, springing from his camp-stool as if the enemy 
 had again opened fire on him ; " do you know that that 
 hat had a card in it with my name on ? Holy smoke ! 
 
AN IMPOKTANT MISSION 187 
 
 If the boys get hold of it, and give me away, and the 
 news gets out to the Pacific slope, I '11 be a dead duck 
 in the next political campaign ! " 
 
 General Grrant was now stimulating every one to in- 
 creased activity in making preparations for the formid- 
 able movement he was about to undertake in throwing 
 the army with all its impedimenta across the James. 
 He was fully impressed with its hazardous nature, but 
 was perfectly confident that he could carry it out with- 
 out encountering extraordinary risks. The army had 
 to be withdrawn so quietly from its position that it 
 would be able to gain a night's march before its absence 
 should be discovered. The fact that the hues were 
 within thirty or forty yards of each other at some 
 points made this an exceedingly delicate task. Eoads 
 had to be constructed over the marshes leading to the 
 lower Chickahominy, and bridges thrown over that 
 stream preparatory to crossing. The army was then 
 to move to the James, and cross upon pontoon-bridges 
 and improvised ferries. This would involve a march 
 of about fifty miles in order to reach Butler's position, 
 while Lee, holding interior lines, could arrive there by 
 a march of less than half that distance. 
 
 In the afternoon of June 6 the general called Colonel 
 Comstock and me into his tent, asked us to be seated, 
 and said with more impressiveness of manner than he 
 usually manifested : " I want you to undertake an im- 
 portant mission preliminary to moving the army from 
 its present position. I have made up my mind to send 
 Smith's corps by a forced night march to Cole's Land- 
 ing on the Chickahominy, there to take boats and be 
 transferred to Butler's position at Bermuda Hundred. 
 These troops are to move without their wagons or artil- 
 lery. Their batteries wUl accompany the Army of the 
 Potomac. That army will be held in readiness to pull 
 
188 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 out on short notice, and by rapid marches reach the 
 James River and prepare to cross. I want you to go to 
 Bermuda Hundred, and explain the contemplated move- 
 ment fully to General Butler, and see that the necessary 
 preparations are made by him to render his position 
 secure against any attack from Lee's forces while the 
 Army of the Potomac is making its movement. You 
 will then select the best point on the river for the cross- 
 ing, taking into consideration the necessity of choosing 
 a place which will give the Army of the Potomac as 
 short a line of march as practicable, and which wiU at 
 the same time be far enough down-stream to allow for 
 a sufficient distance between it and the present position 
 of Lee's army to prevent the chances of our being at- 
 tacked successfully while in the act of crossing. You 
 should be guided also by considerations of the width of 
 the river at the point of crossing, and of the character 
 of the country by which it will have to be approached." 
 Early the next morning Comstock and I rode rapidly 
 to White House, and then took a steamboat down the 
 Pamunkey and York rivers, and up the James, reaching 
 Butler's headquarters at Bermuda Hundred the next 
 day. After having obtained a knowledge of the topog- 
 raphy along the James, and secured the best maps that 
 could be had, we despatched a message to the general 
 and started down the James on the 10th, making further 
 careful reconnaissances of the banks and the approaches 
 on each side. Comstock and I had served on General 
 McClellan's staff when his army occupied the nprth 
 bank of the James two years before, and the country 
 for many miles along the river was quite familiar to us. 
 This knowledge was of much assistance on the present 
 mission. "We returned by the same route by which we 
 had come, and reached headquarters on the 12th. We 
 had noted one or two places on the river which might 
 
AN iMtOBTANl: MISSION 189 
 
 have served the purpose of crossing; but, all things 
 considered, we reported unhesitatingly in favor of a 
 point familiarly known as Fort Powhatan, about ten 
 miles below City Point, the latter place being at the 
 junction of the James and Appomattox rivers. Sev- 
 eral roads led to the point selected for crossing both on 
 the north and the south side of the James, and it was 
 found that they could be made suitable for the passage 
 of wagon-trains by repairing and in some places cordu- 
 roying them. The principal advantage of the place 
 selected was that it was the narrowest point that«could 
 be found on the river below City Point, being twenty- 
 one hundred feet in width from Wilcox's Landing on 
 the north side to Windmill Point on the south side. 
 
 General Grant had been anxiously awaiting our re- 
 turn, and had in the mean time made every preparation 
 for withdrawing the army from its present position. 
 On our arrival we went at once to his tent, and were 
 closeted with him for nearly an hour discussing the 
 contemplated operation. While listening to our verbal 
 report and preparing the orders for the movement which 
 was to take place, the general showed the only anxiety 
 and nervousness of manner he had ever manifested on 
 any occasion. After smoking his cigar vigorously for 
 some minutes, he removed it from his mouth, put it on 
 the table, and allowed it to go out; then relighted it, 
 gave a few puffs, and laid it aside again. In giving 
 him the information he desired, we could hardly get the 
 words out of our mouths fast enough to suit him. He 
 kept repeating, "Yes, yes," in a manner which was 
 equivalent to saying, " Go on, go on " ; and the numer- 
 ous questions he asked were uttered with much greater 
 rapidity than usual. This would not have been noticed 
 by persons unfamiliar with his habit ; but to us it was 
 evident that he was wrought up to an intensity of 
 
190 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 thought and action wMcli lie seldom displayed. At the 
 close of the interview he informed us that he would 
 begin the movement that night. 
 
 The same day on which Comstock and I started from 
 Cold Harbor (June 7), Sheridan had been sent north 
 with two divisions of cavalry to break up the Virginia 
 Central Railroad, and, if practicable, to push west and 
 join General Hunter's force, which was moving down 
 the valley. It was expected that the enemy's cavalry 
 would be compelled to foUow Sheridan, and that our 
 large trains would be safe from its attacks during the 
 contemplated movement across the James Eiver. 
 Nothing was left unthought of by the trained mind of 
 the commander who was conducting these formidable 
 operations. 
 
 On June 9 a portion of the Army of the Potomac had 
 been set to work fortifying a line to our left and rear on 
 ground overlooking the Chickahominy, under cover of 
 which the army could move down that stream. Boats 
 for making the ferriage of the James had been ordered 
 from aU available places. Preparations had been made 
 for bridging necessary points on the Chickahominy, and 
 a large force had been put to work under engineer 
 officers to repair the roads. This day (June 12) was 
 Sunday, but it was by no means a day of rest. AU was 
 now ready for the important movement. 
 
 General Meade had been untiring in his efforts during 
 this eventful week. He was General Grant's senior by 
 seven years, was older than any of the corps command- 
 ers, and was naturally of an excitable temperament, and 
 with the continual annoyances to which he was sub- 
 jected he not infrequently became quite irritable. He 
 was greatly disturbed at this time by some newspaper 
 reports stating that on the second night of the battle 
 of the Wilderness he had advised a retreat across the 
 
DEALING WITH A LIBELEB OP THE PBESS 191 
 
 Eapidan ; and in talking this matter over "with General 
 Grrant, Ms indignation became so great that his wrath 
 knew no bounds. He said that the rumor had been cir- 
 culated throughout the press, and would be believed by 
 many of the people, and perhaps by the authorities in 
 Washington. Mr. Dana, the Assistant Secretary of 
 "War, who was still with the army, was present at the 
 interview, and he and Greneral Grant tried to console 
 Meade by assurances that the story would not be cred- 
 ited, and that they would give a broad contradiction to 
 it. Mr. Dana at once sent a despatch to the Secjjetary 
 of War, alluding to the rumor, and saying : " This is 
 entirely untrue. He has not shown any weakness of 
 the sort since moving from Culpeper, nor once inti-^ 
 mated a doubt as to the successful issue of the campaign." 
 The Secretary replied the next day (June 10), saying: 
 "Please say to General Meade that the lying report 
 aUuded to in your telegram was not even for a moment 
 believed by the President or myself. We have the most 
 perfect confidence in him. He could not wish a more 
 exalted estimation of his ability, his firmness, and every 
 quality of a commanding general than is entertained for 
 him." The newspaper correspondent who had been the 
 author of this slander was seized and placed on a horse, 
 with large placards hung upon his breast and back 
 bearing the inscription, "Libeler of the Press," and 
 drummed out of camp. There had never been a 
 moment when Meade had not been in favor of bold and 
 vigorous advances, and he would have been the last 
 man to counsel a retreat. 
 
 While at the mess-table taking our last meal before 
 starting upon the march to the James on the evening of 
 the 12th, the conversation turned upon the losses which 
 had occurred and the reinforcements which had been 
 received up to that time. The figures then known did 
 
192 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 not differ much from those contained in the accurate 
 official reports afterward compiled. From the opening 
 of the campaign, May 4, to the movement across the 
 James, June 12, the total casualties in the Army of the 
 Potomac, including Sheridan's cavalry and Burnside's 
 command, had been : killed, 7621 ; wounded, 38,339 ; 
 captured or missing, 8966 ; total, 54,926. The services 
 of all the men included in these figures were not, how- 
 ever, permanently lost to the army. A number of them 
 were prisoners who were afterward exchanged, and 
 many had been only slightly wounded, and were soon 
 ready for duty again. Some were doubtless counted 
 more than once, as a soldier who was wounded in a bat- 
 itle twice, and afterward killed, may have been counted 
 three times in making up the list of casualties, whereas 
 the army had really lost but one man. The losses of 
 the enemy have never been ascertained. No precise 
 information on the subject has been discovered, and not 
 even a general statement can be made of his casualties. 
 In a few of the battles of this campaign his losses were 
 greater than the losses suffered by the Union troops ; in 
 the greater part of the battles they were less. Our 
 reinforcements had amounted to just about the same 
 number as the losses. It was estimated from the best 
 sources of information that Lee had also received rein- 
 forcements equal to his losses, so that the armies were 
 now of about the same size as when the campaign began. 
 All the reinforcements organized in the North and 
 reported as on their way to the front did not reach us. 
 There was a good deal of truth in the remark reported 
 to have been made by Mr. Lincoln : " We get a large 
 body of reinforcements together, and start them to the 
 front; but after deducting the sick, the deserters, the 
 stragglers, and the discharged, the numbers seriously 
 dimitiish by the time they reach their destination. It 's 
 
GEANT BELATES SOME ANECDOTES 193 
 
 like trying to shovel fleas across a barnyard ; you don't 
 get 'em all there." 
 
 Genera,l Grant said during the discussion: "I was 
 with General Taylor's command in Mexico when he not 
 only failed to receive reinforcements, but found that 
 nearly all his regulars were to be sent away from him 
 to join General Scott. Taylor was apt to be a little 
 absent-minded when absorbed in any perplexing prob- 
 lem, and the morning he received the discouraging news 
 he sat down to breakfast in a brown study, poured out 
 a cup of coffee, and instead of putting in the sugar, he 
 reached out and got hold of the mustard-pot, and stirred 
 haK a dozen spoonfuls of its contents into the coffee. 
 He did n't realize what he had done till he took a 
 mouthful, and then he broke out in a towering rage. 
 
 " "We learned something at ShUoh about the way in 
 which the reports of losses are sometimes exaggerated 
 in battle. At the close of the first day's fight Sherman 
 mel; a colonel of one of his regiments with only about a 
 hundred of his soldiers in ranks, and said to him, ' Why, 
 where are youi* men ? ' The colonel cast his eyes sadly 
 along the line, wiped a tear from his cheek, and replied 
 in a whimpering voice: 'We went in eight hundred 
 strong, and that 's all that 's left of us.' ' You don't tell 
 me !' exclaimed Sherman, beginning to be deeply affected 
 by the fearful result of the carnage. 'Yes,' said the 
 colonel; 'the rebs appeared to have a special spite 
 against us.' Sherman passed along some hours after- 
 ward, when the commissary was issuing rations, and 
 found that the colonel's men were returning on the run 
 from under the bank of the river, where they had taken 
 shelter from the firing ; and in a few minutes nearly aU 
 of the lost seven hundred had rejoined, and were boiling 
 coffee and eating a hearty meal with an appetite that 
 showed they were still very much alive." 
 
 13 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE STAET FOK THE JAMES — GBANT'S SECEETIVENESS — 
 STEALING A MARCH ON THE ENEMY — THE PASSAGE 
 OP THE JAMES — A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE — GENERAL 
 W. P. smith's attack on PETEESBUKG — DONNING 
 SUMMER uniform 
 
 AT dark on the evening of June 12 the famous march 
 XjL to the James began. General Grant had acted 
 with his usual secrecy in regard to important move- 
 ments, and had spoken of his detailed plans to only a 
 few oflS^cers upon whose reticence he could rely impli- 
 citly, and whom he was compelled to take into hiiS secret 
 in order to make the necessary preparations. The orders 
 for the movement were delivered to commanders in the 
 strictest confidence. Smith's corps began its march 
 that night to White House, its destination having been 
 changed from Coles's Landing on the Chiekahominy ; 
 and on its arrival it embarked for Bermuda Hundred, 
 the position occupied by Butler in the angle between the 
 James River and the Appomattox. A portion of "Wil- 
 son's division of cavalry which had not accompanied 
 Sheridan pushed forward to Long Bridge on the Chiek- 
 ahominy, fifteen miles below Cold Harbor, All the 
 bridges on that river had been destroyed, and the cav- 
 alry had to dismount and wade across the muddy stream 
 under great difficulty ; but they soon succeeded in reach- 
 ing the opposite bank in sufficient numbers to drive 
 
 194 
 
THE STABT FOR THE JAMES 195 
 
 away the enemy's cavalry pickets. A pontoon-bridge 
 was then rapidly constructed. Warren had kept close 
 to the cavalry, and on the morning of the 13th his whole 
 corps had crossed the bridge. Hancock's corps followed. 
 Bumside set out on the road to Jones's Bridge, twenty 
 miles below Cold Harbor, and was followed by Wright. 
 Cavalry covered the rear. Warren moved out some dis- 
 tance on the Long Bridge road, so as to watch the routes 
 leading toward Richmond and hold the bridge across 
 the White Oak Swamp. He was to make demonstra- 
 tions which were intended to deceive Lee and give him 
 the Impression that our army was turning his right with 
 the intention of either moving upon Eichmond or cross- 
 ing the James above City Point. How completely suc- 
 cessful this movement was in confusing the enemy will 
 be seen later. 
 
 General Grrant started from his camp near Old Cold 
 Harbor on the night of June 12. Although there was 
 moonlight, the dust rose in such dense clouds that it 
 was difficult to see more than a short distance, and the 
 march was exceedingly tedious and uncomfortable. The 
 artillerymen would at times have to walk ahead of the 
 battery horses, and locate the small bridges along the 
 road by feeling for them. 
 
 After the general had got some miles out on the march 
 from Cold Harbor, an officer of rank joined him, and as 
 they rode along began to explain a plan which he had 
 sketched, providing for the construction of another line 
 of intrenchments, some distance in rear of the lines then 
 held by us, to be used in case the army should at any 
 time want to fall back and move toward the James, and 
 should be attacked while withdrawing. The general 
 kept on smoking his cigar, listened to the proposition 
 for a time, and then quietly remarked to the astonished 
 officer: "The army has already pulled out from the 
 
196 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GEANT 
 
 enemy's front, and is now on its march to the James." 
 This is mentioned as an instance of how well his secrets 
 could be kept. He had never been a secretive man untU 
 the positions of responsibility in which he was placed 
 compelled him to be chary in giving expression to his 
 opinions and purposes. He then learned the force of 
 the philosopher's maxim that "the unspoken word is 
 a sword in the scabbard, while the spoken word is a 
 sword in the hand of one's enemy." In the field there 
 were constant visitors to the camp, ready to circulate 
 carelessly any intimations of the commander's move- 
 ments, at the risk of 'having such valuable information 
 reach the enemy. Any encouraging expression given 
 to an applicant for favors was apt to be tortured into 
 a promise, and the general naturally became guarded in 
 his intercourse. When questioned beyond the bounds 
 of propriety, Ms lips closed like a vise, and the obtrud- 
 ing party was left to supply all the subsequent conver- 
 sation. These circumstances proclaimed him a man 
 who studied to be uncommunicative, and gave him a 
 reputation for reserve which could not fairly be attrib- 
 uted to him. He was called the " American Sphinx," 
 "Ulysses the Silent," and the "Great Unspeakable," 
 and was popularly supposed to move about with sealed 
 lips. It is true that he had no " small talk " introduced 
 merely for the sake of talking, and many a one will rec- 
 ollect the embarrassment of a first encounter with him 
 resulting from this fact; but while, like Shakspere's 
 soldier, he never wore his dagger in his mouth, yet in 
 talking to a small circle of friends upon matters to 
 which he had given special consideration, his conver- 
 sation was so thoughtful, philosophical, and original 
 that he fascinated all who listened to him. 
 
 The next morning (June 13) the general made a halt at 
 Long Bridge, where the head of Hancock's corps had ar- 
 
STEALING A MARCH ON THE ENEMY 197 
 
 rived, and where he could be near Warren's movement 
 and communicate promptly with hitn. That evening he 
 reached WUcox's Landing, and went into camp on the 
 north bank of the James, at the point where the cross- 
 ing was to take place. 
 
 Hancock's corps made a forced march, and reached 
 the river at Wilcox's Landing on the afternoon of June 
 13. Wright's and Burnside's corps arrived there the 
 next day. Warren's corps withdrew on the night of 
 the 13th from the position to which it had advanced, 
 and reached the James on the afternoon of the<,14th. 
 The several corps had moved by forced marches over 
 distances of from twenty-five to fifty-five miles, and 
 the effect of the heat and dust, and the necessity of 
 every man's carrying an ample supply of ammunition 
 and rations, rendered the marches fatiguing in the 
 extreme. 
 
 Although the army started on the night of the 12th, 
 it was not until the next morning that Lee had any 
 knowledge of the fact, and even then he whoUy misun- 
 derstood the movement. He telegraphed to Richmond 
 at 10 p. M. on the 13th : " At daybreak this morning it 
 was discovered that the army of General Grant had left 
 our front. Our skirmishers were advanced between 
 one and two miles, but failing to discover the enemy, 
 were withdrawn, and the army was moved to conf oinn 
 to the route taken by him. . . ." It will be seen from 
 this that Lee was occupied with Warren's advance di- 
 rectly toward Richmond, and made his army conform 
 to this route, while Grant, with the bulk of his forces, 
 was marching in an entirely different direction. On 
 the 14th General Grant took a small steamer and ran 
 up the river to Bermuda Hundred, to have a personal 
 interview with General Butler and arrange plans for 
 his forces to move out at once and make an attack 
 
198 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 upon Petersburg. Grant knew now that lie had stolen 
 a march on Lee, and that Petersburg was almost un- 
 defended; and with his usual fondness for taking the 
 offensive, he was anxious to hasten the movement 
 which he had had in contemplation against that place, 
 to be begun before the Army of the Potomac should 
 arrive. His instructions were that as soon as Smith's 
 troops reached their destination they should be rein- 
 forced by as many men as could be spared from Butler's 
 troops, — about 6000, — and move at once against Peters- 
 burg. General Grant returned to Wilcox's Landing at 
 1 P. M. He had sent a despatch from Bermuda Hun- 
 dred to Washington, giving briefly the situation of the 
 army and the progress of the movement. That after- 
 noon reports were received showing pretty definitely 
 Lee's present position ; for Grant, with the energy and 
 system which he never failed to employ in securing 
 prompt information regarding his opponent's move- 
 ments, had had Lee's operations closely watched. 
 
 The work of laying the great pontoon-bridge across 
 the James began after 4 p. M. on June 14, and was fin- 
 ished by eleven o'clock that night. It was twenty-one 
 hundred feet in length, and required one hundred and 
 one pontoons. The pontoons, which were in the chan- 
 nel of the river, where the water was swift and deep, 
 were attached to vessels that were anchored above and 
 below for this purpose. Admiral Lee's fleet took posi- 
 tion in the river, and assisted in covering the passage 
 of the troops. Hancock began to move his corps on 
 ferry-boats on the 14th, and before daylight on the 
 morning of the 15th his entire infantry had been trans- 
 ferred to the south side of the James, with four batter- 
 ies of artillery. By 6:30 a. m. three ferry-boats had 
 been added to the number in use, which greatly facil- 
 itated the passage of his wagons and artillery. Butler 
 
THE PASSAGE OF THE JAMES 199 
 
 had been ordered to send sixty thousand rations to 
 Hancock that morning. Hancock waited for them till 
 eleven o'clock, and then started for Petersburg without 
 them. General Grant now received the following an- 
 swer to his despatch of the day before to the Presi- 
 dent: " I begin to see it. You will succeed. God bless 
 you aU. A. Lincoln." 
 
 By midnight of the 16th the army, with all its artil- 
 lery and trains, had been safely transferred to the south 
 side of the James without a serious accident or the loss 
 of a wagon or an animal, and with no casualties except 
 those which occurred in the minor encounters of War- 
 ren's corps and the cavalry with the enemy. This mem- 
 orable operation, when examined in aU its details, wiU 
 furnish one of the most valuable and instructive studies 
 in logistics. 
 
 As the general-in-chief stood upon the bluff on the 
 north bank of the river on the morning of June 15, 
 watching with unusual interest the busy scene spread 
 out before him, it presented a sight which had never 
 been equaled even in his extended experience in all the 
 varied phases of warfare. His cigar had been thrown 
 aside, his hands were clasped behind him, and he seemed 
 lost in the contemplation of the spectacle. The great 
 bridge was the scene of a continuous movement of in- 
 fantry columns, batteries of artillery, and wagon-trains. 
 The approaches to the river on both banks were cov- 
 ered with masses of troops moving briskly to their 
 positions or waiting patiently their turn to cross. At 
 the two improvised ferries steamboats were gliding 
 back and forth with the regularity of weavers' shuttles. 
 A fleet of transports covered the surface of the water 
 below the bridge, and gunboats floated lazily upon the 
 stream, guarding the river above. Drums were beating 
 the march, bands were playing stirring quicksteps, the 
 
200 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 distant booming of cannon on "Warren's front showed 
 that he and the enemy were still exchanging compli- 
 ments ; and mingled with these sounds were the cheers 
 of the sailors, the shouting of the troops, the rumbling 
 of wheels, and the shrieks of steam-whistles. The 
 bright sun, shining through a clear sky upon the scene, 
 cast its sheen upon the water, was reflected from the 
 burnished gun-barrels and glittering cannon, and 
 brought out with increased brilliancy the gay colors of 
 the waving banners. The calmly flowing river reflected 
 the blue of the heavens, and mirrored on its surface the 
 beauties of nature that bordered it. The rich grain 
 was standing high in the surrounding fields. The har- 
 vest was almost ripe, but the harvesters had fled. The 
 arts of civilization had recoiled before the science of 
 destruction ; and in looking from the growing crops to 
 the marching columns, the gentle smile of peace con- 
 trasted strangely with the savage frown of war. It was 
 a matchless pageant that could not fail to inspire all 
 beholders with the grandeur of achievement and the 
 majesty of military power. The man whose genius had 
 conceived and whose skill had executed this masterly 
 movement stood watching the spectacle in profound 
 silence. Whether his mind was occupied with the con- 
 templation of its maignitude and success, or was busied 
 with maturing plans for the future, no one can tell. 
 After a time he woke from his reverie, mounted his 
 horse, and gave orders to have headquarters ferried 
 across to the south bank of the river. On arriving 
 there, he set out for City Point ; but he had ridden only 
 a short distance when a small steamer came along, and 
 as he wished to reach City Point as quickly as possible 
 to direct operations from there, he decided to go aboard 
 the boat. It was hailed, and took him on, with Parker 
 and a couple of other staff-ofB.cers. The rest of us 
 
§ 
 
 m 
 m 
 
A BEILLUNT SPECTACLE 201 
 
 went by land, so as to take some instructions to Han- 
 cock's corps and to familiarize ourselves with that part 
 of the country. 
 
 Upon reaching City Point, headquarters were estab- 
 lished on a high bluff at the junction of the James and 
 the Appomattox rivers. I have said that the passage 
 of the James had been effected without the loss of an 
 animal. A proper regard for strict veracity requires a 
 modification of the statement. The headquarters mess 
 had procured a Virginia cow, the rich milk of which 
 went far toward compensating for the shortcomings in 
 other supplies. While preparing to ferry across the 
 river, the cow was tied to a tree to prevent her from 
 turning deserter, and in the hurry of embarking was 
 entirely forgotten. The mess felt the loss keenly until 
 another animal was procured. That evening at the 
 dinner-table, when reference was made to the incident, 
 the general said : " Well, it seems that the loss of ani- 
 mals in this movement falls most heavily upon head- 
 quarters." 
 
 General WiUiam F. Smith had disembarked his troops 
 at Bermuda Hundred during the preceding night (the 
 14th), had started immediately upon his movement 
 against Petersburg, and had struck the Confederate 
 pickets the next morning, June 15. The enemy was 
 protected by a line of rifle-pits and heavy thickets. 
 After some hard fighting he was driven from his posi- 
 tion ; our troops then moved forward, and by half -past 
 one o'clock arrived at a point from which it was thought 
 that an assault could be made upon the intrenchments. 
 Eeconnaissances were made during the afternoon, and 
 finally Smith decided that a direct assault would be too 
 hazardous, and at half -past seven o'clock threw forward 
 his troops in strong skirmish-lines. After a short strug- 
 gle the enemy was forced back from his intrenchments 
 
202 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 in front of our center and left, and Smith's second line 
 then made an attack upon the rest of the works. The 
 Confederates were now driven back at all points, four 
 guns were taken and turned upon the retreating troops, 
 the line of intrenchments was carried, and three hun- 
 dred prisoners and sixteen pieces of artillery captured. 
 Instead of following up this advantage with his whole 
 force in an attempt to seize the city, Smith made no 
 further advance. Staff-officers from Grant had reached 
 Smith at four o'clock, saying that Hancock was march- 
 ing toward him. The head of Hancock's troops reached 
 a point a mile in the rear of Hinks's division of Smith's 
 command about half -past six, and two divisions of Han- 
 cock's corps were ordered to push on and cooperate in 
 the pending movement. Night soon after set in, and 
 Smith contented himself with having two divisions of 
 Hancock's corps occupy the works which had been cap- 
 tured. Reinforcements from Lee's army were now 
 arriving in Smith's front. G-eneral Grant's belief re- 
 garding the inferior force in Petersburg proved to be 
 entirely correct. While the works were weU supplied 
 with artillery, about the only available troops to defend 
 them were Wise's brigade of 2500 men, and Deering's 
 cavalry of 2000. Besides this force there was only the 
 local militia, composed of old men and young boys, who 
 had never seen active service. 
 
 The general-in-chief had used aU the arts of which he 
 was master in preparing and conducting this memorable 
 movement across the James, which was beset at all 
 points by innumerable difficulties. He had thrown 
 nearly 16,000 troops against Petersburg before Lee had 
 sent a single reinforcement there, and had moved them 
 by transports so that they liiight not arrive exhausted 
 by a long march. With a perfect knowledge of Lee's 
 movements. Grant had brought the advance of his army 
 
W. F. SMITH'S ATTACK ON PETEESBUEG 203 
 
 in front of Petersburg on the 15th, while Lee was still 
 groping about to discover his opponent's movements. 
 In reaching this point, Grant had marched more than 
 twice the distance of Lee's route, and had crossed two 
 rivers, one a most formidable obstacle. In commenting 
 in his " Memoirs " (Vol. II., page 186) on this movement, 
 he says : " I believed then, and still believe, that Peters- 
 burg could have been easily captured at that time," 
 
 The weather had become so warm that the general 
 and most of the staff had ordered thin, dark-blue flan- 
 nel blouses to be sent to them to take the place of the 
 heavy uniform coats which they had been wearing. The 
 summer clothing had arrived, and was now tried on. 
 The general's blouse, like the others, was of plain ma- 
 terial, single-breasted, and had four regulation brass 
 buttons in front. It was substantially the coat of a pri- 
 vate soldier, with nothing to indicate the rank of an 
 officer except the three gold stars of a lieutenant-general 
 on the shoulder-straps. He wore at this time a turn- 
 down white linen collar and a small, black " butterfly " 
 cravat, which was hooked on to his front collar-button. 
 The general, when he put on the blouse, did not take 
 the pains to see whether it fitted him or to notice how 
 it looked, but thought only of the comfort it afforded, 
 and said, " Well, this is a relief," and then added : " I 
 have never taken as much satisfaction as some people 
 in making frequent changes in my outer clothing. I 
 like to put on a suit of clothes when I get up in the 
 morning, and wear it until I go to bed, unless I have to 
 make a change in my dress to meet company. I have 
 been in the habit of getting one coat at a time, putting 
 it' on and wearing it every day as long as it looked re- 
 spectable, instead of using a best and a second best. I 
 know that is not the right way to manage, but a com- 
 fortable coat seems like an old friend, and I don't like 
 
204 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 to change it." The general had also received a pair of 
 light, neatly fitting calfskin boots, to which he seemed 
 to take a fancy; thereafter he wore them most of the 
 time in place of his heavy top-boots, putting on the 
 latter only when he rode out in wet weather. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 PETEKSBUEG — LEE MYSTIFIED AS TO GEAUT'S MOVEMENTS 
 — A CHANGE OF COMPLEXION — MEADE IN ACTION — 
 CONDITION OP THE ARMY — GRANT'S CAMP AT CITY 
 POINT — GRANT AT THE MESS-TABLE 
 
 ON the morning of June 16 Q-eneral Grrant "went to 
 tlie Petersburg front. He was accompanied by- 
 most of Ms staff, and by Mr. Dana, Assistant Secretary 
 of War. The enemy was then constantly arriving and 
 occupying his intrenchments in strong force. Burn- 
 side's corps had just come up, and was put in position 
 on Hancock's left. At 10 : 15 a. m. G-rant sent an order 
 to Meade to hurry Warren forward, and start up the 
 river himself by steamer and take command in person 
 at Petersburg. 
 
 The enemy's intrenchments which protected Peters- 
 burg were well located, and were in some places strong. 
 They started at a point on the south bank of the Ap- 
 pomattox, about a mile from the eastern outskirts of 
 the city, and extended in the form of a semicircle to a 
 point on the river at about the same distance from the 
 western limits of the city. Petersburg had at that time 
 a population of 18,000, and was called the " Cockade 
 City " from the fact that at the breaking out of the war 
 of 1812 it furnished a company which was peculiarly 
 uniformed and in which each man wore in his hat a 
 conspicuous cockade. 
 
 The probability of Lee's attacking Bermuda Hundred 
 
 205 
 
206 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 in force induced General Grrant to return to City Point 
 to direct the movements on Butler's lines. While riding 
 in that direction he met Meade hurrying forward from 
 the steamer-landing. In a short iuterview, and with- 
 out dismounting from his horse, he instructed that offi- 
 cer to move at once to the front and make a vigorous 
 attack upon the works at Petersburg at six o'clock in 
 the evening, and drive the enemy, if possible, across the 
 Appomattox. It was discovered before that hour that 
 the enemy was advancing upon Butler's front, and 
 General Grant directed me to ride at full speed to 
 Meade and tell him that this made it stUl more impor- 
 tant that his attack should be a vigorous one, and that 
 the enemy might be found weaker there on account of 
 troops having been collected at Bermuda Hundred. I 
 found Meade standing near the edge of a piece of woods, 
 surrounded by some of his stafE, and actively engaged 
 Iq superintending the attack, which was then in pro- 
 gress. His usual nervous energy was displayed in the 
 intensity of his manner and the rapid and animated 
 style of his conversation. He assured me that no ad- 
 ditional orders could be given which could add to the 
 vigor of the attack. He was acting with great earnest- 
 ness, and doing his utmost to carry out the iastructions 
 which he had received. He had arrived at the front 
 about two o'cloqk, and his plans had been as well ma- 
 tured as possible for the movement. Three redans, as 
 well as a line of earthworks connecting them, were cap- 
 tured. The enemy felt the loss keenly, and made sev- 
 eral desperate attempts during the night to recover the 
 ground, but in this he did not succeed. 
 
 When I got back to City Point that evening General 
 Grant felt considerably encouraged by the news brought 
 him, and spent most of the night in planning move^ 
 ments for the next day. 
 
LEE MYSTIFIED AS TO GBANT'S MOVEMENTS 207 
 
 After further consultation witli the general-in-cMef I 
 started again for the front at Petersburg before dawn 
 on the 17th, carrying instructions looking to the con- 
 templated attacks that day. Burnside's troops sur- 
 prised the enemy at daybreak by making a sudden rush 
 upon his works, captured his intrenchments, swept his 
 line for a mile, and took 600 prisoners, a stand of colors, 
 4 guns, and 1500 stands of small arms. Attacks were 
 also made by Hancock and Warren, and more of the 
 enemy's line was captured, but not permanently held. 
 
 Telegrams sent by G-eneral Lee on June 17«show 
 how completely mystified he was, even at that late day, 
 in regard to Grant's movements. At 12 m. he sent a 
 despatch to Beauregard, saying : " Until I can get more 
 definite information of Grant's movements, I do not 
 think it prudent to draw more troops to this side of 
 the river." At 1:45 p. m. he telegraphed: "Warren's 
 corps crossed the Chickahominy at Long Bridge on the 
 13th; . . . that night it marched to Westover. Some 
 prisoners were taken from it on the 14th; have not 
 heard of it since." At 4 : 30 he sent Beauregard another 
 despatch, saying: "Have no information of Grant's 
 crossing the James Eiver, but upon your report have 
 ordered troops up to Chafl&n's Bluff." Grant, on the 
 contrary, had ascertained from watchers on Butler's tall 
 signal-tower, which had been erected at Bermuda Hun- 
 dred, just how many railway-traias with troops had 
 passed toward Petersburg, and learned from the col- 
 umns of dust that large forces were marching south. 
 From scouts, prison^s, and refugees he had secured 
 each day a close knowledge of Lee's movements. 
 
 Colonel Parker, the Indian, had been diligently em- 
 ployed in these busy days helping to take care of Gen- 
 eral Grant's correspondence. He wrote an excellent 
 hand, and as one of the military secretaries often over- 
 
208 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 hauled the general's correspondence and prepared an- 
 swers to Ms private letters. This evening he was 
 seated at the writing-table in the general's tent, while 
 his chief was standing at a little distance outside talk- 
 ing with some of the staff, A citizen who had come to 
 City Point in the employ of the Sanitary Commission, 
 and who had been at Cairo when the general took com- 
 mand there in 1861, approached the group and inquired : 
 " Where is the old man's tent 1 I 'd like to get a look 
 at him ; have n't seen him for three years." Rawlins, 
 to avoid being interrupted, said, " That 's his tent," at 
 the same time pointing to it. The man stepped over to 
 the tent, looked in, and saw the swarthy features of 
 Parker as he sat in the general's chair. The visitor 
 seemed a little puzzled, and as he walked away was 
 heard to remark: "Yes, that 's him; but he 's got all- 
 fired sunburnt since I last had a look at him." The 
 general was greatly amused by the incident, and re- 
 peated the remark afterward to Parker, who enjoyed it 
 as much as the others. 
 
 At daylight on the 18th Meade's troops advanced to 
 the assault which had been ordered, but made the dis- 
 covery that the enemy's line of the day before had been 
 abandoned. By the time new formations could be made 
 Lee's army had arrived in large force, great activity 
 had been displayed in strengthening the fortifications, 
 and the difficulties of the attacking party had been 
 greatly increased. The Second Corps was temporarily 
 commanded by D. B. Birney, as Hancock's Gettysburg 
 wound had broken out afresh thfe day before, entirely 
 disabling him. Gallant assaults were repeatedly made 
 by Bumside, Warren, and Birney ; and while they did 
 not succeed in the object of carrying the enemy's main 
 line of fortifications, positions were gained closer to his 
 works, and these were held and strongly intrenched. 
 
MEADE IN ACTION 209 
 
 Botb. of tiie opposing lines on this part of tlie ground 
 were now strengthened, and remained substantially the 
 same in position from that time until the capture of 
 Petersburg. 
 
 Greneral Grant realized the nature of the ground and 
 the circumstances that prevented the troops from ac- 
 complishing more than had been done, and he compli- 
 mented Meade upon the promptness and vigor with 
 which he had handled his army on this day of active 
 operations. Indeed, Meade had shown brilliant quali- 
 ties as commander of a large army, and under the gen- 
 eral directions given him had made aU the dispoiitions 
 and issued all the detailed orders. Grant felt it neces- 
 sary to remain at City Point in order to be in commu- 
 nication with both Meade and Butler, as Lee's troops 
 were that day moving rapidly south past Butler's front. 
 
 My duties kept me on Meade's front a large part of 
 the day. He showed himself the personification of ear- 
 nest, vigorous action in rousing his subordinate com- 
 manders to superior exertions. Even his fits of anger 
 and his resort to intemperate language stood him at times 
 in good stead in spurring on every one upon that active 
 field. He sent ringing despatches to all points of the line, 
 and paced up and down upon the field in his nervous, 
 restless manner, as he watched the progress of the op- 
 erations and made running comments on the actions of 
 his subordinates. His aquiline nose and piercing eyes 
 gave him something of the eagle's look, and added to 
 the interest of his personality. He had much to try him 
 upon this occasion, ^nd if he was severe in his repri- 
 mands and showed faults of temper, he certainly dis- 
 played no faults as a commander. When the battle 
 was over no one was more ready to make amends for 
 the instances in which he felt that he might have done 
 injustice to his subordinates. He said to them : " Sorry 
 
210 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 to hear you cannot carry the works. Get the best line 
 you can and be prepared to hold it. I suppose you 
 cannot make any more attacks, and I feel satisfied all 
 has been done that can be done." Lee himself did not 
 arrive at Petersburg until noon that day. 
 
 After I had returned to headquarters that evening, 
 and had given the general-in-chief reports of the battle 
 in more detail than he had received them by despatches 
 during the day, he sat in his tent and discussed the sit- 
 uation philosophically, saying : " Lee's whole army has 
 now arrived, and the topography of the country about 
 Petersburg has been weU taken advantage of by the 
 enemy in the location of strong works. I will make no 
 more assaults on that portion of the line, but will give 
 the men a rest, and then look to extensions toward our 
 left, with a view to destroying Lee's communications on 
 the south and confining him to a close siege." At ten 
 o'clock he turned to his table and wrote the following 
 message to Meade : " I am perfectly satisfied that aE has 
 been done that could be done, and that the assaults of 
 to-day were called for by all the appearances and infor- 
 mation that could be obtained. Now we will rest the 
 men, and use the spade for their protection until a new 
 vein can be struck. ..." 
 
 It was apparent in the recent engagements that the men 
 had not attacked with the same vigor that they had dis- 
 played in the Wilderness campaign ; but this was owing 
 more to the change in their physical than in their moral 
 condition. They had moved incessantly both day and 
 night, and had been engaged in skirmishing or in giving 
 battle from the 4th of May to the 18th of June. They had 
 seen their veteran comrades fall on every side, and their 
 places filled by inexperienced recruits, and many of the 
 officers in whom they had unshaken confidence had been 
 killed or wounded. Officers had been in the saddle day 
 
CONDITION OP THE ABMT 211 
 
 and night, securing snatches of sleep for a few hours at 
 a time as best they could. Sleeping on horseback had 
 become an art, and experienced riders had learned to 
 brace themselves in their saddles, rest their hands on 
 the pommel, and catch many a cat-nap while riding. 
 These snatches of sleep were of short dxiration and 
 accomplished under many difficulties, but often proved 
 more refreshing than might be supposed. 
 
 There was considerable suffering from sickness in 
 many of the camps. It may be said that the enemy 
 had suffered equally from the same causes that inq{)aired 
 the efficiency of our men, but there was a vast differ- 
 ence between the conditions of the two armies. The 
 enemy had been engaged principally in defending strong 
 intrenchments and in making short marches; he was 
 accustomed to the Southern climate, and was buoyed 
 up with the feeling that he was defending his home and 
 fireside. 
 
 A controversy had arisen as to the cause of Han- 
 cock's not reaching Petersburg earlier on the 15th. 
 Hancock conceived the idea that the circumstances 
 might be construed as a reproach upon him, and he 
 asked for an official investigation ; but General Grant 
 had no intention of reflecting either upon him or Meade. 
 He assured them that, in his judgment, no investigation 
 was necessary. He recommended them both for pro- 
 motion to the grade of major-general in the regular 
 army, and each was appointed to that rank. 
 
 The headquarters camp at City Point was destined to 
 become historic and to be the scene of some of the most 
 memorable events of the war. It was located at the 
 junction of the James and the Appomattox rivers, and 
 was within easy water communication with Fort Mon- 
 roe and "Washington, as well as with Butler's army, 
 which was to occupy positions on both sides of the 
 
212 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 upper James. Tlie City Point Railroad was repaired, 
 and a branch was constructed to points south of Peters- 
 burg, immediately in rear of the line held by the Army 
 of the Potomac, so that there might be convenient com- 
 munication with that army. The new portion of the 
 road was built, like most of our military railroads, upon 
 the natural surface of the ground, with but little at- 
 tempt at grading. It ran up hill and down dale, and its 
 undulations were so marked that a train moving along 
 it looked in the distance like a fly crawling over a cor- 
 rugated washboard. At City Point there was a level 
 piece of ground on a high bluff, on-which stood a com- 
 fortable house. This building was assigned to the chief 
 quartermaster, and General Grant's headquarters camp 
 was established on the lawn. The tents occupied a line 
 a little over a hundred feet back from the edge of the 
 bluff. In the middle of the line were General Grant's 
 quarters. A hospital tent was used as his office, while 
 a smaller tent connecting in the rear was occupied as 
 his sleeping-apartment. A hospital tent-fly was 
 stretched in front of the office tent so as to make a 
 shaded space in which persons could sit. A rustic 
 bench and a number of folding camp-chairs with backs 
 were placed there, and it was beneath this tent-fly that 
 most of the important official interviews were held. 
 When great secrecy was to be observed the parties 
 would retire to the office tent. On both sides of the 
 general's quarters were pitched close together enough 
 officers' tents to accommodate the staff. Each tent was 
 occupied by two officers. The mess-tent was pitched in 
 the rear, and at a short distance still farther back a 
 temporary shelter was prepared for the horses. A 
 wooden staircase was built reaching from headquarters 
 to the steamboat-landing at the foot of the bluff ; ample 
 wharves, storehouses, and hospitals were rapidly con- 
 
gbant's camp at city point 213 
 
 structed, and a commodious base of supplies was estab- 
 lisbed in tbe vicinity. The day the wbarf was com- 
 pleted and planked over the general took a stroll along 
 it, his hands thrust in his trousers pockets, and a lighted 
 cigar in his mouth. He had recently issued instructions 
 to take every precaution against fire, and had not gone 
 far when a sentinel called out : " It 's against orders to 
 come on the wharf with a lighted cigar." The general 
 at once took his Havana out of his mouth and threw it 
 into the river, saying : " I don't like to lose my smoke, 
 but the sentinel 's right. He evidently is n't going to 
 let me disobey my own orders." 
 
 Each stafE-officer took his turn in acting as " caterer " 
 of the mess, usually for a month at a time. His duties 
 consisted in giving general directions to the steward as 
 to ordering the meals, keeping an account of the bills, 
 and at the end of his tour dividing up the expenses and 
 collecting the amount charged to each officer. General 
 Grant insisted upon paying two shares of the expenses 
 instead of one, upon the ground that he invited more 
 guests to meals than any one else in the mess, although 
 this was not always the case, for each officer was al- 
 lowed to entertain guests, and there were at times as 
 many visitors at table as members of the mess. The 
 officer acting as caterer sat at the head of the mess-table, 
 with the general on his right. 
 
 It now came my turn to take a hand in managing 
 the affairs of the mess. The general, while he never 
 complained, was still the most difficult person to cater 
 for in the whole army. About the only meat he en- 
 joyed was beef, and this he could not eat unless it 
 was so thoroughly well done that no appearance of 
 blood could be seen. If blood appeared in any meat 
 which came on the table, the sight of it seemed en- 
 tirely to destroy his appetite. (This was the man 
 
214 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GRANT 
 
 whose enemies delighted in calling him a butcher.) 
 He enjoyed oysters and fruit, but these could not be 
 procured on an active campaign. He never ate mutton 
 when he could obtain anything else, and fowl and game 
 he abhorred. As he used to express it : "I never could 
 eat anything that goes on two legs," Evidently he 
 could never have been converted to cannabalism. He 
 did not miss much by declining to eat the chickens 
 which were picked up on a campaign, for they were 
 usually tough enough to create the suspicion that they 
 had been hatched from hard-boiled eggs, and were so 
 impenetrable that an officer said of one of them that he 
 could not even stick his fork through the gravy. The 
 general was fonder of cucumbers than of anything else, 
 and often made his entire meal upon a sliced cucumber 
 and a cup of coffee. He always enjoyed com, pork and 
 beans, and buckwheat cakes. In fact, he seemed to be 
 particularly fond of only the most indigestible dishes. 
 He had been eating so little for several days just before 
 I took my turn as caterer that I looked about to try to 
 find some delicacy that would tempt his appetite, and 
 after a good deal of pains succeeded in getting some 
 sweetbreads sent down from Washington. They had 
 been nicely cooked, and I announced them, when they 
 came on the table, with an air of ill-disguised triumph ; 
 but he said : " I hope these were not obtained especially 
 for me, for I have a singular aversion to them. In my 
 young days I used to eat them, not knowing exactly 
 what part of the animal they came from ; but as soon 
 as I learned what they were my stomach rebelled 
 against them, and I have never tasted them since." 
 When any fruit could be procured, it was placed on 
 the table by way of helping to ornament it, and after- 
 ward used as dessert. Between the courses of the dinner 
 the general would often reach over to the dish of fruit and 
 
GRANT AT THE MESS-TABLE 215 
 
 pick out a berry or a cherry and eat it slowly. He used 
 to do this in a sly way, like a child helping itself to 
 some forbidden dish at the table, and afraid of being 
 caught in the act. He said one day: "I suppose I 
 ought not to eat a course out of its turn, but I take the 
 greatest delight in picking out bits of fruit and eating 
 them during a meal. One of the reasons I do not enjoy 
 dining out as much as I do at home is because I am 
 compelled to sit through a long list of courses, few of 
 which I eat, and to resist the constant temptation to 
 taste a little fruit in the meanwhile to help pas| away 
 the time." ^Napoleon was famous for eating out of the 
 various dishes before him with his fingers. General 
 Grant's use of the fingers never went beyond picking 
 out small fruits. He was always refined in his manners 
 at table, and no matter how great was the hurry, or 
 what were the circumstances of the occasion, he never 
 violated the requirements of true politeness. 
 
 He ate less than any man in the army; sometimes 
 the amount of food taken did not seem enough to keep 
 a bird alive, and his meals were frugal enough to satisfy 
 the tastes of the most avowed anchorite. It so hap- 
 pened that no one in the mess had any inclination to 
 drink wine or spirits at meals, and none was carried 
 among the mess's supplies. The only beverage ever 
 used at table besides tea and coffee was water, although 
 on the march it was often taken from places which ren- 
 dered it not the most palatable or healthful of drinks. 
 If a staff-oflicer wanted anything stronger he would 
 carry some commissary whisky in a canteen. Upon a 
 few opcasions, after a hard day's ride in stormy weather, 
 the general joined the ofl&cers of the staff in taking a 
 whisky toddy in the evening. He never offered liquor 
 of any kind to visitors at headquarters. His hospitality 
 consisted in inviting them to meals and to smoke cigars. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 LINCOLN'S PIKST VISIT tO GEANT'S CAMP — LINCOLN AT THE 
 FKONT — SOME ANECDOTES BY LINCOLN — MOVEMENT 
 AGAINST THE WELDON EAILEOAD — SWAPPING HOESES 
 — SHERIDAN EETUENS — WHERE POCAHONTAS SAVED 
 JOHN SMITH — GENEEAL JAMES H. WILSON'S EAID — 
 THE STAFF ENLAEGED 
 
 ON June 21 Butler had thrown a pontoon-bridge 
 across the James, and seized a position on the 
 north side known as Deep Bottom, ten miles below 
 Richmond. Greneral Grant had directed this with a 
 view to divide the attention of the enemy's troops, and 
 to confuse them as to whether to expect an attack upon 
 Richmond or Petersburg, and because he had in con- 
 templation some operations on the north side of the 
 James, which he intended to carry out under certain 
 contingencies, in which case the occupation of Deep 
 Bottom might become important. 
 
 On Tuesday, June 21, a white river-steamer arrived 
 at the wharf, bringing President Lincoln, who had em- 
 braced this opportunity to visit for the first time the 
 armies under General Grant's immediate command. 
 As the boat neared the shore, the general and several 
 of us who were with him at the time walked down to 
 the wharf, in order that the general-in-chief might meet 
 his distinguished visitor and extend a greeting to him 
 as soon as the boat made the landing. As our party 
 
 216 
 
LINCOLN'S FIEST VISIT TO GKANT'S CAMP 217 
 
 stepped aboard, the President came down from the 
 upper deck, -where he had been standing, to the after- 
 gangway, and reaching out his long, angular arm, he 
 wrung General Grant's hand vigorously, and held it in 
 his for some time, while he uttered in rapid words his 
 congratulations and expressions of appreciation of the 
 great task which had been accomplished since he and 
 the general had parted in Washington. The group then 
 went into the after-cabin. General Grant said : " I hope 
 you are very well, Mr. President." " Yes, I am in very 
 good health," Mr. Lincoln replied ; " but I don't fe^ very 
 comfortable after my trip last night on the bay. It was 
 rough, and I was considerably shaken up. My stomach 
 has not yet entirely recovered from the effects." An 
 officer of the party now saw that an opportunity had 
 arisen to make this scene the supreme moment of his 
 life, in giving him a chance to soothe the digestive organs 
 of the Chief Magistrate of the nation. He said : " Try 
 a glass of champagne, Mr. President. That is always a 
 certain cure for seasickness." Mr. Lincoln looked at him 
 for a moment, his face lighting up with a smile, and then 
 remarked : " No, my friend ; I have seen too many fel- 
 lows seasick ashore from drinking that very stuff." This 
 was a knockdown for the officer, and in the laugh at his 
 expense Mr. Lincoln and the general both joined heartily * 
 General Grant now said : " I know it would be a great 
 satisfaction for the troops to have an opportunity of 
 seeing you, Mr. President ; and I am sure your presence 
 among them would have a very gratifying effect. I can 
 furnish you a good horse, and will be most happy to 
 escort you to points of interest along the line." Mr. 
 Lincoln replied : " Why, yes ; I had fully intended to 
 go out and take a look at the brave fellows who have 
 fought their way down to Petersburg in this wonderful 
 campaign, and I am ready to start at any time." 
 
218 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 G-eneral Grant presented to Mr. Lincoln tlie officers 
 of tlie staff who were present, and lie had for each, one 
 a cordial greeting and a pleasant word. There was a 
 kindliness in his tone and a hearty manner of expres- 
 sion which went far to captivate all who met him. The 
 President soon stepped ashore, and after sitting awhile 
 at headquarters mounted the large bay horse " Cincin- 
 nati," while the general rode with him on " Jeff Davis." 
 Three of us of the staff accompanied them, and the 
 scenes encountered in visiting both Butler's and Meade's 
 commands were most interesting. Mr. Lincoln wore a 
 very high black silk hat and black trousers and frock- 
 coat. Like most men who had been brought up in the 
 West, he had good command of a horse, but it must be 
 acknowledged that in appearance he was not a very 
 dashing rider. On this occasion, by the time he had 
 reached the troops he was completely covered with dust, 
 and the black color of his clothes had changed to Con- 
 federate gray. As he had no straps, his trousers grad- 
 ually worked up above his ankles, and gave him the ap- 
 pearance of a country farmer riding into town wearing 
 his Sunday clothes. A citizen on horseback is always 
 an odd sight in the midst of a uniformed army, and the 
 picture presented by the President bordered upon the 
 grotesque. However, the troops were so lost in admi- 
 ration of the man that the humorous aspect did not 
 seem to strike them. The soldiers rapidly passed the 
 word along the line that " Uncle Abe " had joined them, 
 and cheers broke forth from all the commands, and en- 
 thusiastic shouts and even words of famihar greeting 
 met him on all sides. After a while General Grant said : 
 "Mr. President, let us ride on and see the colored 
 troops, who behaved so handsomely in Smith's attack 
 on the works in front of Petersburg last week." " Oh, 
 yes," replied Mr. Lincoln ; " I want to take a look at 
 
LINCOLN AT THE FRONT 219 
 
 those boys. I read with the greatest delight the ac- 
 count given in Mr. Dana's despatch to the Secretary of 
 War of how gallantly they behaved. He said they took 
 six out of the sixteen guns captured that day. I was 
 opposed on nearly every sidfe when I first favored the 
 raising of colored regiments ; but they have proved their 
 efficiency, and I am glad they have kept pace with the 
 white troops in the recent assaults. When we wanted 
 every able-bodied man who could be spared to go to the 
 front, and my opposers kept objecting to the negroes, I 
 used to tell them that at such times it was just as well 
 to be a little color-blind, I think, general, we can say 
 of the black boys what a country fellow who was an old- 
 time abolitionist in Illinois said when he went to a the- 
 ater in Chicago and saw Forrest playing Othello. He 
 was not very well up in Shakspere, and did n't know 
 that the tragedian was a white man who had blacked 
 up for the purpose. After the play was over the folks 
 who had invited him to go to the show wanted to know 
 what he thought of the actors, and he said: 'Waal, 
 layin' aside all sectional prejudices and any partiality I 
 may have for the race, derned ef I don't think the nig- 
 ger held his own with any on 'em.' " The Western dia- 
 lect employed in this story was perfect. 
 
 The camp of the colored troops of the Eighteenth 
 Corps was soon reached, and a scene now occurred 
 which defies description. They beheld for the first time 
 the liberator of their race — the man who by a stroke of 
 his pen had struck the shackles from the limbs of their 
 fellow-bondmen and proclaimed liberty to the enslaved. 
 Always impressionable, the enthusiasm of the blacks 
 now knew no limits. They cheered, laughed, cried, sang 
 hymns of praise, and shouted in their negro dialect, 
 " Grod bress Massa Linkum ! " " De Lord save Fader 
 Abraham!" "De day ob jubilee am come, shuah." 
 
220 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 They crowded about him and fondled Ms horse ; some 
 of them kissed his hands, while others ran off crying in 
 triumph to their comrades that they had touched his 
 clothes. The President rode with bared head ; the tears 
 had started to his eyes, and his voice was so broken by 
 emotion that he could scarcely articulate the words of 
 thanks and congratulation which he tried to speak to 
 the humble and devoted men through whose ranks he 
 rode. The scene was affecting in the extreme, and no 
 one could have witnessed it unmoved. 
 
 In the evening Mr. Lincoln gathered with General 
 Grant and the staff in front of the general's tent, and 
 then we had an opportunity of appreciating his charm 
 as a talker, and hearing some of the stories for which 
 he had become celebrated. He did not tell a story 
 merely for the sake of the anecdote, but to point a 
 moral or to clench a fact. So far as our experience 
 went, his anecdotes possessed the true geometric requi- 
 site of excellence: they were neither too broad nor too 
 long. He seemed to recollect every incident in his ex- 
 perience and to weave it into material for his stories. 
 One evening a sentinel whose post was near enough to 
 enable him to catch most of the President's remarks 
 was heard to say, " "Well, that man 's got a powerful 
 memory and a mighty poor forgettery." 
 
 He seldom indulged even in a smile until he reached 
 the climax of a humorous narration; then he joined 
 heartUy with the listeners in the laugh which followed. 
 He usually sat on a low camp-chair, and wound his legs 
 around each other as if in an effort to get them out of 
 the way, and with his long arms he accompanied what 
 he said with all sorts of odd gestures. An officer once 
 made the remark that he would rather have a single 
 photograph of one of Mr. Lincoln's jokes than own the 
 negative of any other man's. In the course of the con- 
 
SOME ANECDOTES BY LINOOLN 221 
 
 versation that evening he spoke of the improvement in 
 arms and ammunition, and of the new powder prepared 
 for the fifteen-inch guns. He said he had never seen 
 the latter article, but he understood it differed very 
 much from any other powder that had ever been used. 
 I told him that I happened to have in my tent a speci- 
 men which had been sent to headquarters as a curiosity, 
 and that I would bring it to him. When I returned 
 with a grain of the powder about the size of a walnut, 
 he took it, turned it over in his hand, and after exam- 
 ining it carefully, said : " WeU, it 's rather larger than 
 the powder we used to buy in my shooting dayk. It 
 reminds me of what occurred once in a country meet- 
 ing-house in Sangamon County. You see, there were 
 very few newspapers then, and the country storekeepers 
 had to resort to some other means of advertising their 
 wares. If, for instance, the preacher happened to be late 
 in coming to a prayer-meeting of an evening, the shop- 
 keepers would often put in the time while the people 
 were waiting by notifying them of any new arrival of 
 an attractive line of goods. One evening a man rose up 
 and said : ' Brethren, let me take occasion to say, while 
 we 're a-waitin', that I have jest received a new iuv'ice 
 of sportin' powder. The grains are so small you kin 
 sca'cely see 'em with the naked eye, and polished up so 
 fine you kin stand up and comb yer ha'r in front of one 
 o' them grains jest like it was a lookin'-glass. Hope 
 you '11 come down to my store at the cross-roads and 
 examine that powder for yourselves.' When he had 
 got about this far a rival powder-merchant in the meet- 
 ing, who had been boiling over with indignation at 
 the amount of advertising the opposition powder was 
 getting, jumped up and cried out: 'Brethren, I hope 
 you 'U not believe a single word Brother Jones has been 
 sayin' about that powder. I 've been down thar and 
 
222 cAMPAiGNma with gbant 
 
 seen it for myself, and I pledge you my word tliat the 
 grains is bigger than the lumps in a coal-pile ; and any 
 one of you, brethren, ef you was in your future state, 
 could put a bar'l o' that powder on your shoulder and 
 march squar' through the sulphurious flames surround- 
 in' you without the least danger of an explosion.' " We 
 thought that grain of powder had served even a better 
 purpose in drawing out this story than it could ever 
 serve in being fired from a fifteen-inch gun. 
 
 As the party broke up for the night I walked into my 
 quarters to put back the grain of powder, and upon 
 turning round to come out, I found that the President 
 had followed me and was looking into my tent, from 
 curiosity, doubtless, to see how the officers were quar- 
 tered. Of course I made haste to invite him in. He 
 stepped inside for a moment, and his eye fell upon a 
 specimen artillery trace, a patented article which some 
 inventor had left the day before in order to have it ex- 
 amined at headquarters. The President exclaimed, 
 "Why, what 's that?" I replied, "That is a trace." 
 " Oh," remarked Mr. Lincoln, " that recalls what the poet 
 wrote: 'Sorrow had fled, but left her traces there.' 
 What became of the rest of the harness he did n't men- 
 tion." 
 
 That night Mr. Lincoln slept aboard the boat which 
 had brought him to City Point. He had expressed to 
 General Grant a desire to go up the James the next 
 day, to see that portion of our lines and visit the flag- 
 ship of Admiral Lee, who commanded the gunboats. 
 All arrangements were made for the trip, and the Presi- 
 dent's boat started up the river about eight o'clock the 
 next morning, stopping at Bermuda Hundred to take 
 on General Butler. Admiral Lee came aboard from his 
 flag-ship, and the party proceeded up the river as far 
 as it was safe to ascend. Mr. Lincoln was in excellent 
 
SOME ANECDOTES BT LINCOLN 223 
 
 spirits, and listened with great eagerness to tlie descrip- 
 tions of the works, which could be seen from the river, 
 and the objects for which they had been constructed. 
 When his attention was called to some particularly- 
 strong positions which had been seized and fortified, he 
 remarked to Butler: "When Grrant once gets posses- 
 sion of a place, he holds on to it as if he had inherited 
 it." Orders had been sent to have the pontoon-bridge 
 at Deep Bottom opened for the passage of the Presi- 
 dent's boat, so that he could proceed some distance be- 
 yond that point. His whole conversation during his 
 visit showed the deep anxiety he felt and the weight of 
 responsibility which was resting upon him. His face 
 would light up for a time while telling an anecdote il- 
 lustrating a subject under discussion, and afterward his 
 features would relax and show the deep lines which had 
 been graven upon them by the mental strain to which 
 he had been subjected for nearly four years. The Na- 
 tional Republican Convention had renominated him for 
 the Presidency just two weeks before, and some refer- 
 ence was made to it and to the number of men who 
 composed the Electoral College. He remarked: 
 "Among all our colleges, the Electoral College is the 
 only one where they choose their own masters." He 
 did not show any disposition to dwell upon the subject, 
 or upon the approaching political campaign. His mind 
 seemed completely absorbed in the operatioils of the 
 armies. Several times, when contemplated battles were 
 spoken of, he said : " I cannot pretend to advise, but I 
 do sincerely hope that all may be accomplished with as 
 little bloodshed as possible." 
 
 Soon after his return to City Point the President 
 started back to Washington. His visit to the army had 
 been a memorable event. General G-rant and he had 
 had so much deUghtful intercourse that they parted 
 
224 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 from eacli other with unfeigned regret, and both felt 
 that their acquaintance had already ripened into a gen^ 
 uine friendship. 
 
 General Grant, having decided that it would be inex- 
 pedient to attempt to carry the works at Petersburg by 
 assault, now began to take measures looking to the in- 
 vestment of that place by leaving a portion of his forces 
 to defend our works, while he moved out with the other 
 portion against the railroads, with the design of cutting 
 off Lee's communications in that direction. "Wright's 
 entire corps had been sent back from Butler's front to 
 the Army of the Potomac, and Martindale's command 
 had been returned to Butler, so that Meade's and But- 
 ler's armies were again complete. Meade's corps were 
 disposed as follows, from right to left of the line : Burn- 
 side, Warren, Birney (Hancock's), Wright. 
 
 On the morning of June 22, Wright's and Birney's 
 corps moved westward with a view to crossing the 
 Weldon Eailroad and swinging around to the left ; but 
 they were vigorously attacked and forced back some 
 distance. They advanced again in the evening, but 
 nothing important was gained. 
 
 On June 23, Birney and Wright again moved out. 
 There was great difficulty in preserving the alinement 
 of the troops, as they had to pass through dense woods 
 and almost impenetrable thickets, which made the move- 
 ment a slow and difficult process. About four o'clock 
 in the afternoon, while a portion of Wright's troops 
 were at work destroying the Weldon Railroad, a large 
 force of the enemy struck his left and drove it back. 
 Darkness soon came on, and nothing of importance was 
 accomplished. Wright was now given authority to 
 withdraw his corps to tlfe position occupied the night 
 before, which was more advantageous. Meade had sent 
 frequent messages to Grant, who was this day at Ber- 
 
MOVEMENT ACAINST THE WEliDON KAILKOAD 225 
 
 muda Htmdred, keeping Mm advised of tlie movements 
 in his front ; and that night he telegraphed : " I think 
 you had better come up here to-morrow if convenient." 
 Greneral Grant felt considerably annoyed about the 
 operations that day at Petersburg, and regarded the 
 position of the Army of the Potomac as somewhat tjuI- 
 nerable. In extending to the left the center had been 
 depleted, while the left flank was out in the air, and 
 would consequently be weak if a heavy and determined 
 attack should be made upon it. The enemy had made 
 his intrenchments so strong that he could afford to 
 move a large portion of his force to his right for the 
 purpose of such an attack. Hancock was much missed 
 from the command of the Second Corps. It was quite 
 natural that Meade should ask Grant to come in person 
 to the lines in front of Petersburg, and it was another 
 indication of the confidence which his subordinate com- 
 manders reposed in him. 
 
 At eight o'clock on the morning of June 24 the gen- 
 eral rode to the headquarters of the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, accompanied by Rawlins, myself, and two others 
 of the staff. In discussing with Meade and some of the 
 corps commanders the events of the two previous days, 
 he gave particular instructions for operations on that 
 part of the line. The guns of the siege-train which he 
 had ordered now began to arrive from Washington. 
 Meade was told that theyjwould be sent to him immedi- 
 ately, and it was decided to spend the next few days in 
 putting the guns and mortars into commanding posi- 
 tions, in the meanwhile permitting the troops to desist 
 from active operations. The heat was now intense, and 
 the men were in much need of rest, Meade gave Grant 
 and his staff a comfortable lunch, and late in the after- 
 noon our party started for City Point. 
 
 Owing to the heat and dust, the long ride was exceed- 
 
 15 
 
226 CAMPAIGNING -WITH GEANT 
 
 ingly uncomfortable. My best horse had been hurt, 
 and I was mounted on a bay cob that had a trot which 
 necessitated no end of " saddle-pounding " on the part 
 of the rider ; and if distances are to be measured by the 
 amount of fatigue endured, this exertion added many 
 miles to the trip. The general was riding his black 
 pony " Jeff Davis." This smooth little pacer shuffled 
 along at a gait which was too fast for a walk and not 
 fast enough for a gallop, so that aU the other horses had 
 to move at a brisk trot to keep up with him. When 
 we were about five miles from headquarters the general 
 said to me in a joking way i " You don't look comfort- 
 able on that horse. Now I feel about as fresh as when 
 we started out." I replied: "It makes aU the differ- 
 ence in the world, general, what kind of horse one 
 rides." He remarked : " Oh, all horses are pretty much 
 alike, as far as the comfort of their gait is concerned." 
 " In the present instance," I answered, " I don't think 
 you would like to swap with me, general." He said at 
 once, " Why, yes ; I 'd just as lief swap with you as 
 not " ; and threw himself off his pony and mounted my 
 uncomfortable beast, while I put myself astride of 
 " Jeff." The general had always been a famous rider, 
 even when a cadet at West Point. When he rode or 
 drove a strange horse, not many minutes elapsed before 
 he and the animal seemed to understand each other 
 perfectly. In my experience I have never seen a better 
 rider, or one who had a more steady seat, no matter 
 what sort of horse he rode ; but on this occasion it soon 
 became evident that his body and that of the animal 
 were not always in touch, and he saw that aU the party 
 were considerably amused at the jogging to which he 
 was subjected. In the mean time " Jeff Davis " was pac- 
 ing along with a smoothness which made me feel as if 
 I were seated in a rocking-chair. When we reached 
 
SHEEIDAN KETUENS 227 
 
 headquarters the general dismounted in a manner •whicli 
 showed that he was pretty stiff from the ride. As he 
 touched the ground he turned and said with a quizzical 
 look, " Well, I must acknowledge that animal is pretty 
 rough." 
 
 Sheridan had arrived on June 20 at White House, on 
 his return from the expedition to the north side of the 
 North Anna Eiver, upon which he had been sent on the 
 7th. As soon as Lee learned of Hunter's success he 
 sent Breckinridge's troops to oppose him ; and hearing 
 that Sheridan had started, he ordered Hamptop's and 
 Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry commands to move against our 
 cavalry. They were to attack Sheridan during the 
 night of the 10th and surprise him; but that officer 
 was not to be caught napping. He advanced promptly 
 toward TreviHan's Station, and in a well-conceived and 
 brilliantly executed battle defeated the Confederate cav- 
 alry, and then effectually destroyed several miles of the 
 Virginia Central Railroad. He now obtained informa- 
 tion from the prisoners he had captured that Hunter 
 was in the vicinity of Lynchburg and not likely to 
 reach Charlottesville ; and as the enemy had thrown a 
 large force of infantry and cavalry between Hunter and 
 him, and as he was encumbered with a large number of 
 prisoners and wounded, and his supply of ammunition 
 was nearly exhausted, he felt that it would be useless to 
 try to make a junction with Hunter, and decided to re- 
 turn to the Army of the Potomac by way of White 
 House, where ample and much-needed supplies were 
 awaiting him. On his arrival, orders were given that 
 this depot should be broken up on the 22d, and the train 
 of nine hundred wagons which had been left there was 
 crossed to the south side of the James River, having 
 been gallantly and successfully defended on its way by 
 Sheridan's cavalry. 
 
228 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 On the 26tli Sheridan came in person to Grant's head- 
 quarters, and had an interview with him in regard to 
 the results of his expedition and the further operations 
 which he was expected to undertake at once on the 
 south side of Petersburg. Sheridan was cordially 
 greeted on his arrival by the general-in-chief . He was 
 at all times a welcome visitor at headquarters, as his 
 boundless enthusiasm, buoyant spirits, and cheery con- 
 versation were always refreshing. 
 
 The general, after learning all the details of Sheridan's 
 expedition, told him that he fully approved his judg- 
 ment in not attempting, under the contingencies which 
 had arisen, to reach Hunter ; but, as usual, the general 
 did not dwell at length upon the past, and promptly 
 began the discussion of the plans he had in view for the 
 cavalry in the future. 
 
 A day or two afterward, Grrant paid a visit to Butler's 
 lines ; and whUe he and the staff were riding out to the 
 front they came to the place where, according to tradi- 
 tion, Pocahontas had saved the life of Captain John 
 Smith. Whether it was the exact spot or not, it was 
 regarded in that locality as historic ground ; and Virgin- 
 ians, who take a particular pride in well-known family 
 names, seemed to honor Pocahontas especially, no doubt 
 because she was largely instrumental in preserving the 
 Smith family to posterity. In the efforts to account 
 for the attempted execution of the prisoner, there is a 
 story told, about the truth of which there is a lingering 
 uncertainty. It is to the effect that, when the captain 
 fell into the hands of the Indian chief, he was rash 
 enough to state, in reply to questions as to his identity, 
 that his name was " John Smith " ; and that the noble 
 red man thought he was trying to perpetrate a practical 
 joke on him, and was roused to swift vengeance by such 
 an ill-timed pleasantry. 
 
WHERE POCAHONTAS SAVED JOHN SMITH 229 
 
 In climbing a rather steep hill at this point, the party- 
 had to move along a narrow bridle-path. The general 
 was riding in the lead, followed by the staff in single 
 file, with Badean bringing up the rear. The trees were 
 soon found to be so near together that a horse 'and rider 
 could not pass between them when keeping in the path, 
 and we turned out to the left, where the woods were 
 more open. Badeau's near-sightedness prevented him 
 from seeing very far ahead, and he was not paying 
 much attention to his horse, but simply letting him go 
 along as he pleased. Suddenly we heard a erf from 
 him : " I 'm going off ! I say, I 'm going off ! " On look- 
 ing round, we found his horse climbing up the path 
 with a tree on each side, between which he could 
 scarcely squeeze. When Badeau's knees reached the 
 trees his saddle was forced back, and as the horse strug- 
 gled on his rider finally slid off over the animal's tail. 
 Then came the cry, " See here, I 'm off ! " and Badeau 
 and the saddle were seen lying on the ground. The 
 horse stepped out of the girth and quietly continued his 
 march up the hill as if nothing had happened. General 
 Grant stopped, and looking back at the ludicrous sight 
 presented, fairly screamed with laughter, and did not 
 recover his equanimity during the remainder of the ride. 
 Nothing could have been more amusing to him than 
 such an accident.; for, as he was an exceptionally expert 
 horseman, awkwardness on the part of a rider was more 
 laughable to him than to most people. Badeau, with 
 the assistance of an orderly, had his horse resaddled, 
 and, mounting again, soon joined the cavalcade. Gen- 
 eral Grant cracked jokes at his expense all the rest of 
 the ride ; and for two or three days afterward, when 
 he would be sitting quietly in front of his tent, he 
 would suddenly begin to shake with laughter, and say : 
 "I can't help thinking how that horse succeeded in 
 
230 CAMPAIGNIKG "WITH GKANT 
 
 sneaking ont from tinder Badean at Bermuda Hun- 
 dred." 
 
 While the enemy's cavalry was north of the James, 
 and the probabilities were that it would be detained 
 there by Sheridan for some days, it was decided to send 
 Wilson's division of cavalry, which had remained with 
 the Army of the Potomac, and four regiments of the 
 cavalry of the Army of the James under Kautz, to the 
 south of Petersburg, with a view to striking both the 
 South Side and the DanviUe railroads. This cavalry 
 command started out on the morning of June 22. It 
 was composed of nearly 6000 men and several batteries 
 of horse-artillery. It first struck the Weldon, then the 
 South Side Railroad, and afterward advanced as far as 
 Roanoke Station on the Danville road, inflicting much 
 damage. On the 29th, after severe fighting, it found 
 itself confronted and partly surrounded by such a heavy 
 force of the enemy that there was no means of cutting 
 a way through with success ; and it was decided to issue 
 all the remaining ammunition, destroy the wagons and 
 caissons, and fall back to the Union lines. The troops 
 were hard pressed by greatly superior numbers, and 
 suffered severely upon their march, but by untiring en- 
 ergy and great gallantry succeeded in reaching the 
 Army of the Potomac on July 1. The expedition had 
 been absent ten days. It had marched three hundred 
 miles, and destroyed a large quantity of rolling-stock 
 and about fifty miles of railroad. The loss in killed, 
 wounded, and missing amounted to about 1500 men. 
 All the guns and wagons were destroyed or abandoned. 
 The cavalry supposed that the infantry of the Army of 
 the Potomac would be in possession of Reams's Station 
 at the time of their return, but that station was stiU in 
 the hands of the enemy. 
 
 The destruction of communications by Hunter, Sheri- 
 
GENEBAIi JAMES H. WILSON'S EAID 231 
 
 dan, and Wilson gave the enemy serious alarm ; but by 
 dint of great effort be in time made the necessary re- 
 pairs, and was again able to bring supplies to Eiohmond 
 by rail. In tbe mean time tbe siege of Petersburg had 
 begun, and it was now G-rant's intention to make the 
 investment as complete as possible, and to take advan- 
 tage of every opportunity to inflict damage on the en- 
 emy, and give him battle whenever he could do so under 
 circumstances that would be justifiable. 
 
 On June 29, Grant felt anxious about the fate of the 
 cavalry and the progress of "Wright's corps, whjch had 
 been sent to Eeams's Station to Wilson's relief, but did 
 not reach there in time. He rode out to the Petersburg 
 front with his staff, held interviews with Meade, Burn- 
 side, and Smith, and visited the lines to make a personal 
 inspection of the principal batteries. He became im- 
 pressed with the idea that more field-artillery could be 
 used to advantage at several points, and when we re- 
 turned to headquarters that evening he telegraphed to 
 Washington for five or six additional batteries. 
 
 From the 4th of May until the end of June there had 
 not been a day in which there was not a battle or a skir- 
 mish. The record of continuous and desperate fighting 
 had far surpassed any campaign in modern or ancient 
 military history. 
 
 In view of the important operations which were to 
 be conducted from City Point, General Grant made 
 some changes in the organization of the staff. General 
 Eufus IngaUs, who had distinguished himself by the 
 exhibition of signal ability as chief quartermaster of 
 the io-my of the Potomac, was assigned to duty as chief 
 quartermaster upon the staff of the general-in-chief. 
 Grant and he had been classmates at West Point, and 
 were on terms of extreme intimacy. IngaUs was exceed- 
 ingly popular in the army, and both oflS.cially and per- 
 
232 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 sonally was regarded as an important acquisition to the 
 staff. Lieutenant-colonel M. R. Morgan, an efficient 
 and experienced officer of the commissary department, 
 was added to the staff of the general-in-chief as chief 
 commissary ; thirty years after he became commissary- 
 general of the army. Soon after General M. R. Patrick 
 was made provost-marshal-general, and General George 
 H. Sharpe was assigned to duty as his assistant. The 
 latter officer rendered invaluable service in obtaining 
 information regarding the enemy by his employment of 
 scouts and his skill in examining prisoners and refugees. 
 Captain Amos Webster was placed on duty as assistant 
 quartermaster. Assistant Surgeon E. D. W. Breneman, 
 U. S. A., was assigned to look after the health of those 
 at headquarters ; but the particularly robust condition 
 of nearly all the officers he was prepared to attend made 
 his work exceedingly light. 
 
 In discussing at this time the large amount of rations 
 which had to be supplied by the subsistence depart- 
 ment, and the system required in its management. Gen- 
 eral Grant said: "When I first had an independent 
 command there were so few experienced men about me 
 that I had to sit down at night and teach officers of the 
 staff departments how to make requisitions for supplies, 
 and fill out the blank forms furnished by the govern- 
 ment when such blanks could be procured. I had acted 
 at times as quartermaster and commissary in the old 
 army, and was of course familiar with all the forms 
 used in preparing papers. Word was brought to me 
 one day that a new regimental commissary had gone 
 aboard a commissary boat on the Mississippi and pre- 
 sented a requisition for rations for his men. The officer 
 in charge looked at it in amazement, and exclaimed: 
 'Why, there are not half enough rations aboard this entire 
 steamer to fill that requisition.' The commissary, who 
 
THE STAFF ENLABGED 233 
 
 thought he had made only an ordinary demand, said: 
 * Why, you 're filling requisitions for all the other regi- 
 ments in our brigade ! ' ' Eegiment ! ' cried the commis- 
 sary. ' You mean a corps.' The regimental commissary 
 then discovered that he had made out his requisition on 
 a corps blank." 
 
 A hospital had been established at City Point large 
 enough to accommodate 6000 patients, and served a 
 very useful purpose. The general manifested a deep 
 interest in this hospital, frequently visited it, and con- 
 stantly received verbal reports from the surgeons in 
 charge as to the care and comfort of the wounded. 
 
 A telegraph-line had been established on the south 
 side of the James which connected by cable across 
 Hampton Eoads with Fort Monroe. From that place 
 there was direct telegraphic communication with "Wash- 
 ington. This hue was occasionally broken, but by dint 
 of great effort it was generally well maintained and 
 made to perform excellent service. 
 
 The general headquarters had become an intensely 
 interesting spot. Direct communication was kept open 
 as far as possible with the various armies throughout 
 the country, all of which the general-in-chief was direct- 
 ing, and information of an exciting nature was con- 
 stantly received and important orders were issued. 
 The officers on duty had an opportunity to watch the 
 great war drama from behind the scenes, from which 
 point they witnessed not only the performance of the 
 actors, but the workings of the master mind that gave 
 the directions and" guided all the preparations. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 A DISAPPOINTED BAND-MASTER — HUNTER'S EAID — EAELT'S 
 KAID ON WASHINGTON — GEANT AS A WEITEE — GEANT 
 DEVOTES ATTENTION TO SHEEMAN — GEANT'S TEEAT- 
 MENT OP HIS GENEEALS — GEANT'S EQUANIMITY — 
 GEANT AS A THINKEE — WHY GEANT NEVEE SWOEE — 
 MEADE AND WAEEEN — SEWAED VISITS GEANT 
 
 EAETMWOEKS had been thrown across the neck 
 of land upon which City Point is located. This 
 intrenched line ran from a point on the James to a point 
 on the Appoma,ttox River. A small garrison had been 
 detailed for its defense, and the commanding officer, 
 wishing to do something that would afford the general- 
 in-chief special delight, arranged to send the band over 
 to the headquarters camp to play for him while he was 
 dining. The garrison commander was in blissful igno- 
 rance of the fact that to the general the appreciation of 
 music was a lacking sense and the musician's score a 
 sealed .book. About the third evening after the band 
 had begun its performances, the general, while sitting 
 at the mess-table, remarked : " I 've noticed that that 
 band always begins its noise just about the time I am 
 sitting down to dinner and want to talk." I offered to 
 go and make an effort to suppress it, and see whether it 
 would obey an order to " cease firing," and my services 
 were promptly accepted. The men were gorgeously 
 uniformed, and the band seemed to embrace every sort 
 
 234 
 
A DISAPPOINTED BAND-MASTEB 235 
 
 of brass instrument ever invented, from a diminutive 
 eornet-&,-pistons to a gigantic double-bass bom. The 
 performer who played tbe latter instrument was en- 
 caged within its ample twists, and looked like a man 
 standing inside the coils of a whisky-still. The broad- 
 belted band-master was puffing with all the vigor of a 
 quack-medicine advertisement, his eyes were riveted 
 upon the music, and it was not an easy task to attract 
 his attention. Like a sperm-whale, he had come up to 
 blow, and was not going to be put down till he had fin- 
 ished ; but finally he was made to understand that, like 
 the hand-organ man, he was desired to move on. With 
 a look of disinheritance on his countenance, he at last 
 marched off his band to its camp. On my return the 
 general said : " I fear that band-master's feelings have 
 been hurt, but I did n't want him to be wasting his time 
 upon a person who has no ear for music." A staff- 
 officer remarked: "Well, general, you were at least 
 
 much more considerate than Commodore , who, the 
 
 day he came to take command of his vessel, and was 
 seated at dinner in the cabin, heard music on deck, and 
 immediately sent for the executive officer and said to 
 him: 'Have the instruments and men of that band 
 thrown overboard at once ! ' " 
 
 Hunter's bold march and destruction of military stores 
 had caused so much alarm that Lee, as has been said 
 before, was compelled to send Breckinridge's force and 
 Early's corps to the valley of Virginia. Hunter contin- 
 ued to drive back the troops he encountered tiU he 
 reached Lynchburg. There he found that the strength 
 of the works and the combined forces brought against 
 him would prevent the further success of his raid. On 
 June 18 he decided to exercise the discretion which had 
 been left to him in such a contingency and retire toward 
 his base. The result of the campaign, besides compeU- 
 
236 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 ing Lee to detaeli troops from his own army, was the 
 burning of Confederate cloth-mills, gun-stock and har- 
 ness factories, and foundries engaged in the manufac- 
 ture of ammunition, the destruction of about fifty miles 
 of railroad, and the capture of three thousand muskets, 
 twenty pieces of artillery, and a quantity of ammuni- 
 tion. The stringent orders given by Grant to Sigel, 
 and by him turned over to Hunter, who had succeeded 
 him, were prepared with a view to preventing aU wan- 
 ton destruction. They were in part as follows : " Indis- 
 criminate marauding should be avoided. Nothing should 
 be taken not absolutely necessary for the troops, except 
 when captured from an armed enemy. Impressments 
 should be made under orders from the commanding 
 officer and by a disbursing officer. Eeceipts should be 
 given for aU property taken, so that the loyal may col- 
 lect pay and the property be accounted for." Notwith- 
 standing these orders, there were some houses burned 
 and damage done to individual property during this 
 raid. 
 
 Himter having been compelled to fall back into "West 
 Virginia, the roads to Washington were left uncovered, 
 and the enemy now advanced into Maryland. Sigel's 
 smaU force retreated precipitately across the Potomac, 
 followed by the enemy. It had been impossible for 
 G-eneral Grant to obtain any reliable news for a number 
 of days in regard to these movements, and it was not 
 until the 4th of July that he received definite informa- 
 tion. 
 
 We did not find many leisure moments to indulge in 
 patriotic demonstrations at headquarters on Indepen- 
 dence day, for the directions for executing the plans for 
 checkmating the enemy in his present movement fuUy 
 occupied every one on duty. Grant telegraphed to Hal- 
 leck to (jonoentrate all the troops about Washington, 
 
EAKLY'S raid on WASHINGTON 237 
 
 Baltimore, Cumberland, and Harper's Ferry, bring up 
 Hunter's troops, and put Early to flight. While Grant 
 was thinking only of punishing Early, there was great 
 consternation in "Washington, and the minds of the offi- 
 cials there seemed to be occupied solely with measures 
 for defending the capital. Hunter's troops had fallen 
 back to Charleston, West Virginia, and a drought had 
 left so little water in the Ohio Eiver that the ascent of 
 the vessels on which his troops had embarked was 
 greatly delayed. 
 
 All eyes were, as usual, turned upon Grant to protect 
 the capital and drive back the invading force. On July 5, 
 seeing, as he thought, another opportunity for cut- 
 ting off and destroying the troops that Lee had detached 
 from his command, Grant ordered one division of 
 Wright's corps and some dismounted cavalry to Wash- 
 ington by steamers. Under subsequent orders the in- 
 fantry division (Rickett's) proceeded via Baltimore to 
 reinforce General Lew Wallace, at the Monocacy. Gen- 
 eral Grant had been very much dissatisfied with all of 
 Sigel's movements, and now that the situation was be- 
 coming somewhat serious, he determined to make an 
 effort to have him removed from his command. On the 
 7th he sent Halleck a despatch, saying : " I think it ad- 
 visable to relieve him [Sigel] from aU duty, at least until 
 present troubles are over." Sigel was immediately 
 removed, and General Howe put in command of his 
 forces until Hunter's arrival. By means of the tele- 
 graphic communications which he constantly received 
 Grant was able to time pretty well the movements of 
 the enemy, and to make preparations for meeting him 
 before he could attempt the capture of Washington. 
 He had been planning some important offensive opera- 
 tions in front of Eichmond, but he now decided to post- 
 pone these and turn his chief attention to Early. 
 
238 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GBANT 
 
 The Nineteenth. Corps, which, had been ordered from 
 New Orleans by sea, and which was how arriving at 
 Fort Monroe, and the remainder of "Wright's Sixth 
 Corps from in front of Petersburg, were instructed to 
 proceed at once to Washington. Instead of sympathiz- 
 ing with the alarming messages from the capital and 
 the many rash suggestions made from there, the general 
 telegraphed on July 9 : " Forces enough to defeat aU 
 that Early has with him should get in his rear, south of 
 him, and follow him up sharply, leaving him to go 
 north, defending depots, towns, etc, with smaU garri- 
 sons and the militia. If the President thinks it advi- 
 sable that I should go to Washington in person, I can 
 start in an hour after receiving notice." The President 
 answered, saying that he thought it would be well for 
 the general to come to Washington, but making it only 
 as a suggestion. General G-rant replied to this: "I 
 think, on reflection, it would have a bad effect for me to 
 leave here, and, with Ord at Baltimore, and Hunter and 
 Wright with the forces following the enemy up, could 
 do no good. I have great faith that the enemy will 
 never be able to get back with much of his force." The 
 general said, in conversation with his staff on the 10th : 
 " One reason why I do not wish to go to Washington 
 to take personal direction of the movement against 
 Early is that this is probably just what Lee wants me 
 to do, in order that he may transfer the seat of war to 
 Maryland, or feel assured that there will be no offensive 
 operations against Petersburg during my absence, and 
 detach some of his forces and send them against Sher- 
 man. Sherman is at a long distance from his base of 
 supplies, and I want to be able to have him feel that I 
 shall take no step that wUl afford an opportunity of de- 
 taching troops from here to operate against him." 
 
 General Lew Wallace, in command of what was called 
 
EAKLY'S RAED on WASHINGTON 239 
 
 the Middle Department, made a gallant stand at the 
 Monocacy, and effected a delay in the enemy's move- 
 ments toward Washington ; but his small force was of 
 course defeated. Early now moved directly on "Wash- 
 ington, and on July 11 advanced upon the outer line of 
 fortifications ; but, to the surprise of his troops, they 
 saw the well-known banners of the Sixth Corps, and 
 found that Washington, instead of being weakly de- 
 fended, was now guarded by veterans of the Army of 
 the Potomac. Early discovered that he had been out- 
 manceuvered, and on the night of the 12th bfgan a 
 retreat. G-rant had now but one anxiety, which was to 
 have an eflScient head selected for the command of the 
 troops that he was collecting to operate against Early. 
 He sent a despatch to HaUeck, saying: "Give orders 
 assigning Major-general Wright to supreme command 
 of all troops moving out against the enemy, regard- 
 less of the rank of other commanders. He should get 
 outside the trenches with all the force he possibly can, 
 and should push Early to the last moment, supplying 
 himself from the country." The next day (July 13) 
 Wright moved forward with his command, following 
 up Early. 
 
 There had been several days of serious perplexity and 
 annoyance at headquarters. The commanders had to 
 be changed, and the best results possible obtained with 
 the material at hand. Twice the wires of the telegraph- 
 line were broken, and important messages between 
 Washington and City Point had to be sent a great part 
 of the way by steamboat. It was rumored at one time 
 that Hill's corps had been detached from Lee's front, 
 and there was some anxiety to know whether it had 
 been sent to Early or to Johnston, who was opposing 
 Sherman ; but the rumor was soon found to be ground- 
 less. Grant's orders now were to press the enemy in 
 
240 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 Maryland with all vigor, to make a bold campaign 
 against him, and destroy him if possible before he could 
 return to Lee. Early, however, had gained a day's 
 start, and although a number of his wagons and animals 
 and some prisoners had been captured, no material 
 damage was inflicted upon him. On July 20 he reached 
 Snicker's Ferry, and the chase was abandoned. Early 
 continued his march to Strasburg, where he arrived 
 July 22. 
 
 The general had occupied himself continually during 
 this anxious and exciting period in giving specific in- 
 structions by wire and messengers to meet the con- 
 stantly changing conditions which were taking place 
 from day to day and from hour to hour in the theater 
 of military operations ; and no despatches were ever of 
 greater importance than those which were sent from 
 headquarters at this time. His powers of concentration 
 of thought were often shown by the circumstances under 
 which he wrote. Nothing that went on around him, 
 upon the field or in his quarters, could distract his at- 
 tention or interrupt him. Sometimes, when his tent 
 was filled with officers, talking and laughing at the top 
 of their voices, he would turn to his table and write the 
 most important communications. There would then be 
 an immediate " Hush ! " and abundant excuses offered 
 by the company ; but he always insisted upon the con- 
 versation going on, and after a while his officers came 
 to understand his wishes in this respect, to learn that 
 noise was apparently a stimulus rather than a cheek to 
 his flow of ideas, and to realize that nothing short of a 
 general attack along the whole line could divert his 
 thoughts from the subject upon which his mind was 
 concentrated. In writing his style was vigorous and 
 terse, with little of ornament; its most conspicuous 
 characteristic was perspicuity. G-eneral Meade's chief 
 
aiUOT AS A WElTEfi, Ml 
 
 of staff once said: "There is one striking feature about 
 Q-rant's orders : no matter how hurriedly he may write 
 them on the field, no one ever has the slightest doubt 
 as to their meaning, or ever has to read them over a 
 second time to understand them." The general used 
 Anglo-Saxon words much more frequently than those 
 derived from the Greek and Latin tongues. He had 
 studied French at West Point, and picked up some 
 knowledge of Spanish during the Mexican war ; but he 
 could not hold a conversation in either language, and 
 rarely employed a foreign word in any of his w:^tings. 
 His adjectives were few and well chosen. No document 
 which ever came from his hands was in the least degree 
 pretentious. He never laid claim to any knowledge he 
 did not possess, and seemed to feel, with Addison, that 
 "pedantry in learning is hke hypocrisy in religion — a 
 form of knowledge without the power of it." He rarely 
 indulged in metaphor, but when he did employ a figure 
 of speech it was always expressive and graphic, as when 
 he spoke of the commander at Bermuda Hundred being 
 " in a bottle strongly corked," or referred to our armies 
 at one time moving " like horses in a balky team, no 
 two ever puUing together." His style inclined to the 
 epigrammatic without his being aware of it. There was 
 . scarcely a document written by him from which brief 
 sentences could not be selected fit to be set in mottos 
 or placed upon transparencies. As examples may be 
 mentioned : •" I propose to move immediately upon your 
 works " ; "I shall take no backward steps " ; the famous 
 " I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all sum- 
 mer," and, later in his career, " Let us have peace " ; 
 " The best means of securing the repeal of an obnoxious 
 law is its vigorous enforcement " ; "I shall have no pol- 
 icy to enforce against the will of the people " ; and " Let 
 no guilty man escape." He wrote with the first pen he 
 
 16 
 
242 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 happened to pick up, and never stopped to consider 
 whetlier it was sharp-pointed or blunt-nibbed, good or 
 bad. He was by no means as particular in this regard 
 as General Zachary Taylor, of whom an old army rumor 
 said that the only signature he ever made which was 
 entirely satisfactory to him was written with the butt- 
 end of a ramrod dipped in tar. General Grant's desk 
 was always in a delirious state of confusion ; pigeon- 
 holes were treated with a sublime disregard, and he left 
 his letters piled up in apparently inextricable heaps; 
 but, strange to say, he carried in his mind such a dis- 
 tinct recollection of local literary geography as applied 
 to his writing-table that he could go to it and even in 
 the dark lay his hand upon almost any paper he wanted. 
 His military training had educated him to treat purely 
 official documents with respect, and these were always 
 handed over to Colonel Bowers, the adjutant-general, to 
 be properly filed ; but as to his private letters, he made 
 his coat-pockets a general depository for his correspon- 
 dence until they could hold no more, and then he dis- 
 charged their contents upon his desk in a chaotic mass. 
 The military secretaries made heroic struggles to bring 
 about some order in this department, and generally saw 
 that copies were kept of all letters of importance which 
 the chief wrote. Whatever came from his pen was 
 grammatically correct, well punctuated, and seldom 
 showed an error in spelling. In the field he never had 
 a dictionary in his possession, and when in doubt about 
 the orthography of a word, he was never known to 
 write it first on a separate slip of paper to see how it 
 looked. He spelled with heroic audacity, and " chanced 
 it " on the correctness. While in rare instances he made 
 a mistake in doubling the consonants where unneces- 
 sary, or in writing a single consonant where two were 
 required, he really spelled with great accuracy. His 
 
GEANT DEVOTES ATTENTION TO SHEEMAN 243 
 
 prominoiation was seldom, if ever, at fault, though in 
 two words lie had a peculiar way of pronouncing the 
 letter d : he always pronounced corduroy " corjuroy," 
 and immediately " immejetly." 
 
 While planning means for the defeat of Early, Gen- 
 eral Grant was stiU giving constant attention to the 
 movements of Sherman. That officer had been re- 
 pulsed in making his attack on Kenesaw Mountain, but 
 by a successful flank movement had turned the enemy's 
 very strong position, and compelled him to faU back 
 over the Chattahoochee Eiver on July 4. On the 17th 
 Sherman crossed that river and drove the enemy into 
 his defenses about Atlanta. It now looked as if Sher- 
 man would be forced to a siege of that place ; and as he 
 was many hundreds of miles from his base, and there 
 was only a single line of railroad to supply him, it was 
 more than ever important that no troops should be al- 
 lowed to leave Virginia to be thrown against his lines. 
 
 Grant was frequently in consultation with Meade in 
 regard to preventing the enemy from withdrawing 
 troops from Petersburg, The Southern papers received 
 through the lines gave very conflicting accounts of the 
 operations on Sherman's front, and indicated that there 
 was a great demand for the reinforcement of Johnston, 
 and expressed the belief that there would be vigorous 
 movements made to break Sherman's communications. 
 In a despatch to HaUeck Grant said : " If he [Sherman] 
 can supply himseK with ordnance and quartermaster's 
 stores, and partially with subsistence, he will find no 
 difficulty in staying until a permanent line can be 
 opened with the south coast." The general directed a 
 large quantity of the stores at Nashville to be trans- 
 ferred to Chattanooga. There was another contingency 
 which he mentioned, and which he had to devise steps 
 to guard against — a determination on the part of the 
 
244 CAMPAiaNING WITH GEANT 
 
 enemy to withdraw the troops in front of Sherman and 
 move them quickly by rail to Petersburg, and in the 
 mean time march Early's corps back to Lee, and make a 
 combined attack upon the Army of the Potomac. This, 
 Grant believed, would be done only in some extreme 
 emergency, and in case the enemy felt convinced that 
 Sherman was so far from his base of supplies that he 
 could not move much farther into the interior. One 
 means which the general-in-chief had in contemplation 
 at this time for preventing troops from being sent from 
 Virginia was to start Sheridan on a raid to cut the rail- 
 roads southwest of Eichmond. 
 
 Important news reached headquarters on July 17 to 
 the effect that General Joe Johnston had been relieved 
 from duty, and General Hood put in command of the 
 army opposed to Sherman. General Grant said when 
 he received this information : " I know very well the 
 chief characteristics of Hood. He is a bold, dashing 
 soldier, and has many qualities of successful leadership, 
 but he is an indiscreet commander, and lacks cool judg- 
 ment. "We may look out now for rash and ill-advised 
 attacks on his part. I am very glad, from our stand- 
 point, that this change has been made. Hood will 
 prove no match for Sherman." He waited with some 
 curiosity to know just what policy Hood would adopt. 
 As was anticipated, he came out of his lines and made 
 an attack on July 20, but was repulsed with great loss. 
 He made another offensive movement on the 22d, and 
 fought the celebrated battle of Atlanta, but was again 
 driven back. On the 28th he made another bold dash 
 against Sherman, but in this also he was completely 
 defeated, and feU back within the defenses at Atlanta. 
 In the battle of the 22d General McPherson was killed. 
 When this news reached General Grant he was visibly 
 
gbant's treatment of his generals 245 
 
 afEected, and dwelt upon it in his conversations for the 
 next two. or three days. " McPherson," he said, " was 
 one of my earliest staff-officers, and seemed almost like 
 one of my own family. At Donelson, Shiloh, Vicks- 
 burg, and Chattanooga he performed splendid service. 
 I predicted from the start that he would make one of 
 the most brilliant officers in the service. I was very re- 
 luctant to have him leave my staff, for I disliked to lose 
 his services there, but I felt that it was only fair to 
 him to put him in command of troops where he would 
 be in the line of more rapid promotion. I wa,s very 
 glad to have him at the head of my old Army of the 
 Tennessee. His death wiU be a terrible loss to Sher- 
 man, for I know that he will feel it as keenly as I. 
 McPherson was beloved by everybody in the service, 
 both by those above him and by those below him," 
 
 In the midsummer of 1864 General Grant had an in- 
 creasing weight of responsibility thrown upon him every 
 day. While he was requiring his commanders to sleep 
 with one foot out of bed and with one eye open, lest 
 Lee might make some unexpected movement which 
 would require a prompt change in the general plan of 
 operations, he had to devise new methods almost daily 
 to cheek raids in different parts of the country, protect 
 the capital, save the North from invasion, and lay vig- 
 orous siege to Petersburg, which had been rendered as 
 nearly impregnable by the enemy as the art of the mil- 
 itary engineer was capable of making it. He was con- 
 stantly embarrassed, too, by some of his subordinates. 
 An acrimonious personal warfare was progressing be- 
 tween Butler and W. F. Smith, and the latter's severe 
 criticisms of Meade had aroused the resentment of that 
 officer, which added a new phase to the general quarrel. 
 General Grant finally made up his mind to reheve Gen- 
 
246 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 eral Smith from duty ; he was given a leave of absence, 
 and never recalled. 
 
 As a commander General Butler had not been Gren- 
 eral Grant's choice. The general-in-chief, when he as- 
 sumed command of the armies, found Butler in charge 
 of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, and 
 utilized him to the best advantage possible. He had 
 always found him subordinate, prompt to obey orders, 
 possessed of great mental activity, and clear in his 
 conception of the instructions given him. He was a 
 good administrative officer, though often given to severe 
 and unusual methods in enforcing discipline and in 
 dealing with the dissatisfied element of the population 
 living within his department ; yet he did not possess the 
 elements necessary to make an efficient officer in the 
 field. As he was inexperienced in fighting battles, Grant 
 felt reluctant to give him charge of any important mili- 
 tary movement. One embarrassment was that he was 
 the senior officer in rank in Virginia, and if General 
 Grant should be called away temporarily, Butler would 
 be in supreme command of the operations against 
 Petersburg. The general struggled along under this 
 embarrassment by keeping matters under his own 
 direction when Butler's forces were employed in actual 
 battle, and by sending an experienced corps commander 
 to handle the troops in the immediate presence of the 
 enemy. 
 
 General Meade's irritability of temper, and over-sen- 
 sitiveness to implied censure or criticism on the part of 
 the newspapers, led him at one time to tender his resig- 
 nation as commander of the Army of the Potomac. 
 General Grant talked to him very kindly on the subject, 
 soothed his feelings, and induced him to reconsider his 
 intention. The general-in-chief did not mention the 
 
GBAOT'S TBEATMENT OF HIS GENEKALS 247 
 
 matter publicly, and was very glad tliat hasty action had 
 been prevented. If Meade bad resigned at this time, 
 Hancock would have succeeded him, and Ingalls, who 
 had shown such signal executive ability, might possibly 
 have been given an important command. Ingalls and I 
 expressed a desire repeatedly to serve in command of 
 troops, as such service gave promise of more rapid pro- 
 motion and was more in accordance with our tastes ; but 
 the general always insisted upon retaining us on his 
 staff.i 
 
 Q-eneral Meade was a most accomplished officer. He 
 had been thoroughly educated in his profession, and had 
 a complete knowledge of both the science and the art of 
 war in all its branches. He was well read, possessed of 
 a vast amount of interesting information, had cultivated 
 his mind as a Hnguist, and spoke French with fluency. 
 When foreign officers visited the front they were invari- 
 ably charmed by their interviews with the commander of 
 the Army of the Potomac. He was a disciplinarian to 
 the point of severity, was entirely subordinate to his su- 
 periors, and no one was more prompt than he to obey 
 orders to the letter. In his intercourse with his officers 
 the bluntness of the soldier was always conspicuous, and 
 he never took pains to smooth any one's ruffled feelings. 
 
 There was an officer serving in the Army of the Po- 
 tomac who had formerly been a surgeon. One day he 
 appeared at Meade's headquarters in a high state of in- 
 
 1 A reference to this subject occurs troops would, in my opinion, have 
 in "Around the World with General become a great and famous general. 
 Grant," by the Hon. John KusseE . . . Horace Porter was lost in the 
 Young, who accompanied him upon staff. Like Ingalls, he was too use- 
 Ms tour. The language used by ful to be spared. But as a corn- 
 General Grant in one of his inter- mander of troops Porter would have 
 views with Mr. Young is reported risen, in my opinion, to a high com- 
 as follows : "Ingalls in command of mand."— Editor. 
 
248 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 dignation, and said : " General, as I was riding over here 
 some of tlie men in the adjoining camps shouted after 
 me and called me ' Old Pills,' and I would like to have 
 it stopped." Meade just at that moment was not in the 
 best possible frame of mind to be approached with such 
 a complaint. He seized hold of the eye-glasses, con- 
 spicuously large in size, which he always wore, clapped 
 them astride of his nose with both hands, glared through 
 them at the officer, and exclaimed : " Well, what of that 1 
 How can I prevent it? Why, I hear that, when I rode 
 out the other day, some of the men called me a 'd — d 
 old goggle-eyed snapping-turtle,' and I can't even stop 
 that ! " The officer had to content himself with this ex- 
 plosive expression of a sympathetic fellow-feeling, and 
 to take his chances thereafter as to obnoxious epithets. 
 
 In view of the want of harmony which often prevailed, 
 the service would have suffered severely if an officer of 
 a different character had been in supreme command ; but 
 Grrant was so complacent in his manner, so even in tem- 
 per, and so just in his method of dealing with the con- 
 flicting interests and annoying questions which ar6se, 
 that whatever his subordinates may have thought of one 
 another, to him they were at all times well disposed and 
 perfectly loyal. 
 
 Throughout this memorable year, the most important 
 as well 3/S the most harassing of his entire military 
 career, Greneral Grrant never in any instance failed to 
 manifest those traits which were the true elements of 
 his greatness. He was always calm amid excitement, 
 and patient under trials. He looked neither to the past 
 with regret nor to the future with apprehension. When 
 he could not control he endured, and in every great crisis 
 he could " convince when others could not advise." His 
 calmness of demeanor and unruffled temper were often 
 a marvel even to those most familiar with him. In thp 
 
MAP or THE VIKGHriA CAMPAIGNS OF 1864-65 
 
geant's equanimity 249 
 
 midst of the most exciting scenes he rarely raised his 
 voice above its ordinary pitch or manifested the least 
 irritability. Whether encountered at noonday or awa- 
 kened from sleep at midnight, his manner was always the 
 same; whether receiving the report of an army com- 
 mander or of a private soldier serving as a courier or a 
 scout, he listened with equal deference and gave it the 
 same strict attention. He could not only discipline 
 others, but he could discipline himself. If he had lived 
 in ancient days he might, in his wrath, have broken the 
 two tables of stone: he never would have broken the 
 laws which were written on them. The only manifes- 
 tation of anger he had indulged in during the campaign 
 was upon the occasion, hereinbefore mentioned, when 
 he found a teamster beating his horses near the Toto- 
 potomoy. He never criticized an officer harshly in the 
 presence of others. If fault had to be found with him, 
 it was never made an occasion to humiliate him or 
 wound his feelings. The only pointed reprimand he 
 ever administered was in the instance mentioned in the 
 battle of the "Wilderness, when an officer left his troops 
 and came to him to magnify the dangers which were to 
 be feared from Lee's methods of warfare. The fact that 
 he never " nagged " his officers, but treated them aU with 
 consideration, led them to communicate with him freely 
 and intimately ; and he thus gained much information 
 which otherwise he might not have received. To have 
 a well- disciplined command he did not deem it necessary 
 to have an unhappy army. His ideas of discipline did 
 not accord with those of the Russian officer who, one 
 night in the Moscow campaign, reprimanded a soldier 
 for putting a ball of snow under his head for a pillow, 
 for the reason that indulgence in such uncalled-for lux- 
 uries would destroy the high character of the army. 
 It was an interesting study in human nature to watch 
 
250 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 the general's actions in camp. He "would sit for hours 
 in front of his tent, or just inside of it looking out, 
 smoking a cigar very slowly, seldom with a paper or a 
 map in his hands, and looking like the laziest man in 
 camp. But at such periods his mind was working more 
 actively than that of any one in the army. He talked 
 less and thought more than any one in the service. He 
 studiously avoided performing any duty which some 
 one else could do as well or better than he, and ia this 
 respect demonstrated his rare powers of administration 
 and executive methods. He was one of the few men 
 holding high position who did not waste valuable hours 
 by giving his personal attention to petty details. He 
 never consumed his time in reading over court-martial 
 proceedings, or figuring up the items of supplies on 
 hand, or writing unnecessary letters or communications. 
 He held subordinates to a strict accountability in the 
 performance of such duties, and kept his own time for 
 thought. It was this quiet but intense thinking, and 
 the well-matured ideas which resulted from it, that 
 led to the prompt and vigorous action which was con- 
 stantly witnessed during this year, so pregnant with 
 events. 
 
 He changed his habits somewhat at this period about 
 going to bed early, and began to sit up later ; and as he 
 preferred to have some one keep him company and dis- 
 cuss matters with him of an evening, one of the staff- 
 officers always made it a point not to retire until the 
 chief was ready for bed. Many a night now became a 
 sort of " watch-night " with us ; but the conversations 
 held upon these occasions were of such intense interest 
 that they amply compensated for the loss of sleep they 
 caused, even after a hard day's ride at the front. The 
 general, however, did not always curtail the eight hours 
 of rest which his system seemed to require ; for he often 
 
WHY GBANT NEVER SWOKE 251 
 
 pieced out the time by lying in bed later in tbe morning 
 when there was no stirring movement afoot. 
 
 While sitting with him at the camp-fire late one night, 
 after every one else had gone to bed, I said to him: 
 " General, it seems singular that you have gone through 
 all the rough and tumble of army service and frontier 
 life, and have never been provoked into swearing. I 
 have never heard you utter an oath or use an impreca- 
 tion." "Well, somehow or other, I never learned to 
 swear," he repjied. " When a boy I seemed to have an 
 aversion to it, and when I became a man I saw the f oUy 
 of it. I have always noticed, too, that swearing nelps to 
 rouse a man's anger ; and when a man flies into a pas- 
 sion his adversary who keeps cool always gets the better 
 of him. In fact, I could never see the use of swearing. 
 I think it is the case with many people who swear ex- 
 cessively that it is a mere habit, and that they do not 
 mean to be profane ; but, to say the least, it is a great 
 waste of time." His example in this respect was once 
 quoted in my hearing by a member of the Christian 
 Commission to a teamster in the Army of the Potomac, 
 in the hope of lessening the volume of rare oaths with 
 which he was italicizing his language, and upon which 
 he seemed to be placing his main reliance in moving his 
 mule-team out of a mud-hole. The only reply evoked 
 from him was : " Then thar 's one thing sart'in : the old 
 man never druv mules." 
 
 On July 22 General Grant called upon the aides to go 
 with him to Meade's headquarters. Soon after our ar- 
 rival there, Meade mounted his horse and rode out with 
 us to visit Warren. The meeting between Meade and 
 Warren was not very cordial, in consequence of a rather 
 acrimonious discussion and correspondence which had 
 just taken place between them ; but they were both such 
 good soldiers that they did not make any display of 
 
352 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 their personal feelings while engaged in their official 
 duties. A Pittsburg newspaper had stated that Meade 
 had preferred charges against Warren for disobedience 
 and tardy execution of orders. Warren at once wrote 
 to Meade, asking him what truth there was in it, and if 
 the rumor was correct that he had told General Grant 
 that he had threatened him (Warren) with a court mar- 
 tial if he did not resign. Meade replied, denying the 
 statement of the newspaper, but said he had been of- 
 fended by the temper and ill feeling th§t Warren had 
 manifested against him recently in the presence of sub- 
 ordinates, and the want of harmony and cooperation 
 which he had exhibited, and that he had spoken to 
 Grant about this, and had gone so far as to write a letter 
 to him asking that Warren might be relieved ; but that, 
 in the hope that disagreements might not occur in fu- 
 ture, and in order to avoid doing him so serious an injury, 
 he had withheld the letter. 
 
 A thorough examination of Warren's front and other 
 parts of the line was made. Sharp firing occurred in 
 front of Burnside, which was thought to indicate some- 
 thing of importance ; but it was only a random, fusillade 
 on the part of the troops, kept up between the parts of 
 the lines which were quite close together. 
 
 Saturday, July 23, William H. Seward, the Secretary 
 of State, came down from Washington to visit General 
 Grant and see the armies. He arrived at seven o'clock 
 in the morning on the steamer City of Hudson, and came 
 at once to General Grant's quarters. The general had 
 seen but little of the distinguished Secretary of State 
 previous to this time, and was very glad to welcome him 
 to City Point, and make his more intimate acquaintance. 
 He presented the officers of the staff who were in camp 
 at the time, and invited them to take seats under the 
 tent-fly in front of his quarters, where he and the Secre- 
 
SEWAKD VISITS GRANT 2i)6 
 
 tary were sitting. Mr. Seward was profuse in Ms ex- 
 pressions of congratulation at the progress wMch had 
 been made by the Union armies in the East, and their 
 successes generally throughout the country. We soon 
 began to realize that he fuUy merited his reputation as 
 a talker. He spoke very freely in reference to the pro- 
 gress of the war, and more particularly about our foreign 
 relations. He had conducted our many delicate negotia- 
 tions with foreign nations with such consummate ability 
 that every one was anxious to draw him out in regard 
 to them. The first topic of conversation which came up 
 was the unfriendliness of our relations with En^and the 
 first year of the war, »nd especially how near we came 
 to an open break with that power in regard to the 
 " Trent affair," in which Commodore Wilkes, command- 
 ing the U. S. S. San Jacinto, had taken Slidell and Mason, 
 the Confederate emissaries, from the English vessel 
 Trent, upon which they were passengers. Mr. Seward 
 said : " The report first received from the British govern- 
 ment gave a most exaggerated account of the severity 
 of the measures which had been employed ; but I found 
 from Commodore Wilkes's advices that the vessel had 
 not been endangered by the shots fired across her bows, 
 as charged ; that he had simply sent a lieutenant and a 
 boat's crew to the British vessel ; that none of the crew 
 even went aboard ; that the lieutenant used only such a 
 show of force as was necessary to convince the ' contra- 
 band ' passengers he wanted that they would have to go 
 with him aboard the Sam Jacinto. The books on inter- 
 national law were silent on the subject as to exactly how 
 an act such as this should be treated ; and as our rela- 
 tions abroad were becoming very threatening, we de- 
 cided, after a serious discussion, that whatever was to 
 be done should be done promptly, and that, under all the 
 circumstances, it would be wise and prudent to release 
 
254 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 the prisoners captured, rather than contend for a princi- 
 ple which might not have been sound, and ran the risk 
 of becoming involved in a war with Great Britain at 
 that critical period. The great desire of the Davis gov- 
 ernment was to have this incident embroil us in such a 
 war, and we were not anxious to please it in that respect. 
 Our decision in the matter was the severest blow the 
 ■ Confederacy received in regard to its hope of ' assistance 
 from abroad.' " 
 
 This naturally led to the mention of a more recent 
 eyent upon the seas — the destruction of the Alabama by 
 the Kearsarge. Greneral Grant had rejoiced greatly at 
 this triumph of our sister service the navy, and admired 
 immensely the boldness and pluck exhibited by Winslow, 
 the commander of the Kea/rsa/rge, in forcing the fight 
 with the Confederate cruiser. The general was natu- 
 rally delighted, for it showed that Winslow was a man 
 after his own heart, who acted upon the commendable 
 military maxim, "When in doubt, fight." Mr. Seward 
 was asked whether he had in contemplation any steps to 
 take England to task for the action of the British yacht 
 Deerhownd for picking up and carrying off our prisoners. 
 He said: "I have communicated with our minister at 
 London, directing him to lay before the British govern- 
 ment our grievance in this matter. I feel pretty well 
 convinced that the captain of the Deerhownd had ar- 
 ranged with Semmes, the captain of the Alabama, previ- 
 ous to the fight, to transfer to the yacht certain moneys 
 and valuables which Semmes had aboard, so as to carry 
 them to England for him, and to occupy a position 
 during the fight near enough to render assistance under 
 certain contingencies. It was reported that Captain 
 Winslow asked the captain of the Beerhownd to rescue 
 the crew of the Alabama, who were drowning when that 
 vessel was sinking ; but that did not seem to be neces- 
 
SiJJWAJKJJ V4.HlX'iS IJKAJNT ZiUU 
 
 sary, as Winslow was able with his boats to rescue all 
 the men. It appears that many of Semmes's guns were 
 manned by British gunners, and the wounded who were 
 picked up were carried to England and cared for in a 
 British naval hospital. The circumstance is a most 
 aggravating one, and we have given Great Britain to un- 
 derstand that such acts will not be tolerated in future 
 by this nation." 
 
 General Grant then brought up the subject of the 
 empire in Mexico, which was supported by Louis Na- 
 poleon. The general's services in the Mexican war had 
 made him thoroughly well acquainted with Mexico, and 
 he not only had deep sympathy for her people in their 
 present struggle, but was a stanch supporter of the 
 Monroe doctrine generally, and was opposed on princi- 
 ple to any European monarchy forcing its institutions 
 upon an American republic. Mr. Seward expressed him- 
 self at great length upon this subject, saying among 
 other things : " I have had a very exhaustive correspon- 
 dence on this subject with Louis Napoleon's ministry. 
 He has tried by every form of argument to justify his 
 acts ; but I have insisted from the start that when an 
 American state has established republican institutions, 
 no foreign power has the right to use force in attempt- 
 ing to subvert the government formed by its people and 
 set up a monarchy in its place. When an American 
 republic becomes a monarchy by the voluntary act of 
 its people, the matter is no affair of ours, as the people, 
 are always the rightful source of authority ; but in the 
 present instance a European emperor has stepped in to 
 deprive the Mexicans of the right of republican freedom. 
 I have been insisting very forcibly that Louis Napoleon 
 must withdraw his army from Mexico. Why, rumors 
 have reached us from time to time that his forces were 
 to advance across the Eio Grande, by an understanding 
 
256 CAMPAIGNING WITS GBANT 
 
 with the Davis government, and take possession of the 
 State of Texas. We shall never feel easy until those 
 troops are withdrawn." 
 
 Q-eneral Grant said : " WhUe we don't want another 
 war on our hands before we finish the present one, yet 
 I feel that the reestablishment of republican government 
 in Mexico would really be a part of our present struggle. 
 As soon as the war of secession ends, and I think it is 
 coming to a close pretty rapidly, we wUl have a veteran 
 army in the "West ready to make a demonstration upon 
 the Rio Grande with a view to enforcing respect for our 
 opinions concerning the Monroe doctrine. I regard this 
 expedition to Mexico not as a movement of the French 
 people, but as one of the ambitious schemes of Louis 
 Napoleon, which shows that he has as little respect for 
 the French people's opinions as for our own. The French 
 people are our old allies; it is natural that we should 
 have a great regard for them, and there is a very close 
 bond of sympathy between the two countries ; but Louis 
 Napoleon does not represent the people of France, I 
 hope that his power may some day cease, and that France 
 may become a republic, and I do not think that day is 
 far distant." Mr. Seward remarked, " Yes ; we want to 
 get Napoleon out of Mexico, but we don't want any war 
 over it ; we have certainly had enough of war." 
 
 One of the party remarked to Mr. Seward that he 
 always seemed to have an abiding faith in the triumph 
 of the Union cause. The Secretary replied: "Yes; 
 though we have passed through many gloomy periods 
 since the breaking out of the war, I have always felt 
 confident that the integrity of the Union would be pre- 
 served. It is a part of my philosophy to believe that 
 the American republic has now, and will have for many 
 years to come, enough virtue in its people to insure the 
 
SEWAKD VISITS GBANT 257 
 
 safety of the state. Sometimes there does not seem to 
 be any virtue to spare, but there 's always enough." 
 
 After some further conversation, Mr. Seward, by in- 
 vitation of General Grant, visited some of the nearest 
 camps; and in the afternoon General Butler accom- 
 panied the Secretary on his steamer on a trip up the 
 James River as far as it was safe to go. Mr. Seward 
 was urged to prolong his visit, but as he had an engage- 
 ment to be in Norfolk in the evening, he felt compelled 
 to start for that place in the afternoon, as soon as his 
 steamer returned from the excursion up the James. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 PREPARING THE PETERSBURG MINE — EXPLODING THE MINE 
 — grant's adventure BETWEEN THE LINES — FAILURE 
 OF THE ASSAULT AT THE MINE — A NEW COMMAND FOR 
 SHERIDAN — AN INFERNAL MACHINE EXPLODED NEAR 
 HEADQUARTERS 
 
 AT this time the general-in-chief was devoting nmeh 
 j\ of his attention to the planning of an important 
 movement in connection with the explosion of the fa- 
 mous Petersburg mine, which had now been completed. 
 The operations attending it were novel and intereatf^, 
 though the result was the greatest disaster which oc- 
 curred during the siege of Petersburg, After the as- 
 saults on the 17th and 18th of June, Burnside's corps 
 established a line of earthworks within one hundred 
 yards of those of the enemy. In rear of his advanced 
 position was a deep hollow. In front the ground rose 
 gradually until it reached an elevation on which the 
 Confederate line was established. Colonel Pleasants, 
 commanding the 48th Pennsylvania Regiment, composed 
 largely of miners, conceived the idea of starting a gallery 
 from a point in the hollow which was concealed from the 
 enemy's view, pushing it forward to a position under his 
 earthworks, and there preparing a mine large enough to 
 blow up the parapets and make a sufficiently wide open- 
 ing for assaulting columns to rush through. Before the 
 end of June he communicated the project to Burnside, 
 
 258 
 
PBEPAKING THE PETEKSBUKG MINE 259 
 
 who talked the matter over with General Meade. It was 
 then submitted to General Grant for his action. This 
 point of the line was in some respects unfavorable for 
 an assault; but it was not thought well to check the 
 zeal of the officer who had proposed the scheme, and so 
 an authorization was given for the undertaking to con- 
 tinue. There was a main gallery, 511 feet long and 4J 
 feet square, and two lateral galleries. The terminus was 
 under the enemy's parapet, and at a depth of about 23 
 feet below the surface of the ground. These prepara- 
 tions were completed July 23, and the mine was soon 
 after charged with eight thousand pounds of powder, 
 and made ready for use. A movement preliminary to 
 its explosion was begun on July 26, that required the 
 exercise of much ingenuity and good generalship, and 
 which the general-in-chief had planned with great care. 
 It involved making a feint against Richmond, which 
 should be conducted with such a show of serious inten- 
 tion that it would induce Lee to throw a large portion 
 of his command to the north side of the James, and 
 leave the works at Petersburg so depleted that the move- 
 ment on Burnside's front would have in its favor many 
 chances of success. Hancock's corps drew out from its 
 position on the afternoon of the 26th, and made a rapid 
 night march to Deep Bottom, on the north side of the 
 James, and was followed by Sheridan with the cavalry. 
 This entire force was placed under Hancock's command. 
 On the morning of the 27th it advanced and captured 
 a battery of rifled guns. I had been sent to Hancock 
 that morning, and found him with his troops, lying upon 
 the grass with some of his staff during a lull in the firing. 
 I threw myself on the ground beside him while we con- 
 versed in regard to the situation, and informed him that 
 General Grant would be with him some hours later. 
 Suddenly firing broke out again in front, and we all 
 
260 CAMPAIGNprG WITH GRANT 
 
 sprang to our feet to mount our horses. Hancock wore 
 a thin blue flannel blouse, and as I rose up one of my 
 spurs caught in the sleeve, and ripped it open from 
 wrist to elbow. I felt not a little chagrined to find that 
 I was the means of sending this usually well-dressed 
 corps commander into battle with his sleeve slit open 
 and dangling in the air, and made profuse apologies. 
 There was not much time for words, but Hancock treated 
 the matter so good-naturedly in what he said in reply 
 that he at once put my mind at ease. 
 
 GTeneral Grant rode out on the field in the afternoon, 
 arriving there at half-past three o'clock, for the purpose 
 of determining upon the spot what the possibilities were 
 on that side of the river before giving directions for 
 carrying out the test of his plans. Lee was now rush- 
 ing troops to the north side of the James to reinforce 
 the defenses of Richmond. The next morning (July 28) 
 Sheridan, while moving around the enemy's left, was 
 vigorously assaulted by a large body of infantry, and 
 driven back a short distance; but he promptly dis- 
 mounted his men, made a determined counter-attack, 
 and drove the enemy back in confusion, capturing two 
 hundred and fifty prisoners and two stands of colors. 
 This engagement was called the battle of Darbytown. 
 Now that Grant had satisfied himself that more than 
 half of Lee's command had been sent to the north side 
 of the James, he made preparations to throw Hancock's 
 corps again in front of Petersburg, and carry out his 
 intended assault upon that front. 
 
 It was decided that the attack should be made at day- 
 light on the morning of the 30th. In the mean time, in 
 order to keep up the deception and detain the enemy 
 on the north side of the river, many clever ruses were 
 resorted to, in which the general-in-chief s ingenuity and 
 rare powers of invention were displayed" to the greatest 
 
PREPABING THE PETEKSBUKG MINE 261 
 
 advantage. Meade and Ord were directed to cease all 
 artillery-firing on the lines in front of Petersburg, and 
 to conceal their guns, with a view to convincing the 
 enemy that the troops were moving awdy from that po- 
 sition. Hancock withdrew one of his divisions quietly 
 on the night of the 28th, and moved it back, while he 
 remained with his two other divisions north of the James 
 until the night of the 29th, so as still to keep up the 
 feint. On the 28th Sheridan had the pontoon-bridge 
 covered with moss, grass, and earth to prevent the tramp- 
 ing of horses from being heard, and quietly m^ved a 
 division of his cavalry to the south side of the James. 
 He then dismounted his men, concealed his horses, and 
 marched back by daylight, so that the enemy would sup- 
 pose that infantry was still moving to the north side. 
 A train of empty wagons was also crossed to that side 
 in sight of the enemy. Steamboats and tugs were sent 
 up the river at night to the pontoon-bridges, and ordered 
 to show their lights and blow their whistles for the pur- 
 pose of making the enemy believe that we were trans- 
 ferring troops to the north side. These manoeuvers 
 were so successful that they detained the enemy north 
 of the James all day on the 29th. Immediately after 
 dark that evening the whole of Hancock's corps with- 
 drew stealthily from Deep Bottom, followed by the cav- 
 alry. On the morning of the 30th Lee was holding five 
 eighths of his army on the north side of the James, in 
 the belief that Grant was massing the bulk of his troops 
 near Deep Bottom, while he had in reality concentrated 
 his forces in the rear of Burnside at a point fifteen miles 
 distant, ready to break through the defenses at Peters- 
 burg. 
 
 On the afternoon of July 29 the general-in-chief pro- 
 ceeded with his staff to Burnside's front, and bivouacked 
 near the center of his line, to give final instructions, and 
 
262 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 to be upon the spot when the assault should be made. 
 Burnside had been carefully instructed to prepare his 
 parapets and abatis in advance for the passage of his 
 assaulting columns, so that when daylight came the 
 troops would have no obstacles in their way in moving 
 to the attack rapidly and with a strong formation. Ord 
 had been moved to a position in Bumside's rear. Burn- 
 side had proposed to put Ferrero's colored troops in ad- 
 vance, but Meade objected to this, as they did not have 
 the experience of the white troops ; and in this decision 
 he was sustained by Grant, and white troops were as- 
 signed to make the assault. Burnside, of course, was 
 allowed to choose the division commander who was to 
 lead the attack ; but instead of selecting the best officer 
 for the purpose, he allowed the division commanders to 
 draw straws for the choice, and the lot fell, unfortu- 
 nately, upon Ledlie, who was by far the least fitted for 
 such an undertaking. Meade had joined Grant at his 
 bivouac near Bumside's headquarters, and every one 
 was up long before daylight, aiding in communicating 
 final instructions and awaiting the firing of the mine. 
 
 Now came the hour for the explosion — half-past three 
 o'clock. The general-in-chief was standing, surrounded 
 by his officers, looking intently in the direction of the 
 mine ; orderlies were holding the saddled horses near by ; 
 not a word was spoken, and the silence of death pre- 
 vailed. Some minutes elapsed, and our watches were 
 anxiously consulted. It was found to be ten minutes 
 past the time, and yet no sound from the mine. Ten 
 minutes more, and still no explosion. More precious 
 minutes elapsed, and it became painfully evident that 
 some neglect or accident had occurred. Daylight was 
 now breaking, and the formation of the troops for the 
 assault would certainly be observed by the enemy. 
 Officers had been sent to find out the cause of the delay. 
 
EXPLODING THE MINE 263 
 
 and soon there came the information that the match had 
 been applied at the hour designated, but that the fuse 
 had evidently failed at some point along the gallery. 
 Another quarter of an hour passed, and now the miautes 
 seemed like ages ; the suspense was agonizing ; the whole 
 movement depended upon that little spark which was 
 to fire the mine, and it had gone out. The general-in- 
 chief stood with his right hand placed against a tree ; 
 his lips were compressed and his features wore an ex- 
 pression of profound anxiety, but he uttered few words. 
 There was little to do but to wait. Now word came that 
 the men of the 48th Pennsylvania were not going to 
 permit a failure. Not knowing whether the fuse had 
 gone out or was only "holding fire," a search through 
 the long gallery meant the probability of death to those 
 who undertook it; but Lieutenant Jacob Douty and 
 Sergeant Henry Eeese, of the 48th Pennsylvania, un- 
 dertook to penetrate the long passageway and discover 
 the cause of the failure. They found that the fire had 
 been interrupted at a point at which two sections of the 
 fuse had been defectively spliced. They promptly re- 
 newed the splice, and as soon as they emerged from the 
 gallery the match was again applied. It was now twenty 
 minutes to five, over an hour past the appointed time. 
 The general had been looking at his watch, and had just 
 returned it to his pocket when suddenly there was a 
 shock like that of an earthquake, accompanied by a dull, 
 muflQ.ed roar ; then there rose two hundred feet in the 
 air great volumes of earth" in the shape of a mighty 
 inverted cone, with forked tongues of flame darting 
 through it like lightning playing through the clouds. 
 The mass seemed to be suspended for an instant in the 
 heavens ; then there descended great blocks of clay, rock, 
 sand, timber, guns, carriages, and men whose bodies 
 exhibited every form of mutilation. It appeared as if 
 
264 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 part of the debris was going to fall upon the front line 
 of our troops, and this created some confusion and a 
 delay of ten minutes in forming them for the charge. 
 The crater made by the explosion was 30 feet deep, 60 
 feet wide, and 170 feet long. One hundred and ten 
 cannon and fifty mortars opened fire from our lines. 
 Soon fatal errors in carrying out the orders became pain- 
 fully apparent. The abatis had not been removed in the 
 night, and no adequate preparations had been made at 
 the parapets for the troops to march over them ; the de- 
 bouches were narrow, and the men had to work their 
 way out slowly. When they reached the crater they 
 found that its sides were so steep that it was almost 
 impossible to chmb out after once getting in. Ledlie 
 remained under cover in the rear ; the advance was with- 
 out superior officers, and the troops became confused. 
 Some stopped to assist the Confederates who were strug- 
 gling out of the debris, in which many of them were 
 buried up to their necks. 
 
 The crater was soon filled with our disorganized men, 
 who were mixed up with the dead and dying of the 
 enemy, and tumbling aimlessly about, or attempting to 
 scramble up the other side. The shouting, screaming, 
 and cheeiing, mingled with the roar of the artillery and 
 the explosion of shells, created a perfect pandemonium, 
 and the crater had become a caldron of hell. 
 
 When it was found that the troops were accomplish- 
 ing so little, and that matters were so badly handled, 
 G-eneral Grant quickly motnted his horse, and calling 
 to me, said, " Come with me." I was soon in the saddle, 
 and, followed by a single orderly, we moved forward 
 through some intervening woods, to make our way as far 
 as we could on horseback to the front of the attack. It 
 was now a little after half -past five. We soon came to 
 a brigade lying upon its arms. The general said to an 
 
GEANT'S ADYENTUBE BETWEEN THE LINES 265 
 
 officer near by, who proved to be General Henry G. 
 Thomas, a brigade commander, " Who commands this 
 brigade ?" "I do," he replied, springing up from the 
 ground suddenly, and manifesting no little surprise to 
 find that the voice of the person addressing him was 
 that of the general-in-chief . " Well," remarked the gen- 
 eral, " why are you not moving in ? " The officer replied, 
 " My orders are to foUow that brigade," pointing to the 
 one in front of him. Then, after a pause, he added, 
 "Will you give me the order to go in now?" "No," 
 said General Grant, not wishing to interfere with the 
 instructions of the division commander, " you may keep 
 the orders you have," and moved on to the front. A 
 Pennsylvania regiment was now met with knapsacks 
 piled on the ground, and about to move to the attack. 
 The commanding officer made a salute, and the general 
 returned it by lifting his hat. The men now recognized 
 him, and it was aU the commander of the regiment could 
 do to keep them from breaking out into a cheer, although 
 aU noise had been forbidden. The officer said to me 
 some years after : " If the general had given me only a 
 slight nod of the head that morning I should have been 
 delighted; but when I saw him, at such a trying mo- 
 ment, look at me and politely take off his hat, it brought 
 the tears to my eyes and sent a big lump into my throat." 
 The enemy had now rallied his men upon the line in 
 the rear of the crater, and there was heavy fighting go- 
 ing on between them and our advanced troops. After 
 proceeding a short distance I said : " General, you can- 
 not go much farther on horseback, and I do not think 
 you ^ught to expose yourself in this way. I hope you 
 will dismount, as you wUl then be less of a target for the 
 enemy's fire." Without saying a word, he threw him- 
 self from his horse and handed the reins to the orderly, 
 who was then directed to take our animals back to the 
 
266 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 edge of the woods, while we proceeded to the front on 
 foot. The general had by this time taken in the situa- 
 tion pretty fully, and his object was to •find the corps 
 commander, to have him try to bring some order out of 
 the chaos which existed. Upon inquiry it was ascer- 
 tained that Burnside was on our left and some distance 
 farther in advance. General Grant now began to edge 
 his way vigorously to the front through the lines of the 
 assaulting columns as they poured out of the rifle-pits 
 and crawled over the obstructions. It was one of the 
 warmest days of the entire summer, and even at this 
 early hour of the morning the heat was suffocating. 
 The general wore his blue blouse and a pair of blue 
 trousers — in fact, the uniform of a private soldier, 
 except the shoulder-straps. None of the men seemed 
 to recognize him, and they were no respecters of 
 persons as they shoved and crowded to the front. 
 They little thought that the plainly dressed man who 
 was elbowing his way past them so energetically, and 
 whose face was covered with dust and streaked with 
 perspiration, was the chief who had led them success- 
 fully from the Wilderness to Petersburg. Some officers 
 were now seen standing in a field-work to the left, about 
 three hundred yards distant, and Burnside was sup- 
 posed to be one of the number. To reach them by pass- 
 ing inside of our main line of works would have been a 
 slow process, as the ground was covered with obstacles 
 and crowded with troops ; so, to save valuable time, the 
 general climbed nimbly over the parapet, landed in front 
 of our earthworks, and resolved to take the chances of 
 the enemy's fire. Shots were now flying thick and fast, 
 and what with the fire of the enemy and the heat of the 
 midsummer Southern sun, there was an equatorial 
 warmth about the undertaking. The very recollection 
 of it, over thirty years after, starts the perspiration. 
 
FAILURE OF THE ASSAULT AT THE MINE 267 
 
 Scarcely a word was spoken in passing over the distance 
 crossed. Sometimes the gait was a fast walk, sometimes 
 a dog-trot. As the shots shriek-ed through the air, and 
 plowed the ground, I held my breath in apprehension 
 for the general's safety. Burnside was in the earthwork 
 for which we were heading, and was not a little aston 
 ished to see the general approach on foot from such a 
 direction, climb over the parapet, and make his way to 
 where the corps commander was stationed. Grant said, 
 speaking rapidly : " The entire opportunity has been lost. 
 There is now no chance of success. These troops must 
 be immediately withdrawn. It is slaughter to leave 
 them here." Burnside was still hoping that something 
 could be accomplished; but the disobedience of orders 
 and the general bungling had been so great that Grant 
 was convinced that the only thing to do now to stop the 
 loss of life was to abandon the movement which a few 
 hours before had promised every success. The general 
 then made his way on foot, with no little difficulty, to 
 where our horses had been left, mounted, and returned 
 to where we had parted from Meade, 
 
 Instructions were reiterated to Burnside to withdraw 
 the troops ; but he came to Meade in person and insisted 
 that his men could not be drawn out of the crater with 
 safety ; that the enemy's guns now bore upon the only 
 line of retreat ; and that there must be a passageway dug 
 to protect them in crossing certain dangerous points. 
 Both of these officers lost their tempers that morning, 
 although Burnside was usually the personification of 
 amiability, and the scene between them was decidedly 
 peppery, and went far toward confirming one's belief in 
 the wealth and flexibility of the English language as a 
 medium of personal dispute. Meade had sent Burnside 
 a note saying : " Do you mean to say your officers and 
 men will not obey your orders to advance ? If not, what 
 
268 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 is the oTjstaele ? I wisli to know the truth." Burnside 
 replied: "I have never, in any report, said anything 
 diflEerent from what I conceive to be the tmth. "Were 
 it not insubordinate, I would say that the latter remark 
 of your note was unofficerlike and ungentlemanly," It 
 was quite evident that the conference was not going to 
 resolve itself into a "peace congress." However, both 
 oflicers were manly enough afterward to express regret 
 for what they had written and said under the excitement 
 of the occasion. Although Ledlie had proved a failure, 
 other division commanders made gallant efforts to re- 
 deem the fortunes of the day, but their men became 
 disorganized, and huddled together inextricably in the 
 crater. When the confusion was at its worst Burnside 
 threw in his division of colored troops, who rushed gal- 
 lantly into the crater, but only added greater disorder to 
 the men already crowded together there. As a colored 
 regiment was moving to the front in the midst of this 
 scene of slaughter, a white sergeant, who was being car- 
 ried to the rear with his leg shot off, cried out : " Now 
 go in with a wiU, boys. There 's enough of you to eat 
 'em all up." A colored sergeant replied : " Dat may be 
 all so, boss ; but the fac' is, we hab n't got jis de bes' 
 kind ob an appetite for 'em dis mornin'." 
 
 The enemy soon brought to bear upon the crater a 
 mortar fire, which did serious execution. There were 
 many instances of superb courage, but the most heroic 
 bravery could not make amends for the utter ineflB.ciency 
 with which the troops had been handled by some of 
 their officers. It was two o'clock before all the survivors 
 could be withdrawn. The total losses amounted to about 
 thirty-eight hundred, nearly fourteen hundred of whom 
 were prisoners. 
 
 Thus ended an operation conceived with rare inge- 
 nuity, prepared with unusual forethought, and executed 
 
FAILURE OF THE ASSAULT AT THE MINE 269 
 
 up to the moment of the final assault with consummate 
 skill, and which yet resulted in absolute failure from 
 sheer incapacity on the part of subordinates. Burnside 
 had given written orders which were excellent in them- 
 selves, but he failed entirely to enforce them. When 
 the general-in-chief and stafE rode back to Petersburg 
 that day, the trip was anything but cheerful. For some 
 time but little was said by him, owing to his aversion 
 to indulging in adverse criticisms of individuals, which 
 could not mend matters. He did not dweU long upon the 
 subject in his conversation, simply remarking : " Such 
 an opportunity for carrying a fortified line I havS never 
 seen, and never expect to see again. If I had been a 
 division commander or a corps commander, I would have 
 been at the front giving personal directions on the spot. 
 I believe that the men would have performed every duty 
 required of them if they had been properly led and skil- 
 fully handled." He had no unkind words for Burnside, 
 but he felt that this disaster had greatly impaired that 
 oflB.cer's usefulness. Two weeks afterward Burnside was 
 granted a leave of absence, and did not serve again in 
 the field. General Parke, one of his division com- 
 manders, and an officer of eminent ability, was placed 
 in command of the Ninth Corps. Grant and Burnside, 
 however, did not break their amicable relations on ac- 
 count of this official action, and their personal friend- 
 ship continued as long as they both lived. 
 
 A surgeon told us a story, one of the many echoes of 
 the mine affair, about a prisoner who had been dug out 
 of the crater and carried to one of our field-hospitals. 
 Although his eyes were bunged and his face covered 
 with bruises, he was in an astonishingly amiable frame 
 of mind, and looked like a pugilistic hero of the prize- 
 ring coming up smiling in the twenty-seventh round. 
 He said: "I '11 jest bet you that after this I '11 be the 
 
270 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 most unpopular man in my regiment. Tou see, I ap- 
 peared to get started a little earlier than the other boys 
 that had taken passage with me aboard that volcano ; 
 and as I was comia' down I met the rest of 'em a-goin' 
 up, and they looked as if they had kind o' soured on me, 
 and yelled after me, ^ Straggler ! ' " 
 
 General Grant ordered the cavalry and a corps of 
 infantry to start south at daylight the next morning, 
 before the enemy could recross the James Eiver, with 
 instructions to destroy fifteen or twenty miles of the 
 Weldon Railroad. That night, however, information of 
 the crossing of the Potomac by Early's troops compelled 
 the general to change his plans and send Sheridan to 
 Washington with two divisions of his cavalry. 
 
 Early, finding that pursuit had been abandoned, and 
 that the Union forces had returned to Washington, put 
 his army in motion and started to return to Maryland. 
 His advance reached Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on 
 July 30; and finding no troops to oppose them,. burned 
 the defenseless town, and left three thousand women, 
 children, and unarmed men homeless. A week after- 
 ward this force, while retreating, was overtaken by 
 Averell, and completely routed. 
 
 General Grant now expressed himself as determined 
 not only to prevent these incursions into Maryland, but 
 to move a competent force down the valley of Virginia, 
 and hold permanently that great granary, upon which 
 Lee was drawing so largely for his supplies. The most 
 important thing was to find a commander equal to such 
 an undertaking. No one had commended himself more 
 thoroughly to the general-in-chief for such a mission 
 than Sheridan, and he telegraphed Halleck to put Sher- 
 idan in command of aU the troops in the field, and to 
 give him instructions to pursue the enemy to the death. 
 Sheridan reached Washington on August 3. HaUeck 
 
A NEW COMMAND FOE SHEEIDAN 271 
 
 telegraphed expressing some other views in regard to 
 the disposition to be made of Sheridan, but they did not 
 prevail. On the evening of the 3d the President sent to 
 General Grant the following remarkable telegram, which 
 is so characteristic that it is given in fnll : 
 
 "I have seen your despatch in which you say: 'I 
 want Sheridan put in command of all the troops in the 
 field, with instructions to put himself south of the en- 
 emy and follow him to the death ; wherever the enemy 
 goes, let our troops go also.' This, I think, is exactly 
 right as to how our forces should move ; but pleasg look 
 over the despatches you may have received from here 
 even since you made that order, and discover, if you 
 can, that there is any idea in the head of any one here 
 of ' putting our army south of the enemy,' or of ' follow- 
 ing him to the death ' in any direction. I repeat to you, 
 it wUl neither be done nor attempted unless you watch 
 it every day and hour, and force it. 
 
 " A. Lincoln, President." 
 
 It will be seen frojn this that the. President was un- 
 doubtedly possessed of more courage than any of his 
 advisers at Washington, and that he did not call for 
 assist&,nce to protect the capital, but for troops and a 
 competent Mader to go after Early and defeat him. It 
 is the language of a man who wanted an officer of Grant's 
 aggressiveness to force the fighting and send the troops 
 after the enemy, even if the capital had to be left tem- 
 porarily without defense. 
 
 General Gr&nt received the President's despatch at 
 noon of August 4, and he left City Point that night for 
 Hunter's headquarters at Monocacy Station in Mary- 
 land, reaching there the next evening, August 5. He 
 ordered aU the troops in the vicinity to move that night 
 to the valley of Virginia. The general had now a deli- 
 
272 CAMPAiaNING WITH GEANT 
 
 cate duty to perforin. He had decided to put G-eneral 
 Sheridan in command of the active forces in the field ; 
 but he "was junior in rank to Q-eneral Hunter, and in 
 order to spare the feelings of Hunter, and not subject 
 hitn to the mortification of being relieved from duty, the 
 general-in-chief suggested that he remain in command 
 of the military department, and that Sheridan be given 
 supreme control of the troops in the field. Hunter re- 
 moved an embarrassment by saying that, under the cir- 
 cumstances, he deemed it better for the service that he 
 should be relieved entirely from duty. This unselfish 
 offer was accepted, and Sheridan was telegraphed to 
 come at once from Washington to Monocaey by a special 
 train. Grrant met him at the station, and explained to 
 him what was expected of him. His present army con- 
 sisted of nearly thirty thousand men, including eight 
 thousand cavalry. Early's army was about equal in 
 numbers. Grant said tc Sheridan in his instructions : 
 " Do not hesitate to give commands to officers in whom 
 you have confidence, without regard to claims of others 
 on account of rank. What we want is prompt and ac- 
 tive movements after the enemy in accordance with the 
 instructions you already have. I feel every confidence 
 that you wiU do the best, and wiU leave you as far as 
 possible to act on your own judgment, and not embar- 
 rass you with orders and instructions." This despatch 
 was eminently characteristic of Grant ; it affords a key 
 to his method of dealing with his subordinates, and ex- 
 plains one of the chief reasons why his commanders were 
 so loyal to him. They felt that they would be left to the 
 exercise of an intelligent judgment; that if they did 
 their best, even if they did not succeed, they would never 
 be made scapegoats ; and if they gained victories they 
 would be given the sole credit for whatever they accom- 
 plished. 
 
GENERAL GKANT HASTENING TO OEDEK THE RECALL OF THE ASSAULTING COLUMN. 
 
A NEW COMMAND FOR SHERIDAN 273 
 
 As soon as Sheridan' moved south the enemy was 
 compelled to concentrate in front of him, and the effect 
 was what Grant had predicted — the termination of in- 
 cursions into Maryland. The general returned to City 
 Point on August 8. 
 
 Eawlins had broken down in health from the labors 
 and exposures of the campaign, and had been given a 
 leave of absence on August 1, in the hope that he might 
 soon recuperate and return to duty ; but he was not able 
 to join headquarters for two months. Already the seeds 
 of consumption had been sown, from which he died 
 while Secretary of War, five years afterward. He was 
 greatly missed by every one at headquarters, and his 
 chief expressed no little anxiety about his illness, al- 
 though no one then thought that it was the beginning 
 of a fatal disease. 
 
 An event occurred in the forenoon of August 9 which 
 looked for an instant as if the general-in-chief had re- 
 turned to headquarters only to meet his death. He was 
 sitting in front of his tent, surrounded by several staff- 
 ofBeers. General Sharpe, the assistant provost-marshal- 
 general, had been telling him that he had a conviction 
 that there were spies in the camp at City Point, and had 
 proposed a plan for detecting and capturing them. He 
 had just left the general when, at twenty minutes to 
 twelve, a terrific explosion shook the earth, accompanied 
 by a sound which vividly recalled the Petersburg mine, 
 stiU fresh in the memory of every one present. Then 
 there rained down upon the party a terrific shower of 
 shells, bullets, boards, and fragments of timber. The 
 general was surrounded by splinters and various kinds 
 of ammunition, but fortunately was not touched by 
 any of the missiles. Babcock df the staff was slightly 
 wounded in the right hand by a bullet, one mounted 
 orderly and several horses were instantly kiUed, and 
 
 18 
 
274 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 three orderlies were wounded. In a moment all was 
 consternation. On rusMng to the edge of the blnffi, we 
 found that the cause of the explosion was the blowing 
 up of a boat loaded with ordnance stores which lay at 
 the wharf at the foot of the hill. Much damage was 
 done to the wharf, the boat was entirely destroyed, aU 
 the laborers employed on it were killed, and a number 
 of men and horses near the landing were fatally injured. 
 The total casualties were forty-three killed and forty 
 wounded. The general was the only one of the party 
 who remained unmoved ; he did not even leave his seat 
 to run to the bluff with the others to see what had hap- 
 pened. Five minutes afterward he went to his writing- 
 table and sent a telegram to Washington, notifying 
 Halleck of the occurrence. No one could surmise the 
 cause of the explosion, and the general appointed me 
 president of a board of officers to investigate the matter. 
 We spent seveiral days in taking the testimony of all the 
 people who were in sight of the occurrence, and used 
 every possible means to probe the matter ; but as aU.the 
 men aboard the boat had been killed, we could obtain 
 no satisfactory evidence. It was attributed by most of 
 those present to the careless handling of the ammunition 
 by the laborers who were engaged in unloading it ; but 
 there was a suspicion in the minds of many of us that 
 it was the work of some emissaries of the enemy sent 
 into the lines. 
 
 Seven years after the war, when I was serving with 
 President Glrant as secretary, a Virginian called to see 
 me at the White House, to complain that the commis- 
 sioner of patents was not treating him fairly in the 
 matter of some patents he was endeavoring to procure. 
 In the course of the conversation, in order to impress 
 me with his skill as an inventor, he communicated the 
 fact that he had once devised an infernal machine which 
 had been used with some success during the war ; and 
 
AN INFEENAL MACHINE 275 
 
 went on to say that it consisted of a small box filled "with 
 explosives, with, a clockwork attachment which could be 
 set so as to cause an explosion at any given time ; that, 
 to prove the effectiveness of it, he had passed into the 
 Union lines in company with a companion, both dressed 
 as laborers, and succeeded in reaching City Point, know- 
 ing this to be the base of supplies. By mingling with the 
 laborers who were engaged in unloading the ordnance 
 stores, he and his companion succeeded in getting aboard 
 the boat, placing their infernal machine among the am- 
 munition, and setting the clockwork so that the explo- 
 sion would occur in half an hour. This enabled them to 
 get to a sufficient distance from the place not to be sus- 
 pected. I told him that his efforts, from his standpoint, 
 had been eminently successful. At last, after many 
 years, the mystery of the explosion was revealed. 
 
 This occurrence set the staff to thinking of the vari- 
 ous forms of danger to which the general-in-chief was 
 exposed, and how easily he might be assassinated ; and 
 we resolved that in addition to the ordinary guard 
 mounted at the headquarters camp, we would quietly 
 arrange a detail of " watchers " from the members of the 
 staff, so that one officer would go on duty every night 
 and keep a personal lookout in the vicinity of the gen- 
 eral's tent. This was faithfully carried out. It had to 
 be done secretly, for if he had known of it he would 
 without doubt have broken it up and insisted upon the 
 staff-officers geing to bed after their hard day's work, 
 instead of keeping these vigils throughout the long, 
 dreary nights of the following winter. The general 
 never knew of this action until his second term of the 
 Presidency, when he made the discovery through an ac- 
 cidental reference to it in his presence by a visitor who 
 had heard of it. He then expressed himself as feeling 
 very much touched by the service which had been per- 
 formed with a view to his personal protection. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE STORMING OF NEWMARKET HEIGHTS — A DEAPT OE- 
 DEEED — BATTLE OF THE WELDON EAILEOAD — BATTLE 
 OP EEAMS'S STATION — GENERAL GRANT'S FAMILY VISIT 
 HIM — THE RELATIONS BETWEEN GRANT AND SHERMAN 
 — A MISSION TO SHERMAN — THE CAPTOR OF ATLANTA — 
 AN EVENING WITH GENERAL THOMAS 
 
 IT was found that Lee had sent a division of infantry 
 and cavalry as far as Culpeper to cooperate with 
 Early's forces, and on August 12, 1864, Grant began a 
 movement at Petersburg intended to force the enemy to 
 return his detached troops to that point. Hancock's 
 corps was marched from Petersburg to City Point, and 
 there placed on steamboats. The movement was to 
 create the impression that these troops were to be sent 
 to Washington. Butler relaid the pontoon-bridge, and 
 his forces crossed to Deep Bottom, The same night, 
 August 13, the boats which carried Hancock's corps 
 were sent up the river, and the troops disembarked on 
 the north side of the James. Hancock was put in com- 
 mand of the movement. 
 
 General Grant said, in discussing the affair : " I am 
 making this demonstration on the James, not that I ex- 
 pect it to result in anything decisive in the way of crip- 
 pling the enemy in battle; my main object is to call 
 troops from Early and from the defenses of Petersburg. 
 If Lee withdraws the bulk of his army from Meade's 
 
 276 
 
THE STOBMINa OF NEWMABICET HEIGHTS 277 
 
 front, Meade will have a good opportunity of making a 
 movement to his left with, one of his corps." The 14th 
 and 15th were spent in reconnoitering and manoeuver- 
 ing and in making one successful assault. On August 
 16 I was directed to go to Hancock with important in- 
 structions, and remain with his command that day. 
 This gave me an opportunity to participate in the en- 
 gagements which took place. Early in the morning the 
 movement began by sending out Miles's brigade and 
 G-regg's cavalry, which drove back a body of the enemy 
 to a point only seven miles from Richmond. At ten 
 o'clock a vigorous attack was made by Birney'S corps 
 upon the works at Fussell's Mills. The intrenchments 
 were handsomely carried, and three colors and nearly 
 three hundred prisoners taken ; but the enemy soon re- 
 turned in large force, made a determined assault, and 
 compelled Bimey to abandon the works he had cap- 
 tured. He succeeded, however, in holding the enemy's 
 intrenched picket-line. In the mean time the enemy 
 brought up a sufficient force to check the advance of 
 Grregg and Miles and compel them to withdraw from 
 their position. Our troops fell back in perfect order, 
 retiring by successive lines. Grregg took up a line on 
 Deep Creek. That evening the enemy made a heavy at- 
 tack on him, but only succeeded in forcing him back a 
 short distance. The fighting had been desperate, and 
 all the officers present had suffered greatly from their 
 constant exposure to the heavy fire of the enemy in their 
 efforts to hold the men to their work and add as much 
 as possible to the success of the movements. This day's 
 fighting was known as the battle of Newmarket Heights. 
 In these engagements I was fortunate enough to be able 
 to render service which was deemed to be of some im- 
 portance by the general-in-chief, who wrote to "Wash- 
 ington asking that I be breveted a lieutenant-colonel in 
 
278 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 the regular army for " gallant and meritorious services 
 in action " ; and the appointment to that rank was made 
 by the President. As a result of these operations, Hill's 
 command had been withdrawn from Petersburg and 
 sent to Hancock's front, and a division of Longstreet's 
 corps, which had been under marching orders for the 
 Valley, was detained. 
 
 General Grrant was now giving daily watchfulness and 
 direction to four active armies in the field — those of 
 Meade, Butler, Sheridan, and Sherman. They consti- 
 tuted a dashing four-in-hand, with Grrant holding the 
 reins. These armies no longer moved " like horses in a 
 balky team, no two ever puUing together." While some 
 of them were at long distances from the others, they 
 were acting in harmony, and cooperating with one an- 
 other for the purpose of keeping the enemy constantly 
 employed in their respective fronts, to prevent him from 
 concentrating his force against any particular army. 
 The enemy had short interior lines upon which to move, 
 and railroads for the prompt transportation of troops ; 
 and it was only by these vigorous cooperative move- 
 ments on the part of the Union armies that the enemy 
 was kept from practising the fundamental principle of 
 war — namely, concentrating the bulk of his forces against 
 a fraction of those of the enemy. 
 
 The affairs of the country were now like a prairie in 
 the season of fires : as soon as the conflagration was ex- 
 tinguished in one place it immediately broke out in 
 another. While General Grant was hourly employed 
 in devising military movements to meet the situation 
 in the field, his advice and assistance were demanded 
 for a grave state of affairs which had now arisen in the 
 Northern States. A draft had been ordered by the 
 President for the purpose of filling up our depleted reg- 
 iments, and the disloyal element at home was making 
 
A DRAFT OEDEEED 279 
 
 it a pretext to embarrass the government in its prose- 
 cution of the war. On August 11 Halleck sent Grrant a 
 confidential letter, in which he said, among other things 
 of a disturbing nature : " Pretty strong evidence is ac- 
 cumulating that there is a combination formed, or form- 
 ing, to make a forcible resistance to the draft. ... To 
 enforce it may require the withdrawal of a very consid- 
 erable number of troops from the field. . . . The evi- 
 dence of this has increased very much within the last 
 few days. . . . Are not the appearances such that we 
 ought to take in sail and prepare the ship for a storm ? " 
 General Grant replied, suggesting means for enforcing 
 the draft without depleting the armies in the field, and 
 saying he was not going to break his hold where he was 
 on the James. 
 
 On the evening of August 17 General Grant was sit- 
 ting in front of his quarters, with several staff-officers 
 about him, when the telegraph operator came over from 
 his tent and handed him a despatch. He opened it, 
 and as he proceeded with the reading his face became 
 suffused with smiles. After he had finished it he broke 
 into a hearty laugh. "We were curious to know what 
 could produce so much merriment in the general in the 
 midst of the trying circumstances which surrounded 
 him. He cast his eyes over the despatch again, and then 
 remarked : " The President has more nerve than any 
 of his advisers. This is what he says after reading my 
 reply to HaUeck's despatch." He then read aloud to us 
 the following: 
 
 " ' I have seen your despatch expressing your unwill- 
 ingness to break your hold where you are. Neither am 
 I willing. Hold on with a buUdog grip, and chew and 
 choke as much as possible. 
 
 "'A. Lincoln.'" 
 
280 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 Throughout this period of activity at headquarters 
 Q-eneral Grant was not unmindful of the rewards which 
 were due to his generals for their achievements. On 
 August 10 he had written to the Secretary of War : " I 
 think it but a just reward for services already rendered 
 that Greneral Sherman be now appointed a major-gen- 
 eral, and W. S. Hancock and Sheridan brigadiers, in the 
 regular army. All these generals have proved their 
 worthiness for this advancement." Sherman and Han- 
 cock received their appointments on the 12th, and Sheri- 
 dan on the 20th. Q-eneral Grrant was very much gratified 
 that their cases had been acted upon so promptly. 
 
 Warren moved out at dawn on August 18, in accor- 
 dance with orders, to a point three miles west of the left 
 of the Army of the Potomac, and began the work of 
 tearing up the Weldon Railroad. Hard fighting ensued 
 that day, in which the enemy suffered severely. Lee 
 hurried troops from north of the James to Petersburg, 
 and in the afternoon of the 19th a large force turned a 
 portion -of Warren's command and forced it to retire. 
 Two divisions of Parke's corps had been ordered to sup- 
 port Warren ; our troops were now reformed, the lost 
 ground was soon regained, the enemy fell back in great 
 haste to his intrenchments, and the position on the 
 railroad was firmly held by Warren's men. Q-eneral 
 Grant remained at City Point this day in order to be in 
 constant communication with Hancock and Butler as 
 well as with Meade. When he heard of Warren's success 
 he telegraphed at once to Meade : " I am pleased to see 
 the promptness with which General Warren attacked 
 the enemy when he came out. I hope he will not hesi- 
 tate in such cases to abandon his lines and take every 
 man to fight every battle, and trust to regaining them 
 afterward, or to getting better." He said after writing 
 this despatch : " Meade and I have had to criticize War- 
 
BATTLE OF THE WELDON BAILEOAD 281 
 
 ren pretty severely on several occasions for being slow, 
 and I "wanted to be prompt to compliment him now that 
 he has acted vigorously and handsomely in taking the 
 offensive." His corps being greatly exposed in its pres- 
 ent position, and knowing that the enemy would use all 
 efforts to save the railroad, Warren on August 20 took 
 up a position in rear of his line of battle the day before, 
 and intrenched. AU of Hancock's corps was withdrawn 
 from the north side of the James. Lee soon discovered 
 this, and hurried more troops back to Petersburg. On 
 the morning of August 21 Hill's whole corps, with a part 
 of Hoke's division and Lee's cavalry, attacked Warren. 
 Thirty pieces of artiller;^ opened on him, and at ten 
 o'clock vigorous assaults were made; but Warren re- 
 pulsed the enemy at aU points, and then advanced and 
 captured several hundred prisoners. The enemy had 
 failed in his desperate efforts to recover the Weldon 
 Railroad, and he was now compelled to haul supplies by 
 wagons around the break in order to make any use of 
 that line of supplies. 
 
 On August 22 Gregg's division of cavalry and troops 
 from Hancock's corps were sent to Eeams's Station, seven 
 mUes south of Warren's position, and tore up three miles 
 of the Weldon EaUroad south of that place. Hancock 
 discovered the enemy massing heavily in his front on 
 the 25th, and concentrated his force at the station, and 
 took possession of some earthworks which had been 
 constructed before at that place, but which were badly 
 laid out for the purpose of defense. That afternoon 
 several formidable assaults were directed against Miles, 
 who was in command of Barlow's division, but they 
 were handsomely repulsed. At 5 p. m. Hill's corps made 
 a vigorous attack. Owing to the faulty construction of 
 the earthworks, Hancock's command was exposed to a 
 reverse fire, which had an unfortunate effect upon the 
 
282 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 morale of tlie men. A portion of Miles's line finally 
 gave way, and three of our batteries of artillery were 
 captured. Our troops were now exposed to attack both 
 in flank and reverse, and the position of Hancock's com- 
 mand had become exceedingly critical; but the superb 
 conduct displayed by him and Miles in rallying their 
 forces saved the day. By a gallant dash the enemy was 
 soon swept back, and one of our batteries and a portion 
 of the intrenchments were retaken. Gribbon's divison 
 was driven from its intrenched position, but it took up 
 a new line, and after hard fighting the further advance 
 of the enemy was checked. As the command was now 
 seriously threatened in its present position, and none of 
 the reinforcements ordered up had arrived, Hancock's 
 troops were withdrawn after dark. 
 
 Hancock's want of success was due largely to the con- 
 dition of his troops. They had suffered great fatigue ; 
 there had been heavy losses during the campaign, par- 
 ticularly in officers, and the command was composed 
 largely of recruits and substitutes. The casualties in 
 this engagement, in killed, wounded, and missing, were 
 2742; the number of guns lost, 9. The enemy's loss 
 was larger than ours in killed and wounded, but less 
 in prisoners. Greneral Miles, who thirty-one years 
 thereafter became general-in-chief of the army, in aU 
 his brilliant career as a soldier never displayed more 
 gallantry and ability than in this memorable engage- 
 ment, which is known in history as the battle of Reams's 
 Station. 
 
 The enemy had subjected himseK to heavy loss in a 
 well-concerted attempt to regain possession of the Wel- 
 don Railroad, which was of such vital importance to 
 him, but in this he had signally failed, Lee had been 
 so constantly threatened, or compelled to attack around 
 Petersburg and Richmond, that he had been entirely 
 
grant's family visit him 283 
 
 prevented from sending any forces to Hood to be used 
 against Sherman, 
 
 Mrs. Grant had come East witli the children, and Colo- 
 nel Dent, her brother, was sent to meet them at Phila- 
 delphia, and bring them to City Point to pay a visit to 
 the general. The children consisted of Frederick D., 
 then fourteen years old ; Ulysses S., Jr., twelve ; Nellie 
 R., nine ; and Jesse R., six. NeUie was born on the 4th 
 of July, and when a child an innocent deception had 
 been practised upon her by her father in letting her be- 
 lieve that aU the boisterous demonstrations and display 
 of fireworks on Independence day were in honor of her 
 birthday. The general was exceedingly fond of his 
 family, and his meeting with them afforded him the 
 happiest day he had seen since they parted. They were 
 comfortably lodged aboard the headquarters steamboat, 
 but spent most of their time in camp. The morning 
 after their arrival, when I stepped into the general's tent, 
 I found him in his shirt-sleeves engaged in a rough-and- 
 tumble wrestling-match with the two older boys. He 
 had become red in the face, and seemed nearly out of 
 breath from the exertion. The lads had just tripped 
 him up, and he was on his knees on the floor grappling 
 with the youngsters, and joining in their merry laughter, 
 as if he were a boy again himseK. I had several de- 
 spatches in my hand, and when he saw that I had come 
 on business, he disentangled himself after some difficulty 
 from the young combatants, rose to his feet, brushed 
 the dust off his knees with his hand, and said in a sort 
 of apologetic manner : " Ah, you know my weaknesses 
 — my children and my horses." The children often 
 romped with him, and he joined in their frolics as if 
 they were all playmates together. The younger ones 
 would hang about his neck while he was writing, make 
 a terrible mess of his papers, and turn everything in his 
 
284 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GKANT 
 
 tent into a toy : but they were never once reproved for 
 any innocent sport; they were governed solely by an 
 appeal to their affections. They were always respectful, 
 and never failed to render strict obedience to their father 
 when he told them seriously what he wanted them to do. 
 Mrs. Grrant, formerly Miss Julia Dent, was four years 
 younger than the general. She had been educated in 
 Professor Moreau's finishing-school in St. Louis, one of 
 the best institutions of instruction in its day, and was a 
 woman of much general intelligence, and exceedingly 
 well informed upon all public matters. She was noted 
 for her amiability, her cheerful disposition, and her ex- 
 treme cordiality of manner. She was soon upon terms 
 of intimacy with all the members of the staff, and was 
 quick to win the respect and esteem of every one at head- 
 quarters. She visited any officers or soldiers who were 
 sick, went to the cook and suggested delicacies for their 
 comfort, took her meals with the mess, kept up a pleas- 
 ant run of conversation at the table, and added greatly 
 to the cheerfulness of headquarters. She had visited 
 her husband several times at the front when he was 
 winning his victories in the West, and had learned per- 
 fectly how to adapt herself to camp life. She and the 
 general were a perfect Darby and Joan. They would 
 seek a quiet, corner of his quarters of an evening, and sit 
 with her hand in his, manifesting the most ardent devo- 
 tion ; and if a staff-officer came accidentally upon them, 
 they would look as bashful as two young lovers spied 
 upon in the scenes of their courtship. In speaking of 
 the general to others, his wife usually referred to him as 
 " Mr. Grrant," from force of habit formed before the war. 
 In addressing him she said " Ulyss," and when they 
 were alone, or no one was present except an intimate 
 friend of the family, she applied a pet name which she 
 had adopted after the capture of Vicksburg, and called 
 
EELATIONS BETWEEN GKANT AND SHERMAN 285 
 
 him " Victor." Sometimes the general would tease the 
 children good-naturedly by examining them about their 
 studies, putting to them aU sorts of puzzling mathe- 
 matical questions, and asking them to spell tongue-split- 
 ting words of half a dozen syllables. Mrs. Grant would 
 at times put on an air of mock earnestness, and insist 
 upon the general telling her all of the details of the next 
 movement he intended to make. He would then pro- 
 ceed to give her a fanciful description of an imaginary 
 campaign, in which he would name impossible figures 
 as to the number of the troops, inextricably confuse the 
 geography of the country, and trace out a plan of inar- 
 velously coniplicated movements in a manner that was 
 often exceedingly droll. No family could have been 
 happier in their relations ; there was never a selfish act 
 committed or an ill-natured word uttered by any mem- 
 ber of the household, and their daily life was altogether 
 beautiful in its charming simplicity and its deep affec- 
 tion. 
 
 A little before nine o'clock on the evening of Septem- 
 ber 4, while the general was having a quiet smoke in 
 front of his tent, and discussing the campaign in Georgia, 
 a despatch came from Sherman announcing the captui'e 
 of Atlanta, which had occurred on September 2. It was 
 immediately read aloud to the staff, and after discussing 
 the news for a few minutes, and uttering many words 
 in praise of Sherman, the general wrote the following 
 reply : " I have just received your despatch announcing 
 the capture of Atlanta. In honor of your great victory 
 I have ordered a salute to be fired with shotted guns 
 from every battery bearing upon the enemy. The salute 
 will be fired within an hour, amid great rejoicing." 
 
 In the mean time the glad tidings had been telegraphed 
 to Meade and Butler, with directions to fire the salute, 
 and not long afterward the roar of artillery communi- 
 
286 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 cated the joyful news of victory throughout our army, 
 and hore sad tidings to the ranks of the enemy. An 
 answer was received from Sherman, in which he said : 
 " I have received your despatch, and will communicate 
 it to the troops in general orders. ... I have always 
 felt that you would take personally more pleasure in my 
 success than in your own, and I reciprocate the feeling 
 to the fullest extent." Grant then wrote to Sherman : 
 " I feel that you have accomplished the most gigantic 
 undertaking given to any general in this war with a skill 
 and ability which will be acknowledged in history as 
 unsurpassed, if not unequaled. It gives me as much 
 pleasure to record this in your favor as it would in favor 
 of any living man, myself included." This correspon- 
 dence, and the unmeasured praise which was given to 
 Sherman at this time by the general-in-chief in his de- 
 spatches and conversations, afford additional evidences 
 of his constant readiness to give all due praise to his 
 subordinates for any successful work which they ac- 
 comphshed. He was entirely unselfish in his relations 
 with them, and never tired of taking up the cudgels in 
 their defense if any one criticized them unjustly. 
 
 The above correspondence with Sherman recalls the 
 letters which were interchanged between them after Gen- 
 eral Grant's successes in the West. The general wrote 
 to Sherman at that time : " What I want is to express 
 my thanks to you and McPherson as the men to whom, 
 above all others, I feel indebted for whatever I have had 
 of success. How far your advice and assistance have 
 been of help to me you know. How far your execution 
 of whatever has been given you to do entitles you to 
 the reward I am receiving, you cannot know as well as 
 I. I feel all the gratitude this letter would express, giv- 
 ing it the most flattering construction." Sherman wrote 
 a no less manly letter in reply. After insisting that 
 
EELATIONS BETWEEN GRANT AND SHEEMAN 287 
 
 General Grant assigned to Ms subordinates too large a 
 share of merit, he went on to say : " I believe you to be 
 as brave, patriotic, and just as the great prototype, Wash- 
 ington ; as unselfish, kind-hearted, and honest as a man 
 should be ; but the chief characteristic is the simple faith 
 in success you have always manifested, which I can liken 
 to nothing else than the faith a Christian has in the 
 Saviour. ... I knew, wherever I was, that you thought 
 of me, and if I got in a tight place you would help me 
 out if alive." The noble sentiments expressed in this 
 and similar correspondence were the bright spots which 
 served to relieve the gloomy picture of desolating war. 
 
 Now that Sherman had captured Atlanta, the question 
 at once arose as to what his next move should be ; and 
 a discussion took place at General Grant's headquarters 
 as to the advisability of a march to the sea. Such a 
 movement had been referred to in a despatch from Grant 
 to Halleck as early as July 15, saying : " If he [Sherman] 
 can supply himself once with ordnance and quarter- 
 master's stores, and partially with subsistence, he will 
 find no difficulty in staying until a permanent line can 
 be opened with the south coast." On August 13 Sher- 
 man communicated with Grant about the practicabihty 
 of cutting loose from his base and shifting his army 
 to the Alabama River, or striking out for St. Mark's, 
 Florida, or for Savannah. Further correspondence took 
 place between the two generals after Sherman had en- 
 tered Atlanta. The subject was one in which the mem- 
 bers of the staff became deeply interested. ' Maps were 
 pored over daily, and most intelligent discussions were 
 carried on as to the feasibility of Sherman's army mak- 
 ing a march to the sea-coast, and the point upon which 
 his movement should be directed. 
 
 On September 12 General Grant called me into his 
 tent, turned his chair around from the table at which he 
 
288 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 had been sitting, lighted a fresh cigar, and began a con- 
 versation by saying : " Sherman and I have exchanged 
 ideas regarding his next movement about as far as we 
 can by correspondence, and I have been thinking that 
 it would be well for you to start for Atlanta to-morrow, 
 and talk over with him the whole subject of his next 
 campaign. "We have debated it so much here that you 
 know my views thoroughly, and can answer any of Sher- 
 man's questions as to what I think in reference to 'the 
 contemplated movement, and the action which should 
 be taken in the various contingencies which may arise. 
 Sherman's suggestions are excellent, and no one is better 
 fitted for carrying them out. I can comply with his 
 views in regard to meeting him with ample supplies at 
 any point on the sea-coast which it may be decided to 
 have him strike for. You can tell him that I am going 
 to send an expedition against WUmington, North Caro- 
 hna, landing the troops on the coast north of Fort Fisher ; 
 and with the efficient cooperation of the navy we shaU 
 no doubt get control of Wilmington harbor by the time 
 he reaches and captures other points on the sea-eoast. 
 Sherman has made a splendid campaign, and the more 
 I reflect upon it the more merit I see in it. I do not 
 want to hamper Mm any more in the future than in the 
 past with detailed instructions. I want him to carry out 
 his ideas freely in the coming movement, and to have 
 all the credit of its success. Of this success I have no 
 doubt. I wiU write Sherman a letter, which you can 
 take to him." The general then turned to his writing- 
 table, and retaining between his lips the cigar which he 
 had been smoking, wrote the comraunication. After 
 reading it over aloud, he handed it to me to take to At- 
 lanta. It said, among other things: "Colonel Porter 
 wiU explain to you the' exact condition of affairs here 
 better than I can do in the limits of a letter. . . . My 
 
W. T. SHERMAN. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
A MISSION TO SHEEMAN 289 
 
 object now in sending a staff-officer is not so much to 
 suggest operations for you as to get your views and have 
 plans matured by the time everything can be got ready. 
 It will probably be the 5th of October before any of the 
 plans herein indicated will be executed. ..." 
 
 I started the next day on this mission, going by way of 
 Cincinnati and Louisville ; and after many tedious inter- 
 ruptions from the crowded state of traffic by rail south 
 of the latter place, and being once thrown from the track, 
 I reached Chattanooga on the afternoon of September 
 19. From there to Atlanta is one hundred and fifty 
 miles. Guerrillas were active along the line of the road, 
 numerous attempts had recently been made to wreck 
 the trains, and they were run as far as practicable by 
 daylight. Being anxious to reach General Sherman with 
 all despatch, I started forward that night on a freight- 
 train. Eumors of approaching guerrUlas were numer- 
 ous ; but, like many other campaign reports, they were 
 unfounded, and I arrived in Atlanta safely the next fore- 
 noon. Upon this night trip I passed over the battle-field 
 of Chickamauga on the anniversary of the sanguinary 
 engagement in which I had participated the year before, 
 and all of its exciting features were vividly recalled. 
 
 Upon reaching Atlanta, I went at once to General Sher- 
 man's headquarters. My mind was naturally wrought 
 up to a high pitch of curiosity to see the famous soldier 
 of the West, whom I had never met. He had taken up 
 his quarters in a comfortable brick house belonging to 
 Judge Lyons, opposite the Court-house Square. As I 
 approached I saw the eaptor of Atlanta on the porch, 
 sitting tilted back in a large arm-chair, reading a news- 
 paper. His coat was unbuttoned, his black felt hat 
 slouched over his brow, and on his feet were a pair of 
 slippers very much down at the heels. He was in the 
 prime of life and in the perfection of physical health. 
 
 19 
 
290 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 He was just forty-four years of age, and almost at tlie 
 summit of his military fame. With his large frame, tail, 
 gaunt form, restless hazel eyes, aquiline nose, bronzed 
 face, and crisp beard, he looked the picture of "grim- 
 visaged war." My coming had been announced to him 
 by .telegraph, and he was expecting my arrival at this 
 time. I approached him, introduced myself, and handed 
 him Greneral Grrant's letter. He tilted forward in his 
 chair, crumpled the newspaper in his left hand while 
 with his right he shook hands cordially, then pushed a 
 chair forward and invited me to sit down. His recep- 
 tion was exceedingly cordial, and his manner exhibited 
 aU the personal peculiarities which General Grant, in 
 speaking of him, had so often described. 
 
 After reading General Grant's letter, he entered at 
 once upon an animated discussion of the military situ- 
 ation East and "West, and as he waxed more intense in 
 his manner the nervous energy of his nature soon began 
 to manifest itself. He twice rose from his chair, and 
 sat down again, twisted the newspaper into every con- 
 ceivable shape, and from time to time drew first one foot 
 and then the other out of its slipper, and followed up 
 the movement by shoving out his leg so that the foot 
 could recapture the slipper and thrust itself into it again. 
 He exhibited a strong individuality in every movement, 
 and there was a peculiar energy of manner in uttering 
 the crisp words and epigrammatic phrases which fell 
 from his lips as rapidly as shots from a magazine-gun. 
 I soon realized that he was one of the most dramatic and 
 picturesque characters of the war. He asked a great deal 
 about the armies of the East, and spoke of the avidity 
 with which he read all accounts of the desperate cam- 
 paigns they were waging. He said: "I knew Grant 
 would make the fur fly when he started down through 
 Virginia. Wherever he is the enemy will never find any 
 
THE OAPTOE OF ATLANTA 291 
 
 trouble about getting up a fight. He has all the tenacity 
 of a Scotch terrier. That he will accomplish his whole 
 purpose I have never had a doubt, I know well the 
 immense advantage which the enemy has in acting on 
 the defensive in a peculiarly defensive country, falling 
 back on his supplies when we are moving away from 
 ours, taking advantage of every river, hill, forest,' and 
 swamp to hold us at bay, and intrenching every night 
 behind fortified fines to make himself safe from attack. 
 Grant ought to have an army more than twice the size 
 of that of the enemy in order to make matters at aU 
 equal in Virginia, When Grrant cried ' Forward !*' after 
 the battle of the Wilderness, I said : ' This is the grandest 
 act of his life; now I feel that the rebellion will be 
 crushed.' I wrote him, saying it was a bold order to 
 give, and full of significance ; that it showed the mettle 
 of which he was made, and if Wellington could have 
 heard it he would have jumped out of his boots. The 
 terms of Grant's despatch in reply to the announcement 
 of the capture of Atlanta gave us great gratification here. 
 I took that and the noble letter written by President 
 Lincoln, and published them in general orders ; and they 
 did much to encourage the troops and make them feel 
 that their hard work was appreciated by those highest 
 in command." 
 
 After a while lunch was announced, and the general 
 invited me to his mess, consisting of himseK and his 
 personal staff. Among the latter I met some of my old 
 army friends, whom I was much gratified to see again. 
 The general's mess was established in the dining-room 
 of the house he occupied, and was about as democratic 
 as Grant's. The oflBcers came and went as their duties 
 required, and meals were eaten without the slightest 
 ceremony. After we were seated at the table the gen- 
 eral said: "I don't suppose we have anything half as 
 
292 CAMPAIGNING WITH 6EANT 
 
 good to eat out here as you fellows in the East have. 
 You have big rivers upon which you can bring up shell- 
 fish, and lots of things we don't have here, where every- 
 thing has to come over a single-track railroad more than 
 three hundred miles long, and you bet we don't spare 
 any cars for luxuries. It is all we can do to get the ne- 
 cessaries down this far. However, here is some pretty 
 fair beef, and there are plenty of potatoes," pointing to 
 the dishes; "and they are good enough for anybody. 
 We did get a little short of rations at times on the march 
 down here, and one of my staff told me a good story of 
 what one of the men had to say about it. An officer 
 found him eating a persimmon that he had picked up, 
 and cried out to him, ' Don't eat that ; it 's not good for 
 you,' * I 'm not eatin' it because it 's good,' was the re- 
 ply ; ' I 'm tryin' to pucker up my stomach so as to fit 
 the size of the rations Uncle Billy Sherman 's a-givin' 
 us.'" 
 
 After lunch we repaired to a room in the house which 
 the general used for his office, and there went into an 
 elaborate discussion of the purpose of my visit. He 
 said : " I am more than ever of the opinion that there 
 ought to be some definite objective point or points de- 
 cided upon before I move farther into this country; 
 sweeping around generally through Gleorgia for the pur- 
 pose of inflicting damage would not be good generalship ; 
 I want to strike out for the sea. Now that our people 
 have secured Mobile Bay, they might be able to send a 
 force up to Columbus. That would be of great assis- 
 tance to me in penetrating farther into this State ; but 
 unless Canby is largely reinforced, he will probably have 
 as much as he can do at present in taking care of the 
 rebels west of the Mississippi. If after Grant takes "Wil- 
 mington he could, with the cooperation of the navy, get 
 hold of Savannah, and open the Savannah River up to 
 
THE OAPTOB OF ATLANTA 293 
 
 the neighborhood of Augusta, I would feel pretty safe 
 in picking up the bulk of this army and moving east, 
 subsisting off the country. I could move to Milledge- 
 ville, and threaten both Macon and Augusta, and by 
 making feints I could manceuver the enemy out of Au- 
 gusta. I can subsist my army upon the country as long 
 as I can keep moving ; but if I should have to stop and 
 fight battles the difficulty would be greatly increased. 
 There is no telling what Hood will do, whether he will 
 follow me and contest my march eastward, or whether 
 he will start north with his whble army, thinking ithere 
 wUl not be any adequate force to oppose him, and that 
 !ie can carry the war as far north as Kentucky. I don't 
 care much which he does. I would rather have him 
 start north, though ; and I would be willing to give him 
 a free ticket and pay his expenses if he would decide to 
 take that horn of the dilemma. I could send enough of 
 this army to delay his progress until our troops scattered 
 through the West could be concentrated in sufficient 
 force to destroy him ; then with the bulk of my army 
 I could cut a swath through to the sea, divide the 
 Confederacy in two, and be able to move up in the 
 rear of Lee, or do almost anything else that Grrant 
 might require of me. Both Jeff Davis, according to the 
 tone of his recent speeches, and Hood want me to 
 fall back. That is just the reason why I want to go 
 forward." 
 
 The general then went into a long discussion of the 
 details which would have to be carried out under the 
 several contingencies which might occur. He said : " In 
 any emergency I should probably want to designate a 
 couple of points on the coast where I could reach the 
 sea as compelled by circumstances ; and a fleet of pro- 
 visions ought to be sent to each one of the points, so that 
 I would be sure of having supplies awaiting me." I told 
 
294 CAMPAIGKING WITH GRANT 
 
 him that this had been discussed by General Grant, and 
 it was his intention to make ample provisions' of that 
 nature. The general said further : " You know when I 
 cut loose from my communications you will not hear 
 anything from me direct, and Grant wiU have to learn 
 of my whereabouts, and the points where I reach the 
 coast, by means of scouts, if we can get any through the 
 country, and possibly depend largely upon the news ob- 
 tained from rebel newspapers. I suppose you get these 
 papers through the lines just as we do here." I said: 
 " Yes ; and I think more l-eadily. The enemy is always 
 eager to get the New York papers, and as we receive 
 them daily, we exchange them for Eichmond and Peters- 
 burg papers, and obtain in that way much news that is 
 valuable. There wiU be no difficulty in hearing of your 
 movements almost daily." At the close of the conver- 
 sation I told the general I was anxious to get back to 
 headquarters as soon as it would suit his convenience. 
 He asked me to stay a couple of days, saying he would 
 talk matters over further, and would write some com- 
 munications for General Grant, a report, and also a list 
 of the names of officers whom he wished to have pro- 
 moted, if it could be prepared in time. I was invited to 
 share the quarters of one of the staff-officers, and spent 
 a couple of days very advantageously in looking over 
 the captured city, and learning many points of in- 
 terest regarding the marvelous campaign which had 
 secured it. 
 
 That evening I paid a visit to my old commanding 
 officer. General George H. Thomas, who had quartered 
 himself in a house on Peachtree street, now known as 
 the Leyden House, and passed a very pleasant hour with 
 him. The house was surrounded by a broad porch sup- 
 ported by rows of fluted columns, and was very commo- 
 dious. The meeting revived a great many stories of the 
 
AN EVENING WITH GENEBAL THOMAS 295 
 
 CMckamauga campaign. The general said in the course 
 of the conversation: "Do you remember that jackass 
 that looked over the fence one day when we were passing 
 along a road near the Tennessee River ? He pricked up 
 his ears and brayed until he threatened to deafen every- 
 body within a mile of him ; and when he stopped, and 
 a dead sUence followed, a soldier quietly remarked, 
 'Boys, did you hear him purr?' I thought that was 
 about the loudest specimen of a purr I had ever heard." 
 Then the general lay back in his chair and shook with 
 laughter at the recollection. While grave in manner and 
 leonine in appearance, he had a great deal more fun in 
 him than is generally supposed. When quartered at Mur- 
 freesboro, Tennessee, the year before, a piano had been 
 secured, and it was the custom to have musical enter- 
 tainments in the evening at general headquarters. There 
 were some capital voices among the officers, and no end 
 of comic songs at hand ; and these, with the recitations 
 and improvisations which were contributed, made up a 
 series of variety performances which became quite cele- 
 brated. General Thomas was a constant attendant, and 
 would nod approval at the efforts of the performers, and 
 beat time to the music, and when anything particularly 
 comical took place he would roll from side to side and 
 nearly choke with merriment. 
 
 That day Sherman wrote to Grant : " I have the honor 
 to acknowledge, at the hands of Lieutenant-colonel 
 Porter of your staff, your letter of September 12, and 
 accept with thanks the honorable and kindly mention 
 of the services of this army in the great cause in which 
 we are all engaged." Then followed three or four pages, 
 closing with the sentence : " I will have a long talk with 
 Colonel Porter, and tell him everything that may occur 
 to me of interest to you. In the mean time, know that 
 I admire your dogged perseverance and pluck more than 
 
296 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 ever. If you can whip Lee, and I can march to the At- 
 lantic, I think Uncle Abe will give us a twenty days' 
 leave of absence to see the young folks." Two days 
 later I started back to City Point, and reached there 
 September 27. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 GRANT VISITS SHEEIDAN — GOOD NEWS FROM WINCHESTEE — 
 GEANT UNDER FIEE AT FOET HAERISON — CONSTEENA- 
 TION IN EICHMOND — SECEETAEY STANTON VISITS 
 GEANT — HOW GEANT RECEIVED THE NEWS *FROM 
 CEDAR CREEK 
 
 GENERAL GRANT Hstened with manifest interest 
 to the report which I brought of the situation at 
 Atlanta, and of Sherman's feelings and intentions, and 
 asked many questions as to the condition of the great 
 army of the West. I found that during my absence the 
 general-in-chief had paid a visit to Sheridan. He had 
 started from City Point on the 15th of September, had 
 passed through "Washington without stopping, and had 
 gone directly to Charlestown, where Sheridan then had 
 his headquarters. He went from there to Burlington, 
 New Jersey, where it was arranged to place his children 
 at school, and returned to City Point on the 19th. He 
 spoke with touch pleasure and satisfaction of his visit 
 to Sheridan, and said : " I was so anxious not to have 
 the movement made in the Valley unless I felt assured 
 of its success that I thought I would go and have a talk 
 with Sheridan before giving a decided answer as to 
 what should be done. I had written out a plan of cam- 
 paign for his guidance, and did not stop at Washington 
 for the reason that I thought there might be a disposi- 
 tion there to modify it and make it less aggressive. I 
 
 297 
 
298 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 first asked Sheridan if he had a plan of his own, and if 
 so, what it was. He brought out his maps, and laid out 
 a plan so complete, and spoke so confidently about his 
 ability to whip the enemy in his front, that I did not 
 take my plan out of my pocket, but let him go ahead, 
 I also decided not to remain with him during the move- 
 ment, which was to begin in a day or two, for fear it 
 might be thought that I was trying to share in a success 
 which I wished to belong solely to him." 
 
 In speaking of his visit to the Middle Military Divi- 
 sion, Greneral Grant said : " I ordered Sheridan to move 
 out and whip Early." An officer present ventured the 
 remark : " I presume the actual form of the order was to 
 move out and attack him." " No," answered the general ; 
 " I mean just what I say : I gave the order to whip him." 
 
 Sheridan advanced promptly on September 19, and 
 struck Early's army at Winchester, where he gained a 
 signal victory, capturing five guns and nine battle-flags. 
 He pursued the enemy the next day as far as Fisher's 
 Hill, and on the 22d attacked him again in front and 
 flank, carried his earthworks at every point, captured 
 sixteen guns and eleven hundred prisoners, put him to 
 flight, and completed his destruction. This left Sheri- 
 dan in possession of the valley of Virginia. He had 
 obeyed to the letter his orders to whip Early. 
 
 General Grant sent cordial congratulations to the vic- 
 torious commander, and ordered a salute of one hundred 
 guns in honor of each of his victories. No events had 
 created more rejoicing in the mind of the general-in- 
 chief than these brilliant triumphs of Sheridan. The 
 general. had taken the sole responsibility of bringing 
 Sheridan East and placing him in command of a sepa- 
 rate, important army, amid the doubts of some of the 
 principal officials at Washington, and these victories on 
 the part of the young commander were an entire vin- 
 
GOOD NEWS FBOM "WINCHESTEB 299 
 
 dication of Grant's judgment. The spirits of the loyal 
 people of the North were beginning to droop, and 'the 
 disloyal element had become still more aggressive, and 
 snch victories just at this time were of inestimable value. 
 
 During Grrant's visit to Sheridan the enemy's cavalry 
 had made a bold dash round the left of Meade's line, and 
 captured over two thousand head of cattle. One even- 
 ing after Grrant's return, at the close of a conversation 
 upon this subject, a citizen from Washington, who was 
 stopping at City Point, inquired of him, "When do 
 you expect to starve out Lee and capture Richmond ? " 
 "Never," replied the general, significantly, "if our ar- 
 mies continue to supply him with beef-cattle." 
 
 The general-in-chief was stUl planning to keep the 
 enemy actively engaged in his own immediate front, so 
 as to prevent him from detaching troops against 'distant 
 commanders. He telegraphed Sherman September 26 : 
 " I will give them another shake here before the end of 
 the week." On the 27th he sent a despatch to Sheridan, 
 saying: "... No troops have passed through Rich- 
 mond to reinforce Early. I shall make a break here on 
 the 29th." All these despatches were of course sent in 
 cipher. Definite instructions were issued on the 27th 
 for the " break " which was in contemplation, Birney's 
 and Ord's corps of Butler's army were to cross on the 
 night of September 28 to the north side of the James 
 River at Deep Bottom, and attack the, enemy's forces 
 there. If they succeeded in breaking through his lines 
 they were to make a dash for Richmond. While the 
 general did not expect to capture the city by this move- 
 ment, he tried to provide for every emergency, thinking 
 that if the enemy's line should be found weak, there 
 would be a bare chance, after having once broken 
 through, of creating a panic in Richmond, and getting 
 inside of its inner works. 
 
300 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 Ord and Birney moved out promptly before daylight 
 on "September 29. General Grant left a portion of Ms 
 staff at City Point to communicate witb him and Meade, 
 and rode out, taking the rest of us with him, to Butler's 
 front. Ord moved directly against Fort Harrison, a 
 strong earthwork occupying a commanding position, 
 carried it by assault, captured fifteen guns and several 
 hundred prisoners, and secured possession of -an entire 
 line of intrenchments. Everything promised further 
 success, when Ord was wounded so severely in the leg 
 that he had to leave the field, and proper advantage was 
 not taken of the important success which had been gained. 
 Birney moved with his colored troops against the line of 
 intrenchments on the New Market road, promptly car- 
 ried it, and drove the enemy back in great confusion. 
 General Grant was with Birney's command in the early 
 part of the day. His youngest son, Jesse, had obtained 
 permission that morning to go up the river on the boat 
 which carried his father, and had taken along his black 
 Shetland pony called " Little Reb." The boy was then 
 only a little over six years old, and was dressed in kilts, 
 probably in honor of his Scotch ancestors. When the 
 party reached the north side of the river, and mounted 
 and rode out to the front, Jesse got on " Little Reb " and 
 followed along. His father was so busy in supervising 
 the movement that he did not notice the boy until he 
 got under fire, when, on looking around, he saw his en- 
 terprising heir moving about as coolly as any of the 
 others of the group, while the shots were striking the 
 earth and stirring up the dust in every direction. 
 " What 's that youngster doing there ? " cried the gen- 
 eral, manifesting no little anxiety ; and turning to the 
 junior aide, added, " Dunn, I wish you would take him 
 to the rear, and put him where he wiU be safe." But 
 Jesse had too much of his sire's blood in his veins to 
 
GEANT UNDER TIBE AT POET HAERISON 301 
 
 yield a prompt compliance, and at first demurred. 
 Dunn, however, took hold of " Little Reb's " bridle, and 
 started bim on a gallop toward tbe river ; and the boy, 
 much to his mortification, had to beat an ignominious 
 retreat. Dunn was more troubled than any one else 
 over this masterly retrograde movement, for he was 
 afraid that the troops who saw him breaking for the rear 
 under fire might think that he had suddenly set too high 
 a value on his life, and was looking out for a safe place. 
 After the capture of the works by Birney's troops, the 
 general-in-chief rode over to Fort Harrison to push 
 matters in that direction. He was greatly gratified at 
 the handsome manner in which the fort had been carried, 
 and the pluck which had been shown by the troops. 
 The fort was an inclosed work, and formed a salient 
 upon the enemy's line. There were batteries in its rear, 
 however, which still commanded it. The general rode 
 up to a point near the ditch, and there dismounted, and 
 made his way into the work on foot. The ground gave 
 ample evidence of the effects of the assault, and was so 
 torn with shot and shell and covered with killed and 
 wounded in some places that the general had to pick his 
 way in stepping over the dead bodies that lay in his 
 path. He turned his looks upward to avoid as much as 
 possible the ghastly sight, and the expression of pro- 
 found grief impressed upon his features told, as usual, 
 of the effect produced upon him by the sad spectacle. 
 Upon entering the fort, he climbed up and looked over 
 the parapet on the north side, and remained there for 
 some time, viewing the surrounding works and taking 
 a look at Richmond, while the enemy's batteries con- 
 tinued to shell us. This was the nearest view of the city 
 he had yet obtained, and the church spires could be in- 
 distinctly seen. He made up his mind that both corps 
 should move forward promptly, and sat down on the 
 
302 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 ground, tucked Ms legs under him, and wrote tlie fol- 
 lowing despatch, to Birney, dating it 10 : 35 A, M, : " Gen- 
 eral Ord has carried the very strong works and some 
 fifteen pieces of artillery, and his corps is now ready to 
 advance in conjunction with you. General Ord was 
 wounded, and has returned to his headquarters, leaving 
 General Heckman in command of the corps. Push for- 
 ward on the road I left you on." The enemy's projectiles 
 were still flying in our direction, and when the general 
 had reached the middle of the despatch a shell burst 
 directly over him. Those standing about instinctively 
 ducked their heads, but he paid no attention to the oc- 
 currence, and did not pause in his writing, or even look 
 up. The handwriting of the despatch when finished did 
 not bear the slightest evidence of the uncomfortable cir- 
 cumstances under which it was indited. 
 
 General Butler had ridden up to the fort, his face 
 flushed with excitement; and in an interview which fol- 
 lowed with General Grant, the commander of the Army 
 of the James grew enthusiastic in lauding the bravery 
 of the colored troops, who had carried so handsomely 
 the work which Birney had assaulted that morning. 
 
 General Grant had not heard from Meade since early 
 in the morning, and feeling somewhat anxious, he now 
 made his way out of the fort, mounted his horse, and 
 rode over to Deep Bottom, at which point he could com- 
 municate by a field telegraph-line with the commander 
 of the Army of the Potomac. About half-past one 
 o'clock the general received a telegram at Deep Bottom 
 from the President, saying : " I hope it wiU lay no con- 
 straint on you, nor do harm any way, for me to say I am 
 a little afraid lest Lee sends reinforcements to Early, 
 and thus enables him to turn upon Sheridan." It will 
 be seen that the President did not pretend to thrust mil- 
 itary advice upon his commander, but only modestly 
 
CONSTEENATION IN KICHMOND 303 
 
 suggested Ms, views. The general replied immediately : 
 "Your despatch just received^ I am taking steps to 
 prevent Lee sending reinforcements to Early, by attack- 
 ing him here " ; and closed with an account of the suc- 
 cesses of the morning. 
 
 But little further progress was made during the day 
 north of the James. General Grant remained on the 
 north side of the river until after 4 p. m., and then re- 
 turned to City Point so as to be within easy communi- 
 cation with Meade, and to determine what should be 
 done the next day. It was long after midnight before 
 any one at headquarters went to bed, and then only to 
 catch a nap of a couple of hours. General Grant set out 
 again for Deep Bottom at five o'clock the next morning ; 
 and after consulting with Butler, and finding everything 
 quiet on the part of the enemy, he decided that no move- 
 ment should be made on that front at present, and re- 
 turned to City Point, starting back at 8 a. m. 
 
 The activity this day was on Meade's front. His 
 troops moved out two miles west of the Weldon Eailroad, 
 and captured two redoubts, a line of rifle-pits, a gun, and 
 over one hundred prisoners. Three times that afternoon 
 the enemy made vigorous efforts to recover the works 
 which had been captured by Butler's army the day be- 
 fore, for they commanded the shortest road to Richmond. 
 So important was the movement deemed for their re- 
 capture that Lee was present in person with the troops 
 who made the attack. Every assault, however, was 
 handsomely repulsed. Meade threw up a strong line of 
 intrenchments from the Weldon Eailroad to the ad- 
 vanced position which he had captured, and his left was 
 now only about two miles from the South Side Railroad. 
 
 In these movements no little advantage had been 
 gained. The ability to carry strong works had encou- 
 raged the troops, and the circle had been closed in stiU 
 
304 CAMPAiGNma with grant 
 
 further upon Lee, botli on our right and left, and the 
 effect upon the enemy was shown by the consternation 
 and excitement which prevailed in Richmond. From 
 refugees, scouts, and other sources of information it 
 was learned that there was a feeling prevailing among 
 the inhabitants that the city would very soon have to be 
 abandoned. Provost-marshal's guards seized aU avail- 
 able citizens, young and old, and impressed them into 
 the service, whether sick or well — government clerks, 
 and even the police, being put in line in Butler's front. 
 All business was suspended, as there was no one left to 
 attend to it; publication of the newspapers was inter- 
 rupted; shops were closed; and alarm-bells were rung 
 from all the churches. 
 
 In the mean time the enemy was having no rest in the 
 Shenandoah Valley. On the 9th of October, Sheridan's 
 cavialry, under Torbert, had an engagement with the 
 enemy's cavalry, which it completely routedj capturing 
 eleven guns and a number of wagons, and taking over 
 three hundred prisoners. Our loss did not exceed sixty 
 men. The enemy was pursued about twenty-six miles. 
 
 In the forenoon of October 16 a steamer arrived from 
 Washington, having aboard the Secretary of War, Mr. 
 Stanton; the .new Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Fes- 
 senden, who had succeeded Chase ; and several of their 
 friends. They came at once to headquarters, were 
 warmly received by General Grrant, and during their 
 short stay of two days were profusfe in their expressions 
 of congratulation to the general upon the progress he 
 had made with his armies. They wanted to see as much 
 as they could of the positions occupied by our forces, 
 and the general proposed that they should visit the Army 
 of the James that afternoon, and offered to accompany 
 them. He telegraphed Butler to this effect, and the 
 party started up the river by boat. I was invited to 
 
GKANT DNDER FIEE AT FORT HARBISON. 
 
SEORETAKY STANtON VISITS geant 3o5 
 
 join the excursion, and was mucli interested in the con- 
 versations wMch. occurred. Stanton did most of the 
 talking. He began by saying : " In getting away from 
 my desk, and being able to enjoy the outdoor air, I feel 
 like a boy out of school. I have found much relief in 
 my office from the use of a high desk, at which I at 
 times stand up and sign papers. It has been said that 
 the best definition of rest is change of occupation, and 
 even a change of attitude is a great rest to those who 
 have to work at desks." 
 
 He then gave a graphic description of the anxieties 
 which had been experienced for some months at Wash- 
 ington on account of the boldness of the disloyal ele- 
 ment in the North and the emissaries sent there from 
 the South. Sheridan's name was mentioned in terms of 
 compliment. General Grant said: "Yes; Sheridan is 
 an improvement upon some of his predecessors in the 
 valley of Virginia. They demonstrated the truth of the 
 military principle that a commander can generally re- 
 treat successfully from almost any position — if he only 
 starts in time." Stanton laughed heartily at the general's 
 way of putting it, and remarked : " But in all retreats 
 I am told that there is another principle to be observed : 
 a man must not look back. I think it was Csesar who 
 said to an officer in his army who had retreated repeat- 
 edly, but who afterward appeared before his commander 
 and pointed with pride to a wound on his cheek : ' Ah ! 
 I see you are wounded in the face ; you should not have 
 looked back.'" At Aiken's Landing General Butler 
 joined the party, and pointed out the objects of interest 
 along his lines. Mr. Stanton then spoke with much 
 earnestness of the patient labors and patriotic course of 
 the President. There had been rumors of disagreements 
 and unpleasant scenes at times between the distinguished 
 Secretary of War and his chief ; but there evidently was 
 
 20 
 
306 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 little, if any, foundation for such reports, and certainly 
 upon this occasion the Secretary manifested a genuine 
 personal affection for Mr, Lincoln, and an admiration 
 for his character which amounted to positive reverence. 
 
 Mr. Stanton wore spectacles, and had a habit of re- 
 moving them from time to time when he was talking 
 earnestly, and wiping the glasses with his handkerchief. 
 His style of speech was deliberate, but his manner at 
 times grew animated, and he presented a personality 
 which could not fail to interest and impress aU who came 
 in contact with the great Carnot of our war. 
 
 The next morning, after breakfast, the Secretary's 
 party went by the military railroad to our lines about 
 Petersburg, where they had pleasant interviews with 
 Meade, Hancock, Warren, and Parke, and returned in 
 the afternoon to City Point. After some further con- 
 sultation with General Grant about the military situa- 
 tion, particularly in the valley of Virginia, the Secretary, 
 with his friends, started back to Washington. 
 
 Sheridan had been ordered to Washington to consult 
 with the authorities there ; and as no immediate attack 
 on the part of the enemy was expected, he started for 
 that city on October 16. Early, however, had concen- 
 trated all the troops that could be brought to his assis- 
 tance, and was determined to make a desperate effort to 
 retrieve the defeats which he had suffered in the Valley. 
 Sheridan arrived in Washington on the 17th, and started 
 back to his command at noon of that day. The next 
 day he reached Winchester, which was twenty miles 
 from his command, and remained there that night. 
 
 At three o'clock on the afternoon of October 20 Gen- 
 eral Grant was sitting at his table in his tent, writing 
 letters. Several members of the staff who were at head- 
 quarters at the time were seated in front of the tent 
 discussing some anticipated movements. The telegraph 
 operator came across the camp-ground hurriedly, stepped 
 
HOW GRANT RECEIVED THE NEWS FROM CEDAR CREEK 307 
 
 into the general's quarters, and handed him a despatch 
 He read it over, and then came to the front of the tent, 
 put on a very grave look, and said to the members of 
 the staff : " I '11 read yon a despatch I have just received 
 from Sheridan." "We were all eager to hear the news, 
 for we felt that the telegram was of importance. The 
 general began to read the despatch in a very solemn 
 tone. It was dated 10 p. m. the night before : " ' l^have 
 the honor to report that my army at Cedar Creek was 
 attacked this morning before daylight, and my left was 
 turned and driven in confusion ; in fact, most of fj^e line 
 was driven in confusion, with the loss of twenty pieces 
 of artillery. I hastened from Winchester, where I was 
 on my return from Washington, and joined the army 
 between Middletown and Newtown, having been driven 
 back about four miles.'" Here the general looked up, 
 shook his head solemnly, and said, " That 's pretty bad, 
 is n't it ? " A melancholy chorus replied, " It 's too bad, 
 too bad ! " " Now just wait till I read you the rest of 
 it," added the general, with a perceptible twinkle in his 
 eye. He then went on, reading more rapidly : " ' I here 
 took the affair in hand, and quickly united the corps, 
 formed a compact line of battle just in time to repulse 
 an attack of the enemy's, which was handsomely done 
 at about 1 p. m. At 3 p. m., after some changes of the 
 cavalry from the left to the right flank, I attacked with 
 great vigor, driving and routing the enemy, capturing, 
 according to last reports, forty-three pieces of artillery 
 and very many prisoners, I do not yet know the 
 number of rhy casualties or the losses of the enemy. 
 Wagon-trains, ambulances, and caissons in large num- 
 bers are in our possession. They also burned some of 
 their trains. G-eneral Eamseur is a prisoner in our hands, 
 severely, and perhaps mortally, wounded. I have to 
 regret the loss of General BidweU, killed, and Gene- 
 rals Wright, Grover, and Eicketts, wounded — Wright 
 
308 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 sHghtly ■wounded. Affairs at times looked badly, but 
 by the gallantry of our brave officers and men disaster 
 has been converted into a splendid victory. Darkness 
 again intervened to shut off greater results. . . .' " By 
 this time the listeners had rallied from their dejection, 
 and were beside themselves with delight. The general 
 seemed ,to enjoy the bombshell he had thrown among 
 the staff almost as much as the news of Sheridan's sig- 
 nal victory. In these after years, when this victory is 
 recorded among the most brilliant battles of the war, 
 and " Sheridan's Ride " has been made famous in song 
 and story, one cannot help recalling the modesty with 
 which he spoke of his headlong gallop to join his com- 
 mand, and snatch victory from defeat. He dismissed it 
 with the sentence : " I hastened from Winchester, where 
 I was on my return from Washington, and joined the 
 army. . . ." Further news brought the details of the 
 crushing blow he had struck the enemy. General Grrant, 
 in referring to the matter at headquarters, commented 
 at great length upon the triumph which Sheridan had 
 achieved, and the genius he had displayed. He tele- 
 graphed to Washington : " Turning what bid fair to be a 
 disaster into a glorious victory stamps Sheridan what I 
 have always thought him — one of the ablest of gene- 
 rals " ; and said in conversation : " Sheridan's courageous 
 words and brilliant deeds encourage his commanders 
 as much as they inspire his subordinates. While he has 
 a magnetic influence possessed by few other men in an 
 engagement, and is seen to best advantage in battle, he 
 does as much beforehand to contribute to victory as any 
 living commander. His plans are always well matured, 
 and in every movement he strikes with a definite pur- 
 pose in view. No man would be better fitted to command 
 all the armies in the field." He ordered one hundred 
 guns to be fired in honor of Sheridan's decisive victory. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 GRANT'S NARROW ESCAPE AT HATCHER'S RUN —DISCUSSING 
 THE MARCH TO THE SEA — WHY GRANT NEVER HELD 
 COUNCILS OF WAR — HOW THE MARCH TO THE SEA. WAS 
 CONCEITED AND EXECUTED 
 
 EVEN before the completion of Sheridan's victory in 
 the Valley, Grant was planning another movement 
 for the purpose of threatening Lee's position, keeping 
 him occupied., and attacking his communications. On 
 October 24 he directed both Meade and Butler to prepare 
 for a movement which was to be made on the 27th. 
 Meade was to move against the South Side road, while 
 Butler was to go to the north side of the James again, 
 and make a demonstration there against the enemy. 
 
 Early on the morning of October 27 General Grant, 
 with his staff, started for the headquarters of the Army 
 of the Potomac, and rode out to the front, accompanied 
 by Meade. The morning was dark and gloomy, a heavy 
 rain was falling, the roads were muddy and obstructed, 
 and tangled thickets, dense woods, and swampy streams 
 confronted the troops at all points. The difficulties of 
 tb e ground made the movements necessarily slow. After 
 a conference with Warren, Grant and Meade rode over 
 to Hancock's front, and found that the enemy was there 
 disputing the passage of Hatcher's Eun at Burgess's 
 Mill. His troops were strongly posted, with a battery 
 in position directly in front of the head of Hancock's 
 
 309 
 
310 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 corps, and another about eight hundred yards to our 
 left. Unless this force on the opposite side of the stream 
 could be driven back, our lines could not be thrown for- 
 ward for the purpose of making the contemplated move- 
 ment. Prompt action had to be taken, and General 
 Grant rode out farther to the front, accompanied by 
 General Meade and the members of their staffs, to give 
 orders on the spot. As this group of mounted ofl&cers 
 formed a conspicuous target, the enemy was not slow 
 to open upon it with his guns ; and soon the whistling 
 of projectiles and the explosion of shells made the posi- 
 tion rather uncomfortable. One of our orderlies was 
 killed, and two were wounded. It looked at one time 
 as if the explosion of a shell had killed General Meade, 
 but fortunately he escaped untouched. A little speck of 
 blood appeared on Hancock's cheek after the bursting 
 of a shell. It was probably caused by a bit of gravel 
 being thrown in his face. Staff-officers were sent for- 
 ward to the principal points to reconnoiter. General 
 Grant, as was his constant practice, wished to see the 
 exact position of the enemy with his own eyes. He 
 stopped the officers who were riding with him, called on 
 one aide-de-camp. Colonel Babcock, to accompany him, 
 and rode forward rapidly to within a few yards of the 
 bridge. Before he had gone far a shell exploded just 
 under his horse's neck. The animal threw up his head 
 and reared, and it was thought that he and his rider had 
 both been struck, but neither had been touched. The 
 enemy's batteries and sharp-shooters were both firing, 
 and the situation was such that all the lookers-on ex- 
 perienced intense anxiety, expecting every moment to 
 see the general fall. The telegraph-lines had been cut, 
 and the twisted wires were lying about in confusion 
 upon the ground. To make matters more critical, the 
 general's horse got his foot caught in a loop of the wire, 
 
grant's nakkow escape at hatohee's eun 311 
 
 and as the animal endeavored to free himself the coil 
 became twisted still tighter. Every one's face now be- 
 gan to wear a stiU more anxious look. Babcock, whose 
 coolness under fire was always conspicuous, dismounted, 
 and carefully uncoiled the wire and released the horse. 
 The general sat stiU. in his saddle, evidently thinking 
 more about the horse than of himself, and in the most 
 quiet and unruf&ed manner cautioned Babcock to be sure 
 not to hurt the animal's leg. The general soon succeeded 
 in obtaining a clear view of the enemy's line and the 
 exact nature of the ground, and then, much to our re- 
 lief, retired to a less exposed position. The advance of 
 the troops was impeded by the dense underbrush, the 
 crookedness of the Run, the damming of its waters, the 
 slashed trees, and other obstacles of every conceivable 
 description which had been placed in the line of march. 
 It was seen by afternoon that an assault under the cir- 
 cumstances would not promise favorable results, and it 
 was abandoned. The success of the operation depended 
 upon reaching the objective point by a rapid movement ; 
 and as unexpected obstacles were presented by the char- 
 acter of the country and by the weather, instructions 
 were now given to suspend operations, and Grant and 
 Meade rode to Armstrong's Mill. Greneral Grant then 
 took a narrow cross-road leading down to the Eun to the 
 right of Hancock's corps ; but it was soon found that 
 there were no troops between our party and the enemy, 
 and that if we continued along this road it would prob- 
 ably not be many minutes before we should find our- 
 selves prisoners in his lines. There was nothing to do 
 but to turn around and strike a road farther in the rear. 
 This, as usual, was a great annoyance to the general, 
 who expressed his objections, as he had done many a 
 time before, to turning back. We paused for a few 
 minutes, and tried to find some cross-cut ; but there was 
 
312 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 not even a pathway leading in the proper direction, and 
 the party had to retrace its steps for some distance. 
 
 General Grant was now becoming anxious to get in 
 telegraphic communication with Butler, and he rode on 
 to a point on the military railroad called "Warren Station, 
 reaching there about half -past five p. m. 
 
 After giving some further instructions to General 
 Meade, he started back to City Point. On the wajA to 
 general headquarters he discussed the events which had 
 just taken place, and said : " To-day's movement has re- 
 sulted, up to the time I left, only in a i-econnaissance in 
 force. I had hoped to accomplish more by means of 
 it, but it has at least given us a much more thorough 
 knowledge of the country, which, with its natural and 
 artificial obstacles, is stronger than any one could have 
 supposed. This movement has convinced me of the 
 next course which will have to be pursued. It will be 
 necessary for the Army of the Potomac to cut loose from 
 its base, leaving only a small force at City Point and in 
 front of Petersburg to hold those positions. The whole 
 army can then swing completely round to the left and 
 make Lee's present position untenable." There was 
 some doubt in his mind as to what action the enemy 
 would take in front of Hancock and Warren. News 
 came that evening, showing that Lee had assumed the 
 offensive, and that severe fighting had occurred. Be- 
 tween four and five o'clock a heavy force of the enemy 
 passed between Hancock and Warren, and made a vig- 
 orous assault on the right and rear of Hancock's corps ; 
 but Hancock struck the enemy in flank, threw him into 
 confusion, and captured nine hundred prisoners and a 
 number of colors. The enemy was unable to reform his 
 troops, and did not attempt any further offensive oper- 
 ations. This day's engagement is known as the battle 
 of Hatcher's Run. 
 
DISCUSSING THE MABOH TO THE SE^. 313 
 
 Butler tad sent a force to the north side of the James ; 
 but the enfemy retired to his intrenched works whenever 
 our troops advanced against him, and only one attack 
 was made. 
 
 These operations closed for the winter the series of bat- 
 tles in front of Petersburg and Eichmond, cold weather 
 and the condition of the roads rendering further impor- 
 tant movements impracticable. While there was much 
 skirmishing and some spirited fighting, no more general 
 engagements occurred until spring. 
 
 Since my return from Atlanta a number of commu- 
 nications had been exchanged between G-rant and Sher- 
 man regarding the contemplated " march to the sea." 
 Jefferson Davis had visited Hood's headquarters, and at 
 different points on his trip had made speeches, assuring 
 the people that Atlanta was to be retaken, that Sherman's 
 communications were to be cut, and that his retreat 
 would be as disastrous as Napoleon's retreat from Mos- 
 cow. When General Grant received the reports of these 
 speeches, which were widely published in the Southern 
 newspapers, he remarked : " Mr. Davis has not made it 
 quite plain who is to furnish the snow for this Moscow 
 retreat through Georgia and Tennessee. However, he 
 has rendered us one good service at least in notifying 
 us of Hood's intended plan of campaign." In a short 
 time it was seen that Hood was marching his army 
 against the railroad which constituted Sherman's only 
 line of communication with his base of supplies. Sher- 
 man now called for reinforcements, and Grant directed 
 all recruits in the West to be sent to him. 
 
 On September 29 Hood crossed the Chattahoochee 
 Eiver. This was the day on which Grant made the 
 movements hereinbefore described against Eichmond 
 and Petersburg, with a view to preventing Lee from 
 detaching any troops. There were some who thought 
 
314 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Grant manifested unnecessary anxiety on this subject : 
 but it must be remembered that just one year before, Lee 
 had sent Longstreet's whole corps to northern G-eorgia ; 
 that it was not discovered until it was well on its way to 
 join Bragg's forces against Eosecrans's army at'Chick- 
 amauga; and that it accomplished the reverse which 
 occurred to our arms on that field. Besides, Grant's 
 mind seemed always more concerned about preventing 
 disasters to the armies of his distant commanders than 
 to the troops under his own personal direction. He 
 was invariably generous to others, and his self-reliance 
 was so great that he always felt that he could take ample 
 care of himself. 
 
 General Rawlins had now returned, and it was very 
 gratifying to see that while his health was not restored, 
 it was greatly improved. He stiU, however, was troubled 
 with a cough. The day he arrived General Grant saw 
 that he was still far from well, and said with much dis- 
 tress, when Eawlins was out of earshot, " I do not like 
 that cough." When Eawlins learned the plan proposed 
 in regard to Sherman's future movements, he was seri- 
 ously opposed to it, and presented every possible argu- 
 ment against it. Rawlins always talked with great force. 
 He had a natural taste for public speaking, and when 
 he became particularly earnest in the discussion of a 
 question, his speech often took the form of an oration ; 
 and as he grew more excited, and his enthusiasm in- 
 creased, he would hold forth in stentorian tones, and 
 emphasize his remarks with vehement gesticulation and 
 no end of expletives. As I had been sent to confer with 
 Sherman, and had studied the subject in all its bearings, 
 and felt absolute faith in the success of the movement, 
 I became the chief spokesman in its favor ; and many 
 evenings were occupied in discussing the pros and cons 
 of the contemplated movement. The staff had in fact 
 
DISCUSSING THE MABOH TO THE SEA 315 
 
 resolved itself into an animated debating society. The 
 general-in-ehief would sit quietly by, listening to the ar- 
 guments, and sometimes showed himself greatly amused 
 by the vehemence of the debaters. One night the dis- 
 cussion waxed particularly warm, and was kept up for 
 some time after the general had gone to bed. About 
 one o'clock he poked his head out of his tent, and inter- 
 rupted Rawlins in the midst of an eloquent passage by 
 crying ou,t : " Oh, do go to bed, all of you ! You 're 
 keeping the whole camp awake." 
 
 Eawhns had convinced himself that if Hood kept his 
 army in front of Sherman to bar his progress, Sherman, 
 having cut loose from his base, would not be able to 
 supply himseK, and his army would be destroyed ; and 
 that, on the other hand, if Hood turned north, Sherman's 
 army would be unavailable, and it would be difficult to 
 assemble sufficient force to prevent Hood from reaching 
 the Ohio River. Against this view it was argued that 
 if Hood decided to confront Sherman to prevent his pas- 
 sage across the country, Sherman would always have a 
 force large enough to whip him in a pitched battle, or 
 so threaten him as to compel him to keep his forces con- 
 centrated, while Sherman could throw detachments out 
 from his flanks and rear and obtaiai plenty of provisions 
 in a country which had never been ravaged by contend- 
 ing armies; or, if Hood started north, that Sherman 
 could detach a large force to send against him, which, 
 when reinforced by the troops that could be hurried from 
 Missouri and other points, would be amply able to take 
 care of Hood, while Sherman, with the bulk of his army, 
 could cut the Confederacy in two, sever all its lines of 
 communication, and destroy its principal arsenals and 
 factories. In fact, Sherman was so far away from his 
 base, with only a single-track railroad, liable constantly 
 to be broken by raiders, that it became a necessity for 
 
316 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 him either to fall back or to go ahead. Eawlins was 
 possessed of an earnest natiire, and was devoted to 
 General Grant's interests, and his urgency against this 
 movement was not a factious opposition, for he had really 
 convinced himself that nothing but an absolute calamity 
 would be the result. In this case General Grant, as 
 usual, paid but little attention to the opinions of others 
 upon a purely military question about the advisability 
 of which he really had no doubt in his own mind. 
 
 It was suggested, one evening, that he instruct Sher- 
 man to hold a council of war on the subject of the next 
 movement of his army. To this General Grant replied : 
 " No ; I will not direct any one to do what I would not 
 do myself under similar circumstances. I never held 
 what might be called formal councils of war, and I do 
 not believe in them. They create a divided responsi- 
 bility, and at times prevent that unity of action so neces- 
 sary in the field. Some officers will in all likelihood 
 oppose any plan that may be adopted ; and when it is 
 put into execution, such officers may, by their arguments 
 in opposition, have so far convinced themselves that the 
 movement will fail that they cannot enter upon it with 
 enthusiasm, and might possibly be influenced in their 
 actions by the feeling that a victory would be a reflection 
 upon their judgment. I believe it is better for a com- 
 mander charged with the responsibility of all the opera- 
 tions of his army to consult his generals freely but 
 informally, get their views and opinions, and then make 
 up his mind what action to take, and act accordingly. 
 There is too much truth in the old adage, ' Councils of 
 war do not fight.' " 
 
 On October 6 General Grant went to "Washington to 
 consult with the authorities in regard to the raising of 
 additional troops, and to learn upon what number of 
 reinforcements he could rely before deciding definitely 
 
HOW THE MAKGH TO THE SEA WAS CONCEIVED 317 
 
 upon the course to be pursued in tlie "West. Hood had 
 now turned north, and was operating against Sherman's 
 railroad in his rear. Sherman had left the Twentieth 
 Corps in Atlanta to hold that place, and had marched 
 with the rest of his army as far north as Marietta. On 
 October 10 Sherman telegraphed Grrant : " Hood is now 
 crossing the Coosa, twelve miles below Rome, bound 
 west. If he passes over to the Mobile and Ohio road, 
 had I not better execute the plan of my letter sent by 
 Colonel Porter, and leave General Thomas with the 
 troops now in Tennessee to defend the State?", The 
 situation was such, however, that General Grant disliked 
 to see a veteran army like Sherman's marching away 
 from Hood without first crippling him ; and he replied 
 to Sherman the next day (the 11th), saying, among other 
 things : "... If you were to cut loose, I do not be- 
 lieve you would meet Hood's army, but would be bush- 
 whacked by aU the old men, little boys, and such railroad 
 guards as are still left at home. Hood would probably 
 strike for Nashville, thinking by going north he could 
 inflict greater damage upon us than we could upon the 
 rebels by going south. If there is any way of getting 
 at Hood's army, I would prefer that, but I must trust to 
 your own judgment. ..." 
 
 It will be seen from the above despatch that Grant's 
 military foresight had enabled him to predict at this 
 time precisely what afterward took place as to Sher- 
 man's army not meeting Hood's. At the same hour at 
 which Grant wrote this despatch at City Point, Sherman 
 had sent a telegram to him, saying that he would prefer 
 to start on his march to the sea, and that he believed 
 Hood would be forced to follow him. A little before 
 midnight on the 11th, Grant sent Sherman the following 
 reply : " Tour despatch of to-day received. If you are 
 satisfied the trip to the sea-coast can be made, holding 
 
318 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 the line of the Tennessee firmly, you may make it, de- 
 stroying all the railroads south of Dalton or Chatta- 
 nooga, as you think best." 
 
 Greneral Sherman informed me long after the war that 
 he did not receive this reply, which was accounted for, 
 no doubt, by the fact that his telegraph-wires were cut 
 at that time. He was ignorant of the existence of this 
 despatch when he wrote in his " Memoirs," in 1875, that 
 November 2 was " the first time that Greneral Grant or- 
 dered the march to the sea." 
 
 Greneral Grant was now actively engaged in making 
 additional preparations for Sherman's reception on the 
 sea-coast. He directed that vessels should be loaded 
 with abundant supplies, and sail as soon as it became 
 known that Sherman had started across Georgia, and 
 rendezvous at Ossabaw Sound, a short distance below 
 the mouth of the Savannah Eiver. 
 
 On October 29, finding that the movement of the troops 
 ordered from Missouri to Tennessee was exceedingly 
 slow, the general directed Rawlins to go in person to 
 St, Louis, and confer with Eosecrans, the department 
 commander, and see that aU haste was made. The Sec- 
 retary of War now sent a telegram to General Grant, 
 wishing him to reconsider his order authorizing the 
 march to the sea. In fact, the President and the Secre- 
 tary had never been favorably impressed with Sherman's 
 contemplated movement, and as early as October 2 Hal- 
 leck had written to General Grant advocating a different 
 plan. Grant felt that as there was so much hesitation 
 in "Washington, heoughtonce more to impress upon Sher- 
 man the importance of dealing a crushing blow to Hood's 
 army, if practicable, before starting on his march east- 
 ward, and telegraphed him accordingly. To this Sherman 
 replied that if he pursued Hood he would have to give up 
 Atlanta, and that he preferred to strike out for the sea. 
 
HOW THE MABCH TO THE SEA WAS EXECUTED 319 
 
 At 11 : 30 A. M., November 2, before G-rant had received 
 tbe above reply from Sherman, he sent another message 
 to that officer, closing with the words : " I really do not 
 see that you can withdraw from where yon are to follow 
 Hood without giving up all we have gained in territory. 
 I say, then, go as you propose." 
 
 Several additional despatches were interchanged, and 
 at 10 : 30 p. M., November 7, Grant telegraphed Sherman : 
 " I see no present reason for changing your plan ; should 
 any arise, you will see it ; or if I do, will inform you. I 
 think everything here favorable now. Great good for- 
 tune attend you. I believe you will be eminentlj^ suc- 
 cessful, and at worst can only make a march less fruitful 
 of results than is hoped for." The telegraph-wires were 
 soon after cut, and no more despatches could be sent. 
 It was not until the 15th that Sherman was entirely 
 ready to move. On the morning of that day Atlanta 
 was abandoned, and the famous march to the sea was 
 begun. 
 
 Extracts from the correspondence between the general- 
 in-chief and the distinguished commander of the armies 
 of the "West, and the views expressed by them regarding 
 the conception and execution of this memorable move- 
 ment, are given in some detail in order to correct many 
 erroneous impressions upon the subject. Over-zealous 
 partizans of General Grant have claimed that he origi- 
 nated and controlled the entire movement ; while enthu- 
 siastic admirers of Sherman have insisted that Grant 
 was surprised at the novelty of the suggestion, and was 
 at first opposed to the march, and that Sherman had to 
 exert all his force of character to induce Grant to con- 
 sent to the campaign. The truth is that the two generals 
 were in perfect accord in this, as in aU other movements 
 undertaken while Grant was in supreme command of the 
 armies. These two distinguished officers acted in entire 
 
320 CAMPAIGNlNGt WITH GEANT 
 
 harmony, and the movement reflects lasting credit upon 
 both. Long before Sherman's army started upon his 
 Atlanta campaign it was clear to Grant, and others with 
 whom he discussed the matter, that after that army 
 reached a point in the interior of the South too far from 
 its base to maintain a line of supplies, communication 
 woiQd have to be opened up with the sea-coast, and a 
 new base established there. Sherman, however, is en- 
 titled to the exclusive credit of the plan of cutting loose 
 entirely from his som'ce of supplies, moving a long dis- 
 tance through the enemy's country without a base, and 
 having in view several objective points upon which to 
 direct his army, his selection to depend upon the con- 
 tingencies of the campaign. It was the same sort of 
 campaigning as that which Grant had undertaken when 
 operating in the rear of Vicksburg. General Grant said 
 more than once: "I want it to be recorded in history 
 that Sherman is entitled to the entire credit of the de- 
 tailed plan of cutting loose from his base at Atlanta and 
 marching to Savannah. As to the brilliancy of the exe- 
 cution of the plan on Sherman's part there can never 
 be any dispute. The plan was entirely in accord with 
 my views as to the general cooperation of our widely 
 separated armies." He approved the suggestions at the 
 start, in spite of the doubts expressed by army officers 
 about him and by some of the authorities at Washing- 
 ton ; he encouraged and aided Sherman in all the work 
 of preparation ; and when the time for final action came 
 he promptly gave his consent to the undertaking. About 
 the only point upon which their military judgments dif- 
 fered was as to the action of Hood, Grant being firmly 
 convinced that he would turn north, while Sherman 
 thought their armies might encounter each other. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 GRANT SUGGESTS A PLAN FOR VOTING IN THE FIELD — 
 GRANT VISITS NEW YORK — A PHILADELPHIA OVATION 
 TO GRANT — GRANT AND LINCOLN IN CONFERENCE — 
 grant's winter quarters AT CITY POINT — GENERAL 
 INGALLS'S SPOTTED DOG — GRANT'S INTERCOURSE WITH 
 HIS ASSOCIATES— CORRESPONDENCE WITH GENERAL 
 THOMAS 
 
 THE Presidential election was now approaching, and 
 provisions were being carried out for receiving the 
 ballots of the soldiers who came from those States which 
 had passed laws authorizing their soldiers in the field to 
 cast their votes. General Grant had been consulted in 
 regard to the propriety and practicability of permitting 
 the soldiers to vote, and he had written a letter which 
 contains such broad principles of statesmanship, and ex- 
 hibits so much foresight as to the cheeks and restraints 
 with which the matter should be guarded, and produced 
 so profound an impression at the time, that it is given 
 in full: 
 
 City Point, Va., September 27, 1864. 
 The Hon. E. M. Stanton, 
 
 Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. 
 The exercise of the right of suffrage by the officers and sol- 
 diers of armies in the field is a novel thing. It has, I believe, 
 generally been considered dangerous to constitutional liberty 
 and subversive of military discipline. But our circumstances 
 ' 21 321 
 
322 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 are novel and exceptional. A very large proportion of the 
 legal voters of the United States are now either under arms in 
 the field, or in hospitals, or otherwise engaged in the military 
 service of the United States. Most of these men are not regu- 
 lar soldiers in the strict sense of that term ; still less are they 
 mercenaries who give their services to the government simply 
 for its pay, having little understanding of political questions, 
 or feeling little or no interest in them. On the contrary, they 
 are American citizens, having still their homes and social and 
 political ties binding them to the States and districts from which 
 they come and to which they expect to return. They have left 
 their homes temporarily, to sustain the cause of their country 
 in the hour of its trial. In performing this sacred duty, they 
 should not be deprived of a most precious privilege. They have 
 as much right to demand that their votes shall be counted in 
 the choice of their rulers as those citizens who remain at home 
 — nay, more ; for they have sacrificed more for their country. 
 
 I state these reasons in full, for the unusual thing of allow- 
 ing armies in the field to vote, that I may urge, on the other 
 hand, that nothing more than the fullest exercise of this right 
 should be allowed ; for anything not absolutely necessary to 
 this exercise cannot but be dangerous to the liberties of the 
 country. 
 
 The officers and soldiers have every means of understanding 
 the questions before the country. The newspapers are freely 
 circulated, and so, I believe, are the documents prepared by 
 both parties to set forth the merits and claims of their candi- 
 dates. 
 
 Beyond this, nothing whatever should be allowed— no politi- 
 cal meetings, no harangues from soldiers or citizens, and no 
 canvassing of camps or regiments for votes. 
 
 I see not why a single individual not belonging to the armies 
 should be admitted into their lines to deliver tickets. In my 
 opinion, the tickets should be furnished by the chief provost- 
 marshal of each army, by them to the provost-marshal (or some 
 other appointed officer) of each brigade or regiment, who shall, 
 on the day of election, deliver tickets, irrespective of party, to 
 whoever may call for them. If, however, it shall be deemed ex- 
 
A PLAN FOK VOTING IN THE FIELD 323 
 
 pedient to admit citizens to deliver tickets, then it should be 
 most positively prohibited that such citizens should electioneer, 
 harangue, or canvass the regiments in any way. Their business 
 should be, and only be, to distribute on a certain fixed day 
 tickets to whoever may call for them. 
 
 In the cases of those States whose soldiers vote by proxy, 
 proper State authority could be given to officers belonging to 
 regiments so voting to receive and forward votes. 
 
 As it is intended that all soldiers entitled to vote shall exer- 
 cise that privilege according to their own convictions of right, 
 unmolested and unrestricted, there will be no objection to each 
 party sending to armies easy of access a number of respectable 
 gentlemen to see that these views are fully carried out. To the 
 army at Atlanta, and those armies on the sea-coast from New 
 Berne to New Orleans, not to exceed three citizens of each party 
 
 should be admitted. 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 
 Lieutenant -general. 
 
 Fourteen of the loyal States authorized, their troops in. 
 the field to vote. General G-rant felt that he was simply 
 a soldier, and he took no active part in the political 
 campaign, although he never failed to let it be known 
 that he ardently desired the triumph of the party which 
 was in favor of vigorously prosecuting the war to a suc- 
 cessful termination. He had been exceedingly annoyed 
 by the fact that the Missouri State Convention had in- 
 structed its delegates to the National Convention which 
 nominated. Lincoln to " cast their twenty-two votes for 
 Ulysses S. Grant," and exerted what influence he could 
 not to have his name mentioned in any way in the con- 
 vention ; but as the delegates had received instructions, 
 they felt that they could not disobey them. The Hon. 
 John F. Hume, chairman of the Missouri delegation, 
 therefore cast the votes of his State for General Grant ; 
 but before the result of the ballot was announced he 
 changed them to Mr, Lincoln. General Grant did not 
 
324 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 have an opportunity to vote at tlie election, as his State 
 (Illiiiois) had made no provision for allowing her soldiers 
 at the front to cast their ballots. 
 
 On the 8th of November the Presidential election took 
 place. The voting passed off very quietly in the camps. 
 Every soldier was allowed absolute freedom in the choice 
 of candidates, and perhaps no election had ever been 
 conducted with greater fairness. The soldiers' vote in 
 favor of Lincoln over McOlellan was in the proportion 
 of more than three to one. General Grant stroUed 
 through some of the neighboring camps while the vot- 
 ing was going on, and watched with interest how quietly 
 and effectively the system for depositing the ballots 
 worked. On the 10th of November enough was known 
 at headquarters to make it plain that Lincoln was elected. 
 That night Grant telegraphed to Halleck : " . . . Con- 
 gratulate the President for me for the double victory. 
 The election having passed off quietly, no bloodshed or 
 riot throughout the land, is a victory worth more to the 
 country than a battle won. ..." 
 
 General Grant had a marked aversion to interfering 
 in any matters which pertained to the civU administra- 
 tion of the government. He had contented himself with 
 sending to poiats in the North such troops as were really 
 necessary as precautionary steps, and had left it entirely 
 to the War Department to carry out measures for ar- 
 resting and punishing the Confederate emissaries in the 
 loyal States, and breaking up the bands of conspirators 
 who were plotting against the government. 
 
 Considering the positions of the armies of Sherman 
 and Thomas, General Grant was still anxious that Lee 
 should send no troops to the West ; and he determined 
 to watch him closely, but not to make any move which 
 might have the effect of iaducing him to evacuate Eich- 
 mond and Petersburg. 
 
GBANT VISITS NEW TOEK 325 
 
 As the apprehension throughout the North had been 
 allayed, and as there were no operations in contemplation 
 in Virginia, General Grrant started on the 17th of Novem- 
 ber, and made a short trip to Burlington, New Jersey, to 
 see his children, who had been placed at school there, 
 and his wife, who was with them. There went with the 
 party an expert telegraph operator, familiar with the 
 cipher used in official despatches, who was used in keep- 
 ing up telegraphic communication with the front. On 
 November 19 news was received at headquarters, through 
 Confederate sources, that Lee had recalled Early's com- 
 mand from the valley of Virginia. This was instantly 
 communicated to the general-in-ehief. He telegraphed 
 at once to Sheridan, mentioning this news, and saying 
 that if he was satisfied that it was so, to send Wright's 
 corps to City Point without delay, and move with his 
 cavalry to cut the Virginia Central Railroad. There was 
 destined to be no respite for the general-in-chief . Even 
 while snatching a couple of days' rest in the quiet of his 
 little family, he was stiU called on to direct important 
 movements in the field. 
 
 Finding that there was no immediate need of his pres- 
 ence at the front, he decided to run over to New York 
 for a couple of days. He had promised Mrs. Grrant to 
 go there on a shopping expedition, and he also felt some 
 curiosity to take a look at the city, as he had not seen 
 it since he was graduated from the Military Academy, 
 twenty-one years before. He went with Mrs. Grrant to 
 the Astor House, quietly and unannounced, being par- 
 ticularly desirous of avoiding any public demonstrations. 
 He did not realize, however, the sensation which his ar- 
 rival in the metropolis would create. The news spread 
 rapidly throughout the city, and the greatest eagerness 
 was manifested on the part of the people to get a sight 
 of the famous commander. The foremost citizens pre- 
 
326 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 sented themselves at tlie hotel to pay their respects to 
 him, and enthusiastic crowds filled the streets and stood 
 for hours gazing at the windows of his rooms, in the 
 hope of catching a glimpse of him. Entertainments of 
 every kind were tendered him, and invitations poured 
 in from every quarter. He received many prominent 
 citizens in his rooms, and had a great many interesting 
 talks with them ; but the invitations to entertainments 
 were declined, and all public demonstrations avoided as 
 much as possible. The next morning after his arrival 
 the general strolled out into the streets with a former 
 staff-officer then living in New York, and being in plain 
 citizen's clothes, was for some time unobserved ; but fi- 
 nally his features, which had been made known by means 
 of the portraits everywhere displayed, were recognized, 
 and finding a crowd surrounding him, he stepped into a 
 street-car. The gentleman with him, finding no vacant 
 seat, asked the conductor to have the people sit closer 
 together and make room for General Grrant. The con- 
 ductor put on a broad grin, and quietly winked one eye, 
 as much as to say, "You can't fool me with such a 
 cock-and-bull story as that " ; and the general quietly 
 took hold of a strap, and rode throughout the trip stand- 
 ing with a number of others who had crowded into the 
 car. 
 
 After remaining two days in the city, seeing what 
 little he could in that time of the vast improvements 
 which had taken place since he was last there, he started 
 for Washington, but on the way decided to remain over 
 a day in Philadelphia. After he had spent a little while 
 at the Continental Hotel, he attempted to take a walk 
 down Chestnut street; but his features had become as 
 familiar to the people of the Quaker City as to the New- 
 Yorkers, and he was promptly recognized, and his name 
 was passed from mouth to mouth in the street. Soon 
 
A PHILADELPHIA OVATION TO GBANT 327 
 
 the people rushed out in crowds from the stores on both 
 sides of the way, and curiosity was on tiptoe to see him. 
 First those near by took off their hats to him ; then they 
 crowded up to shake hands ; then applause was started 
 along the sidewalks, and soon cheer after cheer arose. 
 He was now near Independence Hall, and the crowd, in 
 its good nature and enthusiasm, pressed upon him so 
 vigorously that he was compelled to take refuge in the 
 building. His presence was then announced to the 
 mayor, who set to work hurriedly to improvise a recep- 
 tion. The news of the commander's presence had spread 
 in the mean time like wild-fire, and a dense mass of 
 people had crowded into the hall. In their eagerness to 
 shake hands with him, they soon lost aU restraint, and 
 many were in danger of being injured in the crush. His 
 friends now induced him to consent to an act which his 
 enemies had never succeeded in compelling him to per- 
 form — to beat a retreat. He was conducted from the 
 haU by a'private exit, placed in a carriage, and the coach- 
 man was directed to drive rapidly back to the hotel. In 
 this flank movement, however, the general did not meet 
 with the success which had crowned his efforts in the 
 field. The admiring crowd of people soon discovered 
 his change of base, and those in front, being pressed on 
 by those in rear, surged up against the carriage, check- 
 ing its movement, breaking some of the windows, and 
 nearly toppling it over. Never had there been a greater 
 necessity for the prayer, " Save me from my friends ! " 
 Finally, however, the hotel was safely reached. The 
 general treated the matter throughout with his accus- 
 tomed good nature and his usual calmness. In the entire 
 mass of people he was perhaps the only one unexcited 
 and unruffled. The only feeling he exhibited was one of 
 intense surprise that he should attract so much attention. 
 He then proceeded to Washington, and on November 
 
328 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 23 called upon the President and the Secretary of War, 
 and had extended interviews with them. One object in 
 his going to Washington was to make a determined effort 
 to obtain promotion for his officers who had made them- 
 selves conspicuous for their gallantry aiid efficiency in 
 the field. In order to create the necessary vacancies, 
 he recommended that the inefficient general officers be 
 mustered out of service, and gave a list of eight major- 
 generals and thirty-three brigadiers whose services the 
 government could dispense with to advantage. In the 
 matter of relieving these useless officers the general was 
 entirely impartial, as the list contained a number of his 
 warm personal friends. The President said to him: 
 " Why, I find that lots of the officers on this list are very 
 close friends of yours ; do you want them all dropped? " 
 The general replied: " That 's very true, Mr. President; 
 but my personal friends are not always good generals, 
 and I think it but. just to adhere to my recommendation." 
 The Secretary of War had impaired his health by his 
 incessant labors, and by his positive and sometimes ar- 
 bitrary conduct had created an opposition to himseK in 
 many quarters, and there were rumors at this time that 
 he might retire from his position. This subject was 
 brought up by the President in his conversation with 
 the general-in-chief, and he was considerate enough to 
 say that in case such a change should occur, he would 
 not appoint another secretary without giving the general 
 an opportunity to express his views as to the selection. 
 Greneral Grant took occasion to say to Mr. Lincoln at 
 this interview : " I doubt very much whether you could 
 select as efficient a Secretary of War as the present in- 
 cumbent. He is not only a man of untiring energy and 
 devotion to duty, but even his worst enemies never for 
 a moment doubt his personal integrity and the purity 
 of his motives ; and it tends largely to reconcile the peo- 
 
COPYRIQHT, 1891, BY M. P. RICE. 
 
 .y^^ 
 
 ivC^^'^' 
 
 FKOM AN ORIGINAL, UNKEIOUCHED NEGATIVE, MADE IN 1864, AT THE TIME THE PRESI- 
 DENT COMMISSIONED ULYSSES Si GRANT LIEUTENANT-GENERAL AND COMMANDER OP 
 ALL THE ARMIES OS THE REPUBLIC. IT IS STATED THAT THIS NEGATIVE', "WITH 
 ONE OP GENERAL IT. S. GRANT," WAS MADE IN COMMEMORATION OF THAT EVENT. 
 
GEANT AND LINCOLN IN CONFEBENCE 329 
 
 pie to the heavy taxes they are paying when they feel 
 an absolute certainty that the chief of the department 
 which is giving out contracts for countless millions of 
 dollars is a person of scrupulous honesty." The general 
 now returned to City Point, f eehng much gratified with 
 his visit to Washington, and well satisfied with what he 
 had accomplished while there. 
 
 Greneral Hancock was suffering so intensely from his 
 wounds that he was given a leave of absence for twenty 
 days, it being hoped that at the end of that time he 
 might be better ; but he was unable to return, and Gren- 
 eral A. A. Humphreys thereafter commanded the Second 
 Corps. His assignment was dated November 25. He 
 was a most accomplished officer, and by his talents and 
 his personal gallantry had already won great distinction. 
 His appointment was recognized as eminently fitting, 
 and met with favor throughout the entire army. 
 
 The camp at City Point had now given place to winter 
 quarters ; for in view of the character of the campaigns 
 that were to be conducted by our armies in the West 
 and South, it was decided to make no immediate attempt 
 to dislodge Lee's army from Petersburg and Eichmond, 
 and preparations were made by the general-in-chief to 
 pass the winter months at City Point. The tents, which 
 were much worn, had become very uncomfortable as the 
 cold weather set in; and they were removed, and log 
 huts were erected in their stead. Each hut contained 
 space enough for bunks for two officers, and had a small 
 door in front, a window on each side, and an open fire- 
 place at the rear end. Greneral Grrant's hut was as plain 
 as the others, and was constructed with a sitting-room 
 in front, and a small apartment used as a bedroom in 
 rear, with a communicating door between them. An 
 iron camp-bed, an iron wash-stand, a couple of pine 
 tables, and a few common wooden chairs constituted 
 
330 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 the furniture. The floor was entirely bare. There were 
 many comments in the newspapers about this time upon 
 the preparations for winters quarters. One comic paper 
 had a picture of the general's hut, with smoke curling 
 out of the chimney, and under it the words : " Grrant 
 fought it out on this hne, though it took him aU summer, 
 and has now sent for his stove." Papers inimical to the 
 cause gave the establishment of winter quarters as a 
 proof that the oldest inhabitant would not be likely to 
 live long enough to see Grant enter Eichmond. Some 
 of the jocose remarks referring to this subject displayed 
 no little wit, and many of them were a source of consid- 
 erable amusement to the general and those about him. 
 Q-eneral IngaUs had just returned from a trip to Wash- 
 ington, and brought with him an English spotted coach- 
 dog, which followed him everywhere through camp, and 
 attracted no end of attention. A dog of any kind was 
 rather an unusual sight in an army in the field, and an 
 animal of the peculiar marks and aristocratic bearing of 
 Ingalls's companion excited wide-spread remark. Every 
 time the dog came to headquarters, General Grant was 
 certain to comment upon the animal, and perpetrate 
 some good-natured joke at the expense of his classmate. 
 The dog followed the usual canine custom, and expressed 
 his feelings by an agitation of his caudal appendage. To 
 describe his actions astronomically, it may be said that 
 he indicated anger by imparting to his tail a series of 
 longitudinal vibrations, and pleasure by giving it a 
 gentle " motion in azimuth " — familiarly known as a 
 wag. One evening, as the general was sitting in front 
 of his quarters, Ingalls came up to have a chat with him, 
 and was followed by the dog, which sat down in the 
 usual place at its master's feet. The animal squatted 
 upon its hind quarters, licked its chops, pricked up its 
 ears, and looked first at one officer and then at the other, 
 
grant's intercourse with his assooutes 331 
 
 as if to say : " I am General Ingalls's dog ; whose pup 
 are you ? " In the course of his remarks General Grant 
 took a look at the animal, and said : " Well, Ingalls, what 
 are your real intentions in regard to that dog? Do you 
 expect to take it into Richmond with you ? " Ingalls, 
 who was noted for his dry humor, replied with mock 
 seriousness and an air of extreme patience : " I hope to ; 
 it is said to come from a long-lived breed." This retort, 
 coupled with the comical attitude of the dog at the time, 
 turned the laugh upon the general, who joined heartily 
 in the merriment, and seemed to enjoy the joke a§ much 
 as any of the party, 
 
 "While the general's manners were simple and uncon- 
 strained, and his conversation with his staff was of the 
 most sociable nature, yet he always maintained a dignity 
 of demeanor which set bounds to any undue familiarity 
 on the part of those who held intercourse with him. 
 However close they were to him in their relations, there 
 was never any obtrusive intimacy. He always addressed 
 his chief of staff as "Rawlins," General Sherman as 
 " Sherman," and usually called his cavalry leader " Sher- 
 idan " ; but in addressing Meade and nearly aU the other 
 commanders he invariably employed the title " general." 
 Sherman always called the general-in-chief " Grant " in 
 public and private conversation. Ingalls and other 
 classmates used this term in talking with him alone, 
 but when others were present they gave him his mili- 
 tary title. AU other officers in the service addressed 
 him invariably as " general." In conversation with his 
 personal aides, who had served intimately with him, he 
 woujd call them sometimes by their last names, and at 
 other times by their military titles. He was scrupu- 
 lously careful under all circumstances not to neglect the 
 little courtesies which are the stamp of genuine pohte- 
 ness. When a general officer came to his headquarters, 
 
332 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 the general-in-chief always rose to receive him, shook 
 hands, and invited him to sit down. If smoking at the 
 time, he offered the visitor a cigar, and if it was near the 
 hour for a meal, invited him to be a guest at the mess. 
 He never made any remarks in criticism of a person who 
 had called on him after the visitor had left, and by his 
 manner always showed an objection to hearing others 
 talk about people behind their backs. He never had the 
 slightest fondness for gossip of any kind. Whenever 
 any one attempted to whisper to him in the presence 
 of others, while he did not openly rebuke the offender, 
 he always managed in some way to make it evident that 
 the practice was distasteful to him. Usually when any 
 one came close to him and started to communicate with 
 him in a whisper before company, he drew slightly back, 
 and at once began to reply iu a loud tone of voice, which 
 was a sufficient indication that he regarded the whisper- 
 ing as an impoliteness. If there was really any reason 
 for a confidential interview, he would proceed to his back 
 room and hold it there. His conduct was particularly 
 courteous in the presence of ladies, and he never neg- 
 lected those little attentions to their sex which consti- 
 tute true politeness. If he were reclining on a bench or 
 sitting in a lounging attitude in a chair after a fatiguing 
 day, when any lady approached, whether a visitor or a 
 person of his own household, he would at once assume 
 a more deferential position, and show her every possible 
 courtesy. 
 
 The general's mind was much absorbed at this time 
 in the movements of Sherman and Thomas. Sherman 
 was marching rapidly into the interior of Greorgia, cut 
 off from all communication. The general, in speaking 
 of the movement one evening, said : " Sherman's army 
 is now somewhat in the condition of a ground-mole 
 when he disappears under a lawn. You can here and 
 
CORRESPONDENCE WITH GENEEAL THOMAS 333 
 
 there trace Hs track, but you are not quite certain 
 where he will come out till you see his head." Hood 
 had abandoned Georgia to Sherman, and was moving 
 north with his whole force against Thomas. His army 
 now consisted of about 45,000 men. Schofield, who, 
 under Thomas's orders, was in advance watching Hood's 
 movements and endeavoring to delay him, had less than 
 25,000 troops. On November 30 Hood closed up on 
 Schofield and attacked him. This brought on the des- 
 perate battle of Franklin, and the fighting continued 
 until long after nightfall. The enemy was handsomely 
 repulsed, with a loss of over 6000 men, while Schofield 
 lost only 2326. This day was made still more eventful 
 by reason of Sherman's capturing Millen, Georgia, at 
 the same time that Schofield was achieving his signal 
 victory in Tennessee. The night of the battle of Frank- 
 lin, Thomas was reinforced at Nashville by two divisions 
 from Missouri, and the next day by two divisions of his 
 own troops that he had brought in from the front. The 
 day after the battle of Franklin (December 1), General 
 Thomas reported that he had retired to the fortifications 
 around NashvUIe until he could get his cavalry equipped, 
 which was then outnumbered by that of the enemy four 
 to one, adding that if Hood attacked that position he 
 would be seriously damaged, and if he made no attack 
 until our cavalry could be equipped, he or Schofield 
 would move against him at once. General Grant 
 telegraphed Thomas on December 2 : "If Hood is per- 
 mitted to remain quietly about Nashville, you will 
 lose aU the road back to Chattanooga, and possibly 
 have „to abandon the line of the Tennessee. Should 
 he attack you, it is all well; but if he does not, you 
 should attack him before he fortifies. Arm and put 
 in the trenches your quartermaster's employees, citi- 
 zens, etc." Nashville was a large military depot where 
 
334 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 there were nearly 10,000 employees, mainly quarter- 
 master's men. 
 
 The same day the Secretary of "War telegraphed 
 Grrant: "The President feels solicitous about the dis- 
 position of General Thomas to lay in fortifications for 
 an indefinite period 'until Wilson gets equipments.' 
 This looks like the McCleUan and Eosecrans strategy 
 of do nothing and let the rebels raid the country. The 
 President wishes you to consider the matter." • That 
 afternoon the general sent a second despatch to Greneral 
 Thomas, urging him to dispose of Hood as speedily as 
 possible, and if he got him to retreating to give him no 
 peace. General Thomas replied at some length, stating 
 his weak condition, and recalling the fact that his com- 
 mand was made up of Sherman's two weakest corps and 
 all his dismounted cavalry except one brigade ; and he 
 also called his attention to the delays made necessary 
 by the task of reorganization and equipment. He said 
 that his cavalry was still outnumbered four to one, but 
 that he had just received reinforcements of infantry, 
 and now had infantry enough, though not sufficient 
 cavalry, to assume the offensive, but that he expected 
 more cavalry, and in a few days more should be able to 
 give Hood another fight. General Grant's instructions 
 had been put in the form of suggestions thus far, as he 
 was reluctant to give positive orders. He entertained 
 a high regard for General Thomas personally, and the 
 greatest respect for his military capacity. Thomas was 
 a conspicuous representative of the loyal Virginians. 
 At the breaking out of the war he had shown great 
 strength of character and determination of purpose in 
 deciding to remain loyal to the country which had edu- 
 cated him as a soldier, and to defend the flag which he 
 had sworn to uphold. No one had displayed greater de- 
 votion to the cause, and few officers in the service stood 
 higher in the affection of their associates or in the con- 
 
COBRESPONDENCE WITH GENERAL THOMAS 335 
 
 fidenee of their superior officers. General Thomas, being 
 in command of only a single army, looked naturally to 
 the means of securing the largest measure of silccess in 
 his immediate front, and it was not likely that he would 
 regard time as of so much importance as the general- 
 in-chief of all the armies. With Grant, the movements 
 of Thomas's army were a part of a series of cooperative 
 campaigns, and unnecessary delays in the movements of 
 any one army might seriously affect contemplated oper- 
 ations on the part of the others. Oanby was expected 
 to send a force into the interior, but he could no^ do so 
 until Thomas had assumed the offensive against Hood ; 
 and he was compelled to postpone his expedition, and to 
 hold Vicksburg and Memphis, and patrol the Mississippi 
 to try to prevent troops from crossing from the Trans- 
 Mississippi Department to relieve Hood". On December 
 3 General Thomas described the situation further, and 
 closed by saying that he would feel able to march against 
 Hood in less than a week. The seat of war in the West 
 had been transferred from Atlanta as far north as Nash- 
 ville, and General Grant now became apprehensive that 
 Hood would cross the Cumberland Eiver, move into 
 Kentucky, and cut Thomas's railroad communications, 
 and that the theater of operations in that region might 
 be transferred even to the Ohio Eiver, the disastrous 
 moral effect of which would be beyond calculation. Gen- 
 eral Thomas telegraphed, December 6, that he thought 
 he ought to have 6000 cavalry mounted before attacking 
 Hood, and hoped to have such a mounted force in three 
 days. General Grant's anxiety was increased by the fact 
 that he realized that the inclement season was at hand, and 
 feared that the winter storms might appear at any time 
 and prove unfavorable for attack. Thomas had concen- 
 trated the forces in his department, troops had been hur- 
 ried forward from Missouri, and the cavalry was being re- 
 mounted by General James H. Wilson with great energy. 
 
CHAPTEE XXII 
 
 PLANNING THE FIKST FORT FISHER EXPEDITION — GRANT'S 
 AVERSION TO LIARS — REMINISCENCES OP GRANT'S CA- 
 DET LIFE — GRANT ORDERS THOMAS TO MOVE AGAINST 
 HOOD — THOMAS CRUSHES HOOD 
 
 DECISIONS of the utmost importance had to be 
 made at this time in regard to movements on foot 
 in other directions. The enemy was found to be mak- 
 ing desperate efforts to collect troops to stay the pro- 
 gress of Sherman, whose march was creating the greatest 
 consternation in the State of Georgia. News received 
 from prisoners and spies, as well as from Southern news- 
 papers, all confirmed the rumor that Sherman was de- 
 stroying large quantities of supplies essential to the 
 enemy, and striking terror at aU points on his line of 
 march. The governors of five Southern States were 
 sending theu' reserves to confront Sherman, and the 
 garrison of Fort Fisher, near Wilmington, North Caro- 
 lina, was largely reduced for the same purpose. The 
 latter news now made the general-in-chief anxious to 
 start the expedition which he had in contemplation 
 against Wilmington. This port had become the prin- 
 cipal resort for vessels running the blockade, and was 
 of incalculable importance to the enemy on account of 
 the supplies received from foreign countries. A large 
 fleet of naval vessels had been put under the command 
 of Admiral Porter, and a force of 6500 men of Butler's 
 
 336 
 
PLANHlKGt THE MRST FOKT PiSHEE EXPEDITION 337 
 
 army was held in readiness to be placed upon transports 
 and sent to the mouth of the Cape Fear River, under 
 the command of General Weitzel, to cooperate with the 
 fleet in capturing Fort Fisher, the formidable earthwork 
 which constittited the main defense of the mouth of the 
 Cape Fear River and the city of Wilmington. Greneral 
 Butler, who was always prolific in ideas, made an origi- 
 nal suggestion in regard to this expedition, which he 
 believed would accomplish immensely important results. 
 His proposition was to load a vessel with powder, tow 
 it up as near as possible to Fort Fisher, and explode it, 
 in the hope of shaking up the fort so seriously that its 
 parapet would be sufficiently injured greatly to weaken 
 its defense. Admiral Porter and other naval authorities 
 seemed to favor the project, and General Grant finally 
 agreed to let the experiment be tried, although his own 
 judgment was decidedly against it. He said, in speak- 
 ing of it : " Whether the report will be sufficient even to 
 wake up the garrison in the fort, if they happen to be 
 asleep at the time of the explosion, I do not know. It 
 is at least foolish to think that the effect of the explo- 
 sion could be transmitted to such a distance with enough 
 force to weaken the fort. However, they can use an old 
 boat which is not of much value, and we have plenty of 
 damaged powder which is unserviceable for any other 
 purpose, so that the experiment wiU not cost much, at 
 any rate." Mr. Lincoln, in assenting to it, said face- 
 tiously: "We might as weU explode the notion with 
 powder as with anything else." 
 
 On December 3 General Grant wrote Sherman a letter, 
 which he sent down the coast, to be delivered as soon as 
 tlge Western commander reached the sea in the vicinity 
 of Savannah, in which he said : " Bragg has gone from 
 Wilmington. I am trying to take advantage of his ab- 
 sence to get possession of that place. Owing to some 
 
 22 
 
338 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GRANT 
 
 preparations tliat Admiral Porter and .General Bntler 
 are making to blow up Fort Fisher, and which, while I 
 hope for the best, I do not believe a particle in, there is 
 a delay in getting the expedition off. ..." 
 
 As Thomas's army was now larger than Hood's, and 
 splendidly officered, Q-rant was much disturbed at the 
 delay in striking Hood; and his anxiety had become 
 so great that at 4 p. m. on December 6 he telegraphed 
 Thomas: "Attack Hood at once, and wait no longer 
 for a remount of your cavalry. There is great danger 
 of delay resulting in a campaign back to the Ohio 
 Biver." Thomas replied at 9 o'clock that night : ". . ,1 
 wiU make the necessary dispositions and attack Hood 
 at once, agreeably to your order, though I believe it 
 will be hazardous with the small force of cavalry now 
 at my service." News had been received that Hood 
 was moving a force toward Harpeth Shoals on the Cum- 
 berland. 
 
 That night Weitzel's troops embarked for the Fort 
 Fisher expedition. Butler came over to headquarters, 
 and announced his purpose of accompanying the expe- 
 dition. This was the first intimation the general had 
 that Butler was ambitious to go in person with the 
 troops, as it was not the intention that he should com- 
 mand. Grant had selected in Weitzel an officer whom 
 he regarded as peculiarly qualified for the management 
 of such a delicate undertaking. However, it would have 
 been, under the circumstances, a mortal affront to pre- 
 vent the commander of the troops and of the department 
 in which they were operating from accompanying them ; 
 and the alternative was presented to General Grant's 
 mind of either letting Butler go on the expedition or re- 
 lieving him from duty altogether, Butler placed great 
 reliance upon the explosion of the powder-boat, and had 
 counted upon being present at the attack; and finally 
 
gbant's aveesion to liaes 339 
 
 the general-iii-chief, rather than wound his feelings at 
 such a crisis, did not order him to remain behind. He 
 felt that Weitzel would have immediate command of the 
 attacking party. 
 
 Q-eneral Grant now wrote instructions to Sherman 
 directing him to move his army by sea to Eichmond, it 
 appearing to him, under all the circumstances at that 
 time, that it would be the means of dealing a death- 
 blow to the Confederacy, and prove the quickest method 
 of bringing the war to a close. 
 
 Late that night the general, Rawlins, Ingall§, and I, 
 with one or two others, were sitting by the camp-fire. 
 The general was seated on a rustic bench as usual, and 
 was wrapped in his blue overcoat. He loved the open 
 air, and nothing but a rain-storm could drive him into 
 his hut. Some camp rumors had just been received 
 which bore on their face the assurance that they were 
 manufactured out of whole cloth. The discussion which 
 ensued led the general to rela,te a story which was par- 
 ticularly well told. He said : " There was a man at the 
 same post with me who had such a propensity for lying 
 that his example taught every one a lesson as to the evil 
 and absurdity of the practice. He seemed to believe that 
 a lie told with particularity was more convincing than a 
 general truth ; but he frequently tripped himself up on 
 account of his bad memory, for in order to be a success- 
 ful liar a man ought to have a good memory. One day 
 there were some strangers invited to dinner, and the 
 champion was urged to try and keep as far within rea- 
 sonable bounds in his statements as possible, so as not 
 to mortify the company more than was necessary. This 
 he promised, and evidently in good faith ; for he asked 
 an officer to touch his foot under the table if he told any- 
 thing that might to unimaginative persons appear to 
 be an exaggeration. Before the soup was finished, how- 
 
340 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 ever, he began to indulge in Ms MnncliaTisenisms. A 
 person at the table mentioned the existing tendency to 
 build hotels larger and larger every year. The champion 
 joined in the conversation by saying : ' But it 's not a new- 
 thing, after all. As long ago as when I was a mere boy, 
 my father buUt a bigger hotel in our place than anybody 
 has ever attempted since.' 'About how big was it?' 
 asked one of the strangers. ' Why,' was the answer, 'it 
 was two hundred and ninety-six feet high, five hundred 
 and eighty feet long, and — ' here the officer kicked his 
 foot under the table, and he continued in a more sub- 
 dued tone of voice — 'and five feet and a half wide.".' 
 After the laughter which followed this story had ceased, 
 the general arose from his seat, threw away the stump 
 of his cigar, and said : " Well, I think I '11 turn in. Grood 
 night," and retired to his sleeping-apartment. After he 
 had gone, Rawlins remarked : " The general always likes 
 to tell an anecdote that points a moral on the subject of 
 lying. He hates only two kinds of people, liars and 
 cowards. He has no patience with them, and never fails 
 to show his aversion for them." Ingalls added : " Such 
 traits are so foreign to his own nature that it is not sur- 
 prising that he should not tolerate them in others. As 
 man and boy he has always been the most absolutely 
 truthful person in the whole range of my acquaintance. 
 I never knew him to run into the slightest exaggeration 
 or to borrow in the least degree from his imagination in 
 relating an occurrence." One of the party remarked: 
 " I was amused one day to hear an officer say that the 
 general was 'tediously truthful.' He explained that 
 what he meant by that was that the general, in men- 
 tioning something that had taken place, would direct his 
 mind so earnestly to stating unimportant details with 
 entire accuracy that he would mar the interest of the 
 story. For instance, after returning from a walk around 
 
BEMINISOENOES OF GRANT'S CADET LIFE 341 
 
 camp he would say: 'I was told so and so about the 
 wounded by Dr. while we were talking this morn- 
 ing inside of his tent ' ; and a half -hour afterward he 
 would take the trouble to come back and say, as if 
 it were a matter of the greatest importance: *I was 
 mistaken when I told you that my conversation with 
 
 Dr. occurred inside his tent ; that was not correct : 
 
 it took place while we were standing in front of his 
 tent.'" There was much truth in this comment. No 
 one who had served any time with the general could 
 fail to be struck with his excellent memory,^ and the 
 pains he invariably took to state occurrences with posi- 
 tive accuracy, even in the most unimportant particulars. 
 When he became President, an usher brought him a card 
 one day while he was in a private room writing a mes- 
 sage to Congress. " Shall I tell the gentleman you are 
 not in?" asked the usher. "No," answered the Presi- 
 dent ; " you will say nothing of the kind. I don't lie 
 myself, and I won't have any one lie for me." 
 
 A staff-officer inquired of Ingalls whether General 
 Grant, when at "West Point, gave any promise of his 
 future greatness. Ingalls replied : " Grant was such a 
 quiet, unassuming fellow when a cadet that nobody 
 would have picked him out as one who was destined to 
 occupy a conspicuous place in history ; and yet he had 
 certain qualities which attracted attention and com- 
 manded the respect of all those in the corps with him. 
 He was always frank, generous, and manly. At cavalry 
 drill he excelled every one in his class. He used to take 
 great delight in mounting and breaking in the most in- 
 tractable of the new horses that were purchased from 
 time to time and put in the squad. He succeeded in 
 this, not by punishing the animal he had taken in hand, 
 but by patience and tact, and his skill in making the 
 creature know what he wanted to have.it do. He was a 
 
342 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 particularly daring jumper. In jumping hurdles, when 
 Grant's turn came the soldiers in attendance would, at 
 an indication from him, raise the top bar a foot or so 
 higher than usual, and he would generally manage to 
 clear it. In his studies he was lazy and careless. In- 
 stead of studying a lesson, he would merely read it over 
 once or twice ; but he was so quick in his perceptions 
 that he usually made very fair recitations even with so 
 little preparation. His memory was not at all good in 
 an attempt to learn anything by heart accurately, and 
 this made his grade low in those branches of study 
 which required a special effort of the memory. In scien- 
 tific subjects he was very bright, and if he had labored 
 hard he would have stood very high in them. Our class 
 had sixty members the first year, but eight failed to pass 
 the examinations, and the number was reduced to fifty- 
 two. The second year's course had in it the hardest 
 mathematics ; Grrant's grade in that branch was number 
 ten. The next year he stood fifteen in natural philoso- 
 phy, which stumped so many of us, and in the graduat- 
 ing year he was sixteen in engineering, the principal 
 study in the first-class course. He was rather slouchy 
 and unmiUtary at infantry driUs, and received about the 
 average number of demerits. The principal reputation 
 he gained among his fellow-cadets was for common 
 sense, good judgment, entire unselfishness, and abso- 
 lute fairness in everything he did. When we would get 
 into an excited dispute over any subject, it was a very 
 common thing to say, ' Well, suppose we see what Sam 
 Grant has to say about it,' and leave it to his decision. 
 He had been given the nickname of ' Uncle Sam ' from 
 his initials, and this was often shortened into * Sam.' 
 As I said, while he was not by any means conspicuous 
 in the class, and never sought to be, he had enough 
 marked characteristics to prevent him from being con- 
 
GRANT OBDEES THOMAS TO MOVE AGAINST HOOD 343 
 
 sidered commonplace, and every one associated with Mm 
 was sure to remember Mm and retain a Mgh regard for 
 him." 
 
 The anxiety of the authorities at Washington had now 
 become so intense regarding Thomas's delay that G-rant 
 became more anxious than ever to have prompt action 
 taken in Tennessee. On the morning of December 7 
 Stanton sent a despatch to City Point, saying: 
 "... Thomas seems unwilling to attack, because it is 
 hazardous — as if all war was anything but hazard- 
 ous. ..." The government was throwing the entire re- 
 sponsibility upon Greneral Grant, and really censuring 
 him in its criticisms of Thomas. Grant telegraphed to 
 "Washington : " There is no better man to repel an attack 
 than Thomas, but I fear he is too cautious to take the ini- 
 tiative." On the 8th he sent a long despatch to General 
 Thomas, urging him strenuously to attack, picturing the 
 consequences which might follow longer delay, and ap- 
 pealing to his pride and patriotism. He wound up by 
 saying: "Now is one of the finest opportunities ever 
 presented of destroying one of the three armies of the 
 enemy. If destroyed, he can never replace it. Use the 
 means at your command, and you can do this, and cause 
 a rejoicing that will resound from one end of the land to 
 another." The next morning Halleck, too, telegraphed 
 Thomas, urging him to wait no longer, and saying that 
 if he delayed till all the cavalry was mounted he would 
 wait tin doomsday, as the waste was equaling the supply. 
 On the 8th G-rant learned that there was still no certainty 
 as to when an attack would be made ; and he telegraphed 
 to Halleck, though with much reluctance, saying that if 
 Thomas had not struck yet he ought to be ordered to 
 hand over his command to Schofield. To this Halleck 
 replied: "If you wish General Thomas relieved, give 
 the order. No one here will, I think, interfere. The 
 
344 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 responsibility, however, will be yours, as no one here, 
 so far as I am informed, wishes General Thomas's re- 
 moval." Grant replied to Halleck that he would not ask 
 to have Thomas relieved until he heard further from him. 
 "While the authorities at Washington were prodding 
 Grant, demanding of him an immediate and vigorous 
 movement in Tennessee, and shaping a correspondence 
 which would have thrown aU the blame on him if Hood 
 had passed around Thomas and moved north, yet when 
 severe measures were to be taken General Grant was 
 promptly informed that he must assume all respon- 
 sibility for any seemingly harsh treatment. He was, 
 however, the last man to be timid about shouldering 
 responsibilities, however disagreeable, and he was not 
 acting upon the goadings received from Washington, 
 but upon his own military judgment. On December 9, 
 at 1 p. M., Thomas sent a telegram to Grant, saying: 
 " Your despatch of 8 : 30 p. m. of the 8th is just received. 
 I had nearly completed my preparations to attack the 
 enemy to-morrow mornuig, but a terrible storm of freez- 
 ing rain has come on to-day, which will make it impos- 
 sible for our men to fight to any advantage. I am 
 therefore compelled to wait for the storm to break, 
 and make the attack immediately after. Admiral Lee is 
 patrolling the river above and below the city, and, I be- 
 heve, will be able to prevent the enemy from crossing. 
 There is no doubt but that Hood's forces are consid- 
 erably scattered along the river, with the view of at- 
 tempting a crossing ; but it has been impossible for me 
 to organize and equip the troops for an attack at an 
 earlier time. Major-general Halleck informs me that 
 you are very much dissatisfied with my delay in attack- 
 ing. I can only say I have done all in my power to pre- 
 pare, and if you should deem it necessary to relieve me 
 I shall submit without a murmur." 
 
MAP OF OPEEATIONS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTH ALABAMA AND GEORGIA, 1863-66. 
 
GBANT OBDEES THOMAS TO MOVE AGAINST HOOD 345 
 
 Nothing could better illustrate the nobility of Thomas's 
 character, and his unselfishness and devotion to duty, 
 than the words of this despatch. It was dignified in 
 tone, and entirely subordinate in spirit. While the 
 general fully appreciated the manly character of the de- 
 spatch, it was nevertheless a grievous disappointment to 
 him. He had felt that in war delays are always danger- 
 ous, and there is no telling what adverse circumstances 
 may occur meanwhile. His worst apprehensions were 
 now realized. The season was far into the winter, and 
 a freezing storm had set in, which might prove a serious 
 disadvantage to Q-eneral Thomas's army. Rumors were 
 abroad that Hood confidently expected reinforcements 
 from the Trans-Mississippi Department, and these might 
 now reach him before the coming battle. General Gf^rant 
 replied to General Thomas, at 7 : 30 p. m. that day : " I 
 have as much confidence in your conducting a battle 
 rightly as I have in any other officer ; but it has seemed 
 to me that you have been slow, and I have had no ex- 
 planation of affairs to convince me otherwise. Receiv- 
 ing your despatch of 2 p. m. from General Halleck before 
 I did the one to me, I telegraphed to suspend the order 
 relieving you until we should hear further. I hope 
 most sincerely that there will be no necessity of repeat- 
 ing the order, and that the facts wiU show that you have 
 been right all the time." Notwithstanding the radical 
 difference in judgment between the general and his dis- 
 tinguished subordinate, he was willing to give every 
 reasonable consideration to his views, and even to ex- 
 press the hope that events might prove that he was wrong 
 and Thomas right. That night Thomas telegraphed to 
 both Grant and Halleck, explaining his condition, and 
 saying that the storm continued. Still no attack was 
 made, and General Grant curbed his impatience, and 
 hoped to hear from hour to hour that his orders would 
 
346 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 be obeyed without further urging. He forbore from 
 further suggestions until 4 p. m. on the 11th, when he 
 telegraphed Thomas the following : " If you delay attack 
 longer, the mortifying spectacle will be witnessed of a 
 rebel army moving for the Ohio River, and you will be 
 forced to act, accepting such weather as you find. Let 
 there be no further delay. Hood cannot stand even a 
 drawn battle so far from his supplies of ordnance stores. 
 If he retreats, and you follow, he must lose his material 
 and much of his army. I am in hopes of receiving a 
 despatch from you to-day announcing that you have 
 moved. Delay no longer for weather or reinforce- 
 ments." 
 
 To add to General Grrant's discomfort, Butler's expe- 
 dition had not yet got off from Fort Monroe for Fort 
 Fisher. This gave the general-in-chief anxiety for the 
 reason that news was received this day, from the Rich- 
 mond papers of the day before, that Sherman's advance 
 was within twenty-five miles of Savannah, and that he 
 was approaching at the rate of about eighteen miles a 
 day. Grant felt that if the enemy were driven from 
 Savannah, troops would be sent back to Fort Fisher, 
 and that garrison strengthened sufficiently to make the 
 success of any assault upon it doubtful ; besides, by this 
 delay our expedition was losing the chance of surprise. 
 He therefore telegraphed Butler, urging hitn to start im- 
 mediately. 
 
 The only good news received at headquarters upon 
 this important day was the information that a move- 
 ment made by Warren had been successful. He had 
 destroyed the Weldon Railroad from Nottoway River 
 to Hicksford, with but httle loss, and his troops were 
 now on their return to the Army of the Potomac. Grant 
 promptly telegraphed the situation to Sheridan, and im- 
 pressed upon him the importance of destroying the 
 
GEANT OBDEKS THOMAS TO MOVE AGAINST HOOD 347 
 
 roads nortli of Richmond, in furtherance of the plan of 
 cutting off the supplies of that city. 
 
 The next morning a reply came from Thomas to 
 Grrant's last despatch, saying that he would obey the 
 orders as promptly as possible, but the country was 
 covered with a sheet of ice and sleet, and the attack 
 would be made under every disadvantage. About four 
 hours afterward he telegraphed again that the condition 
 of the country was no better, and it was impossible for 
 cavalry, or even infantry, to move in anything like 
 order, and he thought that an attack would result only 
 in a useless sacrifice of life. Another day of an^ety 
 passed, and another telegram came, saying there was 
 no change in the weather. At 12 : 30 p. m. on the 14th 
 HaUeck telegraphed Thomas from Washington, reiter- 
 ating that it was felt that every delay on his part seri- 
 ously interfered with the general plans. 
 
 The past week had been the most anxious period of 
 Grant's entire military career, and he suffered .mental 
 torture. On the one hand, he felt that he was submit- 
 ting to delays which might seriously interfere with his 
 general plans ; that he was placed in an attitude in which 
 he was virtually incapable of having his most positive 
 orders carried out ; and that he was occupying a posi- 
 tion of almost insubordination to the authorities at 
 Washington. On the other hand, he realized that noth- 
 ing but the most extreme case imaginable should lead 
 him to do even a seeming injustice to a distinguished 
 and capable commander by relieving him when he was 
 on the eve of a decided victory ; for his military instincts 
 convinced him that nothing but victory could f oUow the 
 moment that Thomas moved, and he wished that loyal 
 and devoted army commander to reap aU the laurels of 
 such a triumph. However,^here was yet no time named 
 for the attack, and Grant felt himself compelled to take 
 
348 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 some further steps. General Jolm A. Logan happened 
 to' be at this time on a visit to headquarters at City 
 Point. Logan had served under General Grant in the 
 West, and held a high place in his estimation as a vig- 
 orous fighter. The general talked over the situation 
 with Logan, and finally directed him to start at once 
 for Nashville, with a view to putting him in command 
 of the operations there, provided, upon his arrival, it 
 was stiU found that no attack had been made. He gave 
 him the requisite order in writing, to be used if neces- 
 sary ; and told him to say nothing about it, but to tele- 
 graph his arrival at Nashville, and if it was found that 
 Thomas had already moved, not to deliver it or act upon 
 it. Logan started promptly for the West. It was now 
 December 14 ; and General Grant, being still more exer- 
 cised in mind over the situation, determined to carry 
 out a design which he had had in view for several days 
 — to proceed to Nashville and take command there in 
 person. The only thing which had prevented him from 
 doing this earlier was the feeling which always domi- 
 nated him in similar cases, and made him shrink from 
 having even the appearance of receiving the credit of a 
 victory the honor of which he preferred to have fall 
 upon a subordinate. He now thought that his taking 
 command in person would avoid the necessity of reliev- 
 ing Thomas, and be much less offensive to that officer 
 than superseding him by some one else. 
 
 General Grant therefore started for Washington that 
 night, the 14th. When he arrived there the next even- 
 ing, as soon as the steamboat touched the wharf a de- 
 spatch of the night before was shown him from Thomas 
 to Halleck, sajdng that the enemy would be attacked in 
 the morning ; and also a telegram of the 15th from Van 
 Duzer, a superintendent of ^he military telegraph-lines, 
 announcing that Thomas had attacked the enemy early 
 
THOMAS CRUSHES HOOD 349 
 
 that morning, driving him back at all points. This was 
 an incalculable relief to the general, and lifted a heavy 
 load from his mind. He at once telegraphed Thomas : 
 " I was jnst on my way to Nashville, but receiving a 
 despatch from Van Duzer detailing your splendid suc- 
 cess of to-day, I shall go no farther. Push the enemy 
 now, and give him no rest until he is entirely destroyed. 
 Your army wiU cheerfully suffer many privations to 
 break up Hood's army and render it useless for future 
 operations. Do not stop for trains or supplies, but take 
 them from the country, as the enemy has done. Much 
 is now expected." 
 
 The general had scarcely arrived at his hotel when a 
 despatch came in from Thomas, saying : " I attacked the 
 enemy's left this morning and drove it from the river, 
 below the city, very nearly to the Franklin Pike, dis- 
 tance about eight miles. ..." Before the general went 
 to bed he sent a reply to Thomas, dated midnight, as 
 follows : " Your despatch of this evening just received. 
 I congratulate you and the army under your command 
 for to-day's operations, and feel a conviction that to- 
 morrow will add more fruits to your victory." Mr. Lin- 
 coln, on hearing the news, telegraphed Thomas : " You 
 have made a magnificent beginning. A grand consum- 
 mation is within your easy reach. Do not let it slip." 
 
 Logan had proceeded as far as Louisville when he 
 heard the news of Thomas's first day's fight. Grrant re- 
 ceived a telegram from him there, saying : " People here 
 jubilant over Thomas's success. Confidence seems to 
 be restored. . . . All things going right. It would 
 seem best that I return to join my command with Sher- 
 man." The general sent him a reply, saying: "The 
 news from Thomas so far is in the highest degree grati- 
 fying. You need not go farther." 
 
 Greneral Grant was now a much happier man than he 
 
350 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 had been for many weeks — happy not only over the 
 victory, but because it had at last come in time to spare 
 him from resorting to extreme measures regarding one 
 of his most trusted lieutenants. He went from "Wash- 
 ington to Burlington, spent a day with his family, where 
 a general rejoicing took place over the good news from 
 Tennessee, and then returned to City Point. 
 
 It was not until the 17th that the full details of 
 Thomas's victory were received. His army from the 
 very outset of the battle had charged the enemy so 
 vigorously at all points that his lines were completely 
 broken and his troops thrown into confusion, which, 
 upon the second day, resulted in a panic. The most 
 heroic defense the enemy could make did not enable him 
 to stay the impetuosity of Thomas's troops. Battery 
 after battery fell into the hands of our forces, and pris- 
 oners were captured by the thousand. All the enemy's 
 dead and wounded were abandoned on the field, and the 
 line of his retreat was covered with abandoned wagons, 
 gun-carriages, knapsacks, blankets, and small arms. In 
 two days Thomas had captured over 4000 prisoners and 
 53 pieces of artillery, and left Hood's army a wreck. 
 The pursuit of the enemy was continued for several 
 days, and much additional damage inflicted. On the 
 18th Greneral Grant telegraphed to Thomas: "The 
 armies operating against Eichmond have fired two hun- 
 dred guns in honor of your great victory. ..." One 
 hundred guns had been the salute fired in honor of 
 other victories. 
 
 Hood's army was pursued and driven south of the 
 Tennessee Eiver. In this campaign he had suffered 
 ignominious defeat, with the loss of half his army. 
 Thomas's captures amounted to more than 13,000 pris- 
 oners and 72 pieces of artillery ; 2000 deserters had also 
 given themselves up to the Union forces, and taken the 
 
THOMAS CEUSHES HOOD 351 
 
 oath of allegiance to the United States government. 
 The remnant of Hood's demoralized and disorganized 
 troops "were no longer held together in one army. Some 
 of them were furloughed and allowed to return to their 
 homes, and the rest were transferred to the East, and 
 joined the forces there for the purpose of opposing Sher- 
 man. Thomas's entire loss in this campaign was about 
 10,000 men in killed, wounded, and missing. 
 
 General Grant's predictions that Hood would turn 
 north, and not follow Sherman when the latter cut loose 
 from Atlanta, and that Thomas's army would crush 
 Hood's as soon as it was led against it, were comJ)letely 
 fulfilled. There has been so much discussion in regard 
 to the actions of General Grant and General Thomas 
 during the two weeks preceding the battle of Nashville 
 that a synopsis of the correspondence between them has 
 been given in order that the reader may form his own 
 conclusions. General Grant has been charged with be- 
 ing inimical to Thomas, allowing himself to become un- 
 duly irritated over the delay of the latter, and ordering 
 an iU-advised advance of the army, against Thomas's 
 expressed judgment. The general-in-chief had had a 
 larger experience with Confederate armies than any one 
 else, and felt that the urgent orders he gave were neces- 
 sary ; and as he was held responsible by the government 
 and by the country for the operations of all the^armies, 
 and the success of the cooperative movements which he 
 had planned, he certainly exercised a perfectly proper 
 authority in giving the orders he issued. When General 
 Thomas did not obey the instructions repeatedly sent 
 him, the general-in-chief did not treat the case as one of 
 insubordination or defiance, and act hastily or arbitrarily 
 in taking steps immediately to enforce his orders, but 
 exercised a patience which he would not have done under 
 other circumstances or toward any other army com- 
 
352 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 mander. He felt while sending Ms urgent despatches for 
 an advance of the army that he was doing Thomas a posi- 
 tive service ; for he knew, better than any one else could 
 know that as soon as Thomas launched his army against 
 Hood's forces he would win triumphantly, and demon- 
 strate to the country what was already known to his 
 feUow-officers — that the "Eock of Chickamavga" was 
 worthy of being placed in the front rank of the great 
 commanders of th6 war. It was because he felt entire 
 confidence in Thomas's ability to whip Hood that he 
 urged Thomas to strike, and not because he doubted 
 him. "When General Grrant made his report of the 
 operations, he stated, in referring to General Thomas, 
 substantially what he had said in conversation at head- 
 quarters after the victory of NashviUe : " His final defeat 
 of Hood was so complete that it would be accepted as 
 a vindication of that distinguished oflBcer's judgment." 
 On the other hand, there were those who criticized Gen- 
 eral Thomas severely for disobedience of orders of his 
 superior officer, and manifesting a spirit of insubordi- 
 nation at a critical crisis of the war. Such insinuations, 
 when all the circumstances are taken into consideration, 
 would attribute to General Thomas traits of character 
 which were certainly foreign to his nature. He be- 
 lieved that he was right, and that he was acting for the 
 best interests of the service, and evidently felt so thor- 
 oughly convinced of this that he was willing to run 
 the risk of assuming aU responsibility, and to submit 
 to being displaced from his command, rather than yield 
 his judgment. There is very little doubt that if any 
 other two general officers in the service had been placed 
 in the same trying circumstances there would have been 
 an open rupture; but both being men of patience as 
 well as firmness, their correspondence was conducted 
 without acrimony, the services of both were utilized for 
 
MAJORrGETfERAt, GEORGE H. THOMAS. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
THOMAS CEITSHES HOOD 353 
 
 fhe benefit of the country, and each -was prompt to ac- 
 knowledge the high qualifications of the other. 
 
 Their personal relations were not broken, as has been 
 alleged, by this circumstance, as far as an observer could 
 judge. General Thomas, when he came to Washington 
 after the close of the war, dined with General Grant at 
 his house, and at the table with him at the houses of 
 common friends, where I was present, and their inter- 
 course never seemed to be marked by any lack of cor- 
 diality on either side. 
 
CHAPTER XZIII 
 
 SENATOR NESMITH VISITS GRANT — SHERMAN REACHES THE 
 SEA-COAST — butler's EXPEDITION AGAINST PORT 
 FISHER — GRANT'S CHILDREN AT CITY POINT 
 
 UPON the return of General Ingalls from another 
 trip to Washington, he brought with him on a visit 
 to City Point Senator Nesmith of Oregon, who had been 
 an intimate acquaintance of Generals Grant and Ingalls 
 when these two officers were stationed at Fort Van- 
 couver, Oregon, in 1853. Nesmith was a great wag, and 
 used to sit by the headquarters camp-fire in the evening, 
 and tell no end of Pacific-coast stories. By the way in 
 which he elaborated aU the incidents, and led up with 
 increasing humor to the chmax of an anecdote, he 
 stamped himself a true artist as a raconteur. One even- 
 ing he told General Grant of a trip he had made on the 
 Pacific coast with a number of politicians just after his 
 election by the Democratic legislature of Oregon to the 
 United States Senate. In the party was the Republican 
 governor of California. Nesmith said : " The governor 
 got to deviling me about my election, and rather got the 
 laugh on me by inquiring : * Now, Nesmith, make a clean 
 breast of it, and tell us just how much money it costs to 
 get run into the Senate by an Oregon legislature.' To 
 strike back at him, I replied : ' "Well, I 'U give you a little 
 account of my experience in deahng with the boys, and 
 leave you to judge. I found, on counting noses, that I 
 
 354 
 
SENATOR NESMITH VISITS GRANT 355 
 
 had corralled a majority of one certain on joint ballot of 
 the two houses ; but that did n't make things quite safe, 
 and I told my friends that we ought to have stiU another 
 fellow persuaded of what was due to my eminence as a 
 statesman ; that it was altogether hkely that if we relied 
 on the one. man, he wolild be shot, or landed in jail, or 
 get blind drunk about the time the vote was to be taken, 
 and we were playing too big a game to take any such 
 chances. Well, they said there was a man that had 
 recently come into the State from California, and had 
 managed to get himself elected to our legislaijire, and 
 they thought, from what they had heard of him, that he 
 would n't be stubborn enough to hold on bUndly to the 
 candidate of his choice if argument sufficiently convinc- 
 ing in favor of some one else were laid before him ; that 
 he was a great fellow to " coincide " if it was made an 
 object for him to do it. You see, times were hard, and 
 the price of everything was high. Two years before 
 Bibles were given away free, and now jack-rabbits were 
 selling at two dollars and a half a pair. Most men's 
 possessions were reduced to a hair-brush and a tooth- 
 brush, though they never had time to use either. I 
 said: " Send the man to my hotel to-night; there 's no 
 time to be lost. I intend to handle this rooster myself." 
 When he came to my room, I shoved him into a chair, 
 locked the door, seated myself in front of him, folded 
 my arms, looked him square in the face, and said : " See 
 here ! I want your vote. How much ? " He glued his 
 eyes on me, and remarked : " Now, pard, yer talkin' busi- 
 ness. I don't know just what the state of the market 
 is in Oregon, but what would you propose as a kind o' 
 starter?" I continued: "How would a hundred and 
 fifty dollars strike you ! " He rose up out of his chair, 
 looking as if he actually felt hurt by my evident lack of 
 appreciation, and roared out in a tone of voice calculated 
 
356 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 to wake the dead : " A hundred and fifty hells ! I paid 
 the governor of California twice that much last year to 
 pardon me out of the penitentiary, or else I would n't 
 be up here in your blank old legislature to vote for any- 
 body ! " ' " We were assured that after the recital of 
 this story, which Nesmith had, of course, invented for 
 the purpose of retaUating upon the California governor, 
 there were no further questions from that official as to 
 the methods pursued in Oregon elections. 
 
 " I was n't at all surprised, Nes, to see you go to the 
 Senate," said Ingalls ; " I always believed old Vancouver 
 could furnish talent enough to supply both the civil and 
 military branches of the government." " Well, you may 
 not have been surprised, but I was," remarked the sen- 
 ator. " I said to the members of our committee one 
 day: 'When I came here from the wilds of Oregon as 
 senator of the United States I could n't realize it ; I felt 
 that it was a greater honor than to have been a Eoman 
 senator ; I could n't help wondering how I ever got here.' 
 'Well,' said Preston King of New York, 'now that you 
 have been here a couple of weeks, and have got the 
 " hang of the school-house," how do you feel about it ? ' 
 My answer was, ' Well, since I 've had time to look round 
 and size things up, my wonder now is, how in thunder 
 the rest of you fellows ever got here.' " 
 
 Upon this, as upon one or two other occasions, some 
 stories were attempted which were too broad to suit the 
 taste of the general-in-chief, but they were effectually 
 suppressed. He believed that stories, like diamonds, 
 are always of greater value when they are not "off 
 color." If reference were made to subjects which warred 
 against his notions of propriety, while he seldom checked 
 them by words, he would show immediately, by the blush 
 which mantled his cheek, and by his refusal to smUe at 
 a joke which depended for its success upon its coarse- 
 
SENATOR NESMITH VISITS GRANT 357 
 
 ness, that such, things were objectionable to him. The 
 same evening a citizen who had come to camp with 
 Nesmith said he would tell a story, and began by look- 
 ing around significantly and saying, " I see there are no 
 ladies present." The general interrupted him with the 
 remark, " No ; but there are gentlemen" ; and the subject 
 was at once changed, and the story was not attempted. 
 The senator, after seeing the lines around Petersburg, 
 expressed a desire to pay a visit to G-eneral Butler, and 
 IngaUs and I volunteered to take him to that officer's 
 headquarters by boat. Butler greeted the senator 
 warmly, and the two soon began to discuss the war, 
 and to banter each other on the subject of politics, one 
 being a radical Eepublican, and the other a war Demo- 
 crat. Nesmith drew an amusing picture of Butler's pro- 
 pensity for confiscation and destruction of property. In 
 the course of the conversation Butler referred to some 
 pranks played in his boyish days, and said : " There was 
 a cake-peddler who used to come by our school-house 
 every day, and during recess we would ' play cakes ' with 
 him ; that is, he would set his basket on the ground, and 
 a boy, by paying twenty-five cents, could have the priv- 
 ilege of starting from a certain distance, and by a series 
 of designated hops, skips, and jumps, trjdng to land in 
 the basket and break as many cakes as he could. If he 
 succeeded he had a right to take aU the cakes he had 
 damaged. The game was pretty difficult, and the cake- 
 man generally came out ahead ; but one day I strained 
 every nerve to win, and .succeeded in landing in the 
 middle of the basket with both feet, and breaking every 
 cake the fellow had." Nesmith's comment upon this 
 story was: "Well, that 's just like you, general; you 
 seem to have spent all your life in trying to break other 
 people's cakes." The joke, which had been rather in 
 Butler's favor up to that time, was now turned against 
 
358 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 him, but lie took it all in good part. In discussing Gren- 
 eral Grant's popularity, Butler remarked : " Grant first 
 touclied the popular chord when he gained his signal 
 victory at Donelson." " No," said Nesmith, who always 
 went round with a huge joke concealed somewhere about 
 his person ; " I think he first touched the popular cord 
 when he hauled wood from his farm and sold it at full 
 measure in St. Louis." 
 
 That night Nesmith told General Grant the story of 
 the cipher correspondence he and IngaUs had carried on 
 the year before. He said : " One day the Secretary of 
 War sent me a message that he would like to see me at 
 the "War Department, at the earliest moment, on a matter 
 of pubhc importance. Well, I was rather flattered by 
 that. I says to myself : * Perhaps the whole Southern 
 Confederacy is moving on Stanton, and he has sent for 
 a war Democrat to get between him and them and sort 
 of whirl 'em back.' I hurried up to his office, and when 
 I got in he closed the door, looked all around the room 
 like a stage assassin to be sure that we were alone, then 
 thrust a telegram under my nose, and cried, ' Bead that ! ' 
 I suppose I ought to have appeared scared, and tried to 
 find a trap-door in the floor to fall through, but I did n't. 
 I ran my eye over the despatch, seeing that it was ad- 
 dressed to me and signed by IngaUs, and read : * Klat-a- 
 wa ni-ka sit-kummo-litshweghto-cokekon-a-moxlum.' 
 Stanton, who was glaring at me over the top of his spec- 
 tacles, looking as savage as a one-eyed dog in a meat- 
 shop, now roared out, ' You see I have discovered every- 
 thing ! ' I handed back the despatch, and said, * Well, if 
 you 've discovered everything, what do you want with 
 me ? ' He cried : * I 'm determined, at all hazards, to in- 
 tercept every cipher despatch from officers at the front 
 to their friends in the North, to enable them to specu- 
 late in the stock-markets upon early information as to 
 
SENATOK NESMITH VISITS GRANT 359 
 
 the movements of our armies.' I said: 'Well, I can't 
 help but admire your pluck; but it seems to me you 
 omitted one little matter : you forgot to read the de- 
 spatch.' * How can I read your incomprehensible hier- 
 oglyphics?' he replied. 'Hieroglyphics — thunder!' I 
 said; 'why that 's Chinook.' 'And what 's Chinook?' 
 he asked. ' What ! you don't know Chinook ? Oh, I see 
 your early education as a linguist has been neglected,' I 
 answered. ' Why, Chinook is the court language of the 
 Northwestern Indian tribes. Ingalls and I, and aU the 
 fellows that served out in Oregon, picked up Ijjiat jar- 
 gon. Now I '11 read it to you in English : " Send me half 
 barrel more that same whisky." You see, Ingalls always 
 trusts my judgment on whisky. He thinks I can tell the 
 quality of the liquor by feeling the head of the barrel in 
 the dark.' That was too much for the great War Secre- 
 tary, and he broke out with a laugh such as I don't be- 
 lieve the War Department had ever heard since he was 
 appointed to office ; but I learned afterward that he took 
 the precaution, nevertheless, to show the despatch to an 
 army officer who had served in the Northwest, to get 
 him to verify my translation." As General Grant knew 
 a good deal of Chinook, he was able to appreciate the 
 joke fully, and he enjoyed the story greatly. Nesmith 
 had served to enliven the camp for several days with his 
 humorous reminiscences of life in the West, and when 
 he left every one parted with him with genuine regret. 
 On December 13 Sherman reached Ossabaw Sound, 
 southeast of Savannah, just a month after he had left 
 Atlanta, and communicated with the fleet which had 
 been sent to meet him. His 65,000 men and haK that 
 number of animals had been abundantly fed, and his 
 losses had been only 103 killed, 428 wounded, and 278 
 missing. The destruction of the enemy's property has 
 been estimated as high as one hundred millions of dol- 
 
360 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 lars. On December 15 Greneral Sherman received Gen- 
 eral Grant's letter of the 3d. In this he said, among 
 other things : " Not liking to rejoice before the victory- 
 is assured, I abstain from congratulating you and those 
 under your command until bottom has been struck. I 
 have never had a fear of the result." The next day 
 Sherman received General Grant's orders outlining the 
 plan of transferring the greater part of Sherman's army 
 by sea to join the armies in front of Petersburg, and 
 end the war. As the enemy's troops were now nearly 
 all in Virginia, it was thought that as the railroads in 
 the South had been pretty well destroyed, it would bring 
 hostilities to a close quicker to move Sherman by sea 
 than to consume the time and subject the men to the 
 fatigue of marching by land. General Grant said this 
 would be the plan unless Sherman saw objections to it. 
 A prompt and enthusiastic letter was written by Sher^ 
 man, saying his army could join Grant before the middle 
 of January if sent on transports by sea, and that he ex- 
 pected to take Savannah meanwhile. When General 
 Grant visited the capital he consulted as to the means of 
 ocean transportation, and became convinced that with 
 all the sea-going vessels that could be procured it would 
 take two months to move Sherman's army, with its ar- 
 tillery and trains, to the James River ; and he therefore 
 wrote him from "Washington: "I did think the best 
 thing to do was to bring the greater part of your army 
 here and wipe out Lee. The turn affairs now seem to be 
 taking has shaken me in that opinion. I doubt whether 
 you may not accomplish more toward that result where 
 you are than if brought here, especially as I am informed 
 since my arrival in the city [Washington] that it would 
 take about two months to get you here, with all the 
 other calls there are for ocean transportation. I want 
 to get your views about what ought to be done. . . . My 
 
SHEBMAN BEACHES THE SEA-COAST 361 
 
 own opinion is that Lee is averse to going out of Vir- 
 ginia, and if the cause of the South is lost, he wants 
 Eichmond to be the last place surrendered. If he has 
 such views, it may be well to indulge him until we get 
 everything else in our hands. Congratulating you and 
 the army again upon the splendid result of your cam- 
 paign, the like of which is not read of in past history, I 
 subscribe myself more than ever, if possible, your friend," 
 
 Sherman now invested Savannah on the south side, 
 but the enemy evacuated the city on the night of De- 
 cember 20. Sherman's army then entered, and on the 
 22d the general sent his famous despatch to the Presi- 
 dent, which reached him on Christmas eve : " I beg to 
 present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, 
 with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and 
 also about 25,000 bales of cotton." 
 
 On December 8 General Butler had come over to see 
 Greneral Grant at headquarters, and said that as his 
 troops would be aboard the transports at Fort Monroe 
 the next day, he would start in the afternoon for that 
 place, and see that the expedition was promptly started. 
 They had a general conversation in regard to what 
 would be required of the expedition, which was merely 
 a reiteration of the written orders which had been care- 
 fully prepared. It was decided that one of General 
 Grant's staff should accompany the expedition, and Colo- 
 nel Comstock was designated for that duty. Delay in 
 taking aboard additional supplies, and severe storms, 
 prevented the expedition from beginning operations 
 against Fort Fisher before December 24. The navy had 
 converted a gunboat, the Louisiana, into a powder-boat. 
 She was filled with two hundred and fifty tons of pow- 
 der, and disguised as a blockade-runner. This vessel 
 was run in toward the beach, anchored about five hun- 
 dred yards from the fort, and exploded about 2 a. m. on 
 
362 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 the 24tli. The report was not much greater than the 
 discharge of a piece of heavy artillery ; no damage was 
 done to the enemy's earthworks, and no result accom- 
 plished. A negro on shore was afterward reported to 
 have said when he heard the sound : " I reckon de Yan- 
 kees hab done bu'st one ob dah b'ilers." 
 
 At daylight on the 24th the naval fleet of fifty vessels 
 moved forward and began the bombardment of the fort. 
 About noon on the 25th General Ames's division landed, 
 and a skirmish-line was pushed to within a few yards 
 of the fort. It was reported that the fort had not been 
 materially damaged, and that Hoke's command had been 
 sent south from Lee's armiy, and was approaching to re- 
 inforce the garrison. Butler now decided not to make 
 an attack, and reembarked all of his troops, except Cur- 
 tis's brigade, on the transports, and steamed back to Fort 
 Monroe, reaching there on the 27th. Curtis's brigade 
 also reembarked on the 27th, and followed the other 
 forces. On the 28th General Butler came to head- 
 quarters, and had an interview with General Grant, in 
 which he sought to explain the causes of the failure. 
 General Grant expressed himself very positively on the 
 subject. He said he considered the whole affau* a gross 
 and culpable failure, and that he proposed to make it 
 his business to ascertain who was to blame for the want 
 of success. The delays from storms were, of course, 
 unavoidable. The preparation of the powder-boat had 
 caused a loss of several weeks. It was found that the 
 written orders which General Grant had given to Gen- 
 eral Butler to gdvern the movements of the expedition 
 had not been shown to "Weitzel. An important part of 
 these instructions provided that under certain contia- 
 gencies the troops were expected to intrench and hold 
 themselves in readiness to cooperate with the navy for 
 the reduction of the fort, instead of reembarking on the 
 
GEAKX'S CHILDBEN AT CITY POINT 363 
 
 transports. General Grant had not positively ordered 
 an assault, and would not have censured the commander 
 if the failure to assault had been the only error ; but he 
 was exceedingly dissatisfied that the important part of 
 his instructions as to gaining and holding an intrenched 
 position had been disobeyed, and the troops withdrawn, 
 and aU further efforts abandoned. 
 
 Mrs. Grant, Fred, and Jesse came to City Point to 
 spend the Christmas holidays with the general. Rawlins 
 always called Fred the " Veteran," for the reason that he 
 had been with his father in the fight which took place 
 in rear of Vicksburg the year before, when he was only 
 thirteen years of age. One evening EawUns said, in re- 
 ferring to that campaign : " Fred crossed the Mississippi 
 with his father on the gunboat Price. Early in the 
 morning the general went ashore to direct the movement 
 ■of the troops, leaving the boy coiled up on the forward 
 deck fast asleep. When he woke up the youngster in- 
 sisted on following his father, but was told by a staff- 
 officer to stay where he was and keep out of danger; 
 but he happened just then to see some troops chasing a 
 rabbit, and jumped ashore and j oined in the^f un. Think- 
 ing the men were a pretty joUy set of fellows, he followed 
 along with the regiment in its march to the front, think- 
 ing he would meet his father somewhere on the road. 
 The troops soon encountered the enemy, and Fred found 
 himself suddenly participating in the battle of Port Gib- 
 son. That night he recognized a mounted orderly be- 
 longing to headquarters, and hailed him. The orderly 
 gave him a blanket, and he rolled himseK up in it and 
 managed to get several hours' sleep. About midnight 
 his father came across him, and his surprise may be 
 imagined when he discovered that the boy had left the 
 boat and turned amateur soldier. The general had 
 crossed the river in true light-marching order, for he 
 
364 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 had no encumbrances but an overcoat and a tooth- 
 brusb. A couple of horses were soon captured. The 
 general took one, and gave the other to Fred. They 
 were ungainly, ragged-hipped nags, and the general was 
 greatly amused at seeing the figure the boy cut when 
 mounted on his raw-boned war ^charger. At the battle 
 of Black River Bridge, Fred saw Lawler's brigade mak- 
 ing its famous charge which broke the enemy's line, and 
 rode forward and joined in the pursuit of the foe ; but 
 he had not gone far when a musket-baU struck him on 
 the left thigh. A staff-officer rode up to him, and asked 
 him how badly he was hurt ; and Fred, not being an ex- 
 pert in gunshot wounds, said he rather thought his leg 
 was cut in two. ' Can you work your toes ? ' asked the 
 officer. The boy tried, and said he could. ' Then,' cried 
 the officer, * you 're all right ' ; and taking him to a sur- 
 geon, it was found that the ball had only clipped out a' 
 little piece of flesh, so that he was not damaged enough 
 to have to join the ranks of the disabled. 
 
 " Speaking of the charge of Lawler's brigade," con- 
 tinued Eawlins, " while the general was watching the 
 preparations for it an officer came up bearing a despatch 
 from Halleck, written six days before, which had been 
 forwarded through General Banks. It ordered General 
 Grant to withdraw at once from where he was, march 
 to Grand Gulf, and cooperate with Banks against Port 
 Hudson, and then return with the combined forces and 
 besiege Vicksburg. The general read the communica- 
 tion, and just as he had finished it he saw Lawler 
 charging through the enemy's broken lines and heard 
 the men's cheers of victory. Turning to the officer who 
 had brought the message, he said : ' I '11 have to say, in 
 this case, what the Irishman said to the chicken that was 
 in the egg he swallowed, and which peeped as it was 
 going down his throat : " You spoke too late," ' Then, 
 
grant's children at city point 365 
 
 putting spurs to Ms horse, lie galloped off to join tlie 
 advancing lines. The enemy's forces were in fuU re- 
 treat, huiTying on to shut themselves up in Vicksburg, 
 and the general, under such circumstances, had no hesi- 
 tation in disobeying orders six days old, and written 
 without any knowledge of the circumstances," 
 
 Soon after Fred's arrival at City Point he took it into 
 his head that he must go duck-shooting. The general 
 was no sportsman himself, and never shot or fished ; but 
 he liked to see the youngsters enjoy the Christmas holi- 
 days, and he readily gave his consent to anything they 
 proposed in the way of amusement. He never gave a 
 reason for not hunting, but it was evident that he felt 
 that certain forms of it furnished a kind of sport which 
 was too cruel to suit his tastes. He described the only 
 buU-fight he ever attended as presenting " a most sick- 
 ening sight," and never seemed to take any pleasure in 
 sports which caused suffering on the part of either ani- 
 mals or human beings. As sporting-guns are not found 
 among army supplies, Fred had to content himself with 
 an infantry rifled musket. The general's colored ser- 
 vant, BlU, accompanied the boy. Bill was not much of 
 a shot himself. He usually shot as many a man votes, 
 with his eyes shut. But he was a good hand to take the 
 place of the armor-bearer of the ancients, and carry the 
 weapons. Taking a boat, they paddled down the river 
 in search of game. They had not gone far when they 
 were brought to by the naval pickets who had been 
 posted on the river-bank by the cemmander of one of 
 the vessels. A picket-boat was sent after them, and 
 they were promptly arrested as rebel spies, and taken 
 aboard a gunboat. The declaration by the white pris- 
 oner, who, it was supposed, was plotting death and 
 destruction to the Union, that he was the son of the 
 general-in-chief, was at first deemed too absurd to be 
 
366 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 entertained by sailors, and fit only to be told to the 
 marines ; but after a time Fred succeeded in convincing 
 the officers as to his identity, and was allowed to return 
 to headquarters. When he arrived he wore a rueful 
 expression of countenance at the thought of the ingrat- 
 itude of republics to their " veterans." His father was 
 greatly amused by the account of his adventure, teased 
 him good-naturedly, and told him how fortunate it was 
 that he had not been hanged at the yard-arm as an 
 enemy 6f the republic, and his body consigned to the 
 waters of the Potomac. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 CAPTURE OP FOET FISHER — THE DUTCH GAP CANAL — 
 GRANT RECEIVES UNASKED ADVICE — GRANT RELIEVES 
 BUTLER — SHERMAN'S LOYALTY TO GRANT — A^"gOOD 
 SHOT" — NIGHT ATTACK OF THE ENEMY'S IRONCLADS — 
 HOW GRANT BECAME A CONFIRMED SMOKER — GRANT 
 OFFERS HIS PURSE TO HIS ENEMY — GRANT RECEIVES 
 THE " PEACE COMMISSIONERS " 
 
 AS soon as General Grant obtained accurate in- 
 r\ formation in regard to the circumstances and 
 conditions at Fort Fisher, he decided to send another 
 expedition, and to put it in charge of an efficient officer, 
 and one "who could be trusted implicitly to carry out his 
 instructions. As there had been a lack of precaution on 
 the part of the officers engaged in the previous expedi- 
 tion to keep the movement secret, the general-in-chief 
 at first communicated the facts regarding the new expe- 
 dition to only two persons at headquarters. Of course 
 he had to let it be known to the Secretary of "War ; but 
 as the Secretary was always reticent about such matters, 
 there was a reasonable probability that the secret could 
 be kept. Directions were given which tended to create 
 the impression that the vessels were being loaded with 
 supplies and reinforcements for Sherman's army, and 
 studious efforts were made to throw the enemy off his 
 guard. Of course every one who knew the general's 
 tenacity of purpose felt sure that he would never relin- 
 
 367 
 
368 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GRANT 
 
 quish his determination to take Fort Fisher, and would 
 immediately take steps to retrieve the failure which had 
 been made in the first attempt ; and as soon as Butler 
 returned I suggested to the general that, in ease another 
 expedition should be sent. General A. H. Terry would 
 be, for many reasons, the best officer to be placed in 
 command. "We had served together in the Sherman-Du- 
 pont expedition which in 1861 took Hilton Head and 
 captured Fort Pulaski and other points on the Atlantic 
 coast, and I knew him to be the most experienced officer 
 in the service in embarking and disembarking troops 
 upon the sea-coast, looking after their welfare on trans- 
 ports, and intrenching rapidly on shore. General Grant 
 had seldom come in contact with Terry personally, but 
 had been much pleased at the manner in which he had 
 handled his troops in the movements on the James River. 
 A suggestion, too, was made that as Terry was a volun- 
 teer officer, and as the first expedition had failed under 
 a volunteer, it would only be fair that another officer of 
 that service, rather than one from the regular army, 
 should be given a chance to redeem the disaster. The 
 general seemed to listen with interest to what was said 
 about Terry, particularly as to his experience in sea- 
 coast expeditions, but gave no hint at the time of a dis- 
 position to appoint him; nor did he even say whether 
 he would send another expedition to Fort Fisher: but 
 on January 2 he telegraphed to Butler, "Please send 
 Major-general Terry to City Point to see me this morn- 
 ing." Grant considered the propriety of going in person 
 with the expedition, but his better judgment did not 
 approve such a course, for he would be too far out of 
 reach of communication with City Point, and as Butler 
 was the senior army commander, it would leave him 
 in supreme command of the armies operating against 
 Petersburg and Richmond. 
 
3 
 
 3 
 m 
 
 
 O 
 Hi 
 
CAPTURE OF POET PlSHEH 369 
 
 When Terry came the general-in-chief told him simply 
 that he had been designated to take command of a trans- j 
 f er by sea of eight thousand men, and that he was to sail 
 under sealed orders. Terry felt much complimented that 
 he should be singled out for such a command, but had 
 no idea of his destination, and was evidently under the 
 impression that he was to join Sherman. On January 5 
 Terry was ready to proceed to Fort Monroe, and Grant 
 accompanied him down the James River for the purpose 
 of giving him his final instructions. After the boat had 
 proceeded some distance from City Point, the^general 
 sat down with Terry in the after-cabin of the steamer, 
 and there made known to him the real destination and 
 purposes of the expedition. He said : " The object is to 
 renew the attempt to capture Fort Fisher, and in case 
 of success to take possession of "Wilmington. It is of 
 the greatest importance that there should be a complete 
 understanding and harmony of action between you and 
 Admiral Porter. I want you to consult the admiral 
 fully, and to let there be no misunderstanding in regard 
 to the plan of cooperation in aU its details. I served 
 with Admiral Porter on the Mississippi, and have a high 
 appreciation of his courage and judgment. I want to 
 urge upon you to land with all despatch, and intrench 
 yourself in a position from which you can operate 
 against Fort Fisher, and not to abandon it until the 
 fort is captured or you receive further instructions from 
 me." Full instructions were carefully prepared in writ- 
 ing, and handed to Terry on the evening of January 5 ; 
 and captains of the transports were given sealed orders, 
 not to be opened until the vessels were off Cape Henry. 
 The vessels soon appeared off the North Carolina coast. 
 A landing was made on January 13, and on the morn- 
 ing of the 14th Terry had fortified a position about two 
 mUes from the fort. The navy, which had been firing 
 
370 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 upon the fort for two days, began another bombardment 
 at daylight on the 15th. That afternoon Ames's division 
 made an assault on the work. Two thousand sailors 
 and marines were also landed for the purpose of mak- 
 ing a charge. They had received an order from the ad- 
 miral, in the wording of which f acetiousness in nautical 
 phraseology could go no further. It read : " Board the 
 fort in a seamanlike* manner." 
 
 They made a gallant attack, but were met with a 
 murderous fire, and did not gain the work. Ames's 
 division, with Curtis's brigade in advance, overcame aU 
 efforts of the defenders, and the garrison was driven from 
 one portion of the fort to another in a series of hand-to- 
 hand contests, in which individual acts of heroism sur- 
 passed almost anything in the history of assaults upon 
 well-defended forts. The battle did not close until ten 
 o'clock at night. Then the formidable work had been 
 fairly won. The garrison was taken prisoners, the mouth 
 of the Cape Fear River was closed, and Wilmington was 
 at the mercy of our troops. The trophies were 169 guns, 
 over 2000 stands of small arms, large quantities of am- 
 munition and commissary stores, and more than 2000 
 prisoners. About 600 of the garrison were killed or 
 wounded. Terry's loss was 110 killed, 536 wounded, and 
 13 missing. After the news of the capture of the fort 
 was received, I was sent there by G-eneral Grant with 
 additional instructions to Terry ; and upon my arrival I 
 could not help being surprised at the formidable char- 
 acter of the work. No one without having seen it could 
 form an adequate conception of the almost insurmoun- 
 table obstacles which the assaulting columns encoun- 
 tered. 
 
 During the summer General Butler, who was always 
 fertile in ideas, had conceived the notion that there were 
 many advantages to be gained by making a canal across 
 
THE DUTCH GAP CANAL 371 
 
 a narrow neck of land, known as Dutch Gap, on the 
 James River, which would cut off four and three-quarter 
 miles of river navigation. This neck was about one 
 hundred and seventy-four yards wide. The name orig- 
 inated from the fact that a Dutchman had many years 
 before attempted a similar undertaking, but little or no 
 progress had been made. The enterprise involved the 
 excavation of nearly eighty thousand cubic feet of earth. 
 Butler had been somewhat reluctantly authorized to dig 
 the canal, and work upon it had been begun on August 
 10. The enemy soon erected heavy rifle-guns, apd after- 
 ward put mortars in positions which bore upon it ; and 
 our men were subjected to a severe fire, and frequently 
 had to seek shelter in " dugouts " constructed as places 
 of refuge. Under the delays and difficulties which arose, 
 the canal was not finished until the end of the year. On 
 the 31st of December General Grant received a message 
 from Butler saying : " We propose to explode the head- 
 ing of Dutch Gap at 11 A. M. to-morrow. I should be 
 happy to see yourself and friends at headquarters. We 
 must be near the time because of the tide." The general- 
 in-chief replied : " Do not wait for me in your explosion. 
 I doubt my ability to be up in the morning." After the 
 bulkhead wall of earth had been blown out, the debris 
 at the north end was partly removed by means of steam 
 dredges. The canal was not of any service during the 
 war, but it has since been enlarged and improved, and 
 has become the ordinary channel for the passage of 
 vessels plying on the James River. 
 
 General Grant had become very tired of discussing 
 methods of warfare which were like some of the problems 
 described in algebra as " more curious than useful," and 
 he was not sufficiently interested in the canal to be 
 present at the explosion which was expected to com- 
 plete it. About this time all the cranks in the country, 
 
Ol'^ CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 besides men of real inventive genius, were sending ex- 
 traordinary plans and suggestions for capturing Eich- 
 mond. A proposition from an engineer was received 
 one day, accompanied by elaborate drawings and calcu- 
 lations, which bad evidently involved intense labor on 
 the part of the author. His plan was to build a masonry 
 wall around Richmond, of an elevation higher than the 
 tallest houses, then to fill the inclosure with water 
 pumped from the James River, and drown out the gar- 
 rison and people like rats in a cage. The exact number 
 of pumps required and their capacity had been figured 
 out to a nicety. Another inventive genius, whose mind 
 seemed to run in the direction of the science of chem- 
 istry and the practice of sternutation, sent in a chemical 
 formula for making an all-powerful snuff. In his com- 
 munication he assured the commanding general that 
 after a series of experiments he had made with it on 
 people and animals, he was sure that if shells were fiUed 
 with it and exploded within the enemy's lines, the troops 
 would be seized with such violent fits of sneezing that 
 they would soon become physically exhausted with the 
 effort, and the Union army could walk over at its leisure 
 and pick them up as prisoners without itself losing a 
 man. A certain officer had figured out from statistics 
 that the James River froze over about once in seven 
 years, and that this was the seventh year, and advised 
 that troops be massed in such a position that when the 
 upper part of the James changed from a liquid to a solid, 
 columns could be rushed across it on the ice to a posi- 
 tion in rear of the enemy's lines, and Richmond would 
 be at our mercy. A sorcerer in Rochester sent the gen- 
 eral word that he had cast his horoscope, and gave him 
 a clear and unclouded insight into his future, and added 
 to its general attractiveness by telling him how glori- 
 ously he was going to succeed in taking Richmond. 
 
GEANT EELIEVES BUTLEB 373 
 
 One evening the general referred to these emanations 
 of the prolific brains of our people, and the many novel 
 suggestions made to him, beginning with the famous 
 powder-boat sent against Fort Fisher, and closed the 
 conversation by saying : " This is a very suggestive age. 
 Some people seem to think that an army can be whipped 
 by waiting for rivers to freeze over, exploding powder 
 at a distance, drowning out troops, or setting them to 
 sneezing ; but it wiU always be found in the end that the 
 only way to whip an army is to go out and fight it." 
 
 On January 4 General Grrant had written to the 
 Secretary of "War asking that Butler might be relieved, 
 saying: "I am constrained to request the removal of 
 General Butler from the command of the Department of 
 Virginia and North Carolina. I do this with reluctance, 
 but the good of the service requires it. In my absence 
 General Butler necessarily commands, and there is a 
 lack of confidence felt in his military ability, making him 
 an unsafe commander for a large army. His adminis- 
 tration of the affairs of his department is also objec- 
 tionable." Learning that the Secretary of War had gone 
 to Savannah to visit General Sherman, and could not 
 receive this letter in due time, on January 6 the general 
 telegraphed to the President, asking that prompt action 
 be taken in the matter. The order was made on the 
 7th, and on the morning of the 8th General Grant di- 
 rected Colonel Babcock and me to go to General Butler's 
 headquarters, announce the fact to him, and hand him 
 the written order relieving him from command. We 
 arrived there about noon, found the general in his camp, 
 and by his invitation went with him into his tent. He 
 opened the communication, read the order, and was 
 silent for a minute ; then he began to manifest consider- 
 able nervousness, and turning to his desk, wrote " Ee- 
 ceived " on the envelop, dated it 1864 instead of 1865, 
 
374 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 and handed it back. It was the custom in the army to 
 return envelop receipts in case of communications de- 
 livered by enlisted men, but this was omitted when the 
 instructions were transmitted by staff-officers. He was 
 politely reminded that a vnitten receipt was not neces- 
 sary. Thereupon, in a somewhat confused manner, he 
 uttered a word or two of apology for offering it, and 
 after a slight pause added : " Please say to General Grrant 
 that I will go to his headquarters, and would like to 
 have a personal interview with him." 
 
 General Grant was in constant correspondence with 
 Sherman in regard to the movements in the Carolinas. 
 Sherman was to move north, breaking up all lines of 
 communication as he advanced. If Lee should suddenly 
 abandon Richmond and Petersburg, and move with his 
 army to join the Confederate forces in the Carolinas 
 with a view to crushing Sherman, that officer was to 
 whip Lee if he could, and if not to fall back upon the 
 .sea-coast. Grant was to hold Lee's army where it was, 
 if possible, and if not to follow it up with vigor. Sher- 
 man's triumphant march to the sea had gained him 
 many admirers in the North, and it was believed about 
 this time that a bill might be introduced in Congress 
 providing for his promotion to the grade of lieutenant- 
 general, which would make him ehgible to command the 
 armies in case he should be assigned to such a position. 
 On January 21 he said in a letter to General Grant : " I 
 have been told that Congress meditates a bill to make 
 another lieutenant-general for me. I have written to 
 John Sherman to stop it if it is designed for me. It 
 would be mischievous, for there are enough rascals who 
 would try to sow differences between us, whereas you 
 and I now are in perfect understanding. I would rather 
 have you in command than anybody else ; for you are 
 fair, honest, and have at heart the same purpose that 
 
SHEBMAN'S LOYALTY TO GEANT 375 
 
 should animate all. I should emphatically decline any 
 commission calculated to bring us into rivalry. . . ." 
 General Grrant replied : " No one would be more pleased 
 at your advancement than I, and if you should be placed 
 in my position and I put subordinate, it would not change 
 our relations in the least. I would make the same exer- 
 tions to support you that you have ever done to support 
 me, and I would do aU in my power to make our cause 
 win." On January 31 Sherman wrote : " I am fully aware 
 of your friendly feeling toward me, and you may always 
 depend on me as your steadfast supporter. Your wish 
 is law and gospel to me, and such is the feelmg that 
 pervades my army." 
 
 In aU the annals of history no correspondence be- 
 tween men in high station furnishes a nobler example 
 of genuine, disinterested personal friendship and exalted 
 loyalty to a great cause. 
 
 Admiral Porter had withdrawn nearly all the naval 
 vessels from the James River in order to increase his 
 fleet for the Fort Fisher expedition. Only three or four 
 light gunboats were left, and one ironclad, the Onondaga, 
 a powerful double-turreted monitor carrying two 15-inch 
 smooth-bores and two 150-pound Parrott rifles. This 
 vessel was commanded by Captain WiUiam A. Parker 
 of the navy. Captain Parker would occasionally pay a 
 visit to General Grant at City Point, and he usually 
 brought with him a junior officer who afforded the gen- 
 eral-in-chief no little amusement by the volubility of his 
 conversation. When the general asked the captain a 
 question, before he could venture a reply his sub would 
 volunteer an answer, and frequently make it the occa- 
 sion of an elaborate lecture upon the intricate science of 
 marine warfare. The captain could rarely get in a 
 word edgewise. In fact, he seemed to accept the situa- 
 tion, and did not often make the attempt. It might 
 
376 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 have been said of this yoimg officer what Talleyrand 
 said of a French diplomat : " Clever man, but he has no 
 talent for dialogue." 
 
 There had been so much talk about the formidable 
 character of the double-turreted monitors that General 
 Grant decided one morning to go up the James and pay 
 a visit to the Onondaga, and invited me to accompany 
 him. The. monitor was lying above the pontoon-bridge 
 in Trent's Eeach. After looking the vessel over, and 
 admiring the perfection of her machinery, the general 
 said to the commander : " Captain, what is the effective 
 range of your 15-inch smooth-bores ? " " About eighteen 
 hundred yards, with their present elevation," was the 
 reply. The general looked up the river, and added: 
 " There is a battery which is just about that distance 
 from us. Suppose you take a shot at it, and see what 
 you can do." The gun was promptly brought into 
 position by revolving the turret, accurate aim taken, 
 and the order given to fire. There was a tremendous 
 concussion, followed by a deafening roar as the enor- 
 mous shell passed through the air ; and then all eyes were 
 strained to see what execution would be done by the 
 shot. The huge mass struck directly within the battery, 
 and exploded. A cloud of smoke arose, earth and sphn- 
 tered logs flew in every direction, and a number of the 
 garrison sprang over the parapet. The general took 
 another puff at the cigar he was smoking, nodded his 
 head, and said, " Good shot ! " The n^val officers in- 
 dulged in broad smiles of triumph, and tried to look as 
 if this was only one of the little things they always did 
 with equal success when they tried hard. 
 
 On the night of January 23 a naval officer, at General 
 Grant's suggestion, was sent up to plant torpedoes at 
 the obstructions which had been placed in the river at 
 Trent's Reach, as he was apprehensive that our depleted 
 
NIGHT ATTACK OF THE ENEMY'S IRONCLADS 377 
 
 naval force might be attacked by tbe enemy's fleet, 
 "wMch. "was lying in the river near Eicbmond. The officer 
 made the discovery that the Confederate ironclads were 
 quietly moving down the river. News of their approach 
 was promptly given, and at once telegraphed to head- 
 quarters. The enemy's fleet consisted of six vessels, and 
 by half-past ten o'clock they had passed the upper end 
 of Dutch G-ap Canal. The general directed me and an- 
 other staff-officer to take boats and communicate with 
 all despatch with certain naval vessels, warn them of 
 the character of the anticipated attack, and direct them 
 to move up and make a determined effort to prevent 
 the enemy's fleet from reaching City Point. The officer 
 whom I was to take with me got a little rattled in the 
 hurry of the departure, and started, from force of habit, 
 to put on his spurs. It took me some time lo persuade 
 him that these appendages to his heels would not par- 
 ticularly facilitate his movements in climbing aboard 
 gunboats. A third officer. Lieutenant Dunn, was sent 
 to communicate with a gunboat stationed at some dis- 
 tance from the others. In the mean time orders were 
 given to tow coal-schooners up the river, ready to sink 
 them in the channel if necessary ; and instructions were 
 issued to move all heavy guns within reach down to the 
 river shore, where their fire could command the channel. 
 There was an enormous accumulation of supplies at 
 City Point, and their destruction at this time would 
 have been a serious embarrassment. The night was 
 pitch-dark,, but our naval vessels were promptly reached 
 by means of steam-tugs; and their commanders, who 
 displayed that cordial spirit of cooperation always man- 
 ifested by our sister service, expressed an eagerness to 
 obey G-eneral Grant's orders as implicitly as if he had 
 been their admiral. Most of these vessels were out of 
 repair and almost unserviceable, but their officers were 
 
378 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GKANT 
 
 determined to make the best fight they could. When I 
 returned to headquarters, the general, Mrs. Grant, and 
 Ingalls were talking the matter over in the front room 
 of the general's quarters. " Well, now that we 've got 
 aU ready for them," said Ingalls, " why don't their old 
 gunboats come down ? " " Ingalls, you must have pa- 
 tience," remarked the general ; " perhaps they don't know 
 that you 're in such a hurry for them, or they would 
 move faster; you must give them time." "Well, if 
 they 're going to postpone their movement indefinitely, 
 I '11 go to bed," continued Ingalls, and started for his 
 quarters. News now came that it was thought the 
 vessels could not pass the obstructions, and would not 
 make the attempt ; and the general and Mrs. Grant re- 
 tired to their sleeping-apartment, orders being left that 
 the general was to be wakened if there should be any 
 change in the situation. Soon after one o'clock word 
 came that the enemy's vessels had succeeded at high 
 water in getting through the obstructions. A loud knock 
 was now given upon the door of the general's sleeping- 
 room. He called out instantly : " Yes. What have.you 
 heard?" The reply was: "The gunboats have passed 
 the obstructions, and are coming down." In about two 
 minutes the general came hurriedly into the office. He 
 had drawn on his top-boots over his drawers, and put 
 on his uniform frock-coat, the skirt of which reached 
 about to the tops of the boots and made up for the ab- 
 sence of trousers. He lighted a cigar while listening to 
 the reports, and then sat down at his desk and wrote 
 out orders in great haste. The puffs from the cigar 
 were now as rapid as those of the engine of an express- 
 train at full speed. Mrs. Grant soon after came in, and 
 was anxious to know about the situation. It was cer- 
 tainly an occasion upon which a woman's curiosity was 
 entirely justifiable. Dunn had returned with a report 
 
NIGHT ATTACK OP THE ENEMY'S IBONCLADS 379 
 
 about the movement of the gunboat -with which he had 
 been sent to communicate, and Ingalls had also rejoined 
 the party. Mrs. Grant, in the midst of the scene, quietly- 
 said, "Ulyss, will those gunboats shell the bluff?" 
 " "Well, I think all their time will be occupied in fight- 
 ing our naval vessels and the batteries ashore," he re- 
 plied. " The Onondaga ought to be able to sink them, 
 but I don't know what they would do if they should get 
 down this far." Just then news came in that upon the 
 approach of the enemy's vessels the Onondaga had re- 
 tired down the river. The captain had lost his head, 
 and under pretense of trying to obtain a more advan- 
 tageous position, had turned tail with his vessel, and 
 moved down-stream below the pontoon-bridge. Gren- 
 eral Grant's indignation knew no bounds when he heard 
 of this retreat. He said : " I have been thrown into close 
 contact with the navy, both on the Mississippi River and 
 upon the Atlantic coast. I entertain the highest regard 
 for the intrepidity of the officers of that service, and it 
 is an inexpressible mortification to think that the cap- 
 tain of so formidable an ironclad, and the only one of 
 its kind we have in the river, should fall back at such a 
 critical moment. Why, it was the great chance of his 
 life to distinguish himself." Additional instructions 
 were at once telegraphed to the shore batteries to act 
 with all possible vigor. 
 
 Mrs. Grrant, who was one of the most composed of 
 those present, now drew her chair a little nearer to the 
 general, and with her mild voice inquired, " Ulyss, what 
 had I better do?" The general looked at her for a 
 moment, and then replied in a half-serious and haJf- 
 teasing way, " "Well, the fact is, Julia, you ought n't to 
 be here." Dunn now spoke up and said : " Let me have 
 the ambulance hitched up, and' drive Mrs. Grant back 
 into the country far enough to be out of reach of the 
 
380 CAMPAIGNIHTG WITH GRANT 
 
 shells." " Oil, their gunboats are not down here yet," 
 answered the general; "and they must be stopped at 
 all hazards." Additional despatches were sent, and a 
 fresh cigar was smoked, the puffs of which showed even 
 an increased rapidity. In about two hours it was re- 
 ported that only one of the enemy's boats was below 
 the obstructions, and the rest were above, apparently 
 aground. More guns had by this time been placed in 
 the shore batteries, and the situation was greatly re- 
 lieved. Ingalls, whose dry humor always came to his 
 rescue when matters were serious, again assumed an air 
 of disappointment, and said: "I tell you, I 'm getting 
 out of all patience, and I 've about made up my mind 
 that these boats never intended to come down here 
 anyhow — that they 've just been playing it on us to 
 keep us out of bed." 
 
 A little while after matters had so quieted down that 
 the general-in-chief and Mrs. Grant retired to finish theii" 
 interrupted sleep. At daylight the Onondaga moved up 
 within nine hundred yards of the Confederate ironclad 
 Virginia, the flag-ship, and opened fire upon her. Some 
 of the shore guns were also trained upon her, and a 
 general pounding began. She was struck about one 
 hundred and thirty times, our 15-inch shells doing much 
 damage. Another vessel, the Richmond, was struck a 
 number of times, and a third, the Drewrg, and a tor- 
 pedo-launch were destroyed. At flood-tide the enemy 
 succeeded in getting their vessels afloat, and withdrew 
 up the river. That night they came down again, and 
 attacked the Onondaga, but retired after meeting with 
 a disastrous fire from that vessel and our batteries on 
 the river banks. This was the last service performed 
 by the enemy's fleet in the James River. 
 
 On the morning of January 24 breakfast in the mess- 
 room was a little later than usual, as every one had been 
 
HOW GRANT BECAME A OONFIKMED SMOKBK 381 
 
 trying to make up for the sleep lost the previous night. 
 When the chief had lighted his cigar after the morning 
 meal, and taken his place by the camp-fire, a staff-officer 
 said: "Greneral, I never saw cigars consumed quite so 
 rapidly as those you smoked last night when you were 
 writing despatches to head off the ironclads." He smiled, 
 and remarked : " No ; when I come to think of it, those 
 cigars did n't last very long, did they ? " An allusion was 
 then made to the large number he had smoked the second 
 .day of the battle of the Wilderness. In reply to this 
 he said : " I had be^n a very light smoker previous to 
 the attack on Donelson, and after that battle I acquired 
 a fondness for cigars by reason of a purely accidental 
 circumstance. Admiral Foote, commanding the fleet of 
 gunboats which were cooperating with the army, had 
 been wounded, and at his request I had gone aboard 
 his flag-ship to confer with him. The admiral offered 
 me a cigar, which I smoked on my way back to my 
 headquarters. On the road I was met by a staff-officer, 
 who announced that the enemy were making a vigorous 
 attack. I galloped forward at once, and while riding 
 among the troops giving directions for repulsing the 
 assault I carried the cigar in my hand. It had gone 
 out, but it seems that I continued to hold the stump 
 between my fingers throughout the battle. In the ac- 
 counts published in the papers I was represented as 
 smoking a cigar in the midst of the conflict; and many 
 persons, thinking, no doubt, that tobacco was my chief 
 solace, sent me boxes of the choicest brands from every- 
 where in the North. As many as ten thousand were 
 soon received. I gave away all I could get rid of, but 
 having such a quantity on hand, I naturally smoked 
 more than I would have done under ordinary circum- 
 stances, and I have continued the habit ever since." 
 Greneral Grrant never mentioned, however, one inci- 
 
382 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 dent in connection with the battle of Donelson, and no 
 one ever heard of it until it was related by his opponent 
 in that battle, General Buckner. In a speech made by 
 that officer at a banquet given in New York on the anni- 
 versary of General Grant's birthday, April 27, 1889, he 
 said: "... Under these circumstances, sir, I surren- 
 dered to General Grant. I had at a previous time be- 
 friended him, and it has been justly said that he never 
 forgot an act of kindness. I met him on the boat, and 
 he followed me when I went to my quarters. He left 
 the officers of his own army and followed me, with that 
 modest manner peculiar to himself, into the shadow, and 
 there tendered me his purse. It seems to me, Mr. Chair- 
 man, that in the modesty of his nature he was afraid the 
 light would witness that act of generosity, and sought 
 to hide it from the world. We can appreciate that, sir." 
 On the morning of the 31st of January General Grant 
 received a letter sent in on the Petersburg front the 
 day before, signed by the Confederates Alexander H. 
 Stephens, J. A. Campbell, and E. M. T. Hunter, asking 
 permission to come through our lines. These gentle- 
 men constituted the celebrated "Peace Commission," 
 and were on their way to endeavor to have a conference 
 with Mr. Lincoln. The desired permission to enter our 
 lines was granted, and Babcock was sent to meet them 
 and escort them to City Point. Some time after dark 
 the train which brought them arrived, and they came 
 at once to headquarters. General Grant was writing in 
 his quarters when a knock came upon the door. In 
 obedience to his " Come in ! " the party entered, and 
 were most cordially received, and a very pleasant con- 
 versation followed. Stephens was the Vice-President 
 of the Confederacy ; Campbell, a former justice of the 
 Supreme Court of the United States, was Assistant Sec- 
 retary of "War ; and Hunter was president pro tempore 
 
GEANT EECEIVES THE " PEACE COMMISSIONERS" 383 
 
 of the Confederate Senate. As General Grant had been 
 instructed from Washington to keep them at City Point 
 until further orders, he conducted them in person to the 
 headquarters steamer, the Mary Martin, which was lying 
 at the wharf, made them his guests, and had them pro- 
 vided with well-furnished state-rooms and comfortable 
 meals during-their stay. They were treated with every 
 possible courtesy ; their movements were not restrained, 
 and they passed part of the time upon the boat, and 
 part of it at headquarters. Stephens was about five feet 
 five inches in height ; his complexion was sallow, and 
 his skin seemed shriveled upon his bones. He possessed 
 inteUeet enough, however, for the whole commission. 
 Many pleasant conversations occurred with him at head- 
 quarters, and an officer once remarked, after the close 
 of an interview : " The Lord seems to have robbed that 
 man's body of nearly aU its flesh and blood to make 
 brains of them." 
 
 The commissioners twice endeavored to draw General 
 Grant out as to his ideas touching the proper conditions 
 of the proposed terms of peace ; but as he considered 
 himself purely a soldier, not intrusted with any diplo- 
 matic functions, and as the commissioners spoke of 
 negotiations between the two governments, while the 
 general was not willing to acknowledge even by an in- 
 ference any government within our borders except that 
 of the United States, he avoided the subject entirely, 
 except to let it be known by his remarks that he would 
 gladly welcome peace if it could be secured upon proper 
 terms, Mr. Lincoln had directed Mr. Seward, the Sec- 
 retary of State, on January 31, to meet the commis- 
 sioners at Fort Monroe on February 2. General Grant 
 telegraphed the President that he thought the gentlemen 
 were sincere in their desire to restore peace and union, 
 and that it would have a bad effect if they went back 
 
384 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 without any expression from one who was in authority, 
 and said he would feel sorry if Mr. Lincoln did not have 
 an interview with them, or with some of them. This 
 changed the President's mind, and he started at once 
 for Fort Monroe. The commissioners were sent down 
 the James River that afternoon, and were met at Fort 
 Monroe by the President and Mr. Seward on the 3d, and 
 had a conference lasting several hours aboard the Presi- 
 dent's steamer. Mr. Lincoln stated that peace could be 
 secured only by a restoration of the national authority 
 over aU the States, a recognition of the position assumed 
 by him as to the abolition of slavery, and an under- 
 standing that there should be no cessation of hostilities 
 short of an end of the war and a disbanding of all forces 
 hostile to the government. The commissioners, while 
 they did not declare positively that they would not con- 
 sent to reunion, avoided giving their assent ; and as they 
 seemed to desire to postpone that important question, 
 and adopt some other course first which might possibly 
 lead in the end to union, but which Mr. Lincoln and Mr, 
 Seward thought would amount simply to an indefinite 
 postponement, the conference ended without result. 
 After stopping at City Point and having another con- 
 versation with General Grant, principally in reference 
 to an exchange of prisoners, the Confederate commis- 
 sioners were escorted through our lines on their way 
 back to Richmond. I accompanied the escort part of 
 the way, and had an interesting talk with Mr. Stephens. 
 He was evidently greatly disappointed at the failure of 
 the conference, but was prudent enough not to talk 
 much about it. He spoke freely in regard to General 
 Grant, saying : " We all form our preconceived ideas of 
 men of whom we have heard a great deal, and I had 
 certain definite notions as to the appearance and char- 
 acter of General Grant ; but I was never so completely 
 
s 
 
 O 
 
 a 
 
 o 
 w 
 g. 
 
 SJ CO 
 
 ?" s 
 
 o 
 
GRANT EEOEIVES THE " PEACE COMMISSIONERS'* 385 
 
 surprised in all my life as wten I met him and found 
 Mm a person so entirely different from my idea of Mm. 
 His spare figure, simple manners, lack of all ostentation, 
 extreme politeness, and charm of conversation were a 
 revelation to me, for I had pictured him as a man of a 
 directly opposite type of character, and expected to find 
 in Mm only the bluntness of the soldier. Notwith- 
 standing the fact that he talks so well, it is plain that 
 he has more brains than tongue." He continued by 
 saying what he said several times in "Washington after 
 the war, and also wrote in his memoirs : " He ig one of 
 the most remarkable men I ever met. He does not 
 seem to be aware of his powers, but in the future he 
 will undoubtedly exert a controlling influence in shap- 
 ing the destinies of .the country." 
 
 Mr. Stephens was wrapped from his eyes to Ms heels 
 in a coarse gray overcoat about three sizes too large for 
 him, with a collar so high that it threatened to lift his 
 hat off every time he leaned his head back. This coat, 
 together with his complexion, which was as yellow as 
 a ripe ear of corn, gave rise to a characterization of the 
 costume by Mr. Lincoln which was very amusing. The 
 next time he saw General Grant at City Point, after the 
 " Peace Conference," he said to him, in speaking on the 
 subject, "Did you see Stephens's greatcoat?" "Oh, 
 yes," answered the general. "Well," continued Mr. 
 Lincoln, "soon after we assembled on the steamer at 
 Hampton Eoads, the cabin- began to get pretty warm, 
 and Stephens stood up and pulled off his big coat. He 
 peeled it off just about as you would husk an ear of 
 com. I could n't help thinking, as I looked first at the 
 coat and then at the man, ' Well^ that 's the biggest 
 shuck and the littlest nubbin I ever did see.'" This 
 story became one of the general's favorite anecdotes, and 
 he often related it in after years with the greatest zest. 
 
 26 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 GRANT PLANS THE SPEING CAMPAIGNS — THE PRESIDENT'S 
 SON JOINS GRANT'S STAPF — LEE ASKS A PERSONAL IN- 
 TERVIEW — A VISIONARY PEACE PROGRAM — HIGH PRICES 
 m RICHMOND — GRANT RECEIVES A MEDAL FROM CON- 
 GRESS — SHAVING UNDER DIFFICULTIES — ARRIVAL OF 
 SHERIDAN'S SCOUTS 
 
 GENERAL GRANT was at this time employing 
 all Ms energies in maturing his plans for a com- 
 prehensive campaign on the part of all the armies, with 
 a view to ending the war in the early spring. Sheridan 
 was to move down the vaUey of Virginia for the purpose 
 of destroying the railroads, the James River Canal, and 
 the factories in that section of country used for the pro- 
 duction of munitions of war. Stoneman was to start 
 upon a raid from, east Tennessee with 4000 men, vpith a 
 view to breaking up the enemy's communications in that 
 direction. Canby, who was in command at New Orleans, 
 was to advance against Mobile, Montgomery, and Sehna. 
 In the movement on Mobile, Canby had at least 45,000 
 men. Thomas was to send a large body of cavalry under 
 Wilson into Alabama. The movements of our forces 
 in the West were intended not only to destroy commu- 
 nications, but to keep the Confederate troops there from 
 being sent East to operate against Sherman. Sherman 
 was to march to Columbia, South Carolina, thence to 
 FayetteviUe, North Carolina, and afterward in the di- 
 sss 
 
GBANT PLANS THE SPRING CAMPAIGN 387 
 
 rection of Goldsborougk Schofield was to be transferred 
 from Tennessee to Annapolis, Maryland, and thence by- 
 steamer to the Cape Fear River, for the purpose of 
 moving inland from there and joining Sherman in North 
 Carolina. Schofield's orders were afterward changed, 
 and he rendezvoused at Alexandria, Virginia, instead of 
 Annapohs. The Army of the Potomac and the Army 
 of the James were to watch Lee, and at the proper time 
 strike his army a crushing blow, or, if he should sud- 
 denly retreat, to pursue him and inflict upon him all 
 damage possible, and to endeavor to head off and pre- 
 vent any portion of his army from reaching North Caro- 
 hna as an organized force capable of forming a junction 
 with Johnston and opposing Sherman. Some of these 
 operations were delayed longer than was expected, and 
 a few changes were made ta the original plan ; but they 
 were all carried into effect with entire success, and the 
 military ability of the general-in-chief never appeared 
 to better advantage than in directing these masterly 
 movements, which covered a theater of war greater than 
 that of any campaigns in modern history, and which 
 required a grasp and comprehension which have rarely 
 been possessed even by the greatest commanders. He 
 was at this period indefatigable in his labors, and he 
 once wrote in a single day forty-two important de- 
 spatches with his own hand. 
 
 In the latter part of January, General Grant went 
 with Schofield down the coast, and remained there a 
 short time to give personal directions on the ground. 
 Sherman entered Columbia February 17, and the garri- 
 son »of Charleston evacuated that place on the 18th 
 without waiting to be attacked. "When this news was 
 received, Dr. Craven, a medical officer who was in the 
 habit of drawing all his similes from his own profession, 
 commended the movement by saying : " General Sher- 
 
388 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 man applied a remedial agency wMcli is in entire accord 
 with the best medical practice. Charleston was suffer- 
 ing from the disease known as secession, and he got 
 control of it by means of counter-irritation." Wihning- 
 ton was captured on the 22d of February. 
 
 An addition was now made to our staff in the person 
 of Captain Robert T. Lincoln, the President's eldest son. 
 He had been graduated at Harvard Uniyersity in 1864, 
 and had at once urged his father to let him enter the 
 army and go to the front ; but Mr. Lincoln felt that this 
 would only add to his own personal anxieties, and Rob- 
 ert was persuaded to remain at Harvard and take a 
 course of study in the law-school. The fact is not gen- 
 erally known that Mr. Lincoln already had a personal 
 representative in the army. He had procured a man to 
 enlist early in the war, whom he always referred to as 
 his " substitute." This soldier served in the field to the 
 end with a good record, and the President watched his 
 course wdth great interest, and took no little pride in 
 him. 
 
 In the spring of 1865 Robert renewed his request to 
 his father, who mentioned the subject to General Grant. 
 The general said to the President that if he would let 
 Robert join the staff at headquarters, he would be glad 
 to give him a chance to see some active service in the 
 field. The President replied that he would consent to 
 this upon one condition : that his son should serve as a 
 volunteer aide without pay or emoluments ; but Grant 
 dissuaded him from adhering to that determination, 
 saying that it was due to the young man that he should 
 be regularly commissioned, and put on an equal footing 
 with other officers of the same grade. So it was finally 
 settled that Robert should receive the rank of captain 
 and assistant adjutant-general ; and on February 23 he 
 was attached to the staff of the general-in-chief . The 
 
LEE ASKS A PEESONAL INTERVIEW 389 
 
 new acquisition t© the company at headquarters soon 
 became exceedingly popular. He had inherited many 
 of the genial traits of his father, and entered heartUy 
 into all the social pastimes at headquarters. He was 
 always ready to perform his share of hard work, and 
 never expected to be treated differently from any other 
 officer on account of his being the son of the Chief 
 Executive of the nation. The experience acquired by 
 him in the field did much to fit him for the position 
 of Secretary of "War, which he afterward held. This 
 month had brought me another promotion. I r^eived 
 a commission as brevet colonel of volunteers, dated 
 February 24, for " faithful and meritorious services." 
 
 On the evening of March 3, just as the general was 
 starting to the mess-hut for dinner, a communication 
 was handed to him from General Lee, which had come 
 through our lines, and was dated the day before. After 
 referring to a recent meeting under a flag of truce be- 
 tween Ord and Longstreet, from which the impression 
 was derived that Q-eneral Grant would not refuse to see 
 him if he had authority to act for the purpose of at- 
 tempting to bring about an adjustment of the present 
 difficulties by means of a military convention, the let- 
 ter went on to say : " Sincerely desiring to leave nothing 
 untried which may put an end to the calamities of war, 
 I propose to meet you 'at such convenient time and 
 place as you may designate, with the hope that, upon 
 an interchange of views, it may be found practicable to 
 submit the subjects of controversy between the belliger- 
 ents to a convention of the kind mentioned. In such 
 event, I am authorized to do whatever the result of the 
 proposed interview may render necessary or advisable." 
 There came inclosed with this letter another stating that 
 General Lee feared there was some misunderstanding 
 about the exchange of political prisoners, and saying 
 
390 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 that he hoped that at the interview proposed some sat- 
 isfactory solution of that matter might be arrived at. 
 Greneral Grant, not being vested with any authority 
 whatever to' treat for peace, at once telegraphed the 
 contents of the communication to the Secretary of War, 
 and asked for instructions. The despatch was submitted 
 to Mr. Lincoln at the Capitol, where he had gone, ac- 
 cording to the usual custom at the closing hours of the 
 session of Congress, in order to act promptly upon bills 
 presented to him. He consulted with the Secretaries of 
 State and "War, and then wrote with his own hand a 
 reply, dated midnight, which was signed by Stanton, 
 and forwarded to General Grant. It was received the 
 morning of the 4th, and read as follows : " The President 
 directs me to say to you that he wishes you to have no 
 conference with General Lee, unless it be for the capit- 
 ulation of General Lee's army, or on some minor and 
 purely military matter. He in structs me to say that you 
 are not to decide, discuss, or confer upon any political 
 question. Such questions the President holds in his 
 own hands, and will submit them to no military confer- 
 ences or conventions. Meantime you are to press to the 
 utmost your military advantages." The general thought 
 that the President was unduly anxious about the man- 
 ner in which the affair would be treated, and repUed at 
 once :"...! can assure you that no act of the enemy 
 will prevent me from pressing all advantages gained to 
 the utmost of my ability ; neither will I, imder any cir- 
 cumstances, exceed my authority or in any way embar- 
 rass the government. It was because I had no right to 
 meet General Lee on the subject proposed by him that 
 I referred the matter for instructions." He then replied 
 to Lee : " In regard to meeting you on the 6th instant, 
 I would state that I have no authority to accede to your 
 proposition for a conference on the subject proposed. 
 
A. VISIONAKY PEACE PBOGEAM 391 
 
 SticIx autliority is vested in the President of the United 
 States alone. G-eneral Ord could only have meant that 
 I would not refuse an interview on any subject on which 
 I have a right to act, which, of course, would be such as 
 are purely of a military character, and on the subject of 
 exchanges, which has been intrusted to me." 
 
 It was learned afterward that an interesting but 
 rather fanciful program had been laid out by the enemy 
 as a means to be used in restoring peace, and that this 
 contemplated interview between Grant and Lee was to 
 be the opening feature. Jefferson Davis had lost the 
 confidence of his people to such an extent as a director 
 of military movements that Lee had been made gener- 
 alissimo, and given almost dictatorial powers as to war 
 measures. As the civilians had failed to bring about 
 peace, it was resolved to put Lee forward in an effort to 
 secure it upon some terms which the South could accept 
 without too great a sacrifice of its dignity, by means of 
 negotiations, which were to begin by a personal inter- 
 view with Greneral Grant, One proposition discussed 
 was that after the meeting of Grant and Lee, at which 
 peace should be urged upon terms of granting amnesty, 
 making some compensation for the emancipated slaves, 
 etc., by the national government, it should be arranged 
 to have Mrs. Longstreet, who had been an old friend of 
 Mrs. Grant, visit her at City Point, and after that to try 
 and induce Mrs. Grant to visit Eichmond. It was taken 
 for granted that the natural chivalry of the soldiers 
 would assui'e such cordial and enthusiastic greetings to 
 these ladies that it would arouse a general sentiment of 
 good wiU, which would everywhere lead to demonstra- 
 tions in favor of peace between the two sections of the 
 country. General Longstreet says that the project went 
 so far that Mrs. Longstreet, who was at Lynchburg, was 
 telegraphed to come on to Eichmond. The plan out- 
 
392 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 lined in this order of procedure was so visionary that it 
 seems strange that it could ever have been seriously 
 discussed by any one ; but it must be remembered that 
 the condition of the Confederacy was then desperate, 
 and that drowning men catch at straws. 
 
 It was seen that Grant, by his operations, was rapidly 
 forcing the fight to a finish. The last white man in the 
 South had been put into the ranks, the communications 
 were broken, the supplies were irregular, Confederate 
 money was at a fabulous discount, and hope had given 
 place to despair. The next evening one of our scouts 
 returned from a trip to Eichmond, and was brought to 
 headquarters in order that the general-in-chief might 
 question him in person. The man said : " The depre- 
 ciation in the purchasing power of ' graybacks,' as we 
 call the rebel treasury notes, is so rapid that every time 
 I go into the enemy's lines I have to increase my sup- 
 ply of them. On my last trip I had to stuff my clothes 
 full of their currency to keep myseH going for even a 
 couple of days. A barrel of flour in Eichmond now costs 
 over a thousand dollars, and a suit of clothes about 
 twelve hundred. A dollar in gold is equal in value to 
 a hundred dollars in graybacks. Then so much, coun- 
 terfeit Confederate money has been shoved in through 
 our lines that in the country places they don't pretend 
 to make any difference between good and bad money. 
 A fellow that had come in from the western part of the 
 State told me a pretty tough yarn about matters out 
 there. He said: 'Everything that has a picture on it 
 goes for money. If you stop at a hotel, and the bill of 
 fare happens to have an engraving of the house printed 
 at the top, you can just tear off the picture and pay for 
 your dinner with it.' " 
 
 On the 10th of March the Hon. Elihu B. Washburne, 
 who had paid one or two visits before to headquarters, 
 
ELIHU B. WASHBUENE. 
 
GKANT KECEIVES A MEDAL PEOM CONGBESS 393 
 
 arrived at City Point, and brought with him the medal 
 which had been struck, in accordance with an act of 
 Congress, in recognition of General Grant's services, 
 and which Mr. Washburne had been commissioned to 
 present. A dozen prominent ladies and gentlemen from 
 Washington came at the same time. On the afternoon 
 of the next day General Grant went with them to the 
 lines of the Army of the Potomac, and gave orders for 
 a review of some of the troops. That evening some 
 simple arrangements were made for the presentation of 
 the medal, which took place at 8 p. M. in the main cabin 
 of the steamer which had brought the visitors, an(f which 
 was lying at the City Point wharf. General Meade sug- 
 gested that he and the corps commanders would like to 
 witness the ceremony, and in response to an invitation 
 they came to City Point for the purpose, accompanied 
 by a large number of their staflf-of&cers. Mr. Wash- 
 burne arose at the appointed hour, and after delivering 
 an exceedingly graceful speech eulogistic of the illus- 
 trious services for which Congress had awarded this 
 testimonial of the nation's gratitude and appreciation, 
 he took the medal from the handsome morocco case in 
 which it was inclosed, and handed it to the general-in- 
 chief. The general, who had remained standing during 
 the presentation speech, with his right hand clasping 
 the lapel of his coat, received the medal, and expressed 
 his appreciation of the gift in a few well-chosen words, 
 but uttered with such modesty of manner, and in so 
 low a tone of voice, that they were scarcely audible. A 
 military band was in attendance, and at the suggestion 
 of Mrs. Grant a dance was now improvised. The oflS.- 
 cers soon selected their partners from among the ladies 
 present, and the evening's entertainment was continued 
 to a late hour. The general was urged to indulge in a 
 waltz, but from this he begged off. However, he finally 
 
394 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 agreed to compromise the matter by dancing a square 
 dance. He went through the cotillion, not as gracefully 
 as some of the beaux among the younger officers present, 
 but did his part exceedingly well, barring the impossi- 
 bility of his being able to keep exact time with the 
 music. He did not consider dancing his forte, and in 
 after life seldom indulged in that form of amusement, 
 unless upon some occasion when he attended a ball given 
 in his honor. In such case he felt that he had to take 
 part in the opening dance to avoid appearing impolite 
 or unappreciative. 
 
 Mr. Washburne was assigned quarters in camp next 
 to General Grant. The next day was Sunday. The 
 congressman was the first one up, and when he went to 
 shave he found there was no looking-glass in his quar- 
 ters ; so he stepped across to the general's office in his 
 shirt-sleeves, and finding a glass there, proceeded to 
 lather his face and prepare for the delicate operation of 
 removing his beard. Just as he had taken hold of his 
 nose with his left thumb and forefinger, which he had 
 converted into a sort of clothes-pin for the occasion, and 
 had scraped a wide swath down his right cheek with the 
 razor, the front door of the hut was suddenly burst 
 open, and a young woman rushed in, fell on her knees 
 at his feet, and cried : " Save him ! oh, save him ! He 's 
 my husband." The distinguished member of Congress 
 was so startled by the sudden apparition that it was 
 with difficulty that he avoided disfiguring his face with 
 a. large gash. He turned to the intruder, and said : 
 "What 's all this about your husband? Come, get up, 
 get up ! I don't understand you." " Oh, general, for 
 God's sake, do save my husband ! " continued the woman. 
 " Why, my good woman, I 'm not General Grant," the 
 congressman insisted. " Yes, you are ; they told me this 
 was your room. Oh, save him, general; they 're to 
 
SHAVING TTNDEB DIFFICULTIES 395 
 
 shoot Mm this very day for desertion if you don't stop 
 them," Mr. Washburne now began to take in the situ- 
 ation, and led the woman to a seat, and tried to comfort 
 her, while she began to tell how her young husband had 
 been led, through his fondness for her, to desert in 
 order to go home and see her, and how he had been 
 captured and court-martialed, and was to be executed 
 that day, and how she had heard of it only in time to 
 reach headquarters that morning to plead for his life. 
 By this time the general was up, and hearing from his 
 sleeping-apartment an excited conversation in the front 
 room, dressed hurriedly, and stepped upon the scene in 
 time to hear the burden of the woman's story. The 
 spectacle presented partook decidedly of the serio-comic. 
 The dignified member of Congress was standing in his 
 shirt-sleeves in front of the pleading woman, his face 
 covered with lather, except. the swath which had been 
 made down his right cheek ; the razor was uplifted in 
 his hand, and the tears were starting out of his eyes as 
 his sympathies began to be worked upon. The woman 
 was screaming and gesticulating frantically, and was 
 almost hysterical with grief. I appeared at the front 
 door about the same time that the general entered from 
 the rear, and it was hard to tell whether one ought to 
 laugh or cry at the sight presented. The general now 
 took a hand in the matter, convinced the woman that 
 he was the commanding general, assured her that he 
 would take steps at once to have her husband reprieved 
 and pardoned, and sent her away rejoieiag. His inter- 
 position saved the man's life just in the nick of time. 
 He cracked many a joke with Mr. Washburne afterward 
 about the figure he cut on the morning of the occur- 
 rence. 
 
 Sheridan had started out from Winchester on the 27th 
 of February with nearly 10,000 cavalry. On March 5 
 
396 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GEANT 
 
 news was received that he had struck Early's forces 
 between Staunton and Charlottesville, and crushed his 
 entire command, compelling Early and other officers to 
 take refuge in houses and in the woods. For some time 
 thereafter only contradictory reports were heard from 
 Sheridan, through the Richmond papers which cameinto 
 our hands ; and as he was in the heart of the enemy's 
 country, and direct communication was cut off, it was 
 difficult to ascertain the facts. General Grrant felt no 
 apprehension as to the result of Sheridan's movements, 
 but was anxious to get definite reports. On Sunday 
 evening, March 12, the members of the mess sat down 
 to dinner about dark. Mrs. Grrant and Mrs. Eawhns, 
 who was also visiting headquarters, were at the table. 
 Toward the end of the meal the conversation turned 
 upon Sheridan, and aU present expressed the hope that 
 we might soon hear something from him in regard to 
 the progress of his movements. Just then a colored 
 waiter stepped rapidly into the mess-room, and said to 
 the general : " Thah 's a man outside dat say he want to 
 see you right away, and he don't 'pear to want to see 
 nobody else." "What kind of looking man is he?" 
 asked the general. " Why," said the servant, " he 's de 
 mos' drefde-lookin' bein' I ebber laid eyes on ; he 'pears 
 to me like he was a' outcast." With the general's con- 
 sent, I left the table and went to see who the person 
 was. I found a man outside who was about to sink 
 to the ground from exhaustion, and who had scarcely 
 strength enough to reply to my questions. He had on 
 a pair of soldier's trousers three or four inches too short, 
 and a blouse three sizes too large ; he was without a hat, 
 and his appearance was grotesque in the extreme. With 
 b iTn was another man in about the same condition. 
 After giving them some whisky they gathered strength 
 enough to state that they were scouts sent by Sheridan 
 
AERIVAL OF SHEEIDAN'S SCOUTS 397 
 
 from Columbia on the James River, had passed througli 
 the enemy's lines, bringing with them a long and im- 
 portant despatch from their commander, had ridden 
 hard for two days, and had had a particularly rough 
 experience in getting through to our lines. Their 
 names were J. A. Campbell and A. H, Rowand, Jr. As 
 Campbell had the despatch in his possession, I told him 
 to step into the mess-room with me, and hand it to the 
 general in person, so as to comply literally with his in- 
 structions, knowing the general's anxiety to have the 
 news at once. The message was written on tissue-paper 
 and inclosed in a ball of tin-foil, which the scout had 
 carried in his mouth. The general glanced over it, and 
 then read it aloud to the party at the dinner-table. It 
 consisted of about three pages, and gave a vivid account 
 of Sheridan's successful march, and the irreparable dam- 
 age he had inflicted upon the enemy's communications, 
 saying that he had captured twenty-eight pieces of ar- 
 tillery, destroyed many miUs and factories, the James 
 Eiver Canal for a distance of fifteen miles, and the 
 bridges on the Eivanna Eiver, and stating that he was 
 going to destroy the canal still further the next day, and 
 then move on the Central and the Fredericksburg rail- 
 roads, tear them up, and afterward march to White 
 House, where he would like to have forage and rations 
 sent him; and notifying the general that his purpose, 
 unless otherwise ordered, was then to join the Army of 
 the Potomac. The general proceeded to interrogate 
 Campbell, but the ladies, who had now become intensely 
 interested in the scout, also began to ply him with ques- 
 tions,, which were directed at him so thick and fast that 
 he soon found himself in the situation of the outstretched 
 human figure in the almanac, fired at with arrows from 
 every sign of the zodiac. The general soon rose from 
 his seat, and said good-naturedly : " Well, I wiU never 
 
398 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 get the information I want from this scout as long as 
 you ladies have him under cross-examination, and I 
 think I had better take him over to my quarters, and 
 see if I cannot have him to myseH for a little whUe." 
 By this time the dinner-party was pretty weU broken 
 up, and by direction of the general several members of 
 the staff accompanied him and the scouts to the gener- 
 al's quarters. It was learned from them that Sheridan, 
 deeming it very important to get a despatch through to 
 headquarters, selected two parties, consisting each of 
 two scouts. To each party was given a copy of the 
 despatch, and each was left to select its own route. 
 Campbell and Rowand started on horseback from Co- 
 lumbia on the evening of the 10th, following the roads 
 on the north side of Richmond. They were twice over- 
 hauled by parties of the enemy, but they represented 
 themselves as belonging to Imboden's cavalry, and being 
 in Confederate uniforms and skilled in the Southern 
 dialect, they escaped without detection. When they 
 approached the Chickahominy they were met by two 
 men and a boy, with whom they fell into conversation, 
 and were told by them that they had better not cross the 
 river, as there were Yankee troops on the other side. 
 Before the scouts were out of earshot they heard one of 
 the men say to the other, " I believe those f eUows are 
 d — d Yankees," and soon they found that the alarm had 
 been given, and the Confederate cavalry were pursuing 
 them. They rode forward to the Chickahominy as 
 rapidly as they could proceed in the jaded condition of 
 their horses, and when they reached the stream they 
 took off everything except their undershirts, tied their 
 clothes on the pommels of their saddles, and swam their 
 horses across the river. Campbell had taken the roU of 
 tin-foil which contained the despatch from the lining of 
 his boot, and put it in his mouth. On the other side of 
 
ABRIVAL OP SHERIDAN'S SCOUTS 399 
 
 the stream they found a steep, muddy bank and a row 
 of piles. As the horses could not struggle out, the men 
 abandoned them, and got into a canoe which providen- 
 tially happened to be floating past, and by this means 
 got ashore. The Confederates by this time had opened 
 fire on them from the opposite bank. The scouts made 
 their way on foot for eleven miles, in their almost naked 
 condition, to Harrison's Landing on the James Eiver, 
 where they met a detachment of our troops. The sol- 
 diers supplied them with trousers and blouses such as 
 they, could spare, and took them by boat to City Point. 
 They had ridden one hundred and forty-five miles with- 
 out sleep and with but little food. The second pair of 
 scouts sent by Sheridan made their way by canal and 
 on foot to the south of Richmond. After six unsuc- 
 cessful attempts to get across the hues, one of them 
 reached headquarters several days later. The scouts 
 were given a meal of the best food of which the head- 
 quarters mess could boast, and put into a comfortable 
 hut, where they lost no time in making up for lost sleep. 
 The next day General Grant made all preparation for 
 sending supplies and troops to meet Sheridan at White 
 House. The general complimented the scouts warmly 
 upon their success, directed that they be supplied with 
 two good horses and an outfit of clothing, and sent them 
 around to White House on a steamer to await Sheridan 
 there ; but on their arrival they could not restrain their 
 spirit of adventure, and rode out through the enemy's 
 country in the direction of the South Anna River untU 
 they met their commander. 
 
 Campbell was only nineteen years of age. Sheridan 
 always addressed him as " Boy," and the history of his 
 many hairbreadth escapes that year would fill a volume. 
 Campbell has always remained a scout and is still in 
 the employ of the government in that capacity at Fort 
 
400 CAMPAIGNrNG WITH GEANT 
 
 Custer; Rowand is now a prominent lawyer in Pitts- 
 burg, Pennsylvania, 
 
 This day (Marcli 13) possesses a peculiar personal 
 interest for me, for the reason that it is the date borne 
 by two brevet appointments I received — one of colonel 
 and the other of brigadier-general in the regular army 
 — for "gallant and meritorious services in the field 
 during the rebellion." 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 GKANT DEAWS THE NET TIGHTBK ABOUND THE ENEMY — 
 PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S LAST VISIT TO GRANT — GRANT'S 
 FORESIGHT — ATTACK ON FORT STEDMAN — THE PRESI- 
 DENT TELLS SOME ANECDOTES — MR. LINCOLN'S* KIND- 
 NESS TO ANIMALS — SHERIDAN'S FINAL ORDERS — THE 
 PRESIDENT REVIEWS THE ARMY OF THE JAMES 
 
 SHERIDAN reached White House on March 19, 
 after having made a campaign seldom equaled in 
 activity, through a difficult country and during inces- 
 sant rains. He had whipped the enemy at aU points, 
 captured 17 pieces of artillery and 1600 prisouers, and 
 destroyed 56 canal-locks, 5 aqueducts, 23 railroad 
 bridges, 40 canal and road bridges, together with 40 
 miles of railroad, numerous warehouses and factories, 
 and vast quantities of military supplies. 
 
 On March 20 Stoneman advanced toward east Ten- 
 nessee, and on the same day Canby moved his forces 
 against Mobile. Sherman had whipped all the troops 
 opposed to him in his march through the Carolinas, and 
 destroyed communications in all directions. He and 
 Schofield met with their armies at Groldsboro', North 
 Carolina, on the 23d of March, and about all the points 
 on the Atlantic coast were now in our possession. 
 
 When Sheridan started to join Glrant, Hancock had 
 been put in command of the Middle Military Division. 
 The various armies were aU working successfully with 
 
 26 401 
 
402 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 a common purpose in view, and under one watchful, 
 guiding mind tlie web was being woven closer and 
 closer about the Confederate capital, and the cause of 
 secession was every day drawing nearer to its doom. 
 
 General G-rant's only anxiety now was to prevent the 
 escape of the enemy from Eichmond before he could be 
 struck a crushing blow. No campaign in force could be 
 made at this time by moving around to the west of 
 Lee's army and heading it off in that direction, for the 
 reason that the rainy season stiU continued, and ren- 
 dered the roads difficult for infantry and impassable for 
 wagons and artillery, and because Sheridan's cavalry 
 had not yet joined our army in front of Petersburg. 
 Every possible precaution was taken meanwhile to pre- 
 vent Lee from withdrawing his army. Scouts and spies 
 were more active than ever before ; about 30,000 men 
 were kept virtually on the picket-line, and all the troops 
 were equipped and supplied, ready to make a forced 
 march at a moment's notice in case Lee should be found 
 moving. It was now ascertained that Sheridan could 
 start from White House on March 25 to join the Army 
 of the Potomac, and on the 24th orders were issued for 
 a general movement of the armies operating against 
 Petersburg and Richmond, to begin on the night of the 
 28th, for the purpose of marching around Lee's right, 
 breaking up his last remaining railroads, the DanviUe 
 and the South Side, and giving, if possible, the final 
 blow to the Confederacy. 
 
 On March 20 General Grant had telegraphed the 
 President : " Can you not visit City Point for a day or 
 two ? I would like very much to see you, and I think 
 the rest would do you good." This invitation was 
 promptly accepted, and on the 24th word came that he 
 was on his way up the James aboard the Biver Queen. 
 About nine o'clock that evening the steamer approached 
 
PBESEDENT LINCOLN'S LAST VISIT TO GBANT 403 
 
 the wharf, and General G-rant, with those of us who 
 were with him at the moment, including Robert Lin- 
 coln, went down to the landing and met the President, 
 Mrs. Lincoln, their youngest son, "Tad," and several 
 ladies who had come from Washington with the Presi- 
 dential party. The meeting was very cordial. It lasted 
 but a short time, however, as Mr. Lincoln and his family 
 were evidently fatigued by the trip, and it was thought 
 that they might want to retire at an early hour. His 
 steamer was escorted by a naval vessel named the Bat, 
 commanded by Captain John S. Barnes, an accom- 
 plished officer of the navy. 
 
 Grant, with his usual foresight, had predicted that 
 Lee would make a determined assault at some point on 
 our lines in an endeavor to throw our troops into con- 
 fusion, and then make his escape before our men could 
 recover from their consternation and be prepared to 
 follow him closely. As early as February 22 the gen- 
 eral-in-chief sent a very characteristic despatch to 
 Parke, who was temporarily in command of the Army 
 of the Potomac during Meade's absence : " As there is a 
 possibility of an attack from the enemy at any time, 
 and especially an attempt to break your center, extra 
 vigilance should be kept up both by the pickets and the 
 troops on the line. Let commanders understand that 
 no time is to be lost awaiting orders, if an attack is 
 made, in bringing all their resources to the point of 
 danger. With proper alacrity in this respect, I would 
 have no objection to seeing the enemy get through." 
 
 On the evening of the 24th of March, General Meade 
 came to headquarters to meet Mrs. Meade, who had 
 arrived by steamer at City Point, and General Grant 
 suggested to him that he had better remain over tiU the 
 next day, which he did. General Ord also stayed at 
 headquarters that night. 
 
404 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 About six o'clock the next morning, March 25, the 
 camp was awakened and was soon all astir by reason of 
 a message from the Petersburg front saying that the 
 enemy had broken through our lines near Fort Stedman 
 and was making a heavy attack. Soon after it was 
 found that the telegraph-line had been broken, and as 
 messages would now have to come most of the distance 
 by couriers, there was increased anxiety as to the move- 
 ment. Greneral Grrant saw at once that his prediction 
 of a month before had been fulfilled, but believed that 
 the cautions given would be observed, so that he did 
 not experience much apprehension. We had wakened 
 him the moment the announcement came by rapping 
 upon the door of the room occupied by him and Mrs. 
 Grant ; and in reply to his questions the despatch was 
 read loud enough for him to hear it without opening 
 the door. He dressed at once, and as this was a process 
 which never occupied many minutes, he was soon out 
 in front of his quarters, where he was met by Meade 
 and others. Meade was greatly nettled by the fact that 
 he was absent from his command at such a time, and 
 was pacing up and down with great strides, and dictat- 
 ing orders to his chief of staff, General Webb, who was 
 with him, in tones which showed very forcibly the in- 
 tensity of his feelings. The President, who was aboard 
 his boat anchored out in the river, soon heard of the 
 attack, and he was kept informed of the events which 
 were taking place by his son Robert, who carried the 
 news to him. 
 
 General Grant, with his usual aggressiveness, tele- 
 graphed to the Army of the James : " This may be a 
 signal for leaving. Be ready to take advantage of it." 
 It was nearly two hours before any very definite in- 
 formation could be obtained, but the news began to be 
 favorable, and by half-past eight o'clock it was learned 
 
ATTACK ON FORT STEDMAN 405 
 
 that our whole line had been recaptured, many prison- 
 ers taken, and that everything was again quiet. Mr. 
 Lincoln now sent a telegram to the Secretary of "War, 
 winding up with the words : " Robert just now tells me 
 there was a little rumpus up the line this morning, end- 
 ing about where it began." Generals Meade and Ord 
 returned as soon as they could to their respective com-, 
 mands, and took vigorous measures against the enemy, 
 
 It seems that the Richmond authorities had come to 
 the conclusion that their position was no longer tenable, 
 and that their army must retreat as soon as possible. 
 A successful attack on our right, it was hoped, would 
 throw our troops into confusion, and while we were 
 maturing plans for the recapture of the lost portion of 
 our lines, and drawing in troops from our left for this 
 purpose, Lee would find an opportunity to make a forced 
 march with his army toward the Carolinas. 
 
 This attack was one of the most dramatic events of 
 the siege of Petersburg. It was commanded by Gen- 
 eral J. B. Gordon. There had been placed at his dis- 
 posal for the purpose about one half of Lee's entire 
 army. For some time men had been leaving the ranks 
 of the enemy and making their way to us through the 
 lines at night. The arms which they brought in were 
 purchased from them at a fair price, and everything 
 possible was done to encourage these desertions. The 
 attacking party, knowing of this practice, took advan- 
 tage of it, and succeeded in having his skirmishers gain 
 an entrance to our lines in the guise of deserters, and 
 suddenly make prisoners of our pickets. Just before 
 dawn our trench guards were overpowered, our main 
 liile was broken between two of our batteries, and Fort 
 Stedman, after a brief but gallant resistance, was cap- 
 tured, and its guns turned against our own troops. 
 Several more batteries to the right and left were soon 
 
406 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 taken, and as friends could not be distinguished' from 
 foes, owing to the darkness, it was for a time diflfictQt 
 for our troops to use artillery. Further assaults, how- 
 ever, were handsomely repulsed ; as soon as there was 
 sufficient light a heavy artillery fire was concentrated 
 on the enemy, and at a quarter to eight o'clock Hartranft 
 advanced against Fort Stedman, and recaptured it with 
 comparatively small loss. 
 
 The movement was well planned, and carried out 
 with skUl and boldness, but it proved a signal failure. 
 It was a desperate military gamble, with very few 
 chances of winning. It was a curious coincidence that 
 on the same day that Lee was preparing for his assault 
 on our right. Grant was writing his orders for a general 
 movement of the Union armies against the enemy's 
 right. 
 
 Greneral Grant proposed to the President that fore- 
 noon that he should accompany him on a trip to the 
 Petersburg front. The invitation was promptly accepted, 
 and several hours were spent in visiting the troops, who 
 cheered the President enthusiastically. He was greatly 
 interested in looking at the prisoners who had been cap- 
 tured that morning ; and while at Meade's headquarters, 
 about two o'clock, sent a despatch to Stanton, say- 
 ing: "... I have nothing to add to what General 
 Meade reports, except that I have seen the prisoners 
 myself, and they look like there might be the number 
 he states — 1600." The President carried a map with 
 him, which he took out of his pocket and examined 
 several times. He had the exact location of the troops 
 marked on it, and he exhibited a singularly accurate 
 knowledge of the various positions. 
 
 Upon the return to headquarters at City Point, he sat 
 for a while by the camp-fire ; and as the smoke curled 
 about his head during certain shif tings of the wind, and 
 
THE PRESIDENT TELLS SOME ANECDOTES 407 
 
 he brushed it away from time to time by waving his 
 right hand in front of his face, he entertained the gen- 
 eral-in-chief and several members of the staff by talking 
 in a most interesting manner about public affairs, and 
 illustrating the subjects mentioned with his incompar- 
 able anecdotes. At first his manner was grave and his 
 language much more serious than usual. He spoke of 
 the appalling difficulties encountered by the adminis- 
 tration, the losses in the field, the perplexing financial 
 problems, and the foreign complications ; but said they 
 had aU. been overcome by the unswerving patriotism of 
 the people, the devotion of the loyal North, aad the 
 superb fighting qualities of the troops. After a while 
 he spoke in a more cheerful vein, and said : " England 
 wiU live to regret her inimical attitude toward us. After 
 the collapse of the rebellion John Bull will find that 
 he has injured himself much more seriously than us. 
 His action reminds me of a barber in Sangamon County 
 in my State. He had just gone to bed when a stranger 
 came along and said he must be shaved ; that he had a 
 four days' beard on his face, and was going to take a 
 girl to a ball, and that beard must come off. WeU, the 
 barber got up reluctantly and dressed, and seated the 
 man in a chair with a back so low that every time he 
 bore down on him he came near dislocating his victim's 
 neck. He began by lathering his face, including his 
 nose, eyes, and ears, stropped his razor on his boot, and 
 then made a drive at the man's countenance as if he 
 had practised mowing in a stubble-field. He cut a bold 
 swath across the right cheek, carrying away the beard, 
 a pimple, and two warts. The man in the chair ven- 
 tured to remark : ' You appear to make everything level 
 as you go.' ' Yes,' said the barber ; ' and if this handle 
 don't break, I guess I 'U get away with most of what 'S 
 there.' The man's cheeks were so hollow that the bar- 
 
408 CAMPAIGJ^mO WITH GRANT 
 
 ber could n't get down into the valleys with the razor, 
 and the ingenious idea occurred to him to stick his fin- 
 ger in the man's mouth and press out the cheeks. 
 Finally he cut clear through the cheek and into his own 
 finger. He pulled the finger out of the man's mouth, 
 snapped the blood off it, glared at him, and cried: 
 * There, you lantern-jawed cuss, you 've made me cut 
 my finger ! ' And so England will discover that she has 
 got the South into a pretty bad scrape by trying to 
 administer to her, and in the end she wiU find that she 
 has only cut her own finger." 
 
 After the laugh which followed this story had ex- 
 hausted itself. General Grant asked: "Mr. President, 
 did you at any time doubt the final success of the cause ? " 
 " Never for a moment," was the prompt and emphatic 
 reply, as Mr. Lincoln leaned forward in his camp-chair 
 and enforced his words by a vigorous gesture of his 
 right hand. "Mr. Seward, when he visited me last 
 summer, gave a very interesting account of the compli- 
 cations and embarrassments arising from the Mason 
 and Slidell affair, when those commissioners were cap- 
 tured on board the English vessel Trent^ remarked 
 General Grant. "Yes," said the President; "Seward 
 studied up aU the works ever written on international 
 law, and came to cabinet meetings loaded to the muzzle 
 with the subject. We gave due consideration to the 
 case, but at that critical period of the war it was soon 
 decided to deliver up the prisoners. It was a pretty 
 bitter pill to swallow, but I contented myself with be- 
 lieving that England's triumph in the matter would be 
 short-lived, and that after ending our war successfully 
 we would be so powerful that we could call her to ac- 
 count for all the embarrassments she had inflicted upon 
 us. I felt a good deal like the sick man in Illinois who 
 was told he probably had n't many days longer to live. 
 
THE PRESIDENT TELLS SOME ANECDOTES 409 
 
 and lie ought to make Ms peace with any enemies he 
 might have. He said the man he hated worst of all was 
 a fellow named Brown, in the next village, and he 
 guessed he had better begin on him. So Brown was 
 sent for, and when he came the sick man began to say, 
 in a voice as meek as Moses's, that he wanted to die at 
 peace with all his fellow-creatures, and he hoped he and 
 Brown could now shake hands and bury all their enmity. 
 The scene was becoming altogether too pathetic for 
 Brown, who had to get out his handkerchief and wipe 
 the gathering tears from his eyes. It was n't long be- 
 fore he melted, and gave his hand to his neighbor, and 
 they had a regular love-feast of forgiveness. After a 
 parting that would have softened the heart of a grind- 
 stone. Brown had about reached the room door when 
 the sick man rose up on his elbow and called out to 
 him : ' But see here. Brown ; if I should happen to get 
 well, mind, that old grudge stands.' So I thought that 
 if this nation should happen to get well we might want 
 that old grudge against England to stand." 
 
 It was a singular sequel to this conversation that the 
 officer to whom he was then speaking became Mr. Lin- 
 coln's successor in the Presidential chair, and carried 
 out this determination by securing a settlement of the 
 account known in history as the "Alabama claims," and 
 the payment from England of fifteen and a half millions 
 of dollars as compensation for damages inflicted upon 
 our commerce. 
 
 The President now went aboard his boat to spend the 
 night. The next morning he wandered into the tent of 
 the headquarters telegraph operator, where several of 
 us were sitting. He pulled out of his pocket a telegram 
 which he had received from the Secretary of War, and 
 his face assumed a broad smile as he said : " Well, the 
 serious Stanton is actually becoming facetious. Just 
 
410 CAMPAIGKING WITH GRANT 
 
 listen to what lie says in his despatch : ' Your telegram 
 and Parke's report of the scrimmage this morning are 
 received. The rebel rooster looks a little the worse, as 
 he could not hold the fence. We have nothing new here. 
 Now you are away, everything is quiet and the tormen- 
 tors vanished. I hope you will remember GreneraJ Har- 
 rison's advice to his men at Tippecanoe, that they can 
 " see as weU a little farther off." ' " 
 
 Three tiny kittens were crawling about the tent at the 
 time. The mother had died, and the little wanderers 
 were expressing their grief by mewing piteously. Mr. 
 Lincoln picked them up, took them on his lap, stroked 
 their soft fur, and murmured: "Poor little creatures^ 
 don't cry ; you '11 be taken good care of," and turning to 
 Bowers, said : " Colonel, I hope you will see that these 
 poor little motherless waifs are given plenty of milk 
 and treated kindly." Bowers replied: "I will see, Mr. 
 President, that they are taken in charge by the cook of 
 our mess, and are well cared for." Several times during 
 his stay Mr. Lincoln was found fondling these kittens. 
 He would wipe their eyes tenderly with his handker- 
 chief, stroke their smooth coats, and listen to them 
 purring their gratitude to him. It was a curious sight 
 at an army headquarters, upon the eve of a great mili- 
 tary crisis in the nation's history, to see the hand which 
 had affixed the signature to the Emancipation Procla- 
 mation, and had signed the commissions of all the 
 heroic men who served the cause of the Union, from the 
 general-in-chief to the lowest lieutenant, tenderly caress- 
 ing three stray kittens. It well illustrated the kindness 
 of the man's disposition, and showed the childlike sim- 
 plicity which was mingled with the grandeur of his 
 nature. 
 
 General Grant had sent word to Sheridan, whose 
 troops were now crossing the James, to come in person 
 
SHptlDAN'S FINAL ORDEBS 411 
 
 to headquarters, and early on the morning of March 26 
 he arrived. Rawhns and several other officers were in 
 front of our quarters at the time, and upon seeing 
 Sheridan, who had been separated from us for so long 
 a time, we hurried forward to greet him. Eawlins, in 
 his enthusiasm, seized both of Sheridan's hands in his 
 own, wrung them vigorously, and then went to patting 
 him on the back. Sheridan returned all the greetings 
 warmly, and Rawlins now informed him that General 
 Grrant had made up his mind to send the cavalry through 
 to join Sherman, destroying all communications as they 
 went. Sheridan looked greatly annoyed at ttiis in- 
 formation, and Eawlins agreed with him that such a 
 move ought not to be made. Sheridan was told that the 
 general-in-chief was awaiting him in his quarters, and 
 went in and had a long talk. The general showed him 
 the written instructions which he had prepared, and to 
 which Rawlins had just referred. They directed him to 
 proceed with his cavalry around Lee's right, and then 
 to move independently under other instructions. Sheri- 
 dan felt convinced, from what was said verbally, that 
 he was expected to cut loose and move down to Sher- 
 man's army. Some of the staff now entered the room, 
 and found Sheridan arguing against the policy of such 
 a move. When he rose up to go, the general followed 
 him out and had a few words of private conversation. 
 "We learned afterward that he told Sheridan that the 
 part of the instructions to. which he objected was merely 
 a blind; that he intended to end the contest at once 
 where we were, and that Sheridan was to operate against 
 Lee's right, and be in at the death. He said : " In case 
 the operations of the cavalry should not be an entire 
 success, the people would take it for granted that a defi- 
 nite movement which they had been expecting had been 
 a complete failure, and they would be greatly discou- 
 
412 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 raged. So I wanted the impression to prevail that a 
 different movement had been contemplated. I really 
 have no intention of sending yon to Sherman." This 
 was the general's little secret, which he had kept from 
 all of the staff, and revealed to the cavalry commander 
 Sheridan only at the last moment. Sheridan was made 
 happy by this conversation, and immediately told it to 
 Eawlins, who was as much delighted as Sheridan him- 
 self. 
 
 It was decided that upon this day Mr. Lincoln would 
 review a portion of the Army of the James on the north 
 side of the James River, and Sheridan was invited to 
 join the party from headquarters who were to accom- 
 pany the President. The boat started from City Point 
 at eleven o'clock. 
 
 At breakfast Greneral Grant said to me : " I shall ac- 
 company the President, who is to ride ' Cincinnati,' as 
 he seems to have taken a fancy to him. I wish you 
 would take Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grrant to the review- 
 ing-ground in our headquarters ambulance." I ex- 
 pressed my pleasure at being selected for so pleasant a 
 mission, and arranged to have the ambulance and two 
 good horses put aboard the headquarters boat, which 
 was to carry the party up the river. Captain Barnes, 
 who commanded the vessel which had escorted the 
 President's steamer, was to be one of the party, and I 
 loaned him my horse. This was a favor which was 
 usually accorded with some reluctance to naval officers 
 when they came ashore ; for these men of the ocean at 
 times tried to board the animal on the starboard side, 
 and often rolled in the saddle as if there was a heavy 
 sea on ; and if the horse, in his anxiety to rid himseK of 
 a sea-monster, tried to scrape his rider off by rubbing 
 against a tree, the officer attributed the unseaman-like 
 conduct of the animal entirely to the fact that his steer- 
 
THE PBESIDENT BEYIEWS THE AKMY OP THE JAMES 413 
 
 ing-gear had become unsliipped. A naval hero not long 
 before had borrowed a horse ashore, and attempted to 
 make his seat firmer on deck by grappling the animal's 
 beam-ends with his spurs, which caused the horse to run 
 a little too free before the wind; and when the officer 
 could not succeed in making him shorten sail by haul- 
 ing in on the reins, he took out his jack-knife and dug 
 it in the animal's flanks, swearing that if he could not 
 bring the craft to in any other way he would scuttle it. 
 Navy officers were about as reluctant to lend their boats 
 to army people, for fear they would knock holes in the 
 bottom when jumping in, break the oars in catching 
 crabs, and stave in the bows through an excess of mod- 
 esty which manifested itself in a reluctance to give the 
 command, " Way enough ! " in time when approaching 
 a wharf. 
 
 The President was in a more gloomy mood than usual 
 on the trip up the James. He spoke with much serious- 
 ness about the situation, and did not attempt to tell a 
 single anecdote. As the boat passed the point where 
 Sheridan's cavalry was crossing the river on the pon- 
 toon-bridge, he manifested considerable interest in 
 watching the troopers, and addressed a number of ques- 
 tions to their commander. When the boat reached the 
 landing on the north side of the river, I helped the two 
 distinguished ladies who had been intrusted to my care 
 into the ambulance, and started for the reviewing-ground, 
 about two miles distant. The horsemen got the start of 
 us and made good time ; but as the road was swampy, 
 and part of it corduroyed with the trunks of small trees, 
 without much reference to their relative size or regu- 
 larity of position, the ambulance could make but slow 
 progress. Some additional springs had been put under 
 it, and cross-seats arranged so as to make it ride more 
 easily than the ordinary army ambulance ; but the im- 
 
414 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GEANT 
 
 proved springs only served to toss the occupants higher 
 in the air when the wheels struck a particularly aggra- 
 vating obstacle. Mrs. Lincoln, finding we were losing 
 time, and fearing we would miss part of the review, ex- 
 pressed a wish to move faster, and I reluctantly gave 
 the order to the driver. We were still on a corduroyed 
 portion of the road, and when the horses trotted the 
 mud flew in all directions, and a sudden jolt hfted the 
 party clear off the seats, jammed the ladies' hats against 
 the top of the wagon, and bumped their heads as well. 
 Mrs. Lincoln now insisted on getting out and walking ; 
 but as the mud was nearly hub-deep, Mrs. Grant and I 
 persuaded her that we had better stick to the wagon as 
 our only ark of refuge. Finally we reached our desti- 
 nation, but it was some minutes after the review had 
 begun. Mrs. Ord, and the wives of several of the offi- 
 cers who had come up from Fort Monroe for the pur- 
 pose, appeared on horseback as a mounted escort to 
 Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grant. This added a special 
 charm to the scene, and the review passed off with 
 peculiar brilliancy. Mrs. Grant enjoyed the day with 
 great zest, but Mrs. Lincoln had suffered so much from 
 the fatigue and annoyances of her overland trip that 
 she was not in a mood to derive much pleasure from the 
 occasion. I made up my mind that ambulances, viewed 
 as vehicles for driving distinguished ladies to mili- 
 tary reviews, were not a stupendous success, and that 
 thereafter they had better be confined to their legiti- 
 mate uses of transporting the wounded and attending 
 funerals. 
 
 Upon the return trip on the boat, the President seemed 
 to recover his spirits. Perhaps the manifestation of 
 strength on the part of the splendid Army of the James 
 which he had witnessed at the review had served to 
 cheer him up. He told one excellent story on the way 
 
THE PEESmENT REVIEWS THE ARMY OF THE JAMES 415 
 
 back. In speaking of a prominent general, and th.e 
 failure of tlie numerous attempts on tlie President's part 
 to make the officer's services useful to the country, and 
 the necessity finally of relieving him from all command, 
 he said : " I was not more successful than the blacksmith 
 in our town, in my boyhood days, when he tried to put 
 to a useful purpose a big piece of wrought-iron that was 
 in the shop. He heated it, put it on the anvil, and said : 
 ' I 'm going to make a sledge-hammer out of you.' After 
 a while he stopped hammering it, looked at it, and re- 
 marked : ' Gruess I 've drawed you out a little tpo fine 
 for a sledge-hammer ; reckon I 'd better make a clevis 
 of you.' He stuck it in the fire, blew the bellows, got 
 up a good heat, then began shaping the iron again on 
 the anvil. Pretty soon he stopped, sized it up with his 
 eye, and said : ' Guess I 've drawed you out too thin for 
 a clevis; suppose I better make a clevis-bolt of you.' 
 He put it in the fire, bore down stiU harder on the bel- 
 lows, drew out the iron, and went to work at it once 
 more on the anvil. In a few minutes he stopped, took 
 a look, and exclaimed : ' Well, now I 've got you down 
 a leetle too thin even to make a clevis-bolt out of you.' 
 Then he rammed it in the fire again, threw his whole 
 weight on the bellows, got up a white heat on the iron, 
 jerked it out, carried it in the tongs to the water-barrel, 
 held it over the barrel, and cried : ' I 've tried to make a 
 sledge-hammer of you, and failed ; I 've tried to make a 
 clevis of you, and failed ; I 've tried to make a clevis- 
 bolt of you, and failed; now, dam you, I 'm going to 
 make a fizzle of you ' ; and with that he soused it in the 
 water and let it fizz." 
 
 It was nearly dark when the party returned to City 
 Point. After dinner the band was brought down to the 
 steamboat, and a dance was improvised. Several ladies 
 were aboard, and they and the officers danced till mid- 
 
416 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 night. Neither tlie President nor G-eneral Grant joined, 
 even in a square dance, but sat in the after part of the 
 boat conversing. Sheridan stayed overnight at City 
 Point, and started early in the morning for the cavalry 
 headquarters on the Petersburg front. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIl 
 
 MEETING OF GRANT AND SHEEMAN AT CITY POINT — AMUS- 
 ING COLLOQUY BETWEEN MRS. GRANT AND SHERMAN 
 — MEETING OP SHERMAN AND SHERIDAN — THE PJMOUS 
 CONFERENCE ABOARD THE " RIVER QUEEN" — GRANT 
 STARTS ON HIS LAST CAMPAIGN — STORM-BOUND — 
 GRANT AND SHERIDAN CONFER — GRANT ON WARREN'S 
 FRONT — ^CARRYING INSTRUCTIONS TO SHERIDAN 
 
 SHERMAN, in his correspondence, had intimated 
 a desire to have a personal conference with his 
 chief before the general movement of all the armies took 
 place ; and it was learned on March 27 that he had ar- 
 rived at Fort Monroe, and was on his way np the James. 
 Grant telegraphed to several prominent officers to meet 
 Sherman that evening at headquarters. Late in the 
 afternoon the Bussia, a captured steamer, arrived with 
 Sherman aboard, and General Grant and two or three 
 of us who were with him at the time started down to 
 the wharf to greet the "Western commander. Before we 
 reached the foot of the steps, Sherman had jumped 
 ashore and was hurrying forward with long strides to 
 meet his chief. As they approached Grant cried out, 
 " How d' you do, Sherman ! " " How are you. Grant ! " 
 exclaimed Sherman ; and in a moment they stood upon 
 the steps, with their hands locked in a cordial grasp, 
 uttering earnest words of familiar greeting. Their en- 
 counter was more like that of two school-boys coming 
 
 27 417 
 
418 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 together after a vacation than the meeting of the chief 
 actors in a great war tragedy. Sherman walked up with 
 the general-in-chief to headquarters, where Mrs. Grant 
 extended to the illustrious visitor a cordial greeting. 
 Sherman then seated himself with the others by the 
 camp-fire, and gave a most graphic description of the 
 stirring events of his march through Greorgia. The story 
 was the more charming from the fact that it was related 
 without the manifestation of the slightest egotism. His 
 field of operations had covered more than half of the 
 entire theater of war ; his orders always spoke with the 
 true bluntness of the soldier ; he had fought from vaUey 
 depths to mountain heights, and marched from inland 
 rivers to the sea. Never were listeners more enthusias- 
 tic; never was a speaker more eloquent. The story, 
 told as he alone could tell it, was a grand epic related 
 with Homeric power. At times he became humorous, 
 and in a nervous, offhand, rattling manner recounted a 
 number of amusing incidents of the famous march. He 
 said, among other things: "My old veterans got on 
 pretty familiar terms with me on the march, and often 
 used to keep up a running conversation with me as I 
 rode along by their side. One day a man in the ranks 
 had pulled off his shoes and stockings, and roUed up his 
 trousers as far as they would go, to wade across a creek 
 we had struck. I could n't help admiring his magnifi- 
 cently developed limbs, which might have served as 
 models for a sculptor, and I called out to him : ' A good 
 stout pair of legs you 've got there, my man.' * Yes, 
 general; they 're not bad underpinning,' he replied, 
 looking down at them with evident pride. * I would n't 
 mind exchanging mine for them, if you don't object,' I 
 continued. He sized up my legs with his eye, and evi- 
 dently considered them mere spindle-shanks compared 
 with his, and then looked up at me and said: *Gren- 
 
MEETING OF GRANT AND SHERMAN AT CITY POINT 419 
 
 eral, if it 's all the same to you, I guess I 'd rather not 
 swap.' " 
 
 Sherman then went on to talk about his famous 
 " bummers," saying : " They are not stragglers or mere 
 self -constituted foragers, as many have been led to sup- 
 pose, but they are organized for a very useful purpose 
 from the adventurous spirits who are always found in 
 the ranks. They serve as ' feelers ' who keep in advance 
 and on the flanks of the main columns, spy out the land, 
 and discover where the best supplies are to be found. 
 They are indispensable in feeding troops when com- 
 pelled, like my army, to live off the country, and in 
 destroying the enemy's communications. The bummers 
 are, in fact, a regular institution. I was amused at 
 what one of Schofield's ofl&cers told me at Goldsboro'. 
 He said Schofield's army was maintaining a telegraph- 
 line to keep up communication with the sea-coast, and 
 that one of my men, who was a little more ' previous ' 
 than the rest, and was far in advance of my army, was 
 seen up a telegraph-pole hacking away at the wires with 
 a hatchet. The officer yeUed out to him : ' What are you 
 doing there ? Tou 're destroying one of our own tele- 
 graph-lines.' The man cast an indignant look at his 
 questioner, and said, as he continued his work of de- 
 struction : * I 'm one o' Billy Sherman's bummers ; and 
 the last thing he said to us when we started out on this 
 hunt was : " Be sure and cut all the telegraph-wires you 
 come across, and don't go to f oolin' away time askin' who 
 they belong to." ' " 
 
 After the interview had continued nearly an hour, 
 Grrant said to Sherman : " I 'm sorry to break up this 
 entertaining conversation, but the President is aboard 
 the Biver Queen, and I know he will be anxious to see 
 you. Suppose we go and pay him a visit before dinner." 
 " All right," cried Sherman ; and the generals started 
 
420 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 down the steps, and were soon after seated in the cabin 
 of the steamer with the President, 
 
 In about an hour the two commanders came back and 
 entered the general-in-chief 's hut. I was there talking 
 to Mrs. Grrant at the time. She, with her usual thought- 
 fulness, had prepared some tea, and was awaiting the 
 return of the generals. She at once inquired, in her 
 womanly way: "Did you see Mrs. Lincoln?" "Oh," 
 replied her husband, "we went rather on a business 
 errand, and I did not ask for Mrs. Lincoln." " And I 
 did n't even know she was aboard," added Sherman. 
 " WeU, you are a pretty pair ! " exclaimed Mrs. Grrant. 
 "I do not see how .you could have been so neglectful." 
 " Well, Julia," said her husband, " we are going to pay 
 another visit in the morning, and we '11 take good care 
 then to make amends for our conduct to-day." " And 
 now, let us talk further about the immediate movements 
 of my army," said Sherman. " Perhaps you don't want 
 me here hstening to all your secrets," remarked Mrs. 
 Grrant. " Do you think we can trust her. Grant ? " ex- 
 claimed Sherman, casting a sly glance at Mrs. Grrant. 
 " I 'm not so sure about that, Sherman," said the com- 
 mander, entering into the spirit of fun which had now 
 taken possession of the trio. " Public documents, in dis- 
 seminating items of information, are accustomed to say, 
 ' Know all men by these presents.' I think it would be 
 just as effective to say, ' Know one woman,' for then all 
 men would be certain to hear of it." Sherman laughed 
 heartily at this way of putting it, and said : " Now, Mrs. 
 Grant, let me examine you, and I can soon tell whether 
 you are likely to understand our plans well enough to 
 betray them to the enemy." " Very well," she answered ; 
 " I 'm ready for all your questions." Then Sherman 
 turned his chair squarely toward her, folded his arms, 
 assumed the tone and look of a first-class pedagogue, 
 
COLLOQUY BETWEEN MRS. GRANT AND SHERMAN 421 
 
 and, in a manner wMdi became more and more amus- 
 ing as the conversation went on, proceeded to ask all 
 sorts of geographical questions about the Carolinas and 
 Virginia. Mrs. Grrant caught the true essence of the 
 humor, and gave replies which were the perfection of 
 drollery. When asked where a particular river in the 
 South was, she would locate it a thousand miles away, 
 and describe it as running up stream instead of down ; 
 and when questioned about a Southern mountain she 
 would place it somewhere in the region of the north 
 pole. Railroads and canals were also mixed up in in- 
 terminable confusion. She had studied the maps in 
 camp very carefully, and had an excellent knowledge of 
 the geography of the theater of war, and this informa- 
 tion stood her in good stead in carrying on the little 
 comedy which was being enacted. In a short time 
 Sherman turned to his chief, who had been greatly 
 amused by the by-play, and exclaimed : " Well, Grrant, 
 I think we can trust her " ; and then, speaking again to 
 the general's wife, he said : " Never mind, Mrs. Grrant ; 
 perhaps some day the women wiU vote and control 
 affairs, and then they will take us men in hand and 
 subject us to worse cross-examinations than that." 
 " Not if my plan of female suffrage is ever adopted," re- 
 marked the chief. "Why, Ulyss, you never told me 
 you had any plans regarding that subject," said Mrs. 
 Grrant. "Oh, yes," continued the general; "I would 
 give each married woman two votes; then the wives 
 would all be represented at the polls, without there being 
 any divided families on the subject of politics." 
 
 Dinner was now announced, and Sherman escorted 
 Mrs. Grrant to the mess-room, and occupied a seat beside 
 her at the table. 
 
 In the evening several officers came to pay their re- 
 spects to Sherman. Sheridan had been telegraphed to 
 
422 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 come to headquarters, but lie did not appear until nearly 
 midniglit, and after all the others had left. He had 
 been delayed several hours by his train running off the 
 track on the military railroad. Sherman had been told 
 by Grrant about the plans he had discussed with Sheri- 
 dan for the operations of the cavalry, and Sherman 
 urged that it should join him after destroying the rail- 
 roads on the way. Sheridan became a good deal nettled 
 at this, and argued earnestly against it; but Greneral 
 Grrant soon cut short the discussion by saying that it 
 had been definitely decided that Sheridan was to remain 
 with our army, then iu front of Petersburg, Sheridan's 
 command was made separate from the Army of the 
 Potomac, and was to be subject only to direct orders 
 from the general-in-chief . The cavalry commander had 
 cheerfully given up the command of the Middle Military 
 Division to take the field at the head of the cavalry 
 corps, and Greneral Grrant felt that he was entitled to 
 every consideration which could be shown him. 
 
 The next morning (March 28) Admiral Porter came to 
 headquarters, and in the course of his conversation said 
 to Sherman: "When you were in the region of those 
 swamps and overflowed rivers, coming through the 
 Carolinas, did n't you wish you had my gunboats with 
 you ? " " Yes," answered Sherman ; " for those swamps 
 were very much like that Western fellow's Fourth of 
 July oration, of which a newspaper said, * It was only 
 knee-deep, but spread out over all creation.' One day, 
 on the march, whUe my men were wading a river which 
 was surrounded for miles by swamps on each side, after 
 they had been in the water for about an hour, with not 
 much prospect of reaching the other side, one of them 
 cried out to his chum : ' Say, Tommy, I 'm blowed if I 
 don't believe we 've struck this river lengthways ! ' " 
 
 After spending a quarter of an hour together, Gen- 
 
THE FAMOUS CONFEEENCE ABOABD THE "bIVEE QUEEN " 423 
 
 eral G-rant said that the President was expecting them 
 aboard his boat, and the two generals and the admiral 
 started for the Biver Queen. No one accompanied them. 
 There now occurred in the upper saloon of that vessel 
 the celebrated conference between these four magnates, 
 the scene of which has been so faithfully transferred to 
 canvas by the artist Healy. It was in no sense a coun- 
 cil of war, but only an informal interchange of views 
 between the four men who, more than any others, held 
 the destiny of the nation in their hands. Upon the re- 
 turn of the generals and the admiral to headquarters, 
 they entered the general-in-chief 's hut, where Mr^ Grant 
 and one or two of us were sitting. The chief said to his 
 wife : " Well, Julia, as soon as we reached the boat this 
 morning I was particular to inquire after Mrs. Lincoln, 
 and to say that we desired to pay our respects to her. 
 The President went to her state-room, and soon returned, 
 saying that she was not well, and asking us to excuse 
 her." General Grant afterward told us the particulars 
 of the interview. It began by his explaining to the 
 President the military situation and prospects, saying 
 that the crisis of the war was now at hand, as he ex- 
 pected to move at once around the enemy's left and cut 
 him off from the Carolinas, and that his only appre- 
 hension was that Lee might move out before him and 
 evacuate Petersburg and Richmond, but that if he did 
 there would be a hot pursuit. Sherman assured the 
 President that in such a contingency his army, by act- 
 ing on the defensive, could resist both Johnston and Lee 
 tin Grant could reach him, and that then the enemy 
 would be caught in a vise and have his life promptly 
 crushed out. Mr. Lincoln asked if it would not be 
 possible to end the matter without a pitched battle, 
 with the attendant losses and suffering; but was in- 
 formed that that was a matter not within the control 
 
424 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GRANT 
 
 of our commanders, and must rest necessarily with the 
 enemy. Lincoln spoke about the course which he 
 thought had better be pursued after the war, and ex- 
 pressed an inclination to lean toward a generous policy. 
 In speaking about the Confederate political leaders, he 
 intimated, though he did not say so in express terms, 
 that it would relieve the situation if they should escape 
 to some foreign country. - Sherman related many inter- 
 esting incidents which occurred in his campaign. Grant 
 talked less than any one present. The President twice 
 expressed some apprehension about Sherman being 
 away from his army ; but Sherman assured him that he 
 had left matters safe in Schofield's hands, and that he 
 would start back himself that day. 
 
 That afternoon Sherman took leave of those at head- 
 quarters, and returned to his command in the Bat, as 
 that vessel was faster than the one which had brought 
 him up the coast. 
 
 The troops had been in motion the previous night, 
 and the general had decided that headquarters should 
 be moved on the morning of the 29th. The horses were 
 to be put aboard the train which was to take the general 
 and staff to the Petersburg front. About 8 : 30 Mr. Lin- 
 coln came ashore to say good-by. We had the satisfac- 
 tion of hearing one good story from him before parting. 
 General Grant was telling him about the numerous in- 
 genious and impracticable suggestions that were made 
 to him almost daily as to the best way of destroying the 
 enemy, and said : " The last plan proposed was to supply 
 our men with bayonets just a foot longer than those of 
 the enemy, and then charge them. When they met, our 
 bayonets would go clear through the enemy, while theirs 
 would not reach far enough to touch our men, and the 
 war would be ended." 
 
 Mr. Lincoln laughed, and remarked : " Well, there is 
 
GEANT STABTS ON HIS LAST CAMPAIGN 425 
 
 a good deal of terror in cold steel. I had a chance to 
 test it once myself. When I was a young man, I was 
 walking along a back street in Louisville one night 
 about twelve o'clock, when a very tough-looking citizen 
 sprang out of an alleyway, reached up to the back of 
 his neck, pulled out a bowie-knife that seemed to my 
 stimulated imagination about three feet long, and planted 
 himself square across my path. For two or three min- 
 utes he flourished his weapon in front of my face, ap- 
 pearing to try to see just how near he could come to 
 cutting my nose off without quite doing it. He could 
 see in the moonlight that I was taking a good*deal of 
 interest in the proceeding, and finally he yeUed out, as 
 he steadied the knife close tp my throat : * Stranger, kin 
 you lend me five dollars on that ? ' I never reached in 
 my pocket and got out money so fast in all my Me. I 
 handed him a bank-note, and said : ' There 's ten, neigh- 
 bor ; now put up your scythe.' " 
 
 The general soon after bade an affectionate good-by 
 to Mrs. Grant, kissing her repeatedly as she stood at 
 the front door of his quarters. She bore the parting 
 bravely, although her pale face and sorrowful look told 
 of the sadness that was in her heart. The party, ac- 
 companied by the President, then walked down to the 
 railroad-station. Mr. Lincoln looked more serious than 
 at any other time since he had visited headquarters. 
 The lines in his face seemed deeper, and the rings under 
 his eyes were of a darker hue. It was plain that the 
 weight of responsibility was oppressing him. Could it 
 have been a premonition that with the end of this last 
 campaign would come the end of his life? Five min- 
 utes' walk brought the party to the train. There the 
 President gave the general and each member of the staff 
 a cordial shake of the hand, and then stood near the rear 
 end of the car while we mounted the platform. As the 
 
426 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 train was about to start we all raised our hats respect- 
 fully. The salute was returned by the President, and 
 he said in a voice broken by an emotion he could Ul 
 conceal: "Good-by, gentlemen. God bless you all! 
 Eemember, your success is my success." The signal 
 was given to start; the train moved off; Grant's last 
 campaign had begun. 
 
 The general sat down near the end of the car, drew 
 from his pocket the flint and slow-match that he always 
 carried, struck a light, and was soon wreathed in the 
 smoke of the inevitable cigar. I took a seat near him, 
 with several other officers of the staff, and he at once 
 began to talk over his plans. Referring to Mr. Lincoln, 
 he said : " The President is one of the few visitors I 
 have had who have not attempted to extract from me a 
 knowledge of my movements, although he is the only 
 one who has a right to know them. He intends to re- 
 main at City Point for the present, and he wiU be the 
 most anxious man in the country to hear from us, his 
 heart is so wrapped up in our success ; but I think we 
 can send him some good news in a day or two." I 
 never knew the general to be more sanguine of victory 
 than in starting out on this campaign. 
 
 When we reached the end of the railroad, we mounted 
 our horses, started down the Vaughan road, and went 
 into camp for the night in an old corn-field jnst south 
 of that road, close to Gravelly Run. That night 
 (March 29) the army was disposed in the following order 
 from right to left : "Weitzel in front of Richmond, with 
 a portion of the Army of the James ; Parke and "Wright 
 holding our works in front of Petersburg ; Ord extend- 
 ing to the intersection of Hatcher's Run and the Vaughan 
 road; Humphreys stretching beyond Dabney's MiU; 
 "Warren on the extreme left, reaching as far as the junc- 
 tion of the Vaughan road and the Boydton plank-road ; 
 
STOEM-BOUND 427 
 
 and Sheridan still farther west at Dinwiddie Court- 
 house. The weather had been fair for several days, and 
 the roads were getting in as good condition for the 
 movement of troops as could be expected; for in that 
 section of country in summer the dust was usually so 
 thick that the army could not see where to move, and 
 in winter the mud was so deep that it could not move 
 anywhere. The weather had now become cloudy, and 
 toward evening rain began to f aU. It descended in tor- 
 rents all night, and continued with but little interrup- 
 tion during the next day. The country was densely 
 wooded, and the ground swampy, and by the evening 
 of the 30th whole fields had become beds of quicksand, 
 in which the troops waded in mud above their ankles, 
 horses sank to their bellies, and wagons threatened to 
 disappear altogether. The men began to feel that if any 
 one in after years should ask them whether they had 
 been through Virginia, they could say, " Yes ; in a num- 
 ber of places." The roads soon became sheets of water, 
 and it looked as if the saving of that army would re- 
 quire the services, not of a Gf-rant, but of a Noah. 
 Soldiers would call out to officers as they rode by: "I 
 say, fetch along the pontoons." "When are the gun- 
 boats coming up?" The buoyancy of the day before 
 was giving place to gloom ; men lost their tempers, and 
 those who employed profanity on such occasions as a 
 means of mental relaxation wanted to set up a mark 
 and go to swearing at it. Some began to be apprehen- 
 sive that the whole movement was premature. This led 
 to a.n animated debate at headquarters. Greneral Eaw- 
 lins expressed the opinion around the camp-fire, on the 
 morning of the 30th, that no forage could be hauled out 
 to our cavalry ; that Joe Johnston might come up in our 
 rear if we remained long in our present position ; that 
 the success of turning Lee's right depended on our ce- 
 
428 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GRANT 
 
 lerity; that now he had been, given time to make his 
 dispositions to thwart us ; and that it might be better to 
 fall back, and make a fresh start later on. General 
 Grant replied by saying that if Johnston CQuld move 
 rapidly enough in such weather to reach us, he (Grant) 
 would turn upon him with his whole command, crush 
 him, and then go after Lee ; and that as soon as the 
 weather cleared up the roads would dry rapidly, and the 
 men's spirits would recover all their former buoyancy. 
 The general then entered his tent, and Eawlins followed 
 him. 
 
 Just then we saw Sheridan turning in from the 
 Vaughan road, with a staff-officer and an escort of about 
 a dozen cavalrymen, and coming toward our headquar- 
 ters camp; He was riding his white pacer named 
 " Breckinridge," a horse which had been captured from 
 General Breckinridge in the valley of Virginia. But 
 instead of striking a pacing gait now, it was at every 
 step driving its legs knee-deep into the quicksand with 
 the regularity of a pile-driver. As soon as Sheridan 
 dismounted he was asked with much eagerness about 
 the situation on the extreme left. He took a decidedly 
 cheerful view of matters, and entered upon an animated 
 discussion of the coming movements. He said : " I can 
 drive in the whole cavalry force of the enemy with ease, 
 and if an infantry force is added to my command, I can 
 strike out for Lee's right, and either crush it or force 
 him to so weaken his intrenched lines that our troops in 
 front of them can break through and march into Peters- 
 burg." He warmed up with the subject as he proceeded, 
 threw the whole energy of his nature into the discussion, 
 and his cheery voice, beaming countenance, and im- 
 passioned language showed the earnestness of his con- 
 victions. 
 
 " How do you expect to supply your command with 
 
GRANT AND SHEKIDAN CONFER 429 
 
 forage if this weatlier lasts ? " lie was asked by one of 
 the group. " Forage ! " said Sheridan, " I '11 get up aU 
 the forage I want. I '11 haul it out, if I have to set 
 every man in the command to corduroying roads, and 
 corduroy every mile of them from the railroad to Din- 
 widdle. I tell you, I 'm ready to strike out to-morrow 
 and go to smashing things " ; and, pacing up and down, 
 he chafed like a hound in the leash. We told him that 
 this was the kind of talk we liked to hear, and that while 
 General Grant felt no apprehension, it would do his 
 heart good to listen to such words as had jusj been 
 spoken. Sheridan, however, objected to obtruding his 
 views unbidden upon the general-in-chief . Then we re- 
 sorted to a stratagem. One of us went into the gen- 
 eral's tent, and told him Sheridan had just come in from 
 the left and had been telling us some matters of much 
 interest, and suggested that he be invited in and asked 
 to state them. This was assented to, and Sheridan was 
 told that the general wanted to hear what he had to say. 
 Sheridan then went in, and found Grant and Rawlins 
 stiU discussing the situation. Several persons soon 
 after came into the tent, and Sheridan, saying he was 
 cold and wet, stepped out to the camp-fire. The gen- 
 eral-in-chief remarked that he wanted to have some 
 words with Sheridan in private before parting, and fol- 
 lowed him out. IngaUs said his tent was vacant, and 
 Grant and Sheridan entered it and had a talk there, in 
 which a definite understanding was reached as to Sheri- 
 dan's immediate movements. In about twenty minutes 
 they came out, and Sheridan mounted his horse, waved 
 us a good-by with his hand, and rode off to Din- 
 widdle. 
 
 The next morning (March 31) Sheridan reported that 
 the enemy had been hard at work intrenching at Five 
 Forks and to a point about a mile west of that place. 
 
430 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GEANT 
 
 Lee had been as prompt as Grrant to recognize Five 
 Forks, the junction of five roads, as a strategic point of 
 great importance, and to protect his right tad sent there 
 a large force of infantry and nearly all his cavalry. 
 The rain had continued during the night of March 30, 
 and on the morning of the 31st the weather was cloudy 
 and dismal. 
 
 General Grrant had anticipated that Warren would be 
 attacked that morning, and had warned him to be on 
 the alert. Warren advanced his corps to develop with 
 what force the enemy held the White Oak road, and to 
 try and drive him from it ; but before he had gone far 
 he was met by a vigorous assault. When news came of 
 the attack, Greneral Q-rant directed me to go to the spot 
 and look to the situation of affairs there. I found that 
 Warren's troops were falling back, but he was reinforced 
 by Humphreys, and by noon the enemy was checked. 
 As soon as Grrant was advised of the situation he directed 
 Meade to take the offensive vigorously, and the enemy 
 was soon driven back. Greneral Grant had now ridden 
 out to the front, and hearing that he was at Mrs. But- 
 ler's house near the Boydton plank-road, I joined him 
 there. It was then a little after one o'clock. He had 
 in the mean time ordered the headquarters camp to be 
 moved to Dabney's Mill, about two miles from Meade's 
 camp. 
 
 Warren's corps was now ordered to move forward 
 again for the purpose of deterring the enemy from 
 detaching infantry from that portion of the line to send 
 against Sheridan. The advance was made later in the 
 afternoon, and with decided success. 
 
 When this movement had been decided upon. Gen- 
 eral Grant directed me to go to Sheridan and explain 
 what was taking place on Warren's and Humphreys's 
 
CAKETtNG INSTKUOTIONS TO SHERIDAN 431 
 
 front, and have a full understanding with, him as to 
 future operations in his vicinity. I rode rapidly down 
 the Boydton plank-road, and soon came to Gravelly 
 Run. The bridge was destroyed, but my horse was able 
 to ford the stream, notwithstanding the high water 
 caused by the recent rains. Hearing heavy firing in the 
 direction of the Five Forks road, I hurried on in that 
 direction by way of- the Brooks road, and soon saw a 
 portion of our cavalry moving eastward, pressed by a 
 superior force of the enemy, while another portion was 
 compelled to fall back southward toward Dinwi(|die. I 
 turned the corner of the Brooks cross-road and the Five 
 Forks road just as the rear of the latter body of cavalry 
 was passing it, and found one of Sheridan's bands with 
 his rear-guard playing " Nellie Bly " as cheerfully as if 
 furnishing music for a country picnic. Sheridan always 
 made an effective use of his bands. They were usually 
 mounted on gray horses, and instead of being relegated 
 to the usual duty of carrying off the wounded and as- 
 sisting the surgeons, they were brought out to the front 
 and made to play the liveliest airs in their repertory, 
 which produced excellent results in buoying up the 
 spirits of the men. After having several of their in- 
 struments pierced by bullets, however, and the drums 
 crushed by shells, as often happened, it must be ad- 
 mitted that the music, viewed pui-ely in the light of an 
 artistic performance, was open to adverse criticism. 
 
 I found Sheridan a little north of Dinwiddle Court- 
 house, and gave him an account of matters on the left 
 of the Army of the Potomac. He said he had had one 
 of the liveliest days in his experience, fighting infantry 
 and cavalry with only cavalry, but that he would hold 
 his position at Dinwiddle at aU hazards. He did not 
 stop there, but declared his belief that with the corps 
 
432 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 of infantry wliich he expected to be put under his com- 
 mand, he could take the initiative the next morning, 
 and cut off the whole of the force which Lee had de- 
 tached. He said : " This force is in more danger than 
 I am. If I am cut off from the Army of the Potomac, 
 it is cut off from Lee's army, and not a man in it ought 
 ever be allowed to get back to Lee. We at last have 
 drawn the enemy's infantry out of its fortifications, and 
 this is our chance to attack it." He begged me to go 
 to General Grant at once, and urge him to send him 
 Wright's corps, because it had been under his command 
 in the valley of Virginia, and was familiar with his way 
 of fighting. I told him, as had been stated to him be- 
 fore, that Wright's corps was next to our extreme right, 
 and that the only corps which could reach him by day- 
 light was Warren's. I returned soon after to headquar- 
 ters at Dabney's Mill, a distance of about eight miles, 
 reaching there at 7 P. M., and gave the general a full 
 description of Sheridan's operations. He took in the 
 situation in an instant, and at once telegraphed the 
 substance of my report to Meade, and preparations soon 
 began looking to the sending of Warren's corps and 
 Mackenzie's small division of cavalry to report to Sheri- 
 dan. It was expected that the infantry would reach its 
 destination in ample time to take the offensive about 
 daybreak; but one delay after another was met with, 
 and Grant, Meade, and Sheridan spent a painfully anx- 
 ious night in hurrying forward the movement. Ayres's 
 division of Warren's corps had to rebuild the bridge 
 over Gravelly Run, which took tiU 2 a. m. Warren, with 
 his other two divisions, did not get started from their 
 position on the White Oak road till 5 a. m., and the hope 
 of crushing the enemy was hourly growing less. This 
 proved to be one of the busiest nights of the whole 
 campaign. Generals were writing despatches and tele- 
 
CABRHNG INSTEtJCTlONS TO SHERIDAN 433 
 
 graphing from dark to dayliglit. Staff-oflficers were 
 rushing from one headquarters to another, wading 
 through swamps, penetrating forests, and galloping over 
 corduroy roads, carrying instructions, getting informa- 
 tion, and making extraordinary efforts to hurry up the 
 movement of the troops. 
 
CHAPTEE XXVIII 
 
 THE MOVEMENT AGAINST FIVE FORKS — THE BATTLE OF 
 FIVE FOEKS — CAEEYING THE NEWS OF FIVE FOEKS TO 
 GEANT — GRANT PREPARES TO ASSAULT THE PETERS- 
 BURG LINES — CAPTURING THE WORKS AT PETEESBUEG 
 — GEANT WRITES DESPATCHES UNDEE FIEE — CAPTUEE 
 OF FOETS GEEGG AND WHITWORTH 
 
 EAELT the next morning (April 1) General Grant 
 said to me : " I wisli you would spend the day with 
 Sheridan's command, and send me a bulletin every half- 
 hour or so, advising me fully as to the progress made. 
 You know my views, and I want you to give them to 
 Sheridan fully. Tell him the contemplated movement 
 is left entirely in his hands, and he must be responsible 
 for its execution. I have every confidence in his judg- 
 ment and ability. I hope that there may now be an 
 opportunity of fighting the enemy's infantry outside of 
 their fortifications." 
 
 I set out with half a dozen mounted orderlies to act 
 as couriers in transmitting field bulletins, and met Sheri- 
 dan about 10 A. M. on the Five Forks road not far from 
 J. Boisseau's house. Ayres had his division on this road, 
 having arrived about daylight ; and Griffin had reached 
 J. Boisseau's between 7 and 8 A. M. I had a full confer- 
 ence with Sheridan, in which he told me that the force 
 in front of him had fallen back early in the morning ; 
 that he had pursued with his cavalry, had had several 
 
 434 
 
THE MOVEMENT AGAINST FIVE FOBKS 435 
 
 brushes with the enemy, and was driving him steadily 
 back ; that he had had his patience sorely tried by the 
 delays which had occurred in getting the infantry to 
 him, but that he was going to make every effort to strike 
 a heavy blow with all the infantry and cavalry as soon 
 as he could get them into position, provided the enemy 
 should make a stand behind his intrenchments at Five 
 Forks, which seemed likely. While we were talking, 
 General "Warren, who had accompanied Crawford's divi- 
 sion, rode up and reported in person to Sheridan. It- 
 was then eleven o'clock. 
 
 A few minutes before noon Colonel Babcock came 
 over from headquarters, and said to Sheridan : " Gen- 
 eral Grant directs me to say to you that if, in your 
 judgment, the Fifth Corps would do better under one of 
 its division commanders, you are authorized to relieve 
 General "Warren and order him to report to him [Gen- 
 eral Grant] at headquarters." General Sheridan replied 
 in effect that he hoped such a step as that might not 
 become necessary, and then went on to speak of his plan 
 of battle. "We all rode on farther to the front, and soon 
 met General Devin of the cavalry, who was considerably 
 elated by his successes of the morning, and loudly de- 
 manded to be permitted to make a general attack on the 
 enemy. Sheridan told him he did n't believe he had 
 ammimition enough. Said Devin: "I guess I 've got 
 enough to give 'em one surge more." Colonel Babcock 
 now left us to return to headquarters. About one 
 o'clock it was reported by the cavalry that the enemy 
 was retiring to his intrenched position at Five Forks, 
 which was just north of the White Oak road and paral- 
 lel to it, his earthworks running from a point about 
 three quarters of a mile east of Five Forks to a point a 
 mile west, with an angle or " crochet," about one hun- 
 dred yards long, thrown back at right angles to the left 
 
436 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 of his line to protect that flank. Orders were at once 
 given to Warren's corps to move up the Q-ravelly Eun 
 Chnrch road to the open ground near the church, and 
 form in order of battle, with Ayres on the left, Craw- 
 ford on his right, and Grrifi&n in rear as a reserve. The 
 corps was to wheel to the left and make its attack upon 
 the angle, and then, moving westward, sweep down in 
 rear of the enemy's intrenched line. The cavalry, prin- 
 cipally dismounted, was to deploy in front of the enemy's 
 line and engage his attention, and as soon as it heard 
 the firing of our infantry to make a vigorous assault 
 upon his works. 
 
 The Fifth Corps had borne the brunt of the fighting 
 ever since the army had moved out on March 29 ; and 
 the gallant men who composed it, and who had per- 
 formed a conspicuous part in nearly every battle in 
 which the Army of the Potomac had been engaged, 
 seemed eager once more to cross bayonets with their 
 old antagonists. But the movement was slow, the re- 
 quired formation seemed to drag, and Sheridan, chafing 
 with impatience and consumed with anxiety, became as 
 restive as a racer struggling to make the start. He 
 made every possible appeal for promptness, dismounted 
 from his horse, paced up and down, struck the clenched 
 fist of one hand against the palm of the other, and 
 fretted like a caged tiger. He exclaimed at one time : 
 "This battle must be fought and won before the sun 
 goes down. All the conditions may be changed in the 
 morning. We have but a few hours of daylight left us. 
 My cavalry are rapidly exhausting their amniunition, 
 and if the attack is delayed much longer they may have 
 none left." And then another batch of staff-of&cers was 
 sent out to gaUop through the mud and hurry up the 
 columns. 
 
 At four o'clock the formation was completed, the order 
 
THE BATTLE OF HYE FORKS 437 
 
 for the assault was given, and the struggle for Pickett's 
 intrenched line began. The Confederate infantry bri- 
 gades were posted from left to right as follows : Terry, 
 Corse, Steuart, Ransom, and Wallace. General Fitz- 
 hugh Lee, commanding the cavalry, had placed W. H. F. 
 Lee's two brigades on the right of the line, Munford's 
 division on the left, and Rosser's in rear of Hatcher's 
 Run, to guard the trains. I rode to the front, in com- 
 pany with Sheridan and Warren, with the head of 
 Ayres's division, which was on the left. Ayres threw 
 out a skirmish-line and advanced across an opeas field 
 which sloped down gradually toward the dense woods 
 just north of the White Oak road. He soon met with 
 a fire from the edge of these woods, a number of men 
 feU, and the skirmish-line halted and seemed to waver. 
 Sheridan now began to exhibit those traits which always 
 made him a tower of strength in the presence of an 
 enemy. He put spurs to his horse, and dashed along in 
 front of the line of battle from left to right, shouting 
 words of encouragement, and having something cheery 
 to say to every regiment. " Come on, men," he cried ; 
 "go at 'em with a wilL! Move on at a clean jump, or 
 you '11 not catch one of 'em. They 're all getting ready 
 to run now, and if you don't get on to them in five 
 minutes "they 'U every one get away from you ! Now 
 go for them ! " Just then a man on the skirmish-line 
 was struck in the neck; the blood spurted as if the 
 jugular vein had been cut. " I 'm killed ! " he cried, and 
 dropped to the ground. " You 're not hurt a bit ! " cried 
 Sheridan. "Pick up your gun, man, and move right 
 on to the front." Such was the electric effect of his 
 words that the poor f eUow snatched up his musket, and 
 rushed forward a dozen paces before he feU, never to 
 rise again. The line of battle of weather-beaten veter- 
 ans was now moving right along down the slope to- 
 
438 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 ward the woods with a steady swing that boded no good 
 for Pickett's command, earthworks or no earthworks. 
 Sheridan was mounted on his favorite black horse, 
 "Eienzi," which had carried him from Winchester to 
 Cedar Creek, and which Buchanan Eead made famous 
 for all time by his poem of " Sheridan's Eide." The 
 roads were muddy, the fields swampy, the undergrowth 
 dense, and " Eienzi," as he pluUged and curveted, kept 
 dashing the foam from his mouth and the mud from his 
 heels. Had the Winchester pike been in a similar con- 
 dition, it is altogether likely that he would not have 
 made his famous twenty miles without breaking his own 
 neck as well as Sheridan's. This historic horse derived 
 his name from the fact that he was presented to Sheri- 
 dan by the Second Michigan Cavalry in the little town 
 of Eienzi, Mississippi, in 1862. After the famous ride 
 he was sometimes called "Winchester." He was of 
 " Blackhawk " blood. He bore Sheridan in nearly all his 
 subsequent battles. When the animal died in 1878, in 
 his twentieth year, his body was stuflEed, and now stands 
 in the museum on Governor's Island. The surviving 
 veterans often decorate his body with flowers on Me- 
 morial Day. 
 
 Mackenzie had been ordered up the Crump road, with 
 directions to turn east on the White Oak road, and whip 
 everything he met on that route. He encountered a 
 small cavalry command, and whipped it,^ according to 
 orders, and then came galloping back to join in the 
 general scrimmage. 
 
 Soon Ayres's men met with a heavy fire on their left 
 flank, and had to change directions by facing more to- 
 ward the west. As the troops entered the woods, and 
 moved forward over the boggy ground, and struggled 
 through the dense undergrowth, they were staggered by 
 a heavy fire from the angle, and fell back in some con- 
 
THE BATTLE OF FIVE FORKS 439 
 
 fusion. Sheridan now ruslied into the midst of the 
 broken lines, and cried out : " Where is my battle-flag ? " 
 As the sergeant who carried it rode up, Sheridan seized 
 the crimson-and-white standard, waved it above his 
 head, cheered on the men, and made heroic efforts to 
 close up the ranks. Bullets were now humming like a 
 swarm of bees about our heads, and shells were crash- 
 ing through the ranks. A musket-baU pierced the bat- 
 tle-flag ; another killed the sergeant who had carried it ; 
 another wounded an aide. Captain McGronnigle, in the 
 side; others struck two or three of the staff-oflS.cers' 
 horses. AU this time Sheridan was dashing from one 
 point of the line to another, waving his flag, shaking 
 his fist, encouraging, entreating, threatening, praying, 
 swearing, the true personification of chivalry, the very 
 incarnation of battle. It would be a sorry soldier who 
 could help following such a leader. Ayres and his offi- 
 cers were equally exposing themselves at all points in 
 rallying the men ; and soon the line was steadied, for 
 such troops could suffer but a momentary check. 
 Ayres, with drawn saber, rushed forward once more 
 with his veterans, who now behaved as if they had fallen 
 back only to get a " good ready," and with fixed bayo- 
 nets and a rousing cheer dashed over the earthworks, 
 sweeping everything before them, and killi ng or captur- 
 ing every man in their immediate front whose legs had 
 not saved him. 
 
 Sheridan spurred "Rienzi" up to the angle, and with 
 a bound the animal carried his rider over the earthworks, 
 and landed among a line of prisoners who had thrown 
 down their arms and were crouching close under the 
 breastworks. Some of them called out : " Wha' do you 
 want us all to go to ? " Then Sheridan's rage turned to 
 humor, and he had a running talk with the " Johnnies " 
 as they filed past. " Go right over there," he said to 
 
440 CAMPAIGNING 'WITH GEANT 
 
 them, pointing to the rear, "Q-et right along, now. 
 Oh, drop your guns ; you '11 never need them any more. 
 You '11 all be safe over there. Are there any more of 
 you? "We want every one of you fellows." Nearly 
 1500 were captured at the angle. 
 
 An orderly here came up to Sheridan, saluted, and 
 said : " Colonel Forsyth of your staff is killed, sir." " It 's 
 no such thing!" cried Sheridan. "I don't beheve a 
 word of it. You 'U find Forsyth 's all right." Ten 
 minutes later Forsyth rode up. He had been mistaken 
 for the gallant General Winthrop, who had fallen in the 
 assault. Sheridan did not even seem surprised when he 
 saw Forsyth, and merely said : " There ; I told you so." 
 This incidelit is mentioned as illustrative of a peculiar 
 trait of Sheridan's character, which never allowed him 
 to be disturbed by camp rumors, however disastrous. 
 
 The dismounted cavalry had assaulted as soon as they 
 heard the infantry fire open. The natty cavalrymen, 
 with their tight-fitting jackets, and short carbines, 
 swarmed through the pine thickets and dense under- 
 growth, looking as if they had been especially equipped 
 for ctawling through knot-holes. 
 
 The cavalry commanded by the gallant Merritt made 
 a finaldash, went over the earthworks with a hurrah, 
 captured a battery of artUlery, and scattered everything 
 in front of them. Here Custer, Devin, Fitzhugh, and 
 the other cavalry leaders were in their element, and vied 
 with each other in deeds of valor. Crawford's division 
 had moved off in a northerly direction, marching away 
 from Ayres, and leaving a gap between the two divisions. 
 Sheridan became exceedingly annoyed at this circum- 
 stance, complained, that "Warren was not giving suffi- 
 cient personal supervision to the infantry, and sent nearly 
 aU his staff -officers to the Fifth Corps to see that the 
 
THE BATTLE OF FIVE FOBKS 441 
 
 mistakes made were corrected. After the capture of the 
 angle I started off toward the right to see how matters 
 were going there. I went in the direction of Crawford's 
 division, on our right. "Warren, whose personal gal- 
 lantry was always conspicuous, had had his horse shot 
 while with these troops. I passed around the left of 
 the enemy's works, then rode due west to a point beyond 
 the Ford road. Here I rejoined Sheridan a little before 
 dark. He was laboring with aU the energy of his nature 
 to complete the destruction of the enemy's forces, and to 
 make preparations to protect his own detached command 
 from a possible attack by Lee's army in the morning. 
 He said to me that he had just reheved Warren, and 
 placed Griffin in command of the Fifth Corps. I had 
 been sending frequent bulletins to the general-in-chief 
 during the day, and now despatched a courier announc- 
 ing the change of corps commanders, and giving' the 
 general result of the round-up. 
 
 Sheridan had that day fought one of the most inter- 
 esting tactical battles of the war, admirable in concep- 
 tion, brilliant in execution, strikingly dramatic in its 
 incidents, and productive of immensely important re- 
 sults. 
 
 I said to him : " It seems to me that you have exposed 
 yourself to-day in a manner hardly justifiable on the 
 part of a commander of such an important movement." 
 His reply gave what seems to be the true key to his uni- 
 form success on the field: "I have never in my life 
 taken a command into battle, and had the slightest de- 
 sire to come out alive unless I won." 
 
 About haK-past seven o'clock I started for general 
 headquarters. The roads in many places were cordu- 
 royed with captured muskets ; ammunition-trains and 
 ambulances were still struggling forward; teamsters. 
 
442 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 prisoners, stragglers, and wounded were choking the 
 roadway ; the " coffee-boilers " had kindled their fires in 
 the woods; cheers were resounding on aU sides, and 
 everybody was riotous over the victory. A horseman 
 had to pick his way through this jubilant condition of 
 things as best he could, as he did not have a clear right 
 of way by any means. As I galloped past a group of 
 men on the Boydton plank-road, my orderly called out 
 to them the news of the victory. The only response he 
 got was from one of them, who raised his open hand to 
 his face, put his thumb to his nose, and yelled : " No, 
 you don't — April fool!" I then realized that it was 
 the 1st of April. I had ridden so rapidly that I reached 
 headquarters at Dabney's Mill before the arrival of the 
 last courier I had despatched. General Grant was sit- 
 ting, with most of the staff about him, before a blazing 
 camp-fire. He wore his blue cavalry overcoat, and the 
 ever-present cigar was in his mouth. I began shouting 
 the good news as soon as I got in sight, and in a moment 
 aU but the imperturbable general-in-chief were on their 
 feet giving vent to boisterous demonstrations of joy. 
 For some minutes there was a bewildering state of ex- 
 citement, and officers fell to grasping hands, shouting, 
 and hugging each other like school-boys. The news 
 meant the beginning of the end, the reaching of the 
 "last ditch." It pointed to peace and home. Dignity 
 was thrown to the winds, and every man at that moment 
 was in a fitting mood to dig his elbows into the ribs of 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury, or to challenge the Chief 
 Justice of the Supreme Court to a game of leap-frog. 
 The proprieties of army etiquette were so far forgotten 
 in the enthusiasm of the occasion that as soon as I had 
 thrown myself from my horse I found myself rushing 
 up to the general-in-chief and clapping him on the back 
 with my hand, to his no little astonishment, and to the 
 
CAKRYING THE NEWS OF FIVE FOEKS TO GEANT 443 
 
 evident amusement of those about Mm.^ The general, 
 as might have been expected, asked his usual question : 
 " How many prisoners have been taken ? " I was happy 
 to report that the prisoners this time were estimated at 
 over five thousand, and this was the only part of my 
 recital that seemed to call forth a responsive expression 
 from his impassive features. After having listened 
 attentively to the description of Sheridan's day's work, 
 the general, with scarcely a word of comment, walked 
 into his tent, and by the light of a flickering candle took 
 up his "manifold writer," and after finishing several 
 despatches handed them to an orderly to be sent over 
 the field wires, came out and joined our group at the 
 camp-fire, and said as cooUy as if remarking upon the 
 state of the weather : " I have ordered a general assault 
 along the lines." This was about nine o'clock in the 
 evening. 
 
 In his conversation his sense of humor now began to 
 assert itself. During the day I had sent him a bulletin 
 saying : " I have noticed among the prisoners and dead 
 many old men whose heads are quite bald." This was 
 mentioned as an evidence that the enemy in recruiting 
 was " robbing the grave." Ingalls was sitting with us. 
 His hair had become so thin that he used to part it low 
 behind and comb the stray locks forward, trying to 
 make the rear-guard do picket duty at the front. The 
 general delighted in teasing him on this subject, and 
 looking toward him, he now said to me : " When I got 
 
 1 Badeau, in his "Military His- otherwise demonstrating his joy, that 
 tory of Ulysses S. Grant," says in the officer who shared his tent re- 
 referring to this scene: "The bearer buked him at night for indulging 
 of the good news was Colonel Horace too freely in drink at this critical 
 Porter, one of the most abstemious jimoture. But Porter had tasted 
 men in the army; but he came up neither wine nor spirits that day. 
 with so much enthusiasm, clapping He was only drunk with victory." 
 the general-in-chief on the back, and — Editok. 
 
444 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 your message to-day about tlie bald-headed men, I 
 showed it to Ingalls, and told him he had better take 
 care and not faU into the hands of the enemy, for that 
 is just the way they would be commenting on his head 
 in their reports." 
 
 Grant was anxious to have the different commands 
 move against the enemy's lines at once to prevent Lee 
 from withdrawing troops and sending them against 
 Sheridan. Meade was aU activity, and so alive to the 
 situation, and so anxious to carry out the orders of the 
 general-in-chief, that he sent word that he was going 
 to have the troops make a dash at the works without 
 waiting to form assaulting columns. Grant at 9 : 30 p. m. 
 sent a message that he did not mean to have the corps 
 attack without assaulting columns, but to let the bat- 
 tepes open at once, and to feel out with skirmishers, 
 and if the enemy was found to be leaving to let the 
 troops attack in their own way. The corps command- 
 ers reported that it would be impracticable to make a 
 successful assatdt until morning, but sent back replies 
 fuU of enthusiasm, and having in them a ring of the 
 true soldierly metal. Ord said he would go into the 
 enemy's works "as a hot knife goes into butter." 
 Wright sent word that when he started in he would 
 "make the fur fly," and said: "If the corps does half 
 as well as I expect, we will have broken through the 
 rebel lines in fifteen minutes from the word 'go.'" 
 Grant was highly pleased with the spirit evinced in 
 these messages, and said : " I like the way "Wright talks ; 
 it argues success. I heartily approve." 
 
 The hour for the general assault was fixed at four 
 o'clock the next morning. Miles was ordered to march 
 with his division at midnight to reinforce Sheridan and 
 enable him to make a, stand against Lee in case he 
 should move westward in the night. A little after mid- 
 
CAPTURING THE WOEKS AT PETEKSBUEG 445 
 
 night the general tucked himself into his camp-bed, and 
 was soon sleeping as peacefully as if the next day was 
 to be devoted to a picnic instead of a decisive battle. 
 Every one at headquarters had caught as many cat- 
 naps as he could, so as to be able to keep both eyes open 
 the next day, in the hope of getting a sight of Peters- 
 burg, and possibly Richmond. And now four o'clock 
 came, but no assault. It was found that to remove 
 abatis, climb over chevaux-de-frise, jump rifle-pits, and 
 scale parapets, a little daylight would be of material 
 assistance. 
 
 At 4 : 45 there was a streak of gray in the heavens, 
 which soon revealed another streak of gray formed by 
 Confederate uniforms in the works opposite, and the 
 charge was ordered. The thunder of hundreds of guns 
 shook the ground like an earthquake, and soon the 
 troops were engaged all along the lines. The general 
 awaited for a while the result of the assault at head- 
 quarters, where he could be easily communicated with, 
 and from which he could give general directions. 
 
 At a quarter past five a message came from Wright 
 that he had carried the enemy's line in his front and 
 was pushing in. Next came news from Parke that he 
 had captured the outer works, with 12 pieces of artillery 
 and 800 prisoners. At 6 : 40 the general wrote a tele- 
 gram with his own hand to Mr. Lincoln at City Point, 
 as follows: "Both Wright and Parke got through the 
 enemy's line. The battle now rages furiously. Sheri- 
 dan, with his cavalry, the Fifth Corps, and Miles's 
 division of the Second Corps, which was sent to him 
 since one this morning, is now sweeping down from the 
 west. All now looks highly favorable. Ord is engaged, 
 but I have not yet heard the result in his front," A 
 cheering despatch was also senjt to Sheridan, winding 
 up with the words : " I think nothing is now wanting 
 
446 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 but the approacli of your force from the west to finish 
 up the job on this side." 
 
 Soon Ord was heard from as having broken through 
 the intrenchments. Humphreys, too, had been doing 
 gallant work. At half-past seven the line in his front 
 was captured, and half an hour later Hays's division 
 of his corps had carried an important earthwork, with 
 three guns and most of the garrison. At 8 : 30 a. m. a 
 despatch was brought in from Ord saying that some of 
 his troops had just captured the enemy's works south of 
 Hatcher's Eun. 
 
 The general and staff now rode out to the front, as it 
 was necessary to give immediate direction to the actual 
 movements of the troops, and prevent confusion from 
 the overlapping and intermingling of the several corps 
 as they pushed forward. He urged his horse over the 
 works which Wright's corps had captured, and suddenly 
 came upon a body of 3000 prisoners marching to our 
 rear. His whole attention was for some time riveted 
 upon them, and we knew that he was enjoying his usual 
 satisfaction in seeing so large a capture. Some of the 
 guards told the prisoners who the general was, and they 
 manifested great curiosity to get a good look at him. 
 Next he came up with a division of Wright's corps, 
 flushed with success, and rushing forward with a dash 
 that was inspiriting beyond description. When they 
 caught sight of the leader whom they had patiently fol- 
 lowed from the Eapidan to Petersburg, their cheers 
 broke forth with a will, and their enthusiasm knew no 
 limit. The general galloped along toward the right, and 
 soon met Meade, with whom he had been in constant 
 communication, and who had been urging on the Army 
 of the Potomac with all vigor. Congratulations were 
 rapidly exchanged, and both went to pushing forward 
 the good work. Grant, after taking in the situation, di- 
 rected both Meade and Ord to face their commands more 
 
GRANT WRITES DESPATCHES UNDER FIRE 447 
 
 toward the east, and close up toward the inner lines wMcli 
 covered Petersburg. Lee had been pushed so vigorously 
 that he seemed for a time to be making but little effort to 
 recover any of his lost ground ; but now he made a de- 
 termined fight against Parke's corps, which was threat- 
 ening his inner line on his extreme left, and the bridge 
 across the Appomattox. Eepeated assaults were made, 
 but Parke resisted them all successfully, and could not 
 be stu'red from his position. Lee had ordered Long- 
 street's command from the north side of the James, and 
 with these troops reinforced his extreme right. 
 
 General Grant dismounted near a farm-house which 
 stood on a knoll, from which he could get a good view 
 of the field of operations. He seated himseK on the 
 ground at the foot of a tree, and was soon busy receiv- 
 ing despatches and writing orders to officers conducting 
 the advance. The position was under fire, and as soon 
 as the group of staff-officers was seen, the enemy's guns 
 began paying their respects to the party. This lasted 
 for about a quarter of an hour, and as the fire became 
 hotter and hotter, several of the officers, apprehensive 
 for the general's safety, urged him to move to some less 
 conspicuous position ; but he kept on writing and talk- 
 ing, without the least interruption from the shots fall- 
 ing around him, and apparently not noticing what a 
 target the place was becoming, or paying any heed to 
 the gentle reminders to " move on." After he had fin- 
 ished his despatches he got up, took a view of the situ- 
 ation, and as he started toward the other side of the 
 farm-house said with a quizzical look at the group around 
 him : " Well, they do seem to have the range on us." 
 The staff was now sent to the various points of the ad- 
 vancing lines, and all was activity in pressing forward 
 the good work. 
 
 By noon nearly all the outer line of works was in our 
 possession, except two strong redoubts which occupied 
 
448 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 a commanding position, named respectively Fort Gregg 
 and Fort Wliitwortli'. The general decided that these 
 should be stormed, and about one o'clock three of Ord's 
 brigades swept down upon Fort Gregg. The garrison 
 of 300 men, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel J. H, 
 Duncan, with two rifled cannon, made a desperate de- 
 fense, and a gallant contest took place. For half an 
 hour after our men had gained the parapet a bloody 
 hand-to-hand struggle continued, but nothing could 
 stand against the onslaught of Ord's troops, flushed with 
 their morning's victory. By half-past two 57 of the 
 brave garrison lay dead, and the rest had surrendered. 
 Fort WMtworth was abandoned, but the guns of Fort 
 Gregg were opened upon the garrison as they marched 
 out, and the coromander. Colonel Joseph M, Jayne, and 
 60 men surrendered. 
 
 About this time Miles struck a force of the enemy at 
 Sutherland's Station, on Lee's extreme right, and cap- 
 tured two pieces of artillery and nearly 1000 prisoners. 
 At 4 : 40 the general, who had been keeping Mr. Lincoln 
 fully advised of the history that was so rapidly being 
 made that day, sent him a telegram inviting him to 
 come out the next day and pay him a visit. A prompt 
 reply was received from the President, saying : " Allow 
 me to tender you, and all with you, the nation's grateful 
 thanks for the additional and magnificent success. At 
 your kind suggestion, I think I will meet you to-morrow." 
 
 Prominent officers now urged the general to make an 
 assault on the inner lines, and capture Petersburg that 
 afternoon ; but he was firm in his resolve not to sacrifice 
 the lives necessary to accomplish such a result. He 
 said the city would undoubtedly be evacuated during 
 the night, and he would dispose the troops for a parallel 
 march westward, and try to head off the escaping army. 
 And thus ended this eventful Sunday. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 GRANT ENTEES PETERSBUEG — LINCOLN AT PETEESBUEG — 
 IN HOT PUESUIT OF LEE — GEANT MAKES A NIGHT EIDE 
 TO EEACH SHEEIDAN — GEANT HUEEIES ON T(J EAEM- 
 VILLE — GEANT AT EAEMVILLE — GEANT OPENS A COE- 
 EESPONDENOE WITH LEE — THE EIDE TO CUEDSVILLE — 
 GEANT SUFPEES AN ATTACK OF ILLNESS — MOEE COE- 
 EESPONDENCE "WITH LEE 
 
 THE general was up at daylight the next morning, 
 and the first report brought in was that Parke had 
 gone through the lines at 4 A. m., capturing a few skir- 
 mishers, and that the city had surrendered at 4 : 28 to 
 Colonel Ealph Ely. A second communication surren- 
 dering the place was sent in to Wright, Greneral Grant's 
 prediction had been fully verified. The evacuation had 
 begun about ten the night before, and was completed 
 on the morning of the 3d. Between 5 and 6 a. m. the 
 general had a conference with Meade, and orders were 
 given to push westward with all haste. About 9 a. m. 
 the general rode into Petersburg. Many of the citizens, 
 panic-stricken, had escaped with the army. Most of the 
 whites who remained stayed indoors; a few groups of 
 negroes gave cheers, but the scene generally was one of 
 complete desertion. Grant rode along quietly until he 
 came to a comfortable-looking brick house with a yard 
 in front, No. 21 Market street, the residence of Mr. 
 Thomas Wallace, and here he and the staff dismounted 
 
 29 449 
 
450 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 and took seats on the piazza. A number of tlie citizens 
 now gathered on the sidewalk, and stood gazing with 
 eager curiosity upon the features of the commander of 
 the Yankee armies. Soon an officer came with a despatch 
 from Sheridan, who had been reinforced and ordered to 
 strike out along the Danville Railroad, sajdng he was 
 already nine miles beyond Namozine Creek, and press- 
 ing the enemy's trains. The general was anxious to 
 move westward at once with the leading infantry col- 
 umns, but he prolonged his stay until the President 
 came up. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln soon after arrived, accompanied by Rob- 
 ert, who had ridden back to the railroad-station to meet 
 him, and by his little son, " Tad," and Admiral Porter. 
 He dismounted in the street, and came in through the 
 front gate with long and rapid strides, his face beaming 
 with delight. He seized General Grant's hand as the 
 general stepped forward to greet him, and stood shak- 
 ing it for some time, and pouring out his thanks and 
 congratulations with aU the fervor of a heart which 
 seemed overflowing with its fullness of joy. I doubt 
 whether Mr. Lincoln ever experienced a happier mo- 
 ment in his life. The scene was singularly affecting, 
 and one never to be forgotten. He said: "Do you 
 know, general, I had a sort of sneaking idea all along 
 that you intended to do something Mke this; but I 
 thought some time ago that you would so manceuver 
 as to have Sherman come up and be near enough to 
 cooperate with you." "Yes," replied the general; "I 
 thought at one time that Sherman's army might ad- 
 vance far enough to be in supporting distance of the 
 Eastern armies when the spring campaign against Lee 
 opened ; but I had a feeling that it would be better to 
 let Lee's old antagonists give his army the final blow, 
 and finish up the job. If the Western troops were even 
 
LINCOLN AT PETJBBSBUEG 451 
 
 to put in an appearance against Lee's army, it might 
 give some of our politicians a chance to stir up sectional 
 feeling in claiming everything for the troops from their 
 own section of country. The Western armies have been 
 very successful in their campaigns, and it is due to the 
 Eastern armies to let them vanquish their old enemy 
 single-handed." " I see, I see," said Mr. Lincoln ; " but 
 I never thought of it in that light. In fact, my anxiety 
 has been so great that I did n't care where the help came 
 from, so that the work was perfectly done." " Oh," Gen- 
 eral Grant continued, " I do not suppose it would have 
 given rise to much of the bickering I mentioned, and 
 perhaps the idea would not have occurred to any one 
 else. I feel sure there would have been no such feeling 
 among the soldiers. Of course I would not have risked 
 the result of the campaign on account of any mere sen- 
 timent of this kind; I have always felt confident that 
 our troops here were amply able to handle Lee." Mr. 
 Lincoln then began to talk about the civU complications 
 that would follow the destruction of the Confederate 
 armies in the field, and showed plainly the anxiety he 
 felt regarding the great problems in statecraft which 
 would soon be thrust upon him. He intiniated very 
 plainly, in a conversation that lasted nearly half an 
 hour, that thoughts of leniency to the conquered were 
 uppermost in his heart. 
 
 Meanwhile his son Tad, for whom he always showed 
 a deep affection, was becoming a little uneasy, and gave 
 certain appealing looks, to which General Sharpe, who 
 seemed to understand the mute expressions of small 
 boys, responded by producing some sandwiches, which 
 he offered to him, saying : " Here, young man, I guess 
 you must be hungry." Tad seized them as a drowning 
 man would seize a life-preserver, and cried out : " Yes, 
 I am ; that 's what 's the matter with me." This greatly 
 
452 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 amused the President and the general-in-chief, who had 
 a hearty laugh at Tad's expense. 
 
 A gentleman whom we supposed was the proprietor of 
 the house asked the general to go into the parlor ; hut 
 he declined politely, saying, "Thank you, but I am 
 smoking." 
 
 The general hoped that before he parted with Mr. 
 Lincoln he would hear that Richmond was in our pos- 
 session ; but after waiting about an hour and a half, he 
 said he must ride on to the front and join Ord's column, 
 and took leave of the President, who shook his hand 
 cordially, and with great warmth of feeling wished him 
 Grod-speed and every success. 
 
 The general and staff had ridden as far as Suther- 
 land's Station — about nine miles — when a despatch 
 from Weitzel overtook him, which had come by a 
 roundabout way. It read : " "We took Eichmond at 8 : 15 
 this morning. I captured many guns. The enemy left 
 in great haste. The city is on fire in two places. Am 
 making every effort to put it out. The people received 
 us with enthusiastic expressions of joy." Although the 
 news was expected, there were loud shouts of rejoicing 
 from the group who heard it read. The general, as 
 usual, did not manifest the slightest sign of emotion, 
 and merely remarked : " I am sorry I did not get this 
 information before we left the President. However, I 
 suppose he has heard it by this time " ; and then added : 
 " Let the news be circulated among the troops as rapidly 
 as possible." 
 
 Grant and Meade both went into camp at Sutherland's 
 Station that evening (April 3). The Army of the Poto- 
 mac caught but a few hours' sleep, and at three the 
 next morning was again on the march. The pursuit 
 had now become swift, unflagging, relentless. Sheri- 
 dan, " the inevitable," as the enemy had learned to call 
 
IN HOT PUKSTJIT OP LEE 453 
 
 him, was in advance, thundering on with his cavalry, 
 followed by Griffin and the rest of the Army of the 
 Potomac ; while Ord was swinging along toward Burke- 
 ville to head off Lee from Danville, to which point it 
 was naturally supposed he was pushing in order to unite 
 with Joe Johnston's army. April 4 was another active 
 day ; the troops were made to reaUze that this campaign 
 was to be won by legs ; that the great walking-match 
 had begun, and success depended upon which army 
 could make the best distance record. Grant rode this 
 day with Ord's troops. Meade was quite sick, and had 
 to take at times to an ambulance ; but his loyal spirit 
 never flagged, and all his orders breathed the true spirit 
 of a soldier. That night General Grant camped at "Wil- 
 son's Station on the South Side Railroad, twenty-seven 
 mUes west of Petersburg. A railroad engineer who had 
 been brought in as a prisoner reported that Davis and 
 his cabinet had passed through BurkeviUe, on their way 
 south, early on the morning of the day before. The 
 next morning the general sent a despatch to Sherman 
 in North Carolina, giving him an account of the situa- 
 tion, containing instructions as to his future movements, 
 and winding up with the famous words : " Rebel armies 
 are now the only strategic points to strike at." On the 
 5th he marched again with Ord's column, and at noon 
 teached Nottoway Court-house, about ten miles east of 
 BurkeviUe, where he halted with Ord for a couple of 
 hours. A young staff-officer here rode up to Ord in a 
 state of considerable excitement, and said : " Is this a 
 way-station?" The grim old soldier, who was always 
 fond of a quiet joke, replied with great deliberation : 
 "This is Nott-a-way Station." The staff collected 
 around General Grant on the front porch of the old 
 town tavern, and while examining maps and discussing 
 the movements a ringing despatch came in from Sheri- 
 
454 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 dan saying lie had captured six guns and some wagons, 
 and had intercepted Lee's advance toward Burkeville ; 
 that Lee was in person at Amelia Court-house, etc. This 
 news was given to the passing troops, and lusty cheers 
 went up from every throat. They had marched about 
 fifteen miles already that day, and now struck out as if 
 they were good for fifteen more, and vowed that they 
 were going to beat the record of the cavalry. 
 
 We continued to move along the wagon-road which 
 runs parallel to the South Side Railroad tiU nearly dark, 
 and had by that time reached a point about half-way 
 between Nottoway and BurkeviUe. The road was skirted 
 by a dense woods on the north side — the side toward the 
 enemy. A commotion suddenly arose among the head- 
 quarters escort, and on looking round, I saw some of our 
 men dashing up to a horseman in full Confederate uni- 
 form, who had emerged like an apparition from the 
 woods, and in the act of seizing him as a prisoner. I 
 recognized him at once as the scout who had brought 
 the important despatch sent by Sheridan from Columbia 
 to City Point. I said to him, " How do you do, Camp- 
 bell?" and told our men he was all right, and was one 
 of our people. He said he had had a hard ride from 
 Sheridan's camp, and had brought a despatch for Gen- 
 eral Grant. By this time the general had also recog- 
 nized him, and had ridden up to him and halted in the 
 road to see what he had brought. Campbell took from 
 his mouth a small pellet of tin-foil, opened it, and pulled 
 out a sheet of tissue-paper, on which was written the 
 famous despatch, so widely published at the time, in 
 which Sheridan described the situation at JetersvUle, 
 and added, " I wish you were here yourself." 
 
 The general said he would go at once to Sheridan, and 
 dismounted from his black pony " Jeff Davis," which he 
 had been riding, and called for his horse " Cincinnati," 
 
GRANT MAKES A NIGHT MAEOH TO REACH SHERIDAN 455 
 
 He stood in the road for a few minutes, and wrote a 
 despatch, to Ord, using the pony's back for a desk, and 
 then, mounting the fresh horse, told Campbell to lead 
 the way. It was found that we would have to skirt 
 pretty closely to the enemy's lines, and it was thought 
 that it would be prudent to take some cavalry with us ; 
 but there was none near at hand, and the general said 
 he would risk it with our mounted escort of fourteen 
 men. Calling upon me and three other officers to ac- 
 company him, he started off. I had in the mean while 
 questioned the scout about the trip, and found that we 
 would have to follow some cross-roads through a wooded 
 country and travel nearly twenty miles. It was now 
 dark, but there was enough moonlight to enable us to 
 see the way without difficulty. After riding for nearly 
 two hours, the enemy's camp-fires were seen in the dis- 
 tance, and it was noticed that the fence-rails were thrown 
 down in a number of places, indicating that cavalry had 
 been moving across this part of the country, though we 
 were certain our cavalry had not been there. Knowing 
 that scouts are seldom trustworthy, and are often in 
 the employ of both sides, and feeling that the general's 
 safety was now entirely in the power of a comparatively 
 unknown man, I, for one, began to grow suspicious. 
 Just then Campbell fell back several paces and sud- 
 denly turned his horse into a piece of woods which we 
 were skirting, and seemed to be acting in a manner that 
 indicated either confusion or treachery. I cocked my 
 pistol, and rode close behind him, thinking his feelings 
 would stand that much in the way of precaution any- 
 how, and determined that if he was caught giving any 
 suspicious signals I would at once arrest him. The 
 scout, however, was thoroughly loyal, and one of Sheri- 
 dan's most trusted men ; no thought of treachery had 
 crossed his mind ; he was only looking for a short 
 
456 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 cut through, the woods. About half-past ten o'clock 
 we struck Sheridan's pickets. They could hardly be 
 made to understand that the general-in-chief was 
 wandering about at that hour with so small an escort, 
 and so near to the enemy's lines. The cavalry were 
 sleeping on their arms, and as our little party picked 
 its way through their ranks, and the troopers woke 
 up and recognized the general in the moonlight, their 
 remarks were highly characteristic of the men. One 
 said: "Why, there 's the old man. Boys, this means 
 business " ; and another : " Great Scott ! the old chief 's 
 out here himself. The rebs are going to get bu'sted 
 to-morrow, certain " ; and a third : " Uncle Sam 's joined 
 the cavalry sure enough. You can bet there '11 be 
 lively times here in the morning." Sheridan was 
 awaiting us, feeling sure that the general would come 
 after getting his despatch. A good supper of beef, cold 
 chicken, and coffee was soon prepared, and it was 
 quickly demonstrated that the night ride had not im- 
 paired any one's appetite. 
 
 When the general-in-chief had learned fully the sit- 
 uation in Sheridan's front, he first sent a message to 
 Ord to watch the roads running south from Burkeville 
 and Farmville, and then went over to Meade's camp 
 near by. Meade was lying down, and still suffering 
 from niness. His views differed somewhat from Gen- 
 eral Grant's regarding the movements of the Army of the 
 Potomac for the next day, and the latter changed the 
 dispositions that were being made, so as to have the army 
 unite with Sheridan's troops in swinging round more 
 toward the south and heading off Lee in that direction. 
 
 The next day (April 6) proved a decided field-day in 
 the pursuit. It was found in the morning that Lee had 
 retreated during the night from Amelia Court-house; 
 and from the direction he had taken, and information 
 
VISIT or PBESIDEKT LINCOLN, ADMIRAL POKTEE, AND TAD LINCOLN, TO GENERAL 
 GRANT AT THE WALLACE HOUSE IN PETERSBURG. . 
 
GEANT HUEBIES ON TO PABMVILLE 457 
 
 received that he had ordered rations to meet him at 
 Farmville, it was seen that he had abandoned all hope 
 of reaching Burkeville, and was probably heading for 
 Lynchburg. Ord was to try to burn the High Bridge 
 over the Appomattox, and push on to Farmville. Sher- 
 idan's cavalry was to work around Lee's left flank, and 
 the Army of the Potomac was to make another forced 
 march, and strike the enemy wherever it could reach 
 him. I spent a portion of the day with Humphreys's 
 corps, which attacked the enemy near Deatonsville and 
 gave his rear-guard no rest. I joined General Grant 
 later, and rode with him to BurkeviUe, getting there 
 some time after dark. 
 
 Ord had pushed out to Eice's Station, and Sheridan 
 and Wright had gone in against the enemy and fought 
 the battle of Sailor's Creek, capturing 6 general officers 
 and about 7000 men, and " smashing things " generally. 
 General Grant broke camp and started from Burkeville 
 early the next morning (the 7th), and moved rapidly in 
 the direction of Farmville. The columns were crowding 
 the roads, and the men, aroused to still greater efforts 
 by the inspiriting news of the day before, were sweeping 
 steadUy along, despite the rain that fell, like trained 
 pedestrians on a walking-track. As the general rode 
 among them he was greeted with shouts and hurrahs 
 on all sides, and a string of sly remarks, which showed 
 how familiar swords and bayonets become when victory 
 furnishes the topic of their talk, such as " Cavalry 's gi'n 
 out, general. Infantry 's going to crush the rest of the 
 mud" ; and " "We 've marched nigh twenty miles on this 
 stretch, and we 're good for twenty more if the general 
 says so " ; and " "We 're not straddlin' any bosses, but 
 we '11 get there all the same." The general raised his 
 hat in acknowledgment of the cheers, and gave a plea- 
 sant nod to each of the men who addressed him. 
 
458 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 A little before noon on April 7, 1865, General Grant, 
 ■with. Ms staff, rode into the little village of Farmville, 
 on the south side of the Appomattox River, a town that 
 will be memorable in history as the place where he opened 
 the correspondence with Lee which, two days later, led 
 to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. He 
 drew up in front of the village hotel, a comfortable brick 
 building, dismounted, and established headquarters on 
 its broad piazza. News came in that Crook was fighting 
 large odds with his cavalry on the north side of the river, 
 and I was directed to go to his front and see what was 
 necessary to be done to assist him. I found that he was 
 being driven back, the enemy (Munford's and Rosser's 
 cavalry divisions, under Fitzhugh Lee) having made a 
 bold stand north of the river. Humphreys was also on 
 the north side, isolated from the rest of our infantry, 
 confronted by a large portion of Lee's army, and hav- 
 ing some heavy fighting. On my return to general 
 headquarters that evening, "Wright's corps was ordered 
 to cross the river and move rapidly to the support of 
 our troops there. Notwithstanding their long march 
 that day, the men sprang to their feet with a spirit that 
 made every one marvel at their pluck, and came swing- 
 ing through the main street of the village with a step 
 that seemed as elastic as on the first day of their toil- 
 some tramp. It was now dark, but they spied the gen- 
 eral-in-chief watching them with evident pride from the 
 piazza of the hotel as they marched past. Then was 
 witnessed one of the most inspiring scenes of the cam- 
 paign. Bonfires were lighted on the sides of the street ; 
 the men seized straw and pine-knots, and improvised 
 torches ; cheers arose from their throats, already hoarse 
 with shouts of victory; bands played, banners waved, 
 and muskets were swung in the air. A regiment now 
 broke forth with the song of " John Brown's body," and 
 
GKANT OPENS A OOBEESPONDENOE WITH LEE 459 
 
 soon a whole division was shouting the swelling chorus 
 of that popular air, which had risen to the dignity of a 
 national anthem. The night march had become a grand 
 review, with Grant as the reviewing officer. 
 
 Ord and Gribbon had visited the general at the hotel, 
 and he had spoken with them, as well as with Wright, 
 about sending some communication to Lee that might 
 pave the way to the stopping of further bloodshed. Dr. 
 Smith, formerly of the regular army, a native of Vir- 
 ginia, and a relative of General EweU, now one of our 
 prisoners, had told General Grant the night before that 
 EweU had said in conversation that their cause was lost 
 when they crossed the James River, and he considered 
 that it was the duty of the authorities to negotiate for 
 peace then, while they still had a right to claim conces- 
 sions, adding that now they were not in condition to 
 claim anything. He said that for every man killed 
 after this somebody would be responsible, and it would 
 be little better than murder. He could not teU what 
 General Lee would do, but he hoped that he would at 
 once surrender his army. This statement, together with 
 the news that had been received from Sheridan, saying 
 that he had heard that General Lee's trains of provi- 
 sions, which had come by rail, were at Appomattox, and 
 that he expected to capture them before Lee could reach 
 them, induced the general to write the following com- 
 munication : 
 
 Headquarters, Armies of the U. S., 
 5 p. M., April 7, 1865. 
 General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A. : 
 
 The results of the last week must convince you of the hope- 
 lessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of North- 
 ern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it 
 as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any fur- 
 ther effusion of blood by asking of you the surrender of that 
 
460 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 portion of the Confederate States army known as the Army of 
 Northern Virginia. 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 
 TMs he intrusted to General Setli Williams, adjutant- 
 general, with, directions to take it to Humphreys's front, 
 as his corps was close up to the enemy's rear-guard, and 
 see that it reached Lee. Williams's orderly was shot, 
 and he himself came near losing his life in getting this 
 commimication through the lines. Greneral Grant de- 
 cided to remain all night at Farmville and await the 
 reply from Lee, and he was shown to a room in the 
 hotel in which he was told that Lee had slept the night 
 before, although this statement could not be verified. 
 Lee wrote the following reply within an hour after he 
 received General Grant's letter, but it was brought in by 
 a rather circuitous route, and did not reach its destina- 
 tion till after midnight: 
 
 April 7, 1865. 
 
 GrBNBRAL : I have received your note of this date. Though 
 not entertaining the opinion you express of the hopelessness of 
 further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of 
 blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask 
 the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. 
 
 B. E. Lee, 
 General. 
 
 LiBUTENANT-aENBRAL U. S. GRANT, 
 
 Commanding Armies of the U. S. 
 
 The next morning, before leaving Farmville, the'ifol- 
 
 lowing reply was given to General Seth Williams, who 
 
 again went to Humphreys's front to have it transmitted 
 
 to Lee : 
 
 April 8, 1865. 
 
 General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A. : 
 
 Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of the same date, 
 asking the conditions on which I will accept the surrender of 
 
GEANT OPENS A COBEESPONDENOE WITH LEE 461 
 
 tlie Army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply 
 would say that, peace being my great desire, there is but one 
 condition I would insist upon— namely, that the men and offi- 
 cers surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against 
 the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. 
 I will meet you, or will designate officers to meet any officers 
 you may name for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to 
 you, for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon 
 which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be 
 received. 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 Lieutenantigeneral. 
 
 The last sentence shows great delicacy of feeling on 
 the part of General Grant, who wished to spare General 
 Lee the mortifi-cation of personally conducting the sur- 
 render. The consideration displayed has a parallel in 
 the terms accorded by Washington to Cornwallis at 
 Yorktown. Cornwallis took advantage of the privilege, 
 and sent O'Hara to represent him ; but Lee rose superior 
 to the British general, and in a manly way came and 
 conducted the surrender in person. 
 
 There turned up at this time a rather hungry-looking 
 gentleman in gray, wearing the uniform of a colonel, 
 who proclaimed himself the proprietor of the hotel. He 
 gave us to understand that his regiment had crumbled 
 to pieces ; that he was about the only portion of it that 
 had succeeded in holding together, and he thought he 
 might as well " stop off " at home and look after his 
 property. It is safe to say that his hotel had never 
 before had so many guests in it, nor at such reduced 
 rates. His story was significant as indicating the dis- 
 integrating process which was going on in the ranks of 
 the enemy. 
 
 General Grant had been marching most of the way 
 with the columns which were pushing along south of 
 Lee's line of retreat ; but, expecting that a reply to his 
 
462 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 last letter wotild soon be received, and wanting to keep 
 within easy communication with Lee, lie decided to march 
 this day with the portion of the Army of the Potomac 
 that was pressing Lee's rear-guard. After issuing some 
 further instructions to Ord and Sheridan, he started from 
 Farmville, crossed to the north side of the Appomattox, 
 conferred in person with Meade, and rode with his 
 columns. Encouraging reports came in aU day, and 
 that night headquarters were established at Curdsville 
 in a large white farm-house a few hundred yards from 
 Meade's camp. The general and several of the staff 
 had cut loose from the headquarters trains the night he 
 started to meet Sheridan at Jetersville, and had neither 
 baggage nor camp equipage. The general did not even 
 have his sword with him. This was the most advanced 
 effort yet made in moving in "light-marching order," 
 and we billeted ourselves at night in farm-houses, or 
 bivouacked on porches, and picked up meals at any 
 camp that seemed to have something to spare in the 
 way of rations. That night we sampled the fare of 
 Meade's hospitable mess, and once more lay down wdth 
 fuU stomachs. 
 
 General Grant had been suffering all the afternoon 
 from a severe headache, the result of fatigue, anxiety, 
 scant fare, and loss of sleep, and by night he grew much 
 worse. He was induced to bathe his feet in hot water 
 and mustard, and apply mustard-plasters to his wrists 
 and the back of his neck ; but these remedies afforded 
 little relief. The dwelling we occupied was a double 
 house. The general threw himself upon a sofa in the 
 sitting-room on the left side of the hall, whUe the staff- 
 offi.cers bunked on the floor of the room opposite, to 
 catch what sleep they could. About midnight we were 
 aroused by Colonel Charles A. Whittier of Humphreys's 
 staff, who brought the expected letter from Lee. Eaw- 
 
MORE OOBBESPONDENCE WITH LEE 463 
 
 lins took it, and stepped across the hall to the door of 
 General Grant's room. He hesitated to knock, not wish- 
 ing to awake the commander if he were asleep, and 
 opened the door softly and listened a moment to ascer- 
 tain whether he could judge by any sound how the 
 chief was resting. Soon the general's voice was heard 
 saying: "Come in; I am awake. I am suffering too 
 much to get any sleep." I had in the mean time brought 
 a lighted candle, and now stepped into the room with it. 
 The general, who had taken off only his coat and boots, 
 sat up on the sofa and read the communication. 
 The letter was as follows : 
 
 April 8, 1865. 
 General : I received at a late hour your note of to-day. In 
 mine of yesterday I did not intend to propose the surrender of 
 the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your 
 proposition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has 
 arisen to call for the surrender of this army ; but as the restora- 
 tion of peace should be the sole object of all, I desired to know 
 whether your proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, 
 therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of 
 Northern Virginia ; but as far as your proposal may effect the 
 Confederate States forces under my command, and tend to the 
 restoration of peace, I shall be pleased to meet you at 10 A. M. 
 to-morrow on the old stage-road to Richmond, between the 
 picket-lines of the two armies. 
 
 R. E. Leb, 
 General. 
 
 LlEUTENANT-GENBKAL U. S. GeANT. 
 
 The general shook his head, expressive of his disap- 
 pointment, and remarked, " It looks as if Lee still means 
 to fight ; I wiU reply in the morning " ; and after making 
 a few more comments, lay down again upon the sofa. 
 Rawlins and I expressed the hope that the general might 
 still be able to get some sleep, and then retired from the 
 room. About four o'clock on the morning of April 9 I 
 
464 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 rose and crossed tlie hall to ascertain how the general 
 was feeling. I found his room empty, and upon going 
 out of the front door, saw him pacing up and down in 
 the yard, holding both hands to his head. Upon in- 
 quiring how he felt, he replied that he had had very 
 little sleep, and was still suffering the most excruciating 
 pain. I said : " Well, there is one consolation in all this, 
 general : I never knew you to be ill that you did not 
 receive some good news before the day passed. I have 
 become a little superstitious regarding these coinci- 
 dences, and I should not be surprised if some good for- 
 tune were to overtake you before night." He smiled, 
 and replied : " The best thing that could happen to me 
 to-day would be to get rid of the pain I am suffering." 
 We were soon joined by some others of the staff, and 
 the general was induced to walk over to Meade's head- 
 quarters with us and get some coffee, in the hope that 
 it would do him good. He seemed to feel a little better 
 then, and after writing the following letter to Lee, and 
 despatching it, he prepared to move forward. 
 
 April 9, 1865. 
 General : Tour note of yesterday is received. As I have 
 no authority to treat on the subject of peace, the meeting pro- 
 posed for 10 A. M. to-day could lead to no good. I will state, 
 however, general, that I am equally anxious for peace with 
 yourself, and the whole North entertains the same feeling. 
 The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. 
 By the South laying down their arms they wO hasten that 
 most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hun- 
 dreds of millions of property not yet destroyed. Sincerely 
 hoping that aU our difficulties may be settled without the loss 
 of another life, I subscribe myself, etc., 
 
 U. S. GrEANT, 
 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 General R. E. Lee. 
 
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 
 
 From a photograph taken after the war. 
 
MORE CORRESPONDENCE WITH LEE 465 
 
 G-eneral Grant kept steadily in mind the fact that he 
 was simply a soldier, and could deal only with hostile 
 armies. He could not negotiate a treaty of peace with- 
 out transcending his authority. 
 
 so 
 
CHAPTER XXX 
 
 grant's KIDE to APPOMATTOX — HOW liEE BEACHED McLEAN'S 
 HOUSE — MEETING BETWEEN GEANT AND LEE — BRIEF 
 DISCUSSION AS TO THE TERMS OF SURRENDER — DRAFT- 
 ING THE TERMS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE — GRANT'S CON- 
 SIDERATION FOE THE CONFEDERATE PRIVATES — RATIONS 
 FOR THE PAROLED ARMY 
 
 IT was proposed to the general to ride during the day 
 in a covered ambulance which was at hand, instead 
 of on horseback, so as to avoid the intense heat of the 
 sun ; but his soldierly instincts rebelled against such a 
 proposition, and he soon after mounted "Cincinnati," 
 and started from Curdsville toward New Store. From 
 this point he went by way of a cross-road to the south 
 side of the Appomattox, with the intention of moving 
 around to Sheridan's front. While riding along the 
 wagon-road which runs from Farmville to Appomattox 
 Court-house, at a point eight or nine miles east of the 
 latter place, Lieutenant Charles E. Pease of Meade's 
 staff overtook him with a despatch. It was found to be 
 a reply from Lee, which had been sent into our lines on 
 Humphreys's front. It read as follows : 
 
 April 9, 1865. 
 General : I received yoiir note of this morning on the picket- 
 line, whither I had come to meet you and ascertain definitely 
 what terms were embraced in your proposal of yesterday with 
 reference to the surrender of this army. I now request an 
 
 466 
 
GBANT'S bide to APPOMATTOX 467 
 
 interview, in accordance witli the offer contained in your letter 
 of yesterday, for that purpose. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. E. Lee, 
 
 Cx6U6I*£Ij1 
 LlECTENANT-QENEEAL U. S. GbANT, 
 
 Commanding U. S. Armies. 
 
 Pease also brought a note from Meade saying that, at 
 Lee's request, he had read the communication addressed 
 to Grant, and in consequence of it had granted a short 
 truce. 
 
 The general, as soon as he had read these letters, dis- 
 mounted, sat down on the grassy bank by the roadside, 
 and wrote the following reply to Lee : 
 
 April 9, 1865. 
 General R. B. Lee, Commanding C. S. Army : 
 
 Yeur note of this date is but this moment (11 : 50 A. M.) re- 
 ceived, in consequence of my having passed from the Richmond 
 and Lynchburg road to the ParmviUe and Lynchburg road. I 
 am at this writing about four miles west of "Walker's Church, 
 and wiU push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting 
 you. Notice sent to me on this road where you wish the inter- 
 view to take place will meet me. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 
 He handed this to Colonel Babcock of the staff, with 
 directions to take it to Q-eneral Lee by the most direct 
 route. Mounting his horse again, the general rode on 
 at a trot toward Appomattox Court-house. When five 
 or six miles from the town, Colonel Newhall, Sheridan's 
 adjutant-general, came riding up from the direction of 
 Appomattox, and handed the general a communication. 
 This proved to be a duplicate of the letter from Lee 
 that Lieutenant Pease had brought in from Meade's 
 lines. Lee was so closely pressed that he was anxious 
 
468 CAMPAiGNma with geant 
 
 to communicate with Grant by tlie most direct means ; 
 and as lie could not teU witli which column Grant was 
 moving, he sent in one copy of his letter on Meade's 
 front, and one on Sheridan's. Colonel Newhall joined 
 our party, and after a few minutes' halt to read the 
 letter we continued our ride toward Appomattox, On 
 the march I had asked the general several times how he 
 felt. To the same question now he replied : " The pain 
 in my head seemed to leave me the moment I got Lee's 
 letter." The road was filled with men, animals, and 
 wagons, and to avoid these and shorten the distance 
 we turned slightly to the right and began to " cut across 
 lots " ; but before going far we spied men conspicuous 
 in gray, and it was seen that we were moving toward 
 the enemy's left flank, and that a short ride farther 
 would take us into his lines. It looked for a moment 
 as if a very awkward condition of things might possibly 
 arise, and Grant become a prisoner in Lee's lines instead 
 of Lee in his. Such a circumstance would have given 
 rise to an important cross-entry in the system of cam- 
 paign bookkeeping. There was only one remedy — to 
 retrace our steps and strike the right road, which was 
 done without serious discussion. About one o'clock the 
 little village of Appomattox Court-house, with its half- 
 dozen houses, came in sight, and soon we were entering 
 its single street. It is situated on rising ground, and 
 beyond it the country slopes down into a broad valley. 
 The enemy was seen with his columns and wagon-trains 
 covering the low ground. Our cavalry, the Fifth Corps, 
 and part of Ord's command were occupying the high 
 ground to the south and west of the enemy, heading him 
 off completely. We saw a group of officers who had dis- 
 mounted and were standing at the edge of the town, and 
 at their head we soon recognized the features of Sheri- 
 dan. No one could look at Sheridan at such a moment 
 
grant's ride to APPOMATTOX 469 
 
 "without a sentiment of undisguised admiration. In this 
 campaign, as in others, he had shown himself possessed 
 of military traits of the highest order. Bold in concep- 
 tion, self-reliant, demonstrating by his acts that " much 
 danger makes great hearts most resolute," fertile in re- 
 sources, combining the restlessness of a Hotspur with 
 the patience of a Fabius, it is no wonder that he should 
 have been looked upon as the wizard of the battle-field. 
 G-enerous of his life, gifted with the ingenuity of a 
 Hannibal, the dash of a Murat, the courage of a Ney, 
 the magnetism of his presence roused his troops to 
 deeds of individual heroism, and his unconquerable 
 columns rushed to victory with all the confidence of 
 Caesar's Tenth Legion. Wherever blows fell thickest, 
 there was his crest. Despite the valor of the defense, 
 opposing ranks went down before the fierceness of his 
 onsets, never to rise again, and he would not pause till 
 the folds of his banners waved above the strongholds 
 he had wrested from the foe. Brave Sheridan ! I can 
 almost see him now, his silent clay again quickened into 
 life, once more riding " -Eienzi " through a fire of hell, 
 leaping opposing earthworks at a single bound, and 
 leaving nothing of those who barred his way except the 
 fragments scattered in his path. As long as manly 
 courage is talked of, or heroic deeds are honored, the 
 hearts of a grateful people will beat responsive to the 
 mention of the talismanic name of Sheridan. 
 
 Ord and others were standing in the group before us, 
 and as our party came up General Grant greeted the 
 ofiicers, and said, " How are you, Sheridan ? " " First- 
 rate, thank you; how are you?" cried Sheridan, with a 
 voice and look which seemed to indicate that, on his 
 partj he was having things all his own way. "Is Lee 
 over there ? " asked Grant, pointing up the road, having 
 heard a rumor that Lee was in that vicinity. " Yes ; he 
 
470 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 is in that brick house, waiting to surrender to you," 
 answered Sheridan. " "Well, then, we '11 go over," said 
 Grant. 
 
 The general-in-chie£ now rode on, accompanied by 
 Sheridan, Ord, and others. Soon Colonel Babcock's 
 orderly was seen sitting on his horse in the street in 
 front of a two-story brick house, better in appearance 
 than the rest of the houses. He said General Lee and 
 Colonel Babcock had gone into this house half an hour 
 before, and he was ordered to post himself in the street 
 and keep a lookout for General Grant, so as to let him 
 know where General Lee was. 
 
 Babcock told me afterward that in carrying General 
 Grant's last letter he passed through the enemy's lines, 
 and found General Lee a little more than half a mile 
 beyond Appomattox Court-house. He was lying down 
 by the roadside on a blanket which had been spread 
 over a few fence-rails placed on the ground under an 
 apple-tree which was part of an old orchard. This cir- 
 cumstance furnished the only ground for the wide-spread 
 report that the surrender occurred under an apple-tree, 
 and which has been repeated in song and story. There 
 may be said of that statement what Cuvier said of the 
 French Academy's definition of a crab — "brilliant, but 
 not correct," 
 
 Babcock dismounted upon coming near, and as he ap- 
 proached Lee sat up, with his feet hanging over the road- 
 side embankment. The wheels of wagons, in passing 
 along the road, had cut away the earth of this embank- 
 ment, and left the roots of the tree. projecting. Lee's 
 feet were partly resting on these roots. Colonel Charles 
 Marshall, his military secretary, came forward, took the 
 despatch which Babcock handed him, and gave it to 
 General Lee. After reading it the general rose, and 
 said he would ride forward on the road on which Bab- 
 
HOW LEE REACHED MoLEAN'S HOTTSE 471 
 
 cock had come, but was apprehensive that hostilities 
 might begin in the mean time, upon the termination of 
 the temporary truce, and asked Babcoek to write a line 
 to Meade informing him of the situation. Babcoek 
 wrote accordingly, requesting Meade to maintain the 
 truce until positive orders from Grant could be received. 
 To save time, it was arranged that a Union officer, ac- 
 companied by one of Lee's officers, should carry this 
 letter through the enemy's lines. This route made the 
 distance to Meade nearly ten miles shorter than by the 
 roundabout way of the Union lines. Lee now mounted 
 his horse, and directed Colonel Marshall to accompany 
 him. They started for Appomattox Court-house in 
 company with Babcoek, followed by a mounted orderly. 
 When the party 
 reached the vil- 
 lage they met one 
 of its residents, 
 named "Wilmer 
 McLean, who was 
 told that General 
 Lee wished to oc- 
 cupy a convenient room in some house in the town. 
 McLean ushered them into the sitting-room of one of 
 the first houses he came to; but upon looking about, 
 and seeing that it was small and unfurnished, Lee pro- 
 posed finding something more commodious and better 
 fitted for the occasion. McLean then conducted the 
 party to his own house, about the best one in the town, 
 where they awaited General Grant's arrival. 
 
 The house had a comfortable wooden porch with seven 
 steps leading up to it. A hall ran through the middle 
 from front to back, and upon each side was a room hav- 
 ing two windows, one in front and one in rear. Each 
 room had two doors opening into the hall. The build- 
 
 THE SOFA IN THE McLEAN HOUSE. 
 
472 
 
 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GKANT 
 
 ing stood a little distance liack from the street, with a 
 yard in front, and to the left on entering was a gate for 
 carriages, and a roadway running to a stable in rear. 
 We entered the grounds by this gate, and dismounted. 
 In the yard were seen a fine, large gray horse, which 
 proved to be General Lee's favorite animal, called 
 " Traveler," and a good-looking, dark-colored mare be- 
 longing to Colonel Marshall. An orderly in gray was 
 in charge of them, and had taken off their bridles to let 
 them crop the grass. 
 
 General Grant mounted the steps and entered the 
 house. As he stepped into the hall, Colonel Babcock, 
 
 who had seen his ap- 
 proach from the window, 
 opened the door of the 
 room on the left, in which 
 he had been sitting with 
 General Lee and Colonel 
 Marshall awaiting Gen- 
 eral Grant's arrival. The 
 general passed in, and as 
 Lee arose and stepped 
 forward. Grant extended 
 his hand, saying, " Gen- 
 eral Lee," and the two 
 shook hands cordially. The members of the staff. Generals 
 Sheridan andOrd, and some other general officers who had 
 gathered in the front yard, remained outside, feeling that 
 General Grant would probably prefer his first interview 
 with General Lee to be, in a measure, private. In a few 
 minutes Colonel Babcock came to the front door, and, 
 making a motion with his hat toward the sitting-room, 
 said : " The general says come in." It was then about 
 half-past one on Sunday, the 9th of April. "We entered, 
 and found General Grant seated in an old office arm- 
 
 TABLB AT WHICH LBB SAT. 
 
MEETING BETWEEN GKANT AND LEE 
 
 473 
 
 chair in the center of the room, and Lee sitting in a 
 plain arm-chair with a cane seat beside a square, 
 marble-topped table near the front window, in the 
 corner opposite the door by which we entered, and 
 facing General Grant. Colonel Marshall was standing 
 at his left, with his right elbow resting upon the man- 
 telpiece. We walked in softly, and ranged ourselves 
 quietly about the sides of the room, very much as 
 people enter a sick- chamber when 
 they expect to find the patient 
 dangerously ill. Some found 
 seats on the sofa standing against 
 the wall between the two doors 
 and on the few plain chairs which 
 constituted the furniture, but 
 most of the party stood. 
 
 The contrast between the two 
 commanders was singularly strik- 
 ing, and could not faU to attract 
 marked attention as they sat, six 
 or eight feet apart, facing each 
 other. General Grant, then nearly 
 forty-three years of age, was five 
 feet eight inches in height, with 
 shoulders slightly stooped. His 
 hair and full beard were nut-brown, without a trace of 
 gray in them. He had on his single-breasted blouse of 
 dark-blue flannel, unbuttoned in front and showing a 
 waistcoat underneath. He wore an ordinary pair of top- 
 boots, with his trousers inside, and was without spurs. 
 The boots and portions of his clothfes were spattered 
 with mud. He had worn a pair of thread' gloves of a 
 dark-yellow color, which he had taken off on entering 
 the room. His felt " sugar-loaf," stiff-brimmed hat was 
 resting on his lap. He had no sword or sash, and a pair 
 
 CHAIB Ur WHICH LEE SAT. 
 
474 
 
 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GRANT 
 
 OHAIE m WHICH (JBANT SAT. 
 
 of shoulder-straps was all there was about him to desig- 
 nate his rank. In fact, aside from these, his uniform was 
 that of a private soldier. 
 
 Lee, on the other hand, was 
 six feet and one inch in height, 
 and erect for one of his age, for 
 he was Grant's senior by sixteen 
 years. His hair and full beard 
 were a silver-gray, and thick, ex- 
 cept that the hair had become 
 a little thin in front. He wore 
 a new uniform of Confederate 
 gray, buttoned to the throat, 
 and a handsome sword and sash. 
 The sword was of exceedingly 
 fine workmanship, and the hilt 
 was studded with jewels. It had been presented to 
 him by some ladies in England who sympathized with 
 the cause he represented. His top-boots were compar- 
 atively new, and had on them near the top some orna- 
 mental stitching of red silk. Like his uniform, they were 
 clean. On the boots were handsome spurs with large 
 rowels. A felt hat which in color matched pretty closely 
 that of his uniform, and a pair of long, gray buckskin 
 gauntlets, lay beside him on the table. We endeavored 
 afterward to learn how it was that he wore such fine 
 clothes, and looked so much as if he had turned out to 
 go to church that Sunday afternoon, whUe with us our 
 outward garb scarcely rose to the dignity even of the 
 " shabby-genteel." One explanation was that when his 
 headt[uarters wagons had been pressed so closely by our 
 cavalry a few days before, it was found that his officers 
 would have to destroy all their baggage, except the 
 clothes they carried on their backs ; and each one natu- 
 rally selected the newest suit he had, and sought to 
 
BBIEF DISCUSSION AS TO THE TERMS OF SUREENDEK 475 
 
 propitiate the god of destruction by a sacrifice of his 
 second-best. Another reason given was that, in defer- 
 ence to General Grant, General Lee had dressed himself 
 with special care for the purpose of the meeting. 
 
 Grant began the conversation by saying : " I met you 
 once before, General Lee, while we were serving in 
 Mexico, when you came over from General Scott's head- 
 quarters to visit Garland's brigade, to which I then be- 
 longed. I have always remembered your appearance, 
 and I think I should have recognized you anywhere." 
 " Yes," replied General Lee ; " I know I met you on that 
 occasion, and I have often thought of it, and tried to 
 recollect how you looked, but I have never been able to 
 recall a single feature." After some further mention of 
 Mexico, General Lee said : " I suppose, General Grant, 
 that the object of our present meeting is fully under- 
 stood. I asked to see you to ascertain upon what terms 
 you would receive the surrender of my army." General 
 Grantreplied: "The terms I pro- 
 pose are those stated substan- 
 tially in my letter of yesterday ; 
 that is, the officers and men sur- 
 rendered to be paroled and dis- 
 qualified from taking up arms 
 again until properly exchanged, 
 and all arms, ammunition, and 
 supplies to be delivered up as table oh which geaut wbotb 
 
 . 1 J... T T13 THE ABTICLES OF SUEBBNDEE. 
 
 captured property." Lee nodded 
 
 an assent, and said: "Those are about the conditions 
 which I expected would be proposed." General Grant 
 then continued : " Yes ; I think our correspondence in- 
 dicated pretty clearly the action that would be taken 
 at our meeting, and I hope it may lead to a general 
 suspension of hostilities, and be the means of preventing 
 any further loss of life." 
 
476 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Lee inclined his head as indicating his accord with 
 this wish, and General Grrant then went on to talk at 
 some length in a very pleasant vein about the prospects 
 of peace. Lee was evidently anxious to proceed to the 
 formal work of the surrender, and he brought the sub- 
 ject up again by saying : 
 
 "I presume, General Grant, we have both carefully 
 considered the proper steps to be taken, and I would 
 suggest that you commit to writing the terms you have 
 proposed, so that they may be formally acted upon." 
 
 " Very well," replied Grant ; " I will write them out." 
 And calhng for his manifold order-book, he opened it, 
 laid it on a smaU oval wooden table which Colonel 
 Parker brought to him from the rear of the room, and 
 proceeded to write the terms. The leaves had been so 
 prepared that three impressions of the writing were 
 made. He wrote very rapidly, and did not pause until 
 he had finished the sentence ending with "officers 
 appointed by me to receive them." Then he looked 
 toward Lee, and his eyes seemed to be resting on the 
 handsome sword that hung at that officer's side. He 
 said afterward that this set him to thinking that it 
 would be an unnecessary humiliation to require the 
 officers to surrender their swords, and a great hardship 
 to deprive them of their personal baggage and horses ; 
 and after a short pause he wrote the sentence : " This 
 will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their 
 private horses or baggage." 
 
 When he had finished the letter he called Colonel 
 Parker to his side, and looked it over with him, and 
 directed him as they went along to interline six or seven 
 words, and to strike out the word "their," which had 
 been repeated. When this had been done the general 
 took the manifold writer in his right hand, extended his 
 arm toward Lee, and started to rise from his chair to 
 
DRAFTING THK TEBMS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE 477 
 
 hand the book to him. As I was standing equally dis- 
 tant from them, with my back to the front window, I 
 stepped forward, took the book, and passed it to General 
 Lee. The terms were as follows : 
 
 Appomattox Codet-housb, Va., April 9, 1865. 
 General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A. 
 
 GE^fERAL : In accordance with the substance of my letter to 
 you of the 8th inst., I propose to receive the surrender of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit : 
 Kolls of all the oflcers and men to be made in duplicate, one 
 copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, the^other 
 to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. 
 The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms 
 against the Government of the United States until properly 
 [exchanged], and each company or regimental commander to 
 sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, 
 artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked and 
 turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. 
 This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their 
 private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man 
 will be allowed to return to his home, not to be disturbed by 
 the United States authorities so long as they observe their 
 paroles and the laws in force where they may reside. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 
 Lee pushed aside some books and two brass candle- 
 sticks which were on the table, then took the book and 
 laid it down before him, while he drew from his pocket 
 a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles, and wiped the glasses 
 carefully with his handkerchief. He crossed his legs, 
 adjusted the spectacles very slowly and deliberately, 
 took up the draft of the terms, and proceeded to read 
 them attentively. They consisted of two pages. When 
 he reached the top line of the second page, he looked up, 
 
478 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 and said to General Grant: "After the words 'until 
 properly' tlie word 'exchanged' seems to be omitted. 
 You doubtless intended to use that word." 
 
 " Why, yes," said Grant ; " I thought I had put in the 
 word * exchanged.' " 
 
 " I presumed it had been omitted inadvertently," con- 
 tinued Lee; "and, with your permission, I will mark 
 where it should be inserted." 
 
 " Certainly," Grant replied. 
 
 Lee felt in his pocket as if searching for a pencil, but 
 he did not seem to be able to find one. Seeing this, I 
 handed him my lead-peneU. During the rest of the 
 interview he kept twirling this pencil in his fingers and 
 occasionally tapping the top of the table with it. When 
 he handed it back, it was carefully treasured by me as 
 a memento of the occasion. When Lee came to the 
 sentence about the officers' side-arms, private horses, 
 and baggage, he showed for the first time during the 
 reading of the letter a slight change of countenance, and 
 was evidently touched by this act of generosity. It was 
 doubtless the condition mentioned to which he particu- 
 larly alluded when he looked toward General Grant, as he 
 finished reading, and said with some degree of warmth in 
 his manner, " This will have a very happy effect upon 
 my army." 
 
 General Grant then said: "Unless you have some 
 suggestions to make in regard to the form in which I 
 have stated the terms, I will have a copy of the letter 
 made in ink, and sign it." 
 
 " There is one thing I should like to mention," Lee 
 replied, after a short pause. "The cavalrymen and 
 artillerists own their own horses in our army. Its 
 organization in this respect differs from that of the 
 United States." This expression attracted the notice 
 of our officers present, as showing how firmly the con- 
 
gbant's consideeation foe confedeeate peivates 479 
 
 viction was grounded in Ms mind that we were two 
 distinct countries. He continued: "I should like to 
 understand whether these men .will be permitted to re- 
 tain their horses." 
 
 " You wiU find that the terms as written do not allow 
 this," General Grant replied ; " only the officers are per- 
 mitted to take their private property." 
 
 Lee read over the second page of the letter again, and 
 then said : " No, I see the terms do not allow it ; that 
 is clear." His face showed plainly that he was quite 
 anxious to have this concession made ; and Graat said 
 very promptly, and without giving Lee time to make a 
 direct request : 
 
 " Well, the subject is quite new to me. Of course I did 
 not know that any private soldiers owned their animals ; 
 but I think we have fought the last battle of the war, — 
 I sincerely hope so, — and that the surrender of this 
 army will be followed soon by that of aU the others; 
 and I take it that most of the men in the ranks are 
 small farmers, and as the country has been so raided by 
 the two armies, it is doubtful whether they will be able 
 to put in a crop to carry themselves and their families 
 through the next winter without the aid of the horses 
 they are now riding, and I wiU arrange it in this way : 
 I will not change the terms as now written, but I wiU 
 instruct the officers I shall appoint to receive the paroles 
 to let all the men who claim to own a horse or mule 
 take the animals home with them to work their little 
 farms." (This expression has been quoted in various 
 forms, and has been the subject of some dispute. I give 
 the exact words used.) 
 
 Lee now looked greatly relieved, and though anything 
 but a demonstrative man, he gave every evidence of his 
 appreciation of this concession, and said: "This wiU. 
 have the best possible effect upon the men. It will be 
 
480 CAMPAIGNING -WITH GEANT 
 
 very gratifying, and will do mnch. toward conciliating 
 our people." He handed the draft of the terms back to 
 G-eneral Grant, who called Colonel T, S. Bowers of the 
 staff to him, and directed him to make a copy in ink. 
 Bowers was a little nervous, and he turned the matter 
 over to Colonel Parker, whose handwriting presented a 
 better appearance than that of any one else on the staff. 
 Parker sat down to write at the oval table, which he 
 had moved again to l^he rear of the room. Wilmer Mc- 
 Lean's domestic resources in the way of ink now became 
 the subject of a searching investigation, but it was found 
 that the contents of the conical-shaped stoneware ink- 
 stand with a paper stopper which he produced appeared 
 to be participating in the general breaking up, and had 
 disappeared. Colonel Marshall now came to the rescue, 
 and took from his pocket a small boxwood inkstand, 
 which was put at Parker's service, so that, after aU, we 
 had to fall back upon the resources of the enemy to 
 furnish the " stage properties " for the final scene in the 
 memorable military drama. 
 
 Colonel Marshall then took a seat on the sofa beside 
 Sheridan and IngaUs. When the terms had been copied, 
 Lee directed his military secretary to draw up for his 
 signature a letter of acceptance. Colonel Marshall wrote 
 out a draft of such a letter, making it formal, beginning 
 with, " I have the honor to acknowledge," etc. General 
 Lee took it, and after reading it over very carefuUy, 
 directed that these formal expressions be stricken out, 
 and that the letter be otherwise shortened. He afterward 
 went over it again, and seemed to change some words, 
 and then told the colonel to make a final copy in ink. 
 When it came to providing the paper, it was found that we 
 had the only supply of that important ingredient in the 
 recipe for surrendering an army, so we gave a few pages 
 to the colonel. The letter when completed read as follows : 
 
Porter. 
 
 Sheridan. 
 
 Ingalls. 
 
 Babcock. 
 
 Grant. 
 GRANT AT APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Merritt. 
 Parker. 
 
CONDUCTING THE SUKEENDEB 481 
 
 HeADQUABTEBS, AbMY op NOETHEEN 'VntGHNIA, 
 
 April 9, 1865. 
 Geneeal : I have received your letter of this date containing 
 the terms of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia 
 as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as 
 those expressed in your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. 
 I win proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipu- 
 lations into effect. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. E. Lee, 
 General. 
 
 LlEUTENANT-GENBEAIi U. S. GeANT, 
 
 Commanding Armies of U. S. 
 
 While the letters were being copied, General G-rant 
 introduced the general officers who had entered, and 
 each member of the staff, to General Lee. The general 
 shook hands with General Seth Williams, who had been 
 his adjutant when Lee was superintendent at West 
 Point some years before the war, and gave his hand to 
 some of the other ofllcers who had extended theirs ; but 
 to most of those who were introduced het merely bowed 
 in a dignified and formal manner. He did, not exhibit 
 the slightest change of features during this ceremony 
 untU Colonel Parker of our staff was presented to him. 
 Parker being a fidl-blooded Indito, when Lee saw his 
 swarthy features he looked at him with CAddent sur- 
 prise, and his eyes rested on him for several seconds. 
 What was passing in his mind no one knew, but the 
 natural surmise was that he at first mistook Parker for 
 a negro, and was struck with astonishment to find that 
 the commander of the Union armies had one of that 
 race on his personal staff. 
 
 Lee did not utter a word while the introductions were 
 going on, except to Seth WUliams, with whom he talked 
 cordially. Williams at one time referred in a rather 
 
 31 - ^ . - 
 
482 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 jocose manner to a circumstance wMcli had occurred 
 during their former service together, as if he wished to 
 say something in a good-natured way to thaw the fri- 
 gidity of the conversation ; but Lee was in no mood for 
 pleasantries, and he did not unbend, or even relax the 
 fixed sternness of his features. His only response to 
 the remark was a slight inclination of the head. Gen- 
 eral Lee now took the initiative again in leading the 
 conversation back into business channels. He said : 
 
 " I have a thousand or more of your men as prisoners, 
 General Grant, a number of them officers, whom we 
 have required to march along with us for several days. 
 I shall be glad to send them into your lines as soon as 
 it can be arranged, for I have no provisions for them. 
 I have, indeed, nothing for my own men. They have 
 been living for the last few days principally upon 
 parched corn, and we are badly in need of both rations 
 and forage. I telegraphed to Lynchburg, directing 
 several train-loads of rations to be sent on by rail from 
 there, and when they arrive I should be glad to have 
 the present wants of my men supplied from them." 
 
 At this remark aE eyes turned toward Sheridan, for 
 he had captured these trains with his cavalry the night 
 before near Appomattox Station. General Grant re- 
 plied : " I should like to have our men sent within our 
 lines as soon as possible. I will take steps at once to 
 have your army supplied with rations, but I am sorry 
 we have no forage for the animals. We have had to 
 depend upon the country for our supply of forage. Of 
 about how many men does your present force consist ? " 
 
 " Indeed, I am not able to say," Lee answered, after a 
 slight pause. " My losses in killed and wounded have 
 been exceedingly heavy, and, besides, there have been 
 many stragglers and some deserters. AH my reports 
 and public papers, and indeed some of my own private 
 
CONDUCTING THE SUBRENDEB 483 
 
 letters, had to be destroyed on the march to prevent 
 them from falling into the hands of yonr people. Many 
 companies are entirely without officers, and I have not 
 seen any returns for several days, so that I have no 
 means of ascertaining our present strength." 
 
 General Grant had taken great pains to have a daily 
 estimate made of the enemy's forces from all the data 
 that could be obtained, and judging it to be about 25,000 
 at this time, he said : " Suppose I send over 25,000 ra- 
 tions, do you think that will be a sufficient supply ? " 
 "I think it will be ample," remarked Lee, and added 
 with considerable earnestness of manner, " and it will be 
 a great relief, I assure you." 
 
 General Grant now turned to his chief commissary. 
 Colonel M. E. Morgan, who was present, and directed 
 him to arrange for issuing the rations. The number of 
 officers and men surrendered was over 28,000. As to 
 General Grant's supplies, he had ordered the army, on 
 starting out, to carry twelve days' rations. This was 
 the twelfth and last day of the campaign. 
 
 Grant's eye now fell upon Lee's sword again, and it 
 seemed to remind him of the absence of his own, and by 
 way of explanation, and so that it could not be construed 
 as a discourtesy, he said to Lee : 
 
 " I started out from my camp several days ago with- 
 out my sword, and as I have not seen my headquarters 
 baggage since, I have been riding about without any 
 side-arms. I have generally worn a sword, however, as 
 little as possible — only during the active operations of 
 a campaign." " I am in the habit of wearing mine most 
 of the time," remarked Lee, " when I am among my 
 troops moving about through the army." 
 
 General Sheridan now stepped up to General Lee, and 
 said that when he discovered some of the Confederate 
 troops in motion during the morning, which seemed to 
 
484 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 be a violation of the trace, lie liad sent him (Lee) a 
 couple of notes protesting against this act, and as he 
 had not had time to copy them, he would like to have 
 them long enough to make copies. Lee took the notes 
 out of the breast pocket of his coat, and handed them 
 to Sheridan, with a few words expressive of regret that 
 the circumstance should have occurred, and intimating 
 that it must have been the result of some misunder- 
 standing. 
 
 After a little general conversation had been indulged 
 in by those present, the two letters were signed. Grant 
 signed the terms on the oval table, which was moved up 
 to him again for the purpose. Lee signed his letter of 
 acceptance on the marble-topped table at which he sat. 
 Colonel Parker folded up the terms, and gave them to 
 Colonel Marshall. Marshall handed Lee's acceptance to 
 Parker. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 AFTEE THE SURRENDER — GRANT'S FINAL CONFERENCE WITH 
 LEE — THE DAWN OF PEACE — GRANT AVOIDS A VISIT 
 TO RICHMOND — HIS RESPECT FOR RELIGION — GRANT'S 
 ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION AT WASHINGTON — HIS LAST 
 INTERVIEW WITH LINCOLN— JOHN WILKES BOOTH SHAD- 
 OWS GRANT — grant's INTERRUPTED JOURNEY — LIN- 
 COLN'S ASSASSINATION 
 
 BEFOEE parting Lee asked Grant to notify Meade 
 of the surrender, fearing that fighting might break 
 out on that front, and lives be uselessly lost. This re- 
 quest was complied with, and two Union officers were 
 sent through the enemy's lines as the shortest route to 
 Meade, some of Lee's officers accompanying them to 
 prevent their being interfered with. A little before 
 four o'clock General Lee shook hands with General 
 Grant, bowed to the other officers, and with Colonel 
 Marshall left the room. One after another we followed, 
 and passed out to the porch. Lee signaled to his orderly 
 to bring up his horse, and while the animal was being 
 bridled the general stood on the lowest step, and gazed 
 sadly in the direction of the valley beyond, where his 
 army lay — now an army of prisoners. He thrice smote 
 the palm of his left hand slowly with his right fist in an 
 absent sort of way, seemed not to see the group of 
 Union officers in the yard, who rose respectfully at his 
 approach, and appeared unaware of everything about 
 
 485 
 
486 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 him. All appreciated the sadness that overwhelmed 
 him, and he had the personal sympathy of every one 
 who beheld him at this supreme moment of trial. The 
 approach of his horse seemed to recall him from his 
 reverie, and he at once mounted. General Grant now 
 stepped down from the porch, moving toward him, and 
 saluted him by raising his hat. He was followed in 
 this act of courtesy by all our officers present. Lee 
 raised his hat respectfully, and rode off at a slow trot 
 to break the sad news to the brave f eUows whom he had 
 so long commanded. 
 
 General Grant and his staff then started for the head- 
 quarters camp, which, in the mean time, had been 
 pitched near by. The news of the surrender had reached 
 the Union hnes, and the firing of salutes began at several 
 points; but the general sent an order at once to have 
 them stopped, using these words: "The war is over; 
 the rebels are our countrymen again ; and the best sign 
 of rejoicing after the victory will be to abstain from all 
 demonstrations in the field." This was in keeping with 
 his order issued after the surrender of Vicksburg : " The 
 paroled prisoners will be sent out of here to-morrow. . . . 
 Instruct the commanders to be orderly and quiet as these 
 prisoners pass, and to make no offensive remarks." 
 
 There were present in the room in which the surrender 
 occurred, besides Sheridan, Ord, Merritt, Custer, and 
 the officers of Grant's staff, a number of other officers 
 and one or two citizens, who entered the room at differ- 
 ent times during the interview. 
 
 Mr. McLean had been charging about in a manner 
 which indicated that the excitement was shaking his 
 nervous system to its center ; but his real trials did not 
 begin until the departure of the chief actors in the 
 surrender. Then relic-hunters charged down upon the 
 manor-house, and began to bargain for the numerous 
 
AFTER THE SUEKENDER 487 
 
 pieces of furniture. Sheridan paid the proprietor twenty- 
 dollars in gold for the table on which General Grant 
 wrote the terms of surrender, for the purpose of pre- 
 senting it to Mrs. Custer, and handed it over to her 
 dashing husband, who galloped off to camp bearing it 
 upon his shoulder. Ord paid forty dollars for the table 
 at which Lee sat, and afterward presented it to Mrs. 
 Grant, who modestly declined it, and insisted that Mrs. 
 Ord should become its possessor. General Sharpe paid 
 ten dollars for the pair of brass candlesticks; Colonel 
 Sheridan, the general's brother, secured the stone ink- 
 stand ; and General Capehart the chair in which Grant 
 sat, which he gave not long before his death to Captain 
 Wilmon W. Blackmar of Boston. Captain O'Farrell of ■ 
 Hartford became the possessor of the chair in which 
 Lee sat. A child's doll was found in the room, which 
 the younger officers tossed from one to the other, and 
 called the " silent witness." This toy was taken posses- 
 sion of by Colonel Moore of Sheridan's staff, and is now 
 owned by his son. Bargains were at once struck for 
 nearly all the articles in the room ; and it is even said 
 that some mementos were carried off for which no coin 
 of the republic was ever exchanged. The sofa remains 
 in possession of Mrs. Spillman, Mr. McLean's daughter, 
 who now lives in Camden, "West Virginia. Colonel Mar- 
 shall presented the boxwood inkstand to Mr. Blanchard 
 of Baltimore. Of the three impressions of the terms of 
 surrender made in General Grant's manifold writer, the 
 first and third are believed to have been accidentally 
 destroyed. No trace of them has since been discovered ; 
 the second is in the possession of the New York Com- 
 mandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, 
 which purchased it recently from the widow of General 
 Parker. The headquarters flag which had been used 
 throughout the entire Virginia campaign General Grant 
 
488 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 presented to me. With his assent, I gave a portion of 
 it to Colonel Babcock. 
 
 It is a singular historical coincidence that McLean's 
 former home was upon a Virginia farm near the battle- 
 ground of the first Bull Eun, and his house was used 
 for a time as the headquarters of Greneral Beauregard. 
 When it was found that this fight was so popular that 
 it was given an encore, and a second battle of Bull Eun 
 was fought the next year on the same ground, Mr. 
 McLean became convinced that the place was altogether 
 lacking in repose, and to avoid the active theater of 
 war he removed to the quiet village of Appomattox, 
 only to find himseK again surrounded by contending 
 armies. Thus the first and last scenes of the war drama 
 in Virginia were enacted upon his property. 
 
 Before Greneral Grant had proceeded far toward camp 
 he was reminded that he had not yet announced the 
 important event to the government. He dismounted 
 by the roadside, sat down on a large stone, and called 
 for pencil and paper. Colonel Badeau handed his order- 
 book to the general, who wrote on one of the leaves the 
 following message, a copy of which was sent to the 
 nearest telegraph-station. It was dated 4 : 30 p. m. : 
 
 Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Washington. 
 
 General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this 
 afternoon on terms proposed by myself. The accompanying 
 additional correspondence will show the conditions fully. 
 
 U. S. Grant, 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 
 Upon reaching camp he seated himself in front of 
 his tent, notwithstanding the slight shower which was 
 then falling, and we aU gathered about him, curious to 
 hear what his first comments would be upon the crown- 
 ing event of his life. But our expectations were doomed 
 
ATTEE THE SUBBENDER 489 
 
 to disappointment, for lie appeared to liave already dis- 
 missed the whole subject from his mind, and turning to 
 the chief quartermaster, his first words were : " Ingalls, 
 do you remember that old white mule that So-and-so 
 used to ride when we were in the city of Mexico?" 
 " Why, perfectly," said Ingalls, who was just then in a 
 mood to remember the exact number of hairs in the 
 mule's tail if it would have helped to make matters 
 agreeable. And then the general-in-chief went on to 
 recall the antics played by that animal during an ex- 
 cursion to Popocatepetl. It was not until after ^upper 
 that he said much about the surrender, when he spoke 
 freely of his entire belief that the rest of the Confederate 
 commanders would follow Lee's example, and that we 
 should have but little more fighting, even of a parti- 
 zan nature. He then surprised us by announcing his 
 intention of starting for Washington early the next 
 morning. We were disappointed at this, for we wished 
 to see something of the opposing army, now that it 
 had become civil enough, for the first time in its exis- 
 tence, to let us get close up to it, and to meet some of 
 the officers who had been acquaintances in former years. 
 The general, however, had no desire to look at the con- 
 quered, — indeed, he had little curiosity in his nature, 
 — and he was anxious above all things to begin the re- 
 duction of the military establishment, and diminish the 
 enormous expense attending it, which at this time 
 amounted to nearly four millions of dollars a day. 
 When he considered, however, that the raUroad was 
 being rapidly put in condition as far as BurkeviUe, and 
 that he would lose no time by waiting till noon of the 
 next day, he made up his mind to delay his departure. 
 About nine o'clock on the morning of April 10, Grant 
 with his staff rode out toward the enemy's lines ; but it 
 was found, upon attempting to pass through, that the 
 
490 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 force of habit is hard to overcome, and that the practice 
 which had so long been inculcated in Lee's army of 
 keeping Grrant out of its lines was not to be overturned 
 in a day, and he was politely requested at the picket- 
 lines to wait till a message could be sent to headquarters 
 asking for instructions. As soon as Lee heard that his 
 distinguished opponent was approaching, he was prompt 
 to correct the misunderstanding at the picket-line, and 
 rode out at a gallop to receive him. They met on a 
 knoll that overlooked the lines of the two armies, and 
 saluted respectfully by each raising his hat. The officers 
 present gave a similar salute, and then withdrew out 
 of ear-shot, and grouped themselves about the two 
 chieftains in a semicircle. General Grant repeated to 
 us that evening the substance of the conversation, 
 which was as follows: 
 
 Grrant began by expressing a hope that the war would 
 soon be over; and Lee replied by stating that he had 
 for some time been anxious to stop the further effusion 
 of blood, and he trusted that everything would now be 
 done to restore harmony and concihate the people of the 
 South. He said the emancipation of the negroes would 
 be no hindrance to the restoring of relations between 
 the two sections of the country, as it would probably 
 not be the desire of the majority of the Southern people 
 to restore slavery then, even if the question were left 
 open to them. He could not tell what the other armies 
 would do, or what course Mr. Davis would now take; 
 but he believed that it would be best for the other armies 
 to follow his example, as nothing could be gained by 
 further resistance in the field. Finding that he enter- 
 tained these sentiments. General Grant told him that 
 no one's influence in the South was so great as his, and 
 suggested to him that he should advise the surrender of 
 the remaining armies, and thus exert his influence in 
 
grant's final confeeence with lee 491 
 
 favor of immediate peace. Lee said he could not take 
 sucli a course witlioiit first consulting President Davis. 
 Grant then proposed to Lee that he should do so, and 
 urge the hastening of a result which was admitted to 
 be inevitable. Lee, however, in this instance was averse 
 to stepping beyond his duties as a soldier, and said the 
 authorities would doubtless soon arrive at the same 
 conclusion without his interference. There was a state- 
 ment put forth that Grant asked Lee to see Mr. Lincoln 
 and talk with him as to the terms of reconstruction, 
 but this was erroneous. I asked General Grant about 
 it when he was on his death-bed, and his recollection 
 was distinct that he had made no such suggestion. I 
 am of opinion that the mistake arose from hearing that 
 Lee had been requested to go and see the " President " 
 regarding peace, and thinking that this expression re- 
 ferred to Mr. Lincoln, whereas it referred to Mr. Davis. 
 After the conversation had lasted a little more than haK 
 an hour, and Lee had requested that instructions be 
 given to the officers left in charge to carry out the de- 
 tails of the surrender, that there might be no misunder- 
 standing as to the form of paroles, the manner of turning 
 over the property, etc., the conference ended. The two 
 commanders lifted their hats and bade each other good- 
 by. Lee rode back to his camp to take a final farewell 
 of his army, and Grant returned to McLean's house, 
 where he sat on the porch until it was time to take his 
 final departure. It will be observed that Grant at no 
 time actually entered the enemy's lines. 
 
 IngaUs, Sheridan, and "Williams had asked permission 
 to visit the enemy's lines and renew their acquaintance 
 with some old friends, classmates, and former comrades 
 in arms who were serving in Lee's army. They now 
 returned, bringing with them General Cadmus M. "Wil- 
 cox, who had been one of General Grant's groomsmen ; 
 
492 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Longstreet, who had also been at his wedding; Heth, 
 who had been a subaltern with him in Mexico, besides 
 Gordon, Pickett, and a number of others. They all 
 stepped up to pay their respects to General Grant, who 
 received them very cordially, and talked frankly and 
 pleasantly with them until it was time to leave. They 
 manifested a deep appreciation of the terms which had 
 been accorded to them in the articles of surrender, but 
 several of them expressed some apprehension as to the 
 civil processes which might ensue, and the measures 
 which might be taken by the government as to confis- 
 cation of property and trial for treason. 
 
 The hour of noon had now arrived, and General Grant, 
 after shaking hands with all present who were not to 
 accompany him, mounted his horse, and started with 
 his staff for Burkeville, Lee set out for Eichmond, and 
 it was felt by all that peace had at last dawned upon the 
 land. The charges were now withdrawn frqm the guns, 
 the camp-fires were left to smolder in their ashes, the 
 horses were detached from the cannon to be hitched to 
 the plow, and the Army of the Union and the Army of 
 Northern Virginia turned their backs upon each other 
 for the first time in four long, bloody years. 
 
 In this campaign, from March 29 to April 9, the 
 Union loss was 1316 killed, 7750 wounded, and 1714 
 prisoners — a total of 10,780, The enemy lost about 
 1200 killed, 6000 wounded, and 75,000 prisoners, includ- 
 ing the captures at Appomattox, 
 
 The repairers of the railroad had thought more of 
 haste than of solidity of construction, and the special 
 train bearing the general-in-chief from Burkeville to 
 City Point ran off the track three times. These mishaps 
 caused much delay, and instead of reaching City Point 
 that evening, he did not arrive until daylight the next 
 morning, April 11, A telegram had been sent to Mrs, 
 
THE DAWN OF PEACE 493 
 
 Grant, -wlao had remained aboard the headquarters 
 steamboat, telling her that we should get there in time 
 for dinner, and she had prepared the best meal which 
 the boat's larder could afford to help to celebrate the 
 victory. She and Mrs. Rawlins and Mrs. Morgan, who 
 were with her, whiled away the long and anxious hours 
 of the night by playing the piano, singing, and discuss- 
 ing the victory ; but just before daylight the desire for 
 sleep overcame them, and they lay down to take a nap. 
 Soon after our tired and hungry party arrived. The 
 general went hurriedly aboard the boat, and ran at once 
 up the stairs to Mrs. Grant's state-room. She was 
 somewhat chagrined that she had not remained up to 
 receive her husband, now more than ever her " Victor " ; 
 but she had merely thrown herself upon the berth with- 
 out undressing, and soon joined us all in the cabin, and 
 extended to us enthusiastic greetings and congratula- 
 tions. The belated dinner now served in good stead as 
 a breakfast for our famished party. 
 
 The general was asked whether he was going to run 
 up to Richmond on the steamer, and take a look at the 
 captured city, before starting for "Washington. He re- 
 plied : " No ; I think it would be as well not to go. I 
 could do no good there, and my visit might lead to dem- 
 onstrations which would only wound the feelings of 
 the residents, and we ought not to do anything at such 
 a time which would add to their sorrow"; and then 
 added, " But if any of you have a curiosity to see the 
 city, I will wait till you can take a trip there and back, 
 for I cannot well leave here for Washington anyhow till 
 to-morrow." 
 
 Several of us put our horses aboard a boat, and started 
 up the James. As a portion of the river was supposed 
 to be planted with torpedoes, we sat close to the stern, 
 believing that in case of accident the bow would receive 
 
494 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 the main shock of the explosion. We reached the lower 
 wharf of Eichmond in safety, put our horses ashore, and 
 rode abont for an hour, looking at the city upon which 
 we had laid covetous eyes for so many months. The 
 evacuation had been accompanied by many acts of de- 
 struction, and the fire which our troops found blazing 
 when they entered had left a third of the place smolder- 
 ing in ashes. The white population were keeping closely 
 to their houses, while the blacks were running wildly 
 about the streets in every direction. 
 
 Upon our return that evening to City Point, we found 
 aboard the headquarters boat a clergyman, a member 
 of the Christian Commission, who was personally ac- 
 quainted with the general. He had called to see him to 
 tender his congratulations, and during their conver- 
 sation made the remark: "I have observefi, G-eneral 
 Grant, that a great many battles in our war have been 
 fought on Sunday. Shiloh occurred on that day, the 
 surrender of Donelson, Chancellorsville, the capture of 
 Petersburg, the surrender at Appomattox, and, I think, 
 some other important military events. How has this 
 happened?" "It is quite true," repMed the general. 
 "Of course it was not intentional, and I think that 
 sometimes, perhaps, it has been the result of the very 
 efforts which have been made to avoid it. You see, a 
 commander, when he can control his own movements, 
 usually intends to start out early in the week so as not 
 to bring on an engagement on Sunday ; but delays occur 
 often at the last moment, and it may be the middle of 
 the week before he gets his troops in motion. Then 
 more time is spent than anticipated in manoeuvering 
 for position, and when the fighting actually begins it is 
 the end of the week, and the battle, particularly if it 
 continues a couple of days, runs into Sunday." " It 
 is unfortunate," remarked the clergyman. "Yes, very 
 
GBANT'S RESPECT FOR RELIGION 495 
 
 trnfortiinate," observed the general. "Every effort 
 should be made to respect the Sabbath day, and it is 
 very gratifying to know that it is observed so generally 
 throughout our country." It was always noticeable 
 that he had a strict regard for the Sabbath, and this 
 feeling continued through life. He never played a game 
 of any kind on that day, nor wrote any official corre- 
 spondence if he could help it. He had been brought up 
 a Methodist, and regularly attended worship in the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, but he was entirely non- 
 sectarian in his feelings. He had an intimate acquain- 
 tance among clergymen, and counted many of them 
 among his closest friends. He rarely, if ever, spoke 
 about his own religious convictions. It" was one of 
 those subjects not to be discussed lightly, and was so 
 purely personal that he naturally shrank from dwelling 
 upon it, for he always avoided talking upon any subject 
 which was personal to himself. There was such a total 
 lack of egotism in his nature that he could not see how 
 anything touching his own personality could be of in- 
 terest to others. He was imbued with a deep reverence, 
 however, for all subjects of a religious nature, and noth- 
 ing was more offensive to him than an attempt to make 
 light of serious matters, or to show a disrespect for 
 sacred things. His correspondence makes mention of 
 his recognition of an overruling Providence in all the 
 affairs of this world ; and in his speech to Mr. Lincoln 
 accieptihg the commission of lieutenant-general he closed 
 with the words : " I feel the full weight of the responsi- 
 bilities now devolving on me, and I know that if they 
 are met it will be due to those armies, and, above all, to 
 the favor of that Providence which leads both nations 
 and men." He was always a liberal contributor to 
 church work, and in fact to every good cause. His 
 fault was that he was not sufficiently discriminating. 
 
496 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 Every mail brought begging letters, and lie gave away 
 sums out of aU proportion to bis means. When pay-day 
 came, it took all the persuasion of those about him to 
 prevent him from parting in this way with the greater 
 part of his pay, his only source of revenue. 
 
 Preparations were made to break up headquarters, 
 and the next afternoon the party started by steamer for 
 Washington, reached there the morning of the 13th, and 
 took up their quarters at Willard's Hotel. It soon be- 
 came noised abotlt that the conqueror of the rebellion 
 had arrived in the city, and dense crowds thronged the 
 streets upon which the hotel fronted. During the fore- 
 noon the general started for the War Department. His 
 appearance "in the street was a signal for an improvised 
 reception, in which shouts of welcome rent the air, and 
 the populace joined in a demonstration which was 
 thrilling in its earnestness. He had the greatest diffi- 
 culty in making his way over even the short distance 
 between the hotel and the department. At one time it 
 was thought he would have to take to a carriage as a 
 means of refuge, but by the interposition of the police 
 he finally reached his destination. 
 
 That afternoon the Secretary of War published an 
 order stating that, "after mature consideration and 
 consultation with the lieutenant-general," it was decided 
 to stop all drafting and recruiting, curtail the purchases 
 of supplies, reduce the number of officers, and remove 
 restrictions on commerce as far as consistent with public 
 safety. This was a sort of public declaration of peace, 
 and the city gave itself over to rejoicing. Bands were 
 everywhere heard playing triumphant strains, and 
 crowds traversed the streets, shouting approval and 
 singing patriotic airs. The general was the hero of the 
 hour and the idol of the people ; his name was on every 
 lip ; congratulations poured in upon him, and blessings 
 were heaped upon him by all. 
 
grant's last interview with LINCOLN 497 
 
 General Grant visited the President, and, had a most 
 pleasant interview with him. The next day (Friday) 
 being a cabinet day, he was invited to meet the cabinet 
 officers at their meeting in the forenoon. He went to 
 the White House, receiving the cordial congratulations 
 of all present, and discussed with them the further 
 measures which should be taken for bringing hostilities 
 to a speedy close. In this interview Mr. Lincoln gave 
 a singular manifestation of the effect produced upon 
 him by dreams. When General Grant expressed some 
 anxiety regarding the delay in getting news ^from 
 Sherman, the President assured him that favorable 
 news would soon be received, because he had had the 
 night before his usual dream which always preceded 
 favorable tidings, the same dream which he had had 
 the night before Autietam, Murfreesboro, Gettysburg, 
 and Vicksburg. He seemed to be aboard a curious- 
 looking vessel moving rapidly toward a dark and indefi- 
 nite shore. This time, alas! the dream was not to be 
 the precursor of good news. 
 
 The President and Mrs. Lincoln invited the general 
 and Mrs. Grant to go to Ford's Theater and occupy a 
 box with them to see "Our American Cousin." The 
 general said he would be very sorry to have to decline, 
 but that Mrs. Grant and he had made arrangements to 
 go to Burlington, New Jersey, to see their children, and 
 he feared it would be a great disappointment to his wife 
 to delay the trip. The President remarked that the 
 people would be so delighted to see the general that he 
 ought to stay and attend the play on that account. The 
 general, however, had been so completely besieged by 
 the people since his arrival, and was so constantly the 
 subject of outbursts of enthusiasm, that it had become 
 a little embarrassing to him, and the mention of a dem- 
 onstration in his honor at the theater did not appeal 
 to him as an argument in favor of going. A note was 
 
498 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 now brought to him from Mrs. Grrant expressing in- 
 creased anxiety to start for Burlington on the four- 
 o'clock train, and h'e told the President that he must 
 decide definitely not to remaiu for the play. It was 
 probably this declination which saved the general from 
 assassination, as it was learned afterward that he had 
 been marked for a victim. It was after two o'clock 
 when he shook Mr. Lincoln's hand and said good-by to 
 him, little thinking that it would be an eternal farewell, 
 and that an appalling tragedy was soon to separate them 
 forever. Their final leave-taking was only thirteen 
 months after their first meeting, but during that time 
 their names had been associated with enough momen- 
 tous events to fill whole volumes of a nation's history. 
 
 The general went at once to his rooms at the hotel. 
 As soon as he entered Mrs. Grant said to him : " When 
 I went to my lunch to-day, a man with a wild look fol- 
 lowed me into the dining-room, took a seat nearly oppo- 
 site to me at the table, stared at me continually, and 
 seemed to be listening to my conversation." The gen- 
 eral replied : " Oh, I suppose he did so merely from 
 curiosity." In fact, the general by this time had be- 
 come so accustomed to having people stare at him and 
 the members of his family that such acts had ceased to 
 attract his attention. About half-past three o'clock the 
 wife of G-eneral Eucker called with her carriage to take 
 the party to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad-station. 
 It was a two-seated top-carriage. Mrs. Grant sat with 
 Mrs. Rucker on the back seat. The general, with true 
 republican simplicity, sat on the front seat with the 
 driver. Before they had gone far along Pennsylvania 
 Avenue, a horseman who was riding in the same direc- 
 tion passed them, and as he did so peered into the 
 carriage. When Mrs. Grant caught sight of his face 
 she remarked to the general : " That is the same man 
 
JOHN WILKES BOOTH SHADOWS GKANT 499 
 
 who sat down at the lunch-table near me. I don't like 
 his looks." Before they reached the station the horse- 
 man turned and rode back toward them, and again 
 gazed at them intently. This time he attracted the 
 attention of the general, who regarded the man's move- 
 ments as singular, but made light of the matter so as to 
 aUay Mrs. Grant's apprehensions. 
 
 On their arrival at the station, they were conducted 
 to the private car of Mr. Q-arrett, then president of the 
 Baltimore and Ohio railway company. Before the train 
 reached Baltimore a man appeared on the front pjatform 
 of the car, and tried to get in; but the conductor had 
 locked the door so that the general would not be troubled 
 with visitors, and the man did not succeed in entering. 
 The general and Mrs. Grant drove across Philadelphia 
 about midnight from the Broad street and Washington 
 Avenue station to the Walnut street wharf on the Dela- 
 ware River, for the purpose of crossing the ferry and 
 then taking the cars to Burlington. As the general had 
 been detained so long at the White House that he was 
 not able to get luncheon before starting, and as there 
 was an additional ride in prospect, a stop was made at 
 Bloodgood's Hotel, near the ferry, for the purpose of 
 getting supper. The general had just taken his seat 
 with Mrs. Grant at the table in the supper-room when 
 a telegram was brought in and handed to him. His 
 whereabouts was known to the telegraph people from 
 the fact that he had sent a message to Bloodgood's 
 ordering the supper in advance. The general read the 
 despatch, dropped his head, and sat in perfect silence. 
 Then came another, and still another despatch, but not 
 a word was spoken. Mrs. Grant now broke the silence 
 by saying: "Ulyss, what do the telegrams say? Do 
 theybring any bad news?" "IwiU read them to you," the 
 general replied in a voice which betrayed his emotion ; 
 
500 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 "but first prepare yourself for the most painful and 
 startling news that could be received, and control your 
 feelings so as not to betray the nature of the despatches 
 to the servants." He then read to her the telegrams 
 conveyihg the appalling announcement that Mr, Lincoln, 
 Mr. Seward, and probably the Vice-President, Mr. John- 
 son, had been assassinated, and warning the general to 
 look out for his own safety, A special train was at once 
 ordered to take him back to Washington, but finding 
 that he could take Mrs. Grrant to Burlington (less than 
 an hour's ride), and return to Philadelphia nearly as 
 soon as his train could be got ready, he continued on, 
 took her to her destination, returned to Philadelphia, 
 and was in Washington the next morning. 
 
 It was found that the President had been shot and 
 killed at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth; that 
 Mr. Seward had received severe but not fatal injuries 
 at the hands of Payne, who attempted his assassination ; 
 but that no attack had been made on the Vice-President. 
 When the likenesses of Booth appeared, they resembled 
 so closely the mysterious man who had followed the 
 general and Mrs, Grant on their way to the railroad- 
 station in Washington, that there rema,ined no doubt 
 that he had intended to be the President's assassin, and 
 was bent upon ascertaining the movements of the gen- 
 eral-in-chief . An anonymous letter was afterward re- 
 ceived by the general saying that the writer had been 
 designated by the conspirators to assassinate him, and 
 had been ordered by Booth to board the train and com- 
 mit the deed there ; that he had attempted to enter the 
 special car for this purpose, but that it was locked, and 
 he was thus bafSed ; and that he thanked G-od that this 
 circumstance had been the means of preventing him 
 from staining his hands with the blood of so great and 
 good a man. 
 
Lincoln's assassination 501 
 
 Washington, as well as the whole country, was 
 plunged in an agony of grief, and tlie excitement knew 
 no bounds. Stanton's grief was uncontrollable, and at 
 tbe mention of Mr. Lincoln's name he would break down 
 and weep bitterly. G-eneral Grant and the Secretary of 
 War busied themselves day and night in pushing a re- 
 lentless pursuit of the conspirators, who were caught, 
 and were brought to trial before a military commission, 
 except Booth, who was shot in an attempt to capture 
 him. John H. Surratt, who escaped from the country, 
 was captured and tried years later, the jury disagreeing 
 as to his guilt. 
 
 I was appointed a member of the court which was to 
 try the prisoners. The defense, however, raised the 
 objection that as I was a member of General Grant's 
 military family, and as it was claimed that he was one 
 of the high officials who was an intended victim of the 
 assassins, I was disqualified from sitting in judgment 
 upon them. The court very, properly sustained the ob- 
 jection, and I was relieved, and another officer was sub- 
 stituted. However, I sat one day at the trial, which 
 was interesting from the fact that it afforded an oppor- 
 tunity of seeing the assassins and watching their actions 
 before the court. The prisoners, heavily manacled, 
 were marched into the court-room in solemn procession, 
 an armed sentinel accompanying each of them. The 
 men's heads were covered with thickly padded hoods 
 with openings for the mouth and nose. The hoods had 
 been placed upon them in consequence of Powell, alias 
 Payne, having attempted to cheat the gallows by dashing 
 his brains out against a beam on a gunboat on which 
 he had been confined. The prisoners, whose eyes were 
 thus bandaged, were led to their seats, the sentinels 
 were posted behind them, and the hoods were then re- 
 moved. As the light struck their eyes, which for sev- 
 
502 CAMPAIGNING "WITH GBANT 
 
 eral days had been unaccustomed to its brilliancy, the 
 sudden glare gave them great discomfort. Payne had 
 a wild look in his wandering eyes, and his general ap- 
 pearance stamped him as the typical reckless desperado. 
 Mrs. Surratt was placed in a chair at a little distance 
 from the men. She sat most of the time leaning back, 
 with her feet stretched foi-ward. She kept up a piteous 
 moaning, and frequently called for water, which was 
 given her. The other prisoners had a stolid look, and 
 seemed crushed by the situation. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 SHEBMAN'S teems to JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON — THE END OP 
 
 hostilities — the grand eettbw at washington — 
 geant's place in MILITAEY HISTOEY 
 
 AS soon as the surrender at Appomattox had taken 
 Jl\. place, Greneral Grant despatched a boat from City- 
 Point with a message to Sherman announcing the event, 
 and telling him that he could offer the same terms to 
 Johnston. On April 18 Sherman entered into an agree- 
 ment with Johnston which embraced political as weU 
 as merely military questions, but only conditionally, 
 and with the understanding that the armistice granted 
 could be terminated if the conditions were not approved 
 by superior authority. A staff-officer sent by Greneral 
 Sherman brought his communication to "Washington 
 announcing the terms of this agreement. It was re- 
 ceived by General Grant on April 21. Perceiving that 
 the terms covered many questions of a civil and not of 
 a military nature, he suggested to the Secretary of War 
 that the matter had better be referred at once to Presi- 
 dent Johnson and the cabinet for their action, A cabinet 
 meeting was called before midnight, and there was a 
 unanimous decision that the basis of agreement should 
 be disapproved, and an order was issued directing 
 General Grant to proceed in person to Sherman's head- 
 quarters and direct operations against the enemy. In- 
 stead of merely recognizing that Sherman had made an 
 
 503 
 
504 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 honest mistake in exceeding his authority, the President 
 and the Secretary of War characterized his conduct as 
 akin to treason, and the Secretary denounced him in 
 unmeasured terms. At this General Grant grew indig- 
 nant, and gave free expression to his opposition to an 
 attempt to stigmatize an officer whose acts throughout 
 all his career gave ample contradiction to the charge 
 that he was actuated by unworthy motives. The form 
 of the public announcement put forth by the War De- 
 partment aroused great public indignation against 
 Sherman, and it was some time before his motives were 
 fully understood. 
 
 Grant started at daybreak on the 22d, proceeded at 
 once to Ealeigh, explained the situation and attitude of 
 the government fully to Sherman, and directed him to 
 give the required notice for annulling the truce, and to 
 demand a surrender of Johnston's army on the same 
 terms as those accorded to Lee. Sherman was, as usual, 
 perfectly loyal and subordinate, and made all haste to 
 comply with these instructions. When he went out to 
 the front to meet Johnston, Grant remained quietly at 
 Ealeigh, and throughout the negotiations kept himself 
 entirely in the background, lest he might seem to share 
 in the honor of receiving the surrender, the credit for 
 which he wished to belong wholly to Sherman. The 
 entire surrender of Johnston's forces was promptly 
 concluded. Having had a talk with the Secretary of 
 War soon after General Grant's departure, and finding 
 him bent upon continuing the denunciation of Sherman 
 before the public, I started for North Carolina to meet 
 General Grant and inform him of the situation in Wash- 
 ington. I passed him, however, on the way, and at once 
 returned and rejoined him at Washington. 
 
 Hostilities were now brought rapidly to a close 
 throughout the entire theater of war. April 11, Canby 
 
Photograph taken in the field at City Point, Va., by H. F. Warren, March 15, 
 xS6$. The original photograph is in the possession of the Bostonian So- 
 ciety, and hangs in the Memorial Hall, Old State House, Boston, Mas6. 
 
THE END OF HOSTILITIES 505 
 
 compelled the evacuation of Mobile. By the 21st our 
 troops had taken Selma, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, "West 
 Point, Columbus, and Macon. May 4, Richard Taylor 
 surrendered the Confederate forces east of the Missis- 
 sippi. May 10, Jefferson Davis was captured; and on 
 the 26th Kirby Smiljh surrendered his command west 
 of the Mississippi. Since April 8, 1680 cannon had been 
 captured, and 174,223 Confederate soldiers had been 
 paroled. There was no longer a rebel in arms, the 
 Union cause had triumphed, slavery was abolished, and 
 the National Government was again supreme. 
 
 The Army of the Potomac, Sheridan's cavalry, and 
 Sherman's army had all reached the capital by the end 
 of May. Sheridan could not remain with his famous 
 corps, for General Grant s6nt him post-haste to the Eio 
 Grande to look after operations there in a contemplated 
 movement against Maximilian's forces, who were up- 
 holding a monarchy in Mexico, in violation of the 
 Monroe doctrine. 
 
 It was decided that the troops assembled at "Washing, 
 ton should be marched in review through the nation's 
 capital before being mustered out of service. The 
 Army of the Potomac, being senior in date of organiza- 
 tion, and having been for four years the more direct 
 defense of the capital city, was given precedence, and 
 May 23 was designated as the day on which it was to 
 be reviewed. 
 
 During the preceding five days "Washington had been 
 given over to elaborate preparations for the coming 
 pageant. The public buildings were decked with a 
 tasteful array of bunting; flags were unfurled from 
 private dwellings; arches and transparencies with 
 patriotic mottos were displayed in every quarter ; and 
 the spring flowers were fashioned into garlands, and 
 played their part. The whole city was ready for the 
 
506 CAMPAIGNING WITH GBANT 
 
 most imposing fete-day in its history. Vast crowds of 
 citizens liad gathered from neighboring States. During 
 the review they filled the stands, lined the sidewalks, 
 packed the porches, and covered even the housetops. 
 The weather was superb, 
 
 A commodious stand had been -erected on Pennsyl- 
 vania Avenue in front of the White House, on which 
 were gathered a- large number of distinguished officials, 
 including the President; the members of his cabinet, 
 who had won renown in the cabinet of Lincoln; the 
 acting Vice-President ; justices of the Supreme Court ; 
 governors of States ; senators and representatives ; the 
 general-in-chief of the army, and the captor of Atlanta, 
 with other generals of rank ; admirals of the navy ; and 
 brilliantly uniformed representatives of foreign powers. 
 
 General Grrant, accompanied by the principal mem- 
 bers of his staff, was one of the earliest to arrive. With 
 his customary simplicity and dislike of ostentation, he 
 had come on foot through the White House grounds 
 from the headquarters of the army at the corner of 17th 
 and F streets. Grrant's appearance was, as usual, the 
 signal for a boisterous demonstration. Sherman arrived 
 a few minutes later, and his reception was scarcely less 
 enthusiastic. 
 
 At nine o'clock the signal-gun was fired, and the 
 legions took up their march. They started from '.the 
 Capitol, and moved along Pennsylvania Avenue toward 
 Greorgetown. The width and location of that street 
 made it an ideal thoroughfare for such a purpose. Mar- 
 tial music from scores of bands fiUed the air, and when 
 famUiar war-songs were played the spectators along the 
 route joined in shouting the chorus. Those oftenest 
 sung and most applauded were, " When this cruel war 
 is over," " When Johnny comes marching home," and 
 " Tramp, tramp, tramp ! the boys are marching." 
 
THE GEAND REVIEW AT WASHINGTON 507 
 
 At the head of the column rode Meade, crowned with 
 the laurels of four years of warfare. The plaudits of 
 the multitude followed him along the entire line of 
 march; flowers were strewn in his path, and garlands 
 decked his person and his horse. He dismounted after 
 having passed the reviewing-stand, stepped upon the 
 platform, and was enthusiastically greeted by all present. 
 Then came the cavah-y, with the gallant Merritt at their 
 head, commanding in the absence of Sheridan. The 
 pubhc were not slow to make recognition of the fame 
 he had won on so many hard-fought fields. Conspicu- 
 ous among the division commanders was Custer. His 
 long golden locks floating in the wind, his low-cut collar, 
 his crimson necktie, and his buckskin breeches, pre- 
 sented a combination which made him look half general 
 and half scout, and gave him a daredevil appearance 
 which singled him out for general remark and applause. 
 When within two hundred yards of the President's 
 stand, his spirited horse took the bit in his teeth, and 
 made a dash past the troops, rushing by the reviewing 
 officers hke a tornado ; but he found more than a match 
 in Custer, and was soon checked, and forced back to his 
 proper position. When the cavalryman, covered with 
 flowers, afterward rode by the reviewing officials, the 
 people screamed with delight. 
 
 After the cavalry came Parke, who might well feel 
 proud of the prowess of the Ninth Corps, which followed 
 bim ; then Grriffin, riding at the head of the gallant Fifth- 
 Corps; then Humphreys and the Second Corps, of 
 unexcelled valor. Wright's Sixth Corps was greatly 
 missed from the Hst, but its duties kept it in Virginia, 
 and it was accorded a special review on June 8. 
 
 The men preserved their alinement and distances with 
 an ease which showed their years of training in the field. 
 Their movements were unfettered, their step was elastic, 
 
508 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 and the swaying of their bodies and the swinging of 
 their arms were as measured as the vibrations of a 
 pendulum, Their muskets shone like a wall of steel. 
 The cannon rumbled peacefully over the paved street, 
 banks of flowers almost concealing them. 
 
 Nothing touched the hearts of the spectators so deeply 
 as the sight of the old war-flags as they were carried 
 by — those precious standards, bullet-riddled, battle- 
 stained, many of them but remnants, often with not 
 enough left of them to show the names of the battles 
 they had seen. Some were decked with ribbons, and 
 some festooned with garlands. Everybody was thrilled 
 by the sight ; eyes were dimmed with tears of gladness, 
 and many of the people broke through all restraint, 
 rushed into the street, and pressed their lips upon the 
 folds of the standards. 
 
 The President was kept busy doffing his hat. He had 
 a way of holding it by the brim with his right hand and 
 waving it from left to right, and occasionally passing 
 his right arm across his breast and resting the hat on 
 his left shoulder. This manual of the hat was original, 
 and had probably been practised with good effect when 
 its wearer was stumping east Tennessee. As each com- 
 mander in turn passed the reviewing-stand, he dis- 
 mounted and came upon the platform, where he paid his 
 respects to the President, was presented to the guests, 
 and remained during the passage of his command. 
 
 A prominent officer of the engineer brigade, while 
 riding by, led to a slight commotion on the platform. 
 He wore a French chasseur cap, which he had had made 
 of a pattern differing from the strict regulation head-gear 
 in having an extra amount of cloth between the lower 
 band and the crown. As he came opposite the Presi- 
 dent and raised his sword in saluting, he paid an addi- 
 tional mark of respect by bowing his head. At the same 
 moment the horse, as if catching the spirit of its rider, 
 
THE GRAND REVIEW AT WASHINGTON 509 
 
 kicked up behind and put down its head. This unex- 
 pected participation of the horse in the salute sent the 
 officer's head still lower, and the crown of his cap fell 
 forward, letting out the superfluous cloth till it looked 
 like an accordion extended at full length. The sight 
 was so ludicrous that several of us who were standing 
 just behind the President burst out into a poorly sup- 
 pressed laugh. This moved him to turn squarely round 
 and glare at us savagely, in an attempt to frown down 
 such a lack of dignity before, or rather behind, the Chief 
 Magistrate of the nation. 
 
 For nearly seven hours the pageant was watched with 
 unabated interest; and when it had faded from view 
 the spectators were eager for the night to pass, so that 
 on the morrow the scene might be renewed in the 
 marching of the mighty Army of the West. 
 
 The next day the same persons, with a few exceptions, 
 assembled upon the reviewing-stand. At nine o'clock 
 Sherman's veterans started. Howard had been relieved 
 of the command of the Army of the Tennessee to take 
 charge of the Freedmen's Bureau, and instead of leading 
 his old troops he rode with Sherman at the head of the 
 column, his armless right sleeve giving evidence of his 
 heroism in action. 
 
 Sherman, unknown by sight to most of the people in 
 the East, was eagerly watched for, and his appearance 
 awoke great enthusiasm. His taU, spare figure, war- 
 worn face, and martial bearing made him all that the 
 people had pictured him. He had ridden but a little 
 way before his body was decorated with flowery wreaths, 
 and his horse enveloped in garlands. As he approached 
 the reviewing-stand the bands struck up "Marching 
 through Greorgia," and played that stirring air with a 
 will. This was the signal for renewed demonstrations 
 of delight. When he had passed, he turned his horse 
 into the White House grounds, dismounted, and strode 
 
510 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 rapidly to the platform. He advanced to where the 
 President was standing, and the two shook hands. The 
 members of the cabinet then stepped up to greet him. 
 He took their extended hands, and had a few pleasant 
 words to say to each of them, until Stanton reached out 
 his hand. Then Sherman's whole manner changed in 
 an instant ; a cloud of anger overspreadliis features, and, 
 smarting under the wrong the Secretary had done him 
 in his published bulletins after the. conditional treaty 
 with Johnston, the general turned abruptly away. This 
 rebuff became the sensation of the day. There was no 
 personal intercourse between the two men till some time 
 afterward, when G-eneral Grant appeared, as usual, in 
 the role of peacemaker, and brought them together. 
 Sherman showed a manly spirit of forgiveness in going 
 to see Stanton in his last illness, manifesting his respect 
 and tendering his sympathy. 
 
 Sherman's active mind was crowded with the rememr 
 brance of past events, and he spent all the day in point- 
 ing out the different subdivisions of his army as they 
 moved by, and recalling in his pithy and graphic way 
 many of the incidents of the stirring campaigns through 
 which they had passed. 
 
 Logan, " Black Jack," came riding at the head of the 
 Army of the Tennessee, his swarthy features and long, 
 coal-black hair giving him. the air of a native Indian chief. 
 The army corps which led the column was the Fifteenth, 
 commanded byHazen ; then came the Seventeenth, under 
 Frank P. Blair. Now Slocum appeared at the head of 
 the Army of Georgia, consisting of the Twentieth Corps, 
 headed by the gallant Mower, with his bushy whiskers 
 covering his face, and looking the picture of a hard fighter, 
 and the Fourteenth Corps, headed by Jefferson C. Davis. 
 
 Each division was preceded by a pioneer corps of 
 negroes, marching in double ranks, with picks, spades, 
 
THE GKAND REVIEW AT WASHINGTON 511 
 
 and axes slung across their brawny shoulders, their 
 stalwart forms conspicuous by their height. But the 
 impedimenta were the novel feature of the march. Six 
 ambulances followed each division to represent its bag- 
 gage-train; and then came the amusing spectacle of 
 " Sherman's bummers," bearing with them the " spoils 
 of war." The bummers were men who were the fore- 
 runners, flankers, and foragers of the army. Each one 
 was often his own commanding officer. If a bummer 
 was too short-sighted to see the enemy, he would go 
 nearer ; if he was lame, he would make it an excuse to 
 disotey an order to retreat ; if out of reach of supplies, 
 he would wear his clothes till there was not enough of 
 his coat left to wad a gun, and not enough of his shirt 
 to flag a train. He was always last in a retreat and first 
 in an enemy's smoke-house. In kindling his camp-fire, 
 he would obey the general order to take only the top 
 rail of the neighboring fences, but would keep on taking 
 the top rail till there were none of the fences left. The 
 trophies of his foraging expeditions which appeared 
 in the review consisted of pack-mules loaded with tur- 
 keys, geese, chickens, and bacon, and here and there a 
 chicken-coop strapped on to the saddle, with a cackling 
 brood peering out through the slats. Then came cows, 
 goats, sheep, donkeys, crowing roosters, and in one in- 
 stance a chattering monkey. Mixed with these was a 
 procession of fugitive blacks — old men, stalwart women, 
 and grinning piccaninnies of all sizes, and ranging in 
 color from a raven's wing to a new saddle. This portion 
 of the column called forth shouts of laughter and con- 
 tinuous rounds of applause. 
 
 Flowers were showered upon the troops in the same 
 profusion as the day before, and there was no abatement 
 in the uncontrollable enthusiasm of the vast assemblage 
 of citizens who witnessed the march. 
 
512 CAMPAIGNING WITH GKANT 
 
 Comparisons were naturally instituted between the 
 Eastern and "Western armies.' The difference was much 
 less than has been represented. The Army of the 
 Potomac presented a somewhat neater appearance in 
 dress, and was a little more precise in its movements. 
 Sherman's army showed, perhaps, more of a rough-and- 
 ready aspect and a devil-may-care spirit. Both were 
 in the highest degree soldierly, and typical representa- 
 tives of the terrible realism of relentless war. 
 
 At half -past three o'clock the matchless pageant had 
 ceased. For two whole days a nation's heroes had been 
 passing in review. Greeted with bands playing, drums 
 beating, bells ringing, banners flying, kerchiefs waving, 
 and voices cheering, they had made their last march. 
 Even after every veteran had vanished from sight the 
 crowds kept their places for a time, as if still under a 
 spell and unwiUing to believe that the marvelous spec- 
 tacle had actually passed from view. It was not a 
 Eoman triumph, designed to gratify the vanity of the 
 victors, exhibit their trophies, and parade their en- 
 chained captives before the multitude: it was a cele- 
 bration of the dawn of peace, a declaration of the 
 reestablishment of the Union. 
 
 G-eneral Grrant now stood in the front rank of the 
 world's greatest captains. He had conquered the most 
 formidable rebellion in the annals of history. The 
 armies under his immediate direction in Virginia had 
 captured 75,000 prisoners and 689 cannon; the armies 
 under his general command had captured in April and 
 May 147,000 prisoners and 997 cannon ; making a total 
 of 222,000 prisoners and 1680 cannon as the achievement 
 of the forces he controlled.^ 
 
 Most of the conspicuous soldiers in history have risen 
 
 1 These figures relate to the final capture were of course much larger, 
 campaign alone. The whole year's —Editor. 
 
grant's place in military history 513 
 
 to prominence by gradual steps, but the Union com- 
 mander came before the people with a sudden bound. 
 Almost the first sight they caught of him was at Donel- 
 son. Prom that event to the closing triumph of Appo- 
 mattox he was the leader whose name was the harbinger 
 of victory. He was unquestionably the most aggressive 
 fighter in the entire list of the world's famous soldiers. 
 He never once yielded up a stronghold he had wrested 
 from his foe. He kept his pledge religiously to " take 
 no backward steps." For four years of bloody and re- 
 lentless war he went steadily forward, replaciijg the 
 banner of his country upon the territory where it had 
 been hauled down. He possessed in a striking degree 
 every characteristic of the successful soldier. His 
 methods were ah stamped with tenacity of purpose, 
 originality, and ingenuity. He depended for his success 
 more upon the powers of invention than of adaptation, 
 and the fact that he has been compared at different 
 times to nearly every great commander in history is 
 perhaps the best proof that he was like none of them. 
 He realized that in a sparsely settled country, with 
 formidable natural obstacles and poor roads, and in 
 view of the improvement in range and rapidity of fire 
 in cannon and small arms, the European methods of 
 warfare and the rules laid down in many of the books 
 must be abandoned, and new means devised to meet 
 the change in circumstances. He therefore adopted a 
 more open order of battle, made an extensive use of 
 skirmish-lines, employed cavalry largely as mounted 
 infantry, and sought to cultivate the individuality of 
 the soldier instead of making him merely an unthinking 
 part of a compact machine. He originated the cutting 
 loose from a base of supplies with large armies and 
 living off the invaded country. He insisted constantly 
 upon thorough cooperation between the different com- 
 
514 CAMPAIGNING WITH GEANT 
 
 mands, and always aimed to prevent operations of corps 
 or armies wMcli were not part of a joint movement in 
 obedience to a comprehensive plan. His marvelous 
 combinations, covering half a continent, soon wrought 
 the destruction of the Confederacy ; and when he struck 
 Lee the final blow, the cooperating armies were so 
 placed that there was no escape for the opposing forces, 
 and within forty-seven days thereafter every Confeder- 
 ate army surrendered to a Union army. He had no 
 hobby as to the use of any particular arm of the service. 
 He naturally placed his main reliance in his infantry, 
 but made a more vigorous use of cavalry than any of 
 the generals of his day, and was judicious in regulating 
 the amount of his artillery by the character of the 
 country in which he was operating. 
 
 His magnanimity to Lee, his consideration for his 
 feelings, and the generous terms granted him, served as 
 a precedent for subsequent surrenders, and had much 
 to do with bringing about a prompt and absolute cessa- 
 tion of hostilities, thus saving the country from a pro- 
 longed guerrUla warfare. 
 
 He was possessed of a moral and physical courage 
 which was equal to every emergency in which he was 
 placed. He was calm amid excitement, patient under 
 trials, sure in judgment, clear in foresight, never de- 
 pressed by reverses or unduly elated by success. He 
 was fruitful in expedients, and had a facility of resource 
 and a faculty of adapting the means at hand to the ac- 
 complishment of an end which never faUed him. He 
 possessed an intuitive knowledge of topography, which 
 prevented him from ever becoming confused as to lo- 
 caUty or direction in conducting even the most compli- 
 cated movements in the field. His singular seK-reliance 
 enabled him at critical junctures to decide instantly 
 questions of vital moment without dangerous delay in 
 
grant's place in military history 515 
 
 seeking advice from others, and to assume the gravest 
 responsibilities without asking any one to share them. 
 
 His habits of life were simple, and he enjoyed a phys- 
 ical constitution which enabled him to endure every 
 form of fatigue and privation incident to military ser- 
 vice in the field. His soldiers always knew that he was 
 ready to rough it with them and share their hardships 
 on the march. He wore no better clothes than they, 
 and often ate no better food. There was nothing in his 
 manner to suggest that there was any gulf between him 
 and the men who were winning his victories. He never 
 tired of giving unstinted praise to his subordinates? He 
 was at aU times loyal to them. His fidelity produced a 
 reciprocal effect, and is one of the chief reasons why 
 they became so loyally attached to him. He was never 
 betrayed by success into boasting of his triumphs. He 
 never underrated himself in a battle ; he never overrated 
 himself in a report. 
 
 G-eneral Sheridan, in his " Memoirs," says of his chief, 
 in speaking of the later campaigns : " The effect of his 
 discomfitures was to make him all the more determined 
 to discharge successfully the stupendous trust com- 
 mitted to his care, and to bring into play the manifold 
 resources of his well-ordered mind. He guided every 
 subordinate then, and in the last days of the rebellion, 
 with a fund of common sense and a superiority of in- 
 tellect which have left an impress so distinct as to 
 exhibit his great personality. "When his military history 
 is analyzed after the lapse of years, it will show even 
 more clearly than now that during these, as well as his 
 previous campaigns, he was the steadfast center about 
 and on which everything else turned." 
 
 G-eneral Longstreet, one of his most persistent foes 
 on the field of battle, says in his reminiscences : " Gen- 
 eral Grant had come to be known as an all-round fighter 
 
516 CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT 
 
 seldom, if ever, surpassed ; but the biggest part of him 
 was Ms heart." And again : " As the world continues 
 to look at and study the grand combinations and strategy 
 of G-eneral Grrant, the higher will be his reward as a 
 soldier." 
 
 While his achievements in actual battle eclipse by 
 their brilliancy the strategy and grand tactics employed 
 in his campaigns, yet the extraordinary combinations 
 effected, and the skUl and boldness exhibited in moving 
 large armies into position, should entitle him to as much 
 credit as the qualities he displayed in the immediate 
 presence of the enemy. With him the formidable game 
 of war was in the hands of a master. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Aiken's Landing, Va.,vlsitors from Wash- 
 ington to, 305 
 
 Alabama, proposed movement by Thom- 
 as and Wilson into, 386 
 
 " Alabama," the, . flght with the Eeair- 
 sarge, 2S1, 255 
 
 " Alabama " claims, the, 409 
 
 Alabama River, proposed military oper- 
 ations on the, 287 
 
 Alexandria, Va., Sohofield moves to, 387 
 
 Alsop house, Va., Grant's headquarters 
 near, 92 
 
 Ambulance, as a ladles' pleasure-car- 
 riage, 413, 414 
 
 Amelia Court-house, Va., Lee at, 454; 
 Lee retreats from, 4S6 
 
 American volunteers, not znercenaries, 
 322 
 
 Ames, Maj.-gen. Adelbert, In Fort Fisher 
 expeditions, 362, 370 
 
 Anderson, Lieut.-gen. Richard H., suc- 
 ceeds to Longstreet's command, 81; 
 narrow escape from capturmg Grant, 
 81; marches to Spottsylvanla Court- 
 house, 86; engagement with Warren 
 and Sedgwick, 87 ; sent to Cold Harbor, 
 162 
 
 Anderson's Mill, Va., military move- 
 ments near, 136 
 
 Anecdotes, the geometric excellence of, 
 220. For various anecdotes see the 
 names of the narrators or their sub- 
 jects. 
 
 Annapolis, Md., Bumside ordered to 
 Virginia from, 36 ; plans for Sohofleld 
 to rendezvous at, 387 
 
 Antietam, Md., the President's dream 
 before the battle of, 497 
 
 Appomattox Court-house, Va., the sur- 
 render at, compared with that at York- 
 town, 461 ; Grant moves to, 467, 468 ; the 
 surrender at, 469 et seq., 484, 488, 489, 
 491, 503, 613 ; the " famous apple-tree," 
 470 ; McLean's house, 471 et sea. ; Mc- 
 Lean's removal from BuU Run to, 488 
 
 Appomattox River, the, military move- 
 ments on, 78, 99, 189, 194, 201, 206, 206, 
 211, 234, 447, 457, 458, 462 
 
 Appomattox Station, Va., capture of 
 Lee's trains at, 482 
 
 Armstrong's Mill, Va., military opera- 
 tions at, 311 
 
 Army, the, its officers as boatmen, 413; 
 effects of wet weather on, 427, 428 
 
 Army of Georgia, the, in grand review 
 at Washington, 810, Bll 
 
 Army of Northern Virginia, the, con- 
 fronting the Army of the Potomac, 
 36, 37; Grant's efforts to destroy its 
 
 Army of Northern Yir^ma— continued 
 supplies, 36 ; its component corps, 39 ; 
 estimated strength, 39; surrender of, 
 468 et seq. ;jjtums its back on the army 
 of the Union, 488 ; Lee bids farewell to, 
 491 , 
 
 Army of the Cumberland, the. Gen. 
 Thomas commanding, 1 ; under Grant's 
 control, 2 ; Grant takes personal charge 
 of, 3 ; successes of, 10 ; S. P.'s service 
 In, 11-13 ; its love for Gen. Thomas, 12 
 
 Army of the James, the (Butler; Ord), 
 capture of Fort Harrison, 299-302; 
 movements against the South Side and 
 DanvUle railroads, 230 ; visitors from 
 Washington to, 304, 305; Butler re- 
 lieved from command, 373, 374 ; plans 
 for the spring campaign (1865), 387; 
 Grant's telegram to, March 26, 1865, 
 404; reviewed by the President, 412- 
 414 ; confronting Bichmond, 426 ; final 
 assault at Petersburg, 444Hk4^, 448 
 
 Army of the Potomac, the (Meade), 
 Grant visits headquarters at Brandy 
 Station, 22 ; Sheridan ordered to com- 
 mand the cavalry of, 23, 24, 39 ; Grant 
 on, 25 ; H. P.'e service with, 29 ; Grant 
 establishes his headquarters with, 31 ; 
 Bnrnside ordered to support, 36 ; con- 
 fronting the Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, 36, 37 ; Lee's army its objective, 
 37; its component corps, 39; crosses 
 theBapidan, 41 et seq. ; moves along the 
 Germanna road, 47; movement by 
 the left flank, 76; Meade's anomalous 
 position in, 114-116 ; embarrassed by its 
 artillery, 129; Burnside's command 
 joined to, 144, 145 ; Butler ordered to 
 join, 147; reinforcements from Butler 
 for, 160 ; familiarity of its officers with 
 the battle-grounds of Virginia, 171 ; to 
 cross the James, 187, 188 ; prepares to 
 move, 190; losses from the Bapldan 
 to the James, 192 ; lack of vigor before 
 Petersburg, 210, 211 ; sickness in, 211 ; 
 raUroad facilities for, 212; the Sixth 
 Corps returned to, 224 ; disposition of 
 the corps before Petersburg, 224; its 
 exposed position, 225; Grant at head- 
 quarters of, 225; Grant anticipates 
 combined attacks on, 244; Meade at- 
 tempts to resign his command, 246, 
 247 ; scheme of movement by the left 
 flank, Oct. 27, 1864, 312 ; Grant's plans 
 for further movements, 312 ; plans for 
 the spring campaign (1865), 387; review 
 of, 393 ; Sheridan to resjoin, 397, 401, 402 ; 
 Parke commanding, 403; Sheridan's 
 command separated from, 422; final 
 
 34 
 
 517 
 
518 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Army of the Potomac — continued 
 assault at Fetersbiug, M6 ; tbe pursuit 
 of Lee, 462 et seq. ; in grand review at 
 Washington, 605, 612 
 
 Army of the Tennessee, the, gherman 
 placed In command of, 6; McFherson 
 commanding, 246 ; in ^and review at 
 Washington, 509, 610 
 
 Army of the West, the, in grand review 
 at Washington, 609-612 
 
 "Around the World with General 
 Grant," quoted, 247 
 
 Ashland, Va., Sheridan destroys the 
 railroad at, 143 
 
 Atlanta, Ga., Sherman's orders to march 
 to, 36, 46 ; Sherman drives the enemy 
 into, 243 ; hattle of, 244 ; Sherman cap- 
 tures, 285 ; B. P.'s mission to, 288-296 ; 
 PresidentDavis predicts its recapture, 
 313 ; held by the Twentieth Corps, 317 ; 
 Sherman abandons, 319, 361; the seat 
 of war transferred to NashviUe from, 
 336 
 
 Augusta, Ga., importance of Federal 
 possession of, 293 ; Sherman proposes 
 to move on, 293 
 
 Averell, Maj.-gen. W^illiam W., outs the 
 East Tennessee BaUroad, 120 ; destroys 
 Confederate supplies in West Virginia, 
 120 ; defeats Early, 270 
 
 Ayres, Maj.-gen. Romeyn B., action on 
 tbe Massaponax road. May 14, 1864, 
 118 ; operations at Gravelly Kun, 432 ; 
 hattle of Five Forks, 434, 436-440 
 
 B , Col., novel-reading proclivities of, 
 
 116, 117; "Lee's Miserahles," 117 
 
 Babcock, Lieut.-col. O. E., aide-de-camp, 
 32 ; battle of the WUderness, 66 ; battle 
 of Spottsylvania, lOO; at crossing of 
 the North Anna, 151 ; wounded by ex- 
 plosion at City Point, 273; battle of 
 Hatcher's Eun, 310, 311 ; courage under 
 Are, 311 ; conveys order of relief to But- 
 ler, 373 ; escorts the Peace Commission 
 to City Point, 382; in battle of Five 
 Forks, 435 ; conveys Grant's communi- 
 cation to Lee, 467, 470 ; at Lee's sur- 
 render, 470 et sect.; part of Grant's 
 headquarters flag given to, 488 
 
 Badeau, Lieut.-col. Adam, military sec- 
 retary to Gen. Grant, 33 ; military ca- 
 reer, 33 ; his short-sightedness, 108, 109 ; 
 equestnan disaster to, 229, 230; on 
 H.P.'s enthusiasm after Five Forks, 
 443 ; at the surrender, 488 
 
 Baltimore, Md., miUtary operations at, 
 237, 238 ; attempt to assassinate Grant 
 at, 499, 500 
 
 Banks, Maj.-gen. Nathaniel P., ordered 
 up the Ee,d Elver to Shreveport, 35; 
 defeated in Louisiana, 124; superseded 
 by Canby, 124 ; Grant advises that he 
 move against Mobile, 178; Grant or- 
 dered to cooperate with, at Port Hud- 
 sou, 364 
 
 Barlow, Maj.-gen. Francis C, action at 
 Spottsylvania, May 10, 1864, 96 ; his di- 
 vision at Eeams's Station, 281, 282 
 
 Barnard, Maj.-gen. John G., appointed 
 chief engineer with Grant, 183 
 
 Barnes, Capt. John S., escorts the Presi- 
 dent to City Point, 403, 411 ; at the re- 
 view of the Army of the James, 412 
 
 "Bat," the, escorts the President to City 
 Point, 403 ; takes Sherman back to his 
 command, 424 
 
 Baylor, Capt. Thomas G., relieves S. P. 
 at Chattanooga, U 
 
 Beaumont, Col., on Sedgwick's staff, 89 
 
 Beauregard, Lieut. -gen. Pierre G. T., 
 position south of Butler, 99; probable 
 movement to strengthen Lee, 124 ; Lee's 
 despatches to, June 17, 1864, 207 ; head- 
 quarters at BuU Eun, 488 
 
 Belle Isle, Va., Yankee prisoners on, 139 
 
 Bermuda Hundred, Va., Bhtler at, 99, 
 187, 188, 194, 197, 198 ; Smith ordered to, 
 187 ; mission of Comstockand H. P. to, 
 187, 188 ; probability of Lee's attacking, 
 188, 205, 206, 209 ; Smith's movement to, 
 194, 193, 201; the signal-tower at, 
 207; the President at, 222; Grant at, 
 224, 225 
 
 Bethesda Church, Va., Grant's head- 
 quarters near, 168 
 
 Bidwell, Brig.-gen. Daniel D., killed at 
 Cedar Creek, 307 
 
 " Bin," Grant's colored servant, 66, 129- 
 131, 365 
 
 Birney, Maj.-gen. David B., in action. 
 May 19, 1864, 128; commanding the 
 Second Corps, 208; engagement before 
 Petersburg, June 18, 208; 'movements 
 against the Weldon Eailroad, 224; 
 engagements before Petersburg, June 
 22, 224 ; battle of Newmarket Heights, 
 277; attack at FusseU's Mills, 277; 
 capture of Fort Harrison, 299-302 
 
 " Black Jack." See Logan. 
 
 Blackmar, Capt. Wilmon ^V., owner of 
 chair from Appomattox, 487 
 
 Black River Bridge, Fred Grant wounded 
 in battle of, 364 
 
 Blacksmith, President Lincoln's anec- 
 dote of a, 416 
 
 Blair,1 Gen. Frank P., 41 ; at grand re- 
 view at Washington, 610 
 
 Blanchard, Mr., owner of inkstand from 
 Appomattox, 487 
 
 Bloodgood's Hotel, Philadelphia^ Grant 
 hears of the President's assassination 
 at, 499 
 
 "Bloody Angle," the. See SPOTTSYL- 
 VANIA. 
 
 Boisseau, J., military movements near 
 his house at Five Forks, 434 
 
 Boomer, Col. George B., Ills colored ser- 
 vant, "BiU,"130; kUledatVicksburg, 
 130 
 
 Booth, John Wilkes, shadows Grant to 
 the railway station in Washington, 500 ; 
 assassinates the President, 600; shot, 
 601 
 
 Bowers, Lieut.-col. Theodore S., assis- 
 tant adjutant- general, staff of Gen. 
 Grant, 33; military career, 33; recounts 
 an instance of Grant's wrath, 105; 
 adjutant-general, 242; a humane com- 
 mission from the President, 410; at the 
 surrender, 480 
 
 Bowling Green, Va., military move- 
 ments at, 136 
 
 Boydton Plank-road, Va., military 
 movements on the, 426, 430, 431, 442 
 
 Bragg, Maj.-gen. Braxton, besieges 
 Chattanooga, 2, S: victory at Chlcka- 
 mauga, 314 ; wlthcfraws from Wilming- 
 ton, 337 
 
 Brandy Station, Va., Grant at head- 
 quarters of Army of Potomac at, 22, 
 24, 28, 29 
 
 Breckinridge, Maj.-gen. John C, rein- 
 forces Lee, 146, 147 ; ordered to oppose 
 
INDEX 
 
 519 
 
 Breckinridge, J. C. — eontitiiied 
 Hunter, 227 ; ordered to tlie Valley ol 
 Virginia, 236 ; Sheridan captures a 
 horee from, 428 
 
 " Breckinridge," Sheridan's borse, 428 
 
 Breneman, Asst.-Surg. E. D. W., tuedl- 
 
 ■ cal officer at Grant's lieadq.uaTters,;232 
 
 Brevet ranlc, 10 
 
 Bridgeport, Ala., Grant at, 3 ; aooumular 
 tlon of stores at, 6; movement from 
 Chattanooga to, 8, 9 ; Hooker's expedi- 
 tion to Brown's Ferry from, 9 
 
 Brock Road, the,i military movements 
 on, U, 67, 68, 60, 78, 81, 86, 87 ; ovation to 
 Grant on, 78, 79; headauarters on, 87 
 
 Brooks Road, the, military operations 
 on, 431 
 
 Brown's Ferry, Grant reoonnoiters the 
 enemy's lines at, 6 ; Hooker's expedi- 
 tion from Bridgeport to, 9 ; Hazen sur- 
 prises the enemy at, 9 
 
 Biickner, Lieut.-gen. Simon B., recounts 
 Grant's generosity at Port Donelson, 
 382 
 
 Bull Run, Va., Wllmer McLean's former 
 home at, 488 ; the neighhorhood "lack- 
 ing in repose," 488 
 
 "Bummers," Sherman's, 419; in grand 
 review at Washington, 611 
 
 Burgess's Mill, Va„ engagement at, 309 
 
 Burkeville, Va., Jefferson Davis passes 
 through, 463; military operations near, 
 463-467 ; Grant at, 457, 489, 492 
 
 Burlington, N. J., Grant places his chil- 
 dren at school and visits them at, 297, 
 
 326, 360, 497-500 
 
 Burnside, Maj.-gen. Ambrose E., in 
 difficulties in Bast Tennessee, 7 ; mear 
 sures for relief of, 7 ; commanding the 
 Ninth Corps, 36, 39 ; sent from Annap- 
 olis to Virginia, 36; ordered to sup- 
 port the Army of the Potomac, 36; 
 mdependenoe oftheArmy dl the Poto- 
 mac, 38; night march to Rappahan- 
 nock Station, 44 ; crosses the Rapidan, 
 48 ; hattle of the Wilderness, 64, 66, 67, 
 69-63; march toward Spottsylvania 
 Court-house, 74, 76, 78, 87, 90; position. 
 May 9, 1864, 87 ; movements at Spott- 
 sylvania, May 10, 1864, 93-96 ; grief at 
 Stevenson's death, 94; kept informed 
 of movements, 99 ; hattle of Spottsyl- 
 vania, 100, 102, 105 ; moves south, May 
 21, 132, 137 ; gallantry to the gentle sex, 
 139; disoomlltedhy a Southern lady, 139; 
 at the crossing of the North Anna, 141, 
 14a, 144, 145, 150, 152 ; his corps assigned 
 to the Army of the Potomac, 144, 145 ; 
 patriotic acquiescence in his assign- 
 ment to the Army of the Potomac, 146 ; 
 at Hanover Ferry, 164; crosses the 
 Pamtmkey, 156 ; crosses the Totopot- 
 omoy, 160 ; engagements, June 1, 1864, 
 163, 168; in hattle of Cold Harbor, 174, 
 176, 178; crosses the Cblokahominy, 
 195; crosses the James, 197, 198; en- 
 gagements before Petersburg (June 
 17 and 18), 205, 207, 208; position before 
 Petersburg, 224; consultation with 
 Grant, 231 ; sldrmishing before Peters- 
 burg, 262 ; his works, 268 ; his part in 
 the Petersburg mine affair, 258, 269, 
 262, 266-269; wrangle with Meade at 
 the crater, 267, 268 ; virtual retirement, 
 269 ; Grant's friendship with, 269 
 
 Butler, Maj.-gen. Benjamin F., ordered 
 to march on Petersburg, 36, 46 ; Grant's 
 
 Butler, B. F.—eofiUnued 
 plan of cooperating with, 37; moves 
 up the James, 46; reaches the junction 
 
 of the James and the Appomsittox, 78 ; 
 City Point, 91 ; reinforcements for, 
 
 at 
 
 91 ; movement against the Petersburg 
 Railroad, 91, 99 ; Grant's anxiety for, 
 98, 99; defeats Hill, 99; at Bermuda 
 Hundred, 99, 187, 188, 194, 197, 198; cap- 
 tures works at Drewry's Bluff, 120; 
 holds the road to Petersburg, 124; 
 driven from Drewry's Bluff, 124, 146 ; 
 supplies Sheridan at Haxall's Land- 
 ing, 143; ordered to White House, 
 147 ; ordered to join the Army of the 
 Potomac, 147 ; sends reinforcements to 
 Grant, 160 ; Smith's movement to join, 
 187; probability of Lee's attacking, 
 188, 206, 206, 209; Grant's interview 
 with, at Bermuda Hundred, 197, 198 ; 
 to move on Petersburg, 197, 198 ; fails 
 to supply Hancock with rations, 199; 
 to reinforce Smith, 198; his signal- 
 tower at Bermuda Hundred, 207; posi- 
 ... ... -,j^ 
 
 tion on the James, 211, 212 
 Deep Bottom, 216 ; bridges the James, 
 216, 223, 276 ; President Lincoln's visit 
 to his command, 218, 222, 223 ; his army 
 reunited, 224; Grant visits, 228-230; 
 personal quarrel With Gen. Smith, 245 ; 
 commanding the Department of Vlr^ 
 ginia and North Carolina, 246 ; charac- 
 teristics, 246; Grant's relations with, 
 and opinion of, 246, 362, 373 ; moves to 
 Deep Bottom, 276; ordered to ftre 
 salute in honor of Sherman's victory 
 at Atlanta, 286; capture of Fort 
 Harrison, 299-302; Grant consults 
 with, 303; visitors from Washington 
 to, 304, 306; at Aiken's Landing, 306; 
 demonstration on the north side of the 
 James, 309, 313; the first Fort Fisher 
 expedition, 336-339, 346, 361-368; tele- 
 gram from Grant, Deo. 11, 1864,346; 
 propensity for confiscation and de- 
 struction of property, 357 ; visit from 
 Senator Nesmith to, 367, 358; on 
 Grant's popularity, 368 ; at City Point, 
 361; censured by Grant, 362; senior 
 army commander, 368; ordered to send 
 Terry to headquarters, 368 ; fertility in 
 ideas, 370 ; conceives the Dutch Gap 
 Canal, 370, 371 ; relieved of command, 
 373, 374 
 
 Caesar, Julius, on looking back during a 
 retreat, 306 
 
 Cairo, 111., Grant at (1861), 66, 130 
 
 California, a statesman from, 366, 356 
 
 Campbell, J. A., scout from Sheridan's 
 army, brings despatch from Columbia, 
 Va., 397-399 ; brings news from Jeters- 
 viUe, 454 ; suspected of treachery, 465 
 
 Campbell, John A., Assistant Secretary 
 of War, C. S. A., member of the Peace 
 Commission, visits City Point, 382-386 
 
 Canby, Maj.-gen. Edward R. S., super- 
 sedes Banks in Louisiana, 124 ; Grant's 
 opinion of, 124; need of reinforcements 
 for, 292 ; operatlona in the Southwest, 
 336 ; commanding at New Orleans, 386 ; 
 movement against Mobile, 386, 401; 
 captures Mobile, 604, 506 
 
 Cape^ Fear River,'4the, the Fort Fisher 
 expedition at, 337 ; closing the mouth 
 of, 370 ; proposed movement by Soho- 
 field to, 387 
 
520 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Capehart, Gen., acqnlTes cliaiT from Ap- 
 pomattox, 487 
 
 Carnot, Lazare N. M., Stanton likened 
 to, 306 
 
 Carroll, Maj.-gen. Samuel S., (colonel) 
 in battle of the Wilderness, 62; pro- 
 moted, brigadier-general of volunteers, 
 96, 113, Hi; action at Spottsylvania, 
 May 10, 1864, 96 
 
 Cedar Creek, Va., Sigel'B retreat to, 124; 
 battle of, 307, 308; Blieridan at, 438 
 
 Central Railroad of Virginia. See Vir- 
 ginia Cbntkal Kailboad. 
 
 Chaflin's Bluif, Va., Lee sends troops to, 
 207 
 
 Chambersburg, Pa., burned by Early, 
 270 
 
 Chambliss, Brig.-gen. John R., opposes 
 Upton on the ImiBsaponax road, May 
 14, 1864, 118 
 
 Champagne, a cause of seasickness on 
 
 wTirtTft 217 
 
 Chancellorsville, Va., military move- 
 ments at, 78; Jackson wounded at, 133 ; 
 battle of, 494 
 
 Chandler, Mr., visit of Gen. Grant to 
 house of, 133, 134 
 
 Charleston, S. C, evacuation of, 387 ; the 
 secession disease in, 387, 388 
 
 Charlestown, W. Va., Hunter retires to, 
 237 ; Grant visits Sheridan at, 297, 298 
 
 Charlottesville, Va., Hunter ordei'ed to, 
 147; military movements near, 227; 
 Sheridan crushes Early near, 396 
 
 Chase, Salmon P., Secretary of the Trea- 
 sury, succeeded by Mr. Fessenden, 304 
 
 Chattahoochee, the river, military move- 
 ments on, 243, 313 
 
 Chattanooga, Tenn., ff. P.'« service on 
 Gen. Thomas's staff at, 1 ; Grant arrives 
 at, 1, 2; Dana at, 2; siege of, 2, 3; 
 Thomas ordered to hold, 3; Grant 
 learns details of the situation at, 4, 6 ; 
 Grant examines the lines at, 6; Sher- 
 man orderedtrom Corinth to, 7 ; Grant's 
 headquai-ters in, 8; the movement to 
 Bridgeport from, 8, 9; Grant on the 
 battle of, 25, 26 ; battle of, 172 ; transfer 
 of stores from Nashville to, 243; 
 McPherson at, 245: ff. P. revisits, 289; 
 military movements near, 818, 333 
 
 Chattanooga Creek, Grant saluted by 
 enemy's pickets at, 10, 11 
 
 Chatterbox, a naval, 376, 376 
 
 Chesterfield Station, Va., Grant's head- 
 quarters at, 142 
 
 Chickahominy, the river, military move- 
 ments on, 143, 155, 167, 183, 187, 190, 194, 
 195, 207 ; Lee's position on, 157 ; fever 
 on, 183 ; adventures of two scouts on, 
 398 399 
 
 Chickamauga, Ga., battle of, 2; H.P.'s 
 service at, 289; reminiscences of, 295; 
 Longstreet turns the tide of battle at, 
 ■ 3U ; " the Bock of," 362 
 
 Chickens, tough, 214 
 
 Chinook, a correspondence in, 368, 359 
 
 Christian Commission, the, meeting of 
 members of , with Grant, 169, 170,494; 
 its work, 169, 170 
 
 "Cincinnati," Gen. Grant's bay horse, 
 24, 25, 41, 464, 466 ; ridden by the Presi- 
 dent, 218, 412 
 
 " City of Hudson," the, 262 
 
 City Point, Va., Butler at, 91, 361; im- 
 portance of holding, 147; Grant asks 
 tiiat pontoons be sent to, 161 ; military 
 
 City Point, Va. —eoniirmed 
 movements near, 189; Grant's head- 
 quarters at, 200, 201, 206, 209, 211, 212, 
 231-233, 280, 303, 329, 330, 360, 392-396, 402, 
 417-424, 492-496; Meade at, 206, 206, 393, 
 403-406 ; visit of President Lincoln to, 
 216-224; Sheridan at, 228; hospital set, 
 233; fortifloatlons at, 234; telegraphic 
 communication with Washington in- 
 terrupted, 239; visit of Secretary 
 Seward to, 252-257 ; Grant returns from 
 Monocacy to, 273 ; spies at, 273-275 ; ex- 
 plosion of an infernal machine at, 273- 
 275 ; Hancock's command marched to, 
 276; Mrs. Graint at, 283-285, 363, 378-380, 
 398, 396, 404, 493; H. P. returns from 
 Atlanta to, 296 ; Wright ordered to, 326 ; 
 Grant returns from Washington to, 
 329; winter quarters at, 329, 330; Terry 
 called to, 368 ; importance of the depot 
 at, 377 ; threatened naval attack on, 
 377-380; visit of the Peace Commission 
 to, 382-385; proposal that Mrs. liOng- 
 street visit Mrs. Grant at, 391, 392 ; visit 
 of Washbume to, 392-395; a baU at 
 headquarters, 393, 394; Mrs. EawUns 
 at, 396, 493 ; the President's last visit 
 
 to, 402, 406-412, 415, 423-426. 445 ; a dance 
 at, 416, 416; meeting of Grant and 
 Sherman at, 417-424 ; Grant leaves for 
 the front, 424r-426 ; news of the surren- 
 der sent to Sherman from, 603 
 
 City Point Railroad, repaired, 212 
 
 "Civil" war, 11 
 
 " Cockade City," the, 206 
 
 Cold Harbor, Va., topography of the 
 country around, 166, 166 ; meaning of 
 the name, 166 ; Anderson sent to, 162 ; 
 Grant inspects the lines at, 166 ; battle 
 of, 171-181 ; quality of the troops en- 
 gaged at, 174, 175, 180; criticisms on the 
 6attle,i74, 179, 180; Lee's peril at, 180; 
 Grant's course at, vinaicated, 180; 
 scenes after the battle, 183, 184 
 
 Cold Harbor Road, Va., 166 
 
 Coles's Landing, Va., Smith ordered to, 
 187, 194; Smith's destination changed 
 to White House, 194 
 
 Colored troops, action at Petersburg, 218, 
 219; the President's visit to the, 218, 
 219; the President on the raising of 
 regiments of, 219 ; proposal that they 
 lead the attack at the Petersburg 
 crater, 262; at the crater, 268; action 
 at Fort Harrison, 300, 302 ; in grand re- 
 view at Washington, 510, 611 
 
 Columbia, S. C, Sherman's march 
 through, 886, 387 
 
 Columbia, Va., Sheridan at, 397, 398 
 
 Columbus, Ga., proposed movement to, 
 292 ; capture of. 505 
 
 Commissary department, Grant's diih- 
 culties in the, 232, 233 
 
 Comstock, Lieut.-col. C. B., member of 
 the general's staff, 32 ; service at Yicks- 
 burg, 32 ; in battle of the Wilderness, 
 69; in night march to Todd's Tavern, 
 81} in battle of Spottsylvania, 100; 
 mission to Bermuda Hundred, 187, 188 ; 
 service with McClellan, 188; accom- 
 panies the first Fort Fisher expedition, 
 361 
 
 Confederate money, depreciation of, 392 
 
 Confederate States of America, a military 
 despotism, 40; the^war feeling in, 40; 
 popular ignorance of the true condi- 
 tion of aflfiirs, 138; possibility of Euro- 
 
INDEX 
 
 521 
 
 Csntederate States of Amerloa— coned 
 peon reoognition of, 173; efforts to 
 bring about peace, 382-386, 391, 392; 
 sends Peace Commission to City Point, 
 382-386 ; loss of President Davis's pres- 
 tige In, 391 ; Lee'slnfluenoe and powers, 
 391, 490; depreciation of currency and 
 counterfeit money, 392 ; desperate con- 
 dition, 392; "robs the grave" for re- 
 cruits, M3 ; tbe cavalry of, 178, 479 ; llnal 
 surrender of all the armies, 614 
 
 Confiscation, Confederate fears of, 492 
 
 Coosa River, the, military movements on, 
 317 
 
 Corcoran Legion, the, joins Hancock's 
 corps, 122 
 
 Corinth, Miss., Sherman ordered to 
 Chattanooga from, 7 
 
 Cornwallis, Lord, tbe surrender of, com- 
 pared with that of Lee, 461 
 
 Corse, Brie.-gen. Montgomery D., In 
 battle of Five Forks, 487 
 
 Councils of war. Grant's lack of faith in, 
 316 
 
 Courage, dodging under fire, 140; the 
 troops before the battle of Cold Har^ 
 bor, 174, 176 
 
 " Cracker line," opening the, 6, 7-10 
 
 Craven, Dr., witticism on Sherman's cap- 
 ture of Charleston, S. C, 387, 388 
 
 Crawford, Maj.-gen. Samuel W., in ac- 
 tion. May 19, 1864, 128 ; in battle of Five 
 Forks, 436, 436, 440, 441 
 
 Crimean war, losses of men from disease, 
 181 
 
 Crittenden, Maj.-gen. Thomas L., at the 
 crossing of tile Horth Anna, 142 
 
 Cromwell, Oliver, facial peculiarity in 
 common with Grant, 14, 16 
 
 Crook, Maj.-gen. George, Sigel proposes 
 to connect with, 91 ; action on the Ap- 
 pomattox Biver, 468 
 
 Crump Road, Va., military movements 
 on the, 438 
 
 Culpeper Court-house, Va., Grant's head- 
 qtuarters at, 24, 36 ; Lee sends troops to, 
 276 
 
 Cumberland,orderB to concentrate troops 
 around, 237 
 
 Cumberland River, the, fears of Hood's 
 crossing, 336 ; military movements on, 
 338, 344, 349 ; Adm. Lee's naval opera- 
 tions on, 344 
 
 Curdsville, Va., Grant's headquarters at, 
 462,466 
 
 Curtis, Maj.-gen, Newrton M., in the Fort 
 Fisher expeditions, 362, 370 
 
 Custer, Maj.-gen. George, hattle of 
 Five Forks, 440 ; at the surrender, 486; 
 carries off table from McLean's house, 
 487 ; in grand review at Washington, 
 607 
 
 Custer, Mrs., presented with table from 
 Appomattox, 4^7 
 
 Cuvier, Baron, on the French Academy's 
 definition of a crab, 470 
 
 Dabney's Mill, Va., military movements 
 at,i4a6; Grant's headquarters at, 430, 
 432,442 
 
 Dalton, Ga., Sherman drives Johnston 
 out of, 120; military movements near, 
 318 
 
 Dana, Charles A., Assistant Secretary of 
 War, at Chattanooga, 2; despatch to 
 War Department, announcing Grant's 
 arrival at Chattanooga, aj at Piney 
 
 Hanxa, C. A.— eoniimied 
 Branch Church, 83 ; his war dsspatohes, 
 83 ; experience In the field, 83 ; with the 
 Army of the Potomac, 191; soothes 
 Gen. Meade, 191; at the Petersburg 
 front, 206 ; reports the hehavior of the 
 colored troops at Petersburg, 219 
 
 Danville, Va., heading off Lee from, 463 
 
 Danville Railroad, operations against, 
 230, 402; Sheridan pursues the enemy 
 along the, 460 
 
 Darbytown, Va., battle of, 260 
 
 Davis, JefTerson, visits Stuart's death- 
 bed, 121; his desire to embroil the 
 United States with Great Britain, 264 ; 
 anxiety about Sherman's movements, 
 293; predicts a Moscow for Sherman, 
 313 ; predicts the recaptiu-e of Atlanta, 
 313; visits Hood, 313; loses the confi- 
 dence of the Confederacy, 391 ; passes 
 through Burkeville, 463 ; his attitude 
 In doubt, 490, 491 ; capture of, 605 
 
 Davis, Maj.-gen. Jefferson C, In grand 
 review at Washington, 610 f 
 
 Davis, Joseph, pony captured from, 88 
 
 Deatonsville, Va., engagement near, 467 
 
 Deep Bottom, Va., Butler seizes, 216; 
 bridge at, 216, 223 ; military movements 
 at, 269, 261, 299, 302, 303 ; Butlcr moves 
 to, 276; Grant at, 302, 303 
 
 Deep Creek, Gregg's action at, 277 
 
 "Deerhound," tne, her action in the 
 Kearsarge-Alabmna fight, 264, 266 
 
 Deering, Brig.-gen. J., in defense of 
 Petersburg, 202 
 
 Dent, Lieut.-col. Frederick T., aide-de- 
 camp on Gen. Grant's staff, 32; ser- 
 vice in the Mexican war, 32 ; escorts 
 Mrs. Grant to City Point, 283 
 
 Dent, Miss Julia. See Gbaut, Mbs. 
 
 Department of Virginia and North Caro- 
 lina, Butler commanding the, 246; 
 Butler relieved from command of, 373, 
 374 
 
 Deserter, reprieving a, 394, 396 
 
 Devin, Maj.-gen. Thomas C., in battle of 
 Five Forks, 435, 44fl 
 
 Dinwiddle Court-house, Va., Sheridan 
 at, 427, 429-432 1 H. P. at, 430, 432 
 
 Dogmatism, Its inception, 16 
 
 Doles, Brig.-gen. George, in battle of 
 Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864, 112 
 
 Donehogawa, chief of the Six Hations, 
 34. See also Pabeeb, Caft. Ely S. 
 
 Douty, Lieut. Jacob, remedies the defec- 
 tive fuse in the Petersburg mine, 263 
 
 Draft, resistance to the, 278, 279 
 
 "Drewry," the, action in the James 
 Elver, 380 
 
 Drewry's Bluff, Va., Butler captures 
 Confederate works at, 120; Butler 
 driven from, 124, 146 
 
 Duff, Lieut.-col. V/. L., assistant in- 
 spector-general, staff of Gen. Grant, 33 
 
 Duncan, Lieut.-col. J. H., defense of 
 Fort Gregg, 448 
 
 Dunn, Lieut. 'William M., acting aide- 
 de-camp, staff of Gen. Grant, 34; on 
 escort and protection duty in Virginia, 
 148, 149, 379 ; convoys Jesse Grant out 
 of action, 300, 301 ; in naval operations 
 on the James Elver, 377, 378 
 
 Dutch Gap Canal, the, 370, 371; Confed- 
 erate ironclads at, 377 
 
 Early, Lieut. -gen. Jubal A., encounter 
 With HanoQCk at Todd's Tavern, 86 ; 
 
522 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Early, J. A. — continued 
 commandine Hill's corps, 86; ordered 
 to move on the Brock road, 86 ; battle 
 of Bpottsylvania, 106 ; reinforces Lee, 
 116 ; contemplated movement. May 19, 
 1864, 126, 129, 131; attack and defeat. 
 May 30, 160 ; commands Ewell's corps, 
 160; in battle ol Cold Hafbor, 176; 
 ordered to tbe Valley of Virginia, 235 ; 
 advance on Washington, 237-239 ; Grant 
 turns his attention to, 237-240; aban- 
 dons his march on Washington, 239; 
 makes good his retreat to Snicker's 
 Ferry, 240; marches to Strasburg, 240 ; 
 Grant anticipates Ills rejoining Lee, 
 244; moves toward Maryland, 270; 
 crosses the Potomac, 270 ; biims Cham- 
 bersburg, 270 ; routed by Averell, 270 ; 
 strength, 272; Lee sends reinforce- 
 ments to, 276 ; Grant orders Sheridan 
 "to -whip," 298; defeated at Winches- 
 ter, 298; defeated at Fisher's HUl, 298; 
 Grant's anxiety to keep Lee from rein- 
 forcing, 299, 302, 303, 313, 314; the Presi- 
 dent's anxiety lest Lee reinforce, 302; 
 recalled by Lee from the Valley, 325 ; 
 crushed by Sheridan between Staunton 
 and CharlottesvUle, 396 
 
 East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia 
 Railroad, Sigel ordered to destroy, 35 ; 
 out by AvereU's cavalry, 120 
 
 " Egypt," Grant's horse, 163, 164 
 
 Eighteenth Corps (W. F. Smith; Ord), 
 President Lincoln's visit to the camp 
 of, 219, 220 ; capture of Fort Harrison, 
 299, 300, 302 ; wounding of Ord, 300, 302 ; 
 Heckman In temporary command, 302 ; 
 Ord returns to his command, 405 
 
 Electoral College, Lincoln on the, 223 
 
 Ely, Col. Ralph, receives the surrender 
 of Petersburg, 449 
 
 Ely's Ford, Va., military movements at, 
 41 
 
 Emancipation, no factor In the restora- 
 tion of peace, 490 
 
 Emory, Mai. -gen. William H., proceeds 
 north with the Nineteenth Corps from 
 New Orleans, 238 
 
 England, her unfriendly attitude toward 
 the United States, 253-256, 407-409; 
 Jefferson Davis's desire to embroil the 
 United States with, 264; settles the 
 Alabama claims, 409 
 
 Europe, possibility of recognition of the 
 Conf ed!erate States in, 173 
 
 Ewell, Lieut.-gen. Richard S., command- 
 ing corps tn Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, 39; Lee's message to, 44; In 
 battle of the WUdemess, 60 ; attempts 
 to turn Grant's right, 126-129; moves 
 to Hanover Court-house, 135: suc- 
 ceeded by Early, 160; captured, 469; 
 recognizes the necessity for peace, 469 ; 
 admits the Confederate defeat, 469 
 
 Farmville, Va., military movements 
 near, 466-460, 462, 466, 467 ; Lee heading 
 for, 457; Grant moves to, 467, 458, 460; 
 a night review at, 468, 459 ; a Confed- 
 erate hotel-proprietor at, 461 
 
 Farmville and Lynchburg Road, Grant 
 on the, 167 
 
 Fayetteville, N. C, plans for Sherman's 
 march through, 386 
 
 Ferrero, Maj.-gen. Edward, in battle of 
 the Wilderness, 54, 68; proposal that 
 ie lead the attack at th? Petersburg 
 
 Ferrero, E. — continued 
 mine, 262; his division at the crater, 
 268 
 
 Fessenden, W. P., succeeds Chase as 
 Secretary of the Treasury, 304; visits 
 the seat of war, 304-306 
 
 Fifteenth Corps (Hazen), In grand re- 
 view at Washington, 610 
 
 Fifth Corps (Warren; Griffln), com- 
 manded by Warren, 39 ; crosses Ger- 
 manna Ford, 41 ; first day's march Into 
 the Wilderness, 46; in battle of the 
 WUdemess, 49-52, 54, 56, 67, 69, 61, 63; 
 march toward Spottsylvama, 78, 80-82, 
 87; position, May 9, 87; engagement 
 with Anderson near Bpottsylvania, 87; 
 action at Spottsylvania, May 10, 94, 96; 
 battle of Spottsylvania, 100, 107, 108; 
 action on the Massaponax road. May 
 14, 118; action of May 19, 127, 128; 
 moves to Gniney's Station, 132 ; at the 
 crossing of the North Anna, 141, 142, 
 145, 162 ; crosses the Pamunkey, 154 ; 
 reconnaissance. May 27, 167; engage- 
 ment. May 30, 160 ; engagements, June 
 1, 163, 168; battle of Cold Harbor, 174, 
 176, 177 ; demonstrations at White Oak 
 Swamp, 196, 197, 207; crosses the 
 Chlckahominy, 195, 197, 207 ; crosses the 
 James, 197, 198; before Petersburg, 
 205; position before Petersburg, 224; 
 battle of the Weldon Eailroad, 280, 281 ; 
 battle of Hatcher's Eun, 309, 312 ; de- 
 struction of the Weldon Ballroad, 346 ; 
 position at* opening of campaign of 
 1865, 426 ; ordered to Sheridan's assis- 
 tance, 432 ; movement from White Oak 
 Bead, 432; battle of Five Forks, 435- 
 437, 440, 441 ; Warren relieved of com- 
 mand, 441 ; the command transferred 
 to GrifBn, 441 ; final assault at Peters- 
 burg, 445; in pursuit of Lee, 468; tn 
 grand review at Washington, 607 
 
 Filth Wisconsin Infantry, In action at 
 Spottsylvania, May 10, 1864, 97 
 
 Fisher's Hill, battle of, 298 
 
 Fitzhugh, Maj.-gen. Charles L., In battle 
 of Five Forks, 440 
 
 Five Forks, Va., Lee's forces at, 430; 
 strategic importance of, 430; engage- 
 ment near, March 31, 1866, 431 ; battle 
 of, 43iH43 ; rejoicings after the victory, 
 442 ; bald-headed men at, 443, 444 
 
 Foote, Rear-adm. Andrew H., wounded 
 at Port Donelson, 381 
 
 Ford's Theater, Washington, the assas- 
 sination of the President at, 497-600 
 
 Forrest, Edwin, as OtJiello, 219 
 
 Forsyth, Col. James W., in battle of Five 
 Forks, 440 
 
 Fort Custer, an army scout at, 399 
 
 Fort Donelson, Tenn., Bowley's and 
 Bowers's services at, 33; McPherson 
 at, 245 ; Adm. Foote wounded at, 381 ; 
 Grant's capture of, 381, 382, 494 ; Grant's 
 generosity to Buoltner at, 382 ; Grant's 
 sudden rise to fame at, 513 
 
 Fort Fisher, N. C, proposed movement 
 against, 288; troops withdrawn from, 
 to oppose Sherman, 336 ; first expedi- 
 tion against, 336-338, 346 ; fears of the 
 strengthening of the garrison of, 346 ; 
 failure of the expedlBon, 361-363; ex- 
 plosion of the powder-boat, 361, 862, 
 373 ; second expedition, 36T-370; capture 
 of, 370 ; Its strength, 370 
 
 Fort Oregg, Va., storming of, 448 
 
INDEX 
 
 523 
 
 Fort Harrison, Vs., capture ol, 299-302 
 
 Fort Monroe, Va., 211 ; teleKrapblo oom- 
 munlcatlon between City Point and 
 WasMngton via, 233; the Nineteentli 
 Corps at, 238; the flrst Fort Fisher ex- 
 pedition at, 346, 361; retura of the ex- 
 pedition to, 362; Terry sails for, 869; 
 the Peace Commission at, 383, 384 ; the 
 President at, 384; Sherman at, 417 
 
 Fort Powhatan, Va., tlie crossing of the 
 James at, 189 
 
 Fort Pulaski, Ga., capture of, 368 
 
 Fort Stedman, Va., attack on, March 26, 
 1866, 404-406 ; recapture of, 406 
 
 Fort Vancouver, Ore., Grant's service 
 and comrades at, 364 
 
 Fort Whitworth, Va., abandoned by the 
 enemy, 448 
 
 Forty-eighth Illinois Infantry, Col. 
 Bowers's service in the, 33 
 
 Forty eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, 
 at the siege of Petersburg, 268, 263 
 
 Fourteenth Corps (Davis), in grand re- 
 view at Washington, 510 
 
 Fourth of July oration, a, 422 
 
 France, her occupation of Mexico, 266, 
 266 ; relations vrith the United States, 
 266 
 
 Franklin, Tenn., battle of, 333 
 
 Fredericksburg, Va., military move- 
 ments near, 86, 90, 91 
 
 Fredericksburg and Spottsylvania Court- 
 house Road, military movements on, 
 117, 118 
 
 Fredericksburg Railroad, destroyed by 
 Sheridan, 120, 143; military movements 
 on, 134, 136, 141, 143; Sheridan moves 
 against, 397 
 
 Fredericksburg Road, action on. May 19, 
 1864, 127-129 
 
 Freedmen's Bureau, the, 609 
 
 Fussell's Mills, Va., action at, 277 
 
 G , Gen., conduct at Chattanooga 
 
 criticized, 26, 26 
 
 Gaines's Mill, Va., topography of the 
 country around, 166 
 
 Galena, 111., Grant's home, 17 ; the flrst 
 war meeting in, 31 
 
 Garland, Lieut.-col., Grant's service in 
 Mexico vrith, 476 
 
 Garrett, J. W., 499 
 
 Gayle house, Va., military movements 
 near, 117 
 
 Geary, Maj.-gen. John "W., battle of 
 Wauhatchie, 9 
 
 " General Blair," Gen. Eawlins's horse,41 
 
 Georgia, Sherman's orders for operar 
 tions in, 35, 46 ; Sherman's operations 
 in, 46, 78, 91, 238, 239, 243-246, 286, 292, 
 332, 333, 336, 374; Hood relieves Johns- 
 ton in, 244; the march to the sea, 313, 
 317-320, 374 ; question of responsibility 
 for the campaign in, 319, 320; Sher- 
 man recounts Incidents of his march 
 through, 418, 419 
 
 Germanna Ford, Va., military move- 
 ments at, 41, 43 ; the bridge at, 65 
 
 Germanna Road, Va., military move- 
 ments on, 44, 47, 48, 60, 56, 69, 67 
 
 Getty, Maj.-gen. George W., in battle of 
 the WUdemess, May 5, 1864, 50-52; 
 wounded, 52 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., Hancock wounded at, 
 80, 208, 329; Meade's victory at, 115; 
 the battle of, and Lincoln's peculiar 
 dream, 497 
 
 Gibbon, Maj.-gen. John, recommended 
 for promotion to major-general of vol- 
 unteers, 113 ; in battle of Eeams's Sta- 
 tion, 282 ; at ParmviUe, 469 
 
 Goddard, C, assistant adjutant-general. 
 Army of the Cumberland, 11 
 
 Goldsborough, N. C, plans for Sher- 
 man's march through, 387 ; junction of 
 Sherman and Schofield at, 401 
 
 " Good shot," a, 376 
 
 Gordon, Brig. -gen. James B., kiUed at 
 Yellow Tavern, 143 
 
 Cordon, Lieut. -gen. John B., in battle of 
 Cold Harbor, 176; attack on Fort Sted- 
 man, 406, 406; visits Grant after the 
 surrender, 492 
 
 Governor's Island, N. Y., "Rienzi's" 
 body at, 438 
 
 Grand Gulf, Grant ordered to, 364 
 
 Grant, Frederick Dent, accompanies his 
 father to Washington, 22; visits City 
 Point, 283, 363-366; "the Veteran," 363; 
 in battle of Port Gibson, 363 ; wounded 
 at Black River Bridge, 364 ; du(^-8hoot- 
 Ing at City Point, 366 ; arrested as a 
 spy, 365, 366 
 
 Grant, Jesse R., visits City Point, 283, 
 363; In action at Fort Harrison, 300, 
 301 
 
 Grant, Mrs. Julia Dent, speaks of her 
 correspondence with the general, 38, 
 39; forms of address to her husband, 
 284, 286, 379, 421, 493, 499 ; vlslts the gen- 
 eral at City Point, 283-286, 363, 378-380, 
 393, 396, 404, 493 ; her education, 284 ; her 
 knowledge of public affairs, 284 ; vis- 
 ited by the general at Burlington, N. J., 
 326 ; goes to New York, 325 ; the na- 
 val alarm at City Point, 378-380; pro- 
 posed meeting between Mrs. Long- 
 street and, 391, 392 ; at the review of 
 the Army of the James, 412-414 ; meet- 
 ing and Interviews with Sherman at 
 City Point, 418,420, 421, 423 ; knowledge 
 of the theater of war, 421 ; parting be- 
 tween the general and, 426; declines 
 offer of table from Appomattox, 487; 
 welcomes the general back to City 
 Point, 492, 493 ; invited to attend Ford's 
 Theater, 497; visits her cliildren at 
 Burlington, 497-600 
 
 Grant, Nellie R., visits City Point, 283 
 
 Grant, " Sam," 342 
 
 Grant, Gen. Ulysses Simpson, at Chat- 
 tanooga, 1 et 8ec[. ; appointed to com- 
 mand the Military Department of the 
 Mississippi, 2; takes personal charge 
 of the Army of the Cumberland, 3 : at 
 Bridgeport, 3; journey over Walden's 
 Ridge, 3; injm-y to his leff, 3, 6, 25; 
 learns the details of the situation at 
 Chattanooga, 4, 6; opening of "the 
 cracker line," 6, 7, 10; examines the 
 lines at Chattanooga, 6; reconnoiters 
 the enemy's lines at Brown's Ferry, 
 6; takes measures for the relief of 
 Burnside, 7; establishes headquarters 
 in Chattanooga, 8 ; the Vicksburg cam- 
 paign, 8, 27-29, 96, 179, 320, 363-366, 486; 
 prepares to take offensive, 10 ; saluted 
 by enemy's pickets at Chattanooga 
 Creek, 10, 11 ; military plans, 11 ; com- 
 pared'wlth Waeliington, 14 ; ditBculties 
 in his path, 17 ; appointed lieutenant- 
 general, 17, 18; in Washington, 18-24,' 
 318, 326-329, 348-360, 360, 489, 493, 496-501, 
 603, 504, 506 ; at the White House, March 
 
524 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Grant, U. S. —canttmued 
 8, 1861, 18-21 ; receives Ills comnusslon 
 from the President, 21 j alleged differ- 
 ence with Lincoln and Stanton aa to 
 the plan of campaign, 21 ; his registry 
 at WlUard's Hotel, 21, 22 ; at the White 
 Honse, March 9, 1864, 21, 22 ; visits the 
 Army of the Potomac at Brandy Star 
 tion, 22, 24, 28, 29 ; turns over command 
 of Military Division of the Mississippi 
 to Sherman, 22 ; placed In command of 
 all the armies, 22, 31 ; on the Army of 
 the Potomac, 25 ; on the battle of Chat- 
 tanooga, 25, 26; moral support from 
 Llncom, 26; his course at vlcksburg 
 criticized hy " cross-roads wiseacres," 
 27, 29 ; narrow escape from capture hy 
 Moshy,!30; magnitude of his command, 
 30, 31 ; strength of his united armies, 
 30, 31 ; hopes of the people in, 31 ; pre- 
 sides at war meeting at Galena, 31; 
 his staff, 31-34; movement hy the left 
 flank, 35 et seq., 76 ; oylnion of former 
 military operations in Tirginia, 36; 
 policy of united action hy all his ar- 
 mies, 36, 37 ; preparations for the move- 
 ment 01 May 4, 1864, 36-38 ; armies, not 
 cities, his objective points, 37 ; views 
 as to the capture of Bichmond, 37; 
 plan of cooperation with Butler, 37; 
 instructions to his staff, 37, 38; com- 
 municates his orders to the Army of 
 the Potomac through Meade, 38; cor- 
 respondence vrtth Mrs. Grant, 38, 39; 
 his "Memoirs" quoted, 39; Lee's ad- 
 vantage over, 39-41 ; crosses Germanna 
 Ford, 41, 43; oracular prediction con- 
 cerning his march to Bichmond, 43, 44 ; 
 his tinder-box, 46; conference with 
 Meade, May 4, 1864, 45; Longstreet's 
 knowledge of his character, 46, 47, 516, 
 516 ; battle of the Wildemess,47-54, 66-73; 
 grief at Hays's death, 52 : satisfaction 
 with the first day in the Wilderness, 
 53 ; council with Meade, May 5, 1864, 63, 
 64 ; at ShUoh, 64, 75, 193 ; his last Illness, 
 64, 71, 491; at Cairo, 111., 66, 130; Sher- 
 man's views of his methods in action, 
 70 ; sleeping in the WUdemess, 71 ; im- 
 portance of his presence on the field, 
 75 ; on the second day's battle In the 
 Wilderness, 76; "HaU to the Chief." 
 78, 79; lost in night march to Todd's 
 Tavern, 80, 81; bivouac at Todd's 
 Tavern, 82, 83; discusses, Sheridan's 
 wrath with Meade, 84; his military 
 path to the White House, 85 ; reminis- 
 cences of the battle of Palo Alto, 85 ; 
 on the battle of the Wilderness, 86; 
 preparing for attack. May 9, 1864, 88 ; 
 last conference with Sedgwick, 89; 
 grief at Sedgwick's death, 90; rein- 
 forces Butler, 91 ; determines to attack 
 Lee's center, 91; night attacks "a fsu 
 vorite amusement at Vlcksburg," 96; 
 on the Wilderness campaign, 98 ; " pro- 
 poses to fight it out on this line," etc., 
 98 ; waiting news from Butler and Sheri- 
 dan, 98, 99; watches Lee, 99; expects 
 important results at Spottsylvania, 
 101 ; sends reinforcements to Hancock, 
 102; "feeds the fight" at Spottsylvania, 
 102; meeting with Gen. Johnson at 
 Spottsylvania, 104, 105 ; personal inspec- 
 tion of the field of Spottsylvania, 106, 
 108, 109 ; meeting with a Union mother 
 0t Spottsylvania, 109, UO; anxious 
 
 Grant, U. S.—eonlMued 
 about Lee's movements, 113 ; urges pro- 
 motions for services in the Wilderness, 
 113, 114 ; discusses Meade's anomalous 
 position, 114, 115 ; at assault on " Hell's 
 Half-acre," 122; on the bad news of 
 May 18, 124, 125 ; asks for cooperation 
 of the navy, 125; Ewell's attempt to 
 turn his right. May 19, 1864, 126-129; 
 sends back artillery to Washington, 
 129 ; anxiety to draw Lee out of his 
 Intrcnchments, 131, 134, 149, 155, 177, 
 178, 434; moves to Guiney's Station, 
 132; aoQtuaintance with "Stonewall" 
 Jackson, 133; visits house of Mr. 
 Chandler at Guiney's Station, 133, 134 ; 
 crosses the Mattapony, 136; Lee de- 
 ceived as to his movements, 1136 ; move- 
 ment toward the North Anna, 136 ; halt 
 at plantation in the valley of the 
 Mattapony, 136-139 ; at the crossing of 
 the North Anna, 142-162 ; assigns Bum- 
 side's corps to the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, 144, 146 ; on Lee's position between 
 the South and North Annas, 146, 146 ; 
 interviewed by a Virginia woman, 147- 
 161 ; new movement by the left flank, 
 149, 163 et seq. ; acctuaintance with 
 Lee's methods, 149; crosses rivers in 
 Lee's face, 154 ; at Hanover Perry, 154 ; 
 crosses the Pamunkey, 166 ; anxiety to 
 secure Old Cold Harbor, 166, 161 ; inter- 
 view with a North Carolina prisoner, 
 157, 158; orders W. P. Smith's troops 
 forward from White House, 160; an- 
 ticipates a movement around his left 
 flank, 160, 161; calls on HaLleok lor 
 pontoons, 161; plans to attack Bich- 
 mond and Petersburg from the south 
 side, 161 ; secures Old Cold Harbor, 163 ; 
 wrath at and punishment of a brutal 
 teamster, 164-166, 249 ; inspects the lines 
 at Cold Harbor, 165 ; unfulfilled plans 
 for " after the war," 167 ; letter of ac- 
 ceptance for first nomination for the 
 Presidency, 167 ; his " organ," 168 ; ex- 
 tends his left, 168 ; meeting with mem- 
 bers of the Christian Commission, 169, 
 170, 494; Lee's advantage over, in 
 knowledge of his battle-grounds, 171; 
 expectations from Hunter, 171; diffl- 
 cuTties in communicating with Hunter, 
 171 ; decides to attack at Cold Harbor, 
 172; problem at Cold Harbor, 172; In 
 battle of Chattanooga, 172 ; question of 
 transferring operations to Petersburg, 
 172 ; anxiety to finish the war, 173 ; de- 
 cides to attack Lee's right, 173 ; battle 
 of Cold Harbor, 173-181; plans to aid 
 Hunter, 177; anxious to keep Lee out 
 of the trenches before Elchmond, 178 ; 
 advises movement against Mobile, 178 ; 
 reports result of battle of Cold Harbor 
 to Halleok, 178 ; on the sactiflces at Cold 
 Harbor, 179 ; criticized for the battle of 
 Cold Harbor, 179-181; his "hammer- 
 ing," 180 ; fearless and wise conduct of 
 the war, 181 ; his losses compared with 
 those in other wars, 181 ; on tlie defense 
 of Washington, 182; decides to cross 
 the James, 182, 188, 187-190; sanitary 
 precautions, 183; prepares to destroy 
 railroads north of Elchmond, 183; re- 
 connoltering along the front, 184-186 ; 
 sends Porter and Oomstock to Bermuda 
 Hundred, 187, 188 ; movement to Join 
 Butler, 188; losses from the Bapidan 
 
INDEX 
 
 525 
 
 Grant, U. S. — eonUmued 
 to the James, 191, 192; hia reinforce- 
 ments, 192; Ms life and services in 
 Mexico, and reminlsoeuces of the Mex- 
 ican war, 29, 104, 193, 241, 255, 476, 489; 
 leaves Cold Harbor for the James, 195- 
 197 ; at Long Bridge, 196 ; Interview 
 with Butler at Bermuda Hundred, 197, 
 198 ; watches Lee closely, 198 ; watches 
 the crossing of the James, 199 ; loss of 
 headc[uarters cow, 201 ; vexed at failure 
 of his Petersburg plans, 203; at the 
 front before Petersburg, 205, 231 ; out- 
 wits Lee, 203, 207 ; at City Point, 200, 
 201, 206, 209, 211, 212, 231-233, 280, 303, 329, 
 330, 360, 392-396, 402, 417-424, 492-496; 
 knowledge of Lee's movements, 207; 
 "all-flrett sunburnt," 208; vindicates 
 Hancock's action at Petersburg, 211; 
 contemplated operations on the north 
 side of the James, 216 ; orders Butler to 
 orossthe James, 216 ; visit of President 
 Lincoln to, at City Point, 216-224; de- 
 cides to cut the railroads, 224 ; at Ber- 
 muda Hundred, 224, 225; Meade calls 
 on him to come up from Bermuda Hun- 
 dred, 224, 226 ; decides to invest Peters- 
 burg, 224, 226 ; at headQtuarters of the 
 Army of the Potomac, 225; annoyed 
 at operations before Petersburg, 225 ; 
 sends to Washington for more artillery, 
 226, 231 ; visit from Sheridan, 228 ; at the 
 scene of Pocahontas's exploit, 228; 
 visits Butler, 228-230; begins the siege 
 of Petersburg, 231 ; activity of his cam- 
 paign, 231 ; makes changes in his staff, 
 231 ; on his difficulties in training com- 
 missary officers, 232, 233 ; lack of news 
 as to Confederate advance on Wash- 
 ington, 236 ; orders against marauding, 
 236; instructs Halleck concerning de- 
 fense of Washington, 236-240 ; removes 
 Bigel, 237; plans movements against 
 Bichmond, 237 ; attitude concerning the 
 defense or Washington, 237-239 ; turns 
 his attention to Early, 237-240 ; orders 
 a vigorous campaign in Maryland, 239, 
 240; reports Sherman's position to Hal- 
 leck, 243; his attention to Sherman's 
 movements, 243; consultations with 
 Meade, 243 ; eager to conllne the enemy 
 to Petersburg, 243, 299, 324; his know- 
 ledge of Hood's characteristios, 244; 
 anticipates Early's return to Lee, 244; 
 vlgUance in watching Lee, 245 ; his 
 niuitary perplexities, 245, 246; "the old 
 man never druv mules," 251; visits 
 Meade and Warren, 251, 252; visit of 
 Secretary Seward to, 252-257 ; a favorite 
 military maxim, 254; admiration for 
 Oapt. Winslow, 264; respect for the 
 Monroe Doctrine, 265, 266 ; on the Mexi- 
 canquestion, 256, 256 ; on the relations 
 between France and the United States, 
 256; predicts the establishing of a 
 French republic, 256; the Petersburg 
 mine affair, 258-270; in feint against 
 Kichmond, July 26-29, 1864, 260; plans 
 movements in the Valley of Virginia, 
 270-272; proposes to stop raids into 
 Maryland, 270, 273; visits Hunter at 
 Monocacy Station, 271, 272 ; instructions 
 to Sheridan, 272 ; narrow escape from 
 death by infernal machine, 273-276; 
 his staff organizes a corps of watchers 
 over, 275; new movements at Peters- 
 burg, Aug, 12, 1864, 276; demon- 
 
 Grant, U. S. —eonMMued 
 stration on the James, 276, 277; con- 
 certed movements by his armies, 278 ; 
 "holding the reins over a dashing 
 team," 278 ; suggests measures to en- 
 force the draft, 279; decUnes to "take 
 in sail," 279 ; Lincoln's " bulldog grip" 
 despatch to, 279 ; compliments Warren 
 for action at the Weldon BaUroad, 
 280, 281 ; plans Sherman's march to the 
 sea, 287-289; compared with Welling- 
 ton, 291; his force compared with 
 Lee's, 291 ; Interestin Sherman's plans, 
 297, 313, 314, 332; visits Sheridan at 
 Charlestown, 297, 298; places his chil- 
 dren at school at Burlington, N. J., 
 and visits them there, 297, 326, 350, 497- 
 600; orders Sheridan "to whip Early," 
 298 ; fires salutes in honor of Sheridan's 
 victories, 298, 308 ; congratulates Sheri- 
 dan, 298; contemplated movement on 
 Bichmond, 299; anxiety to keep Lee 
 from reluforcing Early, 299, 303, 313, 
 314 ; anxiety to hold Lee's troops before 
 Petersburg and Bichmond, 299, 302, 303, 
 813, 314; goes to the front at Fort 
 Harrison, 300-302; within sight of 
 Bichmond, 301 ; at Deep Bottom, 302, 
 303; the President's modest sugges- 
 tions to, 302, 303 ; consults with Meade, 
 302, 303; telegraphs the President 
 news of capture of Fort Harrison, 303 ; 
 consults with Butler, 303 ; criticism of 
 Union commanders in the Valley of 
 Virginia, 305 ; consultation with Stan- 
 ton, 306 ; receives news of Sheridan's 
 famous ride and victory, 306-308; battle 
 of Hatcher'sEun, 309-312 ; further plans 
 to occupy Lee, 309, 313, 314; narrow 
 escape at Hatcher's Bun, 310, 311 ; at 
 Warren Station, 312 ; plans for further 
 movements, 312; orders Western re- 
 cruits to Sherman, 313 ; Interrupts the 
 headquarters debating society, 316; 
 advises Sherman to attack Hood, 317, 
 318 ; orders the m arch to the sea, 318, 319 ; 
 prepares for Sherman's reception on 
 the coast, 318 ; responsibility for Sher- 
 man's Georgia campaign, 319, 320 ; on 
 the right of the troops to vote, 321-323 ; 
 tlie mssouri delegation votes for his 
 presidency in 1864, 323 ; not voting in 
 1864, 323, 324; aversion to interfering 
 with civil affairs of government, 324; 
 congratulates the President on his re- 
 election, 324; anxious to keep Lee 
 from sending troops against Sher- 
 man and Thomas, 324 ; no rest for, 326 ; 
 visits New York, 325, 326; avoidance 
 of public demonstrations, 326, 327; 
 visits Philadelphia, 326, 327, 499, 600; 
 visits the President, 328 ; visits Stanton, 
 328; recommends officers for retire- 
 ment, 328 ; Ignores personal friendships 
 for the country's good, 328 ; consulted 
 by the President as to change in the 
 Secretaryship of War, 328 ; seeks pro- 
 motions for his officers, 328 ; policy of 
 inactivity toward Lee, 329 ; the comic 
 papers on, 330; interest in Thomas's 
 movements, 332-336; anxious for 
 Thomas to attack Hood, 333, 334, 338, 
 343-349 ; his series of cooperative cam- 
 paigns, 336 ; fears lest Hood cross the 
 Cumberland and reach the Ohio, 315, 
 336, 338, 344, 346 ; plans the Fort Fisher 
 expedition, 336-338; distrust in the 
 
526 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Grant, IT. S. — continued 
 powder-boat idea, 337, 338; orders 
 Sherman to bring his army to Rich- 
 mond, 339, 360 ; lus life at West Point, 
 341-343; standing at West Point in 
 natural philosophy, 342; attitude of 
 the Washington authorities toward, 
 343, 344; urges Sheridan to destroy 
 railroads north of Bichmond, 346, 347 ; 
 the most anxious period of his military 
 career, 347; starts to assume command 
 In NashTille, 348, 349; Butler's and 
 Nesmlth's views on his popularity, 
 358; exultation over Thomas's victory, 
 349, 350 ; fires salute in honor of battle 
 of Nash vUle, 360 ; eervioe and comrades 
 at Fort Vancouver, 364 j his farming 
 experience near St. Louis, 368 ; recon- 
 siders the order calling Sherman north, 
 360, 361 ; visit from Butler, 361 ; con- 
 gratulates Sherman on his achieve- 
 ments, 361 ; censures Butler for failure 
 at Fort Fisher, 362; "light marching 
 order," 363, 364 ; discovers his son Fred 
 in the field, 363, 364 ; disobeys Halleci's 
 orders to withdraw from Viokstaurg to 
 cooperate with Bantcs, 364; on bull- 
 fighting, 365 ; decides on a second ex- 
 pedition to Fort Fisher, 367 ; considers 
 taMngpersonal command of the second 
 Fort Fisher expedition, 368 ; attitude 
 concerning the Dutch Gap Canal, 371 ; 
 bothered by inventive geniuses, 371- 
 373; his horoscope cast, 372; relieves 
 Butler of command, 373 ; on the pro- 
 liflc Yankee brain, 373; aims to hold 
 Lee at Eiohmoud and Petersburg, 374 ; 
 plants torpedoes In the James Elver, 
 376 ; visits the Onondaga, 376 ; activity 
 to defeat Confederate naval operas 
 tions on the James Eiver, 377-380; in- 
 dignation at the captain of the Ononr- 
 diiga, 379; on the naval service, 379; 
 capture of Fort Donelson, 381, 382, 494, 
 613; generosity to Buckner, 382; re- 
 ceives the Confederate Peace Commis- 
 sion at City Point, 382-386 ; avoids dis- 
 cussion of terms with the Peace Com- 
 mission, 383; refuses to acknowledge 
 the existence of the Confederate 
 
 fovernment, 383 ; persuades the Presi- 
 ent to meet the Peace Commission, 
 383, 384; Alexander H. Stephens's 
 opinions of, 384, 386 ; formulates plans 
 for the spring campaign, 386, 337 ; ac- 
 companies Schofleld to the coast, 387 ; 
 takes Robert T. Lincoln as member of 
 his staff, 388; Lee proposes to meet 
 him in military convention, 389-391 ; 
 refers Lee's communication to Stanton, 
 390; ordered to discuss no political 
 guestions, 390 ; forcing the fight to a 
 finish, 392 ; visit from Washburne at 
 City Point, 392-395 ; medal presented 
 to, by Congress, 393 ; a ball at head* 
 quarters, 393, 394 ; reprieves a deserter, 
 394, 395 ; Sheridan starts to join, 397, 
 401, 402; draws the web around Bich- 
 mond, 401, 402 ; Invites the President 
 to City Point, 402 ; orders general 
 movement against Bichmond and 
 Petersburg, 402, 406; entertains the 
 President at City Point, 403; accom- 
 panies the President to the Peters- 
 burg front, 406; secures settlement 
 of the Alabama claims, 409; calls 
 Sheridan to headquarters, 410, 411; 
 
 Grant, TT. S.— continued 
 purpose to end the contest summarily, 
 411 ; ostensible plan to send Sheridan 
 to join Sherman, 411, 412 ; accompanies 
 the President on the James, 412 ; meet- 
 ing with Sherman at City Point, 417- 
 424 ; visits the President with Sherm an , 
 419, 420, 423, 424; plan of woman suf- 
 frage, 421 ; fears of Lee's escaping from 
 Richmond, 423 ; the conference on the 
 Hiver Queen, 423, 424; reports a new 
 scheme to demolish the enemy, 424; 
 leaves City Point tor the front, 424r-426 ; 
 the President takes leave of, 424-426; 
 parting from Mrs. Grant, 426; on the 
 President's interest in the war, 426; 
 beginning of his last campaign, 426; 
 plan of campaign, 428 ; discusses plans 
 with Sheridan, 429; despatches S.P. 
 to Sheridan, 430, 434 ; recognizes stra- 
 tegic importance of Five Forks, 430; 
 battle of White Oak Road, 430 ; sends 
 reinforcements to Sheridan, 430, 432; 
 anxiety before Five Forks, 432, 433; 
 authorizes Sheridan to relieve Warren, 
 436 ; orders general assault for April 2, 
 1866, 443, 444; anxiety to keep Lee 
 from attacking Sheridan, 444 ; cheered 
 by the Sixth Corps before Petersburg, 
 446; at the front at Petersburg, 446, 
 447 ; refuses to assault the inner works 
 of Petersburg, 448; invites the Presi- 
 dent to visit Petersburg, 448; enters 
 Petersburg, 449 ; his prediction of the 
 surrender of Petersburg verified, 449 ; 
 meeting with the President in Peters- 
 burg, 450-462 ; confidence in being able 
 to defeat Lee, 451 ; on sectional jeal- 
 ousies, 451; at Sutherland's Station, 
 452 ; receives news of the fall of Rich- 
 mond, 452; proceeds to the front, 
 452 ; accompanies Ord in the pursuit, 
 462, 453; at Wilson's Station, 453 1 
 joins Sheridan at JetersviUe, 454-466, 
 462 ; a night welcome to, by Sheridan's 
 troops, 466 ; at Burkeville, 457, 489, 492 ; 
 pleasantries with the troops, 457; 
 moves to Parmville,467, 458, 460; desire 
 for peace, 459, 461, 464, 490, 491 ; delicacy 
 toward Lee, 461; conference with 
 Keade, 462; sickness, 462-464, 466, 468; 
 at New Store, 466 ; at Curdsvllle, 466 ; 
 moves to Appomattox Court-house, 
 467, 468 ; narrow escape from capture, 
 468; meeting with Sheridan at Appo- 
 mattox Court-house, 469, 470; the sur- 
 render scene, 470 et seq. ; contrasted 
 with Lee at the surrender, 473, 474; 
 previous acquaintance with Lee, 475; 
 generosity of his terms, 476, 478, 479; 
 supplies Lee with rations, 482, 483 ; lack 
 of his sword at Appomattox, 483 ; his 
 estimate of Lee's forces, 483 ; notifies 
 Meade of the surrender, 485 ; bids fare- 
 well to Lee, 485, 486 ; stops the firing, of 
 salutes, 486 ; generosity at the fall of 
 Vicksburg, 486 ; presents his headquar- 
 ters flag to H. P., 487, 488 ; announces 
 the surrender to the Washington au- 
 thorities, 488 ; his first general conver- 
 sation after the surrender, 488, 489; 
 conlidenoe in the ending of the war, 
 489 ; visits Lee's lines, 489-492 ; on the 
 alleged proposed Interview between 
 Lincoln and Lee, 491 ; last discussion of 
 the surrender, 491; visits of Confeder- 
 ate officers to, after the surrender, 491, 
 
INDEX 
 
 527 
 
 Grant, TT. 8. —contimied 
 492: declluea to visit Eiohmond, 493; 
 on thB observanoe of the Sabbath, 494, 
 496; acquaintance among the clergy, 
 496 ; speech to the President on accept- 
 ing his commission as lieutenant-gen- 
 eral, 495 ; his reception in Washington, 
 496 ; anxiety about Sherman, 497 ; meets 
 the Cabinet, 497; interview with the 
 President, 497 ; invited to attend Ford's 
 Theater, 497, 498 ; last farewell to Lin- 
 coln, 498 ; plot to assassinate, 498-600 ; 
 hunts the conspirators to trial, 601; 
 notifies Sherman of the surrender at 
 Appomattox, 603 ; notified by Sherman 
 of his agreement with Johnston, 603 ; 
 ordered to Sherman's headquarters to 
 take charge of operations against 
 Johnston, 603; Indignation at me de- 
 nunciation of Sherman, 604; goes to 
 Ealeigh, 604 ; deUcacy toward Sherman 
 at Ealeigh, 604; redouied by H.F. at 
 Washington, 604; in grand review at 
 Washington, 606 et seg. ; makes peace 
 between Sherman ana Stanton, 510; 
 results of his campaign, 512 ; his place 
 ia history, 612-616 ; sudden rise to fame, 
 613; use of cavalry, 513, 514; his final 
 blow at Lee, 514 ; magnanimity to Lee, 
 514. For Grant's personal relations 
 with, or opinions of, his officers and 
 others, see the names of such persons 
 
 Correspondence with : Army of the 
 James, 404; Butler, 346; Mrs. Grant, 
 38, 39 ; Halleck, 6, 86, 87, 91, 92, 98, HI, 
 112, 121, 147, 161, 343, 344; Lee, 390, 391, 
 468-464, 466-468, 470, 471 ; President Lm- 
 coln, 199, 271, 279, 445, 448; Logan, 349; 
 Meade, 48; Parke, 403; Sherman, 337, 
 338, 360, 374, 375, 463 ; Stanton, 321-323, 
 343, 390, 488; Thomas, 333, 338, 343-347, 
 349, 350; Van Duzer, 348, 349 
 
 Personal and mental characteristics : 
 personality : dress, 41, 42, 60, 64, 66, 119, 
 120, 130, 203, 204, 266, 378, 473-475, 483, 616 ; 
 gustatory likes and dislikes, 45, 66, 97, 
 166, 213-216 ; faculty for sleeping, 54, 55, 
 74, 250, 251; far-sightedness, 108, 109; 
 first impressions on strangers, 8 ; man- 
 ifestations of anger, 165, 249; manner, 
 14-16 ; nervousness, 189 ; personal ap- 
 pearance, cleanliness, habits, and so- 
 cial demeanor, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 13-16, 119, 
 120, 214, 216, 331, 332, 473 ; physical con- 
 stitution, 615 ; portraits, 13 ; use of to- 
 bacco, 4, 66, 69, 64, 69, 70, 189, 216, 332, 
 378, 380, 381, 426, 442, 462 ; use of whisky, 
 216 ; voice, 15 ; mental guaMties : atten- 
 tion to detail, 10, 187, 340; calmness 
 under adverse circumstaneea, 124, 248- 
 250, 614; cheerfulness, 15; common 
 sense, 20, 342 ; complacency, 248 ; con- 
 centration and vigor of thought, and 
 quickness of perception, 156, 240, 250, 
 342; consideration for others, 249; 
 courage and coolness in action, 50, 62, 
 69, 60, 63-66, 69-71, 80, 96, 97, 101-103, 140, 
 141, 185,.a65-267, 274, 300-302, 310, 311, 447, 
 614: courage of his conviotlDns, 344; 
 eoiirteousness, 16, 104, 106, 831, 332; 
 delicacy, 366, 357, 461, 493, 504 ; dignity, 
 331, 332; even temper, 114, 116; fer- 
 tility of resource, 155, 614; foresight, 
 179, 228, 317, 403, 404, 430, 514; frank- 
 ness, 341 ; generosity, 314, 341, 382, 476, 
 478, 495, 496, 614; gentleness, 14; good 
 judlgment, 342 ; good nature, 327; great- 
 
 Grant, U. S. — cmitlnvM 
 heartedness, 516 ; hopefiUnesB, 16 ; hu- 
 manity, horror of blood, sensitiveness 
 to suffering, care for the wounded, and 
 predilection for taking prisoners, 37, 
 39, 53, 63, 64, 103, 113, 119, 123, 124, 169, 
 178, 181, 213, 214, 233, 301, 365, 442, 446, 448 ; 
 impatience, 70; imperturbability, 48, 
 443, 445; ingenuity, 513, 514; instinct 
 of locality, 66, 534; manliness, 341; 
 memory, 341, 342; modesty, 20, 22, 76, 
 120, 326, 327, 341, 366, 357, 382, 393, 495, 497, 
 506, 515 ; originality, 513 ; patience, 614 ; 
 regard for truth and hatred of lying 
 and liars, 76, 339-341 ; remembrance oi 
 acts of kindness, 382 ; self-reliance, 38, 
 66, 614, 615 ; sense of fairness and jus- 
 tice, 248, 342 ; sense of humor, 10, 14, 28, 
 186, 229, 230, 330, 331, 396, 443 ; sense of 
 order, 242; superstitions, aversion to 
 turning back, etc., 81, 132, 311, 464; 
 tenacity of purpose, 223, 367, 368, 513; 
 undemonstrativeness, 42, 62; unde- 
 terred by defeat, 125; unaelflshjess, 342; 
 will, 14; edMcatUmali acguirements, liter- 
 ary style, etc.: aphorisms, see Phrases; 
 colloquialisms, 48 ; conversational 
 powers, 29, 80, 196 ; epigrammatic 
 sentences, 241; forms of metaphor, 
 241; handwriting, 241, 242; knowledge 
 of French and Spanish, 241; lack of 
 musical ear, 15, 83, 234, 235, 394; lack 
 of oratorical powers, 393 ; lack of stu- 
 diousness, 342 ; literary style and abil- 
 ity, 240-243 ; mathematical ability, 342 ; 
 pronunciation, 243 ; a reader of news- 
 papers, 168 ; scientiiic attainments, 342 ; 
 spelling, 242 ; terseness and directness 
 of his military orders, 105, 241 ; manner, 
 habits, etc. : abhorrence of gossip, 332 ; 
 activity, 187 ; aggressiveness in war- 
 fare, vigor, boldness, and rapidity of 
 movement, 50, 61, 64, 126, 165, 198, 203, 
 404, 613, 616; ambition for a cavalry 
 command, 25 ; anticipations of old age, 
 167; attention to discipline, 67 ; attitude 
 toward and relations .with his subor- 
 dinates, 143, 144, 225, 248, 272, 280, 286, 
 298, 314, 316, 319, 320, 328, 331, 332, 345, 
 347, 348, 351-363, 374, 375, 504, 513-515 ; at- 
 titude toward women, 166, 332 ; aver- 
 sion to cowards, 340 ; aversion to pro- 
 fanity, 164, 261 ; avoidance of adverse 
 critlclsms,269; avoldanceofpublicdem- 
 onstrations, 325-^327, 506; a natural bush- 
 whacker, 66; business methods, 6-8; 
 camp life, 46, 119, 120, 129, 212-215, 233,240, 
 339 ; care for his troops, 3, 163 (see also 
 " humanity," etc., supra) ; care for the 
 dead, 113 ; confidence of the troops In, 
 153, 154 ; courtesy to prisoners, 104, 106 ; 
 democratic simplicity, 22, 45, 46, 83, 498, 
 506, 613 ; dislike of whispering, 332 ; dis- 
 taste for dancing, 393, 394, 416 ; distaste 
 for bunting, 365 ; domestic life and affec- 
 tion, 283-285; "don't scare worth a 
 d— n," 97; "drawing lilm out," 75; 
 endurance of privation, 120, 616 ; hold 
 upon the people, 19, 20; horror of as- 
 saults on women, 166; horsemanship, 
 and love of horses, 26, 164-167, 226, 227, 
 229, 249, 283, 341, 342; humble Origin, 19; 
 Indefatlgabillty, 387; knowledge of 
 cattle, 67; lack of cuiiosity, 489; lack 
 of faith in councils of war, 316 ; love of 
 and desire for peace, 167, 181, 383, 461, 
 464; love of outdoor hfe, 339; military 
 
528 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Grant, TT. B.—eontimued 
 genius, sMIL and strategy, methods of 
 warfare, ana soldierly qualities, 6, 7, 8, 
 
 10, 36-38, 47, 48, 61, 63, 66, 66, 69, 70, 80, 
 102, 105, 106, 149, 163-156, 165, 167, 171-173, 
 178-181, 187, 189, 190, 194, 196, 198-200, 203, 
 210, 228, 236-243, 246, 248-260, 259, 260, 264- 
 267, 269, 276-280, 282, 297-299, 310-312, 316- 
 320, 340, 342, 844, 347, 350, 373, 386, 387, 403, 
 404, 411, 412, 443, 448, 465, 512-516 ; Obeys 
 his own orders, 213 ; quickness, 15 ; re- 
 gardless of personal comfort, 3, 4; re- 
 flgious feelings, 495 ; respects the Sanc- 
 tis of homes in the enemy's country, 
 133, 137; a so-called "butcher," 213, 
 214; taciturnity and reticence in per- 
 sonal and military matters, 14, 30, 38, 
 42, 76, 194, 196, 411, 412, 424, 495; his val- 
 uation of minutes, 106 ; as a' whittler, 
 60, 52, 64, 80. 
 
 Grant, Ulysses S., Jr., visits City Point, 
 283 
 
 Grant, " Uncle Sam," 342 
 
 Grant, " Victor," 286, 493 
 
 Grant Clan, its motto, 60 
 
 Gravelly Run, Va., military movements 
 on, 426, 431, 432 
 
 Gravelly Run Church Road, Va., opera- 
 tions on the, 436 
 
 "Graybacks," 392 
 
 Great Britain. See EhglAHD. 
 
 Gregg, Maj.-gen. David McM., in battle 
 of Kewmarket Heights, 277 ; action at 
 Deep Creek, 277; battle of Beams's 
 Station, 281, 282 
 
 Griffin, Maj.-gen. Charles, in battle of 
 Five Forks, 434, 436, 441; succeeds 
 Warren in command of the Fifth Corps, 
 441 ; pursuit of Lee, 453 ; in grand re- 
 view at Washington, 507 
 
 Grover, Maj.-gen. Cuvier, wounded at 
 Cedar Creek, 307 
 
 Guerrilla warfare, 289 
 
 Quiney's Station, Va., Hancock and 
 Warren at, 132; Grant at, 132-134; 
 Meade at, 132 
 
 Gunpowder, an anecdote of, 221, 222 
 
 Halleck, Maj.-gen. Henry V/., informed 
 by Grant concerning the "cracker 
 line," 7 ; requested to assign M. P. to 
 duty with Grant, 12, 13 ; discourtesy of, 
 17 ; a stumbUug-stone in Grant's path, 
 17 ; diflBculty of securing an interview 
 with, 17; requested to relieve SIgel, 
 124; called on for pontoons, 161 ; Grant 
 reports battle of Cold Harbor to, 178 ; 
 fertility In suggestion, 182 ; proposes a 
 movement by the right flank, 182 ; Grant 
 advises him concerning the defense of 
 Washington, 236-240 ; advised of Sigel's 
 removal, 237 ; instructed to give Wright 
 supreme command at Washington, 239 ; 
 Grant reports Sherman's position to, 
 243 ; objects to Sheridan's appointment 
 to command in the Valley, 270, 271; 
 notified of explosion at City Point, 274 ; 
 advises " taking in sail " to prepare for 
 resistance to the draft, 279 ; Grant sug- 
 gests Sherman's march to the sea to, 
 2S7; unfavorable to the march to the 
 sea, 318 ; urges Thomas to move, 343 ; 
 attitude as to proposed removal of 
 Thomas, 343, 344 ; orders Grant to with- 
 draw from Vioksburg to cooperate with 
 Banks, 364 
 CorrespoDdepce with : Grant, 6, 12, 13, 
 
 Halleok, H. W.— continued 
 86, 87, 91, 92, 98, 111, 112, 121, 147, 161, 236, 
 237, 239, 270, 271, 274, 279, 287, 318, 324, 
 343, 344, 364 ; Thomas, 343, 345, 347, 348 
 
 Hampton, Lieut. -gen. V^ade, in battle of 
 Trevllian's Station, 227 
 
 Hampton Roads, Va., telegraphic com- 
 munication between City Point and 
 Washington across, 233 ; the Peace Com- 
 mission at, 384, 385 
 
 Hancock, Maj.-gen. Winfield Scott, com- 
 manding the Second Corps, 39 ; crosses 
 Ely's Ford, 41 ; llrst day's march into 
 the WUdemess, 46 ; battle of the Wilder- 
 ness, 60-62, 64, 56-62, 66, 68, 70 ; person- 
 ality, 57, 58; "the superb," 68; battle 
 of WUliamsburg, 68; march toward 
 Spottsylvania, 78, 80, 86, 91 ; likened to 
 Bichard III., "My horse! my horse 1" 
 80; suffering from his Gettysburg 
 wound, 80, 208, 329; encounter with 
 Early at Todd's Tavern, 86; position. 
 May 9, 1864, 87 ; crosses the Po, 91; ac- 
 tion at Spottsylvania, May 10, 94, 96; 
 battle of Spottsylvania, May 12, 100-106, 
 107 ; captures at Spottsylvania, 102-105, 
 107, 112 ; courtesy to Gen. Johnson, 104 ; 
 discourtesy of Gen. Steuaort to, 105; 
 recommended for promotion to briga- 
 dier-general, U. S^ A., 113; position, 
 May 14, 1864, 119, 126; receives rein- 
 forcements from Washington, 122 ; as- 
 sault on Lee's left. May 18, 122, 123; 
 action, May 19, 127, 128 j at Guiney's 
 Station, 132 ; moves to Milford Station, 
 132, 134-136 ; Grant's reason for isolat- 
 ing him, 134 ; fatiguing marches by, 140 j 
 at the crossing of the North Anna, 141, 
 142, 145, 149, 152 ; orosses the Pamunkey, 
 164 ; reconnaissance. May 29, 157 ; en- 
 
 fagement. May 30, 160; engagement, 
 line 1, 163 ; moves to Old Cold Har- 
 bor, 167, 168; battle of Gold Harbor, 
 174, 176, 177, 178; crosses the Chicka- 
 homlny, 196, 196; crosses the James, 
 197, 198; Butler falls to supply ra- 
 tions for, 199; moves on Petersburg, 
 199; supports Smith's movement on 
 Petersburg, 202; engagements before 
 Petersburg, June 17, 205, 207; con- 
 troversy as to his delay In reaching 
 Petersburg, 211; promoted major-gen- 
 eral, U. S. A., 211; missed from the 
 Second Corps, 225; possibility of his 
 succeeding Meade, 247 ; in feint against 
 Elohmond, July 26-29, 259-261 ; at Deep 
 Bottom, 259, 261 ; ordered to the front 
 of Petersburg, 260 ; an unlucky colli- 
 sion with H. P., 260 ; demonstration on 
 the James, Aug. 12, 276, 277 ; battle of 
 Newmarket Heights, 277; promoted 
 brigadier-general, V. 8. A., 280; with- 
 draws from the north side of the James, 
 281; battle of Beams's Station, 281, 282, 
 gallantry in action, 282 ; visitors from 
 Washington to, 306 ; battle of Hatcher's 
 Bun, 309-312; narrow escape, 310; re- 
 lieved by Humphreys, 329 ; command- 
 ing Middle MUItary Division, 401 
 
 Hanover Court-house, Va., Lee's move- 
 ment toward, 135, 136 
 
 Hanover Ferry, Va., crossing of the Pa- 
 munkey at, 164 
 
 Hanover Junction, Va., movements to- 
 ward, 136, 136, 141 
 
 Hanovertown, Va., Sheridan moves to, 
 163 ; oonoentrittion of the Union army 
 
INDEX 
 
 529 
 
 Hanoverto-wn, Va.—eonUnued 
 around, 166; topography of the oovmtry 
 around, 166, 156 
 
 Hanovertown Road, Va., 166. See also 
 Shadt Grove Eoad. 
 
 Harper's Ferry, Va., orders to concen- 
 trate troops around, 237 
 
 Harpeth Shoals, Tenn., Hood moves to- 
 ward, 338 
 
 Harris house, Va., action near, May 19, 
 1864, 127-129 
 
 Harrison, Gen. William Henry, advice to 
 bis men at Tippecanoe, 410 
 
 Harrison's Landing, Va., adventures ol 
 two scouts at, 399 
 
 Hartranft, Msy. -gen. John F., recaptures 
 Fort Stedman, 406 
 
 Hatcher's Run, Va., battle of, 309-312; 
 military movements on, 426, 437, 446 
 
 Haw's Shop, Va., engagements at, 166, 
 176 
 
 Haxall's Landing, Va., Sheridan at, 143 
 
 Hays, Maj.-gen. Alexander, killed In the 
 wUdemesa, 52; service In Mexico, 62; 
 gallantry In action, 62; Grant's grief 
 at death of, 62 
 
 Hays, Brig.-gen. William, final assault 
 on Petersburg, 446 
 
 Hazen, Maj.-gen. William B., in move- 
 ment from Chattanooga to Bridgeport, 
 9; surprises the enemy at Brown's 
 Ferry, 9 ; In grand review at Washing- 
 ton, 610 
 
 Healy, George P. A., his picture of the 
 conference on the Biver Queen, 423 
 
 Heckman, Brig.-gen. Charles, succeeds 
 Ord in command of the Eighteenth 
 Corps, 302 
 
 " Hell's Half-acre," assault at, 122, 123 
 
 Heth, Maj.-gen. Henry, visits Grant 
 after the surrender, 492; service In 
 Mexico, 492 
 
 Hicksford,Va., destruction of the Weldon 
 Bailroad at, 346 
 
 Hill, Lieut.-gen. Ambrose P., command- 
 ing corps in Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, 39 ; battle of the Wilderness, 61, 
 64; his command turned over to Early, 
 86; defeated by Butler, 99; engage- 
 ment at the North Anna, May 23, 142 ; 
 rumored movements of, 239; with- 
 draws from Petersburg, and confronts 
 Hancock, 278 ; battle of Beams's Sta- 
 tion, 281 
 
 Hilton Head, S. C, capture of, 368 
 
 Hinks, Maj.-gen. Edward W., in the 
 dash on Petersburg, 202 
 
 Hoke, Maj.-gen. Robert F., probable 
 movement to reinforce Lee, 124 ; rein- 
 forces Lee, 146 ; attacks Warren, Aug. 
 21, 1864, 281; moves to reinforce Fort 
 Fisher, 362 
 
 Hood,Lieut.-gen. John B., relieves Johns- 
 ton in command in Georgia, 244; 
 Grant's knowledge of bis character- 
 istics. 244; battle of Atlanta, 244; Lee 
 unable to reinforce, 282, 283; anxiety 
 about Sherman's movements, 293; 
 likelihood of his going north, 293, 861 ; 
 visit from President Davis, 313; 
 marches against Sherman's communi- 
 cations, 313 ; crosses the Chattahoochee, 
 313; Eawlins's opinion of his move- 
 ments, 315; turns north and crosses 
 the Coosa, 317; ;probability of his 
 moving on NashvUle, 317; Grant ad- 
 vises Sherman to attack, 317, 318; 
 
 Hood, J. B.—cqnttnued 
 Grant's and Sherman's opinions di- 
 vided as to his probable movements, 
 320; abandons Georgia to Sherman, 
 333; moves against Thomas, 333-836; 
 strength, 333; battle of Franklin, 333 ; 
 Thomas urged to attack, 333, 334, 338, 
 343-349: fears of Us reaching Ken- 
 tucky and the Ohio, 835, 338, 344, 346; 
 outnumbered by Thomas, 338 ; moves 
 toward Harpeth Shoals, 838; opera- 
 tions on the Cumberland, 344; rein- 
 
 N f orcements for, 345 ; battle of NashvUle, 
 348-352 ; driven across the Tennessee, 
 3S0 ; losses, 350, 351 
 
 Hooker, Maj.-gen. Joseph, expedition to 
 Brown's Ferry from Bridgeport, 9; 
 battle of Wauhatchie, 9 
 
 Horseback, sleeping on, 211 
 
 " Horse-marines," 412, 413 
 
 Howard, Maj.-gen. O. O., takes charge 
 of the Freeomen's Bureau, 609; in 
 grand review at Washington, 609 
 
 Howe, Maj.-gen. Albion P^ relieves 
 Bieel, 237 ^ 
 
 Hudson, Capt. Peter T., aide-de-camp, 
 staff of Gen. Grant, 34 
 
 HugOj Victor, " Les Mis&ables " In the 
 field, 116, 117 
 
 Humphreys, Maj.-gen. Andrew A., in 
 battle Of the WUdemess, 68 ; Meade's 
 chief of staff, 68; proposal that he re- 
 lieve Warren, 108 ; military genius and 
 gallantry, 244, 329; succeeds Hancock 
 in command of the Second Corps, 329; 
 position at opening of campaign of 
 
 1865, 426; battle of White Oak Bead, 
 430; final assault at Petersburg, 446 ; 
 engagement near Deatonsville, 467; 
 pursuit of Lee, 467, 468, 460, 462; en- 
 gagement on the Appomattox, April 7, 
 
 1866, 468 ; in grand review at Washing- 
 ton, 507 
 
 Hunter, Maj.-gen. David, movement for 
 relief of Sigel by, 124; ordered to 
 Charlottesville, 147 ; ordered to Lynch- 
 burg, 147 ; Grant's expectations from, 
 171; movement on Lynchburg, 177; 
 plans to aid, 177; Sheridan sent to 
 join, 190 ; near Lynchburg, 227 ; Breck- 
 mridge sent to oppose, 227 ; failure of 
 Sheridan to connect with, 227 ; destroys 
 the enemy's communications, 230, 231, 
 236; reaches Lynchburg, 236; destruc- 
 tion of Lee's supplies by, 236, 236 ; re- 
 tires into West Virginia, 235, 236 ; strict 
 orders to, against marauding, 236; 
 retires to Charlestown, 237 ; ordered to 
 defense of Washington, 237 ; in pursuit 
 of Early, 238; visited by Grant at 
 Monocacy Station, 271, 272 ; gracefully 
 retires in favor of Sheridan, 272 
 
 Hunter, R. M. T., Confederate Senator, 
 member of the Peace Commission, 
 visits City Point, 382-386 
 
 Hyde, Col. T. W., on Sedgwick's staff, 
 48 
 
 Illinois, the common origin of Grant and 
 Lincoln, 20 ; an abolitionist In, 219 ; 
 rival gunpowder dealers in, 221, 222 
 
 Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Grant • 
 in, 327 
 
 Ingalls, Maj.-gen. Rufus, distinguished 
 services with the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, 231; relations with Grant, 231, 
 247, 330, 331, 364 ; popularity with the 
 
530 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Ingalls, B. — contin/ued 
 army, 231, 232 ; oblef tiuartennaater on 
 Grant's staff, 231, 339-3il; executive 
 ability, 2«; desire for active com- 
 manfl, 247; his spotted dog, 330; turns 
 a joke on Grant, 330, 331 ; on Grant's 
 life at West Point, 341-343; escorts 
 Senator Nesmitli to Butler's headquar- 
 ters, 357 ; cipher correspondence with 
 Nesmith. 358, 359 ; in the naval alarm 
 at City Point, 378-380; his dry humor, 
 378, 380; "makes the rear-guard do 
 picket duty at the front," 413, 444; at 
 the surrender, 480 ; recollections of life 
 in Mexico, 489 ; fraternizes with Con- 
 federate officers, 491 
 
 "Injun-slayer, the," his experiences on 
 the plains, 76, 77 
 
 luka campaign. Grant In the, 165 
 
 Jackson, Lieut.-gen. Thomas J. (" Stone- 
 wall"), wounding and death of, 133, 134 ; 
 character, 133; Grant's acquaintance 
 with, 133 
 
 James River, the, military movements 
 on the, 36, 46, 78, 86, 99, 120, 143, 146, 147, 
 161, 172, 173, 182, 183, 187-191, 197, 198, 211, 
 212, 216, 227, 230, 233, 234, 259-261, 269, 
 270, 276, 277, 281, 299-303, 309, 313, 360, 368, 
 370, 371, 397, 399, 410, 412, 413, 447, 459 ; 
 preparationB to cross, 161 ; Grant de- 
 cides to cross, 182, 183, 187-190; the 
 crossing, 197-200; Butler hridges, 216, 
 223, 276; the President's excursion on, 
 222, 223 ; Grant refuses to break his hold 
 on, 279 ; Fred Grant's adventures on, 
 366, 366 ; the Dutch Gap Canal, 370, 371 ; 
 plan for orossing to Kichmond on the 
 loe, 372, 373 ; naval operations on, 376- 
 380 ; loss of the Confederate cause after 
 th • crossing of, 469 ; a trip from City 
 Point to Richmond on, 493, 494 
 
 James River Canal, Va., destroyed by 
 Sheridan, 386, 397 
 
 Janes, Capt. H. W., assistant quarter- 
 master, staff of Gen. Grant, 34 
 
 Jayne, Col. Joseph M., surrenders at Fort 
 Whltworfh, 448 
 
 "Jefr Davis," Grant's pony, 88, 89, 106, 
 163, 218, 225, 464 
 
 Jenkins, Brig.-gen. Micah, killed In the 
 Wilderness, 60 
 
 Jericho Ford, Va., military movements 
 at, 141, 142 
 
 Jetersville, Va., Grant joins Sheridan at, 
 454-466, 462 
 
 "John Brown's body," 468, 469 
 
 Johnson, Andrew, Vice-President of the 
 United States, reported assassinated, 
 600; notified of Sherman's agreement 
 with Johnston, 603; denounces Sher- 
 man, 604 ; reviews the armies at Wash- 
 ington, 606 et seq.; his "manual of the 
 hat," 608 
 
 Johnson, Maj.-gen. Edward, captured at 
 Spott^lvanla, 103-107, 112; meeting 
 with Grrant and Meade, 104, 106 
 
 Johnson, Dr. Samuel, on doginatism, 16 
 
 Johnston, Gen. Joseph E., Sherman's op- 
 erations against, 35, 46, 78, 91, 120, 239, 
 423 ; driven out of Dalton, 120 ; Southern 
 belief in, 138; anxious for reinforce- 
 ments, 243 ; relieved hj Hood, 244 ; Lee 
 to be hindered from joining, 387 ; possi- 
 bility of his striking Grant's rear, 427, 
 428; Lee's efforts to join, 463; Sherman 
 authorized to offer terms to, 603 ; Grant 
 
 Johnston, J. E. — conUmued 
 ordered to take charge of operations 
 against, 603; Sherman's agreement 
 with, 603, 504 ; surrenders to Sherman, 
 604 
 
 Jones's Bridge, Va., military movements 
 at, 195 
 
 Kautz, Maj.-gen. August V., In the dash 
 on Petersburg, 202 ; expedition against 
 the South Side and DanvUle railroads, 
 230 
 
 "Kearsarge," the, flght with the Ala- 
 bama, 264, 255 
 
 Kelley's Ferry, Tenn., the " cracker line " 
 open to, 9 
 
 Kelton, Col. John C, adjutant-general to 
 Halleck, 17 
 
 Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., repulse of Sher- 
 man at, 243 
 
 Kentucky, a field distillery in, 169 ; fears 
 of Hood's reaching, 336 
 
 King, Preston, a joke on, 366 
 
 Kitching, Brig.-gen. J. H., in action, May 
 19, 1864, 127 
 
 Lawler, Maj.-gen. Michael K., in battle 
 of Black River Bridge, 364 
 
 Leasure, Col. Daniel, m battle of the 
 Wilderness, 60 
 
 Ledlie, Brig.-gen. James H., in attack at 
 the Petersburg crater, 262, 264, 268 
 
 Lee, Maj.-gen. Fitzhugh, in battle of 
 l^evIUan's Station, 227; in battle of 
 Five Porks, 437; engagement on the 
 Appomattox, April 7, 1866, 468 
 
 Lee, Gen. Robert E., Gfrant's aims to de- 
 stroy his supplies, 36, 36 ; reasons for 
 moving against his right, 36, 37; his 
 army the objective point of the Army 
 of the Potomac, 37; headquarters at 
 Orange Court-house, 39; advantage 
 over Grant, 39-41 ; prestige of victory, 
 40; message to Ewell, 44; first move- 
 ments of, 44 ; conversation at his head- 
 quarters concerning Grant's ability, 
 46, 47; takes personal command in the 
 Wilderness, 60, 62 ; probability of his 
 intrenching, 66; reports the Federal 
 army retreating, 86; supposed move- 
 ments of, 86, 87 ; divines Grant's inten- 
 tions, 87, 91; strengthens his right, 91 ; 
 Grant determines to attack his center, 
 91; prepares to resist Hancock, 91; 
 Grant reconnolters his right, 94 ; an- 
 ticipates a night attack, 96; watched 
 by Grant, 99; destruction of his rail- 
 road communications and supplies, 99 ; 
 battle of Spottsylvania, 99, 106, 107, 110 ; 
 Grant's anxiety about his movements, 
 113; moves troops to the right, 119; 
 confidence In Stuart, 120; assault on 
 his left. May 18, 122, 123 ; probable re- 
 inforcements for, and movements by, 
 124, 126 ; attempts to turn Grant's right. 
 May 19, 126-129; Grant's anxiety to 
 draw him out of his works, 131, 134, 149, 
 165, 177, 178, 434; discovers Grant's 
 movements, 132; moves to Hanover 
 Court-house, 136, 136; deceived as to 
 Grant's movements, 136; learns of 
 Grant's advance toward the North 
 Anna, 136; crosses the North Anna, 
 142 ; strength of hia position between 
 the North and South Annas, 146, 146, 
 149; reinforcements for, 146; "llokln' 
 Grant from the Rapldan," 148 ; Grant's 
 
INDEX 
 
 531 
 
 Lee, E. E. — conti/rmed 
 familiarity with liis methods, U9 ; di- 
 vines Grant's intentions, 160; to "duet 
 the Yankees outof Virginia," 161; Grant 
 crosses rivers in his face, 164 ; really 
 ■whipped, 156; falls back behind the 
 North Anna, 166; peculiarity of his 
 strategy, 166 ; not to be coaxed out of 
 his intrenchments, 166 ; moves his army 
 from the North Anna, 166 ; intrenched 
 on the Chiokahomiuy, 167 ; extends his 
 right flank, 161; orders Anderson's 
 corps to Cold Harbor, 162; acquain- 
 tance with his battle-grounds, 171 : pre- 
 pares to meet attack on his right flank, 
 171; Grant decides to attack him at 
 Cold Harbor, 172; position on Toto- 
 potomoy Creek and near New Cold Har- 
 bor, 172; Grant decides to attack his 
 right, 173 ; Grant's anxiety to keep him 
 out of the trenches before Richmond, 
 178; peril at Cold Harbor, 180; military 
 genius, 181 ; advantage of his Interior 
 unes, 187, 278; probability of his at- 
 tacking Butler at Bermuda Hxmdred, 
 188, 205, 206, 209 ; uncertainty concern- 
 ing his losses, 192 ; deceived by Warren's 
 demonstrations, 195, 197, 207; closely 
 watched by Grant, 198, 245 ; outwitted 
 by Grant, 20S, 207; sends troops to 
 Chaflln's Bluff, 207 ; Grant's knowledge 
 of his movements, 207 ; despatches to 
 Beauregard, June 17, 1864, 207; rein- 
 forced at Petersburg, 207, 208, 210, 226: 
 probable anxiety to transfer the seat 
 of war to Maryland, 238; supposed 
 scheme to detach troops against Sher- 
 man, 238 ; Grant anticipates combined 
 movements at Petersburg by, 244; 
 rushes troops to the north side of the 
 James, 260, 261 ; Grant aims at destroy- 
 ing his communications, 224; orders 
 Breckinridge to oppose Hunter, 227 ; 
 repairs his railroads, 231 ; destruction 
 of his supplies by Hunter, 235, 236; 
 sends troops to the Valley of Virginia, 
 235, 236; femt against, July 26-29, 259- 
 261 ; reinforces Richmond, 260 ; impor- 
 tance of the Valley to, 270 ; reinforces 
 Early, 276; sends troops to Culpeper, 
 276 ; brings troops back to Petersburg, 
 280, 281 ; unable to send reinforcements 
 to Hood, 282, 283 ; his force compared 
 with Grant's, 291 ; makes cavalry dash 
 round Meade's left, 299 ; great capture 
 of Union cattle by, 299 ; Grant's anxi- 
 ety to keep his troops from menacii^ 
 Sherman, 299, 313, 314, 324 ; Grant's anxi- 
 ety to keep Viim from reinforcing Early, 
 299, 303, 313, 314 ; personally directs ac- 
 tions of Sept. 30, 1864, 303 ; Grant clos- 
 ing in upon, 303, 304 ; Grant's plane to 
 keep him occupied, 309, 313, 314 ; battle 
 of Hatcher's Run, 312 ; sends Longstreet 
 to Ohickamauga, 314 ; Grant's anxiety 
 to keep him from sending troops 
 against Sherman and Thomas, 324 ; re- 
 calls Early's troops from the Valley, 
 325 ; Grant's policy of winter inactiv- 
 ity toward, 329; aversion to leaving 
 Virginia, 361 ; movement against Sher- 
 man anticipated, 374 ; possibility of his 
 abandoning Richmond and Petersburg, 
 374; Grant's proposed movements 
 against (spring of 1865), 387; to be 
 headed off from joining Johnston in 
 North Carolina, 387; proposes a mlli- 
 
 Lee, E. E. — amttmued 
 tary convention, 389-391 ; Grant's reply, 
 
 390, 391 ; influence in the Confederacy, 
 
 391, 490; movement against his right, 
 402 ; Grant fears his escape from Rich- 
 mond, 402, 423 ; his predicted attempt 
 to escape from Richmond, 403-406 ; finds 
 Richmond no longer tenable, 406 ; pro- 
 jected retreat toward the Carolinas, 
 405 ; Sheridan to operate against his 
 right, 411 ; Sherman's plans for finally 
 crushing, 423 ; possibilities of a prema- 
 ture movement against, 427, 428 ; Sheri- 
 dan's views on defeating, 428; seizes 
 Five Forks, 430 ; drawn out of his forti- 
 fications, 432 ; Grant's anxiety to keep 
 him from attacking Sheridan, 444; 
 makes a stand against Parke at Peters- 
 burg, 447; Grant's confidence in his 
 ultimate defeat of, 451 ; efforts tojoin 
 Johnston, 453 ; headed off from Dan- 
 ville, 453 ; at Amelia Court-house, 464 ; 
 retreats toward Farmville and Lynch- 
 burg, 456, 467 ; engagement on the Ap- 
 pomattox, April 7, 1865, 458; anxiety 
 for peace, 460, 463, 490; hirsurrender 
 compared with that of CornwaUis, 
 461 ; Grant's delicacy toward, 461 ; 
 requests a truce, 467 ; arrival at Appo- 
 mattox Court-house, 469, 470; corre- 
 spondence with Grant, 468-464, 466- 
 468, 470, 471 ; surrenders the Army of 
 Northern Virginia, 470 et seq., 488; 
 contrasted with Grant, 473, 474 ; dress 
 and personality, 474, 476; his sword, 
 474, 476, 483; service in Mexico and pre- 
 vious acquaintance with Grant, 476; 
 conception of the separation of North 
 and South, 478, 479; appreciation of 
 Grant's generosity, 479, 480; letter of 
 acceptance of terms, 480, 481 ; astonish- 
 ment at Col. Parker's appearance, 481 ; 
 superintendent at West Point, 481 ; in- 
 troduced to Federal ofiicers, 481, 482 ; 
 meeting with Gen. Beth Williams, 481, 
 482 ; gravity of demeanor at Appomat- 
 tox, 481, 482 ; asks for rations, 482, 483; 
 his strength at the surrender, 482, 483 ; 
 apologizes to Sheridan for violations of 
 truce, 484 ; signs the terms of surrender, 
 484; tears fresh outbreak of hostilities, 
 485; bids farewell to Grant, 486, 486; 
 receives Grant at his picket-lines, 490, 
 491; last discussion of tlje surrender, 
 491 ; averse to meddling with civil af- 
 fairs, 491 ; statement as to proposed in- 
 -terview between Lincoln and, 491 ; bids 
 farewell to his army, 491 ; goes to Rich- 
 mond, 492; Grant's magnanimity to, 
 514 ; Grant's final blow at, 514 
 
 Lee, Adm. Samuel P., covers the pas- 
 sage of the James, 198 ; the President's 
 visit to, 222; service on the Cumber- 
 land River, 344 
 
 Lee, Maj.-gen. William H. P., in battle 
 of Five Porks, 437 
 
 " Lee's Miserables " versus " Grant's 
 Miserables," 117 
 
 Leet, Capt. George K., assistant adju- 
 tantgeneral, staff of Gen. Grant, 34 
 
 " Les Miserables," in the field, 116, 117 
 
 Liars, two accomplished, 77, 78, 339, 340 
 
 Lincoln, Abraham, reception at the 
 White House, March 8, 1864, 18 ; nomi- 
 nates Grant lieutenant-general, 18; 
 first meeting with Grant, 19 ; personal 
 relations with Grant, 19,21,26-28,216 -224, 
 
532 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Linooln, A. — contimied 
 
 271, 328, 102, 403. 406, 424, 426, 448, 450-462, 
 498; presents Grant with nis canmiis- 
 sion, 21 ; alleged difference with Grant 
 as to plan ol campaign, 21 ; meeting of 
 Sheridan and, 24 ; confessed ignorance 
 of military matters, 26 ; his " execntive 
 orders," 26; gives moral support to 
 Grant, 26 ; modesty in suggesting mili- 
 tary advice, 26, 302, 303; Grants un- 
 pressions of, 26-28 ; on the conduct of 
 the war, 26-28 ; anecdotes, (Sykes's dog) 
 27, 28, (Forrest and the abolitionist) 
 219, (rival gunpowder dealers of San- 
 
 famon County) 221, 222, (barter of 
 angamon County) 407, 408, (letting 
 the old grudge stand) 409, (Harrison 
 at l^ppecanoe) 410, (blacksmith and 
 the nzzle) 415, (the efficacy of cold 
 steel) 426; opmlon of Sigel, 46; re- 
 ceives Grant's "flght It out on this 
 line" despatch, 98; on the campaign 
 m the WUdemess, 98; opinion of 
 Meade, 191; on the difficulty of for- 
 warding reinforcements, 192, 193 ; visits 
 Grant at City Pomt, 216-224; on sea^ 
 sickness, 217 ; Inspects the troops, 217- 
 220; enthusiasm of the troops over, 
 218-220; on the raising of colored regi- 
 ments, 219 ; visits H. P., 222 ; excursion 
 up the James, 222, 223 ; on Grant's tenar 
 cfty, 223; renominated for the Presi- 
 dency, 223; on the Electoral College, 
 223 ; returns to Washington, 223 ; ad- 
 vises Grant about taking personal com- 
 mand at Washington, 238; "bulldog 
 CTip" despatch to Grant, 279; praises 
 tbe capture of Atlanta, 291; anxiety 
 lest Lee reinforce Early, 302 ; receives 
 news of the capture of Port Harrison, 
 303 ; Stanton's admiration for, 305, 306 ; 
 unfavorable to the march to the sea, 
 318 ; approach of the Presidential elec- 
 tion, 321; reelected, 323, 324; Grant 
 visits, 328 ; consults Grant as to change 
 in the Secretaryship of War, 328; on 
 "the McClellan and Bosecrans strar 
 tegy," 334 ; anxiety about Thomas, 334, 
 343, 349; distrust In the Fort Fisher 
 powder-boat idea, 337 ; congratulates 
 Thomas on battle of Nashville, 349; 
 orders Butler's relief from command, 
 373 ; meets the Confederate Peace Com- 
 mission at Fort Monroe, 382, 384, 385; 
 his terms of peace, 384 ; on Alexander 
 H. Stephens's personality, 385; sends 
 a substitute to the war, 388 ; consents 
 to Eobert T. Lincoln 40lnlng the army, 
 388; retains all political questions in 
 his own hands, 390; action on Lee's 
 proposal for a military convention, 
 390; last visit to Grant, 402; at City 
 Point, 402, 406-412, 415, 423-426, 445 ; re- 
 ceives news of the attack on Fort Sted- 
 man, 404, 406 ; visits the troops before 
 Petersburg, 406 ; knowledge of details 
 of the campaign, 406 ; visits Meade, 406 ; 
 on the patriotism of the North, 407; the 
 difficulties of his administration, 407, 
 461; on England's attitude, 407-409; 
 coimdenoe in the success of the Fed- 
 eral cause, 408; reviews the Army of 
 the James, 412-414; interest in Sheri- 
 dan's movements, 413 ; meets Sherman, 
 419, 420, 423, 424; the conference on the 
 Biver Queen, 423, 424; anxiety to 
 avoid further bloodshed, 423 ; his views 
 
 Uncoln, A. — contimied 
 as to the Confederate leaders, 424; 
 favors a generous poUoy after the war, 
 424, 451 ; takes leave of Grant, 424^26 ; 
 a possible premonition, 425 ; adventure 
 in Louisville, 425 ; his interest in the 
 war, 426; remains at City Point, 426, 
 445; goes to Petersburg, 448, 460-452; 
 statement as to proposed interview be- 
 tween Lee and, 491 ; Grant's speech to, 
 on accepting his commission as lieu- 
 tenant-general, 495; interview with 
 Grant, 497; invites Gen. and Mrs. 
 Grant to Ford's Theater, 497 ; assassi- 
 nation of, 497-500 ; Grant's last farewell 
 to, 498 ; wide-spread grief at his death, 
 601 
 
 Correspondence with: Grant, 199, 
 271, 445, 448; Stanton, 405, 406, 409,410 
 Character and personality : affection 
 for " Tad," 451 ; charm as a talker, 220- 
 222; common sense, 20; courage, 271;' 
 his curious dream, 497 ; facial peculiar- 
 ity in common with Grant, 16; fits of 
 depression, 407, 413, 425; hold upon the 
 people, 19, 20 ; horror of bloodshed, 223, 
 423; humble origin, 19; kindness to 
 animals, 410; modesty, 20, 26, 302, 303; 
 personal appearance and dress, 15, 18, 
 217, 218, 220, 223, 407; his powers and 
 aims as a story-teEer, 220 
 
 Lincoln, Mrs., welcomes Grant to the 
 White House, 20; at review of the 
 Army of the James, 412-414; with 
 the President at City Point, 420,423; in- 
 vites Gen. and Mrs. Grant to attend 
 Ford's Theater, 497 
 
 Lincoln, Robert T., at Harvard Univer- 
 sity, 388; joms Grant's staff, and 
 commissioned captain, assistant adju- 
 tant general, 388 ; popularity at head- 
 quarters, 389; Secretary of War, 389; 
 meets his father at City Point, 403-405 ; 
 accompanies his father to Petersburg, 
 460 
 
 Lincoln, Thomas ("Tad"), at Ciily Point, 
 403 ; accompanies his father to Peters- 
 burg, 460-462 , 
 
 Lincoln assassins, trial of the, 601, 502 
 
 Littlepage's Ford, Va., military move- 
 ments at, 164 
 
 " Little Reb," Jesse Grant's pony, 300, 
 301 
 
 Little River, the, Lee's position on, 145, 
 149 ; military movements on, 149 
 
 Logan, Maj.-gen. John A., visits City 
 Point, 348; Grant's estimate of, 348; 
 ordered to relieve Thomas at Nash- 
 ville, 348; halted at Louisville, 849; 
 telegram to Grant, 349; in grand re- 
 view at Washington, 610; personal- 
 ity, 610 
 
 Long Bridge, Va., military operations at, 
 194^196, 207 ; Grant at, 196 
 
 Longstreet, Lieut. -gen. Tames C, battle 
 of Wauhatchle, 9; charge of mules 
 upon, 9, 10 ; commandln g corps in Army 
 of Northern Virginia, 39; his knowledge 
 of Grant's character, 46, 47, 516, 616 ; in 
 battle of the Wilderness, 64, 68, 60; 
 wounded, 60; his troops at Spottsyl- 
 vania, 108 ; ordered to the Valley, 278 ; 
 tm'nsthetide of battle at Chickamauga, 
 314 ; meetingwith Ord, 389, 391 ; in final 
 defense of Petersburg, 447 ; guest at 
 Grant's wedding, 492; visits Grant 
 after the surrender, 492 
 
INDEX 
 
 533 
 
 Longstreet, Mrs., proposed meeting 
 between Mrs. Grant and, 391, 392 
 
 Louisiana, defeat ol Banks In, 124 j 
 Oanljy supersedes Banks in, 12i ; plans 
 for Banks's command In, 178 
 
 " Louisiana," the, blown up at Fort 
 Fisher, 361, 362 
 
 Louisville, Ky., Lincoln's adventure in, 
 42B 
 
 Lying, Grant's hatred of, 339-341 
 
 Lynchburg, Va., Hunter's movements 
 near, 147, 177, 227, 235 ; Lee heads for, 
 4B7; Sheridan captures Lee's provi- 
 sions at, 482 
 
 Lyons, Judge, 289 
 
 McCandless, Col. William, recommended 
 for promotion to brigadier-general of 
 volunteers, 114 
 
 McClellan, Maj.-gen. George B., S. P.'s 
 service on staff of, 29 ; dubs Hancock 
 " the superb," HB ; his campaign on the 
 James, 188 ; candidacy for the Presi- 
 dency, 324; the President's character- 
 ization of his strategy, 334 
 
 McClellan, Mrs. George B., friendship 
 with Hancock, 58 
 
 McGonnigle, Capt. A. J., in battie of 
 Five Forks, 439 
 
 Mackenzie, Maj.-gen. Ranald S., ordered 
 to Sheridan's assistance, 432 ; in battle 
 of Five Forks, 438 
 
 McLean, ^Vilmer, owner of the house in 
 which the surrender took place, 471 et 
 seci.; his trials, 480, 486-488; former 
 home at Bull Bun, 488 ; removes from 
 Bull Bun to Appomattox Court-house, 
 488 
 
 McMahon, Maj.-gen. Martin T., wamp 
 Sedgwick of danger, 90 
 
 Macon, Ga., Sherman proposes to move 
 on, 293 ; capture of, 505 
 
 McPherson, Maj.-gen. James B., killed 
 at Atlanta, 244, 245 ; cFrant's grief for, 
 244, 246 ; his brUllant services, 245 ; 
 'Grant's admiration for, 286 
 
 Mahone, Brig.-gen. William, opposes 
 Upton on the Massaponax road, May 
 14, 1864, 118 
 
 Mangohick Church, Va., Grant's head- 
 quarters at, 154 
 
 " Marching through Georgia," 609 
 
 Marietta, Ga., Sherman advances to, 317 
 
 Marshall, Col. Charles, military secre- 
 tary to Gen. K. E. Lee, 470; at Lee's 
 surrender, 470 et sec[., 480, 484, 485 ; pre- 
 sents Appomattox inkstand to Mr. 
 Blanohard, 487 
 
 Martindale, Maj.-gen. John H., his com- 
 mand returned to Butler, 224 
 
 Maryland, Confederate advance into, 
 236 ; probable anxiety of Lee to trans- 
 fer the seat of war to, 238; Grant 
 orders an active campaign In, 239, 240 ; 
 Early returns toward", 270 ; Grant pro- 
 poses to stop raids in, 270, 273 
 
 " Mary Martin," the, the Peace Commis- 
 sion on board, 383-385 
 
 Mason, James M., Confederate commis- 
 sioner to England, his seizure and 
 release, 253, 254, 408 
 
 Massaponax Church, Va., Grant's head- 
 quarters near, 122 
 
 Massaponax Church Road, Va., military 
 operations on the, 117, 118 
 
 Mat, the river, 88 
 
 Mattapony, the river, its etymology and 
 
 Mattapony — continued 
 component streams, 88; military move- 
 ments on, 88, 132, 135^137 
 
 Maximilian, Emperor, violates the Mon- 
 roe Dootrme in Mexico, 605 
 
 Meade, Gen. George G., visit from Grant 
 at Brandy Station, 22, 24, 28, 29 ; Grant's 
 opinion of, and person al relations with, 
 29, 38, 114^-116, 210, 226, 243, 246, 247, 302, 
 303, 831 ; Grant's instructions to. May 
 3, 1864, 37 ; Grant's orders oommmu- 
 oated through, 38 ; reports Lee's move- 
 ments, 44; conference with Grant, 
 May 4, 45 ; moves along the Germanna 
 road, 47 ; in battle of the Wildemess, 
 47-50, 53, 61, 63, 68, 70; message from 
 and council with Grant, May 5, 48, 53, 
 64; in movement toward Spottsyl- 
 vanla, 78, 80, 82-84; dispute between 
 Sheridan and, 83,84; orders Sheridan 
 to raid around Eichmond, 84 ; kept in- 
 formed of movements, 99; battle of 
 Spottsylvania, 100, 103-105, 108; meet- 
 ing with Gen. Johnson at Stoottsyl- 
 vanla, 104, 105 ; recommended tor pro- 
 motion to major-general, U. S. A., 113, 
 114; his anomalous position in the 
 Army of the totomac, 114-116; at 
 Gettysburg, 115; headquarters on the 
 Ny, 117; thanks Warren for action On 
 MTay 14, 118 ; in action of May 19, 127 ; 
 moves to Gulney's Station, 132 ; Bum- 
 side placed under, 144, 145; inspects 
 the Unes at Cold Harbor, 166; battle of 
 Cold Harbor, 176, 177 ; libeled by the 
 press, 190, 191 ; soothed by Dana, 191 ; 
 opinion of the authorities at Washing- 
 ton, 191 ; at City Point, 205, 206, 393, 
 403-405 ; ordered to take personal com- 
 mand before Petersburg, 205, 206; 
 operations before Petersburg, June 
 16-18, 206-210; promoted, major-gen- 
 eral, U. S. A., 211; the President visits 
 his command, 218 ; his army reunited, 
 224 ; disposition of his corps, 224 ; calls 
 on Grant to come up from Be^rmuda 
 Hundred, 224, 225; receives instruc- 
 tions for siege of Petersburg, 225 ; con- 
 sultations with Grant before Peters- 
 burg, 231, 243; Gen. Smith's personal 
 quarrels with, 246 ; tenders his resig- 
 nation, but withdraws It, 246, 247 ; "a 
 d— d old goggle-eyed snapplng-tur- 
 tle," 248; visit of Grant to, July 22, 
 1864, 261, 262; quarrel with "Warren, 
 261, 252; his part In the Petersburg 
 mine affair, 269, 261, 262, 267 ; wrangle 
 with Burnside at the crater, 267, 268 ; 
 Grant designs to draw the enemy from 
 the front of, 276, 277; Grant praises 
 Warren's activity to, 280, 281 ; ordered 
 to Are salute in honor of Sherman's 
 victory at Atlanta, 286 ; Lee's cavalry 
 dash around his left, 299 ; Grant con- 
 sults with, 302, 303; action on the 
 Weldon EaUroad, 303; movement 
 against the South Side Eailroad, 303, 
 309 ; visitors from Washington to, 306 ; 
 battle of Hatcher's Eun, 309-312 ; nar- 
 row escape, 310; returns to his com- 
 mand, 405; visit from the President, 
 406; battle of White Oak Eoad, 430; 
 anxiety before Five Forks, 432, 433; 
 proposes to attack the Confederate 
 lines without formation, 444; final 
 assault at and capture of Petersburg, 
 446, 449; at Sutherland's Station, 462; 
 
 BS 
 
534 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Meade, G. G. — contiivued 
 sickness, 4,63, 466; conference Trltli 
 Grant, 462; in pursuit of Lee, 464; 
 grants a short truce, 467, 471 ; notifled 
 of the surrender, 486 ; in grand review 
 at Washington, 607 
 
 Character and personality : a disci- 
 plinarian, 247; excitable temper, 84, 
 114, 190, 191, 209, 246-248, 404 ; indef ati- 
 gabUity, 190, 206, 209, 453; military 
 genius, 191, 209, 247; patriotism and 
 unselfishness, 29; persona] appear- 
 ance, 28 ; sense of justice, 209, 210 
 
 Meade, Mrs., at City Point, 403 
 
 Mechanicsville, Va., Sheridan's move- 
 ment toward, 166 
 
 Mechanicsville Road, Va., the, 166 
 
 Memphis, Tenn., held by Canby, 336 
 
 Merritt, Maj.-gen. Wesley, in battle of 
 Five Forljs, 440 ; at the surrender, 486 ; 
 in grand review at Washington, 607 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, Grant's 
 membership in the, 496 
 
 Mexican war, losses of men in, from 
 disease, 181 
 
 Mexico, Grant's life and services in, and 
 reminiscences of the Mexican vrar, 29, 
 104, 193, 241, 266, 476, 489; Grant and 
 Seward discuss the question of French 
 occupation of, 255, 256; Maximilian's 
 violation of the Monroe Doclrine in, 
 606 
 
 Middle Department, Gen. Wallace com- 
 manding the, 238, 239 
 
 Middle Military Division, the. Grant 
 visits headquarters of, 298; Hancock 
 commanding, 401; Sheridan relin- 
 quishes command of, 422 
 
 Middletown, Va., Sheridan at, 307 
 
 Miles, Maj.-gen. Nelson A., in battle of 
 Newmarket Heights, 277; battle of 
 
 ■ Eeams's Station, 281, 282; miUtary 
 genius and gallantry in action, 282; 
 general-in-chief of the army, 282; 
 assault on the Petersburg lines, April 
 2, 1865, 444, 446, 448 ; battle of Suther- 
 land's Station, 448 
 
 Milford Station, Va., Hancock moves to, 
 182, 134-136 
 
 Military Division of the Mississippi, 
 Grant appointed to command the, 2 ; 
 Sherman takes over command from 
 Grant, 22 
 
 " Military History of Ulysses S. Grant " 
 (Badeau), quoted, 443 
 
 Military Order of the Loyal Legion 
 (New York Commandery), purchases 
 copy of the terms of surrender at Ap- 
 pomattox, 487 
 
 Milledgeville, Ga., Sherman proposes to 
 move on, 293 
 
 Millen, Ga., Sherman captures, 333 
 
 Mississippi River, the, military move- 
 ments on, 336; Adni. Porter's services 
 on, 369 
 
 Missouri, reinforcements ordered for 
 Sherman from, 315, 318 ; votes for Grant 
 for the Presidency in 1864, 323 
 
 Mobile, Ala., Grant advises movement 
 against, 178; movement by Canby 
 against, 386, 401 ; evacuation of, 606 
 
 MoDile and Ohio Railroad, military move- 
 ments on the, 317 
 
 Mobile Bay, in Union possession, 292 
 
 Monitors, in James Elver, 376, 376 
 
 Monocacy, the river, military movements 
 on, 237-239 
 
 Monocacy Station, Va., Grant visits 
 Hunter at, 271, 272 ; Sheridan at, 272 
 
 Monroe Doctrine, the, Grant's respect 
 for, 255, 266 ; Maximilian's violation of, 
 in Mexico, 506 
 
 Montgomery, Ala., proposed movement 
 by Canby against, 386; capture of, 606 
 
 Moore, Col., acquires "the silent wit- 
 ness " at Appomattox, 487 
 
 Moreau, Prof., Julia Dent's education by, 
 284 
 
 Morgan, Lieut.-col. Michael R., chief com- 
 missary on Grant's staff, 232 ; commis- 
 sary-general of the army, 232; issues 
 rations for Lee's army, 483 
 
 Morgan, Mrs., at City Point, 493 
 
 Mosby, Col. John S., narrowly misses 
 capturing Gen. Grant, 30 
 
 Mott, Maj.-gen. Gershom, at Spottsyl- 
 vania. May 10, 1864, 94, 95 
 
 Mounted infantry. Grant's use of, 513 
 
 Mower, Maj.-gen. Joseph A., in grand re- 
 view at Washington, 610 
 
 Mule, anecdote of teamster and his, 76, 76 
 
 Mules, brevets sought for, for gallantry 
 in action, 9, 10 
 
 Munford, Brig.-gen. Thomas T., in battle 
 of Five Forks, 437 ; engagement on the 
 Appomattox, 468 
 
 Mur&eesboro, Tenn., the battle of, and 
 Lincoln's peculiar dream, 497 
 
 Music in the field, 431 
 
 Namozine Creek, military movements on 
 the, 450 
 
 Napoleon, habits of sleeping, 54, 66 ; use 
 of his fingers at the table, 214; Sher- 
 man likened to, 313 
 
 Napoleon III., Ms invasion of Mexico 
 'and the attitude of the United States 
 toward, 256, 256 
 
 Nashville, Tenn., Grant meets Sherman 
 at, 22; transfer of stores to Ohattar 
 nooga from, 243 ; probability of Hood's 
 moving against, 317 ; Thomas's delays 
 at, 338-335, 343-849; pressing civiliaiis 
 into the ranks at, 333, 334 ; the seat of 
 war transferred from Atlanta to, 336; 
 Logan ordered to, 348 ; Grant starts for, 
 348, 349; battle of, 348-362 
 
 National Museum, ^Vashington, exhibi- 
 tion of section of tree from Spottsyl- 
 vania at, 110 
 
 Negroes, dread of falling into Confed- 
 erate hands, 126, 127 ; in grand review 
 at Washington, 610, 611. See also Coi> 
 OEBD Troops. 
 
 " Nellie Bly," 431 
 
 Nesmith, Senator, entertains headquar- 
 ters, 361-369 ; visit to Gen. Butler, 857, 
 368 ; on Grant's popularity, 368 ; cipher 
 correspondence with Ingalls, 368, 369 ; 
 adventure with Stanton, 368, 369 
 
 New Cold Harbor, topography of the 
 country around, 156; military move- 
 ments near, 172 
 
 Newhall, Col. F. C, conveys Lee's com- 
 munication to Grant, 467, 468 
 
 New Market, Va., Sigel defeated at, 124 
 
 Newmarket Heights, Va., battle of, 277 
 
 New Market Road, Va., engagement on, 
 Sept. 28, 1864, 300 
 
 New Orleans, La., the Nineteenth Corps 
 ordered north from, 238; Canby com- 
 manding at, 386 
 
 Newspapers, exchange of Northern and 
 Southern, at the front, 291 
 
INDEX 
 
 535 
 
 New Store, Va., Grant at, 466 
 
 Newtown, Va., Sheridan' at, 307 
 
 New Verdierville, Va., Lee's movements 
 toward, 14 
 
 New York, Grant visits, 32B, 826 ; horse- 
 oar manners In, 326 
 
 Nez Percis, the battle between the Sho- 
 Bhonees and the, 77 
 
 Nineteenth Corps (Emory), goes north 
 from New Orleans, 238 ; at Fort Monroe, 
 238 
 
 Ninth Corps (Bumside; Parke), com- 
 manded by Bumside, 36, 39; In battle 
 of the Wilderness, 64, 56, 57, 69-63; ad- 
 vance toward Spottsylvania, 74, 76, 78, 
 87, 90; position, May 9, 1864, 87 ; move- 
 ments at Spottsylvanla, May 10, 93-96 ; 
 battle of Spottsylvanla, May 12, 100, 
 102, 105 ; moves south. May 21, 132, 137 ; 
 at crossing of the North Anna, 141, 142, 
 160, 162; Joins Army of the Potomac, 
 144, 146; at Hanover Ferry, 164; crosses 
 the Pamunkey, 166 ; crosses the Toto- 
 potomoy, 160; engagements, June 1, 
 1864, 163, 168; In battle of Cold Harbor, 
 174, 176, 178 ; crosses the Chiokahominy, 
 195; crosses the James, 197, 198; en- 
 gagements and movements before 
 Petersburg, June 17, 18, 1864, 206, 207, 
 208, 224, 262, 258 ; battle of the Weldon 
 Bailroad, 280 ; position before Peters- 
 burg, 426 ; final assault on Petersburg, 
 445, 447, 449 ; in grand review at Wash- 
 ington, 507 
 
 North, the, a divided press in, 40 ; disloy- 
 alty in, 278, 279, 306, 324; depression in, 
 299 
 
 North Anna River, the, military move- 
 ments on, 136, 141-143, 145, 149, 152, 163, 
 1S6, 156, 227 ; the crossing of, 141 et seq., 
 156 ; Lee moves his army from, 166 
 
 North Carolina, probable movement of 
 troops from, to reinforce Lee, 124; a 
 representative prisoner from, 157-160 ; 
 Sherman's proposed movements in, 874, 
 386, 387; Lee to be headed off from, 387 ; 
 Sherman's march through, 401, 422; 
 Lee's projected retreat toward, 405 
 
 Nottoway Court-house, Va., Grant at, 
 453 ; mUitary movements near, 454 
 
 Nottoway River, the, militarymo vements 
 on, 846 
 
 Ny, the river, military operations on, 88, 
 90, 94, 117, 127, 128; Grant's headquar- 
 ters on, 117 
 
 O'Farrell, Capt., accLuires chair at Appo- 
 mattox, 487 
 
 Ohio River, the, military movements on, 
 237 ; fears of Hood's reaching, 316, 335, 
 338, 346 
 
 Old Cold Harbor, Va., topography and 
 strategic value, 156, 161-163 ; seized and 
 held by Sheridan, 162, 163 ; Hancock at, 
 167,168; Grant's headquarters near, 174 
 
 " Old Pills," 248 
 
 "Onondaga," the, operations in the 
 James Elver, 375, 376, 379, 380 ; Grant 
 visitB, 376; Grant's indignation at her 
 captain, 879 
 
 Orange Court-house, Va., Ijce's head- 
 quarters at, 39 
 
 Orange Plank-road, the, Va., military 
 movements on, 44, 61, 57, 58 
 
 Orange Turnpike, the', Va., military 
 movements on, 44, 49 
 
 Ord, Maj.-gen. Edward O. C, at Balti- 
 
 Ord, E. O. C.—contirmed 
 more, 238 ; in operations before Peters- 
 burg, July 28, 29, 1864, 261 ; capture of 
 Fort Harrison, 299-802 ; wounded, 300, 
 802 ; meeting with Longstreet, 389, 891 ; 
 at City Point, 403, 405; returns to his 
 command, 405; position at opening of 
 campaign of 1865, 426 ; final assault at 
 Petersburg, 444-446, 448 ; at Nottoway 
 Court-house, 453; pursuit of Lee, 452, 
 453, 466, 467, 468 ; at Bice's Station, 467 ; 
 at FarmvUle, 469 ; at Lee's surrender, 
 470 et seq., 486 ; purchases table from 
 McLean's house, 487 
 
 Ord, Mrs., at review of the Army of the 
 James, 414 
 
 Ordnance Bureau, reorganization of the, 
 11, 18, 22, 24 
 
 Oregon, election methods in, 364-856 
 
 Ossabaw Sound, supplies sent to Sher- 
 man at, 818 ; Sherman reaches, 869 
 
 " Othello," Edwin Forrest as,^19 
 
 "Our American Cousin," at lord's Thear 
 ter, Washington^ 497 
 
 Ox Ford, Va., nuUtary movements at, 
 141, 142, 146 
 
 Pacific Coast, a visitor in camp from the, 
 18t-187 
 
 Palo Alto, Grant's reminiscences of the 
 battle of, 86 
 
 Pamunkey, the river, military move- 
 ments on, 136, 141, 153, 164, 156, 183 
 
 Parke, Maj.-gen. John G., in battle of the 
 Weldon EaJlroad, 280; visitors from 
 Washington to, 306 ; commanding Army 
 of the Potomac, 403; despatch from 
 Grant, Feb. 22, 1865, 408; confronting 
 Petersburg, 426 ; final assault on Peters- 
 burg, 445, 447, 449 ; in grand review at 
 Washington, 607 
 
 Parker, Capt. Ely S., assistant a^utant- 
 
 f:eneral, staff of Gen. Grant, 38, 34 ; his 
 ndlan blood and rank, 33, 34 ; service 
 at Vicksburg, 34; at City Point, 200; 
 military secretaiy to Grant, 207, 208; 
 passes for Gen. Grant, "sunburnt," 
 208 ; at the surrender, 476, 480, 481, 484 ; 
 Iice's astonishment at meeting, 481 
 
 Parker, Mrs. Ely S., sells copy of terms 
 of surrender at Appomattox, 487 
 
 Parker, Capt. William A., commanding 
 the Oiwndaga in the James Elver, 376, 
 876, 879 
 
 Patrick, Maj.-gen. Marsena R., appointed 
 provost-marshal-general, 232 
 
 Payne, Lewis, attack on Secretary 
 Seward by, 500 ; attempts suicide, 501 ; 
 his trial, 502 
 
 Peace Commission, the, visits City Point, 
 882-886 
 
 Pease, Lieut. Charles £., conveys Lee's 
 communication to Grant, 466, 467 
 
 Pemberton, Gen. John C, surrender at 
 Vicksburg, 27, 28 
 
 Peninsula, the battle-fields of the, 171 
 
 Pennsylvania, Conestoga "bosses" from, 
 148, 160, 161 
 
 Persimmons, a new use for, in Georgia, 
 • 292 
 
 Petersburg, Va., Butler ordered to march 
 on, 36, 46 ; Butler holds the road to, 124 ; 
 plans to attack from the south side, 
 161; question of transferring opera- 
 tions to, 172; operations before, and 
 siege of, 197-199, 201-203, 205, 207-209, 
 224, 226, 231, 246,262, 268-270,276, 292,293, 
 
536 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Fetemhaig—coniimted 
 313, 402, 404, 406, 426; defenseless con- 
 dition, 198, 202; a dash for, 198, 199, 
 201-203; failure of tlie attempt, 201- 
 203; tlie "Cockade City," 205; Meade 
 ordered to take personal command at, 
 205, 206; the defenses of, 205, 20T-210, 
 245 ; Giant at the front, 205, 231 ; Lee 
 arrives at, 210; lack of vigor of the 
 troops l)ef ore, 210, 211 ; controversy as 
 to Hancock's delay tn reaching, 211; 
 action of the colored troops before, 
 218, 219; Grant's disappointment, 226; 
 Sheridan to operate on the south side, 
 228; expeditions of Wilson and Kautz 
 to the south of, 230, 231 ; Grant antici- 
 pates possibility of combined Confed- 
 erate movements at, 243, 244; Grant 
 eager to prevent the enemy withdraw- 
 tng from, 243, 299, 324; the mine at, 
 268-270 ; movements to draw away tlie 
 enemy's strength from, Jnly 26-29, 1864, 
 269-261; a "straggler" at, 270; Grant 
 designs to draw the enemy from the 
 defense of, 276, 277; Lee withdraws 
 troops from, 278; Lee hurries troops 
 back to, 28(K 281 ; visitors from Wasn- 
 ington to the front at, 306; close of 
 active operations in front of, 313 ; Sher- 
 man's troops ordered to, 360; possi- 
 bility of Lee's abandoning, 874; the 
 most dramatic event of the siege of, 
 405, 406; Sheridan on the possibility of 
 taking, 428; final assault of, and cap- 
 ture of the outer works, 444-448, 494; 
 Grant refuses to assault the inner 
 works, 448 ; surrender, 449 ; Grant and 
 the President enter, 449-462 
 Petersburg Railroad, the, Butler's move- 
 ment against, 91, 99 
 Philadelphia, Pa., Grant at, 326, 327, 
 499, 500 ; dangerous enthusiasm in, 326, 
 827 
 Phrases ; 
 Addison : 
 " Pedantry in learning is like hypoc- 
 risy in religion," 241 
 Anonymotis, unassigned, or indefinite: 
 " A powerful memory and a mighty 
 
 poor forgettery," 220 
 " Councils of war do not fight," 316 
 [Going] " tlirough Virginia," 427 
 "I am an ancestor; you are only 
 
 descendants," 20 
 " I 'm trying to find the rear of tills 
 
 army," 188 
 " Libeler of the Press," 191 
 [Meade] "a d— d old goggle-«yed 
 
 snapping-turtle," 248 
 "01dHlls,'^248 
 "Tediously truthful," 340 
 "Thar 's one thing sart'in: the old 
 
 man never druv mules," 261 
 "The Lord seems to have robbed 
 that man's [Stephens's] body of 
 nearly aU its flesh and blood to 
 make brains of them," 883 
 "The old chief 's out here himself," 
 
 456 
 " The rebs appeared to have a special " 
 
 spite against us," 193 
 "The rebs are going to get busted 
 
 to-morrow, certam," 466 
 « The unspoken word is a sword tn 
 the scabbard, while the spoken 
 word is a sword In the hand of 
 one's enemy," 196 
 
 Phrases (Anonymous) —contitmed 
 
 " Ulysses don't scare worth a d— n," 
 
 97 
 "Uncle Sam 's joined the cavalry 
 
 sure enough," 466 
 " We 're not straddliu' any hosses, 
 
 but we '11 get there all the same," 
 
 467 
 
 "We 've struck this river length- 
 ways," 422 
 
 "When in doubt, fight," 254 
 
 " Who 's shedding this blood, any- 
 how 1" 180 
 Cwoier: 
 
 "Brilliant, but not correct," 470 
 Grant : 
 
 "Accident often decides the fate of 
 battle," 86 
 
 [Butler] "in a bottle strongly 
 corked," 241 
 
 " Hammering," 180 
 
 "I gave the order to whip him" 
 rBarlyj, 298 
 
 "I have become very tired of this 
 show business," 22 
 
 " I propose to fight it out on this line 
 if it takes all summer," 98, 241 
 
 "I propose to move immediately 
 upon your works," 241 
 
 "I shall have no policy to enforce 
 against the will of the people," 
 
 241 
 
 "I shall take no backward steps," 
 92, 241, 613 
 
 " Let no guilty man escape," 241 
 
 "Let us have peace," 241 
 
 ["No ladles present."] "No; but 
 there are gentlemen 1 " 357 
 
 "Push the enemy with aU your 
 might ; that 's the way to con- 
 nect," 105 
 
 "Bebel armies are now the only 
 strategic points to strike at," 463 
 
 [Sherman Uke] " a ground-mole . . . 
 under a lawn. You can. . . trace 
 his track, but . . . not quite cer- 
 tain whei'e he will come out till 
 you see his head," 332, 833 
 
 [The armies moved] " without con- 
 cert, like horses in a balky team, 
 no two ever pulling together," 36, 
 241, 278 
 
 " The best means of securing the re- 
 peal of an obnoxious law Is its 
 vigorous enforcement," 241 
 
 "The moment it becomes certain 
 that an assault cannot succeed, 
 suspend the offensive," 176, 177 
 
 " The only way to whip an army is to 
 go out and fight it/' 373 
 
 "Well, they do seem to have the 
 range on us," 447 
 
 "Wherever the enemy goes, let our 
 troops go also," 271 
 
 " You spoke too late," 364 
 Idneoln : 
 
 " Cross-roads wiseacres," 27 
 
 "Grant has gone to the Wilderness, 
 crawled In, drawn up the ladder, 
 and pulled in the hole after 
 him," 98 
 
 "Hold on with a bulldog grip, and 
 chew ajid choke as much as pos- 
 sible," 279 
 
 " If Sigel can't skin, himself, he can 
 hold a leg while somebody else 
 skins," 46 
 
INDEX 
 
 537 
 
 Phrases iLin<iOiD)—eontimied 
 
 " It 's like trying to slioyel fleas across 
 a barnyard ; you don't get 'em all 
 there," 192, 198 
 " 1/ ve tried to ipake a sledge-hammer 
 of yon, and failed ; . . . now . . . 
 I 'm going to make a fizzle ot 
 you," 416 
 "Km you lend me five dollars on 
 
 that 1" 125 
 " We might as well explode the no- 
 tion with the powder," S37 
 Motto of the Grant Clan : 
 
 " Stand fast, Craig EUachie," 60 
 NamUon : 
 
 "Magnificent, magnificent 1 " 42 
 Ord: 
 [Go into the enemy's works] "as a 
 hot knife goes into hutter," m 
 Popula/r, See also Anonymous, etc., 
 supra : 
 " Ain't I glad to get out oh de Wilder- 
 ness!" 83 
 "American Sphinx, the," 196 
 " Eating for the future," 61 
 ' ' Fader Abraham," 219 
 "Feeding a fight," 63 
 " Graybacks," 392 
 " Great Unspeakable, the," 196 
 "Jack-kniflng," 140 
 [Mosby's] " conglomerates," 30 
 " Old Paj) Thomas," 12 
 "Onto Mchmond," 79, 135 
 " The Wilderness," 60 
 " To fire the Southern heart," 40 
 " Ulysses the Silent," 196 
 "Uncle Abe," 218 
 " Uncle John," 90 
 Porter, Adrni,: 
 "Board the fort in a seamanlike 
 manner," 370 
 Sheirman: 
 
 [Grant] "has all the tenacity of a 
 Scotch terrier, " 291 
 " I knew Grant would make the fur 
 
 fly" [in Virginia], 290 
 "Founding," 180 
 
 " Twenty days' leave of absence to 
 see the young folks," 296 
 Stanton : 
 
 [Grant] "wet, dirty, and well," 2 
 Talleyrand : 
 " Clever man,)but he has no talent for 
 dialogue," 376 
 Thotaas; 
 "1 will hold the town tiU we starve," 
 3 
 Wright: 
 [To] "make the fur fiy " [at Peters- 
 burg], 444 
 Pickett, Maj.-gen. George E., reinforces 
 Lee, 146 ; battle of Five Forks, 437, 438 ; 
 visits Grant after the surrender, 492 
 Piney Branch Church, Va., military 
 movements at, 78, 83, 87; Grant's head- 
 auarters at, 83 ; the drum corps at, 83 
 Pleasants, Col. Henry, conceives the idea 
 
 of the Petersburg mine, 268 
 Po, thie river, military movements on, 
 
 82, §6, 88, 91, 95, 136 
 Pocahontas, anecdote of Capt. John 
 Smith and, 228; reverence of the Vir- 
 ginians for, 228 
 Political prisoners, ([uestlon of exchange 
 
 of, 389-391 
 Popocatepetl, Me:c., Grant's excursion to. 
 
 Porter, Rear-adm. David D., in expedi- 
 tions against Fort Fisher, 336-838, 869, 
 370; services on the Mississippi, 369; 
 withdraws ships from the James, 875 ; 
 meets the President and Sherman at 
 City Point, 422, 423 ; conference on the 
 Biver Queen, 423, 424 ; accompanies the 
 President to Petersburg, 460 
 
 Porter, Brig.-gen. Horace (elsewhere 
 herem referredtoas S. P.) flrstmeeting 
 with Grant, 1,2 ; services in Army of the 
 Cumberland, 6, 11-13 ; military and per- 
 sonal relations with Grant, 11-13, 18, 22- 
 80, 32, 225, 247, 248, 251, 274, 276, 339, 426, 
 442, 443 ; called to reorganize Bureau of 
 Ordnance at Washington, 11, 18 ; goes to 
 Washington, 13, 17; Grant desires to 
 retain his services, 18 ; at White House, 
 March 8, 1864, 18 ; kept at Washington 
 by Stanton, 22-24 ; appointed aide-de- 
 camp on Grant's staff, 22-24 ; Interview 
 with Stanton, 23 ; reports at Culpeper 
 Court-house, 24; service on McClellan's 
 staS Army of the Potomac, 29, 188 ; in 
 battle of the Wilderness, 51, 62, 67, 69- 
 62, 65, 68, 71, 72 ; brevettedmajor, U. S. A., 
 72 ; reports death of Sedgwick to Grant, 
 90 ; with Bumside at Spottsylvania, 93- 
 96 ; in battle of Spottsylvania, 100-102, 
 110, 111; meeting with Gen. Johnson, 
 104 ; a sudden alarm, 126 ; tn action of 
 May 19, 126, 127 ; at the crossing of the 
 North Anna, 146, 147, 151 ; malarial fever, 
 161 ; in action at Old Cold Harbor, May 
 31, 161 ; reports incident before battle 
 of Cold Harbor, 174 ; mission to Ber- 
 muda Hundred, 187, 188 ; in operations 
 before Petersburg, June 16-18, 206, 207, 
 209, 210; caterer at City Point, 213, 214 ; 
 visit from President Lincoln to, 222; 
 suppresses a military band, 234, 236; 
 desire for active command, 247; in feint 
 against Richmond, 259, 260 ; an unlucky 
 collision with Gen. Hancock, 260 ; at 
 the crater before Petersburg, 264-267; 
 investigates explosion at City Point, 
 274 ; secretary to President Grant, 274, 
 276; unearths the mystery of the ex- 
 plosion, 274, 275 ; in battle of Newmarket 
 Heights, 277 ; brevetted lieutenant-oolo- 
 nel,TJ. S. A., 277, 278 ; mission to Sher- 
 man at Atlanta, 287-296, 314, 317; re- 
 visits Chattanooga, 289; service at 
 Chickamauga, 289; visits Thomas at 
 Atlanta, 294, 295 ; returns to City Point, 
 296; accompanies Stanton and, Fessen- 
 den party to the seat of;war, 304, 305 ; 
 upholds the scheme for Sherman's cam- 
 paign, 314 ; escorts Senator Nesmith to 
 Butler's headguarters, 357 ; service In 
 the Sherman-Dupont expedition, 368; 
 suggests Gen. Terry for command of 
 second Fort Fisher expedition, 368 ; at 
 Fort Fisher, 370 ; conveys order of re- 
 lief to Butler, 373 ; in naval operations 
 on the James Elver, 377 j accompanies 
 the Peace Commission toward Eich- 
 mond, 384 ; on Alexander H. Stephens, 
 384, 385; brevetted colonel of volun- 
 teers, 389 ; a serio-comic scene at head- 
 quarters, 396; brevetted colonel and 
 brigadier-general, U. S. A., 400; accom- 
 panies Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grant to 
 review of the Army of the James, 412- 
 414 ; conversation with Grant, 426 ; in 
 battle of White Oak Eoad, 430; with 
 Sheridan at Dinwiddle Court-house, 
 
538 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Porter, 'Horace— conHnued 
 430-432 ; in battle of Fire Forks, 434-443 ; 
 forgetful of military proprieties, 442, 
 448 ; accompanies Grant on his ride to 
 Jetersville, 455, 456 ; suspects Campbell 
 of treachery, 455; at Burkeville, 457; 
 ■with Grant in the pirrsuit of Lee, 465- 
 457, 463, 464 ; at the surrender, 472 ; pre- 
 sented by Grant with the headquarters 
 flag, 487, 488 ; on the proposed interview 
 between Lincoln and Lee, 491 ; -visits 
 Richmond, 493, 494; appointed member 
 of court to try the Lincoln assassins, 
 501; disquaUned, 601; discusses Sher- 
 man's case with Stanton, 604; starts 
 for Ealelgh,604; resjoins Grant at Wash- 
 ington, 604 
 
 Port Gibson, Miss., (Fred Grant in the 
 battle of, 363 
 
 Port Hudson, La., Badeau's service at, 
 33; Grant ordered to cooperate with 
 Banks at, 364 
 
 Port Royal, Va., change of Grant's base 
 of supplies to, 125 i the base transferred 
 to 'WTiite House from, 165 
 
 Potomac, the river, military movements 
 on, 236, 270 
 
 Powell, Lew^is. See PAYNE, Lewis. 
 
 Press, evil effects in the North of a di- 
 vided, 40, 41, 180; experiences of re- 
 porters In Grant's camps, 47 ; Meade's 
 irritation at, 190, 191; disciplining a 
 member of the, 191 
 
 " Price," the gunboat, Fred Grant's ex- 
 periences on, 363) 
 
 Profanity, Grant's abhorrence of, 164, 
 251; a mule-driver's reliance, 251; an 
 occasion for, 427 
 
 Puppyism and dogmatism, 16 
 
 Quarles's Ford, Va., nuUtary movements 
 at, 146 
 
 Quarles's Mills, Va., Grant's headquar- 
 ters at, 145 
 
 Quinine, its value, 151 
 
 Railroads, method of destruction of, 146 
 
 Rain, disheartening effect on an army, 
 121 
 
 Raleigh, N. C, Grant goes to, 604 
 
 Ramseur, Maj.-gen. Stephen D., mortally 
 wounded and taken prisoner at Cedar 
 Creek, 307 
 
 Ransom, Brig.-gen. Matthew W., in 
 battle of Five Forks, 437 
 
 Rapidan, the river, the crossing of, 37, 
 89, 41 et seq. ; the country of, 89-41, 44 ; 
 temporary headquarters on, 43-48 ; tak- 
 ing up the bridges over, 66 ; miUtary 
 movements on, 66, 68 
 
 Rappahannock, the river, military move- 
 ments on, 126 
 
 Rappahannock Station, Va., Bumslde's 
 night march to, 44 
 
 Rawlins, Maj.-gen. John A., chief of staff 
 31, 32, 164, 226, 339, 340; career and 
 character, 31, 32; at crossing of the 
 Bapidan, 41; in battle of the Wilder- 
 ness, 65 ; joke at Plney Branch Church, 
 83; at City Point, 208; 111 health, 273, 
 314; granted leave of absence, 273 ; Sec- 
 retary of War, 273 ; death, 273 ; returns 
 to duty, 314; opposes plans for Sher- 
 man's movements, 314-316; oratorical 
 and debating powers, 314, 316 ; personal 
 relations wM Giant, 314, 316, 331 ; or- 
 
 RawUns, J. A. —continued 
 dered to confer with Bosecrans at St. 
 Louis, 318 ; on Grant's hatred of ^ng, 
 340 ; relates Fred Grant's war experi- 
 ences and a piece of Vicksburg his- 
 tory, 363-365; welcomes Sheridan to 
 headquarters and broaches plan to send 
 him to Sherman, 411 ; on the prospect 
 of the campaign in Virginia, 427, 428 ; 
 discusses plans with Grant, 429; with 
 Grant in pursuit of Lee, 462, 463 
 Rawlins, Mrs., visits City Point, 396, 493 
 Read, Buchanan, immortalizes Sheridan, 
 
 438 
 Reagan, Senator John H., vindicates 
 
 Grant's course at Cold Harbor, 180 
 Reams's Station, Va., military move- 
 ments at, 230, 231; battle of, 281, 282 
 Reese, Serg. Henry, remedies defective 
 
 fuse in the Petersburg mine, 263 
 Religion, Grant's attitude toward, 496 
 Republics, their Ingratitude to "vet- 
 erans," 366 
 Resaca, Ga., Sherman threatens, 91 
 Rice's Station, Va., Ord at, 457 
 " Richard III.," a Virginia version, 80 
 Richmond, Va., false report as to plan of 
 campaign toward, 21 ; Butler ordered 
 to march on, 36; Grant's views as to 
 the capture of, 37 ; diilicultles of a march 
 to, 43, 44 ; defense of ,66; Sheridan's raids 
 around, 84, 85, 142-144 ; Lee hastens to 
 defense of, 87 ; fears about Lee's move- 
 ments toward, 113 ; Sheridan captures 
 part of outer lines of, 120 ; possibility 
 of Sheridan's taking it by assault, 120 ; 
 death of Stuart at, 120, 121 ; movement 
 by the left flank on, 125 ; Yankee pris- 
 oners in, 139 ; reinforcements for Lee 
 from, 124, 146 ; topography of surround- 
 ing country, 155, 156 ; Lee covers, 156 ; 
 plans to attack from the south side, 
 161 ; Grant anxious to keep Lee out of 
 the trenches before, 178 ; Halleok's^lan 
 of movement against, 182; repair of 
 the railroads to, 231 ; Grant prepares to 
 destroy the railroads north of, 183; 
 Grant plans movements against, 237 ; 
 proposed railroad raid for Sheridan 
 around, 244; feint against, July 26-29, 
 1864, 269-261 ; Lee reinforces, 260 ; ac- 
 tivity of operations around,'282, 283 ; con- 
 templated movement on, 299 ; Grant's 
 anxiety to keep Lee at, 299, 324; Grant 
 within sight of, 301 ; consternation in, 
 304; close of active operations in front 
 of, 313; Sherman's army ordered to, 
 339; Sheridan urged to destroy rail- 
 roads north of, 346, 347; salute fired 
 against, in honor of battle of Nashville, 
 350; Sherman's troops ordered to, 360 ; 
 extraordinary schemes for capturing, 
 372, 373 ; possibility of Lee's abandoning, 
 374 ; Confederate ironclads at, 377 ; the 
 Confederate commissioners return to, 
 384 ; proposal that Mrs. Grant visit Mrs. 
 Longstreet at, 391, 392 ; prices of goods 
 in, 392 ; drawing the net around, 401, 
 402; Granli tears the enemy's escape 
 from, 402 ; orders for general move- 
 ment against, 402, 406 ; Lee's attempt to 
 escape from, 403-406 ; no longer tenable, 
 405; disposition of the Federal troops 
 before, 426, 427 ; fall of, 452 ; flres m, 
 452, 494 ; Lee returns to, 492 ; Grant de- 
 clines to visit, 493 ; members of Grant's 
 staffvlsit, 493, 494 
 
INDEX 
 
 539 
 
 " Richmond," the, action In the James 
 Elver, 880 
 
 Richmond and Lynchburg Road, Va., 
 Grant on, 467 
 
 Ricketts, Maj.-gen. James B., oidered to 
 the Monooacy, 237 j wounded at Cedar 
 Oreek 307 
 
 Rienzi, Miss., presentation of "Bienzl" 
 to Sheridan at, 438 
 
 "Rienzi," Sheridan's charger, 438, 439, 
 469 
 
 " Rifling a field-glass," 109 
 
 Rio Grande, rumored crossing of, by 
 French troops, 25B, 256; proposed 
 movement of United States troops on 
 the, 266 ; Sheridan despatched to, 605 
 
 Rivanna, the river, Sheridan destroys 
 the bridges over, 397 
 
 "River Queen," the, conveys the Presi- 
 dent to City rolnt, 402, 419, 423, 424; 
 conference on hoard, 423, 424 
 
 Roanoke Station, Va., Wilson's and 
 Kautz's movement at, 230 
 
 Robespierre, Maximilien, anecdote of, 23 
 
 Rome, Ga., captured by Sherman, 138 
 
 Rosecrans, Maj.-gen. William S., Eaw- 
 11ns sent to confer with, 318 ; the Presi- 
 dent's characterization of his strategy, 
 334 
 
 Rosser, Maj.-gen. Thomas L., in battle 
 of Five For£s, 437 ; engagement on the 
 Appomattox, April 7, 1865, 468 
 
 Rowand, A. H., Jr., scoutfrom Sheridan's 
 army, 397 ; adventures and hardships, 
 398, 399 ; practises law, 400 
 
 Rowley, Lieut. -col. William R., military 
 secretary to Gen. Grant, 33 
 
 Rucker, Mrs., drives Gen. and Mrs. 
 Grant to the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
 road station In Washington, 498 
 
 Russell, Maj.-gen. David A., destroys 
 theYirgtma Central Ballroad, 146; at 
 crossing of the North Anna, 160, 162 ; 
 crosses the Famunkey, 164 
 
 Russia, mUltary luxury In, 4, 249 
 
 " Russia," the, conveys Sherman to 
 City Point, 417 
 
 Sailor's Creek, Va., battle of, 467 
 
 St. Louis, Mo., Rawlins at, 318; Grant's 
 farming experience near, 368 
 
 St. Mark's, Fla., proposed movement by 
 Sherman to, 287 
 
 San Antonio, Tex., Senator Reagan's 
 lecture at, 180 
 
 Sanitary Commission, the, work of, 170 ; 
 a mistaken member of, 208 
 
 " San Jacinto," the, the affair of the 
 Trent, 263, 254 
 
 Savannah, Ga., proposed movement by 
 Sherman to, 287 ; importance of Federal 
 capture of, 292, 293; Sherman ap- 
 proaches, 337, 34B, 359 ; capture of, 360, 
 361, 373 
 
 Savannah River, the, importance of 
 Federal opening of, 292, 293; military 
 movements on, 318 
 
 Schofield, Maj.-gen. John M., watches 
 Hood, 333; strength, 333; battle of 
 Franklin, 333; proposal that he re- 
 lieve Thomas, 343 ; plans for his operar 
 tions in the east, 387 ; moves to Alex- 
 andria, Va., 387 ; visits the coast with 
 Grant, 387 ; proposed junction of Sher- 
 man and, 387, 401; difficulties of his 
 telegraphic communications, 419 j com- 
 manding in Sherman's absence, 424 
 
 Scott, Lieut.-gen. Winfield, Taylor's 
 reinforcements sent to, 193 ; service in 
 Mexico, 476 
 
 Seasickness on shore, 217 
 
 Second Corps (Hancock ; Birney ; Hum- 
 phreys), commanded by Hancock, 39; 
 crosses Ely's Ford, 41; first day's 
 inarch into the Wilderness, 46 ; in battle 
 of the Wilderness, 60-52, 64, 66-62, 66, 
 68, 70; march toward Spottsylvania, 
 78, 80, 86, 91; position. May 9, 1864, 87; 
 crosses the Po, 91 ; action at Spottsyl- 
 vania, May 10, 94, 96 ; battle of Spott- 
 sylvania, May 12, 100-106, 107 ; position. 
 May 14, 119, 126; receives reinforce- 
 ments from Washington, 122; assault 
 on Lee's left, May 18, 122, 123 ; action. 
 May 19, 127, 128 ; at Gulney's Station, 
 132; moves to Milford Station, 132, 134- 
 136 ; fatiguing marches by, 140 ; at the 
 crossing of the N^orth Anna, 141, 142, 
 145, 149, 162; crosses the Pamunkey, 
 164 ; reconnaissance. May 29, 157 ; en- 
 gagement. May 30, 160; engagement, 
 June 1, 163 ; moves to Old Cold Harbor, 
 167, 168; battle of Cold Harbor, 174, 176, 
 177, 178; crosses the Chickahominy, 
 195, 196; crosses the James, 197, 198; 
 engagements before Petersburg, June 
 17 and 18, 205, 207, 208; commanded by 
 Bimey, 208; position before Peters- 
 burg, 224; movements against the 
 Weldon Eailroad, 224; engagements, 
 June 22 and 23, 224; Hancock missed 
 from, 225 1 at Deep Bottom, 269, 261 ; 
 feint against Eichmond, July 26-29, 
 259-261; demonstration on the James, 
 276, 277 ; battle of Newmarket Heights, 
 277 ; withdraws from the north side of 
 the James, 281; battle of Eeams's 
 Station, 281, 282; battle of Hatcher's 
 Run, 309-312; Humphreys succeeds 
 Hancock in command, 329 ; position at 
 opening of campaign of 1865, 426; final 
 assault at Petersburg, 444-446, 448; 
 pursuit of Lee, 457, 468, 460, 462; in 
 grand review at Washington, 507 
 
 Second Michigan Cavalry, presents 
 "Eienzi" to Sheridan, 438 
 
 Sedgwick, Gen. John, commanding the 
 Sixth Corps, 39; crosses Germanna 
 Ford, 41, 43 ; in battle of the Wilder- 
 ness, 48-50, 62, 54, 67, 61, 63, 68, 69, 71 ; 
 Grant's confidence in, and relations 
 with, 71, 89, 90 ; march toward Spott- 
 sylvania Court-house, 78, 87, 89, 90; 
 position. May 9, 87 ; engagement with 
 Anderson near Spottsylvania, 87; 
 Grant's last conference with, 89; 
 killed, 89, 90 ; soldierly qualities, 90 ; 
 " Uncle ,Tohn," 90 
 
 Selma, Ala., proposed movement by 
 Canby against, 386 ; capture of, 505 
 
 Semmes, Rear-adm. Raphael, engage- 
 ment with the Eearsarge, 254 
 
 Seventeenth Corps, in grand review at 
 Washington, 610 
 
 Seward, w. H., Secretary of State, per- 
 sonal relations with Grant, 20, 21, 252- 
 257 ; visits Grant at City Point, 252-257 ; 
 reputation as a talker, 253 ; eulogizes 
 the armies, 263 ; on the foreign rela- 
 tions of the United States, 263-256 ; on 
 the Monroe Doctrine, 255 ; abiding faith 
 in the triumph of the Union cause, 
 266, 267 ; meets the Peace Commission 
 at Fort Monroe, 383, 384 ; consultation 
 
540 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Seward, W. H.— continued 
 wltb tbe President and Stanton con- 
 cerning Lee's military convention 
 proposal, 390; attitude in the Trent 
 affair, M8; reported assassination of, 
 600 ; attack on, lay Payne, 600 
 
 Seymour, Maj.-gen. Truman, captured 
 in the WUdemess, 68, 71 
 
 Shady Grove Road, Va., military move- 
 ments on, 166, 161, 176 ; Grant's head- 
 quarters on, 161; Early's attack on, 
 176 
 
 Shaler, Maj.-gen. Alexander, captured 
 in the Wilderness, 68, 71 
 
 Sharpe, Gen. George H., assistant pro- 
 vost-marshal-general, on Grant's staff, 
 232; scouting ability, 232; plans the 
 capture of spies at City Point, 273; 
 buys candlesticks from McLean's 
 bouse, 487 
 
 Shenandoah Valley, the, Va., Sigel pro- 
 poses to move up, 91 ; activity in, 301 
 
 Sheridan, Col. Michael V., acquires stone 
 inkstand at McLean's house, 487 
 
 Sheridan, Maj.-gen. Philip H., ordered 
 to command cavalry or Army of the 
 Potomac, 23, 24, 39 ; m Washington, 23, 
 24, 270, 306-308 ; meets the President, 24; 
 Grant's confidence in, admiration for, 
 and relations with, 24, 84, 144, 228, 297, 
 298, 306, 308, 331, 396, 410, 411, 434, 616; 
 guarding the wagon-train on the 
 Germanna road, 48; in battle of the 
 Wilderness, 62, 63, 68; engagement at 
 Todd's Tavern, 82 ; moves to seize the 
 bridges over the Po, 82, 86 ; dispute be- 
 tween Meade and, 83, 84; proposes 
 to operate against Stuart, 84; raid 
 around Eichmond, 84 et seq., 142, 144; 
 Grant's anxiety for, 98, 99 ; destroys 
 Lee's supplies, 99 ; destroys the Virginia 
 Central Bailroad, 99, 120, 143, 227 ; pro- 
 posal to make ills cavalry a separate 
 command, 116 ; operates in Lee's rear, 
 120; captures part of outer lines of 
 Eichmond, 120 ; possibility of his tak- 
 ing Eichmond by assault, 120; destroys 
 the Fredericksburg Eailroad, 120, 143 ; 
 battle of Yellow 'Tavern, 143 ; receives 
 supplies from Butler, 143; crosses the 
 North and South Annas and the Chick- 
 ahomlny, 143 ; at Ashland, 143 ; Joked 
 by Gen. Grant, 144; moves to Hano- 
 vertown, 163; crosses the Pamunkey, 
 164; engagement at Haw's Shop, 166; 
 ordered toward Meohanicsville, 166; 
 to guard against attack on the left 
 flank, 160; seizes and holds Old Cold 
 Harbor, 162, 163 ; to join Hunter, 190 ; 
 sent to brealc up the Virginia Central 
 Eailroad, June 7, 1864, 190 ; expedition 
 to the North Anna, 227; at White 
 House, 227 ; falls to connect with 
 Hunter, 227 ; battle of Trevilian's Sta- 
 tion, 227; to operate on the south 
 side of Petersburg, 228; visits Grant 
 at City Point, 228 ; operating north of 
 the James, 230; destroys the enemy's 
 communications, 230, 231; proposed 
 railroad raid for, 244 ; at Deep Bottom, 
 269, 261 ; in feint against Eichmond, July. 
 26-29, 269-261; battle of Darbytown, 
 260; proposed movement against the 
 Weldon EaUroad, 270; ordered to 
 Washington, 270; selected for com- 
 mand in the Valley of Virginia, 270- 
 272^ strength, 272; at Monocacy Star 
 
 Sheridan, P. H. — eontiwued 
 tion, 272; Grant's instructions to, 272} 
 promoted brigadier-general, U. S. A., 
 280; plans of movements in the Valley, 
 297,298; Grant visits, at Charlestown, 
 297, 298; Grant orders him "to whip" 
 Early, 298; congratulated by Grant, 
 298 ; obtains possession of the Valley, 
 298; battle of Winchester, 298; battle 
 of Fisher's Hill, 298; Grant's anxiety 
 to keep Lee's troops from confronting, 
 299, 313, 314; the President's anxiety 
 for, 302; activity in the Shenandoah 
 Valley, 304; at Winchester, 306-308; 
 his famous ride and victory, 306-308, 
 438 ; salute fired in honor of his victory 
 at Cedar Creek, 308 ; ordered to cut the 
 Virginia Central Eailroad, 325 ; urged to 
 deafroy railroads north of Eichmond, 
 346, 347 ; plan of campaign in the Valley, 
 386; moves from Winchester, 395; 
 Grant's communication with, cut off, 
 396; crushes Early between Staunton 
 and Charlottesville, 396; arrival at 
 City Point of scouts from, 396-399; 
 moves against the Fredericksburg 
 Eailroad, 397; destroys bridges over 
 the Eivanna, 397 ; destroys the James 
 Elver Canal, 397; requests suppUes 
 sent to White House, 397 ; at Columbia, 
 Va., 397 ; moves against the Virginia 
 Central Eailroad, 397 ; to Join the Army 
 of the Potomac, 397, 401, 402 ; suppUes 
 sent to White House for, 399 « reaches 
 White House, 401 ; his successes, 401 ; 
 starts to Join Grant, 401, 402 ; crosses 
 the James, 410, 413; called to head- 
 quarters, 410, 411; ostensible plan to 
 send hiiu to Sherman, 411, 412 ; his op- 
 position to the proposed plan, 411 ; to 
 operate against Lee's right, 411; ac- 
 companies the President on the James, 
 412 ; rejoins his command, 416 ; at City 
 Point, 416 ; meeting with Sherman at 
 City Point, 421, 422 ; to operate against 
 Petersburg and Eichmond, 422; relin- 
 quishes command of the Middle Mili- 
 tary Division, 422; Sherman desires 
 the assistance of, 422; his command 
 separated from the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, 422; at Dinwiddle Court-house, 
 427, 429-432; captures a horse from 
 Breckinridge, 428 ; discusses plans with 
 Grant, 429; reports enemy intrench- 
 ing at Five Forks, 429 ; Warren's move- 
 ment in aid of, 430, 432 ; his bands and 
 use of music, 431 ; belief in his ability 
 to cut off Lee's troops, 432 ; anxiety be- 
 fore Five Forks, 432, 433; battle of 
 Five Forks, 434^-443 ; authorized to re- 
 lieve Warren, 436 ; "Eienzi" presented 
 to, 438; final assault on Petersburg, 
 446 ; pursuit of Lee, 460, 462-457, 459, 462, 
 466, 468, 469; "the inevitable," 462; 
 sends Scout Campbell with news from 
 Jetersville, 454 ; battle of Sailor's Creek, 
 457 ; at Jetersville, 462 ; meeting with 
 Grant at Appomattox, 469, 470; at 
 Lee's surrender, 470 et seq., 480, 496; 
 captures Lee's trains at, 482; makes 
 copies of his notes to Lee regarding 
 violations of truce, 483, 484 ; buys table 
 from McLean's house, 487; presents 
 table to Mrs. Custer, 487; fraternizes 
 with Confederate officers, 491; des- 
 patched to the Eio Grande, 606; his 
 corps in grand review afWashington. 
 
INDEX 
 
 541 
 
 Sheridan, P. JS.—conUrmed 
 805, 607; on Gfrant's personaUty and 
 military genius, 616; nis "Memoirs" 
 quoted, 616 
 
 PersonEillty and diaraoteT: as a 
 raconteur,142,U3; courage and soldierly 
 qualities, 169; entbuslasm for action, 
 428, 429, 431, 432, 469 ; excitabUlty, 436- 
 489, 441; the key to his successes in 
 hattle, 441 ; leadership in hattle, 437- 
 441, 469 ; military genius, 308, 437-441, 
 469; modesty, 308; personal appear- 
 ance, 24, 228, 468, 469 
 
 " Sheridan's Ride," 438 
 
 Sherman, John, 374 
 
 Sherman, Maj.-gen. William T., ap- 
 pointed to command the Army of the 
 Tennessee, 6 ; relations with Grant, 6, 
 114, 285-288, 290, 291, 296-297, 320, 332, 374, 
 375, 417-424, 497, 604; ordered from 
 Corinth to Chattanooga, 7 ; talres over 
 command of Military Division of the 
 Mississippi, 22 ; meets Grant at Nash- 
 ville, 22 ; suggested hy Meade for com- 
 mander of the Army of the Potomac, 
 29; ordered to strike Johnston and 
 march to Atlanta, 36, 46 ; operations in 
 Georgia, 46, 78, 91, 238, 239, 243-246, 286, 
 292, 293, 332, 333, 336, 374; on Grant's 
 methods in action, 70; threatens 
 Besaca, 91 ; drives Johnston, 91 ; recom- 
 mended for promotion, major-general, 
 U. S. A., 113,114; Grant's estimate of, 
 admiration for, and relations with, 114, 
 286-288, 331, 417-424, 604; drives Johns- 
 ton out of Dalton, 120; captures Bome, 
 138; his "pounding," 180; misplaced 
 sympathy at Bhlloh, 193; supposed 
 scheme of Lee to detach troops against, 
 288; repulsed at Kenesaw Mountain, 
 243; crosses the Chattahoochee, 243; 
 drives the enemy into Atlanta, 243; 
 hattle of Atlanta, 244; his loss in 
 McPherson's death, 245; promoted 
 major-general, U. 8. A., 280; Lee un- 
 able to reinforce Hood against, 282, 
 283 ; captures Atlanta, 285 ; salute flred 
 with shotted guns in honor of, 286; 
 plans for his march to the sea, 287-289, 
 292-294, 313 ; first meeting between B. P. 
 and, 289-294; democratic character of 
 his headquarters, 291; doubts about 
 Hood's movements, 293; Jefferson 
 Davis predicts a Moscow for, 293; 
 Grant's interest m his operations in 
 Georgia, 297, 313, 814, 832; Grant's 
 anxiety to keep Lee's troops from con- 
 fronting, 299, 313, 314, 324; calls for 
 reinforcements, 313; Hood marches 
 against his oommnnlcationB, 813; 
 likened to Napoleon, 313; H. P. 's mis- 
 sion to, 314, 317 ; Bawlins's opposition 
 to his plans of campais3i, 314-316 ; pos- 
 sibilities of Hood's opposition to, 316 ; 
 advances to Marietta, 317 ; Grant ad- 
 vises him to attack Hood, 317, 318; 
 Hood operates in his rear, 317 ; march 
 to the sea, 317-320, 374 ; unfavorable to 
 the pursuit of Hood, 318; Grant pre- 
 pares for his reception at the coast, 
 318; his "Memoirs," 318; abandons 
 Atlanta, 319; Grant orders the march 
 to the sea, 819 ; question of his respon- 
 sibility for the Georgia campaign, 319, 
 320; "like a ground-mole," 332, 333; 
 captures MUlen, 333; approaching 
 Savannah, 337, 346; correspondence 
 
 Sherman, W. T.—eon&nued 
 with Grant, 837, 338, 860, 374, 876, 468 ; 
 Southern reserves hurried to oppose, 
 836 ; ordered to bring his army to Blch- 
 mond, 339; abandons Atlanta, 3S1; 
 reaches Ossabaw Sound, 369; success 
 of his movements, 369; Grant recon- 
 siders the order calling him north, 360, 
 361 ; captures Savannah, 860, 361, 373 ; 
 Grant congratulates him on his 
 achievements, 361 ; visit from Stanton, 
 873 ; possibility of Lee's moving against, 
 874; proposed northward movement 
 for, 374, 386, 387 ; proposal to make him 
 lieutenant-general, 374; proposed junc- 
 tion of Schofleld ana, 387; enters 
 Columbia, 8. C, 887; plans to prevent 
 opposition to, in North Carohna, 387 ; 
 captures Charleston, 387; remedy for 
 Charleston's disease of secession, 387, 
 388 ; effects junction with Schofleld at 
 Goldsboro, 401; march through the 
 Carolinas, 401, 422 ; ostensible plan for 
 Sheridan to join, 411, 41li; at Port 
 Monroe, 417; meeting with Grant at 
 City Point, 417-424 ; familiarity of his 
 troops with, 418, 419; recounts the 
 details of Ms march, 418, 419, 422 ; meet- 
 ing and interviews with Mrs. Grant at 
 City Point, 418, 420, 421, 423 ; his "bum- 
 mers," 419, 611 ; meeting with the Presi- 
 dent, 419, 420, 423, 424; meeting with 
 Sheridan at City Point, 421, 422; de- 
 sires Sheridan's assistance, 422 ; plans 
 for the final crushing of Lee, 423 ; the 
 conference on the Siver Queen, 428, 
 424; returns to his command, 424; plan 
 of his participation in capture of 
 Petersburg and Bichmond, 450; Grant's 
 anxiety about, 497 ; notified by Grant 
 of Lee's surrender, 603 ; authorized to 
 offer terms to Johnston, 508; a^ee- 
 ment with Johnston, 603, 604 ; notifies 
 Grantof his action, 603; his agreement 
 disapproved, 603, 504; secures Johns- 
 ton's surrender, 604; charged with 
 treason by the President and Stanton, 
 504 ; Grant's delicacy toward, 604 ; pub- 
 lic indignation at, 604; Stanton's con- 
 tinued animosity toward, 604 ; in grand 
 review at WasUngton, 606, 609-512; 
 reception in Washington, 606, 609; 
 "Marching through Georgia," 609; 
 snubs Stanton on thereviewlng-stand, 
 610; Grant makes peace between 
 Stanton and, 510 ; visits Stanton in his 
 last iUness, 510; his "bummers" in 
 grand review at Washington, 511; 
 character of his troops, 611 
 
 Personality and character: loyalty, 
 504 ; manner, 289-291 ; military genius, 
 418; modesty, 418; personal appear- 
 ance, 289, 290, 609; sense of humor, 41S- 
 422 
 
 Shiloh, Tenn., Bowley's services at, 33; 
 hattle of, and Grant's reminiscences 
 of, 64, 75,193,494; Sherman's misplaced 
 sympathy at, (the lost seven hundred), 
 193 ; McPherson at, 245 
 
 Shoshonees, the, battle between the Nez 
 Perc6s and, 77 
 
 Shreveport, La., Banks ordered to cap- 
 ture, 35 
 
 Sigel, Maj.-gen. Franz, ordered to oper- 
 ate in the Valley of Virginia, 35, 46 ; 
 moves down the Valley, 46; Lincoln's 
 opinion of, 46; Grant's opinion of. 
 
542 
 
 INDE3 
 
 Slgel, F.— continued 
 46, 237 ; proposes to move up the Shen- 
 andoah Valley, 91 ; proposes to con- 
 nect with Crook, 91; ordered to cut 
 Lee's supplies at Staunton, 124; de- 
 feated at New Market, 124 ; retreats to 
 Cedar Creek, 124 ; movement to super- 
 sede, 124; retreats across the Potomac, 
 236 ; strict orders to, against maraud- 
 ing, 236 ; remoTed from command, 237 
 
 " Silent witness, the," 487 
 
 Six Nations, the, represented on Gen. 
 Grant's staff, 34 
 
 Sixth Corps (Sedgwick; Wright), com- 
 manded hy Sedgwick, 39'; crosses 
 Germauna Ford, 41, 43 ; in hattle of the 
 Wilderness, 48-so, B2, 54, 57, 61, 63, 68, 69, 
 71; march toward Spottsylvania, 78, 
 87, 89, 90; engagement with Anderson 
 near Spottsylvania, 87 ; position. May 
 9, 1864, 87 ; Sedgwick's reliance on, 89 ; 
 death of Sedgwick, 89, 90; Wright 
 succeeds Sedgwick m command, 90, 
 166 ; hattle of Spottsylvania, 100, 102, 
 107; action on the Massaponax road. 
 May 14, 117, 118 ; aasault on Lee's left. 
 May 18, 123 ; moves south. May 21, 132 ; 
 at the crossing of the North Anna, 141, 
 142, 146, 152; crosses the Pamunkey, 
 154; reconnaissance. May 29, 157; 
 engagement, May 30, 160; sent to 
 Sheridan's relief at Old Cold Harbor, 
 162, 163; hattle of Cold Harbor, 174^ 
 176, 178; crosses the Chlokahomlny, 
 195 ; crosses the James, 197, 198 ; posi- 
 tion before Petersbm-g, 224; move- 
 ment against the Weldon Railroad, 
 224 ; withdraws to its former positipn, 
 224; engagements of June 22 and 23, 
 224; sent back to the Army of the 
 Potomac, 224; senttoEeams's Station, 
 231; defense of Washington, 237-239; 
 ordered to City Point, 32B; position 
 before Petersburg, 426 ; Sheridan asks 
 for, 432; final assault on Petersburg, 
 414 11 6; cheers Grant, 446; battle of 
 Sailor's Creek, 457; at Farmville, 458; 
 on duty In Virginia, 607; reviewed at 
 Washington, 607 
 
 "Skipworth, Cap'n Jimmy," 159 
 
 Slavery, abolition of, necessary to the 
 establishment of peace, 384; scheme 
 of compensated emancipation, 391 ; the 
 South ttred of, 490 ; abolition of, 605 
 
 Sleep, Napoleon's habits in regard to, 64; 
 Grant's belief in, and habits of, 64, 55 
 
 Sleeping on horseback, 211 
 
 Slidell, John, Confederate commissioner 
 to England, his seizure and release, 
 263, 264, 408 
 
 Slocum, Maj.-gen. Henry W., in grand 
 review at Washington, 510 
 
 Smith, Dr., reports Ewell's statement as 
 to the lost cause, 459 
 
 Smith, Gen. Edmund Kirby, surrender 
 of, 505 
 
 Smith, John, adventure with Pocahontas, 
 238 
 
 Smith, Gen. William F. ("Baldy"), ex- 
 plains the situation at Chattanooga, 4 ; 
 examines the lines at Chattanooga, 6 ; 
 commanding movement to Bridgeport, 
 8; at White House, 160; reinforce- 
 ments for, 160; ordered to the front, 
 160; strength of his reinforcements, 
 163 ; engagement at Old Cold Harbor, 
 163; battle of Cold Harbor, 174-178; 
 
 Smith, W. F.— continued 
 ordered to Bermuda Hundred, 187, 194, 
 198, 201; moves via White House, 194; 
 to move against Petersburg, 198 ; rein- 
 forcements for, 198; fails to capture 
 Petersburg, 201-203 ; Grant's confidence 
 in, 202, 203; the President visits his 
 command, 218, 219; consultation with 
 Grant before Petersburg, 231 ; quarrel 
 with Butler, 245; quarrelsome nature, 
 246, 246; granted permanent leave of 
 absence, 246 
 
 Snicker's Ferry, Va., Early retreats to, 
 240 
 
 Snuff, a scheme for its use In warfare, 
 372, 373 
 
 *' Sorrow's traces," 222 
 
 South Anna, the river, military move- 
 ments on, 136, 141, 143, 145, 156 
 
 South Carolina, a "Tar-heel" prisoner's 
 opinion of, 158; Sherman's mskrch 
 through, 374, 386, 401, 422; Lee's pro- 
 jected retreat toward, 405 
 
 South Side Railroad, the, operations 
 against, 230, 402 ; Meade's gains toward, 
 303 ; military movements on, 463, 454 
 
 Silencer carbine, a North Carolinian's 
 idea of the, 160 
 
 Spillman, Mrs., acquires sofa from Mc- 
 Lean's house, 487 
 
 " Spoils of war," the, 611 
 
 Spottsylvania Court-house, Va., a night 
 march to, 74, 78-82; Confederate move- 
 ments at, 86, 90 ; engagement between 
 Anderson's corps and Warren and 
 Sedgwick near, 87 ; topography, 88 ; an 
 exciting ride at, 93, 94; attack on Lee's 
 center at, 95, 96; the 11th of May at, 
 97-101 ; battle of May 12, 100-112, 172 ; 
 the "bloody angle," 99, 100, 102, 106, 107, 
 110, 111, 184; deadly character of the 
 firing at, 110, 111 ; the 13th of May at, 
 113-117 
 
 Stanton, Edwin M., Secretary of War, 
 orders H. P. to Washington, 11 ; inter- 
 views and persoual relations with 
 Grant, 21, 306, 328, 329, 510 ; alleged differ- 
 ence with Grant as to plan of campaign, 
 21 ; insists on retaining H. P. at Wash- 
 ington, 22-24; H. F.'s mtervlew with, 
 23 ; Grant recommends promotions to, 
 113, 114, 280; opinion of Meade, 191; 
 visits the seat of war, 304-306 ; admira- 
 tion for the President, 306, 306; consul- 
 tation with Grant, 306 ; advises recon- 
 sideration of the march to the sea, 318 ; 
 letter from Grant to, on the ballot 
 among the.troops, 321-323 ; Grant visits, 
 328; ill health, 328; question of his 
 retirement, 328, 329; anxiety about 
 Thomas, 334, 343; Senator Nesmith's 
 adventure with, 358, 369; intrusted 
 with secret of second Fort Fisher ex- 
 pedition, 367; requested to relieve 
 Butler, 373; visits Sherman at Savan- 
 nah, 373; Lee's proposal for military 
 convention laid before, 390; reduces 
 the military establishment, 496 ; grief 
 at the death of the President, 601; 
 hunts the conspirators to trial, 601; 
 notified of Sherman's agreement with 
 Johnston, 603; denounces Sherman, 
 604; discusses Sherman's case with 
 H. P., 604 ; continued animosity toward 
 Sherman, 604 ; snubbed by Sherman on 
 the reviewlng-stand, 610 ; Grant makes 
 peace between Sherman and, 510; 
 
INDEX 
 
 543 
 
 Stanton, E. M. — conlvn/ued 
 Tlsited by Sherman in Ms last illness, 
 SIO 
 
 Correspondence with : Grant, 321-823, 
 3^, 390, 188; Lincoln, 405, 406, 409, 410 
 
 Character: brusqueness, 23; face- 
 tiousness, 409, 410; Ms features on 
 Treasury notes, 23; Indefatlgabillty, 
 328; love of disoipline, 23; his manner 
 and personality, 306, 306, 328 ; reticence, 
 367 ; the Oamot of the war of the rebel- 
 lion, 306 
 
 Staunton, Va., Sigel ordered to out off 
 Lee's supplies at, 124 ; Sheridan crushes 
 Early near, 396 
 
 Stephens, Alexander H., Yice-Fresident, 
 C. 8. A., member of the Peace Commis- 
 sion, ylBits City Point, 382-385 ; person- 
 ality, 383, 386 ; opinion of Gen. Grant, 
 384, 386 ; the President's impressions of, 
 386 
 
 Steuart, Brig.-gen. George H., captured 
 at Spottsylvania, 106, 107 ; discourtesy 
 to Hancock, 106; battle of Five Forks, 
 437 
 
 Stevenson, Brig.-gen. Thomas G., battle 
 of the Wilderness, 64, 67; killed at 
 Spottsylvania, 94 
 
 Stoneman, M^.-gen. George, proposed 
 raid in East Tennessee, 386, 401 
 
 Stonewall Brigade, the, captured at 
 Spottsylvania, 106 
 
 Strasburg, Va., Early marches to, 240 
 
 Stuart, Lieut.-gen. James E. B., com- 
 manding cavalry corps. Army of 
 Northern Virginia, 39; battle of the 
 Wilderness, 68; at Todd's Tavern, 58; 
 Sheridan proposes to operate against, 
 84; killed at Yellow Tavern, 120, 143; 
 as a cavalry leader, 120 ; his loss to the 
 enemy, 120, 121 
 
 Suffrage, the exercise of the right by 
 the army, 321-323 ; Grant's plan of wo- 
 man sufaage, 421 
 
 Sunday in the army, 494, 495 
 
 Surratt, John H., escape, capture, trial, 
 and release of, 501 
 
 Surratt, Mrs. Mary E., tried for the 
 murder of the President, 501, 602 
 
 Sutherland's Station, Va., Miles's vic- 
 tory at, 448 ; Grant and Meade at, 452 
 
 Suvaroff, Marshal, his idea of luxury in 
 the held, 4 
 
 Swearing, Grant's aversion to, 164, 261 ; 
 a mule-driver's reliance, 251 ; an occa- 
 sion for, 427 
 
 Ta, the river, 88 
 
 Talleyrand, Prince, on dialogue, 376 
 
 Taylor, Lieut.-gen. Richard, surrender 
 of, 606 
 
 Taylor, Gen. Zachary, his military path 
 to the White House, 85 ; Grant's remi- 
 niscences of, 85; his difficulties in 
 Mexico, 193; "a cup of coffee and 
 mustard," 193; army rumor concern- 
 ing his signature, 242 
 
 Taylor's Ford, Va., military movements 
 at, 164 
 
 Telegraph road, the, Va., military move- 
 ments on, 135, 136, 141 
 
 Tennessee, Bumside's difficulties in, 7; 
 President Davis predicts Sherman's 
 retreat through, 313; proposal that 
 Thomas defend, 317; reinforcements 
 ordered to, 318; Thomas's delays in, 
 333-335, 343-349; proposed raid by Stone- 
 
 Tennessee — coniimued 
 man in, 386 ; Schofleld moves east from, 
 387 ; Stoneman moves toward east, 401 
 
 Tennessee River, the, military opera- 
 tions on, 2, 3, 8-10, 318, 333, 350 
 
 Tenth Corps (Birney), capture of Fort 
 Harrison, 299-302 
 
 Terry, Maj.-gen. Alfred H., appointed to 
 command second Fort Fisher expedi- 
 tion, 368; service on the James, 368; 
 Grant's opinion of, 368 ; his experience 
 in sea-coast work, 368; Grant accom- 
 panies him down the James, 368 ; cap- 
 tures the fort, 369, 370 ; S. P.'s mission 
 to, at Fort Fisher, 370 
 
 Terry, Brig.-gen. William R., in battle of 
 Five Forks, 437 
 
 Texas, rumored French invasion of, 266 
 
 Thomas, Maj.-gen. George H., command- 
 ing Army of the Cumberland, 1, 2; 
 JB, P.'s service on staff pf , 1 ; receives 
 Grant at Chattanooga, 1, 2, 4 ; ordered 
 to hold Chattanooga, 3 ; examines the 
 lines, 6; relieves S. P. froni duty, 11; 
 Grant's personal and milltaillrelations 
 with, and opinion of, 11, 332-335, 343, 346, 
 347, 349, 361-363; commends A. P., 11, 
 12 ; S. P.'s attachment to, 12 ; beloved 
 by the army, 12 ; •' Old Pap Thomas," 
 12 ; visited by H. P. at Atlanta, 294, 295 ; 
 " a pretty Ibud purr," 295 ; sense of 
 humor, 296 ; proposal that he defend 
 Tennessee, 317 ; Grant's anxiety to keep 
 Lee from sending troops agamst, 324; 
 Grant's interest in his movements, 332- 
 335 ; at Nashville, 333 ; reinforcements 
 for, 333 ; urged to attack Hood, 333, 334, 
 338, 343-349 ; Hood moves against, 333- 
 336; delays at Nashville, 333-336, 343-349; 
 coiTCSpondence with Grant, 333, 338, 
 343-347, 349, 350 ; the President's anxiety 
 about, 334 ; military genius, patriotism, 
 and courage, 334, 335, 344, 346, 352 ; fears 
 for his railroad communications, 336; 
 concentrating troops in Nashville, 335; 
 caution about attacking Hood, 338; 
 correspondence with Haiueck, 343, 346, 
 347, 348 ; proposal that Schofleld relieve, 
 343; offers to resign, 344, 346; Logan 
 prepared to relieve, 348, 349 ; Grant pre- 
 pares to take command in person, 348, 
 349; battle of Nashville, 348-362; con- 
 gratulated by the President, 349; his 
 captures, 360, 361 ; " the Bock of Chioka- 
 mauga," 352 ; proposed movement into 
 Alabama hy, 386 
 
 Thomas, Maj.-gen. Henry G., at the 
 Crater before Petersburg, 266 
 
 Thraxton, W. R., wounded at Spottsyl- 
 vania, 118, 119 
 
 Tippecanoe, Ind., Gen. Harrison's advice 
 to his men at, 410 
 
 Todd's Tavern, Va., engagement at, 58; 
 a night march to, 80, 81 ; Sheridan's en- 
 gagement at, 82; Grant's bivouac at, 
 82, 83; encounter between Early and 
 Hancock at, 86 
 
 Torbert, Maj.-gen. Alfred T. A., south- 
 ward movement. May 20, 1864, 132 ; ac- 
 tivity in the Shenandoah Valley, 304 
 
 Totopotomoy Creek, military movements 
 on, 156, 160, 163, 164, 172, 176 
 
 " Tramp, tramp, tramp I the boys are 
 marching," 506 
 
 Trans-Mississippi Department, the, 
 fears of reinforcements for Hood from, 
 
 336, 346 
 
544 
 
 INDEX 
 
 " Traveler," Lee's favorite boise, 471 
 
 Treason, Confederate fears of trial for, 
 492 
 
 " Trent " affair, the, 263, 408 
 
 Trent's Reach, Va., naval operations in, 
 376 
 
 Troops, nervous affections among, 140; 
 the ballot among the, 321-324 
 
 Tuscaloosa, Ala., capture of, 605 
 
 Twentieth Corps (Slocum) , holds Atlanta, 
 317 ; in grand review at Washington, 
 610 
 
 Twenty-first Illinois Infantry, Grant 
 teaches a lesson in manners m the, 67 
 
 Twenty-fourth Corps (Ord), position at 
 opening of campaign of 1866, 426 
 
 Tyler, Brig.-geri. Robert O., brings rein- 
 forcements to Hancock, 122 ; In action. 
 May 19, 1864, 127-129 ; brevetted for gal- 
 lantry, 129 
 
 Tyler, Mrs., Grant's visit to, and con- 
 versations with, 137-139 
 
 United States, expenses of the war, 172 ; 
 discouragement at the North, 172, 173 ; 
 the losses of men from disease and 
 from battle, 181 ; the Trent affair, 253, 
 264, 408; Secretary Seward on foreign 
 relations, 253-266; unfriendly attitude 
 of England toward, 263-266, 407-409 ; re- 
 lations with France, 256; integrity of 
 the Union, 256, 257 ; volunteers of, not 
 mercenaries, 322 ; sectional Jealousies 
 in, 461; grief in, at the death of the 
 President, 501; the national govern- 
 ment again supreme, 606, 612. Bee also 
 confedbeate states o]? america; 
 North, the. 
 
 United States Army, Grant created lieu- 
 tenant-general, 17, 18; the grade of 
 lieutenant-general, 22 
 
 United States Congress, passes the lleu- 
 tenant-generaloy bill, 17, 18 ; presents 
 Grant with a medal, 393 
 
 United States Navy, cooperation with 
 the land forces, 369, 370, 377, 379-381 ; Its 
 officers as horsemen, 412, 413 
 
 United States Senate, the difficulties of 
 entering the, 364-366 
 
 Upton, Col. Emory, action at Spottsyl- 
 vanla. May 10, 1864, 95, 96 ; wounded, 96; 
 promoted brigadier-general of volun- 
 teers, 96, 114 ; action on the Massaponax 
 road. May 14, 117, 118 ; hard fighting by, 
 117 
 
 Valley of Virginia, Sigel ordered to cam- 
 paign in, 35, 46; probable reinforce- 
 ments for Lee from, 124 ; Breckinridge 
 reinforces Lee from, 146 ; Hunter urged 
 to increased exertion in, 171 ; Hunter's 
 raids in, 235, 236 ; Lee sends troops to, 
 236, 236 ; importance to Lee, 270 ; Grant 
 plans movements in, 270-272 ; selection 
 of Sheridan for command in, 270-272; 
 proposed movements in, 297, 298; 
 Sheridan obtains possession of, 298; 
 Grant' s oritioiBm of Union comm anders 
 tn, 305; Lee recalls Early from, 326; 
 plans for Sheridan's spilng campaign 
 in, 386 
 
 Van Duzer, telegram to Grant, Dec. 15, 
 1864, 348, 349 
 
 Vaughan Road, the, Va., military move- 
 ments on, 426, 428 
 
 Via House, Va., Grant's headquarters at, 
 163 
 
 Vicksburg, Miss., Grant's operations at 
 and in rear of, 8, 27-29, 96, 179, 320, 363- 
 366, 486 ; Grant's course at, criticized by 
 "cross-roads wiseacres," 27-29; Corn- 
 stock at, 32 ; Grant's " favorite amuse- 
 ment" at, 96 ; the lessons of the assault 
 at, 179; McPherson at, 245; held by 
 Canby, 336 ; Fred Grant's services be- 
 fore, 363, 364; Halleck's orders to Grant 
 to withdraw from, 364; Grant's gen- 
 erosity at the fall of, 486; the cap- 
 ture of, and Lincoln's peculiar dream, 
 497 
 
 Virginia, Grant's opinion of former mili- 
 tary operations in, 36 ; the war feeling 
 in, 40; lack of maps and geographlcsu 
 information in, 121, 122 ; the pleasures 
 of campaigning in, 121, 427, 428; inter- 
 marriages In, 122; desolation in, 136; 
 the sorrows of an old woman of, 147- 
 IBl; "Yankees cavortin' round" in, 
 147-161 ; ice in, 166 ; the smile of peace 
 and the frown of war, 200 ; the chickens 
 of, 214; one of the first famines of, 228; 
 cessation of active operations In, 325 ; 
 the enemy concentrated in, 360, 361; 
 first and last scenes of the war in, 488; 
 casualties of the campaign of 1865, 492 ; 
 the Sixth Corps kept on duty in, 607 ; 
 results of Grant's campaign in, 612 
 
 "Virginia," the. Confederate flag-ship, 
 action in the James, 880 
 
 Virginia Central Railroad, the, Sheri- 
 dan's operations against, 99, 120, 143, 
 190, 227, 325, 397 ; military movements 
 on, 141, 143, 146 ; destroyed by EusseU, 
 146 ; its necessity to Lee, 146 ; destroyed 
 by WUson, 176 
 
 ^Vadsworth,Maj. -gen. James S., in bat- 
 tle of the wilderness, 62, 64, 60 ; killed, 
 60 
 
 'Walden's Ridge, Grant's journey over, 3 
 
 Walker's, Church, Va., Grant near, 467 
 
 Wallace, MaJ.-gen. Lew, military opera^ 
 tlons on the Monocacy, 237-239 ; com- 
 manding the Middle Department, 238, 
 239 
 
 'Wallace, Thomas, Grant occupies his 
 house at Petersburg, 449, 452 
 
 Wallace, Brig.-gen. William H., in battle 
 of Five Porks, 137 
 
 War, the fundamental principle of, 278 
 
 'War Department, denounces Sherman, 
 604 
 
 Warfare, modem, 86 
 
 War-flags, in grand review at Washing- 
 ton, 608 
 
 War of the Rebellion, its daily expenses, 
 489 
 
 Warren, Maj.-gen. Gouverneur K., com- 
 mandmg the Fifth Corps, 39 ; crosses 
 Germanna Ford, 41 ; first day's march 
 into the WUdemess, 46 ; battle of the 
 Wilderness, 49-62, 64, 66, 67, 69,61,63; 
 attention to dress, 61 ; in the Wilder- 
 ness, May 7, 74, 76, 78, 80-:82, 87 ; march 
 toward Spottsylvania, 78, 80-82, 87; 
 engagement 'with Anderson, 87 ; posi- 
 tion, May 9, 87; action at Spottsyl- 
 vania, May 10, 94, 95 ; battle of Spott- 
 sylvania, May 12, 100, 107, 108 ; blamed 
 lor his dUatoriness, 107, 108; steps 
 toward relieving him of command, 
 108 ; Grant's regard for, 108 ; censured, 
 118; action on the Massaponax road, 
 May 14, 118; thanked by Meade, 118; 
 
INDEX 
 
 545 
 
 Warren, G. K.—eonHnued 
 aotiou of May 19, 127, 128 i moves to 
 Oulney's Station, 132; at crossing of 
 the North Anna, 141, U2, 146, 162; 
 crosses the Pamunkey, 164 ; reconnais- 
 sance. May 29, 167 ; eMagemcnt, May 
 30,160; engagements, June l, 163,168; 
 battle of Cold Harbor, 174, 176, 177; 
 crosses the Chickahomiuy, 19B, 197, 207 ; 
 demonstrations at White Oak Swamp, 
 196, 197, 207 ; crosses the James, 197, 
 198; before Petersburg, 206, 224; visit 
 of Grant to, July 22, 251, 252; quarrel 
 with Meade, 261, 252; battle of the 
 Weldon Eaili'oad, 280, 281 ; attacked by 
 Hill, Aug. 21, 281 ; visitors from Wash- 
 ington to, 306 ; battle of Hatcher's Bun, 
 309, 312; destruction of the Weldon 
 Railroad, 346; position at opening of 
 campaign of 1866, 426 ; movement In 
 aid of Sheridan, 430, 432; battle of 
 White Oak Road, 430; Sheridan author- 
 ized to relieve, 436; battle of Five 
 Forks, 435-4S7, 440, 441 ; Sheridan's an- 
 noyance with, 440, 441 ; relieved from 
 command, 441 
 
 Warren Station, Va., Grant at, 312 
 
 Warrenton Junction, Va., Grant's narrow 
 escape at, 30 
 
 ■Washburne, Elihu B., introduces the 
 Ueutenant-generalcy biU, 17; accom- 
 panies Grant to the Wilderness, 42, 63, 
 64, 68, 97; conveys to Washington a 
 celebrated despatch, 97, 98; visits 
 Grant at City Point, 392-396 ; mistaken 
 for the general-in-chief, 394, 395 
 
 Washington, D. C, Grant at, 18-24, 316, 
 326-329, 348-360, 489, 493, 496-501, 603, 504, 
 606; Grant's unfamiUarity with, 18; 
 troops from, sent to the front, 121; 
 artQlery sent to, 129 ; defense of, 182, 
 236-240, 270 ; the President returns from - 
 City Point to, 223 ; Grant sends to, for 
 artillery, 226, 231; defenseless condi- 
 tion, 236, 237 ; Early's advance on, 237- 
 239; consternation in, 237; telegraphic 
 communication between City Point 
 and, interrupted, 239 ; Early abandons 
 his march on, 239 ; Hancock's feigned 
 movement to, 276, 277 ; Sheridan's trip 
 to, 306-308 ; Grant's enthusiastic recep- 
 tion In, 496, 506 ; grief in, at the death 
 of the President, 601; the grand re- 
 view at, 606-512 
 
 ^Vashington, George, Grant compared 
 with, 14 ; his attitude at Yorktown com- 
 pared with that of Grant at Appomat- 
 tox, 461 
 
 ■Wauhatchie, Tenn., battle of, 9 
 
 Webb, Maj.-gen. Alexander S., Meade's 
 chief of BtaS, 404 
 
 Webster, Cant. Amos, assistant quarter- 
 master on Grant's staff, 232 
 
 'Weitzel, Maj.-gen. Godfrey, in Fort 
 Fisher expedition, 337-339; Butler's 
 disobedience concerning, 362 ; in front 
 of Riclunond, 426 ■ reports the capture 
 of Richmond, 462 
 
 Weldon Railroad, the, Va., movements 
 by Wright and Bimey araiinst, 224 ; ex- 
 peditions of Wilson and Kautz against, 
 230 ; proposed movement against, July 
 31, 1864, 270 ; battle of, 280-282 ; destruc- 
 tion of, at Eeams's Station, 281 ; Meade's 
 action on, 303; destruction of, by 
 
 Wellington, Duke of, his losses of men 
 
 WeUington, Duke of —contirmed 
 from disease, 181; Grant compared 
 with, 291 
 
 Westover, Va., Warren at, 207 
 
 West Point, Ga., capture of, 605 
 
 W^est Point, N. Y., Grant's Ute at, 3a- 
 343 ; Lee's superlntendency of, 481 
 
 West Virginia, Confederate supplies de- 
 stroyed by AvereU's cavalry in, 120; 
 Hunter retires into, 236, 236 
 
 " When Johnny comes marching home," 
 606 
 
 Whisky, Grant's use of, 216; a good 
 judge of, 359 
 
 white House, Va., Butler ordered to, 147 ; 
 the Union base of supplies, 165, 166 ; 
 reinforcements from Butler at, 160; 
 Lee plans cutting Grant's communica- 
 tions with, 161 ; Smith leaves guard at, 
 163 ; the Christian Commission at, 169 ; 
 B.P. and Comstock at, 188; Smith's 
 movement' to, 194; Sheridan at, 227; 
 breaking up of the depot at, 227 ; sup- 
 
 Slies sent to Sheridan at, 397, a?9 ; Sheri- 
 an reaches, 401 
 
 ■White House, the, Washington, Presi- 
 dential reception at, March 8, 1864, 18- 
 21 ; Grant at, March 9, 21, 22 ; Grant's 
 military path to, 86 ; the grand review 
 before, 606 et seq. 
 
 White Oak Road, Va., battle of, 430; 
 military movements on, 432, 436, 437, 
 438 
 
 White Oak Swamp, Va.,Warren'sdemon- 
 strations at, 196, 197, 207 
 
 ^Vhittier, Col. Charles A., conveys Lee's 
 communication to Grant, 462 
 
 Wilcox, Maj.-gen. Cadmus M., one of 
 Grant's groomsmen, 491; visits Grant 
 after the surrender, 491 
 
 Wilcox's Landing, Va., the crossing of 
 the James at, 189, 197, 198 ; Grant's head- 
 quarters at, 197 
 
 Wilderness, the, Va., intricacies of the 
 battle-field, 44, 49-53, 72, 73 ; difficulty of 
 using artillery in, 51 ; battle of, 47-64, 
 56-73; Grant's consumption of cigars 
 in, 56, 69, 64, 69, 70, 381; the fires in, 62; 
 losses and casualties, 71 ; the third day 
 in, 74 ; Grant's discussion of the battle, 
 76, 85^ 98 ; " Ain't I glad to get out ob 
 de Wilderness 1 " 83 
 
 Wilderness Tavern, the, Va., 49 
 
 Wilkes, Capt. Charles, his stoppage of 
 the Trent, 263, 264 
 
 ■Willard's Hotel, Washington, Grant's 
 sojourns at, 21-23, 496,498; Gen. Grant's 
 registry at, 21, 22 
 
 Willcox, Maj.-gen. Orlando B., at Spott- 
 sylvania, May 10, 1864, 96 
 
 Williams, Maj.-gen. Seth, conveys 
 Grant's communications to Lee, 460; 
 meeting between Lee and, at Appo- 
 mattox, 481, 482 ; fraternizes with Con- 
 federate officers, 491 
 
 Williamsburg, Va., Hancock's christen- 
 ing on the field of, 68 
 
 V^ilmington, N. C, contemplated move- 
 ment against, 288, 292; blockade-run- 
 ning at, 336; Grant plans expedition 
 agamst, 336-338; troops sent against 
 Sherman from, 336 ; Bragg withdraws 
 from, 337 ; capture of, 370, 388 
 
 Wilson, Maj.-gen. James H., at Spottsyl- 
 vania, 84 ; at the crossing of the North 
 Anna, 149 ; covers the crossing of the 
 Pamunkey, 166 ; engagement at Haw's 
 
546 
 
 IlfDEX 
 
 Wilson, J. H. — continued 
 Sliop, 176 ; battle of Cold Harbor, 176 ; 
 moves to Long Bridge, 194 ; expeoltlou 
 against the Boutb Side and DauTUle 
 raUroads, 230, 231 ; destroys tbe ene- 
 my's communications, 230, 231; re- 
 mounts Thomas's cavalry, 331, 33S; 
 proposed movement into Alabama by, 
 386 
 
 'Wilson's Station, Va., Grant at, 463 
 
 Winchester, Va., battle of, 298 ; Sheridan 
 at, 306-308, 438 ; Sheridan moves from, 
 396 
 
 "Winchester," Sheridan's horse, 438. 
 See also "Eiknzi." 
 
 Windmill Point, Va., the crossing of the 
 James at, 189 
 
 ^Vinslow, Capt. John A., his destruction 
 of the Alabama, 254, 265; Grant's 
 admiration for, 264 
 
 Winthrop, Maj.-gen. Frederick, liilledat 
 Five Forks, 440 
 
 Wise, Brig.-gen. Henry A., defending 
 Petersbura, 202 
 
 Woman suffrage. Grant's plan of, 421 
 
 Wounded men, instinct to seek shelter, 
 118 
 
 Wright, Maj.-gen. Horatio G., reported 
 captured intheWilderne8S,69; succeeds 
 to command of tlie Sixth Corps, 90; 
 action at Spottsylvania, May 10, 1864, 
 96; battle of Spottsylvania, May 12, 
 100, 102, 107; wounded, 107; recom- 
 mended for promotion to major-general 
 of volunteers, 113; action on the Mas- 
 saponax road. May 14, 117, 118 ; assault 
 on Lee's left, May 18, 122, 123; moves 
 south, May 21, 132; at the crossing of 
 
 Wright, H. G. —continued 
 the North Anna, 141, 142, 146, 152; 
 crosses the Famunkey, 164 ; reconnais- 
 sance, May 29, 167; engagement. May 
 30, 160; sent to Sheridan's relief at Old 
 Cold Harbor, 162, 163; gallantry and 
 ability, 166; battle of Cold Harbor, 
 174-176, 178 ; crosses the Cliickahominy, 
 195; crosses the James, 197, 198; sent 
 back to the Army of the Potomac, 224 ; 
 position before Petersburg, 224 ; move- 
 ment against the Weldon Railroad, 
 224 ; engagements, June 22 and 23, 224 ; 
 withdraws to his former position, 224 ; 
 sent to Beams's Station, 231; ordered 
 to .Washington, 237-239; in pursuit of 
 Early, 238; wounded at Cedar Creek, 
 307, 308; ordered to City Point, 326; 
 position before Petersburg, 426 ; Sheri- 
 dan asks for Us corps, 432 ; proposes 
 to " make the fur fly," 444 ; final assault 
 on and capture of Petersburg, 445, 446, 
 449; battle of Sailor's Creek, 467; at 
 Farmville, 458; on duty in Virginia, 
 507 ; review of his corps at Washing- 
 ton, 607 
 
 Yellow Tavern, Va., battle of, 143 ; Stuart 
 and Gordon killed at, 143 
 
 York River, the, the Union base of sup- 
 plies transferred to, 166; military 
 movements on, 188 
 
 Yorktown, Va., the surrender of Com- 
 waUls at, compared with that at Ap- 
 pomattox, 461 
 
 Young, John Russell, reports Grant's 
 opimons of Ingalls and H. P., 247 
 
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